Heartbroken, she’d been determined to make her way in Europe. She’d promised herself there everything would be more glamorous, more interesting. She would let rich Frenchmen seduce her. She would marry into money, have a country château and a city pied-à-terre, knowing Jordan would regret losing her. At least that had been the plan.
Funny how her life had gone so wrong. Looking back she could see where she’d made bad decisions at pretty much every opportunity. Unlike Daisy, who had seemed to get it right all the time.
Sage drove toward her more modest neighborhood and smiled. At least her genuine wish that Daisy and Jordan were happy together spoke well of her as a person. If she wasn’t all bad, then maybe there was hope for her after all.
* * *
Despite the distance between Daisy’s small home office and the guest quarters, she was acutely aware of Cassidy’s presence in the house. She might not be able to see her or hear her, but she knew she was there, which made it difficult to concentrate.
She worked her way through the monthly bills, then picked up her phone and studied the dark screen.
She missed Jordan. Sometimes her emotions leaned more toward wanting to bash in his head with a heavy object, but today she just plain missed him. They were married, this was his home and he should be here. Only he wasn’t, and if they didn’t start talking, that was never going to change.
She still didn’t know why he’d left or what his grievances were, a frustrating truth she couldn’t ignore. She was trapped between indecision and fear, worry and loneliness.
She put the phone down, then picked it up again and texted him.
We need to figure out what’s going on. Not talking doesn’t solve any of our problems. To be honest, I’m not sure what our problems are.
She wanted to say more but decided that was enough of an opening. Seconds later, three dots appeared.
I agree.
His quick response told her he was at his desk, rather than with a patient. She reached for her phone again, this time intent on calling, then drew back. What if she called and he didn’t pick up? While she didn’t want to believe that would happen, she wasn’t sure, and the not knowing made her sad. Shouldn’t she expect her own husband to take her calls?
The dots appeared again.
Counseling?
She stared at the single word, not sure if he was asking or suggesting, then deciding it didn’t much matter.
I think that’s a good start.
Why don’t you pick one you like and set up an appointment? You know my schedule. Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.
Was he leaving it all up to her because her work schedule was more changeable than his or because he wasn’t that interested in seeing a counselor? Did their marriage even matter to him?
All really good questions with no answers. She and Jordan were dealing with something and she had no idea what it was. Getting help made the most sense.
I’ll find someone and get a meeting set up.
Thanks.
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. “You’re welcome” was too formal and anything else would be... She wasn’t sure, but nothing good came to mind.
It shouldn’t be this hard, she thought grimly. She and Jordan had been together over a decade. Shouldn’t they understand each other a little better than they did? She had no idea what he was thinking or what he wanted. For all she knew, he was done with her and was simply going through the motions so he wasn’t the bad guy. Maybe he’d already decided he wanted a divorce and was trying to find a way to tell her.
“Or I could stop assuming the worst,” she murmured.
Counseling was a start. With a disinterested third party in the room, they would have the chance to say what needed to be said so they could get on with repairing whatever was broken.
* * *
Sage counted out the ten hundred-dollar bills she’d gotten at the bank. When she and her mother had come to terms about Sage renting a room in the house, Joanne had been clear—she only wanted cash. Sage was sure a thousand dollars a month was way too much for what she was getting, but without a credit history, most people considered her a less than good bet. Besides, the location worked for her and with any luck, her mother would meet some guy and disappear for a few weeks.
Joanne pocketed the money and smiled. “Now I can schedule that laser treatment I’ve been wanting. Getting old sucks.”
“You’re beautiful, Mom,” Sage said automatically.
“I wish.” Joanne glanced at herself in the mirror in the living room. “I look old.”
“You really don’t.”
Sage crossed to the small table by the door and went through the mail piled there. One of the envelopes looked like the new credit card she’d been waiting for. She tucked it into her handbag to study later. With luck, she could get started using it right away. Part of her plan was to charge everything, then pay off the bill every month, to build her credit history.
“Have you seen Cassidy?” she asked when she’d finished with the mail.
Her mother stared at her blankly. “Why would I go see her?”
“Because she’s here. In Los Angeles. Remember, she fell off a mountain and is recovering at Daisy’s house?”
Joanne shook her head. “Oh, right. That was why Wallace called me a few days ago. He was only interested in giving me the information about her accident. I tried to get him to talk more, but he wouldn’t engage.” She sighed heavily. “Too bad. I really miss that man.”
“So that’s a no?” Sage asked.
“To?”
“Visiting your daughter.”
“I’ll get there in a few days. It’s not as if she’s missing me. Cassidy was only ever close to you.”
True enough, Sage thought, but wanted to point out the reason might have been that Joanne had been an indifferent mother at best. After the divorce, she’d fallen into a depression that had lasted for months. She’d ignored everything but her own pain. Once she’d started feeling better, she’d been far more intent on getting a man than caring for her two daughters. Cassidy had been five, so looking after her had fallen to Sage, who had barely been a teenager herself.
Her mother looked at her. “You’ve been over to the house?”
No need to ask which house she meant. “Yes, a couple of times. Cassidy’s doing a little better.”
“Did you see Jordan?”
“No. I have no interest in Daisy’s husband.” She emphasized the last word on purpose.
“You could take him from her in a hot second. Jordan wouldn’t care about her family money. I know he thinks letting you go was the dumbest thing he ever did.”