Marriage Is Just The Beginning. Betty Sanders Jane

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      She frowned. Grant. She worried about him, about the effect his absences were having on Cassie. About—

      The phone rang, jerking her from her thoughts. “Sharon speaking.”

      “Sharon, Grant here. Hey, I need a favor. I’m in the middle of a meeting and—”

      “You’re going to be late—could I pick Cassie up, Sharon quietly finished for him. “Grant, you just got back. Don’t you think—”

      “There is nothing I can do about it,” he said. “Can you help me out?”

      She sighed. “You know I can, but you owe Cassie, bigtime. I’ll take her to my place and bake cookies or something.”

      “Don’t do dinner. I’ll pick up pizza.” He hung up.

      “Pizza!” Sharon slapped the receiver down harder than necessary, glaring at it as if she could somehow conjure Grant in its place. She pushed back her anger, then stood and reached for her coat. Cassie was going to be disappointed.

      Cassie was nowhere in sight when Sharon stepped into the brightly lit room at day care. Jean Simon, the owner, walked over to greet her.

      “Cassie is in the time-out room.”

      Sharon’s heart sank. “That’s the third time this week.”

      Jean nodded, mass of blond curls bouncing, as they turned toward a small hall. “I tried calling Grant, but he’s been in meetings all day. This has been a bad week, although, to be honest, I almost prefer a Cassie with a temper to the silent little ghost she was for a while. Anything different going on at home?”

      Other than an absentee father?

      Sharon didn’t say the words they were probably both thinking. Instead, she replied, “Not that I know of. What happened this time?”

      “She got into a fight with Johnny Whitaker.”

      “He’s twice her size!”

      “Yeah, well.” Jean shook her head with a small smile. “All I can say is, she’s got a future in boxing if she wants it.” They paused at the door. “She looks pretty bad, but if it helps, he’s got two shiners. And his parents aren’t going to cause any problems. I think they were both so embarrassed he got beaten up by a girl they would just as soon forget it happened.” She swung the door open, then left.

      Cassie sat in an orange plastic chair, shoulders hunched, head hung, legs slowly swinging.

      “Cassie?” Sharon walked toward her. Cassie slowly raised her head, right eye nearly swollen shut, circled with black and blue, with a little green and purple thrown in. Sharon swallowed a gasp and forced herself not to rush forward, instead folding her arms across her chest.

      “He called me a name,” Cassie said, chin thrust out, good eye narrowing.

      “And you couldn’t have just ignored him?”

      Silence answered the question they both knew wasn’t really a question.

      “Daddy working late tonight?” Cassie asked defiantly.

      She looked small and defenseless. Pain pinched Sharon’s heart.

      “Yes,” she answered, then opened her arms. “Come on over here for a hug.”

      Cassie hesitated a second, then slid from the chair. Sharon squeezed the little girl tight, wanting, wishing, aching. She swallowed the urge to scream. If Grant had been standing next to her, she would have choked him. Instead, she hugged tighter and said, “He’s bringing pizza for dinner, so he shouldn’t be too late.”

      An hour later the front door opened and Grant hollered, “Anyone home?”

      Cassie rushed from the kitchen, Brittany bouncing at her heels, and Sharon was left to put the last of the cooling cookies away. She forced herself to slowly wash and dry her hands, and carefully compose her face before she turned and greeted Grant when she heard him walk into the kitchen. Cassie walked quietly at his side, clearly suffering from a scolding. Only the pup looked happy, eyes bright, whole body wiggling with excitement.

      Sharon forced a smile. Grant met her gaze, then said, “Cassie, go wash up.” He waited until the little girl was out of earshot. “Shall I lie down on the floor so you can stomp on me now?” His voice was quiet, tinged with weariness.

      Sharon tried not to notice the dark shadows beneath his eyes, the hollows in his cheeks that had deepened since last week, the way he held himself so tensely, almost rigidly, though exhaustion clearly etched his face.

      Anger fled as quickly as it had come. “Oh, sit down, she said quietly. “Stomping is too good for you. Besides, you know as well as I do that I never can stay mad at you. Even when you deserve it.”

      A smile curved his lips but didn’t erase the weariness in his eyes. He set the pizza on the table, walked to the fridge and pulled out a soda. Snapping the can open, he turned to face her. “I’m sorry I had to call you at the last minute like that.”

      “So am I, but only for Cassie. You know I enjoy having her.”

      He nodded, then tipped the can to take a long swallow of carbonated drink. Then he set the soda on the counter he now leaned against. “I don’t mean to take advantage—”

      “That should be the least of your worries,” she said.

      He paused. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

      “Maybe you should have bowed out of the meeting.”

      “I couldn’t.”

      “And if I hadn’t been able to pick Cassie up?”

      He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and didn’t answer. He bowed his head slightly, and his dark-blue eyes suddenly filled with a bleakness that sent chills along Sharon’s spine. He seemed so very alone.

      She stepped closer, laid a hand against his chest in unspoken support. Grant lifted his head, dark gaze intense.

      “That is one hell of a shiner she has.”

      “I know.” Sharon let her hand slide from him with a sigh and a step back. “I suppose we should be grateful she’s coming out of her shell. But she was in trouble three times this week.” She took a deep breath, then plunged on, certain he wouldn’t want to hear her words but believing a lesser friend would keep silent

      “Grant, I know you are doing your best, but Cassie needs more of your time.” She ignored the tightening of his mouth, the narrowing of his eyes. “You work too many long hours, and…well…I wonder if you understand how hard it is for her when you’re gone. And I can’t help but wonder how much longer you can do this alone, Grant. I am not—”

      “I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Grant said in a low, hard voice.

      Anger blazed in his eyes. Sharon automatically took a half step back at the intensity.

      “First Catherine’s СКАЧАТЬ