The Perfect Husband (19 page)

‘Why was the policeman there?’ Ben had
asked, his expression troubled.

‘I asked him to come,’ she’d explained
gently. ‘I’ve left Daddy and we’re not going back. Daddy’s angry
about it. He wants us to come home.’

‘So why don’t you?’ Sophie had asked.

Isobel breathed out slowly and tried to find
the right words. ‘I don’t want to fight with your dad anymore. He
gets very angry and it frightens me…and it frightens you too,
doesn’t it?’

Both of them had nodded, their faces solemn.
It nearly broke her heart. She’d hurried to reassure them. ‘I
wanted to stop feeling frightened. I wanted all of us to stop
feeling that way. It’s not right to be scared of Daddy like that. I
love you both so much. I want to look after you and shield you from
the bad things and sometimes Daddy does very bad things.’

‘Why?’ Sophie asked.

Isobel shook her head.
Why, indeed?
She gathered both children to her and hugged them close. ‘I don’t
know, honey. He’s sick. He needs help and I can’t give it to
him.’

‘Why doesn’t he go and see a doctor at the
hospital?’ Ben asked then.

‘He is a doctor, silly,’ Sophie replied.

‘Daddy needs a different kind of doctor,’
Isobel explained gently. ‘A doctor who can help him feel happy
about things again. Until he gets better, we can’t be around
him.’

‘How long will it take?’ Sophie asked.

‘I don’t know, honey. It might take quite
awhile.’

Ben frowned. ‘Will we stay here, at Mason’s
all that time?’

Isobel shook her head. ‘I don’t know that,
either, sweetheart. Mason’s been kind enough to let us stay for
now. We’ll probably look for somewhere else to live in a little
while.’

‘I don’t mind staying here,’ Ben said,
‘except there’s nowhere to ride my bike. But Mason’s nice. I like
him.’

Isobel hugged him again and smiled. ‘Yes,
Mason is nice. I like him, too.’

When she’d introduced Mason to her children
the night before, he’d been so natural with them. Friendly and
engaging without being over the top. Ben had plied him with all
sorts of questions and was curious to know how he was her
friend.

‘I’ve never met any of Mom’s friends,’ he’d
said and she’d realized that was true. Nigel had made sure her
isolation was complete.

“I think I have double choc chip ice cream
in the freezer, if your mom says it’s okay.”

Mason’s words brought a halt to her sad
memories. She blinked and forced herself back to the present. She
smiled softly at the man who had helped her and her babies, more
than he could imagine.

“I think that’s a great idea. We could sit
out on the balcony and take in what’s left of the beautiful
day.”

“Yay!” Sophie cheered. Ben just grinned and
grinned. Isobel stared at him and realized it had been a long time
since she’d seen her little boy with such a big smile.

“Would you like to dish it out?” Mason’s
question was directed to Ben. Her son’s eyes went round with
disbelief.

“Really?”

Mason shrugged. “Why not? Unless your mom
doesn’t think you’re big enough?” He turned to her with a smile on
his lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Something tugged at her heart. Her son
deserved this kind of treatment…
Where had this good man come
from?

“Please, Mom! Please!” Ben begged her,
pulling on her arm.

She laughed. “Of course I think you’re big
enough. Look at you! You’re nearly six!”

“Yeah, I’m nearly six, Mason. Did you know
that?”

“Yes, your mom told me awhile ago. I can see
you’re the right man for the job. Here, take the ice cream scoop
and these bowls and head on out to the balcony. Your mom’s right;
the day outside is beautiful. I’ll be right behind you with the ice
cream.”

Ben scrambled off his seat and took the
things out of Mason’s hands. With Sophie right on his heels, the
young boy headed toward the door.

Thank you
, Isobel mouthed to the man
who remained behind in the kitchen. He merely offered her a smile
so sweet and tender, the warmth of it ran like melted chocolate
through her veins. All of a sudden, she wanted desperately to be
whole. To be normal and carefree and joyful; to take pleasure in
everyday things; to forget about the ticking clock and the thoughts
of what tomorrow might bring; to be free from ever-present fear and
dread of what was to come; to laugh and love and sing.

