“You know it, babe. Stick with me.”
“Did you just call me babe?”
“I did and you liked it.”
The smile returned. “Maybe. A little. Okay. I’m game.” She came to a stop and faced him. Her expression was serious. “I’m going because of you, Quinn. Not the party.”
He liked that she felt the need to clarify her position. “I figured, but thanks for making it clear.”
“I don’t have a thing to wear.”
“It’s Los Angeles. We can fix that.”
“Are you going to want me in heels?”
He mostly wanted her naked, but that wouldn’t be appropriate. “Only if it makes you happy.”
She thought for a second. “I’m pretty sure I’m ready for the challenge. I just hope I don’t fall.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you do.”
* * *
“Can’t I use paper towels?” Josh asked as Rachel showed him how to spray the counters and sink and then wipe them down.
“Microfiber cloths are better. They’re reusable. I wash them every week so they’re clean for next time.”
Her eleven-year-old son sighed heavily. “I know. It saves money and protects the environment. I think I’d like cleaning the bathroom better if I could use paper towels.”
“I don’t think you’ll ever like cleaning the bathroom, but that’s okay. You just have to do it.”
“Kind of like some of the drills for baseball. They’re boring, but they make us better players.”
“Something like that.”
She showed him how to empty the water out of the toilet bowl and then use the long-handled scrubber.
“That’s totally gross.” He sounded oddly pleased by the fact. “I never thought that you have to clean a toilet.”
“Did you think it never got dirty?”
He giggled. “It has to get dirty, Mom. It’s full of poop.”
What was it about boys and bodily functions? Especially the less socially acceptable ones? She told herself to be grateful he was still saying poop instead of other words.
They’d already cleaned out the shower, which left only the floor.
“You know where the stick vacuum is, right?” she asked as she shifted to get more comfortable. Her back was bothering her again.
“Uh-huh. In the laundry room.”
“Go get that. You’re going to vacuum first, then use a microfiber pad to clean the floor.”
“You really like microfiber stuff.”
“I do. It gets things cleaned and we don’t have to use a lot of harsh chemicals.”
“You sound like a commercial.”
She smiled. “Then you should be paying me.”
He laughed and went to get the vacuum. She watched as he moved it across the small floor.
“Do behind the toilet,” she called over the loud roar. “And the corners.”
He did as she requested, then wet down the microfiber pad that attached to the end of the mop.
“You have to squeeze it first,” she told him. “Or it will leave the floor too wet.”
He looked at her. “You’re not going to be standing there every time I clean the bathroom, are you?”
She wanted to say she was. That if she wasn’t, he wouldn’t do it right. That he would cut corners or forget or... She thought about Greg’s comments that she was unable to ask for help. That she hadn’t bothered to get Josh going on his chores for nearly half the summer.
In her heart, she knew that the bathroom didn’t have to be cleaned perfectly every time. That Josh learning about helping around the house was the more important lesson. He was old enough now to have responsibilities. Plus, it gave her a break. But letting go was hard.
“I’m going to make a master list,” she said reluctantly. “It will help you remember everything you’re supposed to do. But you’ll be on your own unless you come ask for help.”
“Sweet.”
He dropped the mop to the floor and began moving it back and forth. She was about to remind him to do behind the toilet, then stopped herself.
“Put out clean towels when you’re done,” she said instead.
“I will.”
“You know where they are?”
“Mo-om!”
“Fine.” She deliberately turned her back on the bathroom and walked away.
* * *
“Do you really have to work late, or are you still angry with me?” David asked.
A legitimate question, Sienna thought as she shuffled through the piles of paper on her desk. She shifted the phone so she could cradle it between her shoulder and her ear. She was still at work and busy—so the last thing she needed was a call from David.
“I’m dealing with a lot right now.”
“But you’re still angry.”
“Angry isn’t the right word,” she admitted. “I’m hurt. I worry about why you want to marry me.” And maybe why she’d agreed to marry him.
“I was wrong,” he told her. “I’ve apologized more than once. I don’t know what else to do. I never meant to hurt you or imply I’m only interested in your looks. I love you, Sienna. All of you. I want us to be together always. I want to have children with you and watch them grow. I want to make you happy.”
All the right words, she thought. So why couldn’t she believe them?
“David, I just don’t know. I worry things are happening too fast.”
“Then we’ll slow it down. Whatever it takes. I don’t want to lose you, Sienna. Was my mom visiting a problem? I know she has a big personality.”
“The dress didn’t help,” she admitted.
“We already talked about us going wedding gown shopping together. I thought that meant you knew I wasn’t expecting you to wear that dress.”
He had a point there. “What if I don’t want to get married in St. Louis? That’s really important to you.”
