Last One Home

by Debbie Macomber

  “Yes?”

  “A call came in while I was talking to Rosie. It was Steve. You might want to call him back.”

  Chapter 27

  Karen Goodwin sat at her desk at Spokane Title, going over the closing documents for a retired couple who were due in that afternoon. When the phone at her desk rang, she automatically reached for it and was surprised to hear Nichole’s voice on the other end of the line.

  “Why didn’t you call my cell?”

  “Oh sorry,” Nichole said. “You have so many numbers I sometimes forget which is which.”

  “Did you talk to Cassie?” Karen asked.

  “I did.”

  “How’d it go?”

  “It went great. You were so right … I should have called her long ago … I don’t know why I didn’t.” She hesitated and then added in a hushed voice, “That’s not exactly true. I do know why I delayed.”

  “It’s awkward for us all—”

  Nichole cut her off and blurted out, “Back when everything happened with Duke? I read Cassie’s journal … I knew she was pregnant and she knew what I’d done. She was afraid I’d tell Mom and Dad, and that’s why she left.”

  “Nichole, what? That isn’t why.”

  “Yes, it is,” she insisted.

  “Did Cassie tell you that?”

  She paused for a moment before she answered. “No … we didn’t talk about anything from back then.”

  It sounded as if her sister was close to tears. Karen carried her own guilt—they all did, but it was time to put the past behind them and become a family again.

  “I have a business meeting in a few minutes. Listen, we’ll talk more about this later, but before we hang up, tell me how your weekend went,” Karen said. She wanted to end their conversation on a positive note.

  “The spa was fabulous,” Nichole admitted. “And really, how could it not be? I was pampered and catered to for three entire days, and also managed to drop a couple pounds.”

  “That’s great.” Karen couldn’t help being envious. It’d been three years since their last family vacation.

  “I came home refreshed and deeply in love with my husband. Unfortunately, Owen didn’t do well without me. By the time I got back to Portland Sunday afternoon, Jake and his mother were worn to a frazzle.”

  “It’s nice to be needed, isn’t it?” It was easy to remember what it’d been like when her own two children were toddlers. There didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. It was a blessing they’d had Garth’s parents and her own close at hand, and as first-time grandparents, both sets had been eager to help.

  “Needed and wanted,” Nichole said, lowering her voice. “You’d think I’d been away for a month the way Jake reacted.”

  Nichole was still enough of a newlywed to appreciate romance. Karen did, too, but after several years of marriage, her love life with Garth had become predictable and low-key, though very good.

  “I’m buying Jake that fancy BMW he wants so badly,” Nichole announced. “He’d never ask for it, but I saw the brochure and it’s his birthday next month, so as a surprise, I called the dealership and bought it for him.”

  Karen knew what that meant. Her sister had now spent the majority of their parents’ inheritance on a fancy car for her husband. Of course, that was her choice—Karen wouldn’t fault her for loving her husband and wanting to give him a special birthday gift.

  “You aren’t going to talk me out of it, are you?” Nichole asked.

  “Not at all. It’s none of my business what you do with the money we got from Mom and Dad.”

  “I know … it’s just that Jake has been so wonderful lately. He’s always so thoughtful and kind, especially since I’ve had Owen.”

  “Nichole, you don’t need to justify it to me.”

  “I know, it’s just that—”

  “Stop,” Karen said, cutting her off. She didn’t know why her sister felt like she needed permission. Everyone seemed to want approval in one form or another. They said good-bye and hung up.

  Ten minutes before the Anson couple were due to arrive to sign the closing papers, her desk phone rang again. Karen reached for it.

  “Karen Goodwin. How may I help you?”

  “This is the nurse at Thomas Jefferson Elementary,” the voice on the other end of the line said.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “It’s Buddy. He’s come down with the flu and is sick and vomiting. Can you come for him?”

  “Oh boy. Okay—I’m just about to go into a meeting.” The timing was the worst. “I’ll call my husband to see if he can pick up Buddy.”

