Page 68 of Babies at Coconuts

Chapter 48

After Suzy arrived home, she parked in the garage and stepped into the kitchen. “Hi, hon. Hungry?” Without waiting for an answer, she retrieved a cutting board from beneath the sink.

“I’m famished. Can I help, babe?” Ken turned away from the television.

“Nah, it’ll feel good to cook again. Normalcy, you know?” Suzy leaned around the counter. “I’ll take a glass of wine, though.”

Ken headed to the kitchen and patted his wife on the rear. “I’m glad you’re home. We never have the house to ourselves anymore.”

Wrapping both arms around her husband’s neck, Suzy nuzzled him. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed us.”

“You can say that again.” Stroking Suzy’s hair, he kissed her softly at first, and then probed. “You taste good. I’ve missed us too.”

Giggling, Suzy said, “I guess you like the taste of Angry Balls.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a drink. Cheri Van Buren introduced us to the cocktail.”

“So the New Yorker’s back?”

“She sure is. Alex brought her up to speed about . . . everything.”

Frowning, Ken made a scotch for himself and poured a glass of merlot for Suzy. “We’ve definitely had our share of extremes.”

As she rinsed the asparagus, Ken reached for a knife. “I want to help.”

“Knock yourself out.” Suzy sipped her merlot as she busied herself with the blackened seasoning. She rubbed it on the salmon and placed it in the oven, handing a lemon to Ken. “Will you slice this for later?”

“You know I’m the best sous chef there is.” After he sliced the asparagus, she sprinkled parmesan cheese on the vegetable and drizzled balsamic dressing into a serving dish. “Want any bread?”

“Nah.” Ken shook his head as he carried plates to the table. “I’m cutting back.”

“Right.” Suzy winked as she pulled the salmon out of the oven and let it rest while Ken refilled their drinks.

Dining at their breakfast table, the couple ate ravenously. After several moments of silence, Suzy said, “I almost miss the commotion, do you?”

Holding a piece of salmon in mid-air, Ken said, “I don’t know. I’m enjoying the peace and quiet, but I think we should discuss Vanessa’s parents’ house. Do you know any attorneys? I’m sure we’ll have to handle this for her. She has her hands full with the baby.”

Staring at the ceiling, Suzy groaned. “We jump from one huge project to another.” Pausing, she said, “Hope’s dad is an attorney. I think his name is Paul. I can call him but do we really need to get on this right now? Can’t we take a little breather?”

Ken headed toward their makeshift bar near the kitchen and poured a second scotch. After he polished off his food, he said, “We need to find out if their house belonged to them or to the church. Also, whether they had a will. I don’t think Vanessa is in any shape to handle this, do you?”

“Definitely not.” Suzy chewed thoughtfully and stared out the darkened window. The sun had long set on what was her first non-hectic day. The last thing she wanted was to embark on this endeavor but knew she had to help. She owed it to Vanessa and Violet Grace.

After placing his plate in the dishwasher, Ken waited for Suzy to finish and gestured toward the couch. “Let’s get comfortable. I’ll clean the rest of the dishes up later—or better yet—in the morning.”

Suzy settled on the sofa with her barely touched wine in hand. Ken rubbed her stiff shoulders. “Someone needs a massage.”

She grinned. “I’d kill for a massage about now.”

“Later.” He winked. “Do you think we should mention this to Vanessa or contact an attorney first?”

Folding her legs beneath her, Suzy leaned against her husband. “I’m not sure. She’s fragile right now. Why don’t we do some checking on our end before we drag her through what could be a dead end.” Wrinkling her nose, she said, “Bad choice of words. I mean if they don’t have a will, there’s no need to get her hopes up or make her think about anything but herself and baby Violet right now.”

“Agreed.”

“Like I said, Hope’s biological dad is an attorney. I’ll get his name and number from her tomorrow.” Her phone beeped indicating a text from Jon. She glanced at the screen, saw a photo of Violet Grace, and smiled. Jon always seems to know when I need him.

After showing the photo to Ken, Suzy said, “Now, about that massage.”

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