Page 154 of Save the Date
“Again. Why are you here?”
“Well yeah,” Leo said. “The thing is, your dad called and asked me to look in on you.”
“Why would the Colonel do that?”
“He’s worried about you. He said he’d tried calling you several times, at the shop and on your cell phone.…”
“Who gave him my cell-phone number?” Cara demanded. “I didn’t.”
“Okay, I might have shared that with him. But only because he was really concerned about you. He called me because he said he hadn’t heard from you, and he was even thinking of flying down here to see if you were okay.”
“I knew I should have changed that number after we split up,” Cara said. “He actually asked you to come over here and spy on me?”
“It’s not spying. We were married for Pete’s sake. I care about you.” He ran an index finger down her cheek, and Cara flinched. “You dad cares about you. “
“The Colonel cares about the fact that I still owe him money,” Cara said. “Did he appoint you his new collection agency? Or are you his idea of a leg-breaker?”
“He never said a word to me about money. He said you’re having some challenges, that’s all. He thought maybe I could help. I would help, if you’d let me.”
“‘Challenges’?” Cara hooted. “I’m pretty sure my father never used that word in reference to me. He probably told you I’m a screwup and a failure. Did he tell you he wants me to close up the shop and move back home?”
“He mentioned that,” Leo said cautiously. “Your mom is gone and you’re his only kid. He’s lonely. Why is that so hard for you to swallow?”
“Because I know the Colonel. If he’s lonely, why has he never, not once, come to Savannah to visit me? And don’t give me any bullshit about him hating to travel. He goes to Vegas two or three times a year. If he was so worried about how my business was doing, why didn’t he come down here to see for himself? Since I moved here, I’m the one who has to fly or drive up to Ohio, to see him on his own terms.”
“I can’t answer why your dad does or doesn’t come down here,” Leo said. “Okay, he’s set in his ways. That’s the military, right? He’s always been like that. The Colonel just wants what’s best for you, Cara. I want it too. You say you’re moving because this building was sold, maybe that’s true. But I think you’re moving because business stinks, and you can’t make the rent here. It’s no big crime to admit it, you know. So what? Walk away. I don’t happen to agree with the Colonel about you moving up home again. There’s nothing in Ohio for you. On the other hand, I think enough time has passed, we should take another shot at making things work between us.”
Cara blinked. “You really think so?”
“Yeah.” He nodded thoughtfully. “We’ve both changed a lot. Matured. Maybe we got married too young to be able to appreciate what we had. But now, I know where I’m going, and what I want.” He leaned in so close Cara could smell his cologne. “I want you, Cara. That’s all. Just you. What do you say we load all these boxes in my car and take them over to my place?”
She took a step backward, and then another step. She could actually feel the blood rushing to her face, her fingertips tingling—with what? He’d caught her off-guard, that was sure.
“Move in with you again? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Close up the shop. But how do I pay off the Colonel?”
“I got money. I’m doing great. They just gave me the two biggest accounts in the territory. I’ve actually been thinking of selling the condo, buying a house again. Have you seen those houses out at Southridge? Four bedrooms on the golf course, swim and tennis club. You could decorate it like you like.…”
“And then what?”
“Whatever you want. I don’t know, you could maybe keep doing flowers if you wanted, work for somebody else, not as much pressure. And I was thinking, maybe next year, we could start a family.”
“Have a baby?”
He nodded. “Yeah. My mom is crazy to have another grandchild.…”
She felt a roaring sensation in her ears. “Are you crazy? I’m not moving in with you, Leo. I’m not closing up my business and moving to some country-club development. I am not taking money from you to pay off my dad, and I am most definitely not having your baby.”
“We could wait on the baby like another year or so.…”
“Leo!” Cara was shouting. “We are over. We’ve been over. I don’t need your money, or your pity or your advice. Maybe you have matured, but I seriously doubt it if you were able to convince yourself that this fantasy of us remarrying and moving to the suburbs could ever become reality.”
“You don’t have to shout,” he said, putting on that hurt look of his. “I was just trying to help out, okay? You want to talk about fantasy?” He gestured around the kitchen, with its chipped laminate countertops and faded linoleum.
“This right here is a fantasy. You can’t even afford this place, and you think moving someplace else is going to fix things? Who are you kidding? The Colonel is right—you are a screwup. You’re pathetic, Cara. Really. So you just keep on doing what you’re doing. Stay right here in your dreamworld. Move on over to the next roach motel. You’re all about doing everything for yourself, not accepting help from anybody. Maybe that’s why the boyfriend left you. Great. Keep it up. Be a ballbuster. You’re going to end up the crazy dog lady of Savannah, broke and alone.”
