When Love Comes Knocking, page 20
“No. Not that I know of. I guess I could ask Mom to make sure.”
“Thanks, man. That would be great. Just shoot me a text. But please say nothing to Kathi, okay?”
I nodded. He stood up, brushing off his jeans.
“Well, gotta get back to work. Thanks for lunch. Good luck with Julia.”
I followed him out to his truck and watched him back out. He waved at me as he reached the end of the drive and turned left onto the main road.
As I stared at his retreating truck, I couldn’t help but be amazed. He liked Kathi. Apparently enough to want to ask her out. And apparently the age difference didn’t seem to bother him at all.
If nothing else, me thinking about Mark and Kathi took my mind off Julia for a few moments. Shaking my head, I snorted and headed back into the house and began figuring out how I was going to broach the subject of Kathi’s dating life with my mother.
SIXTEEN
I was making dinner when Mom and Hurricane Sarah blew into the house. The minute she saw me, Sarah began telling me all about the trip to the zoo and the other cool things she had done throughout the week. Given the level of hyperactivity, someone had given her access to enough sugar to fuel a refinery. When she crashed, it was going to be ugly.
Mom took her to get cleaned up and unpack while I got the mac and cheese started. That, combined with the dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, was one of Sarah’s main meals.
At dinner, I watched as Sarah dunked a small piece of chicken nugget into her ketchup and plopped it into her mouth. She chewed, grabbed a sip of juice, and then repeated the process. Occasionally, she paused to fork in some mac-n-cheese. She didn’t talk at all. The girl took her eating seriously.
This seemed like as good a time as any to ask Mark’s question. “Mom, do you know if Kathi is seeing anyone?”
I didn’t have to be looking at Mom to know she was staring at me.
“That’s a question out of left field. Why?”
“No reason,” I replied, shrugging. “Just curious.”
She cocked her head at me, one eyebrow raised. “Try again.”
I glanced over at Mom, then returned my attention to Sarah.
“Seriously, I’m just wondering. She’s smart, funny, not to mention beautiful. Just curious why she’s not remarried after Mr. Harrison died.”
Mom must have been contemplating my answer because she stayed silent for several moments.
“Who asked about her?” was her response.
I rolled my eyes. “Sheesh, I was just curious.”
“Jake…”
I had to think of something. Maybe the truth, but not the whole truth.
“Fine. If you must know, Mark is madly in love with her and is too shy to ask. There. Happy? Making me tell on him. It will crush his heart if you tell her.”
That got a snort out of Mom.
“Yeah. Right. Mark. That’s a laugh. Fine. If you have to know then, no, she’s not seeing anyone. Tell Mark he’s free and clear. Make sure to name the first kid after me.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.”
If she only knew.
Sarah had finished her dinner and was starting to fidget in her chair. I leaned over and blew a raspberry at her, causing a breakout of giggling.
“Unka J, you silly!” She squealed as I began tickling her.
“Stop! Stop, Unkkka Jaaaaa!”
Getting up from the table, I grabbed Sarah and hoisted her up in the air. She laughed as I flew her around the living room. Every few steps, I would pull her down and blow raspberries into her stomach. She wiggled so much she almost slipped out of my hands.
She and I plopped down on the floor and colored while Mom did the dishes. After coloring, and watching several episodes of her favorite kids show, I gave Sarah her bath. She managed to only get half the bath water on the floor and me. That was a win, as far as I was concerned.
Somewhere between drying her off and getting her into her jammies, the crash occurred. It was like a light switch had flipped. Dressing a two-year-old who was dead asleep and more limber than boiled pasta gave me a new appreciation for undertakers.
Once I got her tucked in, I headed to my room, a plan having formed in my head as I colored with Sarah. Julia told me the event would run till about eleven tonight, with the wrap up and the silent auction winners taking place at around ten. It was almost eight, so I could just make it if I hurried.
I was going to find Julia, tell her how I felt, and go from there. To hell with waiting until tomorrow. To hell with this Chad guy as well.
It took me twenty minutes to shower, shave, and put on my best suit. My lawyer had suggested I purchase a good suit in case we ended up in court with the Petersons. I bought two, one gray and one black.
Dressed in the gray one, I grabbed my keys and wallet off the dresser and strode out to the kitchen, whistling a silly tune.
Mom planted herself in front of me, arms crossed. She was in full Mom-mode.
“Okay, just what in the hell is going on? You're all slicked up and dressed in a suit. We aren’t going to see a lawyer and no funeral that I know of, so what gives? Where are you going at this hour like that? Then you asked me about… Um Jake, I know things are kinda weird with you and Julia but Kathi…”
“Jeez, Mom. This has nothing to do with Kathi.”
She gave me a bit of the side eye.
I just grinned at her and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
“Can’t a guy be in a good mood? Put on some nice clothes? Go out and have fun?”
Mom raised one eyebrow and glared at me. There was no way I was getting out of here without telling her my plans, or at least a hint of them.
I leaned against the doorway. “Fine. You know Julia’s big event is tonight. I thought I would head up there and meet with her.”
