Andrew heard Kyle come in downstairs, his heavy work boots pounding on the wooden floor, then on the staircase. Andrew looked at the clock. It was after ten.
“Hey, Dad,” Kyle said as he stopped in front of Andrew’s door. He smelled of oil and gas. There were stains on his jacket, and his backpack was slung over his shoulder. He lifted the picture of the red Mustang. “What’s this? I saw it on the table. Are you thinking of getting a different car?”
Andrew stared at the photo. He’d left it on the table by accident. “That’s your mother’s new car,” he said. “Apparently, the minivan wasn’t good enough for her anymore.”
“Cool,” Kyle said, studying the picture. “I can’t wait till she comes home so I can test-drive it.”
Kyle’s total acceptance of anything his mother did irritated Andrew. Kaia had also said how cool she thought the car was when she’d seen the picture this evening. Why did the kids always judge him harshly but let Maggie have a free pass all the time? With his nerves already frayed from his conversation with Maggie, he lashed out at Kyle. “Why are you home so late? I thought I told you to come home early enough to do your homework.”
Kyle glared at his dad. “I did it at Ashley’s. Ate dinner there, too. I’m going to bed. Good night.”
Before Andrew could reply, Kyle was in his room, his door shut. Andrew backed up and dropped onto the bed, defeated. “When will this mess end?” he asked aloud in the empty bedroom.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Maggie’s phone vibrated only minutes after she’d hung up on Andrew. He’d better not be calling to yell at me some more. She picked up the phone. To her surprise, it was Kyle.
“Hi, Kyle,” she said, smiling. She knew that Kaia had kept him updated on what was going on, and that’s why she hadn’t called him. They had a good relationship, but getting Kyle to say more than a few words, let alone a whole phone conversation, was like pulling teeth. Maggie had learned not to prod him. Sooner or later, he’d talk if he felt he had something to say.
“Hi, Mom,” Kyle said, his voice deep and sounding so much like his father’s. “Where are you tonight?”
“I’m staying at a cute oceanside bed-and-breakfast on the Oregon Coast.”
“That sounds fun. Hey, I hear you bought a Mustang. Way cool. How is it to drive?”
Maggie grinned, hearing the enthusiasm in her son’s voice. He’d always loved anything with a motor. She remembered when he was just a toddler, making vroom, vroom noises with his toy cars long before he could even talk. “It drives like a dream. It has five on the floor and hugs every curve in the road. I’m sure you’d love to drive it.”
“Sounds like I get my love of cars from you,” Kyle teased.
“That’s probably true,” Maggie said, laughing. “So how’s everything going with you? How’s school?”
Kyle’s tone grew serious. “Everything’s okay, I guess. But school isn’t going so well. I just can’t get into it this semester.”
“Well, maybe it’s time we talk about you trying something different after this semester ends. I know you aren’t happy at college. Have you thought about going to the tech school?”
Kyle snorted. “Yeah, like Dad would agree to that. He thinks working on bikes and cars is a waste of time.”
“Don’t worry about your dad. You need to do what makes you happy. Speaking of your dad, how is everything going there?”
“I don’t know. Dad’s being kind of weird. One minute, he’s trying to act like our friend, and the next minute, he’s bossing Kaia and me around. It’s weird, you not being here.”
“Your dad’s trying to do his best, I’m sure. He’s just not used to being in charge of you kids.” Maggie was trying her best to sound positive about Andrew, even though she was mad as hell with him.
“Yeah, I suppose.” Kyle grew quiet. After a moment, he continued. “Will you be coming home soon?”
Maggie’s heart swelled. She really missed the kids, and it felt good knowing that they missed her, but she just couldn’t go home yet. Her last conversation with Andrew proved that he still didn’t get it. She didn’t want to go back and fall into the same old rut—things had to change. “Probably not for a little while yet, honey. I still need some time to sort things out. I’m going up to your aunt Cassie’s for a few days, and then we’ll see what happens.” Even though Cassie and Maggie were cousins, they had always been as close as sisters and each one’s children referred to the other woman as their aunt.
