“Would you like to explain to me what the hell is going on?” Candy demanded, her voice barely short of an angry shout.
“What do you mean?” Gary blinked at her. “We have plenty of room. Caroline hit a rough patch in her life; she needs a job and a place to stay. We need someone to help with your mom and Daks. It’s a win-win situation!”
“That’s not what this is, Gary! This is just another instance of you bringing home another stray! When someone is looking for a home, it doesn’t mean you have to help them find it!”
“Come on, honey! This is Caroline; she was Ben’s secretary, and I’ve known her for years,” he cooed, skipping the darker parts about her being an ex-girlfriend, or what she had done to him.
“If she worked for Benjamin Monroe, why does she need a job now? Did he fire her?” Candy asked crossly, her arms folded tightly in front of her.
“I’m not sure what happened, to be honest,” he lied flatly. He had known his wife would be a tough sell, but he had underestimated her. “All I know is, she’s lost her apartment, her job, and she could use a place to stay and a steady income. With Christmas coming, you know you’re going to need the extra pair of hands.”
Glaring at him, Candy’s chest heaved. Grinding her teeth, she had to admit he had a point, at least in that regard. “If I agree to this, you have to promise me that it’s only temporary.”
“Absolutely,” he raised his right hand, as if taking an oath.
“And if we have any trouble at all, she’s out!”
“Yes,” he agreed, his head bobbing around in an odd circle.
“All right, then she can have the bedroom I stayed in before we were married. Maybe we should move Daks to the one across the hall from her; I’d rather he shared our bathroom than hers,” she pondered aloud, “and I’m certainly not sharing ours with her.”
“They’ll be fine. It’s a lavatory, and they won’t be using it at the same time,” he grinned, happy she had finally agreed. “I don’t think uprooting him will be necessary, and I understand your wanting to keep ours to yourself.”
Down stairs, Caroline sat on the edge of a chair, wringing her hands as she watched Dakota play with his toys in the middle of the large living room floor. Above them, she could hear the muffled voices as Gary and Candy worked out their disagreement, causing her frazzled nerves to grow tense to the point of cracking.
“Would you like a drink?” Lanelle interrupted her thoughts.
“Tea, if you have it,” the younger woman forced a smile. Standing, she followed the slouched form into the kitchen. She didn’t know much about Candy and her mother; only that the elder had survived a stroke, which had made life difficult for her. Then, she had been trapped in the mysterious fire that had occurred two years ago, leaving Candy’s mother completely at the mercy of others.
Watching as the trembling digits unwrapped the bag and placed it in a cup of hot water, she smiled in earnest. “Thank you,” she breathed, accepting the saucer and matching cup. “Should we return to the front room?” she indicated the young man through the wall.
“I can see him,” Lanelle replied, placing her own beverage on the table at her favorite seat. From there, she could watch into the other room without hanging over the boy. “I like to give him a little space,” she grinned.
“But not too much,” Caroline agreed.
“Yeah,” Lanelle nodded, sipping her warm drink. “So, Gary wants to hire you to help take care of us. Do you have much experience with frail old women and difficult children?”
Caroline gasped at her choice of words.
“It’s ok,” Lanelle laughed in a gravelly voice. “I know we are more than a handful for Candy these days. I see the tired in her eyes. It’s good of my son-in-law to find her some help.”
Caroline pursed her pink lips, swallowing hard as she formulated her reply. “I’ve had a bit of experience.” She exaggerated her few babysitting adventures as a teenager, unsure if the old woman had recognized her from the single time they had met. Finally deciding the truth, as far as she could take it, would suffice, she asked in a quiet monotone, “You don’t remember me, do you.”
“You’ve got a familiar face,” Lanelle shook her greying locks. “But I can’t place you. My mind’s grown fuzzy over the years, with all the things clogging it up.” She smiled, exposing a few crooked teeth and revealing the abuse her body had endured.
“I’m Caroline Baker,” her companion stated firmly. “We met at Ben Monroe’s office last year. I was his secretary, but I’ve had to leave under unfortunate circumstances.” She paused, watching the wrinkled expression as clarity settled in and she smiled. “I’m glad I’ll be able to help you.”
“Yes,” Lanelle gave her another toothy grin. “We’re glad you are, too!”
Unsure of her sincerity, Caroline did her best to return the smile. Sipping her drink, she waited for the couple arguing above them to come down and give them the verdict. When the wait grew long, she filled the air with small talk, and the older woman opened up about Candy and Gary’s relationship, spilling a few of the details of the couple’s courtship and wedding.
When she had heard enough, Caroline offered, “Well, it looks like we’ll need to make dinner soon. Is there something I can do to help?”
“We’ve got a lasagna in the freezer,” Lanelle offered, “and we can put together a salad from the vegetables in the fridge.”
Rising, Caroline didn’t hesitate to take charge of preparing the meal. Setting the oven to preheat, she gathered the ingredients for the side dishes. Spying the bread on the counter, she set up the toaster oven to warm a few slices when everything else had fallen into place.
An hour later, Gary and Candy joined them at the table as the meal was served. “Everything looks great!” the mistress of the house observed, her features doing little to hide her displeasure at the situation.
“Thanks,” Caroline replied in a warbled voice. “I’m sorry about my intrusion. I know you weren’t expecting me, like this.”
Studying the two women, Gary considered his choice to keep his bride in the dark about their guest’s true circumstances. In the end, knowing why she had joined them would only make her worry; right now Candy didn’t need that, and he knew it. Seeing his wife smile, he exhaled a loud sigh of relief. “Thanks for making dinner; it looks great,” he complimented firmly.
“That’s going to be my job, isn’t it?” the blonde perked up, her enthusiasm genuine. “I’ll be in charge of taking care of the house, looking after Lanelle and Daks,” she indicated the pair with a wave of her hand; “All of those things, right?”
“Yeah,” Candy agreed, her heart still not in it. “I’m busy with my classes, so I do appreciate the help.”
“Well then,” Caroline motioned at their seats. “Shall we?”
Settling in for the meal, the conversation came in small spurts as the group adjusted to their newest member. That is, until a pair of headlights lit up the back yard as a car pulled into the parking area behind the house and shut of its engine.
Gary made it to the window first and peered into the darkness. Seeing Ben climb out of the black sedan, his heart pounded noisily in his ears. “Damn. I have to take this,” he muttered, passing off the arrival as business related. “You go on and enjoy the meal, and I’ll be back in a minute,” he commanded as he shoved his arms into his jacket and exited via the back door.