Return to Corbin's Bend

by Corinne Alexander

  “Is that what you think this is about?” Grant asked. “You think I’m punishing her for being angry?” He had moved over to lean against the wall and was watching her intently, arms crossed. Lainie opened her mouth to speak, but Grant continued before she got the chance. “No, I don’t think you do. In fact, I think you know exactly why I did what I did. You’re only in here discussing it because Kathleen came running to you.”

  That was uncomfortably true, but Lainie protested nonetheless. “It’s not that,” she insisted. “I just know what this is going to be like for her. She’s going to be miserable, and then she’s going to try to make me miserable in return. You don’t know what it’s like to be stuck in the house with a moody teenager all day. It’s going to be hell. It’ll be more of a punishment for me than for her. Trust me. I speak from experience.”

  “That’s even more reason why she doesn’t need to get her way,” Grant said. “She’ll find out quickly that whining and complaining will only make her lose it longer. It’ll be different this time. I’ll be here, for one.”

  “No you won’t,” Lainie said stubbornly. “You have to go to Denver in the morning and then I’m sure you’ll find some other errand or something to do. It’ll be me dealing with her and you know it. It always is.”

  “It won’t be this time,” Grant persisted. “I’m here now. If she gives you any trouble while I’m gone, just let me know and I will deal with it. It’s my job to set boundaries and enforce them.”

  Lainie eyed him skeptically. She really wished she could believe him. She wanted to. It wasn’t that she did not believe he was sincere. She knew he meant it, but meaning it and actually doing it were two different things. Grant didn’t exactly have a good track record when it came to following through and helping her with the kids. However much she wished she could, she had a hard time believing that that was really going to change now.

  Grant must have seen what she was thinking on her face because he continued, “Hey, I thought you agreed to let me be the Head of Household?”

  He knew damn well she had, but she didn’t believe for a minute that was some magic wand that was going to change everything. “Is that going to be your answer for everything now?” she asked irritably.

  Grant didn’t answer. Instead, he crossed over to her and took her chin in his hand. “Didn’t you?”

  Reluctantly, Lainie nodded, huffing in exasperation.

  “Then trust me to handle it.”

  Why did he insist on acting like everything was just so simple? It wasn’t, not at all. Things didn’t change like that. Annoyed, she tried to twist away, but he held her fast, leveling her with a steady look, waiting and clearly expecting an answer.

  “Okay, okay, fine,” Lainie said. “Just remember I warned you she was going to make everyone’s life miserable.”

  Grant didn’t seem concerned in the least. “Duly noted. Oh, and Lainie, you remember you agreed to let me handle it because if you go against me with the kids again, I’ll not only discipline the child. I’ll spank you too.”

  Chapter 2

  Lainie awoke the next morning in a jumble of confused thoughts and feelings. Grant’s threat had haunted her all night long. He didn’t mean it. He couldn’t possibly mean it. Could he? Who did he think he was, threatening her like that? She was their mother. Of course she was going to speak up for her children, especially when she thought he was wrong. That was her right, and she’d be damned if she was going to let him intimidate her into being some cowed little submissive woman because he threatened her with a spanking. If that’s what he was thinking, he had another thing coming.

  Then she had to deal with a bunch of strange women invading her home before she was even settled herself. Although part of her was curious about the other women in the community, most of her wished they had not decided to descend on her en masse this morning. She wasn’t an immaculate housekeeper even on a good day and right now the house was a complete wreck. Even though they were coming to help her unpack, she inwardly cringed at the thought of anyone else seeing the house in this kind of mess. It violated every socially acceptable standard she knew. She’d dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, not her rattiest but one she didn’t mind getting dirty either. It wasn’t the way she would have preferred to meet people, but it would have to do.

