She held him at arm’s length and stroked his cheek. “I know.”
Her eyes were shiny, and for a minute, he thought she was going to cry as she bit her bottom lip. “Everything is going to be okay, Mom. You’re going to come home, and I’ll take care of you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Mom, don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “My eyes are just leaking.”
“Mom, eyes don’t leak.”
She laughed. “Noah, you’re so funny.” She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I’m so sorry for what I put you through, and I promise you it won’t happen again.”
His shoulders drooped. She always said that after she got sick, and she meant to keep her promise, but she never did. Maybe that was why it was so important that he keep his promise to Logan.
“Honey, this time it’s for real. That’s why I asked Miss Allie to bring you here. This afternoon I’m going somewhere to get help.”
“You’re going away? No! You can’t do that. I’ll take care of you.”
“I’m supposed to take care of you, not the other way around. I’ll still be here in Cedar Grove, and it’ll only be for three months. You can stay with Miss Allie during the week and your Uncle Matt on weekends, like now.”
Noah stared at his mom. What if she never came back? What if she was like his dad and decided she didn’t want him anymore? He folded his arms across his chest.
“Noah, I need to do this. It’s the only way I can stop using the drugs.”
He trembled. She’d never, ever admitted she was using drugs before. “You promise you’ll come back and get me?”
“Oh, Noah, you’re the main reason I’m doing this, and I’m not going anywhere. The state won’t let me have you back unless I get help. And I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
“Can I come see you?”
“After two weeks. And stop frowning. It’s their rules, and it’s only fourteen days, and today counts...so technically it’ll only be thirteen days.”
He tried not to grin, but he couldn’t help it. Only his mom could turn fourteen into thirteen. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Noah glanced down at the floor. His promise to Logan weighed on his mind. “Is it ever okay to break a promise?”
She heaved a sigh. “No, it’s never okay to break a promise. That’s why I want to get help—so I’ll never do that again. Always remember—”
The door swung open. “Okay to come in?” Miss Allie asked.
“We’re good,” Mariah answered. “Thanks for giving us some time.”
“No problem,” Miss Allie said as she came into the room. She turned to Noah. “I think rehab is a good thing, don’t you?”
“It’s a long time.”
“Not as long as Christmas or even summer break.”
He hadn’t thought of it like that. “So Mom will be home before school is out?”
Miss Allie smiled. “Way before. Speaking of school, you have to get to class, but first I have an announcement.” She pointed toward Noah. “Drum roll, maestro.”
Puzzled, Noah imitated a drum roll.
“I am proud to announce that Mr. Noah Connors has been chosen to read his winning essay this Friday afternoon in the school assembly.”
“What?” His essay won?
“Oh, son, that’s awesome. I wish I could be there to hear you read it.”
Read it? In front of everyone? Noah’s happiness disappeared.
“I’ll record it with my phone,” Miss Allie said. “And your Uncle Matt is coming.”
He shook his head. “Do I have to read it? Can’t someone else do that?”
His mom put her arm around him. “You’ll do great. Just pretend everyone’s in their underwear.”
“Mom!” Sheesh.
“You’ll do great, and you won’t be the only one. Two other students are reading essays.” Miss Allie nodded as she smiled. “We’ll practice at night.”
He couldn’t get up in front of the whole school. He just couldn’t.
* * *
MATT DRUMMED HIS fingers on the leather steering wheel. Allie was right. He needed to tell Jessica he’d accepted a job with Bradford. And then tell her father, his boss, that his last day would be February fourteenth. Or maybe not. He had more than four weeks. Why not wait until the end of January? Two weeks was the customary notice.
No. That wasn’t the right way to handle this. He had a sales meeting at four that Winthrop was sitting in on. He’d tell him after that. Yes, that’s what he’d do. And he couldn’t tell Jessica until he was ready to tell her dad. Maybe he should give her a call, though, and check on plans for this evening.
She answered on the third ring. “Good afternoon, Mr. Jefferies. How did your meeting with J. Phillip Bradford go?”
“Better than I expected. I’ll tell you about it over dinner.”
“That will be perfect since I’m making duck l’orange for you tonight.”
“Wow.”
“I take it you’re pleased?”
“I feel special.”
“I assumed we’d be celebrating your success, landing those other accounts with Mr. Bradford, and I wanted to do it at home.”
“What time? Your dad has scheduled a sales meeting at four, and you know how long that can go.”
“It will be coming out of the oven at six o’clock sharp. I’ve invited him and mother to dinner as well, and he knows better than to be late for me.”
“You’ve already invited them?” Matt swallowed. Maybe he’d wait and break the news to both of them at the same time—after dinner.
* * *
AS THE CLOCK inched toward five-thirty, Matt tried to focus on the sales project a junior member of the team described, but his mind kept wandering to his job offer from Bradford. The sheer size of the foundation staggered him. Rachel’s Hope alone distributed millions of dollars to various breast cancer research projects. Named after Bradford’s wife, who had died from breast cancer, it was the largest of the three charities. Charities that were largely funded by an investment Bradford made in the sixties.
