CHAPTER 19

When the phone rang at midnight, Elliott reached for it, hoping to grab it before it woke Karen. He should have known better. She was already sitting up, rubbing her eyes as he answered.

“What is it?” she murmured sleepily. “Nobody calls at this hour.”

“It’s Sarah,” he said, muffling the phone with his hand.

Karen was instantly alert. “Why? What’s happened?”

Smiling as he tried to listen to Sarah, even as Karen peppered him with questions, he finally laughed out loud and handed the phone over to her. “You need to hear this for yourself,” he told her.

Regarding him with puzzlement, she took the phone. “Sarah? What’s going on?”

Elliott watched the play of emotions on her face as Sarah apparently told her what she’d just told him—that Frances, Flo and Liz were currently looped out of their minds on margaritas and singing in the yard that separated Liz’s guest house from the main house she’d sold to Travis before his marriage to Sarah.

“Oh, dear,” Karen murmured, though she couldn’t seem to stop herself from smiling. “Of course I’ll be right there.”

When she’d hung up, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to meet Elliott’s gaze. “She told you?” she asked, lips twitching.

“Oh, yeah,” Elliott confirmed. “I gather you want to go and pick up Frances.”

“One of us certainly needs to. She’ll probably be less embarrassed if it’s me.”

“You sure about that?”

“I’m like a daughter to her,” Karen said.

“Precisely. What mother wants her daughter to see her making a fool of herself? Besides, she might require a little extra assistance getting home and into her apartment.”

“True, but I can’t help myself. I have to see this. And I gather Sarah has also called Helen to come after Flo. How can I miss that?”

Elliott chuckled. “It’s a sight I wouldn’t mind seeing, either, but obviously we can’t both go. Will you bring Frances back here?”

“I suppose that depends. She may insist on going home to be sure the kids don’t get a glimpse of her like this.”

Elliott nodded. “Okay, do whatever you think is best. Just call me if you’re going to stay with her. I can handle things here in the morning.”

“You can’t say we don’t lead interesting lives,” she told him as she dragged on jeans and a sweatshirt. “Try to get some sleep. I know the open house is Saturday, and you have a million and one things that need to get done tomorrow. If I can help, leave me a note if I’m not back before you go in the morning.”

“Will do.” He rolled over and would have buried his head under a pillow, but a thought struck him. “Hey, Karen,” he said just as she was about to walk out.

“What?”

“Take video,” he said, barely containing a chuckle. “I think when she sobers up, Frances is going to want a record of this night. Something tells me it’s been years since she’s gone this wild.”

“You just want something to hold over her head next time you’re in dire need of her oatmeal raisin cookies,” she accused.

“Absolutely not. Charm’s all I need to get those,” he boasted. “It still works on her.”

In fact, he wished it worked half as well on his wife.

* * *

When Karen parked in front of Travis and Sarah’s house, it looked as if they were throwing a party. Helen’s car was already there, along with Carter Rollins’s police cruiser, lights flashing. She gathered a neighbor had taken exception to the post-midnight concert from the three unruly seniors.

As she rounded the side of the main house, she overheard Helen’s impatient voice. “Mom, what on earth were you thinking? Who gets drunk and disorderly at your age?”

“We were just having a little fun,” Flo said defensively. “You girls have margarita nights all the time without anyone calling the cops.”

“Mostly because we don’t go outside and serenade the entire neighborhood,” Helen said with unmistakable exasperation.

Karen spotted Frances seated on a concrete bench in the garden and crossed the yard to sit beside her. “Girls’ night out?” she inquired lightly.

Frances blinked and regarded her with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Sarah called me. She thought you might want a lift home or back to my place.”

“Really? I was going to walk as soon as things stopped spinning.”

“Probably not a good idea,” Karen told her. “Just how many margaritas did you have?”

“I only remember one,” she said, her expression bewildered. “Would one knock me on my behind like this?”

“If it was Helen’s recipe, yes,” Karen said, chuckling despite her determination to be sympathetic and nonjudgmental. “There’s a reason we all describe them as lethal.”