  In the kitchen, she dug through the boxes searching for the one with the few nonperishable food items they had brought with them to have for snacks and such on their trip across the country. There was a little cereal left in the boxes. She remembered it clearly. If she could just find the damn things. Grant had picked up milk from the nearest community market when he went out on his jog earlier this morning. She’d have to make a trip to Denver soon to stock up. She remembered from their trip here in the spring that that seemed to be what most people did, but cereal and milk would get them through this morning at least.

  She finally located the cereal. Someone had stuffed it into an empty clothes basket, which made absolutely no sense. She puzzled over it for a moment but rapidly decided she didn’t have the brainpower to try to make sense of it this early in the morning. Luckily, the basket containing the cereal also contained a small container of coffee. Coffee gave her hope she might actually have a functioning brain before lunch. Miraculously, the coffee pot was sitting on the counter in plain sight. She stepped over a few boxes, pushing them out of the way as she went, and started coffee. She made a larger pot this morning than she normally would have for just herself and Grant. Her house might be a total wreck, but she could at least offer her guests coffee.

  Grant came in just as the coffee was beginning to brew, filling the kitchen with its rich aroma. He was shower damp and freshly shaved, dressed in neatly pressed tan slacks and a light blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt that set off his auburn hair. He carried in a lightweight navy blazer over his arm. He had his orientation for his new job at Sandy Ridge College this morning, and he clearly wanted to make a good impression. It was still a rarity to see him out of uniform, but Lainie couldn’t deny she appreciated the sight.

  “Thank God, you found the coffee,” he said, weaving his way through the boxes and bending to kiss her. He smelled wonderful, like soap and aftershave and that unidentifiable scent that was uniquely him.

  “Uh-huh,” Lainie murmured, snuggling sleepily against Grant. “Another few minutes and I might even find cups.”

  Grant chuckled. “Who needs cups? We’ll just drink from the pot.”

  Lainie laughed quietly. “Oh no you don’t, I’m sharing that coffee with the women who come this morning. They might be coming into a disaster area, but I can at least offer them coffee.”

  “Okay, fine, if you insist...” Grant teased. He kissed her once more, hard enough to leave her breathless, then turned away and cheerfully began sorting through the various boxes.

  It took several moments of careful breathing before Lainie could will her heart to stop pounding and gain some control over the sudden fire humming in her veins. “You’re in a good mood this morning,” she said. “What’s got you so happy?”

  Grant shrugged. “Can’t I just want to kiss my wife?”

  “Of course you can,” Lainie replied. He could. It wasn’t as if he never did. In point of fact, Grant was generally affectionate, or he had been once, and even at their most distant he had always been good about remembering to kiss her hello and goodbye, even if it was often quick and perfunctory. There had been nothing whatsoever perfunctory about that kiss. “I was just surprised,” she went on. “You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood.”

  “It’s a new day and a new start,” Grant said. “What’s not to be happy about?”

  “Having a house full of strangers for a start,” Lainie grumbled. “How am I supposed to entertain these women when I can’t even find a damn coffee cup? This is ridiculous. Nobody wants a bunch of strangers barging in before they can even get unpacked. Who in their right mind would think this is a good idea?”

  “They’re comi
ng to help you,” Grant reminded her. “I’m sure no one expects to be entertained, and no one is coming to inspect your housekeeping. They know we just moved in.”

  Lainie snorted. “Shows what you know. They’ll notice. Women always notice.”

  “Maybe they will,” Grant said, unconcerned, “but it won’t matter. They’ve all been exactly where you are. Everyone here was new once.”

  Lainie wasn’t convinced in the slightest. “Like that’s going to stop them from gawking at me.” This was going to be ghastly. It was worse than the first day of high school. At least then she’d had the option of blending in with the other clueless freshman without having to endure all the popular girls suddenly gathering around to point and stare at her. Her stomach clenched painfully at the thought, a wave of nausea washing over her. Stop it. She gritted her teeth and willed herself to calm down. This was absurd. She’d been facing down classrooms full of hormonal teenagers for more than a decade. Surely she could handle meeting a few of her neighbors.

