by Kelly Utt
“It started with a phone call. On the landline,” Bea began. “Nobody even uses that anymore.” She paced back and forth in the kitchen area of Travis’ loft. He leaned back against the counter, his arms sprawled out beside him. The pose accentuated his muscular physique.
“Yeah,” Travis affirmed in his gentle, everything-will-be-okay voice. “Take it slow or you’ll wear a hole in my floorboards, babe. Tell me what happened.”
“I was in my backyard studio,” she began. “It’s more of a shed, really. My sisters are right about that. But it makes me happy and John doesn’t want paint in the house, so I use it to cope. To get my artistic talent out, you know? It has to come out of me somehow. Somewhere. Better an art shed than, well, I’m not sure. But it works.”
Bea noticed how relaxed she felt around Travis. She could hear herself using more words and going into greater detail than she normally would. It reminded her of a time when she was allowed to be her true self. Without criticism or manipulation.
“Okay,” he said, listening. “So you have a landline in your… shed?”
“That’s right,” she continued. “But nobody uses it. Anyway, it rang yesterday afternoon. And when I answered it, it was a robotic voice on the other end who said they knew what I had done. Can you believe that?”
“That’s… Unsettling.”
“And then some,” Bea added. “I froze. I didn’t know how to respond.”
“That’s understandable,” Travis said. “A call like that would rattle anybody.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Bea said. “Perhaps the worst part is that I heard a click on the line and I’m pretty sure someone inside my house was listening.”
“Who was home?” Travis asked, maintaining his posture. He seemed steady. Like he thought the problem could be handled. Bea was surprised.
“That’s the thing,” Bea said. “It could have been one of several people listening. Mom was there.”
“Really?” Travis asked. “How is Lana doing? I always thought I’d like her.”
“She’s good,” Bea said. “She’s been living with us. Although she left for Natalie’s last night. She will probably be there for a while. It may take me some time to get things sorted out.”
“Last night?”
“I’ll get around to that,” Bea explained. “But I have to tell you about the afternoon first. When the phone call came in, Max was in the house, too.”
“Max!” Travis exclaimed. “Such a good kid. What is he now? Thirteen? Fourteen?”
“He’s fourteen. Just started high school,” Bea answered. “He’s a very good kid, if I do say so myself. He was hanging around and had just gotten home from school when the phone rang.”
“Okay, well,” Travis mused. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Your mom and Max will be on your side. If it comes out about what happened, you can just tell them your side of the story. They’ll believe you.”
Bea appreciated Travis saying this. But it wasn’t that simple. He didn’t know everything. “I pray you’re right,” she said. “But it’s more complicated than that. And besides, Ruth and Natalie had just arrived from Sacramento and were in the house as well. It could have been either one of them listening in.”
“Ah, the Denton twins,” Travis remarked. “Those two always sounded a little off to me.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Bea said. “But I can’t speak badly about them. They did me a great kindness last night.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah,” Bea said. “I’ll get to it. I guess there’s more to tell you than I realized.”
“For you,” Travis replied. “I’d listen all day and all night, for as long as you want to talk. Take your time.”
The way Travis treated Bea was bolstering her confidence. Deep down, she knew she deserved to be treated this way. She wanted to be adored.
“Are you sure you aren’t needed downstairs?” Bea asked. “The showroom is open this time of day, right?”
“It is, but it’s no problem. My assistant, Richie Barnes, will take care of any customers who come in. He’s a good guy. I hired him a few years ago. One of the best business decisions I’ve ever made. You should meet him. He’s heard a lot about you.”
“I’d like that,” Bea said, smiling. This was the easiest conversation she’d had with anyone besides Max in a long time. And to think it was about such an upsetting topic. Just goes to show that with the right person, everything seems better.
“So,” Bea continued. “My mother, my son, and my sisters were all inside the house and anyone of them could have been listening on the line. For all I know, more than one of them was listening. And on top of that, John came home early, which he rarely does. He was in a mood, too. It made me wonder if he’d received a call at work.”
The morning newspaper was sitting unopened on Travis’ kitchen table. Bea wondered if John’s tantrum last night had made it in before press time. She was tempted to look, but wasn’t sure what good it would do in the grand scheme of things. Whatever they had written about him was deserved. Bea had little sympathy.
“Aw, babe,” Travis said. He looked like he was resisting the urge to take Bea into his arms. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I hate hearing it.”
“Thank you,” Bea said. It was so nice to talk to someone who cared. “Well,” she continued. “Our neighbor lady acted damn strange, too. We were on our way out to dinner last night when she pulled her car in front of our SUV. John got out and the two of them had a heated discussion. Maybe I’m just paranoid, but it made me think they were talking about me and that they knew something.”
“Okay,” Travis said. “But I remember that night at Eagle’s Point. I remember how shaken up you got when that guy took a tumble down that steep embankment. I admit, sometimes I think about him and wonder what happened. We probably should have called the authorities. But I understood why you didn’t want to. A police report would have placed us together and would have been next to impossible to keep from John. But you did nothing wrong, Bea. Other than being with me.”
