What's Cooking? (20 page)

"But it might help a woman understand the kind of man you are," Sally insisted. "Something tells me you're an enigma to Maggie, close as you are. That's not right. If the two of you plan to be together when you're, as old as Matthew and me, you have to learn to share the important things. You need to open up your heart, Rick. Let her inside."

She frowned when Rick opened his mouth to deny that he intended to stay with Maggie that long. Before he could utter a single word, Sally said, "Don't try telling me you don't have feelings for her or that you don't want a future with iier, because I won't believe you. The two of you can barely keep your hands to yourselves."

"You have it all worked out, don't you?" he grumbled.

"Sally's a romantic at heart," Matthew confirmed. "You'd think all these years with me would have changed that."

"You know a thing or two about romance, old man," Sally retorted. "Don't even try to say otherwise."

Matthew chuckled. "I could give you some tips," he

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told Rick. "Plucked a flower for Sally every summer morning we've been married. Wintertime, I find some other ways to let her know I'm thinking about her when I come in the house at the end of the day."

"And what does Sally do for you?" Rick asked, absorbing the advice even though he'd just sworn he had no use for it.

"It's not a tit-for-tat kind of thing," Sally scolded.

Matthew's gaze rested on her face. "No, it's not, but all I ever craved was her smile and she blesses me with that every minute of the day." He shrugged. "Except, of course, when she's fussing at me."

He turned toward Rick. "Don't imagine you came out here tonight just to hear how we keep our marriage going." He leveled a knowing look into Rick's eyes. "Or did you?"

He hadn't, but it was an unexpected benefit. Rick could see that. He was beginning to think that enduring love was possible, even for a man like him who'd had so few examples to learn from.

Not that he intended to tell Matthew or Sally that. If he did, he'd be listening to advice for the rest of the evening.

"Actually I came out here to talk you into getting into a picture with Sally," he told Matthew. "The story needs one of the two of you together."

Matthew frowned. "I'm not posing for you. Told you that from the get-go."

"You wouldn't have to. You two could go on about your business here in the kitchen or down in the orchard. You wouldn't even know I'm around. The shot will be something perfectly natural, not posed."

Matthew shook his head, his expression adamant. "No," he said flatly.

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He'd left no room for argument, but Rick had one more trick up his sleeve. "What about letting me take a portrait for your kids? I'll bet they'd love that. If you like it and agree, then Maggie could also use it in the magazine."

"Come on, Matthew. Don't be an old fogy," Sally pleaded, looking excited. "Just think, we could have our picture taken by a man who's famous all over the world. The kids would get a real kick out of that."

"Don't you two start ganging up on me," Matthew grumbled. "I said no."

Sally reached over and covered his hand. "Please. For me."

Matthew returned her wistful gaze, his expression stubborn, but he finally heaved a sigh when there was no sign that Sally intended to relent. "Just tell me one thing. Would I have to wear a suit?"

Rick bit back a triumphant grin. "Absolutely not."

"Okay, then, V11 do it." He looked at Sally. "But only because it's something you want. I think the whole idea's crazy."

"It'll be something the kids will treasure long after we're gone," she corrected.

Matthew rolled his eyes. "It'll probably wind up in a drawer."

"You are such a cynic," she said. She looked at Rick hopefully. "1 don't suppose you brought your camera with you tonight. We should do this while he's willing. Who knows what excuses he'll dream up by morning."

"No, sorry," Rick said. "I thought he was going to be a tougher sell. I'll come back first thing tomorrow, though." He thought of his plans to be at Maggie's as

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soon as Ashley hit the road. With luck, he would be able to get the shot he wanted and still be there right on time.

"It'll have to be after church," Sally told him. "We'll go to the early service and be home by ten."

"Don't bother bringing all those rolls of film like you did today and yesterday," Matthew said. "You get one chance to get it right."

Sally slapped him on the shoulder as she passed wim the dirty dinner plates. "Rick will take as many as it takes," she said. "We don't want one with our eyes closed."

