Free Once Upon a Project by Bettye Griffin

the more reason not to impose on her.”
    Elyse held up a hand, index finger pointing upward. “I know. My daughter came home this weekend. She said she’s just going to watch some TV or read a book. I’m sure she’ll watch your kids for you, Susan.” When Susan opened her mouth to say something, Elyse held out a hand, palm out, like a police officer directing traffic. “It’s perfect. You can follow me home, we can chill at my house for a few hours, then you ride back with me, and when we get back to Lake Forest you can spend the night. Franklin and I have plenty of room, and tomorrow morning you can be home in thirty minutes, forty at the most.”
    â€œSounds perfect,” Pat said confidently.
    Elyse pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “I’m going to call Brontë right now, just to make sure she hasn’t made any plans for tonight. I want to see how Franklin is feeling, anyway”
    Susan watched in amazement as Elyse called Brontë and secured an agreement for her to sit with the children, giving Susan a thumbs-up. Then she heard Elyse ask to speak to Franklin. “Tell Brontë I do plan to pay her; I don’t expect her to babysit my children for nothing,” Susan managed to say as Elyse moved a few feet away from the table.
    She could hardly believe how everything had fallen into place, thanks to Elyse. Now she could go to the party. She could imagine the surprise in Bruce’s voice when she told him that she and the kids wouldn’t be coming home until the next morning. He’d demand to know where she was leaving them, but he probably wouldn’t say a word once she told him that Elyse’s college-age daughter was keeping them, with Elyse’s husband in the house as well. Their overnight absence would give Bruce an ideal opportunity to spend time with whomever he was sleeping with, but she couldn’t make herself care.
    Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ann Valentine’s tall form waiting on the buffet line. Within seconds Ann looked her way, her smile replaced with a hostile stare.
    The antagonism in Ann’s eyes made Susan consider something else.
    Who knew, maybe she would see Charles tonight.

Chapter 9
    â€œE lyse, I’m not trying to get into your business, but Franklin didn’t look too happy to see you leave,” Susan remarked from the passenger seat as Elyse merged onto the highway.
    â€œHe wasn’t. He didn’t want me going to the South Side in the daytime by myself, so you can imagine his reaction when I told him I was driving back down tonight. I’m glad you decided to come with me, but if you had decided not to, I still would have gone, even if it meant hanging with Grace until it was time to head back to the South Side.”
    Susan smiled. While it had been sweet of Grace to try to get her daughter to babysit, she understood why Elyse would be reluctant to spend the rest of the afternoon with her. But Susan already knew all about Grace and her ways. Franklin Reavis was somewhat of a mystery man to Susan; she barely knew him. “Is Franklin the possessive type?”
    â€œNo. He’s just trying to keep me in the house with him. All he wants to do is sleep on the couch all weekend, and he expects me to hang around waiting and hoping he’ll want to do something.” Elyse sighed. “I think his age is catching up with him, Susan. He never wants to do anything anymore, at least not with me. And that makes me wonder if he’s getting tired of me.”
    â€œI’m sure he’s not tired of you, Elyse. And I know he’s older than you, but I doubt he’s ready to sit on the front porch in a rocking chair. Didn’t you say he wasn’t feeling well?”
    â€œHe’s sixty-two, and I think he’s blowing his occasional indigestion out of proportion. He has no trouble keeping up with his golf and his bowling, that’s for