“The mother listed on the birth certificate was in fact Amber Reynolds but no father was listed. The report they sent along with the certificate indicated that he was dropped off by a man who said he was not Chuck’s father. The man provided a birth certificate and shot records for him and a death certificate for Amber Reynolds,” she explained.
“Did you tell Chuck yet?” he asked, pumping the jack a couple of times.
“No you are the first one I’ve said anything to. I did request that he go to the clinic over by the hospital so that they can collect a DNA sample from him for testing purposes but he has no idea I have any information,” she said quietly.
After several moments of silence he finished loosening the lug nuts on one of the tires and pumped the car up so that he could take off the flat. He set it aside with deliberate movements.
“I suppose I need to go get tested then?” he finally asked as he fitted the replacement tire on and tightened the lug nuts as best he could
“Yea… he is supposed to go today and be tested. If you go tomorrow you would ensure that he doesn’t run into you. I’d like to know for certain before saying anything to Chuck since he is technically my client,” she said.
“How long will it take to get the results?” he asked after releasing the jack. Then he finished tightening the lug nuts all the way.
“A couple of weeks at most… they will fax the results to my office rather than sending them to Chuck. I told Chuck to sign all the paperwork they gave him. One of the documents states the results should go to me rather than him. It’s probably one of the most unethical things I’ve ever done but I don’t want him hurt… or you for that matter,” she said.
After inspecting the air pressure in the replacement tire and checking it over carefully he took the flat tire he removed and threw it in the back of the truck. Then grabbing the jack he moved it to the other side of the car to change the other flat tire.
“You’ll let me know first?” he asked loosening the lug nuts of the tire and then pumping the jack a couple of times.
“Yes… I will let you know first,” she replied.
His entire demeanor had changed. He no longer looked like the carefree, humorous, and mischievous man who had captivated her heart in such a short time. His body was tense and moved as though it were on autopilot while his mind appeared to be a million miles away.
Unsure what to say, she stood and watched him finish changing the other tire. When he was finished he threw the second flat in the truck bed and then collecting the jack and lug wrench he looked at her.
“I need to get back to the shop. I’ll see you later,” he said. Then he headed to the truck throwing the parts in the bed, climbing in and taking off.
Becca stood in place stunned by his behavior. Brian had always been dramatic with anything he felt… especially anger. Dickie appeared to be controlling his emotions to the point of keeping them locked tightly inside away from everyone including himself… and her.
She drove back to his house attempting to pay closer attention to her driving to avoid a repeat of earlier but found it difficult to focus. Her mind was filled with heavy thoughts and her heart hurt for both Dickie and Chuck. This was the part of her job she hated the most… having to tell her clients things they didn’t want to hear.
After unloading her briefcase and purse, she changed into shorts and a tank top and left out for her hour long walk hoping to clear her mind of all the heavy thoughts. A small part of her appreciated that Dickie hadn’t let his emotions cause him to blow up and create a scene.
However, the vast difference in his reaction to how Brian would have behaved was equally unsettling. Would holding it in only cause him to be even more out of control later on when it finally did come out?
As much as she worried for Dickie, she also worried for Chuck. The young man had been through so much in his life already. His relationship with Dickie was one built on friendship, respect and trust. Chuck appeared to nearly idolize Dickie, with good reason.
Would finding out Dickie was his father skew his opinion of him? Would he be angry at Dickie as he tended to be when the subject of his biological parents came up? Would he understand that Dickie hadn’t known, or would he be angry that Dickie never followed up about his mother?
She headed back to the house and as she stepped inside the house phone rang and without thinking she answered.
“Oh Becca! Just who I wanted to talk to,” Dana laughed. “Melody has a follow up appointment with the pediatrician on the day we are supposed to get together, so I was wondering if you’d be interested in getting together tomorrow instead?”
Meeting with Dana and Tommy was the last item she needed to handle in person, everything else could be accomplished easily enough from the comfort of her office… in New York. She was merely delaying the inevitable by coming up with new reasons she should remain here in Florida…with Dickie.
She was in love with him and apparently had been for a little while. All those months spent denying she felt anything at all for him was unavoidable now.
Staying any longer was just an attempt to bathe in the feelings he invoked in her and that wasn’t responsible or prudent. She had a company to run and a whole other life hundreds of miles away.
She wasn’t sure when it had occurred exactly but at some point the man had wormed his way into her heart as well as her body. Seeing him emotionally torn invoked feelings she was unfamiliar with instead of the usual fear.
If only there was some way to fix this for him…to bring him comfort. He didn’t seem to want that though and she was only kidding herself that there would ever be anything long term between them.
“Sure, that would be fine. I can come out after Tommy gets home from the shop, just let me know when and I’ll head that way,” she replied.
“I heard they caught the man who’s been stalking you…?” Dana asked.
