though she was feeling aggravation and frustration. “Most of the things I do, anybody could do around here. Cooking and cleaning and laundry aren’t just ‘Mom stuff’ as much as they are survival skills. And it’s probably time you guys knew a whole bunch more about them.”
Kyle groaned. “Now you sound like Aunt Laurel. Do you know that Jeremy does all his own laundry? He doesn’t do any cleaning, though.”
“Yeah, well, that’s because his mom doesn’t, either, doofus,” Trent chimed in. “They have somebody come in and clean. That’s how it’s done when you’re rich.”
Claire’s frustration was growing with the realization of her children’s attitudes. She breathed a silent prayer for help before going on. “I don’t ever remember saying that Aunt Laurel and Jeremy are rich. Or that what your cousin does or doesn’t do will matter in your chores—and don’t call your brother names.”
Trent glared at his brother, as if it were his fault somehow that Claire had corrected them both. He knew better than to say anything out loud. That was one area of discipline on which both his parents, even if they weren’t speaking much to each other, agreed.
Kyle seemed oblivious to any correction aimed at him. “Hey, does this mean Dad has to pitch in more on chores too, if we do?”
Trent snickered. “Sure. He can cook if Mom gets stuck at church doing the closet thing.”
Claire tried not to laugh. She wondered if Ben knew enough about cooking to get past boiling water or making toast. Everything would definitely be grilled if he cooked. “I’m sure we could find something for him to do. Cooking might not be the right thing.”
“Good. I’m too young to die.”
Kyle’s grin was a version of his father’s. And his reflexes were almost as good as his father’s, allowing him to duck quickly when Ben swiped a hand at his head in mock anger.
“Thanks, pal. I’ll remember you the next time I’m making burgers. One charred one coming up.”
“Great. And I can’t even feed it to the dog, because Mom won’t let us have one. I’ll bet we never get a dog if you do this closet thing at church.”
Trent looked honestly worried for a moment. “You’ll still do band boosters at school, won’t you? And drive me to hockey at Jeff’s?”
“I might not be available every moment,” Claire admitted. “But you guys know you won’t actually suffer from my taking on a project at church.”
“We’ll suffer if you make Dad cook,” Kyle muttered. “Can I be excused?”
Claire shook her head. “Go. Just remember to clear your dishes and stack them by the sink.”
He slid out of his seat and did what he was told. Trent followed, leaving the kitchen to the adults. Claire waited for a few minutes, wondering if Ben would bring up the cause of the silence between them.
He moved things around on his plate a little, staying quiet. Apparently he’d decided that the best way to avoid an argument was to say nothing.
Sometimes that worked. But tonight Claire couldn’t stand the silence for long. “I put those papers on top of your dresser. Did you find them?”
“Yes, I did. Thanks.”
Great. She was getting the condensed version. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Does this mean you still aren’t going to explain what you’re doing seeing Marcy McKinnon?”
Ben looked up, his brows pulled together in aggravation. “I am not ‘seeing’ Marcy. You make things sound so out of line. All the woman did was stop by for a business appointment.”
“Which you won’t explain to me,” Claire pointed out.
“Normally, you want me to leave the business at the front door when I come home.”
How could he be so perfectly reasonable when he knew it was only going to annoy her more? “‘Normally’ doesn’t include business appointments with the girl the whole high school paired you up with all of your senior year.”
Claire was immediately aware how juvenile that sounded. But it had disturbed her. How had their lives gotten so out of whack that Ben didn’t tell her something like this?
Ben’s expression was odd, almost bemused. “Did they really? That’s funny.” He straightened in his chair. “It’s also beside the point. Marcy was at the store on business. And it’s not business I can discuss right now without jeopardizing a deal that could mean something to us. It’s not like you’re normally involved in my business decisions, Claire.”
She couldn’t stand sitting at the table anymore. Claire pushed away and picked up an armload of dishes. She concentrated on setting things down on the countertop without banging them. No sense chipping the china just because she was mad at Ben.
“That’s what I’m getting at. I should be involved in those decisions, don’t you think? Just yesterday you got on me for not consulting you before I made a decision. And I hadn’t even made one yet.”
Ben was up now, following her to the sink. He put his hands on her shoulders, and Claire resisted the urge to shrug him off. She didn’t want to push him any farther away than he already was. She must have stiffened under his touch, because in a moment he let go on his own.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time for more of a partnership in the business. But Claire, that’s not what I’m used to. Our partnership has always been me at the store, you at home.”
Claire’s anger flared. “Only because we drifted into things that way. I didn’t finish college and get a business degree or anything that would help you. I had Trent instead, remember? And then Kyle came along, and there was always plenty to do here. Because we both wanted me staying home with them. Or, at least, that’s the way I understood things.”
He was still behind her. Claire could feel his warm breath near the back of her neck, and for a moment she wanted to lean into his comforting warmth. Ben was her rock, even when they didn’t get along. Fighting with him was never pleasant.
“That’s the way things were. But I just figured it was the way they still would be. Are you telling me you’re unhappy? That you want a change?”
“Maybe.” Claire stepped away, where his warm breath wouldn’t confuse her thoughts. “I guess I want to change the partnership a little. Diversify.”
She turned around and leaned against the sink. That could be a mistake, looking into Ben’s warm, dark eyes. If she weren’t careful, this argument would end the way of all their arguments, with him promising plenty, changing nothing and romancing her into complacency.
Except that when she turned around, the look on Ben’s face assured that she wasn’t going to be romanced into anything tonight. “I could just smack you, Ben Jericho. You’ve got that ‘isn’t she cute for using the big business word’ smirk on your face.”
Ben’s grin faded. “I didn’t mean to. But I can’t help thinking you might be a little out of your league with all this. Which is the major reason I can’t explain what I’m discussing with Marcy. And the major reason I’d like you to think
