“He doesn’t really need to talk, does he?”
Mike frowned. “Need? What do you mean?”
“Like I said before, Mike, I’m not an expert on his situation. This is just my observation. He has all his needs met. Just now at lunch you asked if he wanted mayonnaise or mustard on his turkey sandwich. Both jars were out, so all he had to do was point to what he wanted.”
“But what else should I do?” he asked defensively.
Ruby let out a light laugh. “Well, I suppose you could start by not giving him a choice. Put mustard on the sandwich and let him object if he doesn’t want it. Maybe he’d get a little frustrated that you didn’t ask.”
“Wow. Why didn’t I think of that?” Mike snorted. “Seriously. I’m not being sarcastic, Rubes. Such a small but obvious thing to do.”
Ruby ran the toe of her sneaker through the leaves and broken twigs gathered under the tree. “Didn’t you say that at school, he does the work and Mrs. Cermak leaves him alone? He’s learning to read and spell words.”
“It’s not a typical classroom,” Mike said.
“But I’m guessing she doesn’t ask him questions that demand complex answers. She tells him what to do—”
“And he does it!” Mike took his hands out of his pockets and jabbed his finger into his chest. “I second-guess everything. I pick out his clothes, wait for him to point to books he wants read and tell him when it’s time to eat, take a bath, go outside...wow.”
“Well, I wouldn’t feel bad about it.” She spoke in a low voice. “You’ve been one-hundred-percent focused on making him feel secure and loved. You want him to know for sure you’ll take care of his needs. Trouble is, he never balks. It could be quite a shock when he acts up.”
Mike sighed. “Before Zoe died and I was visiting, he was always on his best behavior, like kids are with their grandparents. While it was good that he was polite, it was weird, too. It didn’t feel genuine.”
Mike rubbed at his cheeks in what to Ruby looked like frustration.
“I keep thinking back to the couple of days I got to spend with him last Christmas. I took him to some water park near their house. Very exciting...not,” Mike said flatly.
She studied Mike’s face, but he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, with a pinched expression he focused on Jason running back and forth along the shore with Peach.
She reached out to touch his arm, but quickly changed her mind. They’d maintained their distance and she intended to keep it that way. “So why do you look so pained?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. It was fun.” His snicker punctuated his sarcasm. “I’m being cynical. It had slides and waterfalls and rope swings. A kid’s dream. I mean, what’s not to like?”
He didn’t need to fill out the picture. “Ah, I get it. Not your idea of Christmas.”
“Thank you.” In a voice edging toward anger, he added, “My friends at the firm didn’t understand why I’d found the holiday so—so empty. It didn’t feel like a real Christmas at all. And it was my first holiday with him and our first overnight trip.”
“How did that happen?” Ruby asked. Mike had told her he and Jason were a story for another day. Well, maybe this was the day.
Mike stared off at the lake. “It’s not that hard to explain, Rubes. I had a casual fling with another attorney at the firm. Zoe left and moved to Pennsylvania, and when a few women at the office came in all excited one day and told us Zoe had a baby, I did the math.” He paused and closed his eyes.
Not knowing what to expect, Ruby shouldn’t have been surprised by Mike’s story, but she was. And she was impatient for him to fill in the blanks, which he quickly did. A kind of emotional roller coaster, Ruby thought, when he explained he’d been told Jason was another man’s child. Naturally, he more or less forgot about Zoe and the baby.
Mike scoffed. “But she was wrong and the other guy eventually got a paternity test. Out of the blue, at least for me, she called to tell me the truth.”
Not how Mike would have chosen to become a dad, Ruby thought, no matter how much he’d changed in twenty years. “So, you weren’t in his life very long before his mom was killed.”
“Less than a year. And I was an out-of-state dad, not even a weekend one. I saw him briefly at Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas. The water-park Christmas.”
Ruby glanced around her, remembering the trees circling the lake covered with snow on Christmas Eve. Or the fairyland Mike’s dad created by stringing white lights around the trees near the house and along the porch roof and the railings. Mike’s mom elaborately decorated their tree, which filled at least a quarter of their living room. Ellen had added new ornaments every year, but she always hung the ones Mike had made as art projects in grade school.
In Ruby’s mind, nearly every surface in Mike’s house was covered with candles and her collections of ceramic angels and Swedish trolls. When they were kids Mike rolled his eyes at what he called “Christmas gone wild.” No wonder the water park rang hollow.
“A water park would be a far cry from the festivities at your house.” Almost as an afterthought she said, “Emma and I always said your mom was the coolest of all the moms we knew. She ran around all year in jeans and T-shirts or big comfy fisherman’s knit sweaters. She was either in boots or sneakers and her long blond hair hung straight down her back. We loved her big hoop earrings.”
For the first time in years, Ruby allowed herself to get a kick out of the memory of Ellen Abbot’s holiday spirit. “Your mom was so different from mine. Mom always styled her hair carefully every day and wouldn’t leave the house without meticulously putting on her makeup. All her clothes seemed perfectly matched. Red sweater sets with tailored slacks. Plaid blazers and navy skirts.”
