The dark cloud hovering above her daughter disappeared as Dallas left the car and ran into her dad’s arms. “Dad! What are you doing here?”
Terri felt a twinge at seeing the easy affection between them, even though Dallas was much more demonstrative with her now. Maybe Derek was reaping the benefits of the Glenvale experience too. It was impossible to say, and Lord knows he’d never tell her. God forbid he ever intimated that she’d done something right.
He nodded at her as she approached. “Terri.”
“Derek.” She was cool with playing cool, if that was what he wanted. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
“I came to see my girl,” he said, his face softening as he regarded Dallas, which in turn softened Terri. Maybe he was interested in their daughter now, for real. Maybe he’d changed. Don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and all that. “And to talk to you. Got a minute?”
“A couple. It’s been a long day, and we’re ready for dinner.”
“I could take you girls out somewhere. How would that be?”
“That would be awesome,” Dallas chimed in immediately. Eating in restaurants was a rare treat, one Terri could seldom afford. “Please, Mom, can we?”
“You go on ahead with your dad, hun. I’ll grab something around here.”
“No, Mom, you have to come. I’m not going to leave you here alone. Puhleeeeeeeze?”
Derek’s forehead creased as he attempted to gauge her reaction, and she noticed how much more gray hair he had now. Perhaps life with Trudy wasn’t so blissful after all. Maybe she didn’t pick up his newspapers fast enough. “Surely we can handle having a meal together. One meal. It’ll give us a chance to talk.”
Yes, in a public restaurant. Great place to hold what was guaranteed to be an intensely private conversation. “It’s not that I can’t handle it. It’s that I don’t want to. You two go ahead. I’ll be fine.” She directed her last statement to her daughter. Derek wouldn’t care if she was fine or not. He hadn’t cared during their marriage, so why would he start now?
“It looks like it would mean a lot to Dallas. Right, honey?”
She glared at him. The nerve of him, using their child against her. It was a new low, but thankfully, their daughter didn’t fall for it.
“It’s okay. If Mom doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to. Sorry, Mom.”
“Can you give us a few minutes alone then, sweetheart? Maybe go wash up and get ready? I need to say a few things to your mother in private.”
Terri winced inwardly. This was going to be bad. Derek had said all manner of insensitive, spiteful things in front of Dallas before. How much more awful could he possibly be?
“Okay….” Dallas hesitated, studying her face. The maturity in her ten-year-old features, still rounded with childhood, made Terri sad. “Are you going to be all right, Mom?”
“Your mother will be fine. I’m just going to talk to her, that’s all.”
‘Just’ talk. As if words weren’t some of the wickedest weapons available. “Do you want the key?” she asked Dallas, and was gratified when their child shook her head. For obvious reasons, but also because she was annoyed with Derek for showing up out of the blue and thinking he could order Dallas around. This was their summer.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll wait in the garden.”
As soon as she was out of earshot, Terri exhaled. Best to rip off the Band-Aid. “Dallas told me she filled you in on some of the more…interesting parts of our summer, and I can understand your concern. But, as you can see, she’s fine. And this is still my time with her. So I hope you’ll get back in your truck and return to Montana after dinner.”
She held her breath, hoping for the best, but this was Derek, after all. She should have known better.
He shook his head. “This isn’t about that, Terri. Or, not just about that. This is more like a last straw.”
Terri bristled at the expression. Why did she have the feeling that the only back broken around here was going to be hers? “Then what is it about? I don’t intrude on your time, Derek, and I certainly don’t come to your work. I’d like to say it’s good to see you, but this feels invasive.”
“No disrespect, but we’re talking about what’s right for our daughter, not what’s right for you. I don’t much care what you feel right now. I care about Dallas.”
“And you don’t think I do?”
“I’m sure you tell yourself you do, and you might even believe yourself, but look at this place.” He gestured to Glenvale looming above them. “There’s gotta be black mold, asbestos, and who knows what else in there. That’s no place for a child.”
She glowered at him, folding her arms across her chest. “The same could be said of any older home. Not everyone can afford to live in a place that’s been built from scratch.”
“The house would be bad enough, but then you go let some crazy woman fill her head up with all these strange ideas.”
“What strange ideas would those be?” Terri wondered if she could fill his head up with the strange idea of driving off a cliff.
“You know, ghosts and silly stuff like that.”
She sighed heavily, but she’d asked for it. She’d known exactly what Derek was referring to. Dallas had told him about the séance, the scratches – she could hardly deny it now. “It’s an old house. You know how it is. They make strange noises. Things shift. Radiators clank. There are drafts.”
“Don’t tell me you’re okay with this?” he asked, pushing his cowboy hat back so he could wipe his forehead. She crossed her fingers that he’d been waiting all day in the heat for them.
“Dallas is happier here than she was in Montana. We’re getting our relationship back on track. I think that bothers you a hell of a lot more than black mold or asbestos.”
“I’d hoped to have a civil conversation with you, but that seems to be impossible.”