“Wait,” she said, pointing one finger at me. “Isn’t this the event that she didn’t want you at since her parents would be there, and they still hate you?”
“One and the same,” I replied, grinning.
I figured Mom didn’t need to know about Chad.
“Have you lost your… stupid question,” she said, throwing up her hands. “Of course! You’ve lost your mind. That’s the only thing that makes sense. You’re stark raving mad!”
She continued staring at me as I kept smiling at her.
“All right, that explains the clothes, but not the attitude. I’ve not seen you this giddy since the day you asked Julia to marry you. You were bounc…” and her words trailed off as she cocked her head at me. Her hand fluttered to her chest, and she took a deep breath.
I checked my watch.
“Mom, I need to go if I’m going to get there before it’s all over. Don’t wait up.”
As I walked around her, she laid her hand on my arm, stopping me. I turned to look at her, and her facial expression was almost unreadable.
“Jake, are you sure about this?” she asked softly.
“Yep. Gonna crash that event and be with Julia.”
“That’s not what I meant, son. Are you sure about this? I know the two of you have been reconnecting, but…”
I nodded slowly, understanding the real question she was asking.
“Yes, I think I am. I don’t know all the details yet, but I know the direction I want to go.”
“She could hurt you again, and this time, it affects Sarah.”
I patted her hand, smiling. “I know all of that. And I thought a lot about her and Sarah and how this all works out. But I think this time will be different. I think we can make this work.”
I kissed her on her forehead and then headed for the back door. In a matter of moments, I was turning out of the driveway and heading to Julia and my future, not knowing that in just a couple of hours, those last few words were going to bite me in the ass.
I stepped through the front doors of the hotel, scanning for any indication of where the event was located. I had scored a nice bouquet of flowers at a grocery store along the way. They may have been cheap, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
The hotel entrance and lobby were grander than I was used to seeing. It was decorated in rich, earthy colors, modern paintings, and gleaming brass fixtures. As I stepped further down the plush carpeted foyer, I could hear someone talking over a speaker and the general murmur of a crowd of people all muttering quietly. I honed in on that, moving around several small private sitting areas. Near the elevators, there were three sets of double doors. A placard that read “Magnolia Room” was mounted on all the doors, centered at eye level. The speaker was definitely in this room.
I pulled open the large, white-paneled door and found myself in an expansive banquet room. Multiple tables were set up around a small dance floor and a stage was set at one end. People were sitting at the tables and standing around the edges of the room. A bar on the wall to my left had a few folks waiting for drinks.
My attention was drawn to the stage as the speaker handed the mic off to a young man about my age. Perfect hair, expensive suit. The guy just screamed wealth and power. He blew into the microphone, causing a static burst of air and feedback to echo from the speakers. He smiled apologetically before speaking.
“Sorry about that, folks. Good evening and welcome to our annual gala event. For those who may not know me, my name is Chadwick Waterford, the co-host for tonight's festivities. On behalf of myself, and my lovely co-host, Ms. Julia Winston, I want to thank you fine ladies and gentlemen for coming out tonight to support this worthy cause. Thanks to your generous donations, we were able to raise over $70,000.”
There was a polite round of applause. Chadwick looked over to the side of the stage area and held up a hand.
“Julia, join me please. Let’s have a round of applause for my lovely co-host, folks.”
Julia stepped up to the stage. She looked ravishing, and I felt my heartbeat race. She was smiling and giving small waves to people she recognized. She moved over to stand next to him and he slid an arm around her waist. I felt the burn of jealousy start up and it flamed higher as Julia slid her arm around him and stood close to him and he pulled her in a bit closer. That was almost a natural move for her, it seemed. What the hell was going on? Once the applause died down, he continued.
“Now, as many of you know, Julia and I were quite the item a few months ago,” he stated, laughing as he finished. The room murmured appreciatively.
Someone on the far side of the room shouted, “That’s putting it mildly!” causing the room to laugh, including Chadwick.
That small flame of jealousy was fanning itself up into a raging fire. Wait. Chadwick. Chadwick. Shit, Chad.
“Now,” Chadwick intoned, “we all know that relationships have their ups and downs. When we first started dating, Julia shared with me the heartache she went through when the lowlife she married began cheating on her. Luckily, she found out and dumped him. She came back to her home and friends, and eventually to me.” As he talked, Julia turned her head to the side and gave Chadwick a disapproving look.
I stepped around the two people in front of me so that I had a more direct view of the stage. As soon as I did, Julia’s eyes locked on me. Even from where I stood in the back, I could see her face go pale. She immediately mouthed something that looked like ‘No’ and let her arm slip off her boyfriend's waist.
“Too little too late.” I mouthed at her, not knowing if she could make out the words from where she was and sincerely hoping she could.
The smiling asshole on the stage continued with his story. I really had the urge to rearrange his perfectly straight white teeth. It was strong enough that I caught myself taking a step forward toward the stage, where the pretty boy was still spouting.
“I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not perfect. I was afraid of the commitment of marriage, so I broke up with her. But this week, as we worked together organizing this event, I came to my senses. Seeing her work, marveling at how smart she is, how wonderful she is, I was reminded why I fell in love with her in the first place. But last night, as we were going over the final plans for tonight over a nice, intimate dinner, I realized my stupidity and came to my senses.”
