“No. He’s not ready.”
“Then why did he call me incessantly?”
“He thinks he’s ready, but I told him he isn’t.”
“I’m getting tired of asking you questions, Maddox. Do you want to explain, or are you going to continue being evasive?”
“Brodie hasn’t pulled his head out of his ass yet, but he’s close. I promised him that I’d get you to listen to him when I think he’s ready.”
“Quite a promise to keep given you’re not the decision-maker.”
“I’ll make you a promise too, Peyton. If he figures it out, you’ll want to talk to him. If he doesn’t, I won’t be knocking on your door asking you to.”
“That’s fair.”
“The nurse told me you were down the hall looking at the babies with a guy that looked like a lumberjack. Had to see it with my own eyes. Is that really Maddox Butler checking out babies?”
“Hi, Alex.” Maddox stood and offered her his chair, but she waved him off, and leaned down to kiss Peyton’s cheek instead.
“How’s our girl today?”
“Me, or the baby?”
“Both.”
“Better now that you’ve delivered whatever food is waiting back in the room.”
“I didn’t bring food today.”
“You’re a liar. I can smell it.”
“No you can’t.”
“Pregnancy superpower. You can smell deep dish pizza from miles away.”
“Damn. That is a superpower.”
Peyton watched as a funny look flashed across Alex’s face. The same one as the other night.
“Time to go check on my baby brother. Alex, can you get Peyton back to the room okay?” Before she had a chance to answer, he held up his hands. “I was just being polite. I know you can get her back to the room okay.”
He knelt down and kissed Peyton’s forehead. “I’ll see you later, sister.” Maddox walked down the hall and turned near the bank of elevators.
“What’s with the two of you?”
“It’s weird right now.”
“Does it have anything to do with the freaky expressions I see move across your face sometimes?”
“Like when?”
“Like just now, with the aroma superpower.”
“Ready?” Alex released the lock on the wheelchair and pushed Peyton toward her room.
“Alex?”
“Yes?”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Not yet.”
“I’m goin’ home.”
“I thought you already left.”
“No, I went for a walk. Ma said she and Da will be here later tonight. She’ll sing you a lullaby or somethin’. I think Skye is coming too.”
“Maddox?”
“Yeah, Brodie.”
“I can’t figure it out.”
“You will.”
“You’re talking to her, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I am.”
18
“Bet it’s going to feel good to sleep in your own bed.”
“It is, although this isn’t my own bed, Mom.”
Peyton’s mom fluffed her pillows, and opened the bedroom window. “It used to be.”
“Actually, it didn’t. This was my bedroom, but this is a new bed.”
When her mom straightened the books on the nightstand for the second time, Peyton put her hand on her mother’s arm.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, Peyton.” Her mom sat down on the bed and put her face in her hands.
“Are you crying?” Peyton tried to pull her mother’s hands away from her face, but her mom wouldn’t budge. “You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” She wiped her tears away, and stood. “Let me go get your father.”
“Didn’t you hear the doctor say I’m supposed to avoid stress?” Peyton shouted at her mother, who was already partway down the stairs.
She didn’t feel any better when her father walked in a few minutes later. He held an envelope in his hand, and his face was ashen.
“Dad, what it is? You’re scaring me now too.”
“I’m sorry, Peyton. There’s no easy way to tell you this.”
“Just tell me, Dad.”
“Lang has filed a petition for joint custody.”
“Over my dead body.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of.”
“This is ridiculous. He wouldn’t know the boys if he saw them.”
“He has seen them.”
Peyton flew out of the bed, but her father grabbed her arm and made her sit back down.
“When?”
“He’s been going to their basketball games.”
“Oh my God. What have the boys said? Has he approached them?”
“Not yet, or at least not that anyone saw. I’m so sorry, Peyton.”
“They know better than to talk to strangers, and that’s what he is to them.”
“He’s also their father, Peyton.”
“No, Dad. He isn’t. He’s their sperm donor. He doesn’t know anything about those boys. He hasn’t seen either one of them in seven years. Seven years, Dad. A couple basketball games don’t make up for seven years.”
“I know, honey. But they’re granting him a hearing.”
“When?”
“In two weeks. I’ll call Stan.”
Stan was their family attorney. He handled her divorce from Lang, and subsequent hearings when Lang got behind with child support payments. Stan would understand that Lang had no business asking for visitation, let alone joint custody. If she wasn’t so scared that something could go terribly wrong, and he’d somehow manage to get the judge to side with him, she’d laugh this off as being as ridiculous as it really was. What judge in his or her right mind would give a man who abandoned his children joint custody?
Alex answered on the third ring. “What’s up girlfriend? You bored outa your mind yet?”
“Alex, Lang wants custody of the boys.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“But—” Too late, Alex had already disconnected the call.
Peyton laid back down on the bed, and looked at the ceiling. If Kade were alive, he’d know exactly what to do. Her parents were wonderful, but they’d encourage Peyton to handle this the “right way.” They’d tell her to let the courts do their job, and surely everything would go the way it was supposed to. Unfortunately, Peyton knew of too many horror stories where a parent’s rights were respected more than the child’s. If they were to get a judge sympathetic to Lang, who he managed to convince the court that he made a mistake, and wanted a second chance, he may be given it.
