Sherryl Woods - Midnight Promises

“Oh, sweetie, when I want to get my blood pumping the rest of the week, I just think about how you look without your shirt,” Garnet Rogers commented with a wink. “Beats walking anytime.”

Elliott felt his cheeks heat, even as the other women in the group laughed. “Okay, that’s enough out of you, Garnet. You’re making me blush.”

“Looks good on you,” she said, undisturbed by his embarrassment.

The women slowly started to drift away, chattering excitedly about an upcoming dance at the senior center and speculating about who Jake Cudlow might ask. Jake was apparently the hot catch in town, Elliott had concluded from listening to these discussions. Since he’d seen the balding, bespectacled, paunchy Jake a few times, he had to wonder what the women’s standards really were.

Elliott was about to head to his office when Frances Wingate stopped him. She’d been his wife’s neighbor when he and Karen had first started dating. They both considered her practically a member of the family. Now she was regarding him with a worried look.

“Something’s on your mind, isn’t it?” she said. “You were a million miles away during class. Not that we present much of a challenge. You could probably lead us without breaking a sweat, but usually you manage to show a little enthusiasm, especially during that dancing segment Flo talked you into adding.” She gave him a sly look. “You know she did that just to see you move your hips in the salsa, right?”

“I figured as much,” he said. “Not much Flo does surprises or embarrasses me anymore.”

Frances held his gaze. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Sorry,” Elliott said. “What?”

“Don’t apologize. Just tell me what’s wrong. Are the kids okay?”

Elliott smiled. Frances adored Daisy and Mack, though both were unquestionably a handful. “They’re fine,” he assured her.

“And Karen?”

“She’s great,” he said, though he wondered how truthful the answer really was. He had a hunch she’d be less than great if she found out what he’d been up to. And truthfully, he had no idea why he’d kept these plans for opening a gym from her. Had he feared her disapproval, anticipated a fight? Maybe so. She was rightfully very touchy when it came to finances after going through a lousy time with an ex-husband who’d abandoned her and left her with a mountain of debt.

Frances gave him a chiding look. “Elliott Cruz, don’t try fibbing to me. I can read you the same way I could read all those kids who passed through my classrooms over the years. What’s wrong with Karen?”

He sighed. “You’re even sharper than my mother, and I could never hide anything from her, either,” he lamented.

“I should hope not,” Frances retorted.

“No offense, Frances, but I think the person I really need to be talking to about this is my wife.”

“Then do it,” Frances advised. “Secrets, even the most innocent ones, have a way of destroying a marriage.”

“There’s never any time to talk things through,” Elliott complained. “And this isn’t the kind of thing I can just drop on her and walk away.”

“Is it the kind of thing that will cause problems if she finds out some other way?”

He nodded reluctantly. “More than likely.”

“Then talk to her, young man, before a little problem turns into a big one. Make the time.” She gave him a stern look. “Sooner, rather than later.”

He grinned at her fierce expression. No wonder she’d had quite a reputation as a teacher, one that had lived on long after she’d retired. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

She patted his arm. “You’re a good man, Elliott Cruz, and I know you love her. Don’t give her even the tiniest reason to doubt that.”

“I’ll do what I can,” he assured her.

“Soon?”

“Soon,” he promised.

Even if it stirred up a particularly nasty hornet’s nest.

* * *

When she reached The Corner Spa at the corner of Main and Palmetto, Karen paused. She was beginning to regret that she hadn’t followed Dana Sue’s advice and taken a slow walk around the park to calm herself down again before arriving here to confront her husband. Even she knew it was probably a terrible idea to do it, not only when he was at work, but when she was still completely furious about being left in the dark. Nothing was likely to be resolved if she started out yelling, which is what seemed likely.

“Karen? Is everything okay?”

She turned at the softly spoken query from her former neighbor, Frances Wingate, a woman now nearing ninety who still had plenty of spunk, even if her age was slowing her down a bit. Despite her own lousy mood, Karen’s expression brightened just seeing the woman who was like a mother to her in so many ways.

“Frances, how are you? And what are you doing here?”

Frances regarded her with a perplexed expression. “I’m taking Elliott’s exercise class for seniors. Didn’t he tell you?”

Karen heaved a frustrated sigh. “Apparently there’s quite a lot my husband hasn’t been sharing with me recently.”

“Oh, dear, that doesn’t sound good,” Frances said. “Why don’t we go to Wharton’s and have a chat? It’s been ages since we’ve had a chance to catch up. Something tells me you’d be much better off talking to me than going inside to see Elliott when you’re obviously upset.”

Knowing that Frances was absolutely right, Karen gave her a grateful look. “Do you have the time?”

“For you I can always make time,” Frances said, linking her arm through Karen’s. “Now, did you drive or shall we walk?”

“I didn’t bring my car,” Karen told her.

“Then walking it is,” Frances said without a moment’s hesitation. “Good thing I wore my favorite sneakers, isn’t it?”

Karen glanced down at her bright turquoise shoes and smiled. “Quite a fashion statement,” she teased.

“That’s me, all right. The ultimate fashionista of the senior set.”

When they reached Wharton’s and ordered sweet tea for Frances and a soda for Karen, Frances looked into her eyes. “Okay now, tell me what has you so out of sorts this afternoon and what it has to do with Elliott.”

To her dismay, Karen’s eyes filled with unexpected tears. “I think my marriage is in real trouble, Frances.”

Genuine shock registered on her friend’s face. “Nonsense! That man adores you. We chat after class every week, and you and the kids are all he talks about. He’s as infatuated now as he was on the day you met. I’m as sure of that as it’s possible to be.”

“Then why doesn’t he tell me anything?” Karen lamented. “I didn’t know he was seeing you every week. And earlier I found out that he’s planning to open some sort of gym for the men in town. We don’t have the money for him to take that kind of risk, even if he has business partners. Why would he take on something like that without even talking it over with me?”

She gave Frances a resigned look. “People warned me about these macho Hispanic men. I know it’s a stereotype, but you know what I mean, the ones who just do whatever they want and expect their wives to go along with it. Elliott’s father was like that, but I never thought Elliott, of all people, would be. He was such a thoughtful, considerate sweetheart when we were dating.”

“Are you so sure he’s keeping you in the dark deliberately?” Frances inquired reasonably. “There could be a lot of explanations for why he hasn’t mentioned these things. With two children and two jobs, you’re both incredibly busy. Your schedules don’t always mesh that perfectly, so time together must be at a premium.”

“That’s true,” Karen admitted. She often worked late at night, while he left for the spa early in the morning. They were sometimes like ships passing in the night. Their schedules weren’t great for real communication.