“I’m sorry about everything, Mom. Sometimes I wish . . .”
Maggie interrupted him. “This is not your fault, Kyle. Don’t ever think it is. This is between your dad and me. You kids didn’t do anything wrong, okay?”
After a pause, Kyle said, “Okay, Mom. I hope everything works out.”
“Try getting along with your dad, and I’ll be home soon. Okay? I love you, Kyle,” Maggie added softly.
“Me, too, Mom. Talk to you later.”
Maggie hung up the phone, her heart heavy for her oldest child. He was a kind, warmhearted person, and the complete opposite of Andrew. She hoped the two of them wouldn’t clash too much while she was away.
Maggie thought back to last year and sighed. She wished Kyle had never learned what his father had done. She knew it weighed heavily on him. She’d told him she’d take care of it and not to worry, but maybe that had been asking too much. The reason she’d never just packed up and left after finding out about Andrew’s affair was because she wanted to protect the children. But maybe that had been the wrong thing to do. Maybe she should have fought harder with Andrew back then to work things out—or end their marriage. She’d been too drained from everything that had happened to deal with it at the time. But now, it was all coming out anyway.
Maggie lay back on the bed, exhausted. She was glad she’d decided to go to Cassie’s after all. She would finally have someone she could talk openly with. Maybe there, with family around, she could make a decision on what her next move should be.
After a long day of highway driving and hitting three hours of “rush hour” traffic, Maggie pulled into the driveway of her cousin’s Puget Sound home and sighed, relieved to finally be there. Maggie parked in front of the four-stall garage on the brick-paved driveway and sat quietly for a moment, admiring her cousin’s beachfront mansion. Cassandra Wiles and she were the same age, and they had both been raised in modest, not-quite-middle-class families, with few luxuries. Now, Cassie, her husband, Matt, and their two children lived in a home of over six thousand square feet with amazing views of the sound because Matt had been in the right business at the right time. Ten years ago, Matt, a computer program designer, and his business partner struck it rich when they designed software that Microsoft wanted. They sold their company to Microsoft for millions. Despite their ridiculous wealth, Cassie and Matt were still the same down-to-earth couple they had been when they were surviving on soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches in the lean years before success. And although Cassie bluntly spoke her mind whether she’d been asked for advice or not, Maggie still loved her as much now as she did when they were children.
Maggie stepped out of her car and walked up to the set of large double doors at the front of the house. She hadn’t called Cassie to tell her she was coming, because she wanted to surprise her. She rang the bell and waited, hoping they were home.
When Cassie answered the door, she broke into a broad smile and pulled Maggie into a hug.
“Oh, my God! Maggie! This is such a great surprise. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Cassie said everything as if in one sentence, and Maggie laughed as she hugged her cousin tight.
Cassie pulled away and focused intently on Maggie. “Wow, you look amazing. Have you lost weight? I love your hair. You look so . . . happy.” Before Maggie could respond, Cassie started looking around as if something was missing. “Where are the kids? I can’t wait to giv
e them a big hug. It seems like forever since I’ve seen them. Are they still in the van?” She ran past Maggie out to the driveway before Maggie could tell her they weren’t with her. Cassie stopped short when she saw the red Mustang and no one else in sight. She turned and stared at Maggie, looking confused.
“You have a Mustang? A red Mustang? Where’s the van? Where are the kids?”
Maggie walked over to her cousin. “I’m here alone,” she said softly.
Cassie’s brown eyes searched Maggie’s blue ones. Suddenly, it was as if a lightbulb had turned on in her head. “You left Andrew?” Cassie asked. Then she smiled wide and blurted out, “You finally left Andrew. Well, thank the good Lord you’ve come to your senses. But where are the kids? Why are you alone?”
