The Four Corners of the Sky_ A Novel - Michael Malone [167]
Clark felt with his bare feet for his loafers. “Told me what?”
“That Annie was on the edge.”
“You didn’t tell me that.”
“I’ve told you that for years.” But, luckily, Sam noted, Brad had been distracted when Annie had walked past him kissing Sergeant Hart.
“Is ‘luckily’ really the word we want here?” Clark asked. He felt he had to add that Sam was not making any sense. It was a shame he didn’t have any chlorpromazine hydrochloride in his medical bag.
She gave a theatrical laugh. Sense? Did it make any sense that after what Annie had gone through over the past few days—flying in a storm to St. Louis, flying to Miami, seeing her dying father for the first time in a decade—did it make any sense that Annie—in whose closet the hangers, all facing the same way, were 1.5 inches apart, in whose condominium the little kitchen looked as if the entire USS Enterprise crew had been in there cleaning it all day—did it make sense that Annie—hurrying to find Jack before she had to be back in Annapolis for a test flight!—would take the time off to wander around in wet clothes with a strange man at the wee hours of the morning, and take that strange man up to her hotel room?
Clark yanked his bathrobe from Sam, who was folding it as well. “I thought you said you liked Sergeant Hart.”
“Clark, please! I called her. Six times, maybe more. Her phone’s off.” She punched a soft spot in the pillow for the restless Teddy. “What if she marries him on the spur of the moment? You of all people know how that can work out.”
He leaned over the window bench to look at the sky, an indigo blue. “I don’t think Elizabeth Taylor spent any more time thinking about marriage than you do.”
Sam carefully placed Teddy on the softened pillow then lay down beside her. Finally she said, “I told Georgette about Ruthie.”
Surprised, he walked back to the bed. “Told her what about Ruthie?”
Sam squeezed her arms. “I showed her those movies Jack made of Ruthie. Tell me that was okay. I decided that if Jack tells Annie that Ruthie’s her mother…”
Clark sat quietly beside her, rubbed her back. “If Jack wouldn’t say it to you, he’s not going to say it to Annie. Besides, you don’t even know if it’s true. Jack told you he met Annie’s mother in Barbados.”
“Oh, Jack’ll say anything.”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
“I think I always suspected it.” Sam sighed. “Ruthie takes off, then six months later Jack takes off, then a year later he shows back up with a blue-eyed blonde-haired baby.”
“Lots of people have blue eyes and blonde hair.”
Sam gave him a look. “You know what, Clark? Movies don’t lie.” She reached out for the old Shih Tzu, held her against her chest. “It used to hurt my feelings so much when Annie would go on about ‘Where’s my “real” mother?’”
Clark nodded. They sat together silently a while longer, listening to Teddy’s light rasping snore.
Sam said, “I want her to be happy. Fall in love and be happy.”
“Not necessarily the same thing.” He returned to the window where now the deep blue of the sky was washed with purple.
“Tell me something good,” she demanded.
“Annie will fall in love and be happy.”
“Clark, don’t joke.” The dog wriggled away, toppling with a wheeze off the bed.
“Why not? Here’s a new one. You heard about the optometrist who fell into a lens grinder?”
“And made a spectacle of himself? That’s not a new one. I haven’t heard a new one from you in twenty years.” Sam rolled from the bed, picked up Teddy and walked with her to the door. “Okay, I’m leaving. Good night. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Sam?” She turned back. “I think you’re a great mom.”
“Don’t change your mind,” she said. “I’m fixing up Jack’s old room, just in case he wants to come recuperate at home.”
Clark smiled at her. “Just in case.”
From the pocket of her shorts, Sam’s cell phone played a jaunty melody. She answered. “Oh, hi…No, I haven’t heard a word.”
Worried, Clark asked, “Who is that?”
But Sam was laughing. “Sure, come on over for breakfast,” and she slapped the lid