“How can I forget my new friend?” Maggie asked, laughing. “After all, you’re the first person in years to bring out hot Maggie again.” Both women laughed. “Seriously, though, Reno and Tahoe wouldn’t have been the same without you. Thanks for making my stay such fun.”
“Anytime, girl. Anytime.” Bobbi lifted her carry-on onto her shoulder and pulled her suitcase behind her to the automatic sliding-glass doors. She turned, waved to Maggie, and then was gone.
Maggie ran around her new Mustang and slid back into the driver’s seat, thinking how she’d never have had the courage to buy this gorgeous car without Bobbi’s encouragement. She popped open the compartment between the front seats, pulled out her Bob Seger CD, and slipped it into the player. As Maggie drove out of the airport, Bob began to sing her favorite song. The song that had started her on this journey and then kept her driving west. “Roll me away, Bob,” she said, smiling as she exited onto Interstate 80 west toward San Francisco.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Monday night found Andrew sitting in Two Rivers Pub on a stool at the bar. It was after seven in the evening. He’d just finished eating a hamburger and fries and was now nursing his second mug of beer. He was alone. Kaia was at her friend’s house for the night, and Kyle was God knows where. Andrew had tried to persuade Kyle to join him for a burger, just the guys, but he’d declined. Andrew was irritated with him. Why couldn’t his only son spend just an hour with him? They’d been close when Kyle was younger. Andrew had coached his Little League teams, and they’d played catch and one-on-one basketball in the driveway many nights after school and work. Sure, Andrew had been busy the past few years with work and committee meetings, but Kyle was older and had been busy, too. He just couldn’t understand why Kyle was giving him the cold shoulder.
Andrew glanced up and spotted the owner, Russ Peterson, behind the bar, pouring two mugs of beer. He and Russ had graduated together from high school, and he had a son the same age as Kyle.
“Hey, Russ. What’s your son up to these days?”
“He’s going to the college here, same as your kid. Business major,” Russ answered as he placed the mugs of beer on a tray and started mixing a drink.
“Do you and he ever spend time together anymore?”
Russ chuckled. “If you count him working here on the weekends, then sure. Otherwise, not much time. He’s busy with school and working here, and he has a girlfriend. Not much time for the old man.”
“Hmm,” Andrew muttered into his beer as he watched Russ finish mixing the drink, then take the tray out to some customers on the far side of the room. Maybe it was normal for grown kids not to spend time with their parents. Maybe he shouldn’t read too much into it. But it still irked him.
“Trouble at home?”
Andrew turned to see who’d asked him that question and had to stop himself from grimacing when he saw Clyde at the end of the bar. Everyone in town knew Clyde. He was an old drunk who hung out in all the local bars and mooched off his friends to buy him drinks. He’d been a logger years ago but had long since retired. Clyde’s wife had passed years ago, and his kids had left town. But Clyde had been a presence in the bars around town long before his wife died. He nosed around in other people’s business, and that was why Andrew didn’t like him much.
“No. No trouble at home. Why do you ask?” Andrew said, barely managing to hold back his contempt.
Clyde shrugged. “No reason. Just that you’re here alone and not with that pretty wife of yours. That’s all.”
Andrew ignored Clyde and turned away, looking into the wall-length mirror behind the bar. He and Maggie hadn’t come here together to eat in a long time. Not that there was anything wrong with the pub. It was a family-friendly place that served good food. The atmosphere was cozy, with warm oak-paneled walls, high-backed booths lining the outer walls, and big, heavy wooden tables and chairs in the center. A jukebox sat against one wall near the popcorn machine filled with fresh popcorn. He, Maggie, and the kids used to come here often for burgers and fries, usually on a Friday or Saturday night. That was before things became tense between Maggie and him.
