Twenty Five
TWENTY FIVE
RHETT
“I know I don’t deserve any of the good things I have in my life right now. But Lord, I am begging You for another shot with my son. Please soften Oscar’s heart toward me.” I say the prayer out loud as I sit on the back porch of my temporary home, strumming my acoustic guitar.
Every time I think about how badly I’ve messed up my life, I think of Dana and remember the beauty she floods my world with each day. I remember the forgiveness she extended to me and thank God for the relationship we’ve built with Christ at its center. I haven’t had a single doubt that Dana will one day be my wife, but the one thing holding me back from proposing to Dana is Oscar. Something tells me that things need to be right with my son before I pop the question.
The ring has been burning a hole in my pocket for the last few weeks. But every time I start to drop to one knee, something happens.
The first time I tried to propose, we were on the beach, and just before my knee touched the ground, I was attacked by a seagull. The next time was on the boardwalk, where I was run down by a granny in a wheelchair race. The last time was under the stars on the plot of land she helped me choose for where my new home will soon be built. We were standing on a patch of gravel, and when I went to get down on one knee as Dana gazed at the stars, I tripped on my shoelace and drove my knee into the stones. After that, I decided it was time to give it a rest. All of that made it clear that I need to figure things out with Oscar before successfully proposing to Dana.
My phone vibrates, and I answer on the first ring.
“Rhett?” It’s Ashley, sounding panicked. “I need you.”
“Is it Oscar?” I ask.
“Yes,” she sobs into the phone.
“What’s happened?” Worst case scenarios flash through my mind at lightning speed. The last one has bile rising in my throat.
“He’s…he’s…” she stutters, then I hear her blow her nose. “He’s in jail.”
Relief washes over me, followed by dread. “What?”
“I can’t believe he’d do it. But he did.” The tone of her voice has my stomach sinking.
Then I go into defense mode. “Does he need an attorney?”
“No, he just needs you.”
I can’t help but feel confused. “Me?”
“Yes. He told the cops it was his dad’s apartment, and they didn’t believe him because they knew it belonged to RJ Hemlock and he didn’t have proof that he’s your son.”
“Wait, slow down. Tell me exactly what happened.”
She blows out a frustrated breath, then tells me Oscar snuck over to my apartment in Chicago and completely destroyed it. When he got caught, he insisted that the owner—me—was his father. No one believed him, and he was arrested for destruction of private property. I kept my apartment so I’d have a place to stay in Oscar’s hometown if he ever decided to forgive me and reconnect.
She breathes out a resigned sigh and says, “We need you.”
“I told you I will always be there for you, Ashley. No matter what.”
“So you’ll come here and set all this straight?”
“Of course. I promise I’ll be there in the late morning, early afternoon at the latest. Don’t stress. I’ll make sure everything is fixed.”
I hear a door slam and feet pounding against my bungalow’s floorboards toward the front door.
“Please do. I’m helpless right now.”
“I know. We’ll get through this,” I say gently. “But I gotta go. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I hang up and run outside, watching as Dana jumps into her car. I sprint and grab the door as her fingers grip it to close it.
She looks up at me, and I shatter at the look of betrayal in her eyes.
Trying to deescalate the situation, I say, “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
“Well, I thought I’d surprise you. But apparently, you found a way to surprise me instead.”
My stomach clenches. “You heard the tail end of a phone conversation.”
“It was enough.”
“No, it wasn’t.” I lean down and take hold of her hands, pulling her gently from the car. I stare down into her eyes, caging her between my arms against her door. “Oscar is in trouble.”
Her expression softens, and I’m reminded of her tender heart. Let’s just hope she’ll also be understanding once she lets me explain. “Is he okay?”
“Yes…no. I don’t know.” I release her, take a step back, and run my hands through my hair. “Everything is a mess, and it’s all my fault.”
“Tell me what’s going on.” She shuts her door and takes my hand, and I bask in the comfort of her touch.
She follows me inside, and to try and calm myself by focusing on something else for a moment, I offer her some iced tea. We sit on my couch as she sips her tea, and I tell her everything Ashley shared with me on the phone. Dana listens intently with a sad smile on her lips.
“You need to go. I get that. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.” She rests her tea on the table, then stands and paces my living room as if needing to move to gather her thoughts. “I was just afraid you were going to sneak off and leave me again.” When she looks at me, there are tears in her eyes.
I shake my head and stand. “No. Not even close.” I step closer until we’re toe to toe. “I will never walk away from you again. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but walking away from you is the one I regret the most.” I slide my arms around her and pull her so close she has to tip her head back to meet my eyes. My voice drops several octaves, a new feeling of possessiveness coming over me. “You’re mine now.” She releases a shaky breath. Slowly, my hand slides up her arm and I cup the side of her gorgeous face. My thumb traces her lower lip. “And I’m all yours.” I lower my face, her lips just out of reach until I whisper, “forever,” and she bridges the space between us, crashing her mouth on mine.