in view!"
"Lacey," Martha Seldon said determinedly, sensing
that the end to her daughter's crisis was not yet in sight, "don't you
think this has gone far enough? It's all well and good to take a vacation . .
."
"It's not a vacation, mom," Lacey retorted,
trying to keep her tone light "It's quite permanent. Please try and
understand that"
There
was a pause and then her mother threw in the real reason for the call.
"Roger," she said very meaningfully, "is getting a
divorce."
"No kidding? Another one?" Lacey took the news of
her ex-husband's impending freedom with a complete lack of emotion. "How
did you hear about it?"
Holt's head came up, a frown etching the corners of his
mouth and knitting the tawny brows.
"He called us, Lacey," Mrs. Seldon informed her
in a portentous voice. "He asked to speak to you."
Lacey shook her head in wry disgust. "Why?" she
asked coolly. "He surely didn't think I'd be hanging around to comfort and
console him, did he?" But knowing Roger, that was probably exactly what
he'd thought He'd been well aware of how much Lacey's family approved of him
and how Lacey always did as her family and everyone else in town expected.
"Now, Lacey, you know he always cared for you. . .
." Martha Seldon began soothingly. She'd always liked the idea of Lacey
marrying a doctor.
"Roger Wesley only cared for me as long as he needed a
source of funds to pay off his medical-school debts. When are you and dad going
to realize that?" Lacey suddenly grew uncomfortably aware of Holt's
presence and turned away to speak more privately into the phone. "I could
care less that he's getting a divorce and you have my permission to tell him
so!"
"Lacey, sometimes a man needs to sow a few wild oats.
Roger didn't get the chance to do it before because he was all wrapped up
trying to get through medical school. He's probably worked it out of his system
by now and realized that it's you he really wanted all along. Men are like
that, dear. Sometimes we women have to be a little understanding. . . ."
Lacey grinned in spite of herself. And then the grin turned
into outright laughter. "Oh, mom!"
"Lacey! What's so funny? This is your husband we're
talking about!"
"My ex-husband and that's how he's going to stay. Ex.
If he asks, you can tell him that I'm sowing some wild oats myself. What's
more, this crop is going to be permanent! Good-bye, mom. Give my love to dad.
I'll talk to you next week."
Blue-green eyes still dancing with humor, Lacey hung up the
phone. She swung around to find Holt watching her with a narrow, assessing
look.
"A last appeal to sanity?" he hazarded dryly,
still holding her letter.
"I'm afraid they're having trouble accepting the fact
that I really have gone crazy for good." She reached for the paper in his
hand. Holt gave it to her.
"Sounds like mom was trying to bait the hook," he went on remotely. "Roger, I take it, is
your ex-husband?"
"Newly divorced again, it seems. And going out of his
way to tell my parents the news. He knows they always approved of him."
"Meaning he might have visions of getting back his
nice, understanding, conforming little wife?"
"Who
understands him only too well!"
"Do you hate him?" Holt suddenly asked softly,
searchingly.
"Nope. I simply don't care about him one way or the
other. Total indifference, I'm afraid."
"Good."
Her eyes widened in surprise at the satisfaction in the
single word. "Why do you say that?"
"Because
it means you really are over him."
"I was over Roger before he filed for divorce. He did
me a favor. The only reason I didn't file first was because I was having
trouble gathering the courage to create the necessary scene. I knew the whole
town would be watching, you see."
"And now you're thinking of taking a job in Hawaii and
having an affair. Sowing some wild oats. You've come a long way from Iowa,
Lacey Seldon," Holt observed with a cool nod. "Speaking of the
affair, when do you plan to start?"
Her chin
lifted at the sarcasm. "How do you know it
"Lacey," Martha Seldon said determinedly, sensing
that the end to her daughter's crisis was not yet in sight, "don't you
think this has gone far enough? It's all well and good to take a vacation . .
."
"It's not a vacation, mom," Lacey retorted,
trying to keep her tone light "It's quite permanent. Please try and
understand that"
There
was a pause and then her mother threw in the real reason for the call.
"Roger," she said very meaningfully, "is getting a
divorce."
"No kidding? Another one?" Lacey took the news of
her ex-husband's impending freedom with a complete lack of emotion. "How
did you hear about it?"
Holt's head came up, a frown etching the corners of his
mouth and knitting the tawny brows.
"He called us, Lacey," Mrs. Seldon informed her
in a portentous voice. "He asked to speak to you."
Lacey shook her head in wry disgust. "Why?" she
asked coolly. "He surely didn't think I'd be hanging around to comfort and
console him, did he?" But knowing Roger, that was probably exactly what
he'd thought He'd been well aware of how much Lacey's family approved of him
and how Lacey always did as her family and everyone else in town expected.
"Now, Lacey, you know he always cared for you. . .
." Martha Seldon began soothingly. She'd always liked the idea of Lacey
marrying a doctor.
"Roger Wesley only cared for me as long as he needed a
source of funds to pay off his medical-school debts. When are you and dad going
to realize that?" Lacey suddenly grew uncomfortably aware of Holt's
presence and turned away to speak more privately into the phone. "I could
care less that he's getting a divorce and you have my permission to tell him
so!"
"Lacey, sometimes a man needs to sow a few wild oats.
Roger didn't get the chance to do it before because he was all wrapped up
trying to get through medical school. He's probably worked it out of his system
by now and realized that it's you he really wanted all along. Men are like
that, dear. Sometimes we women have to be a little understanding. . . ."
Lacey grinned in spite of herself. And then the grin turned
into outright laughter. "Oh, mom!"
"Lacey! What's so funny? This is your husband we're
talking about!"
"My ex-husband and that's how he's going to stay. Ex.
If he asks, you can tell him that I'm sowing some wild oats myself. What's
more, this crop is going to be permanent! Good-bye, mom. Give my love to dad.
I'll talk to you next week."
Blue-green eyes still dancing with humor, Lacey hung up the
phone. She swung around to find Holt watching her with a narrow, assessing
look.
"A last appeal to sanity?" he hazarded dryly,
still holding her letter.
"I'm afraid they're having trouble accepting the fact
that I really have gone crazy for good." She reached for the paper in his
hand. Holt gave it to her.
"Sounds like mom was trying to bait the hook," he went on remotely. "Roger, I take it, is
your ex-husband?"
"Newly divorced again, it seems. And going out of his
way to tell my parents the news. He knows they always approved of him."
"Meaning he might have visions of getting back his
nice, understanding, conforming little wife?"
"Who
understands him only too well!"
"Do you hate him?" Holt suddenly asked softly,
searchingly.
"Nope. I simply don't care about him one way or the
other. Total indifference, I'm afraid."
"Good."
Her eyes widened in surprise at the satisfaction in the
single word. "Why do you say that?"
"Because
it means you really are over him."
"I was over Roger before he filed for divorce. He did
me a favor. The only reason I didn't file first was because I was having
trouble gathering the courage to create the necessary scene. I knew the whole
town would be watching, you see."
"And now you're thinking of taking a job in Hawaii and
having an affair. Sowing some wild oats. You've come a long way from Iowa,
Lacey Seldon," Holt observed with a cool nod. "Speaking of the
affair, when do you plan to start?"
Her chin
lifted at the sarcasm. "How do you know it
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