Private Lives

Private Lives: Chapter Seven

Private Lives: Chapter Seven Cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes.

Ichabod smiled as Abbie closed the door.

"Who were you talking to, Daniel?" Katrina asked.

"I was talking to Daniel's little sister, Abigail. You remember her," Ichabod said.

"The baby?" Katrina Van Tassel asked.

"No, the older sister, Abigail Mills. She was a teenager when we met her that Christmas we visited Daniel at Sleepy Hollow," Ichabod answered.

"Oh yes right. She wore the bottle cap glasses,"Katrina answered.

Ichabod blew out a breath. The one with the bottle capped glasses. He groaned. An image of the beautiful young woman that is now Grace Abigail Mills straddled on his lap; softly kissing him burned into his brain. He wished Abbie was still the kid who lived in Sleepy Hollow village. She wouldn't be such a tempting distraction.

He wiped away the beads of sweat that now formed on his forehead with his hand. He placed the frozen pack on his high upper thigh. He sighed at the heavenly cold relief. For now anyway. He straightened his shoulders.

"Yes. That's her. She's going to teach with her sister and brother come Fall," Ichabod said. His voice small and strained from the cold of the ice pack.

"Oh. Good for her," Katrina answered."Anyway, I'm at the airport come get me."

A silence fell.

"What?" Ichabod frowned.

"I'm at the airport, come get me!" Katrina shouted.

"When did you arrive?" Ichabod's hand tightened around the frozen food package in his hand. It dripped down his trouser leg onto the rug.

"An hour ago. Come get me!" Katrina repeated. Her voice rose.

"You just flew in from England?" Ichabod asked. He took the ice pack quickly off his leg and let it drip on the rug.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Katrina asked.

"No. No I'll be right there," Ichabod answered. "But why are you here, Katrina?"

A long silence fell. Ichabod frowned. He took the phone away from his ear and stared at it. He thought the call dropped and lost connection. Ichabod flipped his hair and placed it back on his ear.

"Hello, Katrina?" He said. Ichabod threw the frozen food pack on his sofa and wiped his wet hand on his trouser leg.

"I've signed the divorce papers, Ichabod," Katrina whispered. Her voice gentle and strained.

Ichabod's breath caught and he let it out slowly. He closed his eyes.

"Is that why you're here? To hand me the signed divorce papers in person?" Ichabod's brow furrowed.

"Yes and to talk to you about something which concerns Dad," Katrina said. Her voice low and serious through the crackle and pop of the phone.

Ichabod's back straightened.

"James? What about him?" Ichabod asked. "Is he alright?"

A worried frown came to Ichabod's brow. Ichabod's friendship with Katrina's father James Van Tassel was close and loving. They were like father and son not just father and son in law. Going to all the games together, football, baseball, basketball etc. They went to all of them. Ichabod thought of James Van tassel as a caring and loving father he never had. He would confide in James. Asking his advise in buisness, in life or otherwise. Ichabod loved him. Katrina knew he would do anything for him.