Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

H utton

"Who are these people?"

I've known bullies in my life. Seen them in every state, in every age group, and in all economic levels. Humans who've been hurt at some point in their lives decide to take that pain out on others instead of doing the work to heal themselves. But seeing these two assholes talk down to the woman who radiates sunshine and happiness, putting a smile on my shy boy's face, is something I simply can't allow to happen.

The man is tall, younger than me, and wearing a dingy shirt with his name embroidered on it under an unzipped thick jacket. His crack isn't showing but somehow I'm able to put two and two together and figure out this must be Rae's ex-husband. The woman is relatively attractive, if a little mousy in her appearance, as she hangs on the man's arm. She looks like one of those women that was prom queen in high school, but unfortunately, peaked too soon.

"Umm." Rae seems to have lost the ability to speak. She's stiff as a rail beside me and no amount of squeezing her waist is getting her to relax.

"Nobody?" I lift an eyebrow and give them both a once-over. "I thought so. If you'll excuse us, we have things to do." My tone implies that these things are way more important than anything they were doing.

I steer Rae away from the gaping couple, making sure to talk loudly enough they can hear me. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look this morning, sugar?"

Rae's cheeks go flaming red right before her face cracks into a silent laugh, eyes wide with shock. I walk the three of us faster, hoping to get inside the theater before she loses it completely. I grab the keys out of her hands and jam one, then another, into the lock until I find the right one. The door swings open and Henry, who thankfully remained silent on the sidewalk since there were strangers present, leaps forward with an excited gasp.

"Wook at the stage, Daddy!"

I slam the door shut behind us and keep an arm around Rae as she bends in half, literally wheezing with what I hope is laughter and not an asthma attack. Henry takes off running and I zero in on him until I see his aim is to pile into the middle seat to stare at the stage from the front row.

Looking around the theater, I see what's got him excited. The rows of chairs create curved lines before the stage, each chair wrapped in red velvet. Upper-level balconies are reminiscent of old-world theaters for rich patrons to take in the arts. Stage lights are dimmed but not off, illuminating the wooden stage and all the intricate carved details above the columns. The place is exquisite and old and smells a bit mildewy. Instantly, I wonder about the acoustics and what it would be like to sing up on that stage without all the sound equipment.

Rae finally straightens, wiping tears from her face. With Henry presently occupied, I lean in. "You okay?" I whisper.

She nods and turns her face to me, broad smile all the indication I need. "I can't believe you did that."

I can't either, to be honest. I should have stayed in the truck like I planned, keeping my identity under wraps. Now that couple will tell the first people they see about Hutton Calder with one of the locals. My name and location will be spread around town before I can get Henry out of this theater and back in the safety of my truck. Dom will have my head when he hears about this.

"I can't believe they said that crap to you," I practically growl, remembering the condescension in their tones.

Rae loses the smile. She also averts her gaze. "Yeah, they're always jerks."

I pull her back to my side until she turns her face to me again. "To everyone or just you?"

The dip of her head to study the toe of her boots clues me into the answer. I cup her chin and tilt her face back up. Her eyes are guarded, clearly uncomfortable.

"Hey," I murmur, dipping my head to brush a kiss across her cheek. "Tell me what's happening. How can I help?"

"Rae-Rae!" Henry comes running back to us. I drop my hand from her face. "Where'd the crackers go?"

Rae sweeps him up into her arms and marches toward the stairs at the side of the stage. I follow, not anywhere close to being done with our conversation before we were interrupted. "No nutcrackers yet, buddy. But I have a trunk of old costumes you can go through."

"Cu-stooms?"

Rae smiles at my son, and I get even angrier at her ex. What kind of asshole bullies someone as kind and generous as Rae? She took me and my son in when the storm hit, providing shelter, food, and things for Henry to do all day in the snow. She doesn't seem to have a mean bone in her body. I don't know what happened in their marriage, but speaking to anyone that way seems childish.

She puts Henry down in front of an old wooden trunk, lifting the lid and securing the hinges before indicating he can go through it. He lifts out a gray wig and squeals in disgust, throwing it back in the trunk. He rifles through more of the costumes, pulling out sequined pants, a pirate shirt, and a fake sword. He's immediately in imaginary heaven, darting around the stage with his sword.

"He's a natural-born actor," she says, watching him with more interest and care than his own mother.

"And you're a natural-born ray of sunshine, so tell me why your ex-husband is such an asshole to you." I fold my arms across my chest, not an easy task in the thick jacket, but I get my point across.

