He let his synapses dull down, sapping the current of energy still sizzling from his head to his toes. The pleasure had been so intense, he thought he’d crack.
But he wasn’t going to meltdown. No way, no how. He wouldn’t let it happen.
He wasn’t autistic. Not like the rest of them. Not like Drew. He could control his mind and shape it to conform to this human world, and that included falling in love.
He’d hold onto this to his dying breath.
Trapped by his alien mind, but able to pass unknown through this strange and wondrous land.
He could make it all out of nothing.
He always had.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The next morning, restlessness overtook Ryan after he’d dropped Ben off at school. There was no way he could sit back and do nothing about Andrew’s girlfriend, especially if she were a witness to abuse.
He went to the florist and bought a bouquet of flowers. Ben had pointed out Alyssa’s house on the corner of the development across from the oak tree where he’d totaled his car.
With Hershey at his side, he opened the gate in the chain-linked fence and stepped into her yard. Ad flyers were stuck to the screen door, and a stray cat jumped off the porch as he approached.
Hershey lunged at the cat, barking and squealing with excitement. His leash tangled with the flowers and smashed one side of the bouquet.
Ryan flicked off a few broken stems and fluffed the remaining flowers as best he could, then he rang the doorbell.
Hershey sat back on his haunches and barked, seemingly enjoying the sound of his sweet little voice.
“Be quiet,” Ryan shushed him. “You’ll wake up the dead.”
No one answered the door, so Ryan rang the bell again. He kept his eye on the window next to the door to see if anyone lurked.
After trying a third time, he decided Alyssa wasn’t home. She was probably with Andrew on that so-called business trip to California.
Ryan led Hershey off the porch and exited the yard. He looked to the left and then to the right. Next door, an elderly woman sprinkled water on her cactus with a watering can.
Hershey made a happy yip and tugged Ryan toward the woman, who was wearing house slippers with dog’s heads on the top.
The woman set her empty watering can down and petted Hershey. “Now, ain’t you a cute puppy.”
Hershey ate up the attention, panting and wiggling as only a puppy could.
“Hi,” Ryan said. “I was wondering if you knew where Alyssa had gone.”
“You’re too late,” the woman said. “She’s gone off on her honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?” Ryan’s jaw dropped clear to his feet. “When did she get married?”
“Probably after she took off. It was a wedding and honeymoon package.”
“Do you know who she married?”
The woman shook her head sympathetically. “Not someone as good looking as you, that’s for sure. Guess you could leave the flowers with me.”
“Yeah, sure. Hope you have a nice day.” Ryan gave the elderly woman the flowers.
Her face brightened and she sniffed the bouquet. “I’ll be sure to tell Alyssa she missed you. What did you say your name was?”
“No name.”
“Sure, I understand,” the woman said. “Her loss, really. Between you and me, I’m not sure I like that guy she’d been seeing. Pompous, bossy twit.”
“Does she seem happy with him?” Ryan pressed on, determined to dig up any dirt he could.
“He’s very charming in an oily sort of way. Always offering to help me with my taxes. As far as I could tell, she seemed happy. Has no family. Poor girl, so they decided to do one of those honeymoon wedding packages.”
“Are they planning on having any children?”
The woman seemed talkative, and when Ryan was bent on getting information, he didn’t particularly care if he came off as rude or inappropriate.
“What’s his name has kids from a former marriage, but I suppose they’d want their own,” the woman mused, still petting Hershey who had his paws on her thighs.
“Have you seen the kids?”
The woman screwed up her face and tilted her eyes to the side, looking up. “Can’t say that I have, but I heard the younger one is retarded.”
“Are they going to live here or move to his place?”
“Oh, definitely move. He’s a rich accountant and lives in Scottsdale. Why would they live in her little dump?” The woman gestured at the dilapidated house which badly needed a new paint job.
“Oh …” Ryan couldn’t figure out what other information he could get to prove Andrew was an abuser. “Does he treat her well, or does he yell at her a lot?”
