Feels Like Family

by Sherryl Woods

The judge peered at the papers, then looked over the top of his reading glasses at Brad Holliday and Jimmy Bob. He was clearly unhappy about the position they’d put him in.

  “You have any objections?” he asked Jimmy Bob.

  The attorney sat back with a sigh. “None,” he mumbled.

  “Well, I do,” Brad said, leaping to his feet, his eyes sparking with anger. “I have plenty of objections. What right do they have to go snooping around?”

  Judge Rockingham slammed his gavel on the desk, then speared Brad with a look that had him sitting right back down. “Every right,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Helen said sweetly, delighted to see Brad put in his place for once. “I don’t suppose I could make one more little request of the court?”

  The judge gestured for her to continue.

  “Could you order Mr. Holliday and his counsel to give us another accounting of all financial assets? A complete one this time. Not that I’ll take it at face value, but it’ll be interesting to compare it to what we discover.”

  “So ordered,” the judge said. “I’ll see all of you back here in two weeks. Mr. West, see that Ms. Decatur has that revised financial disclosure by the end of business this Friday.”

  “But—” Jimmy Bob began.

  “Do it!” the judge snapped, his patience at an end.

  Outraged by his friend’s ruling and angry at being one-upped by Caroline and Helen, Brad stormed past them and out of the courtroom almost before the door to the judge’s chambers closed behind him. Jimmy Bob cast an admiring look at Helen.

  “I guess you won that round,” he said.

  Helen bristled at the idea that this was some sort of game, though she knew divorce often turned into a competition of strategy and quick wits. “If you and your sleazebag client would play straight with us, we could get this over with instead of dragging it out interminably.” She shrugged. “Then, again, maybe you like the way the hourly billings are adding up. Will you have enough for a down payment on some beach-front cottage if they go high enough?”

  She snapped her briefcase shut and walked past him, while his mouth was still flapping like a fish on the end of a hook. Caroline was right on her heels.

  Standing in the hallway, Caroline looked at Helen with pleasure. “That was almost fun. A divorce would be better, but watching Brad turn green had its moments.”

  “I predict we’ll end this next time we’re here,” Helen told her. “They’ve been counting on us just sitting by passively while they play their games. They don’t seem too pleased about the shoe being on the other foot. I suspect Brad will be anxious to get this over with before we discover any more of his dirty little secrets.”

  Caroline’s expression sobered. “He’s really furious right now. I’ve never seen him like that.”

  Helen frowned. “Are you worried about him retaliating?”

  Caroline immediately shook off her gloomy expression. “No, of course not. I was married to him for years, for goodness’ sakes.”

  Though her tone was firm, Helen thought she detected a trace of doubt. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure,” Caroline said, then glanced at her watch. “It’s almost noon. Do you have time for lunch? My treat. We can go to Sullivan’s.”

  “I wish I could,” Helen told her. “But I have to run. My calendar’s booked solid all day today. Another time, though.”

  She reached into her briefcase and extracted a gift certificate for The Corner Spa. She, Dana Sue and Maddie had each taken half a dozen of the complimentary gift certificates to use for promotion. Given to the right people, they were excellent for spreading the word about the spa’s services. “Tell you what. Why don’t you go over to the spa and have a massage or facial to celebrate today’s victory? I’ll call Jeanette and make sure she fits you in.”

  Caroline’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to do that. I’ve been dying to try the spa because all my friends have been talking about it, but since all of this mess started with the divorce, I’ve had to cut out anything that wasn’t an absolute necessity.”

  “That’ll change once we get the final divorce decree,” Helen promised. “You and the kids will be well provided for.”

  “After today, I’m actually beginning to believe that,” Caroline said. “Thank you.”

  “Just doing my job,” Helen said.

  Karen gave the gazpacho she’d made for the lunch soup special another lackadaisical stir, then put it in the refrigerator to chill. She was so exhausted she could barely put one foot in front of the other, but she’d come in to work, anyway. She hadn’t dared to ask for any more time off, not even knowing that Tess could back her up.

