by G S Binkley
He paused briefly before sharing his fears. “Lacy, you know I’m been all about my work… maybe too much but… well, things aren’t going like I planned.”
“You’re not blaming me because I quit the show.” Lacy could tolerate hearing her ex-husband’s woos but refused to be his escape goat.
Waving his hand about, he denied it. “No, no. That’s not it. I know I made a couple of mistakes.” He admitted, chancing a glance at his ex-wife. “Hayston’s got a new show and it’s promising but…”
Lacy sat down on the edge of the desk again. “Is that the one with Griffen? My agent mentioned something about it. It’s a sitcom, right?”
That name grated against David. He didn’t want to think of his old partner. Ron Griffen was the man David had tried to weasel out of a deal they were working on together. Even though they were still amicable, Griffen refused to work with David on some key projects. “Yeah. Ron’s still a little touchy about that, you know, thing that happened.”
Lacy did know and was well aware of the lucrative projects that dried up after David’s nearly unforgivable betrayal. “I see. David, I’ve read Connolly’s script and you’re right. It will be a great part for someone but not me.”
Nearly pleading, David moved toward her, too close. “Why not? You’re perfect for it.” He was almost licking his lips. “If I could bring you to the project…”
“That’s your ticket in.” Lacy surmised, pushing off the desk and slipping back around the desk. “I’m sorry David. I can’t.”
Standing straighter, David collected himself and demanded. “You want to tell me why? Is it something or someone?”
“You can get that accusing tone out of your voice. It’s not because of Gage. As a matter of fact, she doesn’t even know it was offered to me.”
David’s eyes brightened. “Lacy! That’s terrific.”
With one look, Lacy effectively killed his enthusiasm. “Did you hear me? I turned it down.”
Slamming his eyes shut for a brief moment, David ran over his options and rifled through several strategies that might work. “You said you didn’t tell Gage?”
The actress hesitated then took her turn at the window, staring out. “There’s been so much going on lately with the kids, Derek…” Lacy thought briefly about her partner. “…and besides what’s the point. I’m not doing it.”
“Hold on a second.” David rushed to her side, grasping her arm lightly. “We can work around this… whatever it is.”
Turning briskly around to face him, Lacy asked. “I see. You came to be a shining example to your son and help with his… unusual behavior.”
“Sure.” David piped up. What his ex-wife hadn’t informed him about regarding Derek’s behaviors, Dani did upon his arrival in St. Troy two days ago. “I’ll have a talk with him.”
Frustrated that David didn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation, she taunted him with a smart comment. “Great. Why don’t you spin your magic words and make everything all right.”
“I thought you wanted me to have a better relationship with him.” David accused her. He saw the debate in Lacy’s eyes and claimed a small victory.
Lacy jerked her arm away from his touch as the weight of the world pounded down on the brunette’s shoulders, she sighed in deep despair.
Chapter Fourteen
Rubbing his hands together, David strolled into the kitchen with a smile on his face. “Hey guys. What’s for lunch?”
Glancing at her daughter first and seeing the frown on Gage’s face, Stella walked past the blonde placing a reassuring hand on the writer’s shoulder but directed her comment to David. “I’ve got some grilled cheese. You want one?”
“Uh? Sure. Why not?” David scooted up to the table between his two sons. Bumping Derek lightly, he asked. “You like this stuff?”
Still chomping on his grilled cheese, Derek shook his head. “Uh huh.”
Stella placed a sandwich in front of David. “Thanks.” He studied it for a moment. Noticing that the older woman was eyeing him closely, David tentatively took a bite. “Good.” He munched on the sandwich although it was not his usual culinary fare.
Wondering where Lacy was, Gage made a beeline in search of her partner.
“Ah, Derek.” David turned toward his son. “What do you say we… uh, go outside and I don’t know… throw a ball around later?”
