Midnight Promises (33 page)

“Because I knew you’d freak out,” he admitted. “Exactly like you’re doing now.”

“Elliott, how are we supposed to pay off that kind of money? It will take forever! And what about the baby you claimed was so important? We can’t even think about that if we have this kind of debt hanging over us.”

He sat down, reached for her trembling hands, but she pulled them away.

“You can’t just talk this away,” she said. “It’s too huge.”

“I can show you the numbers. Memberships at the gym are already ahead of projections. I have more private clients than ever before, starting next week. We’ll pay this off in no time. And if we need to stretch it out, the terms are flexible.”

“It’s a twenty-thousand-dollar debt,” she repeated. “Do you realize how long it could take to pay that off, even at a moderately quick clip? And what about interest? My God, Elliott, that alone will eat us alive.”

“Stop it. You’re getting worked up over nothing. There’s minimal interest. And did you not hear what I just said about the memberships and the extra clients? We’ll have at least a few hundred extra every week to pay down the loan.”

She was past listening to reason. The thought that he’d done this, if not behind her back, at least deceptively, made her stomach hurt. She stood up.

“I can’t talk to you right now,” she said. “I need to think. I’m going for a drive.”

He looked as if he might argue, but eventually he gave her a curt nod. “We’ll talk more when you get back.”

“You’ll see that the kids have dinner?”

“Of course.”

She left the house without a jacket. The evening air was brisk, but it felt good. She needed some kind of a shock to her system. Once in the car, though, she had no idea where to go. She couldn’t dump all of this on Frances, not with everything going on in her life. And Raylene might have had a lot of other issues in her life, but she’d never faced financial woes the way Karen had. And she could hardly turn to anyone in the Cruz family. They’d immediately jump to Elliott’s defense.

As she had years ago when she’d been in dire straights, she found herself heading for Helen’s office, praying she’d find her there. When it came to clearheaded, nonjudgmental advice, no one in town was better.

18

T
he lights in Helen’s office were still burning brightly, much to Karen’s relief. The outer door was locked but opened quickly at her knock. Helen smiled when she saw her.

“This is an unexpected pleasure. What brings you by? Have you and Elliott made a decision about the adoption so quickly?”

Karen just stared at her. “Adoption?”

“That is why you’re here, isn’t it? I told him to work it out with you and I’d handle the paperwork. We shouldn’t hit any snags, not since Ray gave up his parental rights in the divorce settlement.”

“You’ve talked to Elliott about adopting Daisy and Mack?” Karen said, feeling as if she’d just taken another major hit below the belt.

“He was here earlier,” Helen said, looking confused. “That’s not why you’re here?”

“No, that’s apparently just one more thing my husband failed to mention,” she said, sighing heavily. “I’ll add it to the list.”

Helen looked chagrined. “I am so sorry. I just assumed. Dumb me, I should know better than to make assumptions. It’s just that the timing seemed to be more than coincidental. You did know Elliott wants to adopt Daisy and Mack, right?”

Karen nodded. “That much I knew. In fact, earlier this evening I was leaning in that direction. Now…” She shrugged. “I’m not sure of anything anymore.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Helen said sympathetically. She led the way into her office and gestured toward a chair. “Sit down and tell me what’s going on. Can I get you something to drink? I’ve dumped the coffee, but I could make another pot. Or I have sodas in the fridge.”

“Nothing, thanks.” Karen took a deep breath, then spilled out her shock at discovering the amount of the loan Elliott had taken out to start the gym. “That’s over and above what he’d already taken out of our savings.”

“The baby fund,” Helen said.

Karen regarded her with surprise. “He told you that?”

She nodded. “He recognized how much faith it took for you to let him use that money.”

“I’m not sure faith had anything to do with it. I just saw how much this gym meant to him, so I gave in, even though it went against every instinct I had.”

“I’ve told you before that I don’t think there’s a real risk here, right?”

