92 Pacific Boulevard - Debbie Macomber [37]
“Yes, Faith, and she was with…a man. She had her back to him but Troy knew it was her and she seemed to be having the time of her life.”
Grace had another question. “So, who was he?” she asked, lowering her voice. “This man she was with.”
Olivia acted as if Grace hadn’t even spoken. “Poor Troy was devastated. He said it was all he could do not to march up to the table and tell…this other man to stay away from Faith.”
“Not a smart idea.”
“I said the same thing.”
“So what did he do?” Grace asked.
“Nothing much. He paid for his dinner, left and then seethed for the rest of the night. Judging by his expression, I’d say it’s still bothering him.”
“Did Faith see him?” Grace wanted to know.
“He thinks she might have.”
“In that case, they probably both feel bad. Because Faith would know he was upset, and she isn’t the kind of woman who enjoys hurting someone else.”
“That’s true.”
“Okay, so tell me who Faith’s hot date was.”
Olivia paused, and Grace’s heart sank. “He’s married, isn’t he? That’s why you don’t want to tell me.”
“No, that’s not it. In fact, once I say his name it won’t surprise you at all.”
So Olivia was going to make her guess. That wasn’t fair—and then it came to her. Shocked, she pressed both hands against the table and half stood. “No way?”
Olivia knew immediately that Grace had figured it out. Slowly, with her eyes closed, she nodded.
“Your brother, Will Jefferson, is dating Faith?”
Olivia exhaled sharply. “So it seems.”
“Well…he’s divorced and she’s a widow. So I guess there’s nothing really wrong with it.”
“But the last I heard,” Olivia said, “he was interested in Shirley Bliss.”
Grace tore a piece of bread. “I know Will’s your brother and you love him, but I also know a basic fact about him. He’s not a one-woman man.”
Olivia sighed. “I certainly can’t deny it, at least going by previous experience.”
“Are you going to say anything to Faith?” Grace asked.
Olivia shook her head.
“Then I won’t, either.”
Chapter Eleven
This was so embarrassing. Unfortunately, Christie didn’t have any alternative. She needed a vehicle; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to get to work except by walking or biking. A bicycle might be okay once spring arrived, and she could probably buy one secondhand, but that didn’t help her now. So far, winter had set all kinds of records for cold and snowfall. Slogging through slush and fierce wind left much to be desired.
The sad reality was that after many temporary fixes, her car was dead. There was no possibility of reviving it. The junkyard had offered her a flat hundred bucks and she took it. That hundred dollars, however, wasn’t going to provide reliable transportation. Her only recourse was to ask for a loan—and the only person she could approach was her sister, Teri.
With a knot in her stomach, Christie made the call. Teri answered so quickly, she must’ve been sitting next to the phone.
“Can you talk?” she asked, trying to keep any hint of anxiety out of her voice.
“Sure. What’s up?”
“I’d rather do this face-to-face,” Christie told her. She felt like weeping, which was an anomaly on its own. She didn’t easily give in to emotion. Oh, she’d cried her share of tears, but generally it took a crisis like having her bank account emptied by some low-life scum she’d been convinced she could reform. She’d wept buckets over that, and her divorce, too. What upset her this time was the fact that it wasn’t a man but a stupid car.
“Come on by,” Teri said. “I’d love the company.”
“That’s…the problem. I don’t have a car.”
“What happened?”
Christie didn’t want to go into all of that now. “Has Bobby hired a new driver?”
“Not yet. Bobby’s positive James will return. I—”
“Please don’t talk about James,” she interrupted stiffly. Even his name was enough to make her stomach tense.
“Okay, if that’s the way you want it.”
“I do.”
“Take a taxi to the house and I’ll pay for it.”
Although Christie appreciated the offer, she refused to do that. “I’ll take the bus.”
“Christie, don’t be silly.”
“It’s no problem. Buses run regularly this time of day.”
Still Teri hesitated.