Love Will Find a Way (18 page)

His thoughtfulness was commendable. “That's sweet of you, Larry, but I don't mind being alone."

"I gotta go.” Larry stood and pushed back his chair. “I promised Kim and Amy I'd pick them up at eleven-thirty and I don't want to be late."

It sounded more like he couldn't wait to get away. “But the game doesn't start until one,” Emily argued.

"We're going to McDonald's for lunch.” Larry glanced at his watch. “It's ten-thirty now."

Emily wondered where he would put an early lunch after the breakfast he had just eaten. She hadn't realized it was so late. “I miss the clock in the hall chiming out every hour."

"Cloudy days can fool you.” Larry's face splintered into a wide grin. “You should have slept late. You didn't get to bed until after two this morning."

Emily followed Larry into the empty living room. “Your dad will be here later this afternoon. Try to be back in time to visit with him."

Larry stopped his headlong dash for the door. “Why should I?"

"Because he's your father and he wants to see you."

Larry's shoulders sagged. “Dad doesn't really care that much."

"Yes he does.” This she would have expected from Kevin, but not Larry. “He cares very much."

Larry turned toward his mother with a look of patient forbearance on his young face. “We're not important to Dad anymore. Why can't you accept that?” There was no bitterness in his words, only a stoic acceptance of what he must perceive as an honest assessment of how things were.

"Larry, please...” Emily began.

Larry made a sweeping gesture with one hand. “I've accepted that and learned to live with it. But by the same token, I'm not going to put things I want to do on hold just to please Dad.” He headed for the door. “Bye, Mom."

Emily spent the remainder of the morning packing the last of her personal belongings. Then she took Boo for a walk.

When the movers came at noon, she had them bring all the clutter down from the attic and put it in the vacant living room.

Sitting down on the floor, Emily opened the box nearest her. It held baby clothes. She picked up one of the little garments. It was a tiny, beautifully embroidered baby dress that had been a gift from Aunt Beth. Both Kevin and Larry had worn that tiny, exquisitely stitched garment home from the hospital. Nostalgia, like a tidal wave, swept over her. She closed the box. These dusty, oblong crates held her past. A little segment of her life was stored inside each container. She had neither the emotional stamina nor the physical strength to poke around in what was and contemplate what could have been. She closed the lid. Finding an old quilt the movers had left behind she spread it on the floor and lay down. As soon as Robert came and took what he wanted, she would close this chapter of her life. She would shut and lock the front door for the last time, go to her new home and start over again.

Boo curled up on the quilt beside her. Emily stroked his head. “It looks like from now on, it's you and me, pal.” Boo wagged his tail and yawned causing Emily to arch an eyebrow. “Are you talking back to me?” Boo put his head between his paws and thumped his tail against the floor. That seemed a clear enough answer. Emily curled up beside Boo and closed her eyes.

She was somewhere between the wakeful world of reality and that restful realm of repose when the doorbell pealed. Sitting up, Emily called out, “Come in.” Larry must have decided to come home early after all.

It wasn't Larry, but Robert who came through the door. The sight of him brought Emily to a standing position. “I thought you were Larry."

Robert closed the door with his foot. “Obviously you were mistaken.” He sounded disgruntled and disagreeable.

Emily recalled their last telephone conversation. He had been cross as two sticks. From the tone of his voice, he still was. She smoothed her hair back with her hands. “I didn't realize it was four o'clock. I miss the grandfather clock."

Robert frowned as his eyes scanned the room. “It's only three-fifteen. I'm early."

Emily wanted to ask him what had made him so short-tempered. Since she had made a point of telling Robert to say out of her personal life, she could ill afford to butt into his. Waving toward the boxes, barrels and crates that filled a good portion of the room, she said, “I had the movers bring the clutter from the attic down here. Take what you want."

Robert seemed lost in his own thoughts. “Everything's gone. Where's the furniture?"

"I sold the antiques.” Emily sat back down on the quilt. “Everything else is at the other house.” She pulled her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Would you like to sit down?"

He didn't move. “It looks so ... empty."

He was making her nervous and she didn't know why. “Has George taken a turn for the worse?"