Karen nodded. “I guess that’s why I came to you. You understand the circumstances and you have a better sense for this business venture than I do. You really believe they’re going to make it, that Elliott’s not throwing our financial future down the drain?” She gave Helen a frustrated look. “I know I’ve asked you this repeatedly, but it seems I keep needing to hear you say it.”

Helen smiled. “I understand, and, yes, I really believe in this venture of theirs. I know how hard this is for you, Karen, but at some point you have to learn to trust your husband. He’s not a selfish bastard like Ray. It’s not about his ego. He wants to build a good future for your whole family—you, Daisy, Mack and whatever children might come along. Do you believe that much?”

Karen thought about it, then nodded slowly. “Intellectually, yes. It’s just so scary to look at a piece of paper and see that dollar amount right there in black and white when I know what it represents in terms of scrimping and saving.”

“Okay, let’s say Elliott had decided against moving forward with this because of your anxiety. How do you see your future unfolding then?”

“We’d have gotten by,” Karen said at once.

“And getting by would be enough for you?”

She saw the point Helen was trying to make. “Most people want more for their families, don’t they? So the bottom line is that I might feel insecure now, but in the end, we’ll have much more security,” she admitted. “The potential benefit outweighs the risk.”

Helen nodded. “That’s how I see it. Life doesn’t come without risks. You know that. If you’re entirely happy with the status quo, then there’s no reason to rock the boat. But if a little rocking will make things much better in the long run, then you have to be willing to take the occasional chance. See what I mean?”

“Then I shouldn’t let my fear get the better of me,” Karen concluded.

“It’s always wise to be aware of your comfort zone,” Helen corrected. “But it’s equally smart to step out of it from time to time. You have to weigh those potential benefits realistically against the risks. I think this is one of those times when the potential wins out. Give Elliott the chance to prove himself. He’s never let you down yet, has he?”

“No,” Karen agreed. She even managed a weak smile.

“Here’s one more bit of reassurance, if it helps. I do know you and your circumstances. And I do understand this particular type of business venture. If I’d thought for a single second that the men were in over their heads, I’d have stepped in. You know me, I can’t keep an opinion to myself to save my soul. I’d have done everything I could to save them from themselves.”

Karen actually chuckled at the truth of that. “I knew there was a reason I came over here. You’ve always been able to steady me.”

“Glad to help anytime,” Helen said. “Want to talk some about the adoption before you go?”

Karen shook her head. She might feel reassured about the business, but all the secret doubts she harbored about her marriage had risen to the surface once more. She wasn’t quite ready to go home and forgive and forget, much less take the huge leap of faith that the adoption would require. That would take a little longer.

* * *

Frances clutched the prescription she’d been given so tightly it was doubtful the pharmacist would be able to read it once she eventually turned it in to be filled.

“Are you okay?” Liz asked worriedly as they drove from Columbia back to Serenity.

“Not according to the doctor,” Frances said in a halfhearted attempt at humor.

She’d been through a battery of tests recently, many of them simply to rule out things like a brain tumor or adverse interactions from the medicines she was taking. She’d undergone an MRI, all sorts of verbal testing and several memory tests, including a few more today. Though the results weren’t in yet, all the evidence seemed to point to an early stage of Alzheimer’s. At least that’s what she’d heard in the mumbo jumbo from the doctor who’d had the bedside manner and clarity of a physicist who never left his think tank for human interaction.

“We still don’t
know
anything,” Flo consoled her. “
If
it is Alzheimer’s, it’s the very earliest stage. He said that.”

“Did he really?” Frances asked wryly. “How could you tell with all that Latin being spouted as if I should understand what he was saying? He got impatient every time I tried to clarify something.”

Liz chuckled. “He wasn’t exactly a charmer, was he? But he did seem to know his stuff, and he said there’s no reason to panic.”

“Not yet,” Frances said, her tone still dire.

