Home in Carolina (20 page)

“I can’t tell you anything. I’m sure when she gets your message, she’ll give you a call and she can answer all your questions herself. Goodbye.”

The thump of the phone as it was banged into its cradle, disconnecting the call, filled Annie with dismay and annoyance. “Does everyone in that house just hang up on people?” she grumbled.

“Who was it?” Sarah asked.

“I have no idea. A housekeeper, maybe. Could have been a relative, though it wasn’t her mother. She’d have said something when I told her who I was.”

“And she said Raylene was called away?” Sarah said. “What does that mean?”

Annie shrugged. “It could mean anything. I suppose there could have been some family emergency.”

“Or it was code for Raylene being in trouble.”

Annie frowned. “In trouble in what way?”

“I don’t know exactly, but it doesn’t feel right to me.
Raylene sounded so standoffish and secretive, not like she used to be at all. And now this. What if that husband of hers had her locked up in some loony bin?”

Annie regarded her incredulously. “Come on, we don’t have any evidence that it’s something like that. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.”

“I’m telling you, something is not right over there,” Sarah insisted stubbornly. “We need to find out what’s going on.”

“Don’t you think if Raylene wanted or needed our help, she’d ask for it?” Annie said. “She made it pretty clear she didn’t want us to come to Charleston.”

“Since when do fledgling Sweet Magnolias pay attention to something like that?” Sarah demanded. “Either we’re going to be friends like your mom, Helen and Maddie, or we’re not.”

Annie nodded eventually, though she had second and even third thoughts about it. “When do we go?”

“When’s your next day off?”

“Sunday.”

“Then we’ll go on Sunday. Walter will be here. He can watch the kids.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” Annie asked. “Under the circumstances, he could see it as the perfect opportunity to pack them up and take them back to Alabama.”

Sarah shook her head confidently. “If he could run off with just Tommy, maybe, but he’ll never take both of them, and he certainly won’t run off and leave Libby alone.”

“Are you so sure about that?”

“I am,” Sarah confirmed. “But maybe we’ll have your dad come by again, after all, just to make sure.”

That
was a plan Annie could get behind.

Ty left the high school feeling good about his meeting with the team. He thought he’d gotten through to them about the importance of a well-rounded education. He’d pointed out all the different ways various classes had helped him with his career. It had been a bit of a stretch when it came to chemistry, but he’d even managed to make that sound vital to being a professional athlete.

He was on his way home when his cell phone rang. Caller ID indicated it was Dee-Dee.

“Why are you calling, Dee-Dee? We’re only supposed to communicate through our attorneys these days.”

“I need to see you, Ty. I drove all night to get here. I’m on Main Street now, in Wharton’s. Where can we meet? Can you come here?”

Something told Ty it was a very bad idea for him to be anywhere alone with Dee-Dee. Who knew what scheme she had in mind?

“How about Helen’s office?” he suggested.

“I don’t want her involved in this,” Dee-Dee said. “Just you and me, in private. I think if we keep the attorneys out of it, maybe we can work things out.”

Ty had serious doubts about that, to say nothing of serious reservations about seeing Dee-Dee alone for any reason. “I’m sure Helen will loan us her conference room,” he said, more determined than ever not to jeopardize his case by being alone with her so she could claim who-knew-what to the court afterward. It would be just like Dee-Dee to accuse him of trying to bribe her or some such to cast doubt on his suitability as a father to Trevor.

“We’d be more comfortable at your house,” she cajoled. “And maybe I could see Trevor.”

“Not a chance. It’s Helen’s office or nothing.”

“Fine. Tell me where it is. How soon can you be there?”

He gave her directions, then added, “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

And if Helen wasn’t around to sit in on the meeting, he’d ask Barb to join them, or at the very least he’d insist on an open door so she could keep her ears attuned to every word that was said.

On his way, he called Helen to fill her in.

“Quick thinking,” she told him approvingly. “Any idea what’s on her mind?”

“None,” he said. “She sounded upset, though, especially when I wouldn’t agree to see her in private. I think she has some scheme or other in mind.”

