At the mention of Nick’s name, I held my composure and reaction. I was just happy mama was getting out.
I said, “I think that’s wonderful. Have a great time with Stella.”
“Just so you know, Karen, Veronica, and the girls will also be there.”
“Mom, why are you telling me this? It is no concern of mine.”
“Now, now, don’t get upset, Thea. I was just trying to have friendly conversation.”
“I’m not upset, mom, and certainly not with you. Please understand I am trying to live in the present with Carter and concentrate on my future with him. I can no longer entertain my past, and I am sure if you ask Nick, he will tell you the same thing.”
“You know I just want you happy, and it is clear that you are. I should be going. Nick will be here soon to pick me up.”
“Okay, mom, have fun,” I said, ending the call.
“Ready, darling?” Carter said as he leaned up against my office door.
“More than ready. Let’s go home.”
Carter took my arm and entwined it with his, as we made our way to the bay of elevators.
“I love you, Thea. You make me so happy,” he whispered, as he began kissing my neck.
“Baby, you do know the security cameras are filming us.”
“I do know. Shall we give the security team a preview on how I will take you tonight?”
“Absolutely not. I have an idea without the visual.”
“I do love how you pay attention,” he smirked.
I smiled and said nothing more. Carter took my arm, and we walked through the parking garage to his car. The overprotective man he was, he fastened my seatbelt and kissed me before closing the door. Sometimes with Carter, I had to pick my battles. He was fiercely protective of me and our relationship. He made it very clear that he was over the complications of my past that held me back. He hadn’t mentioned Nick again since the night of our silent standoff. We made up in the most spectacular fashion, and then he asked me to join him in Santa Barbara to meet his mom.
“What if she doesn’t like me?” I asked Carter, as he drove us onto Highway One.
“Thea…” he quietly recited my name, and squeezed my thigh. I sensed his apprehension and placed my hand over his.
He continued, “There are things that need to be said before you meet my mother. You don’t have to worry about Clarissa accepting you or not, because she no longer has the ability to voice her opinions.”
“What do you mean?”
“Thea, my mother has early onset Alzheimer’s, and the past few years, she has completely lost who she once was. Although very beautiful, she’s hollow with no resemblance of the mother I adored.”
“Oh, Carter, I am so sorry. And we just went through everything with my mom, and I had no idea about yours. I feel awful.”
“Thea, I loved helping with Frannie, and you needed me. Do you honestly believe I could have been anywhere else?”
“No, but not knowing about your mom doesn’t really sit well with me. I mean, we have been together for more than two years, and now we are getting married.”
“I had my reasons, love, and I’m prepared to share some of them with you now.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“In the beginning, no one was really concerned with mother not knowing where she placed her keys or missing a charity luncheon. My father was never home, so it wasn’t as if he noticed the changes in her day-to-day routine. One unforgettable moment down on Mulholland Drive changed our thinking.”
“What happened?”
“That day, she declined her driver and decided to take a drive on her own and nearly went off the side of a cliff. She took one of the bends a bit too fast and thought she had missed her turn off, when really she was about to go over the side. By the grace of god, the guard rails saved her life. There is no logical reason to why she didn’t go over, but once she was well enough to be discharged, my father had her committed to a private facility in Switzerland, very far away from the American newspapers and his company.”
“So how did she end up here in Santa Barbara?” I asked.
“Do you remember the night of the gala?”
“Yes, that was the night I met your father.”
“Yes, and it was also the night I stopped being his son. We argued earlier about my mother’s care and the latest development in her condition. My father didn’t want to discuss it any longer with me and shut me down. Little did he know that I had petitioned the court to become her legal medical advocate and be solely responsible, cutting my father out. He wanted out, so I gave him an out. I just needed him to sign the papers, which he was reluctant to do.”
“What happened? How did you manage to get him to agree?”
“Several of my father’s lawyers were also in attendance at the gala, one of the men was also my godfather. Owen was my father’s longest friend, and I guess a second father to me. When I confided with him about fighting my father in court for rights to my mother, he told me not to do it because there was another way. I knew my father had mistresses, many of them in parts of the world, but there was one that was closer to home, hiding quite the scandal that would definitely shake up my father’s world.”
“Oh my goodness, this is sounding more like a made-for-television movie than real life.”
“Yeah, it definitely was not short of supplying drama. What Owen shared with me totally made me enraged, but then I shouldn’t have been surprised. My father was leading a double life with a whole new family in New York, while he played the doting husband on the west coast. Turns out, I have two half siblings that I never knew about, a boy and a girl, both in their teens.”
“Unbelievable. What a snake! I am so sorry, Carter. If I had known all of this, I would have never even interacted with him at the gala.”
“I only found out that night, love, and a man like Lennox Newbanks is not one that likes the term ‘no,’ so he probably would have taken the dance with you no matter how much you protested.”
