A Family Affair(96)

“It is.”

Adele thought about the one time Justine had really come through for her—when she was brokenhearted, pregnant and alone. Justine was supportive and nonjudgmental.

“These things happen, kiddo,” she’d said. “But you’re doing the right thing. Adoption is a good option.”

“If I can make myself go through with it,” Adele had said. “I feel him moving and I want to hold him.”

“Of course you do. And women do raise their children without fathers all the time. But if you’re serious about that, there are legal ways to make the father responsible. He can pay support. Just think about it. I can help.”

But that option had been taken away from her when the baby didn’t survive. It was Justine who showered her with sympathy, paid for the mortuary and cemetery costs, held her while she cried and encouraged her to grieve, get counseling and try to move on. For that compassion, Adele would be forever grateful.

She did love and admire Justine. She was also quite jealous, an emotion she fought constantly. It was just that until she saw Scott misbehaving, she thought Justine had everything, beautiful home, perfect daughters, happy marriage, great career. She had been so lost in thought that she was almost surprised when she pulled up to her older sister’s house. She had managed the drive without incident.

She looked up and admired the place. It wasn’t an estate or anything, but it was so much larger than the house they grew up in, plus it was relatively new—about fifteen years old. The kitchen was spacious, the great room was grand and welcoming and overlooked a small but beautiful pool and meticulously groomed yard. There were five bedrooms and as many baths, and the third port in the garage was stacked with sporting gear—skis, paddleboards, kayaks, golf clubs, et cetera. Justine and the girls also had skis and bikes and paddleboards, but the gear was by and large Scott’s.

Now she wasn’t sure what Justine was up against. Did Justine know her husband was unfaithful?

Justine opened the front door to greet her with a frown. “Oh jeez, you’re pale. Come in. You know, now that you’re officially off the caretaking job, you might want to broaden your territory. Do more driving, go farther, get your confidence back, put yourself out there.”

“I will,” Adele said, as she had been saying to herself for more than a couple of months.

“Let’s go sit on the patio,” Justine said. “I made a fresh pot of coffee and I have some cookies.”

“I was going to give up cookies,” Adele said. “Maybe I’ll start tomorrow.”

Adele sat at the patio table and let Justine serve the coffee, which seemed like the last thing she needed. She was jittery enough, and not from the drive on the crowded California freeway. Even on Sunday morning it was like bumper cars, but she’d managed it just fine.

“You going to spit it out?” Justine asked. “So we can spend what time we have figuring it out, whatever it is?”

“Scott is cheating on you,” Addie blurted. “I saw him.”

Justine jerked in dubious surprise, her chin lowering as did her brow. She frowned. “You saw him having sex?”

“No. I—”

“You’d better be specific. And very sure of what you’re saying because this is serious.”

“Oh, I know it is. I went for a pizza with Jake Bronski last night. Maggio’s. Do you even remember it?”

Justine nodded gravely.

“Eight booths in the dining room. We went in the back door because Jake knows everyone there. We had just gotten a glass of wine when I noticed the couple two booths ahead and to the left. They were sitting side by side facing the front, maybe watching the front entry. They probably thought they were alone since we snuck in the back. They were kissing. Kissing like they couldn’t stop. Like they really needed a room.”

Justine was quiet for a long moment. “Kissing?”

“Powerful, desperate, crazy kissing. Like in the movies kissing. Mouths open, devour—”

Justine held up a hand to stop her. “Was there any evidence of an affair? Or was it just kissing?”

“Seriously? Just?” Addie laughed, though not in humor. “I never thought to follow them. You have a provision for movie-star kissing in the marriage contract?”

“Okay, thanks for telling me,” Justine said, as if she couldn’t bear to hear any more. “I can take it from here. And if you think of anything else...”

“I know who she is. Well, Jake knows who she is. The woman who owns that kayak rental shack near the ocean, down the bike path past the beach bar. Her name is Cat Brooks. She’s not very pretty.”

Justine seemed to wince ever so slightly. “Thanks.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. But I know how this will turn out. Scott is caught kissing outside of our marriage and we’re going to fight about it, quietly so the girls don’t hear, then he’s going to grovel, beg for forgiveness, make a lot of promises about his perfect future behavior, then things will be tense for a while and he’ll invest a lot in flowers and maybe a little jewelry and then it will be over. It will pass.”

“It sounds like you’ve been down this road before...”

“Except for the getting caught part. He’s never been caught before, but we’ve had the discussion...”