Chasing Bailey, page 6
part #3 of Lake Harriet Series
He turned to the dog. “Okay, Bailey. Break’s over. At least I know I can finish this project today.” Avery stood and stretched his back. He suddenly realized that once he was finished, he wouldn’t have a good reason to come over here anymore. That thought bothered him.
He rubbed Bailey behind the ears, getting a smile in return, then went back to the fence to work.
***
Halfway through her day, Lisa realized it was Friday. And not just any Friday, it was one of the two weekends a month that Andrew was allowed to take Abby for the weekend.
She hated the weekends he took her. She knew divorced parents who enjoyed the time away from their children, but she didn’t. Lisa felt Abby was too young to be shuffled around. True, Andrew was good with her and truly loved his daughter, but he didn’t spend enough time with her to know her well. And it didn’t help that Andrew’s live-in girlfriend, Katrina Meyers, wasn’t exactly a kid person. Lisa wrinkled her nose at the thought of Katrina with her stiff, bleached-blond hair, thick coat of make-up, and too-tight clothes. It seemed she had no interest in a busy little girl like Abby. She wouldn’t even hold her because she didn’t want to get her clothes dirty.
Lisa looked down at her stained top with Disney characters printed on it and laughed. Getting dirty around kids all day just happened. She certainly didn’t have a problem with it.
After school let out, Lisa rushed to get Abby from the day care next door and hurried home. She had to make sure Abby had a snack—because God only knew what Andrew would feed her for dinner—and was in a clean outfit, packed, and ready to go by five-thirty. Andrew was always promptly on time. If he had to wait even a minute, he’d comment again on it being yet another reason he wanted joint custody, and Lisa didn’t want to argue about that. They had a court date set for next month where the judge would decide, and she didn’t want to give Andrew any new ammunition to bolster his case. Her lawyer from legal aid had said she shouldn’t worry—judges still tended to side with the mother—but that didn’t make her feel any more secure. She knew the only reason Andrew wanted full joint custody was because he wanted to lower the amount of child support he paid her. She also knew for certain that he wouldn’t take Abby for more than a weekend here or there despite joint custody, but he’d be paying her less. She needed that money to keep afloat and any reduction would make life even more difficult.
It truly upset her that children were used as bargaining chips in a divorce.
When they’d first separated, he’d agreed she should have full custody of Abby and they’d set the terms for his visits. With a new girlfriend in his life, he hadn’t wanted the burden of caring for Abby half the time. Lisa had been relieved, because she hadn’t wanted Abby tossed weekly between two households. Once he’d learned what his child support payments would be, his tune had changed. Every time she thought of it, she grew angry.
Lisa arrived at the house and let Abby run down the hall to call for Bailey. Hurriedly, she packed a bag for her daughter with all her necessities and favorite toys. She was almost finished when she heard footsteps in the hallway. Heavy footsteps. A shadow fell over her from the doorway. Startled, she turned quickly and nearly fell back on the toddler’s bed.
“You scared me to death!” she said, placing her hand over her heart.
Avery looked worried. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to ask if it was okay for Abby to come outside with me again.”
Lisa sighed. Thinking how ridiculous she must have looked to him, she began laughing. It released the tension she’d been feeling all afternoon.
“Uh, are you okay?” Avery asked, taking another step inside the room. From behind him, Abby peeked around his legs.
That only made Lisa laugh harder. “I’m fine. I was so intent on what I was doing, I’d forgotten you might be in the backyard.”
Avery smiled. “Sorry.”
“No problem. And yes, she can go out for a little while, but then I need to give her a snack before she leaves.”
His brows rose. “Leaves? Is she running away from home or something?”
She grinned. “No. Her father is picking her up for the weekend. He takes her every other weekend.”
“Daddy,” Abby said softly.
“Yes, sweetie,” Lisa said, turning to Abby. “Daddy will be here soon.” Lisa noticed the smile on Avery’s face had faded.
