The House of Roses (34 page)

“
We were waiting for you for introductions, Cate,” Rita said.

“
I need coffee. Badly. Do you mind?” Caitlin asked.

“
I'll tell you what. I'll get the babies, and you get a coffee, and I'll be down in a minute,” Rita said.

“
Thank you, Mom!” Caitlin said, reaching for the coffee pot.

“
You look pooped, kiddo,” Maria said, and Caitlin nodded without turning.

“
Yeah. A lot has happened.”

“
Yeah, it looks it,” Maria said.

“
There's more.”

“
There is?  What's happening, Cate?”

“
How much time do you have?” Caitlin asked, and Maria arched a brow.

“
Complicated?” Maria asked, as Caitlin sat beside her at the kitchen table.

“
You couldn't begin to imagine. Let me try the condensed version. Rita isn't my mother.”

“
Holy shit!”

“
Yeah, no kidding. You remember her friend Ella?  The lady who works in the shop.”

“
The rose lady?”

“
That's the one,” Caitlin said with a smile.

“
She's your mother?”

“
Yeah. My real father died before they were married, and shortly after that, Ella found out she was pregnant. Rita and Daddy adopted me.”

“
Amazing shit,” Maria said, and Caitlin smiled.

“
I had a sister who died. Mom and Daddy were devastated. Ella says I saved their lives.”

“
Jesus, Cate. Anything else?”

“
Nope, that's about it.”

“
That's fucking crazy!” Maria said, louder than she'd intended.

“
Language ladies!” Rita hollered from the top of the stairs. Maria rolled her eyes and Caitlin laughed. “And don't be laughing at me!” Rita yelled again.

“
I'm guessing you're not feeling as casual about all of this as you sound,” Maria said, and Caitlin nodded.

“
No. I've had some pretty bad moments this week.”

“
I can imagine. So, what are you gonna do now?  Are you going back to the city?”

“
I don't know. I need to clear my head, and then I'll decide. Eventually I'd like to write another book.”

“
Like the first one,” Maria said, trying not to groan. She had been a test reader for Caitlin's first book. It was the only time she'd ever lied, not counting the times she'd lied to her mother during her teenage years, which most females agreed didn't count.

“
That one sucked,” Caitlin said, and hesitantly, Maria agreed. “Hey, you said you liked it.”

“
I lied,” Maria said, and Caitlin gasped. “Close your mouth, Caitlin. It's the only time I've ever lied to you. It was empty. It wasn't what I expected from you.”

“
I think maybe I was empty then, at least I think my life was.”

“
And now?”

“
Now it's too full. It's a fucking mess, Maria.”

“
Girls, language, please,” Rita said, appearing in the doorway with a freshly changed baby in each arm. “If we're not careful S.H.I.T. or F.U.C.K. is gonna be their first word.”

“
Oh look, oh........!” Maria exclaimed, standing so quickly she nearly knocked over her chair. “I have never seen anything so precious in my entire life.” 

“
There's the soft side. I knew it was in there somewhere,” Caitlin said, as she watched Rita lay her daughter in the crook of her best friend's arm.

“
Oh, how sweet. Hello, baby,” Maria said, and Caitlin was shocked to see tears on her friend's cheeks.

Caitlin made introductions as Maria gazed adoringly from one baby to the other. “You okay?” Caitlin asked, and Maria nodded.

“
I was already starting to wonder if something was missing, and then you had to bring me here.”

“
You want a family?”

“
Maybe,” Maria said, sounding sheepish.

“
Holy.......”

“
Cate!” Rita chastised.

“
I know. Holy crap!”

“
Did you tell her?” Rita asked and Caitlin nodded. There was no need for Caitlin to ask her mother what she meant. She knew without asking.

“
Good. No more secrets,” Rita said.

“
It's amazing, Rita. But, I'll tell you, this girl couldn't be more like you if she came out of that business of yours down there. You may not see it, but I do.”

“
You don't mince words, Maria. I've always liked that about you,” Rita said with a smile.

“
You breastfeeding?” Maria asked, and Caitlin shook her head.

“
Didn't work out for me.”

“
You got a blender, Rita?” Maria asked, and Rita nodded.

“
It's around here somewhere,” Rita said.

“
I think it's margarita-thirty,” Maria said loudly, and Hannah let out a squeal. “Jeez, I'd nearly forgotten about her. She's amazing, Caitlin,” Maria said, sounding gentler than she normally did. “I do want one, I admit. I'm thirty-five. That's the magic number, or so they say.”

“
Any men prospects?” Rita asked, as she fished around in one of the cabinets for what everyone assumed was the elusive blender.

“
No. Men are the reason I didn't know that one was missing for months,” Maria admitted, pointing at Caitlin. “Sorry, Cate. Our separation was my fault, too.”

“
It's okay. We're both guilty,” Caitlin said.

“
No more men. Not for a while,” Maria said. “Men suck!”

“
Jeez, nice greeting,” Nathan Parker said, sticking his head inside the still-open kitchen door.

“
Hey, Nathan,” Caitlin said.

“
What brings you here?”  I thought you were working tonight,”  Rita asked, and Nathan crossed the room to look at her.

“
I'm the cleaning crew,” he said, pulling a cobweb from Rita's hair. “I switched with someone so I could spend some time with Ella. I'm patrolling at the festival tomorrow.”

