Midnight Promises (21 page)

“Oh, my,” Frances said, understanding the implications. Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Jake had been considered the hot catch at the senior center. Every widow there had her eyes on him. So far, though, he’d remained stubbornly elusive, coming to events alone and responding to the parade of casseroles offered to him with little more than polite gratitude.

She turned her attention to Flo. “How do you feel about being the chosen one?” she inquired, her lips twitching.

“As if I’ve suddenly become the town slut,” Flo responded sourly. “I didn’t ask for this. Did I take one single tuna casserole to the man’s house? Have I flirted outrageously with him? No. I’m not interested. I’ve never been interested. I wasn’t interested when we were sixteen and he repeatedly asked me out back in high school.”

Frances couldn’t help it, she chuckled right along with Liz, who was no longer even trying to control her mirth. “Sounds to me as if she’s protesting too much,” Frances said.

“That’s what I thought,” Liz agreed.

“Does this mean you turned him down?” Frances asked.

“I did,” Flo said, then scowled across the room. “But do you think that makes a bit of difference to those old biddies? They’re acting like I stole the man right out of their clutches. And naturally they’re blaming me because he’s not here tonight, when I happen to know the only reason he didn’t show up is because he’s gone to Charleston with Mavis Johnson, who’s obviously not as picky as I am about the men she dates.”

“Sounds to me like another example when playing hard to get works more effectively than flirting outrageously,” Liz said. “Some might think that was your strategy.”

“Well, it wasn’t,” Flo responded indignantly. “I wasn’t playing games. Jake is not my type. And I assure you, he’s not heartbroken. He’s gone off on an overnight trip with Mavis, hasn’t he?”

“What exactly is your type?” Liz inquired, fighting a smile.

“I always thought it was that he had his own teeth and could still move without a walker,” Frances teased.

Flo looked from Frances to Liz, then shook her head, her lips finally curving into a smile. “My bar is somewhat higher than that,” she assured them. “I wouldn’t mind having an intelligent conversation from time to time, or maybe a spin around a dance floor.”

“I thought spinning around a dance floor was how you broke your hip,” Liz commented.

“It was line dancing,” Flo retorted. “But I see your point. Maybe my agility is a bit compromised. I should probably accept that, but I’ve given up my high heels and that’s as much as I’m willing to compromise for the moment.”

“Okay, since neither Liz or I are angling for a man,” Frances began, casting a look toward Liz for confirmation. Liz nodded. “Then we’re not your competition. So who in Serenity does appeal to you?”

“Besides Elliott?” Flo quipped.

“Taken and too young,” Frances retorted. “Try again.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Flo said, then leaned closer. “Promise you won’t mention this to another soul. If it gets back to Helen, my staid daughter will probably have me committed.”

“Not a word,” Liz promised.

Frances sketched a cross across her heart.

Apparently satisfied, Flo said, “I’ve been seeing Don Leighton.”

“At the post office?” Liz asked, her eyes wide. “He must be ten years younger than you.”

“Twelve actually,” Flo said with a grin. “We’ve gone over to Columbia to a few clubs. That man can do a Texas two-step like a youngster.”

“Is that all you’ve been doing?” Frances asked, unrepentantly curious. While the idea of having sex at her age hadn’t crossed her mind in years, she knew Flo well enough to imagine she was still interested.

Flo’s cheeks turned pink. “That’s the part that would flat-out kill Helen. When I mentioned leaving condoms in my bedside table when I left my condo in Boca Raton, she about had a heart attack. To think I might be having
S-E-X
right here, practically under her nose, would horrify her.”

“I imagine it would,” Liz said huffily, then grinned. “You lucky woman!”

Frances turned to her. “You’re envious?”

“I most certainly am,” Liz said, then sighed. “Not that any man is ever likely to see this saggy old body of mine again.”

“I’m with you,” Frances said with heartfelt emotion.

“Oh, just turn out the stupid lights and don’t worry about it,” Flo advised. “Do you think men our age look one iota better in their birthday suits?”

Frances choked back a laugh but was unable to stop it from erupting. Then Liz and Flo joined her.

“I don’t know about you two, but I’ve lost all interest in playing cards tonight,” Frances said. “I have a half-gallon of rocky road ice cream at my place if you’re interested.”

“Count me in,” Liz said at once.

“Let’s go,” Flo concurred eagerly. “I think if we make a quick stop at Sullivan’s, I can probably nab us a few brownies to go with that ice cream. Erik always puts a few aside for me, bless his heart. That’s just one advantage to having a pastry chef as a son-in-law.”

“Who needs men when there are brownies and ice cream?” Frances said, startled when both Flo and Liz shot disbelieving looks in her direction.

