Secret Sundays

by Judith Keim

  He laughed. “Sorta.”

  Pulling his chair around to hers, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “This ring was my mother’s. Before she died four years ago, she gave it to me for an occasion such as this. I’ve been saving it for the perfect girl.”

  Tears rolled down Carol Ann’s cheek. She knew she wasn’t a perfect girl to anyone but Ed. For that, she’d always be grateful.

  “I guess that’s a ‘yes,’” he said as she hugged him again.

  She smiled through her tears of joy. “It’s a definite ‘yes.’”

  He suddenly looked shy. “It isn’t that I’m sorta rich. It’s the truth. Do you mind?”

  A laugh bubbled up out of Carol Ann. “Are you crazy? Mind? Not at all. But, Ed, I wouldn’t care if you didn’t have a penny. It’s you that matters. Just you.”

  His kiss told her she’d said the right thing.

  She’d meant it too.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  TIFFANY

  As she and Kevin drew closer to Charleston, Tiffany felt a knot of worry grow in her stomach. She was making this trip in Beau’s memory, but she didn’t want to do it. She couldn’t deny that Muffy and Regard had loved their son, but theirs had been a love that had ruined him. She vowed to keep her daughter safe from their judgmental shallowness.

  “You doing okay?” Kevin’s look of concern was comforting.

  She nodded. “I just want to get this visit over with. I realize Beau’s parents have a right to see their granddaughter, but I refuse to let them take her on their own. This is how we’ll have to work it out for the time being.”

  “I believe Beau would agree with the way you’re doing things,” he said. “He and I had a lot of talks about his parents. It’s why he brought me into the charity he set up. He didn’t want them involved, and he knew I wouldn’t take any guff from them. He’d be pleased to know you’re not going to let them do that either.”

  Tiffany drew an easier breath. Kevin always seemed to know what to say to calm her worries.

  They drove into the historic town filled with beautiful homes. The distinctive houses in Charleston drew Tiffany’s attention as Kevin made his way through the city to the area behind the Wright’s house.

  He parked the car and turned to her. “Well, this is it. Let’s hope it goes well for both of us.” Though they couldn’t hide their attraction to each other, they’d decided to keep it on a strictly business relationship during their stay at the Wrights. Beau’s parents were still dealing with the aftermath of his death.

  Tiffany got out of the car and lifted Vanna out of her car seat. Vanna awoke from her nap and whimpered. “It’s okay, baby girl, we’re here in Charleston with Daddy’s parents,” Tiffany crooned.

  Muffy and Regard came out of the house to greet them. It still surprised Tiffany to see the difference in them since Beau died. Muffy seemed much smaller, much frailer. And Regard was a bit stooped as he strode toward her.

  “So, you made it,” he boomed at her, keeping his eyes on the baby.

  Muffy hurried over to her, arms outstretched. “Come here to Grandmother, Savannah.”

  Vanna took one look at Muffy and turned her head into Tiffany’s shoulder.

  “It might take a while for her to get used to you,” Tiffany said apologetically. “And she just woke up.”

  “Well, we’ll work on that,” said Muffy. “She needs to be around us more.”

  Regard shook hands with Kevin. “You’re here to see to business, I understand?”

  Kevin nodded. “I’m meeting with one of the lawyers here for a project we’re considering.”

  “Oh? Which one? I can introduce you to him,” said Regard. “I’m well known to all of them.”

  “Of course,” Kevin said politely, “but I’m already acquainted with her.”

  “Her? You don’t mean Susannah Caldwell, do you?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Muffy and Regard exchanged meaningful glances.

  “Is there something wrong?” Tiffany asked.

  Muffy sighed. “She was one of the girls we hoped Beau would marry at one time. It seems a little awkward for you to be doing Beau’s work with her.”

  “Not at all,” Kevin said, giving Tiffany a reassuring smile. “Tiffany and I both think she’d be perfect for this project because she knew Beau so well. Right, Tiffany?”