"It would suit me," Matthew insisted.

Rick stood up. "I think I'll leave you two to your squabbling," he said. "I'm going to need a good night's sleep. I have this cantankerous subject scheduled for tomorrow morning. I need to have all my wits about me."

"You talking about me?" Matthew asked.

"Who else would he be talking about?" Sally demanded. "You take this with you," she added, handing Rick a still-warm slice of pie wrapped in foil. "You might want a midnight snack."

"Thanks," Rick said, leaning down to give her weathered cheek a kiss. "See you in the morning."

"Drive safe, you hear."

Rick smiled at the motherly admonishment. "I will," he promised.

He left the house filled with contentment. Those two had given him so much in such a short time. Taking a perfect photograph that would capture who they were and the love they shared would be good for the magazine, but it would also be his way of giving something back to them.

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/\shley seemed to be dragging her feet. Maggie had been so sure she'd be up and on the road by dawn, but it was almost 9:00 a.m. now and Ashley was still lingering over a cup of tea at the kitchen table.

Maggie regarded her with renewed concern. "I wish you'd tell me what's going on with this case. You're obviously dreading going into court tomorrow."

Ashley looked startled by her assessment, though why she should have been was a mystery. She'd been dropping clues since her arrival. Even her careful evasions were telling. It seemed evident to Maggie that her sister's silence was about more than lawyer-client confidentiality. She appeared to be weighing some sort of ethical dilemma.

"What makes you say that?" Ashley asked Maggie, her tone dull.

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"For starters, the fact that you're still here, instead of halfway back to Boston."

"Are you anxious for me to go for some reason?" Ashley asked. "Are you expecting Rick any second? If I'm in the way, just say so."

Maggie clung to her patience by a thread. "This isn't about Rick," she insisted. "We're talking about you."

"I told you before, I can't talk about a case."

"1 imagine it's something high profile enough to have been in the paper, since that's what you do. Just tell me the public information part," Maggie suggested. "Maybe I can figure out the rest."

Ashley frowned. "What's ttye point of playing guessing games? I'll deal with this, Maggie. It's my responsibility."

"We wouldn't have to play guessing games if you'd just cooperate," Maggie retorted impatiently. "I'm worried about you, dammit! Whatever this responsibility is, it's clear that it's too much for you."

Her sister merely shrugged off the concern. "Don't be absurd. I've handled far tougher stuff than this in my career. The case will be over in a couple of weeks, and I'll move on to something else."

Maggie shook her head. "Then let's talk about when the case ends. I think you should come here when it's over."

"Sure, why not?" Ashley agreed a little too readily. "If I can manage a few days, I will."

"Not for a few days," Maggie corrected. "A month, minimum."

Ashley stared at her incredulously. "You know that's impossible."

"Why? It's not like you don't have any vacation

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time," she reminded her sister. "You haven't taken one in five years. The law firm owes you."

"I have cases," Ashley protested.

"Hand them off. Isn't that one of the perks of being part of a huge firm? There are people around to back you up. Or if you don't want to hand the cases off, ask for continuances or whatever it is you lawyers do to stall things in court. You do it if it's to your client's benefit. Why not do it when it's to yours?"

"Why are you pushing this so hard?"

"Because it's obvious you're stressed out. You need a break. A real one. Even Rick noticed it."

"So of course it must be true," Ashley shot back sarcastically. "The man doesn't even know me."

"But he is a photographer. That makes him a rather keen observer of expressions and body language," Maggie replied.

"He sees what's in front of his lens. I doubt he sees beneath the surface of much."

Maggie regarded her with renewed impatience. "Don't try making this about Rick again. It's about you. Please, Ashley, just think about it. You need some time off. You've been working at full throttle ever since you joined that law firm. It's time for a break."

"Fine. Fine. I'll think about it. And since you think my presence here is making some sort of statement about my reluctance to go home, I guess I'll hit the road."

"You don't have to leave to prove something to me," Maggie said.

