“It happens. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make a couple of calls and make an appointment to get it fixed. See ya.” Dex closed the door and patted his pockets. No phone. He went to the car, retrieved it from the glove box where he’d kept it during training, and powered it on.
Three missed calls and voicemails from Aria. Dex sighed. If only she were here.
The phone rang in his hand. Mom.
“Hey, Mom. How’s it going?” Guilt niggled his conscience. He needed to be a better son and step up his efforts to call his mother more often. As it was, he hadn’t talked to her since the Christmas dinner fiasco.
“I’m fine. Everything okay with you?”
“I’m good. I moved into my own apartment a few weeks ago. It’s nice to come home and not have to look at the same guys I work all day with. A lot less drama too.”
“Good for you. You never seemed happy with sharing the house. At least, not after living with them for months on end.”
“It got old fast. Now, I can cook a big meal and actually enjoy eating my leftovers instead of having the locust boys devour everything in the fridge.” And that was just one of the less-significant benefits of living alone.
“Are you and Aria still seeing each other?”
Dex figured Mom would get around to asking about his love life. “Yeah. Her father has an apartment not far from my place. Aria and her mom were supposed to start out from New York this morning and get here tonight for a visit, but something came up, and Aria won’t be able to make it.” Stupid professor. The man’s personal scheduling problems were spilling over and becoming his and Aria’s. Dex disliked him more and more every day.
“Sorry to hear that. I’m sure you were disappointed. She’s quite a girl. Smart, articulate, polite. I like her very much.”
“Me too.”
“Your father just walked into the room. Would you like to say hi to him?”
“Not really.”
“Charles,” Mom called out, “come say hello to Jason.”
Dex sighed. He should have known he didn’t have a choice. Muffled grumbling on the other end of the line confirmed his father’s displeasure at being wrangled onto the phone.
“Hello, Jason,” Dad said.
The clash between love and anger, forgiveness and retribution triggered his anxiety and chipped away at his resolve to give up on their relationship. “Hi, Dad. How’ve you been lately?”
“Good. You?” Bland and staccato, Dad’s reply didn’t give much hope for a real conversation.
“Not bad.”
Forgive him. Apologize for your disrespect. Aria’s words churned in Dex’s head. They’d seemed absurd at the time, but now, not so much. Man, what he wouldn’t give to close the chasm between him and his dad. To actually sit in the same room, gloves off, no referee necessary.
“Hey, Dad, I need to talk to you about what happened during Christmas dinner.”
“So, now you want to talk to the ol’ dirtbag, do you?”
“I’m sorry for calling you that and for raising my voice and making a scene. It was disrespectful, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
“That’s right. You shouldn’t have flown off the handle like you did. But, I’ll admit I shouldn’t have made the stripper wisecrack about your girlfriend. She seemed like a nice girl. Your mother hasn’t stopped riding me about it since.” Not exactly an apology, but close enough.
“Aria’s an amazing person.” Dex sat on the couch, his defenses melting. “For the record, I wasn’t the one who brought the stripper to the house. That was Michael’s doing. Before Aria, I’d never invited a girl home to meet you and Mom.”
“Hmm. Thought it was you.”
“Nope, I would definitely remember if I’d dated a girl with a name like Bambi Vixen.” It wasn’t the first time Dad had mentally reassigned Michael’s actions to him.
Dad chuckled. “I suppose you would at that. My mistake.” Another near-apology. Things weren’t going half bad.
“Dad, I’ve been thinking. You and I aren’t all that different. The reason you went into law is because you wanted to help people who needed legal defense. I went into the military to do the same, except the people I help need a different kind of defending.”
“You took a bullet in the leg last year. I’ve never been shot while doing my job. I’d say that’s a huge difference in what we do for a living.”
“True.” And every now and then he felt a twinge in his thigh where the bullet had penetrated. “But you could have been shot. Didn’t that gangster in the Conti family threaten to kill you if you won the case against him?”
