Black Ties and Lullabyes (22 page)

“Yes. That’s right.”

“But if things should change and you wish to dine together, I’l be happy to set the table for both of you.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Bernie said,

“but thank you.”

Mrs. Spencer nodded and left the room.

Silk gowns. Good God. If Jeremy ever saw her wearing something like that, he’d laugh his head off.

Fortunately, there was no chance of that. For the next couple of weeks, at least, she’d be on one side of this house, and he’d be on the other. That was a good thing. There could never be anything between them that was stable and permanent and long-lasting, so the last thing she needed was to get caught up in his charm and fol ow him down a road that led nowhere.

It had been six days since Bernie had moved in, and Jeremy was on the verge of going nuts. He’d offered her total isolation, which he assumed would have her flinging the door open in a few days and at least coming down for dinner. But she’d stuck to their arrangement like glue. She hadn’t poked her head out of that suite a single time, at least when he was home.

As one day blended into the next, he wished he’d never offered her that deal in the first place. He’d discovered that there was nothing quite as excruciating as knowing she was in his house but not even being able to speak to her.

“Don’t bother fixing dinner for me tonight,” he told Mrs. Spencer when he got home from work. “I have a dinner meeting.”

“Yes, sir.” She pointed to a tray on the kitchen counter. “Miss Hogan’s dinner is right there. I was just getting ready to take it to her.” She paused. “Perhaps you’d like to instead?”

No. He wasn’t going to her. She was going to have to come to him. “Uh… no. Just carry on the way you have been.”

Mrs. Spencer wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

“Actual y, I think she’s getting a bit lonely in there al by herself.”

“You told me her mother has dropped by a few times.”

“Yes.”

“She’s perfectly free to have any guests she wants to.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Spencer said. “But perhaps it’s your face she’d rather see.”

Jeremy’s heart stuttered. “That’s unlikely. She’s staying here because it’s the practical thing to do, not because we intend to keep each other company.”

“She asked about you.”

Jeremy froze. “Oh?”

“Yes. She was interested in knowing if you were out of town.”

“Why would she ask that?”

“Perhaps because she expects a visit from you, and she’s searching for a reason why it hasn’t been forthcoming.”

A visit from him? That was the last thing Bernie would want. “I doubt that. She expects nothing from me.”

“Sometimes the most welcome events are the ones we
don’t
expect.”

“Not in this case.”

“Perhaps I could give her a message?”

“Mrs. Spencer,” Jeremy snapped. “This isn’t high school. I don’t need you to pass a note for me.” She turned away. “Of course, Mr. Bridges.” Jeremy blew out a breath, hating that he’d snapped at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”

“That’s quite al right. I clearly overstepped my bounds.”

“You didn’t overstep your bounds. I overreacted.” Mrs. Spencer nodded. She picked up Bernie’s tray and walked out of the breakfast room, leaving Jeremy feeling more alone than ever.

Two

hours

later,

Jeremy

left

Gal agher’s

Steakhouse, his stomach ful of steak and lobster and his head ful of statistics he probably wouldn’t remember in the morning. Hel , he didn’t remember them
now.
He’d just spent the past hour and a half discussing demographics and pricing strategy with his senior vice president in charge of European sales and marketing, and he couldn’t have been more distracted from that conversation if a marching band had come through the room.

Phil fel in step beside him as they left the restaurant. Thank God he’d come along to absorb some of the information, or the meeting might have been a total bust.

“European sales look good,” Phil said. “We’re a little down in Germany, but with that shift in distribution, I think we can pul it back up.”

“Yeah. I’m sure we can.”

“What did you think about the numbers from Italy?

They were way better than what I expected.”

“Uh-huh.”

Phil walked along silently for a moment more, then turned to him again. “How did you feel about that pink elephant wearing the tutu who took our dinner order?”

“It was—” Jeremy stopped short.
“What?”

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said since we left the restaurant.”

“Wrong,” Jeremy said, walking again. “I heard the elephant thing.”

“You weren’t exactly on your game tonight. What’s up?”

“Nothing. I was just a little distracted.”

“Wel , I hope you’re up for the strategy meeting tomorrow with the acquisitions team. I’l have organizational charts and employee lists for you then.”

“Thanks.”

