by Stuart, Amie
Jessa leapt to her feet, clapping her hands. "Travis, Rene in the kitchen. Now!" Neither child argued and nobody spoke. Hell, nobody breathed until they were gone.
"Alexander! How dare you talk to your mother like that," Susie scolded. "Apologize!"
Tim groaned and slowly shook his head. "Zander, don’t do this. Please."
Poor Maggie looked as if she’d been shot and was slowly bleeding to death in her chair.
"Too late! How can you look at her...how can you tolerate that daily reminder living in your house?" His voice was almost loud enough to crack the crystal. "I can’t. I won’t. I don’t even want to look at her. She makes me want to puke."
How Maggie found the strength to stand I have no clue, but she slowly rose from her chair, eyes on her middle-born son. "You’re using Delaney’s presence as a cop-out, Alexander. Her being a part of our family doesn’t account for your absence for the last nine years."
"Oh, yes it does, Momma. I’ve known about Delaney since college. I found those pictures and letters in Dad's desk. The ones that whore who spawned her sent. No wonder you were so angry at Dad all those years! He broke a sacred trust!" He jabbed a finger in the air toward Jerrod, then continued, pointing at Delaney. "You are not a part of this family! You will never be—"
I flinched as Maggie’s hand made contact with his cheek, silencing him. All the men sprang to their feet, and on Angi’s far side, I heard Delaney sniffling. Poor baby. My heart just ached for her. Thanksgiving had become the stuff nightmares are made of and utter chaos reigned.
"She’s become more a part of this family than you! Do you think the last six months have been easy for me, Alexander? For any of us? Your father’s...your father’s infidelity is between your father and I, and nobody else!"
"A-men," Susie piped up softly.
"As angry as I am right now, finding the right words are difficult, but I’ll do my best, and then you can leave my house and not return—ever! Your father and I have dealt with our past. A past where the both of us made mistakes—" she sobbed, then paused to collect herself, "—young man, and we worked to forgive each other. We work at it every day.
"You’re right. Delaney’s not my daughter! But we’re also working very very hard to build a family relationship—the three of us and your brothers. Which you would have known, had you been here!" Her voice cracked and rose shrilly. "How dare you just walk in here and presume to think you have the right to judge your father or me?"
"Young man," Jerrod broke in, "apologize to your mother and sister."
"She’s not—"
"No, Daddy! I don’t want him to say he’s sorry." Delaney leapt to her feet, her chair falling to the ground behind her, and turned to face Zander. "My mother died, you asshole!"
I struggled to my feet and Ty shoved Delaney into my arms. She sobbed huge, painful sobs on my shoulder as we headed for the kitchen with Angi right behind us. When we had room to maneuver, Delaney broke free and screamed at Zander at the top of her lungs. "My mother was my best friend, not a whore!"
Glaring at Zander, I shushed her and pulled her toward the kitchen.
"You better watch how you look at me, you white-trash bitch."
I froze as my head slowly swung around and my eyebrows shot up with a mind of their own. "Oh no you did not?"
"You don’t talk to my wife like that." Ty’s voice barely reached above a whisper. He now stood between us and Zander, and I couldn’t believe how calm he sounded because I was ready to scream at Zander myself. "Apologize, now."
"Fuck you, headcase." He jerked his arms free from Tim and Zack’s grip.
"Apologize to my wife, my sister and my sister-in-law." The two men stood so close you couldn’t have slipped a piece of paper between them. "And while you’re at it, to my mother and aunt, for being so disrespectful and swearing in front of them."
"What are you gonna do if I don’t, stud? Do you even have a clue how pathetic you are, Tyrell Boudreaux? You no sooner get out of one bad marriage, you fucking stupid hick, than you knock up Bad Betti Blanchard! Hell, it’s probably not even your kid!"
Ty stepped back and swung, his fist connecting with his brother’s jaw. I winced and ducked my head but couldn’t stop watching. Zander shook his head like a dog and spit a wad of blood on the floor. "Did Rhea teach you how to do that? ‘Cause you hit like a fuckin’ girl."
