1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [69]
“I came to talk to you about Rachel.”
Teri shook her head, unwilling to let him in. This was Rachel’s worst fear, that Bruce would ask Teri for information. “I don’t think I should,” she said bluntly. She’d vowed she wouldn’t supply Bruce with any of the details Rachel had so recently and reluctantly shared. Not until Rachel had the chance to tell him herself, which she’d fully intended to do until she’d heard about this latest trick of Jolene’s.
“I have something I want you to give Rachel,” he pleaded, still on the porch.
His sad eyes did her in. Teri had always been a sucker for sad eyes. She’d learned more quickly than her sister had, however. Christie’s heart had been broken more times than a carton of eggs, usually over some down-on-his-luck loser. Christie did eventually learn; it just took her longer.
“All right, you can come in,” she said, not very graciously. Stepping aside, she gestured into the house, then led him into the family room. It was far enough away that they wouldn’t disturb the triplets, but at the same time she could hear them if they cried. That was especially important, since Gabrielle had the night off.
She motioned toward the sofa, which Bruce sank into.
“What can I do for you?” she asked, not bothering with small talk.
“I need help,” Bruce admitted.
“I’ll say you do.” However, Bruce needed more help than she could give him. She hoped he was continuing to see the counselor.
He sighed. “I really blew it with Rachel, didn’t I?”
No point in answering that. Bruce already knew he was in trouble with his wife.
“Did you hear what happened last Saturday?” he asked.
“I did.”
He exhaled slowly. “I was beginning to think Rachel might be willing to move back home. Then the three of us could all go to the counselor together. We need to work on being a family, and Rachel living somewhere else complicates everything.”
Teri couldn’t even manage an encouraging smile for fear she’d blurt out her opinion, which she was sure Bruce wouldn’t appreciate. As far as she was concerned, Jolene should be grounded until she turned thirty or wised up, whichever came first. Teri felt the girl would see the light far more quickly that way.
Bruce apparently thought the best approach was to attempt reason. What a joke! Reason with a teenager? No wonder their marriage was falling apart.
“Have you talked to Rachel in the past week?” Bruce asked with wide-eyed hopefulness.
“Yeah.” Teri mentally zipped her mouth shut. She refused to divulge a single detail of their conversation. Not one.
“How is she?”
Now, that was tricky. “All right…I guess.”
Bruce leaned forward. “We had dinner two weeks ago and everything went so well that we started talking on the phone.”
Teri knew that, too, but didn’t respond. Rachel would never forgive her, and this was her closest, dearest friend in the world. Well, other than her sister. Rachel had entrusted her with this secret, which Teri vowed she would keep to herself. Not even Bobby knew.
“But after last weekend, she won’t answer my calls anymore,” Bruce concluded.
She’d missed a whole section of what he’d been saying, which was just fine. The less she heard, the better.
“I’m worried about her.”
She clamped her teeth tightly together. If Bruce was worried, he didn’t have anyone to blame but himself. How he could’ve been so oblivious to Jolene’s manipulations for so long would forever remain a mystery.
“Like I said, I want you to give Rachel something for me.”
“What is it?”
He stood and took a wad of bills out of his pocket.
“You want to give her money?” He thought that was how he’d win back his wife? Even Bobby, with his chess brain, wouldn’t dream of doing anything so…so dumb. And he’d had some prize ideas in his time, adorable though he was.
“She must be low on cash,” Bruce explained. “So, would you give this to her for me?”
“What makes you think she’s low on cash?”
His gaze held hers, and Teri quickly looked away, afraid he’d read something in her expression that she didn’t intend to tell him. “I know she’s working but she’s also paying rent,