The sudden cloudburst caught us all by surprise, coming as it did from what moments before had been a clear sky. I was lucky, because I was only a few feet from my car, but some of the other parents weren't so lucky. One, a woman I recognised as mother of one of Judy's classmates, was looking around frantically for shelter. I tapped the horn button and she looked over at me. I beckoned and after a momentary hesitation she came hurrying across and scrambled into the car beside me.
"Thank you," she said with obvious relief, palming the rain from her face. She looked across at me with a wry look. "I don't make a habit of getting into cars with strange men, but I think I know you. Aren't you Judy's father?"
I nodded. "Ben Miles." I held out my hand and she shook it courteously.
"Catherine Johnson. My Annie is Judy's classmate."
"I saw you with her before. That's why I hooted. Look, the kids are safe and dry in school. Can I give you a lift? I work from home, so I don't have to rush off anywhere."
She paused for a moment, bottom lip caught between her teeth, then nodded. "Thank you. That would be very kind of you. Central Library? I work there, mornings. If you would drop me at the corner of Cedar and Main, it's only a twenty-yard dash."
So I did. We made parental small talk as I drove. You know the kind of thing, boasting about our offspring. Catherine Johnson was as much the proud parent as I was. I stopped where she indicated and watched her as she hurried into the library, shapeless in a loose sweater and calf-length heavy skirt, her dark brown hair scraped back, no makeup. Definitely not dressed to attract, so why was I becoming interested?
When I picked Judy up that afternoon, there was no sign of Catherine Johnson, but nor was there any sign of her daughter.
"Isn't Annie Johnson in your class, sweetheart?"
"Yeah, Daddy, but she stays behind on a Monday for violin practice." Which answered my unspoken question.
That evening, Judy brought out the papers for summer camp. I'd agreed to let her go, thinking that it would be good for her to get away from me for a while. I had an idea.
"Who else in your class is going? Anyone I know?"
Judy considered for a moment. "Tommy Bell," - the Bells lived two houses away - "Billy Jens, Carly Waite, Rosita Sanchez," - all neighbour kids - "I don't think you'd know the rest, except Annie Johnson."
"Annie's going?"
"Yes. I'm glad, because she's my best friend now."
"Best friend, eh? Would you like her to stay over one night? I'll ask her Mom if you do."
"Could I, Daddy?" I'd obviously pleased my daughter with that. Almost thirteen now, she was beginning to remind me painfully of my dead wife.
"Friday?"
"Friday would be great, Daddy."
"Sailing Saturday?"
"Oh, yes!" Judy said, then paused. "Could Annie come, too?"
"Of course. Tell you what, pumpkin, if I see Mrs Johnson in the morning, I'll ask her about Friday and about the sailing, too. Okay?"
"Great!" Judy leaned across and hugged me. "Love you, Daddy."
"Love you, too, kiddo."
It was fair next day, no sudden showers, and Catherine Johnson acknowledged me with a little wave as she was about to make her own way to work. I got out of the car and waited until she was close. She smiled. A cool, polite smile.
"Can I bother you for a moment?" I said.
"Of course. What is it?"
"My daughter informs me that Annie is her best friend, and asked if she could have her to stay with us, Friday night. It's fine by me and I told Judy I'd ask you."
Catherine Johnson's smile was warmer and more genuine now. "That's very kind of you. I'm sure she'll love it. The two of them seem to be on the same wavelength."
"I usually take Judy sailing on a Saturday. I have a little dayboat berthed on the inlet. I told her Annie could come, too, if she wants, and if it's okay with you."
"I don't mind; Annie's a good swimmer if anything went wrong."
"Good, I'll let the two of them sort out the details, then they can tell me what I'm doing."
Catherine Johnson laughed and I had an idea.
"Do you work on a Saturday?"
"One in three. I'm off this week. Why?"
"Would you like to come sailing, too?"
If she paused I didn't notice it. "I'd love to! I haven't been in a boat since High School." She made a face. "Annie's Dad hates the water."
