by Doreen Alsen
“Hey! I found her!”
Jeff’s head swiveled to see Danny holding on to Cookie. He sprinted in their direction, hardly noticing that Beth got there first.
He lifted his daughter and held on tight. She sniffled against his shoulder
“She’s been hiding under this table the whole time, listening to all of us trying to find her.” Danny’s voice dripped disgust.
“Did not,” Cookie murmured into his ear.
“You’re such a liar.” Danny nodded emphatically. “You told me you heard everybody calling for you and hid under the table anyway!”
“Why, Cookie girl?” He couldn’t wrap his head around her pulling something like this. The crowd had dispersed and the four of them, Beth, Danny, Jeff and Cookie, had made a little circle.
Cookie wouldn’t meet his gaze and she’d clamped her mouth shut so tightly her lips turned white.
Beth stood next to Danny, her hands stuffed into her jacket pocket. Her eyes were very solemn and sad.
“You’re right.” He nodded. “Let’s all go back to my place.”
“I don’t think so, Jeff. Danny and I would like it if you dropped us off at our house.”
His stomach dropped. He had a lot of apologizing to do. “I’m really sorry, Beth. I said some things in the heat of the moment I didn’t mean. I was just so panicked about Cookie going missing.”
“Okay. Danny and I still want to go home.”
“Let’s get going.” He reached down and grabbed Cookie. He made a sweeping gesture, inviting Beth and Danny to walk ahead of him.
What a mess. The understatement of the century. He’d get to the bottom of it no matter what.
****
Beth stared straight ahead as Jeff drove. She had a lot to think about. More than anything, she had to step up and protect Danny from Katie’s lies. How could Katie have become so bitter?
Better question. How could she manipulate her daughter like that? Cookie’s mother was a total stranger to Beth. Not that Beth could criticize her for lying, not with the lies she’d told.
It still didn’t excuse Jeff’s cruel words to her. She’d told him … never mind. Just never mind. The damage was done.
Jeff pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“There’s no need to do that.”
“There’s every need.”
Beth and Danny were both out of the car before Jeff could even round the car to help them.
Beth fumbled with her house keys while Jeff talked to Danny.
“Sorry things didn’t work out the way they were supposed to today.”
“S’all right. I had fun with you on the pier at the derby.”
“I didn’t know you liked to fish. I’ll have to take you sometime and you can teach me how to, what do you call it?”
Danny grinned. “Jig for mackerel.”
Jeff crouched in front of Danny and gave him a hug. Tears sprang in Beth’s eyes but no, she would not cry in front of this man. No chance in hell.
Never again.
“Okay, champ. Looks like your mom’s got the door open. Go on in while I talk to your mom out here a little bit.”
Danny nodded. He started to walk into the house then turned around and hugged Jeff around his waist. “I love you, Dad!”
Jeff closed his eyes. “I love you too, son.”
Danny left Beth standing in front of Jeff.
“Again, I’m so sorry for what happened today. I’m sorry for what I said and I apologize on Cookie’s behalf. I’ll make sure I get to the bottom of this and make her apologize to you.”
Beth felt like she was a hundred years old. “That’s fine.” She licked her suddenly very dry lips. “You should know that Katie is filling her head with some revisionist history, and it’s pretty serious. You need to set them straight.” She shrugged. “I need to get in. Danny’s hungry and you don’t want to leave Cookie alone in the car for too long. Who knows what she’ll do.”
“I think she knows to stay belted up in her car booster.” He reached out to touch Beth’s cheek and she flinched.
“Cookie has a problem with you showing me any affection. You need to go and deal with her.”
Jeff froze. “I guess I do. I’ll call you later.”
Beth remembered last night’s phone call and wanted to weep. Last night she’d thought she’d hit the jackpot and was on the verge of getting everything she’d ever dreamed of. Today reality conked her in the face with a frying pan.
“Please don’t. You’ve said enough to me today. I’m not up for another round. Good night, Jeff. Go take care of your daughter.”
His eyes smoked as he stared at her. After a long moment he said, “Yeah, okay. But I am going to call you later and we are going to deal with this.”
“Good night, Jeff. Please go home.”
“Good night, sunshine. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Don’t call me that ever again.” She let herself in her house and closed the door firmly behind her.
“Mom! Can I have a hotdog for dinner.”
Beth closed her eyes. She’d only bought some recently because Danny had begged her to. “Absolutely. How many do you want?”
Chapter Forty
Jeff stared at his phone, dreading the call he had to make to Katie, but it had to be done.
After he’d talked to Cookie and rocked her in his arms as she cried herself to sleep, he’d nearly wept himself. How could Katie fill her head with all those hurtful lies?
Manipulate her own daughter as a weapon against Beth?
The headache brewing behind his eyes didn’t show any sign of going away, so he might as well get it over with. He punched the screen over Katie’s contact picture. Instead of an actual picture of Katie, he’d uploaded a photo of Jessica Rabbit.
Katie wasn’t wrong. She was just written that way.
Give him a break.
