“Yes, she was, just like half the other women you meet. And I’m sure there would be a lot more who flirted if you would get rid of that damn ring.”
Alex fingered the simple gold band around the fourth finger on his left hand. He’d contemplated taking it off a couple of times, but as Eli had just pointed out, his wedding ring did a good job of keeping women at bay. Most of the time.
“Forget about her,” Alex said, demanding a subject change. He wasn’t in the mood for this to night. Sure, he’d known the hostess had been coming onto him. He wasn’t that blind, despite what his brothers believed. He just had no plans to act on any of the passes women threw at him with insufferable regularity. “Now why don’t you explain why you asked me to come here?”
Still shaking his head, Eli said, “I thought maybe you’d want to get out of the house.”
“That’s it?”
“Honest, man.” Eli raised his hands. “I felt bad for you yesterday, having to sneak away from Mama. You know you were never good at that.”
“Because I didn’t get as much practice as you and Toby,” Alex snorted. “What’s up with you? Yesterday was the first time you’d stopped in at Mama’s since I’ve been out of the hospital.”
“I’ve been working a lot,” Eli answered. “Between the responsibilities that come with the head of OB position and putting in time at the Parenting Center, I’m lucky if I get time to sleep and eat.”
“How is the parenting center? It sounds like you’re spending just as much time there as you spend at the hospital.”
“Feels like it, too. Monica has taken ownership over the center. That’s where she spends all her free time, so naturally, that’s where I’m spending mine.”
Alex laughed, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d see the day when a woman ran your life the way Monica does.”
“She doesn’t run my life,” Eli protested. He glanced up at Alex and they both laughed. “Yeah, okay, fine. She runs my life. But I’ve never been happier.”
“She’s a good woman.”
“I thank God for her every hour of the day,” his younger brother admitted.
“You should, it’s rare to find someone who makes you happy.”
“Rare, but not impossible,” Eli said. He shifted in the booth. “All right, enough of this relationship crap. I feel like I’m in the middle of a movie on the Lifetime Network.”
Alex tried not to take offense. Sometimes, when he couldn’t find anything interesting on the History Channel, he switched to Lifetime. Those movies were pretty good.
Eli signaled for another hostess. “How did things go at the school?”
“You don’t want to know”
The hostess stepped up to the booth to take their drink order, and Alex had to stop himself from asking her to add a little vodka to his standard cranberry juice on the rocks. Once she’d left with their order, Eli returned to his question.
“Okay, what’s going on with Jazzy?”
Alex gave his brother the abbreviated version of the meeting he’d had with Jasmine’s teacher and the school principal earlier in the day. Eli was just as shocked at the name calling and other behavior that was so out of character.
“Does she have detention?” Eli asked.
“They don’t put first graders in detention.”
“Since when?”
“That’s what I wanted to know,” Alex answered. “Anyway, she had a session with the school psychologist earlier this afternoon.”
“And?”
Alex took a gulp of the juice the hostess had just placed on the table, seriously regretting the lack of alcohol.
“Let’s just say Jazzy’s having some issues,” he grunted. Alex pounded the table with his good hand. “Damn it, E. I’ve been trying so hard to do the right thing with her.”
“C’mon, man. Don’t do this to yourself,” Eli said after sipping his drink. “It’s the biggest double standard in the world, but it’s the truth. Single fathers have a harder time raising children on their own, and you have a daughter. That’s tough, Alex. The job you’ve done with Jazz over the past two years has been amazing. Hell, over the past six years. It’s not as if Chantal was the most stellar mother figure when she was alive.”
Alex tended to defend his dead wife when his brothers tried to discredit her, but he wasn’t up to it to night. More than ever, he was pissed at Chantal for the pain she was causing Jasmine.
“So what did the psychologist say?” Eli asked.
“He thinks Jasmine still isn’t over Chantal’s death.”
“It’s only been two years. Of course it’s going to take her longer than that to get over losing her mother, if she ever gets over it. You didn’t need some psychologist to tell you that.”
“I know, but he also has a theory as to why she’s been acting up in class lately.” Eli looked at him expectantly. “Her bad behavior started the day after I got hurt,” Alex said.
Eli’s eyes widened with understanding. “I’ll be damned.”
Tamika arrived with their mozzarella sticks, but her smile had dimmed. Good, at least she’d taken the hint. Alex placed three of the fried cheese sticks on one of the saucers she’d left on the table and drenched them in red sauce.
“According to the psychologist, Jazzy is convinced I’m going to be killed, and she’ll be without both parents.”
“That didn’t even occur to me. She must have been scared out of her mind when she heard about your accident,” Eli said, cutting one of the cheese sticks with a fork. He pointed at Alex with the fork, a line of mozzarella stretching from the plate. “Now that I think about it, that’s probably why she didn’t want to see you when you were in the hospital. Mama tried to get her to come along, but she never wanted to. I can’t believe we didn’t consider this,” he said around a mouthful of mozzarella.
“Probably because she hasn’t been acting all that differently at home,” Alex rationalized.
“What does the psychologist suggest we do about it?”
