47. Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Doug
I felt like shit the next morning, and it wasn’t from the whiskey. I’d slept like crap, and still didn’t know how to convince Beth to listen to me. I decided to call her after work, and if she answered, I’d beg her to talk to me. It wasn’t clever, but it was all I could think of.
I was finishing up a report when my cell phone screen lit up two seconds before the phone on my desk rang. The message on my phone said: It’s Chase.
I grabbed the phone and slammed it to my ear as I stood up. “Chase, are you okay?”
Please, God, let him be okay .
“Yes.” His voice sounded small, hesitant, over the line.
“Where are you?” I could hear voices in the background.
“I’m at school.”
I released the breath I’d been holding. Thank God .
“Can you come get me?”
Do I detect anger in his voice?
“Why do you need me to come get you? Is your mom okay?” If she isn’t, why am I the person he’s calling . My mind tripped over itself trying to figure out why he was asking me for help when he’d talked to Meg first.
“My mommy is sad and it’s your fault. I want to talk to you.”
Well doesn’t that just fucking suck? I already felt like Beth had shoved a knife into my heart, and now I had to go talk to Chase and let him twist the blade.
Because no way in hell would I say no to him. Nor would I hide from the truth.
I just have to be careful how I say it .
“Alright, I’ll come. But we have to stay there, okay?” I didn’t think Shawna or Angela would let me take Chase without Beth’s permission.
Nor should they .
“Are you coming now?” His voice kept wavering between scared and mad.
“I’ll leave as soon as we hang up.”
“Okay. Bye.” The phone went dead.
I grabbed my cell and keys off my desk. When I got to the lobby, I waved my cell as I called over my shoulder, “Call if you need me.” She’d transferred the call, so she knew I was going to see Chase. Did he tell her why ? I’d find out later, but right now I had to face the music.
“Will do.” Meg’s reply reached me as I walked out the door.
Halfway to the daycare guilt washed over me for not telling Meg where I was going. I didn’t want her thinking something was wrong, given I’d run out of the office a few minutes after she transferred Chase’s call.
I dialed the office.
“Sheppard and Sons-”
“Hey Meg, it’s Doug. Chase is okay but he wants to talk to me so I’m going to the daycare.”
“I know. He told me, but thanks for letting me know.” I could hear the humor in her voice. What did he tell her? No one at SSI knew Beth dumped me last night.
And if I have it my way, we’ll be back together before they know it even happened.
The kids were playing in the yard when I parked. I saw Angela as I crossed the street. Before talking to Chase, I introduced myself and handed her a business card. We’d met before but that was the day Chase had gone missing and it was possible she didn’t recognize me.
Chase stood up and crossed his arms over his chest when I first got there but hadn’t moved any closer. He just stood there, staring at me. Am I really intimidated by a five-year-old? I was, because he was going to give me hell for hurting his mom, and I deserved it.
I told her Chase wanted to talk to me and asked if it was okay as long as we stayed close by and visible. Angela and Shawna were being extra cautious, and I didn’t want to give them cause to worry.
Angela nodded and called Chase over.
“Mr. Doug.” He put his hands on his hips and squared his shoulders.
“Chase.” I stuck out my hand and waited for him to take it. “Let’s go sit over there,” I pointed to a patch of grass away from everyone else, “so you can tell me what you want to talk to me about.”
As soon as we sat, he asked, “Why’d you make my mommy cry.”
“I didn’t mean to...” I wasn’t sure what to say next, but it didn’t matter, Chase had another question.
“Don’t you like us anymore?”
I took a deep breath, then another. Navigating this conversation felt like walking through a minefield.
“I do like you. A lot.”
“Then why can’t you be friends with us anymore?”
That was what she’d told him? I could work with that.
“She, I, we,” crap, maybe I couldn’t, “Chase, it’s complicated.”
“Nuh uh.”
Not helpful kid.
“If my mommy likes you and you like my mommy then why can’t we be friends?”
I’d bitten off more than I could chew. Maybe I shouldn’t have come.
Don’t be stupid, Sharpe. This is perfect.
“I really like your mommy. And you. I want to be friends again. Will you help me fix my mistake?”
I’m taking a huge risk by asking Chase to help.