“Carter, I remember shortly after you gave your speech, your mood changed, and it was the only night in our relationship that you shut me out and went completely silent.”
“And it is a night I still regret, but we also established the ‘no silent shut-down rule,’ and I vowed never to do that to you again. I hated when my father pulled that crap with my mother, and every time he did, it just broke her down. I love you, Thea, and I promise to always talk with you and endeavor to be as honest as I can. I don’t want anything between us, not ever.”
“We have that, we do. I was the one that kept things closed off, but no more, and certainly not after hearing this story. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you take custody from your father?”
“I threatened to expose his secret family to the press and the very conservative board of directors of the company he was in negotiation to acquire. I didn’t win too many battles with my father, but this one came easily, because he is a greedy motherfucker and chose closing the deal instead of fighting over my mother. I had divorce papers drawn up, and since my mother was very wealthy going into the marriage with my father, she had a solid pre-nuptial agreement in place. Her estate pays for her care, and whatever is left over after her passing will go into a trust for our children. It was stated in her will, another surprise I wasn’t aware of. Turns out, I was always her executor of her affairs, another piece of information my father neglected to tell me.”
“Wow, your poor mother. If you don’t mind me asking, how is her condition now? I mean, the gala was soon after we began dating, and a lot of time has passed since then.”
“We are going on three years since her diagnosis, and so far, we have been very fortunate. It’s not always like that. In most cases, the patient deteriorates quickly, losing ability of muscular strength, cognitive skills, even losing the ability to go to the bathroom on her own. In my mother’s case, at the time of her diagnosis, she was in very good shape physically. With the private care she receiv
es, I have an arsenal of medical professionals that oversee her care, and so far, she’s remained in stable condition.”
“Does she know you anymore?”
“No, not since the end of last year. At first, she would confuse me with my dad on account how we look so much alike, and then other times she will completely not recognize me at all.”
“I know I keep saying that I am sorry, but Carter, I really can’t think of anything else to say. This is just heartbreaking, and I cannot imagine the toll it has taken on you. You basically have carried all of this on your own without any support from your father and me, and I just feel awful for not being there for you.”
I knew I had reached my breaking point and knew I would begin to cry. Carter knew it too and took the next exit so he could comfort me. He was the one going through this, and here I was, crying.
We were only a few exits from his mother’s care facility. Carter had pulled over at a lookout spot with stunning views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. He opened my door and reached for my hand. We took a walk and breathed in the clean air that you don’t get to experience living in Los Angeles.
“Thea, I know you like to self-deprecate once in a while, but not for this. I told you I had my reasons, and hopefully after hearing them, you will better understand why I chose to keep it to myself. My father put me through hell and did not want to concede on this matter, but I backed him against the wall and he had no other choice. I hate how this disease has taken my mother from me, and ultimately will take her away forever. I know I am on borrowed time with her, and this is why I chose now for you to meet her. I don’t want to have another day go by without sharing my mother with you. I told her that I loved you when she was still lucid enough to understand. I’ll never forget her smile and how she held my hand when hearing about you. I held out hope that she would say more, but then she drifted away again, and the moment we shared had passed. It is one that I will never forget. You meeting her today is her son still having hope.”
“Let’s go meet your mom. I need to hug this woman and tell her how much I love her son and what an amazing man she raised.”
It didn’t happen too often, but it was now Carter who was crying while holding me in his arms. He had been there for me every day since our first date. He was there for me and my own mother, and now it was my time to be there for Carter.
“Sir, you have a Detective McCarthy holding for you on line two.”
“Thank you, Leslie. Hey, Matt! Am I to assume you have something for me?” I said.
“You are correct. Can you meet me down at the bar tonight, say eight o’clock?”
“Tonight is no good, I have a family dinner to attend to,” I said as I looked down to my watch and probably could leave for about an hour or so. “I’m free now, though. Can I meet you somewhere to talk?”
“Okay, I’m still on duty, but I can break away for lunch. How about the Starbucks near your station? Let’s say fifteen minutes?”
“That works. I will see you there.”
I quickly finished typing my e-mail, and then called Tony into my office.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I need to run a quick errand and need you to cover things here until I return. I shouldn’t be more than an hour.”
“Sure, no problem. Anything I can help you with?”
“I will let you know when I get back.”
“Okay, I’ll be here. No worries, Nick. The house is good.”
“You don’t know how happy I am to hear those words, Tony, especially from you. I know things have been strained between us, and I’m sorry for my part in it.”
“It’s probably my fault anyway, just like the old days. I’m sorry too,” he said.
“Apology accepted. Okay, I have to go.”
I grabbed my keys and wallet and left to meet McCarthy.
“So, you were right to be suspicious of your girl’s ex. He has a very colorful past.”
I said, “I was afraid of that, so…how bad?”
