The Other Woman

He wiped his hands on a pair of faded, holey jeans. “Garth acts as if Hudson’s the most brilliant man in the world.”

He was a Harvard graduate, which was impressive. “He’s candid and confident.”

“Do you think he’s handsome?”

She pictured the dark-haired man she’d left at the steak house. “He’s okay, I guess.”

Keith squatted to scrape the edge of his trowel against the lip of the bucket at his feet. “Reenie claims he’s one of the best-looking men she’s ever seen.”

Wanting to make sure the plumber had installed the new sink, Liz went into the small bathroom in the back corner. “Reenie’s a lot more enthusiastic about him than I am,” she called.

Evidently he heard her, because he answered right away. “Why?”

“He has a New York accent.”

“You said that as if he has an unsightly mole covering half his face. What’s wrong with an accent?”

She wasn’t sure. It was just something she’d focused on. Maybe it was easier not to find him appealing if she dwelled on the blunt, unfamiliar feel of his voice and language instead of his attractive features. “It’s pretty strong.”

“I heard he grew up in Brooklyn. What else would you expect?”

She didn’t answer. She was too busy trying out the new sink.

“What does he look like?” Keith called.

Satisfied that the sink worked, she came out of the bathroom. “Do we have to talk about Carter?”

“I’m curious,” he insisted.

“Okay, he’s tall.”

Keith flicked some plaster off his forearm and stood. “Taller than me?”

She quickly tried to compare the two. “Maybe by a couple of inches.”

“That would make him nearly six foot four,” he said, skeptically. “He’s not that tall, is he?”

Hearing the jealousy in Keith’s voice, Liz grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the dust and dirt left behind when they ripped out the old cabinets. She didn’t want to analyze Carter Hudson. Especially with her ex-husband. She had a lot to do if she hoped to open The Chocolaterie by Memorial Day. Although a candy shop had been Liz’s idea, when Mary Thornton, who’d recently opened a gift store next door, had heard about it, she’d decided to sell chocolate, too. Mary was busy building her business while Liz struggled to finish the improvements to her space.

“Is he?” Keith prompted.

“I don’t remember. He’s a big man, okay?”

“Big as in fat?”

With a sigh, she faced him. “No. Big, as in muscular. Big, as in he has broad shoulders, a well-defined chest and a flat stomach. Big, as in—”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” he grumbled, holding up a hand to stop her. “Jeez, I thought you couldn’t remember.”

“You wanted details,” she said, and could’ve given him a few more. She hadn’t mentioned that Carter had a soccer player’s build, with nice long legs and large, rugged hands. Or that, judging from the golden color of his skin, he spent a fair amount of time outdoors, which she definitely hadn’t expected from a political aide. But she’d said enough.

“Have you heard from Mica and Christopher?” she asked, changing the subject.

“No, was I supposed to check on the kids?” He wiped a bead of sweat from his temple.

“Not necessarily. I’m sure they’re fine. They love it at Reenie’s.”

“You’d know, since the two of you are such good friends,” he said flippantly.

The pique behind those words confirmed what Liz already knew. Keith resented the closeness between Liz and his other ex-wife. Liz supposed she could understand why. After having the love and attention of both women for so long, he was suddenly the odd man out, and that wasn’t likely to change. Not now that Reenie had married Liz’s brother. It probably didn’t make the situation any easier for Keith that Isaac was also the man who’d found him out and revealed his duplicity. Liz considered it ironic that, prior to Isaac’s spotting Keith at the airport catching a plane to Idaho when he was supposed to be in Arizona, Isaac hadn’t really been involved in their lives. He’d spent much of the previous eight years researching pygmy elephants in Africa. And when he was in the States, he’d lived in Chicago, where he taught biology at Chicago University. If not for that fateful visit to Liz and Keith’s home in L.A. following one of his research trips, Liz might still be married to Keith and living in California, believing it was only her husband’s job that took him away.

“Reenie and I are more than friends. She’s my sister-in-law, remember?” Liz said, using a dustpan to empty her sweeping into the wheelbarrow Keith had brought with him.

“I’m not likely to forget,” he mumbled. Dipping his trowel into a bucket of compound, he smeared more taping mixture on the wall. “Is this Carter guy planning on running for office someday?”

