1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [104]
“Dad wouldn’t like that.”
“Probably not,” she agreed. “But I think it’s more important for you and me to spend time together than for your father and me to have a night out.”
Rachel heard Jolene’s sigh. “Dad wants to talk to you, though.”
“I’ll see him after I drop you off at the theater.” If he was disappointed about losing out on dinner, she’d bring him something to eat.
“Where do you want to go?” Jolene asked, displaying more enthusiasm now.
“How about Mexican?” Rachel suggested, knowing that was Jolene’s favorite, too. She couldn’t tolerate spicy food herself at the moment, but she’d order something fairly mild.
“Great!”
For a couple of minutes they chatted about what they’d have. “Could you give the phone back to your father?” Rachel asked when they’d finished.
“Okay.”
A moment later Bruce was on the line. “You’re having dinner with Jolene and not me?” he demanded.
“I’ll drop her off at the movies after dinner and then drive over to the house.”
“If that’s what you want,” he said, but he didn’t sound pleased by this unexpected turn of events.
“If it’ll put you in a better mood, I’ll bring you take-out.”
“I doubt anything’s going to put me in a good mood,” he muttered.
This didn’t bode well. “What’s the problem?”
He sighed. “More of the same. We’ll talk when you’re here.”
Dinner with Jolene had been an inspiration, Rachel decided a little while later. There was a new level of honesty on the girl’s part and traces of the easy affection that used to exist between them. Her stepdaughter talked about seeing the counselor and admitted she’d been jealous of Rachel’s relationship with Bruce. Jolene’s willingness to acknowledge her role in the separation was a huge step forward.
Jolene looked down at her plate. “Dad wants you to move back home,” she said.
“I know.” Rachel pushed aside her own half-eaten bowl of tortilla soup.
“Are you going to do it?”
“Probably. I hope so. But not yet.”
“Dad wants you home before Christmas, so we can be like a real family.”
Rachel didn’t comment one way or the other.
“I’m glad you’re not moving to Portland, Rachel,” Jolene told her.
Rachel, who’d been fishing inside her purse for her wallet, paused and looked up.
“If you left, that would be really hard on Dad…and I would’ve missed you, too.”
This was welcome news. “Do you miss me now?”
Jolene hung her head. “I didn’t think I would, but I do. Before you and Dad got married, it was just him and me. But you were always there whenever I wanted to talk or do stuff. Everything changed after the wedding. I didn’t like having to share you with him, or share my dad with you. And…well, I felt like the two of you were pushing me aside because all you needed was each other.” She gulped noisily. “I…I hated seeing the two of you all lovey-dovey.”
Rachel understood why Jolene had reacted the way she had. They’d all contributed to this situation. “Your father wants us to be a family, and I want that, too.”
“I know, and now the baby changes everything all over again. The counselor and I talked about that. It helps that he listens and doesn’t tell me I’m bad for feeling like I do.”
Rachel nodded. “You have to understand your feelings before you can modify them.”
“You sound just like him,” Jolene said with a quick grin. Then she grew serious again. “I know that once the baby’s born I’m going to love him or her a lot, but right now I don’t feel anything except…afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Of the baby getting all the attention,” she blurted.
“We’ll do our very best to see that doesn’t happen.” Rachel wasn’t sure how else to respond. “Before I drive you to the movies, I want you to know I’m grateful you helped your father paint the nursery,” she added.
“It was sort of fun.”
Smiling, Rachel checked her watch and realized that if they didn’t leave within the next few minutes, Jolene would be late meeting Lindsey. She paid their bill and they hurried over to her car.
Jolene was quiet on the drive to the theater. When Rachel pulled up in front of the movie complex, Jolene reached for the door handle. “I’m glad it was