have no idea,” Diana answered. “But they have them for putting on makeup, knitting, cooking, and all kinds of other things. Rebecca used to watch those makeup ones for hours on end.”
“And I can get this on my laptop when I get home?” Tootsie asked.
“Or your television. I can set it up for you,” Carmen said. “Now, back to Diana.”
“Okay,” Diana sighed. “I forgot all about the difference in our ages and just enjoyed the moment. And it was fun being in a relationship for a day. Truth is, I didn’t pretend so much. It was kind of like it was real. But now that it’s all over, I keep thinking about how tough it will be to tell Rebecca about him.”
Tootsie listened to the song all the way to the end and handed the phone back to Carmen. “Rebecca is going to be elated.”
“What makes you think that?” Diana extended a hand and pulled Carmen back up to a sitting position.
“Because she came to give me one more goodbye hug the night before she left. She was sad to be leaving you all alone and told me that she wished you’d find someone to make you happy,” Tootsie answered.
“Did she really?” Diana was so touched that she got misty-eyed. Her daughter had thrown a pure old hissy fit the first time that Diana went out after the divorce.
“For real,” Tootsie answered. “You don’t have to make a decision now, but give Luke a chance. Let Rebecca meet him before you throw him out.”
Diana fidgeted with the rows of chenille on the bedspread. “This could just be an attraction between us because we’re the only two unattached people in this group and we’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
“Maybe so, but it might be something more. Don’t close the door to opportunity,” Tootsie said. “Just think about it. Now let’s talk about Linda June. Lord have mercy. She’s past fifty and looks like a hippie. I hope I never get stuck in an era like that!”
Diana glanced at Tootsie’s hairstyle and bit back a grin. “Me, either,” she said.
Carmen’s phone rang, and she whispered, “It’s Eli.”
“Thank you, Lord.” Tootsie raised her hand to the ceiling. “At this time of night, I was afraid it might be Natalie.” Tootsie slid to the side of the bed.
“Don’t leave.” Carmen’s heart leaped into her throat as she hit two buttons at once, one to answer and one to put it on speaker. Could she really tell him that she was willing to go through with the divorce?
“Hello, Eli. I’ve got Tootsie, Diana, and Carmen with me.”
“I need to speak to you privately,” he said.
“Whatever you say, I’ll tell them anyway, so this just saves a step in the process. Kind of like you talking to Gerald. Why are you calling so late anyway?” Carmen asked.
“I’m at our house in Sugar Run,” he answered. “I came to get my personal belongings and my truck.”
“You left the team for that?” Dammit! She should string him on for six months to a year. He wouldn’t take a week off to tell her to her face what he’d done, but he could do it to get his things. Right now she’d like nothing better than to beat him half to death with a cast-iron skillet.
“I took personal leave time. I had thirty days built up, and the team doesn’t need me for what they’re doing right now, so . . .” He paused for several seconds. “I’m having the lawyer draw up new papers. All I want is what I’m taking out of the house tonight and my truck. You can have all the equity in it, but you’ll have to keep making the payments to keep it. Other than that, I don’t think we have anything else to fight about, do we? Will you sign the new revised papers when they come?”
“How dare you go in the house without me there! Is that woman with you? Is she in my house? You better tell me the truth.” Carmen felt her throat close up, sending her voice all high and squeaky.
“Hell, no,” Eli said. “She’s at a hotel in San Antonio. Her son is staying with my mother.”
“Oh, I bet your mama just loves that.” Sarcasm dripped from her words.
“I didn’t call to talk about Mama. I just want to know, now that you’re getting everything you want, if you’ll sign the papers so this can be finished,” Eli said.