  Poor Buddy. More than anything, her young son hated throwing up. He must really be sick. Karen tried Garth’s cell, but it went straight to voice mail. Garth sometimes turned it off, especially when he was working hard on a project, so she tried the direct line to his office.

  “Mark Holmes’s office.”

  “Hi, Michelle,” Karen said, sitting up straight. “Mark Holmes’s office?” she repeated. Garth hadn’t said anything about his number changing.

  “Mrs. Goodwin?” Michelle asked. “Karen?”

  “Yes. I need to talk to Garth.” Looking out the glass door of her office, Karen saw that the Ansons had arrived and were seated in the waiting area. “It’s kind of an emergency. Buddy needs to be picked up at the school.”

  Her words were met with silence.

  “Michelle, did you hear me?”

  “Yes. Karen, listen … um … Garth hasn’t worked here since the first week of April. I guess maybe you forgot and dialed this number from habit?”

  Karen laughed softly. Surely there was some mistake. “Very funny, but this isn’t a joke. I want to talk to Garth.”

  “This isn’t a joke,” Michelle insisted. “I’d never joke about something like this. Garth was laid off weeks ago … Are you saying he didn’t tell you?”

  Karen was stunned.

  “Karen? Mrs. Goodwin?”

  Karen ended the call. Clearly something was drastically wrong. True, she’d noticed Garth hadn’t been himself for the last few weeks, but she had no clue he’d lost his job. Now that she thought about it, he had seemed depressed lately. When she’d asked him about it, he’d claimed it wasn’t anything serious. He might have mentioned problems at work, but certainly not that he’d been laid off.

  If Garth was going without a paycheck she would know, and they’d be bouncing checks left and right. In fact, Garth had been paid regularly according to the bank statements, right down to the penny. This was crazy. Nuts. Of course Garth had a job.

  Not knowing what else to do, Karen phoned his cell a second time. As before, the call went directly to voice mail. “Garth, if you’re there, then please answer. This is important. Buddy is sick and needs someone to collect him at the school. I have a signing and the people are here. Send me a text in the next five minutes if you get this message—otherwise, I’ll need to leave the office.”

  Shuddering a sigh, her head swimming and her heart pounding, Karen stood to greet Mr. and Mrs. Anson. By the time she returned to her desk she heard her cell ping. The message was from Garth and read: On my way to get Buddy.

  Garth didn’t know that she’d called his office. Nor was he aware that she was on to his secret.

  But he’d learn soon enough. Oh yes, he’d find out the minute she was home to confront him face-to-face.

  Karen wasn’t sure how she’d managed to get through the signing, not to mention the rest of the day. She called and talked briefly with her son but not to Garth. She needed the afternoon to think, and even then, she wasn’t sure what she would say to her husband. It was beyond the scope of her imagination that Garth would keep the fact that he’d lost his job a secret from her … from everyone.

  As had become Garth’s habit, he was cooking dinner by the time Karen arrived at the house. It all made sense now that he’d been getting home from the office before her every night. He’d told her he was working fewer hours … yet anoth
er lie.

  “Hi, honey,” he said, greeting her with a big smile.

  She set her keys and purse aside. “How’s Buddy?”

  “Better. He slept most of the afternoon.”

  “Where is he now?”

  Garth continued slicing tomatoes for the salad and didn’t look up. “In his room playing games on his iPad.”

  “And Lily?”

  Garth added the sliced tomatoes to the lettuce and reached for a handful of radishes, slicing those. “She’s with Elise Jefferies. They’re working together on some end-of-the-school-year project. How was your day?”

  “Upsetting.”

  “Oh? Didn’t the closing go well?” he asked, looking up for the first time since he’d greeted her.

  “It went fine.”

  “Oh good. Something else happen?”

  A long time ago Karen had read parenting advice that suggested not setting her children up for a lie when she already knew the truth. She figured the same would hold true with her husband.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’d gotten laid off?”

