Destiny sighed as she moved to hanging up the dress shirts he didn’t use, and then his suit. She wanted to share with him her news of the hearing, but she was nervous. Three more women had come forward since Winston’s picture was flashed across the news. However, two of the women had apparently settled their civil suits already, out of court, and had somehow disappeared. The District Attorney’s office was having a hard time tracking them down to subpoena them to testify.
Deep pockets.
She shook her head. Destiny’s was the largest civil suit by far, and though, through her attorney, he’d offered to settle, Destiny refused to back down. Sure, ten million was a ridiculous amount, but it wasn’t for her. And the Rape Crisis Center would probably never see even half of that, but her intention was to hurt him in his pocketbook and to make a statement all at once. That’s why he had shown up that night at Lisa’s, a night that seemed like forever ago, but which, in reality, was only a few short weeks in the past.
Destiny walked from Bill’s room and met a downcast Sydney. “What’s wrong, Syd?”
“Daddy told me to go to my room.”
“Why? What did you do?”
“Nothing,” she replied, upset. “He just got a letter and then got all weird and told me to go to my room.”
“Okay, Sweetie.” Destiny kissed her on the top of her head. “I’ll check on him. It’ll be fine,” she added. “Just give us a few minutes.”
“Fine,” Sydney said emphatically, closing the door behind her.
Destiny walked to the kitchen. Bill was sitting at the kitchen table, his head hanging down. She stepped around him. He was reading a legal document, so she poured herself a cup of water from the kettle and selected a blackberry tea. The teabag popped up and down as Destiny steeped it. She cast occasional glances in Bill’s direction as she took her time doctoring her tea with Stevia, honey, and a little lemon. Returning to the table, she sat beside him, blowing silently on the steaming liquid as she watched him read. He carefully read every word, turning to the last page. Finally, Bill leaned back in the chair and sighed.
Destiny leaned forward and put her hand on his arm. “Is everything okay?”
Bill shook his head. Frustrated, he brushed back his hair with both hands, and then clasped them behind his head.
Destiny waited patiently, watching as he stared at nothing. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t imagine what had him so distracted and distant. She set her cup down and stood, moving behind him and holding his hands. He accepted her gesture and held tightly to them. Suddenly, he took his hands away and dropped his face into them. Destiny sat back down. “Bill,” she pleaded. “Please talk to me.”
When he removed his hands from his face, his eyes were wet.
“Bill?”
“Justine wants to see Sydney.” He was hardly able to get the words out.
“What?”
“She wants to amend the divorce decree and get shared custody.” Bill turned to her, still in shock.
“I thought you said she left when Sydney was a baby.”
“She did,” he replied. He stood and turned, wiping his eyes discreetly. “And she never once has tried to see her.”
“Why now?”
“I don’t know,” Bill snapped, then softened his gaze. “I’m sorry,” he added, shaking his head. “It’s just… I never in a million years could have expected this.” He hugged her.
The phone rang, and Destiny moved to answer it. “Kemper House Bed and Breakfast.” She listened for a moment and turned to Bill. “It’s your attorney. He said he’s been trying to reach you on your cell phone.”
“Darn it.” Bill pulled it from his pocket. It was still in airplane mode. Bill sighed and then took the phone from her. “Hey, Dale.” Bill began to pace.
Destiny sat by her tea and slowly sipped on it. Poor Bill. After all this time. As she sipped her tea, she furrowed her brow. She thought of the elegantly dressed woman who had appeared in their doorway the week before. Could the two incidents possibly be related?
“Yeah, I understand.” Bill ended the call, looking down at the phone.
“What did he say?” Destiny asked as she turned. “Bill?”
