Subject: Definitely No Joker! Dear Better Be Dressied Tessie:....maybe split a magnum of champagne with Auntie O tomorrow, to get the party started? Mark my words, darling, she’s vetting you, but as a vet, no doubt you’ll pass muster! My heart bleeds for you, darling~ Enjoy Lunch!
Love, Sister Sammi Saturday, Tess was the first to arrive at the clinic but she left before noon to dress at the apartment. Feeling anxious, she chose a simple black turtleneck sweater, tall black boots and an ankle length pleated kilt her mother had sent. It didn’t take long to dress, but her fingers faltered as she secured her hair with a barrette and pulled her long coat on. “You stay here, Rhiannon, take care of the house,” she whispered, feeling very, very subdued.
Ten minutes later, she was pressing the doorbell of the imposing brick Georgian on Talbot Street, trying to ignore the loop-the-loops in her stomach. I hope I can eat!
Olivia McGreer opened the door, in a ruffly blouse and flowered silk skirt, a fancy gold and pearl pin at her neck. “Doctor Bamberger,” she said, in a pleasant, distinguished voice, her smile warm and sincere as she clasped Tess’s hand. “Welcome.”
“Please, call me Tess. It’s lovely to see you again.” “I’m delighted as well. Thank you for coming.” She graciously motioned Tess into the formal entry, a large, marble tiled hallway with crystal chandelier. Her silver hair
was pulled back tightly in a bun, she’d just applied lipstick, and she really did seem pleased to see Tess. Despite the formal setting, Tess began to relax as a uniformed maid helped her out of her coat.
“We’ll just sit in the library, and Stella will bring tea,” Olivia said, indicating a door on her right. In the room lined with bookshelves, a pair of wing chairs flanked a small marble hearth, where a crackling fire was laid. The heavy, expensive drapes were open, and autumn sunshine filtered through shuttered windows. Tess took one of the wing chairs, while Stella carried a silver tea service in, setting it on the table in front of the hearth.
“I hope you are finding Green Junction to your liking,
Tess,” Olivia said, pouring tea into a bone china cup and handing it to her. “You’ve been very well received here, dear. Every rancher you’ve visited is singing your praises, and Doc and Bea are thrilled.” Olivia offered her a sugar cube from tongs.
“That is so kind of you to say, thank you.” Tess held her cup to Olivia.
“It’s the absolute truth, dear. My praise is welldeserved. Ranch veterinary work is a very tough job. Few women would do it, and I mean that as a compliment. Your dedication is admirable.” Olivia held the pitcher of cream. “You’ve captured my niece Cassie’s imagination as well.”
“She is a bright, talented little girl,” Tess agreed.
“That she is. And her father has made himself no stranger, I understand.” Olivia smiled as she plopped cream into Tess’s cup and then her own.
Tess blushed furiously as the image of the bare, muscular chest she’d woken up next to Wednesday morning flashed in her mind. Stirring her tea to gain time, she tried to recover. “He’s a wonderful person,” she stammered.
They visited amicably for a few more minutes, then Olivia said, “Shall we go to the dining room? Stella has prepared Lobster Newburgh. I hope seafood is to your liking.”
Throughout the elegant lunch, in a dining room as polished and formal as the rest of the house, Olivia continued her skillful gleaning of information, covering Tess’s education and parents and upbringing, touching ever so lightly on her political inclinations. The Lobster Newburgh was delicious. She managed to enjoy it while successfully deflecting Olivia’s questions, answering cheerfully, elaborating on some, playing down others. Samantha was right. She’s vetting me.
Just in time, Stella cleared their lunch dishes. She set a silver coffee service on the sideboard, and plates of chocolate raspberry torte in front of Tess and Olivia. Olivia poured coffee, continuing in a lowered voice. “I do want to bring up my nephew again, Tess, since it’s clear to me that Jake has singled you out.”
Tess blushed, unsure of what to say. “Jake was very kind to me when I first arrived. He’s been a thoughtful and generous friend. I’m grateful to know him, and I always enjoy the time we spend together.”
“I’m glad to hear that chivalry is not dead in the McGreer family. Even though his marriage was difficult, he was a devoted husband and father, I can assure you. His father doted on his mother until her death, so in his early years, he had an excellent role model. You’ve seen him yourself with Cassie?”