“Yes, I can see that now,” Frances said, her head bobbing like one of those dolls.

“Are you ready to go?”

Frances shook her head, then winced, probably because it was pounding with a margarita-induced headache. “I really can’t drink anymore,” she murmured regretfully. “I could hold my liquor much better back in the day.”

“I’m sure you could,” Karen consoled her. “Do you think you’re feeling steady enough to walk to my car?”

“Can’t go,” Frances said, gesturing toward Carter who was standing across the lawn next to Travis, both of them clearly trying to muffle laughter. She leaned closer to Karen and confided, “I think we’re under arrest.”

Frances sounded oddly pleased by the possibility.

“Let me check,” Karen offered. “I’m pretty sure you’re free to go.”

She patted Frances’s hand, then crossed the lawn. “Any reason I can’t take Frances home?” she asked Carter, whose eyes were twinkling.

“None that I can see,” the town’s police chief said, grinning. “Assuming she can stay upright long enough to get to your car.”

“I’ll get her out there,” Travis offered. “Will you be able to manage once you get her home?”

Karen nodded. “As long as she doesn’t pass out on me, I’ll get her inside. Worst case, I’ll take her to my house, and Elliott can carry her in. She can sleep in the guest room.” She regarded Travis curiously. “Any idea what brought this on?”

“According to Liz, who’s in no better shape than these two, they saw Frances’s doctor today in Columbia.”

The last of Karen’s humor at the situation fled. “Oh, my God, what did he tell her?”

“I’m a little muddy on that,” Travis admitted, his expression sobering, as well. “I’m not sure if they were celebrating good news or drowning their sorrows. Chances are you won’t get to the bottom of it until morning, when clearer heads prevail.”

Karen glanced across the yard to where Frances was rocking back and forth on that bench, a woebegone expression on her face. Just looking at her, she had a hunch she knew what the news had been. And if it was as dire as she feared, morning would be soon enough to hear about it.

* * *

Frances had never been so embarrassed in her life. What little she could recall of the night before was mostly a blur of margarita-induced laughter, singing every Johnny Cash song they could remember, and then the arrival, first of Sarah and Travis, whom they’d obviously awakened, then of Carter Rollins, followed by Helen and Karen. Since she’d awakened in her own bed, someone had obviously brought her home. She was fairly certain she could thank Karen for that.

She sat up gingerly, waited for the room to steady itself, then stood slowly, holding on tightly to the nightstand beside the bed.

“Hmm,” she murmured with surprise. “Not so bad.”

She went into the bathroom, took a shower, washed her face and cleaned her teeth, then pulled on a comfortable pair of slacks and a blouse. When she walked into the kitchen and found Karen there, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“I didn’t know you’d stayed,” Frances said. “You must have been the one who got me home.”

“That was me,” Karen confirmed, doing a halfhearted job of stifling a smile.

Frances winced. “Just how bad was it? I remember Carter showing up, but not much after that.”

“Oh, I think the presence of a cop quieted things down pretty quickly,” Karen said, then giggled as she reported, “You thought you were under arrest.”

“But we weren’t?” she asked, almost disappointed. Unlike Liz, who’d been arrested more than once during civil rights demonstrations, Frances had never misbehaved in a way that would land her in jail. She wondered if that was evidence her life had been far too dull.

“No arrests,” Karen told her. “Just a stern warning.” She gestured toward the kettle on the stove. “Do you want tea or coffee? How’s your stomach?”

Frances considered the question. “Steady enough,” she concluded. “I think coffee would be good. It might wipe away the last of this alcohol haze.”

“So, whose idea was it to have a margarita night?” Karen asked as she poured the coffee.

“Mine,” Frances admitted. “The Sweet Magnolias always have such fun. Flo thinks we should be the Senior Magnolias. We had one once before, but it didn’t end like this.”

“I’m sure the others would be flattered you want to emulate them,” Karen told her, “but maybe you ought to drink sweet tea instead.”

Frances regarded her indignantly. “We might have gotten a little crazy last night, but we’re not too old to handle the occasional margarita. At my age, who cares if we make fools of ourselves? It’s called living, and I intend to do as much of it as I possibly can.”

