Chapter 4, Respite
As they drove through Topeka, Cathee stared out the window. Instead of dwelling on the events of the past, she focused on the present. The beauty of the blue sky, the trees swaying gently in the wind, the colorful flowers planted along the streets, the houses as they drove by. Focusing on the present helped her remain calm, but as she watched the passing scenery, she couldn’t help thinking about the comfort Garrett had been during the difficult phone call.
She snuck a look at him. His jaw was set, and he looked a million miles away. I wonder what he’s thinking about. Does he think I’m in extreme need of a psychological evaluation? She caught herself. That’s dwelling on the past. I need to focus on the here and now. On being a mother to Christina.
She turned to examine her daughter’s face and was relieved to see her contentedly watching the scenery. Christina felt Cathee’s gaze, caught it, and smiled. Cathee smiled back. “Are you hungry now?”
Christina nodded.
Garrett spoke up. “We’re almost there. About five more minutes.”
They pulled up to a two story building. Cathee raised curious eyebrows.
Garrett responded. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it has the best fried chicken I’ve ever tasted.” He suddenly looked concerned. “I hope you like chicken. You said comfort food. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes came to mind.”
Cathee smiled. “Fried chicken sounds great. I’m actually hungry now.” She was surprised to realize she was hungry. The drive across town had calmed her enough so she could pay attention to her body’s needs. She snuck a look at Garrett. As a RAD specialist, he probably realized they all needed a few minutes to calm down. She was suspicious he picked the restaurant more for its location than for the quality of food, but she was willing to give the food a try. After unbuckling Christina, she followed him to the restaurant and walked through the door as he held it open.
The interior was decorated to look like a barn with various farming tools hanging on the rustic gray wood walls. Dispersed among the tools were framed black and white photos of farms and families. Christina pointed at one family and asked, “Who are those people, Mommy?”
“I don’t know, Honey. Maybe we can ask the waitress when she comes to take our orders.”
As they were seated, Christina pointed to the lamp anchoring the red and white checkered tablecloth. “What’s that, Mommy?”
“It’s an antique oil lantern. Before we had electricity, people used to light their homes with them. Only there was a string wick in them then, not the battery-powered light that’s in there now.”
“How come the light flickers?”
Cathee smiled. Christina must be back to normal. Her curiosity certainly was. “It’s supposed to look like a fire. When a wick burns, the flame moves while it burns.”
“How come?”
Garrett laughed. “That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer, do you?”
Cathee laughed, too. “No, I don’t. I guess we’ll have to Google that when we get home. Christina knows I don’t like doing a lot of research on my cell phone. I’d spend all day looking things up.” She doubted Christina would remember. She would have asked too many more questions before they ever got back to Wichita to remember that she wanted to know why candle flames flickered.
When the waitress arrived, Christina forgot to ask about the people on the wall.
“Hi. My name is Mandy. I’ll be your server today.” She smiled as she handed Christina a coloring mat and a small bucket of crayons. They were all the distraction Christina needed.
Mandy directed her question to Cathee. “Have you decided on a beverage?”
“A glass of water with a slice of lemon, please, and some apple juice for Christina.”
“I’ll have water too, but I’ll pass on the lemon.” Garrett’s pleasant baritone reminded Cathee of her father. Christina’s never had a Dad to read the Sunday Funnies to her. No Dad to toss her in the air, to laugh and to play with. No Dad to admire her dancing. Memories of her own father flashed through her mind. Have I been fair to her? She shook her head slightly to get her thoughts back to the present.
As Mandy left to get their drinks, Cathee raised her eyebrows. “You don’t like lemons?”
Garrett shrugged. “I don’t get the lemon slice thing.”
She smiled. “Maybe it’s a female thing. My dad didn’t care for them, either.” She didn’t want to discuss the fact that she hadn’t dated anyone since Juan–there, she’d actually thought his name without flinching from the pain. She hadn’t paid any attention to what the guys drank at the office, but she couldn’t recall any of them ordering lemon slices with their water.
When the drinks arrived, Garrett ordered a salad and the fried chicken entree. Cathee decided she wanted a salad also, then ordered the chicken fried steak. That sounded like her kind of comfort food. Christina ordered macaroni and cheese with apple slices as the side. Cathee smiled. Her daughter was back to normal, alright. The apples were a dead give away.
