Tara thumbed over her shoulder. “About an hour and a half north.”
Beth wanted to point out the direction Tara indicated was south. She also wanted to chuck the cookies the girl had her eyes on across the room and scream. But she didn’t do either.
Because despite what Don or anyone else around here might think she wasn’t some delicate flower who couldn’t handle what life threw at her. “Well I’m happy to hear things are finally working out for him.” She held out the box of cookies putting all her energy into making sure her voice didn’t sound too snide. “I hope you enjoy these.”
Beth spun on her heel and took long strides toward her car, head held high even though all she wanted to do was fall down on the ground and cry like a baby. She managed to make it almost all the way home before the tears started to run down her cheeks.
She felt so stupid. So juvenile. Like a teenage girl who thinks the first boy who gives her the time of day is her forever soulmate.
It made sense now why Don didn’t call her when his mom got sick. It wasn’t because he didn’t think she could handle it if he leaned on her.
It was because he never intended to.
****
Don took off his lined flannel and shook off as much debris as he could manage to knock free. The sky outside the windows of the house he’d been abusing all week was as dark as his mood and while the generator could manage running both the lights and power tools it couldn’t run him too and he was out of gas. After spending the past seven long days working himself to exhaustion, his body was starting to give out.
If only his mind worked the same way.
After shutting everything down and locking up, Don drug his sore and spent body to Tara’s car. She’d parked behind him last night and instead of waking her up at four this morning when his brain woke up to reminisce over how badly he’d ruined his life, Don left his keys and took hers.
Initially he only intended to work for a bit. Finish what needed to be done before the sheeting for the new roof was delivered Monday. But working longer meant less free time to suffer through without the woman he thought might change things. The woman he thought might be his. One he cared about more than anything.
Enough to not make her have to tell him to get out twice.
So as much as Don wanted to go to her house, fall on his knees and beg forgiveness, he would never do that to her. After more than a few times of pushing his feelings on a woman, he knew enough to stay gone when he was asked to leave. No matter how much it hurt.
Don’s eyes were bleary as he drove to the trailer, burning from a hateful combination of dust and exhaustion. The streetlights flicked on as he headed down the main road, making the trailer park seem that much darker when he finally turned into the complex.
The old sedan was still parked exactly where he left it which meant Tara did as she planned and stayed home, going through their mother’s things and organizing them to be packed up for her move to the nursing facility.
If he could ever decide on one.
Moving away was so final. Whether it was realistic or not, he didn’t know if he could do it.
Don opened the door to find Tara on the couch in her pajamas, wrapped up in their mom’s favorite blanket, watching television. She looked up as he walked in. “I thought you weren’t going to work long today.”
He went straight to the laundry closet in the hall and shucked his flannel and the long-sleeved shirt he wore under it. “Changed my mind.” After pushing the clothes into the washer and adding his jeans on top, Don pulled on a pair of athletic pants in their place. “What have you been up to?”
“I went through part of mom’s stuff. Separated her clothes and boxed them up.” She shoved a bite of something in her mouth and chewed loudly. “Now I’m just sittin’ here stuffing my face and watching a movie.”
Don flopped onto the small couch beside her and finally noticed the plastic box in her lap full of perfect chocolate chip cookies. He sat up straight. “Where did you get those?”
Tara looked down at her lap and grabbed another cookie. “Some lady who said she knew you brought them.”
His heart started to pound and his stomach leapt to his throat. “Define lady.” There was nothing to get excited about. It was probably Nancy. But he wanted it not to be Nancy more than he’d ever wanted anything in his whole life.
Tara looked up. “Uh. She was probably your age.” She shrugged. “Nice enough I guess.”
His mouth went dry. “What did she say?”
“Said she was sorry about mom.” Tara was back to watching the movie.
Don grabbed the remote and shut off the television. “That’s it?”
Tara scoffed. “Why’d you turn that off?” She tried to grab the remote out of his hand.
“What else did she say?” He held the remote out of her reach.
“Nothing really. Why does it matter?” She lunged across his lap but her small size put his sister at a serious disadvantage. Plus, knowing Beth was here gave him a fresh rush of energy, and his formerly useless muscles were enjoying an adrenaline fueled second wind. Tara didn’t stand a chance.
“It matters. Tell me now.” He stood up, letting her slide to the floor.
Tara grabbed one of his toes and yanked, making the bones pop as he shook his leg trying to knock her grip free. She grunted but held tight. “You’re leaving here anyway.”
Don’s whole body went cold. He stared down at his sister. “Tara please tell me you didn’t tell her that.”
But the look on his sister’s face made it clear she had. Don collapsed back to the couch catching his head in his hands. “No. Please tell me you didn’t do that. Please.”
Tara sat up. “But you are moving. You only stayed here because of mom.”
“That isn’t the only reason I stayed here.” Don squeezed his temples as hard as he could between each set of fingers.
“Why else would you stay here?” Tara snorted. “This place sucks.”
Don leaned back on the couch, head back, hands over his face, elbows out. “I can’t believe you did that.”
