I'm Your Man. Susan Crosby

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СКАЧАТЬ office. Only one voice mail awaited her—

      “Hi, Mom. I just wanted to let you know that I got here okay. I hope you forgive me. I really am doing this for my son, the same way you sacrificed a lot for me. I just don’t have your patience to take it year by year. I kind of want it now. I know, I know. Gee, what a surprise.” Maureen could hear the smile in Jess’s voice. “But you’ll see. It’ll be a good thing. I’ll talk to you as soon as I’m allowed to. Tell Riley I love him. Bye.”

      The time stamp at the end of the message indicated Jess had called the day before, Sunday, apparently not willing to talk in person, probably not wanting to get an earful from Maureen. Smart girl.

      Maureen might have surprised Jess, however, by not arguing with her, except to challenge her daughter about why she didn’t feel she could’ve just asked if she could leave Riley instead of simply taking off as she did.

      It was probably best for Riley, too, not talking to his mom. That way he could settle in. Maybe Jess was being responsible in that, too. If it was true that she really was pursuing this dream of hers to give herself and Riley a shot at independence and a good future, then Maureen couldn’t fault her for it, just as Maureen had left Cherie’s house and made her own way in the world.

      The manner in which Maureen and Jess sought independence may be different, opposite really, but the goal was the same.

      “Good morning, good morning.” The cheerful greeting accompanied the arrival of Esperanza Ochoa, Maureen’s coworker and friend, one of two full-time proofreader/editor/ researchers with the company. She breezed into Maureen’s office, looking gorgeous and rested, and landed in the chair opposite Maureen’s desk, a bright smile on her face.

      “Same to you, sunshine.”

      Anza leaned closer and singsonged in a whisper, “I’ve got a secret.”

      “One you’re going to tease me about or share?”

      “Share. But only with you. No one else can know, okay?”

      “Do you really have to ask?” Maureen could guess the secret but waited for confirmation.

      “I’m pregnant. Six weeks.”

      Maureen flashed back to when she’d found out she was pregnant—just turned seventeen and scared to death. There’d been no happy glow on her face, like Anza’s now. No ecstatic husband, which Gabe undoubtedly was.

      “That’s wonderful news! Congratulations,” Maureen said, coming around her desk to hug her friend and feeling a sudden rush of envy. “I’m so happy for you both,” she said, meaning it, but struggling past her own surprising emotions.

      “Thank you.” Anza’s voice quavered and she hugged Maureen tighter. “It took a year, but finally I will be a mom. Finally.”

      They moved apart as they heard someone walking nearby.

      “How was your weekend?” Anza asked.

      “Eventful. Can we have lunch today? I’ll tell you then.”

      “It’s a date.”

      “What’s a date?” Bernadette Martinez, the president and owner of Primero Publishing, strolled in. She was the most stylish woman Maureen knew, although the past five months since her husband had passed away had taken their toll. Until recently Bernadette looked ten years younger than the forty-eight she really was. But who wouldn’t look worn-out after losing her husband and inheriting the job of running a rapidly expanding company?

      “Anza and I were just making a lunch date,” Maureen said as her friend slipped out.

      Bernadette took Anza’s seat and held up the piece of paper Maureen had left on her desk. “You wanted to see me?”

      “I wanted to let you know I won’t be going on vacation as scheduled. We’re postponing until August fourth.”

      “Okay. How come?”

      “I have inherited my grandson for the next six weeks.” She turned a framed photo on her desk toward Bernadette and gave her a short version of how Riley came to stay with her. “I think you can probably appreciate that I would like to spend as much time with him as possible, and since I normally am just getting home about the time he goes to bed, that’s going to be difficult. I’m wondering if I could leave work earlier, say at five, and then work at home after he goes to bed?”

      No clock ticked, yet Maureen heard one in her head. The past few months had been overwhelming, since they’d taken on the projects that Carlos had started but hadn’t yet completed before his death. Maureen’s job as the liaison between Primero and the various writers was crucial, as she kept track of every project and author.

      “That would be okay,” Bernadette said finally. “As long as it’s only six weeks. You’re a key player, after all, plus I don’t want others to think they can do the same thing.”

      Maureen hid her surprise. She’d been working ten-hour days since being hired nineteen years ago, and twelve-hour days for the past several months. Most of the other employees put in the same long hours. She never used up her annual sick leave, and had so much vacation carryover, she could be off for months with pay. Not that she would….

      She thanked her boss and settled down to work, although not with her usual focus. Her life, which had seemed in perfect order—a steady boyfriend and being on the fast track at work for a promotion—was suddenly topsy-turvy.

      It was difficult for Ted, too, she knew, although he’d called to say he’d gotten their itinerary changed, with only a small penalty and almost the same hotel arrangements, which seemed to ease his mind. She’d been reading a bedtime story to Riley and had rushed Ted through the conversation, then felt guilty about it. She would’ve called him back later, knowing he generally stayed up until midnight, but she’d fallen asleep on the couch, not waking up until 2:00 a.m., when she shuffled off to bed.

      She hadn’t talked to him this morning because he liked to sleep in, then work from home for a couple of hours before going to the office. Weekends were sometimes difficult for her because she woke up at six and he wanted to sleep until nine.

      Maureen stared at the San Francisco-skyline poster on her wall and wondered what Riley and Daniel were doing.

      She eyed her phone. Should she call home, even if just to say hi to Riley? She’d woken up at six to find him in bed with her, and had no idea when he’d joined her. She couldn’t remember Jess ever getting into bed with her during the middle of the night. In fact, she remembered telling Jess she had to stay in her own bed, that she was a big girl.

      Not her finest moment as a mom. Look what she’d missed—waking up to that warm little body huddled close, needing her.

      Maureen pressed her face into her hands for a second. She’d been a rules-and-regulations kind of parent.

      Just like her father.

      She’d learned her lessons the hard way. The one time she’d rebelled against his rules she’d ended up pregnant. She’d toed the line ever since. Had made Jess toe the line. Not that Jess had done so.

      On the contrary, Jess had kept moving the line as it suited her, rarely putting a toe to it, and ending up in exactly the same position СКАЧАТЬ