But he didn’t look at her. He just stared at the phone oddly. Then suddenly, inexplicably, with all his might, Bill threw it across the room, sending it crashing into the wall where it shattered into dozens of pieces, startling her. When he turned to her, there was so much pain in his eyes, so much anger. Without a word, he turned and walked from the kitchen. A few moments later, the house shook as he slammed the door to his room. At that instant, the buzzer on the stove sounded, and she rose quickly to check on the cookies Sydney had started. Once they were on the cooling rack, Destiny turned off the oven and placed the dirty pan and spatula into the sink to be dealt with later.
The doorbell rang, and Destiny quickly slid off her slippers and into her shoes. She smiled and opened the door to welcome their guests. Four couples were traveling together for their two-night stay. Destiny asked them to sign-in as she pulled their paperwork from a folder and handed each of them their receipts and their policies to review and sign. Behind her, she heard the door swing open. A moment later, Sydney was standing there with a plate of cookies and a carafe of milk. Destiny smiled and winked at her. She carried the tray of treats carefully to the library as everyone “oohed” in awe of her presentation. Destiny stepped beside her and whispered down to her, “I’m going to get your dad.”
“He’s gone,” Sydney whispered back. “He was just in the kitchen, and then he left.”
Destiny pursed her lips. “Did he say anything?”
“Nope. Hey, what happened to the phone?”
Destiny kissed her head and then turned back to their guests. “We’ll show you to your rooms whenever you’re ready,” she offered. Then she left them with Sydney in the library and walked into the kitchen. She contemplated before taking her phone out and calling him. Bill’s phone went straight to voicemail. She wriggled her lips. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Destiny sighed, put on her best face, and went to show their guests to their rooms.
Chapter 47
Jessie opened the door and smiled. “William! What a pleasant surprise. Come on in.”
“Sorry to bother you like this. Bill anxiously stepped through the doorway; his hands shoved into his front jeans pocket. “Is Charlie around?”
She walked ahead of him and waved her hand, pointing toward the recliner. “He’s on his throne, as usual.”
Charlie looked up, saw it was Bill and smiled.
“Can I take you up on that drink now?”
Charlie turned off the television with his remote and sat up, slowly adjusting the old recliner to an upright position. Carefully he rose, his neck still in a brace from the accident just days before. He cast a glance at his wife, who took the hint. She leaned over and kissed Bill’s cheek before walking back to their bedroom and closing the door. Charlie walked into the kitchen, reached into the cabinet and took down the half-full bottle of Weller and two shot glasses. “What are we celebrating?” Charlie quipped, noting the seriousness in his nephew’s eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually had a drink with him.
Bill rested his hands on the counter as he contemplated what to say, how to say it. Then he sat, his eyes on the small glass between his fingers.
“Just say it, Son,” Charlie encouraged him. “Get it off your chest.”
“Dad said that you couldn’t ever talk about what you did for a living because of what you did for a living,” he began, looking up at the unshaven man.
Charlie narrowed his eyes. “You’re not going to ask me to kill somebody are you?”
Bill toyed with his glass and chuckled. The thought momentarily sounded good. Momentarily. He looked up at Charlie. “I want to know how to disappear.” The words hung in the air, as he downed the entire glass of whiskey. He gasped, made a face and set it down hard next to the bottle.
Charlie f
urrowed his brow, looking into Bill’s eyes. “You almost sound serious.”
Bill sighed and looked the old man in his eyes. “I was served today. Justine wants joint custody with Sydney.”
“How’s that possible? She’s not been around since she was, what, six months?”
“Four.” Bill rubbed his temples. “Then I got a call from my attorney. She’s also requested a blood test, claiming that Sydney’s not—” his voice cracked, then he dropped his head to his arms suddenly and wept.
Charlie didn’t know what to do. Since 9/11, he’d never seen another man cry. Slowly, he downed a second glass, then walked around the counter and patted Bill on the back. Bill raised his head and wiped his tears, drawing in a deep breath. He downed the small glass of whiskey, slamming the glass on the counter by the bottle.
“This won’t help, Son.”