Tara stood up and yanked at the elastic waist of her pants straightening them back out after the scuffle over the remote. “I don’t understand what the big deal is. It’s not like you were going to marry her or anything.”
“I’m definitely not going to now.” Don started to get up off the couch but stopped at the sight of Beth’s cookies scattered across the carpet and twisted in the blanket Tara dragged to the floor when she went down. He fell to his hands and knees and started gently placing them back in the box then carefully snapped the lid back in place and carried them to the table. “Don’t touch those.”
“Maybe if you told me you were seeing somebody I would have known to keep my mouth shut.” Tara picked up the blanket and shook it out before throwing it over the couch.
Don turned to his sister. He loved Tara more than anything but right now he wanted to throttle her and his sister’s inability to accept she’d done something wrong wasn’t helping.
“First of all, my personal life isn’t your business until I decide it’s your business. Second, there was nothing to open your mouth about. I haven’t called back about the interview and I haven’t decided where mom is going yet.” He went back to his bedroom, grabbing the first shirt he saw and pulling it over his head. Don walked back out and grabbed his keys. “I’m staying here. This is where I want to be and that woman you met and her kids are the reason I’m staying.”
“Her kids? She has kids?” Tara snapped her head back in overdramatized surprise. “Don’t you want to have a family of your own?”
“Yes.” He’d wanted that more than anything his whole life, going to great and sometimes stupid lengths in an attempt to fill that void and hell if he was going to stop now.
“And that’s why I’m going to go try to fix what you did.”
TWENTY-ONE
Why was there so much damned traffic this late in the evening? It felt like
he’d been driving for an hour and Don still hadn’t even made it out of downtown.
He resisted the urge to lay on his horn and drive over the median. The minivan in front of him was jam packed with bobbing heads, none of which appeared be in a hurry to get anywhere.
Letting the car glide to the left Don peeked around the van, making sure his frustration was properly placed. There was no one dragging ass in front of the van. He moved back in line and glared at the back window of the vehicle, willing it to turn and get out of his way. As each cross street passed with no turn signal in sight, his blood pressure went higher and higher.
For a week he’d had to talk himself out of making this drive at least two times a minute. All he wanted every second of every day was to go to her. See her. Hold her. Tell her how sorry he was. How much he needed her. How strong he knew she was. That she was everything.
That he loved her.
For a week he told himself that was the wrong thing to do and past history suggested he was right. His whole life, any relationship he’d ever almost been in wasn’t over until he’d exhausted every possible way he could think of to fix it. That was how he ended up being called an ass. And creepy. And pushy and a whole list of other unflattering things.
It was also how he ended up accused of tire slashings and attempted murder.
Tonight might end the same damn way, but this time, it would be worth it. The potential of having Beth in his life was worth any and all risks he had to take. The whole town could call him whatever they wanted for the rest of his damned life but at least he would know he did everything in his power to be with the woman he loved.
And he loved Beth.
Don was so focused on the road, on Beth, on the next thirty minutes of his life that he almost didn’t hear the phone ringing from his console. It was a number he didn’t recognize but after having to use the hospital phone he hated to let it go to voicemail without at least checking who it was.
“Hello?”
“Don?” The voice on the other end was quiet and small sounding. And familiar.
“Yes.” Don’s overworked mind raced, trying to place the voice. Then it hit him. “Levi?”
He’d given Levi his number when they met at Paul and Nancy’s the night Beth brought him with her. It was clear the little kid felt as out of place as he did around a big table filled with home cooked food and smiling faces. Don didn’t imagine Levi would ever use it, but if nothing else it let him know there was one more person willing to be there if he ever needed them.
“Yes sir.”
Don had to strain to hear the little boy over the background noise nearly smothering out his voice. “Is everything okay?”
“Well.” Levi’s words were slow, hesitant. “Kinda.”
Don pulled over into a parking lot to make it easier to focus on what Levi was saying. “What’s going on?”
“I left the house where those people took me.”
“What do you mean you left?” Don checked to make sure his volume was all the way up. “Buddy you can’t just take off.” Unless.
“Are they being mean to you?”
“No.” Levi’s answer was quick and strong. The loudest word he’d said the whole conversation. “The lady is real nice and the dad is nice too. I just…” Levi was quiet for a second, the loud voices in the background filling up his silence. “Why can’t I be with Mrs. Dalton?”
“Where are you at?” Don tried to identify the sounds in his ear hoping they would clue him in to where Levi was at.
“I’m at the grocery store. I told the people here I needed to call my dad to come get me and they let me use the phone.”
“Stay put. I’ll be there in five minutes.” Don pulled back out of the lot and turned back the way he just came. All the traffic turned out to be a good thing. If he’d made it to Beth’s house he never would have answered that call and Levi would have been let down by another adult that promised to be there for him.
Unfortunately this detour meant Beth would go even longer thinking he planned to leave her. But there was no doubt in his mind going to get Levi would be exactly what she would want him to do right now.
When Don pulled up in front of the only grocery store in town Levi was sitting on a bench outside, a new coat zipped tightly under his chin and a warm hat tucked on his head. He waved as Don stopped at the curb in front of him. Don rolled down the window.
