Deadbeat Dads (12 page)

“I believe Randy was the reason for this meeting.” 

Carr leaned back and smiled. “Well, actually that was a ruse. I wasn’t sure how else to get you to agree to a date.”

“Oh, so that was all a pretense.” I couldn’t help but laugh, yet I was flattered. It was probably one of the nicest things anyone had said to me in a long time. I wasn’t used to men paying attention to me. And he said it with such sincerity. “Do you often use your son to get dates?”

“To be honest, I haven’t been on a date since Barbara and I split up.” He set a slice of pizza on each of our plates
and handed one to me.

Now that surprised me. He didn’t look like the type who’d be without a woman. Still, he hadn’t lived up to my expectations so far. I’d never have pegged him for a cop, let alone a social worker. More like a lawyer. With his good looks and charismatic smile, he’d dazzle any courtroom. Or maybe a corporate lawyer. Obviously, you couldn’t judge a book by its cover. I couldn’
t have been more wrong about him. His honesty impressed me.

“So tell me, what do you do for fun?” Carr wiped pizza sauce from his lips and smiled.

“Fun? What’s that? I can’t remember the last time I did anything besides take care kids and work. This is the first time I’ve been out in I can’t remember how long.”

“Surely you
have some outside interest.”

“I have plenty of interests. Just no time to do them. Although I did start a group for divorced mothers with deadbeat dads.”

“Really? Tell me about it. What do you mean deadbeat dads?”

“Fathers who up and leave and don’t pay child
support and don’t contact their kids. It’s like they forget they even have a family. That’s what happened with Johnny. You’d be surprised at the number of fathers who don’t care.” I wondered if I should tell him about Bob. I also wondered if he could help me find Joe. He had been a cop, after all, and probably still had connections in the force.

“It’s great you started a support group. Have any of the other women been able to make contact and get their exes to pay?”

“I think most of them gave up looking. I ran into one in Florida. He was actually quite cooperative. He sent a good sum of money at my urging. I ran into him again, well almost ran into him. He saw me coming and ran in front of a car. Was killed instantly.” I shivered at the memory.

Carr leaned back and looked at me. “Are you serious?”

“Doesn’t sound good, I know. I’m responsible for two men’s deaths. Maybe you’re not going to want to meet with me again.”

“I hardly think you’re responsible. If he hadn’t tried to avoid you, he’d still be alive. What was he running from, do you suppose?”

I told Carr about finding the article. “I guess he was afraid I’d tell someone about him. I’m not sure.”

“I remember reading about that case.”

I sat forward. “There’s another guy just upped and disappeared. Doesn’t sound like he ran off with another woman. Not married very long, new baby. Sent his wife flowers a week before. Not the typical deadbeat dad. It bothers me.”

“What do you mean, not the typical?”

“Joe Anderson was devoted to his wife and child. A man doesn’t send his wife flowers if he’s planning on leaving, especially if he’s fooling around. This guy came home every night, no business trips, nothing to indicate there was another woman.”

“Something tells me you’re looking for this guy. Did she file a missing person report?”

“Yeah, the cops figure he ran off. His mother blames her. Truthfully, I think the mother is or was a big part of the problem. Maybe he ran off to get away from her. At the very least, he could have taken his family with him.”

Carr sat back and rubbed his chin. “Maybe I can do some digging. See what the cops came up with.”

“From what Emma said, nothing.  He went to work as usual and never showed up. Nothing was missing. Clothes were all there, luggage, she said he even left the credit cards. That doesn’t sound like a man leaving his family.”

“I’ll check into it if you want me to.”

Did I want him to? Wouldn’t that mean we were involved with one more thing besides his son? I did have to admit it was nice having a man to talk to. Especially one who really listened. “Sure, why not. Maybe we’ll learn something. Maybe we won’t.”

I looked at my watch. Much as I hated to, it was time to call it a night. But, I promised Cheryl I wouldn’t be long and they all had school tomorrow. I pushed back my chair and started to get up. “It’s getting late.”

Carr stood. “I really enjoyed this. I hope we can do it again sometime. Soon.”

The smile he flashed was contagious. This man had charisma. Good looks, manners, and a real charmer. Definitely someone to watch out for. Not someone to get involved with. The fact he was still single after his divorce proved it. Or did it? Maybe what he said was true. Maybe he hadn’t been out
with a woman. Sure hard to believe. I smiled back. “Sure, why not?”

Chapter Eleven

The next meeting of the deadbeat dads group brought yet another new member. Ruth had been married for eighteen years. Her story was different. Her husband didn’t leave for the usual reasons. He left because he couldn’t handle Ruth’s grief over the loss of her mother.

Ruth stood timidly in front of the group and kept her head down most of the time. “One day, he just said he had enough. That I needed to grow up, get over ‘mommy’s’ death. Put it behind me. How does one get over the loss of a parent? A best friend?” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped a tear. I had a feeling it wasn’t because of the loss of her husband.

“It had been coming for a long time. All during my mother’s illness, he resented the time I spent with her. Truth be told, I think he always resented my mother and our relationship.

“
We argued constantly. I wasn’t paying enough attention to him. I wasn’t keeping the house clean enough. The kids were lacking discipline. You name it, he complained about it.”

The room remained quiet. Women shuffled their feet, looked everywhere but at Ruth.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I finally said. Not much in the way of consolation, but what else was there to say.

Ruth smiled. “Thank you. I hope you’re referring to my mother.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, your mother. So tell us why you’ve joined us.”

“Moral support mostly. I’ve been trying to get
a dissolution for over three years.  I thought we came up with an agreement, but then he hired a lawyer. Every time we went to sign, he and his lawyer changed something to his benefit that wasn’t agreeable. After eighteen years of marriage, he didn’t want me to have anything. He took almost everything of value. I got the house along with a twelve hundred dollar a month mortgage and the furniture we’ve had forever.” She let out a chuckle.

