22 The Out of Town
Beau
March 2024
“I can’t anymore,” I called. “I’m gettin' old and y’all are bigger. You tired me out.”
“No, you aren’t, Paw,” Fisher said, swimming like a bullet toward me, outpacing West and Hunter. The current trick I was performing—like a trained circus animal—was hurling each one sky-high with their professional-grade life jackets on. They added arm floaties for additional security. Each one landed in the ocean, barely breaking the surface, instantly popping out of the water.
I swear, it felt like I was juggling them for hours, not the twenty minutes max that we’d been out there. It had been a while since we’d visited the beach together. Now, I remembered why.
Fisher reached me, crawling up my body with monkey-like determination. “One more time, Paw. Throw me the highest!” The same words he’d said every time he made it into my arms. “Throw me so high I reach the birds so I can fly away too.” His palms came to my cheeks, turning my eyes to see him. “But I’ll come back and find you.”
“Good.” I held him by his torso, feeling the adrenaline pumping through his body. His grin was bigger than his mouth could support.
I launched him in the air like a human cannonball. With no fear, he sailed through the sky before making a splashdown into the water. Hunter got to me next.
“Last time,” I said and hurled him up. He weighed more than Fisher and didn’t go quite as high before falling into the water. West followed, the biggest of the three, he barely made it above my head this time.
Before any of them could catch me again, I waded to shore where the girls sat in the surf, hanging out together.
My cell phone issued its highest volume shrill ringtone, everyone in Sea Springs had to have heard it. Mia darted up, running toward the umbrella to answer.
“Paw! It’s Daddy,” she screamed into the receiver. She had to have blown his eardrums. Her face crinkled, probably being lightly scolded by Dash. “I’m sorry for yelling in your ear, Daddy. I got excited because we miss you, and Paw was racing for the phone,” she said, running the phone to me. “I told him I was sorry for yelling in his ear.” Again, Mia shouted directly into the microphone. “He says he misses everybody, and he’ll be home tomorrow…”
I took the phone from her.
“Hello, did she yell in your ear twice?” I asked.
“I learned my lesson and moved the phone away until you said hello.” Dash was always learning and adjusting.
Me, not so much. I made it to the umbrella, glancing back to make sure the boys had made it to the girls.
Maybe not the best plan. Ava knocked Fisher to the ground who was laughing uproariously. “Paw,” Ava called, “he kicked the castle Livie was making! It had a third floor.”
“I didn’t kick it,” Fisher said in a way that made me believe he might be telling the truth. The laughter said something else altogether.
“Hold your ears,” I said and gave Dash about a second to do so. Duke and Dixie, asleep close to my chair, lifted their ears in the spot they’d claimed on the beach once the fun day wore them out. “Give me a minute to talk to your dad, and leave the girls alone, Fisher.”
“What’re you doing?” Dash asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“We came to the beach when everyone got through with their Saturday activities. The girls are workin’ on Girls Scout badges that they didn’t want me around for, and the guys are actively breakin’ their spirit, so nothin’s new here,” I answered, taking a seat in my beach chair. The instant shade cooled me down.
“You went to the beach without me? I’m coming home tomorrow,” Dash said, dejectedly.
Since my guy had become a weekly traveler, my life had turned into a chore. Not awful, but I now better understand why people were shocked about us having six children in six years. Exhaustion was a daily part of my life. I was ready for a nap.
“You promised to discuss bein’ gone for more than three days at a time,” I answered matter of fact, digging around in the side pocket of my chair for my sunglasses. “You’re slidin’ into a consistent four days gone. This is five. I haven’t had sex in six days, which means you’re busy all mornin’ and night tomorrow. What if the next time you decide not to come home for seven days? You need to store me up. Can you handle three times tomorrow?”
“Ha ha,” Dash said, instantly defensive of his sexual prowess. “You’re not funny.”
“Ha, ha. It’s funny because it’s true,” I tossed back.
“It’s not true. Far from funny, and we’ll see how long it takes you to sit comfortably when I’m done with you,” he boasted. “I’ll be home more after this trip. So are you picking me up in the morning?" Dash asked.
“From Southwest?” I asked.
