Wishing for Wonderful (Serendipity #3)(35)

“You mean with Dad?”

“No, my first husband, Ray’s daddy. Most of the fellows I dated were big and athletic so I figured for sure I’d marry someone like that, but when Raymond came along I was so enthralled with how smart and charming he was I never even noticed he was only two inches taller than me and skinny as a rail.”

Lindsay laughed. “He wasn’t athletic?”

“Good gracious, no. Raymond was an actuarial.”

“What’s an actuarial?”

“Someone who figures the odds on how long people are gonna live.” Eleanor hesitated a moment then shook her head sorrowfully. “It’s sad because Raymond was so busy thinking about other people he never once took a look at himself.”

“He died young?”

Eleanor nodded. “Forty-seven.”

“Oh, that is sad.” Lindsay waited a moment then went on to note how fit her father was. “Dad used to play football, but now it’s mostly golf and racquetball. He’s definitely the athletic type.”

“I know.” Eleanor sighed, trying not to show the regret of their lost years.

If Lindsay caught the echo of melancholy, she made no mention of it and went on to ask a dozen more questions. “How did you know you were in love with Raymond?”

“It’s hard to say,” Eleanor replied. “Love is the kind of thing that sort of sneaks up on you. I was a college intern working at the insurance company where Raymond—”

“You worked for an insurance company?”

Eleanor nodded. “It was only for five months but—”

“Me too! Seaworthy, in New York. It was the most boring job ever.”

“I bet it was. To me, the insurance business was just an endless string of numbers. I liked going to work because I got to see Raymond, but that was the only reason.”

“Did you work after that?”

“Did I work?” Eleanor laughed. “I’ll say I did, for twenty-five years straight.”

Lindsay sat there asking question after question and once she’d learned everything there was to know about Eleanor’s life, she segued into asking about Ray. When it turned out that his life seemed rather uneventful, she came back to Matthew.

“What was he like when he was a kid?” she asked.

“Kind of quiet. Polite to grownups. I remember how he brought home every stray dog or cat he came across. Once he even brought home a three-legged squirrel.” Eleanor chuckled. “And then Gracie had to find all those animals a home.”

“Gracie was his mom?”

Eleanor nodded. “She was Raymond’s sister.”

As they sat there talking, it seemed that every answer led to another question and then another and another. The breakfast dishes were still sitting on the table and Eleanor was busy telling how she and Gracie used to take the boys to the beach when John walked in and asked how long it would be before lunch was ready.

“Lunch?” Lindsay replied glancing up at the clock. It was twelve-forty. “Dad, Eleanor just finished making breakfast. You can’t expect her to turn around and make lunch! Give us a few minutes to clean up here, and then we’ll go out to eat.”

“Okay,” John answered. As he turned back to the living room he mumbled something about how he’d been thinking of those hamburgers at Hooligan’s anyway.

“Let me know when you’re ready,” he called back.

Eleanor caught the “we” in Lindsay’s words; she’d been included in that we. It was all she could do not to grab hold of the girl and hug her, but it wasn’t time for that yet. Their relationship was still so new, so fragile. Squeeze too hard and it could crumble to pieces. As Lindsay carried the dishes to the sink Eleanor offered to finish up.

“I’m already dressed,” she said. “Go take your shower and get dressed.”

“You sure?” Lindsay asked.

“I’m sure.” Eleanor had already turned to the sink, and Lindsay didn’t see the smile that lit her future stepmother’s face.

~

Now you can understand what I’ve been saying. It’s obvious: Eleanor has always been in love with John. Okay, she made a mistake and allowed herself to become infatuated with a skinny bad-tempered male. It happens. He was a shallow individual, but he knew how to dazzle a woman. Eleanor’s only fault is that she’s human. I’m more to blame than her. I’m the one who allowed her to slide off the radar. If I’d been watching, she would have come to her senses long before Ray Junior was on the way. Once she held that baby in her arms, it was too late.

For years Eleanor tried to convince herself that John was nothing more than a wonderful memory. The thought of him would come to mind, and she’d brush it away as something she was better off forgetting. There were times when she even believed it, but I always knew the truth. Don’t forget, I can see into the deepest core of a person’s heart so I know what someone is feeling even when they refuse to admit it.

Hopefully you can see why I’ve got to make this work. It’s my last chance to right this wrong. I haven’t come up with a plan to take care of Ray yet, but I’m using everything I’ve got on Lindsay so stand back and watch the action.

~

That evening when John and Eleanor settled in the living room, I pushed Lindsay toward the computer in the den. I planted the thought that she should add “a love of dogs” to her resume. When the icons on the home screen were loaded, she double-clicked Microsoft Word then double-clicked Resume.doc.