“Or maybe she wants to negotiate a way out of this mess, now that we’ve sent an official letter to her attorney informing her of our position on this. Could be her attorney has finally told her she can’t win.”

“I doubt she’ll listen to reason from anyone,” Ty said. “No, she’s up to something.”

“Well, we’ll know soon enough,” Helen said. “She just got out of her car in the parking lot. Where are you?”

“Sneaking in the back door right now,” he told her. “Thank goodness I know where you hide the spare key.”

“Please don’t tell Erik about that key. He thinks I stopped leaving it there.”

“Our secret,” Ty said as he walked around the corner from the hallway and clicked off his cell phone as he entered Helen’s office. The intercom buzzed, and Barb announced Dee-Dee’s arrival.

“She’s not on your calendar,” Barb said, a disgruntled note in her voice.

“She’s here to see Ty,” Helen soothed.

“Well, how was I supposed to know that?” the secretary demanded. “Where is he?”

“In my office,” Helen told her.

“How the dickens…Oh, never mind,” she said, sounding resigned. “Shall I send her in?”

Ty exchanged a look with Helen, grinning. “I guess I’d better send Barb flowers this afternoon. Otherwise she’ll be ticked at me forever.”

“Make it chocolates and she’ll forget this ever happened,” Helen advised, just as the door opened. Dee-Dee stood on the threshold but didn’t enter.

“You said we could meet in the conference room,” she said, her accusing gaze on Ty.

“Helen turns out to be free, so why don’t we chat right here?” Ty suggested. He sat down to emphasize that it was the only option.

For a moment, it looked as if Dee-Dee might balk, but then her expression turned resigned and she came into the room, closed the door and sat down on the edge of the chair next to his. She looked more haggard than she had on her last visit, as if she hadn’t been sleeping. Ty couldn’t help wondering about that. It was the first time he’d realized that all of this fighting had taken a real toll on her.

Helen sat down behind her desk, in a move deliberately designed to emphasize who was in charge.

“So, this is a surprise,” Helen said to Dee-Dee. “It’s unusual for a parent involved in a custody dispute to ask to meet without representation present.”

Dee-Dee nodded but seemed undaunted by the chiding note in Helen’s voice. “I know, but after my attorney got your letter, he sat me down and said he could fight this through to the end for me, but the outcome will probably
be the same. I won’t wind up with full custody of Trevor.” Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “He made me see that the best I can hope for is that Ty and I can work out some kind of arrangement that will give me extended visits with Trevor.”

Ty had remained silent up until now, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from muttering, “As if that’s going to happen.”

Dee-Dee turned to him, her expression forlorn. “Ty, please, can’t you be reasonable? Trevor’s my son, too. I know I made some terrible mistakes, but I want to make things right. Surely you know how that feels.”

Ty wavered. He’d been fighting for a second chance with Annie, but that was hardly the same thing. He saw right through Dee-Dee’s tears. She was trying to manipulate him into feeling sorry for her. And on one level he did, but protecting Trevor was more important. He stiffened his resolve.

“You gave up any right to call him your son when you left him, Dee-Dee,” he said. “How many times do I need to remind you of that? You’re getting married now. You say the man you’re marrying is a great guy. Have babies with him.”

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Dee-Dee burst into full-blown sobs.

“What the hell?” Ty murmured, casting a worried glance at Helen. Despite his jaded opinion of Dee-Dee, the outburst seemed genuine. He’d never been able to take a woman crying without wanting to rush in to make things better. Before he could stand, though, Dee-Dee turned to him, her expression disconsolate.

“But that’s just it, Ty,” she said, sounding as if her heart were broken. “I can’t. I can’t have any more babies. Trevor’s the only child I’ll ever have.”

W
hen Ty didn’t show up at The Corner Spa for his rehab session on Friday night, Annie had no idea what to think. She hadn’t spoken to him since late the night before, when he’d called to tell her good-night. He hadn’t said anything then about canceling their session. Given how dedicated he was to getting back on the ball field, she was mystified.

She couldn’t help wondering if he’d had second thoughts about the two of them, but surely he’d tell her if that was the case. If he’d had the guts years ago to tell her about all of his misdeeds—albeit belatedly—coming clean with her about a change of heart after just one afternoon together shouldn’t be that difficult.

