Wife by Design

Still unsure what he had to learn about pictures.

But completely sure he’d never know what it felt like to be a dad.

* * *

LYNN DIDN’T MAKE it home for dinner. She was on her way there, determined to talk to Grant about her concerns regarding the false impression they were giving Maddie and Darin—the impression that Lynn and Grant would make it possible for them to continue spending so much time together.

Grant and Lynn had lives. She hadn’t had time alone with her daughter in over a week.

Grant’s business files and all of the supplies he needed to work efficiently were in his home office, not on her kitchen table or in his laptop case.

Darin liked sports.

Lynn didn’t like the television on every evening.

Things were getting out of control.

Her phone rang when she was halfway across the yard to her house. Maria Cleveland, the thirty-four-year-old she’d accompanied to the emergency room Sunday night, had pulled some stitches and was bleeding profusely. She was at the clinic.

When Lynn had to call Grant, to let him know to start dinner without her, she felt utterly disappointed. She’d been looking forward to seeing him all day.

She had a whole list of things she wanted to talk to him about, in addition to discussing Maddie and Darin’s relationship. Like the fact that the Stand’s founder had paid the shelter a visit and told her that he’d won a medical grant to give her a raise. It wasn’t a huge increase, but it would give her a little extra to put away for Kara’s college fund.

And she had questions about his new project. Had he decided to put at least one fruit tree on every lot like he’d been thinking? And could she see the finished drawing of the water feature he’d been working on Wednesday night?

She needed to know if he still had that slumberous, hungry look in his eye when he saw her.

She’d needed to share the burden of worry that was growing steadily in her with regard to Maddie and Darin.

Where they were concerned, she didn’t have any answers.

And she needed some.

* * *

“HOW’S MARIA?” MADDIE asked when Lynn made it home shortly after ten that evening. Maddie met her at the door, holding it open while Lynn set her bag on the bench in the entryway and stepped out of her shoes.

“She’s okay,” Lynn said. Maria had signed papers earlier in the week, agreeing to share her life with the other residents at the Stand. Lynn couldn’t disclose specific medical information because of HIPAA laws, but she could fill Maddie in on the most recent development. “Her husband called, telling her that if she didn’t do what he wanted her children would pay. Maria left the Stand and was going to get her kids and pulled her stitches trying to hail a cab.”

“She shouldn’t have done that.”

“You’re right. She shouldn’t have.”

“She should have called Tammy and Lila,” Maddie said, referring to the night-time security guard and the Stand’s managing director.

“Yes, she should have. Because it’s important to follow the rules,” Lynn said, traipsing through to the kitchen in purple cotton scrubs and stocking feet.

“Sometimes it’s hard to follow the rules.” Maddie followed her, watching while Lynn looked in the refrigerator.

“Grant grilled the chicken and I made the salad, but Darin helped cut vegetables,” Maddie said, sitting at the kitchen table. “There’s some left in the container with the blue lid.”

Lynn had already seen it. Grabbing the container, she snatched the ranch dressing and a fork and carried all of it to the table. Maddie pulled a napkin from the holder and put it in front of Lynn and then stood. “I’ll get you a glass of tea while you go check on Kara.”

Maddie knew what she drank. And that she wouldn’t sit down to eat without first checking on her daughter. No matter how late it was or how hungry she was.

What she didn’t know was that Lynn had almost forgotten. Because she’d been too busy feeling envious while she listened to Maddie talk about the dinner that she had missed.

* * *

“DID YOU KISS her good-night?” Maddie asked as Lynn returned to the table a few minutes later.

“I did.”

“Good, because I promised her that you would and I don’t lie.”