Jonathan sat on the edge of the bench, listening to Corey. They had just finished a game of one-on-one, in which Jonathan graciously conceded. Corey chuckled.
"You didn’t do so bad," Corey said, avoiding Jonathan’s eyes.
"Not too bad for an old man? Is that what you mean?" Jonathan laughed.
Corey shrugged. "You gunna have basketball courts at this new program?"
"Absolutely."
"Good."
They sat in silence. "Ya think I gotta shot at gettin’ in to it?"
"Well, tell me first what you want to get out of it."
Corey paused and thought for a moment. "A chance to study, learn about stuff I’m interested in – but I need someone to help me, ‘cuz it’s hard to study at home."
"Why’s that?" Jonathan asked.
"It’s noisy where I live. People comin’ and goin’. Babies cryin’. People shoutin’. It’s hard to concentrate. It’s even hard to sleep at night."
Corey grew quiet. Finally, Jonathan spoke. "I think you’ve got a great shot at getting into Bright Horizons. I’ll see to it that you get special consideration," he said, winking at the boy.
Corey’s faced brightened. "Yeah?"
"And you know what? The best part is that the boss is my wife."
Corey looked Jonathan directly in the eyes for the first time and smiled. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Just after dusk, Jonathan pulled up to his Bel Air home feeling strangely satisfied. His afternoon with Corey had been completely enjoyable, much to his surprise, and he was even looking forward to Wednesday night when he had promised Corey he’d take him to a Lakers game. But even more so, he was excitedly anticipating a weekend in San Francisco with Jennifer. Maybe he had been overreacting after all: Today he got a firsthand look at what Jennifer was trying to accomplish, and it was well worth all her hard work and long hours.
Jonathan also realized that he might have been unnecessarily cynical about Barry Swarthmore’s involvement in the project. It wasn’t worth the strain on their marriage, that was for sure. They hadn’t made love in two weeks – the longest stretch that Jonathan could ever remember. Yes, Jonathan thought to himself, this weekend he would make up for lost time.
"Jennifer? Max?" Jonathan called out, as he entered the foyer to their Willow Pond home. Freeway bounded into the room, excited to see Jonathan.
"Mr. H!" Max said, walking briskly into the room, "where’ve you been? I was hoping you’d get here soon. I’m worried about Mrs. H."
Jonathan’s face tightened. "Why, Max, what’s wrong? She isn’t home yet?"
"No, and I’ve been watching the news. There’s heavy rains just north of here, and there’s been mudslides, and they’re closing off roads. I looked at the map and Gunderson Heights is right near the area they’re reporting from," Max spat, barely able to pause for a breath. Jonathan could tell from Max’s expression that he was more than just a little worried.
Jonathan wrung his hands. He could not ignore the knot that was forming in his gut. "All right, Max. We’ll find her," he said, trying to reassure himself. "Phone the state police and find out exactly what areas they’ve closed off. Let me grab some things and we’ll head out."
"Will do, Mr. H," Max said. He had already packed a bag of supplies, just in case.
Jennifer’s legs were aching, when they finally caught glimpse of Harper’s Inn. It was a small motel of sorts, perched up on a hill - one of the few motor inns on this stretch of road. Barry grabbed her hand and pulled her along for the final stretch. The rain had begun to subside, but they were both soaked to the skin by the time they walked through the doors of the dimly lit motel lobby.
"Oh my!" the gray-haired innkeeper exclaimed as they strode in.
"Our car broke down about a half mile from here. They closed the road," Barry said, swiping his dark hair back with one hand. "You have any rooms?"
"You’re in luck. We have one left," the innkeeper said. "It’s small, but there’s a hot shower and blankets."
"That’ll be just fine," Barry said, signing the guestbook and handing the man a one hundred-dollar bill. He turned to Jennifer.
"You could use a hot shower, huh?" he said, trying not to let his eyes stare at the curve of her breasts showing through her blouse. Jennifer nodded and shivered.
"Do you have a phone I could use?" she asked, her voice trembling with the cold.
The innkeeper nodded and swung the rotary phone around the desk for her. Jennifer could not believe the pain in her fingertips as she dialed the number. It rang several times before the answering machine went on. Where are you, Jonathan?
