Envy(120)

“Did you try contacting him at the country house?”

“The line has been busy for hours. And even though I didn’t want to speak to Noah, I also tried his cell phone. It was busy, too, so I left a voice-mail message and the phone number here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“So long as you didn’t give my name.”

“Of course not. But the point is moot. Nobody’s called. I need to check my cell, see if there’s a message on it.”

“Sorta weird.”

“What?”

“That your dad would agree to spending a weekend with your estranged husband.”

“Dad doesn’t know we’re separated.” He registered the expected surprise. “I guess I should have told him right away, but the time never seemed right. I wanted to choose a time when it would have the least impact.”

“Do you think Noah plans to spring the unhappy news on him this weekend?”

“That was my first thought,” she said tightly. “Or possibly to ask Dad to intervene on his behalf. He’s got his position at Matherly Press to protect. If that’s the reason he married me, that’ll be his reason for wanting to prevent a divorce.”

“Would your father intervene on Noah’s behalf?”

“Absolutely not. He knows I’ve been unhappy. He just doesn’t know the extent of my unhappiness.” Lowering her voice, she said, “Until I came to St. Anne Island and met you, I didn’t know how unhappy I’d been.”

He groaned. “Don’t look at me like that, Maris.”

“Like what?”

“Misty-eyed. In fact, you’d better git before I decide not to be so gracious and understanding about this. We wasted another perfectly good hard-on. I’m oh for two.”

“You’re vulgar. Just as Mike said.” Laughing, she smoothed her hand over his ravaged hair. “It was a lovely evening.”

“It was getting lovelier,” he groused.

“I’m sorry.” She bent down and laid a soft kiss on his lips. “Sleep well.”

“Oh, yeah, like a baby. A horny little baby.”

“If it’s any consolation, Parker…”

“What?”

“I can. I have. I did. Last night. And I do remember.”





Chapter 28


There were no messages on Maris’s phone.

She tried Noah’s cell, but a recording informed her that the number she had called was unavailable. Terribly worried now, she dialed the house telephone.

Daniel answered on the second ring.

She slumped with relief, but her greeting sounded like a reprimand. “Dad, where have you been?”

“Most recently I’ve been to the bathroom. Did I forget to ask permission?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat. It’s just that I’ve been trying to reach you all day. I didn’t know you’d gone to the country until I talked to Maxine. Since then, I’ve called repeatedly.”

“This is the first time the telephone has rung. I noticed just before coming upstairs to bed that the receiver on the telephone in the kitchen was askew. Apparently Noah didn’t hang it up properly when he called in a food delivery.”

More likely he had left it off the hook deliberately, knowing she would want to talk to her father. He knew she would be crazy with worry when she couldn’t reach him. Was this Noah’s mean form of punishment for her leaving him? It was amazing how clearly she could see his true nature now. What had kept her blind to it for so many years? A book, she thought, scornful of her own na?veté.

Well, she was no longer naive. She wanted him gone, expunged from their lives. She couldn’t stand his being a member of their family for another day. Why wait to tell her father about the dissolution of her marriage?

Fortunately, she came to her senses before she could act on the impulse.

First of all, that would necessitate a lengthy discussion, and it was as late in Massachusetts as it was on St. Anne Island. Second, that was a conversation that should be conducted face-to-face, especially since it involved their business interests as well as their personal lives.

Setting her enmity for Noah aside for the time being, she asked Daniel if he was all right.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Since I hadn’t talked to you, I had imagined all sorts of things.”

“None of them good, I’ll bet. The way I used to worry if you were ten minutes late coming home.”

“Have our roles reversed, Dad?”

“Not at all. I still worry about you if you’re ten minutes late. But rest assured that I’ve had a very pleasant day.”

Starting with a mystery guest for breakfast. She wanted to ask him about that but couldn’t without giving away that Maxine had tattled on him. She hoped he would volunteer the information. “What did you do that made your day so pleasant?”

“Nothing much, and that was the beauty of it.”

“Was the house in order when you arrived?”

“Spic and span.”

“Where did you go for dinner? Harry’s or another of your favorite spots?”

“We ate in. I thought Noah would have told you.”

“When?”