Mike looked into her eyes and smiled sadly. “That’s true, but my mom had lots of running around to do with running a resort.”
“Sure, but your mom had the most elaborate holiday rituals—the candles alone...” Laughing, Ruby raised her hands in the air for emphasis.
A scary mix of emotions swirled through her. They stumbled into shared memories and she was to blame for bringing up his mother. This had to stop, this slow walking up to the edge of the cliff that would tumble them deep into the past. In her defense she realized it was almost impossible to think about Christmas without Ellen’s enthusiasm coming to mind. Ellen herself had talked about her holiday extravaganzas.
Changing the subject, Ruby forced a chuckle. “When I moved to south Florida I was sure I’d detest Christmases amongst the palm fronds. But I surprised myself. Balmy is good.”
“Ha! Like I believe that.”
“No, really.” Then she blurted, “But I always missed Thanksgiving here in Bluestone River.”
“Your favorite holiday, Rubes. I remember.”
She drew back her head, surprised. “You do? Really?”
Mike reached for her hand and before she could pull it back, he caught it and squeezed her fingers. “I remember everything, Ruby.”
Her heart pounding, she pulled away from him and moved closer to his son. “Let me show you something, Jason.”
When the boy turned around she hurled a stick into the water and Peach raced into the lake and captured it in her mouth. Splashing water all around her, she bounded back to Ruby. She threw it again and again, and each time Peach took off like a shot.
“Better stand back,” she called to Jason. “She’ll soon be shaking her coat to get rid of all that water.”
Jason responded by searching the ground around him until he picked up a good-size stick and ran closer to the water. When he threw the stick in the lake, the game immediately changed for Peach, who ignored Ruby and had eyes only for her new partner.
Aware Mike was at her side again, Ruby remained focused on Peach. “Peach spent most of her life with an elderly woman who lived alone, so I don’t know how she became this
good with kids.”
“Golden retrievers have a reputation as good family dogs, don’t they?” Mike asked.
“So I hear. I guess it’s in her nature to be happy when she’s around children.” Steering the conversation back to Jason, she said, “Even playing these kinds of games with the dog, Jason doesn’t have to talk. Peach knows what to do.”
Mike smiled watching Jason playing. “He’s getting wet, but so what? Jason knows where his dry clothes are. He won’t need to ask.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Mike,” she said softly. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that you anticipate what he needs.” She gestured to the house and then the lake. “You’ve given him such a secure world now. And a beautiful one.”
“He’s the biggest challenge in my life, Ruby. It isn’t all about me now, that’s for sure.”
Ruby nodded to acknowledge what he’d said, and for reasons she couldn’t pinpoint, more memories came up. One Thanksgiving Day her parents had put their seal of approval on Mike when he stopped in late in the afternoon and watched football with her dad. She and her sister, Dee, kept her mom company in the kitchen and shared second helpings of blackberry pie while they listened to her dad and Mike banter about this or that quarterback. At one point, her mother whispered, “Your dad and I agree, Ruby—Mike is becoming a good man.”
“Ruby? Where are you?”
Suddenly pulled out of the scene in her mind, she glanced at Mike the man, and from what she’d seen so far, he really was a good one. “Oh, I’m sorry. My mind drifted.” To you.
“I saw that,” he said with a grin. “But I wanted to know what you think it will take to get him to speak.”
“Nothing like asking a tough question, Mike.” It saddened her to think about how many months it had been since he’d heard his son’s voice. What would finally compel the boy to break his silence? A shock of some kind? Ruby had heard of that happening. But sometimes it was a more subtle trigger. She didn’t know what to say and her silence was a poor answer.
“Don’t feel bad, Rubes. No one else knows, either.” A deep frown showed his concern.
“I can only imagine how difficult this is.”
Mike shifted his posture and turned toward her, his expression matter-of-fact now. “Enough about my problems. I’m really curious, you know, about you. Emma mentioned you’ve never been married, either.”
She laughed nervously. “Emma really knows how to share the news. Not that it matters. No, I never got married. I had a couple of close calls, but I got used to my freedom.” If she told the whole truth, she’d admit the calls weren’t all that close. If anyone sidled up and wanted to stick around, she soon found herself applying for fascinating jobs a state or two away. Dee wrote her off as a runaway date, never letting it go far enough to become a runaway bride.
“I’m surprised, somehow. You’re smart and funny—” he leaned in closer “—and easy on the eyes.”
She winced. “I can’t believe you said that. It’s like something our grandparents would have said, you know, back in their day.”
Laughing, Mike said, “I know, I know. So call the sheriff and have me arrested me for corny humor.”
Ruby looked at his amused face—his blue eyes were doing that thing her mom called twinkling. Ignoring the warmth spreading through her body, she said, “I guess I’ve been like you. I’ve dated, had relationships, but never wanted to make that ultimate commitment.” Ruby pointed with her chin toward Jason. “I just didn’t have a child along the way.”
She let out a quick laugh and met Mike’s gaze. “My work has been like my child. It’s odd to be without it, but it’s also made me face what a big bite of my life it owned.” She lowered her head, suddenly studying her sneakers and regretting that she’d said more than she’d meant to.