“I don’t know.” Liz’s mind had already shifted to what remained to be done at the shop. “I hope the other display case I ordered will be big enough.”

“You didn’t ask?” Keith said.

“About the display case?”

“Whether or not Carter Hudson is someday planning to run for office.”

Carter again. Liz propped the broom against the wall. “No, I didn’t ask. Thanks to you, we talked mostly about me.”

The hand holding the trowel stopped moving, then began to scrape along the mended Sheetrock. “What’d he want to know?”

She gathered up the ceiling tiles they’d torn down. “Like everyone else, he was curious to know how you managed to get away with having two families for so long. And how you and I could still be friends.”

“That’s none of his business,” Keith snapped.

Liz ignored his response. “But he’s not as generous as some people,” she continued. “He seems to think I’m a fool for not realizing I was being duped.”

“Then, it didn’t go well between you.”

That was all that registered from what she’d shared? Closing her eyes, Liz shook her head. “No,” she finally admitted. “It didn’t go well.”

“Good. Maybe, even though he’s big, as in muscular and well built, I won’t be as easy to replace as you thought.”

“Keith—”

He lifted his arms as if her pointed stare was a gun. “That’s all I’m saying.”

“You’ve said it before. As much as I wish it wasn’t so, it’s too late for us.”

“With a little forgiveness, it doesn’t have to be,” he murmured.

The look on his face might have stirred something inside her once. It had been a long time since he’d touched her—since any man had touched her. In a way, she wanted to turn back the days and months, to feel the old excitement. But as handsome as Keith was, she had so little feeling left for him.

“Thanks for fixing the wall,” she said. “I’d better go pick up the kids.”

Keith let her slip out without saying another word, for which she was grateful, relieved. But when she reached her brother and sister-in-law’s small farm, she found the porch light on and a note taped to the door.

Liz—We’re at my parents’. Stop by, okay?

“Great,” she grumbled, crushing the paper in her hand. She was going to have to give an account of her date to Senator Holbrook and his wife before she could take her children home.

CHAPTER TWO

WHEN LIZ REACHED the Holbrooks’, she saw a metallic-blue Jaguar parked next to Isaac and Reenie’s minivan. The Jag was a beautiful vehicle, and one that always garnered attention. Which was why she immediately recognized it.

She would have turned around on the spot and headed in the other direction, if not for her daughter, Mica, and Reenie’s middle daughter, Angela. They were playing in the hanging swing on the front porch and had already spotted her.

“Mom!” Mica called, running down to the sidewalk, waving. “We were wondering when you’d get here. Mr. Hudson came a long time ago.”

Evidently, Mr. Hudson had no shame. How could he drive directly to the Holbrooks’ after treating Liz so poorly at the restaurant? Or had he dropped by so he could blame her for their failure to get along?

“I’ll be right there.” Pulling up in front of the house across the street, the one she’d rented when she and Isaac had first moved to town, Liz shut off the engine. That house reminded her of some of the darkest hours of her life. She was glad she’d moved across town six months ago, when her lease had expired. She was living in another rental house, but her situation was improving. Maybe not her love life, but…other aspects. And she was going to make sure that trend continued.

Mica crowded the car door as soon as Liz opened it. “Did you have fun on your date? Did you like him?”

Liz refused to meet her daughter’s eyes. A gifted child, Mica would likely guess the truth if given half a chance. Fortunately, the purple of dusk had deepened into darkness, which provided Liz with some cover.

“We had a great time,” she said, averting her face as she leaned across the seat to get her purse. The sensible sedan she’d bought when she could no longer afford the Cadillac Esplanade she’d leased while she’d been married still had a comforting new-car smell, but it wasn’t half as good as the vehicle she’d lost.

Angela peered over Mica’s shoulder. “He really likes you, too.”

Masking her skepticism, Liz turned off her headlights. “What makes you think so?”

“He said it,” Mica replied.

From what Liz had gathered so far, Carter Hudson didn’t tell many lies. So this surprised her. “He did?”

“Yeah. When he first got here, he told Mrs. Holbrook you’re attractive.” Shoving her glasses higher on her nose, Mica gave Liz a smile. “He also said I’ll be as pretty as my mother someday.”

