Chasing Rainbows A Novel - By Long, Kathleen Page 0,19
sigh. “No one deserves me.”
More silence.
“Where are you?” I finally asked.
“The mall.”
“I thought you were having a rough time with morning sickness. Isn’t that why you haven’t been at the rink?”
“Oh, that.” Diane chuckled. “David bought that one hook, line and sinker.”
I narrowed my gaze, working to focus on the traffic. “So what have you been doing with yourself?”
“Shopping.” She breathed the word as if she’d never shopped before.
“For?”
“Purses.” Her voice whispered across the line like a seductress working her target.
“Purses?” My voice, however, hid not a stitch of my disbelief. “You’re shopping for purses?”
“Isn’t it great?” Her voice jumped so high her last word squeaked. “Each time I make a new find, I’m overcome by the most amazing joy.”
“Great.” But even as I tried to muster up some measure of disapproval for Diane’s little ploy, I couldn’t. If she wanted to shop for purses, she should shop for purses. “You know, normal pregnant women crave pickles.”
“Well, I never claimed to be normal.”
“No kidding.”
“Want anything while I’m there?” Her teary moment passed and shades of Mary Poppins returned.
“A new life,” I answered before the filter on my mouth could stop me.
“Tell David you’re sick and come meet me. I know exactly what you need.”
Visions of the Rediscover You fiasco flashed through my mind. “I’d hate to leave him hanging at the last minute,” I fibbed.
In a choice between the rink with David and the mall with Diane...well...I couldn’t believe what I was thinking, but I’d choose David.
“All right,” Diane answered, “but don’t tell him you spoke to me.”
“Mum’s the word.”
“Literally.” Her shrill laughter sounded in my ear as she disconnected the call.
Heaven help me. I wasn’t sure I could survive seven more months of Diane’s hormones, but after everything she’d put up with from me over the years, I intended to try.
A few minutes later, I studied David’s latest scowl.
“She’s not answering her phone.” He shook his head, his annoyance palpable as he scrubbed down the snack bar counter.
I had never been a good liar and covering for Diane fell soundly into that category. After all, I knew exactly where she was. I’d become an accessory after the crime...during the crime...whatever.
“Maybe she’s napping.” I gave a quick shrug, hoping my feigned ignorance would cover for the fact his wife had gone to the mall to satiate a sudden craving for purses. “Probably turned the ringer off,” I added. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“I’m not worried about that.” He scowled. “I just want to know who’s going to run the Zamboni tonight.”
I blinked. He’d honestly planned to have a hormonal, pregnant, middle-aged woman operate heavy equipment. I should have known he was only concerned about how Diane’s absence might inconvenience him.
“Aren’t you the least bit concerned about the health of your wife and your unborn child?” I asked.
His scowl deepened. Then he stopped mid-swipe and lifted his gaze. “You’ll have to do it.”
Was he kidding me? “Are you kidding me?” I shook my head. “No way.”
“It’s either that or flip burgers, and I’ve tasted your cooking.”
Now it was my turn to scowl, and I couldn’t help but notice the tiniest hint of amusement at the corner of David’s mouth.
“Funny.” I faked a laugh.
He shook his head and returned to his work. “There’s nothing funny about your cooking.”
I leaned against the counter. Surely David didn’t think our conversation complete. “Seriously. There’s nobody else here who knows how to drive the Zamboni?”
“Diane, me and Ashley.”
“Ashley.” I said her name a bit too enthusiastically and did my best to rein in my relief. “Ashley knows how to run--” I shot a glance toward the motorized monster in question “--that?”
“Any moron could run it.” David’s impatience had begun to show. He’d turned his back on me, probably hoping I’d develop a sudden fascination with operating massive, potentially life-threatening equipment and leave him in peace to scrub counters and flip burgers.
“Gee, thanks.”
“You always say I don’t have any faith in you.” He shrugged, still keeping his back to me. “I have faith in you.”
Faith or no faith, I had no plans to drive a machine that could squash me like a bug.
Just then Ashley breezed through the door, illuminated by the outside light as if she’d merged with the brilliant rays of the sun. When the door slammed shut behind her, she stood for a moment, blinking.
“Couldn’t you turn up the lights in here?” I directed the question to David’s back.
“Now what? Your Internet degree in ice rink management come through?”
“Funny again.”
I waited for Ashley to make