by S. J. McCoy
Jack looked at him again, and Eddie gave him an apologetic shrug. He could see Chris’s point, but he was pretty sure he’d feel the same way Jack did if he were in his shoes.
“Don’t worry,” said Ben. “We were taking good care of her.”
Jack nodded. “Sorry. I was just surprised; that’s all.”
Chris smiled at Eddie. “Don’t mind him. He can get a little overprotective.”
Ben smirked. “Overprotective might be an understatement.”
Jack ran his hand through his hair and gave them all a rueful smile. “All right, all right. I said I’m sorry.”
Chris patted his hand. “It’s okay; we’re only teasing you. And look, there’s Emma now.”
“Well, at least come sit with us for a minute and say hello to her?”
Chris slipped down from her seat. “I’ll be back,” she told Ben with a wink.
Eddie laughed when they’d gone. “She strikes me as one cool lady!”
Ben nodded. “She’s awesome. She often pops in for a drink; well, I think it’s more just to hang out, really. She seems to be pretty sociable, which surprised me at first.”
“Why’s that?”
Ben gave him a long, measured look. “I’ll tell you, but only because I have a feeling you might need to know at some point.”
“Know what?” Eddie was intrigued.
“She had a pretty rough life when the guys were young. Their dad was an alcoholic and mean. They all took the brunt of it until Jack got big enough to step in and stop him. That’s why he’s so overprotective. He used to protect his mom and Dan from his dad.”
“The dad used to hit them?”
Ben nodded. “All of them.”
“Shit!”
Ben nodded. “He died, but Chris never remarried.”
“Do you know why?” Eddie’s curiosity was piqued.
Ben shrugged. “It’s only a guess based on things she’s said when I’ve talked with her, but I think she felt guilty. She hated what her boys had lived through. Their dad was a drunk, but she loved him.”
Eddie nodded. That was sad. “She seems like she’s doing okay now?”
Ben nodded. “She is; she’s great.”
“And why would you think I’d ever need to know her story?”
Ben shrugged. “Just a hunch.” He turned away to serve some customers at the other end of the bar.
Eddie took a swig of his beer and thought about it. He was about to start dating a woman whose husband had beat her and her son. Maybe there’d be something he could learn from Chris and her history that might help April somehow.
~ ~ ~
Once Marcus was in bed, April sat down in the living room with a big smile on her face. She was going out with Eddie on Friday—on a date! Maybe? It must be a date; he’d said he’d love to take her out. Not that he’d love for the two of them to hang out, but to take her out. That meant a date, didn’t it? She hoped so, but she wasn’t entirely sure. She hadn’t dated in over ten years! The last person she’d dated was Guy. She shuddered at the thought of him. What had she ever seen in him? Or had she just been flattered that he’d seen something in her?
The phone rang, and she hurried to get it, hoping it wouldn’t disturb Marcus.
“Hello?”
“Hello, April, it’s me.”
She started to shake. It felt as though just thinking about him had somehow conjured him up. She’d known he’d find her eventually. “Hello, Guy.”
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?”
She waited; he wasn’t expecting an answer.
“I’m going to give you one chance.”
“At what?” She hated the way her voice shook. She shouldn’t have to be scared of him, not anymore.
“I’m going to give you the chance to get your skinny little ass back here. You be here before the end of the week, and I won’t be too hard on you, or the boy.”
“No!” She couldn’t help it; she screamed the word. No way was she ever going back to him, and no way would she let him harm Marcus ever again. “No!”
“You don’t get to tell me no, April. You do as you’re told. You’re my wife, and you’d better start behaving like it.”
“I am not your wife—not anymore. I’m done, finished. I don’t want anything to do with you, and neither does Marcus. Leave us alone, Guy, please?” Why did she have to sound like she was pleading? She wanted to sound strong, but she wasn’t strong enough. Not yet.
His laughter sent waves of fear skittering down her spine. “You’ll be done when I say you are, you little bitch. I’m not sure I could stand to keep you around now anyway, but we’ll get you here before I decide what to do with you. And Marcus is my son. He’s coming home, and he’s staying here with me.”
“No!” She slammed the phone down. She couldn’t bear the thought of Marcus having to be around Guy again, let alone having to live with him—without her! No! She could not—would not let that happen. She looked around wildly. Maybe she should pack up and leave? If he knew her phone number, he must know where she was living! She started to panic. Perhaps he was already here? She crept toward the window and carefully lifted the edge of the curtain. Everything was quiet out there. There were no signs of anyone around.
She took a deep breath to calm herself. He said we’ll get you here, so he must still be at home in Montana. That thought brought her a little relief, but not much. She’d known he’d find them eventually; she was surprised it had taken him this long. Now that he had, she didn’t know what to do. She shouldn’t panic. She knew that much.
She picked the phone back up and called Renée. Gabe used to be a lawyer, maybe he’d have some ideas on what she could do. She should get a restraining order or something. She should start divorce proceedings against him. She wished she’d started already.
“Hey, what’s up?” asked Renée.
