The Shop on Blossom Street Page 0,5

husband's architectural firm, Donovan and Gray, was responsible for this renovation project. Dressed in a Brooks Brothers suit and a hard hat, Reese was still a good-looking man at fifty-nine.

Jacqueline handed him the all-important set of rolled-up prints. It was unusual for Reese to ask anything of her, which suited her perfectly. He set the prints inside the trailer and turned back to face her, standing just outside the door.

"I'm worried about Paul," she said, doing her best to maintain her composure. Reese gave a tired shrug. He worked long hours and Jacqueline pretended to believe that all the time he spent away from home was business-related. She knew otherwise. So if he was tired, she certainly wasn't going to sympathize.

For the sake of Paul and their friends, Jacqueline and Reese managed to put up a good front, but the marriage hadn't been happy for a number of years. Reese had his life and she had hers. They hadn't slept together since Paul left for college twelve years ago. In fact, there was very little they shared except their love for their son.

"So Tammie Lee is pregnant," her husband said, ignoring her concern.

Jacqueline nodded. "Obviously Tammie Lee's a breeder, just as I suspected."

Reese frowned; he disapproved of her natural wariness toward Paul's wife. But they knew practically nothing about her family. What little Jacqueline had unearthed, between the girl's tales of aunts and uncles and God-only-knew how many cousins, had been disheartening to say the least.

The sound of a crane overhead distracted Reese momentarily and when he returned his attention to her he was frowning again. "You don't seem happy about this."

"Come on, Reese! How do you expect me to feel?"

"Like a woman who's about to be a grandmother for the first time."

Jacqueline crossed her arms. "Well, I for one am not thrilled." Several of her nearest and dearest friends had delighted in their status as new grandmothers, but Jacqueline doubted she'd make this latest adjustment as smoothly as her friends.

"Jacquie, this is our grandchild."

"I should've known better than to say anything to you," she said angrily. Jacqueline wouldn't have mentioned it at all if not for the argument with Paul. She'd always been close to her son. He was the reason she'd stayed in this empty shell of a marriage. Her son was everything she'd hoped for: handsome, smart, successful and so much more. He'd gone into banking and was quickly climbing up the corporate ladder - and then, a year ago, he'd done something completely out of character. He'd married the wrong woman.

"You haven't given Tammie Lee a chance," Reese insisted.

"That is blatantly unfair." To Jacqueline's horror, her voice shook with emotion. She'd given this awkward relationship with Tammie Lee her best effort. For the life of her, Jacqueline couldn't understand why her sensible son would marry this stranger, this...this little girl from the swamps, when so many of her friends' daughters were interested in him. Paul called Tammie Lee his southern belle, but all Jacqueline saw was a hillbilly. "I took her to lunch at the country club and I've never been so mortified in my life. I introduced her to Mary James, and the next thing I know, Tammie Lee's discussing a recipe for pickled pigs' feet or some such with the President of the Women's Association." It had taken Jacqueline weeks to gather up enough courage to face her friend again.

"Isn't Mary in charge of the cookbook? It makes perfect sense that the two of them would - "

"The last thing I need is for you to criticize me, too," Jacqueline blurted out. There was no point in trying to explain anything to Reese. They couldn't even have a civil conversation anymore. Besides, this construction dust was ruining her makeup and the wind was playing havoc with her French twist. Reese didn't care, though. Appearances were important, but he had no appreciation of everything she did to maintain herself physically. He didn't have any idea how much work was involved in styling her hair and doing her makeup properly. She was in her midfifties now, and it took a subtle hand to hide age lines.

His voice rose slightly. "What exactly did you say to Paul?"

Jacqueline squared her shoulders in an attempt to preserve her dignity. "Just that I wished he'd waited a while before starting his family."

Her husband offered her his hand to assist her into the construction trailer. "Come inside."

Jacqueline ignored his gesture of help and stepped into the trailer. Although Reese routinely visited