204 Rosewood Lane - Debbie Macomber [82]
Once at his apartment, Zach opened the door for his son. Eddie walked into the living room and glanced around, frowning. “Where’s the TV?”
“I’m taking the one in the master bedroom.” Rosie and he were still in the process of dividing everything up, but most of the furniture had yet to be moved. So far, Rosie hadn’t been difficult about the division of household assets, and Zach trusted that would continue. Considering that he was the one who’d paid for everything in the family home, it was only right that he take what he needed for his new place.
Apparently it hadn’t occurred to Rosie that she was going to have to find a job. Zach made a respectable income, but he couldn’t afford to pay all the expenses for two households. For the first time since the children were born, Rosie would be forced to work outside the home.
“Check out the bedroom,” Zach said as he hauled a load of clothes into the larger of the two rooms. The newly carpeted room was stark and empty without a bed, but all of that would be resolved shortly. Soon, Zach told himself, he’d feel just as much at home here as he had in the family residence.
“Hello.” A soft rapping was followed by a voice Zach recognized instantly.
“Janice.” Zach hadn’t expected a visit from his assistant, especially on a weekend. “Hello,” he said.
Shyly, she came into the apartment with a boy close to Eddie’s age.
“This is my son, Chris,” she said with her arm around her son’s shoulders.
“This is Eddie.”
“Hi,” Eddie said, sounding tentative.
“I thought I’d stop by and ask if you have everything you need,” Janice said. “I know how much work moving can be and I wanted to see if there’s anything I can do.”
She’d always been helpful, and Zach appreciated her efforts more than ever. She brought in a sack and placed it on the kitchen counter.
“Eddie, why don’t you show Chris the apartment?” Zach suggested. Almost immediately the two boys disappeared into the back bedroom.
“I brought you a housewarming gift,” Janice said, then proceeded to unpack a coffeepot, plus grounds.
“You didn’t need to do that.” Zach remained on the other side of the kitchen, a little uncomfortable with her generosity.
“I know… You can tell me to get lost if you want, but I knew you were moving in today. I know from my own experience how difficult this is and I hope the transition goes smoothly for you and your wife.”
“Thank you.” Zach preferred to keep his business and his personal life separate, but without Janice’s help in this recent crisis, he didn’t know what he would’ve done.
An hour later when he drove back to the house with Eddie, the first thing he noticed was Rosie’s car parked in the driveway. Eddie brightened as soon as he saw it. He threw open the car door and raced toward the house. Zach followed with far less enthusiasm. He’d hoped to move all his personal stuff before Rosie returned. There were still books and CDs and…
“Hi,” Rosie said, her face tense, but not unfriendly. “I see you’re packing up.”
Zach nodded.
“I made a new friend,” Eddie said, hugging his mother about the waist.
“That’s nice. You’ll have friends both here and at your dad’s place.”
“Chris doesn’t live in the apartment building. His mother is Dad’s assistant and they came over with a gift to warm the house.”
Sure enough, his wife’s eyes narrowed to thin, angry slits. “I’ll just bet,” she muttered under her breath, then stormed out of the kitchen.
Zach’s shoulders sagged in defeat. This was something Rosie would try to use against him when they went to court. Janice’s innocent gesture of friendship and support would be turned into “evidence.”
Cliff Harding had a good feeling about this Saturday afternoon date with Grace. It’d been three weeks since their dinner and they’d spoken intermittently on the phone. He could tell that Grace still had reservations regarding their relationship. Something had happened in the past three weeks.