Free A Bridge to Love by Nancy Herkness

you don't care about in
other ways.”
    Kate
sighed again.
    “I
have to do some rebuilding first,” she said.
    “Rebuilding?”
    “Of
my soul, of my confidence, of something inside,” she groped for the proper
phrasing. “It's hard to explain.”
    Of
course, she couldn't explain the real reason for the devastation of her sense
of self.
    Then
it suddenly struck her. Oliver might have known about Sylvia. She winced just
thinking of the woman's name. She looked at Oliver with new intent. He had been
David's closest friend. Would David have told him about an affair?
    Kate
was pondering how she could find out, subtly, whether her husband had confessed
his adultery when Oliver spoke again.
    “You
loved David very much, didn't you?”
    “What?”
Kate was startled by the question's odd relation to her own thoughts. “Yes, I
did,” she said truthfully. “But that's the past and I have to go forward now.”
    “I'm
glad to hear you say that.”
    “I
know. I'm supposed to be out of the mourning period after all this time.”
    “Not
just because of that.”
    “Then
why?” Kate asked, sipping her wine and looking at Oliver curiously.
    He
hesitated and then smiled at her. “Because it's hard to compete with a memory.”
    For
a split second, Kate thought that Oliver meant that he was competing with David's memory. Then she realized she was
reading too much into his comment.
    She
changed the subject. “I'm ready to sign the partnership sale papers whenever
they're ready. I've been over the numbers and I can't make them come out any
higher, no matter what I do.”
    “Don't
you think I tried that already?” Oliver asked angrily.
    “I
was joking,” Kate said, taken aback at his vehemence.
    “I'm
sorry. I just feel so terrible about this....”
    “David
would want us to do what's best for C/R/G,” Kate said quickly.
    After
they had sat in silence for a while longer, she took his empty wineglass,
carried it into the kitchen and began tidying up so that he could go upstairs
to say good night to the boys. She was disconcerted when he came back into the
room and drew her into his arms, holding her lightly against him. “Kate, think
about what I said earlier. And remember to ask me if you need anything at all.”
    “Thank
you. I will.” Kate put a little distance between them. “Good night, Oliver.
I'll talk to you when the papers are ready.”
    As
she watched him pull out of the driveway, she was still considering the best
way to approach him about David's affair.

    Monday
morning she braced herself and dialed Randall's work number. She got the same
lovely female voice, which informed her that Mr. Johnson was out of the office
for the day. Kate heaved a sigh of relief, and then said, “Please let him know
that Kate Chilton will not be able to keep her engagement with him Saturday
night.”
    “Ms.
Chilton, I'm so glad that you called,” his administrative assistant spoke as
though to a long lost friend. “Mr. Johnson asked me to give you his private
telephone number.”
    “He
did?” Kate squeaked, automatically picking up a pen and scribbling it down.
“Thanks, but you'll give him my message, won't you?”
    “Of
course, Ms. Chilton. Good-bye.”
    Kate
stood looking at the square of paper with the private number on it as though it
contained hieroglyphics. She had to give him full marks for this maneuver. It
was the most subtle but profound kind of flattery. And she wasn't immune to it.
She stashed the paper in her cutlery drawer.
    Resolutely
putting Randall Johnson out of her mind, Kate immersed herself in the plans and
design proposals of her former life. She was relieved at how quickly her brain
started to follow the old paths. If only someone would hire her! She was
actually looking forward to analyzing structural stresses and load-bearing
points again. She even pulled out the set of blueprints of the George
Washington Bridge that David had given her for her birthday years ago. Kate
loved bridges and the GWB was