by Jo Willow
Beth stood and shouldered her purse.
“I’m gonna go collect my children before it gets too late and mama puts them to bed. There’s no sense in them being away from home now. You should probably call Mitch and tell him about the gallery, he doesn’t like decisions being made around him.”
She walked around the table, leaned down and kissed David on the cheek.
“You’ve been good to me and I won’t forget it. Daddy will be here on Monday to start stringing wire. Just tell him what you need and he’ll get it done. He likes Mitch and he’s happy to do it.”
“I’m sorry Beth. For what it’s worth, you deserve better.”
“I know and I’ll have it someday. Just not today. Bye David.”
Beth left by the back door and walked around the house to her van. She called her folks and told them to get the children ready to go home, she needed to talk to them.
David watched her turn around in the driveway and then he called Ian.
“Are you up for some real estate in Savannah?”
Ian leaned back in the rocker with Charlie in his arms, Rose was putting Jem to bed.
“What do you have in mind?”
“The bitch cost Mitch his lease on the gallery. He doesn’t know yet and I’m reluctant to tell him just now.”
“How did he lose his lease and why don’t you want to tell him?”
David told him about the phone call in detail, then he told him about Beth’s conversation with Mitch. When he was finished, Ian let out a low whistle.
“The plot thickens. So she got him out of town and then sabotaged his business? That’s all kinds of shitty, that is. She’s making sure he loses his livelihood and his girl. He crossed the wrong woman there. How do you wanna handle it? You want me to put Rosie on a flight to line her out?”
“Ian, as good as that sounds I don’t think it would do the trick. She has to get a taste of her own medicine and we’ve only got a week to get the house in order.”
“I’m listening little brother, do tell.”
“We need to find out who owns her gallery and I hope it isn’t her because we’re gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
“Are you shittin’ me? You wanna set Mitch up in the gallery that Bitchzilla owns? This is poetry. I mean this is the stuff they make into movies, right here. I’ll call Phil now and we’ll know by tomorrow morning whose name is on the title to the place. Anything else?”
“I wanna know about her personal life. Love interests, divorces, where she lives, does she have a mortgage, stuff like that. I want her car towed if she’s two minutes past the meter timer. We’re gonna drive her out of town Tanner style.”
“David, this is more than just protecting Mitch isn’t it?”
“She made Beth cry Ian. Do you know that even after Beth found out that Mitch slept with the whore, she told him that she’d still be his friend if that’s what he needed? She loves him and it’s got nothin’ at all to do with the fact that he’s a Tanner. I offered to put her and the kids up at Tara for awhile, because I thought that if he found her actually gone it might make him straighten up and fly right. She refused to back down. She told me she could isolate him just as easily from her own place.”
“Do you believe her?”
“Hell no. If he knocks on her door, she’ll fall at his feet.”
“She’s gonna have to get over that David or she’s doomed.”
“I know it and you know it, but she thinks she’s got this. Who are we to tell her she’s wrong or to tell her what to do? We’ll let her try it her way first. We’ll remove her if we have to.”
“Remove her? Hell I’m not gonna kidnap any more women. We got off lucky last time, but this one has children. There ain’t no way.”
“Fine then. Me and Rosie will do it.”
“My wife has a five month old son and a four year old daughter to think about. Once again, the answer is no. Besides, it may not come to that. Give her a chance.”
“I’m just warning you up front. Call Phil and then call me tomorrow when you guys know anything. Update Kevin and Tim too. They’re in this as deep as the rest of us. It’s past Mitch, it’s a Tanner problem now. Bye.”
David hung up and stretched. He still had three long days ahead before the barn was done and it was creeping closer to nine o’clock all the time. He called Claire to say goodnight and then he locked the house up tight. When he laid his head on the pillow in the guest room, he was out in ten minutes flat.
Chapter Eight
It was three o’clock in the morning and he still couldn’t sleep. She’d knocked on his door at eleven and then again at one, both times he didn’t answer. He knew that if he did, he’d never be able to look Beth in the eye again. If he let Marla in, he’d take her over and over until he spiraled into a hole that he’d never dig himself out of. She was everything dark and more than anything, he wanted to deserve the light.
He looked at his watch again and calculated the time difference. It was a little after nine back home. She might still be up. He had to hear her voice if he hoped to stay strong. If he could just get back to her, he’d be alright. He could make this alright.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and scrolled to her name. He caressed it with his finger before he closed his eyes and swallowed his pride. It rang twice before a hesitant voice answered the phone. She sounded small and tired and he laid back on the bed with his feet on the floor.
“Beth, did I wake you?”
“No. I just put the kids to bed and laid down myself. What time is it there?”
“It’s three a.m. and I can’t sleep. Not until I talk to you.”
“It’s your dime, start talking.”
“Promise me you won’t hang up until I’m done.”
“I don’t make promises like that anymore Mitch. There’s been too many promises between us that have been broken lately. I’ll take what I can and then cut you off when I can’t take anymore. Alright?”
