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The Husband Lesson
He could feel her full-length against him
Karan’s every curve was familiar as Charles wrapped his arms around her and held her. And suddenly, he knew this was right. On some level, he’d known—had always known—that if he touched her, he could never convince himself he was content without her.
He’d known.
“Charles.” Her voice filtered through him, the activity around them fading away. For this moment there was only the two of them. The way she fit completely against him until he was aware of only her.
So right.
No history. No complications. Just them and a simple, unavoidable truth.
It didn’t matter whether they were married or divorced, whether he was avoiding her or she was demanding the impossible of him—their bodies knew each other.
He didn’t want to let go.
Dear Reader,
Life is a matter of perspective. Half-empty? Half-full? Karan thinks her luck is all bad. I think her luck is all good—she simply doesn’t realize that yet. When Karan is forced out of her comfortable world, she experiences an entirely new side of life. Of course, this blessing feels like a curse at first, but as she opens her eyes to the people around her and their circumstances and needs, she discovers purpose and meaning that redefines her own place in the world. She discovers ways she can help and the fulfillment that comes from giving.
This journey brings her back to the man she never stopped loving. Charles has already discovered the secret of helping others, but when he sees his ex-wife through his own evolving perspective, he finds a woman with the honesty and courage to face her issues. And he finds the courage to face his own so they can be together again.
Ordinary women. Extraordinary romance. That’s Harlequin Superromance! I hope you enjoy Karan and Charles’s love story. Let me know at www.jeanielondon.com.
Peace and blessings,
Jeanie London
The Husband Lesson
Jeanie London
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeanie London writes romance because she believes in happily-ever-afters. Not the “love conquers all” kind, but the “we love each other so we can conquer anything” kind. It’s precisely why she loves Harlequin Superromance—stories about real women tackling life to find love. The kind of love she understands because she’s a real woman tackling life in sunny Florida with her own romance-hero husband, their two beautiful and talented daughters, a loving and slightly crazy extended family and a menagerie of sweet strays.
For all those who volunteer their time and talents to help others.
Real-life heroes and heroines.
May you all live happily ever after;-)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER ONE
“I DON’T HAVE A DRINKING problem, Your Honor. I have a problem drinking,” Karan Kowalski Steinberg-Reece explained, though it positively hurt to justify herself to this woman.
“I’m listening, Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece.” The judge gazed down from her superior height on the courtroom bench. She emphasized the Ms. and dragged out each syllable as though implying the marriages hadn’t lasted as long as the names.
“I have low blood sugar.” That was all Karan would say. The toxicology results would speak for themselves.
Her attorney, a close friend of her second husband, had coached her at length about behavior during the sentencing since she and the judge had a history.
Honorable Jennifer Sharpe-Malone had once been known as Jenny, a wannabe cheerleader who hadn’t made the cut in four years at Ashokan High. Of course, Karan had made cheer captain all four years, so she’d been a judge at tryouts. It had been hard enough finding positions for her inner circle of friends.
Wannabe Jenny hadn’t been in her inner circle.
Just Karan’s luck that with all the judges in New York’s Catskill Mountains she’d wind up in court before this one.
“I’m well aware of your medical condition,” Wannabe Jenny informed her. “I’ve reviewed the deputy’s report. The deputy also stated you appeared more impaired than the results of the field sobriety test and the toxicology report revealed.”
More luck. Karan had gambled by cooperating with the deputies because she hadn’t wanted her license automatically revoked for refusing the test. One glass of champagne. One stupid glass and her blood alcohol content had been .05. A fraction of a percent lower and she wouldn’t be in this courtroom at all.
“State law doesn’t require my client to consent to a field sobriety test, Your Honor.” Her attorney seized the opportunity. “Only the chemical test, yet Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece cooperated with law enforcement and consented to both.”
“Noted, Mr. James, and for the record I’m aware of the law.” Wannabe Jenny turned a peeved gaze to Karan. “Did it ever occur to you to call a taxi?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Keep things simple and straightforward,” her attorney had said. “Don’t offer explanations unless the judge asks.”
“Why didn’t you?” the judge asked.
“Leaving my car at the resort presented a problem.”
“Oh?”
“I didn’t have anyone to drive it home for me.”
“You were at the Inn at Laurel Lake, isn’t that right?” Wannabe Jenny glanced down at the documents before her.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“The Inn does have a parking garage. For a reasonable fee, they would have attended your vehicle until you were able to safely retrieve it.”
No question. But retrieving her car hadn’t exactly been the issue. Drawing attention to the fact that she hadn’t driven her car home was. But Wannabe Jenny wouldn’t want to hear that. She was already mentally filling in the blanks. Karan could see it all over her crab-apple expression.
“If you weren’t happy with the idea of taking a taxi back to the Inn to rescue your car the next day, you might have refrained from drinking.”
