Black Opal Read Free Page B

she couldn’t shut up. “We were living in Florida. Dean was in law school, and I was trying to get pregnant.”
    Law school? Pregnant? Holy feral cats. For the first time, I felt the weight of Dean’s and my ten-year age difference. He’d lived a whole life while I grew up. Suppressing a gulp, I took a deep breath and hoped my shock didn’t show on my face.
    Madeleine took one look at me and winced. “I wanted you to join me and Dean in Dallas for dinner on my birthday, but he said you had something else going on.” She gave me a small smile, making me think she’d changed subject on purpose.
    “Where’d y’all go?” I tried to keep my voice even, but my whirling thoughts made it difficult.
    “Five Sixty. It’s at the top of Reunion Tower. They have Asian food.” She grinned. “Dean bought me champagne.”
    Oh no. My nervousness morphed into relief, then embarrassment, and back into nervousness. I clutched my stomach, trying to keep the stampede inside. I couldn’t even formulate an answer. I’d driven three hundred miles, found out things about Dean I wished I didn’t know, and it was all over me jumping to conclusions. At least I’ve got a legitimate reason to be here. Sort of.
    ###
    “It’s very nice of you to hand deliver my son’s wallet,” Julienne Turgeau crossed her legs and straightened her light blue pantsuit. The suit and coordinating shoes matched the eye color she shared with her son. She gave me another kind smile and the barest of winks. Did she somehow know I came here to give Dean the what-for? How mortifying.
    I acknowledged her thanks with a nod. “Dean was upset about it.”
    Julienne nodded and took a sip of her tea. “My younger son takes life very, very seriously.”
    We shared a smile. My mood lightened a bit…until Dean’s ex piped up. “Dean got that way after our divorce. He used to be really fun.”
    I ignored Lisette and spoke directly to Julienne. “Where is Dean?”
    Lisette narrowed her eyes at me, her nostrils flaring. Now that I knew Dean’s dinner at Five Sixty was a birthday present to his sister, I wondered what the hell his ex-wife was doing here.
    “He and his older brother are outside trying to join their father in the hospital.” Julienne set her tea cup on the tray and took out her cell phone. “I’ll let him know you’re here.” Her fingers flew over the display, and I heard the familiar swoosh sound as she sent her text message.
    “Thanks.” I bit into something totally unfamiliar. “I’m sorry to hear of your husband’s accident.”
    “I told Big Rick a hundred times he’s too old to be out there working alongside the younger men. But he thinks not doing it would mean he’s getting old—which he is—so he never listens.” She pursed her lips. “He scared all of us. Then, the old goat tried to leave the hospital, and that started another panic. The doctors expect him to make a full recovery.”
    “I hope I’m not keeping you from visiting him at the hospital.” Actually, I hoped I was. Then, maybe I could get out of this uncomfortable situation.
    “Oh, dear, no.” Julienne laughed. “Rick’s used to being the boss, and he can’t stand not being in charge at the hospital. I’d prefer not to see all the awful fits he pulls.”
    “Daddy made one of the nurses cry yesterday,” said Madeleine.
    A few months ago, I’d have been horrified and classified Dean’s father as someone I’d prefer not to meet. But the last several months of dealing with Memaw’s failing health had opened my eyes to a whole new world. Some people didn’t have the patience to be patients. A little stab of guilt for leaving Memaw alone worked its way into me even though her doctor promised to check in on her.
    “Remember when Big Rick got food poisoning from that roadside stand?” Lisette’s dark eyes met and held Julienne’s.
    “Do I ever,” the older woman laughed. “I thought he would go into shock and die before he let us take him to the