Chapter 31 – Logan
Thirty-One
LOGAN
I slide through the order I just completed to make sure that everything I needed is listed before I press purchase, then sit back in my chair with my arms over my head.
If we needed someone in the office full-time, I would gladly hand over the responsibility of ordering parts and products to them, but at this point, we don’t have enough work available to bring someone on, so I’m stuck doing the monthly inventory restock.
Normally it bothers me more than today, but with Nalia still at the doctors with Zuri, Coop heading to my parents, and Billie staying after school for rehearsal, I’d be going home to an empty house anyways, so I don’t mind.
Hearing footsteps coming down the hall behind me, I turn in my chair in time to watch Aaron come into view. Dozer laying at my feet barks at him, which is interesting, because he never barks at anyone.
“Hey, man,” he stops in the doorway of my office while I tell Dozer to hush.
“What’s up?” I don’t make a move to get up or to shake his hand when he steps fully into the room.
“I wanted to come by and talk to you.” He looks at the bench next to the desk. “Mind if I take a seat?”
“Go for it.” I lift my chin, and he sits while I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.
“How have things been?” he asks after a moment of just looking around.
“I don’t have the time for small talk, Aaron, just get to the point.” I sigh.
I’m sure that Kristy would have something to say about me being less than welcoming to the guy she plans on marrying, but I don’t give a fuck.
Just because she’s okay with him doing what he did doesn’t mean I am.
Not when my kids are involved, and not when he’s supposed to be a role model for my son, who is still impressionable and learning how to treat women.
“I wanted to talk to you about the kids.” He shifts, pulling down the hem of his khaki shorts then adjusting them.
He’s dressed like he just stepped off the golf course and he probably did.
From what the kids have said, he spends a lot of time golfing, and he and Kristy met at some golf fundraiser that her bank hosted.
“What about them?”
“With Kristy’s parents coming into town next weekend for Billie’s show, she’s concerned that they’re not going to want to stay the night and how that might look.”
I know the smile that creeps across my lips is ugly. “I’m sure the kids would be willing to sleep over if you weren’t there.”
“We’re getting married.”
“Yep.”
“So, they need to get used to me being around.”
“They don’t need to do anything. Billie’s past the age of being able to decide for herself where she wants to spend her time, and Cooper isn’t going to go if his sister doesn’t.”
“You guys have a custody agreement that states the kids are with their mom every other weekend,” he says as my cell beeps. When I check, it’s a text from Nalia letting me know that she’s leaving the doctor’s office, and that Zuri is okay, that she just has a couple bruises.
“If Kristy has an issue with the kids not staying with her while she’s with you, she can take it up with my lawyer.”
“You know she’s not going to do that,” his voice pitches an octave higher.
“Did she ask you to talk to me, or are things going to shit and she’s questioning if she should have let you slide that ring on her finger?”
“Things between her and me are fine.” His jaw hardens.
“Ummhumm…” I get to my feet. “Are we done here?”
“She loves her kids.”
“I know, and they love her.” I hold his gaze as he gets to his feet. “Why do you think her daughter isn’t cool on you stepping out on her mom?”
“I didn’t step out on her; that whole thing was a misunderstanding.”
“Right.”
“Kristy knows I didn’t do anything, and that I love her.”
“Good.” I grab my jacket from the hook behind the door.
“I didn’t cheat on her.”
“Okay.”
“It was an old profile that I forgot to delete.”
“And the photos you shared that were taken at Kristy’s house?”
“None of those pictures were taken at Kristy’s.”
The lie annoys me, “I saw the profile, looked through the pictures, and multiple of them were taken at Kristy’s, including the couple you took in her bathroom wearing nothing but a towel.
And I know it was her bathroom, I fixed her sink that was leaking after she bought her place, and her ugly ass tile is hard to forget. ” His face goes ashen. “Are we done?”
He doesn’t answer as he walks out of the office ahead of me and I hear the door to the shop as it hits the wall as he exits.
“What’s that about?” Hector asks, coming around the corner and bending to pet Dozer when he bumps up against him.
“Kristy’s parents are coming into town, and she’s worried about how it might look if the kids don’t stay over at her place. Aaron stopped by to talk to me about it.”
“I bet it’s more that Kristy is questioning taking him back because the kids aren’t coming around, and she’s also going to have to explain to her parents why that’s happening.”
“That’d be my guess, too.”
“Are you headed out?”
“Yeah, Nalia is on the way home with Zuri.” I take out my phone when it begins to ring and see the number for the school on the display.
“Hello,” I answer.
“Hi, Mr. Rafe, this is Principal Mayers. I was trying to get a hold of Nalia Mayson, but she’s not picking up, and I wanted to speak with her before I leave for the day.”
“She’s driving right now, but I’ll see her at home. Can I pass along a message?”
She pauses for a long moment then sounds unsure. “Umm… yeah sure, I wanted to let her know that we looked at the camera footage and it’s obvious that Zuri was pushed off the jungle gym on purpose and we will be dealing with the situation.”
“Can you tell me who the student was?” I attempt to keep the anger out of my tone, but it’s difficult.
Zuri is a tiny little thing, and I’ve seen the jungle gym she was playing on.
The top of the slide isn’t that high, but it’s still about nine feet from the top to the ground.
Falling from it could have led to a broken bone or the possibility of needing stitches.
“Unfortunately, I can’t but I can guarantee that the situation will be handled, and the student will be suspended.”
“I’ll let Nalia know.”
“Thank you, and please have her call me in the morning if she has any questions.”
“I’m sure she’ll call.” I hang up with her and meet Hector’s gaze. “They reviewed the tape, and she was pushed.” He was sitting in the office with me when I called the school, so he knows what I’m talking about, and I don’t need to explain.
