Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

There were people in and out all day, so much so that Charlie couldn’t get any rest. First Aubrey came with a pile of home magazines to keep Charlie busy. Then Gina came with enough food and fresh berries from the restaurant’s garden to feed half of California. Soon after Angie arrived with a bag full of romance novels.

It was like Christmas in June.

Jace came home for lunch all smiles, but Charlie could tell something was wrong. When she tried to press him on it all he would say was that it was a work thing, which she could see through a mile away.

It was Mary Ann.

She could sense it like a deer in the woods sensed danger. By the time he left to go back to work, she was sure something had transpired between the two of them. Something that made her already queasy stomach sink.

Later that day she was surprised to find Cheryl at the door. Mitch waved from his truck, which was idling in the driveway.

“Does he want to come in?” Charlie asked.

“No, that’s okay. He’ll wait for me there. I just came to bring you this.” In her arms was one of those insulated casserole dish holders. “It’s my mother’s recipe. Mitch loves it.”

“Come in.” Charlie opened the door wide. “This is so nice of you. Thank you.”

“Oh gosh, it’s the least I can do. After all you’ve done for us.”

Charlie really hadn’t done much. Just gave them a couple of pictures and a contact number for a vintage party rental company.

“How are you feeling?” Cheryl said.

“Much better now. The doctor gave me some drugs to stop the prelabor contractions and for now they seem to be working.”

“That’s good, right? I mean . . . is it too soon?”

“If I can make it another two weeks, that would be ideal. Well, not ideal, but safer for the baby,” Charlie said.

“Is there anything I can do?” Cheryl peeked through the foyer into the great room. “Everything looks so nice, but I could tidy up if you’d like, or run errands, or just anything.”

“That is so kind of you, Cheryl. But between Jace, the kids, and the rest of the Daltons, I’m set. Come into the kitchen so you can set that down. I’m being so rude.” Charlie wasn’t even dressed, unless you counted a pair of old sweats.

“No, you’re not.” She followed Charlie into the kitchen. “This is beautiful.”

“Thank you. It was Jace’s grandparents’ house. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea? Juice or a soft drink?”

“I’m fine.” Cheryl slipped the casserole out of its holder and tucked it in the refrigerator. “I should let you get some rest. But I’m going to leave my phone number just in case. Don’t hesitate to call. I’m pretty much living at Mitch’s full time now and can be over here in less than fifteen minutes.”

“You’re so sweet.” Charlie gave her a hug. How bad could Mitch be if this delightful woman loved him? And she clearly did.

She walked Cheryl to the door and waved goodbye to Mitch, who was still patiently waiting behind the wheel.

“Who was that?” Travis came in the door after taking the dogs to the creek just as Mitch was backing out of the driveway.

“Mitch and his fiancée, Cheryl.”

“Mitch? I thought Dad hated him.”

“I don’t think your father hates Mitch as much as everyone thinks. In fact I think he might even miss him.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wondered if she was talking about Mitch or Mary Ann.

* * *

Grady was upset when he came home from school. Charlie sensed it the moment he walked in the door with his shoulders slumped, frowning. He further confirmed her suspicions when he turned down some of Gina’s homemade oatmeal cookies.

“Tell me what happened today.”

He gave her a nonchalant shrug and said, “Nothing,” then went in his room.

Jace was still at work, but as soon as he got home, Charlie would get him to pry it out of Grady.

Of everyone, Grady was the happy-go-lucky one of the Dalton bunch, always smiling and cracking jokes. But occasionally he’d become sullen at something that happened at school. A bully who was picking on one of the smaller kids or some other infraction. He was a sensitive boy and, not unlike his father, felt the need to protect people from the injustices of the world. Travis was like that too.

She’d just nodded off to sleep in front of the TV on the couch when Jace came through the door with a huge bouquet of flowers, awakening her. He leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed her on the cheek.

“How was your first day of bed rest?”

“Busy,” she said. “I’ve had an endless stream of visitors, including Mitch’s fiancée.”

“Yeah, he told me they were coming by.”

Charlie sat upright. “You two are talking now?”

“No. But he ambushed me in the sheriff’s parking lot and told me Cheryl wanted to bring you a casserole.”

Charlie laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m picturing how that conversation went.” She got to her feet and took Jace’s flowers. “These are lovely. I’ll put them in water and figure out dinner.”

