She swallowed hard as she watched Bill, Rick, and Keith eagerly divvy up the food.
Okay, so she might be the biggest idiot of all.
~*~
Tuesday afternoon, Nick sank into the chaise lounge on their neighbor’s terrace and sipped the ice cold beer Tim had handed him.
Steve studied the sample toy Nick had bought from the hospital gift shop. “It’s definitely cute and cuddly. And unique.” He turned the flashlight on and off and flipped the dog over to check out the secret compartment in its belly. “I can see why they’re so popular with kids.”
“Sammy also makes cats in a similar design. I’ve made appointments for videoconferences with several toy companies to explore options for outsourcing and the possibility of selling the licensing rights. But, please, don’t say anything to Sam. She doesn’t know about it yet.”
“You mentioned you wanted my help. What can I do?” Steve asked.
“Sam’s critters will need a marketing plan once there’s mass production in place.”
“In that case, you should probably talk to Tim. He could design a website for her to sell them.”
“That’s something we’ll address after we know what kind of deal I can negotiate for her. Right now, my goal is simply to generate interest in prospective manufacturing partners. I’d like you to create a short comic book with a story featuring Sam’s Magic Worry Pals helping kids, in order to illustrate her toy’s potential. If they like it and we’re really lucky, the comic book will become a televised cartoon series.”
“That sounds like an awfully ambitious marketing plan.” Steve chuckled.
“Maybe. But if we build enough momentum in sales, we might convince a production company to collaborate in producing a show to publicize the Worry Pals.”
“Which would, in turn, promote the cartoon,” Steve added.
“Exactly. It’s the ultimate in symbiotic marketing. The most successful advertising medium for toys is a television show that targets children. And, in turn, the most effective promotion for a kids’ cartoon is a toy that allows them to act out the show they enjoy.”
“I can see where that would be true.” Tim nodded. “I doubt Hasbro’s profit on their Transformers would be a fraction of what it is without the movies and video games driving their sales. And vice versa.”
“The drawback for you,” Nick explained to Steve, “is this would be a purely speculative venture with a distinct possibility that your time would result in zero payoff.”
Tim smiled at his partner. “It might be a bit of a gamble, babe, but I think you should do it. If nothing else, it would keep you too busy to think about rewashing clean cars.”
“True.” Steve laughed.
“You’re always saying the dialogue and plots in the scripts you’re given to animate are lame,” Tim continued arguing Nick’s case. “This is your chance to have creative control over an entire project.”
Nick tipped his long-necked bottled toward Steve. “Naturally, you’d be entitled to the lion’s share of any revenue from the cartoon if we sell it. And Samantha would get just a residual percentage as the creator of the Magic Worry Pals brand.”
Steve clicked his bottle against Nick’s. “I’ll get to work the moment you leave.”
“In that case,”—Nick catapulted to his feet and grinned—“consider me gone. And remember the old World War II moto,
Loose lips sink ships
.”
In this case, he was the ship, and if Sam found out what he was up to, he was as good as sunk.
~*~
“It’s been really creepy at my house,” Dani told Haley as the bus pulled up to the high school on Thursday morning. “My mom hasn’t said more than two words to my dad since Saturday. It’s worse than before their divorce.”
Every evening the three of them sat at the dinner table together, and each of her parents spoke only to her. She’d overheard her dad apologize a dozen times, but her mom continued ignoring him.
“That really bites. How’s it going with Ryan?” Haley asked as they climbed off the school bus.
“You mean my dad’s new best friend? Would you believe my father went to Ryan’s rehearsal both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and again yesterday?”
“Hey, Dani.” Ryan waved as she approached her locker, where he’d obviously been waiting for her. “Bethany told me to say hi. She’d like you to come for dinner tomorrow night.”
“I’ll have to ask my parents, but they’ll probably say it’s okay. Bethany is really nice, isn’t she?”
“I’ll say. She recorded our entire rehearsal on Tuesday and played the video for my mom. And then last night, she spent the whole evening reading some trashy romance to her. My mother doesn’t seem nearly as depressed since Bethany’s been livin’ with us.”
“I’m glad. I can’t wait to meet your mom.”
