Never Too Late by Robyn Carr Page B

you’ll give her the house.”
    This time when he lifted his head, he actually had a hopeful gleam in his eyes. “The house?” he echoed.
    â€œUh-huh. She can use the downstairs guest room and bath. She won’t have to go upstairs at all. And Jason can have his old room. It’s already furnished, mostly by Clare, in fact. It’ll be perfect.”
    He got to his feet and began tucking in his shirt. He ran a hand through his hair. “She wants to move home?”
    â€œWell,” she said, “not exactly, Roger. She’d like you to move out.”
    â€œWhat? Did she say that?”
    â€œOh yes. Very specifically.”
    â€œBut I can help her! I can take care of her!”
    Maggie straightened from the stool. “Roger, that’snot going to happen. She’s not interested in sharing a house with you again. Now, it’s much easier for you to find your own place…You’re going to have to do that eventually, you know.”
    â€œI’m not giving her the house unless she lets me stay, too. I’ll stay upstairs. I’ll be able to help out.”
    â€œOkay, now look,” she said sternly. “I don’t think she wants to expedite the divorce, given her condition, so let’s not push it. All right? Here are the choices—you can refuse to vacate and we’ll just proceed with the divorce settlement in which she will naturally be asking for the house along with other things, or you can be a good sport and let Clare and Jason move back in while you reside elsewhere. Those are the only two options.”
    â€œShe said that?”
    No, she hadn’t. “Yes, exactly,” Maggie lied. Well, Clare had implied it. What she’d said was that it was either Dad’s or Roger’s house without Roger. That business about expediting the divorce was along the lines of Lawyer’s Privilege.
    Roger hung his head again. He picked up his glass and walked over to the wet bar. He poured himself another slug and threw it back. Then he turned to Maggie. “Will you ask her one more time? If she’ll let me take care of her?”
    This was too funny. Roger taking care of anyone. To hear Clare tell it, Roger couldn’t seem to ferry his own dirty shorts to the laundry bin, much less do something for another human being. He excelled at three things—looking good, selling insurance and banging women who were not his wife.
    Clare had said, however, Roger could be very supportive when Clare was in need, though those times were very infrequent. Nonetheless…
    â€œI will ask her one more time.”
    â€œThank you, Maggie.”
    â€œGod, you are so pathetic. Snap out of it, will you?”
    â€œMaggie, I know you have no respect for me, but I love her, I do. I’m devoted to her. I’m a stupid idiot, I’ve treated her so badly, but honestly, the thought of losing her in that accident changed everything for me.”
    â€œYou’ve got to stop drinking, take a shower and go to work,” she said.
    â€œBut you’ll ask her?”
    â€œI said I would. And if the answer is still no?”
    Head drop again. He turned and faced the bar, leaning on braced hands. “She can have anything she wants,” he said.
    She stood there watching his back for a moment, but he wasn’t turning around. “Thanks, Roger. I’ll be in touch.”
    Maggie went back to her office for the rest of the afternoon. She could have called Clare and asked her the loaded question, but wanted to be face-to-face in case Clare revisited earlier fits of indecision and even thought about giving Roger another chance. Maggie considered lying and not asking the question. The only thing that prevented her from doing so was the possibility of that conniving Roger telling on her. But, she fully intended to talk Clare off the ledge if she had to.
    So she went to Clare.
    â€œYou are looking so much better,” she remarked. And Clare