Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series) - By Anna Kristell Page 0,7
the recliner and covered her. Picking up the glass, he carried it to the kitchen, cleaned it, and put it away. He poured the rest of the wine down the drain and disposed of the bottle. After that, he made a pot of strong coffee, poured a mug and carried it into the great room where his wife was still sleeping soundly. Leaning over her, he gently kissed her and said, “Time to wake up, Honey. You have to get ready to go to the hotel and meet the ‘Fabs.’”
“What?” she answered sleepily as she slowly sat up. She took the mug of coffee from Jon and wondered why he was home in the middle of the day.
“I came home early to see you before you left for the week,” he explained. “It’s a good thing I did. You might have overslept. Seems you were starting the party a little early, weren’t you?”
“What… oh, the wine… I was just relaxing a little before it was time to leave.” She finished the coffee and rose from the couch.
“Stay here, Mari. I’ll get your luggage and load it into the SUV for you. Are you ready?”
“Yes, everything is ready to go. It’s all in the hallway.”
“I’ll drive you to the hotel.”
“I am fine, Jon. And I may need a car. The girls are renting one, but if some of us go different places at different times, we’ll need an extra.”
“Well, if you’re sure you’re ok.” He sighed as he picked up her bags and walked through the kitchen into the garage. After he had loaded her things, he went back in and poured another cup of coffee for her and one for himself.
Mari walked into the kitchen. He noticed she had fixed her makeup and hair as he leaned over to kiss her. She edged away from him and took the coffee.
“You will spend some time with Jordan while I’m gone and make sure he does his homework and all that, right?” She wondered how much time he would actually make for their youngest son during the coming week.
“You don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ve lightened my schedule this week and will spend some time with Jordan. When he’s home, that is. He’s the busy one around here.”
“I’d better go. I want to get there early and make sure everything is ready when they all arrive.” Mari set down the mug and turned to get her purse.
He stopped her, put his arms around her, and said, “Have a good time. Don’t worry about Jordan or me. I think this week with the girls is just what you need, Hon.” He leaned down to kiss her. She returned the kiss, and stepped away with tears in her eyes. She silently walked out the door, leaving her husband standing in the middle of the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face.
As she sped down the expressway, Mari wondered if the week apart would make them or break them.
CHAPTER 4
Katy raced through the gate at O’Hare International airport. She had been running late all morning and had just barely made it in time to catch her flight. She had been thinking about the accident most of the night. She was glad when the sun had finally made its appearance in the clear Chicago sky that morning and she could concentrate on more pleasant thoughts. It was a chilly, sunshiny Saturday morning, as she settled in and looked out the window of the plane. Just a few more hours and I will be seeing my old friends, she thought.
She went over the agenda once more in her head. Angie is leaving from Moline, Illinois and Lizzie from Columbus, Ohio. The three of us are meeting in St. Louis and flying on to Dallas together. There we will rent a car and drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to the Prava Suites hotel, where Marianne has booked a suite for the week. Marianne will be waiting for us there. Since she lives near Dallas, she is going on ahead to the hotel to make sure everything is in order for our stay. It had all been planned meticulously by Lizzie and Marianne down to the last detail. Good old Lizzie, she thought as she began to feel drowsy, her sleepless night catching up with her at last.
The flight to St. Louis was uneventful, so Katy finally dozed to make up for the agonizing night she had spent remembering the past. Not wanting to start