“I, umm.” She didn’t know where to start.
“Is everything okay?”
“No. Guy just called me.”
“Oh, shit! What did he say?”
“That he’s giving me one chance to come home. That he’s going to take Marcus away from me, and that he doesn’t know yet what he’s going to do with me.”
“What? He’s giving you one chance? He doesn’t stand a chance!”
“He shouldn’t, but I don’t know what to do. I wondered if Gabe might have any ideas about restraining orders or…I don’t know what.”
“Gabe’s in Sacramento until tomorrow night.”
“Oh, sorry, yeah. I forgot.”
“I can come over if you like? If you want the company.”
“That’s okay, thanks. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you sitting there worrying all night.”
“I’m going to do that either way, but I’ll be fine.”
“What about Dan’s friend, Leanne? Didn’t she say she’d help you?”
“Yeah, she did. Maybe I’ll dig out her card and give her a call.”
“You should. And if you change your mind, just call me back, and I’ll come right over.”
“Thanks, bye.”
“Bye.”
April hung up and stared around the living room as if seeing it for the first time. She felt like she’d been living a dream these last couple of months—a very pleasant dream, but now the nightmare of her reality was catching up with her.
She looked up as the living room door opened and Marcus stood there looking scared. “Are you okay, Mom?”
She nodded and held her arms out to him. “Everything’s okay; everything’s going to be fine.” She was trying to reassure herself as much as him as he climbed into her lap and she hugged him tight.
He looked up at her with big wide eyes. “Was that Dad on the phone?”
She nodded. She’d hoped he hadn’t heard, but she wasn’t going to lie to him.
His eyes grew even wider. “We don’t have to go back there, do we?”
“I know, but Dad…he…” April’s heart broke for him as the tears began to slide down his cheeks. “I don’t want to go back there, Mom. Don’t make me? Please?”
She held him close as her own tears began to fall. “Don’t worry, Marcus. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” April felt herself become stronger as she spoke the words. She’d never allowed herself to make the boy promises before because she’d never known if she’d be able to keep them. She never knew what Guy would allow her to do—or stop her from doing. But Guy wasn’t in control of her life anymore—she was. She was the one making the rules now, and she wasn’t going to allow him to hurt her son ever again. She stroked his hair. “We’re going to be okay. I promise. I’m going to make sure of it.”
When he looked up at her, her resolve grew even stronger, because what she saw in his eyes was trust, and no way would she let him down.
~ ~ ~
Eddie felt a little unsure of himself as he pulled up in front of the house. April had agreed to go out with him tomorrow night, but he hadn’t heard anything from her for a couple of days. He hadn’t wanted to keep pushing her, but he figured that just checking in the day before their date would be okay. Wouldn’t it? There was only one way to find out. He got out of the car and walked up the path.
He knocked on the front door and waited. He could hear movement inside, and then he saw the curtain twitch in the front room. He smiled, wondering if it was Marcus.
April opened the front door a few moments later. “Hi, come on in.” She looked over his shoulder as she hurried him inside. That was odd, and she looked nervous as hell.
She led him through to the kitchen and didn’t speak.
“Is everything all right?
She nodded. “Sorry. Yes. Everything’s fine. How are you?”
He brought his hand up to rub the side of his head. “Up until I knocked on the front door, I would have said I’m great, but now I’m worried about you. What’s going on?”
She sighed and sank into one of the chairs at the table, then gestured for him to take a seat himself. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little on edge.”
“I noticed. Do you want to tell me why?”
She held his gaze for a moment, and he felt certain she was going to say no. “I…well…okay. Guy called here after you left the other night.”
“Your ex?” Eddie felt the adrenaline surge. He wanted to kill that bastard! But he couldn’t let her see that.
She nodded. “He’s found us.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I knew it was only a matter of time before he did.”
“And what does he want?”
“Us to go home. Well, he wants Marcus home. He said he isn’t sure what he’s going to do with me.”
Eddie shook his head. He didn’t dare speak straight away. “And what did you tell him?”
“To go to hell.” She let out a big sigh. “I was too weak for too long. There’s no way I’m going to let him anywhere near Marcus.”
Eddie nodded. “Good. How can I help?”
She lifted her gaze to meet his; there was such gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t even know what I’m going to do myself yet, but I’d love to have a friend to help me through it.”
Eddie’s heart sank. Just when he thought he had a chance of becoming more than her friend. But this wasn’t about what he wanted; it was about what she needed. She needed a friend, and she didn’t need the complication of getting involved with someone new at this point. This was about keeping her and Marcus safe and helping them break free from her ex once and for all. He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “I’m here for you. Whatever I can do, whatever you want from me, I’m here for you, okay?”
She nodded. “Thank you. I talked to Gabe; he said the first thing I should do is get a restraining order and talk to a divorce lawyer. I talked to Dan’s friend Leanne, and she’s going to help me figure out what to do about filing for divorce. I wanted to do it here in California, but I can’t until I’ve lived here for six months. I don’t know if I should wait until I can do that, or if I should file in Montana.”