The woman pursed her lips and shook her head slowly. “You need to let it go, young man. I’m so sorry.”
“You’re right. Win some, lose some.” Ryan gave the woman a salute. “Enjoy your flowers.”
The woman gave Hershey one last rub on his head. “Now, you take care of this nice young man, you hear me?”
Ryan waved goodbye and walked off with a spring in his step. He couldn’t wait to tell Jamie what a snake Andrew was. Not only did he have a girlfriend, he was actually married. This was definitely good news, because it meant he wouldn’t have a hold on Jamie anymore. He would start a new family and leave Ben and Drew alone.
Jamie felt like she was floating on clouds in a dream world as she went through the house dusting and wiping off the countertops and tabletops.
Ryan was the man she’d been missing all her life, and spending the night in his arms was sheer bliss. They’d made love, gazing in each others’ eyes, and held each other through the entire night.
He felt so right and good for her and the boys. Could it be that she was already in love with him? Could it happen so fast and still be real?
She didn’t know much about relationships. Last time she got into a relationship, she was in tenth grade and Andrew pretty much assumed she was his girlfriend.
What she felt for Ryan, however, this budding confidence and trust, this knowing that Ryan would never hurt her or the boys, and that he respected her by not contacting her when she asked him not to, but to keep his promises to Ben, and to think about Drew’s happiness in getting a dog—all these traits of his felt very different from Andrew.
Was this feeling of trust, safety, and confidence love?
She most certainly didn’t feel safe with Andrew. She’d been so young when she met him that she grew to believe her feelings for him were love. But if she really analyzed it, it was more pride that she had a man who was seemingly devoted—a prize to bring home to her mother, who’d been unlucky in that department.
Andrew had been smart, quick-witted, not too bad on the eyes when he was younger and kept himself fit, and he’d dictated her every move, from choice of college—his, to her major, education, because it would be a good way for her to take time off while the children were young and get back to it when they were older—to her taste in food, clothing, vacation spots, and even politics.
Nope. She hadn’t been truly independent when she’d met and married him, but now, with Ryan, she was the one making the choices. She was in control of her own life and whether she wanted to see him or not. He respected her boundaries.
He made it so easy, almost.
He cherished her body and soul, and every time he made love to her, she handed him another piece of her heart. Whether he stayed past spring training or went back to the majors once he was healed, no one could take away the hot, sultry nights he’d spent with her—ones she’d store up and treasure well into the future.
Jamie pulled the vacuum cleaner from the broom closet and set about cleaning up the dog hairs left by Hershey. The droning sound dispelled her doubts and worries, and soon, she was in the flow of going through each of the rooms and clearing the dust and debris.
She didn’t notice the front door open until it was too late.
Andrew slammed it behind h
im and glared at her with his fists clenched. “What the hell have you been up to?”
“You’re back early.” She couldn’t stop the first words out of her mouth.
“I got a bill from Drew’s doctor, and you didn’t see fit to tell me about it,” Andrew shouted over the noise of the vacuum cleaner and scanned the room as if inspecting it.
Jamie turned off the vacuum cleaner. “I meant to email you, but forgot. It wasn’t anything serious.”
“Oh, really? So you just blow my money on office visits whenever you feel like it?”
Jamie’s blood boiled at his snide remark. “Actually, I need to ask you again. What happened when you swung the baseball bat at Drew? He’s been having nightmares about it.”
Andrew marched up to her, getting in her face and looming above her. “Has that kid been telling lies? Has he?”
“You know as well as I do that autistic kids don’t lie,” Jamie said. “He refused to play T-ball, because you terrorized him.”
Andrew narrowed his eyes and huffed from his flaring nostrils. “So, that’s the tactic you’re going to play, is it? That I scared Drew and turned him into an idiot.”
“Stop it. He’s not an idiot,” Jamie yelled.
“He’s consuming your entire life.” Andrew sneered, curling his lip. “He’ll never be normal, no matter how hard you try.”
“He might not be normal, but he can live a productive and fulfilling life.” Jamie punched her hands on her hips.