“Not the same,” Liz said.

“Not even close,” Flo agreed.

Frances just shook her head. Call her crazy, but it was about as much of an indulgence as she could handle these days.

The best part of tonight, though, was that neither Flo nor Liz had said a single word about her seeing a doctor. What a relief that had been, especially when she’d been dreading another argument. Instead, they’d shared a lot of laughter, and wasn’t that the very best medicine of all?

* * *

Elliott had been avoiding his mother for a while now. Oh, he saw her on Sundays and when he picked Daisy and Mack up in the evenings, but with so many other people around, there’d been no time for the sort of cross-examination he knew she wanted to have about the state of his marriage. Karen had filled him in on the lecture she’d received. Since she’d apparently held her own, he’d felt no need to confront his mother about her meddling, especially since that conversation would only open the door to a bunch of questions he didn’t want to answer.

He thought he’d been fairly clever about evading her, but realized he’d only put off the inevitable when he looked up one day at the spa and saw her cross the exercise room with a determined glint in her eyes. He doubted she was there to register for a membership or to sign up for the seniors class.

“Excuse me,” she said politely to his client. “Would you mind if I spoke to my son for a moment?”

Terry Hawthorn waved them off, looking relieved. “Take your time. I can catch my breath.”

Elliott frowned at her. “Not if you do another circuit of the weight machines while I’m gone.”

She sighed. “Slave driver.”

“Fitness coach,” he retorted, then reluctantly followed his mother to the patio out back. “Would you like a fruit smoothie from the café? Or maybe a muffin?”

“I didn’t come to eat,” she told him. “You’ve been avoiding me, Elliott Cruz. Oh, you come and go, but you never spend more than two seconds alone in a room with me.” She held his gaze. “Why is that?” She didn’t wait for a reply before adding, “Because you do not want to hear what I have to say about fixing whatever problems there are in your marriage.”

“Because those problems, if there are any,” he said pointedly, “are between my wife and me. It’s up to us to resolve them.”

“And my thoughts count for nothing?”

“Your thoughts will always matter to me, but it’s not up to you to fix my marriage.”

“Then it
does
need fixing,” she said, a note of triumph in her voice.

“I didn’t say that,” Elliott retorted. “Mama, please. Stop this. I’m a grown man. I’m in love with my wife and, thank God, she seems to love me, as well. We’ll have ups and downs and adjustments, but outside interference won’t help us to deal with those.”

“Karen wasn’t so reluctant to listen,” she grumbled.

“Because she wants to please you,” he said. “She respects you as my mother, but believe me, she’s no more eager than I am to have you meddling.”

“Some people call it caring.”

He sighed. “I know that’s what you mean it to be—I really do. But please, Mama, let us be.”

“I don’t know what’s come of this world when children don’t appreciate the wisdom of their own mother. First, Adelia, now you—you want no part of my advice.”

Elliott frowned. “You’ve spoken to Adelia?”

“Of course. Even I can see that situation is a tragedy just waiting to happen. Your sister just tells me to butt out.”

“And did you listen?”

“Of course not. I’m worried. That’s what mothers do. We worry about the happiness of our children and our grandchildren, who will be affected by any rash decisions that might be made.”

Elliott could see the depth of caring in her eyes, the concern she wasn’t even trying to disguise. He wondered if she knew just how badly Ernesto was treating Adelia. He doubted it, because if she did, she might go tear him limb from limb herself. It was more comfortable for her to think that Adelia and Karen were the ones at fault if there were problems in their marriages. Years of conditioning from his father had taught her that was usually where any blame belonged.

“Mama, I’m keeping a close eye on Adelia. If she needs support, she knows she has it, not just from me, but from all the family. She wants to work through things on her own. We have to respect that.” No matter how difficult it might be, he conceded.

She gave him a disconcerted, frightened look. “How bad are things?”

“Bad enough,” he said carefully. “Just make sure she knows you’re there for her, Mama. Don’t judge. Just listen. That’s what Adelia really needs.”

“I never liked Ernesto,” she confided. “But he was her choice, and there was no talking her out of it. And then, of course, there was a baby to consider, and it was too late. Then more babies, one right after the other.” She shrugged. “She seemed happy.”

“I think she was,” Elliott said. But he couldn’t help wondering how long it had been since his sister had felt even a moment’s happiness or contentment in her marriage.

His mother stood up, looking even more distressed than she had when she’d arrived.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you at work,” she said. “I thought it was important that we talk.”

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’m glad you came by. And I’m sorry if you thought I was avoiding you.”

She gave him a wry look. “You
were
avoiding me,” she said. “But it’s okay. I forget sometimes that you are a grown man who’s more than capable of solving his own problems.”