“Bad enough to watch your back. I did an extensive background check on him, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why he took your girl’s money and ran. He was in deep with some bookies out of Atlantic City. The money he stole paid off his debt. He moved around a lot until he settled for a while in New Mexico. I guess that’s where she found him and then they officially divorced?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Karen lost track of him again after that. He only recently reached out.”
“Yeah, from Oregon, right?”
“Yes,” I responded.
“His story checks out about the construction gig, but it’s also a company with a shady history. He’s probably getting paid under the table, and carrying a hammer around is probably not his only job, if you know what I mean.”
“I am beginning to.”
“Look, Nick, not sure what this guy is into up in Oregon, but he’s not exactly surrounding himself with the most positive friends.”
“Thanks, Matt, I really appreciate you digging up info on Alex. I knew this guy was trouble.”
“Nick?” I heard her call my name as if she was standing directly behind me.
I looked over my shoulder, and there was Karen. Fuck! I wasn’t sure how much she heard of my conversation with Matt, but she didn’t look happy. Matt caught on quickly and made his exit, while I was left to explain myself to Karen.
“Karen, it’s not what you think,” I said.
“Really, Nick? Why don’t you explain it to me, because it sounded like you are checking out Alex, and I believe I asked you to give me time to sort it out. I didn’t think you would go behind my back and have him investigated.”
“Please lower your voice and have a seat, or this conversation is going to have to take place at another time when I know we will not be overheard.”
“Fine, talk,” she said.
“Karen, how long have you known me?”
“Really? Is that a serious question?”
“Yes, it is. How long, Karen?”
“Practically our entire lives. Why?”
“Why? Because from where I am sitting, then you should know me pretty well by now. And you should also know that I am a man of my word. I told you how I felt about his new involvement in your life and the girls. This guy is trouble, Karen, he always was, and now I have the proof. I love you. I wasn’t just going to take a blind eye to him sniffing around you again. I don’t know what he wants, but it can’t be good. I’m not the bad guy here, and I will not be made to feel as if I betrayed you in some way.”
“You know what, Nick, I never asked you to just sweep in and save me from the big bad world. I’ve been on my own for a long time now, and I can take care of myself and my girls.”
“I know that, but you don’t have to anymore, not when you have me.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t ask for your help, and I want you to stay out of it,” she said as she shoved her chair back and walked out.
“Karen, wait!” I called out to her, but she hailed a cab and took off.
Fuck! This is not how I wanted Karen to find out, and I certainly didn’t expect her to react the way she did. I made my way back to the station and called her repeatedly, only getting her voicemail.
“Karen, you wanted a relationship, well this is your man stepping up and taking care of the woman he loves. I’m not sorry for doing what I did, because it is my job to take care of what is mine. You walking out on me is not cool, and it fucking pissed me off. Call me back, babe, because I will not call you again. You know where I am.”
By the time I returned to the house, I had five minutes to myself, and then an emergency call came in. I ran back to my truck and followed my firetrucks to the scene.
“Holy shit! You see that, Tony?” I asked my friend over the walkie once we arrived at the situation.
“I see it, Chief, and by the looks of it, we don’t have too much time to get the driver out.”
“My thoughts exactly. Okay, let’s roll. Tony, Spinelli…we have
a woman trapped in her vehicle with her leg pinned under the dash.”
“I’ll get the claws, Chief,” Tony called out.
“Hold up on that, Tony. I think it would be better to use the chains, and we can drag it out. Dorrado, let’s hook it up to the truck, and you pull it out as carefully as you can. The other driver’s pick-up is loaded with chemicals on the flatbed. One wrong move, and it’s going up in flames.”
“Too late! We got flames, Chief!” Spinelli called out.
“Okay, all units, we have a fuel leak. Everyone get back. That truck could go at any time, squad! Get back,” I commanded my team. “Spinelli, Mac…let’s get those extinguishers.”
“Chief, we’re ready to move,” Dorrado called out and slowly began pulling the crushed car with the victim still unconscious.
“Team, we’re cleared. Let’s extricate the victim from her car. Come on now, quickly.”
Minutes later, the squad secured the victim, and the EMT’s were assessing her condition. I glanced over to where one of my new candidates was standing too close to the flatbed.
“Hey, you, Dawson, get away from the truck,” I called out repeatedly, and my calls were unanswered.
I began running, with Tony following, and then a fireball exploded, knocking us backward.
“Tony, Mac…get over here!” I screamed.
The kid wasn’t quick enough and caught flames that were quickly engulfing his body.
“Get it out, hurry!” I yelled, “Paramedics, I need you over here!”
“Chief, you’re hurt,” Spinelli said, which I waved him off.
I didn’t care about myself, I just wanted this kid to be okay. What the fuck was he thinking, ignoring my direct orders to stay back? We had the situation under control, but he had to be a fucking hero.
By the time we cleaned up the site and made our way to the hospital, Dawson had been brought in by the medics. We were standing vigil in the waiting room for positive news. A couple of hours later, and no news on Dawson, Chief Michaelson showed up.
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