Show Me Something

by Aubrey Bondurant

  My eyes flicked from her to the officer. “I’m assuming it was from my deceased husband’s mother?”

  He gave a curt nod. “Yes, ma’am. She’s alleging that after the funeral she saw you shake your son hard.”

  I had to swallow the urge to shout out what a load of shit this was. “I can assure you that never happened. In truth, my son was half asleep by the time the service was over and we reached our car. My former mother-in-law followed me there in order to spew terrible things. I’m sorry you were called. She’s displeased that my son is getting his father’s inheritance. That’s what this is. Revenge. And I have witnesses to back up my story.”

  She didn’t look surprised. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

  “I’ll need the names of others who were there. And I apologize for the trouble if that is true. But unfortunately, we’ll need to see the child. Where is he now?”

  “With my mother and stepfather. I’ll call and tell them we need to come up.” This went against every fiber of my being. Instead, I wanted to take him and run. I tamped down on the urge, reminding myself I’d done nothing wrong. When I saw Mark come in from the front door in a suit and tie, I realized I hadn’t mentioned him.

  “My attorney friend has arrived. I called him immediately when I found out you were here.”

  Mark introduced himself, checked their identification, and had them recap the allegations. As I watched him in action, I was grateful for his presence.

  After calling my mother, we went up to their room for privacy.

  My baby immediately lit up upon seeing me and reached for me to pick him up. I did so, trying to fight the tears.

  Ms. Fields gave him a friendly smile. “Hi, honey. How are you?”

  “Great,” he said with a smile, hugging me close.

  “Can I see his arms?”

  I tensed but appreciated that she had a job to do. I put Tristan on his feet and knelt down. “Let’s take your shirt off, baby.”

  After helping with the shirt, I had to stand there with a mixture of rage and indignation while the woman from CPS inspected him. The police officer simply stood by the door without any expression on his face. He, too, was here with a job to do.

  I had to keep myself from screaming.

  Thankfully, Mark was the voice of reason. “As you can see, the child is in excellent health, with no bruising or hesitation towards his mother. These allegations are bogus. I’ve written down the names of the witnesses you can call in order to corroborate her story. Unfortunately, you have not only wasted your time, but you’ve also put more stress on Ms. Walker during an already difficult time.”

  Ms. Fields, obviously used to this type of thing, gave him a nod and took the slip of paper from him with the names. “The child does appear in excellent health Mr. Hines, but please understand that this is our job. The only thing left for us to do here is take some pictures showing that for the file. After that, I’ll follow up with the witnesses and hopefully close the case.”

  I gritted my teeth while she took several snaps of Tristan’s torso and then made more notes. Mark ensured she had my contact information and provided his, as well, in case she had need of a follow-up.

  I didn’t let out a breath until the door shut and they left us alone. Sitting on the bed, I cradled my head. My entire body was shaking with rage. “The money isn’t worth this.”

  Mark’s voice came quiet and steady. “That’s what they’re hoping you’ll say. If you’re okay with it, I’ll call your attorney Harvey and we’ll strategize. In the meantime, you should all go back to Charlotte.”

  I took a deep breath while thinking I couldn’t get out of here fast enough. “Good idea.”

  ***

  A couple hours after we arrived at my mother’s house in Charlotte, I was in her car driving downtown. Fury fueled my adrenaline. I was in no mood to sit around waiting. Mark had been considerate in offering to meet with my attorney for me, but I absolutely wanted to be a part of this meeting. This was my life, my son. I wasn’t okay with sitting at home waiting for others to come up with suggestions. I needed to be part of the decision-making; otherwise, I’d go crazy.

  When I arrived at the law office, the receptionist only lifted a brow at my presence. Perhaps she’d been warned I might show up. “Right this way, Ms. Walker. Mr. Hines arrived about fifteen minutes ago.”

  Smiling tightly, I murmured a “thank you” and followed her inside the conference room. I recalled the first day I’d come here. I’d been impressed with the beautiful marble floors, rich wood, and leather chairs—not to mention the view from the fourteenth floor. But today, I was all business.

  “Ah. Ms. Walker, I was just telling Mark here that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you decided to show up.”

  I glanced between both men and relaxed some. Apparently, I wouldn’t be considered an intrusion. Absurd, but I’d started to get worked up in the car about the possibility of being left out of a meeting of which I was the subject. “Yes, well, I want to be a part of any decision or strategy.”

  Mark blushed slightly. “I didn’t mean to exclude you.”

  I pulled out a seat and exhaled my residual agitation. “I know, and I appreciate you offering to be here, too. Okay, gentlemen, what are your thoughts?”

  Both exchanged an uneasy look, cuing a foreboding feeling.

  “What?”

  “Rob’s parents are challenging Tristan’s paternity. They are demanding a DNA test to prove he was their son’s child.”

  I should’ve expected it, but I hadn’t. I should’ve been prepared to reach a new level of rage, but I wasn’t. “I see.” The two words came out between clenched teeth.

  “We can fight it since Rob is on Tristan’s birth certificate and—”

  I held up my hand. “I have test results.”

  Both men were caught off guard.

