Sitting Duck (A Patrick Flint Novel) by Hutchins Pamela Fagan

Author:Hutchins, Pamela Fagan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781956729207
Publisher: SkipJack Publishing
Published: 2022-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: CHEW

Buffalo, Wyoming

Saturday, March 18, 1978, 8:05 p.m.

Patrick

“Care to fill me in on the details, good-looking mama?” Patrick said to his wife, quoting the very drunk patient Wes had just wheeled away to the ER.

Susanne winced. “I went to meet with Professor Renwick at his office this morning. That’s why I asked for your help.”

“Great,” Patrick said, his voice too heavy on the sarcasm. But he was angry. Susanne had met with this man this morning without telling him about it, and now the guy was in Patrick’s ER talking about her in a familiar way that Patrick didn’t like. This was not okay.

“Don’t use that tone on me, Patrick Flint, or you won’t hear another word.” Her eyes bore into him.

How had she gone from calm to enraged so quickly? His anger rose to meet hers. “He was awfully familiar with you Susanne.”

Her voice rose. “He was awfully inappropriate about me, Patrick. I am not the cause of his bad choices and actions.”

Patrick looked around the reception area to ensure they were still alone. “He sure implied there was more to your relationship than professor and student.”

“Because there is. He offered me a job as his research assistant. It’s a very prestigious opportunity, and quite flattering.”

“And you took the job without talking to me about it first? We’re already stretched too thin!”

“I tried to talk to you about it, but you were late to the Sibleys. After not checking on Perry or Trish. After breaking your commitment as my partner. And, no, I didn’t take it. I told him that I would have to think about it and talk to you.”

“You want to talk about commitments? You committed to raising the kids. Now you’ve changed our plan, and you expect me to do your job for you.”

“No, Patrick, I expect you to be a partner in parenting our kids, not to spend your every free moment chasing after whatever the latest thing it is that you have your heart set on.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Mountain climbing? Really? Was that part of our plan? That I’d be locked into being your maid and personal assistant so you could spend our time and money chasing the Seven Summits? And that it would make me so happy that I’d still be your Madonna by day and your Mata Hari by night? Think again. Your activities don’t leave me any room at all to become the woman I was meant to be.”

Red blurred Patrick’s vision. He couldn’t believe the things Susanne was saying to him. He started to defend himself, then changed his mind and went on the attack. “We don’t need the piddly money you’d make working as a research assistant. Or as a teacher for that matter. It’s a waste of our time. And if you’re so unhappy with how I spend mine, just remember you’d have more if you hadn’t decided to pile school and now a job on top of the portion of the load you committed to carrying.

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