History Lessons (12 page)

The toy store was busy. They were having a sale and Keegan, who insisted on picking out Mary Alice's gift himself, ran up and down the aisle suggesting items that were all out of Lucy's price range. After an hour of looking she finally got him to endorse her choice, the Barbie "I Can Be A Dentist" play set.

"It's perfect," she reassured her son, who didn't look especially certain. "Her mom and dad are both dentists."

Lucy was firmer when it came to pick out wrapping paper, nixing her son's suggestion of a Transformer gift bag and giving him a choice between pink paper and a Barbie-themed gift bag to match the present. He chose the gift bag and capped it off with a birthday card featuring a too-cute-for-words kitten on the front.

Keegan practically dragged his mother to the front as Warren Ellis walked behind them. The shortest line put them standing behind a heavyset woman juggling twin toddlers and a basket overflowing with gifts.

"Presents from grandma," she said, turning to smile at Lucy as she flashed two gift certificates she held in her hand.

"They're lucky," Lucy said, feeling a stab of pain. Her mother had never so much as sent Keegan a birthday card. She doubted whether his paternal grandparents even knew he existed. Probably not.

"That'll be $416.97," the clerk said. The woman handed over the cards and the clerk scanned them, announcing she still had over eighty-three dollars in credit left.

Lucy moved up in line and watched as the clerk rang up the purchases. She scanned her checkbook quickly as the scanner dinged. Unexpected birthday parties meant unexpected expenses. She had to pay the power bill this month and something else. What was it? Her brow furrowed. Ah, her car insurance. That was the other thing.

"That will be $37.54," the clerk said.

"Dear Lord, let there be enough," she silently prayed but when she looked up her mouth fell open with surprise. Warren Ellis was reaching over her shoulder to hand the clerk the card.

Quickly she pushed his hand away.

"No, Warren," she said and put down the checkbook and began to write.

"Really, I don't mind."

He put the card out again and she pushed it away, harder, as she tried to keep the shake out of her voice.

"No!" she repeated. "This is for me to do. No one else."

She wrote the check with a trembling hand, her anxiety mounting by the minute. Warren Ellis was the first man she'd felt serious about. What the hell was he doing, trying to ruin it? If she let him pay for the birthday gift Keegan was supposed to take to the party before long he'd be paying for everything. He'd see her as some sort of parasite, one of those single mothers who saw a prosperous man and instantly got dollar signs in her eyes. A few months of that and he'd leave her for the first single, childless beauty that came along.

She ripped the check from the book, tearing the corner. The clerk took it and peered at the torn edge.

"It's all right," Lucy reassured her. "There's no print on that edge of the check."

"Address and.." the cashier was asking.

"All the information's there and correct." Lucy tapped her finger on the counter, feeling suddenly as if all eyes were on her, scrutinizing her, looking for weakness.

The clerk scanned the check and handed her the bag and the receipt. "Thanks for shopping Toys R Us," she chirped.

Lucy took the bag in one hand and Keegan's hand in the other. She could not look at Warren Ellis. She had the inexplicable feeling that she was going to burst into tears and just wanted to get out of the toy store, away from the teeming mob of harried mothers and impatient fathers shepherding their demanding children through the aisles. She felt anxious and embarrassed without really knowing why and walked hurriedly to the car, Keegan tripping along behind.

"Mommy, slow down!" he begged.

"Lucy!" Warren's voice cut through her thoughts, stopping her.

She turned, tense. "What?"

"Your son can't keep up," he said quietly.

She looked down at Keegan, whose adorable face was looking up at her with a questioning expression.

"Mommy, are you mad?" he asked.

Did it show? She realized she was and quickly sought to wipe any trace of anger from her face.

"No, sweetie," she said, kneeling down and straightening his collar. "I just don't want you to be late for Mary Alice's party."

"Oh," he said.

She settled him into the car, giving him a pen to use so he could sign his name to the kitty cat card. Then Lucy settled into the passenger's seat.

"Where's the house?" he asked.

