Now & Forever 3 - Blind love (17 page)

“I’ll go with you,” he said, staying close to her.

“I’d prefer to go alone.” Her hand trembled slightly.

“Don’t you like me?” He reached for her arm.

“No woman likes a man who won’t take no for an answer.” The
girl stepped back, her foot slipping on a rock. Rex was too quick for her, before
she could recover and make a getaway; he snatched her arm and held it in a
vise-like grip.

“Come here, my saucy little bitch. You give me a hard on.”
Rex yanked her toward the empty 4-H booth.

* * * *

Back at the picnic table, Chase had returned, alone.

“Where is Kaitlyn?” Danny asked.

“Isn’t she back yet?” Chase asked.

“Why isn’t she with you?” Eliza asked him, her hands on her
hips.

“We broke up,” Chase admitted, dropping his gaze to the
ground.

“You dumped Kaitlyn?” Tanner yelled at his brother.

“Yeah, and it’s none of your business,” Chase replied.

Danny grabbed Chase by the upper arm.

“You left Kaitlyn to wander the fair alone and upset? Any
badass with five bucks can be at the fair, preying on young women. Where did
you leave her?”

Chase started to sweat.

“We were by the administration booth.”

“Take me there, now,” Danny demanded.

“Chase, how could you leave my sister there?” Sally asked.

“Guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“Guess you weren’t. Let’s go,” Danny said, his voice tense,
his body ready for action.

Mac went with Danny while Peter and Sam remained at the
picnic table, in case Kaitlyn showed up. When they got to the administration
booth, it was almost dark and there was no sign of Kaitlyn. Danny, Mac and Chase
divided up the territory. Mac ended up near the 4-H booth. He heard someone
sobbing and went quietly to investigate.

“Please leave me alone. Don’t hurt me,” Kaitlyn cried.

Mac peeked around the corner, spying a powerful man standing
over her, unzipping his pants. Her face had a red mark, like the imprint of a
hand. “Kaitlyn!” he called, stepping out from behind a wall.

The man looming over Kaitlyn turned around and saw Mac. He evidently
decided she wasn’t worth fighting for, zipped up and took off, disappearing
into the woods. Mac called for Danny and Chase, then went in and knelt down to help
Kaitlyn up. Danny and Chase were there in a heartbeat. Danny folded his arms
around her. She sobbed against his chest. He found a picnic table and sat her
down.

“Kaitlyn, I’m so sorry I left you there alone,” Chase said.

Kaitlyn turned her face away from him.

“Why don’t you join the others,” Mac said to Chase.

The young man looked at the ground and walked away.

“Was Chase pressuring you for sex? Is that why you guys broke
up?” Danny asked.

Kaitlyn didn’t answer. She put her head on Danny’s shoulder
and her tears returned. Mac whipped out his handkerchief and handed it to her
while he and Danny exchanged glances. She wiped her face and stood up.

“Did that guy hurt you?” Danny asked.

“He slapped me once. But if you hadn’t come when you did…” She
started to cry again and whispered, “he was unzipping his pants.”

When they rejoined the group at the picnic table, Kaitlyn
flew into her mother’s arms. Eliza cried. Mac picked up Jason and in silence
they all headed to the parking lot.

Chapter Ten

In the
administration building at Kensington State University

The next day, Mac picked up his intercom
and heard his secretary, Jonesy’s, puzzled voice.

“Mac, a personal call for you on line two.
He wouldn’t identify himself.”

“Okay, Jonesy,” Mac said, picking up the
phone.

“Mr. Caldwell? My name is Tucker
Carlson. You don’t know me, but I think you know my son, Jason?” an unfamiliar
male voice asked.

There was silence as Mac tried to absorb
what the man was saying to him.

“What? You’re who?” Mac said, disbelief
in his voice.

“You heard me. You have my son, Jason. I
just found out he is my biological child and I want to see him.”

“You’re kidding me. This is a prank,
isn’t it?” Mac asked.

“This is no prank. I’m dead serious. I
intend to sue you for custody of Jason, Mr. Caldwell. How serious does that
sound?”

“Where have you been all this time?” Mac
asked, tapping his pen on his desk.

“I’ve been out of the country. I found
out about Jason only two days ago.”