“Was it that same kid who Coop had issues with? The one who toilet-papered your place?”
“She said she couldn’t tell me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.”
“Yeah, me either,” he mutters, then adds, “I usually wouldn’t suggest that you threaten or try to intimidate a fourth grader, but it might not hurt at this point.”
“Sucks, but you might not be wrong.” I pat his arm. “I’m out, are you good here?”
“Yep, just finishing up on some stuff then I’ll be headed home, unless you’re cooking.”
“Tonight’s pasta night, you’re welcome to join.”
“I might stop by.” He walks back into the shop while I swing into the room where Benett and Hanson are wrapping a truck and let the two of them know I’m taking off.
After loading Dozer into my Jeep I call my mom to let her know that I’ll be there to pick up Coop so that he’s ready, then send a message to Billie checking in with her.
Ten minutes later when I pull up outside my parents’ place, the front door opens, and Coop runs outside with his backpack and Tupperware container in his hand.
“Hey, Dad.” He crashes into me and gives me a hug.
“Hey, bud, put your stuff in the Jeep and grab your bike.”
“’Kay,” he mutters as Mom comes outside.
“Hey, honey.”
“Hey, Ma.” I walk up and kiss her cheek. “Was he okay?”
“You know he was, he’s just been worried about Zuri.”
“She’s alright,” I assure her, then explain about the call from the school.
“But they didn’t tell you who it was who pushed her?”
“Nope.”
“I hate bullies,” she mutters, then plasters a smile on her face when Coop runs up to give her a hug.
“Love you, Gigi.”
“Love you too, and make sure you give Zuri and Billie their cookies.”
“I will,” he promises.
After saying goodbye to Ma, I help Coop get his bike on the back of the jeep, then get in behind the wheel while he gets into the front seat.
After turning around to give Dozer a head rub, he faces the front windshield. “Is Zur okay?” He asks as I pull onto the street.
“Yeah, she and Nalia are meeting us at home.” I glance over at him. “Did you see what happened to her at recess?”
“No, I was playing basketball with my friends, but someone said that Matthew pushed her.” He gets quiet, then asks. “Did he?”
“I don’t know, bud.”
“He’s a jerk, so he probably did.”
“If it was him, the school will handle it.”
“Sure,” he mutters, looking out the window.
His lack of faith in the system doesn’t surprise me, especially after getting suspended himself, and Matthew not even getting a slap on the wrist for the role he played in what happened between them.
I just really fucking hope that this time, if it was Matthew, that things are different, and he has to face some consequences.
When we pull up to the house, Nalia’s Bronco is parked in the driveway with her and Zuri already inside using the key I gave her a couple weeks ago.
I pull up next to her and behind Billie so that she’ll have the space to get out later, despite how much I want to block her in so she can’t leave.
If I had my way, Zuri would be sleeping upstairs in the room next to Billie’s, and all of Nalia’s shit would be mixed in with mine.
It’s something I’ve thought about bringing up more than once, I just don’t think she’s ready for that step, not yet anyways.
But with them sleeping over on Saturdays, we’re making progress.
After I park, Coop runs into the house with his bag and the container of cookies he held on his lap during the drive and I get Dozer out of the back seat, then unload the bike.
While I’m putting it in the garage, the door into the house opens and Nalia comes down the steps.
Dozer waddles up to greet her with his rump wagging.
“The school called,” she tells me with her head tipped back as she squats to pet Dozer. “They left a message, and I called back and talked to the principal.”
“I spoke to her, too. She called me when she couldn’t get a hold of you. She didn’t tell me much, just that it was obvious that what happened was done on purpose, and the kid responsible was getting suspended.”
“It was Matthew.” My jaw clenches. “I guess from the video, it looked like he came out of nowhere and shoved her off the top of the platform near the edge of the slide. The principal and vice principal are meeting with his parents in the morning, and he’s getting suspended for four days.”
“Four days?”
“I know.” She gets to get feet. “I think it should be longer, but considering what happened before, I’m relieved he’s being held accountable at all.”
“Me too,” I mutter, taking her hand and dragging her into my arms. “I’m just glad she’s alright.”
“Me too.” She rests the side of her head on my chest. “I just keep thinking about what could have happened, if she hit her head or fell wrong.”
“Don’t think about that, baby.” I curl my hand around the back of her neck, and she melts against me.
“I’m tired,” she whispers, exhaustion creeping into her voice. “Sharon called this afternoon.” My muscles bunch.
“What’d she say?”
“She got the papers from the lawyer, so she was upset.” Her hands at my back bunch into my tee.
“But I kind of, I don’t know, I kind of told her how I feel, and it’s weird, but I think she actually listened and got where I was coming from.
” She tips her head back, and I drop my gaze to hers.
“Before we hung up, she just asked me to tell Zuri that she was going to e-mail and that it would have nothing to do with asking me for money.”
“Only time will tell if you got through to her, baby, but I hope you did.”
“Me too.” Her eyes slide closed when I lean down and touch my mouth to hers.
“Can you guys stop being gross? We’re hungry,” Coop says, breaking into the moment, and I smile at Nalia before I pull back and look at the doorway of the house, finding all three kids looking at us.
“We’re coming in,” I tell them.
“Geeze, can’t a guy get some food around here without having to beg?” Coop mutters under his breath before turning and walking into the house.
“You know you could cook for yourself,” Zuri tells him as she follows him.
“Yeah, right, we’d totally have to call nine-one-one if he did that,” Billie tells her, and Zuri laughs.
“God, I love them,” Nalia whispers, leaning into me. I look down at her, catching her smile, which is still in place when she tips her head back towards me. “I guess we better feed your boy before he starves.”
“Fuck, I love you.” I drop my mouth to hers, loving that eventually this will be our life, our family, and I’m really fucking looking forward to that.