Amber froze, wineglass halfway to her mouth.
Crystal gave her head a little shake, certain she couldn’t have heard properly. “What business?”
“Softco, of course,” said her mother. “Kenny and a group of investors made us an offer. And what with Wesley joining the team and all…”
Were they bluffing? Was this blackmail? Was it some kind of convoluted plot to get Crystal and Amber to become machinists?
Her parents would never sell Softco. It was their lifeblood. Without it, well, they barely had an identity. They didn’t have interests or hobbies, or friends outside the Chamber of Commerce.
“Our lawyer is working out the details this week. There’s a deposit in escrow, and-”
“Wait a minute,” Crystal interrupted, setting down her knife and fork. “You’re serious?”
Both her parents stared at her. “Of course we’re serious.”
“But-”
“We have our eye on a little bungalow in Florida,” said Harold.
“You’re retiring?” Crystal felt compelled to confirm, feeling as though something had just tilted the earth off its orbit.
Her family without Softco? It was almost incomprehensible. And what did that mean for her? She didn’t want to get selfish, but would Kenny keep her on as a parts driver? Would he let her stay in the apartment?
“We’re retiring,” said her mother. “It’s been a lot of years of hard work. We had high hopes for you girls, but since that doesn’t appear to be-”
“What your mother means,” her father put in, “is that now is a good time to sell. You girls don’t want the business, so we’re better off with other investments.”
“What kind of investments?” asked Amber, her second wineglass now half empty.
“Amber,” Crystal jumped in. “That’s none of our business.”
Amber cocked her head, giving Crystal a glassy-eyed stare. “I’m just wondering what it means to us. Are we part of this windfall-”
“Amber!”
“Well, I’ve got kids to put through college.”
“We’ll be making provisions for their college educations,” said Harold.
Amber gave her a saucy sneer, and Crystal wished she could crawl under the table.
“About this Florida house-” Crystal tried to steer the conversation away from Amber.
“What about now?” asked Amber. “The kids have needs now.”
“Don’t you mean Zane has needs now?” As soon as the words were out, Crystal regretted them.
“Zane?” asked her mother.
“Zane’s back,” Crystal said. “You can’t give Amber any money while he’s in town.”
“I can’t believe you just said that,” Amber growled.
“Jennifer,” Harold quickly put in, “Why don’t you and David go into the den. I’ve got a new DVD there for you.”
“Which one?” asked Jennifer.
“Can we take the chocolates?” asked David.
“You can take the chocolates,” said Harold. “The movie is on top of the player. It’s a surprise.”
The kids jumped from their chairs and scampered down the hall.
Amber polished off her wine. “Zane’s changed,” she stated, with a frown for Crystal.
“There’ll be some money in a trust for each of you,” said her father.
A satisfied smile came over Amber’s face, while Crystal’s dinner turned to lead in her stomach. Amber would never get rid of Zane if there was money in the offing.
“You can access it when you’re thirty-five,” Stella finished.
Amber’s face fell. “What good does it-”
“That’s very generous of you,” Crystal quickly put in, relieved on at least one front. On every other front, her life had just taken a hairpin turn.
CHAPTER TEN
IT WAS NINE-THIRTY BEFORE Larry’s cell phone rang. He had the new bed set up in his bedroom, along with crisp new sheets and a copper-colored comforter that brought out the wood grains in the oak bed.
“Larry Grosso,” he answered out of habit.
“Hey, Larry,” came her sweet, melodic voice.
He smiled. He loved that voice. “Hey, Crystal.”
“How’re you doing?”
“Better now.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Dinner’s over.”
Great. “Where are you?”
“I’m in my car.”
“On your way here, I hope?”
“I’m on Springford, crossing the overpass. Your directions are perfect.”
“Where’s Rufus?”
“He’s with me.”
“Good.”
There was a thread of laughter in her tone. “You missed Rufus?”
“If he’s here, we know he’s fed and walked.” They also knew Crystal wouldn’t have to leave early. In fact, Crystal didn’t have to leave at all.
Her voice was husky over the phone link. “You read my mind.”
“Oh, I hope so.”
“Be there in ten minutes.”
He didn’t want her to sign off. There was no reason they couldn’t keep talking. “How was dinner?”
She gave a sigh.
“What?”
“My parents dropped a bombshell.”
“Yeah?”
“They’re selling the business.”
“What business? Softco?”
“That’s the same question I asked. Yes, they’re selling Softco. They’re moving to Florida.”
Something twisted in Larry’s chest. “You going with them?”
“No. I’m not going with them. I’m twenty-eight years old.”
Damn. There it was. And it was worse than he’d thought. “You’re only twenty-eight?”
“That’s plenty old enough to leave my parents.”
He paused. “Crystal?”
“Yes?”
“I’m fifty.”
There was silence at her end, just the rumble of the motor and hum of the tires.
“I guess it’s about time we stopped dancing around that,” he said.
She still said nothing.
“You have a problem with it?” he asked.
“I’m still driving toward you. Why? You got a problem with it?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a big problem with being the luckiest guy on the planet.”
“I’m turning onto Alder. The light’s green. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
Larry’s heartbeat deepened in anticipation. “Is Rufus going to need anything right away?”
“Not a thing.”
“I bought a new bed,” he told her. “Moved the old one into the guest room. Spent the whole day redecorating.”
“For me?”
“For you.”
“I’m passing number three-fifty,” she told him.
“Can you see my car? Under the streetlight?”
“I see it. Three houses. Two.”
Larry headed for the door and opened it. “I can see your headlights.”
“I’m turning in.”
“Watch out for the hedge.” He heard a scraping sound.
“Wasn’t crazy about that paint anyway,” she told him.
He chuckled low. “Didn’t sound too bad.”
Her headlights died, and she shut off the engine.
Then she was opening the door. The interior glow backlit her hair. Her face was dark, but he could picture it in his mind. She was wearing a green tank top and a short, denim skirt.
She turned to open the back door.
“You’re gorgeous,” he breathed into the phone.
“So are you,” she responded.
“You haven’t seen me yet.”
“But I remember.”
“So do I,” he rumbled. “So do I.”
Rufus leapt out of the car, sniffing his way across the bark-mulch garden.
Larry called his name, closing the phone as Crystal strode toward him.
Rufus shot through the doorway, with Crystal right behind.
Larry closed and latched the door, pulling her into his arms and backing her into the entryway wall.
“I missed you,” he whispered, framing her face with his palms.
She smiled, and he leaned in for a kiss.
Her lips were warm and sweet, malleable beneath his pressure. She snaked her arms around him and tipped her head sideways.