Silence.

“Of course, I’d hate to disrupt his
life. My sources tell me you provide a good home for the boy, which should
count for something especially since I’m not married. I want to be reasonable
and do what’s best…my return to Willow Falls left me kind of short of funds…Mr.
Caldwell.”

“Are you blackmailing me?” Mac asked, the
tapping got louder.

“What an ugly word, Mr. Caldwell. But a
loan of…say…twenty thousand would go a long way toward letting you keep the
boy…you must be pretty attached to him by now.”

“You want me to pay you twenty thousand
dollars to keep Jason,” Mac asked, his eyes wide.

“A crude way of putting it, Mr.
Caldwell. Let’s say the loan would keep me in the background. And you’d
continue to raise the boy as your own.”

“And no one would ever know, right?” Mac
asked, his eyes narrowing.

“That’s right. No one would have to
know.”

“How do I even know you are actually Jason’s
biological father?”

“I could do a paternity test, but it
might raise a lot of questions…not only with people you’d rather not know about
this…but with the boy. You wouldn’t want to tell Jason, would you, Mr.
Caldwell?”

Mac swallowed hard. He’d never subject
Jason to such an ordeal.

“Let me talk it over with my wife,
Mr.…ah, Mr.…what did you say your name was?”

“Carlson. Tucker Carlson. But what
difference does a name make, Mr. Caldwell? It doesn’t make someone a father,
does it?”

“Years of parenting make someone a
father, Mr. Carlson,” Mac said, unable to keep his irritation out of his voice.

“That’s right. And you are more Jason’s
father than I am…or may ever be. But I doubt a court of law will agree. Talk it
over with your wife. I’ll call you back in three days. Have your decision by
then,” the man said and hung up.

Mac was stunned. Jason’s father? Could
it be or was this blackmail, pure and simple? He was sweating and worried.
Could this be true?
This man wouldn’t
stop at twenty thousand. He’d bleed Mac dry for years.

Jonesy came in when Mac ignored her buzz
on the intercom.

“Mac, what’s wrong with…” she started to
ask as she opened the door. But she stopped when she saw his pale, frowning face.

Mac got up and took his briefcase with
him.

“I’m going to be working at home this
afternoon, Jonesy. If there are any emergencies, you can reach me there.
Otherwise, please don’t give anyone the number.”

“What happened, Mac? Who was on the
phone?”

“I can’t discuss it, Jonesy, even with
you,” Mac said, patting her shoulder as he passed by on his way out.

As he walked home, he wondered how
anyone knew about Jason. Audrey, Jason’s biological mother, died five years
ago. Maybe she told someone before she died. Still, wouldn’t this Tucker
Carlson guy have come forward before? Not if he was overseas. But what if this
man recently found out about Jason’s heritage and was only a blackmailer? What
if he wasn’t Jason’s real father? Mac had lots of questions but no answers.
Time to talk to Callie.

* * * *

Callie, Mac and Sam drove up to the lake house for the
weekend with the children. After the children were in bed, Mac and Callie
retired to their bedroom early. He explained to Callie about the blackmail.

“If
this guy is for real, why doesn’t he come forward and claim Jason?”

“Good question.” Callie sat at her dressing table.

“I think he’s only a blackmailer. A blackmailer who got a hold
of this information about Jason and decided to cash in. But how did he find out
about Jason?”

“You don’t think your ex told him, do you?” Callie glanced at
Mac.

 
“Since Audrey never
told me who Jason’s real father was, even in the hospital, before she died, I
doubt she told anyone else, either. I only told my father who wouldn’t breathe
a word to anyone. Have you told anyone?” Mac asked.

“Just Peter,” Callie replied, brushing her hair.

“What do you mean,
just
Peter
?”

“I mentioned it to Peter once. We were talking about how you
and I got together and I mentioned it. But he’s your brother. He wouldn’t do
anything to hurt us.”

“Not intentionally, but he might by accident. I’ll bet he
told somebody. Callie why did you tell him? I told you never to tell anyone
Jason isn’t my biological child,” Mac said, anger creeping into his voice.

“I’m sorry, Mac. I thought I could trust Peter…he’d keep it
quiet.” Callie slipped on a silky robe.