  Garth’s head came up fast. He set the knife down on the cutting board and wiped his hand on a kitchen towel he had tucked into his waistband. “Who told you?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I guess not.” Using both hands, he leaned against the counter as if he feared his legs might not support him.

  “Michelle said your last day was weeks ago.”

  Garth nodded. “It’s true. At first it felt like a bad joke, but unfortunately the joke was on me.”

  In the hours since she’d learned her husband’s secret, she’d had time to think. “The day you got laid off was the day you forgot to pick up Buddy from baseball practice, wasn’t it?”

  Garth swallowed hard and nodded. “I was in shock, worried and ashamed. I didn’t know how I was going to tell you … didn’t know what I was going to do.”

  “Did you honestly believe I’d blame you?”

  “I didn’t know what to think,” her husband snapped. “We’d gone through this once before and I wasn’t sure our marriage would survive. I couldn’t face that again and I wasn’t sure you could, either. I assumed I’d be able to find another job quickly—I have good references and plenty of experience, and I figured I’d tell you when I’d found something new and save you the worry. There was all this business with your sisters. And it hadn’t been that long since we’d buried your mother. I didn’t want to burden you with more bad news.”

  “Those are not good excuses. I’m your wife! Don’t you think I have a right to know?”

  “Okay, of course. I should have told you,” he said defensively. “But it isn’t easy to admit to your wife and family that you’re a loser.”

  “Because you lost your job? Don’t be ridiculous, Garth.”

  Straightening, he placed both his hands on top of his head. “Cut me some slack, Karen. A man has his pride.”

  Did he really think she would think less of him? People got laid off all the time. Pulling out a kitchen chair, Karen slumped into it. “It hurts, Garth, that you wouldn’t trust me enough to tell me what you’ve been going through.” A number of things played back in her mind. His insistence that he take over the bill paying, the bounced check, and the “misunderstanding” when they went to the storage unit and found it locked up for nonpayment.

  “I didn’t want you to know … I hoped to have another job in a few days, a couple weeks at the most.”

  “You’ve been looking?”

  “What do you think I’ve been doing every day?” he demanded. “I’ve sent out my résumé, pounded the pavement, looked online. It just seems like no one is hiring.” This last part was practically shouted in his frustration. “I know, because I have done everything within my power to find work.” His voice wobbled with emotion and his hands shook.

  Silence vibrated through the kitchen.

  “You got a severance package?” That was the only way she could explain the money that had continued to be deposited into their joint checking account for the last two months.

  Garth hung his head.

  “Garth?”

  “No. There was no severance package.”

  Karen frowned. “But what about the pay that kept showing up in our checking account?”

  Turning abruptly, Garth left the kitchen, walking out the sliding glass doors to the backyard. Karen reluctantly followed only to find her husband on his knees, doubled over. His hands were folded protectively on his head.

  Racing to him, she knelt at his side. “Garth, Garth, what is it?”

  Her husband rocked back and forth as if in agony.

  “Tell me,” she pleaded. “Just tell me.”

  To her shock and horror, her husband started to cry, great sobs that shook his entire upper body. Wrapping her arms around him, Karen felt tears gather in her own eyes, feeling his pain, his loss, if not knowing the cause.

  “I thought the only way out was to kill myself,” Garth whispered.

  “No,” Karen nearly screamed. “No. Garth, nothing is worth losing you. You’re my husband … what would the kids and I do without you?”

  “I used your parents’ money,” he said, burying his face in his hands.

  Shock nearly sent her reeling. Her inheritance … For a minute she said nothing, absorbing this news. Finally, she whispered, “It doesn’t matter … it doesn’t matter.”

  “I tried to make up what I’d lost …”

  A chill went down Karen’s back. She didn’t know how she knew but she did. “You played the stock market?”

  He nodded. “It’s gone, Karen, it’s gone.”

  “All of it?”

