Chapter 11
Janie was surprised at the progress that had been made in Caroline’s house. In less than two weeks, the whole place had been gutted, the rough plumbing and electrical was nearly finished, and the drywall was starting to go up.
“This is looking fantastic,” she told Caroline on Saturday. “At this rate you might be in here by Christmas.”
“Don’t count on it,” Paul said as he came in from where he’d been checking on something in the master bathroom. “It’s the finish work that slows everything down.”
“Well, anyway, it looks great. And I think it’s nice you’re helping Caroline out.” Janie made a face at him. “Even if you did refuse to help me.”
He just laughed. “Hey, it’s all about timing. I was too busy when you needed help. But December is slow. Slower than usual even.”
“Lucky for you,” Janie told Caroline.
Caroline just made what seemed a stiff smile. “Uh-huh.”
“Okay, ladies.” Paul nodded briskly. “I’ll let you get back to your sewing circle.”
Janie laughed. “Yeah, right.”
“See you later, Paul,” Caroline called out as he left. She went over to the door, as if to be sure it was closed, then turned to Janie. “I have a problem,” she said in a serious tone.
“What?”
“Paul.”
Janie blinked. “What do you mean?” Had Paul put the move on Caroline? In a way, it wouldn’t surprise Janie. Paul had always been a bit of a flirt. And yet it would be so incredibly low. Surely Paul wouldn’t go after one of his wife’s very best friends. Really, that would be almost unforgivable.
“I mean I walked in here yesterday, and Paul and Bonnie were standing right over there in the kitchen and …” Caroline held up her hands in a frustrated gesture.
“You mean they were together—in a compromising position?” Janie waited.
“No, not exactly. Not like that. But they were standing very close together. You know, the kind of close that gets your attention … too intimate for just business associates. And then when they realized I was in the house, they stepped apart real quick. You know, like they felt guilty.”
“Oh.” Janie shook her head. “Oh dear.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure that is was …” Janie’s voice trailed off. “Of course you’re sure.”
“I wish I was wrong, Janie. I really do. But I just don’t think so.”
“So now what?”
“I don’t know.” Caroline looked close to tears. “I feel like this is all my fault, Janie. Why did I hire Paul and Bonnie? I should’ve known better. I am the worst friend in the world. Abby should hate me.” Caroline was crying.
“It is not your fault,” Janie told her.
“But I hired Bonnie behind Abby’s back.”
“Because Paul insisted you hire her.”
Caroline sniffed. “Yeah. That’s true. Even so, Abby doesn’t deserve this.”
“Don’t blame yourself for Paul’s stupidity.” Janie opened her purse, pulled out a tissue pack, and handed it to Caroline.
“Unless I’m wrong.” Caroline blew her nose. “Maybe I saw something that really wasn’t there. And if I looked at them, you know, in that way—like they were guilty—maybe they acted that way. Do you think?”
“I don’t know what to think. But I do know this is not your fault, Caroline. Paul and Bonnie are adults who make their own choices. They work together a lot. Everyone in town knows this. Abby knows this.”
“Does she?” Caroline cocked her head to one side.
“I don’t know. I guess I assume she knows it.”
“Anyway.” Caroline let out a loud sigh. “What do I do now?”
Janie pressed her lips together, thinking. “I’m not sure. But maybe you do nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Well, what can you really do? Do you want to fire them in the middle of your remodel? If you cancel their contracts for personal reasons, you could be held responsible for paying them anyway. Can you afford that?”
Caroline shook her head.
“And what good does that do Abby?”
She shrugged.
“It’s not like you caught them actually doing something. I mean if they’d been embracing or kissing, I think you could make a case of it. I’d even help you with it. But if they were only standing too close—how do we define too close? I mean, some people have closer boundaries than others. As I recall, Bonnie is one of those people whose comfort zone is a lot more intimate than mine.”
“That’s true.” Caroline nodded. “She does get close when she’s intense about something.”
“So it’s possible that she’d done that to Paul,” Janie reasoned. “And maybe he was uncomfortable too, and that’s why he backed up.”
“Do you think?” Caroline looked hopeful.
Janie shrugged. “I think it’s all we have to go on.”
“Okay.” Caroline blew her nose again. “That’s what I’m going to tell myself.”
“If you walk in on something that’s—well, more obviously wrong—then we’ll confront Paul. Together.”
“Really?” Caroline smiled. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course I would.”
Caroline came over and hugged Janie. “You are such a good friend! Thanks.”
As Janie drove over to Victor’s, where he was fixing her dinner, she wondered if that was true. Was she really such a good friend? To Abby?