Ladies' Night by Andrews, Kay (popular books of all time .TXT) 📕

and when the barista asked if I wanted extra sugars, I just burst into tears.”

“I already know step one of my action plan,” Ashleigh confided. “As soon as I get rid of that Suchita hag, I’m taking my old job back as Boyce’s office manager. And let me tell you, I’ll be the one doing the meetings with those cute little drug reps from now on.”

“I’m sort of undecided,” Suzanne said. “Darby’s been offered a chance for early enrollment at Elon, a small liberal arts college in North Carolina. Their soccer team was NCAA runner-ups last year, and the head coach personally flew all the way here in the spring to watch Darby play. She turned it down, saying she couldn’t imagine missing her senior year of high school, but I think the real reason was that she didn’t want to go away and leave me alone so soon after Eric and I split.”

“Your daughter sounds like a great kid,” Wyatt said.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky with her,” Suzanne said. “The Elon coach is still calling the house, begging Darby to reconsider. They’d like her to come out right now, to start practicing with the team. Selfishly, I wish she would stay home, finish her senior year, and then go off to college. I want one more year of fixing her breakfast and washing her stinky practice clothes every night! But realistically, there’s no reason why she shouldn’t do early decision. Darby’s a bright kid. She’s taken enough Advanced Placement classes at her high school that college work won’t be that much of a challenge. This is a terrific opportunity for her.”

“Then let her go.”

Their heads swung around in unison. Rochelle stood with her hands on the back of Suzanne’s chair. “I know, it’s none of my business. But it sounds to me like you already know what you should do.”

Suzanne swiveled around in her chair. “Thanks, Rochelle. I guess that gives me step one of my plan. Now I just have to persuade Darby that her mother isn’t as needy as she thinks.”

“I hate to admit that Paula may finally have a good idea,” Camryn said. “But what she said tonight does make sense. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my career at the station, and where I want it to go.”

“You’re not thinking of moving are you?” Grace asked.

“You obviously don’t know much about the television news business. Women don’t move to other markets at my age. At least, not voluntarily. No, this little bit of investigative journalism I’ve been doing has been a real kick. I’ve actually been thinking this might be a good time to go off-camera. Maybe consider producing.” She grinned widely. “I’ve always been great at telling other people what to do.”

“What about you, Grace?” Ashleigh asked pointedly. “What would be your step one?”

“I’ve already taken it,” Grace said. “I’ve asked Arthur, the man who owns the house I’ve been restoring, if he’d let me rent it. If he says yes, I could move in within a week or so.”

“You’re moving?” Rochelle looked stricken.

“Don’t turn my bedroom into an office just yet,” Grace warned. “Arthur didn’t seem all that wild about the idea, but he didn’t say no. He said he’d have to talk it over with his wife. But I’m hopeful.”

48

Grace mopped the floor while Rochelle counted down the cash register and bundled up the money for the morning’s bank deposit. She double-checked the front door to make sure it was locked and flipped the switch for the neon sign. Then, she went behind the bar, poured herself a glass of wine, and took a seat on the barstool next to Rochelle.

“It’s after one,” her mother said, looking up from her counting. “I don’t mind the company, but you’ve been getting up and leaving pretty early most mornings lately.”

“I’ll go to bed in a little while,” Grace said. “Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” Rochelle was jotting figures in the ledger where she always recorded each day’s tally. “This divorce group of yours is good for business. Last year, this same date, we did eighteen hundred dollars. Today, we did twenty-one hundred. And the softball guys didn’t even have a game tonight.”

Grace closed the book. “Mom, what did you mean earlier, when you said you didn’t know anything about happy marriages?”

“Nothing,” Rochelle said casually. “You know me, sometimes I run my mouth without thinking.”

“Sometimes you do, but I don’t think that was the case tonight. Lately, you’ve been dropping these little … I don’t know, hints? Is there something about you and Dad’s marriage that I don’t know?”

“Your dad’s dead and buried, Grace. That’s all old history.”

“I don’t think so,” Grace said slowly. “Come on, Mom. Be honest with me.”

Rochelle took off her reading glasses and buffed them on the hem of her blouse. “Your dad was a good man, Grace. He loved you beyond all reason and was so proud of you and the life you were building. That’s what’s important for you to know.”

“Nuh-uh,” Grace said, shaking her head. “There’s more to it than that. Ever since I started this divorce-recovery group, you’ve been hanging around, super interested in everything everybody has to say…”

“I’m a nosy old lady,” Rochelle said.

“What was going on with you and Dad? Whatever it is, I need to know.”

Rochelle let out a long sigh. “Since you insist, I’ll tell you. Four years ago, I was ready to divorce your dad. I’d hired a lawyer. I’d even found an apartment to move into. And then we found out he was sick. I couldn’t walk out on him like that. He was dying. So I stayed. End of story.”

She saw the stunned expression on Grace’s face. “I’m sorry, honey. I really never meant for you to hear this, but you asked, and I just couldn’t keep dancing around the truth any longer.”

Grace felt like she’d had the wind knocked out of her. “Why? What did Dad do? Please don’t tell me he had another