The back door slammed, and Peyton heard Alex take the stairs two at a time.
“No f’in way this is happening. Over my dead body, Peyton.”
“I said the same thing to my dad. He’s talking to Stan now, I think. How did you get here so fast?”
“I was with Maddox.”
“Oh. Is that on again?”
“Not exactly. It’s complicated. By the way, Brodie is coming home today.”
“That’s nice.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured you’d say. Maddox won’t tell me what the two of you cooked up. He just tells me to stay out of it, and it’ll work itself out.”
“Stop right there. I don’t have anything cooked up with Maddox Butler. He has some twisted idea that Brodie is going to have an epiphany in which he sees the error of his ways, and for some reason, when that happens, I’ll forgive him.”
“Would you?”
“It isn’t about me forgiving him, Alex. He left me. Even if he tells me he’s sorry, what difference would that make? He left. It’s something he can apologize for, but he can’t change what made him leave in the first place.”
“Maybe he was scared.”
“You wanna know what really happened, Alex? We had sex, and when we were done having sex, Brodie apologized for it. He regretted having sex with me. He regretted it
so much, he left the country. He didn’t come out and say it, but the part he probably regretted the most was having unprotected sex with me. And sure enough, his worst fear is coming true. That sex he regretted so much, resulted in a pregnancy. Do you think there’s a chance in the world that I would accept that he didn’t regret it the way he told me, and he told Maddox he did. Because…why? Because I am pregnant? Or maybe he’ll look at me and decide he has to do the right thing. God, it makes me sick to think about it.”
“I didn’t know.”
“No, you didn’t. Do you have any idea how ashamed I am to know a man found me that distasteful? Could you really expect me to admit what happened between us?”
“No, Peyton. I’m so sorry.”
“Now that you know the whole story, you can understand, I’m sure, how it would be impossible for me to ever talk to Brodie Butler again, let alone forgive him. What the hell is there to forgive him for?”
When Peyton began to cry, Alex reached to hug her.
“Don’t. Don’t touch me, Alex. Don’t pity me. Don’t feel sorry for me.”
“I don’t pity you, Peyton. I’m sorry you’ve gone through this alone. That’s all. I wish I would’ve known sooner.”
Peyton rested her head on Alex’s shoulder. “I know, and I’m sorry. I have far worse things to worry about than Brodie Butler. Right now the evil bastard I have to figure out what to do about is Lang Becker.”
“I hate you,” Brodie spat at Maddox.
“Right back at ya, Brother.”
“Broderick Laird Butler! How dare you speak to your brother that way.”
“Fucker,” he mumbled under his breath.
“I’d watch it if I were you, Brodie.”
“You’re not me, Maddox, and I’m sick of this game you’re playing.”
“No games, Brother. What you did to Peyton is all on you.”
“Maddox?”
“Stay out of this, Ma. I don’t mean any disrespect to you or Da, but Brodie has to figure out his relationship with Peyton all on his own, with no interference from anyone. Do you understand me?”
Brodie couldn’t believe his eyes. His mother, the one capable of actually breathing hellfire and brimstone, curled her shoulders forward and walked away from Maddox in defeat. She actually nodded her head and walked away.
“Maybe they shouldn’t have released me from the hospital.”
“Why not?”
“Because I think I’m losing my mind.”
“I’m sorry, Brodie, but what you don’t seem to understand is that while you were in Argentina, Peyton’s life went on.”
“I do understand, Mad. And I swear to God, if anyone would let me have the keys to my automobiles, I’d be in Cambria, on her doorstep, faster than those wheels would take me. She’s blocked my calls. She’ll talk to you, but she won’t talk to me. What am I supposed to do?”
He’d never felt so powerless in his life, and his brother refused to help him. Not just Mad, Naught would barely talk to him. Skye came to see him, but when he asked her about Peyton, Skye asked who she was. Ainsley called a couple times, but she didn’t know anything about Peyton either.
Now that he was home, there was a chance he’d be able to convince one of his friends to take him to see her, since his family refused.
He sat down and put his head in his hands. This was as close as he came to crying in front of someone since he was rescued. He did plenty of it when he was alone.
Brodie stormed out the door of his parents’ house, went out into the field, and screamed at the top of his lungs. He screamed, and screamed, and screamed, until he fell to his knees, and sobbed.
He felt a soft hand on his back, and was certain it was his mother. He kept his face buried in his hands.
“Brodie? What’s going on?” He recognized the voice, and it wasn’t his mother’s.
“Leave me alone, Alex.”
Instead, she sat down next to him and crossed her legs.
“Seriously. Please leave me alone.”
“You really screwed things up, Brodie.”
“I know I did. Jesus. If I knew how to fix it, I would. And all of you telling me that as soon as I figure it out, you’ll let me talk to Peyton, is bullshit. I can’t figure out whatever the hell it is I’m supposed to figure out, Alex. I can’t.”