“Gate five at seven twenty-five. I miss you,” he said, much more quietly.
Of course, I never gave him a break. The rest of Dash’s life came easy. Someone had to keep him on his toes. “If you missed me, you’d have come home on time.”
“Baby, I know you’re giving me a hard time, and it’s deserved, but I’m exhausted and the wind and ocean and you and the kids sound wonderful.”
“So you’ve been productive?” I asked. We were months into the investigative stage of the pre-suit. This phase had taken longer than he believed it would, I wanted him home badly. I loved being a parent, and I loved my life, but all of that included Dash. With him no longer around, all the activity felt like a chore.
“Very. We added five additional complainants. Brianna and Stone have done an exceptional job. Stone’s an incredible young man, the way he sniffs out information and digs into research is better than anyone I’ve worked with. He’s a pro. I’m probably going to have to put him through law school.”
“When do you file the complaint?” I asked.
“Next week,” Dash said. “I’ll fly back to Chicago, and that’ll put an end to weekly travel. I miss you, Beau-beau. It’s unbearable to be away.”
“Are you with Lon now?” I asked, which I didn’t normally do.
I took it as my job to never let him forget what he almost threw away, not in a destructive way, but to keep us both on our toes. But I rarely brought up Lon. They were too much alike. He still bothered me.
Silence held us both, answering my question. “So you’re in Chicago right now?”
“I am,” Dash said quietly.
“Has anything changed there?” I asked. The question was a far bigger one than it seemed.
My heart picked up its beat. Dash needed to come home. I needed him here.
“The city’s still too busy and too fast. I landed here this morning. Lon and I talked about timing and other things. We’re having dinner with Penny tonight for them to meet Stone and Brianne in person. Brianne’s staying in Chicago for the time being. I’ll fly back for an overnight trip next week. I want you to come with me.”
“Do you miss that life?” I asked quietly. Dash had worn his success well there. It was busier, at a much faster pace, in a far different way than our slice of the world. “You’re stuck here with me forever now, but that was a pretty glitzy life.”
“I don’t miss a single second. I do miss the complexity of the caseload…”
A scream pierced the confession, and I glanced over at the kids. Ava was chasing Fisher who darted away so fast, she couldn’t keep up.
“Paw! Make him stop.” Ava darted this way and that, until she abruptly halted and screamed to the heavens. Her fists and body shook under the force. “He makes me crazy. Now we have to start over again. We were almost done.”
“I’ve gotta go,” I said, my silly jealousy evaporating into nothing. “Remember when you wanted more children after West?” I said teasingly. “We should’ve included the girls in that decision. We have a solid divide now. I’m not sure this will end well for us.”
Dash laughed but didn’t disagree. “Go deal with them. Check for the correct gate in the morning. I love you.”
Those three words ended every one of our conversations. “I love you too.”
I tossed the phone on a towel, while getting to my feet. “Let’s load up. I’ll bring y’all back to finish the badge if we can’t do it at home.”
The dogs stood too, shaking the sand from their coats. The sheer volume of beach necessities had turned me into a pack mule. I sighed as I looked at all the stuff we had to get back home. I called over our two youngest. We had a new addition to our family fun in the form of child leashes for Fisher and Hunter. The only reason we used them was to keep them from running into traffic without realizing what they had done. It enabled me to focus on everything else while doing my best to keep them all safe out here on my own.
Seven twenty-five in the morning turned to eight forty-five as I waited in the garage facing Southwest Airlines arrival section for Dash to land. I arrived early enough to park with a clear view of the terminal’s baggage claim carousels, waiting for Dash’s text message that he was on his way out.
Every time he traveled, it was the same routine. His checked bag included the necessities: suits, shoes, and valuable grooming products. His carry-on was strictly reserved for his tech equipment. The airplane hadn’t landed yet, the baggage handlers still had to unload the luggage, and my bright idea of renting a cheap motel to fuck my guy was looking less and less likely as the minutes ticked by. My anticipation for Dash’s return was slipping into frustration. My body had its own grievances, and they weren't subtle.
The sharp buzz of my phone jolted me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the phone’s screen. The name “Lauren Lee” popped up, and I hesitated before answering. She represented today’s responsibility, something I wanted to avoid if only Dash could parachute out of the plane to make my sex dreams a reality in that moment.
