Widow's Undoing

by L. Wilder

  “Absolutely!”

  “I’d just end up with an even more screwed-up ego. A guy like him could have any woman he wants. There’s no way he’d waste his time on someone like me.”

  “Oh really?” She crossed her arms with a condescending look. “Then why was he out in our parking lot today?”

  “He was just making sure I’d gotten the tire fixed.”

  “Um-hmm. And you think that’s the only reason he was here? Really?”

  “Don’t make something out of nothing, Syd. He was just being nice.”

  She shook her head, “A man like him doesn’t do nice, Sis.”

  “Well, he’s being nice to me. He’s even coming over tonight to fix the tire.”

  “He’s what?” Sydney gasped.

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Oh, it most certainly is!”

  “No, Sydney.”

  “Yes!” She stepped over to me and smiled. “Look, I’m not telling you to get involved with the guy. I’m saying a little hookup might do you good. You know, dust the cobwebs off and all that.”

  “It’s not been that long,” I lied.

  “You haven’t had sex with anyone since Marc, and that was years ago. So, yeah.” She motioned her hand below my waist. “You’ve definitely got a cobweb situation happening there.”

  “You are such an ass.”

  “Yeah, but you love me.” Sydney winked, then turned back to the counter. “I’ll leave you alone about it, but only after I say one last thing.”

  “What?”

  “The man is all kinds of fine.”

  “You are a mess.” I shooed my hand at her as I said, “Get back to work. The lunch rush will start soon.”

  “You got it, Boss.”

  With the intention of getting some work done, I took my inventory log to my office and sat down. Unfortunately, the second I opened my logbook, my mind drifted to my sister and what she’d said about Widow. She was right about the fact I hadn’t had sex with anyone since Marc. It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted to. I just hadn’t had the opportunity. I’ve been too busy—first with piecing my life back together and then getting the shop off the ground, and now, dealing with the boys. That didn’t mean I was ready to jump in the sack with Widow—but I was definitely intrigued by the thought. So much so, I got on my computer and started looking for a new bra and panty set, but it didn’t take me long to chicken out and close my laptop. In my mind, that was a sign that I needed to put Widow and my sister’s suggestion out of my head.

  I turned my attention back to work and tried my best to not think about the fact that Widow was going to be at my house at five to fix my tire. I also tried not to think about the fact that after he fixed the tire, I’d never see him again—like for real this time. Once that tire was fixed, there would be no reason for us to cross paths again, which I finally managed to convince myself was for the best. With my mind set on keeping things completely platonic with Widow, I finished up my day at work, dropped Sean off at basketball practice, and headed home. As usual, when I got to the house, Corry was in his bedroom and the door was closed. There was a mess in the kitchen, and even more dirty clothes in the laundry room. I had a few minutes before Widow was supposed to arrive, so I started a load of clothes and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. I was just finishing wiping down the counters when I heard someone knocking.

  As I started towards the door, I wished I’d taken a little time to spruce up a bit. I quickly adjusted my blouse, and when I opened the door, I found Widow standing on the bottom step. He was wearing his leather jacket with a white t-shirt underneath and tattered jeans. His hair was a little disheveled, making me wish I could run my fingers through it. I inhaled a deep breath, doing my best to shake the feeling, then smiled and said, “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “Let me grab my keys.” I stepped over to the dining room table and slipped my hand into my purse. Once I had my keys, I carried them back over to the front door and down the steps. As I offered them to Widow, I asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No. I’ve got it.” He reached over and his hand brushed against mine as he took the keys. It was just a simple touch, but it felt like something more—much more. Widow’s eyes were locked on mine as he told me, “I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

  “Okay.”

  Before I had a chance to turn and go back inside, Corry came rushing up behind me. He tried to play it cool as he said, “Oh, hey, Widow. I didn’t know you were coming today.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it.” Widow looked up at me with a sexy smirk. “Just came by to give your mom a hand with that flat tire.”

  “Oh, so you’re gonna fix it?”

  “Gonna try.”

  “Cool.” There was no missing the hopeful sound in his voice as he asked, “Can I help?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I watched my normally sullen teenage son rush over to Widow with a smile on his face. I couldn’t believe it. The child had not only offered to help with something, but he was also actually smiling about it. I stood on the front steps and watched as Corry followed Widow over to my car. As he opened the trunk, Widow looked down at Corry and then over to me. It was only for a moment, and he didn’t smile or whisper a word, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he understood it was a big deal that Corry had come out there with him. Without any further delay, he and Corry took the tire out of the trunk and carried it over to the tailgate of Widow’s truck and set to work.

  When Widow pulled out his air compressor, I figured it was time for me to go in and start on the laundry. As I started putting the dirty clothes in the washing machine, I couldn’t stop thinking about the happy expression I’d seen on Corry’s face. There was a time when he smiled all the time, but lately, he just hadn’t seemed like himself. I hoped the medication the counselor had prescribed would help, but I wasn’t sure it would be enough. The thought had me going over to the window to see if everything was still going well with Corry and Widow. To my relief, Corry was still smiling and talking a mile a minute. Seeing my son look so happy warmed my heart. And I have to say, it had me feeling a little drawn to Widow. He’d given my son something to smile about, and it meant the world to me.

