Skye frowned.
“Did he say how long he’d been detached from this otherwoman?” her mother asked, setting a stainless steel spoon beside the bowl and slipping into the chair beside her.
“Hours.” Skye exhaled, turning the glass in her hand. “Apparently somewhere in our day together he stole away long enough to break up with her.”
“And then she came to see him, probably to try to make amends, and it threw a wrench in his well-planned date,” she mused aloud.
Skye saw where this was going and frowned. “You’re taking his side.”
“Of course not,” her mother said, taking her hand. “I’m on your side. I’m on both your sides. Although, I wonder...” Her mother stood and returned to the stove.
Skye watched her mother stir the pot, saying nothing more.
“What? You wonder what?”
“If you’re not being a bit too hard on him.”
That was it. She had to know.
“Why do you like him so much?” Skye set her glass down. “How can you stick up for Theo when he pays Dad what he does? How does that not infuriate you? Dad, you—you’re both worthten timesthis.” She waved at the wallpaper. “And Theocouldgive that. Theoshouldgive Dad a decent wage.”
Her mother’s ladle slowed to a stop.
“Where did you get this information?” she said quietly. “Did Theo talk with you?”
Skye pressed her lips. Shook her head. “No. I saw the letter in a drawer.”
She saw her mother’s expression and felt an inward quake. This was why she’d never brought it up. This shame that crossed her mother’s face was the reason Skye had kept it to herself.
“I’m sorry,” Skye continued, then waved at the counter. “It was lying in a drawer I looked through while I was making cookies. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Her mother nodded. “Well, I can mostcertainlyunderstand why you’re confused.” She turned back to the soup. “There’s a reason the Watkins family has agreed to pay your father that salary. A few reasons, actually, for why they agreed to my request to lower it.”
“Lower it?” Skye said. “Yourequested tolowerit?”
“Theo’s letter was just confirming our verbal arrangement.” Her mother nodded. “About this time last year, shortly after”—she hesitated, turned—“the Bristol casino opened. I realized I had no other choice. I drove down to Theo’s office and spoke to him in person.”
“Youwent down to Theo andaskedhim to lower Dad’s salary? Why?”
Skye halted, felt her breath quake. “How bad is it, Mom?”
She hesitated. “Bad enough I needed Theo’s help.”
“But how does lowering his salary help anything? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Skye looked around, realizing all too suddenly the television made no noise. “So is that where he is right now? The casino?” She gripped the corner of the table, her voice rising. “Is that the ‘errand’ he was talking about?”
Her mother didn’t move. “That’s where he said he wouldn’t be. But time will tell.”
Skye felt the punch in her gut as she stared into the face of her mother. Her peaceful, placid mother in her apron, soup ladle in hand. “And you’re just going to stand there? And let him throw all your money down the garbage chute?”
At this, for the first time, her mother smiled. “Thankfully,honey, this house isn’t fancy enough for a garbage chute. And yes, in my own way, I’m doing everything I can to help him.”
“What are you doing?”
“Well, for starters, cutting his salary by 60 percent. And by becoming an employee of Evergreen Farm and making twice his salary myself. Theo made quite a sacrifice, convincing the rest of the Watkins family of my plan.” She hesitated, then lowered her voice. “For a long time I’ve known that the Watkinses hold on to the tree farm for sentimental purposes. They spend any profit on their employees.”
“So... Dad.”
She nodded. “Your father, and the few part-time employees who come in for the harvesting season. So when Theo told me they’d agreed to essentially double our income, well...” She shook her head. “I don’t think they agreed. I think he’s paying me independently. He denied it when I pressed, but...”