"Oh, it's at 116 Maple Street," she said. "In that new Willow Hills subdivision. Just turn left at the CVS and take the second road on the right. I think it's the third house down from there. They had a party there for the kids on Halloween."

"I want to have a party," Keegan said.

"Maybe next year we'll host one," she said distractedly. Lucy could feel Warren's eyes on her. She did not dare look at him but kept her gaze straight ahead, as the car turned and made its way into the subdivision in the better part of town.

"This must be it," he said as they approached a pretty Dutch colonial style house with balloons festooning the mailbox. He guided the car to the stop behind one parked along the street.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said.

"I'll come along," he replied and Lucy said nothing. Parties were so exciting for kids. They were always at their worst - feeling free to run through the house in wild packs. Where she'd tugged Keegan in the parking lot of the toy store, now he was tugging her towards the door of the Nook's house.

Dr. Nook opened the door and instantly Lucy's ears were assailed by the sound of laughter and screaming from within.

"Lucy, Keegan! So glad you could make it!"

Dr. Nook stepped aside and Keegan rushed in

"Put the present on the dining room table," Dr. Nook called, and then turned back to Lucy.

"Thanks for bringing him. He's one of Mary Alice's favorites. Keegan's a great kid."

His eyes moved to Warren and he held out his hand.

"And this is great. I finally get to meet his father!"

Warren smiled and embraced the other man's hand. Lucy felt like falling through the floor, and was about to correct Mary Alice's father. But Warren spoke first.

"I wish I could claim that distinction," he said. "But I'm a friend of the family. Warren. Warran Ellis."

"Warren Ellis?" The dentist looked thoughtful. "That name sounds familiar..."

"I'm with the historical society."

"Oh! Hartford House, right? Where Lucy works? I read about you in the
Sunday Banner
. You've recently taken over that place."

"I have," he said.

"Well that's wonderful," Dr. Nook said. "My wife's mother sits on the board. You probably know her - Ellen McCreevy?"

"I certainly do," Warren replied with a smile.

The men exchanged a few more pleasantries before Dr. Nook excused himself. "You can pick him up around six," he told Lucy.

They turned as he shut the door.

"He seems nice," Warren observed.

"Yeah, he's our dentist in addition to being the father of Keegan's first crush."

Her companion laughed at this. Lucy tried to laugh, too, but felt uneasy, somehow. It bothered her that the feeling persisted.

They drove back to her home in silence. When they pulled up it occurred to her how small her little rental house was. Its brick facade looked small, even sad behind the small leaf-strewn lawn.

She fumbled for her keys as they climbed the steps. As she stepped inside, she felt something snap under her feet. It was one of Keegan's Lego creations. Lucy picked it up and immediately began apologizing for the state of her house.

Warren said nothing as she switched on the light that bathed the living room in a warm glow. The honey-colored wood floors were strewn with a toys, yes, but overall the place was homey and neat. The overstuffed cream-colored sofa was surprisingly stain free despite sharing a house with a small child and looked nice paired with the antique pine trunk Lucy used as a coffee table. The fireplace was flanked by two chairs - a rocker and a straight-backed chair upholstered in pleasant plaid.

"No television?" he asked.

"There's one in my room," she said. "Keegan and I use it to watch movies once in a while. We're not really television people."

He smiled and watched her as she walked around picking up toys and putting them away.

"Mind if I build a fire?" he asked.

"Sure," she said. "If you don't mind."

He didn't mind and quickly had a small blaze popping merrily in the fireplace. He observed as he worked that the chimney was clean and remarked on this to her.

"Yeah," she said. "It's our only source of heat so I make sure it's not a hazard. I have it swept at least once a year."

"Your landlord doesn't do that for you?" he asked.

She shook her head, trying to remember whether she'd told him she rented, or if he just assumed...

He stood and walked over to her. Without saying anything he removed her hat and then her coat. Lucy let him, not sure what he was trying to do.

When he'd hung them both on the rack by the door he looked down at her.

"All right?" he said. "I'm waiting?"

She looked at him, confused.

"Waiting for what?"

"For you to tell me what's wrong," he said.