She tried his cell phone, but the call went straight to voice mail. She glanced at the clock and realized he was now more than thirty minutes late.

“Okay, that’s it,” she muttered. “I am not waiting around here half the night for him. I’m doing him a favor, and if he can’t be more considerate of my time, then to hell with him.”

Still grumbling under her breath, she marched around
the spa turning off lights and checking locks, then took off for Sullivan’s. She was still seething when she got there.

She walked into the bustling kitchen, dodging Erik, Karen and her mother, and settled on a stool out of the way. Eventually her mother actually seemed to notice her.

“Your dad’s in the dining room,” Dana Sue said. “Why don’t you join him? As busy as we are, it’s going to be a while before I can take a break. I know he’d love the company.”

“Maybe,” Annie said. “In a minute. I just need some sulking time.”

Dana Sue regarded her with concern. “Problems with Ty?”

Annie nodded.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I can’t listen right this second. Can they wait? Or can your dad help?”

“I don’t want to talk about Ty, anyway.”

“We have meat loaf on the menu tonight,” Dana Sue told her. “How about that with some garlic mashed potatoes? That’s good comfort food.”

“Not hungry,” Annie said, then held up her hand to ward off her mother’s protest. “Don’t worry. I’ll eat in a little while.”

“Well, I don’t have time to argue with you,” Dana Sue said. “But I will be keeping an eye on you, so don’t wait too long or I’ll get your father in here.”

Annie grinned. “He doesn’t scare me. Go. Work. I’ll be fine.” Or at least she would be if she could shake the sick feeling that Ty had been playing her yesterday, that he’d wanted to see if he could get her back, and now that he had, game over. It didn’t fit with the Ty she’d once known, but then neither had the serial cheating spree he’d gone on.

When the dark thoughts got to be too much for her, she snagged Erik’s attention, since her mom was obviously swamped.

“Meat loaf and mashed potatoes,” she pleaded. “I’ll be out front with my dad.”

“Coming right up,” Erik promised.

Annie walked into the dining room. Before she could head toward the booth where her dad could usually be found, though, her gaze was drawn across the room to where Ty sat at a table with Trevor and Dee-Dee. The cozy little family grouping made her want to gag and flee.

Instead, she drew herself up, marched across the restaurant and stood beside the table until Ty looked up.

“Forget something?” she inquired tightly, keeping her voice low in deference to the fact that she was in her mother’s restaurant and he was with his son. Anywhere else and in any other company, she might have created a true Sullivan scene, as her mother had after finding out about Ronnie’s cheating. Every neighbor on their block had witnessed that spectacle.

Ty shot to his feet at once, his expression dismayed, though there was no way to determine if he was merely embarrassed at having been caught or genuinely contrite for standing her up.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Something came up, and everything else pretty much slipped my mind.”

“Hey, it’s your career,” she said blithely. “Next time you want to blow off a session, though, I suggest you call.”

Before he could say another word, she turned and walked away. Her appetite gone, she walked right past her father, through the kitchen and out the back door.

Seconds later, as she was about to turn onto Main
Street, she heard footsteps in the alley behind her, but she didn’t slow down.

“Annie!”

It turned out to be her dad, not Ty, which made her madder than ever. Still, she stopped and waited. It was hardly her dad’s fault that she considered him a poor substitute for the man who should have been chasing her down.

“What happened back there?” Ronnie demanded. “Erik brought your meal to my table while you were speaking to Ty. The next minute you were leaving. Did Ty say something to upset you?”

Now that her worry had been replaced by fury, she was ready to talk. “Let’s start with the fact that he never showed up at the spa for his therapy tonight. Add in that I couldn’t reach him when I tried to call. Then I find him out with Trevor’s mother, having a cozy little family gathering, in my mother’s restaurant, of all places!” She met her dad’s worried gaze. “I spent most of the day with him yesterday. I let down my defenses. I really started thinking we had a chance, and now this.”

