then settled on
his again. “New York.”
“We knew that, Kip,” Trudy said mildly. “Let’s move along.”
But Kip stayed planted in place like a pillar. “And what,
pray tell, were you doing in New York? Seeing
someone? ” Trudy tugged at his arm as Robert blinked hard.
“Sir, I can explain—”
“So you weren’t seeing Susan?”
“I’m sure she’s just a friend,” Trudy inserted.
“No, ma’am, an attorney.”
“Attorney?” Kip parroted. “What’s this? My artist daughter
isn’t good enough for you?”
“No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. Isabel is plenty good enough.
Way too good for me, in fact.”
Kip glared at him. “You’ve got that part right.”
Robert steeled his nerves and barreled ahead. “The truth is I
went there because I had to. I had something important to take care of. Get out
of, I mean.”
Trudy’s face creased with worry. “A previous engagement?”
“No, ma’am.” He glanced at Kip and flinched as if
anticipating a blow. “My marriage.”
That was the last word he heard before Kip’s top blew off.
The next thing Robert knew, Kip had tackled him to the steps and had corralled
him by the collar.
“Kip! What are you doing?” Trudy yelped.
“What I should have done ages ago!” Kip hollered. He tugged
Robert up toward him by his lapels. “You mean to tell me that all this time—the
whole time you’ve been seeing Isabel—you were married to somebody else?”
“Technically, yes, but—”
“Were you or weren’t you, Robert?” Trudy asked in shock.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Miller,” he said, his face beet red. “I
apologize for lying to both of you. But it’s really not like you— Ow! ”
Kip yanked him forward to spew out the words, “ You had the nerve to come into my house…? To
deceive not just Isabel, but all of us? ” He glanced at Trudy, who appeared
faint. “We have to tell Isabel.”
“I’m going to tell her,” Robert squawked. “I was on my way
just now!”
“Kip,” Trudy said. “He’s right. This is for the two of them
to work out.”
Kip would prefer to work things out right here and now. Mano
a mano with Robert, that little pipsqueak. But he knew that his wife wouldn’t
forgive him. Isabel, God love her, might even get angry with him too. Though if
she asked her dad to settle things up with Robert later, he’d be more than
happy to do it. He felt Trudy’s hand on his shoulder and released his grip,
leaving a stunned Robert to fall back on his elbows. “ You! ” he said with a parting growl. “ Stay away from my daughter! ”
As they left, Trudy glanced sadly over her shoulder. “You
really disappointed us, Robert. And I was one of the ones pulling for you.”
Chapter Eight
Robert stood on wobbly knees and dusted off his dress
slacks. He watched Kip and Trudy walk away, shaking their heads as they made for
their car. Of all the scenarios Robert had envisioned occurring this evening,
Kip’s assault hadn’t been among them. Though Robert knew he couldn’t entirely
blame Kip for reacting the way he did. Robert understood the information had
come as a shock. He worried it would come as one to Isabel as well. He only
hoped she’d give him more time than her dad had for him to explain the entire
truth.
Robert straightened his tie and pulled back the heavy door,
finding the museum’s entry foyer nearly empty. Only a few scattered guests
remained, chatting casually amidst the catering staff that was busily cleaning
up. It took him a few moments to find Isabel in a back chamber, gathering up
some extra programs. She heard his approach and looked up. “Robert!” she said,
her cheeks flushed. She was stunning in a short black dress and heels, her
blonde curls twisted up in a knot behind her. She set down her pile of papers
and hurried to him. “I didn’t think you could make it.”
He sadly surveyed the empty room, then took her in his arms.
“Looks like I missed it.”
“Most of it, yeah.” She gave
his again. “New York.”
“We knew that, Kip,” Trudy said mildly. “Let’s move along.”
But Kip stayed planted in place like a pillar. “And what,
pray tell, were you doing in New York? Seeing
someone? ” Trudy tugged at his arm as Robert blinked hard.
“Sir, I can explain—”
“So you weren’t seeing Susan?”
“I’m sure she’s just a friend,” Trudy inserted.
“No, ma’am, an attorney.”
“Attorney?” Kip parroted. “What’s this? My artist daughter
isn’t good enough for you?”
“No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. Isabel is plenty good enough.
Way too good for me, in fact.”
Kip glared at him. “You’ve got that part right.”
Robert steeled his nerves and barreled ahead. “The truth is I
went there because I had to. I had something important to take care of. Get out
of, I mean.”
Trudy’s face creased with worry. “A previous engagement?”
“No, ma’am.” He glanced at Kip and flinched as if
anticipating a blow. “My marriage.”
That was the last word he heard before Kip’s top blew off.
The next thing Robert knew, Kip had tackled him to the steps and had corralled
him by the collar.
“Kip! What are you doing?” Trudy yelped.
“What I should have done ages ago!” Kip hollered. He tugged
Robert up toward him by his lapels. “You mean to tell me that all this time—the
whole time you’ve been seeing Isabel—you were married to somebody else?”
“Technically, yes, but—”
“Were you or weren’t you, Robert?” Trudy asked in shock.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Miller,” he said, his face beet red. “I
apologize for lying to both of you. But it’s really not like you— Ow! ”
Kip yanked him forward to spew out the words, “ You had the nerve to come into my house…? To
deceive not just Isabel, but all of us? ” He glanced at Trudy, who appeared
faint. “We have to tell Isabel.”
“I’m going to tell her,” Robert squawked. “I was on my way
just now!”
“Kip,” Trudy said. “He’s right. This is for the two of them
to work out.”
Kip would prefer to work things out right here and now. Mano
a mano with Robert, that little pipsqueak. But he knew that his wife wouldn’t
forgive him. Isabel, God love her, might even get angry with him too. Though if
she asked her dad to settle things up with Robert later, he’d be more than
happy to do it. He felt Trudy’s hand on his shoulder and released his grip,
leaving a stunned Robert to fall back on his elbows. “ You! ” he said with a parting growl. “ Stay away from my daughter! ”
As they left, Trudy glanced sadly over her shoulder. “You
really disappointed us, Robert. And I was one of the ones pulling for you.”
Chapter Eight
Robert stood on wobbly knees and dusted off his dress
slacks. He watched Kip and Trudy walk away, shaking their heads as they made for
their car. Of all the scenarios Robert had envisioned occurring this evening,
Kip’s assault hadn’t been among them. Though Robert knew he couldn’t entirely
blame Kip for reacting the way he did. Robert understood the information had
come as a shock. He worried it would come as one to Isabel as well. He only
hoped she’d give him more time than her dad had for him to explain the entire
truth.
Robert straightened his tie and pulled back the heavy door,
finding the museum’s entry foyer nearly empty. Only a few scattered guests
remained, chatting casually amidst the catering staff that was busily cleaning
up. It took him a few moments to find Isabel in a back chamber, gathering up
some extra programs. She heard his approach and looked up. “Robert!” she said,
her cheeks flushed. She was stunning in a short black dress and heels, her
blonde curls twisted up in a knot behind her. She set down her pile of papers
and hurried to him. “I didn’t think you could make it.”
He sadly surveyed the empty room, then took her in his arms.
“Looks like I missed it.”
“Most of it, yeah.” She gave
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