Terri refused to let him get to her. He’d played that old, woe-is-me act one too many times. “What do you want, Derek? If you wanted to see her, you’ve seen her. If you wanted to make sure she was okay, you’ve checked on her. The only thing you haven’t done is bring Trudy over to see her too, and that’s why you’re still standing.”
“There’s no need to get nasty. Talk like that isn’t going to help you in court.”
“In court?” Was she hearing him right? “What are you talking about?”
“Trudy and I have talked about it, and—” He scratched his head, looking around to make sure Dallas wasn’t nearby. “We’ve decided to go for full custody.”
“Full custody? You already have her most of the year anyway.” This was unbelievable. “What more could you possibly want?”
“We want full custody. With supervised visitation.”
“What?” Was he for real? This kept getting worse and worse.
“You’re not acting responsible, Terri. It’s not that I think you’re a bad mother, but you never should have brought Dallas into this situation and exposed her to this.”
“Into what situation? I restore old homes, Derek. It’s what I do. What’s so bad about our child learning about history? Or how to build and repair things?”
It was as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. “It isn’t safe.”
“Is this coming from you, or from Trudy? Funny how you didn’t give a shit about spending time with Dallas when we were still together.”
He pressed his lips together. “That’s not true.”
“If she wants a child so damn badly, she should get one of her own, and keep her grubby hands off mine.”
“Trudy can’t have children of her own, Terri. You should be happy she loves Dallas as much as she does. She’s a good woman, and a great mother. She’s a positive influence on Dallas.”
“She’s not a mother,” Terri snapped, loathing the thought of that simpering fool arou
nd her daughter. But she realized her anger was misdirected. It was Derek she should be angry with, not the poor unfortunate who’d taken up with him. Still, it was Trudy’s words she was hearing come from her ex-husband’s mouth. If it had been up to Derek, he would have happily spent the summer watching television, can of beer in hand. No, Trudy had put him up to this. “She’s a stepmother at best, and that’s all she’ll ever be.”
“Cruelty doesn’t become you. These unkind words are proving what I suspected all along. You don’t care about what’s best for Dallas. You only care about yourself.”
“I do care about what’s best for Dallas. I just happen to think that’s being with her mother, not some woman she barely knows.”
“She knows Trudy better than she knows you. Hell, she knows your mother better than she knows you.”
It was all she could do to keep from throttling him. But an assault charge wouldn’t help her case. “That’s unfair. I went a long time without work, you know that. But as soon as I could afford to have her back with me, I came and got her.” Part of her wondered if she should let Dallas go with her father. Could she trust Gertrude that they’d really be safe in the house? But if she let Derek take Dallas, the courts might hold that against her. She might never get her daughter back.
The idea of being limited to supervised visitation while Trudy, a woman she barely knew, raised Dallas was more than she could bear.
He shook his head again. “I’ve come for Dallas. She’s going back to Montana with me.”
“Like hell she is.”
“The custody situation can play out in the courts, but I’m not leaving her in a dangerous situation. She’s coming with me.”
“You can’t take her from me. This is my summer.” Terri caught what she’d said, and how Derek would twist it. “Our summer,” she corrected. “She wants to stay with me.”
“We’ll see about that.” He made a gesture over her head, and she turned and saw Dallas watching them, looking worried. Had Dallas asked him to come get her? No, she would have warned her. She would have told her the truth. “Sweetheart? Can you come over here, please?”
Sweetheart again? Don’t make me puke. Since when had Derek been a terms-of-endearment kind of guy? Why was he acting so fake?
Their daughter hesitated, looking like she’d prefer to face a firing squad than join her parents on the veranda. “See?” Terri said, gratified at the doubtful expression on her daughter’s face, even though it hurt her heart. The joyful hugs of a moment before were long gone. “She doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
“Oh, hush. We need to ask you a question, hun. Please come on up here.”
“What is it?” Dallas asked when she was a few steps away. She was like a skittish foal. One wrong move, and she’d bolt.
“Trudy and I want you to come back home for the summer. What do you think of that?” He gestured at Glenvale, his lips curling in a sneer. “No more old houses falling apart around your ears, no more ghosts.”
Terri waited, scarcely daring to breathe. She couldn’t imagine surviving another night at Glenvale without Dallas. Dallas had kept her sane. But then again, if she went with her dad, Terri wouldn’t have to worry about Niles so much. She didn’t care what Niles did to her at this point. She only cared about Dallas.
“But…I am home. I’m with Mom. I always spend the summers with Mom.” Dallas bit her lip, and looked at Terri. “Do you want me to go?”
“Of course not. This is all your father’s doing. He’s convinced you’re not safe with me.” She could feel Derek scowling at her, but she didn’t give a shit. It was wrong to make your child choose between her parents, and that’s exactly what he was doing. Fuck him.
“You told me you don’t feel safe here, sweetie. I thought this was what you wanted.”