"I don't know what you mean," she said nervously, although what Lucy was really thinking was
I can't tell you because I don't know myself
...

"I think you do," he said. "The tension in the car, the stubborn insistence in the toy store to pay for the gift."

"It's not your responsibility," she said

"I didn't say it was," he said.

"He's my son..."

"I know that..."

"I'm perfectly capable of paying my own way. And Keegan's.."

"I never said you weren't."

She looked at him. "You're the first guy I've ever really liked since...well, Keegan's dad doesn't even count because that was a one night stand. You're the first guy I've liked, OK. But I have a kid, and that complicates things. Kids are demanding and noisy and people who share their lives with them realize that. The toy store, the party...there are a lot of days like that.."

He smiled. "Are you trying to scare me?" he asked.

"No!" She blurted out. "But I'm afraid that you will get scared. And if you think I'm the kind of woman that will stand by and use you to pay for things my son and I need then I'm afraid you'll get scared off even quicker and then..."

She was crying, she realized and turned away, shocked at herself.

The room fell silent.

"Lucy," he finally said. "I am absolutely taken aback that you could think so little of me..."

She turned.

"It's not about that," she said, turning to him with a sniff and crossing her arms as she tried to compose herself. "It's about reality. Men today..."

"Exactly," he said. "Men today. Today they are different and as you well know, I am not one of today's men. Which is why I think you need a spanking, to remind you of that very thing."

He took her by the arm and anxiety was quickly replaced by shock as Lucy found herself pulled firmly to the straight-backed plaid chair by the fireplace.

"What? Why?" she sputtered.

"For allowing your emotions to get the best of you and lead you to silly, childish assumptions that are not only wrong but downright insulting to the man who loves you."

He sat down in the chair and she had no time to ponder the import of his words before she was face down over his lap. The jeans she wore were loose fitting and he was able to pull them down without unbuttoning them. By the time Lucy recovered from the surprise of what was about to happen, it was too late to struggle. Warren had effectively restrain her and her bottom was bared.

"Warren, please don't!" she cried. "I'm sorry. I'll be..."

"What?" he asked. "More conscious of how you perceive others? Less assumptive in your thinking? I think not, my dear, not without a lesson."

He raised his hand and brought it down hard on her bottom. Lucy cried out pitifully. The room had not completely warmed up, and the sharp smack of his hand against her chilly skin burned like fire.

"OW! No, please!"

But he did not listen. Instead Warren spanked her harder, his large hand alternately falling on each springy cheek until both went from pink to rosy to red. He was unrelenting and Lucy's pleas for leniency and promises to change quickly devolved into unintelligible bawls as she rocked back and forth in an unsuccessful effort to evade his punishing hand. Her feet kicked helplessly.

Finally he stopped and she lay there, sobbing pitifully.

"Is it so hard for you to accept help, Lucy? Is it so hard for you to drop this facade of strength?"

"It's not a facade!" she said.

He sighed and reached for the shovel that made up part of the fireplace set near her hearth. About eight inches in width, it was made of metal. Lucy could see it from the corner of her eye and began to beg for mercy, beg him not to use it.

But Warren Ellis raised the implement and prepared to spank her anew. Her show of strength was a facade. He knew it and she knew it. And he was about to make her admit it.

Chapter Nine

Lucy Primm cried out in pained despair as Warren Ellis bought the fireplace shovel down hard on her already sore bum. She was as confused as she was distressed. Why did he want her to admit to weakness?

"I'm not weak!" she finally cried. "I'm not!"

He stopped spanking, his large hand resting on a burning cheek he'd only moments before punished.

"I don't want you to admit that you're a weak person," he said. "Only that you sometimes need help. I want you to stop being so stubborn and so afraid to take a hand that's offered to you from love. If we're going to be together, Lucy, you're going to have to learn to step aside and let me do for you."

Her breath caught in her throat. He's used the little fireplace shovel on her bottom a good half a dozen times and everywhere it had fallen throbbed with hurt. Warren Ellis rubbed the angry square patches on her skin, soothing the hurt as her crying slowed.