“It is, but there are ways to make it work. We could have two receptions. One here and one there. Or what we talked about before—a destination wedding.” He paused. “Sienna, this is about us. I’ve been focused on the wedding too much. You and I being together is the important part. You’re right. Things have been moving too fast. Let’s put wedding talk on hold for a while and focus on each other. Let’s get us right first.”
Her throat got a little tight and her eyes burned. Finally, she thought with some relief. “I didn’t know that was what I needed you to say, but now that you have, I realize that’s what’s been missing. I need there to be more us.”
“Then there will be. I love you, Sienna. I mean that.”
“I love you, too.”
“Good. Now go do your work. If you’re not too late, call me and we’ll get dinner or something.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Two hours later she’d nearly caught up with her quarterly reports. All she needed was a quick check of her email and she could leave. Maybe she would call David so they could grab dinner after all.
Their conversation had helped, she thought. She felt better—less weight of the world and more like herself. Her cell phone rang.
She glanced at the unfamiliar number before answering. “Hello?”
“It’s Erika Trowbridge. Don’t hang up. I need your help.”
Sienna thought of her high school frenemy and knew the situation had to be bad for Erika to reach out to her. “Where are you? Do you need either police or emergency medical aid? I can call 911 for you or come there directly myself.”
“Okay, wow. I was thinking maybe I could ask you some questions. I’m outside your office.”
Sienna was already moving. The familiar worry/panic threatened, but she told herself to focus on the task at hand. “I’ll be at th
e front door in ten seconds. Stay on the line with me.”
“I’m fine. No one’s hurt me.”
Sienna ran to the main hall and to the foyer. She unlocked the door. Only when she saw Erika standing there did she hang up on the call.
“What’s going on?”
The other woman stared at her. “You take this stuff really seriously.”
“It’s my job.” Sienna looked her over. “You’re all right? No one’s hurt you?”
“I’m fine. Sorry. I didn’t mean to start anything. I just wanted to talk about someone I know. I think she’s in trouble.”
“It’s not you?”
“No.” Erika’s mouth twisted. “I’m sure you find that upsetting.”
Sienna drew in a breath. Her heart rate slowed to normal and the panic faded. “I’m glad you’re all right. You can believe me or not.”
“Were you really going to call the police or an ambulance?”
“Of course. That’s what we do here. We help women in trouble. The thrift store is simply a means to help with the funding.”
She closed and locked the front door, then led the way to the lunch room. She opened the refrigerator and had Erika choose a drink. She pulled a bottle of iced tea out for herself, then motioned to the sofa and chairs set up in the corner.
The furniture was worn but comfortable. As a rule, clients didn’t come to the offices, but when they did, the conversations generally went better when people were more relaxed. Desks with computers could be intimidating as a backdrop.
When they were seated, Sienna tucked her legs under her, then opened her iced tea.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
Erika tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, then clutched her bottle of water. “This isn’t going anywhere, is it? You won’t tell anyone?”
“If you share something that makes me think someone’s life is in danger, I’m required to report that. Otherwise, I’m basically like talking to a lawyer. I keep your secrets.” She smiled. “Without charging by the hour.”
“Okay.” Erika set her water on the coffee table, then grabbed it again. “It’s my cousin. Her boyfriend’s beating the crap out of her and I don’t know how to make her leave him.”
“How long have they been together?”
“Two years.”
“What does beating the crap out of her mean? Bruises? Broken bones?”
“He hits her every now and then. I don’t think he’s broken anything, but she’s had a black eye a few times. I’ve met him and he seems really nice, but apparently he has a temper. I’ve told her to just walk away, but she won’t.” Erika shook her head. “That’s the part I don’t get. She’s this great person. Why does she put up with that?”
Sienna stood and walked to a small desk on the far wall. She opened a drawer and pulled out several sheets of paper, along with a brochure. She took them back to Erika.
“You need to read these,” she said as she took her seat again.
“You’re giving me homework?”
“Yes. Look at the brochure first. Items three and five are the most important right now.” Sienna held up one finger. “Help your cousin design a safety plan. She needs to know what to do if it gets bad.” She held up a second finger. “Don’t intervene. You’ll only make her situation worse.”
Erika wrinkled her nose. “What makes you think I’d do that?”
“I’ve known you since we were kids. You love wading into the middle of trouble. This is not the time to do that. If you try to fix this yourself, you could get your cousin killed.”
Erika’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“Completely. You’re smart and capable and you are totally out of your league on this one. You don’t have to like me, but you do have to trust me.” She motioned to the papers. “Read those,” she repeated. “Go online and educate yourself. While no two situations are exactly the same, they do tend to follow a pattern. He will escalate the abuse. If you want to help your cousin, you have to do it on her terms in a way that supports her.”
“Okay. Thank you. I appreciate the information. What if she wants to leave?”
“Then we can help. Where does she live?”
“Sacramento.”
“Good. That’s far enough away that coming here would make sense. You have my number. If she leaves, call me anytime, day or night. I’ll get her to a safe place.”
