Read Online Solomon's Decision by Judith B. Glad - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Judith B. Glad
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meadow.
* * * *
Madeline heard that he'd left town early the morning after their adventure and
hadn't come back for a week. In the interim, she'd refused to allow herself to think about
him and had almost convinced herself that her lack of willpower had been due to incipient
hypothermia.
The Garnet Falls grapevine, that since his return he'd been holed up in his
apartment, making long distance calls and pacing the floor. At the Grade School Spring
Program on Wednesday, Sandy Oliverio mentioned that he had a fancy laptop hooked to a
printer/scanner/fax combination, and papers were scattered everywhere. "He told me not to
touch anything," Sandy complained. "How does he expect me to clean the room when I
can't ever dust or make the bed? It even had papers piled on it."
Since he hadn't come in to her office, or called her at work or at home, Madeline
figured he was as embarrassed as she at what had almost happened at Wounded Bear
Meadow. She hoped so, because she didn't want to have to keep pushing him away all the
time he was in town. Sooner or later, she was afraid, she'd forget to push.
Erik's voice from her door called her away from her computer screen Friday
afternoon about three. "Do you ever do anything but work?"
For an instant, before she resolutely told it to behave, her heart leaped in
excitement. She kept her smile impersonal. "All the time. My children and I spend every
weekend playing."
" Your children?" His eyes flicked to her left hand, still poised over the
keyboard.
"My children. I have twins, Kyle and Virginia. They're in first grade." As always,
when she spoke of the children, she let more than a little joy creep into her voice. They
might not be Jesse's biological children, but they were the son and daughter of his
heart.
They were all she had left of him.
His mouth was grim. "What about their father?"
"He's dead. A long time ago." Strange how it didn't hurt any more to say that.
"I see." He stepped into her office and set a file folder on her desk. "Here's a
memo to your commissioners stating my preliminary conclusions. It looks like Wounded
Bear Meadow is a candidate for purchase by NWT, but I want some more information
before I make a definite recommendation to the Board. I'll send a final report and our
decisions as soon as they're compiled."
The shift from friendly bantering to business caught Madeline by surprise, but she
ignored it. She preferred the business. It didn't threaten her equanimity or test her
resolve.
"I'm sure the commissioners will be pleased you've finished so quickly." She
fiddled with her pens, straightened the papers in the folder beside the computer. "You're
leaving, then?"
"For now. I'll be back if we decide to make Zenger an offer, but I'm not usually
involved in the in-depth studies." His tone said, Thank God. She suspected he was
far too important to waste his time on checking out insignificant little marshes out in the
wilderness.
She couldn't understand why she felt so...so let down. She'd known all along he'd
be leaving as soon as he did what he'd come to do. That was why she'd held him at a safe
emotional distance. Or tried to.
"I hope you'll cooperate with whoever we send to continue the studies as fully as
you have with me."
Frowning at the lined-up pens, she pushed a memo pad beside them. "Of course.
Anything I can do to help...." Well, not quite anything. I won't fall in love with your
replacement.
Where had that come from? She hadn't...she wouldn't fall in
love with Erik Solomon, or anyone else. Her life was fine just the way it was. She was glad
he was going away. Glad!
"Assuming you don't change your mind and your Board accepts your
recommendation, what will be the next step?" She wasn't really trying to postpone his
departure. She just wanted to know what to expect.
"Getting funding for the purchase. Usually we have more time than Zenger gave
us and can plan ahead. This time we'll have to get pledges for the entire amount over and
above our annual
* * * *
Madeline heard that he'd left town early the morning after their adventure and
hadn't come back for a week. In the interim, she'd refused to allow herself to think about
him and had almost convinced herself that her lack of willpower had been due to incipient
hypothermia.
The Garnet Falls grapevine, that since his return he'd been holed up in his
apartment, making long distance calls and pacing the floor. At the Grade School Spring
Program on Wednesday, Sandy Oliverio mentioned that he had a fancy laptop hooked to a
printer/scanner/fax combination, and papers were scattered everywhere. "He told me not to
touch anything," Sandy complained. "How does he expect me to clean the room when I
can't ever dust or make the bed? It even had papers piled on it."
Since he hadn't come in to her office, or called her at work or at home, Madeline
figured he was as embarrassed as she at what had almost happened at Wounded Bear
Meadow. She hoped so, because she didn't want to have to keep pushing him away all the
time he was in town. Sooner or later, she was afraid, she'd forget to push.
Erik's voice from her door called her away from her computer screen Friday
afternoon about three. "Do you ever do anything but work?"
For an instant, before she resolutely told it to behave, her heart leaped in
excitement. She kept her smile impersonal. "All the time. My children and I spend every
weekend playing."
" Your children?" His eyes flicked to her left hand, still poised over the
keyboard.
"My children. I have twins, Kyle and Virginia. They're in first grade." As always,
when she spoke of the children, she let more than a little joy creep into her voice. They
might not be Jesse's biological children, but they were the son and daughter of his
heart.
They were all she had left of him.
His mouth was grim. "What about their father?"
"He's dead. A long time ago." Strange how it didn't hurt any more to say that.
"I see." He stepped into her office and set a file folder on her desk. "Here's a
memo to your commissioners stating my preliminary conclusions. It looks like Wounded
Bear Meadow is a candidate for purchase by NWT, but I want some more information
before I make a definite recommendation to the Board. I'll send a final report and our
decisions as soon as they're compiled."
The shift from friendly bantering to business caught Madeline by surprise, but she
ignored it. She preferred the business. It didn't threaten her equanimity or test her
resolve.
"I'm sure the commissioners will be pleased you've finished so quickly." She
fiddled with her pens, straightened the papers in the folder beside the computer. "You're
leaving, then?"
"For now. I'll be back if we decide to make Zenger an offer, but I'm not usually
involved in the in-depth studies." His tone said, Thank God. She suspected he was
far too important to waste his time on checking out insignificant little marshes out in the
wilderness.
She couldn't understand why she felt so...so let down. She'd known all along he'd
be leaving as soon as he did what he'd come to do. That was why she'd held him at a safe
emotional distance. Or tried to.
"I hope you'll cooperate with whoever we send to continue the studies as fully as
you have with me."
Frowning at the lined-up pens, she pushed a memo pad beside them. "Of course.
Anything I can do to help...." Well, not quite anything. I won't fall in love with your
replacement.
Where had that come from? She hadn't...she wouldn't fall in
love with Erik Solomon, or anyone else. Her life was fine just the way it was. She was glad
he was going away. Glad!
"Assuming you don't change your mind and your Board accepts your
recommendation, what will be the next step?" She wasn't really trying to postpone his
departure. She just wanted to know what to expect.
"Getting funding for the purchase. Usually we have more time than Zenger gave
us and can plan ahead. This time we'll have to get pledges for the entire amount over and
above our annual
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