else.”
Popsy let her eyes close and her head loll back against the back of the chair. “Did you know?”
“About what?”
“The other things.” Popsy opened her eyes again and looked at her eldest.
“Well, obviously I had no idea about Dad’s bombshell. I didn’t even know his business was in trouble. I thought he was weathering the recession pretty well.” She avoided mentioning Lily as she plonked down onto the seat beside her mom’s.
“I’m not talking about the business problems,” Popsy said impatiently. “I’m talking about your sister. Did you know about Lily and Jack? God, I can’t believe I’m even saying this.”
Rosie felt enormous guilt. “I only found out yesterday—last night, to be exact. Believe me, it came as a hell of a shock to me, too. Natasha and I went to visit Lily, and we bumped into Jack.”
“Even Natasha knew about it?” Popsy groaned.
“Mom, I don’t really think Natasha has any idea what she does or doesn’t know. She did see the two of them arm-in-arm, but I’m pretty sure I could have explained to her that they were just kissing goodbye if Lily hadn’t gone off the deep end this evening.”
Popsy spun around. “Gone off the deep end? You think she should have kept it all as her sordid little secret? Are you condoning this behavior?”
“What? No.” Now Rosie was defending herself. “How do you figure that? I’m just trying to rationalize the evening. I don’t think anything. I’m as stunned as you.” She saw her mother cool a little, so she tentatively added, “But I don’t think Lily would have wanted it to come out like this.”
“And just how the heck do you think it should have come out? Lily is sleeping with your father’s best friend. Damn it, Sandra is my best friend. Jack is her godfather for Christ’s sake.”
“Um, no, he’s my godfather.”
“You know what I darn well mean. He’s a godfather in our house. Lily’s done so much damage. She may even kill her father before she’s finished. The shock is what pushed him over the edge tonight.”
“Now hold on there a minute. Dad is a tough old boot. I know he was trying to go after Uncle Jack, but it’s pretty fair to say that the business had his heart under a lot of strain, too. You don’t blame Lily for Dad’s heart attack, do you?”
Popsy stayed silent for a moment. Rosie knew that she was maybe thinking about blaming her younger daughter.
“Lily is miserable about what happened tonight. I know she is. She’s called me seven times already.”
“Good. Stupid, stupid girl. Of all the men on the planet, why Jack? Why so close to home?”
Rosie shrugged. “Damned if I know.”
They fell into a strained silence. They could talk all night, but there was no rationalizing Lily’s behavior. Who knew where it would all lead.
“This might not be the best time to take up golf,” Popsy said at last.
“What?” For a moment Rosie was confused.
“Golf. Isn’t that what Natasha, or was it Lily, was talking about? Isn’t that why you’re going off to the Caribbean?”
“Oh that? Um, yes, wouldn’t it be fun to take up golf, Mom? Marcus thinks he’s a great golfer. A lot of the pilots play on their days off, and if he’s doing it, then so am I. Why do you think it’s not such a good idea?”
“Well, it’s a very time-consuming sport, and if you have a child, it’s difficult to be away for a full day. Even harder if you had two children, I’d guess.” She looked at her daughter with a sideways glance and Rosie understood.
She laughed at her mother. “Not an issue, Mom. We’re not even trying. Natasha is a full-time job for me.” As she said it, she realized that her mother looked like she was going to cry.
“Well, you’re going to have to get to it and give me a few more grandchildren because Lily certainly won’t anytime soon. Jack is dead-set against having more kids. What is Lily doing with an old rat like him, anyway?”
Rosie took her mother’s
Popsy let her eyes close and her head loll back against the back of the chair. “Did you know?”
“About what?”
“The other things.” Popsy opened her eyes again and looked at her eldest.
“Well, obviously I had no idea about Dad’s bombshell. I didn’t even know his business was in trouble. I thought he was weathering the recession pretty well.” She avoided mentioning Lily as she plonked down onto the seat beside her mom’s.
“I’m not talking about the business problems,” Popsy said impatiently. “I’m talking about your sister. Did you know about Lily and Jack? God, I can’t believe I’m even saying this.”
Rosie felt enormous guilt. “I only found out yesterday—last night, to be exact. Believe me, it came as a hell of a shock to me, too. Natasha and I went to visit Lily, and we bumped into Jack.”
“Even Natasha knew about it?” Popsy groaned.
“Mom, I don’t really think Natasha has any idea what she does or doesn’t know. She did see the two of them arm-in-arm, but I’m pretty sure I could have explained to her that they were just kissing goodbye if Lily hadn’t gone off the deep end this evening.”
Popsy spun around. “Gone off the deep end? You think she should have kept it all as her sordid little secret? Are you condoning this behavior?”
“What? No.” Now Rosie was defending herself. “How do you figure that? I’m just trying to rationalize the evening. I don’t think anything. I’m as stunned as you.” She saw her mother cool a little, so she tentatively added, “But I don’t think Lily would have wanted it to come out like this.”
“And just how the heck do you think it should have come out? Lily is sleeping with your father’s best friend. Damn it, Sandra is my best friend. Jack is her godfather for Christ’s sake.”
“Um, no, he’s my godfather.”
“You know what I darn well mean. He’s a godfather in our house. Lily’s done so much damage. She may even kill her father before she’s finished. The shock is what pushed him over the edge tonight.”
“Now hold on there a minute. Dad is a tough old boot. I know he was trying to go after Uncle Jack, but it’s pretty fair to say that the business had his heart under a lot of strain, too. You don’t blame Lily for Dad’s heart attack, do you?”
Popsy stayed silent for a moment. Rosie knew that she was maybe thinking about blaming her younger daughter.
“Lily is miserable about what happened tonight. I know she is. She’s called me seven times already.”
“Good. Stupid, stupid girl. Of all the men on the planet, why Jack? Why so close to home?”
Rosie shrugged. “Damned if I know.”
They fell into a strained silence. They could talk all night, but there was no rationalizing Lily’s behavior. Who knew where it would all lead.
“This might not be the best time to take up golf,” Popsy said at last.
“What?” For a moment Rosie was confused.
“Golf. Isn’t that what Natasha, or was it Lily, was talking about? Isn’t that why you’re going off to the Caribbean?”
“Oh that? Um, yes, wouldn’t it be fun to take up golf, Mom? Marcus thinks he’s a great golfer. A lot of the pilots play on their days off, and if he’s doing it, then so am I. Why do you think it’s not such a good idea?”
“Well, it’s a very time-consuming sport, and if you have a child, it’s difficult to be away for a full day. Even harder if you had two children, I’d guess.” She looked at her daughter with a sideways glance and Rosie understood.
She laughed at her mother. “Not an issue, Mom. We’re not even trying. Natasha is a full-time job for me.” As she said it, she realized that her mother looked like she was going to cry.
“Well, you’re going to have to get to it and give me a few more grandchildren because Lily certainly won’t anytime soon. Jack is dead-set against having more kids. What is Lily doing with an old rat like him, anyway?”
Rosie took her mother’s
Similar Books