“
I guess I don't use this cupboard much,” Rita said, pulling out a dirty blender with a look of sheer victory. “Found it.”

“
You're a cop?” Maria asked, and Nathan nodded. “You like margaritas, Officer?”

“
I could be tempted,” Nathan said, extending his hand. “Nathan Parker, Caitlin's cousin.”

“
Maria Sands, Caitlin's best friend.”

“
Nice to meet you,” Nathan said, still holding tightly to Maria's hand. Caitlin watched the exchange with interest.

“
Can I have my hand back?” Maria asked with a giggle, and Nathan blushed.

“
Um, yeah........, sorry about that.”

“
No problem,” Maria said. “How's things with that blender, Rita?” Maria asked, as Rita stood at the kitchen sink.

“
Just rinsing out the dead bugs and mouse droppings.”

“
Mom, God!” Caitlin said. “Disgusting.”

“
Speaking of mice, isn't that the cat's department?  Where is Georgie?” Nathan said. “I haven't seen that cat in days. I kind of miss the little shit,” Nathan added.

“
He's still alive?” Maria asked, and Nathan rolled his eyes.

“
And kicking,” he said. “I nearly died trying to crate him at Cate's place. Look,” Nathan said, holding up his hand, which, while healing nicely, still showed the wounds the cat had inflicted.

“
He did that?” Maria asked, and Nathan nodded. “He's the devil incarnate.”

“
He is not. Where is he, Mom?  I haven't seen him in a couple of days,” Caitlin admitted, feeling awful for the poor cat.

“
He lives in my room now. He's on my bed,” Rita said, as she turned around with a blender in one hand, and a dishtowel in the other.

“
Traitor!” Nathan said, and Rogan let out a cry. “Not you, little buddy,” Nathan said, crossing the room to the baby's stroller. “Come to Nate, little guy.”

Caitlin watched as Maria sat staring at Nathan with an odd look in her eyes. Maria, evidently feeling Caitlin's stare, turned and looked at her best friend. “What?” she mouthed, and Caitlin smiled. Nathan stood holding the baby with his back to the women.

“
Nothing,” Caitlin whispered.

“
Cute,” Maria mouthed, as Nathan turned toward them. Maria blushed, something Maria Sands never did. Caitlin suppressed a giggle with her fist.

“
I miss something?” Nathan asked, looking curiously at Maria.

“
It's just cute hearing a man talking baby talk,” Caitlin said. Nathan smiled, and turned back to the stroller to reach for the baby's pacifier.

“
Nice recovery,” Maria whispered, and Caitlin nodded.

“
Ready for Tequila,” Rita announced, as she plugged the sparkling-clean blender into the outlet by the sink.

“
Yay!” Maria said.

“
Where's Erica?” Caitlin asked.

“
She's at the hospital with my mom. She wanted to see Ella again,” Nathan said.

“
You never did say what happened to Ella,” Maria said, fishing into a paper bag, and emerging with a bottle of Tequila, Margarita mix, and salt. “Emergency preparedness,” she said to Nathan, who had been watching her curiously. Nathan smiled.

“
She had a car accident, the day after the twins were born,” Caitlin explained. “She's in ICU waiting to have heart surgery next week.”

“
The accident did something to her heart?” Maria asked, looking confused.

“
No. She was diagnosed with diabetes just after the accident. She never knew she had it, and if left untreated, it can cause heart disease. In Ella's case that's exactly what happened. She had a mild heart attack earlier this week,”  Caitlin said, and Maria shook her head.

“
It's been a heck of a week,” Rita said, from the counter. 

“
I'll do that,” Maria said, taking Rita's place in front of the blender. “I'm sorry about Ella. She's a nice person.”

“
She's my best friend,” Rita said, as her voice broke.

“
Oh, Mom!” Caitlin said, standing to hug her mother tightly.

“
You know, and I'm no expert, but I've found that no matter how much we fret and worry, things turn out the same. Did that come out right?” Maria asked, raising her voice to be heard over the blender.

“
Sounded good to me,” Nathan said. “You're right. There's things we can't control, no matter how sick we make ourselves in our efforts to control them. Did that sound right?”

“
Sounded okay to me. You have a lot of wisdom, Officer. You a married man?” Maria asked.

“
My wife died some time ago.”

“
I'm sorry,” Maria said, looking shocked.

“
Thank you,” Nathan said, as his eyes grew dark.

“
I shouldn't have asked.”

“
It's okay. I was wondering if you were married,” Nathan admitted, seemingly surprising himself.

“
I'm not married,” Maria said.

“
I'm glad,” Nathan said. “Would you like to be?”

“
Maybe.”

“
I liked being married. It's great to have someone special in your life, someone you can tell all your secrets to,” Nathan said, and although he sounded wistful his eyes had brightened.

Caitlin watched the two with amusement, as did Rita.

“
You got a lot of secrets, Officer?” Maria asked, and Caitlin was sure she saw Nathan blush.

“
Some. Don't you?” he asked Maria, and suddenly Caitlin felt as though she and her mother had vanished.

“
I do, but I'm in no position to tell you about them now.”

“
I can wait,” Nathan said, and Caitlin laughed. “What?” Nathan asked, glancing at her as though he'd forgotten she was in the room.

“
Did you want us to leave you guys alone?” she asked, and Maria blushed again.

“
I'm staying for a margarita,” Rita said. “I think I earned one.”