Fire and Rain by Julie Mulhern

Author:Julie Mulhern [Mulhern, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J & M Press

Chapter Ten

The likelihood of my bidding and making a grand slam in bridge was small. The likelihood of me hitting a hole-in-one was even smaller. The chances of me beating the club tennis champion? Infinitesimal. The odds of all those things happening on the same day? A zillion to one.

And those odds were still better than getting nice weather for a swim meet.

Yet, here we were, gathered around Belmont’s pool as the sun gently kissed our shoulders, a light breeze ruffled our hair, and the temperature hovered around seventy-five.

Jane Carson stood by my side. “Can you imagine if they were always like this?”

“Don’t tease,” I told her. “We need to savor this one perfect day.” Because there would never be another, not for us. “Was it only last week that we melted?”

She nodded. “Later we watched the Dixons’ house burn. Your husband is still investigating the fire?”

“He’s investigating the death. Investigating the fire goes with that.” I lowered my voice. “Did you ever hear the Dixons argue?”

“Heavens, yes.”

“Often?”

“For years. Marian gets the same bee in her bonnet every spring. Leonard has been unfaithful.”

“Has he?”

She shrugged. “Who knows? Every spring, he meets his college buddies for a golf trip. Hilton Head or Palm Springs or Palm Beach. And every spring, she accuses him of cheating.”

“Every year?”

“Every year. Then he buys her some ridiculous owl figurine, and all is forgiven.”

Did this change anything? I sipped my iced tea and watched the eight-and-under girls swim free. I still had a few minutes until Beau swam. “Have you seen Percival?”

“I have. Bill spotted him in the wreckage, and we lured him into our house.”

“I’m so glad. I had nightmares about him being hungry and homeless. Did Marian have a pet-sitter?”

“For a while, when they traveled, Marian took him to board, but he was uninvited after an incident with a Siamese. After that, she asked me to check on him. Mostly making sure he had food in his bowl and water in his dish. If they were gone for more than a few days, I changed the litter box.”

“She didn’t ask you this time?”

“The balls, Ellison. I asked her to return the balls. We had words.”

“Are those the ten-and-under boys?” A line of whip thin boys stood ready to mount the blocks.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Beau Riley. I promised I’d cheer for him.”

“Poor kid. He needs someone cheering. Whit is a domineering ass.”

“Repeating his own father’s behavior.”

“That makes so much sense.” Her lips pursed. “What’s Tippy’s excuse?”

“What do you mean?”

“She forgot him at swim practice last week. Twice. I had to give him a ride home. Not that I minded.”

It happened. Busy Schedules. Multiple demands. Mothers forgot. Once, when Grace was in grade school, I got involved in a painting and forgot to pick up a whole carpool. I couldn’t throw stones at Tippy—not for that.

“Then Tippy asked me to give him a ride to the meet. She couldn’t be bothered to bring him.”

“I’m glad you were there. I’ll tell Grace to keep an eye out too.

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