“But you told him anyway, after I asked you not to. You may
have put Jason in jeopardy. You may’ve put our whole family in jeopardy.”
Callie turned to look at Mac. She had never heard this tone of voice directed
at her before.

“I’d never do that!” Callie exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“But you did. Peter is the only person who could’ve leaked
the information.”

Mac was angry. Clearly he blamed Callie for the blackmail.
She was stricken.

“Please take it back. I never meant to harm Jason. I love him
too. He’s been my son for the past five years,” Callie pleaded, tears forming.

“It doesn’t matter how sorry you are, you’ve done it and it
can’t be undone. Now we have to pay or maybe lose our son. Don’t expect me to
be happy about your loose lips,” Mac said, turning angry eyes on her.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry. Mac, I’m so sorry,” she said, tears
filling her eyes.

“Don’t cry! You always cry. Whenever I get angry, you cry and
then I cave in. Not this time. You’re manipulating me with your tears. Stop
it!” He raised his voice.

Callie froze. She’d never seen Mac like this. His fury
frightened her. He had never yelled at her before. She understood he needed to
vent his fear and anger, and she was taking the brunt of it. Trying to blink
back tears, her hands clutched the sides of her robe.

“I can’t help it if I cry. I get emotional. I don’t do it on
purpose.” Her voice shook, a sob stuck in her throat.

“I don’t care. I don’t want to deal with your tears tonight.”
He looked at her, then quickly looked away. Mac finished undressing and walked
toward the bed. Callie removed her robe and tossed it on the bed. She went over
and put her small hand on his bare chest but he brushed it aside.

“Not tonight, Callie,” he said, in clipped tones.

“You don’t want to make love?”

“No.”

“But you always want to make love.”

“Not tonight. Leave it alone,” he said, walking away from
her, toward the bed.

“What about make-up sex?”

“How many times do I have to say it? I don’t want to make
love to you.” He got into bed, snatched the covers and yanked them up around
his chest. He turned his back toward her.

Silence hung heavy in the room as Callie tried to catch her
breath, feeling a tightness in her chest. As fear and anxiety settled in her
stomach, she thought she was going to be sick. She tried to concentrate on
breathing.

Mac had never treated her like this. He never took his
worries or anger out on her. He admitted it was something she didn’t mean to do
but still he wouldn’t forgive her. She was devastated.

The silence grew until Callie didn’t think she could contain
her tears any longer. She threw on her robe and softly padded out of the room,
closing the door quietly.

Callie went downstairs. Tears welled in her eyes. Tilting her
head up to gaze at the moon, she kept her tears from spilling over. Sam,
dressed in his bathrobe, walked out of the kitchen and put a glass of milk down
on the coffee table. He looked at her.

“Can’t sleep? I’ll get you a glass of milk too, Callie.”

But when he turned to go, Callie grabbed his arm and turned
him around. She threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

“What’s this? What’s this?” he asked, holding her close, but
she was crying too hard to stop.

Finally she slowed down a little.

“Dad, Mac hates me. Our marriage is over,” she sobbed, crying
harder.

Sam brought her over to the sofa, sat down next to her and
reached into the pocket of his robe to pull out a handkerchief. She buried her
face in the white cloth.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” he asked her, gently.

“Oh, Dad, it’s all my fault. I told Peter about Jason and he
must have told someone and Mac said never to tell anyone and now we’re in
trouble with a blackmailer and Jason is threatened and our family is falling
apart…and it’s all my fault!” The words fairly flew out of her mouth.

“Oh my, oh my, Callie, don’t say that. It isn’t your fault
some criminal is blackmailing you. It can’t be as serious as you say. There
must be a way to fix this.”

“But Mac said it’s all my fault and he’s right. And now he
hates me. He said I’m responsible for us losing Jason,” Callie said, then
paused for breath.

“Mac said that? Shame on him! He should be supportive,
figuring out how to nail this creep, not attacking you. I’ll speak to him,” Sam
said, getting up.

But Callie tugged him back down on the sofa.

“No, no! Please don’t say anything. He’ll be even madder at
me for telling you. Please don’t, Dad,” Callie begged, on the verge of
hysterics.