He put his face back in his hands, and cried. He couldn’t give a shit who saw him now.
“I’m not part of this, Brodie. Look at me.”
She didn’t speak again until he looked at her.
“I don’t know what’s going on with your brother. My guess is he’s trying to keep you from making things worse. I know that’s hard to understand, but I honestly don’t think he’s trying to stop you from talking to Peyton.”
“Why won’t she talk to me?”
“It’s complicated, Brodie, and I’m not sure I can explain it to you.”
“How about this? Why don’t you or Maddox or Naughton just say, ‘she hates you, Brodie’? Or ‘she never wants to see you again, Brodie’? Instead you say, ‘it’s complicated’, or ‘as soon as you figure how what you did wrong, we’ll let you talk to her’.”
“That isn’t what I’m saying.”
“You just did. You said it was complicated. Even my own ma walked away when Maddox told her to stay out of it. I feel like I’ve entered at alternate universe. Am I in hell, Alex? Is this what hell is? Did I die, and instead of being at home, like I think I am, I’m really in hell?”
Brodie followed Alex’s line of sight. Maddox was standing near the barn, watching them. He had his arms folded in front of his chest, and a scowl on his face.
“If this is hell, he must be Satan, because he’s made it his personal mission to torture me. Do you know he talks to her? Can you believe that? He talks to her, but he won’t let me talk to her.”
“He can’t stop you, Brodie.”
“How can I talk to her, Alex? I’ve been in the hospital. I’ve called her a thousand times, and she won’t take my calls. I’ve left her messages. I’ve tried to explain what happened that night, and nothing. No response. I bled over the phone, Alex. I admitted the absolute worst thing I’ve ever done in my life, and nothing. Nothing!”
“Tell me, Brodie.”
“I can’t. Don’t ask me to do that, Alex. First I tell Peyton, and she doesn’t say anything. Nothing. Then Maddox forces me to tell him. And the result? Nothing. Again, nothing. Wouldn’t you think if you admitted the absolute worst thing you’ve ever done in your whole life, someone would say something?”
“I think you should tell me, Brodie. I’ll say something. I might even be able to help you.”
“Stay out of this, Alex.”
Neither he nor Alex noticed Maddox walk over.
“You stay out of it, Maddox. Leave me alone, and stay the hell away from Peyton. You can scowl all you want, because I’m a Butler too, and I know how to scowl right back at you.”
“Maddox, I’m trying to help.”
“Alex.” Maddox looked down at her.
“This is ridiculous. I know how Peyton feels, because she told me. Brodie is obviously tortured by this. Why does it have to be this difficult?”
“He’s going to make it worse.”
“See, Brodie? I told you that your brother was trying to protect you, not keep you from Peyton. Right, Mad?”
“It’s true, Brodie. I don’t want to see things get so bad, they’re irreparable.”
“Go way, Maddox. Let Brodie talk to me.”
Mad huffed and shook his head, but he did as Alex asked. Alex grabbed Brodie’s hand. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“For a ride.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Alex.” They were sitting on a bench near the boardwalk on Moonstone Beach. “Just getting away, feeling the ocean air on my face, I feel like a different person.”
“Brodie, tell me what happened that night at Stave.”
“Alex,
please.”
“Brodie, I asked you before to look at me. I’m going to ask you to do that again.”
He turned his body, so they were face-to-face.
“She needs you. There’s a lot of shit happening in her life right now, and she needs you to help her through it. In order for you to be able to do that, I have to know what happened that night.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you, but if you do to me what Mad’s been doing, I swear I’m going to lose my mind.”
“I won’t, Brodie. I’ll be completely honest with you.”
Alex was leaning forward, with her head in her hands.
“You told me you were going to be honest with me.”
“Did you tell Maddox everything you told me?”
“Yes. Jesus, Alex. Don’t do this to me.”
“I get it. Now I’m going to tell you how Peyton sees it.”
19
Brodie walked into his parents’ house feeling more like himself than he had since before he left for Argentina.
“We need to talk,” he said to his parents. “All of us. I’m going to find Maddox and Naughton and ask them to come up to the house. Okay?”
“You get Maddox, and I’ll find Naughton,” his father offered.
“I’m already here.” Maddox walked out of the kitchen.
“And, Ma, can you please start acting like yourself again? It’s almost like I don’t know who you are anymore.”
“Brodie, I—”
“Let her be, Son.”
Brodie shook his head. He planned to get to the bottom of all this craziness today, with his parents, and with Peyton.
When his father came back to the house with Naughton, Brodie asked everyone to sit at the kitchen table. He stood.
“To begin, things between Peyton and I are not resolved. I haven’t spoken with her, but I intend to very soon. There is something happening that she needs our help with. You may tell me that you don’t think this is any of our business, but as Kade’s brother, I’ve made it our business.”
“Go on, Son.” Laird raised his hand when Maddox began to say something. “Let him finish.”
“I spent a couple hours with Alex Avila, and she told me Peyton’s ex-husband filed a petition asking for joint custody of her boys.”
The Promise (Butler Ranch Book 1) Page 20