  Before I even realized what I was doing, I found myself in the garage, listening in on Corry and Widow’s conversation. I felt a little guilty about eavesdropping on them and was about to go back inside when I heard Corry say, “He’s always on my ass about something. It’s like I can’t do anything right.”

  “Been there, brother. It can be tough.”

  “Yeah, it can. It’s like he expects me to fuck up.” It broke my heart to hear the anguish in my son’s voice as he told Widow, “I’m just so tired of it. I don’t even wanna try anymore. It’s like...what’s the point? He’s gonna be on my ass no matter what I do.”

  “The point is you’ve got a life to live.” Widow was being so patient and understanding. Again, something unexpected from a man like him. It truly goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover. “You give up now and it’s not gonna be much of one.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Corry leaned forward and watched as Widow picked up a water bottle and sprayed the tire with water. “But it’s hard. I really hate him. I hate him so much.”

  “You’re holding on to a lot there, bud.”

  “Yeah, well...wouldn’t you hate someone who kept threatening to kill your mom?”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. Dad was pissed that Mom left him. He accused her of all kinds of crap like cheating and being a money whore, but he was the reason she left. He was always yelling and bitchin’, and sometimes things got way out of hand. It was bullshit. Then, when she finally left, he blamed her and threatened to kill her.” Clearly moved by what he was hearing, Widow stopped working on the tire and just listened as Corry said, “I was with her the last time he threatened her. He was pissed about something and blew up on her. Grabbed her, slammed her against t
he side of the car, and said he still hadn’t decided when he was gonna kill her.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yeah, it was pretty bad. I don’t think she would’ve even pressed charges if I hadn’t pushed her to do it, but she did and we ended up going to court. When they got divorced the judge gave Dad six months of anger management. He thought that would make things better, but it didn’t...He’s still an asshole.”

  “I hate it, but some folks just never change.”

  “Yeah, he didn’t change at all. He still does whatever he can to hurt her.”

  My heart ached as I listened to Corry divulge one of our darkest secrets. Neither of us spoke about that particular day. I thought he’d put it behind him, but clearly, he hadn’t. Widow looked over to Corry with a clenched jaw, making it clear to me he was angered by what he’d heard. I couldn’t blame him. I got angry any time I thought about the things Marc had done. After several moments, Widow asked, “He ever do any shit like that to you or your brother?”

  “He was always yelling about something, but he only punched me once.” I could hear the anguish in my son’s voice as he said, “Mom left him as soon as she heard what had happened.”

  “Smart lady.”

  “Would’ve been smarter to leave him sooner.” Corry shook his head, “I don’t get why she ever married him in the first place.”

  “I’m sure she had her reasons.”

  “Yeah, stupid ones.” Widow didn’t respond, but I could tell by his smirk, he was amused by Corry’s rebuttal. I couldn’t believe how sweet Widow was being to Corry. It was like the two had known each other for a lifetime. Widow’s smile quickly faded when Corry replied, “Mom could’ve done way better than him.”

  “Maybe, but then she wouldn’t have you. And something tells me she kinda likes having you around.”

  “I don’t know. I can be kind of a jerk sometimes.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard, but don’t feel too bad about it. All teenage boys are assholes. You’re still trying to figure things out,” Widow explained. “You’re gonna win some and lose some. You’re gonna make mistakes. It’s up to you to learn something from those mistakes. That’s what becoming a man is all about.”

  Widow’s words couldn’t have been more perfect. He’d been able to put things into perspective not only for Corry but for me as well, and it meant more to me than he could ever know. Widow took the tire from the back of his truck and carried it over to my car. He showed Corry where to place the jack, then showed him how to use it. When they started to remove the lug nuts, I decided it was time for me to come out of hiding, and I went over to join them. As soon as Corry spotted me, he stood and asked, “Did you know you can use soapy water to find a hole in a tire?”

  “No. I’ve never heard of that.”

  “It’s so cool. You just spray soapy water on the tire, and when you see bubbles, you know you’ve found the leak. Isn’t that awesome?”

  “Yeah, that’s very awesome.”

  “I know how to use the jack now and can take off and put on the lug nuts.” There was no missing the pride in my son’s eyes as he told me, “So, the next time you have a flat, I can fix it!”

  “That’s great, but let’s hope there’s not a next time.”

  I looked down at Widow and watched as he finished off the last lug nut, then lowered the jack. Once he had everything set, he picked up the spare and carried it over to my trunk. As he slipped it into place, he looked over to me and said, “Really need to get a better spare.”

  “I’ll get one soon.”

  “Um-hmm.”

  “I will.” I smiled as I told him, “I really have been swamped this week, but I’ll get around to it.”

  “Okay.” He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a card. His dark eyes locked on mine as he offered it to me. “Here’s my number in case you run into any trouble with it.”