She picked it up on the third ring. “Jeff. Why are you calling? Did something happen to Cookie?”
“You might say that.” He told her what had happened at the festival.
“She ran away and hid?” Indignation bounced from satellite to satellite. “What did Beth do to her?”
He caught himself grinding his teeth. “Stop right there. Beth didn’t do or say anything to upset Cookie. You, however, have been telling her a lot of, shall we say, lies.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Of course not. “Knock it off. Cookie told me everything you’ve been telling her. You’ve been feeding her a pack of lies, Katie. You may have even orchestrated today’s little event and I want to know why.”
“She’s very troubled about Beth’s son. I can’t help it if she makes things up and acts out.”
“I know Cookie and I can tell when she’s making things up or telling fibs. She’s not lying.” He took a moment to let that sink in. “You are.”
“You’re confusing me with Beth. She’s the one who’s been lying to people for years.”
He wished she were there so he could shake the truth out of her. It was probably better that they were on the phone. “Beth owned up to the lies she told about Danny being my son. If she could admit the lies that she’d told, for Danny’s sake, then you can do the same for Cookie. Jesus, Katie. I had to hold her while she cried until she fell asleep. A damn hour, Katie. She cried herself until she fell asleep for a whole damn hour and it’s all because of the lies you fed to her.”
Katie gasped. “You bastard! I’m done with this conversation.”
“Not hardly. When I drive Cookie home tomorrow the two of us are going to sit down with her and set the record straight. It’s not negotiable. You’ll either have to accuse her of being a liar to her face or admit that you lied to her. Choose wisely,” he warned.
He could hear her breathing heavily. “Then you drive all the way here. I won’t have any conversation about this in public.”
Finally! “That’s no problem. It’s
actually what I had in mind.”
“When do you think you’ll get here?”
“Early afternoon. And I warn you,” he said. “I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you. We will fix this issue and set her straight.”
Katie just clicked off. He should be offended but he just felt relieved.
His next phone call was to Beth and he had a lot to make right.
He remembered the devastated look on her face and the resigned tone of her voice and hoped with all his might that it wasn’t too late.
****
Beth felt her phone vibrate on the nightstand next to her bed. Tempted not to answer, she could tell Jeff tomorrow that she’d already been asleep. What was one more lie onto the heaping pile of them?
Might as well get this over with. She picked up her phone. “Hello, Jeff.”
“Beth, hey. Is this a good time to talk or is Danny still up?”
“Danny fell asleep reading the latest installment of Adventures of The Refractor, so yeah, I can talk freely.”
“Good. I really can’t tell you enough how sorry I am for the things I said to you when Cookie went missing. Some of them were unforgiveable but I hope you’ll find it in you to forgive me. I went a little crazy.”
No kidding. “What’s done is done. No need to hold a grudge. And you forgave me, or at least I thought you did, when you found out I lied about Danny. I just didn’t expect to have Danny sneaking out thrown in my face and be accused of being negligent. I told you I wouldn’t allow you to talk to me that way and I won’t.” She cleared her throat to get rid of the misery threatening to choke her.
“I know and I regret saying those things more than I can say. I was totally out of line. I, uh, would like to bring Cookie over tomorrow morning before I take her back to Addington so she can apologize to you.”
“There’s no need.”
“She has to apologize, Bethy. I can’t let her get away with that kind of hurtful behavior.” He coughed. “I know it won’t make a difference to you, but I’m going to make sure Katie stops telling her stories. This has to stop.”
“I agree. She’s a very confused little girl.”
“Can we talk on Monday night when I bring Danny home from practice?”
“I don’t think so. I won’t stand in the way of your relationship with Danny, I’ll still let the adoption happen, but I won’t spend any time with someone who accuses me of being irresponsible and calls me a bad mother.”
Damn. Unshed tears gathered and welled in her eyes. She swallowed.
“Please, Beth, I don’t think that. I didn’t know what I was saying.”
She sniffled but would not give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry. “I need some space. I don’t think we should see each other for a while, except for when it involves Danny.”
“Beth.”
“I mean it, Jeff. It doesn’t matter if I have feelings for you. I can’t be with you if you’re not good for me. I can’t live in fear that the next time you get angry you’ll hurl unfounded accusations at me.” She swiped at her eyes. “I lived that way for too long. I won’t do it again.”
She could hear him breathe. “We’ll talk about this in person. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“Jeff, please, just…just…don’t. Okay? I can’t take it right now.”
He made a choking sound. “Okay. I’ll bring Cookie around eleven o’clock if that’s good for you.”
“I’ll be playing at mass then, so it has to be before or after.”
“Is nine okay then?”
“Sure. As long as it doesn’t take too long.”
“We’ll see you at nine, Bethy. I will make this up to you. I promise.”
“Good night, Jeff.” Please just let him say good night and not make her hang up on him.
“Good night.”
Thank God. She hung up and threw her phone back on the nightstand.
When she got a call from Jeff last night she’d been in heaven. Tonight he called and she was in hell. What a difference twenty-four hours made. She noticed her copy of The Duke’s Desire. From now on she’d count on the dashing hero, Rolf, for all her romance.