Right. As if this had anything to do with what Dallas wanted. This was all about what Trudy wanted, and he knew it.
“The house scares me,” Dallas admitted, “but I feel safe with Mom. I want to stay with her. Besides, we’ll be leaving here soon, right, Mom?”
“Right.” She felt like she’d run a marathon, or won some big award. She wanted to dance off the veranda. Suck it, Derek. “We’re nearly done here.”
“Nearly done?” He sneered at the house again. “This place looks like it’s about to fall down.”
“Like you know so much about heritage houses. Really, Derek. You said it was up to Dallas, and she’s made her choice. Please go.”
She watched as her ex-husband evaluated the situation. He’d never been the fastest thinker, which was more reason to believe Trudy had put him up to this. Derek looked at his daughter, and Terri wondered what she would do if he picked up Dallas, threw her in the truck, and drove to Montana. Call the police? Charge him with kidnapping?
“You don’t have to stay to protect your mother’s feelings,” he said. “We both want you to do what makes you happy.”
“But I want to stay with Mom. I’m sorry if I made you worry, but I’m okay.”
“All right, then. If you’re sure.” He tipped his hat at Terri, scowling at her from under the brim. “My lawyers will be in touch.”
“So will mine.”
He snorted. “You don’t have a lawyer. You don’t have two nickels to rub together.”
“And whose fault is that, Derek? Who decided child support was optional?”
“Why should I pay you support? She’s with us most of the year.”
“Yeah, well, I think that’s about to change.”
His right eye twitched. “Over my dead body.”
“Trust me, nothing would please me more.”
“You’re a classy lady, Terri. Always have been. Glad to see that hasn’t changed.”
She finally spoke the words she’d long wanted to say. “Suck it, Derek.”
He stalked back to his truck, cheeks flushed, and climbed inside without giving Dallas so much as a wave. Her daughter joined her on the veranda, and together they watched him go.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Terri said, and she was. Dallas didn’t need to be embroiled in the misery of their failed marriage. Damn Derek. And damn Trudy too. She could adopt if she wanted a child around twenty-four seven.
“What was that about? What did Dad want?”
“He wanted you to come home for the summer. Apparently Trudy really misses you.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She shouldn’t be snide in front of her daughter, or make Dallas feel like she had to choose between them. It was a good thing she got along so well with her father’s new wife. Better than the alternative.
Dallas rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Trudy is nice, but she acts like I’m a doll to play dress up with, rather than a kid.”
It was a remarkably astute observation for a ten-year-old to make, but Dallas had been forced to grow up fast after their divorce. Terri hated what they’d put her through. And if Derek made good on his threats to seek full custody, it would get even worse. “I’m sorry I said that. I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between us. You can love Trudy, and your dad, and me too. Love isn’t limited. There’s always enough to go around.”
“I know. But it isn’t a choice. You’re my mom. I only have one mom.”
Terri released the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Do you want to go out for dinner?”
Dallas’s eyes lit up briefly, but just as quickly, the spark faded. “We can’t afford it.”
“Sure we can. Your dad promised you a night out on the town, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have one.”
“But…where will we find the money?”
She hugged her, beyond grateful that Dallas was still there. “I’ll figure it out. You leave that up to me.”
“Honestly, I’d rather eat here. If anything scary happens, we can leave, right?�
�
“Of course, but are you sure? I thought you were excited about going out.”
“I was, but now I’m more excited about staying in. We have a lot of work to do, Mom.”
Terri laughed and hugged her again. “That’s right. We certainly do.”
Chapter Twenty
The house was quiet. Too quiet. None of the explainable strange noises Henrietta was so fond of. No air in the pipes, or clanking radiators, or doors creaking open on their own.
Terri didn’t trust it, not for a second. It felt like Glenvale was listening, waiting.
For all her bravado in front of Derek, Dallas wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of being back in the house, or going to bed before her mother. They’d surrounded her with enough crucifixes and holy water to fight off a legion of vampires. Terri had spread a line of salt across the entrance of the cook’s room for good measure.
“What’s that for?” Dallas asked.
“It’s supposed to keep evil spirits from entering.”
“Where did you learn that?” Her daughter was visibly impressed.
Terri smiled. “Saw it in a movie.” She put the figure of Mary on the dresser, overlooking the room and her daughter. “Do you feel safer now?”
“A bit. I’m still scared, though. Where are you going to be?”
Where was she going to be…that was a damn good question. Not in the cellar, that’s for sure. She had enough faith in Molloy to feel confident his team had found everything there was to find.
She’d promised Gertrude she’d find proof that Emma had been murdered, but what that proof would be and where it was located was beyond her. “I guess I’ll search in Henrietta’s room for now, see if I get any bright ideas.” She hoped it wouldn’t take a full night to find what they needed. The place gave her the creeps.
“You could be waiting a long time for those,” Dallas said, sticking her tongue out.
“Good night, smart ass. Call if you need me. Got your phone?”
Her daughter held it up. “Right here.”
The Restoration Page 19