Relief settled over Alex at the effortless way Eli automatically included himself in on whatever had to be done to help Jasmine. Alex accepted his role as a single father, but he was never totally alone in his task. His entire family had a hand in raising his daughter.
“Jasmine and I are long overdue for this conversation,” Alex admitted. “If I can’t get her to open up, the psychologist suggested I seek outside help. It’s not that he thinks she’s crazy,” Alex added quickly. “He just thinks it would be a good idea to have her talk about what she’s feeling.”
“Seeing a mental health professional doesn’t automatically mean you’re crazy,” Eli said. “She’s been through a lot for a six year old. I can’t believe none of us thought about how your accident would affect her.”
“The school psychologist also said it would be beneficial if I spent a little extra time with Jazzy, sort of like a reassurance that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
“That makes sense.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve decided to volunteer at her school.”
A surprised smile drew across Eli’s face. “That’s cool, Alex.”
“It’s something I’ve been meaning to do, but never could find the time. I’ve got the time now.” Alex smothered another cheese stick in marinara sauce. “Besides, it’ll get Mama out of my hair.”
“Mama’s got you ready to climb the walls, huh?” Eli laughed. “I knew she would eat this up, having somebody to take care of again.”
“It’s worse than I ever imagined it would be. That’s one of the reasons I moved back into my house earlier this afternoon.”
Eli’s brow converged in an arrow of concern. “You think that’s wise, Alex? You really should lay off the arm as much as possible,” his brother warned.
“I’ll be fine,” Alex said. “Even though the school doesn’t believe in punishing first graders, I do. Jazz is not getting away with what she did. It’s time for her to learn that she can’t go around acting this way an
d not face any consequences.”
“And if you leave her around Mama, she’ll get whatever she wants.” Eli nodded his understanding.
“Exactly. No more spoiling her. From now on, she has to earn every present she gets.”
“That’s going to be a shock to her system. Hell, it’s going to be a shock to mine. I pick something up for her every time I go to the store.”
“Not anymore,” Alex stated firmly. “I’m sorry I went so over the top with her birthday party. If I had known about this a few weeks ago, I never would have called in that favor with the guy at Audubon Zoo.”
“There’s Jonathan,” Eli said. They both stood to greet the owner of the Hard Court, who had also become a good friend to both Alex and Eli.
“What’s up, E?” Jonathan shook Eli’s hand. “I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier how the arm was healing,” he said to Alex as he took a seat and motioned for the hostess. She arrived minutes later with refills for both Alex and Eli, and something clear in a highball glass that she placed in front of Jonathan.
“My shoulder’s fine,” Alex answered. “It looks like things haven’t stopped hopping here since your opening.”
“It’s been pretty steady ever since Aria put my club on the map.”
“You should be able to quit the law practice soon with all the money this place must be pulling in,” Eli said.
“Ivana would love that,” Jonathan answered, speaking of his fiancée, Sienna’s sister, Ivana Culpepper. “I have been spending less time at the office. In a few years, depending on how the club fares, I may do just pro bono work at the law practice.”
“Ivana’s altruism is rubbing off on you already,” Eli joked.
Jonathan laughed. “She is a force of nature. It’s hard not to just fall in line.”
“Ivana’s a good woman, if a little scary,” Eli said.
“She’s a lot scary, but I like that,” Jonathan said. “Hey, I need to finish making my rounds. You guys feel like a little pool when I’m done?”
Alex shook his head. “Of course, I could beat the both of you even with only one good arm.”
“Whatever, man,” Jonathan said with a laugh.
“We’ll probably be out of here in a few, anyway,” Eli said. “I’ve got to be at the Parenting Center early tomorrow morning.”
“And I have to get ready to go back to school,” Alex said.
Jonathan gave him a confused look.
“Don’t ask,” Eli said.
“I’ll catch the two of you later,” Jonathan said.
Alex pulled out his wallet and dropped two twenties on the table.
“I got this,” Eli said. “I’m the one who invited you, remember?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Alex said.
“Come on, Alex. Use the money to buy Jazzy—” Eli stopped short. He shook his head, a contrite grin at the edge of his lips. “It’s going to be hard breaking that habit, won’t it? I don’t want to be around when you lay down the law,” Eli said. “I hate to see my Jazzy cry.”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “This is definitely one of the not so fun parts of this parenthood thing.”
Alex sat at his kitchen table, leaning against the high backed chair’s wooden slates, his thumb rolling the gold wedding band around his finger. Wisps of steam swirled from the mug of hot chocolate he’d made in an attempt to lull himself to sleep.
After church this morning, he and Jazzy had spent most of the day at Mama’s, as was their typical Sunday afternoon ritual. But Alex had left earlier than usual today, figuring he could get a jump start on getting Jasmine’s things ready for school, and then get to bed early himself.
That wasn’t happening. The clock above the stove showed it to be just past two in the morning, but the weight of what he was to embark upon tomorrow taxed his brain to the point of making sleep impossible.
Alex studied the ring on his finger. It had been an effective means of keeping women at bay. Just the thought of jumping back into the dating scene triggered a sick feeling in his gut. The ring was a constant reminder to never open himself up to the kind of pain Chantal had put him through.
