A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson [78]
“I tried calling him but he’s either away from the phone or not answering. I believe it’s the latter. I could hear the hurt and disappointment in his voice. I let my son down, Lori. I let him down.”
Lori knew there was nothing she could say that would convince Rita otherwise. Her best friend was hurting deeply. “What time does your flight come in?”
“Around ten tonight.”
“I’ll be at the airport to pick you up.”
“No need. My car is parked there,” Rita said. Her voice was on the verge of breaking again. She could barely hold back more tears.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m picking you up and bringing you here. We can go pick up the car tomorrow.”
“Lori, I—”
“No, Rita, we’re doing things my way.”
“Okay.”
“And Rita, about Brian and Erica, there’s something I think you and I both know.”
“And what is that?”
“He loves her deeply and no matter what, he’s not letting her go.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Brian jumped the minute his phone rang and he snatched it off the table. “Hello.”
“Brian, this is Erica.”
He swallowed deeply. Her voice sounded so subdued and held none of the excitement it had that morning when she was looking forward to her first bridal shower. There was no need to ask if she’d opened the text message.
“How are you doing, baby?” he asked softly.
“It’s doesn’t matter how I’m doing. It’s Mom I’m worried about.”
“She knows?”
“Yes. She clicked on her text message within seconds of me doing mine. I was at the house with her when she did and she passed out.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Anger she couldn’t keep inside snapped and Erica lashed out. “Are you?”
“Of course I am. I wasn’t your mother’s favorite person but I wouldn’t want anyone to go through pain.”
“Too bad my father and your mother didn’t think of that. Have you spoken to Rita?”
“Briefly.” The last thing he would tell her was that her father and his mother were together when he had. “What about you? Have you spoken to your father?”
“No, and in my present mood I’m not looking forward to doing so, either. Mom is my major concern. The doctor said the best thing for her right now is to get away for a few months, go on a cruise or something, or go stay at their place at Lake Tahoe.”
“That might be the best thing for your parents right now. For them to go away somewhere together and try to work things out.”
“Dad isn’t the one who’ll be going with her Brian. I am.”
“You’re going?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“As soon as I can make the arrangements. Hopefully, less than a week from now. The sooner the better.”
“But what about your bridal showers? All the activities that are planned before the wedding? Not to mention the wedding itself. It’s only three weeks away.”
She laughed harshly. “Seriously, Brian, do you honestly think our wedding can go on as planned? Get real. My father and your mother have been involved in an affair. That should give the people a lot to talk about at the wedding, don’t you think? A wedding that I doubt my mother will even attend, which will only add to the titillating excitement. I’m sure your mother and my father might prefer things that way, but I don’t plan to make them happy, thank you very much.”
“What are you saying, Erica?”
“I’m saying until I can decide what I need to do about my mother there’s no way I can marry you. The wedding will have to be postponed.”
At least she hadn’t said there would never be a wedding, he thought quickly, grateful for that at least. But he wasn’t happy with any of it. “Fine, we don’t have to have a lavish wedding per se, but there is no way you and I won’t be getting married in three weeks! What happened is unfortunate, but it does not involve us. It’s our parents’ mess and we should let them deal with it.”
“What! How can you say that?”
“Easily. We can’t be held responsible for their behaviors or their issues. I understand you wanting to console your mother and—”
“No, you don’t! Don’t you think my mother has feelings? My parents have been married for almost thirty years.”
And they must not