by Robyn Carr
“I just wonder if you really tried,” she said.
“No matter what your father says, you do not do this to a person you care about,” Lauren said.
“I don’t know what to do,” Lacey said. “I don’t know what to think...”
“Maybe it’ll come to you,” Lauren said. “I thought, after our many long talks, after the discussions we had, you would know exactly what is okay and what is not okay. But take your time, Lacey.”
The doorbell chimed and Lauren noticed that Lacey still held the cell phone in her grip. Lauren reached for it and clicked on the icon that would show her who was at the door. “Oh dear God,” she said, heading for the door. “Father Tim! Um... Please, come in.”
“I had some time and happened to be in this part of town,” he said. He had a package. “Is ice cream the medicine of the day?”
Lacey was standing. “Is this the boyfriend?” she asked icily.
“Not hardly. I’m a Catholic priest. We’re not allowed to have girlfriends,” Tim said. And he smiled. “If you’re busy...”
“It’s all right. Lacey was getting ready to leave. Lacey, meet Father Tim from Divine Redeemer. I called him. He’s a counselor as well as a priest.”
“You don’t go to that church, do you?” Lacey asked.
“I’ve been known to stop in,” Lauren said. “I asked the Father to call me when he had time for a chat.”
“I had a couple of appointments cancel and although you were willing to come to Divine Redeemer, I didn’t think you’d feel like going out yet. But I can come back another time. I’m a little impulsive. I should have called to say I was coming.”
“I’ll just leave you two,” Lacey said. “Mom, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yes, please,” Lauren said. She reached for her daughter and they hugged very carefully. Lauren patted her daughter’s pretty brown hair. “I love you.”
When Lacey had gone, Lauren turned away from the door and looked at the priest standing in her living room.
“I’m so sorry,” Tim said. “That was awkward.”
“A bit, but when you said you could see me at my house, that came as such a relief. I don’t want to wander around the church office looking like a prize fighter. The loser, at that,” she added. “Can I take that?” she asked, reaching for the grocery bag in his hands.
“Sure, yes. Put it in the freezer. It’ll come in handy as something to eat or press on your lip.” She took it to the kitchen and turning back, she invited him to have a seat. “After you,” Father Tim said.
She sat in the corner of her sofa and he took the chair diagonally from her. “You didn’t even wince,” Lauren said.
“I actually did get training,” he said. “I’m a licensed counselor. But listen, if you’re not feeling up to a chat today, I’m very flexible. And I can find things to do and come back at a better time.”
“I’d like you to stay,” she said. “It might not really qualify as a session. I’m still a little rattled. And my daughter... She rattles me more.”
“We’ll just get to know each other a little bit,” he said. “You could start by telling me why you called me.”
“I was raised Catholic, but we weren’t exactly devout. And when my husband’s mother wanted us married in the Lutheran church, I didn’t argue. Maybe there’s something from my childhood... But as I recall, my mother didn’t put much stock in... Oh hell, I don’t know. You seemed nice. Beau’s nice and you’re friends.”
“Not a terrible recommendation,” he said with a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Do you promise not to scowl at me?”
“I can manage that,” he said.
“I feel vindicated,” she said. “My husband can be the cruelest man but I always felt that no one believed me. And it was the funniest thing, the ER doc said he’d never liked him and that was so wonderful to hear. And a woman I know who I always assumed thought he was wonderful...it turns out she’s been onto him for years. I’ve spent twenty-four years thinking everyone loved him but my mother and sister.”
“They didn’t?” Tim asked.
“You can’t fool the people you spend holidays with. They saw him, heard him. He was always so superior, with his cutting remarks, his insults. But he’s never done anything like this before.”
“Is this worse than the emotional and psychological abuse?” he asked.
“Not at all, but it’s more convincing.” She looked down. “He accused me of having an affair. I never had an affair.”
“Did you go to counseling with your husband?”
“Several times—it never helped. But I also went by myself, on the sly. He didn’t want me to go alone. He said if I needed to talk about the marriage, he was entitled to be with me. Listen, I have a concern. Are you going to tell Beau about this? I know he’s your close friend, and in fact that’s one of the reasons I thought talking to you—”
He was shaking his head. “Beau won’t know unless you tell him.”
“But I’m not a parishioner,” she said.
“Lauren, I’m doing my job and it’s all confidential.”
“What if he drops by and finds you here?”
“I spoke to you and took the liberty of bringing you ice cream. Beau is very smart but he won’t question my word. By the way, why did my friendship with Beau prompt you to call me?”
“I have an important question that I think only you can answer. I believe you’ll tell me the truth. Am I right to trust Beau?”
He looked surprised for a brief moment. He took a second to consider his answer. “I think Beau is one of the finest men I know and I trust him completely, but I’m a bit biased. He has been a good friend for a long time.”
“I thought so.”
“That doesn’t mean I would recommend you get involved,” he said. “You have some more immediate concerns, I would think.”