As soon as she’d spoken, she saw the worry on Karen’s face. “Oh, don’t look like that. I’m not going to do anything dangerous, though I’ve always wondered what it would be like to go skydiving.”

Karen’s eyes went wide with shock. “Frances!”

Frances chuckled. “Just teasing. Even I’m not that foolish. A fall walking down the street could land me in the hospital with a broken hip. Who knows what I’d break jumping out of a plane?” She shook her head. “No, that’s definitely not for me.”

“What brought all this on?” Karen asked. “Travis seemed to think you’d gotten a report back from the doctor in Columbia yesterday.”

Frances nodded. “Nothing conclusive yet. It could be something called mild cognitive impairment, which is manageable, but which can also lead to Alzheimer’s. Or it could be early stage Alzheimer’s already. It’s hard to be definitive, I guess. At least they ruled out a brain tumor and a few other things.”

“So it was good news,” Karen said, studying her.

“Better than it might have been, I suppose, but not a clean bill of health,” Frances admitted candidly. “I have a prescription to be filled, and we’ll see if that helps. At least it seems as if my children won’t have to worry about shipping me off to a nursing home just yet.”

Karen jumped up and threw her arms around her. “I’m so relieved,” she told her. “And we’ll all pitch in to do whatever we can to help out. If the time comes when you can’t live here, maybe we could work it out for you to live with Elliott and me.”

Frances was more touched by the offer than she could possibly say, and she knew it had been made with the generosity of spirit that she’d always seen in Karen. She doubted her own children would make the same offer. Jennifer and Jeffrey loved her, no question about that, but she doubted they’d want her intruding on the busy, complicated lives they’d established for themselves.

With her eyes stinging with tears, she clung to Karen’s hand. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you would even suggest such a thing, but hopefully we’re a long way from needing to make that sort of decision. If and when that time comes, I’ll not be a burden, Karen, not to you or my family. I’ll make the decision myself to find a place where I’ll get whatever care I need. With this much of a warning, I may even get Liz and Flo to help me start looking now. I’ve thought about this long and hard. I want to be someplace I’ve chosen, not whatever facility happens to be available when the time comes.”

Karen regarded her with dismay. “Then you’re reconciled to leaving your home here?”

“Eventually. It’s something anyone my age needs to consider. I won’t be happy about leaving this apartment or all my friends, but who knows? Maybe Liz and Flo will decide to come with me. I hear there can be some lively men in some of those retirement places. That ought to be enough to get Flo to take a look.”

Karen chuckled. “She’s a real live wire, isn’t she? But I thought she was already involved with someone.”

Frances nodded. “Oh, she is, but she’ll never stop keeping her options open, if you ask me. It’s wonderful to see, actually. She had a tough life. Helen’s dad was gone early and Flo worked hard to make ends meet and make sure her daughter had all the advantages she hadn’t had. It’s nice that she’s finally living life to the fullest after all those years of struggling.”

“You’re all remarkable, in my view,” Karen said.

Frances smiled at her. “Okay, young lady, you’ve done your duty by me. You need to run along and check on your own family. I’ll be just fine.”

“Let me fix you breakfast first,” Karen pleaded.

The chance to leave a meal in the hands of a chef who’d won her own share of kudos at Sullivan’s was too good to pass up. “You know I can’t turn that down,” she told her. “Why don’t you call Elliott and invite him and the kids to join us? It’s still early enough, I think, that they’ll have time before work and school.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Karen asked.

“Of course not.”

Karen grinned. “I know Elliott’s dying to hear all about last night. He wanted to come pick you up himself.”

“Well, we’ll not discuss it in front of the children,” Frances said flatly. “They’re far too young to hear about my silly shenanigans. I’ll fill Elliott in when I go to my exercise class next week.”

“Are you going to the open house at his gym tomorrow?” Karen asked. “It’s the only time they’re letting women in to get a peek at it. You can ride over with me, if you like. I have to go early to oversee the catering from Sullivan’s.”