“He pays me four hundred a month ch
ild support for two kids. He has a motorcycle business and eBay stores, but he hides all of that in his mom’s name. That’s why he has two Harleys, three trucks and a boat. I’m sorry. I’m monopolizing the conversation.”

“No, please, go on. We all do the same thing our first time. It’s one of the ways to get to know you.”

“Are you sure? I mean…”

I nodded. “Yes, please go on.”

Ruth looked around the room, everyone nodded. “I thought it would final in March, but now he says he doesn’t have anything for retirement. So now that needed to be investigated. He’s two months behind on child support and doesn’t have a good relationship with our oldest daughter. He favors the younger one. That’s about it, I guess.”

Ruth
sat down and tore the tissue in her hand. I stood, looked around and decided a break would do us all good. Several women gathered around Ruth. I knew they would. They were a welcoming group and if nothing else, they rallied around and gave their support. I think after hearing each other’s stories, they discovered someone always had it worse than them.

I just didn’t understand men’s
selfishness. Had they always been that way and we never noticed? Was it their upbringing? I thought back to Johnny when we first met. He was the most handsome, kindest, most considerate man I’d ever met. But was that just a fallacy? Something I made up in my imagination? Sure, he opened doors for me, was polite to my parents. Hell, they loved him. He was obviously a good con artist. He knew all the right things to say, called them Mr. and Mrs. when I first introduced them. Yet, little things about them bothered him. Not at first. But once we started to date more seriously. He didn’t like the way they always said be careful, made him feel like he was careless, or the way they always insisted on talking to him when he picked me up. Said it made him feel like they didn’t trust him. I ignored those comments for the most part, brushed them off. Told him that’s just the way my parents were. It got worse after we got married.

They’d stop over once in a while and always brought something. Usually one
of mom’s home cooked meals – always called first, of course – but he said it made him feel like they were spying on him or that he couldn’t afford to provide for me. Made him feel inferior. I think that’s why he took the job out of state when it presented itself. Not that there weren’t jobs in Cleveland. In fact the one he had was pretty darn good. But he insisted this was better. He had more room to move up the ladder.

Now that I thought back, everything centered on him. Sure he had manners, but he used his charm to get what he wanted. Not just with me. He even did it with our friends.

Becky cornered me just before I left. “Do you have time for coffee?”

I looked at my watch. Only 8:30, I had time. Cheryl didn’t have to be home until ten. “Sure, what’s up?”

“I need some advice. Let’s go to the Coffee Cup.”

“Okay.”

A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot. Becky paced in front. I don’t remember my friend ever acting so nervous. I hoped it wasn’t something about the kids. Between Josh’s seclusion, Katie’s sudden clinginess, and listening to Carr about Randy, I’m not sure I could handle any more.

“So, what’s up?” I asked after the waitress brought us each a cup of coffee.

“Matt is driving me crazy. He says he’s in love with me, but I think it’s too soon. Working together doesn’t help. I swear he wants to know my every thought. If I’m quiet he wants to know what’s wrong. If I say nothing’s wrong, he wants to know what I’m thinking. He keeps asking if I miss Fred.” Beck took a sip of coffee. “He’s constantly touching me, even in front of patients. It’s embarrassing. He’s suffocating me. He says it’s because he loves me too much. He texts me every ten minutes when I’m home wanting to know what I’m doing. Do I miss him? I hardly have time to make dinner or spend any time with the kids.”

“Sounds high maintenance to me. I don’t think it has anything to do with loving someone too much. Loving someone means giving them room to breathe, allowing them to have a life with and without you. Showing love doesn’t mean hovering over you, fawning you, suffocating you. Showing it means allowing you to be your own person, means trusting you love each other without having to touch or talk. Showing it means just being there.”

Becky smiled. “I knew you’d understand. Ever since we went away for the weekend.”

“
Where were the kids?”

“
My parents took them. I’m not sure what to do about him. I mean he really doesn’t know me. He knows the me at work, the me when we’re on a date, but he’s never seen the private part of me. The me I am at home. The me I am with the kids. Or the me who needs her space. I’m not sure he’d even like those mes.”

“I understand where you’re coming from and it makes perfect sense. First off, yes, there’s the you at work, home and with him….but they’re all you. We’re made up of many different parts and they’re us as a whole. I know what you mean about needing space also. He almost sounds like a teenage girl with no self confidence. Women are usually the ones who want to know what a guy is thinking all the time, or rather young women.” I wasn’t sure if I was making sense. Becky had that far away, dreamy look on her face. I wasn’t even sure she was listening to me. “And don’t forget,
there are many parts to him also. You only know the him at work and the him on dates. I would have thought going away with him would help. Getting to know each other in a different environment. Spending time 24/7 is a lot different than just going to dinner.”

“
Yeah, but it didn’t go as well as I thought. I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do.”

“
You’ll figure it out.” I looked at my watch. “I really have to go. I promised Cheryl I’d be home by ten. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

Becky stood, hugged me, and we hurried to our cars. I hoped she wasn’t getting in over her head.

Chapter
Twelve

No sooner had Cheryl left and the doorbell rang. Thinking Cheryl forgot something, I hurried to open it. “Did you forget something, sweetie?” I pulled the door open without looking through the curtain.

Two men in suits stood on the porch. Thankfully, I had locked the storm door. “Yes, can I help you?” Fear tore through me. Not that they were here to rob me, robbers didn’t wear suits.
Men wearing suits, knocking on my door at ten o’clock at night, could only mean bad news.