A Different Kind of Forever(45)

“Half a million bucks worth? Really? Dammit, he charged me a full million.”

“Thank you very much, Michael,” she said softly. “I’m not very good at taking things from people.”

“I noticed. I hope I didn’t step on your toes.”

“No. Not at all. I can’t believe you went to so much trouble.”

“No trouble.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes.

She hung up and spun around the room, laughing with delight, and danced back into her yard.





The next morning Emily was cheerful and Megan was pouting. Emily was going to the prom, and down to the shore. One of the parents was going down with the group, and Diane had relented. Emily had been beaming for three days. Megan was still fighting with her father over the trip to France. Diane was staying out of it, but her daughter’s mood spilled over onto everything.

Megan was staring into the back yard, chewing a bagel. “I thought you didn’t have the money for all that stuff,” she grumbled, looking at the rose bushes and bags of compost. “I thought you could only do a little at a time.”

“I got my state tax refund,” Diane lied calmly. “I had forgotten all about it.”

“Do we have to help you with all that?” Emily asked. “You know I hate all that gardening stuff.”

“No. It will be my project. It will give me something besides work to do while you girls are gone all summer.”

“Maybe you should find a boyfriend,” Megan suggested.

Diane turned and stared at her. “What?”

Megan shrugged. “Well, you should think about it. You’re still pretty.”

“Thank you, sweetie,” Diane said, hiding a smile.

“How about Dale Watson’s father?” Emily suggested.

“Bill Watson?” Bill Watson was about fifty, thinning hair, very shy and painfully thin. Diane looked from one girl to the other. “Is that the kind of boyfriend I should get?”

“Well, he’s nice,” Emily offered. “And tall.”

“Besides, Mom,” Megan pointed out, “you’re not so lucky with guys.”

Diane chewed her lip to keep from smiling. Michael would be there in twenty minutes. “Tell you what. You girls work on saving some money this summer. I’ll work on my rose garden. We’ll leave the whole boyfriend thing to fate, okay?”

Emily shrugged. “You’re not getting any younger, Mom. You don’t want to end up one of those ladies with a bunch of cats,” she said.

“Like Mrs. Winship,” Megan added.

Diane looked up at the clock. “Isn’t it time for you girls to go?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Emily swung her backpack over her shoulder. “What are you doing today?”

“What? What do you mean?” Diane asked, flustered.

“You look nice. Are you going somewhere?”

“No. I’m just hanging around here all morning.”

“Okay. Bye.” Emily slouched out. Megan kissed Diane quickly and followed her. Diane listened as the front screen door slammed shut, then leaned back against the kitchen counter in relief.

“Bill Watson,” she said aloud. “Oh, my God.”

She heard the front door swing open. He was early. She looked out of the kitchen and Sharon Ingoe was smiling at her.

“Hey, talking to yourself so early in the morning?” Sharon said cheerfully. “About what?” She tossed a file folder on the counter. “Here’s that stuff for Megan’s project you needed.”

“Thanks,” Diane said as she poured coffee. “My daughters think I should get a boyfriend. They have placed Bill Watson’s name up for consideration.”

Sharon made a face. “Boy, are they way off base.

Diane shook her head. “No, they’re right on base. He’s exactly the kind of guy I should be dating. He’s my age, nice, stable, divorced with kids, so he knows that whole trip. He’s got a good job, we’re both from the same community, and we know the same people. He’s pretty much perfect for me.”

Sharon leaned her hip against the counter. “What the hell are you talking about? I thought you were dating Michael the Cute.”

Diane stirred her coffee thoughtfully. “I’m forty-five, divorced, with three kids. I should feel lucky to get a guy like Bill Watson. What am I doing with a twenty-six year old poster boy who goes on tour for a living?”