A line had formed outside the restaurant, and as she stood awaiting her turn, Sharon’s eyes wandered over the crowded room. By chance, she caught a glimpse of long red hair. Maggie. This was a pleasant surprise. She was just about to raise her hand and call out to her friend when she noticed Maggie wasn’t dining alone. She was with Jerry.
Jerry.
The two were deeply involved in conversation, their heads close together.
Sharon felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. The classic scenario: her husband and her best friend. Blindly she whirled around, nearly colliding with a young mother pushing a stroller.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “So sorry.” Escaping before Maggie and Jerry saw her was of the utmost importance. She all but stumbled out of the store.
Inside the mall, she stood still and silent as her mind processed what her eyes had seen. People flowed past her like rushing water scooting around a large rock. All at once everything that had happened between her and her husband made sense.
Everything added up.
Jerry and Maggie.
Seth was busy tabulating a long list of numbers when the phone on his desk pealed loudly, breaking his concentration. He frowned and absently reached for the receiver, irritated with the interruption. He wanted to get away from the office on time that evening, and it had nothing to do with meeting Reba. All right, so it had everything to do with Reba.
“Hello,” he muttered.
“Seth? I hope it’s all right that I called you at the office.”
“Sharon?” The last person he expected to hear from was his mother-in-law. “Is something wrong?”
“No…everything’s just wonderful, as always.”
It didn’t sound that way. Her thin voice sounded fragile and unsure, which wasn’t like her.
“I apologize for interrupting you at work, but I needed…” She hesitated, and he could hear her taking in a deep breath as though she needed to calm herself before continuing. “It’s about me coming up for Christmas.”
Christmas? She was calling him at work to confirm Christmas? Something was definitely up.
“I was wondering if you had any objection to my coming a few days early.”
“Sharon, you know you and Jerry are welcome any time.”
“Jerry won’t be coming.”
Seth couldn’t believe his ears. Sharon was planning to visit on her own? That made no sense whatsoever. It took him a moment to recover enough to respond. “What’s happened to Jerry?”
“He’s decided not to. I realize I’m arriving a few days earlier than what I mentioned and that…that you weren’t anticipating my arrival until next week, but if it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, I’d appreciate…” She paused when her voice wobbled to the point that he could barely understand her.
“Sharon? Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course… What could possibly bewrong?”
“You tell me.” Seth couldn’t recall a time when his mother-in-law had been anything but the Rock of Gibraltar. After Pamela’s accident she’d been the voice of reason in a world that had suddenly turned chaotic. Seth didn’t know how he would have coped without her.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, her words pleading with him to believe her.
Seth knew a lie when he heard one. “What time does your flight land?” he asked, reaching for a pad. “I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
“Pick me up…Yes, please, I’ll need someone there.” She gave him the flight number and the time.
Seth glanced at his watch. “But that’s less than an hour from now.”
“Yes…I know, I’m calling from the plane.”
“The plane?” His echo revealed his shock.
“If I couldn’t have stayed with you, I’d have found a hotel room. You’ll be there, won’t you, Seth?”
“Yes, of course. Don’t worry about a thing. This will be a wonderful surprise for the twins.” It would play havoc with his schedule, but that couldn’t be helped. Something was drastically wrong, and after the way his mother-in-law had stepped in and helped him, he could hardly refuse her now.
Seth sat with his hand on the telephone receiver, uncertain whom to contact first, Reba or his housekeeper. Mrs. Merkle, he decided. She’d need to make up the guest bedroom. After he’d talked to her, he’d call Reba and tell her that he wouldn’t be able to stop in after work the way he’d planned.
The vacation packages Reba had assembled for his review were only an excuse to see her again, Seth acknowledged freely. He was scheduled to meet with her after work before she went to church for Christmas practice with the kids. He’d seen her every night that week.