Diva 04 _ Diva Cooks a Goose, The by Krista Davis Page B

thought Mom and Hannah might swoon and break into applause. They controlled themselves, though, and immediately invited him to breakfast.
    Zack appeared to thrive on their attention. Walking between Mom and Hannah, he was ushered into the kitchen.
    Dad placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m proud of you, bunnikins. Sounds like a lot of people depend on the proceeds from that auction. It would be a shame if they had to cancel it.”
    I wanted to point out that I hadn’t agreed—it was Hannah who volunteered us all—but the truth was that I would have done it anyway. Bonnie’s auction benefitted needy people. After the chaos of our holiday, it would do us good to help those less fortunate. Our turkey and gifts might have been stolen, but they weren’t things we couldn’t replace or do without.
    As I walked up the stairs to my bedroom to change clothes, it occurred to me that the auction might help get Laci’s mind off her troubles. I opened the bedroom door and found Marnie sitting up in my bed, holding a wet washcloth against her forehead.
    “I’m sorry, I just came to get some clothes. Won’t take me a minute.”
    “I’m the one who should apologize.” She spoke softly, her eyes closed. “I’ve been such a fool. And now I’ve gone and made things worse.”
    I retrieved a soft green turtleneck and jean shirt while I pondered what to say. I’d been through a divorce, but it had been fairly civil. I never felt the need to go on a drinking binge or wear elf shoes. Folding the clothes over my arm, I decided she probably needed to vent. “He said you threw him out. Did you think he was seeing someone else?”
    Marnie’s laugh sounded like a croak before it warped to a moan. She opened her eyes and held her head between her hands as though she wanted to steady it. “I certainly didn’t think so at the time, but now I have to wonder. Phil wasn’t the type to fool around with other women. He was a good dad, and a loyal husband.”
    “Then why did you throw him out?”
    “That’s a bit of dramatic license by Phil. I imagine he meant to make me feel responsible, which I suppose I am. You don’t have children, do you?”
    I shook my head and found the jeans with the hidden elastic waist.
    “Laci and Shawna were the center of our lives. When they left home, Phil was promoted to vice president in charge of personnel at the brewery, and I became the principal of our elementary school. Life was good, but it was all about work. We retired within a month of each other and it seemed like life screeched to a sudden halt. Phil and I were left staring at each other with nothing to say.”
    I didn’t dare jostle the bed by sitting on the corner, so I perched on the edge of a chair and listened to her.
    “I tried to talk him into ballroom dancing classes, but he refused. I suggested we buy a camper and hit the road, see the country. He couldn’t leave his precious supersized TV behind. He didn’t want me to join a book club or get a dog to take to visit kids in hospitals.”
    A note of irritation crept into her voice. “Then at Thanksgiving, after the kids left, it was just Phil and me and the TV and leftover pecan pie. I thought—is this all there is? Am I going to spend the rest of my days handing Phil pie and washing dishes while he watches TV?” Marnie sat up, her face full of fury, but she promptly groaned and carefully leaned back against the headboard. “So I suggested a separation and told him I intended to stay in the house. I had to! He wouldn’t have lifted a finger. The place would have fallen down around him while he was glued to that TV set.”
    She applied the damp washcloth to her head again. “I thought it would be good for him to get out. To be forced to live again. I never thought the fat old fool would find another woman.”
    I hardly dared ask, but I did anyway. “Do you still love him?”
    She sat up straight. “Yes. Yes, I do. And I’m going to get him back if it’s the last thing I