“Okay then.” He offered Abby his hand. “Let’s go see what Bailey’s up to.”
The little girl smiled brightly up at him and happily took his hand. Lisa watched as they walked down the hall to go outside.
Something tugged at her heart. Something about Avery and Abby, holding hands.
“It’s sweet,” she said quietly. She hadn’t expected sweet from a hermit.
Promptly at five-thirty, the doorbell rang. Bailey barked and danced around, causing Lisa to have to pull him away from the door. She opened it, and there stood Andrew in his three-piece suit and polished shoes, clean shaven, and not one brown hair out of place. In the car was Katrina, carefully applying lipstick.
Lisa cringed. She hadn’t so much as looked in the mirror when she came home. She must have looked a fright.
“Hi, Lisa. Is Abby ready?” He peered around her to where Abby was sitting with her toys on the living room floor with Bailey circling her.
“Yeah. Come on in. I’ll get her bag.” Lisa moved aside so he could step in. Instantly, Bailey ran over and jumped on him.
Andrew angrily pushed the dog away. “Get back! Get down, you stupid dog.”
Lisa tried not to smile. Jump some more, she secretly thought. Ruin that fancy suit of his.
“Baywee!” Abby called excitedly. By the time Lisa came back from the bedroom with the bag, Bailey was once again near his favorite little person and Andrew was brushing off invisible dirt from his suit.
“You should train that dog,” he grumbled.
“He’s just a puppy,” Lisa said, handing him Abby’s bag. “And remember, you’re the one who brought him here.”
Andrew studied her a moment, seemingly ready with a mean retort when a voice came from the hallway.
“He’s a smart dog. He’ll learn as soon as he can retain it. Most obedience schools won’t even train a dog until it’s over six months old.”
Lisa saw Avery standing at the end of the hallway and smiled. His T-shirt and jeans were stained with dirt and his hair was mussed. But at this very moment, she thought he was a hero for talking back to Andrew.
“And who are you?” Andrew asked, sneering at Avery.
Avery ignored him and looked at Lisa. “Sorry to interrupt. I just came in to tell you I’m finished out back. I’ll put the leftover wire and the shovel in the garage.”
“Thanks, Avery,” she said.
Andrew frowned. “Who’s he? The gardener? I guess you’re living pretty well if you can afford to pay a gardener.”
Anger rushed through Lisa’s veins. “No. He’s not a gardener. He was helping secure the fence so Bailey wouldn’t dig another hole and crawl under it. Believe me, I don’t have an extra dime, let alone money to pay a gardener.”
Andrew regarded her for a moment, then decided to stay silent. He walked over to Abby. “Come on, Abbs. It’s time to go.” He bent down and picked up his daughter.
“Mommy?” she asked, her bottom lip starting to quiver.
Lisa’s heart twisted. This happened every time. Abby was at an age when it scared her to be away from her mom, and she really didn’t spend enough time with her dad to know him well. Lisa stepped over beside Andrew and gently ran her hand up and down Abby’s back. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re going to Daddy’s for the weekend. You’ll have a lot of fun.” She kissed her on the cheek, but a tear was already falling.
“Baywee!” Abby called, more tears coming.
“Maybe she’d feel better if Bailey came along, too,” Lisa said.
“Are you crazy? Katrina would have a fit. Abby will be fine. She always cries for the first few minutes then she has a good time.”
Lisa hated this every time it happened. She knew Andrew was a good parent, when he was around, but hearing Abby cry as he took her away was always gut-wrenching. She watched as Andrew took her out to the car and buckled her into her car seat. She could hear her daughter wailing. Tears filled Lisa’s eyes as she listened. Finally, Andrew shut the door and drove off. But she stood, rooted to the spot, long after they’d driven away.
Chapter Eight
Avery was walking down Lisa’s driveway to the front yard when he saw Andrew slam his car door and drive away.
Gardener! Right! Stupid guy in his fancy three-piece suit. Probably hasn’t ever gotten his hands dirty a day in his life. I could afford to buy a fancy suit too, if I wanted to look like a jerk.