“The dinner was probably innocent,” Ronnie suggested, though he said it tentatively, as if he didn’t quite believe it himself. “I’m sure he’s not so insensitive that he’d bring Dee-Dee to Sullivan’s otherwise. They probably had some custody issues to work out, or maybe she scheduled another last-minute visit with Trevor.”

She scowled at him. “Do you hear yourself? You’re making excuses for him. Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, always,” her dad said. “I’m just saying that it didn’t seem like you gave him even a half a chance to explain.”

“Maybe because there was no good explanation,” she
retorted. “Just excuses. Well, I’m done. I took a chance, and look where it got me.” She picked up her pace. She wanted to get home, take a long, soaking bath, go to bed and forget the existence of Tyler Townsend. If Sarah hadn’t told her Walter was arriving tonight, she would have gone there and downed a couple of potent margaritas.

Her dad kept pace with her, his expression sympathetic. “Hey, how would you have felt if I’d given up on your mom the first time there was a bump on our path to reconciliation?”

“That’s different,” Annie said.

“How? I made the same mistake Ty did. I cheated. Then your mom thought for sure I was about to cheat again with Mary Vaughn.”

Annie waved off the comparison. “Everybody knew you’d never look twice at Mary Vaughn.”

“Everybody except your mother. She had her doubts, and there I was with Mary Vaughn practically every time she turned around. She had no idea I was thinking of buying the hardware store and seeing Mary Vaughn because she was the Realtor. Trust me, your mother was not happy with either one of us.”

“Well, you were destined to be with mom,” Annie said.

“And you’ve always been convinced you were destined to be with Ty.” His look was calculated. “Have you changed your mind?”

Tears stung Annie’s eyes. “No,” she admitted, her voice choked. “I’m not the problem. He is.”

“Because he was out with Dee-Dee?”

She nodded.

“The mother of his child?”

“Yes.”

“They’re always going to have that bond, Annie. If you can’t handle that, then you’re probably right to walk away. Otherwise, you’ll just be setting yourself up for a lifetime of suspicion and heartache.”

“Which is exactly why I’m done,” Annie said bitterly.

They’d reached the house now, so she turned to face her dad. “Go on back to Sullivan’s and wait for Mom. I’m okay. I’m going to take a bath and head straight to bed.”

“You sure? I can hang around if you want to talk some more. Maybe fix you a sandwich.”

She managed a faint smile at his ability to slip in a subtle reminder that she hadn’t eaten. “There’s nothing left to say and I can make my own sandwich.”

“Yes, but will you?” he asked, clearly not reassured.

“You’re just going to have to trust me, Dad. I know the stakes of not eating.”

Ronnie regarded her with dismay. For a moment, it looked as if he might say something more, but then he simply kissed her forehead. “Don’t give up on Ty just yet,” he said quietly. “I’m still betting on destiny.”

Annie watched him walk away and sighed. This was only the second time in her life that she hadn’t believed her dad. The last time had been when he’d tried to explain why he had to go away and leave her and her mom. He’d told her it wouldn’t change how much he loved her. He’d told her they’d still see each other. It hadn’t happened that way.

And Annie had no reason to believe he was right about her future with Ty, either.

Ty’s appetite had fled after seeing the misery and barely banked anger in Annie’s eyes. He’d wanted to go
charging after her, but he hadn’t wanted to leave Dee-Dee alone with Trevor. The only reason they were out together in the first place was because he’d felt sorry for Dee-Dee after what she’d revealed in Helen’s office. He’d figured giving her some time with Trevor, with him present, was the least he could do.

That didn’t mean he was ready to change his stance on any kind of custody, but he wasn’t so hardhearted that he could deny Dee-Dee any access at all to the only child she’d ever have.

He’d spoken to Helen privately after the morning meeting, and she’d expressed skepticism about Dee-Dee’s story.

“I think she’s playing you,” Helen said. “She could have brought this up from the beginning. Why now, except to play on your sympathy when she realizes it’s the only way to win?”

“At first, I thought the same thing,” Ty admitted. “But those tears were real, Helen. I didn’t know Dee-Dee all that well, but even when I told her there was no chance for the two of us, she didn’t fall apart. She fought to change my mind.”