Christina’s apple slices arrived at the same time as the salads. Cathee was impressed. Normally, restaurants didn’t bother to serve any food with the salads. She looked at Garrett. “They must cater to families. How did you find this restaurant?”
She was surprised to see pain in his eyes, and he dropped his gaze a moment. When he looked at her again, the pain was gone. “I dined here a few times with my wife, Jill, before she passed away. It was a favorite of her parents.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No. It’s ok. I haven’t come here since she... died.” The catch in his voice let Cathee know Jill’s death had been difficult for him. She wondered how long Jill had been dead and what had caused it, but she didn’t want to ask. She wasn’t sure where he was in his grieving process, and she didn’t want to open the kind of pain for him that had been opened for her. Garrett caught Cathee’s eyes. “It just felt like a good time to come.”
Cathee stared at him a moment and then dropped her gaze to the green salad topped with ranch dressing. She wasn’t sure what to say. She took a bite of the salad and looked up. “This dressing tastes really fresh.”
He smiled. “They make it on-site every day. I’m glad you like it.”
Christina joined in. “My apples are yummy, Mommy. They crunch.”
“Crunchy apples are the best, aren’t they, Sweetie?”
Christina nodded, then everyone ate quietly for a few minutes. Even Christina seemed absorbed in her own thoughts.
The entrees arrived just as they were finishing their salads.
“Oh, Mommy, look at the cheese!” Christina’s macaroni noodles were smothered in melted cheddar cheese.
Cathee smiled. “I’m sure it tastes a lot better than the stuff I make.” She caught Garrett’s eyes. “I’m afraid mine comes straight out of a box.”
He smiled. “I have to confess scratch cooking isn’t a talent of mine. My cupboards are full of boxes.”
“I can certainly relate.” Cathee giggled. “Cooking just isn’t my thing.”
Mandy’s placement of her entree effectively cut off the conversation.
A thick white gravy dotted with fresh ground pepper was poured over her chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. The new potatoes had been mashed with their skins. Reddish purple skins visible in the fluffy white potatoes added color to the plate, as did the brilliant green of the steamed green beans. Crispy brown bacon crumbles topped the green beans. Cathee smiled up at Mandy. “This looks delicious.”
After Mandy left, she bit into the potatoes, then said, “I have to admit you have good taste. This is wonderful.”
Garrett couldn’t hide his delight. “I’m glad you like it. Sometimes these out-of-the way places really do have the best food.”
After a few minutes of quiet concentration on his meal, he glanced at his watch. “It’s almost 2:30. Did you have anything special planned the rest of the day?”
Cathee
shook her head as she swallowed her bite of chicken fried steak. “I was hoping to see the Charles Curtis House Museum, but it’s only open until 3:00 on Saturday.”
“Who is Charles Curtis?” Garrett was curious.
“He was the first Native American to serve as Vice President of the United States. He served under Herbert Hoover. His mother died when he was just three, and he was raised by his mother’s parents on the Kaw Indian Reservation.” Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “In addition to his service as Vice President, he served 16 years in the House of Representatives. After he served in the House, he served most of four terms as Senator. His final term was cut short when he became the Vice President.”
“Sounds like you know a lot about him. You must be interested in history.”
“If you look at history as simply the stories of people who once lived, it’s fascinating. I have to admit I didn’t care for history until just recently. It seemed very dry when I took it in high school and college.”
“What changed your mind?”
“I’m in a book club with a group of women in Wichita. A few months ago, the choice for the month was a book by Jennifer Niven called the Ice Master. Honestly,” Cathee paused to laugh at herself, “if anyone had just recommended the book, I wouldn’t have read it. Since we were going to discuss it, I started to read it, then I just couldn’t put the book down.”
“I think I’ve read that one. Isn’t it about the doomed 1913 voyage of the Karluk?”
She nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. Then I watched Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary, and I was hooked on history.” She sighed. “I might have to wait for the Charles Curtis house on a different visit. I’d have to call to schedule a tour since I missed today, and I’m not sure they’d be willing to open the house for just Christina and me.”