  I took the card in my hand and glanced down at it for a moment. I knew Sydney would think it was a sign he wanted me to call him, but since he’d gotten to the house, he’d barely even spoken to me. I figured he was just being nice, so I simply smiled and said, “Thanks, Widow. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” He closed the trunk, then turned to face Corry. “Thanks for giving me a hand, man.”

  “Anytime..”

  I wanted to rush over to Widow, hug him, and tell him how much I appreciated him not only fixing my tire but for also being so good to Corry. Sadly, I didn’t get the chance. Widow gave Corry a quick nod, then quickly turned and started towards his truck. “You two try and stay out of trouble.”

  “We’ll do our best.”

  Corry and I watched as he got in his truck and pulled out of the driveway. As he started down the road, Corry looked up at me and said, “Widow’s so cool.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yeah, I wish Dad was more like him.”

  Without giving me a chance to respond, he turned and raced inside. Too stunned to move, I simply stood there, thinking about the conversation I’d overheard between him and Widow. It was brief, but it had clearly made quite an impression on Corry. And if I was being completely honest, their brief exchange had made quite an impression on me as well. I was still standing there going over everything in my head when Corry stuck his head out of the door and shouted, “Hey, Mom! Sean called and said practice was cut short. He needs you to come get him.”

  “Okay. I’m coming.”

  I rushed inside and grabbed my purse, then raced to the school to pick up Sean. When we got back home, I rushed to get dinner ready, and as soon as we ate, I took a hot bath and called it a night. As I lay there in the dark, I found myself thinking about Widow and the conversation he’d had with Corry. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized how calm Widow had been. He didn’t freak out or act horrified by what he’d heard. Instead, he seemed completely understanding, which made me wonder if Widow had been through a similar experience with someone in his own life. It was a question I figured I’d never get the answer to because I had no plans to ever see Widow again, but I drifted off to sleep with him still on my mind.

  When I got home from work the following day, there was a tire propped up against my garage. I got out of my car to check it out and was surprised to find a note attached.

  Your new spare. Replace with the one in your trunk.

  Widow

  I couldn’t believe it. Once again, this complete stranger was looking out for me. I wasn’t sure how to react. While I found it endearing that he’d taken the time to do this for us, I couldn’t figure out why he’d done it. Regardless, I had to thank him for going out of his way to get me the new spare. I went inside and took his card out of my purse. I studied it a moment, then sent him a text:

  Me:

  Thank you for the spare. You really didn’t have to do that.

  Widow:

  Didn’t figure you’d get around to it.

  Me:

  It might’ve taken me a bit.

  Widow:

  By bit, you mean a couple of weeks?

  Me:

  More than likely.

  Widow:

  Figured so.

  Me:

  Do you make it a habit to go around helping damsels in distress?

  Widow:

  Not if I can help it.

  Me:

  Well, now I feel special.

  Widow:

  You should.

  I was smiling from ear to ear as I sat there messaging him back and forth. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt so giddy. Mainly because I didn’t do ‘giddy’. I was always too preoccupied with everything else to get the opportunity to feel anything anymore. I continued to smile as I typed:

  Me:

  Well, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to say thank you.

  Widow:

  No need. Nothing to it.

  Me:

  Have a good one!

  Widow:

  Right back at ya.

  After reading thr
ough our messages about a hundred times, I finally put my phone away and started making dinner. Over the next few days, it seemed like I was running a mile a minute. I’d barely had a chance to catch my breath, and it had taken its toll. Sydney hadn’t missed the fact that I’d had a long week and decided to surprise me with a little happy for the weekend. She stood in the doorway of my office with a bottle of wine in her hand and a smile. “I got ya something.”

  “I see that.”

  “I thought you could make yourself a hot bath and have a few glasses of wine tonight.” She walked over and placed the bottle on my desk. “Maybe watch one of those chick-flicks you like so much.”

  “You like them, too.”

  “Yeah, but unlike you, I like to live them more than watch them. Since you don’t feel the same, I guess a movie and this will have to do.”

  She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a box, placing it next to the bottle of wine. When I leaned closer to see what she’d given me, I gasped, “A vibrator! You got me a vibrator?”

  “Yes, a vibrator.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “You wouldn’t listen to me about calling the hot biker, so I figured this is the next best thing. It has three settings, and it...”

  “I can’t believe you did this!”

  “Well, believe it.” She crossed her arms and huffed. “I still don’t get why you refuse to call him. You might actually enjoy yourself.”

  “He’s a biker, Sydney.”

  “Yeah, a biker who came to your rescue twice! And not only that, he was sweet to your boys and even left a new spare for you at the house.” She shook her head. “You need to realize that when it comes to bad boys like Widow, deep down they’re actually really good. They just don’t know it.”

  “Maybe.”

  “You’ve gotta stop overthinking everything so much. It’s exhausting.” Before I could respond, she motioned her hand towards my gifts as she said, “Now, don’t go getting too carried away tonight. You have to be here bright and early to open.”