Read Online A Gift for All Seasons by Karen Templeton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Templeton
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beyond the restaurant, the tethered boats gently bobbing in the slate blue water. “Clay and I would chat, when he was around. Mostly about his mother, at first. But then about other things. Movies, the news, whatever popped into our heads. And...it was nice. Not what I expected.”
She looked back at her cousins. “A few months in, he asked if I’d consider living there full-time. In my own suite. Sitting room, fireplace, jetted tub, the works. And with a very hefty salary hike, to boot. I’d’ve been an idiot to refuse. And once I moved in, he and I started spending more time together, when he wasn’t away on business. Didn’t take long before I realized he was one of the kindest men I’d ever met. Very fair. And funny, in his own way. Even though he was a lot older than I was. And I liked him. Quite a bit, actually.”
“Define ‘a lot.’”
“In his forties.”
Mel frowned. “And you weren’t dating guys your own age?”
“My own age? As in, their early twenties?”
Blythe snorted. “Good point.”
“I’d never dated much as it was. Even after we all stopped coming here for the summer. Besides, between school and working there wasn’t any time. And anyway, the Rosses kept me plenty busy.” She grinned. “They even took me to Europe with them. Ladies, I have seen Paris, and it is everything it’s cracked up to be.”
“And Clayton...” Mel said, munching a fried clam. “No girlfriends?”
“Helene said something about a fiancée years before, but I guess it never panned out. And he certainly never seemed...” She hesitated. “Interested.” In front of her, two sets of eyebrows raised, and April sighed. “Yeah. Although I never knew for sure if he was gay. And this is all hindsight, anyway. Also not my point.”
Her sandwich somehow finished, April wiped her fingers on her napkin, then tucked it under the rim of her plate. “Shortly after we got back, Daddy came down with some weird infection that nearly killed him. My parents had no insurance, and even though he pulled through, it was a long recuperation. And only Mama to take care of him. I nearly worried myself sick, wondering how we were going to pay the medical bills, if he’d have a relapse and we’d lose him altogether, about how hard this all was on Mama. But I couldn’t quit work to help her, since by then my income was all we had.”
“Oh, honey...” Mel reached across the table for her hand. “I had no idea things were that bad.”
“Nobody did. Mama didn’t want the family to know, because then it would get back to Nana and she couldn’t deal with the ‘I told you sos.’ About her marrying Daddy to begin with, I mean.”
Blythe sighed. “And she would have, too.”
“Yeah,” April said. “Anyway, I tried to keep it together when I was around the Rosses, not let on what we were going through, but that’s kind of hard to do when you’re living in someone’s house. Especially when your employer walks in on you when you’re crying your eyes out.”
“Oops,” Mel said, and April smiled.
“I blurted out the whole sad story. And Clay simply...listened. And within the day...” Her throat got so tight she could barely speak. “He’d settled all their bills, arranged for a monthly stipend for them while my father was recuperating, and a nurse’s aide to come in every day so Mama could get a break.”
“Holy cannoli,” Mel breathed. “That’s like...” She slammed her chin into her hand. “Wow.”
“I know. He said, after the miracle I’d worked with his mother, it was the least he could do. Then a month later he found out he was sick. But in his case, it was terminal. He told me, but he didn’t want his mother to know. Not yet. I didn’t think it was right, not telling her, but of course I said I wouldn’t.” She released a breath. “Less than a year, they’d given him. Poor man...he’d been knocked on his pins. He was quiet and reserved, but he took such a simple joy in life, in
She looked back at her cousins. “A few months in, he asked if I’d consider living there full-time. In my own suite. Sitting room, fireplace, jetted tub, the works. And with a very hefty salary hike, to boot. I’d’ve been an idiot to refuse. And once I moved in, he and I started spending more time together, when he wasn’t away on business. Didn’t take long before I realized he was one of the kindest men I’d ever met. Very fair. And funny, in his own way. Even though he was a lot older than I was. And I liked him. Quite a bit, actually.”
“Define ‘a lot.’”
“In his forties.”
Mel frowned. “And you weren’t dating guys your own age?”
“My own age? As in, their early twenties?”
Blythe snorted. “Good point.”
“I’d never dated much as it was. Even after we all stopped coming here for the summer. Besides, between school and working there wasn’t any time. And anyway, the Rosses kept me plenty busy.” She grinned. “They even took me to Europe with them. Ladies, I have seen Paris, and it is everything it’s cracked up to be.”
“And Clayton...” Mel said, munching a fried clam. “No girlfriends?”
“Helene said something about a fiancée years before, but I guess it never panned out. And he certainly never seemed...” She hesitated. “Interested.” In front of her, two sets of eyebrows raised, and April sighed. “Yeah. Although I never knew for sure if he was gay. And this is all hindsight, anyway. Also not my point.”
Her sandwich somehow finished, April wiped her fingers on her napkin, then tucked it under the rim of her plate. “Shortly after we got back, Daddy came down with some weird infection that nearly killed him. My parents had no insurance, and even though he pulled through, it was a long recuperation. And only Mama to take care of him. I nearly worried myself sick, wondering how we were going to pay the medical bills, if he’d have a relapse and we’d lose him altogether, about how hard this all was on Mama. But I couldn’t quit work to help her, since by then my income was all we had.”
“Oh, honey...” Mel reached across the table for her hand. “I had no idea things were that bad.”
“Nobody did. Mama didn’t want the family to know, because then it would get back to Nana and she couldn’t deal with the ‘I told you sos.’ About her marrying Daddy to begin with, I mean.”
Blythe sighed. “And she would have, too.”
“Yeah,” April said. “Anyway, I tried to keep it together when I was around the Rosses, not let on what we were going through, but that’s kind of hard to do when you’re living in someone’s house. Especially when your employer walks in on you when you’re crying your eyes out.”
“Oops,” Mel said, and April smiled.
“I blurted out the whole sad story. And Clay simply...listened. And within the day...” Her throat got so tight she could barely speak. “He’d settled all their bills, arranged for a monthly stipend for them while my father was recuperating, and a nurse’s aide to come in every day so Mama could get a break.”
“Holy cannoli,” Mel breathed. “That’s like...” She slammed her chin into her hand. “Wow.”
“I know. He said, after the miracle I’d worked with his mother, it was the least he could do. Then a month later he found out he was sick. But in his case, it was terminal. He told me, but he didn’t want his mother to know. Not yet. I didn’t think it was right, not telling her, but of course I said I wouldn’t.” She released a breath. “Less than a year, they’d given him. Poor man...he’d been knocked on his pins. He was quiet and reserved, but he took such a simple joy in life, in
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