The modest motel room was small, but extremely warm. Jennifer could feel every fiber in her body relax once she entered. She was glad to see that there were two twin beds – at least she didn’t have to worry about that aspect of the evening.
"Listen," Barry said softly, turning to her, "why don’t you go in and take a hot shower first. There’s plenty of blankets to wrap yourself in afterwards."
Jennifer nodded and hurried to the bathroom. She could not wait to peel the clothes from her body.
Barry watched her disappear into the bathroom. He grinned from ear to ear - he hadn’t planned on mudslides tonight, but it was certainly serendipitous. Slowly, he took off his own clothes and wrapped a blanket around his waist. He decided not to cover his chest, a feature that he always felt was one of his best. He knew women liked a man with a broad chest – and some hair, but not too much. He called the front desk.
"Do you happen to have any liquor in this place?" he asked.
The innkeeper chuckled. "You had a pretty rough trip in, huh? I’m sorry, but we don’t have a bar here."
"Well, if you somehow find a bottle of brandy and two glasses, there would be a generous reward, if you know what I mean," Barry said.
Five minutes later, Barry heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find the innkeeper with a paperbag in hand. Barry smiled and passed the man a folded bill.
The innkeeper chuckled. "You and the misses keep warm now, ya here?"
"We sure will," Barry said, as he winked and closed the door.
Jennifer emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, her towel-dried hair curling and bobbing at her shoulders. She was swaddled in a soft brown blanket; her shoulders, arms and feet the only parts of her body that were exposed. Barry smiled at her.
"How do you feel?" he asked, passing her a glass of brandy.
"Better, but every muscle in my body aches. That was quite a hill we walked up to get here," she said, taking a full sip of the brandy. "How did you manage to get brandy?"
"I have my ways," he laughed.
Jennifer sat down on one of the beds and sighed. Barry walked over to her and began to massage her shoulders.
"Thanks," she said, shifting slightly. "Why don’t you take your shower now. The water’s nice and hot."
Barry nodded. "Sounds good. Here, have some more brandy and relax," he said, pouring more into her glass.
Jonathan sped along the freeway and finally turned off onto the access road toward Gunderson Heights. The rains had let up considerably, and luckily, the police officer had let him pass through. Two miles up the road, he spotted a car stranded in the middle of the road.
"I think that’s Barry Swarthmore’s car," Max said. "I saw it the day he came over to drop off the check for Bright Horizons."
"That means they must’ve gotten out and walked from here to higher ground," Jonathan said, looking over the area. "Let’s drive up a bit more."
Up ahead they spotted Harper’s Inn. Jonathan pulled in to the driveway.
"Stay here, Max. I’ll check if they’re here."
Max sat quietly in the car, listening to the wipers go back and forth. The rain had turned into a heavy mist.
Barry emerged from the shower, feeling refreshed and eager to spend the evening with Jennifer. He didn’t want to come on too strong, yet he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss any opportunity for intimacy. When he walked into the room, she was sitting on the edge of the bed hanging up the phone. He looked longingly at the back of her shoulders. The desire to kiss them, and slide his arms under the blanket she wrapped herself in tightly, made him ache. She turned and sighed.
"Jonathan’s still not home," she said, picking up her brandy.
At least she’s still drinking, he thought.
"He’s probably working late."
"No," she answered wistfully. "We were supposed to leave for San Francisco tonight. He’s probably looking for me."
Barry put his arm around her shoulder. "Don’t worry. We’ll get you home in the morning. I’m sure the rains will subside."
Jennifer smiled weakly.
"Here, have some more brandy," he said smoothly, filling her glass.
"I need to know if she’s here!" Jonathan commanded, trying not to lose control. The innkeeper remained undaunted by Jonathan’s persistence.
"Sir, I cannot tell you whether or not someone is a guest here. It’s for our guests’ safety."
"Listen, my wife got caught in this rainstorm and most likely ended up here. I’m her husband and I need to take her home."
The innkeeper folded his arms against his chest, unwilling to part with company policy. Finally, Jonathan pulled out a fifty dollar-bill and waved it in front of him.