“Stop it,” Flo ordered. “The way I understood him, you’re more likely to die of a heart attack than you are to reach the final stages of Alzheimer’s, if that’s even what you’re dealing with. What was that other thing he mentioned, Liz?”

“Mild cognitive impairment,” Liz said, referring to the notes she’d dutifully taken for precisely this reason. Frances had sat there in a haze throughout the appointment. “He definitely said it could be that.”

“And it’s not as bad as Alzheimer’s,” Flo said triumphantly.

Frances gave her a skeptical look. “Did you miss the part about it eventually evolving into Alzheimer’s?” She’d locked onto that because it was the diagnosis she’d anticipated, despite her very best attempts to go into this with a positive attitude.

“You’re almost ninety,” Flo retorted. “It’ll have to evolve pretty darn fast to be an issue.”

Even Frances managed a chuckle at her wry sense of humor. “Then for the moment, I’ll take some comfort from that,” she said just as wryly.

“Well, I recommend we go to Wharton’s for hot fudge sundaes,” Liz said. “That always cheers me up.” She gave Frances a chiding look. “We are not going to let you wallow in despair over this, especially before we have a final diagnosis. I choose to believe the doctor, that it’s entirely likely that you’ll have lots of wonderful experiences ahead of you.”

“But will I remember any of them?” Frances quipped.

Flo chuckled, but Liz didn’t.

“Stop that this instant!” Liz commanded. “I know making jokes is a defense mechanism, but the reality is, you’re probably in better health than most of the people we know. If this cognitive-impairment thing or Alzheimer’s does start to progress, we’ll just deal with that when it happens.”

“Better listen to her, Frances,” Flo said. “You know how Liz is when things don’t go her way. She turned this town on its ear years ago when she insisted that Grace’s mother-in-law serve her maid at the counter in Wharton’s. She’s not too old to stir up another ruckus if you don’t get with the program. Don’t start acting feeble when anyone can see that you’re not.”

Frances looked from one friend to the other, then shook her head. “Thank God for the two of you,” she said sincerely. “There’s not a chance I’ll give up with the pair of you as cheerleaders.”

“We could get outfits,” Flo offered. “Maybe pom-poms. I think I’d look quite fetching in one of those short skirts, waving a set of pom-poms.”

“You don’t need to go that far. I’ve gotten the message,” Frances told her, though she had to admit the image of Flo and Liz in short little pleated shirts and tight Serenity High School sweaters, shaking pom-poms around, did make her smile.

“Good for you,” Liz enthused, then paused before prodding, “Well? How about that hot fudge sundae?”

Frances grinned, her mood already improving. “That would be good, but you know what would be even better?”

“What?” Liz asked eagerly.

“One of those margarita nights that those girls—Maddie, Helen, Dana Sue and the rest of them—are always talking about,” Frances suggested.

Flo’s eyes lit up. “
Whoo-ee!
Count me in. I believe I’ll call my daughter and tell her to watch out. The Sweet Magnolias will soon have nothing on the Senior Magnolias!”

“Do either of you know how to make a decent margarita?” Liz inquired, looking a little skeptical.

“Of course,” Flo retorted. “Where do you think Helen got her lethal recipe?”

“Okay, then. Margaritas, it is,” Liz said. “And we’d better have them at my place. Travis and Sarah are right next door, in case things get out of hand. They can drive the two of you home.”

“And then talk about it on the radio tomorrow morning on that show of theirs,” Frances said, giggling at the potential outrageousness of it. She’d spent every one of her nearly ninety years being thoroughly respectable. It was about darn time she kicked up her heels.

* * *

Elliott sat at the kitchen table after feeding the kids, jotting down numbers to show to Karen when she eventually returned home. Maybe if she saw the real figures, based on gym memberships and his increased number of private clients, she’d be able to relax. Even using the preliminary numbers before the real push began, he thought the addition to his income was impressive. Surely it would be enough to allay her panic.