INNOCENCE AND ARROGANCE

by Kimberley Reeves

  It was well after midnight before Mina gave up the hope he would call her back. She let Buster in for the night and crawled into bed, for the first time letting the despair she felt wash over her. The king size bed Scott had bought her seemed even bigger without him beside her and Mina felt incredibly small and vulnerable sleeping in it. She laid there for a long time, her mind refusing to rest, her heart refusing to ease up on the pain.

  Scott’s refusal to even discuss what had happened could only mean he had no intention of giving in. She felt horrible for Rene, but she had herself to worry about now. Without a job, she’d be out of money in no time. The bulk of what she’d made had already been sent back to her brothers and she’d held back just enough each month to pay for utilities, groceries, and put a little in savings for emergencies. She couldn’t expect to live here for free now and she’d lose the use of the truck in a few days. At best, she could survive for a month on what she had, but what good would that do when it had taken her almost six months to find the job at S.S.T. Shipping?

  Mina flopped over on her back. By now, almost all of the furniture and things she’d owned before she met Scott were gone, replaced by newer, more expensive items. Of course, most of them had been paid for by Scott so she wouldn’t have to worry about how she’d take anything with her. If she couldn’t patch things up with him and get him to relent, Mina didn’t see that she had any choice but to return to Washington.

  As much as she missed her family, the thought of leaving and never seeing Scott again was killing her. The business trip he’d planned back to Washington a few months earlier had been rescheduled until later in the year so she hadn’t been able to go home and visit yet. Now it seemed her visit would be a permanent one. Mina tossed and turned far into the night until exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell asleep.

  The first thing she did when she woke up was to dial Scott’s number. She let it ring five times then hung up, not caring to hear the voice mail pick up and tell her to leave a message. After several more attempts to reach him through the morning and into the afternoon, Mina finally gave up. Her whole body ached for him, for the sound of his voice, the feel of his touch, but it was painfully obvious he no longer wanted anything to do with her.

  It took all the inner strength she had to call the airline and book a flight to Spokane. It was still a good two hour drive from there to her parent’s house, but she thought maybe she’d spend a few days with a friend of hers in Spokane before calling one of her brothers to come and get her. She’d need some time to get her emotions in check before going home and since she didn’t want to alarm her family, she decided to wait until just before she was ready to be picked up to call them.

  With her flight plans in order and Buster’s transportation arranged, Mina went through the house gathering what little she owned and tossed everything in two suitcases. She kept all her underclothes and the few pairs of jeans and shirts she’d purchased herself, but she left everything else behind. The only thing she couldn’t bear to part with was the green dress she’d gotten from Jessica Carey’s dress shop. She figured the four hundred dollars she’d dished out of her own money would probably cover it.

  Mina left the suitcases in her room. Her flight would leave late in the afternoon the following day so she still held out a small amount of hope that Scott would at least answer one of her calls or stop by. With everything packed and ready, she finally sat down with a piece of stationary and pen and spent the next hour composing a letter to Scott. She thanked him for giving her the job and apologized that it hadn’t worked out.

  She also thanked him for making sure she was taken care of while she was here and for allowing her to stay in the beach house rent free so she could send money to her brothers. She told him she’d leave the keys to the truck and the house with the letter and said she hoped he could find a replacement for her at work and a new tenant soon. Then with a heavy heart, she told him she loved him, that she would never forget him, and that she wished him happiness.

  ****

  Scott listened for the sound of his cell phone even though he wasn’t ready to answer it just yet. Mina had called four or five times already that morning, but the phone had remained silent for several hours. He’d been livid when he heard the way Rene Robinson was talking to Mina and the awful name she’d called her, but he’d nearly lost all control when Mina stood up for the woman and asked him to keep her on at the company.

  On top of everything, she’d tried to pressure him into keeping Rene by threatening to quit herself. Scott wasn’t used to having anyone corner him as she had done. No one told him how to run his business and he’d been so angry at her for trying to force his hand, he’d let her go.

  He’d spent most of Friday night sitting on his deck, sipping on cold beers and doing his best to ignore the ringing of his phone. Mina had to learn that he couldn’t be pushed around and that their personal relationship couldn’t be used to influence his decisions. As much as it hurt to do so, he’d hadn’t answered the phone or attempted to contact her. He was confident that she’d show up to work on Monday morning, being as conscientious as she was about her job. Then maybe he’d talk to her about what happened and make sure she understood he wouldn’t tolerate her interfering with his business decisions again.

  That was how he’d felt on Friday anyway. By Saturday afternoon, he missed her so much he could barely stand it. He’d come to treasure the weekends when he could spend so much time with her and it was gnawing at his gut to keep himself distanced from her. With nothing to do but think, Scott’s mind rewound the conversation they’d had and Mina’s reasons for keeping Rene on.