“Oh, I’d love to,” Frances said. “Now call that man of yours and get them over here.”

Despite all the craziness of the night before and her worries over what the doctor had—and hadn’t—said, today was getting off to a surprisingly bright start.

* * *

Elliott had been pleased to find Frances so alert and cheerful. Though Karen had quietly cautioned him not to ask about the night before in front of the children, he’d seen the unmistakable twinkle in Frances’s eye when he’d asked if she’d done anything interesting lately.

“Don’t go there, young man,” she said with a warning shake of her finger.

He’d simply laughed, relieved by her attitude.

He hadn’t lingered long, though. He’d planned to see three of his regular clients at the spa this morning, then spend the rest of the day at Fit for Anything to make sure every detail was in place for tomorrow’s open house. He knew it wasn’t necessary, of course—Maddie had lists of her lists—but at least he’d be around if she needed him to follow up on anything.

He finished up at the spa by ten and was about to head out, when he ran into Ernesto on the street.

“I was just coming to see you,” his brother-in-law said. “You going somewhere?”

“I’m heading over to the new gym to get ready for tomorrow’s open house.” He forced himself to ask, “Did you need something? You’ll have to tell me while I walk over there. I’ve got a packed day ahead.” And it didn’t include a pleasant conversation with the man who’d been making his sister miserable. Keeping his opinions to himself was going to be a real test.

Ernesto regarded him with a dark look. “I need you to talk sense into your sister.”

Elliott stopped in his tracks, frowning at his brother-in-law’s tone. “What does that mean? What is it you think Adelia’s done?”

“She’s neglecting the children. She’s throwing away money hand over fist. She’s talking back to me. I don’t know what the hell is going on with her. I do know she’s not the woman I married.”

Elliott had to calm his temper. “Maybe that’s because you’re not the man she married,” he said quietly, his resolve shattered. “I promised I’d stay out of this, but you came to me. I know all about the way you’ve been disrespecting her, Ernesto. I’m sure half the town knows, since you’ve done nothing to hide your sleazy affair. The only reason I haven’t tried to beat some sense into you is because Adelia asked me not to.”

Ernesto didn’t have the grace to look even remotely embarrassed that Elliott knew of his cheating. “I’m entitled to a little enjoyment after all these years,” Ernesto said defensively. “Your sister was paying attention to the children, not me. She didn’t take care of herself. You saw how she looked. She gained weight.”

“Carrying your children,” Elliott said incredulously. “You ought to be down on yours knees every day thanking God for the way she’s taking care of your family, the support she’s given to you so you could focus on making a successful career for yourself.”

“I’ve given her a fine home. She has everything money can buy,” Ernesto argued. “Is she grateful? No. Apparently that’s not enough for her.”

“I doubt it would be enough for any woman whose husband is cheating on her,” Elliott said. “You said before that you’re entitled to that. I’m here to tell you that you’re not. Whatever Adelia’s dishing out to you these days, trust me, I’m on her side. It’s probably not even half what you deserve.”

Ernesto scowled at him. “I’m not doing anything your own father didn’t do,” he said.

Elliott stared at him in shock. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. My mother would never have put up with him cheating.”

“She turned a blind eye to it, just the way most wives do,” Ernesto said confidently. “Ask her, if you don’t believe me. Or tell Adelia to ask her. I’ll bet Maria would give her an earful about what a dutiful wife should do in this situation.”

With that he turned and walked away, leaving Elliott reeling. Surely Ernesto couldn’t have been right about his father. It was true that his mother had treated his father like a king, leaving most of the family decisions in his hands, but cheating? She wouldn’t have tolerated it. She had more self-respect than that.

Or did she? he wondered. Given how she felt about divorce, would she have sealed her lips and endured the situation?

Suddenly he found himself once again questioning all the values that had been drilled into him over the years. While he knew he’d never believe it was his right to cheat on Karen, how many other aspects of his father’s attitude toward marriage had he inadvertently accepted? Was there more validity to Karen’s charge that he was behaving just like his father than he’d wanted to believe?