  “Hey,” Grant said suddenly in her ear. He had crossed the room to her, and she had not even seen him move, lost in her thoughts as she was. “It’s going to be fine. No one’s going to make a spectacle of you. You know Venia. She’s just trying to help.” He dropped his hands on her shoulders, rubbing gently.

  Lainie nodded, swallowing hard. “I found cereal, if you want breakfast.”

  “Just as soon as I locate a coffee cup,” Grant told her, going back to his search.

  He came up with cups a few moments later. Setting them on the counter, he filled them both with coffee, pulling milk from the refrigerator and adding a little to Lainie’s before he handed it to her. “I haven’t located the sugar yet. Sorry,” he apologized.

  “I’ll live,” Lainie replied, taking a cautious sip and wincing at the bitterness. Then, the zip of caffeine hit her, and she took another, far less cautious, swallow. It tasted horrible, but it was worth it for the chance that she might get her brain is some sort of working order before anyone arrived.

  “I’ll be back to help as soon as I can,” Grant told her, standing at the counter pouring cereal and milk into a bowl. “I’m not sure how long this orientation will take though. I probably won’t be back before this afternoon.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Lainie said, leaning back against the counter and sipping her coffee. “We’ll manage.” She couldn’t decide whether his concern was amusing or annoying. She’d been taking care of the girls on her own in the summers for as long as she could remember. It wasn’t like this was anything new. While it was true that she had moving and a new community to deal with, it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Leaving them alone had never seemed to matter before, why was it suddenly different now? Did he think just because he was supposedly the head of the household that she was suddenly incompetent to handle it on her own? Because if that was what he thought, she had a thought or two of her own for him. She didn’t know about the other women around here, but she wasn’t some weak spineless doormat who couldn’t make a decision for herself without her husband’s permission. She had no intention of becoming one either so if that was what he was expecting, he was bound for disappointment. Surely after all these years he knew her better than that. Didn’t he?

  “I have no doubt of that,” Grant replied, smiling. “Just don’t let Kathleen talk you around. She got herself into the trouble she’s in, and you don’t need to bail her out. If she drives you too crazy, send her to her room until I get home, and I’ll deal with it.”

  Really? Since when? She had never been a ‘wait until your father gets home’ parent, not that it would have done her much good if she had been considering he had never been home. “I can deal with it,” she snapped, the words coming out harsher and sharper than she had intended. “I’m not helpless, you know, just because we moved here doesn’t mean I’ve turned into some meek little church mouse.”

  “I’d have never guessed that,” Grant said dryly, chuckling. Lainie glared at him. “Honey, meek and helpless have never been words I’ve associated with you. That’s not who you are, and I wouldn’t want it to be. I don’t know where you’re getting these ideas from. You know my mom. She doesn’t have a helpless bone in her body.”

  That was true. Edna Taylor was a force of nature. She was just the kind of plucky, strong woman that Lainie admired. In the early years of their dating and marriage, her mother-in-law had become much more of a role model for Lainie than her own mother had ever been. It had been a complete shock when Grant had revealed the nature of his parents’ relationship. Lainie couldn’t see Edna ever letting anyone tell her what to do, much less spank her. The idea still confused her, though Grant swore it was the practice of domestic discipline that was the glue that made his parents’ marriage work, and that they had the strongest marriage he knew because of it. Lainie couldn’t fault that observation. Grant’s parents had clearly been devoted to one another. Their marriage had been different from any one she had ever seen, and she’d wanted that. She still wanted that. That’s why she had agreed to this move and to this type of relationship. She just wasn’t at all sure how she was supposed to do it.

  Grant must have seen something in her face because he moved over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’ll be fine,” he assured. “Don’t be so nervous. People here are nice, and I bet you will find out you have more in common than you think.” He dropped a kiss on her head, glancing at his watch. “I’ve got to get moving. Have fun.”