"Will you at least tell me if she’s a registered guest and call her room? I just need to know if she’s safe. Her name is Jennifer Hart – Mrs. Jonathan Hart," Jonathan said, suppressing his anger.
The innkeeper snatched up the bill and checked his guestbook. "Nope. There’s no Jennifer Hart here."
Jonathan looked perplexed. "Is there any other motel around?"
The innkeeper shook his head. "Not for about ten miles."
"What about Barry Swarthmore? Do you have his name?"
The innkeeper studied Jonathan again. He remembered Mr. Swarthmore’s name well, since he had just delivered their brandy only two hours ago.
"I thought you were looking for Jennifer Hart?" he answered coolly.
"She may have checked in with Barry Swarthmore. They were travelling together."
"Mr. Swarthmore checked in with his wife. There is no Jennifer Hart here," the innkeeper said, trying to be rid of Jonathan.
Jonathan drew in a big breath. He didn’t want to lose his temper.
"That’s actually my wife," Jonathan said, forcing a smile.
"Just a minute. I’ll call their room and check," the innkeeper conceded. He turned and went into his office.
Too impatient to wait, Jonathan spun the guest book around and caught sight of Barry’s signature. He had signed in as Mr. and Mrs. Barry Swarthmore … Room 102. In a flash, Jonathan was bolting out the door and headed for their room.
Max watched from the Bentley, as Jonathan ran two doors down and pounded on the door.
Jennifer jumped off the bed when she heard the pounding fists at their door. Barry stood up and motioned for her to stay where she was. He walked over and peered out of the peephole. His gut churned when he saw Jonathan, banging his fists together.
As Barry turned the door handle, Jonathan came bursting into the room.
"Jonathan!" Jennifer cried, happy and astonished to see him.
"Jennifer, get your things and let’s get out of here," Jonathan said forcibly, leering at Barry.
Jennifer looked puzzled. "Jonathan how did you find us? I thought the roads were closed."
Jonathan remained tight-lipped. "They’re open now. Just get your clothes and come on. Max is waiting in the car."
Jennifer looked back and forth at Jonathan and Barry. Confused by Jonathan’s reaction, she began to speak, but stopped. Clearly, something else was going on, but she could not understand what it was.
"Our car got stuck when the road washed out. This was the only place nearby," Barry offered. Jonathan did not say a word.
Finally, Jennifer walked to the bathroom to retrieve her clothing. As they were turning to leave, the innkeeper showed up at the doorway, a bat in his hand.
"Is there any trouble here?" he demanded.
Jonathan took Jennifer by the arm and pulled her out of the room. They ran to the waiting Bentley, where Max sat, his mouth agape at the sight of Jennifer, wrapped in nothing but a blanket.
"Oh, boy," was all he could utter.
Jonathan drove them home, with Max in the front seat and Jennifer in the back. They rode in silence. Jennifer dozed off for most of the ride, her tired body succumbing to the soothing vibration of the car’s engine. When they turned into the driveway, Jennifer felt a wave of relief. She was never so happy to be home, and yet, she knew things weren’t quite right. She knew that Jonathan was angry, but she really didn’t know why. Clearly, he must have been relieved to find that she was all right, Jennifer thought. It certainly wasn’t her fault that their trip to San Francisco was off for the time being.
Freeway came jumping up at her, as they entered the front door. "Well, someone’s happy to see me!" she cooed, giving her beloved pet a kiss.
Max set the bags down. "I’ll go make some hot tea for you, Mrs. H," he said, taking Freeway into the kitchen with him.
"Jonathan, what’s wrong?" she asked, following him into the living room.
"What’s wrong?" he said, exasperated.
"Yes," she said, growing annoyed. Max returned with a robe, which she graciously accepted.
"You ask me what’s wrong … after I find you in a motel with Barry?!"
"We weren’t doing anything!" Jennifer countered, feeling the heat in her cheeks.
"…naked?!"
"We were covered with blankets!"
"…sipping brandies?!"
Jennifer’s voice quieted. "I needed that drink."
They stared at each other.
"You don’t honestly think that Barry and I …"
Jonathan grimaced. "No, of course not. That’s not the point."
"Well, then, what is the point?" she said, her hands on her hips.