Since Bill’s father had passed away almost ten years ago from a massive heart attack, Charlie and Jessie were his only family besides his mother. He and Charlie had been extremely close. His father’s sudden death had been devastating for all of them. Now he was coming to his uncle, as he would have gone to his father. Bill looked into his eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Running away won’t help, either,” Charlie insisted, as he poured less into Bill’s glass and pushed it to him. “I’m sorry to ask this, but is it possible?”
Bill took the glass and looked into it again. “After we…” he began. “She went to Italy for a month with her mom and her Aunt Jean so that she could have…” he struggled to say the words. Then he looked into Charlie’s eyes again. “I know she’s mine,” he said emphatically. “I know it, with all my heart.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about.” Charlie held the glass up to his nephew, then knocked back the glassful.
“But how do I tell her? How do I tell Sydney, after all this time, her mother wants to see her? And then I have to explain that they have to take her blood. How am I going to explain that?”
“Do you have to?”
Bill stood and began to pace. “She’s nine. She’ll figure it out,” he added sarcastically.
Charlie didn’t take offense to his outburst. “So, you go home, and you talk to her. You said it yourself. She’s a smart girl. She’ll figure it out. If Sydney were still just a baby, then I’d say the gloves go off and go for the throat. But she’s nine.” “How you handle this will not only be a testament to your role as a father, but a testament of your faith.” He put the cap back on the whiskey bottle. “You fight, but you do it silently, behind the scenes, so to speak. Like the Wizard of Oz. ‘Don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain.’ You can go crazy pulling the knobs and levers. Talk to the attorneys and judges, whatever you have to do. But on the outside, keep it calm, and she’ll be fine.”
“I’m worried about me,” he chuckled, as he sat back down. “What if I…” he began again, his eyes moist. “I can’t,” he mused, struggling to finish. Bill shook his head. “I can’t lose her.”
Charlie reached over and put his arm on Bill’s. “You’re not gonna lose her son,” he reassured him empathetically. “You fight like hell for her. For her, son. She’s your daughter. You know what’s best for her. You fight for her,” he encouraged his nephew.
Bill pushed the shot glass back to Charlie, as he stood. Charlie walked around the counter and put his arm on his back as he walked him to the door. “You’ll do the right thing. I know you will. You’re a good man.”
“I don’t feel like a good person right now.” Bill shoved his hands into his pockets again. “Right now, I want to kill my ex-wife.”
“Understandable emotion,” Charlie agreed. “But then, Justine wins. And none of us wants that.”
Bill shook his head, then looked into Charlie’s worn face. “Thank you, Uncle Charlie.” Bill forced a small smile.
Charlie clapped his hand on his nephew’s shoulder and squeezed it. “You’ll be okay, Son,” he promised with a sigh. “And if you need anything, you know you can come by or call anytime. We’re here for you.”
Bill nodded. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Son.” Charlie pulled his brother’s youngest son to his chest, as he had done when he was a young man. Charlie watched Bill walk away, waving to him as he climbed into his car.
His wife joined him at the door, her hand on his shoulder as she looked around him. “He gonna be okay?”
Charlie exhaled. “I hope so. For that little angel’s sake, I certainly hope so.”
Chapter 48
Destiny walked down the stairs carefully, so as not to slip on the wooden steps or the carpet that ran down the middle of the staircases. Her hand slid down the polished wooden banister that curled at the bottom of each floor. She didn’t remember setting the alarm, and she didn’t mind the exercise, but she wasn’t looking forward to three flights of steps up and down this late at night. All the guests were already asleep. More importantly, Sydney was asleep. Sydney had become worried when her father wasn’t answering his phone and worked herself into a sobbing mess, concerned that something had happened to him.
There was a light on in the kitchen that she didn’t remember leaving on. Many times guests came down to help themselves to drinks or snacks that were left out, and, most times, they were less conscious of turning the lights off. Destiny walked to the porch and turned on the light. She narrowed her eyes but didn’t see Bill’s CR-V in the driveway with all the other cars there. She checked the alarm, and it indicated there was a door open. She turned off the porch and kitchen lights and began checking all the doors in the house. When she was sure that they were all closed and locked, she checked the alarm again. Hmm.