With a start, he realized Winthrop had asked him a question. “Yes, sir?”
A ripple of laughter went around the room. Wrong answer. Heat rising in his face, Matt palmed his hand up. “Sorry, I guess I was thinking of that duck Jessica is cooking.”
Winthrop’s eyes widened, and he checked his watch. “Time to adjourn this meeting.” He glanced at Matt. “Do you mind if I ride with you? Evelyn is meeting me at Jessica’s.”
“Not at all.” Like he could say anything else. “I’m parked on the second level, so give me a minute to pull my car out front.”
Traffic was light as Matt drove the short distance to Jessica’s apartment on the river bluff.
“Nice car,” Winthrop commented.
“Thank you, sir. Too bad it’s so chilly or we could have the top down.”
“Hmm. How did the meeting with Bradford go today? Did you lock in the rest of the foundation’s banquet business for us?”
Matt pulled up in front of Jessica’s apartment building. Winthrop had always been more than fair with him. It wasn’t right for him to be less than honest now. “Actually, sir—” he swallowed “—Bradford offered me a job...at twice my current salary.”
“I see.”
Silence filled the small car. Maybe he should have waited.
Winthrop cleared his throat. “I’ll match the salary and make you a junior vice president of the company.”
For once in his life, Matt was speechless. His mouth worked, but no words formed.
Winthrop grinned like a Cheshire cat. “It’s okay, son, you don’t have to decide this minute. But remember, you are marrying
into the Winthrop family—and there’s no limit to how high you can go in the corporation.”
“I have to say I never expected this. Thank you for your confidence, sir.” Matt’s mind whirled as Winthrop opened the door and climbed out of the car. A job offer that he’d accepted and now a counteroffer. All in one day. Robotlike, he put the car in Drive and pulled away from the curb to find a parking space. He had some serious thinking to do.
* * *
THE EVENING PASSED in a blur. He kept quiet as Jessica raved about a porcelain doll she’d bought for her collection. He admired the dainty doll when she brought it out, and gathered from her mother that this something-or-other Bebe was a good find. He didn’t see that it was much different from all the other dolls in the collection. Dolls Jessica had had since she was a little girl, her mother had once told him.
He’d always liked Evelyn Winthrop. Poised and gracious—nothing ruffled her, not even her husband. She was the perfect corporate wife and her daughter was almost a carbon copy. Matt played around with the food, even managing to eat a small amount.
“Crème brûlée?” When he nodded, Jessica whisked his plate away and set a small dessert bowl in front of him.
She was very beautiful tonight, dressed in a black sheath, her coppery hair pulled up in a French twist. And even though dinner was simple, she’d created an atmosphere of elegance, with the meal moving gracefully from one course to the next. Matt traced his finger along the stem of the Waterford goblet. It was easy to imagine Jessica throwing a dinner party for a hundred guests and it going off without a hitch. He’d been right six months ago when he first decided that she would be the perfect wife for him.
He should be on top of the world. A beautiful fiancée, job offer, counteroffer, his salary doubled. So why did emptiness fill him?
A beep came from the kitchen. “That’s our coffee,” Jessica said. “I’ll be right back.”
For a nanosecond, it was Allie, not Jessica, smiling at him. He rubbed his hand across his eyes. Too much had happened today. He wasn’t himself.
Jessica returned with a silver carafe, and after she’d filled the cups, she leaned in close to him. “Would you like to share your good news about getting Bradford’s business?”
Matt glanced toward William Winthrop and the older man gave him a go-ahead nod.
“Well, the meeting didn’t turn out quite like I envisioned. J. Phillip Bradford offered me a job.”
Jessica gaped at him. “You told him no, of course.”
“Actually, I didn’t. It was an amazing offer.”
“Matt, you can’t!” She turned to her father. “Daddy, do something!”
“Let him finish, Jessica.”
“When I told your dad, he made a counteroffer. Same salary. Junior vice-president position.”
Jessica squealed. “Oh, Daddy!” She kissed her father repeatedly on the cheek, and then pounced on Matt. “You shouldn’t have scared me like that.” She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “He’s grooming you to take his place, you know.”
Matt swallowed hard. Could that be true? Although Winthrop had hinted at it, Matt’s mind couldn’t process the possibility. But it made his decision so much more difficult.
Winthrop’s chair scraped back on the hardwood floor. “Evelyn,” the older man said, “I think it’s time to take our leave. These young people need time to themselves.”
On her way out the door, Evelyn hugged Matt. “I’m so proud of you. And I can’t wait to have you for a son-in-law.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Winthrop.”
“Let’s not have any more of this Mrs. Winthrop nonsense. Call me Evelyn.”
Matt didn’t know if he could do that. “Yes, ma’am.”
As soon as the door was closed behind her parents, Jessica wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so proud of you, too.”
“I haven’t decided if I’ll take your dad’s offer.” There. The words were out.