She made it sound as if Karan was a lush. “I didn’t drink per se, Your Honor. I only toasted the senator when he announced his bid for reelection.”
Her attorney shot her a withering glance. Entirely unnecessary. Karan knew the instant the words were out of her mouth that defending herself was a mistake and dropping the senator’s name a wasted effort.
Wannabe Jenny was out for blood.
“If one obligatory toast impaired you to this degree, then you might have considered waiting for your liver to process the alcohol before you left the party, Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece. Or booking a room for the night since you were at a hotel.” Her tone dripped with a sarcasm that couldn’t possibly be considered professional courtroom behavior. “If that didn’t suit, you might have asked the senator to drive you home.”
It took every ounce of Karan’s considerable willpower to keep her mouth shut.
“Since you obviously don’t have any friends in this town who could have taken you.” Wannabe Jenny seemed to be talking simply to hear herself. “Whatever the excuse, your decision to drive while alcohol impaired wasn’t a good one. You should be thankful you didn’t hurt yourself or, God forbid, someone else. Tragedies happen all too often on the roads.”
A tingle started behind Karan’s left eye, a familiar tingle that signaled an oncoming headache. She was very grateful she hadn’t caused any accidents, in fact, but wasn’t about to admit that to Wannabe Jenny. Another explanation wouldn’t pass her lips.
The tables had turned in the decade and a half since high school, and Karan wasn’t the judge anymore. Wannabe Jenny would assess the offense during this hearing and consider the mitigating factors before sentencing. The long-ago past aside, Karan was an upstanding member of this community.
She hoped that would count for something.
A fine would be best-case scenario. But even if she was ordered to attend a substance-abuse education class, she would smile graciously, thank Wannabe Jenny and hope the class was available online like other traffic violation programs.
This situation was humiliating enough without sitting in a windowless room with drug addicts and real alcoholics for hours on end. She already had a mug shot on the sheriff’s website. One that anyone could pull up to view. Fortunately she’d been dressed for the senator’s event. If not for the identification number around her neck, she might have been posing for any head shot.
“Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece,” Wannabe Jenny addressed Karan in that I’m-so-enjoying-the-upper-hand tone. “Are you aware that one-third of the traffic fatalities in New York State involve impaired or intoxicated drivers?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“And that New York State has a STOP-DWI law?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Do you understand the difference between driving while ability is impaired and driving while intoxicated?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“What is it exactly?”
“DWAI is a traffic infraction. DWI is a criminal misdemeanor.”
The smile suddenly playing around Wannabe Jenny’s mouth, a mouth tinted with a shade of red that drew attention to the fine lines that could have benefitted from a good cosmetic surgeon, made Karan swallow hard.
“Very well then. Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece, the State of New York finds you guilty of driving while ability impaired. It is the judgment of this court that your driving privileges be suspended for ninety days. You’ll pay a five-hundred dollar fine to the clerk when you are remanded into custody to serve fifteen days in the county jail.”
Karan’s best friend gasped behind her. Her attorney cursed under his breath, but she could only stare. Had Wannabe Jenny just said jail?
“Your Honor.” Her attorney didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “That’s the maximum sentence allowable.”
“Again, I am aware of the law, Mr. James.”
“This is Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece’s first offense.”
“It’s not her first offense with low blood sugar,” Wannabe Jenny replied. “She seems well aware of the potential effects of alcohol on her condition.”
So was Wannabe Jenny. Not even the shroudlike black robe could hide the effects of sitting on the bench. Once upon a time Wannabe Jenny had been petite and fit. Not so much anymore.
On the other hand, Karan’s condition forced her to eat small meals every few hours to steady her sugar, which had the added benefit of running her metabolism at full tilt. No complaints there.
“Yet even knowing the potential effects,” Wannabe Jenny continued, “your client chose to toast the senator then get behind the wheel of her car before her body had adequately processed the alcohol. By serving the full sentence, I hope her first offense will also be her last.”
Karan waited for her attorney to earn his astronomical fee—a fee she’d insisted on paying even though she’d hosted him in her homes many times throughout her three years of marriage to his close friend.
“May I approach the bench, Your Honor?” Her attorney waited until Wannabe Jenny nodded and then he crossed the courtroom.
Karan waited, too, barely daring to breathe, not allowing herself to react in any visible way. She reminded herself that her attorney was more than competent. The only thing she could do was trust him to do his job.
This situation was a nightmare. Of course she should never have gotten in her car tipsy. Not even to drive the few miles of lonely highway to her house. If she could relive the night over, she would make a different decision. Because Wannabe Jenny was right about one thing—Karan knew the limitations of her condition. She didn’t go near alcohol for that very reason. She drank club soda with lime to keep the servers busy at functions, but the only alcohol that ever passed her lips was the odd glass of champagne for toasts. And then only the very best champagne.