“Yeah.” Derek was excited. “Can we go down by the lake? There’s these little baby ducks and one of the raccoons was chasing them and I wanna see if he came back because…”
“Hold on there son.” Derek’s enthusiasm was a good sign but none of what his son proposed appealed to the city man. “We can go to the lake… just maybe talk about a few things. You know, man to man.”
“Me… me, too. I wanna go.” Sammy insisted. “I can talk, too.”
“No. You can’t go. It’s just me and dad.” Derek taunted his younger brother.
Stella waited to see how David would handle the situation. Awkwardly, David touched his youngest son’s shoulder. “Sam, how about when I get back you and I can do something together?”
Crunching his eyebrows together, Sammy wasn’t too keen on the idea until Stella got his attention. “That sounds like a good idea, Sammy. In the meantime, you can show me and Hayley your new car.”
“Okay.” The little boy happily agreed. He looked at his little sister; eyes shined brightly and assured her. “It can go real fast.”
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Crossing her arms across her chest, the blonde fumed. “Why does he have to stay here?”
The dark headed woman wrapped her arms around her partner as Gage looked out the window. “He’s having some problems and he wants to help with Derek.” Lacy paused then added sincerely. “He is trying.”
“Yeah, I know what he’s trying to do.” The unfounded jealous thought swept crossed the blonde’s mind. Reluctantly, the blonde uncrossed her arms and let them drop.
Lacy held Gage tighter. “Gage, sweetheart, I think he’s serious about being a better father. Trying to be more hands on.”
“Yeah, well, he better kept his hands off you.” Gage huffed, once again crossing her arms tightly.
Lacy leaned in placing gentle kiss on the blonde’s neck. Nuzzling the sweet nectar of her lover’s skin, Lacy moaned. “Yours are the only hands I want on me.”
Quickly, turning into her lover’s embrace, Gage pulled Lacy tighter. “We’ve got our own… things to work out.”
Relishing the closeness of her partner, Lacy sighed. “Yes, I know. And we need to tell the kids about Samuel.”
Dreading the thought, Gage reluctantly agreed.
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“Go ahead, dad.” Derek handed his father a flat rock. “You can do it.”
David stepped carefully toward the soggy shore. Taking careful aim, he threw the rock side arm as his son instructed.
“See?” Derek pointed at the two ripples in the water. “That was pretty good for a beginner.”
David dusted his hands off, refusing another rock from his son. “That’s okay. You go ahead.” He watched his son throw a couple more rocks skipping them along the water’s surface. “That was a good one.”
“Yeah.” Derek agreed brightly upon seeing his rock skip the surface four times. “Gage taught me. She can do…” The young boy let his words fall upon seeing the slight frown on his father’s face. Changing the subject, Derek suggested. “You wanna go look at the jet ski. I can drive it and everything.”
Holding onto his son’s shoulder, David eyed a nearby bench about twenty-five from the lake’s edge. “Why don’t we sit and talk a minute?”
Happy to do as his dad suggested, Derek plopped down next to the older man. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Straight to the point, huh?” David mussed his son’s hair. “I like that.”
Derek smiled, happy to have his dad’s approval.
Contemplating briefly on how to start, Dav
id sucked in a shallow breath. “Your mom is… concerned about your behavior lately.” David twisted toward Derek. “And, frankly, I am too.”
“Oh.” Derek pursed his lips, not liking the direction of the conversation. In his defense, Derek offered. “You said I should think for myself.”
“That I did.” David was temporarily at a loss. Now what did Lacy suggest I say. “Let’s see. You should be an independent thinker. That’s a good thing. It’s just that… well, you have to listen to your mom.” Happy with his reply, David thought. That should do it.
“But I do.” Derek countered then reluctantly added. “Mostly.”
“Then it’s the ‘mostly’ we should talk about. You need to listen to your mom and do what she says all the time.” David lightly tapped his son’s arm. “She only wants what’s good for you.”
“What about doing what Gage tells me?” Derek asked, waiting curiously to see what his father would say.
“Well… I don’t know if…”
“Mom said I should.” Derek inserted, adding to his father’s dilemma.