“Maybe, or perhaps she missed her calling. I’m sure there’s a role just waiting for her on some soap opera.”

Again, Ty had dismissed her doubts.

“Let me at least check into this story,” Helen pleaded.

“Doctor-patient records are confidential,” Ty reminded her.

Helen lifted a brow. “Who’s the lawyer? If she’s going to use her inability to have more children as an argument in court, then we’re entitled to proof.”

Ty had finally relented.

He snapped back to the present when Trevor pulled on his sleeve. “Daddy, is Annie mad at us?”

“Just at me, kiddo.”

“Why?”

“Grown-up stuff,” he told his son. “I’ll fix it.”

Dee-Dee listened to the exchange, then said, “I could tell her that you were just being kind, giving me a little time with Trevor.”

“I’m not sure she’d believe anything you have to say,” Ty said. “No offense.”

Dee-Dee shrugged. “None taken. In her place, I guess I wouldn’t believe me, either. Do you want to leave now and try to catch up with her?”

“Our meals just came. I’ll talk to Annie later,” he said. “It’s already past Trevor’s bedtime. I need to get him home.”

“I could take him back to your house,” Dee-Dee offered. Her eyes lit up. “I could read him a bedtime story, maybe hang out till he falls asleep.”

“No,” Ty said more sharply than he intended.

Trevor’s head snapped up at his tone. Ty forced a smile. “Hey, buddy, how are your chicken fingers?”

“’Kay,” Trevor said, but he appeared to have lost interest in them. He yawned widely, and his eyes started to drift shut.

Dee-Dee didn’t seem hungry, either. Ty finally sighed. “Maybe we should just go.”

“Wait,” Dee-Dee said, putting her hand on his arm. “I need to ask another favor.”

Ty steeled himself against that cajoling tone.

“As long as I’ve driven back over here, is it okay if I stick around for the weekend? I’d like to spend a little more time with Trevor, if I could.”

The request meant that Ty would have to be with the two of them, but once again, he couldn’t think of any reasonable way to deny her the opportunity. “Sure, stick around,” he said eventually. “Call me first thing in the morning, and we’ll figure out a time to get together.”

“I could just pick him up, so you wouldn’t be tied down all day,” she offered.

Ty frowned. “Not going to happen,” he said at once, wiping the hopeful expression from her face. “When it comes to your visits with Trevor, where he goes, I go. You might as well accept that.”

“I just thought you might need to see Annie or something,” she countered defensively. “I was trying to be thoughtful.” She regarded him with a frown. “Ty, what do you think is going to happen if I’m alone with Trevor?”

He met her gaze, his own unflinching. “I’m not willing to find out,” he said succinctly. “We do this my way or you might as well go back to Cincinnati first thing in the morning.”

She gave him a sad look, but she nodded in agreement. “We’ll do it your way,” she said quietly.

Of course, that was only partially true, because if Ty
really
had his way, she’d go back to Ohio and never see Trevor again. Lately, though, seeing how good she was with Trevor and how much his son was starting to love his mom, it was getting harder and harder to justify keeping the two of them apart.

Four different people reported to Annie that they’d seen Ty with Trevor and an unfamiliar woman on Saturday. With each sighting, Annie’s mood grew in
creasingly grim. By the end of the day she was ready to stuff a sweaty old towel into the mouth of anyone who mentioned Ty’s name to her.

Unfortunately, Maddie chose that precise moment to summon Annie to her office.

“Close the door,” Maddie ordered. “We need to talk.”

“If this is about Ty, then we don’t need to talk,” Annie said, still standing in the doorway.

“It is and it isn’t,” Maddie said, making herself as clear as mud. “Close the door.”

Reluctantly, Annie stepped inside and shut the door, but she didn’t sit down.

“Do you realize you’ve been growling at your clients all day long?” Maddie asked, her tone surprisingly gentle. “I’m pretty sure I know what’s on your mind, but you can’t take it out on the people paying us for our services. We’re supposed to be a place women come to relieve stress and get pampered, not a military camp where people get yelled at by a drill sergeant.”