At the thought of Maggie, he grew angry all over again. He still hadn’t heard from her, and he’d be damned if he was going to try calling her again. The more he thought of her being out with another man, the angrier he became. Yes, he had cheated on her a year ago, and yes, he knew he’d been wrong. But did that make it okay for her to do the same thing? Was she trying to get even with him?
“Hey, Andrew, how’s it going?” Derrick Weis walked up to the bar and stood beside him.
“Fine. Just having dinner,” Andrew answered.
Russ came over and asked Derrick what he’d like.
“Two beers on tap,” Derrick answered. Russ began to draw beer into frosted mugs.
Andrew turned, noticing that Derrick wasn’t wearing his uniform. “Off duty tonight?”
Derrick nodded. “Wouldn’t be drinking if I was on duty.” He looked Andrew directly in the eye. “How’s Maggie? Has she come home yet?”
Andrew stiffened. He didn’t like Derrick’s tone. “She’s still out in Seattle, visiting family,” he lied. He wasn’t sharing his family problems with Derrick.
“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m surprised she didn’t take Kaia along with her, though. I see those two together all over town. They’re inseparable.”
That’s because it’s an occupational hazard of being a young teen. A grin settled on Andrew’s face as he thought of what Kaia had told him. He didn’t share this with Derrick, though. “She has school.”
Russ came over and placed the two beers in front of Derrick, then stood there, joining in on the conversation. “Maggie’s been gone? I didn’t know that. What happened, Andrew? You two have a fight?” He chuckled, and Andrew glared at him.. Derrick’s eyebrows rose as he waited for Andrew to answer.
“No, we didn’t have a fight, as if it’s any of your business,” Andrew snapped back.
“Cripes, man. Don’t bite my head off. It was just a joke. I’m just surprised Maggie left now that school is in session. She’s always so active in the schools, volunteering in the classrooms and with the PTA,” Russ said.
Andrew frowned. He knew Maggie used to be in the PTA but didn’t know she still was an active member. He didn’t want to admit this to these two goons, though.
“She’s usually in charge of the middle-school dances, too. The fall dance is coming up, so I’m surprised she left this time of year,” Derrick said, eyeing Andrew.
Andrew turned his frown on Derrick. “She had her reasons, okay?”
“Oh, I’m sure she had her reasons,” Derrick said in a tone that irritated Andrew. Russ snickered from behind the bar.
Andrew’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Derrick stared hard at Andrew. “I think you know what it means. This is a small town, Andrew. You know that as well as I do. People talk. Did you really think you could keep your affair a secret? Everyone in this town likes Maggie. She’s a nice person, a good mother, and she gives her time to help benefit this community. She didn’t deserve what you did to her.”
Andrew stood and faced Derrick. They were practically the same height, but Derrick was built thicker than Andrew. He didn’t care—if Derrick wanted a fight, he’d give him one. “None of this is your business, Derrick. Why don’t you worry about your own wife and family, and butt out of mine.”
“Oh, just calm down, Andrew. I’m in no mood to fight with you,” Derrick said as Clyde chuckled at the end of the bar.
“I do a lot of volunteer work in this community, too, you know,” Andrew said, trying to save face. “I spend my free time helping this community grow, bringing jobs into this town, and making it a nice place for our families. Maggie’s not the only one who gives her time.”
“Yes, I know all about your volunteer work in this to
wn,” Derrick said. “But there’s a big difference between what you do and what Maggie does. She does it from the heart. You do it for the recognition.”
Andrew glared at Derrick, unable to come up with a retort.
Derrick lowered his voice. “I’ve known you a long time, Andrew. We went to school together, and we coached Little League together. I know, deep down, you’re a good guy. But what you did to Maggie . . . that was low. You know, when you first came home from college and brought Maggie back with you, there wasn’t a guy in this town who wasn’t jealous of you. She was beautiful, sweet, and kind. We all envied you. And as the years went on, she just proved over and over again what a valued member of this community she is.”