“That sounds fair. Just please Beth, hear me out. First I want you to know that I understand how much I’ve hurt you. I’m sorry for that and I know it wouldn’t hurt if you didn’t love me so much. The thing is, I love you too. I almost did something stupid today, but I didn’t. I swear to you that I did not sleep with her Beth.”
“The only reason you didn’t was because I called and interrupted you. Tell me something Mitch. I heard her say that you had a hotel room waiting. Where were you when you almost, you know?”
“In an alley beside a pub.”
“Interesting choice. Appropriate too. I’d expect to find alley cats getting their rocks off in alleys. Anything else you wanna get off your chest?”
“I’m trying to make you understand something Beth and I’m doing a crap job of it.”
Beth could hear the frustration in his voice and she recognized it. They’d been together many years and she’d teased him in the past about dating. He always told her that he didn’t express himself well and it made him awkward around women so he quit trying. She decided to try something since she pretty much had nothing to lose.
“Mitch, it’s me. Take a deep breath and talk to me. You can tell me anything, remember?”
Mitch did exactly what she told him to do. He took a deep breath and tried to hold it together. He needed her and he needed her to understand that, he just didn’t know how to tell her.
“Now Mitch, tell me. Just blurt it out.”
“I need you Beth. It goes beyond love, it goes beyond want, it goes beyond anything I understand. I need you. She’s dark and I think she’s evil. There’s something about her that makes me want to hurt her physically. The only way I can control her is sexually, so that’s what comes to the forefront. I don’t want her. I certainly don’t care for her, not even a little bit. I’m just tired of her being in control of my art and my way of making money. She begged me for it today Beth. She went for my fly in an alley and said please. I’d managed to stay away from her and then that happened. Thank God
you called. I don’t want to feel like this. I want you. I want your goodness and your kindness. I want to bounce Patty on my lap and help Scott with his homework. I want pot roast and Tuesday night massages and I want you to sit on my barn floor and stare at one of my jugs like it fell from heaven. If I know that she can’t touch that, I can do this. Tell me that’s waiting for me Beth. Please tell me I’ve still got that.”
Beth felt hot tears streaming down her face. He’d just described everything she wanted for the rest of her life and there was one hitch. One catch she couldn’t get past.
“I told you that I loved you and I do. Here’s the thing. I found out tonight by accident that she was with you. I found out from her, not you. You weren’t gonna tell me. If you’d screwed her in that alley, you wouldn’t have told me that either. We both know that’s true. Not even a week ago, we laid in your bed face to face and you worried yourself to death because you were afraid I’d leave you. You were worried and afraid and you still told me. You told me because you loved me and you knew that I loved you too, so you didn’t lie to me. Even after all of that, here we are Mitch. You want to cheat and you think it’ll be okay if you tell me why you’re going to do it. You think I should say, ‘Baby I understand and I won’t hold it against you’. Well guess what? I don’t understand and it’s not alright. You told me you loved me and I was your girl. That makes it not alright. If you want to fuck her in an alley or in a hotel room or all over half of Europe then you go right ahead. But if you do, you’d better know this; You’ll never touch me again. You’ll never lay with me or talk to me like this or spend time with my kids. You’ll be on your own Mitch. I cannot let you cripple me in front of my children. Do you understand?”
Mitch was numb. He’d expected words of comfort and tolerance. He expected her to know the pressure he was under and the frustration that he felt. He expected her to love him no matter what. It turned out that neither one of them could get past Marla.
“Beth, we live next door to one another. I’ll see you and I’ll see the kids. We’ll get through this somehow. When I get home we’ll sit down and talk this out face to face and we’ll come out the other side, together. We’re a team you and me. You said so.”
“That was before one half of the team decided to start playing for the opposing side. You can’t sit down and talk to me or my kids if we’re not here Mitch.”
“Not there? Where in the hell are you going? Where are you taking the kids?”
They both sat bolt upright almost simultaneously.
“They’re not your kids, why do you care?”
“Damn it Beth, I’m the only daddy Patty’s ever known. Scott’s as good as my son, he even stands the way I do and hangs his head when he’s frustrated. You can’t take those kids away from me.”
“Well then Daddy, do you wanna tell your daughter that you and Mommy broke up because you can’t keep your hands off of your boss, or should I?”
“She’s not my damned boss.”
“Then tell her to go screw herself and come home. Seems to me that if you’re not with her, the temptation doesn’t exist.”
“It’s not as easy as that and you know it. I’ve got one more person to see and then I’m home, I promise.”
“So help me Mitch, if you make one more promise to me that you have no intention of keeping...”
“I’ve wanted to keep every promise I’ve ever made to you. Damn it Beth I need you. I told you that. I’ve been up half the night because I needed to hear your voice. I need for you to touch me. I need to feel your lips and see your pretty green eyes. There’s all these red haired girls here and every one of them reminds me of you. Please just hold on for me. Please Beth.”
“If you touch her, you’d better tell me yourself. Do you understand?”
“I won’t touch her Beth. That’s over. We’re flying to Paris tomorrow and my appointment is for Monday. I’ll be home Wednesday at the latest. Will you wait at the house for me?”