This plan would either be a rousing success and we’d get back together, or it’d crash and burn, and I’d have to leave town.
Chase’s demeanor changed from worried and sad, to cheerful as he jumped up. “Yes.”
I had to think fast to come up with a plan on the spot or lose Chase’s attention. And it had to be something we could do right away, preferably tonight.
“Chase, do you like ice cream?” I asked with a mischievous grin.
“Duh.”
I would have thought five was too young for eye rolling.
“Do you think you can convince your mom to take you out for ice cream after school?”
“What if she says no?”
He had a point, today was her first day back to work since the kidnapping, and more stressfully, Chase’s first day back at daycare.
“Tell her you think it’ll cheer her up.” It might work, today would be stressful and she wouldn’t want to say no to him.
“It’ll cheer me up.” He sounded gleeful at the idea of getting more ice cream.
“Ice cream cheers everyone up.” We agreed he’d ask to go to his favorite ice cream shop right after school, and I’d meet them there.
“Chase?” I pulled him close, so he was standing between my legs, and we were eye to eye. “Can you keep this a secret? I want to surprise your mommy.”
“I can, Mr. Doug.” He crossed his heart.
“Good boy.” I ruffled his hair which made him squirm away.
“I’m a little man.” He put his hands on his hips and tried to make himself taller.
“Yeah, you are. Come here.” The tension in my shoulders relaxed for the first time in days as I pulled him into a hug.
I looked at my watch, two-eleven. Beth would be here to pick up Chase in fifty minutes. I had to hurry. I walked a much happier Chase back to the group before talking to Angela.
“We want to surprise Beth. Please don’t mention I was here,” I said.
Thankfully, she agreed without hesitation.
I waved goodbye to Chase. Please God, don’t let this backfire . If it did, Chase would be devastated.
So will I .
I jogged across the street to my truck and drove directly to the florists where I picked out the biggest bouquet of red roses they had. I asked the florist to wrap it in a ribbon and skipped the card. My plan was to tell her how I felt, not slip her a note.
#
I got to the ice cream shop ten minutes before I expected Beth and Chase to arrive.
Hoping to see them before they walked in, I chose a booth allowing me a view of the door and the big picture windows facing the sidewalk.
Every second I waited felt like an hour in hell. I second-guessed every detail of the plan. Was it wrong to ambush her like this? Was I a bad person for getting Chase involved? Would Chase tell her I’d be here? Would she be so pissed she wouldn’t listen to me?
Fifteen minutes of self-inflicted torture ticked by before I saw Chase dragging Beth to the door. She looks tired .
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
Too late now. She’d seen me and was shaking her head back and forth in disbelief.
I stood up, holding the flowers by my hip. The huge bouquet made a statement, but it wasn’t the only statement being made today.
“Look Mommy, it’s Mr. Doug.” Chase’s high-pitched voice drew a lot of attention.
“I can see that.” She sounded exasperated, but not mad.
I took it as a good sign. Her eyes shifted to the bouquet—my version of a grand public gesture.
“I’m sorry to surprise you like this, but I need to talk to you and was afraid you wouldn’t take my calls.”
I saw the moment she realized Chase and I had planned this. Her expression turned dark.
Not a good sign. Shit! Then corrected it to crap because I’d gotten used to correcting myself when Chase was around.
“Doug, this isn’t a good idea. I told you I-” Her voice was flat, and I could tell she was barely holding it together.
I held up my flower-free hand as I cut her off. “Will you please give-”
“What’s the point? I can’t give you the kids you want.”
God, give me strength .
“I’m sterile!” My voice was high pitch, and in my frustration a lot louder than I’d intended.
So much for not making big declarations in publi c.
You could’ve heard a pin drop in the ice cream shop.
Beth’s jaw fell open, her eyes widened to saucers.
“I tried to tell you Sunday, but we got interrupted.”
“You’re…” her voice trailed off.
“I am. I’ve always wanted kids, but I can’t father them. I know it makes me less of a man-”
“No, it doesn’t.” She took a step towards me. “I’m sorry I wouldn’t listen to you.”
“I forgive you.” I took a small step forward.
In for a dime, in for a dollar. I held out the flowers and said, “Beth, I love you. I love Chase. If you'll give me a chance, I know I can be a good husband to you and a father to your little boy.”