“I have. He’s obviously a dedicated parent, very patient and loving,” she confirmed with a smile, unnerved by Olivia’s intensity.
“I’m not going to mince words, Tess. Jake is my brother’s only son, I have no children of my own, and I’ve taken a strong interest in his welfare since he lost his mother as a little boy. My brother misses his wife dreadfully, and has never remarried. The disagreeableness of Jake’s marriage took a very heavy toll on him, and I’ve been afraid he would follow his father’s path of solitude. It is encouraging to me that he’s shown an interest in you.”
Astonished by Olivia’s candor, Tess was unsure how to respond. Thankfully, she didn’t have to, because Olivia continued.
“I say this because I was uncertain if Jake would recover, in light of the loss of his mother. It’s very important to me that he finds a woman able to be the companion he deserves. I can say that upon first impressions, you seem to me to be that woman. I’ve been delighted by the prospect since I heard of his friendship with you,” she finished enthusiastically.
Tess had been sipping her coffee somewhat nervously, and at Olivia’s last words, she coughed into her napkin to hide her surprise. “Well, I’m certainly aware of the compliment you are paying me, but I have no idea that Jake’s feelings for me are that serious. As it currently stands, I’m only here until spring.”
“But that might change. Bea and Doc hope it will. And Jake is quite taken with you, and Cassie’s affection for you is clear.”
“It’s very kind of you to say. But if I were to be in her father’s life as a steady presence, Cassie might feel differently, especially if her mother is unhappy,” Tess said quietly, acknowledging her fears aloud for the first time.
“You do understand the complications inherent in stepparenting, then,” Olivia said sympathetically. “Tess, I wonder, would you be willing to accept a stepdaughter? And how would your parents feel about your involvement with a divorced man, especially one with an ex-wife as difficult as Victoria? I realize I’m putting you on the spot, but I do believe that Jake’s feelings for you would likely become quite serious in short order, if your involvement continues, and I suppose I’m trying to prevent any misunderstandings, as much as I can. He is a devoted father, has a gentle and trusting heart, and considerable wealth. He has so much to offer the right woman.” Tess was unsure of how to answer Olivia’s questions tactfully. She met Olivia’s eye, and she could see, underneath her prim words and formal demeanor, a very devoted, cautious concern for Jake and Cassie. However unorthodox her methods, Olivia was well intended. “ Jake and Cassie are fortunate to have someone who cares about them the way you do,” she said quietly.
Olivia reached across the table, and took her hand. “Thank you for understanding Tess. I do so appreciate your visit. Please forgive me if I’ve been overbearing. It’s not my intention to interfere.”
“I appreciate your position. I’d want to protect Jake and Cassie if they were mine. Though I haven’t given it much thought, I’m sure I’d be thrilled to be a stepmother to a child as special as Cassie. I really adore her. And my parents are certain to spoil any grandchild absolutely rotten, no matter what the circumstance.” She smiled at Olivia. “Of course, my parents are miles away, and it’s much too soon to think seriously about this, anyway, right?” Olivia returned the smile, and they made small talk for the remainder of her stay. Once in the hall, the maid brought Tess’s coat.
“Well, Tess, I’m glad you accepted my
lunch invitation, and I hope we can do this again soon. It’s wonderful to have a new face in town, especially one as interesting as yours.”
“Thank you.” Tess smiled graciously, pleased to have survived the meeting.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2:19 PM Subject: YOU CALLED IT!
Dearest Sam Bam, Aunt Olivia serves a rockin’ lobster newburgh, is the essence of doting aunt, and a mad skilled interrogator to boot. NO one has elicited my thoughts on career, family, education, parenting, marriage and YES the latest presidential election with such adroitly tactful skill and elegance. I’ve “met the parents” before, but Olivia takes the cake. That said, she truly is a gem, while making it clear I’d best not cross her boy!
Love ya, Sammie, thanks for being the terrific sister that you are!
Tessie
***** Before he left the ranch Saturday afternoon, Jake called Tess. It’s been all of three days, and I’m crazy to see her. His heart snagged at the sound of her voice. “Cassie and I are headed to Olivia’s for dinner. I’m just checking to make sure you survived,” he said cautiously.