Andrew stared at Derrick, dumbfounded. Russ nodded in agreement. “So you all had a crush on my wife. How would your wife like to hear you say all these things about Maggie, huh?”
Derrick frowned at him, his face turning red with anger. He looked to the back of the room where his wife sat, wearing her scrubs and waiting for him, in a booth. “I love my wife. She’s a good person, and I’m proud of everything she does, too. So don’t turn this around on me. The point I’m making is that you have a pretty wife who cares about other people and who is a good mother, and how did you repay her? You cheated on her with a woman who wasn’t even half the woman Maggie is. It was Maggie who had to go through each day, trying to hold her head up high and ignore the whispers behind her back and pretend that everything was okay. You didn’t even have the decency to hide your affair. You paraded around town with that woman at your side. So you’re right. Maggie had her reasons for leaving. And her number one reason for leaving was you.”
Maggie found a comfortable hotel in San Francisco near Fisherman’s Wharf to settle into for the night. Even though it was only a four-hour drive from Reno to San Francisco, she’d hit the city in the middle of rush hour so it had taken her an extra hour to find a hotel. Now, she just wanted to clean up and walk to the wharf to take pictures and eat a delicious seafood dinner.
Kaia had called Maggie earlier to tell her about her weekend with Andrew and that she was spending the night at Megan’s house to work on a school project.
“So what’s your father up to without you at home tonight?” Maggie had asked her. Kaia said he’d planned on going out for a bite with Kyle, but that was about all.
“Is everything going fine at home?” Maggie asked, curious about how Kaia and Andrew were getting along. This morning she’d listened to the message from Andrew, and he’d sounded irritated. Hearing his tone, Maggie had decided that she didn’t want to talk to him just yet. She’d let him settle down first from whatever had set him off. They’d been getting along so well the past few days that she didn’t want to ruin it by talking to him when he was miffed.
“Yeah, it going good,” Kaia answered. “Dad’s calmed down a lot. I think he’s actually having fun being home more, and he isn’t acting as stressed out as he usually does.”
After saying good-bye to Kaia, Maggie had pondered her words as she drove along the highway toward San Francisco. Maybe her going away had been good for both of them. It was not only giving her a chance to sort out her life but also allowing Andrew more time to spend with the family. She was happy that Kaia and he were getting along so well. But if everything was fine, why had he sounded so angry in his last message? She’d decided that if she didn’t hear from Andrew by tonight, she’d call him first thing in the morning.
Grabbing a sweater and her camera, Maggie headed out to get as many pictures as she could before sunset, and then eat dinner.
Andrew fumed all the way home and slammed the door in the back porch, scaring Bear and making the cats scatter. “Maggie had her reasons for leaving. And her number one reason for leaving was you.” Andrew grew angrier the more he thought about Derrick’s words.
“How dare he butt his nose into my life?” he yelled into the empty room. “Who the hell does he think he is?” Seeing Bear stare at him with big, droopy eyes brought Andrew back to reality, and he walked over and gently rubbed the dog’s ears. Once Bear started wagging his tail, Andrew took him outside and hooked him to his leash so he could do his business. Andrew put down food for Bear, then fed the cats and refilled their water bowls, and by the time he was done, he’d calmed down a little.
Maggie hadn’t called him back. This upset him more than he wanted to admit. He had no idea where she was, or who she was with. Could she really have found another man that easily? Was he that easy to replace? He winced at the thought that Maggie had probably wondered the same things when she’d found out about his affair.
Upstairs in the bedroom, Andrew changed out of his suit and into sweats. The house was cool, proving that fall was upon them and winter was close behind. As he glanced at the phone on the nightstand, he saw the message light blinking. Had Maggie called the house phone instead of his cell? When he checked caller ID, he saw that the last caller had been his mother. Ignoring her message, he reluctantly called her back.
“Hello,” his mother’s brisk voice said after the second ring.
“Hi, Mom. It’s Andrew. I see that you called earlier.”