Chapter Forty-One
“Mom, can Dad stay for dinner?”
Beth perched on the arm of the couch. “I’m afraid not. Dad told me he has things to do tonight.”
She dared him to contradict her.
“That’s right, champ. Another night.”
Over her dead body.
“Go on and grab a shower. We’ll eat once you’re done.”
Jeff studied her face while Danny hurtled out of the room.
“Can we find some time to talk, Beth? I really want to make it up to you.”
“Is this your definition of giving me space?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I made Katie make things right for Cookie. She won’t ever bad mouth you or Danny again.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Thank you.”
He reached out like he wanted to touch her. She moved so he couldn’t. “Please, Jeff. I don’t want to deal with this right now.”
“Does this mean you are willing to deal with it some time in the future?”
Throwing her hands in the air, she raised her voice. “God, you don’t give up!”
“No, I don’t. I’ve waited to long to be with you,” he said.
“Jeff, please. Not now.” She hugged herself and rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
He gave a very curt nod. “Tell Danny I said good night and I’ll see him tomorrow.” Turning on his heel, he left.
Somehow all the air in the room left with him.
****
“Please, Jenna, you’ve got to help me.” Jeff said.
A couple of weeks had passed. Beth still wouldn’t talk to him about anything except Danny’s schedule. She’d let him take Danny out trick-or-treating, but refused to come with them. There was so much sadness in her eyes and it killed him to know he put it there.
Jenna, on the other hand, looked mad. She had a pair of sharp, knitting needles in her hands and it was clear she knew how to use them.
Ouch.
“Why? You broke her heart.”
“I’m going crazy. She’s got to give me a second chance.”
“I think you’re on your third or fourth chance.”
“Haven’t you ever done or said something that hurt someone you love? Something you wish with all your heart you could take back?”
She frowned. “Good point.” She aimed those knitting needles, those weapons of mass destruction, the business ends in his direction, at his chest. “If I help you and you hurt her again, I’m going to stake you through the heart with these.”
“I won’t, I promise.”
She held up one of the needles of doom. “First you’re going to grovel like it’s your job. Second.” She held up the other one. “You’re going to take her to the Fall Formal.”
“What? Why would I take Beth to a high school dance?”
Jenna shook her head at him. “Think about it. Given her father and his oh-so-enlightened views on dating, do you remember ever seeing her at a dance?”
“No, I guess not.” His brow furrowed. “Do you really think taking her to a dance in a high school gym, surrounded by hormonally charged teenagers dressed in tacky polyester, is the right thing to do?”
Jenna put the needles of mass destruction on the counter. “Yes. We were talking about it one day and she told me how when she was pregnant with Danny how she dreamed of dressing up in a beautiful gown and dancing with you at the prom. So you’re going to give her that.”
His heart constricted into a tight ball. He’d gone by himself to prom and dreamed of Beth being with him. “I would never have thought of that in a million years.”
Jenna rolled her eyes much more expertly than Danny did. “Of course not. That’s why you needed me.” She nodded. “And not just taking her to the dance. She deserves the whole nine yards, to put it in terms you understand. I
’m talking tuxedo, limo, corsage, making out somewhere you shouldn’t, all that good stuff she missed out on. Since I don’t trust you to pick out the dress, I’ll do it. Can you handle the limo and corsage? I know you can manage the whole making out somewhere you shouldn’t. Danny’s the proof of that.”
That was a low blow, but well deserved. Jenna didn’t pull her punches. “Do you think this prom thing will work?”
She rolled her eyes, again taking the gold in the eye rolling Olympics. “Would I have told you to do it if I didn’t think it would work?”
“Um, you might if you secretly want to sabotage me.”
Jenna held her hands up, palms facing out. “Good point but no sabotage here.”
“How am I going to get her there?”
“Do I have to do everything for you?” Jenna sputtered. “Man up and figure it out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He had a lot of work to do in just a week, but if it got him Beth back, it’d be worth it.
Chapter Forty-Two
“Whoa! That’s a lot of sequins.” Beth touched the sparkliest dress she had ever seen. “I need to get my sunglasses.”
Jenna beamed as she held it up. “Isn’t it? I copied it from a picture of a Jenny Packham dress Kate Middleton wore once. I saw it on the Fug girls website. I think it came out okay but you have to try it on.”
“I do?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Just humor me and try it on, okay?” Jenna shoved the silver dress at her. “And damn if you don’t look like Kate Middleton sometimes.”
“I don’t look like Kate Middleton. I could never pull off one of those ridiculous hats she has to wear.” Beth grabbed the magnificent creation before Jenna dropped it on the floor.
Oh my God, how many pounds could one dress weigh? If she’d known she was going to wear this silver sequined work of art, she’d have eaten Wheaties for breakfast.
“Actually, when you wear your hair down, you really do. Well, Kate Middleton disguised as a harried, single soccer mom. Please go try on the dress.”
This was so not Jenna, but hey! What would it hurt to put this glitzy frock on? “I’ll be right back.”