"Never mind," he said, heading upstairs to their bedroom.
Jennifer turned to Max, hoping that he would help make sense of it all.
Max shrugged. "It’s a guy thing."
The following morning, Jennifer came shuffling into the kitchen looking for a strong cup of Max’s coffee. Yesterday’s escapade had taken a toll on her body and mind. Jonathan was already seated at the table, fully dressed, and reading the newspaper.
Jennifer leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Morning, darling."
"Good morning," he said, pleasantly. Still, there was a palpable distance between them. "How did you sleep?"
Jennifer sat down and took at long sip of coffee. "Like a baby."
"I had the car towed this morning to Harry’s Garage, so you’ll have to use the wagon if you go out today."
"Oh …" she said. "Are you going to be around?" she asked, rather sheepishly.
"Actually, I’m taking Corey out today. He called earlier…sounded like he needed someone to talk to. I thought I’d take him down to the wharf."
"Corey?"
"He’s the kid you asked me to meet yesterday, remember?"
Jennifer scratched her head. "Oh yeah. I guess that went well?"
"He’s a great kid. Very intelligent, very sensitive… and very committed to making something of himself," Jonathan said, a certain pride welling up in his throat.
Jennifer brushed her hand against Jonathan’s cheek. "Just like you," she said softly. Jonathan gave her a half-smile.
The phone rang suddenly. Max answered it and returned to the kitchen.
"It’s for you, Mrs. H. It’s Barry Swarthmore," he said, spitting out the name like it was a distasteful morsel caught between his teeth.
Jennifer glanced at Jonathan who continued to read his paper, pretending not to care. She bit her lip, feeling the tension in the room. Slowly, she got up and walked over to the phone.
"Hello," Jennifer said weakly.
"Hi Jennifer. I was just calling to make sure you got home okay. I’m sorry about everything that happened."
"Oh," Jennifer said casually, "it wasn’t your fault. We made it home fine. How about you?"
"Yeah, I came home this morning. The innkeeper gave my car a jumpstart. Speaking of cars, I just called my tow company to go pick yours up at Gunderson Heights," Barry said.
"You don’t have to do that. Jonathan already took care of it, but thank you anyway."
Jennifer watched as Jonathan slowly turned the page of his newspaper, careful not to make noise. She knew he was catching every bit of the conversation.
"Oh, he did…" Barry paused. " Well, I’ll give you a call this week, so we can go over the paperwork for Bright Horizons, okay?" His mind wandered back to last night – the sight of Jennifer with nothing on but a blanket. He wanted to reach through the phone and stroke her skin.
"Okay…thanks for calling." Jennifer hung up the phone and returned to the kitchen table.
"Well, I’ve got to head out now," Jonathan said, glancing at his watch. "Take it easy today, will you?"
As he bent down to kiss her forehead, Jennifer grabbed onto his wrist. They came face to face for the first time in a long time, and Jonathan immediately saw her pain and confusion. Several moments passed.
"Want to try for San Francisco next weekend?" he asked tenderly.
Jennifer nodded and smiled.
Jonathan watched as Corey walked up the pier toward him. He was surprised to find a beautiful blonde accompanying him.
"Hi, Mr. H," Corey said as they drew nearer. "I hope you don’t mind, but my mother wanted to meet you. She’s heard me talking about you, and she wanted to make sure you were for real, I guess," he chuckled sheepishly.
Jonathan gave her a handsome grin. "I’m pleased to meet you. You have a great kid. You should be very proud of him."
The woman smiled. "I’m Janice," she said, shaking Jonathan’s hand.
"Well, why don’t we go out for a bite to eat. There’s a great seafood restaurant here… and they have burgers and fries too," he said, patting Corey on the back.
"That’s very kind of you," Janice said, leaning in toward Jonathan. She liked the smell of his cologne.
"Don’t mention it. After this, we can go sailing. Are you game?"
Corey and Janice looked at each other wide-eyed.
"We’d love it!"
Jennifer sat on the sofa, curled up with a book. Try as she might, she could not concentrate. Max came wandering in, sensing she may need someone to talk to.