Ashley sighed. "I know. I have to leave because it's a long drive and there's a lot to do once I get home. You're right. I have been putting it off." She stood up

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and gave Maggie a fierce hug. "Thanks for caring so much. I'm sorry I'm being so impossible."

"You're always impossible," Maggie retorted, giving her a hard squeeze. "We all love you anyway."

Ashley linked her arm through Maggie's as they went to the car. "You have plans with Rick today?"

Maggie nodded. "He'll be over later."

"How much later? Five seconds after I'm gone?" Ashley asked, amusement finally twinkling in her eyes.

"If you're implying that you scared him off, you're wrong. He wanted me to call and let him know when you were getting ready so he could get here in time to say goodbye."

"Ah, then it's you who didn't want us bumping into each other again," Ashley teased.

"No, it's you who puttered around so I couldn't figure out when to call," Maggie responded.

Ashley's expression sobered. "Be careful, Maggie. Don't let him break your heart. I think he cares about you. I just don't think he's capable of making a commitment."

"He won't break my heart," Maggie said, even though it might be wishful thinking on her part.

"If he does, I'll hunt him down for you."

Maggie laughed. "I know you would, too. We all know you're always in our corner. Just don't forget that we're in yours, too."

"I won't." Ashley promised, then climbed behind the wheel and started the engine. "I'll call you when I get home."

Maggie stood back and watched her sister pull out onto the road. Ashley gave her one more jaunty wave, then disappeared from view.

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Back inside, Maggie couldn't shake the feeling that she should have done more for her sister. But how could she do anything for a woman who wouldn't talk about what was really bothering her? She reached for die phone, intending to call Rick, but dialed Melanie instead.

"Hey, sis, I just called to let you know that Ashley's gone," she said when she got the answering machine. "I'm worried about her. Call me when you get in."

She hung up, then dialed Rick, but got no answer on his cell or at the B and B.

"That's odd," she murmured, especially given how anxious he'd been to get over here today once Ashley was out of the house.

Still, for once she didn't immediately obsess about whether he'd run out on her. Instead, she was grateful that his absence gave her some time to think about her sister.

She poured herself a glass of iced tea, then walked out to the swing facing the bay. There was a hint of a breeze in the shade, but the air was muggy. There would more than likely be thunderstorms by afternoon. She could already see the dark clouds gathering. She shivered at the ominous sight. She'd never liked storms, but it was more than that. She had this feeling that something bad was about to happen. With Rick nowhere to be found and her sister on the highway, it was not the kind of thinking she wanted to pursue.

She needed a distraction. Maybe she'd take a drive out to the orchard and talk to Sally. If she hurried, she could probably beat out the storm.

She rushed inside, left her empty glass on the counter, then grabbed her keys and purse. She consid-

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ered calling first, then decided to take a chance. The Kellers didn't stand on ceremony. If they were busy, she simply wouldn't stay.

As she got behind the wheel of her car, she took one more look at the darkening skies and wondered if she was nuts to be heading out there now.

"Oh, stop being a sissy," she muttered, even though the ominous feeling was still present. More often than not, she worried about things that never happened. Surely it would be that way today, too.

When Rick got back from grabbing breakfast at the cafe' in Irvington, he tried to call Maggie to let her know that he was going to the orchard before coming by, but there was no answer. Maybe she and Ashley had gone out or maybe Maggie was outside. He cursed the fact that she didn't have an answering machine in the house. She claimed they all thought of Rose Cottage as a refuge and that the voice mail on her cell phone was sufficient.

He tried her cell phone, but got an all-too-familiar out-of-range message. He'd just have to keep trying. He doubted she'd be away from the house for long.

Glancing toward the sky, he noticed the threatening clouds rolling in and concluded mat he'd be taking his pictures of Matthew and Sally indoors. That suited him fine. They were most at home in the kitchen or at least that's where he envisioned them at the start and end of each and every day.

Filled with the kind of anticipation he rarely felt on his usual fashion shoots anymore, Rick turned into the rutted driveway at the orchard. But as he neared the