Read Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 04 - Saddle Up for Free Online Page A

fissure had cracked through it and tears slid down my cheeks.
    “Liza?” I heard Tom’s voice.
    I wiped the tears from my cheeks, took a deep breath, and said, “Hello, Tom.”
    “There you are,” he said.
    “I’m here.” I leaned my head against the back of the Adirondack chair.
    “I had a nice conversation with your sister.”
    “You two would have a lot in common,” I told him.
    “It’s more than that. She was friendly. I was surprised after your description of her.”
    “She’s changed a bit. We’ve had a nice visit.”
    “Where did you go for dinner?” he asked.
    “We cooked.” Was that lie number one or two? I shifted my weight in the chair. I don’t like lying to anyone.
    “What?” Tom ’s voice elevated.
    “Yeah, we made one of my mom’s recipes.” That was definitely lie number three.
    “Really?’
    “It was the tradition in my family to make a vegetable red sauce over noodles on Thanksgiving, so that’s what we ate for dinner.”
    “That’s wonderful, Liza. I’m glad you’re having a good visit with your sister.”
    “How was your training today?” I asked, needing to change the subject before I would have to tell lie number four.
    “Boring. I could shoot better, clean my gun faster, and hit the target more times than the instructor.”
    “Then why’d you go?” I asked.
    “It’s a requirement, like when you have a staff development day and don’t get a thing out of it.”
    “I usually get one thing.”
    Tom laughed. “And that would be getting to go out to lunch, right?”
    “Yes. We never have time to go out during a regular school day.”
    I glanced at my watch; it was almost ten-thirty and Tom usually was in bed by nine since he got up at five. “How come you called so late?”
    “I got in late from the training and wasn’t going to call, but I was lying in bed missing you and I knew you’d be up.”
    I closed my eyes as more tears fell, then said truthfully, “I miss you too, Tom.”
    “Are you okay, Liza?” he asked.
    I wiped the tears away, again.
    “I’m fine, Tom.”
    Was that lie number four or five? I needed to stop keeping track or it would make me crazy.
    “Are you sitting on your back porch?” he asked.
    “Yes.”
    “How many blankets?”
    “Just one.”
    “I wish I were there with you. I’d sit down and let you lean on my chest, then wrap my arms around you, like I did on the balcony on the cruise.”
    The tears started again. This was getting ridiculous! Too many tears!
    “Liza?” Tom asked.
    “I’m here. I wish you were here, too.”
    “I’ll be there in a few days,” he said.
    And I thought and Dad will be gone . The two most important men in my life were two ships that passed in the night. I was like the lone lighthouse with only one slip in my dock.
    “Good night, honey.”
    “Goodnight Tom.”
    The line went dead and I clutched the phone against my chest. It felt like my dad and Tom each had a hold on my heart and, even though they weren’t doing it on purpose, they were each slowly pulling it apart. This situation wouldn’t end well and I knew it. Shelby put her head on my lap and licked my hand.
    “Thanks girl,” I murmured.
    When a few minutes later I put the blanket away and went inside, both Dad’s and Jordan’s doors were closed. It was almost eleven, so I went to bed but slept badly. I couldn’t get comfortable; I tossed and turned all night. In the morning, since I had two bad nights in a row, there were large black rings under my eyes. I took a quick shower, hoping that it would help, and then dressed in blue jeans and my favorite Tinkerbell t-shirt. I even added a little makeup.
    I found Dad and Jordan at the kitchen table drinking coffee. Dad wore a pair of tan shorts and a Hawaiian shirt covered in brightly colored parrots and Jordan wore Guess blue jeans, a white tailored shirt, and a doubled breasted, long sleeved jacket with quite a nautical flair. She looked as if she was dressed for a photo shoot.
    Dad