Mia Ross - Circle of Family

“My mom’s will work.” Still focused on the pond, he started reciting it.

“Wait a minute,” Marianne interrupted. “You don’t have an address?”

Facing her, he shrugged. “Not really. Most folks get me through my cell or email.”

“Where do you live when you’re not working?”

“I’m always working,” he said, then grinned. “Or never working, depending on how you look at it. Grandpa always says if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. That kinda sums me up, so he got it engraved on a brass plate and mounted it on Betsy’s dash the day of our first flight. I don’t think he invented the saying, but— What?”

She was shaking her head, looking truly appalled. Ridge was getting that gross specimen feeling again.

After several uncomfortable seconds, she said, “I’m still trying to understand how a man your age with a successful business doesn’t have an address.”

“Not everybody likes being rooted in one place.”

He didn’t know why he felt compelled to defend his lifestyle to her, but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t one to second-guess his choices, but for some reason this pretty, soft-spoken woman was beginning to mess with his confidence.

“Meaning you think I do?”

From the way she hurled the words at him, Ridge knew that despite his best efforts, he’d managed to insult her.

“I assume so, with your kids and everything,” he said, trying to soothe whatever nerve he’d struck. “You grew up here, and you’re still here. That’s nice.”

“For me,” she filled in, still challenging him. “But not for you.”

“Settling doesn’t work for me.”

“You think I’ve settled?” She jumped to her feet like he’d attacked her. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

He tried to explain that he’d meant settling down wasn’t right for him because, despite searching from coast to coast, he’d never found a place where he really wanted to stay. But he could tell she wasn’t hearing him anymore.

Marianne ripped his check from the printer and signed it in a furious scrawl. After shoving it into his chest, she pivoted on her heel and stormed out.

Chapter Three

Marianne’s unforgivable outburst with Ridge followed her like a thundercloud all day. She’d been short-tempered and mean, which was very unlike her. Hard as she tried, she just couldn’t shake her dark mood. She knew perfectly well that he hadn’t intended to put her down or in any way suggest that her life was less fulfilling than his.

Unfortunately, knowing that didn’t help lift her spirits. After a marathon session of laundry and housework to work off some of her frustration, she exhausted herself to the point where she felt more normal. Not entirely, but close enough to be better company.

Later that afternoon feeling contrite for being so prickly, she let Kyle talk her into playing Monopoly. Most days, the long, involved game didn’t suit her very well because it gobbled up so much of her precious spare time. But her kids loved it, even though she wasn’t sure Emily totally understood the rules. As a teacher, Marianne recognized that the game was good practice for adding numbers and counting spaces. For the kids, the fact that they always beat her was a definite bonus, and she went along because it made them so happy.

Today, it was the perfect way to apologize for her behavior without having to invent an explanation for it.

“I’ll buy it,” Emily announced when she landed on her fourth railroad. She didn’t have enough money, but Kyle was the banker and he gave her the deed card and some “change” that would keep her in the game.

Kyle loved to win, and Marianne was impressed by the generosity he’d shown his sister. She reached over to ruffle his hair, but he pulled away and she settled for an approving smile. When the screen door creaked open, she glanced up to find John coming in for his usual Sunday afternoon leftovers raid.

“There’s more in the fridge on the side porch,” Marianne said as she tossed the dice for her next move. Counting out the spaces, she groaned when her impoverished terrier landed in front of Kyle’s hotel.

“Welcome to the Boardwalk,” he crowed, holding out his hand. “Two thousand, please.”

“Aw, man,” John sympathized. “How much have you got?”

“Fourteen dollars.” She surrendered it and her piece to Kyle, who promptly buried the dog under the hotel that had bankrupted her.

“Nice,” John chided him as he plunked himself down on the bench next to Kyle. “Nothing like having a heartless zillionaire in the family.”

The comment rattled Marianne, and she prayed her son hadn’t inherited his father’s ruthless streak. If he had, she’d have her hands full reining it in. There was no way she’d just stand by and let him follow in Peter’s greedy footsteps.

“I still have some money, Uncle John.” Emily waved two fifties in the air. “And I’m gonna pass Go on my next turn.”

“Good for you, darlin’.” Crossing his arms on the table, he nudged Marianne’s elbow. “How’re you doin’?”

Puzzled by the question, she leaned back and saw uncharacteristic concern in his eyes. “Fine. Why?”

“You seemed off earlier today. Lisa was worried.”

“But not you?” Marianne asked, although she knew the answer. He might lack polish, but her carefree younger brother had a tremendous heart.

“Maybe a little. So what’s my answer?”

“Just tired is all,” she said. Even to her own ears, she sounded unconvincing.

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with tomorrow’s date, would it?”

As soon as he said it, she knew what had been eating at her all weekend. She hadn’t consciously realized it, but he was right.

Eleven years ago tomorrow, she’d married Peter.

Tears threatened, and she swallowed hard to keep them under control so she wouldn’t upset the kids. After so long, she was dismayed to discover that those memories hadn’t faded. They were lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to burst free and hurt her all over again.

“I guess,” she managed, forcing the words around the sudden lump in her throat. “I hadn’t thought of it until now.”

He gave her a smile of encouragement. “Lisa’s working this afternoon. I’ll stay with the kids if you wanna go talk to her.”

Marianne prided herself on being strong and competent. She hated asking for help, even when she probably needed it. Although she was no psychiatrist, she assumed it stemmed from becoming the Sawyers’ mother hen when she was only seven.

The kids’ laughter got her attention, and she looked over at them. Tucker was paws-up on the table, nosing through Kyle’s enormous pile of money.

“I’m fine,” she repeated.

“Come on,” John scoffed, tilting his head with a doubtful look. “This is me you’re talking to.”

Lisa was such a great sounding board, Marianne was tempted to take him up on his offer. But she seldom left the kids with anyone, even family. It felt wrong somehow. To avoid insulting him, she hedged. “I don’t know. The diner might be busy.”

“On a gorgeous day like this? Everybody’s off fishing or having a picnic somewhere. That place is probably a ghost town. She’ll be glad for the company. And when was the last time you went out on your own?”

“Christmas,” she shot back.

“Sure, to shop for presents for all of us.”

Again with the tilted head. He was reminding her more of Tucker by the second, but she had to admit that John’s suggestion made sense. Times like these, she really wished she could talk to her father. Even if he didn’t have a solution, Dad had always listened, reminding her that she didn’t have to manage everything on her own.