  “There’s a couple thousand left … that’s it. I’m so sorry … so, so sorry.”

  Karen held on to her husband as they both wept.

  Chapter 28

  Steve phoned Cassie on Monday, but their conversation was short and rather awkward. She didn’t hear from him on Tuesday, although she wished she had. They were both treading carefully, as if approaching a bed of hot coals in their bare feet.

  Wednesday night he called again, looking to confirm their dinner date on Saturday. They both knew that was just an excuse. Cassie didn’t mind; she’d missed him and was eager to talk, going out of her way to keep the conversation light and friendly. She could almost hear him relax, and because he did, she did, too.

  As it happened, she had a good reason to be more lighthearted—she’d gotten good news. “You’ll never believe what happened today,” she told him, eager to share. “I heard from my sister.”

  “Which one?”

  “Oh sorry, it was Karen. She called to set up a time to come to see me and Amiee in Kent. And it gets even better. Nichole is coming, too, from Portland.”

  Steve laughed. “Slow down, will you? You’re talking so fast I can barely make out the words.”

  “You have no idea what this means to me,” she burst out. It felt as if everything was coming together for her at last. This was exactly what she’d hoped and prayed would happen! The deepest desire of her heart was to reconcile with her two sisters.

  “Tell me,” he said.

  Cassie sucked in a deep calming breath and tried to say each word slowly and distinctly. “Karen and Nichole are coming to Seattle a week from Sunday. It’s hard to believe, but I was a teenager the last time I was with both my sisters.”

  “I’m happy for you, Cassie.”

  It would be difficult for anyone to fully appreciate the significance of this meeting. When she first moved to Seattle, and Karen and Nichole had rejected her efforts to reconnect, it had devastated her. It was as if she’d made this long journey home, facing huge obstacles, only to have the door politely closed in her face. For weeks afterward she’d been deeply depressed. Amiee’s constant questions regarding family hadn’t helped. It had taken her a long while to regroup. Finally, she had, and a short while later was when she applied for a home with Habitat for Humanity.

 
; “That’s really great about your sisters,” said Steve. “And I’m anxious to get back to Seattle so we can clear the air. I feel bad about the way we left things. We didn’t really have time to sort it out before I needed to get on the road. I’m making progress here, slowly. I’ll be back by Saturday no matter what. Seeing you, talking this out so we’re both comfortable with where this relationship is going, is a priority.”

  The frustration in his voice was palpable. Before she could respond, Amiee walked into the room. Her daughter waved her arms above her head in order to get Cassie’s attention. “Mom, can I talk to Steve?”

  “Amiee,” Cassie whispered under her breath. “Not now …”

  “Mom,” her daughter insisted, “this is important.”

  “I … I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  Amiee’s eyes rounded. “Mom, please.”

  Cassie handed her daughter the phone and Amiee immediately disappeared inside her bedroom. Although she closed the door, the walls were thin and Cassie was able to hear every word.

  “Rosie and I have everything planned for Saturday night,” Amiee was telling him. “Goldie Locks is fixing Mom’s hair and she’s even getting a pedicure. That means we’re looking for a pair of open-toed shoes. Mom has small feet and no one at the salon wears a size six and a half.”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. She could only imagine what Steve must be thinking.

  “Oh, and one of the girls at Goldie Locks, I think her name is Bridget, is taking a special makeup class and she volunteered to do Mom’s makeup. Mom is going to wow you, so I want you to be prepared to have your mind blown.”

  Cassie had to put an end to this. She opened Amiee’s bedroom door and stuck her head inside. “My turn,” she insisted.

  Amiee sat on her bed cross-legged. She lifted the phone away from her ear and covered it with her hand. “Give me a minute, Mom. I’m just to the best part.”

  “Amiee!” Cassie protested.

  “Rosie found her a dress,” Amiee continued, speaking quickly, as if she knew Cassie was about to rip the phone from her hands. “It was one her cousin had—”