Read Online Steps to the Altar by Earlene Fowler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Earlene Fowler
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alone made me feel a little more in control. “Is everything okay with Sam?”
He was the common denominator that had formed the fledgling relationship between us. She loved Sam, Gabe loved Sam, and I loved Sam. On that we all could agree. And she was secure enough as a parent to know that a person could never have too many people caring about them. If she was jealous of my friendship with her son, she never showed it to him or me. For that, I had a great respect for her.
She nodded over at one of my visitor chairs. “May I . . .”
I jumped up saying, “Where are my manners? Please, sit down.”
I closed the door behind her and, instead of retreating behind my desk, sat in the visitor’s chair next to her. Her face visibly relaxed at my equalizing gesture.
“Would you like some coffee?” I asked. “Or a soft drink?”
“No, I’m fine,” she said, smiling at me gratefully. “And I know it’s only ten-thirty, too early for lunch. That was just . . . I’m just trying to break the ice. I need to talk to you.”
I leaned back in the chair, my stomach rumbling in anxiety. Was there something wrong with Sam? “Is Sam—”
She broke into my sentence. “It’s not Sam, don’t worry. Well, it concerns him, but it concerns you more. He called me last night.”
I nodded. “I saw him at the station yesterday. He seemed agitated. Was it about school?”
“We’re okay on that,” she said, settling into the chair, her stiff posture relaxing slightly. “He told me about changing his major. As far as I’m concerned, if he’s happy, not on drugs, and still in school, I don’t care what he studies.”
“Good,” I said. “He was afraid . . .” I stopped, suddenly realizing that I’d revealed that he’d talked to me about it before her or Gabe. I bit my lip, feeling like a fool.
She laughed and touched my arm. “Don’t worry, Benni. I know he talks to you about these things before me and Gabe. That used to bother me, but these days he’s so happy, so all right, how can I be angry?”
My respect for her was growing by the minute. “So, what brings you up to San Celina?”
This time, she bit the corner of her lip. Lydia disconcerted. That was something I’m sure not many people saw. “Actually, it’s you. I’m . . . we’re . . . that is, me and Sam, are concerned about you.”
I jerked my head back. “Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I asked the question even though I suspected I knew what she was about to say.
“It’s Del Hernandez. Sam told me she’s back in Gabe’s life.”
I stared at her dumbly for a moment, a little annoyed that she and Sam would get involved in what was definitely none of their business, but also curious. This Delilah Hernandez was obviously someone more than just Gabe’s ex-partner. And here was a person who would probably know more about that than anyone. The question was, how much did I really want to know?
I looked down at my nails, picked at a hangnail before looking back at Lydia. “They were lovers, weren’t they?” I asked bluntly, wanting and not wanting to know the answer.
She nodded, her face sad, obviously recalling painful memories. “More than that. She was the reason I left Gabe.”
I contemplated that piece of information. Though I’d known that Lydia had left Gabe, I’d never known why. I just assumed from the hints he’d dropped that she couldn’t live with the wild, unpredictable life of an undercover cop, that at the time, he had aspired to be nothing else and that she’d wanted a man who fit better into her idea of a successful, upper-middle-class lifestyle.
Another woman had never been mentioned. I could feel my heart start to beat rapidly—the flight-or-fight response.
“We were having problems before he met her,” Lydia said, her voice low and even. “I don’t want to imply she came in and broke up a good marriage. We might have—probably would have—split up anyway. But she set her eyes on him from the time she was
He was the common denominator that had formed the fledgling relationship between us. She loved Sam, Gabe loved Sam, and I loved Sam. On that we all could agree. And she was secure enough as a parent to know that a person could never have too many people caring about them. If she was jealous of my friendship with her son, she never showed it to him or me. For that, I had a great respect for her.
She nodded over at one of my visitor chairs. “May I . . .”
I jumped up saying, “Where are my manners? Please, sit down.”
I closed the door behind her and, instead of retreating behind my desk, sat in the visitor’s chair next to her. Her face visibly relaxed at my equalizing gesture.
“Would you like some coffee?” I asked. “Or a soft drink?”
“No, I’m fine,” she said, smiling at me gratefully. “And I know it’s only ten-thirty, too early for lunch. That was just . . . I’m just trying to break the ice. I need to talk to you.”
I leaned back in the chair, my stomach rumbling in anxiety. Was there something wrong with Sam? “Is Sam—”
She broke into my sentence. “It’s not Sam, don’t worry. Well, it concerns him, but it concerns you more. He called me last night.”
I nodded. “I saw him at the station yesterday. He seemed agitated. Was it about school?”
“We’re okay on that,” she said, settling into the chair, her stiff posture relaxing slightly. “He told me about changing his major. As far as I’m concerned, if he’s happy, not on drugs, and still in school, I don’t care what he studies.”
“Good,” I said. “He was afraid . . .” I stopped, suddenly realizing that I’d revealed that he’d talked to me about it before her or Gabe. I bit my lip, feeling like a fool.
She laughed and touched my arm. “Don’t worry, Benni. I know he talks to you about these things before me and Gabe. That used to bother me, but these days he’s so happy, so all right, how can I be angry?”
My respect for her was growing by the minute. “So, what brings you up to San Celina?”
This time, she bit the corner of her lip. Lydia disconcerted. That was something I’m sure not many people saw. “Actually, it’s you. I’m . . . we’re . . . that is, me and Sam, are concerned about you.”
I jerked my head back. “Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I asked the question even though I suspected I knew what she was about to say.
“It’s Del Hernandez. Sam told me she’s back in Gabe’s life.”
I stared at her dumbly for a moment, a little annoyed that she and Sam would get involved in what was definitely none of their business, but also curious. This Delilah Hernandez was obviously someone more than just Gabe’s ex-partner. And here was a person who would probably know more about that than anyone. The question was, how much did I really want to know?
I looked down at my nails, picked at a hangnail before looking back at Lydia. “They were lovers, weren’t they?” I asked bluntly, wanting and not wanting to know the answer.
She nodded, her face sad, obviously recalling painful memories. “More than that. She was the reason I left Gabe.”
I contemplated that piece of information. Though I’d known that Lydia had left Gabe, I’d never known why. I just assumed from the hints he’d dropped that she couldn’t live with the wild, unpredictable life of an undercover cop, that at the time, he had aspired to be nothing else and that she’d wanted a man who fit better into her idea of a successful, upper-middle-class lifestyle.
Another woman had never been mentioned. I could feel my heart start to beat rapidly—the flight-or-fight response.
“We were having problems before he met her,” Lydia said, her voice low and even. “I don’t want to imply she came in and broke up a good marriage. We might have—probably would have—split up anyway. But she set her eyes on him from the time she was
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