Chapter 26

Marley

Marley knew it was unnecessary, not to mention expensive, but with only two days left on the cruise, she decided to call Jack. Mostly she wanted to tell him about the amazing sunset she’d seen tonight, and how she’d taken all kinds of photos, and how the moon was hanging over the ocean … and how she wished he was here … or she was there. When his cell phone went directly to voice mail, she decided to try the house. Hunter would be in bed by now, and Jack would probably be sitting by his fireplace, reading a book. She could just imagine him there. But when a female voice answered the phone, Marley was so caught off guard, she didn’t know what to say. “Is Jack there?” she stammered, wondering if she’d called the wrong number.

“He’s busy. Can I take a message?”

“Sylvia?” Marley ventured.

“Yes?”

“Oh, this is Marley.” She tried to sound natural. “I didn’t recognize your voice. I’m in Mexico, and I was just calling to say hi.”

“Yes, Jack told me you were cruising with your friends. How lovely. Is the weather delightful?”

“Yes, it’s been great.” Then, for lack of anything else to say, Marley told Sylvia about the sickness on the ship. “But Janie and Caroline are much better.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear.”

“Well, would you tell Jack I called?” Marley didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to ask where Jack was and why he was busy—and more than that, why Sylvia was at Jack’s house at this hour. Instead, she said good-bye. Then she went back inside, joining her friends in a booth in the ship’s lounge as they listened to a comedienne talking about some childhood humiliations. But Marley had a hard time focusing on the jokes as she continued to ponder why Sylvia was at Jack’s and why she didn’t let Marley speak to Jack.

Finally the act ended and the women started chatting among themselves, but Marley was still stewing. “What’s troubling you?” Caroline asked her.

Marley started to say “nothing” but then remembered their promise. She told them about the phone call.

“Why didn’t you just tell her to put Jack on the phone?” Abby asked.

“It’s like I couldn’t think. I was so surprised. My mind was running around in circles.”

“So what do you think she was doing there?” Janie asked.

“I have no idea.” Marley shook her head. “At this hour it just seems odd. Why couldn’t Jack come to the phone?”

“Because he was in the bathroom?” Caroline suggested.

“Maybe he was doing something with Hunter.”

“Maybe Sylvia was babysitting Hunter,” Abby tossed out, “and maybe Jack wasn’t even there.”

“Then why would Sylvia say he was busy?” Marley asked.

“Because she wants you to think he’s busy?” Janie offered. “To create the illusion that something’s going on between them?”

“So that you’ll act jealous,” Caroline declared. “And then you’ll get mad at Jack and say something stupid and that will increase Sylvia’s chances with him.”

“Or maybe Sylvia sneaked into Jack’s house,” Abby teased, “and she gave him a cup of drugged tea and then sat by his phone just hoping you’d call so she could get your goat and possibly ruin your romance with Jack.”

Marley couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I suppose it could be any of those scenarios. And probably none of them. But I feel better just getting it out in the open. You girls are good medicine.”

They started tossing out even more preposterous explanations for why Sylvia was answering Jack’s phone. “She’s really an alien from Uranus.” Caroline giggled. “And she’s kidnapping Jack to the mother ship so they can examine his prosthetic leg.” Soon they were all laughing so hard that other passengers were watching and whispering.

“I guess we should start our own comic act,” Abby said.

While Marley could see the humor in the situation, and she suspected she’d overblown it in her mind, she still felt worried as she got ready for bed. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t trust Jack. It was more that she didn’t trust Sylvia. But, as was becoming her habit, she decided to pray about it rather than obsess. However, it wasn’t easy to push her worries away. Perhaps the reason was that Marley felt more acutely aware than ever of how much she really loved Jack. How much she didn’t want to lose him. If it wasn’t past midnight, she would be tempted to call him and find out exactly what was going on—and to set him straight in regard to her feelings. She knew that he knew that she loved him. They’d both stated it clearly. But perhaps she’d failed to express adequately just how much she loved him!

The next morning Marley got up early. Tiptoeing through the cabin, she pulled on her cargo shorts, T-shirt, and sandals. Then, silently getting her camera and cell phone, she let herself out. She hoped Janie would catch some more sleep. She strolled the nearly deserted decks, snapping sunrise photos while the dawn light glowed and until her camera’s battery grew weak and the smell of coffee tempted her to take a break.

She desperately wanted to call Jack, but she knew that mornings were a busy time for him. He needed to get Hunter’s breakfast into her, go over what she needed for school, make her lunch, tame her curly hair, assure her after she’d tried sixteen outfits that she looked absolutely perfect, and finally get her loaded onto the bus for school. He’d told Marley before how exhausting it was and how he admired mothers who did it with more than one child.

“I wouldn’t know about that,” she’d admitted to him. “But I have heard that it gets easier with each additional child.”

He had laughed. “Thankfully, I don’t need to be concerned about that.”