“How charming,” Liz said, but she was hardly convinced of Carter’s sincerity. The man she’d met wasn’t the type to compliment a gangly ten-year-old girl. “But he’s wrong.”

Mica blinked at her with wide, owlish eyes. “He is?”

“Yes. You’re both already far prettier than I am.” She pecked her daughter’s cheek while giving Angela an affectionate squeeze.

They laughed and held hands as they crossed the street. “We’ll tell everyone you’re here,” Mica hollered back.

Liz opened her mouth to stop them. She wanted to ask Mica to go in, collect her brother and quietly mention to Reenie that they were leaving. But she knew it would look odd if she didn’t put in an appearance, so she said nothing.

Striding up the walkway, she followed the girls past the tall, heavy door they’d left standing open. “Hello?” she called. “Mind if I come in?”

“Liz, is that you?” Reenie’s voice could be heard somewhere out back. “We’re in the yard.”

The entryway smelled of exotic flowers. After taking a moment to admire the floral arrangement in front of the large gilded mirror, Liz proceeded through the house.

Her heels clacked on the marble floor as she passed a tall table topped with a glass bowl full of marbles. The kitchen, with its center island and shiny copper pots dangling from hooks near the ceiling, came next. Beyond that, French doors opened onto an elaborate brick patio illuminated by tulip-shaped yard lights. Senator Holbrook, Celeste, Reenie, Isaac and Carter were out there, relaxing in lawn chairs.

“Here she is,” the senator said, getting up to kiss her cheek. “I told you she was special, didn’t I?” he said to Carter.

Carter’s eyes lifted momentarily to Liz’s, and she thought she recognized a hint of amusement in their depths. “Yes, you did.”

“Can I get you a drink?” Celeste asked.

Liz raised a hand. “No, thank you. I won’t be staying long. I’m just here to pick up the kids.”

“What happened to your dress?” Reenie asked. She and Isaac sat across the patio at a circular table.

Liz did her best to wipe dust and taping mixture from her dress. “Oh, I stopped by the shop.”

Her brother stretched out his legs and toyed with the stem of his empty wineglass. “How’s it coming over there?”

“Good,” she said. “Keith’s almost finished repairing the wall that was damaged when LeRoy ripped out the television.”

“I think LeRoy will regret moving,” Senator Holbrook volunteered, nursing what appeared to be a brandy.

“Why do you say that, Dad?” Reenie asked.

“Folks have been going to his barbershop for years. They won’t like the change.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t like it,” Celeste corrected with a soft chuckle. “Because it means you’ll have to drive somewhere in order to get your hair cut.”

“With all the new shops going in on either side of him, I think he made the right decision,” Isaac said. “His rent was going up, and there wasn’t any good reason for him to pay the extra. At this point in his career, he has all the business he wants from regulars. Tourists aren’t really his target market.”

The senator winked at Liz. “At least it created a nice spot for a candy store. That makes me happy.”

Liz smiled at Reenie’s father. With his dark hair and strong chin, he looked exactly like Reenie and her brother Gabe. The only feature Reenie and Gabe seemed to have inherited from their mother was the shocking blue color of their eyes. “Now you’ll have to walk over to get some fudge instead of a haircut,” she told him.

“You bet I will.” He pulled out an extra chair. “Here, have a seat.”

“I can’t stay. The kids have school tomorrow.”

“It’s only nine o’clock,” he said. “Why not give them fifteen more minutes? They’re downstairs playing pool. They won’t be happy if you drag them away so soon.”

“You generally don’t put them to bed until nine-thirty, anyway,” Reenie added.

Liz glanced from father to daughter. She wanted to refuse. But she couldn’t tell them she didn’t enjoy Carter’s company. Neither could she say she was in a hurry to get home so she could call a friend in L.A. Reenie and Isaac would both know exactly who she was talking about.

“I guess I’ve got a few minutes.” Slipping into the chair Senator Holbrook held out for her, she helped herself to a cookie from a plate on the table. If she had to join the fun, she might as well indulge. It wasn’t as if she’d eaten much dinner.

“Are you excited about opening the shop?” Celeste asked.

Liz dusted a few crumbs from her lap. “I am,” she said, without adding that she was worried about the competition from Mary Thornton, now that Mary had had a two-month jump on attracting chocolate-loving patrons. “But I was hoping to be ready in time for Memorial Day.”