She got up and went to her purse, pulling out cards. “I have these,” she said, passing them to him. “All given to me by the best ER doc I’ve ever seen. He was kind and gentle and concerned. Cards for victims’ support groups, shelters for victims, counseling for victims, housing assistance, the domestic violence police unit to help me get a restraining order, although my lawyer is taking care of that. I even have the doctor’s card—he’s willing to meet me in the ER for the removal of stitches so I don’t have to see any doctor associated with Brad. But...but I don’t know these people. I’m sure they’re great, but I don’t know them and have no point of reference. I met you. You’ve known Beau since you were about ten. And I haven’t known Beau that long, but I think he’s a good man. There’s no question about it. He couldn’t have a thirty-five-year friendship with you if he wasn’t good.”
“Sometimes he’s a pain in the ass,” Tim said.
She was momentarily shocked, but she smiled crookedly. “Are priests allowed to talk like that?”
“I’ll say ten Hail Marys. Actually, it’s a trick. If I use a little harmless profanity, you’ll let your guard down somewhat and feel less like you’ll be judged for what you say. And by the way, you can’t trust a person just by the collar.”
“I don’t, and I know that. I trust Beau. If he’s fooling me, he’s way better at it than Brad was.”
“For what it’s worth, Beau is good down to his bones. He should probably be the priest and I should be a farmer.”
“He’s more than a farmer...”
“Still... I have a question for you. Did you have a good rapport with that counselor you saw on the sly?”
“Excellent, really. Why?”
“You should probably see her again. I’d be happy to talk to you anytime, I’d be honored to be your friend, I’d be pleased to be your priest, but I have a conflict. You have a conflict. We have Beau in common and now he has us in common. I just want you to have the most objective counselor
you can find.”
She smiled her pitiful lopsided smile. “I plan to. Being afraid my instincts are rusty or just plain off, I wanted your endorsement of Beau. Because liking him and trusting him during this chaos is risky for me. Yet, I can’t help it.”
He transferred himself to the sofa beside her and touched her hand. “Beau would never intentionally hurt you,” he said. “And I suspect you wouldn’t knowingly hurt him. Just the same, do be careful. You are both on shaky ground, I think.”
* * *
Beau was pressing hamburger into patties when Drew came home from his job. Since it was summer landscaping, the guys started at sunup and quit in early afternoon. Beau knew he’d be starving, though it was early for dinner.
“Hey,” Drew said. “You work at home today?”
“For a couple of hours this afternoon. I ran some errands and stopped by the office to check appointments and get messages.”
Drew eyed the salad and hamburger. “We having company?”
“Just me and you.” Beau made a face. “You wanna get a shower before you touch my food?”
“Sure. Is something wrong?”
“No, but I want to talk to you. Over burgers. When you don’t smell like sod, manure and other outdoorsy things.”
“Stay tuned,” Drew said with a big smile. He ran up the stairs to his bedroom and bathroom. Beau started the grill and within ten minutes, Drew was back, looking damp but clean. He was such a handsome kid. Always happy. Beau hoped he wasn’t about to disappoint him.
“What’s up?” Drew asked.
“I just wanted to tell you about my friend who was injured. She’s a woman named Lauren. I met her several months ago. In a garden,” he said.
“Of course,” Drew said with a laugh.
“We’re not dating or anything. Remember that fund-raiser for the scholarships? She was also there. I ran into her three or four times over the past few months, then I bumped into her at Stohl’s Market and learned she lives in the neighborhood. She was buying wine, cheese and fruit and she invited me for a glass of wine. She lives a few blocks from here. Nice lady.”
“And you’re getting ready for dating now?” Drew asked.
“No. Well, I hadn’t been. Running into her was a surprise. Then I drove by her house and saw it was surrounded by emergency vehicles.”
“Right,” Drew said. “Accident?”
“Actually, no. She was assaulted. Beat up. By her husband.”
Drew whistled. “She’s married?”
“About as married as I am,” Beau said. “She’s separated, pending divorce. I didn’t know her husband was violent. He’s a doctor, for God’s sake. And apparently she never expected an attack like that. I followed the ambulance to the ER and then drove her home. I stayed in case she needed something. Later, after we eat, I’m going to text her and see how she’s doing. I’m going to offer to sleep on her couch just in case she’s scared. I guess he could come back.”
“Yeah? You could let her come here.”
“I thought of that, but I’m sure she’d turn down the offer. She might be embarrassed. She’s got a big black eye and a fat lip.”
Drew looked shocked and disgusted. “Who would do that?”
“We should have a talk.”
“You gonna tell me not to hit women?” Drew asked sarcastically.
“I believe we’ve had that talk already,” Beau said. “Here’s what I want to explain. Things are probably going to change for me. I’m not going back to the way things were, Drew. I’m not going to patch things up with your mom. As soon as this divorce is settled, I’m going to be a single father with two grown sons. Even though you don’t need me like you did when you were younger, you can always count on me. But things are bound to change. Our property, for one thing. I might be forced to give up the house in the divorce, but don’t worry—I’ll find another house. Anywhere I live will have room for you and your brother.”
“Oh, that should go over well...”