Cathee paused, considering her day. “Since we missed the tour, I’ll probably get some shopping done.” She glanced at Christina, who was busy coloring on the paper mat that had been provided by the restaurant.
Cathee continued, “The next item on my list is the governor’s mansion. The building itself is only open on Mondays, but the estate grounds are open year round. The park is bordered by the Kansas River on the north. There are several hiking trails on the property. I’m hoping we’ll be able to see some wildlife on our walk. We might do a morning tour of the grounds sometime next week.”
Garrett raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t think there was so much of interest here. What else is there to see?”
“Well, there’s the capitol building, of course.” Garrett nodded while she continued, “Then there’s a really nice museum with a nature tour. I thought we’d do that one morning. Outdoor activities aren’t my thing when it gets too hot.” Her voice grew animated. “There’s a relatively new Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site I thought we’d check out. Then there’s the railroad museum. It’s combined with a Veterans’ Memorial I’d like Christina to see.”
Garrett looked surprised. “Sounds like your week is going to be full.” He paused and looked hesitant, a far cry from the pushy man who had sat at her table that morning. “Do you think you’ll have time to fit me into your schedule?”
Cathee dropped her gaze. She used her fork to toy with a couple of green beans left on her plate. “I...I’m not sure.” Then she looked up. “What are your plans for the week?”
“My presentation will be over today. The conference lasts until Wednesday, but I don’t have to attend any of the classes.”
“Aren’t you required to take a certain number of courses to remain accredited?”
He nodded. “Yes, but I have enough for the year. Anything else I take is for my own information.”
“Aren’t there classes you want to attend?”
“There are a couple of classes that looked interesting, but they aren’t critical.” For a moment, Garrett looked almost bitter. “I have a lot of time on my hands. Most of the presenters use material I’ve read, so it’s just hearing their take on the things I already know.”
Cathee met his eyes and wondered again about his wife. She paused before asking, “Have you been to any of the places I mentioned?”
He shook his head. “I’ve never been one to visit historical sites, but I’m willing to give it a go this week.”
“What do you like to do for fun?”
“I like to fish, and fishing in Kansas usually involves boating.” He paused when he saw Cathee shudder. “What’s wrong?”
“I hate boating.”
“Why?”
“My parents died in a boating accident on Wilson Lake.”
“Oh.” He was quiet a moment, then said, “That must have been tough. How old were you?”
Cathee stared at her plate, then swallowed and looked up. “I was 16.” Before he had a chance to ask, she continued, “That was seven years ago.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Mandy. “Are you ready to order dessert?”
Garrett looked at Cathee. “I can recommend the apple pie. It’s served with a huge scoop of the house vanilla ice cream.”
Christina looked up from her coloring. “Oh, Mommy that sounds yummy. Can we have some, please?”
Cathee laughed. “You must know Christina’s weakness. She loves apples. I guess we’ll have to try the pie.”
Garrett looked at Mandy. “Three slices of apple pie, please.”
The pies arrived before they had a chance to continue their conversation, and the deliciously flaky apple pie kept their undivided attention for the next few minutes.
Cathee dropped her crumpled napkin on her plate. “Oh. I so won’t be able to move for a week.” She pushed back from the table. “That was scrumptious.”
Christina was still digging into her pie, but she looked up and nodded, then said through a mouth full of ice cream, “This is yummy. Thanks for letting me have some, Mommy.”
“You’re welcome, Honey.” Cathee smiled at her daughter and thought again how blessed she was to have her in her life.
When Mandy came to deliver the bill, Cathee didn’t protest when Garrett accepted it. After all he had done for her that day, the last thing she wanted was to make a scene about who paid what.
To her surprise, she didn’t mind in the least about thinking of their eat out as a date. It was the first one she’d been on since Juan–for the second time that afternoon, she’d thought of him without flinching–had destroyed her life.
It was time for her to pick up the pieces, and she was surprised by how natural she felt with Garrett. Maybe it was crying hysterically on his shirt. She snuck a quick glance at the shirt in question to see if it had dried. To her relief, it wasn’t as badly stained as she had imagined it to be. Her waterproof mascara had stayed put, and if any lipstick had smeared, it was a light enough shade it wasn’t showing.
Once again, Garrett helped her with her chair. As they were walking out, Garrett asked, “Did you want to shop now, or should we go back to the Capitol Plaza first?”
