An Engagement in Seattle - Debbie Macomber [105]
“She’s awake,” Eric cried.
“Let’s eat,” Kevin said. “I’m starved.”
Lesley had the plastic plates and plastic silverware set out on the table, along with a large bag of potato chips, veggies and a cake she’d baked the night before.
Chase dug up the fish, scraped away the dried mud and peeled back the leaves. The tantalizing aroma of the trout took Lesley by surprise. Until then she hadn’t thought she was hungry.
They ate until they were stuffed, until they couldn’t force down another morsel. Chase and the boys conscientiously packed up the garbage and loaded the vehicle after Lesley had wrapped the leftovers—not that there were many.
Eric and Kevin fell asleep in the backseat on the ride home.
“They really enjoyed themselves,” Lesley whispered. “They’ll remember this day all their lives. It was very sweet of you to invite them along.”
She watched as his gaze briefly moved to his rearview mirror and he glanced at the boys. “I’d like to meet their father in a dark alley someday. I have no tolerance for a man who hits a woman.”
“He has a drinking problem,” Lesley said.
“Is that an excuse?”
“No, just an explanation.”
“The man should be punished for telling his sons he’s glad to be rid of them. What kind of father would say such a thing?”
He didn’t seem to expect an answer, which was just as well since Lesley didn’t have one.
Daisy was back from her computer classes by the time they arrived at the house. The boys woke up when Chase cut the engine. As soon as they realized they were home, they darted out of the car and into the house, talking excitedly about their adventures.
Daisy came out of the house with her sons and ordered them to help unload the car for Lesley, which they did willingly.
Lesley had been neighbors and friends with Daisy for three years. She’d watched this no-nonsense woman make some hard decisions in that time, but never once had she seen her friend cry. There were tears in Daisy’s eyes now.
“Thank you,” she said to Chase in a tremulous voice.
“No problem. I was happy to have them with us. You’re raising two fine boys there, Daisy. You should be proud of them.”
“Oh, darn.” She held an index finger under each eye. “You’re going to have me bawling here in a minute. I just wanted to thank you both.”
“Daisy?” Lesley asked gently. “Is everything all right?”
“Of course everything’s all right. A woman can shed a few tears now and then, can’t she?”
“Sure, but…”
“I know. I’m making a fool of myself. It’s just that I appreciate what you did for my boys. I’ve never seen them so excited and so happy.” Lesley wasn’t expecting to be hugged, but Daisy reached for her, nearly squeezing the breath from her lungs. “I want to thank you for being my friend,” she murmured, wiping her hand under her nose. Then she returned to her house.
Eric and Kevin were off, eager to relate their escapades to their neighborhood friends.
Chase followed Lesley into the kitchen. He helped her unload the picnic basket, then stopped abruptly, looking over at her.
“Is something the matter?” she asked.
“It looks like you’ve got a message on your answering machine.”
Lesley’s heart felt frozen in her chest. Trying to be nonchalant about it, she walked over and pushed the playback button. This time, Tony’s voice didn’t rip through her like the blade of a knife. In fact, hearing him again so soon felt anticlimactic.
“Lesley, it’s Tony. When you didn’t return my call, I stopped by the house. You weren’t home. I need to talk to you. Call me soon. Please.”
Lesley looked at Chase, wishing she could read his thoughts, wishing she could gauge her own. His eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them and his jaw was stiff.
“Are you going to contact him?”
She wasn’t any more confident than she’d been earlier. “I don’t know.”
“I see.”
“You want to remind me he’s a married man, don’t you?” she cried. “I know that, Chase. I have no idea why he’s calling or what he wants from me.”
“Get real, Lesley. You know exactly