Damn. Thinking quickly, David conceded. “I’m sure your mom has a good reason for that… like when she’s not there… maybe you should then.”
“Okay.” Derek thought back to something his father said when he visited him in Los Angeles. “What about being more adversertive?”
“Ad… what?” Derek’s father asked before he remembered his own words to his son. “Oh, you mean, assertive.” He vaguely remembered having a similar conversation with his son.
“Yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
Smiling, Derek took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. “Can I get a tattoo? Dani got her ear pierced and you said it was okay even though mom didn’t like it.”
Hmmm…. Lacy did warn me that one was going to come back and bite me. “Maybe I should talk with your mom about that first.”
“She isn’t gonna like it.” Derek assured his father. “But I don’t think Gage cares if I do.”
Surprised upon hearing his son’s last comment, David referred to what Derek said about his mother not agreeing to a tattoo for their son. “Maybe.” David offered but knew exactly what Lacy would say to that conversation.
“Maybe… dad?” Derek treaded smartly with his next suggestion. “You should be more… assertive.”
David chuckled, wrapping his arm around his son. “Maybe.” Yet, he knew very well that was not the tact to take with his formidable ex-wife. “I’ll talk to her but no promises.” He stood up, wondering for the first time what kind of tattoo his son wanted and where that idea first came about. “And besides what kind of tattoo would you want anyway?”
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“A lion? Well, that figures. He loves animals and yellow is his favorite color.” Gage surmised as she leaned back in her chair wondering how exactly she ended up in a room alone with David.
Realizing the blonde was correct about Derek’s favorite color, David cautiously tried to gain Gage’s favor. “So? What do you think?”
Sighing heavily, Gage offered a tight smile. “I think Lacy will go through the roof if we both gang up on her about this tattoo thing.”
“Derek indicated that you might be okay with it.” David tried to be civil in accomplishing his goal.
“I’m not as opposed to it as Lacy but then again, I have my own reasons for that.” Gage admitted, yet even she was not thrilled about a nine year old getting a tattoo.
“That’s a start.”
Getting up from her chair, Gage leaned forward on her desk. “David, Lacy believes you’re here to help and… you really do care about your children.”
“I do.” David agreed adamantly.
Holding up her hand, Gage confirmed. “I believe you. But I am not getting in between you and Lacy on this. I want what’s best for Derek no matter what you think.”
David nodded. He wasn’t willing to argue that point with Gage and besides it would disrupt his original plan so he remained quiet.
Gage walked around the desk. “I’m not exactly happy that you’re staying here… with us. But… I think Derek could really use your help. He has always wanted your approval and, well, I want Derek, Sammy and Dani to have a good healthy relationship with their father.”
Pointing to himself, David smiled. “That would be me.”
“Yes, that would be you.” Sneering, Gage leaned toward David. “But a word of warning. If it looks like even for one second that you are trying to undermine Lacy with the kids….”
“Okay, okay.” David stood up. “I get the picture.” He turned to leave Gage’s office. At the door, David swung his head around. “Believe it or not, I do want what’s best for my children, too.”
Gage watched David walk out of the room. On the one hand she believed him but on the other, Gage wasn’t quite up to trusting him completely. He may want what’s best but does he know what’s best for them. Of course, Gage had her own doubts about if she knew what was best for their children. Considering my past.
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After Nathan picked up Dani, giving her a ride to the mall, Lacy closed the front door leaning against it. She was glad her brother would be working that Friday evening and offered some semblance of a protective eye over her daughter but the worried mother could not keep away a nagging doubt about her decision to allow her daughter to stay over at Katie’s house. Lacy was nudged from her dark musings when the doorbell rang.
When the dark haired woman opened the door, Hayston Rawlings greeted a surprised Lacy. “I don’t suppose you have a clue as to the whereabouts of my wayward boyfriend?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Lacy’s shoulders dropped in a visible sigh. “It’s good to see you again, Hayston.”