“Yes, thankfully,” she replied.
“I’m glad to hear it but we will miss you when you go back to New York, so make sure you keep in touch and visit when you’re down this way,” Dana said.
“Oh, I will, don’t worry,” she replied.
“When do you leave for New York?” Dana asked.
Never?
“In a few days… before the weekend anyways to give myself time to get adjusted before I have to be back in the office or court,” she replied.
“We’ll all have to get together again before you leave,” Dana said.
After hanging up with Dana she sat on the couch. As much as she didn’t look forward to going back to New York, back to the loneliness, back to the tiring days and endless nights, it was time to go.
She hated that she had to leave with this gulf between her and Dickie but she wasn’t cut out to help him in the way that he needed. She understood the law, not emotions… at least none other than anger and fear.
Dickie couldn’t help but stare at Chuck for a few minutes as his brain tried to process the possibility that the young man could very well be the son he never knew existed.
He definitely favored Amber but his eyes… looking in Chuck’s eyes was like looking at Dickie’s younger brother. Was it possible? How had he not noticed the similarities between them a long time ago?
“You ok, man?” Chuck asked, with a curious look.
“Yea, sorry… lost in thought,” he said.
“Women will do that to you… sometimes I’ll stand in the middle of the room like an idiot, just thinking about Meredith,” Chuck grinned.
That he understood. He couldn’t seem to get Becca out of his mind. The more time he spent with her the more time he wanted to spend with her. He should have said something more to her when he left the carpet store.
Somehow it just didn’t seem right to burden her with his dark thoughts when she was trying to wrap up the last of her work so she could go back to New York.
Though they hadn’t made any commitments to each other or promises, his heart felt like it might possibly break
in half at the idea of her leaving.
If he’d thought himself in love with her after the first time seeing her, living with her had been like a dream he’d never dared to have. He loved her and when she left him to go back to New York he would be as devastated as he had been seeing Amber in the arms of another man. That was his problem though, not Becca’s.
He’d told her that he loved her and she’d said she loved him too… but how did they move forward… step off the end of the pier? Her life was in New York City busting people’s balls in court, not living in a tiny little southern town.
He was as far from a city boy as she was from being the small town girl next door. She was out of his league.
He worked late to try and make up some of the time he’d missed being stuck at home for Becca. When he finally did make it home he was surprised to find her bags packed and sitting by the front door. Was she that eager to leave him?
He realized his life was probably not nearly as exciting as her life back in New York, but he had hoped she would drag it out and maybe even stay through the weekend. It looked like things were ending a little faster than he would have liked.
“I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon and then I will be heading back tomorrow evening… my flight leaves at seven,” she said from the doorway to the living room. “Something has come up at the office so I won’t be able to stay until the weekend after all.”
“I’ll be home by five tomorrow, so I can run you to the airport if you’d like,” he heard himself say.
He should be begging her not to go but now that she was no longer in danger what did they have? The fact that she had been in danger and he was charged with keeping her safe was quite possibly what caused her to let down her guard long enough for him to get a glimpse of the warm glow she bottled up inside.
He might love her and she seemed to care about him as well, but now that the danger had been eliminated, it was time to face the reality of their lives. They were from different states, different backgrounds, and different social and economic stations. He was blue-collar while she was white-collar. That was reality.
“I’d like that,” she said softly.
After a few minutes of awkward silence she said, “I think I’m going to turn in a little early. I have a lot of things to finish up tomorrow.”
He nodded at her as he walked into the kitchen to find something to eat before turning in himself. After eating, showering and going through the mail he headed back to the bedroom and knocked gently before opening the door.
She lay on her side facing the wall and he couldn’t tell if she was sleeping or not so he quietly got in beside her and curved his body around her smaller, warmer one. He would miss this part the most… holding her and knowing she was here with him and safe.
Her witty replies to his teasing, the comfortable silences they shared, her intelligent eyes and beautiful face were wonderful. Holding her near enough to feel and smell her were what took away the loneliness in his soul though.
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, much like the first night on the couch. Her hand rubbed along his skin and suddenly she turned in his arms and kissed him.
The explosion that always occurred when they touched or kissed was once again more than he could handle. Soon the heated kisses became almost brutal in their intensity.
He had hoped that sometime before she left they would be able to control the fire a little better and enjoy each other at a slower pace but he was as desperate for her most times as she was him.
They clung to each other like a lifeline and feeling her biting his shoulder and whimpering for him to love her nearly brought him to the edge. No sooner had he got the condom on, than she grasped him in her hand and guided him to where she needed him most.
One gentle motion and they were joined. Leaning down close to her he could feel tears on her cheeks. Pausing, he looked at her and said, “Are you ok? Should I stop?”
“No… please… it’s just that I miss you already,” she whispered, digging her tiny fingers into his back pulling him to her.