But every second it remained on his finger was a mockery of the sanctity of marriage. A mockery of the love his parents had shared, the love he saw when his brothers looked at their wives to be.
Alex ran his thumbnail under the edge of the ring. If the ease at which it shifted on his finger was any indication, he’d lost weight these past few weeks since the surgery. He’d been afraid the lack of physical activity would put on the pounds, but Alex had to admit his appetite had not been up to par. He had too much on his mind to think about food, especially these past couple of days.
His eyes focused on the porcelain teapots lined along the ledge above the upper kitchen cabinets. Chantal had found one of the ornate teapots at a flea market and had gotten it in her head that she should own every antique teapot in southeastern Louisiana. For months they had spent every Sunday afternoon taking long drives, scouring the region for flea markets and antique shops. They would find a little out of the way place for lunch, and then find an even more obscure place to park the car and make love.
They were happy back then.
Alex could pinpoint the exact day their marriage had started its downward spiral. It was the same day Chantal had gone to the doctor’s to see about the stomach flu she couldn’t seem to shake, a flu that had turned out to be Jasmine. They had never really talked about having children. Alex had always known he wanted to be a father, and had just assumed his wife had the same views on family that he did. He’d been stunned at Chantal’s outrage over her pregnancy, and devastated when she’d threatened to have an abortion.
He’d begged, promising Chantal everything under the moon if she went through with having their child. He would have been better off making a deal with the devil.
Alex shook his head, a derisive laugh escaping his lips as he thought back on his naiveté.
Where she had been just a little spoiled and demanding before, Chantal had become more callous and selfish than he could ever have anticipated. She had demanded the impossible, insisting Alex lavish her with gifts she knew he could not afford. She’d played the fragile life of their unborn child like a pawn. And when the time had passed for her to safely have an abortion, she’d changed her tactic to guilt, accusing Alex of forcing her to give up her freedom in return for having his baby.
He’d worked like a man possessed, executing sixteen hour days, working right along with his men on the construction sites during normal working hours, then spending most of the nights in the office poring over the books.
In the midst of chaos a silver lining had emerged. His business had started to grow exponentially as a result of the constant pressure Chantal had put on him to provide. But that success had not come without a cost. Alex had spent less and less time focusing on his marriage, and soon after Jasmine’s birth, his wife had turned to other men.
She’d been blatant in her infidelity, threatening to take Jasmine away if Alex so much as uttered a word about her affairs. It was at that moment Alex had considered his marriage over. Instead, he’d chosen to devote his energy to making sure his daughter wanted for nothing. Jasmine’s well being had become his reason for living. His own happiness was a nonissue.
As his eyes fell on the ring again, a bitterness he’d suppressed for years stirred in his gut. He’d been a good husband to Chantal, but she had not been a good wife. And now—because of his injury, because of Jasmine— he refused to cling to this symbol of a marriage that had lost his respect long before his wife’s death had ended it.
Alex hooked his thumb under the ridge of the gold band and gave it a push. He inched it up a few centimeters more, a weight gradually lifting off his shoulders with each shift of the ring. It fell to the table with a soft ping, rimming around a few times before finally falling still. Alex lifted the gold band from the table and stuck it in his pocket. He brought his mug up to his lips and took a drink.
Chapter Four
“I want everyone to record their quiz score in their booklets before logging off the computer. You all remember how to properly log off, right?”
The laconically sung chorus of “Yes, Ms. Moore” that resounded from the group of second graders brought a grin to Renee’s lips. She strolled around the computer lab, assisting those students who needed a little extra help logging out of the computer program while the others gathered their belongings. She had only a few minutes before she had to get this group back to their regular class and retrieve a set of fourth graders. It was test day for the fourth grade children enrolled in Accelerated Reader, just one of the programs that fell under her supervision as Special Projects Coordinator.
“Ms. Moore?”
Renee felt a tap on her knee. She looked down and grinned at the huge brown eyes staring up at her. She already knew what would come next, so Renee halted the student’s request before she had a chance to voice it.
“No, Mariah, you cannot stay in the computer lab. The next session is for fourth graders. Second graders have to go back to Mrs. Pitts.”
“I promise to be good,” Mariah said, laying on the puppy dog eyes with amazing effect. It’s a good thing a few of the teachers had already schooled Renee in refusal techniques.
She was not used to students who didn’t reach her waist. Coming from the community college ranks, she had needed a few weeks to adjust to her much younger student base. Not surprisingly, the maturity levels were not all that different from some of the freshmen she’d dealt with in her last position teaching European history at a community college in Tampa.
Renee took Mariah by the hand and guided her to the colorful chart taped to the door of the computer lab.
“Look at the schedule,” Renee said. “When will you be back in the lab?”
Mariah studied the chart with such concentration Renee had to bite back a laugh.
“There it is.” Mariah pointed. “Thursday.”
“That’s right. Your class will be back in the lab on Thursday.” Renee raised her voice for the rest of the students to hear. “Will everyone have their stories read by then?”
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