He stepped into the gym and asked Maddie, “Can you spare me a few more minutes?”

“If you’ll pick up a few things while you’re out,” she said.

“Sure.”

He made a list of everything she wanted, then went back to the spa parking lot for his car. Five minutes later, he was parked in front of Raylene’s dress shop on Main Street.

He felt completely out of place walking inside, then found himself grinning when Adelia stepped out of the back, looking great in a dress perfectly suited for her curvaceous figure.

“Don’t you look like the height of fashion,” he commented.

“I bought it with last week’s paycheck,” she said. “Every penny of last week’s paycheck, in fact. I probably should have charged it to Ernesto.”

“You probably should have,” he said, his good mood fading. “I just had a little chat with your husband.”

“Elliott, I asked you not to,” she said, looking dismayed.

“Hey, don’t blame me,” he said, hands in the air. “He came to me. He wanted me to get you to shape up and behave the way a proper wife should.”

She stared at him incredulously. “Are you kidding me?”

“Not so much,” he said.

“In that case, I hope you told him off.”

“I told him you probably weren’t treating him half as badly as he deserved.” He glanced around. “Are we alone here?”

“Unless a customer comes in, yes. Why?”

“Ernesto did say a couple of things that got to me,” he admitted.

“About me?”

He shook his head. “No, one was about Dad. He said he’d cheated on Mom.”

Adelia hesitated so long, he knew what she was going to say before she ever opened her mouth.

“I don’t believe it,” he said.

“She never said a word, but I knew,” Adelia said. “I have no idea how long it went on or why she tolerated it.” She shrugged. “That’s one reason I know she won’t understand why I’m so furious with Ernesto. She’ll just tell me that’s one of the crosses I need to bear to have a lovely home.”

Elliott muttered an expletive.

Adelia smiled at his rare loss of control. “My sentiment exactly.” She studied him. “Is there something else?”

He took a deep breath. “Am I like Dad?”

She regarded him intently. “You’re not talking about being a cheater, I assume.”

“Never,” he said flatly.

“Then it’s about his general macho attitude,” she concluded. “And I’d have to say yes. It’s the way you were brought up, just as our sisters and I were raised to think women were to stay in their proper place.”

Elliott was shaken by her confirmation. “Really? You think I’m like Dad?”

“In the best ways, yes,” she said in an effort to console him. “Dad always put his family first. He didn’t see cheating as the antithesis of that. Don’t ask me why, but he obviously didn’t. He made the decisions he thought were best for our own good. He worked hard, so he thought he deserved unquestioning loyalty. I’ve seen a little of that in you.”

Before he could respond, she put a hand on the clenched muscle in his arm. “Don’t take that the wrong way, because there’s another side to you that balances it out. You’re sensitive and compassionate in ways Dad never dreamed of being.” She regarded him with concern. “Why are you asking about this?”

“Karen’s called me on it a few times. I’ve always thought she was overreacting or misinterpreting what I was doing, but maybe she’s not. Maybe I need to take a harder look at how I handle the decisions in our marriage.”

“You mean share them with her?” she asked, amusement threading through her voice.

He winced at the accuracy of her guess. “Yes.”

“It couldn’t hurt,” his sister agreed. “You love her. She loves you. You know she’s smart. Doesn’t that lay the groundwork for a great partnership?” She shrugged. “Not that I’d know anything about how that works. Ernesto’s world veers toward a dictatorship. He’s having a little trouble with the fact that I’m changing up the rules.”

Elliott regarded her with admiration. “Good for you. Any predictions for how it’s going to go?”

“If he’s running to you for backup, I’ve at least shaken him up,” she said. “But I’m not counting on much more than a few seconds of guilt. He’s not that introspective.”

“Leave him,” Elliott said, not sure which of them was more surprised by his impulsive words. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

“No,” she said. “He doesn’t.” Then she sighed. “We’ll see, though. There’s a lot to consider.”

“Whatever you decide, I’ll back you up. I mean that, Adelia.”

She gave him a hard kiss on the cheek. “And that,” she said, “is what makes you different from Dad.”