She used to adore singing. Back in high
school, she’d been part of the school choir. They’d performed in
more than one eisteddfod and often came home with the prize. Those
days seemed so long ago. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d
sung. And then it hit her.

It had been in the middle of winter. Nigel
had been complaining and out of sorts all evening. He’d picked a
fight with her over the smallest thing and wasn’t happy even when
she conceded defeat early. In an effort to get her mind off the
growing tension, she’d taken Ben in for a bath. She’d been six
months pregnant with Sophie.

Ben had been splashing around in the water
and some of it had splashed on her where she kneeled on the floor
by the bath. Bubbles were everywhere. She’d laughed and dropped
more bubbles on his face and he’d squealed in delight. It was then
that she’d remembered a song her mother used to sing.

She didn’t even hear Nigel come into the
room. The first thing she knew was when he lashed out at her with
his boot. He connected hard with her thigh and she’d cried out in
shock and pain. An instant later, she lost her balance and toppled
over onto the floor.

‘Enough with that caterwauling,’ he’d
snarled, glaring at her where she lay on the cold tiles. ‘Don’t
ever let me catch you singing again.’ And with that, he’d left,
slamming the door behind him. She could still hear the sound of it
cracking against the hinges.

Of course, he’d later apologized and
explained his mother had run off with a singer who performed in a
local bar. It was the reason he’d reacted so badly. Isobel was
quick to assure him it wouldn’t happen again and that she
understood his pain, but that night, like so many other nights,
she’d cried herself to sleep feeling empty and alone…and
joyless.

Now her chest felt tight and her heart beat
fast. With an effort, once again she cleared her head of the
unhappy memories. As if sensing her fragile mood, Mason encircled
her shoulders with his arm and gently pulled her in close. With a
sigh of relief, she leaned into him and breathed in his manly
scent.

She didn’t know how he knew the very moment
when she needed him, but somehow he did. Now wasn’t the time to
question it. Now was the time to
be.
To enjoy the moment, to
take the solace that was offered so freely and focus on the good
things in her life.

And there
were
good things.
The most important of them were right out on the balcony, having a
bucket load of fun with an ice cream scoop and a tub of double
chocolate chip.

Mason reached for the jar of spaghetti sauce
and went to undo the lid. It had been three days since Isobel and
her children moved in and Christmas was inching nearer. It had
always been a time of family and celebration in his house and he
couldn’t help but hope Belle and the kids would be with him for the
holidays. He’d come home from work a little early so that he could
prepare dinner for them all. It was a homey thing to do and one
that he could get used to.

Careful
, he warned himself. He was
moving way too fast and taking some important, and undecided
things, for granted. He was consumed with the thought of the four
of them coming together as one happy family. He knew that despite
that dream, he needed to slow things down, to give Belle time to
catch up. She’d just come out of an abusive relationship. She
needed time to heal.

And he was prepared to give her that time,
just like he’d promised, but it was hard. All he wanted to do was
love her, protect her, cherish her and keep her safe and all she
seemed to want was to push him away.

He had to find the strength to accept her
instinctive need to keep him at a distance and give her the time
she required. He was determined to wait for as long as it took. He
wasn’t going anywhere. He’d decided the instant he’d offered his
help that he was in it for the long haul.

“What are you doing?”

Mason turned around and spied Ben on the
other side of the counter. His hair was still askew, like he’d just
woken up.

“Hey, buddy, how was your nap?”

Ben shrugged. “It was okay. I keep telling
Mom I’m a big boy, now. I don’t need to have a nap, but she tells
me to just lie down and rest; that I don’t need to fall
asleep.”

Mason smiled. “I bet you did, though. I wish
I could have an afternoon nap.”

Ben laughed. “You’re a grown-up. Grown-ups
don’t need naps.”

“Some of us could use one every now and
then, believe me.” Mason winked and turned back toward the
stove.

“What are you cooking?”

“Meatballs and spaghetti. Do you like
meatballs and spaghetti?”

Ben grinned. “Yes! It’s my favorite!
Sophie’s, too! How did you know?”