He didn’t know why he disliked the guy so much, but he did. Of course, over the past year, Avery hadn’t liked practically everyone.
As he came to the front yard, he noticed Lisa standing on the front porch, her head in her hands. On impulse, he sprinted up the steps. “Are you okay?”
Lisa raised her head, blue eyes full of tears as droplets streamed down her face. The pained look she gave him made him instantly want to comfort her. He moved closer, hesitating for only a moment. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. She didn’t resist. Her tears came faster as her shoulders shook. The harder she cried, the tighter he hugged her.
They stood together for a long while, neither of them aware of anything else around them but each other. They were so close, her hair tickled his face. She smelled like lilacs and baby lotion. He would have found that humorous if she hadn’t been so upset. He knew he must smell terrible after working in the sun all day, and his clothes were filthy. But she didn’t seem to mind. She curled into him and held on as if she were drowning.
After a time, Lisa’s tears slowed, and she pulled back a little. As he gazed into her eyes, he had a deep desire to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her in a way that made her forget whatever it was that had caused her to cry. But, with difficulty, he refrained. This definitely wasn’t the right time.
“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling away. “I never fall apart like that.” She dropped her eyes and then said, “At least not in public.”
“You don’t have to be sorry,” he told her. “We all have our moments.”
She nodded. When she raised her eyes again, she managed to give him a small smile. “Thank you. You’re not too bad for a hermit.”
He laughed a warm, deep chuckle, and she joined in.
“Why don’t I buy you dinner?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t treading on shaky ground. “Something casual. There’s a pub not far from here that’s good.” He watched as she took a breath and hesitated. She’s going to say no, he thought, regretfully.
“Shouldn’t I be the one to take you out for dinner?” she asked. “After all, you just spent two days fixing my fence, and the last few minutes trying to fix me.”
A strand of hair fell down the side of her face, and Avery had the urge to slip it behind her ear with his finger. A character in his books would do that. It was an intimate, romantic gesture. But it was too personal for their relationship at this moment. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s my night to buy,” he said. “You made dinner last night.”
Again, she hesitated, then gave him a smile. “Sure. It might be nice to get out of the house for a change.” She looked down at her clothes. “I’ll need to clean up a bit, though.”
“Me, too,” he said. “Meet you at seven? I’ll drive my car over.”
She nodded. With a wave, she went inside and closed the door.
Avery couldn’t help but smile the entire way home.
***
“What have I done? Is this a date?” Lisa stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. “Have I agreed to a date with Avery?” Suddenly, panic set in. She couldn’t believe she’d just stood there on the porch, crying in Avery’s arms. Hearing Abby sobbing had torn her apart. It had happened before, but Lisa had been able to soldier through it. She didn’t have much choice. Andrew was allowed the two weekends a month. But this time, it had just been too much.
And then Avery had held her, and slowly, she’d felt better.
“I look like a crazy person.” Something cold and wet touched her hand, startling her. She looked down and there sat Bailey, looking sad.
Kneeling, Lisa petted the dog’s head. “Sorry, boy. I know you miss Abby when she’s gone. It’s only for a couple of days.” She stood again and took another look at herself. “Well, Bailey. I have a lot of work to do in the next hour.”
Bailey lay down next to her and, luckily, didn’t agree.
Right at seven, the doorbell rang. Lisa slipped on a pair of flats and headed for the door, a sweater hanging over the crook of her arm. It had taken her fifteen minutes to decide what to wear, and in the end, she’d stuck with jeans, a white shirt, black flats, and a red sweater for later when the night air cooled. She hoped she wouldn’t look too casual, like she didn’t care. Did she care? She didn’t know.
Opening the door, she almost sighed with relief. Avery was wearing jeans too, a loose shirt, and cowboy boots. “Hi,” she said, suddenly feeling shy.
“Hi.” He smiled. “You ready?”
“Yep. I’ll grab my purse.”