“I wish that were true,” Bea said.
“And I wish you didn’t think being with me was wrong,” Travis said quietly. “I wish you wanted to be with me for the rest of our lives. I wish you’d pick me. I’ve made no secret of my feelings for you.”
“It isn’t like that,” Bea said. “There’s more to the story. It’s complicated.”
“Then tell me what I’m missing.”
Bea stopped and twirled a lock of her hair. She was thinking. She thought about how good it would feel to get this off her chest. But she was scared.
“What if I told you I had something to do with that man taking a tumble?” Bea asked reluctantly. Her tone was somber.
Travis reached out to Bea now and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders and held her against him securely. She could feel his heart beating in his chest. “Then I’d tell you I’m sure you had a good reason and that I love and support you no matter what.”
15
“Hello? This is Bea,” she said as she stepped away from Travis Earl and answered her mobile phone. She recognized the number as Max’s school and so didn’t want to let it go to voicemail. She had started to greet the caller with her full name, but felt self-conscious in front of Travis. She wished her last name wasn’t Hughes.
It was Principal Maguire on the line and the news wasn’t good. Max was in trouble. Bea’s presence was requested at the school immediately.
“I'm on my way, but I’m down by the bay right now. It will take me about thirty minutes to get there,” Bea said, then ended the call.
“Is everything alright?” Travis asked, genuine concern in his voice.
“I’ve got to go. It’s Max. He’s in some kind of trouble, which is completely out of character for him.”
“Go,” Travis said without hesitation. “We can finish this discussion later.”
“Thank you,” Bea said as she picked up her handbag an
d fished the rental car key out.
“Hey, I realize what I’m about to say might sound crazy,” Travis began. “But what if I come with you?”
“What?” Bea asked.
When they’d been together before, she hadn’t wanted Travis to be seen with her in public. She had been actively planning to leave John and was being extra careful in the hopes that her husband would be more generous when it came to matters of custody and visitation. She had been ready to go through with it and had made arrangements for herself and Max to stay in a small apartment just a few blocks down the street from where she stood, right here in Travis’ loft. And then the incident happened at Eagle’s Point, derailing her life. A man died that day at Bea’s hands. Afterward, she was so shaken and so afraid of what she’d done that she couldn’t face what she knew would be John’s formidable wrath when he found out she was leaving him. And besides, she needed John’s protection.
But things were very different now. Max was old enough to make clear his own wishes about custody and visitation. And last night at Honey Hog showed just how out-of-control John really is. His behavior took the situation from something Bea could keep private and convince herself wasn’t that bad to a widely known and very public melodrama. In a way, John’s outburst last night was a gift. It allowed Bea’s mother, her sisters, and by now, probably anyone who cared to search John’s name on the Internet to see what a maniacal tyrant he really was. Although Bea was still working to process it all, she felt less inclined to tuck Travis away and keep him a secret. Who would blame her for pairing up with a balanced, reasonable, and age-appropriate man? She suspected no one.
Another thought at the back of Bea’s consciousness was hard to admit and bring into the light, but it was there. If she were about to be found out soon and arrested, she might as well squeeze every ounce of happiness out of her days before that happened.
“You know what?” Bea answered. “If you can get away, come on. Spend the day with me.”
“Seriously?” Travis replied, looking as excited as a kid at Christmas. “I mean… Yes!”
Bea laughed at his enthusiasm. It felt good to be with Travis again and to see how much he cared for her.
“I’ll be right there. Just you wait a few minutes,” he said. “I need to run down and tell Richie I’ll be gone.”
“I’ll wait in the car. Silver sedan with a rental company sticker on the back,” Bea said, then she walked over and planted a warm kiss on Travis’ lips. He stood up straight in response, leaning down over Bea and again wrapping his arms tightly around her body as he pushed against her and kissed her deeply.
“Babe,” Travis said. “I think this might be the best day ever. I’m not sure I understand what brought this about, but I’m not complaining.”
“Settle down now,” Bea said, half teasing. “Like I said, I have a lot to fill you in on. You might not be so excited once you get your mind around what’s happening with me. It’s a lot. I’m a lot.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” Travis said, smiling brightly as ever.
16
Travis put his hand on Bea’s knee as she drove. And she let him. She marveled at the ball of emotions swirling around in her belly. She thought it almost felt like she was observing herself from a distance. Like she wasn’t really there in her own skin. Good and bad moved around together inside of her as if they were old friends.
Travis continued to grin from ear to ear. Bea thought what he had said about this being the best day might actually be accurate from his perspective.
Had he really waited for me all these years?
It seemed almost too good to be true.
When they arrived at Max’s school, Travis said he would stay in the car so as not to get in the way. He didn’t want to be presumptuous when it came to Max. Bea could tell Travis had the proper perspective in that regard. She knew he wouldn’t try to push himself on her son, no matter what ended up happening between the two of them romantically. He hadn’t done it before and Bea was certain he’d handle things the same way this time around. If there was to be a this time around. Bea still hadn’t decided. But Travis’ respect for boundaries was a relief. Bea had enough to tackle and didn’t think she’d be able to bring anything else into the mix if it meant complicating life for Max.
