over.
Chapter Seven
“So, have you decided yet?” James asked. He felt utterly exhausted. The past two nights he’d worked and worried. All he could think about was Mary and their future together. Why he gave her a few days to answer, he would never understand.
“You said I could give you until Friday.” Mary sounded happy. He wished he was there, with her in his arms.
“I know…why did I do that again?”
“You said you didn’t want to pressure me.”
“Ah…well, I am a sweet man like that,” he joked. Mary laughed. Their words were just over a whisper. “You sound happy.”
“I am.”
“Glad to hear it. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to see you, either.”
“Does that mean what I think it does?” James asked, trying to trick her out of her answer.
“Maybe, but you won’t know for sure until tomorrow.”
“You’re right…I want to see your face when you say ‘yes.’”
“I missed you today.”
“I missed you, too.” James crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned back into his chair. “I really wish I could come over.”
“I…come over, James.”
James was silent for a moment and then spoke. “What?”
“I said, come over, James.”
“To your place? Now?” James felt like a randy teenager. His palms started to sweat. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be over in thirty minutes.”
On the way over to Mary’s place, James received three phone calls and two texts. It was frigid outside, so it would take a little longer than thirty minutes to get there. James looked down at his phone and noticed his grandmother’s name on the Caller ID. He punched in her number and waited for her to pick up.
She answered on the first try. “Hello, James?”
“Grandmother, how are you?”
“She knows.”
James swallowed then cleared his throat. “What does she know?”
“The Jamesons told her about the contracts. I don’t know if she knows your part in them or not. Frankly, she didn’t say anything about that, but she does know there are contracts and she knows that it’s all arranged. And she knows that your grandfather is in the dark about it.”
James took a deep breath. “Why the hell would they say anything to her?”
“Christine.”
“What about Mrs. Turner?”
“Well, Christine thought it best. She said she could tell the girl wanted to expose everything, but she thought against it at the last moment. She actually helped Christine before she let the cat out of the bag to Dr. Turner.”
“What do we do now?”
“I don’t know. She is going ahead with the story.”
“No, she wouldn’t do that. Did she tell you that, Grandmother?”
“She did. I told her that I worried about your grandfather’s reaction, and how he would feel about me. She did seem genuinely worried. She was nice about it, though. I hate to ask you to do this, James, but could you talk to her? Maybe ask her not to print that article. Maybe you can read it. She’d let you read it before it goes to print, wouldn’t she?”
James wanted to punch something. “I’ve…” he wanted to tell his grandmother that he couldn’t do that, he’d already asked Mary to marry him. He wanted to tell her about the article and about how things went, but he wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t use that leverage. Right now, if he let Mary in on his part, she might say no, and he didn’t know if he could bear that right now.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“You’re a good man, James. She loves you, you know.”
“Did she tell you that?” James asked.
“She didn’t have to. Search your heart. The answer is there.”
James nodded, knowing that his grandmother couldn’t see him. “Take care. I’ll see you at the committee meeting.”
“See you there.”
****
Mary worked on the article while she waited for James. She was almost finished, checking for spelling mistakes and grammar errors. She felt happy about the way it turned out. It was hard
Chapter Seven
“So, have you decided yet?” James asked. He felt utterly exhausted. The past two nights he’d worked and worried. All he could think about was Mary and their future together. Why he gave her a few days to answer, he would never understand.
“You said I could give you until Friday.” Mary sounded happy. He wished he was there, with her in his arms.
“I know…why did I do that again?”
“You said you didn’t want to pressure me.”
“Ah…well, I am a sweet man like that,” he joked. Mary laughed. Their words were just over a whisper. “You sound happy.”
“I am.”
“Glad to hear it. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to see you, either.”
“Does that mean what I think it does?” James asked, trying to trick her out of her answer.
“Maybe, but you won’t know for sure until tomorrow.”
“You’re right…I want to see your face when you say ‘yes.’”
“I missed you today.”
“I missed you, too.” James crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned back into his chair. “I really wish I could come over.”
“I…come over, James.”
James was silent for a moment and then spoke. “What?”
“I said, come over, James.”
“To your place? Now?” James felt like a randy teenager. His palms started to sweat. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be over in thirty minutes.”
On the way over to Mary’s place, James received three phone calls and two texts. It was frigid outside, so it would take a little longer than thirty minutes to get there. James looked down at his phone and noticed his grandmother’s name on the Caller ID. He punched in her number and waited for her to pick up.
She answered on the first try. “Hello, James?”
“Grandmother, how are you?”
“She knows.”
James swallowed then cleared his throat. “What does she know?”
“The Jamesons told her about the contracts. I don’t know if she knows your part in them or not. Frankly, she didn’t say anything about that, but she does know there are contracts and she knows that it’s all arranged. And she knows that your grandfather is in the dark about it.”
James took a deep breath. “Why the hell would they say anything to her?”
“Christine.”
“What about Mrs. Turner?”
“Well, Christine thought it best. She said she could tell the girl wanted to expose everything, but she thought against it at the last moment. She actually helped Christine before she let the cat out of the bag to Dr. Turner.”
“What do we do now?”
“I don’t know. She is going ahead with the story.”
“No, she wouldn’t do that. Did she tell you that, Grandmother?”
“She did. I told her that I worried about your grandfather’s reaction, and how he would feel about me. She did seem genuinely worried. She was nice about it, though. I hate to ask you to do this, James, but could you talk to her? Maybe ask her not to print that article. Maybe you can read it. She’d let you read it before it goes to print, wouldn’t she?”
James wanted to punch something. “I’ve…” he wanted to tell his grandmother that he couldn’t do that, he’d already asked Mary to marry him. He wanted to tell her about the article and about how things went, but he wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t use that leverage. Right now, if he let Mary in on his part, she might say no, and he didn’t know if he could bear that right now.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“You’re a good man, James. She loves you, you know.”
“Did she tell you that?” James asked.
“She didn’t have to. Search your heart. The answer is there.”
James nodded, knowing that his grandmother couldn’t see him. “Take care. I’ll see you at the committee meeting.”
“See you there.”
****
Mary worked on the article while she waited for James. She was almost finished, checking for spelling mistakes and grammar errors. She felt happy about the way it turned out. It was hard
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