“Anyway, since I don’t have anything going on tonight, I thought we could do something. Maybe a movie? You too, Haley. I know Mr. R won’t let Dani go out with me alone, so if you’re with us—”
“I can’t.” Haley shook her head. “I’m not allowed out after dinner on school nights except for organized activities.”
“Same rules apply at my house,” Dani told him. “My mom made an exception last Thursday, when she let you stay for dinner, because my dad just moved back. But we could hang out this afternoon.”
“Okay.” He started to leave and then turned back to her. “By the way, RTMF Express has a gig a week from tomorrow.”
Dani frowned. “You’ve finally come up with a name for your band?”
“Actually your dad thought of it. Do you like it?”
“Yeah. But what does the RTMF stand for?”
Ryan grinned. “Whatever you’d like it to mean. It’s only a high school dance and it isn’t very far away, so if the two of you have a way to get there, I could drive you both home.”
“That’d be great!” Dani agreed, even knowing her parents would most likely say no.
“Good. I’ll see ya this afternoon.” He waved and headed down the hall.
Haley smacked Dani’s shoulder. “What’d you say yes for? If your father refused to let you go to Ryan’s rehearsal, what makes you think he’ll agree to the dance? And he’s definitely not going to let you ride home with Ryan.”
“Who says I’m gonna tell him?” Dani unloaded half of her books into the locker.
“So how do you propose we keep my father and your parents in the dark next week?” Haley asked.
“My mom and dad won’t have any problem with me sleeping at your house. And your father will drive us to the dance if he thinks my parents are bringing us home, right?”
Haley pursed her lips and shrugged. “I suppose.”
“There you go.” Dani grinned. “Our parents don’t need to know the truth. And if my mom and dad still aren’t talking to each other, they’ll be happy not to be forced to eat dinner together with me.”
“You think it’s weird at
your
house?” Haley pulled her toward the girls’ bathroom. “Wait until I tell you what I overheard last night when I picked up the phone to call you. My dad was on the line with your Uncle Justin.”
“So? What’s so weird about that?” Dani pulled open the lavatory door and allowed Haley to precede her. “They’re business partners and best friends.”
“Except they weren’t discussing their company or sports. They were talking about your uncle moving in with us and discussing how and when they should tell me.” Haley pulled a comb out of her purse. “And when they hung up, your uncle said, ‘I love you, man.’”
“What?” Dani did a double take at Haley’s reflection in the mirror over the sinks.
“I know. Weird, huh?”
“You don’t really think they could be gay, do you?” Dani dug her lip gloss out of her pocket. “I mean, your father was married to your mom and all.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore. My dad’s been acting freaky all week. I saw a talk show once about people who led double lives and spent decades publicly denying they were gay before they finally came out. I mean, your uncle never got married, and he’s over thirty. And as the town’s welcome sign says, we do live a stone’s throw from the gay capital of Pennsylvania.” Haley raised her eyebrows at Dani. “Don’t you think that suggests something?”
“Did I tell you I found out my uncle used to date my mom in high school?”
“No way! That’s kind of....” Haley made a face like she’d licked the sole of her shoe.
“I know. Gross. So are you okay with your dad and my uncle getting together?”
Haley sighed. “He’s my father, and I want him to be happy. But it’s gonna really suck for me. Think about what everyone at school is gonna say.”
Dani knew exactly how her friend felt. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if everyone suddenly found out about her leukemia. Not to mention, she didn’t know how she was going to look her uncle in the eye the next time he visited. “Let’s not worry about this yet. You might have misunderstood.”
Haley looked at her sideways, wearing a
get real
expression.
“Okay. How about we wait to worry because, if your dad and my uncle are gay, then they’re gay. There isn’t a thing we can do about it, aside from buying them matching shirts.”
~*~
Even though Nick had thoughtfully bought pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks to decorate the porch—something she hadn’t had the time or money to do this year—Sam still wasn’t talking to him. Although she wasn’t stupid enough to turn down the incredible meals he had waiting for her and Dani each evening. Allowing him to fix her dinner enabled her to complete several more Worry Pals than she would have if she’d had to deal with cooking and cleaning the kitchen.
