Tainted Waters

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Dori. Thank you for having dinner with me. This is nice." George pulled out her chair, pushing it in when she sat down.

A waiter came over to their table almost immediately. "Welcome to Le Chance." He rattled off the specials before laying their menus in front of them. "May I offer you something to drink?"

"A bottle of the house Cabernet Sauvignon—"

"No."

"A glass each of—"

"No."

"Come on. Celebrate a little. It's been a while since we've seen each other. I'm sure we can find something to toast."

She smiled. "Yes, I'm sure we can, but a glass of water will work just fine for me. Thank you."

He bit back a retort, pasted on a smile, and ordered. "Two glasses of water. Your house best, please."

The waiter nodded and backed away.

"You look beautiful." And she did, but it had taken a lot of cajoling and almost blackmailing to get her to go out with him. Getting her to dress up in her fancy blue dress and go to a fancy restaurant had taken all of his persuasive skills.

"Thank you. You look very dapper yourself. Although you're quite used to being dressed up in a suit since you do it every day for work."

"Yes, true. But it's nice just to dress up to be with a beautiful woman." He got a partial smile that time.

"So, how are you doing?"

She nodded. "Fine. Always doing something. And you?"

"I'm good. Keeping busy."

"I was sorry to hear about your wife, Jean. I know it's been a few years, but I never really got a chance to say it in person. I know I called you and sent a card, but that's just not the same. It's too bad you didn't have a memorial service for her here."

The touch of her hand on his was reassuring but fleeting. His glance settled on her fingers. He wasn't sure if it was the topic she'd chosen or the fact that she was still wearing her wedding ring when she'd been without a husband for twenty years that bothered him. A husband she believed had cheated on her. "Yes, I probably should have, but it was just too much. By the time I got back from Mexico with her body, I was just too drained. I had a small service for her, but I just couldn't face anyone. You understand."

"I do. What a shock it must have been to have her attacked by a crocodile. What a horror. And I guess cremating her down there only made sense. It must have been awful for you."

He nodded, not really wanting to talk about this but, if she wanted to give him sympathy, he could use that too. "Yes, it was horrendous. I'm not sure why she went for a walk down the road that day. The sign clearly said beware of crocodiles. We'd walked a short distance down that road a few days before with a guide and it was fascinating to see those creatures right beside the road, but it wasn't worth the risk, so we turned around. I don't know what she was thinking."

They ordered their meals.

"How are your children? They must all be grown-up and scattered around."

"Oh my, yes. The twins are still traveling Europe and loving it. Scares me, but, at some point, you have to let them go. Meredith is doing all right with her business—Awakening Wellness. Kyle is doing good and so is …" There was just a second of hesitation, "Samantha." She told him several positive things that were happening in each child's life, except for Samantha's.

He already knew all about every one of her kids, what they did for a living, who they'd married, if they'd had affairs, where they lived. All except for one at the moment. He kept his attentive face on while he let his mind think back to the stressors in his life. Things would have to change; he wasn't happy and that was not good.

"Samantha? She was with you at the funeral."

"Yes. She lives here in Bentley. The others pretty much all live in or around Albertson with me. So, we're only thirty minutes apart."

"What's she up to these days?" He didn't mention that he knew about her being fired.

"Still finding herself. She's still lost as to what she wants to do. She's tried every job there is. She just can't seem to find something that she'll stick with."

"Always thought when they grew up you wouldn't have to parent them anymore, sometimes it sounds like they're more work."

"No, not really. You still worry but in a different way. I know she'll be fine. It's just a mother thing." She smiled.

Their meals arrived so they quit talking for a while to eat.

"Oh, that was delicious." She wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin before folding it and putting it down on her almost empty plate.

"Can I interest you in an after-dinner drink?"

"I don't want anything to drink but you go ahead."

He took a steadying breath while keeping his smile in place, his face relaxed and cordial. "I know you may not want to talk about this, but I think we should. I'd like to buy the lake property from you. I know you're getting to that age where maybe you'd like a little more freedom, travel, see the sights. I'd pay you a fair price, more than I offered you before."

"No." She glanced at him and then away.

He waited a few seconds for her to tell him why. She wasn't forthcoming.

"None of you are using it and haven't in years." He caught her gaze and held it. "Why would you want to hang onto it? It can't be a healthy reminder."

She picked up her glass of water and took a sip before setting it down and looking at him. "I can't, George."

"Care to tell me why? I think you owe me that much. It was no, what, ten years ago? And it's no today. I've been patient but …"

She sat up straight. "It's no. My children have a stake in this. It's not just my decision to make. One day I'll address it with them. Until then, the answer is no."

The candle on the table flickered between them. He leaned forward and pulled out all of his reserves, letting the charm flow. "I know it's a sore spot for you. I know how difficult it's been for you. I mean losing your husband so young, raising all those kids by yourself. I only ever wanted to help. I should have agreed for you to give it to me way back when."

"Are you trying to tell me I owe it to you? Because of his debt?"

"No. No. I'm not suggesting that. I'm offering to buy it. At a better than market price."

She bowed her head. "I can't. Thank you. I know you've only got my best interest at heart and I appreciate it." She reached across the table to pat his hand. He grasped hers, holding it gently but firmly. Startled, she looked up at him.

"I'm more than concerned about your welfare. I like you. I always have. I've …" He allowed a red flush to creep up his face. "Always been a bit in love with you. But you never saw me. First, because Sam had swept you off your feet. You were so young and he older, wiser. And then you were lost in your grief. He was gone so suddenly."

She pulled back. "George, stop. I don't want to discuss Sam or what we had."

"We're the only two who know what really happened to him. After all this time, you have to know that he used you. The things he was doing behind your back and leaving you almost destitute. It was wrong. He wasn't a good man. So why would you want to hold onto something that has so many bad memories?"

"Take me home." She stood up, grabbing her purse from beside her.

"Your kids don't really know what happened to their father, do they? You never told them."

"Take me home." She turned away.

"You never told them."

The fierce look she gave him was telling. The fact that she walked away without a word confirmed it for him.

He caught up to her in a few strides. "Look, I'm sorry. I just don't enjoy seeing you caught up in the past. And that cabin has to be falling apart, with no one using it."

"It's just fine. It's being looked after and lived in."

He smiled as he paid and then exited after her. Now he knew where Samantha Overton, better known as Sam, was. She would not tell him who he could and couldn't see. Let alone interfere in his life.