“There are always options. If you don’t want to have to choose who you’re going to live with, you can always opt for your own place closer to the campus and if you do, I’ll be able to help with the expenses. I know you’re not made of money. But having that option should take some pressure off because I know you don’t want to get your mother riled up. Anything can be worked out, Drew. I just want it to be clear—there is going to be a divorce.”
Drew shrugged.
“You might have to interpret that gesture for me,” Beau said.
“I figured,” he said. “You said so before.”
“Drew, I’m moving on. My marriage to your mom is ending. We don’t love each other.”
“Just so you know, she says she still loves you.”
“I know she says that, just like she has before. I don’t believe it. A woman who loves her husband doesn’t leave him repeatedly. And I don’t have one more try in me. So let’s do this—let’s make sure we’re communicating. If you have any stress or worries about this situation, talk to me. No matter what’s been going on with me and your mom, we’re the same, me and you. We’re not breaking up. At least, I don’t want that.”
“So...we’re going to be a couple of bachelors?”
“Looks that way,” Beau said.
“And you’ll be dating, I guess?”
He sighed. “A couple of months ago I would have said, no way. After a failed marriage, another relationship seems pretty risky.”
“Then you met her...”
“I like her,” Beau said. “That doesn’t mean anything. She’s got some pretty big issues of her own. I’m telling you the truth—we’ve only seen each other a few times and had a few conversations. I have no way of knowing if we’ll ever be better friends. But meeting a nice woman made me realize that maybe I don’t have to be a lonely old bachelor for the rest of my life. For right now, let’s just say I’m open to the idea. But I’m in no hurry.”
“You going to ask me not to tell Mom?”
“When have I ever asked you to censor anything you say to your mom?”
“I wasn’t going to tell her anything,” he said with his infectious grin. “Just wanted to know what you’d say. And I won’t be throwing any parties here while you’re out running wild, either.”
Beau just shook his head. “Much appreciated,” he said.
* * *
The door chime rang through Lauren’s phone and she gasped as her heart began to pound. It wasn’t yet five, Beau had already dropped off a few soft grocery items for her, Father Tim had come and gone... Was this horrible fear going to happen every time someone came to the door? She had always dreaded Brad’s dark moods and abusive nature but she hadn’t had fear before. She was terrified of being beaten again. Once might have left her feeling vindicated but twice could break her.
She looked at the camera image on her phone.
Cassie!
She flew to the door and opened it. Cassie stared at her with wide, horrified eyes that quickly filled with tears. “Oh Mama!”
CHAPTER NINE
“My God, what are you doing here?” Lauren asked her daughter. Lauren enfolded her in loving arms and let Cassie weep against her shoulder. “Come inside, darling. We’re making a scene on this nice quiet street.” She laughed in spite of herself. “I’m sure my neighbors expect nothing less, after this week.”
Cassie pulled herself out of her mother’s arms and reached behind her for her bag, pulling it inside. “Oh Mama, Daddy did this to you?”
“I wish it weren’t so,” Lauren said.
“How badly are you hurt?” she said, reaching out trembling fingers to touch Lauren’s tender cheek.
“Possibly a mild concussion,” she said. “But no brain damage. My teeth feel loose. Lots of anger on my part. But why are you here? I left you a message this morning, but didn’t hear from you
!”
“I didn’t get your message because I was flying. But I heard from Lacey. Good thing I don’t trust her a bit. She told me you and Dad got into a physical altercation and you had a black eye but there was some doubt about whether it was really Dad. She said you have a boyfriend?”
“No, there is no boyfriend,” she said, shaking her head. “I have a neighbor who has become a friend since I moved in. He’s helped me—done a few handyman things for me. Your father made some assumptions about him when he saw us on the sidewalk together. In broad daylight, not touching. And this was his response.”
“What is the matter with him?” Cassie said, crying again. “And what is the matter with Lacey?”
“If Lacey didn’t tell you how bad it was, why did you come?” Lauren asked.
“Lacey said Dad went to jail over this.”
Lauren nodded. “Yes. Because I called for help...”
“I’m so glad you did,” she said, grabbing Lauren’s hand. “I got a call from Lacey early this morning. I wanted to talk to you, but didn’t want to call in case you were trying to rest. I knew you’d try to downplay everything, say you were fine... And Jeremy told me to just go. I have this week before orientation and classes. I caught the first flight out that had room for me this morning. That would have been 6:00 a.m. your time. I would have called you sooner but I had to change planes.”
“But how did you afford it? I haven’t been able to send you anything!”
She smiled a bit tremulously. “I have a credit card. I guess we’re going to become very good friends, me and Ms. VISA. Tell me, Mama. Everything.”
“Oh Cassie... I didn’t want this to be your divorce. I hoped that in spite of everything, we could one day be civil, be co-grandparents.”
Cassidy reached into her small purse and pulled out a compact, flipping it open. She held the mirror up to Lauren’s face. “I think it’s too late for you to protect me from the ugly side of this. We have plenty of time. I’m all grown up and I want to know the truth.”
Lauren made them tea and while the water boiled, she responded to Beau’s text offering to stay with her and explained that Cassie had shown up for a surprise visit, so she would have company for the night and the next few days. Then she and Cassie began what would be a long conversation.