“In a specialized care facility,” Andrew said. “It’ll only get worse as he gets bigger. He’ll be stronger than you and then what will you do? He could be dangerous.”
“He will learn how to control himself and minimize meltdowns.”
“No, he won’t. He’ll overpower you, destroy things, and hurt you and everyone around. Don’t you get it? He can’t control his meltdowns.”
“He will learn, like all of us learn to control ourselves.” Jamie gritted her teeth. “If you came to argue with me about Drew, you may leave now. We’re quite happy without you.”
Andrew flattened his lips and shook his head, staring at her. “We could have had such a good life together.”
“We rolled the dice, and this is what we have.”
“Only because you refused to explore other options.”
“I need you to leave,” Jamie said. “We’ve been through this a million times, and I will never give up on Drew as long as I draw a breath. You made your choice.”
“You know, marriage is supposed to mean choosing your spouse over every other person, forsaking all others. You chose someone else over me.”
“Can you please leave?” Jamie shouted in his face.
“Not so fast. You’re hiding something. I can tell. Don’t think you’re getting rid of me this easily. You’re still seeing that baseball player, aren’t you?”
“What’s it to you if I am? He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man, and he loves Drew and Ben.”
“He’s a phony.” A vein bulged on Andrew’s forehead. “You’ve been sleeping with him, haven’t you?”
“You have no right to talk to me this way.” Jamie grabbed him by the elbow and tried to steer him to the door.
He brushed her aside, pushing her back and charged into the master bedroom suite. “How many times has he been on our bed?”
“None of your business.” Jamie cringed when he raised his hand.
He slapped her across the face. “You whore. You fucking whore.”
The sting spread all the way to the roots of her hair as she reeled from the blow. “Get out. Get out before I call the police.”
“What’s going on?” Ryan’s voice boomed at the doorway, and he was in the bedroom before Jamie could warn him off. Little Hershey charged in and skidded to a stop when he spied Andrew’s threatening demeanor.
“You.” Andrew stabbed his finger at Ryan. “Get out of my house, and take this mutt with you.”
He advanced on him and kicked the puppy out of the way.
The puppy squealed with pain and Jamie pushed herself between Andrew and Ryan, afraid the two men would get into a fistfight. “Everything’s okay. Just calm down.”
“Everything’s not okay, and I’m not calming down,” Andrew said. “You tell this man to leave or I’m cutting off everything. No special school for Drew. No therapists. No caretakers. No child support. I’m taking Drew and Ben because you’re an unfit mother.”
“You can’t.” Jamie’s stomach dropped clear to the ground. “You don’t know how to take care of them.”
“At least I’m not a whore.” He shoved her against the wall hard enough to bump her head.
“That’s enough.” Ryan held his phone with the camera lens facing Andrew. “I witnessed you abusing your wife, and I have evidence that you abused your son, Drew, by swinging a baseball bat at him. You’re not coming near Jamie and her sons again, because we’re going to get a restraining order on you.”
“You have nothing, but trumped up imaginations.” Andrew sneered. “I’m sure you have dirt to dig up somewhere. Wasn’t there a scandal a few years back about faked stats and gambling?”
“I kept my nose clean,” Ryan said. “I’m sure you have something dirty cooking in your books.”
“Please, Ryan, leave us,” Jamie said. “I’ll be okay. He won’t hit me again.”
“Your video doesn’t prove a thing,” Andrew said. He took out his phone and pointed it to Jamie with Ryan in the background. “I walked in on you slapping my wife around and I defended her. Then you pulled out your phone and tried to incriminate me. It won’t work.”
“You slapped me, Andrew,” Jamie narrowed her eyes at him. “Ryan, record this. My ex-husband, Andrew Rush, came uninvited into my house this morning and he slapped me and pushed me against a wall hard enough to hit my head. I would like a restraining order against him.”
“This is nuts.” Andrew panned his camera phone. “This man is an intruder in my house. He violated my wife, molested my kids, and I’m throwing him out.”
