Free A Woman's Place: A Novel by Barbara Delinsky Page B

will be able to find out in a single call. You won't be telling me anything I won't learn anyway."
    "Arthur Heuber," he mumbled, then raised his voice. "Dennis will be coming back here soon. I should hang up. He'll be angry if he thinks I'm telling you things."
    "But don't you agree that this is insane?"
    "Don't put me in the middle. Don't make me take sides."
    "Will you talk to him, at least?"
    "I did. He says what he's doing is right. He won't budge."
    "But how can he want custody of the kids? He's never been a full-time father. There were always too many other things he liked doing. Does he have any idea how full-time parenting will cramp his style? Or is he counting on you and Elizabeth baby-sitting? Where is he now? If he left the house when I did, he should have been with his children two hours ago." Howard didn't answer. More tentatively, I asked, "Did he tell you the charges against me? Did he list my crimes?"
    "Claire."
    "They aren't true, Howard. You know me. You know I adore my kids."
    "It's been hard for you, worrying about your mother and all."
    "No. I'm handling it. Dennis is the one who isn't. He should have been with us in Cleveland. He could have come if he'd wanted to. Or was that Page 40
    Barbara Delinsky - A Woman's Place
    his last fling at freedom before becoming a full-time father? He had this all planned. He must have been planning it for a while." I took a quick breath, lowered my eyes. "Did he tell you his thoughts about Brody?" There was a pause, then a quiet, "Yes." I had to get used to it, I supposed. Such an intimate subject, such a personal accusation. Dennis had told his lawyer, who had told the judge. He had told his parents and God knew who else. I felt betrayed, and angry.
    "And you believe it? You know Brody," I cried, darting a quick look at the man. He had the small of his back to the sink and his arms folded over his chest. His expression spoke of the same betrayal, the same anger. "He spends holidays with us like he's family. Do you truly think he's capable of carrying on with his partner's wife?"
    "He and Dennis ceased being partners five years ago."
    "There was never, never anything sexual between Brody and me," I swore and lowered my eyes again. I was embarrassed for Brody, embarrassed for me. "Dennis is wrong. It's all in his imagination, his own insecurity, jealousy, whatever."
    "I have to go, Claire."
    "When will the children be back at the house?"
    "I can't say."
    "Will they be sleeping home over the weekend?"
    "Claire."
    "I'm just trying to get a handle on this, Howard. I don't know what to do. I don't want them hurt, they're innocent of wrong-doing. I don't want Dennis telling them lies. I don't want him trying to turn them against me. If he has a gripe with me, he should take it up with me and leave the children out of it. They aren't pawns."
    "He knows that."
    "Once certain words are spoken, that's it. They won't be forgotten. They can't be taken back. Permanent damage will be done. Take care of my children for me, Howard?" I begged. "Make sure Dennis understands how vulnerable they are. If he says the wrong thing, it's done."
    "He loves them, Claire."
    Yeah, well, he was supposed to have loved me, too. Hadn't he said the words just last month on my birthday? He had handed me a gift-wrapped package that contained another gift-wrapped package that contained a third. Inside was a pair of earrings made by an artist he knew I admired. I had been touched by the thought he put into the gift, touched that he had taken pains in the packaging, drawn, as always, by Dennis's flair for the dramatic. And yes, he had said, "I love you." So what had he meant by the words?
    I spent the night at Brody's. It seemed the only sensible thing to do; it was late and I was upset. Brody was my dearest friend. He knew how I worried about what the children were thinking and how starkly I felt the separation. With Brody, I was free to rant and rave or sit quietly. I did both. He made me eat his burgundy