  He found himself riding a roller coaster; believing one minute he’d been justified in doing what he’d done, then plunging into a fit of deep remorse for not letting her handle the situation as she asked. In some respects, Mina was right. Scott took great care to employ people he believed could handle the job he hired them for and, as a result, had very low turnover.

  She’d probably also been right about the other administrative staff harboring resentment towards her personally if he fired Rene. Even if they knew it was his decision to do so, they’d never believe Mina didn’t have some part in it, considering it was her that Rene had been belittling with her co-workers. Still, it was his company and she should have respected his wishes.

  That was his train of thought until Sunday morning when he woke to find Mina had made no further attempts to reach him. He wandered aimlessly around the house then went down to the beach and sat on the shore for awhile. He pictured Mina crying, hurting because he’d so stubbornly refused to answer her calls. He remembered the night he’d gone over to her house after they’d argued and found her beautiful eyes swollen and red from crying for so long and the feeling of utter despair he’d had when he thought he might lose her. As solid as his resolve had been on Friday to stick to his convictions, Scott now found those convictions seriously without much merit.

  He got up, brushing the sand absently from his shorts and went back to the house. As much as he hated to admit it, maybe she was right. Maybe he did need to trust the people he’d so carefully chosen to run his company. After all, he’d given her the authority over the administrative staff and the first time she attempted to remedy a bad situation, he’d stepped in and took away any credibility she might have had.

  In that situation, Scott had no doubt he’d have handed in his resignation too. He took a moment to swallow his pride then pulled out his copy of the company directory and dialed Rene’s home phone number. The first thing he needed to do was offer Rene her job back. He would, however, let her know in no uncertain terms that such behavior in the future would result in her immediate termination.

  To his surprise, as soon as he’d identified himself, Rene stumbled all over herself to apologize for what she’d done. She’d seriously misjudged Mina, she told him, and felt even worse after Mina stood up for her and jeopardized her own job. He talked with her for several minutes before hangin
g up. Rene had thanked him profusely for not firing her and then asked how Mina was doing. She’d gone silent for a few moments when he told her he hadn’t spoken with Mina since Friday. Somehow, that had made him feel even worse.

  Scott checked the time and realized he wouldn’t be able to spend very long with Mina if he talked to her now because he was expected at his parent’s house for dinner in less than an hour. He changed clothes quickly and decided he’d eat and run then spend the rest of the night with her trying to make up for being such a stubborn jerk.

  Just the thought of being with her, even if it was going to be a bit rocky to begin with, lifted his spirits tremendously. In a few hours he’d have her back in his arms where she belonged and no matter what future arguments they had, he was never going to let this happen again. The weekend had been miserable for him and he had no doubt it had been just as hard on her. They belonged together and he was determined to make things right so they’d never spend another night apart again.

  **

  Mina set the letter on the dining room table along with her cell phone, the keys to both the truck and the house. She took one last look around, choking back the tears and trying to still the God awful pain in her chest. Then she picked up her bags, brought them out to the driveway, and wound Buster’s leash around her hand. The cab that would take her to the airport arrived a few short minutes later.

  The rest of the afternoon was a blur of airports, taxi rides, and checking luggage in and out. By seven o’clock that night she was settled into the spare bedroom of her friend’s house. Debbie hadn’t asked any questions on the drive to her house and she’d remained bright and cheerful throughout dinner and while Mina put her things in the spare room.

  But when Mina finally sat before her friend at the kitchen table, Debbie told her to cut the crap and tell her what was going on.

  That was all it took for Mina to lose what little composure she still clung to and she’d burst into tears. After several minutes of crying her eyes out, she took the tissue Debbie offered her, dabbed the tears away and started from the beginning.

  Chapter 11

  Scott pulled out of his parent’s driveway feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. As close as his family was, it didn’t take them long to figure out something was wrong. He’d been hesitant to tell them at first, but finally gave into their relentless questioning. He told them everything that had happened on Friday and his subsequent refusal to answer her calls. To his surprise, his usually supportive family hadn’t taken his calloused treatment of Mina very well. Even his father had berated him for being so cold. Scott took their verbal abuse for several minutes before glancing around the table in disbelief.

  “I don’t get it,” he said, looking from face to face. “You haven’t even met Mina and you’re taking her side.”

  “What difference does that make?” His sister, Jenna, said haughtily. “You don’t treat someone you love like that, Scott. The poor little thing probably cried her eyes out all weekend!”

  Nick eyed his brother with disapproval. “I understand you being upset about the business because you’ve always been pretty predatory when it comes to the company, but ignoring her calls and not trying to talk it out was just wrong.”

  “I know that, so you can all stop staring at me like I’m some sort of monster. And I never said anything about being in love with Mina so why are you all acting like she’s already part of the family?” Scott sat there in stunned silence when everyone at the table burst out laughing.

