Ready To Love Again (29 page)

“When are you planning on taking Shawn for the summer?”

“That’s why I’m calling. Southwest has cheap flights right now, and I wanted to know when the school year ends.”

“June fifth.”

“All right, I’ll see what I can do and get back to you. I thought I could fly out and maybe stay the night at your house. Then Shawn and I can fly back, if that’s okay with you.”

Katie held back a groan at the thought of being under the same roof with him, but she knew it was a sacrifice she’d have to make. She didn’t want to send Shawn on an airplane for the first time by himself. One of them would have to fly with him, and since Victor was paying for the tickets, the least she could do was help out with a place to stay.

“If that’s all, we have a baseball game to get to.”

“So he’s playing ball?”

“Yes. It’s the last game before the playoffs, and I don’t have time to fill you in on a season’s worth of plays,” she said, snapping at him.

“Wow, I really screwed up. I can’t believe I missed this.” Victor paused. He sounded remorseful, but she wasn’t sure if he meant it or if it was another tactic to make himself the victim. 

Katie let some of her anger dissolve before she spoke. “Listen, Victor—call back later next week. I’m sure Shawn can talk your ear off about baseball for hours.”

“Thanks, Katie,” he said.
 

She wouldn’t feel sorry for him. He’d brought it on himself. Katie hoped he realized the damage he’d done by not calling and hoped he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Hanging the phone on the charger, she turned to find Shawn standing in the kitchen with his baseball bag at his feet. “Did he tell you he had a big job and that’s why he didn’t call?”

Katie nodded.

“He always has a job.” Shawn picked up his bag and headed toward the door.

“Are you okay, honey?”

He stopped and turned around to look over his shoulder. “Yeah. He does this all the time. I didn’t think it would change when we moved here.”

“I’m sorry we moved so far away.”

Shawn shrugged. “I didn’t want to move, but I go where you go because I want to be with you—not him. Even if we lived in Albuquerque, Dad probably wouldn’t call that much anyway. He didn’t when we lived at Uncle Kevin’s. Besides, if we stayed, then I wouldn’t have met Tony or have baseball. I’m glad we’re in California.”

Relief swept through Katie, and she gave him a sad smile. It was good he seemed to have a firm grasp of Victor’s pattern of behavior, but it was unfortunate he had to figure it out through repeated negative experiences. Therapy had taught her not to make excuses for Victor, and during the first year of separation, she’d spent most of her time comforting Shawn when his father didn’t show up to school functions or cancelled fishing trips at the last moment. She was always worried about how the move had affected Shawn, but maybe it was a good thing they had relocated. With the distance, Shawn wouldn’t have to listen to broken promises every weekend.

“I love you,” Katie told her son, taking him in her arms and giving him a tight squeeze.

“I love you, too, Mommy.”

Chapter 15

Katie spent the week arranging the details for the end-of-season party with Gina, never making it to the bookstore like she had planned. Chase worked double shifts, so with Katie’s strained relationship with Liz, they both decided it would be best not to push her company on Liz.

Katie missed Chase, but she knew the separation was for the best. The few encounters she had with Liz when she picked up Shawn were brief and distant, which didn’t make Katie optimistic about a resolution.

The baseball season ended with a victory, and all the boys were excited for the playoffs. Katie sent Shawn home with Chase so she could get her errand done. She spent more than an hour in the bookstore, scanning through books and talking with employees about the best choices for an eleven-year-old girl. One hundred twenty dollars later, she walked out with books for all the kids and one special book that had been recommended for children trying to understand the death of a parent. Katie was excited, and a little apprehensive, when she arrived at Chase’s home.

“Hello, beautiful,” he whispered into her ear when she stepped out of the car. She wrapped her arms around his waist. The familiar spicy scent of his cologne made her sigh.

“How was your day?” he asked.

“Perfect now.”

He squeezed her hips, then turned back to the car and reached into the backseat for the bag of books.

“What’s this?”

“A few books I picked up for the kids.”

Determination crossed his features. It was the look he always got before he pulled out his wallet. “How much did you spend?”

Katie shook her head and snatched the bag out of his hand. “None of your business.” After giving this retort, she stomped up the stairs to his bedroom before he could argue with her.

“Come on, Katie. Let me at least pay for half.”

She pushed the door open to his room and set the books on the dresser. “No. If you pay for half, then they won’t be from me, and I want to give Tony and Liz something.”

“We don’t have to tell them they’re from me. I just don’t want you spending money on my kids that I know you don’t have.”

Katie turned around with a level look that indicated he was one step from crossing a line. He held up his hands in defense.

“I know things are tight, and I thought—”

“Well, stop thinking before you choke on your foot. Not that it matters, but I’m doing fine since I haven’t had to pay for after-school care, so the books are the least I could do.”

Chase sighed and shook his head. “All right, I’m sorry.” He reached for her, and she didn’t put up much of a fight. Although Katie was still annoyed at his assumption and had considered making him grovel a bit, she couldn’t deny that she missed their intimacy as much as he did. The smell of his cologne hit her senses again, and it brought an instant switch in her mood. She went from irritated to considering whether she could lock the door and do naughty things to him. It had been weeks since they’d had a moment alone.

Burying her nose in his neck, she inhaled. Chase’s hand slid into the neck of her shirt and pulled it down her shoulder while his lips followed the fabric when it slipped lower.

“Where are the kids?” she whispered.

“Gina is entertaining them.”

His quick reply interrupted his attention for a moment, but he soon continued to lavish her skin with wet kisses. Katie hugged him closer, enjoying the moment of privacy. She rested her forehead on his shoulder while his hands slid up her sides.

“We should go downstairs and help Gina with dinner,” Katie whispered.

