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Authors: Nancy Naigle
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can’t talk about it yet.”
“Katherine, you take care of your family. That’s the most important thing. We’ll cover things here.”
“I might need the whole ninety days.” It was one of the benefits, although it was rare anyone ever took advantage of it, especially since it was without pay.
“We can cross that bridge when we get to it. Do what you need to do. Touch base with me later.”
“My laptop is locked in my desk if you need to secure it.”
“Good, that will save you the trouble of mailing it in while you’re on leave.”
“Thank you so much, Dave.” Katherine knew she was lucky to work for him. Some people wouldn’t have a benefit like this so easily initiated, even if most companies dangled it as one.
“Is there anything I can do?”
He was always so supportive. Not just a coworker, but right up there on the friend list. He’d be shocked when he found out. Or maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe it was a man’s code or something. “No. Nothing anyone can do. Time’s what I need right now.” That wasn’t entirely untrue.
“Make it be on your side then, gal.”
“Thanks.” She hung up the phone and closed her eyes. One five-minute phone call and she had a leave of absence. That was almost too easy.
She put her car in drive and navigated the tight curves toward the garage exit. At the crossarm, she took her credit card from her wallet. Just as she was ready to swipe the card in the machine, she hesitated, and then switched it out for Ron’s. She never used his credit card. They had each other’s cards, just in case, but they’d just always settled their own spending. Not today. No sir.
If Ron had any doubts that it had been she who left that four-letter message on his desk, in case multiple women were competing for his affection (the thought!), the twelve-dollar parking fee on his credit card would solve that little puzzle for him pretty quick.
“Thank you very much,” she sneered.
Cars packed her in on all sides, but at least traffic was moving. She drove in silence. Twice she picked up her phone to call Shaleigh, but then decided she just wasn’t up to discussing things with anyone, not even her lawyer, yet.
When she pulled into her driveway, she didn’t bother putting her car in the garage. Partly because it always drove Ron crazy when she didn’t, and partly because she wasn’t sure she planned to stay. She stared at the house. It wasn’t a home anymore. He’d just ruined that.
She switched off the ignition and sat there.
Just this morning she’d wanted nothing more than to spend more time with her husband and strengthen their bond. Maybe start that family.
If anyone had asked her this morning, she’d have sworn on her life that she’d have a forty- plus -year marriage like Bertie and Donald’s. They’d always seemed so happy, but then even they had secrets.
And now . . . it was making her physically ill to even think about seeing her husband’s face one more time. She’d always sworn she wouldn’t have a marriage like her own mom and dad. They never talked about anything. Nope, they just complained about each other to everyone. She’d always thought if there was any kind of problem, she and Ron would be able to talk about it, and solve it. But then she hadn’t even realized there was a problem, had she? Had she been too busy to even notice?
Katherine sat in the driveway for so long she began to sweat. On a hotter day, she could have suffocated in the car. Wouldn’t that have been a surprise for Ron when he got home? No, she wasn’t the type to go wallowing in self-pity. Lock his ass in the car to suffocate? Maybe.
She pulled herself together and got out. As she walked up the sidewalk, she heard Peggy calling her name as she made her way across the yard.
“I was beginning to think you’d passed out in your car,” she said.
Peggy must have seen her drive up. She looked better than she had yesterday afternoon. Today she wore a crisp white blouse and
“Katherine, you take care of your family. That’s the most important thing. We’ll cover things here.”
“I might need the whole ninety days.” It was one of the benefits, although it was rare anyone ever took advantage of it, especially since it was without pay.
“We can cross that bridge when we get to it. Do what you need to do. Touch base with me later.”
“My laptop is locked in my desk if you need to secure it.”
“Good, that will save you the trouble of mailing it in while you’re on leave.”
“Thank you so much, Dave.” Katherine knew she was lucky to work for him. Some people wouldn’t have a benefit like this so easily initiated, even if most companies dangled it as one.
“Is there anything I can do?”
He was always so supportive. Not just a coworker, but right up there on the friend list. He’d be shocked when he found out. Or maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe it was a man’s code or something. “No. Nothing anyone can do. Time’s what I need right now.” That wasn’t entirely untrue.
“Make it be on your side then, gal.”
“Thanks.” She hung up the phone and closed her eyes. One five-minute phone call and she had a leave of absence. That was almost too easy.
She put her car in drive and navigated the tight curves toward the garage exit. At the crossarm, she took her credit card from her wallet. Just as she was ready to swipe the card in the machine, she hesitated, and then switched it out for Ron’s. She never used his credit card. They had each other’s cards, just in case, but they’d just always settled their own spending. Not today. No sir.
If Ron had any doubts that it had been she who left that four-letter message on his desk, in case multiple women were competing for his affection (the thought!), the twelve-dollar parking fee on his credit card would solve that little puzzle for him pretty quick.
“Thank you very much,” she sneered.
Cars packed her in on all sides, but at least traffic was moving. She drove in silence. Twice she picked up her phone to call Shaleigh, but then decided she just wasn’t up to discussing things with anyone, not even her lawyer, yet.
When she pulled into her driveway, she didn’t bother putting her car in the garage. Partly because it always drove Ron crazy when she didn’t, and partly because she wasn’t sure she planned to stay. She stared at the house. It wasn’t a home anymore. He’d just ruined that.
She switched off the ignition and sat there.
Just this morning she’d wanted nothing more than to spend more time with her husband and strengthen their bond. Maybe start that family.
If anyone had asked her this morning, she’d have sworn on her life that she’d have a forty- plus -year marriage like Bertie and Donald’s. They’d always seemed so happy, but then even they had secrets.
And now . . . it was making her physically ill to even think about seeing her husband’s face one more time. She’d always sworn she wouldn’t have a marriage like her own mom and dad. They never talked about anything. Nope, they just complained about each other to everyone. She’d always thought if there was any kind of problem, she and Ron would be able to talk about it, and solve it. But then she hadn’t even realized there was a problem, had she? Had she been too busy to even notice?
Katherine sat in the driveway for so long she began to sweat. On a hotter day, she could have suffocated in the car. Wouldn’t that have been a surprise for Ron when he got home? No, she wasn’t the type to go wallowing in self-pity. Lock his ass in the car to suffocate? Maybe.
She pulled herself together and got out. As she walked up the sidewalk, she heard Peggy calling her name as she made her way across the yard.
“I was beginning to think you’d passed out in your car,” she said.
Peggy must have seen her drive up. She looked better than she had yesterday afternoon. Today she wore a crisp white blouse and
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