A CRY FROM THE DEEP by Unknown Read Free Book Online

ex-mother-in-law’s. Although Sybil could be great with Alex, she sniped at Catherine every chance she got. Not about her dragging Alex away from America but about her leaving Richard. Sybil had a habit of saying, “In my time, you wouldn’t leave for no reason. People stayed together for better or for worse. They weren’t selfish back then. They thought of the children.”
    Well, Catherine would find out soon enough if there was any fallout after Alex’s visit with her grandmother. In the meantime, she’d be free to meet with Frank and find out more about the project. She hadn’t said yes, but she’d come this far. A little further, and there’d be no turning back.
     

 
     
     
     
     
    FIVE
     
    “See that building, Alex?” said Catherine, pointing as Richard’s car edged forward in the traffic. “That’s where Mama’s going.” With its granite exterior and a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln on its front steps, the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library made for an impressive structure. Already, tourists were lining up to take pictures beside the sculpture.
    While Richard double-parked out front, Catherine checked her lipstick in the passenger visor’s mirror.
    “You look beautiful.”
    His compliment unsettled her. She hesitated and then said, “I appreciate you doing this.”
    “You know I’d do anything to help you.”
    She didn’t know how to respond. She almost felt guilty for leaving him, but then she remembered the dark days.
    When she didn’t say anything, he said, “Alex and I’ll have lots of fun at the zoo, won’t we, cookie? We’ll try and stay out of the monkey cage.”
    Alex giggled. “Bye, Mama.” She made monkey sounds and scratched her armpits, forcing her mother to laugh.
    Waving them out of sight, Catherine was torn. Why wasn’t she one of those mothers who’d be content to spend the day at the zoo with her family? Back in Provence, she’d been one of them.
    But she hadn’t considered what she’d missed until Frank’s offer came out of the blue. That was when she realized she missed the ocean—a place where time seemed to stop, a place where she glided into another dimension. There was always one more crevice to explore, one more rock to look behind, and one more school of fish to follow. This surreal world with its flashing neon colors relaxed her like nothing else could. However, that was before the accident, before she let the sea seduce her into letting her guard down.
    As she walked to the café’s entrance at the side of the building, she thought again about Frank’s phone call. That’s all it took and here she was acting as if she still had something to prove, as if she was still competing with her brother, who shone at whatever he tried. A star athlete in high school and a valedictorian for his graduating class, he’d given their parents lots to brag about. He’d even managed to keep his marriage intact. Why was she the one who was always screwing up? If she knew, maybe she wouldn’t be back in New York questioning her next step.
     
    ~~~
     
    Caffé Storico, an elegant space with its high chandeliered ceiling, was half-filled with patrons. Catherine found Frank sitting on a yellow banquette against the wall, his head buried in the New York Times.
    “You haven’t changed,” she said. “Still glued to the news.”
    “Catherine! I was afraid you’d chickened out.”
    “I told you I’d come.” Frank stood and embraced her. He smelled of cigar smoke and she wondered how he managed in a world that left smokers out in the cold.
    “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you.” He sat down and tucked his paper under the leather portfolio case on the table. “You look great. Life must be good in Provence. I’m almost sorry I dragged you away.”
    “Good. Maybe you won’t be too disappointed then when I tell you I haven’t decided yet.”
    “Was your meeting with Hennesey that bad?”
    “What do you think?”
    He leaned back and clasped