“Did she think either state would be more favorable for you?”
“She didn’t know enough about Montana, but she’s looking into it. I don’t know what to do for the best. I’m scared. I’m scared he’ll show up here and try to take Marcus away.” She shuddered. “Part of me just wants to pack up and run. But I’m not going to.”
He nodded. “You can’t keep running. You came here, you’ve made a good start on a good life for you and Marcus. If you run now, it’d be like letting him steal that away from you.”
She nodded. “I know, but it’s still tempting.”
Eddie could understand that.
“But for the first time in my life, I’m going to take the initiative. I’m going to take control and figure out what I can do, not just wait and see what happens to me.”
Eddie smiled. “Good for you. I’m proud of you.” He was. He could understand her being scared, he could understand her wanting to run away from it, but he knew as well as she did that it would never be over until she stood and faced it. “You’re going to be okay, April.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I hope so.”
He got up and went around the table to her. Kneeling down in front of her, he took hold of both her hands. “I know so.” She smiled at him through the tears, and he couldn’t help it. He had to wrap his arms around her and hold her. Her arms came around his shoulders, and she clung to him as she cried on his shoulder.
“Mom?” Marcus appeared in the doorway. He looked at Eddie with big, scared eyes.
“It’s okay, little dude.” Eddie held an arm out to him. “Your mom just needed to have a cry.”
Marcus nodded and came to stand beside them. He leaned into Eddie as he closed his arm around his shoulders. Eddie felt a suspicious pricking behind his own eyes. He had to swallow the lump in his throat. These two had been through so much, and as he held them both to him, he vowed he wasn’t going to let any more bad shit happen to them.
Chapter Nine
April smiled at Michael. “It’s so good of you both to have him over again. Ethan must come and stay with us one night soon, though. You and Megan should get a night out.”
Michael grinned at her. “No worries, darl’. You go and have yourself a good time. You deserve it. Meggie doesn’t feel much like going out at the moment; the first trimester’s been tough on her. We’d only be hanging out here at home anyway. And having Marcus over means Ethan’s happy, too. So we all win.”
“I hope so, but it feels so one-sided.”
“Don’t you worry about it. Marcus is no trouble. He’d have to come over here at least four times to even things out with you putting up with Ethan just once.”
She laughed at that. “Ethan’s wonderful.”
Michael laughed with her. “I know, I’m his dad. He’s a great kid, but he’s exhausting.”
April nodded. “But I do love having him over.”
“We’ll take you up on it soon enough, don’t you worry. I hear you’re going out with Eddie, tonight?”
She nodded shyly.
Michael grinned. “He’s a good guy. Have a great time.”
“I’ll try. I should get going.”
“Okay, darl’, see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Michael.”
When she got home, April looked in her closet. What was she supposed to wear? She wanted to look good. She hadn’t brought much with her when they’d left Montana. She’d just packed what she and Marcus would need to get by before they snuck out of the house while Guy was out. She did have some nice clothes, but she’d never see them again now. She looked at her watch, thoughts like that weren’t helping her get ready. She pulled out her favorite jeans—the ones that made her look like she almost had an ass! And a black top that was at l
east a little dressy. She wanted Eddie to know that she’d made an effort.
Half an hour later, she checked herself out in the long mirror on the back of the bedroom door. She was pleased with what she saw. She looked good. Yes, she looked very good. She’d straightened her hair so it was sleek and she’d taken the time to put her makeup on, something she hadn’t done in far too long. In fact, now she thought about it, she hadn’t done it at all since she’d come to Summer Lake. It had been part of her little rebellion, she supposed. Guy wouldn’t take her out unless she was wearing what she’d come to think of as full war paint. He liked bright red lipstick and heavy dark eyes. She made a face at the memory; she’d hated the look on herself. It made her feel like a hooker—which was probably why he liked it! Tonight she’d done a more tasteful version; she’d gone for what she thought was dramatic rather than slutty.
She started at the sound of a knock on the front door. Eddie was early! She’d thought she had a little while yet. She couldn’t help the smile on her face as she made her way down the stairs. She was looking forward to tonight!
The smile on his face when she opened the door took her breath away. He looked gorgeous! His sandy hair was perfectly tousled, and his hazel eyes shone as he looked her over. “Damn!”
Her smile faded on her face. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head rapidly. “No! You’re just… you look…” He met her gaze. “Beautiful.”
She let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. For a second there she’d thought he was going to say he’d forgotten something and wouldn’t be able to take her out after all! “Thank you! So do you.”
He raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. God, he was so sexy when he did that! “Beautiful?”
“You know what I mean.” She pushed at his arm and then wondered if she should have. She was forgetting herself. Getting carried away.
His smile said he didn’t mind at all. In fact, if she had to guess, she’d say he liked it.
“Do you want to come in? I’m nearly ready.”
He nodded and followed her through to the kitchen. “Sorry, I’m a bit early.” He gave her a bashful smile. “I couldn’t wait. I was too excited.”