The sun was climbing high in the sky and warming the day as Bea walked up the steps at the front of East Valley High School. Planters filled with colorful mums greeted her at the double doors, their blooms standing at the ready for the upcoming fall season. East Valley was a good school. And a friendly one. It had been so when Bea attended and she was glad the spirit of community continued now that her son was a student here. As she placed her hand on one of the large brass knobs to open the door, she tried to imagine what Max might have gotten himself involved in.
“Hello, there,” a tall, brown-skinned lady said to welcome Bea. She looked the part of a high school teacher with her bouncing curls and rimmed glasses. Bea thought she was probably one of the nice teachers who went easy on the kids when they didn’t finish their homework. She had always believed those teachers were the best kind. Being a kid was tough enough. A little extra kindness never hurt.
“Hi,” Bea said cheerfully. “I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Bea Hughes. Max’s mother.”
“Please to meet you, Bea. I’m Annie Rogers.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Bea said. “I attended this high school many years ago, but my son is new. This is his freshman year. I’m eager to get to know all the fresh faces.”
“One down and probably quite a few more faces to go,” Annie said with a gentle laugh. “I suspect there have been a few new teachers added since you were a student here. Although you don’t look a day over twenty-five.”
Bea immediately liked Annie. She had a quiet confidence about her that made Bea feel safe. The kids probably felt the same way in her presence.
“You’re too kind,” Bea replied.
The halls were mostly empty, so Bea assumed it must have been the middle of a class period. She wondered if Annie had a planning block. Otherwise, why would she have left her classroom?
“I’m sure you know the way,” Annie said. “But I’m heading to the office myself. How about we walk together?”
“That would be lovely,” Bea replied.
Annie took the lead and Bea followed, marveling at how the inside of the school looked so different yet still the same. The office wasn’t far from the front of the building, so it didn’t take long to get there. Bea and Annie talked about the weather as they walked, remarking on how it would turn cooler soon.
When they arrived at the school office, Bea could see Max through the window on the top half of the door. He was sitting in a chair in an awkward position with his backpack strapped onto his back. His hair was a rumpled mess, and it looked like he had a gash on his forehead. His shoulders were hunched over. When his eyes met Bea’s, Max looked reassured. He moved to embrace his mom, but caught himself, apparently realizing that might be an embarrassing choice for a young man of his age.
“Max!” Bea said as she walked towards her boy. “Sorry it took so long, but I came right away. What on Earth is going on? Are you hurt?”
“Mom,” Max said simply, opening his eyes wide and gesturing across the waiting area to another boy who was also waiting, but with a sour expression on his face.
Bea stood in between Max and the other boy to shield her son from view so he could give her some idea what was happening. She lowered her eyebrows and pointed a thumb back towards the other kid. Meanwhile, Annie made her way to a desk on the other side of the room, which was staffed by a young, gangly man with a thin sprout of blonde hair. He looked nervous. Presumably, the young man was a receptionist or secretary. Bea hadn’t met him before either.
“That kid is Landon Prater,” Max mumbled, pulling Bea’s attention back.
“And does he have something to do with why I was summoned here today?” Bea asked.
/>
“Yeah,” Max said. “He called us criminals.”
“What?” Bea asked, perplexed. “Criminals? Who did he call criminals?”
How could this kid know anything about my crime? And who is this kid, anyway? He must be new in town.
“He said our family was nothing but white trash pretending to be important. And that we were common criminals. Then we got into a fight.”
Bea turned and looked at the boy who maintained his sour expression. She tried to process what was going on.
What would make this Landon boy say such a thing? And why would Max care? He’d always been able to shrug taunts like that off. It was odd for him to have taken it seriously.
Bea turned back around to face her son. But before she could ask him anything else, the door to the principal’s office shot open, and a harried, middle-aged Asian man stepped out.
“Mrs. Hughes, thanks for coming,” he said as he reached out his hand to shake Bea’s. “My name is Michael Cho. I’m the assistant principal here at East Valley High School. Glad to meet you.”
“Hello,” Bea said, shaking Michael’s hand. She thought he seemed nice enough. She hoped the administrators wouldn’t be too hard on Max given what was happening with his home life. They probably didn’t realize he had spent last night in a hotel room instead of his own.
“Come on in,” Michael said, motioning to the inside of the principal’s office. “The others are waiting.”
“Okay,” Bea said. She wanted to ask which others he was referring to, but she decided to wait since she knew she would probably find out momentarily.
“Boys,” Michael added in a serious tone, lowering his head as he addressed Max and Landon. “You stay here for now. We’ll call you in when we’re ready for you.”
Bea turned and gave a look of comfort to Max, then followed along behind Michael Cho. Her muscles tightened as she stepped into the office and saw her husband seated in one of the wingback chairs. Across from John sat an official-looking lady Bea presumed was Principal Maguire.