She stepped back. “Not take his offer? I don’t understand.”
“I have to think about it.”
“What’s to think about? We’re going to be married. You’ll be part of the Winthrop family. Why would you want to work for someone like Bradford, anyway? He’s done nothing but give you grief ever since you went after the Valentine’s Day contract.”
He held up his hand. “My head is going around and around. I don’t want to talk about this anymore tonight.”
“Fine.” Jessica began clearing the table.
He knew that tone, and everything was not fine. “I’ll help.” He gathered the linen napkins.
“I’d rather do it by myself. Why don’t you go home and get your head cleared.”
“Come on, Jessica. Just because—”
“Please. Go home.”
He stiffened at her sharp tone. “Why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry, but if we can’t discuss something as important as your career, what does it say about our relationship?”
“The conversation seems a little one-sided.”
“Well, I’m sorry if I want you to do what’s best for your career.”
He tossed the napkins on the table. “You know, I think you’re right. I probably do need to go home.”
He shrugged into his overcoat. When he bent to kiss her good-night, she offered her cheek. He turned her to face him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She lifted her gaze and tears wet her lashes. “I just want to be part of your life. Sometimes I feel like one of those dolls I collect—something to be admired and taken out of the case only to be shown off.”
He brushed a tear from her cheek. “Could you give me a little while to process today?”
She nodded. “Of course. Just don’t shut me out.”
“I won’t.” The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Jessica.
* * *
“NOAH’S SPEECH...DID you help him with it?” Peter handed Allie the last plate to dry. After they had ended up sharing the take-out sweet-and-sour chicken with Noah, Peter had rolled up his dress-shirt sleeves and commandeered her sink.
“No, he wouldn’t let me.” She’d finally convinced the boy to read his essay as they sat around the kitchen table, telling him the more he read it to others, the easier it’d be on Friday. It was short, probably shorter than the other two that would be read by fourth-and fifth-graders.
Allie eased to the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. Noah was engrossed in a television program and not paying any attention to them. When she turned around, Peter had picked up Noah’s essay and was rereading it at the table.
She’d been amazed at how well he and Noah were connecting. Even Logan and Lucas enjoyed being around him. After they beat him at Wii football Sunday afternoon, he’d challenged them to learn how to play Scrabble, and the boys loved it. She didn’t know why she’d ever thought Peter was a stuffed shirt. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have almond-toffee creamer.”
He looked up. “Eww. Black, please.” Then, he tapped the papers. “Noah has quite a way with words for a third-grader. We need to get him into the accelerated writing program.”
“His teacher suggested the same thing, and we’re working on it.” She set a mug of steaming coffee in front of Peter and sat opposite him at the table. “Tonight’s been fun.”
“I’m glad. You looked pretty stressed when I got here. Anything I should know about?”
Allie cupped her hands around the mug, letting the heat radiate through her fingers. “I’m worried about something Noah said earlier. He’s keeping something from me, something to do with Logan and Lucas.”
“Has the father been heard from again?”
“No.” Allie sipped her coffee. “I did talk to the sheriff this afternoon, and that didn’t make me feel any b
etter. He’s been in contact with law enforcement officials in the county where the boys lived. The sheriff there suspects Nichols may have killed the boys’ mother.”
“What?” Peter leaned toward her. “How?”
“They think he beat her. But no one saw it happen, and when she was taken to the hospital, she swore she fell down their basement steps. She never changed her story and died two days later from a blood clot.”
“Do you think the boys saw what happened?”
“The police report indicates they were asleep, but I suspect they weren’t. I discovered this afternoon Logan has confided a secret to Noah, but it’s one of those cross-your-heart-hope-to-die-you-won’t-tell kinds of things. I’m going to talk to them separately at school tomorrow.”
“I may need to move the boys to another shelter.”
“I hope not. I don’t want Logan and Lucas to be put in danger, but it’s so hard for shelter kids to go into a new school in the middle of the year. When will you make that decision?”
“I’ll have to check and see if one of the other shelters in the state can take them. When I last checked, there wasn’t room for both of them at the same facility, and I do want to keep them together. I’ll call tomorrow and let you know.” Peter held up his hand. “And, if you see anything unusual at school, call the sheriff, and then call me. I’ve told Sarah at the shelter the same thing.”
She shivered. “It’s terrible when boys have to fear their fathers, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Peter captured her hand, and his blue eyes darkened as he laced his fingers in hers. “I want you to be careful. Nichols may blame you for what happened the other day, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Peter...”
“Don’t say anything. I know you think you’re in love with Matt, but he’s all wrong for you, Allie. You need someone who will cherish you. All Matt cherishes his money and his career. He’ll never return to Cedar Grove. I’m here, and I love you, Allie.”
Peter loved her? Or was she just the prize in Matt and Peter’s ongoing competition? “Peter—”
“Don’t say anything now. Just give me a chance. Go out with me on the date we’ve never actually had. Friday night when Noah will be with Matt.”
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