The Red Hat Society's Queens of Woodlawn Avenue (32 page)

He jerked his hand through his thin hair again. His whole body was shaking now: with frustration and shock. While Millie had
noticed the strain in their marriage, she wondered if
he
had. His next words confirmed that he hadn’t. “If she’d found someone else, then I could actually understand why she threw
me out.”

“You need to talk,” she maintained. “We’ll go back to
your house. Brigitte can come stay with me while you and Audrey work things out.”

He shook his head and squeezed his dark eyes shut, probably trying to hold in the tears she saw glistening in them. “No, Mom,
it’s too late. Or it’s tod soon. I’m not sure what it is anymore.”

It was not fair to him or Audrey but most especially not to Brigitte.
That poor girl
…

“Oh, Steven…” She squeezed his arm, trying to express her love, support and willingness to help any way she could. The phrase,
too little, too late,
taunted her. She refused to accept that. “You have to try.”

He nodded. “I know. But not now. It—” One tear fell, sliding down the hard line of his taut jaw. “—hurts too much, Mom.”

The shock, the pain…it was too fresh. She understood that. “But you will.”

“After some time. But I have to ask you something, Mom.”

“Of course you can stay here.” But it was a little late to ask that since he’d apparently already brought some stuff down
to Pop’s old apartment. It consisted of a bedroom, bathroom and a family room with a little kitchenette in one corner.

Steven blinked, surprised again. “Well, that, too. I didn’t think—”

“It’s okay.” That he hadn’t asked her first. “Don’t worry about it.”

Obviously he didn’t think she had a life. But she did and she actually needed more time for it. She’d thought
she’d only had Mitchell left to marry off before she could retire her tiara.

There was someone else she’d flirted with the idea of making time for, though, but it was definitely too soon for him. And
Millie was so old-fashioned, she’d never actually learned to flirt. Was it as easy as getting a dye-job?

“Mom? Are you okay?”

She nodded, pushing the crazy thought from her mind. She didn’t really need anyone or anything else in her life. Even with
Pop married and moved out, it was too full now for her to fit in all the things she wanted to do, like shopping and gambling
excursions with her Red Hat chapter, The Red Hot Hatters of Hilltop. “Fine, fine, just tired…”

He snorted. “From cleaning Mitchell’s place. I would have moved in with him, but I couldn’t stand his mess.”

Which multiplied by Steven’s would have given Millie nightmares. She would have had to beg Mitchell to hire a maid.

“I’m happy to have you here,” she insisted. But she hoped it wouldn’t be for long. While she wouldn’t mind his company, Steven
belonged home with his family. The connection between a mother and child was strong as ever, she could
feel
his heart breaking, and hers ached, too.

He let out another ragged sigh. “Thanks, Mom. I need to ask you for another favor, though.”

“Anything.”

“I need you to go…” He drew in a quick breath. “To my house.”

He couldn’t call it home. He’d only been gone a few
hours, but he couldn’t call it that anymore. Panic pressed on Millie’s heart, too. She refused to believe it was too late,
though. Maybe she could still help.

But how could she, who had never interfered before, interject herself into the middle of a battle between a husband and wife
when she had no real idea what their problems were?

“Steven, I don’t think it’s my place.”

“I just need you to pick up my briefcase. I’ve looked through the boxes I brought downstairs.”

Boxes? He’d already moved boxes of his stuff from his home to the basement?

“And I checked the trunk again. I can’t find it. I brought it home with me to do some work this afternoon. I had a couple
of life insurance applications in it that I had to finish up.”

He wasn’t even going to take off the rest of the day to fight for or mourn the end of his marriage? Was it over that quickly
and cleanly? Millie couldn’t begin to understand. She hoped it was just as he’d said, that it was too fresh…and it hurt too
much.

“I need my briefcase, Mom. Can you go get it for me? I can’t go back there.”

“Steven, you’re going to have to. For Brigitte.”

“I can’t go back
because
of Brigitte. It’s too soon. We all need time to adjust.”

Millie worried that he was adjusting pretty quickly, then she saw his eyes and the tears he couldn’t blink away. He was hurting,
and he didn’t want his daughter to see him in that kind of pain.

Millie
hated seeing him in that kind of pain.

“Of course.” She blinked fast, pushing back her own tears. “I’ll go right now.”

And give him a chance to pull himself together.
She
needed one, too.

She’d conveniently left the car running for a quick getaway. Hands shaking, she opened the door, then tossed the duster into
the backseat. She rammed it into reverse, then glanced into the rearview mirror
after
she’d already started back. Too late.

A man stood behind her, his outstretched arm clutching a leash. But she couldn’t see the dog he usually walked at the end
of it.

She slammed on the brakes, the seatbelt biting into her sore muscles and threw open her door. “I’m so sorry! Are you all right?”

She couldn’t look down. She was too afraid to see whether or not a furry, gray body lay beneath the tire of her car.

The Red Hat Society® has brought together

women across the world. Now there are
official

Red Hat Society novels about love, relationships,

and being happily over fifty!

Dear Friends,

Life is certainly full of surprises. First my husband dumps me for a D-cup Hooters waitress. Second, I buy a tumbledown 1920s
Tudor with the oddest
—
and most ironic
—
living room arch. Yup, it’s heart-shaped. Then, just as I’m starting to adjust, my perky new neighbor comes calling with an
incredible announcement. My home is one of four houses built by the original members of the Woodlawn Avenue Bridge Club. I’m
now the“Queen of Hearts“! I cant play bridge, but she and the other two queens are determined to teach me
—“
Fifty is
not
too old to learn
anything!”mdash;
and help me start dating, live life
my
way, and deal with my ex, who suddenly cant resist the new me.

Hoping for good luck
,

Ellie