The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(63)

Hannah was quiet for a moment. “I was in sales, then I was a sales manager, which put me in charge of several salesmen. But I would never presume...”

“Maybe the subject will come up and you can let Owen know that you’re qualified, if he’s interested.” She smiled coyly. “You wouldn’t be the first family business on record.”

“You are an amazing person,” Hannah said. “How did you do it? How did you divorce, keep a great relationship with Owen and build yourself a new life? I think you still love him and it seems perfectly natural.”

“I will always love Owen,” she said quietly. “But we were bonded by tragedy and then, in order to survive, we moved in opposite directions. I threw myself into child advocacy, my role growing by the day. Owen just wanted to be out of the public view, to find his peace. His own peace. He’s great with people, he’s a fantastic neighbor and a good friend. He was a wonderful husband and father. But I went to one of his shows in Denver a few years ago and a lot of strangers looking and judging his work put red splotches on his neck. He’s not a hermit, but being the center of attention doesn’t really sit well. Me? I’m okay with being the center of attention! Ha!” She laughed. “I’ve testified before Congress, though I was terrified. The high I was on after doing a good job kept me afloat for days. Owen would have to sleep for a week just to recover after something like that.” She smiled. “We each have our own gifts. We’re better with people who understand and are a little like us. The secret is learning to accept people as they are, not as you wish them to be. You and Owen are good together. You seem to be a lot alike and just different enough to balance each other out.”

I haven’t had the best of luck in relationships, she thought. But none of them were anything like Owen.

  The next morning there was a lot of commotion getting Sheila, Lucas and the kids breakfast, the car loaded and on the road back to the airport. There was a lot of hugging and promises of future visits. And when they were gone, trundling off down the road in their leased van, Owen, Hannah, Noah and Romeo just stood in the yard watching them go. A bird tweeted and a fish jumped.

“Sure is quiet,” Noah said. He looked up at Hannah. “What are we going to do now?”

“We’re going to have a day of rest,” she said.

  Victoria Addison fixed herself a drink and phoned Roger.

“Mother. Are you all right?” he asked by way of a greeting.

“I’m doing all right—I’m in Colorado. I tracked down my grandson, Noah. This Hannah, newly appointed guardian of my grandson, is going to be difficult. And she has hooked herself up to a man. A man who is emotionally connected to the boy. Do you remember Hannah?”

“I’m sure I never met her,” Roger said. “It’s not as though Erin shared her friends with me. Do you intend to make trouble for her?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” she snapped. “I only want to help her out. And get to know my grandson. I should have known Erin would do something like this—give my grandson to someone outside the family.”

“I can’t believe you want to be tied down to a child...” Roger said. “You don’t actually like children. But then, you’ve tied yourself down to old people and you don’t like them, either...”

“What is that noise?” she asked him.

“The radio...”

“Where are you?”

“At home...”

“You’re lying to me! Where are you and what are you doing?”

He sighed into the phone. “I’m at home. A couple of friends came over. I’m not out. I’m not at your house. I was last there a month ago to cut your grass and I haven’t been back since. I’m at my place. I have friends over. We’re playing poker.”

“Get yourself and everyone else out of my house! What did I tell you? I’m not supposed to have any contact with you! I’ve told everyone I haven’t seen you or let you stay with me for a long time!” Then she disconnected.

If Roger was in her house with friends, word could get back to the landlord and she was dodging the landlord.

She took a sip of her drink. She knew this day would come. She would be officially breaking ties with Roger. Never mind she’d already told the judge they were estranged and had been for a long time. But this was inevitable; Roger was no longer of any use. Their relationship had always been stormy, fluctuating from highs to lows. There was a time she could count on Roger to listen to her. Now they managed best when he was in jail because when he wasn’t, he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, and when he was using, he made foolish mistakes.

He denied he was using; he claimed he had to take regular tests while he was on parole. He said he went to AA. But he was a perpetual liar and couldn’t be trusted.

In earlier days, Victoria had much better control over Roger. Lately he’d become defiant and she couldn’t fathom it—he owed her. She stood by him through every piece of trouble he’d gotten himself into. Well, she wasn’t about to tolerate this now. She had no margin for error at the moment.

She had learned her last place of employment was being investigated, that most of the employees were being questioned by police, even those who had resigned before they went out of business. A couple of former employees had been indicted for fraud, embezzlement and theft, accused of taking advantage of their clientele, mostly elderly people who needed help with their insurance, benefits and finances. They hadn’t gotten around to her yet.