C.J. Carmichael - Love and the Single Mum

“So do I,” Margo whispered back.

And she was. Her bistro was everything she’d ever dreamed it would be—except profitable. Margo had expected to lose money the first few months, but with a year of operation behind her she was getting desperate to creep out of the red.

The guy in the suit appeared at the counter as soon as she had the soup in place. He caught her eye. “Smells wonderful. I’ll have a bowlful of that, plus another of those scones.”

As she took his money, the recognition thing bugged her again. “Have we—?”

But before she could complete her question, his phone rang. He was wearing small earphones, so he was able to talk to whomever was on the line and carry his food back to his table all at the same time.

“That guy is starting to get on my nerves,” Em commented quietly.

“Maybe I should take Ellie’s sign and flash it in his face.”

Em laughed. “Yeah. You do that.”

“I’m serious.” She started to lift the tape that was holding the sign to the counter, only to hear the sound of ringing yet again. It wasn’t Suit Guy’s BlackBerry this time—she was embarrassed to realize it was her own cell phone.

Em’s hair was turning gray, but her eyebrows were still coal-black. She raised them now and Margo apologized.

“It might be an emergency. I’ll just be a sec.” She withdrew to the kitchen where she pulled her phone from the pocket of her white apron. Only the kids’ school and Tom had this number and they knew better than to use it casually.

Had one of the kids taken ill? Been injured on the playground? With a feeling of dread, Margo said hello.

“Margo?”

Not hearing the school secretary on the other end was a plus. But the familiar voice of her ex-husband didn’t exactly fill her with joy. “Hi, Tom.”

“Sorry to bother you at the bistro. But I needed to talk to you when the kids wouldn’t be around.”

Margo sank into a chair. This didn’t sound like it was leading up to something good. “What’s wrong?”

The final paperwork on the divorce had been signed last week. Everything had been running so smoothly lately that she hadn’t expected to hear from Tom again in a long while.

“I’ve got some news. And I was wondering about the best way to tell Ellie and Peter.”

This sounded big. Margo always wore her hair up at work, but she found a stray wisp and coiled it around her finger. “What is it?” Had he been transferred? Was he planning to move? Oh, God, give her strength if that was the case.

“I’m getting married.”

“Wha—?” Margo’s brain stalled. How could he be getting married? The ditzy paralegal he’d had his affair with had left their law firm in disgrace shortly after Margo’s resignation. Ironically it was only Tom’s career that had survived that scandal. “I didn’t know you were still seeing Janna.”

“I’m not. My fiancée’s name is Catherine. She works part-time as a receptionist at Henry’s firm.”

Henry Kovatch was Tom’s best friend. And supposedly one of hers, too. The three of them had been inseparable in law school. “Did Henry set you up?”

“Well…yes.”

Hmm. Why hadn’t Henry set her up with someone? Then again, the only people Henry knew were lawyers and people who worked with lawyers. And she definitely didn’t want to get involved with another one of them.

“Catherine and I have been dating for about four months.”

“That’s all? And you want to get married?”

“I know it seems impulsive—”

“Seems?” Tom was the least impulsive person she’d ever known. On the other hand, he liked having a woman around to take care of him, which was one of the reasons their marriage had failed. Margo had expected to be an equal partner sort of wife. Not a mother fill-in. “This Catherine must be something else.”

“She’s wonderful. As soon as I met her I knew she was the one.”

Margo closed her eyes. Tom had once said that about her. Did he remember?

He’d told her she was the prettiest, most amazing woman in the world and that nothing would make him happier than spending the rest of his life with her.

Apparently he’d meant his life or ten years, whichever came first.

Damn, she never had been one to read the fine print. Good thing she’d left the law. Like her marriage to Tom it was one of those things she’d thought she’d wanted, only to be disillusioned with the reality.

“Well…” Spit it out, Margo. “Congratulations. Have the kids met her?”

“Sure. They get along great.”

Funny. Neither Ellie nor Peter had ever mentioned Catherine to her. Then again, neither had they mentioned anything about the new silver Audi roadster that Margo had seen in the garage the last time she’d dropped them off at Tom’s for the weekend.

“Catherine loves them, too. This is going to work out really well, Margo. I have no doubt about that.”

God help them all if he was wrong. “So when is this wedding taking place?”

“That’s the thing. See, we’d been planning a big church wedding, then last week we got the idea to do something simple and easy at city hall.”

“Okay… But when?”

“That’s what I needed to talk to you about. I know this is your weekend to have the kids, but I was hoping—”

“This weekend? You’re getting married this weekend?”

“Would you calm down, Margo. Yes, I’m getting married this weekend. And I’d like the kids to be there.”

In ten years of marriage, he’d never surprised her so much.

“If it’s okay with you, I’ll pick Ellie and Peter up after school on Friday—”

“That’s tomorrow.” Did Ellie’s pink dress shoes still fit her? Well, they’d have to. He’d left them no time to go shopping. “Do they know that you and Catherine are getting married?”

“Well, Catherine has practically been living with me the last few weeks, so I don’t think they’ll be too surprised.”

“Tom—”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. Like I said, they like Catherine.”

This was all so very not fine that Margo didn’t have a clue where to start. The kids were going to be overwhelmed. A new stepmother, at the drop of a hat. How could Tom sound so cavalier about something that was going to totally change all of their lives?

Including hers.

Adjusting to a separate life from the father of her children was one thing. Having another woman in her children’s lives was something else. Margo had known this would happen one day. She hadn’t expected the day to arrive so soon, though.

“Margo? Are you still there?”

“Yes.” Barely.

“Catherine and I were hoping you’d come to the reception, after city hall. We’re having a few people to that new rooftop restaurant at Embarcadero Center and we feel it’s important for the children that they see this wedding has your support.”

Good God. Did he know what he was asking? Margo rubbed her forehead. Forget the children being overwhelmed. What about her?

It was dizzying how fast her life had changed this year. She’d gone from being a married woman and practicing lawyer, to a single mother with a business of her own. She’d adjusted marvelously—at least she felt she had—but was she ready to watch her ex-husband marry another woman?

And yet, she knew Tom had a point. For their kids’ sake, she had to do this. “Give me the restaurant name and time and I’ll be there.”

Margo jotted down Tom’s instructions, then wished him the best and disconnected the call. Slipping the phone back into her apron, she leaned into her chair and just sat.

This was so unreal.

In the year they’d been living apart, Tom had had his affair with Janna and now he was marrying someone named Catherine whom she had never met.