“Yes, well, I wonder if that will go for David.” When Lacy raised her eyebrows in confusion, Hayston added. “If he’s happy to see me here.”
Just then, with drink in hand, David stepped into the entranceway and upon seeing his girlfriend, he muttered. “Oh, fuck.” Upon his quick retreat, David didn’t see his son standing close by nor did he hear Derek mimic him.
Seeing Hayston at the doorway, Derek echoed his father’s sentiments. “Oh fuck.” The young boy found refuge before his mother noticed him.
Smiling tightly, Lacy swung her arm down the hallway. “We’re going to have dinner in a few moments. Would you like to join us?”
The manicured Hayston swept by her former co-worker. “Why I’d be delighted.”
Lacy stood alone near the doorway for the longest time, trying to maintain a civil composure. The pressure was building, cascading around her like a swirling tornado. Under stress and ready to explode, Lacy sucked in a deep, calming breath in an attempt to traverse the inevitable emotional minefield that was begging to detonate.
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Nathan dropped Dani, Katie and Cindy at the mall’s food court to grab a bite before they were set to see a movie. Dani assured her uncle that once the movie was over she would stop by his store before Dani and her friends left the mall.
Katie’s mom was going to pick up her daughter and her friends when the mall closed. But the young girl convinced her mother that Dani’s uncle would drop them off at her house before midnight after he got off work. And since Nathan had picked all the girls up to take them to the mall, the unsuspecting Ellen believed her daughter.
When Lane Grayson, the tall blonde boy who Dani liked, showed up at the mall, both Dani and Cindy could not be swayed by Katie to forego the movie and instead meet her elusive Drake. It didn’t help that Troy, another school friend, showed up.
“This just bites.” Katie pulled Dani back behind the group. “We had plans. Remember?”
“About that… I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides…” Dani started to explain.
“Besides what?” Katie fumed. “I can see Cindy being a big baby. But I thought you were more… okay with it.” The brown-eyed blonde gl
ared at her reluctant friend.
“It’s not that… my mother trusts me.” Katie rolled her eyes. “And besides… I don’t want to go to a party. Not that kind anyway.” The talk her mother had with her planted a logical seed of doubt about what a nineteen-year-old male wanted with a fourteen-year-old girl. Dani liked to think of herself as mature beyond her years and many would agree but even Dani admitted to herself that something wasn’t right in the rose color scenario that Katie tried to paint about Drake and his intentions.
Hiking her hands on her hips, Katie announced. “Well, I’m going with or without you.”
Panic reigned briefly before Dani hastily collected the group’s attention. “Hey guys?”
Cindy, Troy and Lane turned around.
Grabbing Katie’s arm, Dani announced to the group. “Katie says she doesn’t want to go with us.”
“Oh, come on.” Troy begged. “You can sit by me.”
Katie rolled her brown eyes. “Great.”
Even though Dani liked Lane, she knew that at one time Katie vied for the cute boy’s attention. “Lane? You want her to go with us, right?”
“Sure. It will be awesome. Come on.” Being pushed by Dani to stand next to her friend, the young man was confused. He thought Dani liked him and he definitely liked the pretty dark haired fourteen-year-old.
“Grab her hand and bring her along.” Dani insisted to Lane before whispering in Katie’s ear. “You sit next to him. He likes you.”
That perked Katie’s attention but that didn’t stop brown eyes from searching the parking lot even as her friends pulled the reluctant blonde along.
When a dark van slowed in front of the movie theater, the driver saw Katie go inside with her friends. Pissed, he sped off.
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When Stella sat down at the dinner table, she looked at Hayston and asked politely. “So, will you be staying with us, too?”
Silence dominated the room as everyone froze, waiting on baited breath to hear the latest visitor’s answer. Realizing that she had garnered the attention of everyone present and now knew that David was staying there, Hayston allowed a small smirk to prop upon her face. “What a wonderful idea.” She reached over, touching Lacy’s hand. “That is if you don’t mind.”