“Yeah, we know about your intimate dinners this week,” said the mysterious buffoon.
That got a round of hoots and hollers from several of the others.
Julia kept her eyes on me as I felt the flush creep up my neck. This was the real reason why she didn’t want me here, why she didn’t want me around the event. That must have been fucking Chad on the phone the other night.
‘Problem with the venue hall’ my ass.
The only problem was making it back in time for an intimate dinner with her asshole boyfriend.
On the stage, Julia shook her head slightly, mouthing something at me that I couldn’t make out.
“You lying bitch,” I said, not trying to hide my words.
Several heads turned to stare at me. Julia’s eyes widened, making me think she was able to understand exactly what I said. Just then, things got even worse.
The noise level rose, and the air seemed to fill with excitement as Julia’s mom, Wilma, stepped up on stage beside Julia. She gave Julia a light hug and a kiss on the cheek before stepping back. I didn’t think Julia even knew she was there.
Her father, George, beaming like he’d just been elected governor, stepped up on the stage. Chadwick handed George the microphone, who then held it up so that Chadwick could still be heard. The acid in my stomach began pumping overtime as I watched him reach into his coat pocket and come out with a small box.
Fuck me blind.
“Tonight, in front of her family and friends, and with George and Wilma’s blessing, I need to step up and be the man she needs.”
The crowd gasped as he dropped to one knee. George held the mic down closer.
“Julia Winston, I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you marry me?”
Julia's eyes jerked down as Chadwick took her hand and slid the ring on to her finger. Several photographers rushed to the stage area, camera flashes going off like fireworks as the crowd erupted in applause. Chadwick stood up and pulled Julia to him, kissing her.
With my world blasted asunder, I tossed the bouquet to the floor. Turning, I fast walked to the doors of the event hall and slammed them open, barreling into the hall. The doors closed shut on the sounds of applause and congratulations that led to the death of my heart.
I was madder than I had ever been before and, at the same time, almost as heartbroken as when she first left me. I had allowed myself the thought of having a new future with her. I had reconciled that what had happened was not her fault, and we were overcoming the past. We had connected. Those kisses on the dance floor.
What a fucking fool I had been.
I didn’t remember getting to my truck. My conscious thinking kicked back in as I peeled out of the hotel parking garage and headed for the interstate.
My phone started blaring Julia’s ringtone as I hit the on-ramp heading south. The last thing I wanted to do was to talk to her. She’d made her damn choice, and it wasn’t me. I ignored the phone, and it finally stopped. Within moments, it was ringing again and I ignored it. She could dial until her fingers bled.
A service station sign caught my attention a few seconds later. It was one of those liquor store and gas station combos. A quick stop and I was soon back on the road. The store only had the small flasks of Jack, but that was okay. It was a perfectly fine heartbreak medicine.
The lines on the interstate were almost hypnotic as they zipped by. My eyes were blurry from the tears, my voice was hoarse from screaming. Every few moments, I’d take a hit from my small little friend, Jack. Eventually, numbness started to replace the agony.
The phone never seemed to stop ringing. Mostly Julia, then a string of calls from Mom. I couldn’t begin to imagine the story Julia must have spun to get Mom’s help. No way Mom would have lifted a finger if she knew Julia was engaged.
I pounded the steering wheel, screaming at the dashboard. “Damn you! Damn you for doing this to me again!”
I was such a goddamn fool. Meet. Right. Intimate dinners.
God, I was so fucking stupid.
Chad. Chadwick. What damn wimpy name was Chadwick? And that smile on her father's face. I know he must have been so proud that his daughter was finally marrying someone he felt worthy of her.
I took another pull on the little flask and felt the last of the whiskey burn down my raw throat. As I dropped the empty container into the cup holder, the darkness behind me exploded with strobing blue lights and the shriek of a siren. I glanced at the speedometer to see it pegged at a bit over ninety.
Great. Just goddamn great.
I came off the gas and began braking, slowing enough to ease the truck over to the shoulder of the interstate. Coming to a stop, I threw the truck in park and turned the engine off. The lights were blinding, bouncing off the side and rear-view mirrors, causing my eyes to sting. I rolled the window down, knowing what was to come.
After a few moments, I heard the thunk of the car door closing and watched in my side mirror as the officer made his way up to my window. His flashlight flicked into the truck bed, then through the back window of the truck. The officer then stepped up to the window, keeping slightly to the back side of my shoulder.
“License, registration, and proof of insurance, please.” The voice was deep with a no-nonsense tone.
I pulled my wallet out of my pants and plucked my license out. I flipped the visor down and pulled my registration and insurance card from the clip there. I handed all three to the officer.
He took them and walked back to his car. I sat there, fuming and wondering how much more screwed up my life could get. I should have known better than to tempt the fates with that question.
I heard the car door thunk again, and the officer came back up to the window. The beam from his flashlight hit me square, and I winced, turning my head away. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots. As they dissipated, I could see that the officer's light was now illuminating the small flask sitting in the cup holder.
