when he finds this out.”
“He’d better find it out from someone else.”
“What?”
Her mother glared at her. “It’s been fourteen years. I had hoped with all the time away and some therapy that you’d get over him. Obviously that hasn’t happened.”
The unfairness of the accusation cut Gracie like a knife. “That’s not true. I’m not chasing around after Riley.”
Her mother pointed at the newspaper on the counter. “All evidence to the contrary. You never had any sense where he was concerned. It was bad enough we had to send you away so he and Pam could have a normal wedding without anyone worrying that you would somehow destroy it. But that wasn’t the worst of it. You were all anyone talked about for weeks. You were a joke. That’s why I sent you away. The newspaper isn’t helping by reprinting those old stories. Do you want to have to go through that again? Haven’t you learned anything?”
Gracie felt small and broken. She wanted to curl up and disappear. Instead she stood and reached for her bottle of Tums.
“I’ve changed,” she said quietly. “If you’d spent any time with me in the past fourteen years, you would know that. Of course if I’d grown up here, I would have known that Alexis is a drama queen and not fallen in with her plans.”
Her mother’s gaze narrowed. “I see. Now it’s my fault. That’s just so typical. When in doubt, blame the mother. I did what I did
Lily turned and walked toward the front door. “I mean it, Gracie. Stay away from Riley. Give the poor man a chance to live his life without you always getting in the way. It was sad enough when you were fourteen, but now it’s just pathetic.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
GRACIE WENT TO BED. It seemed the safest place. So for two days she didn’t get dressed, shower or even answer her phone. Aside from the occasional scoop of tuna salad and using the bathroom, the only time she got up was to pack up the wedding cake she’d just finished for the delivery guy late Thursday.
But on Friday morning, she couldn’t stand herself anymore. Self-pity had never been all that interesting and she’d just put in her limit for the decade. So she cleaned up, ate a good breakfast and headed out to the brightly painted offices of Dr. Rhonda Fleming, DDS.
Dr. Fleming specialized in pediatric dentistry, so the waiting room was filled with several anxious children and their reassuring moms. Gracie ignored them, the underwater mural and the shiny copies of
Two minutes later she’d been shown back into Alexis’s tiny office where she spent her days battling with insurance companies and assuring coproviders that little Johnny did indeed need braces.
“What’s up?” Alexis asked.
Gracie studied her sister’s face looking for similarities and differences. At one time she and Alexis had been the close sisters. Vivian had seemed young and not very bright, so the two older girls had always played. But after Gracie left, that had changed. Somewhere along the way, she’d become the odd one out.
“I spoke with Mom a couple of days ago,” Gracie said, doing her best not to remember how horrible and humiliated she’d felt after that visit.
“She’s really fried about that newspaper picture,” Alexis said. “Honestly, Gracie, it was really stupid of you to get caught.”
Gracie held on to her temper with all her will and did her best not to lose track of her purpose for being here.
“Let’s not talk about that right now. What interests me is that Mom told me you’ve always been high-strung where Zeke is concerned. That you’ve been worried about him having an affair for years when, in fact, he adores you.”
She watched emotions skitter across her sister’s face, as if Alexis couldn’t decide what to say.
“I’m tired,” Gracie said. “So far my visit back here makes me wish I was an orphan. Just tell me the truth.”
Alexis pressed her lips together. “There are some charges on e-Bay, and I did see him with Pam.”
“But…”
“There could be another woman. He’s always gone and-”
Gracie grabbed her sister’s arm. “Dammit, Alexis, be straight with me. Were you just off having a tantrum?”
“Of course not.”
Gracie waited.
Her sister tugged free and folded her arms over her chest. “Okay. Maybe sometimes I sort of overreact, but not this time.”
Gracie groaned. “Great.”
“I mean it. I really think there’s somebody else.”
Gracie stood. “Whatever. I’m not going to help you anymore. Don’t ask me, don’t even hint at it. If you have a problem with your husband, take it up with him and leave me out of it.”
Alexis sniffed. “You’re my sister. I would think you’d be more understanding.”
“Then you’d be wrong.”
ONE OF THE BEST parts of being the boss was that nobody screwed with him. Riley knew he could walk through the bank without hearing a whisper directed at him. He figured all his employees were having a field day with the newspaper picture behind his back, but he didn’t care about that. As long as they didn’t say anything to his face, he was fine.
The one person who might have the balls to confront him hadn’t said a word in the past two days. But when Diane appeared in his office late that morning, he wondered if his good fortune had run out.
“Good news or bad news?” he asked, pointing at the folder in her hand.
“I’m not in a position to claim either,” she said. “Zeke Bridges sent this over. Mayor Yardley is challenging you to a debate.”
“Really? Could be fun.” Riley took the folder and flipped through the contents. He scanned the mayor’s press release.
“Mayor Yardley thinks we should discuss the issues, along with the morals so near and dear to the hearts of our citizens.”
Respectability. Why was that always at the center of everything?
He looked at his secretary, taking in her stern expression and unyielding posture.
“Think I have a chance?” he asked.
“People around here would like you more if you’d donate the money for the new children’s wing for the hospital.”
He grinned. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not when it’s this important.”
He held up a hand before she could get on a roll. “Spare me the lecture on the needy children and how they could all be saved.”
Her response was a disapproving sniff. Chances were he had not won the heart or vote of the fair Diane.
“Thanks for bringing me this,” he said and set the folder on the desk.
She turned to leave, but he called her back before she could.
“I have a question,” he told her. “I would like you to be honest with me.”
She nodded regally. “I always am.”