  I had to steel myself against the shame ready to descend upon me. “Rob. He, uh, he wanted proof when we first separated. He was trying to get out of paying child support and, in the process, took a swipe at me by claiming Tristan might not be his.”

  Harvey cleared his throat. “Well, that makes things simpler, then.”

  Yes, I suppose it should. And yet I felt my humiliation on display. My husband, the only man I’d ever slept with up to that time, had demanded a paternity test when I’d filed for divorce. Funny how he’d been the one to cheat, but I was the one in the relationship treated like a whore.

  “I’ll, um, get you a copy of the results, but what I really need you to tell me is if Rob’s parents have a shot in hell at custody?”

  Harvey shook his head. “Not unless they can prove you unfit. Even then, they’d have to battle as I’m sure your mother would step in. Since she’s been more in his life than they have—Anyhow, long story short is I don’t see that happening. They made a knee-jerk attempt at it this morning with false allegations. That’s not something the state will forget.”

  “Okay. What do you think their next move will be?”

  Mark spoke first. “They may ask for a settlement. A portion of the life insurance.”

  Their own grandson’s rightful inheritance. I had to swallow down the acid rising up in my throat from the thought.

  “Or they could throw some more charges at you. Probably would be better if you went back up to Connecticut as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll, um, see what I can do about getting tickets to leave tomorrow.” They’d be expensive, but the sooner I got out of here, the sooner his parents would be at a disadvantage, not knowing where we were.

  “Josh has offered the use of his plane. It can be ready by this evening if you’d like,” Mark spoke up.

  I released a breath. “That would be great.”

  ***

  I barely said three words to Mark after leaving my attorney’s office and walking to our cars. Not because I was upset with him, but rather because I didn’t know how to get beyond this latest mortification. I’d never told anyone th
at Rob had insisted on a DNA test to prove Tristan was his. Now it was in the open. And this was after a visit from CPS calling into question my fitness as a mother.

  Once we were on the private jet later that evening with Tristan about to return to Connecticut, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only a few weeks ago I had been filled with dread at leaving my home, but today I couldn’t wait to put it in my rearview mirror. At least for now.

  “You okay?” Mark handed me a diet Coke and took the seat across from Tristan and me.

  “It’s been a day, but I’m better now.”

  He smiled kindly and took my hand. “It started out great but definitely went downhill from there.”

  I returned the smile, enjoying the memory of how he’d woken me up this morning. “Thanks for being there today.”

  “I hope you believe I wasn’t trying to cut you out of the meeting with Harvey. I was only trying to be helpful.”

  “I do believe that. Time was of the essence, and you were giving me the option to avoid dealing with one more thing. But I needed to be part of it. Otherwise, I’d have felt helpless and inadequate in dealing with my own life.”

  I hadn’t always made the best choices. For example, I’d stayed in my marriage for too long. So, participating in the meeting with my attorney was a way of gaining confidence about making good choices going forward.

  “I understand. And I’m glad you showed up. I’m just sorry for the other.”

  “Nothing for you to apologize for.”

  “It’s not that kind of ‘I’m sorry.’ More like I wish there was more I could do. You don’t deserve this.”

  For the first time, I was starting to believe the same. “No, I don’t. Neither does Tristan. But we’ll get through it.”

  “I want to be there for you through this, too, Jules.”

  “Why?” The question hung, heavier than the single syllable implied.

  “Because, if you haven’t noticed, I’m absolutely crazy about you. You’re the second chance at happiness I didn’t ever think I’d get. I want to be yours.”

  My heart beat double time with his words. I was absolutely head-over-heels for him, too, but I couldn’t keep from voicing the obvious. “I know you have lived in New Haven for years, but I love my job in Charlotte. Plus, my mom is there. Although Tristan and I are coming back up to Connecticut now, I don’t know for how long—”

  He cut me off. “I like Charlotte. In fact, I wouldn’t mind living there.”

  “Oh.”

  He grinned. “Yeah. Oh. And if any of this is freaking you out, tell me, and I’ll dial it back a notch.”

  I shook my head, grinning. “Nope. No notch take backs.”

  ***

  It wasn’t until I lay in his arms later that night in my New Haven apartment that I realized Mark’s admission he’d be willing to relocate to Charlotte had left me with additional questions.

  “What about your job if you moved?”

  His fingertips skimmed down my arms. “I can work from anywhere. Funny enough, Josh is hoping to ask Haylee if she wants to move down there after she’s done with law school. If he relocates his office down to Charlotte, it will make it even easier for me to move.”

  “Will you miss New Haven?” Obviously, he had a connection to this place, including his history with his fiancée.

  “Maybe the snow. Has Tristan ever seen it?”

  “No, he hasn’t, but maybe we’ll get the chance before we move.” I chewed my lip, but then went for it. “I feel as though you know everything about me, both good and bad, but I hardly have any of your history.”

  He tensed. “Some of mine isn’t easy to talk about.”

  His fiancée. “Maybe talk about the stuff that is?” I was greedy for information and thankful when he relaxed and started talking.

