A Mother's Love by Ruth Wind Page B

instead.
    No, if she had to describe Detective Duncan in a few words, neither kind nor reliable would appear. Instead ones like intelligent, menacing and sexy leaped to mind. She’d gone that route once before, dating another cop when she’d first started work here. Gary Phillips had seemed dashing and a little dangerous, too, tempting her to violate her own rules. What he’d turned out to be was self-centered and unfaithful. She wasn’t stupid enough to go that route again.
    Reassured by her own common sense, Leila unlocked hercar and got in, her thoughts reverting to her original worry. Her mother had looked fine the last time they’d gotten together. She would have called if she’d been sick. No, chances were she’d been feeling sad and wanted the comfort of sharing her grief. The first anniversary of Dad’s death had passed only the week before last.
    When she walked into the restaurant, her mother was there ahead of her, already seated at a table by the window. She waved and said, “Isn’t this a lovely view?” when Leila sat down across from her.
    Surprised, Leila studied her mother rather than the view out the window. Mom didn’t sound at all sad. Instead her voice held an unaccustomed lilt. And she looked chic and somehow younger than she had recently. Was it a new haircut? Or some kind of makeover? Leila couldn’t decide. Joanne Foster’s hair—a wavy chestnut, like Leila’s—was short and beautifully shaped but not that different from the way she’d been wearing it. And while she did wear makeup, Leila wasn’t even sure she had on foundation. But she had color in her cheeks. And her eyes—blue to Leila’s brown—sparkled.
    Maybe something especially good had happened or Mom had just woken up that morning feeling less oppressed by grief. Time was supposed to do that, and the first year of her widowhood had gone by. Maybe she’d suggested lunch because her spirits had lifted rather than because she felt sad.
    Leila did glance out the window then and agreed, “It’s a beautiful day.”
    The boats tied up to the docks in the marina all seemed to be a gleaming and pristine white, and the bright pennants affixed to the masts lifted in a breeze. Puget Sound was vivid blue under the sunny spring sky, and the snow-capped,jagged Olympic Mountains were sharp and clear across the water.
    â€œWhat a good idea this was,” Leila continued, adding, “Did you have a particular reason for suggesting lunch or was it just an impulse?”
    â€œI did want to talk to you about something. Oh! Here comes the waiter. We should probably decide what we want to eat.” Her mother disappeared behind her menu.
    Leila blinked. Had Mom looked relieved at the interruption?
    But she hastily scanned the menu herself and was able a minute later to order. Once the waiter was gone, Leila waited.
    Her mother cleared her throat. “Do you remember my telling you how I’ve been e-mailing Robert Wojack?”
    Leila gazed blankly. The name rang a bell…. Then it came to her. “That guy you went with in college?”
    Joanne Foster nodded. “Yes, we hadn’t talked in over forty years. Isn’t that awful?” She shook her head. “How did so many years pass?”
    â€œDid he e-mail you out of the blue?” Leila had a feeling her mother had already told her this, but she hadn’t paid attention.
    â€œNo, I heard from a mutual friend after your dad died. She mentioned that Robert’s wife had died several years ago. I’m the one who e-mailed him.”
    Leila paid attention this time. A little shocked, she stared at her mother. “Why?”
    â€œWhy did I get in touch with him?”
    Leila nodded.
    â€œBecause we were once deeply in love. He asked me to marry him, you know.”
    No, Leila was quite sure her mother had never told her that a man besides her husband had ever asked her to