“Come on. Let’s get this straightened out.”
Levi walked to the car and climbed in. He strapped on his belt without having to be asked and then sat quietly. Don was about to ask him what in the heck he was thinking, running away when Levi looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
“Will you take me to Mrs. Dalton’s house?”
“I can’t. You have to go back to where they want you for now.” Don tweaked his new coat. “It looks like they’re making sure you’re taken care of.” He leaned forward, trying to make eye contact. “Why would you run away from nice people who are taking good care of you?”
Levi shrugged. “It just doesn’t feel like I belong there.” He sniffed, wiping at his nose with the sleeve of his clean coat. “I just want to be with Beth and Kate and Liza.”
Don patted his shoulder as they pulled away. “I understand completely.”
He understood even more when he walked in the house of Levi’s foster parents. It was immaculate and perfectly decorated. As Levi said, the people taking care of him until Beth finished her licensing were very nice. Chuck the foster ‘dad’ shook his hand and thanked him for bringing Levi back.
“I’m glad to get to meet you. We’ve heard a lot about you.” He pushed his thick glasses up as they slid down the thin bridge of his nose.
Don tried not to look surprised. He’d only met Levi once. Glancing at the little boy putting away his coat in the closet and tucking his hat in the sleeve, a long-buried pain twinged in his stomach. Levi was a kid used to taking care of himself because no one else wanted to. Twenty-five years ago Don was that same kid. If an adult had given him the time of day, he would have been the same way. He would have latched on and never wanted to let go.
Don turned back to Chuck and his wife. “I’m not sure what the rules are in a situation like this, but would I be allowed to come get him and take him to hang out? Have dinner or go bowling or something?”
Levi walked to his side, looking up at him as if he couldn’t believe what Don was saying. “We could do that?”
Don held his arms out in a shrug. “I don’t know. That’s what I’m asking.”
Chuck looked at his wife. She looked at Levi, then at Don. She smiled warmly. “We are here to do whatever is best for him and I would say as long as he promises not to sneak out of the house again,” she opened her eyes wide in a stern look directed right at Levi then turned her attention back to Don, “your family is welcome to call anytime.”
His family.
Hopefully Mrs. Chuck knew what she was talking about.
Too bad he’d realized tonight wasn’t going to be the best time to test her theory.
****
“Sorry to crash your day. I just couldn’t sit around the house anymore.” Beth pulled out a chair at Autumn’s kitchen table and flopped down. “I felt like I was going crazy.”
Autumn sat a steaming cup down in front of her. “I know how you feel. With all this rain the kids have been driving me nuts running around inside the house.” She brought her own cup to the table and sat down next to Beth. “At least when it was snow they could still go out and play. Now they’re up my butt all the time, breaking everything and fighting over toilet paper rolls.”
Beth leaned into one hand. “It’s not the kids.”
Autumn’s eyes went wide. “Don?”
Beth nodded behind the palm supporting her forehead. She didn’t intend to ever tell anyone about what happened between her and Don because the man already had enough gossip floating around. And she’d never believed any of it. Because she didn’t believe what people
said about her either.
But now was the time for second guessing and she needed a partner in crime.
“What happened?” Autumn’s words were almost a whisper.
“He’s moving.” She didn’t bother with everything else because none of the rest mattered at all. “I guess he’s been applying for jobs a couple hours away where his sister’s live.”
Autumn sat up straight and her eyes narrowed. “When did he finally decide to tell you this?”
“He didn’t.” Beth leaned back in her seat, the sick feeling she’d had all day escalating, making her face feel cold and clammy. “His sister did.”
“Is it true?”
“Why wouldn’t it be true?” What would his sister have to gain by lying? It didn’t make any sense for her to just go around telling random people her brother was moving. And as far as the young woman knew, Beth was random.
Autumn raised her eyebrows and shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not saying it’s not, but I don’t know that I would take it as God’s honest until I got it straight from him.” Autumn’s boys came running through the kitchen, a mass of yelling, grabbing and arguing. All over a rubber band.
Autumn stood up and grabbed the back collars of the two bigger boys’ shirts and held firm as they nearly clotheslined themselves, not realizing she had them. She started dragging them to the kitchen doorway. “Get out! Get out! Get out!”
The boys ran from the room faster than they came in. Autumn stood for a minute, eyes closed, taking loud deep breaths. After the third one, her eyes flew open and she went back to her seat, picking up exactly where she left off as if nothing happened. “I’m not saying it’s not true, but I am saying that siblings are assholes to each other sometimes.”
Beth stared into the creamy cup of untouched chai tea on the table in front of her. Autumn was right. Siblings could bicker and fight and even steal each other’s clothes, but would Tara really lie about something like that? “It’s just hard to believe she would do something like that to her own brother.”
Autumn looked at Beth like she was trying to convince her the Earth was flat. “Really? You can’t believe she would do something like that?” Autumn checked the doorway to the kitchen then leaned down. “I’m not trying to be a jerk but you have not just one, but two great examples of siblings doing way worse things to each other in your own family.”
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