A Mother's Secrets (Parent Portal 4)

“So tell me about her,” she said next, seeming to understand that Emily was the reason he’d suggested the outing. Understanding him with him saying so very little.

Twenty minutes later, after having regaled her with various memories that had popped into his mind—their first dance at their wedding when she’d started to cry because she was so happy to finally be married to him; the time they’d sneaked out of town to go on a date without anyone knowing they were together, only to run into another judge who worked with her father; the entire Saturday they’d spent decorating Christmas cookies with his mother—he wasn’t feeling any closer to Emily.

Christine was still there with him, though, his awareness of her a palpable thing.

“I looked you and Emily up in the high school yearbook,” she said softly. “I don’t remember either one of you from when I was in school, but it’s clear she was pretty popular.”

“Everyone loved her.” And she’d chosen him. “But that’s because she was so easy to like. Emily was just one of those people who was comfortable in her own skin and so made others so. She had a way of taking things in stride, seeing the best in people.”

He was making her sound like a saint. In her own way, she had been. He’d loved her deeply. And maybe he’d wished that she’d been a little less easygoing when it came to her time. To always being ready to help out, leaving them so little time alone together. Or so it had seemed to him.

“So why did you need to sneak out of town to go on a date?”

He shrugged. Kicked up some sand with his tennis shoe. Noticed Christine’s bare toes. He couldn’t picture Emily’s. Wasn’t sure he’d ever noticed them. Knew for certain he’d never found them the least bit sexy.

What was sexy about toes?

Maybe it was the red polish.

A date. She’d asked about why he and Emily had kept their relationship a secret. Seemed so long ago—a completely different world. When in reality, the two of them had shared their first kiss right on that same beach.

“There were people who thought that I wasn’t good enough for Emily. This town...with all its Beverly Hills types...her father being a judge...the country club...she was raised in that world, vacationed with those families, spent weekends on yachts. Had a full ride to college before she was born. I lived in a two-bedroom house across town from the beach, would only get to college on student loans, if then, and the only vacations we took were when we went camping.” He told it like it was.

“And somehow you say that without sounding like a victim. Or sorry for yourself.”

“Because I don’t.” The response was immediate. “I might not have grown up with monetary riches, but I never doubted that my life was filled with wealth.”

“Even though your dad was sick?” she asked.

For a second there he’d forgotten that he’d told her about the emergency room visit when he was eight. The day he’d met Emily.

“He was my dad. We played sports together. He taught me how to catch fish. Did everything other families around us did. His kidney problem was just something that he dealt with. It wasn’t like it defined him or our family. He wouldn’t let it slow him down—other than the times he was in renal failure, and even then, he was always certain he’d be fine and wanted to know everything that was going on with me. Keeping track of things. Holding me accountable. Encouraging me. I never felt like he wasn’t there for me. He lived his life, rather than making a life out of being sick. He did what he wanted to do, almost until the day he died.”

“He sounds like a great guy.” The words could have been placating. Polite. Instead, they sounded wistful, like she was sorry she hadn’t gotten to know him.

“Emily was kind of uncomfortable around him.” He was surprised to hear the words come out of his mouth. Hadn’t even been aware of thinking them.

“Why?” Christine didn’t look over at him. Or sound judgmental. She’d been watching the sand pretty much since they’d stepped out on it.

Looking for treasure? Or for hidden pitfalls to avoid with bare skin?

He didn’t have an answer. Wasn’t even sure why he’d made the statement. “I think she just felt so sorry for him. Her dad was so larger than life and mine...spent months at a time getting healthy enough to just go camping again.”

“I think that makes him larger than life,” Christine said softly. “He certainly lived larger than most would have with his life.”

She hadn’t stepped any nearer to him. He hadn’t moved over, either.

And yet Jamie felt closer to her than ever before.

Chapter Thirteen

She’d wanted to kiss him. They’d been standing there on the beach and she’d almost leaned in...knowing that, Christine should not have taken pity on Jamie, with all the packing he had to do. He was a big boy. Could tape and load boxes. There’d been no reason for her offer to help him. Christine knew, as soon as she’d heard herself make the offer as they left each other at their vehicles on Sunday, that she’d been out of line. Which was why she cringed when she saw Olivia’s name come up on her caller ID the following Tuesday just as she was walking in the door from work. She had ten minutes to change into shorts and a T-shirt and get back out the door. Jamie was bringing enchiladas home for them to share before they got busy.

And Olivia would be calling to ask Christine to stand in for her that night at the center.

Olivia knew she could count on Christine as backup. And vice versa. More often the former, since Christine’s job didn’t often involve life and death emergencies.

“Hey there!” she answered with forced cheer. “What’s up?”