"Dad's doing as well as can be expected. He's home now.” Robert's eyes kept wandering around the empty room. “Who bought the antiques?"

"Some dealer over on Market Street.” A sobering thought took Emily. “I should have asked. Did you want some of them?"

"It's a little late now to ask that, don't you think?"

It was. She had been thoughtless, again. “You knew I was going to sell them. You should have said something."

"It's not important.” His voice was sharp.

Emily asked, “Do you want to tell me why you're so irritable?"

Before Robert could frame an answer Larry burst through the front door accompanied by Kim and Amy, “Hi Mom, Dad."

Boo bounded to greet the twins. They began to stroke his head and talk to him.

Over the hubbub, Larry introduced Kim and Amy to Robert. “Kim, Amy, this is my dad, Mr. Franklin."

Amy smiled and nodded a greeting.

Kim dropped her hand from Boo's head. “I thought your dad was dead."

Larry's embarrassment was apparent. “Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I can't imagine anyone leaving you and Kevin and Emily if he didn't have to."

"Kim!” Amy's poked her elbow into Kim's ribs.

Completely unabashed, Kim shrugged. “Did I say something wrong?"

"Never mind.” Larry suppressed a chuckle. “Let's go pop some popcorn.” He moved toward the kitchen. Kim, Amy, and Boo followed him.

Emily didn't want Robert to think Kim's candid observation was meant as an insult. “I hope Kim didn't offend you. She takes a little getting used to. Seeing her for the first time you can't tell, but..."

"I've seen Kim before.” Robert's eyes followed after the departing figures. “I saw her last night at the Homes for Humanity Banquet."

Emily blinked. “You were there?” Of course he was there. How could he have seen Kim if he hadn't been? “We didn't see you."

Robert pulled his hard gaze back to Emily's face. “You and my sons were too engrossed in Reverend Morrison and his daughters to notice anyone else."

Like a match struck in the dark, the reason for Robert's anger flared through Emily's brain. He was jealous of his sons’ relationship with Dennis. “Why didn't you come over and say hello?"

"I thought you were snubbing me."

Emily's sympathy converted to anger. “You know me better than that. I am not a snob!"

Robert sighed and leaned against a stack of boxes. “I don't know what you are anymore. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever did."

The rattling of the front door knob made them both turn and stare toward the entrance. Kevin stuck his head around the jamb and asked, “Anybody home?"

He could not have chosen a worse time to put in an appearance, but she had asked him to come. Pasting a smile on her face, Emily hurried toward her son with both hands extended. “Kevin! Come in."

Kevin pushed the door open and stood back for Stacy to enter. Tension in the room rose and snapped like an exposed electric wire.

Robert's husky voice fell out into the strained silence. “Hello, Kevin."

Every muscle in Kevin's body tensed, “Hi, Dad."

Emily introduced Stacy to Robert. She took her time, hoping the interval would ease some of the tension.

Robert stepped around Emily and extended his hand to Stacy. “It's a pleasure to meet you. Emily has told me a lot about you."

Stacy's long lashes fell to cover her eyes. “I'm pleased to meet you, too."

After another period of strained silence Kevin said, “We came to pick up Kim and Amy. Are they here?"

"They're in the kitchen with Larry.” Emily began to move toward the kitchen. “I'll get them."

Stacy followed after her. “I'll go with you."

Once in the kitchen, Emily asked Kim and Amy to pop more popcorn. Then she took her time clearing away the mess. Her aim was to give Robert and Kevin some time together. Fifteen minutes later the five of them emerged from the kitchen carrying a bag of popcorn. “We're ready to go,” Kim told Kevin, as she gave Boo's head a last pat.

Kevin and Robert stood glaring at each other. A fist of tension clenched in Emily's stomach. When she spoke her voice sounded high and unnatural. “Kim and Amy popped some popcorn for later this evening."

Kevin broke his stare and took Stacy's arm. “Larry's going with us, Mom. Dennis has invited us to dinner tonight."

"You're invited too, Emily.” Stacy called over her shoulder as Kevin guided her toward the door. “Dad says there's no way you can resurrect a meal in you new kitchen. We're going to evening services first. Dinner will be late. Is nine all right for you?"

Emily was too distracted to refuse. Nodding, she squeaked, “Nine is fine. I'll be there."