“I’ll miss you after I drop you at the airport tomorrow but right now I’m here and I want you here too,” he said, adjusting her legs around his waist and then smoothing back her hair from her face. “I meant what I said… I love you and if you ever need anything… you know where I am.”
Then he was moving in that way of his that soothed the ache in her body and soul until she was crying out in physical pleasure and emotional pain. He soon followed and she wanted to just hold him to her. She did need something… him. If only it were that easy.
Sometime later, as he lay awake listening to the rhythm of her breathing and holding her this one last night in his arms, he realized for the first time in his life he could not control the emotions… the feelings she brought out in him.
His mind would not settle while his heart physically hurt and kept trying to convince him that it was not time… not safe to let go of her just yet.
He remembered being hurt when he had seen Amber in the arms of another man, but that was angry hurt over being slighted or not enough man for his woman. This was something different, like he would be tearing out a piece of his soul and sending it to New York with Becca.
When the sun eventually broke the horizon he finally gave up getting any sleep and tried to slip out of the bed without waking her.
As he pulled his jeans on she said, “You up for a walk this morning?”
A half an hour later they were walking hand in hand down the block. This wasn’t their normal brisk pace meant to build strength and endurance, but more of a leisure stroll meant to enjoy each other’s company… to say goodbye.
The only problem was the silence seemed to drown out the sound of all the things that needed to be said, but weren’t. After returning he showered and left out for the shop.
Once she showered she went through his small house making sure she had packed up everything. When a FedEx package arrived from the art gallery containing pictures, a DVD, a handwritten note, and a check made out to Chuck from the art gallery for his counter offer, she smiled. She called and asked if it would be ok to stop by the shop and talk to him.
An hour later she pulled into the shop parking lot. As she parked she noticed the garage bay was open and all of the guys were working on something different. They all stopped when she approached.
Chuck smiled, set what looked like the fender of a motorcycle that only had a base coat of paint on it aside and walked toward her. She could feel Dickie’s eyes on her, specifically on her legs, from where he was crouched down next to a motorcycle.
“Why don’t we head into the office to talk?” Chuck said, stopping directly in front of her blocking her view of Dickie.
“Ok… sure,” she said and followed him through the office door.
“Lilly went to the post office to pick up some mail, so we have a few minutes,” he said in answer to her unspoken question.
Handing him the package she’d received from FedEx a short time earlier, she watched him look first at the pictures and then the handwritten note.
Then he smiled at her and said, “I take it they accepted my offer?”
She smiled back and then pulled the check out of her purse and handed it to him. “That should buy Meredith a pretty nice house,” she said.
He stared at the check for a long time before finally looking at her again and smiling back. “I already have a house in mind and I want you to handle the whole buying it part… you can do that, right?”
“Yes, I can probably handle the buying part, but you would still probably want to get a realtor involved to show you the property first,” she explained.
“Well see that’s the thing… I already know what it looks like and I don’t really want to own it… I just want to pay it off,” he said.
“What do you mean, Chuck? I’m afraid I’m confused…” she replied.
“Carla’s house… I want to pay it off for her so she and the boys will
always have a home. Meredith and I want to get married as soon as possible but we worry about Carla and the boys. If I can pay off her house then she would just have to pay the utilities and not have to worry about that big mortgage payment and they could stay in the house where their father’s memory lives,” he explained.
She could not keep the tears behind her eyelids and a couple slid down and traced a path along her cheeks. The only resemblance in looks he had to Dickie were his eyes and his kind heart. Much like Dickie, the young man before her was able to touch a place in her heart that she hadn’t known existed and leave her an unprofessional mess.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked with a frown.
Forcing the mushy state of her heart aside she said, “No, Chuck, but as your attorney I have to counsel you against doing something like that. Should something happen between you and Meredith, you might very well be out the house and the money you spend paying off Carla’s mortgage.”
“I talked it over with Meredith and we’ve decided that’s what we want to do. We are hoping that Carla will let us get married in the backyard and then let us live there for a while. We can help her with the boys and keeping up the house for a few years. We figure by the time we’re ready to start a family of our own the boys will be older and can stay by themselves,” he said.
“That is an awful lot of money Chuck. Are you positive you want to do that? Are you sure this is what Meredith wants?” she asked.
“Yea, it’s the only home I’ve ever really had and I don’t want to lose it. If I ever have kids, I want them to be able to go there… to know what it feels like to belong to a family,” he said.
“I know you said the information was confidential but I had to tell Meredith, we don’t keep any secrets…we like share our feelings and shit… and she says it’s my money. She loves the idea though,” he finished.
“I will contact the bank to get a payoff amount and find out if there are any fees associated with it then let you know,” she said, wiping the last of the tears away.
Long Ride (Riding with Honor) Page 11