"Mrs. H, I don’t mean to stick my nose into your business, but can I say somethin’?" Max said, sitting down across from her.
Jennifer smiled sadly. "I wish you would."
Max cleared his throat. "Well, lately you and Mr. H haven’t been the same. I hate seeing you guys like this – It just ain’t like the two of you! I think you’re wrapped up in this Bright Horizons thing a little too much."
"Max, I can’t help it. There’s just a lot to do initially with any start-up. It won’t always be like this. Jonathan should know that. I just don’t understand why he’s being this way. I mean, it’s for a good cause."
"It ain’t that. I know what’s botherin’ him, even if he doesn’t. I know Mr. H like a book."
"Well, what is it, Max? Because I can’t figure it out. I know he doesn’t like Barry, but frankly, Barry has done nothing wrong. Yesterday’s fiasco certainly wasn’t his fault."
"Well, for starters, let me ask you this, Mrs. H: How come you’re takin’ all these handouts from Barry? I mean, Mr. H would give you any amount of money that you wanted for your program."
Jennifer sighed heavily. "Max, the whole point of me taking contributions is to make Bright Horizons a community project. The more contributors I get, the more people will be invested in its success. If Jonathan wrote out a check and funded the whole thing, people would just see it as another Jonathan Hart Enterprise…"
Max listened thoughtfully. "Does Mr. H know this?"
"Well, he should."
"I mean, have you sat down and talked… I mean, really talked?"
"I guess not," she said softly. Max nodded his head, making his case.
"What else, Max. You said ‘for starters’… is there anything else that I’m missing?"
"It’s that Barry guy… Mr. H doesn’t trust him… and neither do I."
"Just because he’s been generous?"
"No. It’s hard to describe. It’s a gut feeling," Max said, getting a cigar ready.
"Well, I’ve said this to Jonathan, and I’ll say it to you: I’m a big girl and I know what I’m doing."
"I know, you’re one lady who knows how to take care of herself," he said, grinning.
"And don’t you forget it!" she said, smiling fondly at him.
Jennifer kept busy for most of the week, completing paperwork for Bright Horizons. She was amazed at the amount of forms and statements that she had to submit. It had been a welcome change, however, from the previous week’s activity. Still, she had not been able to find the time for a heart-to-heart with Jonathan. He was spending a lot of time with Corey these days, which she supposed was a good thing. He was also busy at work this week, working longer hours than usual. She was glad to be having Jonathan all to herself this weekend. In fact, her bags were already packed and she was eagerly awaiting tonight’s departure.
At noontime, the phone rang. Max had already left for a long weekend himself – a perpetual poker game, Jennifer was sure.
"Hello?"
"Jennifer, it’s Barry. Can we meet somewhere? I have something important to show you," Barry said, sounding purposely vague.
"What is it? I’m not sure I can get away today. I’m going away this weekend, and I have a ton of things to get done."
"It’s very important. I wouldn’t ask you otherwise."
Jennifer hesitated. "All right. Where do you want to meet?"
"Can you come here? I live at Pelham Place."
"Okay, I’ll be there in about an hour."
Jonathan came home at one o’clock, hoping to find Jennifer. He had been looking forward to this weekend’s trip all week, and thought they might be able to leave earlier in the day. Sitting on the sofa, he paused for the first time in a while and realized how much he missed his wife. It had been a busy week at work, and he felt that he never got a chance to tell her how much he loved her and how proud he was of the work she was doing.
Last weekend’s incident at Harper’s Inn was becoming a distant memory, and he wished he had handled it better. Perhaps he had misjudged Barry after all. It hardly seemed worth all the anger and tension it had created.
Jonathan picked up a framed photo of Jennifer resting on the coffee table and smiled wistfully. His smile dissolved into a frown, as he recalled his behavior during the past week. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t been the most attentive husband.
The phone rang and Jonathan went to answer it.
"Mr. Hart?" the gruff voice said. "This is Mike at Harry’s Garage."
"Oh, hello Mike. Have you got Jennifer’s car?"
"Yeah, that’s why I’m calling. Ah… it seems like someone pulled the wires to the engine."
"Pulled the wires? You mean, purposely sabotaged the car?"
"Yep, that’s what I mean."