Maggie shook her head. It was just like Cassie to jump to conclusions and not give her a chance to explain. She stepped up to her cousin and put her arm around her waist, walking her toward the front door. “No, I haven’t left Andrew, and the kids are with him. Let’s go inside and I’ll explain everything.”
As Cassie and Maggie entered the home, Maggie once again marveled at its grandeur. The entryway was two stories high, with sunlight pouring in through the tall windows. A shiny tan-and-cream marble floor stretched out beneath their feet and adjoined with the gleaming natural oak floor in the expansive living room, complete with a two-story river-rock fireplace flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows. To the left of the living room was the massive kitchen with an attached family room and another, smaller fireplace. The entire house was surrounded by an outside deck that offered views of the sound, the Olympic Mountains, and Maury and Vashon Islands, depending on which side of the house you were on.
Entering the kitchen, Cassie poured some freshly brewed coffee into heavy mugs. Once they were seated on the stools at the island, Cassie finally looked Maggie in the eye and said, “Dish it, girl.”
Maggie stared at her cousin and smiled. They were from the same family and yet were as different as could be. But they still melded perfectly. Cassie was tall and athletic, a natural runner, and always participating in the latest fitness craze, from spin classes to suspension training. She wore her mahogany-brown hair short and stylish, generally used very little makeup, and was a no-nonsense sort of woman when it came to clothes. Yoga pants and running shorts dominated her closet, with a dress or two for special occasions. Maggie, on the other hand, rarely exercised, wore jeans, khakis, and T-shirts, and couldn’t imagine cutting her hair short. But she and Cassie had always gotten along well. When Maggie was ten, she and her sister had lived with Cassie’s family for almost a year while their father was assigned overseas. Maggie really liked Cassie’s mother, Karen, who was her father’s sister. Cassie’s family had become Maggie’s second family during that year. They were as close as sisters, and since losing her father and sister during the past two years, Maggie was even more grateful for having Cassie in her life.
Maggie began explaining to Cassie about her trip, and how she’d just driven away one day after dropping Kaia off at school and hadn’t returned. She told her about meeting Wild Bill in Deadwood and their ride up to Mount Rushmore, about her days in Reno with the vivacious Bobbi, and about the conversations she’d had with Andrew throughout her journey. She left out her last conversation with him, when he had accused her of being just like her mother, because it hurt too much to repeat. Cassie already didn’t like Andrew, and his remark would make her dislike him even more.
Cassie sat, stunned by all Maggie was telling her. Maggie was the good girl, the one who never made waves. And here she was, running away from home and standing up against Andrew’s demands that she return.
“You just drove away and kept on going?” Cassie asked, still trying to comprehend it all. She grinned. “That’s so unlike you. I’m so proud of you. You finally stood up to that tyrant of a husband. It’s about time.”
“Cassie, Andrew isn’t a tyrant. He’s a good man and a good father. He’s just made a few mistakes lately.”
Cassie frowned at Maggie. “A few mistakes? Maggie, he cheated on you. And after you caught him, he just wanted you to forget it ever happened and go back to the way things were. That’s terrible. He didn’t even care how his cheating affected you. If Matt ever cheated on me, I’d throw his ass out the door and never let him in again.”
Maggie sighed. “It isn’t as easy as that when it actually happens to you,” she said sadly. “I thought I’d never stay with a man who cheated, but when you have a family, everything changes. Kyle was in his last year of high school, and I didn’t want anything to disrupt it. And Kaia would have been devastated if I’d left Andrew. I just didn’t have the energy then to face it. At the time, staying seemed easier.”
Cassie sat quietly a moment, taking a sip of her coffee and staring out the window at the calm water. Finally, she said, “You’re right. Leaving isn’t always easy, especially with a family. But here you are. You did finally walk away. Now what?”
Maggie shrugged. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
Cassie reached over and hugged her tight, then pulled away and smiled. “Well, let’s get you settled in the guest room, and we’ll figure it out together, okay? Let’s go get your luggage.”