“That was different. He was in custody, so there wasn’t much he could do to me from behind bars.”
“One of his goons could have picked you off. Ever think about that?”
“Where is this conversation going, Jason? If you’re trying to make a point, get to it.”
Dex’s mouth went dry. Years of frustration made it hard to voice what his heart wanted to say. “We’re family, Dad, and all I want is for us to tear down the barriers that keep us at odds with one another. I would love to be able to pick up the phone and call just to say hi, see how you’re doing, and talk a few minutes without arguing.”
Other than the faint sound of his father’s breathing, silence filled the airwaves.
“The point is I love you, Dad. You hear me? I love you, and I’m proud to be your son.”
Stone-cold silence.
“Dad? Say something. Please.”
“Jason, I-I’ve gotta go.”
“Hello? You still there?” Dex looked at the screen. Call ended. Dad had hung up.
Dex rose and shook his head. “I tried.”
Man, what he needed right now was a beer or three or six. Maybe even a couple of shots of Jim Beam. A quick trip to the store and he could come back home and have a private little pity party. It wouldn’t solve his problems, but maybe after a few hours of oblivion he wouldn’t care so much anymore.
He snatched his jacket and car keys and left the apartment.
Chapter 25
Aria followed her parents up the steps of Dad’s apartment building with her tag-along bag bumping the concrete treads behind her. “We’d have been here almost an hour ago if bad weather hadn’t slowed us down in New Jersey. We pulled off the road twice because of the wind and sleet.”
Dad pushed open the door, allowing Aria and her mom to pass by him into the living room. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” He slung an arm around Mom and pecked her cheek.
“Have you seen Dex today?” Aria checked her phone. “I called several times and left messages, but he hasn’t responded.”
“I was in meetings all day and didn’t see any of my guys. He probably forgot to turn his phone back on after training. His place isn’t far from here. Why don’t you take Mom’s car and shoot on over there?”
“You don’t mind? After all, I did come down to see you too, you know.”
“It’s okay with me.” Dad smiled and pulled Mom closer. “What do you say, Carolyn? Think we’ll be okay alone for a few hours?”
“Oh, I think we can manage.”
Mom’s quirky grin made Aria giggle. “Okay, that’s my cue to leave. I drove last, so I have the keys. See you later.”
Aria jumped in the car and used her phone’s GPS to guide her to Dex’s address. She quickly spotted his car in the parking lot. Yellow with black stripes, it had struck her as a racecar when she’d first seen it during a FaceTime chat. Aria pulled in next to it, double-checked his apartment number, and went to the door.
Mini blinds covered windows on either side of the door and glowed from light within. Muted sounds of a TV drifted out on the walkway. Aria raised a hand and knocked. Soon, she’d be sitting on the couch watching a show or movie with Dex. Or maybe doing some serious cuddling. Sh
e rapped the door again.
“Hold on, I’m coming,” Dex called from inside then pulled open the door. “Aria!” He reached for her.
She flung her purse inside, not caring where it landed, and flew into his embrace. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Dex squeezed her hard and kissed her neck. He turned from the door with her snug in his arms and closed it with his foot. “And I’ve missed you so bad it hurts.”
How wonderful to feel his body pressing against hers, his hands stroking and pulling her tight, and to know he’d longed for her during the long weeks apart. She couldn’t imagine ever loving another man so deeply. Here with him, her heart had found a home.
“You seem surprised I’m here. Didn’t you listen to the voicemails I left?”
“I meant to. Truth is I’ve been bummed out all day.”
“And maybe a little mad at me because I said I wasn’t coming?” Which was something she could totally understand. Pulling back slightly, she looked him in the eye.
Bloodshot and glazed, Dex’s normally sparkling blues seemed sad and dull. “Maybe. But it’s been a bad day all around.” His alcohol-laden breath took her by surprise.
