Read Online At the Scent of Water by Linda Nichols - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Linda Nichols
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background. They had fresh Pacific oysters with a tart Chablis, then some kind of curry coconut chicken dish with thyme-grilled asparagus and more wine. Then chocolate raspberry cake and strong bitter espresso. She supposed after she came to work here she wouldn’t be hobnobbing with the boss, but tonight it was grand. She felt exhilarated and sure.
Jason drove her back to her hotel when the evening was over.
“This is out of your way,” she said, a statement rather than a question. Now that she had seen where he lived, she could see exactly how far out of his way it was.
“I don’t mind,” he said.
“Your daughter is precious.” She said it quietly and used exactly the word she meant.
“I know. I realize it more now that her mother is gone.”
They drove in silence for a few moments until he spoke again. “When Libby died, Delia took it hard. That was a rough patch. I took some time off work.”
“That’s good,” Annie said firmly and quickly. “That’s what you should have done.” Another certainty.
They were at the hotel, and she was sorry.
He parked the car, opened her door, and walked her into the lobby. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you,” he said, and his eyes met hers. “I hope you decide to stay.”
“Thank you.” She darted her eyes away, feeling guilty, as if she had done something wrong.
They exchanged good-byes. She returned to her room and sat for a while just thinking about what she should do. There were steps to be taken, and in specific order, and even though she had decided firmly that she would take them, she felt a churn of unexpected emotions, an unsuspected ambivalence. A still, small voice, her grandmother Mamie would have called it, cautioned her, whispering No . She shook her head. The voice belonged only to herself, no matter what Grandma Mamie would have said.
Four
Annie woke early, packed her things, and checked out of the hotel. She called a cab and gave the driver the directions her sister had given her over the telephone that morning. She had felt a mix of emotions to hear Theresa’s voice. Part disappointment, part pure sweet joy. They arranged a brief visit before Annie had to catch a late evening flight back to Seattle. Her sister and brother-in-law had just been sent to Los Angeles. They’d spent most of the last few years in San Francisco, where the headquarters of Dov’s ministry was based.
She watched the driver weave his way through downtown Los Angeles and realized her relationship with Theresa, like so many other things, had suffered collateral damage from the events that had devastated her life five years before.
She had gone straight to them when she had left Sam. They had lived in New Jersey at the time, and she remembered hearing them arguing, her sister and her sister’s husband, the morning after she had arrived. The walls were thin in their apartment, and Dov’s voice was raised. Theresa was shushing him. It wasn’t doing any good. He was an Israeli and was raised in a loud passionate family.
“She needs to go back,” Annie heard him say. “They need to work this out together.”
More shushing and then Dov’s voice again. “How can they work this out if she is in Newark and he is in North Carolina?”
Theresa said something back, a low murmur. Annie turned her head and closed her eyes tightly, though she knew going back to sleep would bring no escape. Her sorrow watched over her during the long hours of the night. There would be no reprieve. She got up and put on her clothes. The same ones she had worn the day before, when she had tried to go back to work. She could not work. What had she thought? That she could write about school board meetings and park budgets again?
She put on the black pants, the white blouse. She brushed her hair and pulled it back. She made the bed, folded the borrowed nightgown, and set it by the pillow. She put on her shoes and went to the bathroom, making noise so they would know she was up
Jason drove her back to her hotel when the evening was over.
“This is out of your way,” she said, a statement rather than a question. Now that she had seen where he lived, she could see exactly how far out of his way it was.
“I don’t mind,” he said.
“Your daughter is precious.” She said it quietly and used exactly the word she meant.
“I know. I realize it more now that her mother is gone.”
They drove in silence for a few moments until he spoke again. “When Libby died, Delia took it hard. That was a rough patch. I took some time off work.”
“That’s good,” Annie said firmly and quickly. “That’s what you should have done.” Another certainty.
They were at the hotel, and she was sorry.
He parked the car, opened her door, and walked her into the lobby. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you,” he said, and his eyes met hers. “I hope you decide to stay.”
“Thank you.” She darted her eyes away, feeling guilty, as if she had done something wrong.
They exchanged good-byes. She returned to her room and sat for a while just thinking about what she should do. There were steps to be taken, and in specific order, and even though she had decided firmly that she would take them, she felt a churn of unexpected emotions, an unsuspected ambivalence. A still, small voice, her grandmother Mamie would have called it, cautioned her, whispering No . She shook her head. The voice belonged only to herself, no matter what Grandma Mamie would have said.
Four
Annie woke early, packed her things, and checked out of the hotel. She called a cab and gave the driver the directions her sister had given her over the telephone that morning. She had felt a mix of emotions to hear Theresa’s voice. Part disappointment, part pure sweet joy. They arranged a brief visit before Annie had to catch a late evening flight back to Seattle. Her sister and brother-in-law had just been sent to Los Angeles. They’d spent most of the last few years in San Francisco, where the headquarters of Dov’s ministry was based.
She watched the driver weave his way through downtown Los Angeles and realized her relationship with Theresa, like so many other things, had suffered collateral damage from the events that had devastated her life five years before.
She had gone straight to them when she had left Sam. They had lived in New Jersey at the time, and she remembered hearing them arguing, her sister and her sister’s husband, the morning after she had arrived. The walls were thin in their apartment, and Dov’s voice was raised. Theresa was shushing him. It wasn’t doing any good. He was an Israeli and was raised in a loud passionate family.
“She needs to go back,” Annie heard him say. “They need to work this out together.”
More shushing and then Dov’s voice again. “How can they work this out if she is in Newark and he is in North Carolina?”
Theresa said something back, a low murmur. Annie turned her head and closed her eyes tightly, though she knew going back to sleep would bring no escape. Her sorrow watched over her during the long hours of the night. There would be no reprieve. She got up and put on her clothes. The same ones she had worn the day before, when she had tried to go back to work. She could not work. What had she thought? That she could write about school board meetings and park budgets again?
She put on the black pants, the white blouse. She brushed her hair and pulled it back. She made the bed, folded the borrowed nightgown, and set it by the pillow. She put on her shoes and went to the bathroom, making noise so they would know she was up
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