“Of course I did. We had a delicious lunch,” Tess said emphatically. “Sure you did, Stella cooked. Great food is not the problem at Olivia’s, it’s whether or not you can enjoy it while she’s fishing. Did she pull her overprotective headmistress routine on you?”
“Jake,” Tess giggled.
“So she did,” he grumbled. “What did she say? I’ll never get it out of her.”
“I’ll tell you later,” Tess said coyly. “That bad, huh? I’m just glad you made it out of there alive. I can swing over after dinner, shortly after seven, if you’ll join me for a drink. We won’t be able to stay too long, though, I’ll have to get back to Cassie.”
“Let’s grab a quick drink, then. I’d like that. You’re dressed up, right?”
“Wool trousers, a dress shirt, sweater, tie and my grey overcoat. Olivia wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Great. I’ll wear my Olivia clothes, too. We’ll both be stylin’ for Green Forks.”
Jake walked in into Green Forks three hours later, his hand at the back of Tess’s white wool coat. It had some kind of ruffly collar, and she looked gorgeous, elegant and very together. He found them a booth, and Lotts brought drinks over, a beer for him and an applejack and cider for Tess.
“Lotts, what’d we do to deserve table service? Nobody else gets that around here,” Jake baited, taking Tess’s coat and hanging it on the pole next to his.
“Anybody caught dancin’ in the bar gets a free next round,” Lotts grinned wickedly. “And two free rounds for table dancing. It’s good for publicity.”
Tess flashed Lotts a smile. “Announce that to the entire bar, turn up the jukebox, and I’m in.”
“So where are the two of you coming from, all dressed up?” Lotts inquired.
“Dinner with Aunt Olivia, of course.” Jake answered, sliding into the booth across from Tess.
“Both of you?” Lotts asked with significance, eyebrows climbing his forehead.
“Tess had lunch with Olivia today,” Jake corrected. “Cassie and I had dinner.”
“Ah, divide and conquer with coq au vin,” Lotts teased good-naturedly.
“Lobster Newburgh and braised short ribs, okay? Now get out of here. You ask too many questions. If this is the cost of table service, I’ll ferry my own drinks,” Jake grinned, taking a draught of his beer.
“You and Lotts are an entertaining pair,” Tess said, sipping her drink.
“It’s a problem we’ve had for years, there’s no cure for it. Want to dance?” Jake asked, touching her fingertips, smiling into her blue eyes.
“Hah. Not tonight. Angling for those free drinks, I see. Think I’m a cheap date?” She squeezed his fingers, teasing him with a flirty smile.
“Not on your life. And I think whatever you said to Aunt Olivia made a very strong impression. She’s singing your praises. As I knew she would.” He pulled her fingers to his lips, brushing them with a kiss.
Tess blushed. “Thank you. She thinks the world of you and Cassie.”
“And expresses it as only the very formidable Olivia can, I’m sure. So she pulled out the stops, huh?” Jake asked, eyebrows raised.
“I don’t kiss and tell. Or in the case of Olivia, lunch and tell,” Tess said primly, eyes flirting.
“Well, it was a lunch and learn, right? I’m sure she was digging.” How badly did she put you on the spot, Tess, and how much damage control do I need to do?
“In a polite way,” Tess conceded.
“Tess, my aunt is the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. She and her cronies in the Ladies Brigade are the intelligence unit of Green Junction. Nothing escapes them. My father and I have gotten many laughs out of the old dame’s attempts to orchestrate. It’s become a family tradition. But it’s less funny when it’s my life she’s trying to engineer, especially with regard to you. At least give me a hint.”
Tess took a deep breath. “She seems to think things are serious between us. Or soon to be serious.” She bit her lower lip. Her look was questioning, like the look Cassie gave him when she wanted the truth, straight. “Are they?”
Jake hesitated, trying to hedge. “Look, Tess, Olivia’s tried to pair me off since the divorce papers were signed, and she’s raving over you. She thinks Cassie needs a suitable step mother, sooner rather than later, something she’s mentioned more than once since she realized we were dating.”