  The tension that had gripped Tiffany’s shoulders with iron claws released its grip. She nodded. In different circumstances, she might’ve been tempted to turn around and go back home. But Muffy’s not-so-subtle digs weren’t enough now to keep her from trying to make the relationship work. She’d thought about it a lot and realized Beau knew what he was doing when he’d left her the task of dealing with them when he, himself, could not.

  “Well, let’s go on into the house. We have people coming to see the baby,” said Regard. “Muffy has been putting together one of her famous ladies’ luncheons.”

  Tiffany held back a sigh. She hated those kinds of gatherings at Muffy’s house. Her friends knew all about the Cinderella story Muffy had spread about Beau marrying this poor nobody from Kansas.

  Kevin and Regard handled the suitcases while Tiffany grappled with the diaper bag.

  “Want me to carry the baby?” Muffy asked hopefully.

  Tiffany handed Vanna to her, then grabbed her purse and the diaper bag, and followed Muffy into the house.

  Entering through the back of the house, Tiffany was struck as she always was by its grandeur and its coldness. Beau had once confessed to her that he hated the place.

  In the kitchen, a young woman was busy making little sandwiches.

  “You remember Miranda, don’t you?” Muffy said to her.

  Tiffany nodded and smiled.

  “This is Tiffany and our granddaughter Savannah Grace,” Muffy said to Miranda. “Isn’t Savannah the cutest little girl? She looks exactly like Beau at this age.”

  “Nice to see y’all,” the woman said, giving Tiffany a wide smile.

  Vanna held out her arms for Tiffany. “Maaa!”

  Muffy’s eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness! She’s talking! Wait until I tell my friends. I bet no one else’s grandchild talked this early.”

  Tiffany smiled. Vanna was very smart, but she wasn’t really talking, merely voicing a few basic sounds. Still, it felt good to hear the pride in Muffy’s voice.

  ###

  After Kevin and Regard left to go to lunch at the club, Tiffany prepared herself for the onslaught of older, southern belles who would soon descend upon the house.

  Vanna seemed to know what was expected of her. She dutifully ate her lunch and then allowed Tiffany to change her into the fancy smocked dress Muffy had bought for her to wear.

  Tiffany finished tying the ribbon in Vanna’s blond curls and hugged her close. At times like this, she missed Beau so much it hurt. He’d been doing well in rehab, and she’d hoped he would one day make a good father. But he hadn’t been given a chance to prove it to her or anyone else. Fighting a sense of helplessness facing this situation, she carried Vanna downstairs to Muffy’s waiting arms.

  Muffy’s friends arrived with hugs and kisses southern style. Muffy came to life, showing off Vanna and welcoming her friends into her house. Some of the women Tiffany knew from her engagement and wedding to Beau, but most remained strangers.

  One woman, Maybelle something, said bluntly, “Oh, yes, you’re the poor girl from Kansas, who’s now Beau’s widow. Such a shame.”

  A friend took Maybelle by the elbow and led her away, glancing back at Tiffany with a look of embarrassment.

  Tiffany did her best to stay out of the way as the women milled about and finally settled on couches and chairs in the living room.

  Muffy sat Vanna down in the middle of the group on a blanket.

  “Isn’t she the best baby ever?” Muffy declared. “She’s talking now, you know.”

  “I’m so happy she’ll be living close by,” said Maybelle’s friend. “Th
en you’ll really get to see her grow.”

  Tiffany’s ears burned. Uncertain she’d heard correctly, she frowned in confusion.

  “Oh dear. Have I ruined your surprise?” the woman said to Muffy.

  Muffy waved her hands in front of her, a frantic motion that told Tiffany she hadn’t heard wrong. What in hell was Muffy up to? Tiffany wondered as every pair of eyes in the room focused on her. She shifted uneasily in her chair.

  “Oh, my!” said Muffy to her. “Regard and I have a surprise for you, but we’ll talk about it later.”

  Nausea whirled through Tiffany. Another family crisis was in the works.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  SUKIE

  Sukie stood with the other mothers watching Chloe and her pre-school friends search for prizes an inventive mother had hidden in the backyard of her house in celebration of young Archer’s fourth birthday.

  Watching the little girl she now thought of as her own, Sukie wondered what was going to happen to Chloe should her mother be in the picture. Cam and Chloe’s mother were meeting at this moment.