She hesitated, then, slowly walked to Bill’s room. She drew in a deep breath and knocked softly. She waited a moment and put her ear to the door. She started to knock, but instead turned the knob and opened the door. She knocked lightly again, as she stepped inside. “Bill?” She listened. There were no sounds beyond the door. Destiny stepped into his room and shivered from the cold. There was no lump on the bed. She drew her robe tighter around her and walked to his outside door. It was unlocked and open. She looked out over the moonlit gardens, the light fully revealing the beautifully landscaped and manicured lawns. She turned and a shape startled her.
“Jesus Christ!! You scared me.” Slowly, quietly Bill emerged from the shadows. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”
Bill stepped to her and she could see his eyes shimmering through the darkness.
“Are you okay?”
Bill reached forward, to her face.
She gasped at his touch. “Your hands are like ice!”
Bill cupped his hands and blew into them and then rubbed them together before moving his hands to her face again, taking her cheeks with them, brushing them with his thumbs. Destiny felt her face drop into his grip. Bill took another step toward her and held her face in both his hands. His eyes beckoned her, pleaded with hers. Destiny stepped to him, her eyes locked onto his. Slowly he pulled her against him and kissed her gently. Then harder. She could taste the alcohol on his breath, but she didn’t care. Bill’s hands slid from her side to the curve of her back as he held her tighter. Overcome by the passion of the moment, Destiny felt herself melt into his arms, but he held her up. He hungrily pulled her nearer, his mouth wide, his tongue exploring, savoring.
Destiny stepped back, breathless and gasped, her gaze still on him. She pressed herself against him again, her hands taking his face, pulling him to her. When they parted again, Bill looked down at her. Her robe had loosened in the fray and hung open. Under it, she wore a thin nightshirt and cotton night pants. He looked down at Destiny, her body visible through the thin white material in the moonlight. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. She was stunning. She was perfect. Bill could see her bosom rising and falling with every breath. He closed his eyes and kissed her again, his hands moving inside her robe, squeezing her to himself. It was all too much to bear
. Her mouth moved to his neck, nibbling on it. Bill dropped his head back.
Destiny side-stepped slowly, pulling Bill with her as they kissed frantically. She felt her robe fall from her shoulders. Or was he pulling it off? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. She just knew that she wanted him to make love to her, to hold her and never let her go. Destiny looked down, her hands moving to his soft flannel shirt, unbuttoning it as fast as she could manage. As they stepped inside the door, Bill pulled it closed behind him, his lips never leaving hers. They neared the bed, her robe now in a heap on the floor. He turned, tripping over it and they both fell together onto the bed, laughing. They lay on the bed, looking at each other, their laughter dying down. Bill wriggled onto the bed beside her, his body pressed against hers.
Suddenly, he wanted to take his time. His hand moved slowly over her shirt and up to her face. He slowly leaned over and kissed her, ever so gently, his lips traveling down her chin, then her neck. His hand tentatively made its way back to her stomach, his hand sliding inside her shirt. Bill felt Destiny’s warm skin tremble at his touch. His hand traced her stomach and around to her bare back, pulling her closer. His kisses became more passionate as his hand moved to her shoulder. He pulled her as close as he could, squeezing her tightly. He looked up, just for a moment—a mere fraction of a moment. Only it was a moment too long, as his eyes rested on the framed photo at his bedside. Bill stopped suddenly, his forehead dropping to hers, his breath hot and hurried against her face. “I can’t,” Bill said in frustration. “I’m sorry.”
Destiny lay there, her breathing quickening with each beat of her heart. She looked up at him, confused.
Bill slowly pulled away and sat up on the side of the bed and dropped his head into his hands. “I’m sorry.”
Destiny by chance: A Contemporary Romance Fiction Novel Page 26