“You’re not going to make it?”

“No.”

“Why not? Keith promised he’d help you,” Reenie said.

“You know him.” When she said this, Liz could feel a spike in Carter’s interest level, and she figured he was sizing up the relationship, wondering how she and Reenie could be so friendly. Liz knew it was remarkable that they had overcome the past. But Reenie was a remarkable woman, and what had happened wasn’t her fault. “He doesn’t know enough about carpentry,” she explained. “And I’m having trouble finding someone else I can afford.”

“What about me?” Isaac said.

Liz shook her head. Isaac wasn’t any better at construction than Keith, and besides he was always so busy. “You already have your hands full.”

“There’s Gabe,” Celeste said. “You’ve seen his furniture. He can build anything.”

“He and Hannah should be back from Boston in a few days,” the senator added.

Liz exchanged a quick glance with Reenie. They both knew her brother and his wife, Hannah, wouldn’t be home for some time. They’d met a doctor in Massachusetts who thought he could restore some of the mobility in Gabe’s legs, maybe even get him out of his wheelchair. He was scheduled to have surgery a week from now but because of the risks, he’d made Reenie promise to keep it a secret from his parents and Hannah’s sons. Her two boys were staying at home—when they weren’t at the Holbrooks’—since Kenny at nineteen was old enough to care for his ten-year-old brother.

“Maybe I’ll talk to him when he gets back,” she said noncommittally.

“Meanwhile, Carter could get you started,” the senator said. “He grew up building homes with his dad. Didn’t you, Carter?”

Carter put his drink on the table and sat back. Liz could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look directly at him. She sensed he knew she and Reenie were harboring some kind of secret, even if the Holbrooks didn’t. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to cut through pretenses. “What is it you need?” he asked.

She was reluctant to tell him. Even if he had the ability to help her finish the store, she didn’t want his assistance. She’d find someone else eventually—or muddle through on her own.

“Liz?” Reenie prompted.

“Just a few improvements,” she said at last. “Flooring, paint, some shelves and display cabinets. But please don’t trouble yourself. I’m sure you’re far too busy to be bothered.”

“The job should probably wait for Gabe,” he agreed.

Carter didn’t like her any more than she liked him, Liz realized. That was apparent. But he’d said Gabe’s name with enough emphasis that she shot Reenie another glance. Did he know?

Reenie managed a tiny shrug to indicate she had no idea.

“Or someone else,” Liz muttered.

“Why wait?” the senator asked. “Besides taking a few calls, there’s not much Carter can do for me until the computers arrive. And we’re a week away from that at least.”

Carter’s forehead creased. “I was thinking about driving to Boise to work out of the capitol office until we were up and running here.”

The senator bit into a chocolate-chip cookie. “Don’t bother driving to Boise,” he said. “There’re too many people at the capitol already.”

“But the painting might be difficult,” Liz interjected. “I was hoping to create a marbled effect.”

The senator brushed some crumbs from his mouth. “You can create a marbled effect, can’t you, Carter?”

“I’ve never done it before.”

“Don’t you have a book or magazine on it?” Senator Holbrook asked Liz.

Reenie and Isaac knew she did. She’d shown it to them. “Yes.”

The senator finished his cookie. “Carter?”

“I suppose I could take a look at it,” he said.

“Good. Help Liz for the next week or so, then we’ll see where we’re at with the office.”

Liz waited for Carter to refuse. She guessed he wanted to. But he managed a pleasant voice when he answered. “Okay.” He shifted his gaze to her. “What time would you like me to meet you there tomorrow?”

There was no polite escape. She’d thrown out a problem and the senator had solved it. “How about six?” she said, still hoping he’d balk.

One eyebrow slid up. “Six?”

“I thought we’d get an early start. But if you’d rather sleep in…”

“No. Six is fine.”

Liz knew there was a lot going on behind the unaffected mask he wore, but he gave away nothing.

“Carter would work around the clock if I let him,” the senator said. “He’s amazing.”

“Yes, he is.” Liz held her breath when her voice came out a little flat, but Isaac immediately jumped in to cover for her.

“Sounds like you’ve done a variety of things in your life, Carter. How’d you get into politics?”