Thursday’s meal, a delicious antipasto salad followed by linguini with a spicy homemade meat sauce, was even quieter than usual since their daughter was preoccupied mulling over whatever had put the wrinkle in her brow.
Halfway through the meal, Dani finally broke the silence. “Ryan told me Bethany invited me to dinner at their house tomorrow night. Is it all right if I go?”
Sam glanced at Nick, whose eyebrows merely lifted, implying he was leaving the decision to her. If she said no, it would appear she was holding a grudge against Bethany. But if she agreed, she’d essentially be encouraging the relationship between their daughter and Ryan.
“He eats at our house,” Dani pointed out.
Nick tipped his head and stared at Sam, still wearing that
it’s-your-call
expression.
She glared back at him. Weren’t situations like this the whole reason he’d insisted he needed to live with their daughter—so he could be the bad guy for a change?
It was a shame she hadn’t bought that imitation diamond she and Adam had joked about. She would so love to waggle it under Nick’s nose right now.
“Well?” Dani stared directly at Sam. Apparently the child had also caught her father’s unspoken message.
“I’ll call Ryan’s sister and discuss it with her. If Cindy and Bethany are both going to be there, I don’t see any reason you shouldn’t have dinner with them.” Although....she winced. That would mean she’d be stuck eating with Nick alone.
No way. She’d rather have dental surgery without Novocain.
She could always call Jen to ask if she and Maggie were still going shopping. Except looking at maternity clothes could be even more painful than avoiding eye contact with Nick all evening.
“Actually, it’s just as well that you’ll be out.” She smiled at Dani. “Dr. Chase has been begging me to find a free evening to see him.”
As Nick’s jaw visibly clenched, she could practically hear his teeth grinding.
She really should spend her Friday evening sewing, but she also needed to relax. And if she could accomplish that while infuriating her ex-husband, even better.
“Thanks,” Dani said.
Nick broke off a piece of the Italian bread he’d warmed up and glanced at their daughter. “By the way, my boss called today and asked if you’d be interested in babysitting for his niece on Sunday afternoon. Ethan, his sister, Megan, and Ken are all invited to a wedding, and their housekeeper is on vacation. He said you can bring Haley along if you’d like.”
“Oooh, yes! I love babysitting Becca.”
What teenage girl wouldn’t? Sam snorted to herself. Not only did the Swann family pay Dani well above the going rate to care for Ken’s four-year-old granddaughter, Dani and her friend would have the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the Swann’s luxurious estate which boasted every convenience and form of home entertainment imaginable.
Dani resumed eating or, more accurately, silently pushing one of her favorite meals around her plate.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight,
Princesa
,” Nick said after several minutes of silence. “And you haven’t eaten much. Are you feeling okay?”
Dani shrugged. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Do you have something else on your mind?”
She stared at her father a moment before blurting, “Is it possible Uncle Justin is gay?”
Sam choked on her pasta and grabbed her iced tea to wash it down. “Absolutely not!” She gasped for air. “Why on earth would you ask something like that?”
Nick held his fist over his mouth, most likely to prevent food from spewing out with his laughter. Tears glistened in his eyes as he smirked across the table at Sam.
“I dunno. He’s your age, and he still hasn’t gotten married,” Dani pointed out.
“Lots of men don’t settle down until they’re well into their thirties,” Sam explained. “Your father and I aren’t typical of our generation.”
“But he doesn’t date much, either. And he never goes out with the same woman more than a few times.”
Nick finally stopped laughing and wiped his eyes with his napkin. “Believe me, Danita, your uncle is as straight as a ruler.”
“Do you think he’s stayed single because he’s still in love with Mom?”
Scorching heat swept up Sam’s neck as Nick stared at her and said, “I have no idea.”
Dani turned to her. “Why did the two of you break up, anyway?”
It was on the tip of Sam’s tongue to tell the child to mind her own business when Nick saved her from having to explain.
“Your mom split up with him because your uncle was pressuring her to get more intimate with him than she was ready to.”
“And that’s when the two of you fell in love?” Their daughter’s gaze ping-ponged back and forth between them as they both set their forks down and stared at each other. The interminable silence made the kitchen clock’s ticking seem deafening.