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I let out a long breath. My ire toward Peter was beginning to grow. I tried to recall the last time I’d actually seen him, and I couldn’t remember. Two years ago, I’d come home for Christmas, but he hadn’t come out to the farm with Elaine and the kids. I knew he didn’t like animals…but still.
Moving beside my sister, I hugged her tightly. “The house is wonderful Elaine. Seriously, it’s just not what I’m used to. You should be proud to live in such opulence.”
Elaine looked up at me, her chin wobbling with amusement. “I just wish someone else would have to clean this place. Do you know how hard it is to raise two kids in a white house?”
Together we laughed, and Elaine gave me the grand tour. When she let me peek into Peter’s “mancave” I sighed. He seemed to require all the most expensive, extravagant things in life. I also found it curious that the kids were confined mostly to their bedrooms and the playroom attached to them, but I kept my thoughts to myself, if for no other reason than to spare my sisters feelings.
The longer I was at Elaine’s house, however, the more I began to dislike Peter. Elaine busied herself making sure dinner was a masterpiece, even going into detail on which place settings and dishware to use. As we sat at the table for a half an hour, then an hour, the food growing cold and the children whining, I found myself plain angry with her husband.
“Is Peter late often?” I wanted to believe this was a fluke, but as I studied the kids, slumped in their chair, disappointment on their faces, but unsurprised, I doubted this was something out of the ordinary.
Elaine sighed. “Well, Peter’s the highest member of the branch, so sometimes things get piled onto him, and he has so much work to do…” she trailed off, glancing at the phone beside her which hadn’t gone off the entire day I’d been there.
She picked it up, pressed a button, and I watched and listened as she called him. “Peter, honey, I didn’t mean to bother you, I just wanted to see if you were going to make it home for dinner…” her voice trailed off, and her lids lowered.
From where I was sitting, I could hear the raised male voice from the other line, and I knew Peter was clearly upset with her.
“I know, I’m sorry honey, it’s just, my sister’s here…I left you a message about it…yes, dear. I know dear. I understand. okay love y…” I heard the line go dead before she finished her sentence.
Elaine’s eyes were moist when she looked up, and I tried to keep my expression neutral. “Well, I guess Peter had to work late at the office…again. We can go ahead and eat.”
I watched Elaine leave the table to serve the food, her back stiff, and her shoulders sagging, and I wanted to shove my boot in Peter’s ass. What a jerk. If this was how my sister spent her days, why did she stay with him? I really didn’t understand. When she and Peter had married, he had seemed like a really nice guy. Apparently, success and wealth had changed all that.
Lying in bed that night, I heard the front door close, and I glanced at my phone. It was past midnight. I may not have been a business woman, but I didn’t think many accountant firms worked until the early hours of the morning. Suspicion sunk into my gut, and I sighed. I felt terrible for Elaine, for this life she seemed stuck in, but what could I do? I was determined to get to the bottom of this.
Unfortunately, getting to the bottom of Elaines marital issues was harder than I thought. During the three days I spent with her, I saw her husband once, when he was heading off to work. He greeted me coolly, looking me over like I was a piece of meat, and when he spoke, he had the demeanor of a man who thought very little of women. I instantly disliked him and thought no wonder he never came around the ranch. My mama would have put him in his place quickly. I was stuck, on the one hand, I couldn’t very well call my sister out, and on the other, I didn’t want to drive a wedge between us.
Keeping my mouth shut until I left was so hard, that eventually, I lost the battle. I was getting ready to go, packing my stuff, Savanna and Caleb were already at school, and Elaine was sitting on the edge of the bed I’d used.
“Elaine, does Peter know your pregnant?”
I watched her face pale, then her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Uh, well, yeah, but I haven’t told anyone else. How did you know?”
I frowned. “I can see that you are, and I’m sure moms noticed too. Why does Peter stay away so much when you’re carrying his baby?”
Elaine removed her eyes from my face. Her frame seemed to deflate before my eyes. “Peter always works this much. Besides, he doesn’t really like that I’m pregnant. It wasn’t planned. He…well, he isn’t attracted to me when I’m like this.”
I coughed. “What?”
Elaine looked up at me, blinking back the tears in her eyes. “He thinks pregnant women are unattractive. And he didn’t want to have any more kids. I was supposed to get my tubes tied next month, but apparently, my birth control failed.”
Now, I sat down slowly beside her. “He can’t possibly be working until after midnight, Elaine. You know that, right?”
Elaine nodded her head, swallowing. “I’m pretty sure he’s having an affair, he’s done it before, but there’s nothing I can do. Everything just works itself out.”
Flabbergasted, I shook my head. “Nothing you can do? You can leave the bastard. He treats you like shit, he’s sleeping around on you, come on, Elaine, that’s no kind of life to live. You are miserable and you and I both know it.”
Elaine let go a little sob but pushed off the bed. “I’m not miserable. Peter might have changed, but I’ve got a good life here. The kids and I, we don’t want for anything…”
Standing up, I cut her off. “Except love, respect, and a real family. Pa would never have treated mom or us the way Peter treats you and the kids. And not to want his own baby!”
Elaine swiped the tears away from her eyes, and I could see her getting angry. I had pushed too far. Lowering my voice, I laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, it’s just I don’t want to see you unhappy.”
With a sniffle, Elaine nodded. “I know Callie, but I chose this life, and I’ve got to make the best of it. It could be worse.”
Along the drive home, I pondered my sisters’ words. I didn’t see how her life could get any worse, and I felt that moving back home would be so much better for her, but I’d never been in a serious relationship, and I didn’t have kids to take care of, so I wasn’t the best person to make those kinds of decisions. I wondered if my folks knew about her problems at home, but with my mom’s health issues, I knew that talking to them about it wasn’t an option. Glancing at the time, I sighed. It was early evening, I was starved, and in all honesty, I needed a good strong drink.
Dialing Sam’s number, I said, “Hey Babe, I need a good shot of something strong. Want to meet me at Sly’s in about thirty?”
