A Marriage Takes Two by Janet Lane-Walters Page B
Authors: Janet Lane-Walters
had her grandfather made such a strange will?
“Would you like to play?” she asked.
Her softly spoken question elicited a groan. He did, but not football, though touch played a major role in the game of his choice.
“Let me change.” Maybe action would dull his need.
“All right!” Chad shouted. “Dad’s on my team.”
Guilt rushed over Tony. He’d been so tied by his feelings for Carrie, and his anger about Marilyn’s attitude, he hadn’t spent much time with Chad. Not the way he had before the wedding.
He charged upstairs and changed into sweats. As he dashed back to the game, he had an idea. This weekend, they would make arrangements to re-do Chad’s room, including new curtains and bedspreads, bunk beds, a new desk and dresser, and paint. The redecoration would be another way to show Chad how much he was wanted, and a way to involve Carrie.
He paused on the back porch. Carrie and two of Chad’s friends were standing in a huddle. She looked up. “We’re going to slaughter you.”
“Want to bet?” he said.
“Loser does the dishes.”
“Deal!”
A half hour later, the sky darkened. Chad’s friends headed across the yard to their homes. Tony smiled. Tonight he would have no complaints from their parents about Chad’s behavior. In fact, there hadn’t been one since Carrie had appeared at the door.
“I’m starved,” Chad said. “What’s for dinner?”
“Oh, no!” Carrie ran to the house.
Tony and Chad followed. The odor of burnt food filled the kitchen. “What happened?” Tony asked.
“The mac and cheese.” She opened the oven. “I was supposed to put the burgers in and take this out an hour ago. Now what?”
Tony switched on the kitchen fan. “I’ll broil the burgers. Won’t take long.”
“Bake, broil.” She shook her head. “I can’t even follow simple directions.”
“You’ll learn.” He brushed her cheek with a finger. “I’ll handle dinner. We’ll have chips and salad. Go wash your face. You look like the grubby pest of years ago.”
Carrie bolted. She felt like she’d been branded. She considered staying to change his mind about the grubby pest, but she couldn’t. He might desire her, but he didn’t love her. She pressed her hand to her cheek to hold the warmth close.
“Boy, didn’t we have fun,” Chad said. “You played good, but Dad and me were better.”
“Don’t gloat,” she said. “Beat you upstairs.”
“How come you don’t cook?”
“Never learned. My mother was always too busy to teach me.”
“Kind of like my mom, ‘cept she didn’t like to cook. Used to buy sandwiches at the store, and order pizza and Chinese.” He sighed. “She’s been gone a long time. Sure hope she comes back soon. There’s something I have to ask her. Wonder what kind of presents she’ll buy me.”
“Oh...” Carrie swallowed. It wasn’t her place to tell him his mother was home. “Hazel’s going to give me cooking lessons.”
“Cool.” He reached the top of the stairs. “Beat you. Hazel showed me how to make toasted cheese sandwiches and soup from a can. Says every man should cook, do laundry, and clean bathrooms.”
Carrie laughed. “She’s right.”
After dinner, Carrie did the dishes. Then she headed to the family room to watch a show with Chad. When he and Tony went upstairs, she turned the TV off. She and Tony had to talk about Marilyn’s return. He couldn’t continue to hide the truth from his son, or himself.
The man must be blind. If he would face the truth about his ex-wife, the hurt would diminish. Did he feel guilty about something he’d done to that woman? She couldn’t imagine what.
She heard him on the stairs and left the family room to intercept him. So many evenings he’d vanished into his office, but not tonight, and not before they hashed out the problem and found a solution.
“Tony, I need to talk to you.”
He followed her into the family room and slumped on the couch. “I hope there’s not another
“Would you like to play?” she asked.
Her softly spoken question elicited a groan. He did, but not football, though touch played a major role in the game of his choice.
“Let me change.” Maybe action would dull his need.
“All right!” Chad shouted. “Dad’s on my team.”
Guilt rushed over Tony. He’d been so tied by his feelings for Carrie, and his anger about Marilyn’s attitude, he hadn’t spent much time with Chad. Not the way he had before the wedding.
He charged upstairs and changed into sweats. As he dashed back to the game, he had an idea. This weekend, they would make arrangements to re-do Chad’s room, including new curtains and bedspreads, bunk beds, a new desk and dresser, and paint. The redecoration would be another way to show Chad how much he was wanted, and a way to involve Carrie.
He paused on the back porch. Carrie and two of Chad’s friends were standing in a huddle. She looked up. “We’re going to slaughter you.”
“Want to bet?” he said.
“Loser does the dishes.”
“Deal!”
A half hour later, the sky darkened. Chad’s friends headed across the yard to their homes. Tony smiled. Tonight he would have no complaints from their parents about Chad’s behavior. In fact, there hadn’t been one since Carrie had appeared at the door.
“I’m starved,” Chad said. “What’s for dinner?”
“Oh, no!” Carrie ran to the house.
Tony and Chad followed. The odor of burnt food filled the kitchen. “What happened?” Tony asked.
“The mac and cheese.” She opened the oven. “I was supposed to put the burgers in and take this out an hour ago. Now what?”
Tony switched on the kitchen fan. “I’ll broil the burgers. Won’t take long.”
“Bake, broil.” She shook her head. “I can’t even follow simple directions.”
“You’ll learn.” He brushed her cheek with a finger. “I’ll handle dinner. We’ll have chips and salad. Go wash your face. You look like the grubby pest of years ago.”
Carrie bolted. She felt like she’d been branded. She considered staying to change his mind about the grubby pest, but she couldn’t. He might desire her, but he didn’t love her. She pressed her hand to her cheek to hold the warmth close.
“Boy, didn’t we have fun,” Chad said. “You played good, but Dad and me were better.”
“Don’t gloat,” she said. “Beat you upstairs.”
“How come you don’t cook?”
“Never learned. My mother was always too busy to teach me.”
“Kind of like my mom, ‘cept she didn’t like to cook. Used to buy sandwiches at the store, and order pizza and Chinese.” He sighed. “She’s been gone a long time. Sure hope she comes back soon. There’s something I have to ask her. Wonder what kind of presents she’ll buy me.”
“Oh...” Carrie swallowed. It wasn’t her place to tell him his mother was home. “Hazel’s going to give me cooking lessons.”
“Cool.” He reached the top of the stairs. “Beat you. Hazel showed me how to make toasted cheese sandwiches and soup from a can. Says every man should cook, do laundry, and clean bathrooms.”
Carrie laughed. “She’s right.”
After dinner, Carrie did the dishes. Then she headed to the family room to watch a show with Chad. When he and Tony went upstairs, she turned the TV off. She and Tony had to talk about Marilyn’s return. He couldn’t continue to hide the truth from his son, or himself.
The man must be blind. If he would face the truth about his ex-wife, the hurt would diminish. Did he feel guilty about something he’d done to that woman? She couldn’t imagine what.
She heard him on the stairs and left the family room to intercept him. So many evenings he’d vanished into his office, but not tonight, and not before they hashed out the problem and found a solution.
“Tony, I need to talk to you.”
He followed her into the family room and slumped on the couch. “I hope there’s not another