Idiot! She's married! I think Catherine Johnson correctly interpreted the sudden look of consternation on my face, because she reached out and touched my arm.
"We've been divorced for three years now."
"I never thought. I'm sorry."
Catherine shook her head. "It's all right."
"Can I give you a lift again? I don't have the excuse of the rain, but it's almost on my way home."
"Thank you."
It became a pattern. I'd drive Judy to school, then give Catherine a lift to the library. She drove, but didn't have a car, so came into town with Annie on the bus, and then walked to work. Annie came home on the school bus, usually, but sometimes if I was picking Judy up I'd give Annie a lift, too.
The weekend sailing became a summer ritual. Two weeks out of three Catherine would come too, when she wasn't working. She was a natural sailor and one Saturday I borrowed a couple of dinghies and we had a race, me and Judy against Catherine and Annie. We won, but it was close.
It was almost time for summer camp, now. Camp was half a state away, almost a day's travelling. I'd had what I thought was a good idea.
"Why don't we all go together? We can see the girls settled in at camp, then stop somewhere and have a meal, then either get a couple of rooms for the night or take turns to drive back." I made the suggestion as I was driving Catherine to the library.
"That would be wonderful, Ben. I'll chip in for gas, of course." She looked as if she was going to say something else, but paused, and when she did speak she surprised me.
"Ben, do you think I'm attractive?"
"Yes, I do." And I did, although I had no idea what her figure was really like because of her habit of wearing shapeless clothes. I had caught a couple of tantalising glimpses when the dinghy had capsized, but the lifejacket concealed too much. I had no idea what she looked like in a swimsuit without a lifejacket, although I knew she had good legs.
"Honest?"
We'd reached the spot where I dropped Catherine off and I pulled over to the kerb and set the parking brake. I turned to her. "Yes, honest!"
She smiled faintly. "If we didn't have the kids, might you have asked me out?"
"Yes, I wanted to," I said slowly. "I think I was scared."
"Idiot, why didn't you? Those kids of ours aren't millstones, Ben, they're almost teenagers."
I grinned at her, my decision made, pleased that she seemed to like the idea of dating me. "Mrs Johnson, I have no idea where, because I don't know what's available between here and the camp, but I'm sure we'll find somewhere, so will you have dinner with me on Saturday?"
Catherine smiled. "Mr Miles, I would be delighted."
"That's settled then. See you tomorrow, no doubt." She surprised me again, because she reached across and kissed me lightly on the cheek, before getting out of the car and moving lithely across to the library.
Saturday morning Judy and I were at the Johnson house just after eight. Annie came bouncing out with her bag, followed more sedately by Catherine with an overnight bag, and by eight-twenty we were heading for the highway.
Traffic wasn't bad, for a change, and after a couple of comfort breaks and a stop for lunch, we arrived at the camp shortly after two. We got the girls booked in and had a quick word with the camp counsellors, making sure they had both home numbers and both mobile numbers. By four Catherine and I were heading towards home again.
"Ben, I noticed a place as we were coming up. About an hour from here. Trout River Lodge, I think it was called. It looked decent. Shall we try there?"
"Why not?"
It was set well back from the road, a main building, with bedrooms, lounge area and a restaurant, and a dozen or so cabins scattered through the pines. Reception was busy and I began to have second thoughts. At my enquiry about two single rooms, the girl on reception made a face.
"I am sorry, but we have no single rooms available. Head office decided some of them needed refurbishing.
Why
they wanted to do it in the middle of our busy season beats me. All I can offer you is a double or a cabin. Or two doubles."
"One double will do nicely. We'll take it." Catherine's voice was cool and calm. Not for the first time since I'd known her, she surprised me. But not the receptionist, whose face was a professional mask.
"Yes, madam. Room seventeen. Sign here, please. Do you require dinner?"
"We do," I said. "About - when?" I asked Catherine.
"About nine," she said.
"Table for two, at nine. Fine. Early morning call? Newspaper?"
"No, thank you," said Catherine.