“What’s he doing now?”
He yanked on a pair of khakis. “Mostly putting up a good front. He lives in Telarosa, Texas, with his wife Gracie and their new baby. He acts like his family and the charity foundation he runs are all he needs in life.”
“Maybe they are.”
“You don’t know Bobby Tom. From the time he was a little kid, he lived to play ball.”
“It sounds as if he’s doing some important work.”
“The Denton Foundation?” He pulled a dark brown polo shirt over his head. “It does a lot of good, don’t get me wrong. This golf tournament alone brings in a couple hundred thousand for a whole bunch of good causes, but I guess the way I look at it, there are lots of people in this country who could run something like that, but there’s only one guy in the world who can catch a football like B.T.”
In Jane’s opinion, running a charitable foundation seemed a lot more important than catching a football, but she knew when to hold her tongue. “Retirement could be exciting. Think about yourself, for example. You’ll have the chance to start a whole new life while you’re still young.”
“I like the life I have.”
Before she could say anything else, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, where he proceeded to kiss her until she was breathless. She felt him harden through his slacks, but it was daytime, and he drew back with obvious reluctance to gaze down at her through heated eyes. “You ready to cry ‘uncle’ yet?”
Her eyes drifted to his mouth, and she sighed. “Just about.”
“You know, don’t you, that I won’t make it easy on you. I’m not going to be satisfied with anything less than stripping you naked in broad daylight.”
“I know.”
“I might even make you walk around outside.”
She regarded him glumly. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“ ’Course I wouldn’t make you do something like that stark naked.”
“You’re all heart.”
“I’d prob’ly let you wear one of those nice pairs of high heels you’ve got.”
“A man in a million.”
He started to kiss her again. Then he was cupping her breasts, and they were both breathing so hard she didn’t ever want to stop. Just that morning she’d told herself she was going to stop playing games with him, and now was the time. With one hand she reached for the hem of her nightshirt.
The telephone rang. She inched her nightshirt higher and continued kissing Cal, but the phone’s persistence ruined the mood.
He groaned. “Why isn’t the answering machine picking up?”
She let go of the nightshirt. “The cleaning women were here yesterday afternoon. They must have turned it off by mistake.”
“I’ll bet it’s Dad. He was going to call me this morning.” He relinquished her with reluctance, rested his forehead against hers for a few moments, then kissed the tip of her nose.
She couldn’t believe it. She’d finally worked up the nerve to let him see her pudgy body, and the stupid phone had to ring! Giving him his privacy, she headed for her bathroom, where she showered, then dressed. Afterward, she made her way to the kitchen.
Cal was slipping his wallet into the pocket of his khakis. “That was Dad on the phone. He and Mom are meeting for lunch in Asheville today. I hope he can convince her to put an end to this craziness and move back home. I can’t believe she’s being so stubborn.”
“There are two people involved in that marriage.”
“And one of them is bullheaded.”
She’d given up arguing with him about this. He was convinced that his mother was at fault in his parents’ separation because she was the one who’d moved out, and nothing Jane said could persuade him that there might be another side to the story.
“Do you know what Mom told Ethan when he offered her some pastoral counseling? She told him to mind his own business.”
She lifted an eyebrow at him. “Ethan might not be the best person to offer counsel.”
“He’s her pastor!”
She barely resisted rolling her eyes. Instead, she patiently pointed out the obvious. “You and Ethan are both too involved personally to be counseling either one of them.”
“Yeah, I guess.” As he picked up his car keys from the counter, he frowned. “I just don’t understand how something like this could happen.”
She gazed at Cal’s troubled face and found herself wishing Lynn and Jim could settle their differences, not only for themselves but for their sons. Cal and Ethan loved their parents, and this estrangement was painful for them.