"Can we take Boo with us now?” Kim pleaded. “Amy and I will take him for his evening walk."

"Sure, why not? You can put him in the backyard of my new house afterward.” Some of Emily's composure was returning. “His food's on the back porch. You can give him his dinner too.” After a flurry of hurried good-byes, Emily closed the front door and turned to face Robert. His set expression told her to expect the worst. She steadied her voice before asking, “How did it go?"

"Do you have time to listen?” Robert leaned against the wall, hostility written in every line of his tense body, “Now that you've attended to everything of importance?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I'm sorry, Emily. That seems to be about all I say to you anymore. I keep apologizing and you keep exacting another pound of flesh. Don't you think you've punished me enough?"

He was angry with her and she didn't know why. Sitting down on the movers’ quilt she looked up at him. “I break my neck to arrange a meeting between you and Kevin and then clear the way so you can talk to him. And you thank me by finding fault with my efforts?"

Robert drew a long breath as he sat down on the far edge of the quilt. “I'm not talking about today. I'm grateful for a chance to talk to Kevin. He's about as approachable as a mountain lion, but at least we're speaking to each other again."

Emily was completely at sea. “Then what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you've treated me since the day I chased you down and begged you to let me be a part of your life again."

Righteous indignation stiffened Emily's spine. “I've done everything you asked me to do.” Her mind began to sort through recent encounters. “You said you wanted to win your sons back. I offered to help. You said you wanted us to be friends and I agreed."

Robert jumped to his feet. “Let's keep our facts straight, shall we?” He prowled across the room like a caged panther. “You are the one who said we could be friends."

"And you agreed,” Emily retorted. “Since then I've intervened with Kevin, gone to see your parents and even visited Aunt Beth."

"Damn it, Emily!” Robert drew a jagged breath. “I'm not talking about what you've done for my family. I'm talking about how things are between you and me.” He lifted his head and stared at the ceiling. “I don't know how to reach you anymore. You reject my every overture."

Emily's mind leaped backward in time. “Are you talking about what happened in your apartment last week?” Her anger warred with a sudden surge of sympathy. All men had biological urges. Robert was no exception. “I suppose it's my turn to be sorry, but I can't find it in my heart to offer you comfort and sympathy because the woman you left me for walked out on you."

Robert dropped his head and stared at her. “Is that what you think?” His eyes narrowed. “That Susan walked out on me?"

It had to be the only answer. Surely he hadn't left Susan, not after all he had given up to be with her. “Didn't she?"

"No,” he declared emphatically. “I left her."

Emily's world suddenly shifted. She was too surprised to be anything but honest. “You told me you were in love with her."

"I told myself the same thing. My only defense for such a foolish assumption is that I couldn't admit that I was in the throes of a foolish middle-aged infatuation.” His voice was heavy with self-derision. “I thought myself above such things."

For the space of a few breathless seconds, she believed him. Then common sense kicked in. “Then why did you let me go?"

"Well, I never really did that, did I? I divorced you, but I couldn't let go. At first I told myself that I was hanging on because you needed me. You soon set that foolish notion to rest. That's when I began to realize that I had thrown away my marriage for a shallow superficial emotion that wasn't going to last. By the time I came to grips with what a terrible mistake I had made, you'd taken up with Thad Thackery. I figured to bide my time. Thad didn't want a serious relationship. Sooner or later you'd find that out. I could wait. When I learned he'd dumped you, I came rushing back, crawling and begging, with my pride in tatters. Fool that I am I thought you'd welcome me with open arms. That's when I discovered you weren't even sure if you wanted me for a friend anymore. I began to get a little desperate."

All that Emily had assumed to be settled and true was being called into question. “Desperate?” Somehow desperate wasn't a word that defined Robert Franklin. “Aren't you being a little melodramatic?"

"I'm trying to be honest.” The pulse at the base of his throat beat erratically. “I knew how much you love our sons. I played on that love to get back into your good graces. Of course, I agreed to be your friend. I would have agreed to anything for the chance to be near you again.” He shook his head slowly from sided to side. “I'm saying this badly. I don't mean to imply that I don't want to patch things up with Kevin. I do."