“Is that your job?”
Sienna smiled. “No, I raise money for the organization. But things will go more smoothly if you can reassure your cousin that you have a personal relationship with me. I’ve done it before. Once your cousin is here and settled, I’ll introduce her to our support staff.”
“Just like that?”
“Like I said—it’s what we do.”
Erika took a drink of her water. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll read this and then talk to her. It’s been pretty awful and I really didn’t know what to say.”
“For what it’s worth, those of us who haven’t been in the situation usually can’t understand why they stay. The material will help with that.”
Erika leaned back against the sofa. “Now I have to feel guilty about not giving you my great-grandmother’s kitchen stuff.”
“Yes, you do. You should write a generous check to make up for that.”
Erika laughed. “Maybe I will.” Her humor faded. “Why do you do this? Work here? Why aren’t you working for a fashion magazine in New York or something?”
“You mean why isn’t my work more shallow?”
“Yeah.”
She raised one shoulder. “I was a marketing major my first year at college. I got a summer job at a travel magazine. One of the staff members was being abused by her husband. When she left, she came to me for help. I was nineteen and had no idea what to do, but I found a women’s shelter in the phone book and arranged for her to go to them. The next year I started volunteering there. Then I changed my major and ended up here.”
Sienna leaned forward. “Now it’s my turn. Why have you always hated me? It can’t be because of Jimmy. You didn’t really want him.”
“You still stole him.”
“Okay, and I’m sorry for that. But it’s not why you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.” Erika stared at her. “You never saw me. In high school, you were the princess and I was invisible. I wanted to be your friend and you never noticed me. You ignored everyone who wasn’t in your privileged circle.”
Sienna wanted to protest that wasn’t true, but she was pretty sure it was. “Did I do or say something to hurt your feelings?”
“No. That would have required more than there was.”
“I’m sorry you were invisible.”
“I’m sorry I hated you.”
Awkward silence filled the room. Sienna looked at the clock and saw it was close to seven. “Want to go get dinner?”
Erika thought for a second. “All right. Sure. That would be nice. I’ll even buy.”
Sienna shook her head. “This isn’t going to be about work. This is friends spending time together. Why don’t we split the check?”
“You’re on.”
25
“SO WHAT EXACTLY is happening at this big LA party?” Sienna asked.
“I have no idea.” Courtney thought about what Quinn had told her about their upcoming trip to Los Angeles. “I know it’s going to be at his house on Thursday night.”
“I need more details. When you get back, you’re going to have to tell me everything in real time. Do you have anything to wear?”
“No, but he said we’ll shop for that once we get to LA.”
“Okay, so you need something cute for the trip down and maybe a dinner out.” Rachel grinned. “I’m sure you’re having lots o
f sex, but you don’t need clothes for that. Unless you’re doing role-playing, in which case you’re on your own. We don’t need to know that you get off on being a lion tamer.”
Courtney blinked at her sister. “A lion tamer? What on earth did you and Greg used to do?”
“Not that. I’m just saying you don’t need clothes for the naked part.”
Sienna shook her head. “Just when you think you know a person...”
They were in the middle of the thrift store. Both her sisters had agreed to help her get a few new-to-her things for her trip. Courtney wanted to look good for her time with Quinn. They would be hanging out with trendy people. She didn’t think her jeans and T-shirts were going to cut it.
“Dresses,” Rachel said. “They are easy to wear, easy to pack, and you can use accessories to fit any occasion.”
“I agree.” Sienna pointed to a rack at the other end of the store. “Let me go pull a few. I’ll be right back.”
“Lion tamer?” Courtney repeated when Sienna had left.
Rachel laughed. “I meant it as an example, not a suggestion. You’re young and in love. Heaven knows what you’re doing with that man.”
Courtney felt herself stiffen. “We’re not in love. We’re having fun. Quinn’s great and all, but it’s not serious. He’s not the serious type.”
In love? Why would anyone think that? There was no love. There couldn’t be. Love meant being hurt, and when she was around Quinn, she only felt good.
Rachel held up her hands in the shape of a T. “I meant it as a figure of speech. Don’t bite off my head. You two are together a lot and it’s fun. That’s all.”
“Okay. Sorry. We are enjoying ourselves. He’s nice. I wouldn’t have expected that, but he is.”
“Everyone’s having sex but me,” Rachel complained as she looked through a rack of shirts. “It’s depressing.”
“Sex would be easier if you were dating.”
“I don’t want to date.”
Not a surprise, Courtney thought. Since the divorce, Rachel had kept to herself. “Do you want to get back together with Greg?”
Her sister swung around and glared at her. “Why would you say that?”
“I’m just asking.” Overreacting seemed to be in the air. “You and he are getting along. He’s a great guy, you’re fantastic. Stranger things have happened.”
Daughters of the Bride Page 29