“Except he’s my guest,” Jamie shouted. “And this isn’t your house anymore. Not with the divorce settlement.”
Ryan jabbed a finger Andrew’s direction. “Especially since you, Andrew, are a newlywed husband of another woman.”
“What?” Jamie gaped from Ryan to Andrew. “What’s he talking about?”
An oily grin congealed on Andrew’s sweaty face. “He’s right. Congratulations are in order. My wife and I will be gaining custody of Ben and Drew, because you two are abusive. I spoke to Dr. Sampson, and he suspects Drew’s been molested, and what do you know? I show up at my house and find this man coming and going as he pleases. As I recall, he was allowed to give Drew a bath and read him bedtime stories unsupervised.”
“My mother was present at all times.”
“Ah, but let me ask you something, Jamie.” Andrew pointed his phone at her. “Can you swear on a stack of Bibles that you never left either Ben or Drew alone with Ryan Hudson?”
“I’m not a molester,” Ryan growled. “I don’t abuse women and children, unlike you.”
“Baseless accusations from a loser who’s got nothing left of his career and miles of dirt to hide.” Andrew swaggered to the door. “See you in court, Jamie, and you, Ryan Hudson, you’ll understand if I won’t be visiting you in jail.”
Jamie held her breath until Andrew was safely out of the house.
“What are we going to do?” Her heart fluttered like a dying butterfly. “All he has to do is cut off the money and Drew will lose his private school and speech therapist. Also, his behavior analysis and counseling and all the programs he needs to grow up to be a functioning adult. That’s how he’s going to get custody, show he can provide everything, even a new mother for them.”
“It won’t happen.” Ryan wrapped his big arms around Jamie. “He won’t get custody, because all he’s getting is a big, fat restraining order.”
“But his accusations.” Pinpoints and flashes of
light spiraled behind her eyelids and Jamie couldn’t catch her breath fast enough. “He’ll ruin your reputation, even though they’re baseless and untrue.”
“That also won’t happen.” Ryan’s big, solid body felt like a wall of protection she could hide behind. “He’s an abuser and he’s not coming near you and the boys, not while I’m around.”
“But he will, because he’s their father and he has visitation rights.”
“They won’t be unsupervised, not if we can show he abused the kids,” Ryan said. He held her back and stared into her eyes, concern written in every line of his face. “But first, I need to ask you. Has he ever hit you before?”
His deep blue gaze sank Jamie’s heart. How could she admit it, even to herself? She’d been a fool, and she could have avoided all of this had she ended things long, long ago.
Apparently, she’d been lying to everyone, including herself, when she claimed Andrew had never hit her—not recently until today; but not recently was not the same as never.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
That evening, Jamie’s dining table was covered with poster paper and markers. A large timeline was taped to the wall, and an easel stand held a large pad of paper with self-stick backs used for brainstorming.
Her mother set refreshments on the dining table: finger sandwiches, pigs in a blanket for the kids, and cheese and fruit wedges.
Meanwhile, Ryan’s mother, Frances, welcomed Drew’s therapists, Eileen, Dianne, and Amber, into the house.
Brock and Marcia brought Marcia’s father, Ron Powers, to keep the boys and Bianca occupied in the backyard. They had set up tents and were going to “camp” out under the stars.
Ryan handed out water bottles and then stood at the head of the table. This meeting was his idea. Despite the awkwardness of having his mother meet Jamie’s mother for the first time, he’d insisted on getting everything out on the table, so that everyone who cared about Jamie would be able to help her devise an action plan to protect her and her boys from Andrew.
“I’m sure you’re all shocked at what happened today,” Ryan said. “Jamie, Ben, and Drew need our help. Jamie’s ex-husband, Andrew, came by today and slapped her. He also intends to sue for custody of Ben and Drew by claiming that both Jamie and I are abusive. I have his threats captured on this cell phone video, which I’ll pass around.”
Playing for the Save (Men of Spring Baseball Book 3) Page 22