  Once Grant left, Lainie fussed around the kitchen, randomly unpacking things and cleaning up, trying to at least pretend to get things in some semblance of order. Far too soon for her comfort, there was a knock at the door. She opened the door to find her mentor, Venia Varner, along with two women she didn’t recognize. Both were around her own age, unlike Venia, who was likely in her 50s. One had long, very pale blonde hair, several shades lighter than Lainie’s own and the lithe, elegant build of a dancer. She had a baby carrier hooked on one arm and carried a cane in the other. The other was as dark as the first was fair with brown hair and eyes and a fuller more curvy build.

  “Good morning!” Venia said cheerfully as Lainie stepped back to let them in. “How was your first night?”

  “It was fine,” Lainie said noncommittally. Though Venia had been assigned as her mentor, they didn’t really know each other very well yet. They had met back in the spring when Lainie and Grant had first flown out here to meet with the housing board and had spoken on the phone a few times since then, but they were still essentially strangers. Still, Lainie found herself liking the older lady.

  “Good,” Venia said. She stepped aside to let the other ladies into the house. “Lainie, this is Cadence Devon,” she said, gesturing to the blonde woman, “and the little one here is her daughter, Anna.” She smiled at the baby, her eyes lighting up with sheer delight, before turning to the other woman. “This is Julie Renton. I think you know Julie’s husband, Matt. I know he was here yesterday.”

  Lainie nodded. “Matt is Grant’s mentor. It’s nice to meet you both. You’ll have to excuse the mess. The men got all of the furniture in yesterday, but we’re still buried in boxes, obviously.” She glanced around, indicating the boxes that were scattered throughout the rooms around them.

  “Don’t worry about it, honey,” Venia replied, dismissing Lainie’s concern with a wave of her hand. “That’s what we’re here for.”

  “I appreciate you coming to help,” Lainie told them. She honestly did appreciate the thought, even though at the moment she would much rather they had been anywhere but here. The thought of anyone seeing her or her house in this kind of mess wasn’t at all appealing. “I have coffee in the kitchen if you’d like some.”

  “That be perfect,” Julie spoke up. “Ange – that’s Angie O’Brien – sent along some goodies as her contribution to the effort. Trust me, you don’t want to miss them. She owns the bakeshop, and her stuff is seriously addictive.”

  “Let’s go in the kitche
n then,” Lainie said. “It’s right through...” She broke off abruptly when she realized there was no need to explain. All three women had already headed unerringly in the direction of her kitchen.

  Noticing her expression, Cadence explained, “All of the houses in the community are built with similar floorplans. After you have lived here a while, you can pretty much walk into anybody’s house and know exactly where the main rooms are. It takes a while to get used to.”

  “Sorry,” Julie apologized. “Matt and I have been here almost since the beginning. It’s second nature by now.” She set the paper bag she’d been carrying on the counter by the coffee pot. “Do you have a plate or something I could put these out on?”

  Luckily, Lainie had managed to find the box holding her dishes while she was rummaging around after Grant left. She plucked one out of the box and washed it off before handing it over to Julie, who pulled what appeared to be scones, hot and incredibly fragrant, out of the bag and arranged them on the plate. Cadence, who had been following cautiously through the maze of boxes, set the baby carrier where her daughter slept on the table, and dropped into a chair beside it. Julie took the plate of scones over and set them on the table, heeling out a chair and taking a seat. Lainie fished cups out of the box with the dishes, choosing three and washing them out. She passed them to Venia, who carried them over to the table while Lainie retrieved the coffee pot and her own cup.

  “Does everyone want coffee?” she asked, coming over to join them. Everyone nodded affirmatively.

  Venia gave Cadence a pointed look. “Has Marcus suddenly changed his opinion about you having caffeine?”

  Cadence gave her an exasperated look. “One cup won’t hurt.”

  “Uh huh,” Venia said knowingly. “Have you convinced your husband of that?”

  “Of course not,” Cadence said. “The man is impossible.”