Rae sighs and checks her watch. "The kids should arrive in the next fifteen minutes or so."

"Plenty of time to spill your guts."

She shoots me a look, but appeases me. "He and I did not split on good terms. He started dating Tori right after we split, out of what I thought was mostly spite." At my confused look, she explains. "Tori, or Victoria, as she goes by now, was my best friend in school."

I wince. "Ouch."

She smiles ruefully. "Yep. And now they're married and make it their life's work to make mine miserable. They lord it over me that they're happily in love while I'm sad and single."

" Are you sad and single? That wasn't the vibe I got from you when we met."

"Pfft." She makes a noise with her mouth. "If I hadn't been single, I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of running into my hall pass. Nothing sad about that."

I reach out and take her hand, loving the way she instantly squeezes me back. Flashbacks from last night flood my brain. "Definitely nothing sad about that."

Rae shifts closer. "Thanks for coming to my rescue out there. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime, sugar." I tug on her hand. She stumbles into my chest, just like I hoped. "Now tell me what you're making me for Christmas."

"What?"

I fake shocked outrage. "You lost that bet, fair and square. You have to make me a present."

She shakes her head, laughing softly. "Are you even going to be around at Christmas?"

I look over her shoulder at Henry, who is now wearing the pirate shirt, which comes down to his knees, as he slays imaginary dragons. "I think I just might. You okay with that?"

"Very okay," she answers instantly.

The side door bangs open and a voice drifts up to the stage. Rae drops my hand and steps back. Her startled expression morphs into happiness.

"Rae Dunn, you have some explaining to do!"

"Hey, Janna. You and John find something to do to ride out the storm?"

A short blonde woman bounds onto the stage and flicks a glance at me and then Henry before giving Rae a hug. "Don't try to distract me. Who are your friends?"

Rae lifts her hand in my direction. "Hutton, this is my best friend, Janna. Janna, this is Hutton and his son, Henry."

Janna shakes my hand politely, but narrows her eyes at me. She steps in close and whispers. "I know you're famous and all that, Mr. Calder, but if you make my girl even think of being sad, I'll shove that guitar pick so far up your chimney, Santa won't be able to visit for years to come. You got me?"

I lurch back, honestly scared of the tiny woman. Her imagination is just as colorful as Henry's, but with a sadistic twist. "Um, that was the most convoluted threat I've ever received, but yeah. I got you."

"Janna," Rae hisses, trying to pull her back unsuccessfully.

Janna crosses her eyes at me, making me wonder about her stability, and then she twirls toward Henry. "Argh, pirate Henry! Are you here for The Nutcracker play or to walk the plank?"

Henry stares at her for a moment before cracking up. He holds up his sword. "I here for the crackers, milady."

I shake my head, not sure where he even got that term, just glad he's making friends. Janna laughs and feigns fright at his sword brandishing. Rae pushes me toward the stairs. "You better hide in the back row."

I do a double take back at my son and the crazy lady. "Will she actually try to hurt me?"

Rae giggles, still pushing me off the stage. "No! Well, I don't think so. I just don't want anyone else to see you. You underestimate the gossip mongers in a small town."

"Here. Put this on." Janna runs after us with a hat weighed down by at least thirty tourist pins. It's something an old fisherman would wear. She plops it on my head and immediately snickers. Even Rae's smirking.

"I'm starting to regret walking into this theater," I mumble, now at the bottom of the steps and in a dark corner. Janna runs back up the stairs to help Henry put his costume back in the chest. Rae puts her hands on my arms and tries to steer me down the aisle of the theater.

"Sorry about Janna," she whispers.

I stop her movements and cup her face, taking advantage of the shadows and dropping a quick kiss on her lips. "I was just joking too. I don't regret coming to this theater at all."

She blinks up at me, breathing harder. "Even if they start a rumor?"

I nod. "Even if they start a rumor." I drop another kiss on her lips because I just can't resist and then rush to the back of the theater to hide. As I settle in the back row in the corner, I don't miss the way Janna elbows Rae. She wants to know what's going on, but neither of us really knows.

I shouldn't be here. I should be on my way to Texas so Henry can see his grandparents over the holidays. Instead, I sit in a bucket hat in the back row of an old theater and watch the woman I'm enamored with run a dozen kids through a truly terrible rendition of The Nutcracker with my son getting a role as a toy soldier.