“We’re adding a second balloon arch leading into your side of the property, guiding people to the reception area in your backyard.”
“That’s fine,” I replied, though my thoughts were far from decorations.
They circled back to Daisy Mae, the bride-to-be, and my unresolved feelings about her impending marriage. She was too young, far too young, to be tying the knot with her service member boyfriend and moving halfway across the world. I had always imagined a different path for her—college classes, a degree, a life of her own before settling down. But she was in love, deeply so, and they had been inseparable for the last four years. Who was I to stand in the way?
“The chairs are here being set up with the round tables for the reception. They have the table drapes. The bands each have a portable floor. I think the buffet is set up. The food arrives about twenty minutes before we start. The flowers are here now. The cake…”
“What’s Scott doin’?”
“He’s bouncing between trying to convince Daisy Mae to change her mind and helping the valet company rope off the parking area. He’s not taking this well.”
“I know. I wanted somethin’ different for her, but I honestly don’t know what that is,” I said, staring at the sliding glass doors, opening and closing randomly with no one coming anywhere around. “I’ve been dedicated to Dash since I was fifteen. It’s not easy, but I suspect no one’s life is great all the time. A different road might only mean bullshit comin’ at her in other ways. And livin’ in Italy is gonna be badass,” I said, understanding my sexual quest in a seedy motel was no longer possible.
My imagination really enjoyed the mental imagery of fucking Dash so hard, for so long, that he needed medical care.
We needed to be home, helping everyone get ready for Daisy Mae’s big afternoon today. The wedding was planned to start at about two in the afternoon, in Scott’s backyard. The reception followed, ending at about nine o’clock. Daisy Mae was taking an early flight to Italy with her guy tomorrow morning.
“Here comes pouty Scott. I’ll see you two when you get here. I need Dash to take over the organizational part of the planning. I have to do everyone’s hair before the wedding and do all my children’s hair. It’s going to take hours.”
“Dash will probably sneak off and leave me in charge while he slides in line to get his hair done.”
“I took care of him last weekend. He won’t need a refresh until next weekend.”
“We’ll see,” I said as a text message came through. “Go. We’ll be home as soon as he lands.”
“Bye, Beau. Thank you for everything. I don’t know where we’d be without you in our lives,” she said, tears in her voice. The feelings of appreciation and love were what the four of us all did really well. It was honestly the foundation that built everything we stood on today.
“Lauren…” The sweet sentiment welled within me, not easily meshing with the sexual demands my mind was still lost within, but I did smile, even if she didn’t see it. “Bye.”
I navigated to my notifications. Dash had texted me.
“ We’re still in the air circling. I’m sorry to keep you waiting .”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever replied to a text faster.
“ You bought an internet package? ” I replied. That had to cost as much as the hotel I’d found. “ You know that’s expensive. ”
“ Something’s happened down there .”
Then came another. “ It’s going to be at least twenty more minutes before we land. ”
The third. “ Meet me in baggage claim. ”
Well, hell.
“ I found a motel two blocks from here. I thought we could get it on. ” I replied, knowing I was the only person who ever typed paragraphs in text format. “ Because you said you were arriving at seven twenty-five. Lauren’s already wanting us to get home for the wedding. You have to land right now to make it happen. I need adult interaction. ”
I pushed send , never feeling more unreasonable in my life.
“ Oh, I’d really like a quickie in a motel alone .”
Then another. “ I’ve missed you bad this time. ”
Another text arrived seconds later. “ I should be landed with baggage by nine thirty .”
Then came. “ I wanna fuck your mouth. ”
And. “ Delete that text so the kids don’t see it. ”
Fuck. Nine thirty. I sat back, dejected, staring at baggage claim. We had an hour drive home. If we stopped, even making it fast, we wouldn’t be home before eleven thirty. We had to get the kids ready, dress ourselves, make final adjustments to the house, the yard, and help in whatever Scott had going on. We didn’t have time.
My frustration turned to disappointment.
“ What do you say? ” Dash asked.