Carter finished his drink. “I considered it as a profession years ago. I’m just coming back around to it.”

“Do you think you’ll ever run for office?” Liz asked, remembering Keith’s question to her.

“No.”

Reenie’s chair scraped cement as she scooted forward to reach the cookies. “Why not?”

“I don’t have the right makeup.”

“What kind of makeup does it require?” Liz asked.

He smiled as if he understood that she was tempting him into making a blunder. “Diplomacy. The ability to call your enemies friends. My enemies are simply my enemies. But a politician doesn’t have the luxury of living in black and white.”

“You can say that again,” Holbrook said with a laugh. “Problem is, in politics your friends and enemies are never clearly defined in the first place. That’s why I need someone like Carter to help me keep them straight.”

No longer enjoying her cookie, Liz set the last of it down on a paper plate. “So you’d call yourself a particularly good judge of character, Carter?”

“I’m…cautious,” he said. “It’s necessary in my line of work.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being cautious.” Isaac took Reenie’s hand, in a casual gesture but when Carter wasn’t looking he shot Liz a glower that told her to back off a bit.

For the sake of politeness, she wanted to—but she couldn’t. Not when she had him cornered. “How so?” she asked.

He pinned her to her seat with an unswerving gaze. “I’m a strategist of sorts. I keep an eye on the playing field, attempt to figure out who will do what under a certain set of circumstances and go from there.”

Liz folded her arms. “So you draw assumptions about people based on limited information.”

Reenie’s mouth fell open and Isaac cleared his throat—another attempt to warn her she was being rude. The senator and Celeste shifted uneasily in their seats. But Liz was too intent on making her point to change course. She didn’t even blink as she waited for his answer.

“Don’t we all?” he countered.

Liz thought she could guess at the assumptions he’d made about her. Past events didn’t paint her as particularly astute or perceptive. “Innocence can make people blind.”

“I wouldn’t argue with you there,” he responded.

“Maybe that’s not a bad thing,” she said. “Maybe there are too many cynics in the world already.”

He scratched his head. “From what I’ve seen, the innocent rarely survive.”

“Some people might be tougher than you think.”

“That’s definitely a more pleasant surprise than finding out the opposite is true.” He rose to his feet. “I’d better go. It’s been nice chatting with you, but—” he offered Liz a brief smile “—I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

After coaxing Carter to take home a plate of cookies, Celeste showed him out.

In the silent aftermath, Liz squirmed against the pointed stares of everyone who remained.

“What?” she said.

The front door closed and Celeste’s footsteps echoed across the entry.

“What’d he do?” Reenie asked, sounding a little shocked.

“Nothing,” Liz said.

“But you never act like that. You’re soft-spoken, well mannered, reserved. I’m the temperamental one.”

“You went after him like a piranha,” Isaac added. “Why don’t you like him?”

Liz offered Reenie’s father a feeble smile. “I do like him. Really.”

“He comes highly recommended,” the senator responded. “He used to work for a state senator who is now a congressman, and even though Carter’s very discreet about the past ten years or so, according to Congressman Ripley, he’s honest, straightforward, fiscally responsible and hardworking. I’ve seen a lot of that in him myself. I wouldn’t have set you up with him otherwise.”

“I know.” Liz patted his arm affectionately. Since her own father had remarried eight months after her mother’s death and basically dropped out of her life, she regarded the senator as a sort of replacement, even though she’d only met him eighteen months ago. She hadn’t meant to be rude to his aide. The frustration she’d felt at dinner, and the disappointment she was experiencing with her love life, had simply boiled over. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” he assured her. “Carter has a few rough edges, I can see that. Go ahead and challenge him, make him think.” He sat back and smiled. “If anyone can handle it, he can.”

LIZ WASN’T HOME fifteen minutes before Reenie called. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Of course. Why?” Carrying the cordless phone with her as she moved through the house, Liz began to straighten up. This part of the day was typically the most difficult. Once the kids were in bed and the place had fallen silent, she rambled, feeling more alone than at any other time and looking for ways to fill the void Keith had left behind. In recent weeks, creating lists and projecting financial statements for The Chocolaterie had given her fresh purpose, but she was too agitated to concentrate on her lists tonight.

“You seem stressed.”