Tess swallowed, and looked at him with wide eyes. He tugged at his shirt collar uncomfortably, loosening his tie, watching her face as the weight of his words sunk in. Finally, her voice tight, she asked, “And what do you think?”
“Do you really want to discuss this now?” he asked, draining half his beer.
“It’s as good a time as any,” she answered, shrugging her shoulders and looking down, toying with her straw.
He took her hand again and squeezed it, and her blue eyes met his shyly. “I’m really glad you came by Tuesday night, Tessie, and I’m so glad you stayed. I liked making you breakfast Wednesday morning. I hope we can do that again.”
“Me, too,” she agreed, all cute and glowy.
He took a deep breath, and blew it out. Trying to answer the question her curious blue eyes posed, he said. “As for the rest of it, Cassie is lacking in the mothering department, as you well know. She’d certainly benefit from the right step mother, and Olivia highly approves of me marrying the right woman. But you know how I feel about your career prospects here.”
Tess nodded.
“I would like to be married again, very much,” he said, and their eyes locked for a long moment, until she blinked. He smiled, a little red-faced. “As much as we here in Green Junction appreciate you, Doctor Tess Bamberger, I think you at least need to get through a winter and spring before we have any version of this discussion again, okay?”
***** The phone pealed at six am on Monday morning, snapping Officer Ron from his morning nap. His boots thumped off the Formica desk, taking pens and papers to the floor with them. Rubbing the ache at the back of his neck with a chubby hand, he picked up the receiver.
“Green Junction Po-lice,” he mumbled.
“Good Morning. I’d like information about an auto incident that occurred on Friday, September 23, at 12:36 am,” a crisp female voice said. “According to the information my insurance company provided, the police report is 10-00623.”
A grin spread across Ron’s sleepy face. “I can help you with that, Ma’am. Just give me a second to pull the file.”
“Thank you. I didn’t realize I’d get such prompt service. It’s nine am, here in Philadelphia. I know it’s much earlier, there.”
“Oh, we’re a twenty-four hour station,” Ron answered, setting the phone down and pulling the report he’d filed weeks ago from the filing cabinet. “Yes, Ma’m, what can I do for you?”
“Well, by
the hour of the incident, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly the circumstances were?”
“According to the report, visibility was poor. A female driver lost control of her car and was unable to stop at the signed intersection. The driver of the truck, a thirty-two year old male, had a .038 blood alcohol level. Skid marks indicate he may have been traveling at a speed higher than the posted thirty-five miles per hour. Frozen precipitation covered the roads, and it was raining, a freezing rain. The air temperature was twenty-two degrees, in gusty winds.”
Ron heard a sharp intake of breath. His smile widened.
“This is Noelle Bamberger. I’m an attorney, and my daughter Tess was driving that car. You are saying the driver of the truck that hit her was drunk?”
“Well, Ma’am, he was darn close to the legal limit. That’s all I’m saying. Shall I fax you a copy of the report?”
“Please do.”
He flipped the fax machine on, punching in Noelle Bamberger’s Philadelphia number. And Vicki and her lawyer already have a copy of this, too, he thought with satisfaction.
*****
Wednesday night, Jake was in his office going through mail. He picked up an envelope with his insurer’s return address and frowned. Tensing, he tore it open. As he read the letter inside, the breath rushed from his chest. Stunned, he read through it again. A sharp pain stabbed his gut, as if he’d been knifed, and he sat heavily into his leather desk chair.
Why would Tess have gotten involved with me, when she clearly had doubts? Has she just been playing me, all along? And I thought things were going so well, between us. Christ, I even mentioned marriage! As growing rage at Tess’s duplicity welled inside him, he felt humiliation turn to white-hot fury. He spun his chair, and stood up, pressing his hands to the wall behind him. I’ve let my guard down, and been made a fool of again. Tess isn’t who she’s pretended to be. What is my problem with women, anyway? There was no relief from the torment. Once again, he’d fallen for the wrong girl.
***** Thursday afternoon, Tess treated a six-hundred pound sow for mild mastitis, vaccinated her dozen four-week old piglets, said goodbye to the Carsons, and climbed into the Tacoma. Her cell buzzed as she pulled away from Carson Ranch.
Crashing Into Tess (The McGreers) Page 11
