CHAPTER 31
Nolan caught Deidra ’ s eye in his rearview mirror. She responded to his unvoiced question with a negative shake of her head. He set his face to stone and drove.
“ Have you talked to Mario or Vin lately? ” Mitchell half turned in his seat to see his wife.
“ No. ” Angela hadn ’ t spoken to her own colleagues. Why would she want to talk to his? Their friends were supportive in the beginning, but other than Deidra, she never wanted support. She wanted to be left alone.
“ Did anyone tell you what ’ s been done with my office? My clients? ”
“ No. ”
“ Where is the Mercedes? ”
“ In the garage. ”
“ Have you taken it out, driven it around some? ”
“ No. ”
“ Talked to Bertram? ”
“ No. ”
“ Given the circumstance, I figured you ’ d want to be in touch with our lawyer. ”
“ I have his number. ”
“ I guess you haven ’ t looked at our portfolio either? ”
“ No. I haven ’ t. ” Angela closed her eyes, dissuading further discussion.
Mitchell realized if he wanted conversation it would have to be with either Deidra or Nolan. He stared out of the window.
Hilda was in the yard when they parked. She had a flashlight searching for something along the ground. She waved hello, but continued her search. When they disembarked and came near she said, “ Angela, dear, I had a handful of your bangles and dropped them, right along here, somewhere. I got most of them, but I need you to tell me how many more I ’ m looking for. ”
“ Alrighty. ” Angela wondered why Hilda ha d her bangles, but it wasn ’ t a cause for concern. Anything was possible with Nolan ’ s mother. “ Hilda, I ’ d like you to meet my husband, Mitchell. Mitch, this Nolan ’ s mom, Hilda. ”
“ Good evening. ”
“ Pleasure to meet you, Mitchell. I ’ ve got a room ready for you, second floor, last door on the left. Right next to Angela ’ s. It ’ s across from the one I got for the girlfriend in case she popped up. You all can play musical beds until you get your sleeping arrangements sorted. ”
Having nothing to say to that, Mitchell left it at, “ Thank you. ”
“ Deidra, honey, I put you on the third floor. If I were you, I ’ d want the space. ”
“ Hilda, you are a darling. All I want right now is space. ” With that, Deidra gave her hostess a mock salute and headed for the house.
Hilda talked on, “ Rob ’ s got the kids up at the eyesore. When they conk out he ’ ll bring them down and meet you at the S hack. ”
“ Good. ” Nolan made a beeline toward the Summer Shack.
Angela had been quiet. Her mind was still stumbling over Hilda ’ s casual comment about her room. She didn ’ t have a room at the Enn.
“ Why don ’ t you go on up and get settled in, Mitchell. Angela, here, ” Hilda held out her arm. A neat stack of bracelets covered her wrist. “ Count these. Tell me what ’ s missing. ”
As soon as Mitchell was away, Angela confirmed her suspicion. “ You switched my room? ”
Hilda held her hands up in surrender. “ Nolan ’ s idea. Not mine. He said it wouldn ’ t be right for you and him to sleep in the same house with Mitchell hanging out next door. Pfff. You can sleep wherever you want. ”
“ Nolan said that? ”
“ You sound surprised. He ’ s always going to have your best interest at heart. Where ’ s the hussy? Did you slap her? ”
“ Going home with her momma where she belongs. I ’ d like to slap her, but she ’ s pregnant. ”
“ I didn ’ t say slap her in the belly. ”
Angela chuckled. “ Oh, Hilda. What am I going to do? ”
“ Anything you want. ”
“ What do I want? ” She counted the bangles.
“ To go back to DC and pick up your marriage. It ’ s what I ’ d do. ”
“ You would? ” That sounded easy and wrong.
“ Either that or I ’ d count my blessings and cut my loses. I ’ d stay here and start a new life with a man I loved. ”
That sounded easy and wrong too. “ Looks like you got them all. ”
“ Are you sure? ” Hilda swished the light back and forth. When you wear them, it seems like four or five times as many. ”
Angela pushed the loops on her wrist. “ Yeah. They ’ re cheap anyway. It ’ s no loss. I ’ ve got to get this inside. ” She held up her carry-out bag.
“ What have you got? ” Hilda read the name of the hotel restaurant.
“ Dessert. I thought Lexie would like it. It ’ s good. You might want to get a piece before Tank sees it. ”
“ I ’ m all about dessert. ” Hilda clicked the flashlight off and led the way inside.