The two women went out to the car and pulled out Maggie’s suitcase, camera, and laptop.
“Is this all you have?” Cassie asked, surprised.
“I didn’t know I was leaving until I was gone. I didn’t pack anything. This is what I’ve picked up along the way.”
As they headed back inside and up the stairs to the bedrooms, Maggie asked, “Where are Matt and the kids? It seems too quiet around here.”
“They’re down on the beach. It’s almost dinnertime, though, so I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”
As Maggie turned toward the bedroom she’d stayed in before, Cassie stopped her. “Sorry, that one’s taken. You’ll have to stay in the one down the hall this time.”
“Taken? What, are you renting out rooms to pay for this monster house?” Maggie joked.
Cassie reached out and pinched Maggie’s arm. “No. Matt’s old business partner is staying for a few days. You remember Robert. He came up from his place in California to visit and see what Matt’s up to.”
Maggie stopped and stared at Cassie, her eyes wide. “Robert?”
“Yeah, Robert Barnes. Well, we call him Rob. I’m sure you two have met before.”
Maggie shook her head and chuckled. Rob? Well, at least it isn’t another Bob.
The two women entered Maggie’s room. It was as beautiful as the other guest room. There was a queen-size bed nestled in an oak sleigh frame, covered in the fluffiest blue comforter Maggie had ever seen, on one side, with a gas fireplace opposite it. An antique oak dresser stood against another wall. Windows lined the room, one of which was a bay with a window seat. Maggie walked over to it and looked out at the sound and the beach below. The two kids were running around, tossing a ball, and Matt and Rob sat on a large log in front of an unlit fire pit.
“You know, I’ve never met Rob before,” Maggie said. “What’s he like?”
Cassie looked up, surprised. “Really? I thought for sure you had. Although you and Andrew didn’t come visit much during the years Matt was in business.” She set Maggie’s suitcase on the bed and started unzipping it. “You’ll love him. He’s a sweetheart. Very down-to-earth. He rode up here along the coast road on his Harley-Davidson. He’s really into his boy toys.”
“A Harley, huh?” Maggie said quietly as she continued staring out the window at the beach. She turned when she heard Cassie let out a shriek.
“What the heck are these?” Cassie pulled out a pair of black leather chaps.
Maggie laughed at the shocked look on Cassie’s face. “Those are my leathers, of course. It’s been an interesting trip.”
Cassie dropped the chaps onto the bed and pulled out the mat
ching leather jacket. Looking seriously at Maggie, she said, “You really have to catch me up on what you’ve been up to.”
Still laughing, Maggie walked over to Cassie and took the jacket out of her hands, laying it back in the suitcase. “Let’s unpack later. I want to see those kids of yours, and that crazy husband, too.”
Linked arm in arm, they headed down the hallway toward the stairs. “I’ll order pizza for dinner and call everyone up to the house,” Cassie said.
Maggie grinned. “Pizza delivery? What do you think the pizza-delivery guy thinks when he pulls up to a house like this?”
Cassie winked at her. “He probably thinks he’s going to get one heck of a tip.”
Andrew didn’t sleep well after fighting with both Maggie and Kyle. The next morning, he barely said a word to Kaia before dropping her off at school, which only resulted in her becoming moody toward him. At work, he felt like he was behind all day. Then, he had to leave early to pick up Kaia, which left him with a pile of unfinished work on his desk. By the time he returned home that afternoon, he was agitated and short-tempered.
“What are we having for dinner tonight?” Kaia asked as they walked through the door and Bear slid past them to go outside.
“Geez, Kaia. We just got home. How would I know what we’re having for dinner yet?” Andrew snapped.
Kaia glared at him. “Didn’t you take anything out to cook? You’re supposed to take out meat or something before we leave in the morning so it can thaw. That’s what Mom does.”
“I don’t give a shit what your mom does. I’m in charge now,” Andrew said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he was sorry, but Kaia didn’t give him a chance to apologize.
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