When she raised her head again, she was greeted by Mike’s quizzical expression. If he had questions for her, she sure had a bunch for him, too. But no more today.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. “I should get to the hospital. Did I tell you Emma is coming home soon? Like Monday, maybe.”
“She texted me,” Mike said. “She’s excited about doing her rehab at home with you there to drive her to physical therapy and other appointments.”
Emma hadn’t mentioned she and Mike were texting now, but why not? Now that Mike was back in town their friendship would continue long after Ruby left.
“I get the feeling the work you’ve been doing all these years is more important than the kind of work that’s eaten up my time,” Mike said. “Contract and commercial real-estate law for the first few years, and then later, I branched out into public law.”
“Citizen-advocacy issues?” Ruby asked.
“A couple of good cases about preserving landmarks. That sort of thing.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’ll handle here in town. Maybe real estate. Some family law, I suppose.”
“I hope it goes well, Mike. I mean it.” The intensity of her words embarrassed her and she distracted herself by calling out to Jason. “Why don’t you say goodbye to Peach now, Jason? We’ve got to get going.”
Jason responded by running toward her and Peach followed.
“Wait, Ruby, you’re running off again. But you never told me about your last job, except that you were let go.”
“Fired, Mike. It wasn’t some congenial parting of the ways.”
“But why?”
Ruby wasn’t prepared to relive the story, not with Emma waiting and Peach and the little six-year-old running in a circle around Mike. She said the first thing that popped into her mind. “Arrogance.”
“Huh? You mean your boss was arrogant.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I was.”
Mike’s expression changed to frank curiosity, but leaving no time for any other response, she called Peach and said a quick goodbye to Jason. “I’ll stop by again with Peach soon,” she promised.
Already halfway to her car, she looked over her shoulder at Mike standing with his hands on his hips. She raised her hand, waving goodbye. “To quote you, Mike, it’s a conversation for another day.”
“Okay,” he said, “but I’m going to hold you to that.”
She’d already said too much. Especially since she wasn’t ready to chew it over one more time and sort out how and why her big idea had gone so wrong.
CHAPTER FIVE
EMMA’S HOUSE WAS easy to find. Bluestone River didn’t have many log homes, and those few were vacation cabins downriver and not typical dream houses. River Street took him toward the park, but he veered off on a street that ended at the road that led to Emma’s place. Sure enough, there it was.
The imposing structure wasn’t merely a big house, it was a small lodge. The place was so like Neil—tall with some heft, but not overpowering. He’d been the kind of guy who’d taken up a lot of space in any room he’d occupied just by the force of his personality. Mike could see why Neil and Emma chose the site on uncultivated prairie acres, some of them wooded. A nice piece of land. He smiled to himself. Not quite the prime real estate of his house on Hidden Lake. There was no more beautiful setting anywhere in Illinois.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs to the front door, Ruby came out. “Uh, hi. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
With her handbag slung over her shoulder it was obvious she was going somewhere. Showing up without calling first suddenly seemed like a very bad idea. “I see I caught you on your way out.”
“I’m picking up Emma.” She frowned. “I thought I mentioned she’s coming home today.”
Right. He’d forgotten that. That left him feeling foolish standing in her front yard for no particular reason other than wanting to talk to her. He failed miserably at playing it cool. No way could he pretend what happened to Ruby’s job, for one thing, didn’t interest him, especially because of the path she�
��d chosen. Ruby, the young girl on a quest for a prized MBA, had changed course somewhere.
“You did say that, Ruby. Sorry. It slipped my mind.” He sighed. “I’ll be on my way.”
She came down the stairs and headed toward her car, not toward him. “Is everything okay with Jason?”
“Yes, he’s fine,” he said, opening his car door. “He had a nightmare last night, but it didn’t last long. He went right back to sleep.”
“Good to hear. I’ve really got to hurry. I don’t want to be late.”
He nodded, but was slow to turn away.
“Mike...what’s going on?” She raised her hands in a clear “what gives?” question.
He couldn’t avoid answering. “Man, I should’ve known better than to just show up here. But... I mean, you ran off yesterday. Again. One more conversation we didn’t finish.” He took a deep breath and stepped closer to her. “Ruby, I want to know what’s happened to you in all this time. I don’t mean to intrude, but—”
“I’m here for Emma, Mike.” She looked away and stared at the house, one hand resting on her hip. “Yes, it happens that I lost my job, so I was free to come to help her, but what difference does it make? You’re planning your life with Jason. I actually think it’s wonderful you’re back here. What better place for your son to grow up? But that’s you.” She raised her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “As soon as Emma is better, I’m moving on to whatever is next for me.”
Her words came at him like a boulder threatening to knock him over. But why? She’d been clear from the day in the park her visit was about Emma, end of story. He’d never have bumped into her in the first place if Emma hadn’t needed Ruby’s help. He nodded his understanding, but balked at the truth of it. There were no coincidences. He was sure of it.
“I’m happy to talk with you about Jason, and sure, I can recount all the gory details about my last job, if you really want to hear them.” Her voice grew louder with every word. “But why would you? What’s been going on with me isn’t any of your concern.”
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