Read Online Mary Jane's Grave by Stacy Dittrich - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stacy Dittrich
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through a filing cabinet in his office.
“Hi, honey. Where are the girls and Sean?” I asked, looking around.
“They’re next door visiting the neighbors’ new puppy.” He shut the cabinet drawer and looked at me, quickly taking in my red, swollen eyes. “What’s wrong, Cee? Where’d you go?”
“I told you, I had to meet Eric for dinner to talk about the divorce papers.”
Michael’s face turned five different shades of red in a matter of seconds. Although he did his best to keep his cool, I saw a brief moment of adolescent jealousy under his stoic exterior. His color quickly returned to normal, and he made his best effort to show concern.
“No, you forgot to tell me about the dinner.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “But I can clearly see it didn’t go well. You okay, Cee?”
I thought back. Maybe I hadn’t told Michael about dinner, although I thought I had. My insides lurched, knotting up.
“I’m sorry, Michael. I thought I told you. I didn’t think the divorce was something I should discuss with Eric over the phone, so I met him at the Corner Grill because he was going in to work early. I didn’t even eat! It didn’t go well and I left.”
“Why didn’t it go well, and why were you crying?” His eyes stayed locked on mine, trying to read me.
I proceeded to tell him exactly what had happened, and I even told him how Eric had threatened to refuse to sign the papers.
Michael crossed his arms and leaned back against the cabinet, a wry smile on his face. “Well, isn’t that something! I’d expect nothing less from Eric. Do you really think he wants you back?”
“Actually, Michael, it doesn’t really matter,” I said quietly. “I told him I was marrying you because I love you, and that’s the only thing that matters. He just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
I went over to him and took both of his hands in mine. “Michael, this will end—and soon. These last two years have been so up and down it’s got to level out somewhere. I’m going to be your wife, and nothing is going to stop that from happening. I love you .”
I took his face in my hands and kissed him deeply.
“I love you, too, Cee,” he whispered. “I just want you to be sure.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt in my mind,” I said softly. I was even about to suggest we sneak upstairs when I heard the kids come in the back door.
“CeeCee!” cried Sean, running to me and giving me a tight hug and a kiss. A miniature version of Michael, he would no doubt break many hearts when he grew up.
Michael changed gears like the pro he was and told the kids to get cleaned up for dinner. I was so exhausted that, by the time dinner was over, I’d dragged myself onto the couch and put my head on Michael’s shoulder to watch a movie with him and the kids. I was asleep within fifteen minutes.
C HAPTER N INE
I woke up in bed the next morning and realized at once that Michael had apparently carried me there from the living room couch. He was gone when I awoke, and I stretched luxuriously, feeling alert and refreshed. I took the rare opportunity to make animal-shaped pancakes for the kids before putting Isabelle and Selina on the bus. Since Sean had arrived a day early for his visit, our neighbor, a stay- at- home mom named Maggie, agreed to watch him.
I went to work earlier than usual and began combing every inch of the Kari Sutter murder case file. I could see that Bob was getting annoyed by my constant phone calls to the lab bugging them for the final test results. By afternoon, he had taken the phone off the hook.
I managed to sneak in a call to my attorney to get moving on the divorce paperwork as soon as possible. We had learned the original paperwork had somehow gotten lost by a temporary clerk. Worried about losing her job, she had kept quiet and never disclosed the error.
The errant clerk, whom I would gladly have strangled, had thankfully been terminated due to other errors on her part. As a result, there
“Hi, honey. Where are the girls and Sean?” I asked, looking around.
“They’re next door visiting the neighbors’ new puppy.” He shut the cabinet drawer and looked at me, quickly taking in my red, swollen eyes. “What’s wrong, Cee? Where’d you go?”
“I told you, I had to meet Eric for dinner to talk about the divorce papers.”
Michael’s face turned five different shades of red in a matter of seconds. Although he did his best to keep his cool, I saw a brief moment of adolescent jealousy under his stoic exterior. His color quickly returned to normal, and he made his best effort to show concern.
“No, you forgot to tell me about the dinner.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “But I can clearly see it didn’t go well. You okay, Cee?”
I thought back. Maybe I hadn’t told Michael about dinner, although I thought I had. My insides lurched, knotting up.
“I’m sorry, Michael. I thought I told you. I didn’t think the divorce was something I should discuss with Eric over the phone, so I met him at the Corner Grill because he was going in to work early. I didn’t even eat! It didn’t go well and I left.”
“Why didn’t it go well, and why were you crying?” His eyes stayed locked on mine, trying to read me.
I proceeded to tell him exactly what had happened, and I even told him how Eric had threatened to refuse to sign the papers.
Michael crossed his arms and leaned back against the cabinet, a wry smile on his face. “Well, isn’t that something! I’d expect nothing less from Eric. Do you really think he wants you back?”
“Actually, Michael, it doesn’t really matter,” I said quietly. “I told him I was marrying you because I love you, and that’s the only thing that matters. He just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
I went over to him and took both of his hands in mine. “Michael, this will end—and soon. These last two years have been so up and down it’s got to level out somewhere. I’m going to be your wife, and nothing is going to stop that from happening. I love you .”
I took his face in my hands and kissed him deeply.
“I love you, too, Cee,” he whispered. “I just want you to be sure.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt in my mind,” I said softly. I was even about to suggest we sneak upstairs when I heard the kids come in the back door.
“CeeCee!” cried Sean, running to me and giving me a tight hug and a kiss. A miniature version of Michael, he would no doubt break many hearts when he grew up.
Michael changed gears like the pro he was and told the kids to get cleaned up for dinner. I was so exhausted that, by the time dinner was over, I’d dragged myself onto the couch and put my head on Michael’s shoulder to watch a movie with him and the kids. I was asleep within fifteen minutes.
C HAPTER N INE
I woke up in bed the next morning and realized at once that Michael had apparently carried me there from the living room couch. He was gone when I awoke, and I stretched luxuriously, feeling alert and refreshed. I took the rare opportunity to make animal-shaped pancakes for the kids before putting Isabelle and Selina on the bus. Since Sean had arrived a day early for his visit, our neighbor, a stay- at- home mom named Maggie, agreed to watch him.
I went to work earlier than usual and began combing every inch of the Kari Sutter murder case file. I could see that Bob was getting annoyed by my constant phone calls to the lab bugging them for the final test results. By afternoon, he had taken the phone off the hook.
I managed to sneak in a call to my attorney to get moving on the divorce paperwork as soon as possible. We had learned the original paperwork had somehow gotten lost by a temporary clerk. Worried about losing her job, she had kept quiet and never disclosed the error.
The errant clerk, whom I would gladly have strangled, had thankfully been terminated due to other errors on her part. As a result, there
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