Mason winked. “A clever guess. When I was a
kid, meatballs and spaghetti was my favorite meal, too.”

Sophie appeared from around the corner,
rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Where’s Mom?”

“I think she’s in the bathroom,” Mason
replied.

Sophie nodded and then pushed one of the
dining room chairs closer to Ben. Using her chubby little arms, she
pulled herself up on it and stood next to her brother. He leaned
his elbows on the counter and watched while Mason worked.

“Do you know my dad?” Sophie asked.

“Yes, honey, I do. We work at the same
hospital.”

“Are you a doctor, too?” asked Ben.

“Yes, but I’m a different kind of doctor.
Your dad takes care of people with broken bones. I look after kids,
like you.”

“So if I got sick and went to hospital, you
could make me all better?” Sophie asked, her eyes wide.

Mason moved closer to the kitchen counter
and leaned over it, bringing his face closer to the little girl’s.
“Yes, I guess so. Though I hope you don’t get sick enough that you
have to go to hospital. It’s way more fun at home.” He winked at
her and then turned back toward the stove. Out of the corner of his
eye, he caught sight of Isobel leaning against the wall, her
expression full of sadness and yearning.

“Hey, there you are,” he greeted her softly.
“How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. Thanks for keeping the kids
entertained.” Sophie spotted her mom and climbed down off the
chair.

“Mommy! Mommy!” The little girl ran over to
Isobel, lifting up her arms as she went. Isobel bent over and
picked her up and buried her nose in her daughter’s hair.

“You smell so good, Soph. Did you have a
nice nap?”

“Yes, but now I’m really hungry. Mason’s
cooking meatballs.”

“I can see that. It smells good, too.”

She turned and smiled at him and his heart
melted, sending his recent caution against moving too fast straight
out of his head. Aware that he was staring, he turned abruptly back
to the stove and got busy.

“Is there anything I can do?” she
murmured.

He turned to find her way too close. His
heart pounded and his mouth went dry. With an effort, he dragged
his gaze away. By implicit agreement, they hadn’t been intimate
again and being so close to her and not being allowed to touch was
an agony all in itself. It had only been a couple days since he’d
made love to her, but it felt like a lifetime.

“How about you set the table?” he finally
said. “We might eat inside tonight.”

She nodded and moved away. Mason breathed
out a surreptitious sigh of relief.

“Can I help you, Mom?” Ben asked.

“Can I?” asked Sophie.

Isobel smiled. “Of course.” She bent down on
one knee and gathered both of them close for a quick hug.

Mason watched them from the kitchen and was
once again filled with longing. He yearned to be part of their
family. That day couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *

The warm summer breeze drifted across the
water and lifted Isobel’s unrestrained hair. She’d washed it
earlier and left it loose to dry. After a relaxed evening around
the table, the kids were fed, bathed and tucked into bed. Mason had
entertained them with stories of his high school days and how he’d
met their mom. She’d never realized the impact she’d had on him all
those years ago outside his locker. She couldn’t help but wonder if
she’d realized it earlier, whether she’d have made better
choices.

No, it wasn’t likely. By the time graduation
came around and Mason offered his declaration of love, she was
already well and truly under the spell of the charismatic Nigel
Donnelly. Mason hadn’t had a chance. She was filled with sadness
and regret for all that might have been. If only…

“I spoke to a lawyer today,” Mason said
quietly from his seat on the other deck chair. “One of the doctors
at work has a buddy who specializes in family law. He gave me his
number and I called him. I wanted to check him out for myself. I
told him a little about your circumstances. He seemed more than up
for the challenge.”

Isobel listened to Mason’s quiet tones and
was filled with a sense of relief. She’d known she had to do
something about her situation. It was important for both her and
her kids that they got formal orders from the court. There was no
way she was letting Nigel have custody. She wanted to get ahead of
him and get a court decision in her favor before he thought to do
it. She was grateful Mason had taken the first steps to that end by
finding her a lawyer.

“Thank you. I really appreciate your help.
With all that’s gone on these past few days, finding a lawyer has
been beyond me. It was hard enough to go to the police and get the
AVO.”