Cathee was silent while they walked to the car. She handed Garrett the keys as they approached, then said, “As much as I’ve enjoyed your company, I doubt you’d be very interested in a shopping trip. Let’s head back. I’ll just spend the afternoon with Christina.” She studied his face to see if he showed disappointment, but his face was neutral, and she wasn’t familiar enough with him to know how he might be feeling.
The trip back to the hotel was quiet, except when Christina pointed out the dome of the capitol building. “What’s that, Mommy?”
“That’s the State Capitol Building. We’ll be touring it next week. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“What’s that statue on top?”
“It’s an Indian. I can’t remember if it was modeled after anyone in particular. Maybe we can ask the guide when we go.”
“How come the top is green?”
“It’s copper. Copper turns green in the weather.”
“How come pennies don’t turn green?”
r /> Garrett laughed. “You need to carry an encyclopedia around, don’t you?”
Cathee smiled. “It would help. Luckily, Christina is patient when I don’t know the answer.” She turned to look at her daughter. “We look at Google a lot, don’t we?”
Christina nodded, then asked again, “Why don’t pennies turn green?”
“Most pennies don’t have a lot of copper. I think the other metals keep the coin from turning green, but I’m not sure.”
“What other metals?”
Cathee rolled her eyes, but was careful not to let Christina see. “I don’t know, Honey. We’ll have to check on Google when we get home.”
Christina seemed satisfied with that and turned her attention back to the window.
As they approached the hotel, Christina pointed with excitement, “That’s our hotel. Can we go swimming now?”
“No, Sweetie. I want to do some shopping first. Remember, I said we’d go after our shopping trip.”
Christina sighed. “Oh. Yeah. I forgot. Sorry, Mommy.”
Cathee turned to smile at her daughter. “It’s ok. Sometimes I forget, too.”
They pulled into the drive that curved around the front fountain. Garrett stopped at the front doors. “I guess this is where I get out. Will I see you again?”
Cathee dropped her gaze, then met his. “I...I can’t promise anything, but this isn’t a huge hotel. I’m assuming we’ll be bumping into each other.”
Garrett realized that was the most he was going to get out of her, but he’d already won the bet with Darrin. He had to admit his association with Cathee was no longer about the bet.
He was surprised at the intensity of his feelings for this stranger. Somehow, his interest in this woman and her daughter had become personal, and he wasn’t sure when that had happened. As a therapist, he had helped many people navigate through a wide assortment of problems, but he had been unable to work through his own issues. A personal relationship hadn’t appealed to him since the death of Jill. Cathee was the first woman to pique his interest in all these years.
He stepped out of the car and watched her navigate her way to the driver’s seat. Her response to his requests for more of her time had been disheartening, but he wasn’t going to let her push him away. She had finally capitulated at the breakfast table, she’d turned to him in her grief, and he somehow felt if he was persistent, she would allow him to spend more of her vacation with her and Christina.
He smiled wistfully as he watched the car disappear down the street. Christina was an intelligent child, and he’d enjoyed their time together. She seemed very well adjusted for being without a father. He was impressed. Cathee must devote a lot of her time to her daughter. Christina wouldn’t be so well adjusted if she didn’t have at least one parent who spent quality time with her.
When the sedan was out of sight, he flipped open his cell phone and dialed. “Hello? Is this Darrin? You owe me.”
“No way! That was fast. How did you get her to go anywhere with you? I expected her ice to take some time to thaw.”
Garrett laughed. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy. So, are you going to fork up for the golf tournament?”
Darrin grumbled half heartedly. “I guess so. That means I’ll starve for dinner tonight.”
Garrett laughed again. “You can’t tell me that. Dinner was included with the conference. I don’t even feel sorry for you.”
“Yeah. Yeah. I guess that means I’m driving. Did you bring your clubs?”
“They’re in the car. I need to change for golf.” He looked down at the shirt that had been wet with tears. He didn’t want a reminder of Cathee’s breakdown. It was something he didn’t want to dwell on, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get answers to all the questions swirling through his head.
“Let’s meet in the lobby in ten minutes, then.”
“Sounds great.” Garrett shut his phone as he punched the seventh floor button on the elevator.