Chapter 32

 

The next morning, when Thea climbed the stairs to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast, she found a note on the pine table. Going to Cynthia’s after school. Want to hang out with Mom. Thea sighed. This was Hannah’s last day of school. They usually did something special to celebrate, but Hannah was still mad at her.

She grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the loft to work on her quilt. She didn’t have an appetite, so food could wait. She was sitting at the sewing machine, stitching the segments of the third cloth butterfly together when the doorbell rang.

Melissa started talking the minute Thea opened the door. “I know you don’t like me, but I need help.”

“That’s what your husband and friends are for. Ask them.”

“They can’t make life maps.” Melissa tugged at beautiful diamond earrings in an unusual silver filigree setting. She took a deep breath before she went on. “Look. I haven’t always made the best life choices. That isn’t any surprise to you. And most of my friends wouldn’t go too far out of their way for me. That won’t surprise you, either. But there’s someone in my life that I really want to be with. The thing is, I’m beginning to worry that I can’t trust him. A life map would give me an answer, wouldn’t it?”

“Are you talking about Les?” Thea remembered that Les was taking one vacation, his wife was taking another. Had he finally gotten sick of her?

Melissa evaded the question. “There’d be a knot or something, our threads would separate, right? And I’d know.”

Was it another man? Was Melissa playing around with someone else? “If you’re worried about another affair gone bad, you shouldn’t be having one. You happen to be married.”

Melissa waved that away. “But what if I’m wrong? What if I’m worrying about nothing? I’d lose someone I’d rather keep.”

Keep. That would be Melissa’s choice of words. What was this all about? Something was going on that Melissa wasn’t willing to talk about. “Get to the point. I have better things to do.”

“I can’t.”

“Then don’t waste my time.”

Melissa’s green eyes blazed. “I’ve worked too hard to have it all messed up. It’s not fair.”

“Make me believe that.”

“I could be wrong.”

“And I could be doing something else right now.”

“Do you hate me so much, that you’d let my life be ruined?”

“You didn’t mind ruining mine.”

Melissa didn’t answer.

“Fix your own problem.” Thea started to close the door.

“My money’s as good as anyone else’s!” Melissa screamed. “This is discrimination. I’ll sue.”

Thea smiled. “You can buy anything I hang in Cynthia’s gallery, but I don’t sell life maps. I do them as favors. No money changes hands. And you’re not high on my list of people to do favors for. Try suing me for that.”

“You’re a horrible human being!” Melissa said.

“I can live with that. If you decide to come clean, come back and we’ll talk. Otherwise, don’t bother.”

Melissa turned and stomped down the steps. She slammed into her Jaguar and sped away.

Thea closed the door and turned to lean her back against it. She felt like making a hex sign to ward off evil spirits and Melissa. She hated having to deal with her, but this morning had been interesting. Melissa was worried that someone in her life was turning on her. And Thea would bet money that not much caused Melissa to lose sleep. Her usual remedy to trouble was to stomp on the persons causing it until they were no longer a threat. This time, she must have gotten in over her head.

Thea thought about that. Was Melissa playing around and Les found out about it? Was that why Les and Melissa were taking separate vacations? That would make sense. Les wasn’t the type to leave his wife and his winery and go off by himself.

Don’t jump to conclusions, she told herself. And her mind played with more scenarios. What if the man’s wife was the problem? Maybe Melissa was up against a woman who was as manipulative and vindictive as she was. How could that play out? Could Melissa have made a powerful enough enemy to be snubbed at the country club? There wasn’t much that bothered Melissa, but loss of money or status would be high on her list.

Thea was still turning the whole morning episode over in her mind when the doorknob turned and someone pushed against the door.

“Let me in!” Hannah yelled.

Thea stepped away from the door.

“What were you doing, trying to keep me out?”

“No, Melissa Smith came for another visit, and I was glad to see her leave.”

“Mom says she’s a bitch.”

“With a capital B.”

Hannah hung her head, studied her sandals. “Mom says I’m being mean to you when you’re trying to help Josh.”

“I am trying to help Josh, but I understand why you’re mad at me.”

Hannah grabbed Thea’s hand and pulled her out on the deck. She pushed her into one of the big rocking chairs and perched on her lap. “You miss Josh, don’t you?”

Thea nodded. “It’s the second time that I’ve had to send someone I love out of my life.”

“It’s hard being a grown up, isn’t it?”

“It’s always hard to do the right thing when you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, sometimes life sucks,” Hannah said.

“Watch your language.”

Hannah smiled and nuzzled against her. They sat for quite a while, in silence, rocking and enjoying each other’s company.