Page 4 of His Loving Guidance
Chapter Two
Rain cascaded from the sky in sheets, pelting the surface of the lake before a backdrop of mountains hugged by dark clouds. Summertime on Smith Mountain Lake was perfect, except for when it rained. Lucy gazed out the kitchen window of their lakeside home, coffee cup in hand, her mood relaxed. Today was her first official day of summer vacation. No classroom full of students. No papers to grade. No end of the year paperwork. Being a teacher had its perks.
After a lazy morning puttering around the house, Lucy rummaged through the refrigerator and cabinets to make sure she had all the ingredients for James’ favorite meal, Chicken Parmesan. She wanted to surprise him and loved cooking for him. Today was his last day of work for three weeks, and she anticipated the much-needed time alone they would spend together. Instead of going away for vacation, they had opted for a stay-cation. Three weeks at home, alone, to work on rebuilding their once-fragile relationship.
A year ago she had been thinking about divorce, a memory that caused her to cringe. Though she had not said the D-word out loud, she still felt guilty for having had the thought, and she was not proud of her behavior. Stress from a recent move, James starting up a business with his brother, and Lucy finishing the last classes for her master’s degree had taken their toll. The tension produced from these events drove them apart, slowly at first, but by the time it became apparent how distant they had grown, the resentment that had built up was hard to break down and overcome.
They went through cycles of extreme fighting, frustrated silences, and calm periods that never lasted for long. During the last calm period, Lucy had come to James, asking him to punish her for lying about her whereabouts. She had told him she was spending the weekend with her mother, but instead she had gotten a hotel by herself a few towns over, simply because she wished to be alone.
The phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. Lucy looked at the caller ID and frowned. It was Wendy, her younger sister. Lucy loved her sister, but dreaded a phone call. Wendy only called when she wanted something. Against her better judgment, Lucy picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sis, it’s me.”
“Hi, Wendy.” Lucy hoped her sister only needed to borrow a couple of bucks. It would not surprise her if Lucy was her one phone call from jail one day, and she hoped today was not that day. A distraction before her stay-cation with James was the last thing she needed.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Wendy said, her voice cracking. Damn. She was crying. “Steve moved in with Mom. He doesn’t even have a job. He sits home all day while she works, playing video games and eating potato chips.”
Great. Family drama. Just what Lucy needed. “Look, Wendy, I know you hate Steve, but it’s Mom’s life. She’s an adult. You can’t tell her what to do.”
“He’s a bum! She only likes him because he’s sort of good-looking. Last night I had to sleep in my car because they were going at it like animals. All. Night. Long.”
Lucy felt the bile rising. “Please stop, Wendy. I don’t want to know about Mom’s sex life. And if it bothers you so much, why don’t you find a roommate and move out?”
“That’s why I’m calling you, Lucy. I need help.”
“I’m not loaning you the money to lease an apartment above your means. Find something you can afford. Look in the classifieds for someone seeking a roommate. That’s what I did when I’d finally had enough of Mom’s shenanigans.”
“I would, but – I sort of lost my job.”
Lucy groaned and slumped down on a bar stool. “What happened?”
“A customer was rude to me and I lost it. It wasn’t my fault. I was just having a bad day. I’m looking for a new waitress job, but it’s hard because now I don’t have a recent reference to list on my applications. Don’t be mad at me, sis. I’m trying, I really am. But I can’t stand the thought of living with Mom and Steve all summer. My classes at NSU start up at the end of August, and I’ll be moving back into my dorm then. But until then I’m homeless.”
“God dammit,” Lucy muttered, more to herself. “Why can’t I have a normal family? Is that too much to ask?”
“I know I’m asking a lot, Lucy, and I feel bad about it, but is there any way I can move in with you and James for a few weeks? Please. I’m desperate.”
“Can’t you ask Mom and Steve to tame it down?”
“I tried, but we – uh – had an argument this morning. She pretty much expects me gone when she gets home from work. I’m sitting in a grocery store parking lot with all my stuff in my car. I threw my house key at Steve as I was leaving and called him a ‘manipulative fucker.’”
Lucy giggled, despite her distress over the situation. Steve was indeed a bum, and she would have loved to witness Wendy calling him names. Her mind spun as she considered her options. Calling James to ask for his opinion before moving Wendy in was probably a good idea, but what if he said no? He was as sick of Wendy’s antics as she was. Her gaze traveled to the calendar tacked to the wall with three weeks highlighted in blue. Could they still enjoy time alone together with Wendy in the house?
“Lucy? Are you still there?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. Okay. You can move in until August.”
“Thank you! I promise you won’t even know I’m there.”
Lucy sincerely doubted that. As she hung up the phone, a terrible idea struck her. Would James still spank her if Wendy was in the house? And how would Wendy react if she knew about their domestic discipline relationship? No doubt Wendy would overreact and scream abuse. Lucy’s heart sank. Under no circumstances did she wish for Wendy to know about the spankings, but at the same time she despaired over pressing the pause button on their journey into domestic discipline for the whole summer. She ached to speak with James, but she also dreaded their next conversation.
* * *
James tore a path through the carpet as he paced the bedroom, ready to combust. He ran a hand through his hair and eyed the door. Why the hell was it taking Lucy so long to get Wendy settled in the guestroom? Better yet, why had Lucy not shown him the courtesy of discussing the situation with him first? From the bits of talk he picked up over dinner, it sounded like Lucy had agreed over the phone to allow Wendy to live with them all summer. He raised his hand to rake it through his hair again, but stopped at the sound of the doorknob turning.
The disapproving glare he shot Lucy as she slinked into the room was met with an apologetic look. She shut the door behind her and shuffled across the room, twisting her hands in front of her the way she always did when she was nervous.