Empty beer bottles stuck out of a kitchen-size trash container by the end of the couch, and on a small table next to it sat a drinking glass and bottle of bourbon.
“What’s going on, Dex?”
Backing away, Dex let her go and shook his head, a look of shame shadowing his face. “I messed up, big time. You deserve better than this. Better than a guy like me.” He walked over to the living room table, picked up the remote, and turned off the TV.
No staggering, no slurred speech, if Aria hadn’t smelled Dex’s breath, seen his bloodshot eyes, or noticed the empties in the trash, she wouldn’t have suspected he’d been drinking.
She went and stood before him. “I want you, Jason Dexter. For me, there is no better man.”
“No better man than an alcoholic?”
“Recovering alcoholic.” Aria picked up the bourbon bottle. “Doesn’t look like you drank much of this.”
“Two shots and six beers over the last couple of hours. I’ve been sitting here watching TV. Couldn’t tell you what was on. My conscience was coming down hard on me about falling off the wagon.”
“I’m sure you don’t need this hanging around, tempting you. Want me to get rid of it?”
Dex eyed the bottle she was holding. “Yeah, please.”
Aria took it to the kitchen and poured it down the drain. Bottles clanked when she opened the refrigerator door. She pulled out a six-pack of bottled beer, opened and dumped them into the sink. Running the water for a few seconds chased away the disgusting smell. How anyone could drink such nasty stuff was beyond her.
In the living room, Dex sat hunched over on the couch, elbows on knees, fingers laced. Aria sat next to him and threaded her arm around his. “I got rid of the beer in the fridge too.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe I let myself fail like this. I mean, it’s not like I got falling-down drunk, but still, I ran right back to the bottle like a moron.”
“It’s a setback, not a failure. You admitted you made a poor choice, now consider this moment a new starting point.”
Dex gave a slow nod. “I’ll start going back to the AA meetings, and I’ll ask Marcus if we can get together and talk. He’s an ordained minister. Always gives good advice, and right now I need a lot of it for the spiritual side of my life.”
“Sounds like a good plan to get back on track.” As strong and intelligent as Dex was, she had no doubt he could conquer the habit and stay sober forever.
Dex raked his fingers through his hair. “I talked to my dad tonight.”
“Oh? And, how did it go?” Judging by his deflated posture, not well. And whether his state of melancholy was induced by alcohol or talking to his father, she couldn’t tell.
“I took your advice and apologized for the way I spoke to him during Christmas dinner. We were actually speaking civilly to one another for a few minutes. Then I-I took a big chance and told him I loved him.” With the swish of his hand he swept both eyes then coughed as if to cover for the wobble in his voice.
“Telling someone you love them is a beautiful thing. I’m sure it touched his heart to hear it.”
Straightening his back, Dex swiveled on the cushion and faced her. The moisture in his eyes was now more like a pool of water waiting to overflow. “My dad couldn’t even say he loved me. Not even after I practically begged him to. Then, for the coup de grâce, he hung up on me.”
Dex’s whole being projected pain and an overwhelming sense of rejection that gripped her to the core. If she looked at him a moment longer, she wouldn’t be able to hold back her tears. Luckily, he turned away first. “And that’s what triggered your drinking?”
“Yeah.” Again, he hung his head and shook it as if disgusted with himself. “You’ve got it made, having a dad like Major Greco. He’s been more of a father figure to me than my own ever was.”
Aria had a lot to be grateful for. Her father was a good man, an excellent husband, and the best dad ever. It was a blessing to be born into a family that provided love, comfort, and support in whatever endeavor she and her sisters pursued.
She scooted to the end of the couch, put a throw pillow on her lap, and patted it. “Come, lie down and rest. You’ve dealt with enough for one day.”
Dex stretched out, his head on the pillow, and held one of her hands on his chest. “I love you, Ari.”
“And I love you back.”
He moaned as she rubbed and scratched his scalp. “That feels nice.”
As if by instinct, Aria started humming.