“Yes, I did. I thought you’d be home, but apparently, you weren’t.”
Andrew sighed. “I went out for a bite to eat. Was there something you needed?”
“No. What I want to know is what is going on with your family?”
Andrew’s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean by that?”
Marcia spoke in a clipped manner. “There are rumors going around town that Maggie has left you. What’s that all about? Has your wife left you for another man?”
Andrew stood there, dumbfounded. Who in the world was spreading these rumors? “No. Of course she hasn’t. I told you, Maggie went to Seattle to see her cousin. Where did you hear such a thing?”
“It’s all over town. People are saying that Maggie left you and the kids, and you’ve been left to take care of everything. It doesn’t surprise me one bit, you know. Maggie was never one of us. I’m surprised she didn’t leave years ago.”
Andrew’s heart pounded as he ran his hand through his hair. “Maggie was never one of us”? He knew his mother never approved of Maggie, but how dare she say that? But he also knew arguing with his mother was useless. He weighed his words carefully. “These rumors aren’t true. They’re all lies. Besides, who cares what goes on between Maggie and me? That’s our business, and no one else’s.”
“Who cares?” Marcia asked indignantly. “Well, for one, I do. And you should, too. You’ve worked very hard carving out your position in this town. Just because Maggie doesn’t care about it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. A rumor like this can ruin your chances when you run for mayor next year.”
Andrew let out a long breath. His mother didn’t care that there were problems between him and his wife. She didn’t care how it affected his children. All she cared about were his chances of becoming mayor. “Maggie cares about this town, Mother. She volunteers in the schools, and people around here like her very much. There’s no basis for these rumors, so don’t pay any attention to them.”
“Well, you’d better get your house in order and tell your wife to come home,” his mother said curtly. “It doesn’t look good, her gallivanting around the country, abandoning her family. She should feel very lucky to have you for a husband. You’re highly respected in this town.”
Andrew snorted, laughter rolling from deep inside his throat. “Really, Mom? Respected? If only you knew the truth. I’m not as highly respected in this town as you think. In fact, Maggie has a much higher standing with everyone right now than I do.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If you’re referring to that little indiscretion of yours last year . . . well, no one really cares about that. Men cheat all the time. It’s in their DNA. No one will hold that against you.”
Andrew stopped laughing, shocked by what his mothe
r had said. “You know about that?”
“I heard the rumors. I don’t condone it, but I’m not surprised by it, either. It happens. If that’s why Maggie has run off, then she just needs to get over it. All that matters is that you’re a good provider for your family and you have a nice future in this community. People won’t hold you responsible for a little indiscretion.”
“A little indiscretion”? Is that what his mother called cheating on your spouse? Andrew thought about his childhood and how cold his parents were to each other. Back then, he had heard rumors about his father cheating, but no one ever told him to his face. And his parents had always stayed together, so he figured the rumors couldn’t possibly have been true. But now, he wondered. Did his dad have a few little indiscretions?
Andrew assured his mother that Maggie would be home soon, and hung up the phone. He mulled over what she’d said. Her tone bothered him as much as her words. She sounded cold, unfeeling, and uncaring. Was that how he sounded to Maggie? All his mother worried about was her standing in the community and her own activities. Family wasn’t important to her. It came as an unwelcome shock to realize that he could be accused of acting exactly the same way. He’d placed his job, the community, and his own aspirations ahead of Maggie and the kids. And he’d strayed. He’d told himself that Maggie was the one who didn’t make time for him. He’d allowed himself to believe that he’d been justified in having the affair. But at this very moment, standing in this silent house, he came to a crushing realization that there were no excuses. He was the only one to blame.
Downstairs, the back door opened and closed, and footsteps pounded on the staircase. Andrew looked out his bedroom door as Kyle appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Hey, buddy, you’re finally home,” Andrew said, keeping his voice light. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was a little after nine o’clock. “Did you do anything fun tonight?”
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