Zander shoved past Ty, zeroing in on me. "Oh my God." The bloody grin that lit up his face was positively gruesome. "You don’t know."
"Shut up, Zander. Shut your mouth right now!" This from Rowdy who, up until now had quietly taken it all in. "It’s not your place."
"And then there’s Mr. I-Don’t-Have-No-Family—"
"That’s enough," a sweaty, red-faced Jerrod roared.
"Do you get it now?" Zander ignored his father and zeroed in on me. "Are you brighter than you look? Are you a natural blonde? Is she, Ty? I bet there’s plenty of men we could ask."
"Shut up, Zan." Ty gave him a hard shove.
My face burned even hotter with embarrassment, and I winced at a muffled, "Oh my God!" from somewhere.
I prayed he’d fall and hit his head just so he would just shut up, but he managed to stay on his feet.
He leaned forward and laughed at some private joke, his shoulder sharking, unaware or uncaring that bloody spit ran down his chin. Then he turned back to Ty, shaking off his arm. "I guess twelve years of being married to Rhea really toughened you up, but can you handle not being Daddy’s favorite anymore?"
Feeling lightheaded, I frowned, trying to force air into my lungs. I didn’t want to hear anymore. Confused and suddenly afraid of what I didn’t know. What was it he stood there trying to tell me? Whatever it was, it had to be bad if he could stand there grinning like an idiot in the circus he’d caused.
Before he could speak, Mr. Boudreaux stepped in. "Alexander! Get the hell out of my house."
"Oh believe me, I have every intention of leaving, Daddy." Zander let lose an ugly chuckle, spit again and slung an arm around Ty. "But first, Ty, when exactly did you plan on telling your new wife that your ex used to use you as a punching bag?"
The Earth stopped spinning.
Nobody moved. I searched for my husband and saw the truth in his eyes. Then everything happened at once. Jerrod yelled, Maggie yelled, Susie yelled and the men dragged Zander away, but Ty stayed behind.
My brain shorted out. Then went into overdrive. I shook my head, hoping he’d deny it, but he didn’t. Everything finally made sense. All the pieces fit.
I’d finally mastered my Martial Rubik’s Cube.
"She hit...it’s true?"
Ty nodded, and I wailed. I had no air in my lungs. I’d screamed it all out, then doubled over from the sudden lack of oxygen. I felt as if I’d swallowed a stick of dynamite and it was exploding in slow motion from my solar plexus outward.
I ran for the downstairs bathroom as my stomach rolled over, barely making it. French toast and sweet herbal tea were offered up to the porcelain gods. I leaned against the wall in that tiny bathroom, a washcloth someone handed me pressed to my face, my stomach still heaving. My face dissolved into a snotty, tear-filled river.
I wanted to go home, start the day over, skip Thanksgiving, anything. I couldn’t stop my tears.
"Let’s get her home to bed," Susie murmured.
With Susie’s help, I struggled to my feet. She and the girls led me out of the house. Everything felt surreal, and I still hadn’t figured out how to process it all.
Where was Ty? I couldn’t ask anyone and I couldn’t talk.
Things like that just didn’t happen. Men were beaters not beatee’s—weren’t they? I felt a brief surge of glee for having popped her in grocery store. Talk about divine.
But I was gonna hunt her down and kill her first chance I got.
"Ty, honey, just let us take care of her," someone said from far off.
My husband. She’d beaten my husband. The man I’d spent my whole life loving.
Another round of sobs broke through. The nightmares, the panic attack, the insecurity, the nervousness, even the sex all made sense now.
Halfway home I collapsed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
LIVING WITH GHOSTS
Ty stood on the porch with his father watching Aunt Susie and Angi walk Bettina home when she collapsed. He paused in mid-sentence and flew off the porch and across the drive to where she lay. "What happened?" he asked, crouching down beside her and smoothing her hair away from her colorless face.
"She’s fainted."
He slipped an arm under her neck and another under her knees and made to pick her up, suddenly worried to death about her and the baby. The baby girl they hadn’t even discussed a name for.
"Need some help?" Tim asked.