“ Just pick, huh? I wish it were that easy. ”
“ It is. Once you get out of your feelings and start thinking logically. Work it out or move on. Win-win. Best of all, it ’ s all up to you. ”
Angela handed Hilda the bag and trudged up the stairs. She didn ’ t want it to be up to her.
. . .
Mitchell was in her room. She watched him touching her things and remembering. She waited until he felt her presence and glanced up before entering.
“ Either your method of organization has changed or somebody took your stuff. This isn ’ t your room. ”
His perception was impressive. She wondered what other things he hadn ’ t forgotten. “ It was the room Hilda gave me when I first came down. I ’ ve never actually slept here. It will be interesting, ” she said.
“ Do I need to ask where you ’ ve been sleeping? ” He sat on her bed and leaned forward, elbows on his thighs.
“ Guest room at Nolan ’ s. It ’ s across the yard. ” She pointed out of the window.
“ Why would you sleep in the man ’ s house when there is a perfectly good and respectable place for you to stay? ” He wasn ’ t aggressive, but there was a note of accusation in his tone.
“ When I woke up from the accident, I was a guest in his house. I ’ m safe there. ” She stood in front of the dresser, arranging things.
“ That makes sense. ” Mitchell wanted to talk, not argue.
. . .
“ I hope you don ’ t mind. ” Deidra was in the kitchen making a cup of tea when Hilda joined her.
“ Not at all. Grab me a cup too. I ’ ll get the good stuff and we ’ ll do a little taste test on this pie thingy. ”
Deidra didn ’ t know what the ‘ good stuff ’ was, but she retrieved a second teacup.
Hilda went to a cabinet and returned with a bottle of E&J Brandy. “ It ’ s been opened, but there ’ s still plenty to share. ”
“ You are … an answer to prayer. You ’ re like, perfection. ” Deidra kissed her fingertips, the Italian way.
“ Living my life, you learn a thing or two about dealing with shit. ” Hilda poured a healthy dollop into each of their teacups.
“ This is some shit, Hilda. You don ’ t know the half of it. ”
“ That ’ s why you ’ re getting ready to tell me. And this bottle is going to be here the whole time. ”
They helped themselves to the pie and let the E&J do its magic.
After the retelling, they moved on to thoughts and opinions. “ Define irony, ” Deidra said. “ I can remember Mitchell and Angela watching that Tom Hanks movie, Castaway. Did you see it? ”
“ Yes, I did. Did they like it? ”
“ Angela thought the husband should have stepped back for a while, to give them time to see if what they had was still there. Mitch, ” she remembered with a scowl, “ said no way. He thought Helen Hunt belonged with the guy she was with. He didn ’ t think the new guy should have to step aside and change his life just because Tom Hanks came back. I wonder what they ’ d say now. ”
Hilda snorted. “ That ’ s easy. I can tell you, Mitchell doesn ’ t give a shit about the new guy and if I were you, I wouldn ’ t mention that movie to either of them. ”
The back door opened. Lexie and Tank pushed past Rob as they raced into the kitchen.
Tank caught sight of the food and for him, all activity stopped. “ Oooh. What ’ s that? ”
“ Hi, Tank. Say hello to Miss Deidra. ” Hilda reached for the knife.
“ Hi, Miss Deidra. ” Tank didn ’ t look at her. He measured the slice Hilda cut for him.
“ Hi, Miss Deidra. Where ’ s Angela? ” Lexie double checked the kitchen.
“ She ’ s upstairs, but she needs a minute. She ’ s talking —” Hilda shut up. Lexie ran down the hall.
“ Hi, Miss Deidra. ” Rob grinned.
“ Hello , Dr. Woods. ”
“ Rob. Please. ”
“ Rob. Would you like some dessert? ” Deidra pointed to the brownie pie.
“ I would. I want everything. ” He pointed to the E&J.
“ Yeah, well, that ’ s going to have to wait, isn ’ t it? ” Hilda grabbed her bottle. “ Get your butt over to the shack. Nolan needs you. ”
Rob gave Deidra a dramatic bow. “ Ahhh. Sibling duty calls. You understand. ”
She moved her braids out of her way. “ I do. Hence the E&J. ”
“ Please, please, please, may I have a rain check? ” He pressed his palms together in a prayerful salute.
Deidra ’ s face lit up. He was too cute. He was a doctor. He was a too-cute doctor . Raincheck? Yeah. “ Absolutely. ”
“ Can I have some more cake? ” Tank licked the last bit off his fork.
Only Deidra seemed impressed with his speed of consumption.