The Good Wife(118)
Fear. Anxiety. Dread.
She stopped in the hall and looked at him on the couch, Ella nestled against his chest, her arm wrapped confidently around his neck.
How lucky she was . . .
Sarah felt a wave of envy. She’d give anything to be Ella. She’d give anything to feel that safe and secure with Boone.
She moved on, back to the laundry room, and tears filled her eyes as she started a new load of wash.
I want to feel safe like that.
I want to feel loved like that.
I want—
“Hon?” It was Boone, in the doorway, Ella in his arms.
She straightened, knocking away tears. “Yes?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Got something in my eye. Lint or dust. It’s fine.” She forced a smile. “Are you hungry? Can I make you something before you go to the park?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll grab something on the way.” He moved toward her, putting Ella into her arms, freeing himself.
Sarah didn’t like it. Didn’t like that he was leaving already, didn’t like that he would go out and eat rather than stay and eat with her. “I bought groceries yesterday. Have food—”
“I’ve got my routine.” He grimaced. “It’s working.”
“I would love to make you a meal. Makes me feel good to take care of you.”
“Babe, it’s not personal, but I’m in a groove, and right now, since I’m hitting well, I’d just as soon not do anything that would jinx it.”
“I’ve never known you to be that superstitious.”
“Not going to take any risks,” he said, closing the distance, kissing her. “But thank you. I appreciate it.” And then he was gone, jogging upstairs to retrieve his bag and head out.
* * *
Don’t be paranoid, Sarah told herself, after Boone left.
Don’t be paranoid, she silently repeated, making it her mantra as she sat outside by the pool with Kit. Kit looked good, too, Sarah thought. She was playing on the steps with Ella while Sarah swam in the deep end with Brennan.
Brennan was a good swimmer. He’d learned to swim young, and he really liked the water. Sarah wondered if he’d enjoy being on a swim team. He couldn’t do the butterfly yet, and his breaststroke was rough, but he could learn. Sarah made a mental note to look into it.
“How are things with Jude?” she asked, swimming back to the steps to avoid being splashed by Brennan, who was now doing cannonballs off the diving board.
“Good. His job has him working graveyard, and I’m teaching summer school, but I’m almost done, and he’s hoping to get a week off in August so we can go on vacation.” Kit sat lower in the water to stay cool. “I think we’ll go to Texas.”
“Texas?”
Kit floated up. “Go see Delilah.” She saw Sarah’s puzzled expression. “My student. Her stepdad was the one who was really abusive.”
“That’s right. He and her mother left her. Can’t imagine just abandoning your child.” Sarah reached for Ella and pushed soggy dark brown hair from her eyes. Ella was not as comfortable in the water as her brother. Somehow, in the pool, she always managed to resemble a drowned rat. “How is your student doing?”
“Getting by. Still hoping her mom will send for her. I hope her mom doesn’t. Delilah’s better with Shey and Dane. They’re stable and loving and Delilah’s safe there. They won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Where do you think her mom is?”
Kit shook her head. “I don’t know. But we did learn that her stepdad, Howard, isn’t working for Chevron anymore. Chevron won’t talk about it, but they let him go.”
“So you’ll go to Texas, see Delilah . . . anything else you plan to do while there?”
“We’re going to pick up a car at the airport, so we thought we’d do some exploring. Visit Fort Worth, drive down to Austin, see the Hill Country, end up in San Antonio. I’ve never been to San Antonio. Neither has Jude. We thought it’d be a fun hol—” Kit broke off, shrugged, smiling. “Fun.”
Sarah studied her sister’s pink face. Kit was literally glowing with happiness. “You’re happy with him?”
Kit nodded, smile deepening, her blue eyes shining. “Yeah.”
“He’s sooooo different from you.”
“But that’s what makes it work. I already know all about books and rules and discipline. But I’ve never been the rebel. Never dated a rebel. And with him, I get to see into a different world, a new world, and it’s exciting.”
“You don’t think there’s going to be a point when you begin to miss your world?”