“The future isn’t all bad,” Olivia said. “Sometimes good things happen.”
“Glad to hear it. Why do you really want Willie to meet the Trumbull kid?”
“So they can give Kevin and Alana a happy life. Or maybe it’s to ease my guilty conscience.” She opened the car door. “Why don’t you go have a beer somewhere while I do this?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Got any more people you want to match up? Uncle Freddy could use a girlfriend.”
She stepped out of the car. “How about you and Betty Schneider?”
“Not a bad idea. I hear she’s had a lot of experience.”
“More than you,” Olivia shot at him.
“If you want to believe that, go right ahead.”
She couldn’t help smiling and by the time they reached the appliance store, Olivia realized that Kit had teased her out of her bad mood. But the idea of seeing Alan again, even of seeing the appliance store, bothered her. She must have been attracted to the man at the first. She could tell herself that it had all been baby lust. She’d just lost her child, and there was Alan with a baby who needed a mother. At the time, it had seemed perfect.
But surely there had been some male-female attraction. Over the many years of living with him, it had disappeared, but it must have been there at the beginning.
Kit took Olivia’s arm in his. “Whatever you’re so worried about, I’ll be right here.” He opened the glass door and they went inside.
“Olivia!”
She turned to see Estelle Latham standing to the side. Her new husband, Henry, was bending over a washing machine. For a moment, Olivia felt her knees weaken. This was the couple who would adopt the child Olivia gave up. They’d name her Portia after Livie’s mother’s given name, and even keep the nickname of Tisha. They would eventually take her away, and return years later with a teenage granddaughter. “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Olivia was holding tightly onto Kit’s arm or she might have fallen. Estelle was waiting to be introduced.
“Hi, I’m Christopher. Kit. I work at Tattwell and Livie let me drive her into town.”
She was glad for his tactful explanation, for not blurting about the engagement. But then, it was a small town. People probably knew what was going on with them.
“Henry’s here to get us a new washer and I’m pushing for a dryer. I’m fed up with hanging clothes on a line.”
Olivia still couldn’t speak. If she was pregnant, then so was Estelle. Only she would lose her baby in a car crash on a slick, rainy road. If I could prevent that, Olivia thought, maybe Estelle wouldn’t need to adopt. It wasn’t easy, but she willed her body to stand up straight. She let go of Kit’s arm. “Could I see you for a moment?” She looked at Kit. “Could you...?”
“Occupy myself?” he said cheerfully. “Sure. I’ll look at blenders.”
“Livie!” Estelle said as soon as they were alone. “Is that him? Everyone in town says you two are a love match. But what about Broadway? You worked so hard for that. I’d hate to see you give it up. Will he—?”
“Estelle, I had a nightmare about you. It was really horrible.”
“I’m so sorry. That must have been awful. But—”
“You were expecting a baby and about six months along. You and Henry were in Pennsylvania visiting his parents and you were driving in a bad rainstorm. A big truck skidded and ran into your door. You lost the baby and you could never have more children, so you adopted a baby girl. But you didn’t tell her she was adopted until she found out when she was seventeen and she was really, really angry at you and Henry.”
Estelle’s eyes were saucers. “Oh. I, uh... I...”
“It was such a vivid dream that it was almost real. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. You must swear to me that you won’t ever drive in a rainstorm. Especially not in Pennsylvania when you’re pregnant.”
“I am,” Estelle said. “Expecting, I mean. But only Henry knows—and Dr. Everett, of course. I haven’t even told my mother. And we are planning to go to Pennsylvania in a few months. Henry might get a job there.”
Olivia couldn’t think of anything else to say. She just took Estelle’s hands in hers and held them so tightly they hurt. Her eyes were pleading.
“I promise,” Estelle said. When Olivia didn’t let go, she said, “I swear. On all that’s holy, no driving in the rain until our child is safely delivered.”
Olivia released her hands and Estelle slipped her arm through Olivia’s. “I had no idea you thought so much about me. Thank you. Uh-oh. Here comes Alan.”
Olivia looked across the many people and the appliances with their big sale signs to see Alan Trumbull coming toward them. He was a good-looking young man. Not particularly tall, but he had nice hair and big brown eyes. She knew that he would keep his body trim. All that golf, she thought, then couldn’t help her anger.