"I got her, thanks. Go take care of that punk, Zan, would you? Once I make sure she’s okay, I’m coming back for my share." He lifted her and got a better grip before turning for home.
Aunt Susie’s pat on his shoulder did nothing to reassure him as he hustled home, his wife in his arms. The look on Bee’s face at Zander’s words had nearly done him in. The tears and the shriek of agony, he’d felt in his soul. In his worst nightmares he’d never imagined her finding out like this.
And here he’d been worried about Rhea telling her.
Paybacks were a bitch, and he intended to see that Zander got his.
* * *
Tim turned and stalked home, wishing more than he’d ever confess to anyone that Toni were there. That she hadn’t left him. He could have used her strength, her humor and her warmth right then.
He’d wanted to puke when Zander told Betti about Rhea.
In his living room, he found Rowdy slumped on the sofa, a half-empty beer bottle between his legs. Suddenly, Tim wanted one more than anything else in the world. He felt as if hours had passed, not less than one. He got a beer before rejoining his brother-in-law.
"How the hell did Zander know about Rhea?" Rowdy grumbled.
"Me," Tim softly confessed. "I think he knew when he came home for Momma’s birthday—"
"Ty had a black eye."
"That’s right. We talked about it when I called and told him about the divorce."
Rene wandered in from out back and silently sat between them.
They jokingly offered her a beer, but she declined, a frown on her freckled face. She’d been unusually quiet, had even let him hug her—a rarity these days.
"Why did he do that, Daddy?" She sniffled, then got all tense and quiet. She was trying like hell not to cry.
Tim pulled her on his lap and sat rubbing her back. Something else he didn’t do much of anymore either. "I don’t know, baby. I just don’t know."
She struggled off of his lap and headed for the stairs, offering up one very loud, "You suck," toward where her Uncle Zander hid out licking his wounds.
From his other side, Rowdy snorted with laughter and sipped his beer. Tim couldn’t fault his potty-mouth daughter for that one. Not after Zack and Rowdy had struggled to pull him off Zander.
"Well, Zander got off light with her." He chuckled as she stomped her way upstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her. "But he better get the hell outta here before Ty comes for his ass."
He was the only who knew just how close Ty and Betti had been to having it all. That they loved each other. If they could survive this, they could handle anything.
"I think he’s in the bedroom nursing that broken nose you gave him."
"Should have broken every bone in his fucking body."
"You damn near did," said the object of his anger.
Tim looked up over the edge of the couch. "Like you didn’t deserve it, fucker."
"Save it. I’m outta here."
"And don’t come back!" Rowdy shouted as the door slammed.
* * *
Zander was out the door before Tim could stop him or discover just how badly his ribs hurt. He’d end up calling in sick a couple of days for this one.
Yeah, he’d been an ass, and yeah, he’d deserved the beating, but shit. Nine years was a long time to let something fester, and he’d be damned if he’d let anyone cheat him out of his victory.
A victory that now felt a bit hollow and dry.
He slid behind the wheel of the Beemer and headed for the county road. He’d done what he came to do and he was ready to go home. Even if he had done a piss poor job of it. Deep down inside he felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn’t meant to let things get so out of hand, to let it go any further than Momma and Dad.
And that whore-spawn, Delaney.
Dad hadn’t just cheated on Momma, but broken a sacred trust made before God and man to love, honor and cherish his wife. He’d gone out and had a kid with another woman, for Christ sake.
Zander’s red-headed temper had gotten the best of him and he hoped Betti and Ty would forgive him at some point. He briefly considered turning around and at least apologizing to Betti, but up ahead he could see the highway, and that represented home.
Home, where Keilana and Darach waited.
As he zipped under the highway and turned onto the access ramp, he dialed his cell phone and listened to it ring. A sigh of relief escaped him when she picked up. "Hey, baby. It’s me."
"Hi, sweetheart. I thought you’d be in the middle of dinner?"
"Naw. I made my peace but not exactly how you had in mind." Guilt gnawed at him again. He knew she’d secretly had high hopes for this trip home. He’d done more than hurt Ty and Betti, he’d failed Keilana and Darach also.