  Maggie got up and came around the table. She patted Scott on the back, still chuckling as she did so. “I never saw anyone resist falling in love as hard as you have, except maybe your father, but this girl of yours has put your heart right in your eyes and that’s something you just can’t hide. You can’t even say her name without your voice changing and a smile pasting itself to your face.”

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You don’t need to stick around for dessert, honey. You go make up with Mina and next week I expect to see her sitting at the table with the rest of the family. You should have brought her around long before now since you intend to marry the girl.”

  “Marry her? I never said anything…” Scott stopped and glanced around at all the arched eyebrows and knowing smirks. He stood up and threw his napkin on his plate. “Fine, I admit it. I do love Mina and maybe I want to marry her too, but I’m not about to let all of you bully me into asking her until I’m good and ready.”

  Jenna snorted. “It’s exactly that bull headed attitude of yours that got you in trouble to begin with.” She looked at her own husband, Rob. Her face softened. “Take it from someone who knows. If you love Mina, don’t wait so long you take a chance of losing her.”

  Scott looked at his parents, still so in love after being together for almost thirty four years. His sister, Abby smiled and nodded. She and her husband, Jack, exchanged a loving glance as their son chatted happily in the high chair behind them. Gage and Allie each held a baby on their laps and looked just as much in love as they had the day they were married. Even Adam, who was the only one in the family not married or involved with someone gave him a nod of approval.

  Scott grinned. “Okay, I guess I’m good and ready now so I’ll just be on my way.” He could still hear their laughter floating behind them as he headed out the door.

  He pulled into Mina’s driveway, suddenly feeling afraid she might just slam the door in his face. He’d certainly deserve it if she did, but he was determined to make her forgive him and would stand on the deck and shout through the glass doors if he had to. It didn’t really hit him until he was almost to the door that all the lights were off, but he thought she might be in her bedroom or may have even gone to bed early. He was a little disturbed to find she’d left the door unlocked, although he knew her argument would be that Buster was around to keep her safe. Well, he’d address that issue another time.

  Scott walked in and turned on the living room light. The stillness of the house was alarming enough, but when Buster didn’t come barreling down the hall to investigate who had come in, he felt a cold fear grip his heart. He hurried down the hall to her bedroom, then checked both the spare room and bathroom. Her truck was in the driveway so she had to be here somewhere. When it occurred to him she probably took Buster for a walk, he calmed down a little.

  He wandered into the kitchen to grab a soda then stopped short when he saw her phone and the keys on the table next to a piece of paper. His hand shook as he reached out and unfolded it. He dropped down into a chair, his heart sinking in his chest the more he read. Mina had left him.

  He let the letter slip from his fingers. She couldn’t be gone, she just couldn’t be. What would he do without Mina in his life? A sickening panic welled up inside of him at the thought of never holding her again, never kissing her, never making love to her. His beautiful green-eyed Mina, so calm and confident at work, so full of love and laughter at home. There were so many fascinating facets to her personality he could spend a lifetime with her and still want more.

  Scott stood up, a firm determination taking hold. He loved her and she loved him, everything else was inconsequential. He didn’t care what he had to do or what it took, but Mina was coming back and he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight again until they were married.

  ****

  Mina spent the next few days in a dark depression. She was thankful that Debbie had to work because she didn’t want her friend to see her falling to pieces every few minutes. She held herself together as best she could when Debbie got off work then when she fell into bed at night, Mina would let herself go again. By Thursday, she was able to go two or three hours at a time without breaking into tears. She figured she’d give it until Sunday before she called her family to ask one of the boys come to get her.

  Mina had called Barbara earlier to say good-bye and let her know she was going to miss her. She was pleasantly surprised to find out Scott had let Rene come back to work and B
arbara told her Rene had recanted everything she’d ever said about Mina.

  “Not only that,” Barbara said, “but she’s told everyone how you stuck up for her and lost your own job because of it. She even went down to Human Resources and confessed to that poor boy and apologized for using him. She’s asked me every single day if I’ve heard from you yet.”

  “Tell her I’m glad she got her job back. I think it’s important for her to know it was Scott’s decision though.”

  “You mean you didn’t talk him into it?”

  “He…he wouldn’t answer my calls,” Mina said miserably.

  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Maybe he’s at home now and you can go talk to him.”

  “Isn’t he at work?”

  “Well no,” Barbara said. “He hasn’t been at work all week. The receptionist said Mr. Travis called Monday to see if you’d shown up for work and when she told him no, he said he’d be gone until further notice.”

  Mina didn’t quite know what to make of it. “I guess I’d better let you go. I don’t want to rack up long distance charges on Debbie’s phone. I’ll call you in a few days after I get settled in at Mom and Dad’s.”