204 Rosewood Lane - Debbie Macomber [101]
“I feel like a walrus,” she complained, planting her hands on the small round bulge of her abdomen.
Seth leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed her neck. “You look so beautiful,” he murmured. “Not like a walrus at all—although they do have their charms.”
“Get serious, Seth.”
“I am serious.”
She turned her face to him and they kissed, and he realized—as he did every day—how much he loved his wife.
“Tell me what you know about Jon Bowman,” he said, a few minutes later as he dished up seafood fettuccine.
“Like what?”
“His background. Do you know anything about it?”
Justine needed to think. “Not much. He used to sell his pictures through the gallery on Harbor Street. Why?”
“He seemed a bit…edgy when I asked about it.”
“Where did he go to school?”
“He didn’t say, but I talked to two of his references. Both were managers at restaurants where he’s been employed and they sang his praises.”
“Have you ever seen his photographs?”
Justine moved toward the table, where Seth held out her chair. “Maryellen showed me a few of them before Christmas. They’re absolutely fabulous. You can feel the emotion and the beauty.”
“Hmm. Maybe we should buy a few. Hang them in the entrance. What do you think?”
“I think my brilliant husband has just had another wonderful idea.”
They smiled at each other, fully satisfied with their lives.
Fifteen
Rosie had the house completely to herself. A hundred times over the years she’d yearned for a few hours alone, especially before a major holiday. Zach never understood how much work went into these family celebrations. For Easter, there was a dinner to prepare, to which they usually invited friends and other family—although things would be different this year. Then there was dyeing eggs and making up Easter baskets for the children. Although Allison and Eddie were older, Rosie felt obliged to maintain tradition.
Now that she had the time to do all this without interruption, she found herself fighting off a sense of melancholy. The children were spending the day with their father, and it went without saying that Janice Lamond would find some reason to join them.
Curious though she was, Rosie refused to drill the children about the other woman. Naturally she was dying to know if Janice and her son were at the apartment at the same time as her kids. But she refused to drag them into this divorce, no matter how tempting it was to learn what she could about the other woman’s activities.
Working in the kitchen, Rosie mixed up Eddie’s favorite gelatin salad and placed it in the refrigerator to set. For Easter she always served ham but only because that was what Zach preferred. Since she no longer had to accommodate her husband’s likes and dislikes, she’d bought a prime rib roast. It was a small act of defiance, one that made her feel—just a bit—like an independent woman who made her own choices.
She began baking her usual Easter cake.
Her heart wasn’t in it, but she persevered for the sake of her children. With the divorce in progress, they had enough upheaval in their lives without her subjecting them to more changes. The roast was enough of a deviation from tradition for this year, but next Easter they might do something completely different, such as take a trip.
The white bunny-shaped cake was Allison’s favorite. Using two eight-inch round cakes, she artfully cut one layer to form ears with the center section serving as a bow tie. After frosting it, she used thin threads of licorice for the whiskers and brown M&M’s for the eyes. In past years the children had helped her with the decorating.
She missed them, despite finally having the private time she’d always craved, which confused her. She was also worried about Allison and Eddie being influenced by their father’s girlfriend. That wasn’t jealousy, she told herself; it was a reasonable reaction.
By the time Zach dropped