Sometimes she toasted with no trouble whatsoever and barely felt the effects of a glass, but when her sugar was low, even a few sips could hit her like a truck. So she always sipped cautiously until she knew what the effect would be.
That night Karan had broken all her usual rules and now paid the price. Resisting the urge to turn around, she sensed Susanna’s presence behind her, a good friend who’d taken time off work to be moral support. At the rate they were going today, Karan might need Susanna to post her bail.
But she refused to react, refused to give Wannabe Jenny the satisfaction. So Karan stood her ground and watched silently as judge and attorney spoke in hushed tones, discussing her actions and punishment without any input from her. The minutes were marked only by the sounds in the courtroom.
A whisper of polyester from the bailiff’s pants as he shifted restlessly from side to side.
The mechanical hiss of a vent when the air-conditioning cycled on, barely keeping the summer heat outside.
The creak of a hinge from the rear of the courtroom as a door opened and shut again.
The muted patter of footsteps as someone strode confidently between the rows of seats, nearer and nearer.
The sound of Susanna’s urgent whispering was the final straw, and Karan glanced over her shoulder to find her best friend talking to Jack Sloan, who looked as handsome as ever in his official blue-and-brass uniform.
Well, well, well. Bluestone Mountain’s police chief had decided to grace her with his presence.
Back in the cheerleading captain/Wannabe Jenny days, Karan had envisioned a brilliant future with this man. They’d dated through to the end of high school and well into college. Then Jack had switched his career from law to law enforcement. Karan had no intention of becoming a cop’s wife when she’d been born to be a society bride to a high-powered husband.
Such a shame, too, as Jack had only grown more handsome in the years since college. And if his defection hadn’t been criminal enough, he’d recently married the very woman who’d been a source of major irritation to Karan all through high school.
As far as Karan was concerned, Jack owed her big, and she’d told him as much at the station during booking. Of course, he’d promised to help but hadn’t done a thing as far as she could tell. In all fairness, Karan knew he couldn’t simply make her situation vanish as easily as he might have a parking ticket. Still, she’d hoped for something more than the busy, newly married police chief’s appearance in the courtroom. Men. Not a damned one of them ever delivered.
Wannabe Jenny glanced up and noticed the new arrival. “Chief Sloan. Nice of you to join our little reunion.”
Only Wannabe Jenny would point that out. What were the chances that her thirst for blood would be quenched after this nightmare was finally over?
Jack only inclined his head and said, “Judge Malone.”
“Your ears must have been ringing because we were just talking about you. Thought for sure you’d decided to skip today.” She motioned him forward. “Please approach the bench.”
Jack came through the gate the bailiff held open. “Didn’t want to miss the fun.”
Fun? Karan positively hated this small town, hated the gossip mill and everyone knowing everyone else’s business. Having everyone know hers. She had a gorgeous apartment in Manhattan and a bungalow on the Connecticut shore, so why did she even bother keeping a house here again?
A good question that she didn’t have an answer for. But as she watched the Ashokan High reunion, Karan vowed to call a real estate agent as soon as she walked out of this courtroom. She’d had enough of this nonsense. Quite enough.
She waited for her invitation to the bench, but one never came. Obviously, she was expected to stand by while everyone else made decisions about her life. She tried to squelch her annoyance, knowing there was no one to blame but herself. But knowing didn’t take the edge off. Not her anger at herself for this mess. Not her fear that Wannabe Jenny wanted blood for long-ago wounds to her pride. Not Karan’s annoyance that the years hadn’t turned Jack from high school football star into a balding cop with a doughnut belly.
Then Susanna’s fingers slid against Karan’s and gave a light squeeze. She wasn’t much for overt signs of emotion, and her best friend since middle school knew it. But Susanna also knew Karan better than anyone in the world. She knew how much Karan hated feeling out of control because they’d been weathering life together—boyfriends, graduations, weddings, divorces and funerals. Susanna didn’t mind sharing how she felt. She actually liked overt signs of emotion. Unexpected hugs. Reassuring touches.
She seemed to like them even more since her husband had died. Karan wished she could be as open as Susanna. Always there. Always caring for the people she loved. Even when life threw devastating curves.
Of course all that emotion came with a dark side, and Susanna could worry like no one Karan had ever met. She got positively insane sometimes, but life wouldn’t be life without Susanna. They were as close as sisters—or what Karan imagined a sister would be like given she was an only child.
“Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece,” Wannabe Jenny announced in her I’m-the-shark-in-the-fishbowl voice. “With Chief Sloan’s help, I think we’ve worked out an arrangement that may be more to your liking.”