Chase groaned into her neck and shook his head. “Two more minutes.”

She laughed before she placed a kiss on his Adam’s apple. “Later. We’ll get some time after dinner. I rented a couple of movies for the kids.” Katie went up on her toes and kissed him once more before taking his hand and pulling him toward the door.

Gina tried out a new recipe for chicken parmesan while the boys chatted with Chase about the upcoming playoff games. Liz was pleasant, but it didn’t pass Katie’s notice that she avoided any conversation or topic that would require her to speak directly to Katie.

“Liz,” Katie said, hoping to break the ice. “Today at the bookstore, I picked up some books I thought you might enjoy.” When she didn’t respond, Katie went on. “There are a few books I enjoyed when I was your age.”

“Thanks.” Liz’s one word answer reverberated across the quiet dining room. She didn’t even look up from her plate in acknowledgment. Katie glanced at Chase, whose jaw was clenched, but he didn’t say anything. Both boys stopped talking to listen to the conversation, staring at Liz for her rudeness.

“May I be excused?” Liz asked, never once looking at Katie.

Chase gave her a curt nod, and she grabbed her plate and took it to the kitchen. Katie felt Chase’s hand glide up her thigh and squeeze. She smiled at him, but she could tell he knew Liz’s lack of interest had bothered her. Katie shrugged it off. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

After dinner, the boys went out to the patio while Chase and Katie cleared the dishes. They thanked Gina, shooing her away when she started to clean up.

“I don’t understand how Gina can dirty every plate, bowl, and platter in the kitchen every time she cooks.” Chase made the same comment night after night, but Katie knew he enjoyed the evening ritual as much as she did. The first night he had pointed out the dishwasher, but Katie liked spending time talking with him while he dried and put away the dishes that she washed.

“Stop whining and keep drying.”

“I’m not whin—”

A loud, high-pitched scream came from upstairs.

“Get it out!” Liz’s annoyed voice floated downstairs.
 

Chase rolled his eyes and put down the dishtowel. They next heard a loud cry that sounded like Shawn. Chase bolted from the room and flew up the stairs with Katie right on his heels. When they reached the second floor, they found Shawn doubled over in front of Liz’s room, a look of pure rage on his face. Chase went to Shawn and knelt down in front of him. He whispered to him before Shawn nodded, and Chase turned his piercing stare on his daughter.

“Did you hit Shawn?” he asked, authority filling his voice.

Katie stood there in shock, stunned that Liz would resort to physical violence against him. Liz’s chin jutted out, but she didn’t deny the accusation.

“Did you hit Shawn?” Chase asked again, emphasizing each word. Liz’s lip quivered, but she still didn’t answer.

“Are you okay?” Katie asked, not wanting to interrupt but needing to know that her son wasn’t badly hurt. Shawn nodded, then turned a wrathful stare at Liz.

“She hit me because Tony and I brought Sammy to see her.”

“Sammy?” Chase looked from Shawn to Liz.

“Sammy’s the lizard Tony and I found in the backyard.”

“He let a lizard go in my room.” Liz huffed, stomping her foot to emphasize her anger.

“We didn’t let it go. You hit me, and he got away,” Shawn said, throwing his arms in the air.

“Wait.” Chase held up his hands for them to stop. “There’s a lizard running around in my house?”

Shawn nodded and pointed toward Liz’s room. “Tony tried to catch him. He’s in her room somewhere.”

Liz let out another half-huff, half-scream and stormed closer to Shawn. “I hate you!” she said with a wail, causing Chase to pull Shawn back out of her reach. “You brought that disgusting thing into my room. I wish you never became friends with Tony. I wish you and your mom would go away and never come back!”

When she doubled up her fist and looked like she would take a swing at Shawn again, Chase reached for Liz, grasping her by the arms. He turned her toward him and gave her a firm shake.

“Liz.” His voice rose in volume, but he didn’t yell. “That was a horrible thing to say. You need to apologize.”

By this time, tears were streaming down her face. She stuck her chin further out and shook her head in blatant defiance of Chase’s command. He couldn’t have looked more stunned if she’d slapped him.

A moment later, Tony came out of Liz’s room with the lizard trapped between his fingers. He looked over at Shawn and gave him an apologetic smile. Shawn nodded before turning his furious gaze back to Liz, who ignored him. Chase stared at his daughter, waiting for an apology she wasn’t about to give.

“Go in your room and get ready for bed.”

“Dad, she needs to apologize,” Tony said from beside Shawn. Chase ran his hands through his hair and gave Liz a pointed look.

“Shut up, Anthony! I won’t say I’m sorry!” she screamed. Chase growled at her tenacity, and she turned her anger toward Katie. “I don’t want your books. I don’t want anything from you. Ever. Why did you have to come and ruin everything?”
 

Liz turned and slammed her door, leaving everyone taken aback. Katie felt horrible dread bubble up from the deepest pit of her stomach.

Chase let out a long sigh and then turned to the boys. “Please take Sammy outside and let him go.” Shawn and Tony nodded and ran downstairs, leaving Chase and Katie alone in the hallway.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, leading her down the hall to his room.
 

Katie glanced at the bag of books lying on the dresser. Dread once again washed over her, and she let out a strangled sob. Chase took her into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. His hand stroked her hair while she cried.

It would take a lot more to change Liz’s heart than a few books. Katie felt her heart tighten, and her breathing hitched at the implications of this latest episode. Her visions of happy ever after had crashed around her in one tantrum-fueled outburst. She felt herself starting to sob, and she tried to push her feelings aside to pull away from him. “I need to go.”

Liz comes first. Chase needs to focus on her. She’s never going to accept me.

Chase held her tighter and shook his head. “No, don’t go.” His voice was a whisper, but there was a hint of panic in his words.