I chewed over my reply. The guilt of reality made my fingers type disappointing words. “ I don’t think we can. I promised to help and Scott’s already pissed off at the day. Had the flight arrived… ”
Dash didn’t say another word. Not even to get me to break my promise to Scott. I waited until nine thirty before my boredom got the best of me, and I went inside to wait for him in baggage claim. It still took another half hour.
Later that evening, amidst the humming and laughter of activity in our backyard, I couldn’t help but think we might as well turn the place into a wedding venue with all the events we hosted. Maybe then Dash wouldn’t have to take another grueling case that left its mark—a semi-permanent frown etching itself across his face most of the time.
My phone buzzed, and the candid video made me pause. Dash real-time video called, showing himself in the center of a packed dance floor, our children clinging to his legs like monkeys. They were relentless, challenging him to move with their weight hanging on to him. They sent him toppling onto his ass in a heap of laughter and shrieks, and the joy in their faces was something I wanted to bottle up and save forever.
I found them on the dance floor. Dash, with his seemingly limitless energy, wore a grin that lit him up in a way I hadn’t seen in a while. I snapped a few pictures, capturing the moment while the ache of his absence in my chest softened into something warmer. I wanted to be with them, in the innocence of it all, piling on and laughing like the world beyond our backyard didn’t exist.
“Everyone, gather to the front porch and driveway,” Lauren’s voice crackled through Amelia’s prized microphone, pulling me from my overthinking. “Scott’s outside, guiding people where to stand.”
The kids shot to their feet. Their wedding energy was boundless. They started to bolt toward Scott’s house like it was their second home, which honestly, it was.
“Hold up,” Dash called. His hands landed on the back of Fisher’s shirt and Mia’s arm. “We’ll go together. It’s dark and I don’t want you getting hurt because people can’t see you.” His protective tone was both gentle and firm, the kind of authority that made me admire him all over again.
I went toward the gate, closer there than they were, and began to wrangle my six together, knowing they’d get distracted with a half-dozen other fun things along the way.
“Stay close,” I told them, grabbing their attention with a new objective. “We need to take our birdseed pouches. Remember what I showed you—throw the birdseed high in the air when Daisy Mae walks past. Aim for height and distance, not each other.”
Lauren had a small table strategically placed at the fence gate which was neatly arranged with ribboned pouches. Mia’s face lit up at the sight—tonight’s romance was something she was soaking in wholeheartedly. She shot me a grin, one that warmed my heart, and grabbed a sack. Her other hand wiggled into mine.
We searched for an empty place along the driveway. “You’re a great paw for teaching them how to throw the birdseed properly.” Dash’s chin brushed against my shoulder as his arm circled my waist, drawing us to a spot a few feet from the festively decorated getaway car.
I leaned into his simple touch, savoring his warmth and unwavering inner strength. “I didn’t want them blinding someone by chucking the stuff like a baseball. West, by the way, is determined to play T-ball. Starts in a few weeks.”
Dash chuckled. His breath was soft against my ear. “What about the other two?”
“I’m steerin’ Fisher toward basketball. He’s got too much energy not to burn it off on the court.” Before he could answer, cheers erupted around us. Daisy Mae and her groom emerged from the house, quickening their steps as they descended the porch stairs, their heads ducking as birdseed showered over them in a messy, joyful fall.
“Throw now!” I reminded my crew, lifting my arm to demonstrate the motion again. Of course, their aim was chaotic, most of the birdseed ending up on themselves. I couldn’t help but smile, hoping at least one photographer captured the moment.
“Daisy Mae,” Mia’s voice rang out, cutting through the noise. Daisy Mae turned back, breaking protocol and beamed as she rushed toward the girls for one last hug. “You look so beautiful in your wedding dress,” Mia said, her awe shining through.
Their hugs were a tangle of arms and love. “I’m gonna miss you three,” Daisy admitted, her voice cracking as a tear slipped free.
“You don’t have to miss us,” Livie chimed in. “We have you on WhatsApp. We can talk every day.”
Daisy nodded, her smile bittersweet. “Then we’ll talk every day. Maybe you can even visit us.”
Ava’s eyes darted to Dash and me, her expression an unspoken question. I felt Dash nod subtly behind me, but deep down, we both knew the visit wouldn’t happen anytime soon.