"Alex," she scolded, her voice low. Her silky voice slid across his skin, making him even more anxious to get home. Except for Darach’s birth and last night, he’d never spent a night away from her in three years of marriage.
"Care Bear," he growled back, "how’s my little man?"
"He’s just fine, but he misses you, Daddy. Don’t try and distract me either. What did you do?"
He silently drove for a few minutes as he maneuvered the car down I-10 toward Loop 1604.
"Alexander?" she sang softly.
"Okay, okay. I was driving." So he told her—everything. With Keilana, he couldn’t lie. If he had, she would have ferreted out the truth. The bond between them was too deep.
"Shame on you, Alex."
"I know. Is that my boy I hear?" He smiled and settled deeper into the soft leather seat.
"Yes, and he misses you terribly. He’s been a fuss-monster the whole time you’ve been gone."
Zander chuckled softly. "Put him up to the phone."
"Hang on. Say hello to Daddy, baby."
A smile split his face as he listened to Darach coo into the phone. "I love you, son. I’ll be home soon, okay? Don’t give your momma too much grief now."
Then Kei was back. "Aww, he’s crying, Daddy."
"I’ll see you in four hours, five tops."
"I love you. I’m sorry things didn’t go better. Did you even tell them about Darach?"
And her. His little hula-honey. "Not this trip, baby."
* * *
"Maggie May?"
"Any word on Bettina?" she asked, turning from the kitchen sink to face Jerrod. Her heart quickened as he pinned her there with his thighs. Even after thirty years, he could warm her blood. Of course, there’d been so many of those years she hadn’t allowed him to. They’d worked hard these last few months to make up for lost time.
"Susie just called. She’s awake and refusing to go to the hospital. Says she’s fine." He kissed her long and slow with the easy familiarity that only an old married couple has.
"So much for Thanksgiving." Heartsore, she shook her head in frustration. "Did you have any idea?"
"None. Oh, he was mouthing off last night about his brothers being girl-makers. You could tell he was uptight—same as he’s always been—but I never imagined anything like this."
"My God, what are we going to do?"
"I don’t know. He’s already gone, but I’ll hunt him down if Betti loses that ba
by."
"Do you think Betti and Ty will be okay?"
"I do. Ty has told me to butt out, so until he comes to me, that’s that." Jerrod shook his head. "This is all my fault."
"Jerrod, you said yourself you had no clue." She hugged him, concerned at the deep lines of worry in his face. They’d taken a hard hit today. "I meant every word I said," she whispered, her head on his chest. She couldn’t look at him. She was jealous, and she did have regrets but that didn’t lessen the love she now felt for Delaney.
He tilted her head back so that it rested on his arm. "I know and I appreciate them, but if I hadn’t cheated on you—"
"If you hadn’t cheated on me, we wouldn’t have Delaney to remind us how to laugh and play and not take ourselves so seriously."
Jerrod sighed again and she pushed forward in a rush of words. "In truth, if Gabby hadn’t died none of this would have happened. Does that mean we blame God?"
Everything went back to Gabby. Gabby had been a welcome addition to the family after four boys, but a heart condition had taken her from them before her first birthday. Maggie’d been mad with grief. At God, at Jerrod, at the doctors who couldn’t save her daughter and even the friends who’d come to comfort her. She’d driven Jerrod away the night of the funeral, unwilling to realize that she wasn’t the only one hurting. He’d run into Delaney’s mom, Bridgette and nine months later Delaney was born.
Maggie had withdrawn even further, emotionally cutting herself off from him and the boys. She’d never forgiven him, nor let him see Delaney. She’d been so bitter and angry for so many years, no wonder Zander had reacted so harshly.
This was all her fault.
But then Bridgette had died, and Susie had bluntly reminded her that we weren’t often given second chances. Delaney had been Maggie’s second chance.
"We can’t control the past. We can only do our best to influence our future, isn’t that what Dr. Ritter says?"
* * *
Delaney stood in the doorway, listening to Maggie. She would have snorted but she was afraid she’d blow a snot bubble out of her nose from all the tears she’d cried. "Pardon me if I’m having a hard time putting everything in perspective."