  “Look, Mommy! I gots three,” cried Chloe, holding up three tiny paper bags containing sweets and other little prizes.

  “Good job, honey,” Sukie answered, taking pride in Chloe’s enthusiastic success.

  “She’s such a darling little girl,” said Jeremy Smith’s mother. “My son is crazy about her.”

  Sukie smiled. “I’ve heard plenty about Jeremy too.”

  His mother smiled. “Yeah, apparently, he does the biggest burp in the group.”

  She and Sukie laughed together.

  When the party ended, Sukie took Chloe right home, anxious to see how Cam’s meeting with Chloe’s mother had gone.

  As soon as Sukie pulled into the driveway, Cam came outside to greet them. Lines of anger marred his luscious mouth.

  Sukie’s heart fell. “It didn’t go well?”

  “She’s a lyin’ bitch,” said Cam softly. “She only wants money, just like I thought.”

  “Chloe,” said Sukie. “You’d better take your prizes inside.” She held open the kitchen door for Chloe and waited until she was inside before turning back to Cam.

  “What happened?”

  “A lot since she dumped Chloe in my arms and took off. The guy she was traveling with got put in jail for possession, and she went on to another guy. Turns out he wasn’t as rich as she thought, and they broke up.” He snorted with disgust. “She even tried to get into the movies. Now she’s trying to do commercial ads on television. She won’t make it. Drugs have ruined her looks. And she never once asked about Chloe. Instead, she promised she wouldn’t make a fuss if I just gave her one hundred thousand dollars.”

  “One hundred thousand dollars? Where would we get that kind of money?”

  Cam shook his head. “She lives in a fantasy world. She got mad when I told her we didn’t have a lot of discretionary money.”

  “But it’s true.” Bile rose in Sukie’s throat.

  “I know it’s true, dammit,” growled Cam.

  Sukie’s mind raced for a solution. “Can we have her arrested for extortion?”

  “Not really, because she isn’t threatening us with anything. Not yet. She was a little high. Maybe when she gets sober, she’ll think of something. It’s too late today, but on Monday I’ll call my lawyer.”

  “How did you leave it with her?” Sukie asked.

  “I told her that she’d better sober up and move along, that I didn’t want to see Chloe hurt, that Chloe was happy with us.”

  “And?”

  “And she swore she’d find a way to make us pay.” His face became contorted by pain.

  Sukie took hold of his arm. “Cam, look at me. We have to call Bill Michaels right away.”

  “What’s the sheriff going to do for us, huh?” Cam ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “She’s such a fucking disaster.”

  Sukie gripped his arm even harder. Cam almost never swore. “Let’s call the sheriff and have him keep an eye on things here in the neighborhood. He’s good about doing that.” He’d done that very thing when Sukie and the other women in Fat Fridays had asked for his help regarding Grace’s ex-husband.

  “Okay, maybe you’re right. Maybe she really means it when she says she’ll make us pay.”

  “In the meantime,” said Sukie, “we’ll keep a careful eye on Chloe.”

  “Yes, and I’m going to talk to her about the danger of strangers,” added Cam.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  GRACE

  Grace entered her empty apartment, set down her suitcase, and collapsed on the couch. After forcing herself to keep calm on her flight and during the ride in a cab to the apartment complex, she let out all her fears in loud, gulping sobs. The sound of her crying echoed around her, bringing back memories of the many times she’d succumbed to fear and disappointment in the past. After a few minutes, she straightened and told herself to be strong. But, alone in the room, she realized she needed her friends, needed their words of encouragement.

  She punched in Carol Ann’s cell number. When Carol Ann’s voice mail came on, Grace hid her disappointment. “I was hoping to talk to you.”

  She tried Sukie next. Sukie answered her phone on the first ring. “Grace, is that you? Everything all right?”

  Grace smiled at the concern she heard in Sukie’s voice. “I just need someone to talk to.” Her voice caught. “Misty decided to stay in Ohio with Kate. At least until her death.”

  “Oh.” The sound of Sukie’s voice contained both shock and worry. “Are you alone now?”