Bailey had come over to inspect Avery too. The dog grew excited and started bouncing around, but when Avery put his hand down, palm flat, Bailey stopped and sat.
Lisa watched in amazement. “How did you do that?”
“I taught him the command while I was working on the fence. He’s a smart dog, like I told your ex. You just have to know how to handle him.”
Lisa grinned. “So, you could have stopped Bailey from jumping on Andrew’s suit?”
He grinned back. “Probably.”
They both laughed, said goodbye to Bailey, and headed out the door to Avery’s SUV. The pub was only three blocks away and Avery parked close by.
“I’ve seen this place, but I’ve never eaten here,” Lisa said as they stepped out of the car. “It’s so close, we could have walked.”
“We could have, but it’ll be dark by the time we leave. I didn’t think we should walk in the dark,” Avery said.
“Are you afraid of the dark?” she teased.
“No. Hermits aren’t afraid of the dark.” He winked.
“I’ll never live that one down, will I?”
“Not if I can help it.” He grinned and opened the door to the pub, letting her enter ahead of him.
Since it was a Friday night, the place was crowded, but they managed to find a table in the back where it wasn’t as noisy. The pub was small, with dark wood floors, tables, and wainscoting, and hunter-green wallpaper on the upper part of the walls. Antique advertising signs decorated the cozy space.
“This reminds me of Gallagher’s,” Lisa said. “Only smaller.”
Avery nodded. “I suppose all Irish pubs sort of look alike. Except they don’t all have Gallagher’s great hamburgers.”
The waitress came over and took their drink order, leaving menus. Lisa opened her menu but noticed Avery didn’t. “Do you eat here so often you don’t even have to look at the menu?”
“Yes and no. I guess I come here once a week. Mostly, I order pizza delivered to the house. Like, almost every night.” He grimaced.
“How do you stay in shape eating all that pizza?”
One eyebrow rose. “You think I’m in shape?”
Lisa felt her face heat up. “I mean, well, you don’t look overweight or anything.” Great. Now he thinks I was checking him out.
Avery laughed. “I was just teasing you. I take long walks almost every day, but I wish I still had my home gym. I miss working out.”
She was just about to ask him about his home gym when the waitress came back. She set down Lisa’s red wine and Avery’s beer. Lisa ordered the grilled chicken salad and Avery said he’d have a cheeseburger.
The waitress winked at him. “The usual, right?”
“Yeah. I suppose. Creature of habit.”
Lisa watched as the waitress headed toward the bar. The woman was at least ten years younger than Avery, but it looked like she’d been flirting with him. “She seems to know you well.”
Avery looked confused. “The waitress? Not really. Like I said, I come here once a week. She just knows what I order.” He cocked his head. “Why? Are you jealous?”
“No. Why would I be jealous? I don’t care who you date. Even if she is way too young for you.” Lisa stopped, realizing how snitty that sounded. But Avery was grinning at her.
“Too young, huh? Well, I have to agree with you. My wife was younger than me, and I paid dearly for that. No more younger women for me. Besides, I can’t keep up with them. I’m too old.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” she said, feeling contrite.
“I know,” he said. “Is that what happened between you and your husband? He found someone younger? I mean, you don’t look a day over twenty-five, so I’m not sure how he found someone else younger and still of legal age.”
She chuckled. “I’m thirty-two. And no. She wasn’t younger, just easier.”
“Easier?”
“Oops. I didn’t mean that kind of easier, although, if the shoe fits. No, she was single and free to go running around to bars and didn’t have a baby to contend with. I think Andrew started feeling too tied down with the house and Abby, and, well, was looking for fun again.” She shrugged. “I don’t really understand it. He wanted to buy the house and he wanted me to stay home with Abby after she was born. But then he resented it after a while. I thought we were both on the same page, but I guess we weren’t.”
“I’m sorry. Relationships are hard and they never make sense. I know how that is.”
“Do you want to share what happened to your marriage?” she asked.