Then Marley knew that he took a little time to straighten his house a bit. She’d suggested he hire someone to help. Leah was good at watching Hunter after school, but her ability to tidy up was questionable. It would be close to ten when Jack would head over to the gallery. Sometimes he picked up a newspaper and a cup of coffee before he unlocked his doors. And although his sign said the shop opened at ten, no one in town took these things too seriously. It was unusual to have customers first thing in the morning.

Marley planned to call him around ten thirty, after he’d had a chance to drink his cup of coffee and settle in some. Fortunately, Sylvia never came to work until noon, so Marley felt relatively sure she wouldn’t have to deal with her again. Just the thought of that was unsettling. What had she been doing at Jack’s last night? As Marley dialed the shop phone number, she told herself that if by chance Sylvia did pick up, Marley would hang up. Even if Sylvia checked the caller ID, Marley could always claim it was a pocket dial or disconnect. Such things were common with cell phones.

To her relief Jack answered. “Marley!” he exclaimed. “How is my lady of the high seas?”

She laughed. “I’m fine, Jack.” Then she described the amazing morning and the photos she’d taken.

“It’s raining here,” he said glumly.

She told him how she’d called last night. “The moon over the ocean was so amazing. I just wanted to share it with you.”

“You called last night?”

“Yes.” She kept her voice even. “Sylvia answered.”

“Sylvia was there?”

“Yes. She said you were busy.”

“What time was it?”

“Around ten.” Marley held her breath, waiting.

“I must’ve still been at the chamber meeting.”

Realization sunk in. It would’ve been a chamber night. “Oh. Was Sylvia watching Hunter for you?”

“No. She was picking up Leah. They’re sharing a car again. Sylvia’s is in the shop.”

“Oh.” Marley felt ridiculous.

“Did you think …? I mean, were you worried about why Sylvia was at my house at such a late hour?”

“A little.” She bit her lip.

“Oh, Marley, I’m sorry. But I don’t understand why Sylvia said I was busy. Was that what she actually said? She didn’t mention the chamber meeting?”

Marley thought hard. “I’m pretty sure she just said you were busy and that she’d give you a message. Then we chatted for a bit.”

“She never mentioned that you’d called.”

Marley sighed. “The truth is, I was pretty upset about it last night, Jack. I feel really silly admitting it now. But I was.”

“I’m sorry, Marley.”

“Oh, it wasn’t your fault. It’s just that I got so worried. I thought Sylvia might be stepping in. You know.” She feigned a laugh. “Trying to steal you from me.”

“No one can steal me from you, Marley. My heart is yours—yours alone.”

“Thanks.” She was so relieved that he hadn’t laughed at her. She remembered times when she’d expressed something like fear or insecurity to her ex-husband and he’d made fun of her.

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll mention it to Sylvia.”

“Oh, I don’t want to create a problem, Jack.”

“No, I won’t make it a problem. I just think I need to lay my cards on the table, so to speak. Sometimes it’s those unsaid things that get people into trouble.”

“That’s true. And speaking of unsaid things, last night, when I was still stewing over this, I realized just how much I love you, Jack.”

“Really?” He sounded pleased. “Tell me more.”

“I do love you, Jack. Maybe I needed to get on this big silly boat just to see how much I could miss you. But I’m afraid I love you a whole lot more than I ever expected to love anyone again.”

“Why would you be afraid of that?”

“Oh Jack. You know why.”

“Because you’re afraid you’ll get hurt.”

“Right. And last night I thought maybe that’s what was happening, you know, with Sylvia. Like history repeating itself.”

“I will never do that to you, Marley. I am a one-woman man. And you, Marley, are my one woman.”

They talked a while longer, and Marley not only felt completely reassured, she felt slightly lightheaded. People were milling around her, waiting to meet friends for breakfast. Her friends were coming her way. “I wish I were home,” she whispered into the phone. “I miss you, Jack.”

“Only two more days,” he told her. “And if you’re not busy, I’d like to make a date with you on your first night back. You interested?”

“You bet.”

They said their good-byes, and, feeling on top of the world, Marley grinned at her friends.

“Was that Jack?” Caroline asked.

Marley nodded, slipping her phone back in her shorts pocket.

“Everything okay back on the home front?” Abby asked.

Marley filled them in as they walked to breakfast. She didn’t give all the details, but she did mention how he planned to say something about the phone call to Sylvia. “I just hope she doesn’t quit on him. Jack really needs the help, and Sylvia’s good in the gallery.”

“Just as long as she keeps it in the gallery,” Caroline said.

“I can trust Jack.” Marley nodded. “He told me he’s a one-woman man, and I believe him.”

“What a guy,” Janie said as they sat down.

“Sounds like a keeper to me,” Caroline told her.

“Yeah.” Abby nodded. “Better hold on to that boy.”

“Don’t worry,” Marley assured them. “I plan to.”