  “Yes,” said Grace.

  “I’m on my way,” Sukie said.

  Grace’s body weakened with relief. She sank back onto the couch and closed her eyes.

  Some moments later, Grace answered the knock at her door and opened it to find Sukie there, holding a handful of brightly colored tulips from her garden.

  “Thought you might like these to cheer you up,” said Sukie after giving her a hug. “I called Lynetta, but no answer. And Tiffany is away.”

  “Thanks.” Grace waved her inside. “Come on in. I’ll put on some fresh coffee.”

  Sukie waited until Grace had put the flowers in a vase and poured a couple of cups of coffee before speaking. “Want to tell me what’s going on with Misty and Kate?”

  At Sukie’s gentle words, a new wave of sadness washed over Grace. She explained about Kate’s illness and how Josh had made Misty feel that she owed it to Kate to stay with her until the end.

  “And when do the doctors feel that end will come?” asked Sukie, setting down her coffee cup and giving Grace a worried look.

  “They said up to two months, but she was fading fast. In the five days I was there, she deteriorated a lot. But, Sukie, it’s Josh’s ability to control Misty that worries me.”

  Sukie nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I can see why you’d feel that way. I’d suggest keeping in close contact with Misty. If necessary, you might have to fly out there again.”

  “I intended to go to the funeral all along.” Grace lowered her head in her hands and drew deep breaths to control the overwhelming urge to cry. She felt Sukie’s arms come around her and leaned into the hug.

  “It’ll work out. You’ll see,” said Sukie. “Misty’s time with you has been a good part of the healing process you both need. Surely, the support group has helped her see the situation in Ohio as a problem.”

  Grace nodded. “I’ll ask several of the young members of the group to reach out to her.”

  As Sukie returned to her chair, the doorbell rang. Annoyed, Grace rose to answer it. The no-soliciting policy of the complex was a joke.

  She swung open the door and stared in surprise at Carol Ann.

  “Are you okay?” Carol Ann asked before giving her a hug. “What’s wrong? You’ve been crying.”

  “Come on in,” said Grace. “We’ll tell you all about it.”

  “We? Oh, Sukie, good! You’re here too.” She he
ld out her left hand. “Look what’s happened to me.”

  “You’re engaged? How wonderful!” Sukie threw her arms around Carol Ann, then lifted her hand for a close look at the diamond ring. “It’s beautiful. And Ed is such a nice guy. Congratulations!”

  “Yes, congratulations to you both,” said Grace. “I know you’ve always dreamed of being married and having a family. Now you are doing both.” She hugged Carol Ann and felt her eyes sting when tears rolled down Carol Ann’s cheeks.

  “I’m so happy,” said Carol Ann, dabbing at her eyes. “Ed is the nicest, the best man I’ve ever met. And there’s a whole lot of magic between us—the kind you read about in books.” She turned to Grace. “But I’m here for you. What’s going on with you? You sounded upset on the message you left. I had to make sure you were all right.”

  “Thanks,” said Grace. “Come into the kitchen. I’ll fill you in.”

  Carol Ann listened solemnly as Grace told her the story of Kate’s illness and Misty’s decision to stay in Ohio. “I think we all should stay in touch with Misty to let her know how important it is for her to be here. If Josh and that group try to keep her there, we’ll work that much harder to get her back with you.”

  “We’ll have to be subtle about it,” said Sukie, “but I do think it’s a good idea to keep in touch with her.” She took a deep breath. “I might as well tell you what’s going on with me.”

  When she was through, Grace let out a worried sigh. “The sheriff will do what he can, but you’re going to have to be very careful, Sukie.”

  Sukie nodded. “I know.”

  “I wish Tiffany and Betsy were here,” said Carol Ann in the small voice she used when she was worried.

  “Betsy hopes to get here soon to visit Richie and the kids, and Tiffany, bless her heart, is dealing with Beau’s parents this weekend. But I’m sure they’ll be with us in spirit when we reach out to them,” said Sukie.

  Feeling stronger, Grace gave her friends a smile, grateful for the way the women of Fat Fridays stuck together.