Susanna gave another squeeze then her hand slipped away. Karan faced the firing squad stoically. Her attorney narrowed his gaze, warning her to stay quiet. He didn’t have to because Karan had a gift for reading people. She kept her mouth shut.
“Since you’re a low-risk offender, there is an alternative sentence that, if you agree, will take the place of your jail time.”
Karan didn’t dare to breathe. So far so good. The thought of living behind bars for more than two weeks made her faint. She looked dreadful in orange. So not her color.
“In lieu of incarceration,” Wannabe Jenny continued, dragging out the suspense. “you’ll be required to complete three hundred and sixty hours of community service.”
Karan mentally calculated. Three hundred and sixty hours translated into fifteen days. Okay, still good.
“Chief Sloan has been working with Mayor Trant and a number of community leaders to launch New Hope, Bluestone Mountain’s first domestic violence shelter. You can assist their efforts by completing your service hours under the supervision of one of the program directors. You can complete the hours at your convenience, Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece, but be aware you’re also required to attend weekly group and private treatment sessions for the duration and your driving privileges will remain suspended until you complete the mandated hours and appear back in court before me.
“At that time I’ll review your case and reinstate your privileges if you’ve satisfactorily met the terms of this ruling. If you do choose this alternative sentencing, I’ll waive the three-hour substance-abuse education class you’re otherwise required to take by law. Would you like a few moments to speak with counsel?”
Waive the three-hour class? How generous. But visions of windowless rooms filled with drug addicts danced in her head, so she managed to say politely, “Yes, Your Honor.”
Her attorney returned to the table, and Karan sank to the chair for a powwow.
“Paris Hilton only got two hundred hours of community service and she’s gone way past her first offense,” Karan hissed in his ear.
“Don’t forget she got a year’s probation.” He shot a glance at the bench as if worried they might be overheard. Jack and Wannabe Jenny were too busy chitchatting to pay attention. “Japan wouldn’t even let her enter the country.”
Like Karan wanted to go to Japan. “Is this honestly the best you can do?”
He scowled. “I don’t know what you did to this woman, but I promise you won’t get a better offer. Jail or alternative sentence. Your call.”
Visions of Lindsay Lohan’s latest trip to the pokey replaced images of windowless rooms. The local press would have a field day if Karan went to jail since the woman who ran the Bluestone Mountain Gazette was another Ashokan High alumnus who hadn’t had any use for Karan and her circle of friends.
At least she could spin community service in a domestic violence shelter into something not as humiliating as jail. “Alternative sentence.”
“Good choice.” Her attorney popped to his feet. “Your Honor, my client would like to accept the alternative sentence in lieu of jail time and thanks you for your consideration.”
Wannabe Jenny looked smug. “Good luck then, Ms. Kowalski Steinberg-Reece. I’ll look forward to reviewing updates about your progress.”
No doubt. Probably didn’t have anything else to do while eating her microwave-frozen dinners at night.
“Thank you, Your Honor.” That was as polite as Karan could manage. Wannabe Jenny might have the gavel in her hand right now, but the accompanying black robe washed out her sallow skin. She needed to either invest in decent makeup primer or have a conversation with whomever had chosen black as the color of choice in the courtroom.
Karan jumped when the gavel cracked with aggressive finality and Wannabe Jenny said, “Court adjourned.”
For today, anyway, because Karan would be back.
Unfortunately.
CHAPTER TWO
CHARLES STEINBERG WHEELED HIS Jeep Wrangler into the parking lot behind the three-story Victorian where he’d spent more time during the past eight months than he had anywhere but in the operating room. Releasing the clutch, he pulled up the emergency brake, noticing how the sun sparkled on the newly installed windows, as bright and promising as the place itself.
He felt a satisfaction as if he’d personally installed those windows rather than cutting the check that released funds to the contractor who’d done the job.
Charles’s contribution had been in the coordination and decision making, in determining essential need to balance the budget, in the long-range planning and development of outreach programs. He’d done his fair share.
And though he hadn’t originally chosen to become one of the directors of this project, Charles prided himself on living by his grandmother’s oft-spoken saying: “Bloom where you’re planted.”
He had. With the help of other dedicated volunteers, New Hope of Bluestone Mountain, Inc. had been born. The town’s first certified domestic violence prevention and emergency shelter.
The front porch light now shone 24/7, a welcome to families in crisis and the promise of help. Behind freshly painted gingerbread trim, every room had been transformed to become a multiservice facility with offices, counseling rooms and two complete floors of suites that served as temporary shelter for women and children in need.
For such a noble endeavor, the neighborhood wasn’t all that much to look at. In the years since Charles had come to town, the large property lots in this area had attracted enough businesses to be zoned commercial. Still, there were a few residences like this one tucked away on forested acreage between auto repair shops and convenience stores. The out-of-the-way location was what made the house perfect as a shelter.