  Her exhaustion must have been showing, because Erik came into the kitchen and asked, “You okay?”

  “Just tired,” she said. “Daisy’s still sick, but the sitter was able to spend the day with her today.”

  “She keeping you up at night?” Erik asked.

  Karen nodded. “But I’m fine. The gazpacho’s made and the salads are chilling, as well.”

  “Then why don’t you take a break for a few minutes?” he suggested. “Have a little of that gazpacho. Last time you made it, it was outstanding. The customers have been clamoring for it ever since, especially on these hot days.”

  “You know, I think I will,” she said, then ladled some of the chilled soup, with its spicy mix of tomatoes, green peppers and onions, into a bowl. She pulled a stool up to the counter and tasted it. To her shock, it almost took off the roof of her mouth.

  “Oh, my God!” she said, spitting it back into the bowl. “We have to throw it out.”

  Erik regarded her with dismay. “What’s wrong with it?”

  Karen winced. “I must have put in too much hot sauce, thinking it was the Worcestershire,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know where my head was.”

  “Probably trying to catch up on the sleep you missed,” Erik said. “It happens. Fortunately there’s time to make another batch. I’ll help you chop the vegetables.”

  “Maybe you’d better add the seasonings,” she said. “Obviously I can’t be trusted.”

  Erik studied her worriedly. “Karen, is there more going on here than you’re admitting? Are you getting sick, too?”

  “No,” she said firmly, panicked that he might insist she go home. Not only would that be another black mark against her, but she needed the income. Her last two paychecks had suffered from all the unpaid leave she’d had to take. “I’ll have another cup of coffee and I’ll be fine by lunchtime.”

  “If you’re sure,” Erik said, his skepticism plain.

  “Look, I know you’re not happy with me or with my work, but I’m trying,” she told him. “Please bear with me a little longer.”

  “We’re trying to do that,” he told her. “But you know there’s a limit. We can’t afford to have the quality of the food we serve suffer because you’re only half-awake.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. “I know that. It’s just that there are days when everything gets to be too much, you know. I’m not getting enough sleep. And I don’t see any end in sight. On top of everything, I’m worried about bills.” She stopped herself. “I’m sorry. I have no business whining to you. These are not your problems.”

  Erik regarded her with unexpected compassion. “But you are a part of this team,” he reminded her, his tone gentle now. “And even though I’m tough on you, I do care about what’s going on in your life. If Dana Sue and I can help, we want to.”

  “Unless you want to babysit my kids, so I can sleep for a week, I don’t know what else you can do, except be patient with me. I’m doing everything I can to stay on track.”

  “I know you are,” he said.

  Maybe it was the gentleness in his voice or the fear that she was way too close to blowing everything, but Karen burst into tears and ran from the kitchen, leaving behind a bewildered Erik.

  In the restroom, she splashed her face with cold water, then clung to the edge of the sink to steady
herself. She was so close to being completely out of control it terrified her. Thanks to her mother’s total irresponsibility, she’d learned at an early age that she had only herself to rely on. Half the time her mom had been too busy with her boyfriends to even notice Karen was around. Even when her marriage had fallen apart, she’d kept it all together. Lately, though, the least little thing seemed to overwhelm her.

  “Get a grip,” she muttered, studying her pale face in the mirror. “You cannot afford to lose this job.”

  She drew in a deep breath, then another, until she was finally feeling calmer and more together. She pulled a lipstick from her pocket and touched up the glossy shade of pink on her mouth. The color helped.

  Just as she was about to go back to the kitchen and apologize, Dana Sue came in, a worried frown creasing her brow.

  “Are you okay? Erik is beside himself that he made you cry.”

  “It wasn’t his fault,” Karen assured her. “I’m a mess.” She forced a smile. “I’m all ready for the lunch rush, though, I promise.”

  She started to brush past Dana Sue before she had another meltdown, but Dana Sue stopped her.

  “Do you need time off?” she asked. “I’ll figure out a way to pay you for a week or two, if it will help.”