“Meant to ask you,” Phil said. “Are you planning to go to that donor appreciation event at Texas Southwestern? Every year at that thing Alexis spends the whole evening yammering with her sorority sisters.

I just want to know if I’m going to have a drinking buddy.”

“It’s not for several weeks yet. Check with me later, wil you?”

“Fine. But don’t you even consider not going.”

“Actual y, I’m kind of afraid to go. Has Alexis forgiven me yet for what happened at the museum?”

“Hey, man. You know she loves you. She won’t stay mad.”

“Good.”

“Particularly since it was Bernie who diverted you from Madeline.”

“What? How did she know—” Jeremy stopped short. “Oh, yeah. Madeline knows who Bernie is because they both work at the museum.”

“And Madeline told Alexis. So are you and Bernie seeing each other after al ?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?”

Jeremy stopped short, facing Phil. “You’re the nosiest son of a bitch I’ve ever known.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Jeremy sighed. “Okay. Bernie
is
living with me, but

—”

“
Living
with you?”

“Wil you
listen
? There was a smal problem with her pregnancy, and she had to go on bed rest for a few weeks. It only made sense for her to stay at my house where Mrs. Spencer could take care of her.

We’re not even seeing each other. She’s in a suite on the other side of the house.”

“You’re not even speaking to her? Isn’t that kind of weird?”

Yes, it
was
weird. And Jeremy was stil kicking himself for his bril iant plan that turned out not to be so bril iant after al . “It doesn’t matter, because there’s nothing going on between us, just as I’ve been saying.”

Jeremy started toward his car again.

“Okay,” Phil said with a shrug. “If you say so.”

“I say so.” Max opened the door for Jeremy, and he slid into the backseat. “See you at the meeting in the morning.”

“I’l be there,” Phil said.

As Phil walked away, Jeremy tried to remember if his friend had always been this intrusive, or if Alexis was rubbing off on him. Jeremy wasn’t used to his friends’ getting in the middle of his personal business.

But frankly, that was because up to now he’d had very little personal business for anyone to get in the middle of.

He had received the invitation for the donor appreciation event at Texas Southwestern, but he hadn’t been al that interested in going. His primary goal in attending events like that one—picking up women—just didn’t interest him anymore. And he knew why.

Ever since Bernie had shown up in his office that day and announced she was pregnant, his interest in other women had al but vanished. He just couldn’t stop thinking about her. During dinner at the restaurant, al he did was imagine
her
having dinner.

In her room. By herself. Not even thinking about him.

She had asked Mrs. Spencer if he was out of town.

Did she want to know because she wanted to see him? Or did she want to know because if he was out of town, she could relax, knowing she
wouldn’t
see him?

Jeremy closed his eyes with frustration. He’d told Mrs. Spencer to stop with the high school behavior, and here he was speculating about every thought Bernie was having, like some stupid kid with a crush trying to figure out how to get a girl’s attention.

A few minutes later, Max drove into his motor court.

With a mumbled, “Good night, sir,” he got into his own car and left. Jeremy headed for his kitchen door. But before he could stick his key in the lock, the door opened, and his heart practical y leaped out of his chest

Bernie?

She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, but her hair was mussed, as if she hadn’t even bothered to run a brush through it, and she looked more than a little distressed.

“Bernie?” he said. “What are you doing?”

“I have to run an errand.”

“Run an errand? You’re not even supposed to be out of bed.”

“I’l only be a little while.”

“No. You’re not going anywhere.”

“I have to.”

She started to walk through the doorway, but Jeremy stepped in front of her.

“Damn it,” Bernie said, “wil you let me go?”

“Not until you tel me where you’re going.”

“I have to go
now
!”

“Absolutely not. You’re not going—” Al at once, he realized there were tears in her eyes. “Bernie? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Please. Wil you just let me go?”

“Whoa, now. Wait a minute. Is it something with the babies?”

“No. The babies are fine.”

“Then what? Tel me.”

“It’s—” She exhaled, closing her eyes. “It’s my mother.”

“What happened?”

“She cal ed me. She’s at the grocery store. The one she goes to al the time. She told me…”

“What?”

Bernie closed her eyes. “That she doesn’t remember how to get home.”

Jeremy blinked with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“I tried to get somebody else to help. But my friend Teresa doesn’t answer. My aunt is out of town. My grandmother’s driver’s license expired two weeks ago and she hasn’t gotten another one. I wouldn’t trust my cousin Bil y to do anything. And I knew Max was with you.”