“Oh no,” Jace said and took back the flowers that Charlie was sure he bought in the floral shop in Dry Creek Village. “I’ll put them in water and make us dinner. You stay there.” He pointed at the couch.

“Jace, I can do light duty, you know? And you need to talk to Grady. He’s been locked in his room ever since he got home from school. Something upset him today and he won’t talk about it. Go coax it out of him.” She took the flowers out of his hand, shooed him toward Grady’s room, and went into the kitchen.

After arranging the bouquet in a vase, she slid Gina’s famous lasagna into the oven and had just started on a salad when a cramp gripped her. She grabbed onto the edge of the counter to hold herself up and waited for the pain to subside.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Travis came up behind her.

She hadn’t heard him come in. “Nothing. Just a small cramp.”

He helped her to a chair. “I’m getting Dad.”

“No, don’t. I just need to sit here for a few minutes. You finish the salad.”

She could see Travis vacillating, but ultimately he relented and took over in the kitchen, first bringing her a glass of water, then putting Gina’s garlic bread in the oven.

“This is much better,” she said. The cramp hadn’t been like the others, not like a contraction but more like a sharp pain. But it hadn’t lasted long, and she vowed to stay off her feet.

Travis’s cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and took one look at the caller ID and grimaced, letting out a soft curse.

“What’s that about?”

“Mary Ann. She won’t stop calling me.” In an act of defiance he’d started calling his mother “Mary Ann.” Or maybe it was out of deference to Charlie.

“Have you thought of just taking the call and listening to what she has to say? Maybe it’s something you need to hear.”

“Damn it, Charlie!” Jace came into the kitchen, furious. “Travis doesn’t want to talk to her. Leave it alone.”

She could feel her face heat. Once again Jace had made it clear that she wasn’t part of this. That her opinion didn’t count.

She walked out, making a beeline for the bedroom. Jace came in behind her and shut the door.

“I shouldn’t have done that.” He held up his hand in the classic surrender gesture. “I’m sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me and flew off the handle. I’m sorry, Charlie, it was the wrong way to handle it.”

He moved in to hold her, but she pulled away. “Corbin used to do that. Right after he hit me, right after I lay bleeding on the floor, he would start in with the apologies. ‘Oh, Charlotte, I’m so sorry. I just love you so much. No one loves you like I do.’ ”

Jace backed away as if she’d burned him with a blowtorch. Stunned. Hurt. “How can you compare me to him? I was angry and I said things I shouldn’t have said, which I regret. But husbands and wives argue, Charlie. Sometimes they yell at each other. Sometimes they say things in the heat of the moment they can never take back. If you don’t like what I say, tell me to go to hell, tell me I’m full of crap. I can take it. What I can’t take is you comparing me to that piece of garbage. I’m not him, Charlie.”

“You embarrassed me out there. You made me feel like I’m not part of this family, that my opinion doesn’t count.”

“Look, there’s no excuse for what I did. It was wrong. I should’ve waited until you and I could have a private conversation. I screwed up. I let my emotions on the issue override the proper way to handle it. I’ll do better. But that woman is pushing me over the brink. Today she threatened to go to court over Grady.”

“You talked to Mary Ann today?” She’d sensed it all along. “When? And why didn’t you tell me?”

He gently led her toward the bed and told her to sit. “Let’s both take a deep breath.”

“Don’t you dare patronize me! When did you talk to Mary Ann?”

“I went over there today before lunch. Travis was upset that she was calling him on his cell. I told her to leave him alone. We had words and that’s when she told me she would go to court over visitation with Grady. I told her until she had a judge’s order to back off.”

“When were you going to tell me this? Or were you?”

“Of course I was. I just got home. You told me to find out what was bugging Grady. When was there time, Charlie? It’s not like I’m keeping stuff from you.”

She wondered. “Why did you find the need to go over there? Travis is nineteen years old. He’s perfectly capable of telling her that he doesn’t want any contact with her. Why are you obsessed with her, Jace? Ever since she got here you’ve been consumed.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He threw up his hands in the air. “Yeah, Charlie, I’m obsessed with my ex-wife. Give me a break. You know what I’m obsessed with? I’m obsessed with protecting my family. You ought to try it sometime.”

He walked out, slamming the door behind him.