  Karen shook her head. “I have to learn how to handle everything that’s going on in my life. If I don’t, a couple of weeks off won’t make any difference.”

  “You’d be able to get some rest. Things always look a lot worse when you’re exhausted.”

  “I appreciate the offer, I really do, but no.”

  “Karen, don’t turn your back on help when it’s offered,” Dana Sue said. “You won’t be any good to us or your kids, if you fall apart.”

  “There are plenty of single moms who have it tougher than I do,” Karen insisted. “You’ve already done more for me than I have any right to expect.”

  “Because when you’re on top of things, you’re an excellent candidate to become a sous-chef,” Dana Sue said.

  “And I’m going to prove you’re right to have faith in me,” Karen said. “I’m going to get my act together, I swear it.”

  Dana Sue sighed. “Just let me know if you change your mind and want that time off.”

  Karen nodded. “Now I’d better get back to work. I have another batch of gazpacho to make.”

  She also had a whole lot to prove to these two people who were bending over backward to accommodate all her crises. Failing them just wasn’t an option.

  7

  “What is wrong with you?” Dana Sue demanded when Helen walked onto the patio at The Corner Spa a few mornings after she’d tried to push Erik into calling her.

  Helen frowned at her. As much as she relished confrontation and sparring in the courtroom, she didn’t want to deal with it with her friends. “Excuse me? What have I done to you?”

  “Not me. Erik. The sexiest, nicest man to cross paths with you in years kisses you senseless and you do absolutely nothing about it,” Dana Sue accused. “I thought you wanted a real relationship in your life. Wasn’t that on that endless list of goals you set awhile back? That and having a baby? And learning to kick back and relax? You’re about as relaxed these days as a cobra poised to strike. I can’t help wondering what Doc Marshall and those pricey obstetricians you saw would have to say about that.”

  Helen looked from her to Maddie. “I suppose you agree with her?”

  Maddie shrugged. “Pretty much.”

  “Haven’t we had this conversation before?” Her scowl deepened as she squared off with Dana Sue. “I really, really don’t want to have it again.”

  “Do I look like I care?” Dana Sue retorted. “You’re throwing away what could be your best chance to get everything you claim to want because you’re stubborn.”

  “I am not…” Maddie’s smile and Dana Sue’s incredulous look stopped her from completing the thought. “Okay, I am stubborn, but that’s not the issue. This is my life. I make my own decisions.”

  “Then make one!” Dana Sue snapped. “Stop dawdling.”

  “I can’t rush a decision about having a baby,” Helen said. “There’s too much at stake.”

  “Then at least go out on a date with Erik,” Dana Sue pleaded. “Surely that’s not a difficult decision to make.”

  Helen shrugged. “He hasn’t asked.”

  “Then ask him,” Dana Sue said. “Since when are you some shy, retiring wallflower who waits to be asked? Aren’t you the woman who prides herself on being direct, on going after what she wants?”

  “I second that,” Maddie said, then rested a hand on her stomach. “And as fascinating as it is to watch you trying to wriggle off Dana Sue’s matchmaking hook, I think maybe we ought to table it for this morning. We need to start thinking about our plan for running this place while I’m on maternity leave.”

  Helen took a deep breath, relieved by the change of topic. She grinned at Maddie. “You do like to plan well ahead, don’t you? By my calculations, there’s plenty of time left.”

  “I’ll feel better if we get a plan down on paper,” Maddie said. “I’ll be able to check one thing off my list. Cal seems to have a list of his own that requires my attention.”

  “What’s on his list?” Helen asked curiously.

  “He wants to turn the attic into some sort of playroom. It sounds like something out of a Jane Austen novel to me. You know, lock all the kids away upstairs with a nanny.” She shook her head. “Anyway, he’s determined. He thinks Jessica Lynn and the new baby should have a special place. Yesterday he came home from Ronnie’s store with enough wallpaper samples and paint chips to decorate the entire town. It’ll take me days just to sort through them.”

  “I could help,” Helen offered. “It would be fun.”