  He spoke about his childhood with an older sister, who now lived in London with her husband. His parents had moved to a retirement community in Florida. He saw them twice a year as they were constantly traveling all over the globe. His memories went to freshman year at Harvard, where he’d met both Brian and Josh. We both laughed at stories involving my boss in his youth.

  “Who was the woman from four years ago?” It had been on my mind to ask ever since our first time, when he’d admitted how long he’d been without sex. I’d wondered if he’d had another girlfriend in between me and his fiancée.

  He stayed quiet for so long that I peered up to see if he’d fallen asleep. Finally, he sighed and spoke. “I hadn’t been with anyone since— Anyhow, I was in Vegas with Colby, and there were some women. It had been years, and I was lonely. But it was an empty, one-time thing.”

  I interrupted. “You don’t owe me any explanations. I was only wondering if you’d had another girlfriend or something.”

  “Not even close. I mean, you’re the first one since.”

  I pushed up on his chest and scooted so I could kiss him. “Are you saying I’m your girlfriend?”

  “A guy can hope, but with the timing, I’d understand if you want to hold off on the title.”

  Right. I’d buried my husband yesterday. But he hadn’t been my husband in years. Didn’t I deserve to be happy? I wished I could definitively say yes.

  I tried to shut off the internal voice threatening to undermine the moment. “Not a chance. And as my boyfriend, I think you should know something.”

  “What’s that?” He was grinning.

  “I have developed an affinity for dirty talk.”

  ***

  The next day, Mark had to leave early for a train to New York since he was trying to get a couple days of work in there before Thanksgiving next week.

  I forced myself out of bed to start the day. It had occurred to me suddenly that I had no idea how much Rob’s life insurance was actually worth. In all the chaos, I hadn’t asked.

  Since it was still too early to call my attorney, I sent a quick email and then went about my day, getting Tristan up and ready.

  It was late afternoon when Harvey returned my email with the estimated amount. The number was staggering. Combining Rob’s life insurance and accidental death policies, there was over a million dollars on the line. Holy crap. I knew he had signed up for everything available through the police department, but I hadn’t counted on them actually paying out. After all, he’d been suspended from the force. But evidently, one didn’t depend on the other. For that, I was grateful. And now I understood why his parents were pursuing the money. They didn’t have much of their own.

  Taking a deep breath, I made a decision and replied to my attorney. Rob would’ve wanted his mother and father to have something to make their lives more comfortable. Although I absolutely loathed how they’d treated me, settling with them would alleviate a long, drawn-out battle. Most important, it would put them permanently in the past. And now that I had a wonderful future with Mark within grasp, I needed to shut that door.

  But Harvey brought up a good point in his reply, advising me to wait to receive the insurance check before making an offer. The insurance company might appeal because of Rob’s autopsy results. After all, he had been high on drugs at the time of the accident. I didn’t know if there were any clauses to preclude payout for that reason, but we’d wait and see.

  ***

  By Friday I was excited at the prospect of seeing Mark after our separation of two days. We’d exchanged text messages and one phone call, but that was nothing compared to being wrapped in his arms at night. Thankfully, he was on his way home, arriving later.

  But as all good days seemed to be ruined with a phone call lately, this one was no exception. My attorney’s number flashed on my phone after I’d put Tristan down for bed. “Hi, Harvey. How are you?”

  “Good. Sorry for calling you this late, but uh, Rob’s mother contacted me this evening.”

  I braced myself. “What did she have to say?”

  “Since she didn’t know how to get a hold of you, she wanted me to pass on a message. I have to say I’m confused
by it. I thought you were waiting until you received the insurance money to settle.”

  He wasn’t the only one confused. I had no idea what he was talking about. “What’s the message?”

  “She said she wanted to apologize. That she appreciated the settlement and wanted you to know how very sorry she was for her behavior. For calling CPS and insisting on the DNA test.”

  “What settlement?”

  “That was my question for you. I didn’t ask her since I couldn’t be sure whether or not she was fishing. So you didn’t offer her money? Because if you did, I would highly recommend you have an attorney to draw something up ensuring she signed away all rights that might allow her to go after more.”

  “I didn’t give her anything. And you didn’t tell Brian about this, right?”

  “Of course not. I take attorney-client privilege very seriously.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to figure out—” Because I hadn’t told Brian anything yet, either. Even if I had, I couldn’t imagine him doing something like this without asking me if it was all right. And then, boom, it hit me.

  Mark.

  No, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t go behind my back. Not after I’d told him how it made me feel inadequate if I didn’t participate in the decisions. At the very least, he’d discuss it with me first and value my opinion and input. And yet, who else would it be?

  As if by design, the knock came at the door. I told Harvey I’d call him back and walked over to open it. Upon seeing Mark’s handsome face, I felt betrayal wash over me.

  “You weren’t really in New York, were you?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The immediate guilt shown by the color staining his cheeks said it all.

  He came in and shut the door, following me into the kitchen and setting down his bag. “Shit, you weren’t supposed to find out yet.”

  I stopped and turned, feeling my temper snap. “That’s what you have to say to me? You regret that I already found out?”

  Thankful that Tristan was already in bed, I took a twenty out of my purse and stuffed it in the swear jar above the refrigerator.