“Wait a minute. Hold on. What do you mean she doesn’t know how to get home?”

“She’s been forgetting,” Bernie said. “Even more lately. But it’s never been anything like this. And in a few months… a year… oh, God. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

For several more seconds, Jeremy just stared at her, trying to understand. And when he final y did, the realization nearly knocked him senseless.

“Alzheimer’s?”

Bernie took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded.

He closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing that, then opened them again. “Is she in immediate danger? Maybe we should cal the police.”

“No! If the police came, it would scare her to death.

She’s in her car, so I told her just to stay put, that I’d be there in a minute. She was worried about me getting out of bed, but what was I supposed to do?”

“Where is the grocery store?”

“At Park and Greystone.”

“Cal your mother back. Tel her who I am and that I’m coming to pick her up.”

“No. She doesn’t know you. She’s going to be embarrassed. I’m the one who needs to go.”

“No. You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“And you shouldn’t be leaving this house without a bodyguard.”

“Here’s a little secret, Bernie. Every once in a while I slip out by myself no matter what my board of directors says.”

“Maybe I should just cal Max now that he’s free. I’m sure he’l —”

“No.”

Jeremy spoke sharply. Too sharply. But the instant he imagined Max doing this instead of him, for some reason his irritation level shot through the roof.

“I can take care of this,” he told Bernie, speaking more quietly. “Just tel me what kind of car she drives.”

“A 2006 Camry. Silver.”

He grabbed his phone from his pocket. “Her address?”

Bernie told him, and he punched it into his phone.

“What’s her first name?”

“Eleanor.”

Jeremy nodded and slid his phone back into his pocket. He took Bernie gently by the shoulders. “Then get back in bed, okay? You take care of the babies.

I’l take care of your mother.”

She ducked her head and nodded, and when she lifted it again, a single word formed silently on her lips.

Thanks.

Jeremy waited until Bernie was back in the house and he heard her lock the door. Then he got into his car, and ten minutes later he pul ed into the parking lot of the grocery store, looking up and down the aisles for a silver Camry. It was nearly dark, and the halogen lights of the parking lot cast a garish glow. As he turned down the last aisle, he felt a twinge of foreboding. What if Eleanor had tried to drive home after al ? If she had, he couldn’t imagine where she might—

There.

When he final y spotted the Camry, he pul ed into a space two cars away and got out. He saw Eleanor in the driver’s seat. He knocked softly. When she turned around and smiled weakly, he opened her car door and knelt beside her.

“Hi, Eleanor,” he said.

“Are you Mr. Bridges?” she said, her voice a little shaky.

“Jeremy. Bernie mentioned you need a ride home.

Is that right?”

“Yes. I’m afraid so.” She laughed nervously. “This is so embarrassing. I can’t imagine why I’m having such a problem tonight. I guess that happens sometimes when you get old, doesn’t it?

“It happens sometimes even when you’re young,” Jeremy said.

“I shouldn’t have panicked and cal ed Bernadette. In fact, I think I know how to get home now, but she told me to stay put until you got here.”

“I’m glad you did,” Jeremy said. “It’s late. Why don’t you hop into my car? I’l have you home in a jiffy.”

“But my car—”

“I’l send somebody for it tomorrow. It’l be back in your driveway by the time you wake up in the morning.”

He took her hand and helped her out of the car, shutting and locking the door behind her. He escorted her to his car. He checked his phone for directions and headed toward Eleanor’s house. She sat in the seat beside him, looking very much like the grandmother she was getting ready to be. She wore a flowered shirt over polyester pants and tiny pearl earrings. She’d pul ed a tissue out of her pants pocket and spent most of the way home twisting it into a knot.

A few minutes later, he pul ed up to a tidy brick house with a thick St. Augustine lawn and beds ful of hol y bushes, al of it resting beneath the canopy of a huge oak tree. As Jeremy escorted her to the front porch, the rhythmic chirp of crickets sounded through the dusky evening.

“I shouldn’t have cal ed Bernadette tonight,” Eleanor said as they stepped up onto the porch. “She needs to be resting. But I just…” She shrugged weakly. “I just didn’t know what else to do.”