  “Be my guest,” Maddie said. “In the meantime, though, focus, you guys. We need a plan.”

  Dana Sue shrugged. “I figured you could run the spa from home,” she teased. “Isn’t that what you did last time, even though we officially left Jeanette in charge?”

  “That’s what I remember, too,” Helen concurred.

  Maddie scowled at them. “Okay, we all know I’m a control freak. And maybe I could keep tabs on everything with one baby in the house, but with two we’re talking a whole new ball game. Kyle insists he’s changed his last diaper. Ever since Jessica Lynn’s arrival, Katie resents not being the baby anymore. She’s not exactly ecstatic about yet another baby coming along. I doubt I can count on her for much help. It’s spring, so Cal has baseball practice and games just about every day. And Tyler’s away at Duke for another two weeks, not that he’d be that much help, anyway. He’s determined to get a summer job.”

  Helen glanced at Dana Sue, who nodded. “It’s a little early for this, but we thought you might be feeling a little overwhelmed,” she said, reaching into her briefcase and extracting a flat, rectangular package. “Which is why we got you a little something, since you refused to let us give you another baby shower.”

  Maddie took the package, eyeing it with suspicion. “What is this?”

  “You’ll see,” Dana Sue told her. “Just open it.”

  Helen watched her as Maddie carefully undid the bow, then removed the wrapping paper and folded it neatly. “Will you hurry up,” she prodded.

  Maddie grinned at her. “I love to draw out the suspense,” she said as she extracted a gift certificate from the folds of tissue paper. She studied it for several seconds, then stared at them with a stunned expression. “You hired a nanny service for me? For a year?”

  Helen and Dana Sue exchanged high fives at the shocked note in her voice.

  “You get to do the interviewing and hiring,” Helen assured her. “But it’s all paid for. We need you to be happy and serene and we thought a nanny might help you to accomplish that. Cal agreed it was the perfect gift.”

  “Perfect?” Maddie echoed. “It’s amazing and generous. Too generous, in fact.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dana S
ue said. “Think of it as one of the perks of the job, to say nothing of being our friend. This place has become a gold mine, thanks to you. Besides, we love you.”

  Maddie sat back in her chair, the gift certificate clutched tightly in her hand. “I’m…I’m overwhelmed.”

  “Not too overwhelmed to hear us when we tell you we don’t want you to even think about setting foot in this place for at least six weeks after the baby arrives, longer if you can stand it,” Helen told her. “You’ve trained Jeanette to handle every single detail. Let her do it.”

  “And we’ll check on her,” Dana Sue promised. “If there’s a problem, she can come to either one of us. You rest, enjoy your family and take advantage of the free personal training Elliott is offering to give you at home whenever you’re ready to get back your girlish figure.”

  “My figure hasn’t been girlish in twenty years,” Maddie said ruefully. “But you know, for once I might just listen to you and do absolutely nothing for a few weeks at least.”

  Dana Sue regarded her with amusement. “Two little ones under two and you honestly think you’ll get away with doing nothing? You’re delusional.”

  “But the nanny will help,” Helen said. “And Dana Sue and I are only a phone call away if you need backup.”

  Maddie studied her with a narrowed gaze. “Are you thinking you could use the practice?”

  “Don’t go there,” Helen pleaded. “I’m still wrestling with all my options, and no, I do not want to talk about them in case you were thinking I might have changed my mind about that in the last three minutes.”

  “Then I guess there’s nothing fascinating to be learned here,” Dana Sue said, resigned. “I need to get to the restaurant. Karen hasn’t exactly been on the top of her game lately, so I need to keep a close eye on her.”

  Helen frowned. “You’re still having problems with her? I thought bringing Tess on board would solve everything.”

  “It’s certainly helped,” Dana Sue said. “But this is about Karen’s state of mind. She’s thoroughly sleep-deprived, if you ask me. She’s been showing up, but she’s not all there. Don’t worry about it, though. I’m sure it’s just going to take a little time for her to learn how to juggle everything going on in her life. Being a single mom is never easy, even in the best of circumstances.”