“I’ll see if mom can take the kids so that we can have a day or two alone.”
“You have no idea how that makes me feel. Wear your white cotton dress and your sneakers for me honey. I love you in that dress.”
“Call me Mitch. If you get weak, call me.”
“I will. Thank-you Beth. I love you.”
“I love you too. Goodnight.”
Mitch hung up with a smile firmly in place. He disrobed with a whole new mindset. In five days he’d be crawling into bed with the woman he loved and he’d pop the question. He’d buy the ring in Paris with some of the money he’d earned on this trip and he’d do it right. She’d never cry again because she’d know he was serious. He’d make her a Tanner and she’d never have to correct anyone ever again. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Beth felt like she was standing on the deck of the Titanic ten minutes before it hit the iceberg. She’d listened closely to everything he had to say and she believed he meant every word. Every, single, word. He loved her and he loved her kids. He was also drawn to Marla and he couldn’t leave. He wouldn’t last three days.
She got up and turned on a light. She dragged out the biggest suitcase she owned, which was also the only suitcase she owned, and she packed. She didn’t have much, so it didn’t take long. She packed everything except the clothes she’d be wearing on the drive.
Beth dragged her suitcase and her massage table out to the van. She followed with a large basket containing her oils, stones, and fleece throws. No matter where she went, she had to work. The kids would be easy to pack for and she didn’t want to wake them. She thanked her lucky stars that school was out for the summer, it made the decision easier.
When she climbed back into bed it was almost eleven and she was exhausted. She had no more fight in her and her last conscious thought was a simple one. It was one sorry day when the only man she trusted besides her father, was a rich stranger with a heart of gold.
David woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of small voices coming from the kitchen. He slid back into his sweats and ran a brush through his hair. The clock said seven-thirty and he wondered what time the kids had actually gotten up.
He was greeted in the kitchen by a beautiful little red haired girl and a boy that had his mother’s green eyes. Patty smiled at him and her dimples made him smile back. Scott was cautious and reserved judgement. Beth was standing at the stove and peeked around the corner when she saw her daughter smiling at someone.
“Good morning David. I’m sorry to invade so early, but if the offer of refuge is still open, I’d like to take you up on it. The sooner the better.”
“Of course the offer’s still open Beth. What changed your mind?”
“I talked to Mitch last night.”
“Did something happen?”
“Not yet, but it’s going to. I think it would be best if we spent some time apart. We both need to make some decisions.”
David sat down at the table and Patty very solemnly came around and climbed up on his lap. David put his arm around her and offered her a piece of bacon.
“No thank-you. Do you know where Mitch is? He’s been gone a long time and this is his house. He should be here.”
“Yes he should. He had to go away for awhile but I’m sure he’ll be home soon.”
Patty’s bottom lip started to tremble and her eyes grew damp.
“Mister, did Mitch leave because of us?”
David hugged her close and looked at Scott. He could tell that the boy was wondering the same thing and he wanted to ring Mitch’s neck with his bare hands.
“Kids, you listen to me. You know all those pots Mitch makes in that barn he had?”
Both kids were nodding frantically.
“He had to take a trip to sell some to people that couldn’t come here, that’s all. He’ll be back in a few days. You’ll see. He loves the two of you to death, he couldn’t stay away from you for too long. In the meantime, your mama’s gonna take you to this really fun place. Mitch’s family li
ves there and there’s lots of little kids and playground sets and there’s a pool you can swim in if an adult is with you. Would you like that?”
Scott was grinning and he was obviously excited. Patty hugged David and rested her head against his chest.
“Mister if Mitch calls will you tell him that Patty loves him?”
“You bet I will sweetheart. It’ll be the first thing I tell him when I see his sorry... him.”
She kissed him on the cheek, took a piece of bacon off his plate and went out on the back porch with her brother.
Beth slid two perfectly cooked eggs onto his plate and poured him a cup of coffee. Then she cleared the children’s plates from the table and loaded the dishwasher. David wondered when her workday actually began because she seemed to work constantly.
“Beth, sit down and talk to me please, I don’t like to sit alone at breakfast.”
She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from him.
“Those kids are wonderful. I’m stealing Patty and taking her home to Claire. I’ve always wanted a daughter and I reckon she’ll do just fine.”
Beth smiled at him and blew on her coffee before taking a sip.
“I’m afraid you’d have to fight Mitch for her. He told me last night that he was the only daddy she’d ever known. He’s the only daddy either of my kids have ever known if you want to know the truth.”
“He’s gonna crumble without them. Losing you will shock him Beth. Losing those kids will cripple him. That little girl alone is worth changing for and I don’t know a man alive that wouldn’t do anything for his son. This will work, trust me.”
“David the last Tanner that said, ‘Trust Me’, ended up whoring around in an alley next to a pub in Ireland. It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s that my faith in the other one has yet to be restored. My kids deserve a distraction though and if your family will be so kind as to take us in, I’ll be grateful.”
“My family will love to have you and the kids. Would you like adjoining rooms?”