Dex’s droopy eyes looked up at her. “‘A Soldier’s Song.’ My favorite.”
Minutes later Dex was asleep, eyes closed, mouth slightly open. Aria stroked his cheek. Carefully, she slipped out from under the pillow, went to the bedroom, and came back with a blanket. “Good night, my prince. Sleep in peace. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She collected her purse and its spilled contents from the floor and locked the door on the way out.
* * * *
Glass shattered as the two bags of trash Dex tossed into the empty dumpster hit the rusty bottom. Closing the lid, he swore it was the last time he’d ever have to clean up after drinking.
He walked back to the patio and stood on the concrete pad. Hidden from neighbors on two sides by wooden fences, he tipped his face to the sun and silently thanked God for the network of friends He’d put in Dex’s life to keep him on the straight and narrow. It was high time he started talking to his Maker and reaching out to Him for help.
Dex pulled out his phone and texted Marcus. Thnx again 4 offering 2 counsel me.
A text came back immediately. I’m honored that u asked.
Pocketing his phone, his thoughts went back to Aria’s visit. How puny he’d felt that she’d seen him at such a low point, yet she’d taken it in stride, loved him anyway, and cuddled him until he’d drifted off.
Today was going to be a good day. A great day, and a new start. He couldn’t wait to see Aria.
* * * *
Aria rushed to answer Dex’s ringtone. She’d woken several times during the night, thinking about him, worrying, and praying. “Hello.”
“Hey, pretty girl. How’s about you and I go out to lunch?” Flirty and upbeat, he sounded a thousand times better than he had last night.
“I’d love it.”
“Great, I’ll head your way right now.”
“All right. I’ll see you in a few minutes. Can’t wait to ride in your hot rod. Bye.” Aria hung up and turned to her mom. “That was Dex. He’s picking me up for lunch.”
Mom closed her magazine and looked up from the easy chair. “You didn’t stay over there very long last night. Your father and I were surprised to he
ar you come in so early.”
“Dex was tired. We talked awhile, then I left.” She wasn’t about to blab about Dex’s drinking. It wouldn’t be nice to broadcast such information, even to her mother. Aria went to the living room window and parted the blinds. “Looks like a nice day. Think I’ll wait for him outside. When Dad gets out of the shower, tell him I said bye.”
“Okay. Enjoy your lunch.”
Standing on the sidewalk minutes later, Aria couldn’t help smiling at the sight of Dex’s yellow car.
Dex pulled to the curb, got out, and gave Aria a hug and kiss.
“Oh, my, what happened to your car?” She ran a finger down a strip where the paint had been scraped off.
“A neighbor raked it with her car yesterday morning. You didn’t see that last night?”
“No, I parked on your driver’s side.” Poor Dex. Yesterday started badly for him and ended the same way. It was good to see him smiling today.
“I know a good place to eat. I think you’ll like it.”
“I’m sure I will.” She got in the car, and Dex merged into traffic on a main road. “Just so you know, I didn’t mention anything about last night to my father.”
He gave her a quick smile. “I called him this morning. Told him everything. When he first helped me sober up, I promised I would hold myself accountable to him.”
Which explained why her father had to take a personal call in the bedroom during breakfast and didn’t say anything about it when he came back to the table.
“I’m also lined up to see Marcus on Wednesday night. Might even get a Southern home-cooked dinner out of it. His wife can whip up some awesome food.” Dex’s handsome smile spoke volumes about how pleased he was to get himself straightened out, this time for good.
* * * *
A buzz of lively chatter filled the restaurant. Aria held Dex’s hand as he led her to a table toward the back wall. The smell of food whetted her appetite, and seeing a plate loaded with roast beef, asparagus, and mashed potatoes slathered with gravy made her want to order right away.
Dex pulled out a chair for her. “I’ve got to hit the men’s room for a sec. Order me a root beer if the waitress comes by while I’m gone, would you please?”
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