A Husband by New Year's

by Sean D. Young

  Patrick eased off the bed and went to her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her to comfort and reassure her that everything would be fine. Instead, he stood as close as he could.

  “Do you want to slow down?” Patrick asked, staring into her eyes. “We’ve had a great time together and our personalities complement each other,” he said, capturing her hands.

  Threading her fingers into his, he kissed her forehead, and took a small step back. “I would like to keep going, take the relationship forward, but if you’re uncomfortable, I can back off a bit.”

  Renee looked away, then at him again. Patrick felt her squeeze his hands before slipping hers from his. “I’ve been at this dating game pretty heavily for the past year without any luck. Most of the guys just didn’t meet my expectations. I was about to give up when you walked into my life.”

  This was Patrick’s chance to tell her, so he took one step forward, ready to let it all out. “I need to tell you something, Renee.”

  Renee ignored his comment and moved closer, laying her hand on his chest. “I didn’t know what to expect with you, so I just decided to be myself.”

  “And how did that work out for you?”

  “I want to move forward slowly.”

  Patrick wrapped his arms around her and they stood together, holding each other for a few moments. Renee stepped back and said, “I’m so glad you’re my friend.”

  He kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t you ever forget it. I’ll always be there for you.” Patrick turned and went over to the bed and sat down.

  Renee went after him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, I’m good,” he said, wishing that he had the courage to just tell her. He looked up at her, but he just couldn’t do it. Not yet.

  “I just need to jump in the shower,” Patrick said before standing. He placed a kiss on her forehead, picked up his clothing and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Fifteen minutes later, he re-emerged. “Are you ready to go downstairs?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she said, picking up her purse from the arm chair. “Do you cook, Patrick?”

  “Yes, I dabble a bit on some simple things.”

  “So you know how to make more than boiled eggs?”

  He nodded, smiling at her poking fun at him.

  “I see you’re good and awake now.”

  Renee continued to giggle.

  “I’m glad we stayed here last night. It gave us an opportunity to learn about each other in a different way.”

  Renee had her hand on the door. “It sure did, because we couldn’t go anywhere else.” She laughed and opened the door.

  “Let’s go down and see what’s cooking.”

  Patrick and Renee descended the stairs to the ground floor and spotted Abe near the staircase. “Good morning, you two,” he said cheerfully.

  Renee smiled, walking up to him. “How are you this morning?”

  “My back isn’t killing me from moving that snow last night, thanks to my friend here,” he said, patting Patrick on the back.

  “It was nothing, Abe. I knew you couldn’t do all that by yourself,” Patrick said.

  “How do you guys normally handle the snow, Abe?” Renee asked.

  “There’s a company that comes around and does it for us, but I do as much as I can before they get here.”

  Renee understood a man like Abe was probably used to doing things for himself, but at his age, having the company was probably for the best.

  “Have you had a chance to get outside?” Patrick asked.

  “Yes, I just came from clearing off the walk.”

  “Do you know if the roads are still slippery?” Patrick asked.

  “The plows have been through, so the main roads are open,” he said.

  Renee clasped her hands together. “Great. I have a lot of work to do for a presentation at work tomorrow, so I need to get back.”

  “Won’t you stay for breakfast?” Abe asked.

  Renee hoped Patrick understood that she just wanted to hit the road instead of eating breakfast. “Thanks so much for your hospitality, but I just want to get back home,” Renee said. “Please make sure to contact me when you’re ready to talk about marketing your business.”

  Abe gave Renee a big hug. “I sure will. But I don’t want you to leave without meeting my Sarah.” He turned around. “Follow me,” he said, walking through the hall toward the back of the building to the kitchen.

  Renee could smell the aroma of warm bread wafting through the air. She spotted Sarah standing in front of a white, old-fashioned stove. It looked like she had just removed a long loaf pan from the oven. Each burner on top of the stove was covered with a pot filled with something yummy as the smells drifted around the room.

  “Sarah, honey, I want you to meet Renee. She’s the young lady I told you about last night.”

  Sarah pulled off the oven mitts and laid them on the counter top before turning to Renee with open arms.

  Renee walked into them. “Pleasure to meet you, Sarah,” she said after stepping out of the older woman’s embrace.

  Petite in stature, with smooth caramel-colored skin, Sarah was striking. Renee could still see the vibrancy and sparkle in the older woman’s hazel eyes. She wore her hair pulled back in a fancy bun. She was wearing a dress with a floral apron around her waist.

  “Abe told me that you’re interested in helping us,” Sarah said, grasping Renee’s hand in hers.

  “Yes, I thought there might be something that I can do to help you get more business, and wanted to chat with you both about it.”

  “I don’t know, sweetie. We’re getting old and I’m not sure how much longer we’re going to hold on to this old place.”

  Renee scanned the large space. There was an island with a butcher block counter in the center of the room with a pot rack hanging above it. There were three wooden stools surrounding it and on the left side of the room sat a huge sink and even more counter space. A long table that could easily seat twelve people had been positioned close to the door leading to the backyard.

  Renee smiled at Sarah. “I gave Abe my card, so if you ever change your mind, then please don’t hesitate to call me.”

  “Thank you, Renee,” Sarah said, glancing at Patrick.

  Renee giggled. “I’m so sorry, Sarah, I’d like to introduce you to Patrick.”

  Patrick stepped forward. “Pleased to meet you, Sarah,” he said before stepping back.

  Sarah eyed Renee, then Patrick. “You have a very nice-looking beau, Renee,” she said before winking at Abe.

  Renee glanced at Patrick before saying, “Thanks.”

  Sarah turned back to the stove and lifted a lid from one of her pots. “What would you all like for breakfast?”

  Abe glanced at his watch. “I asked them to stay, but they need to get back.” He looked at Patrick. “You never told me where you two were from.”

  “Chicago,” Patrick responded.

  “My sister Lilly lives in Chicago, and I’ve got some folks that live near there in Gary,” Abe said.

  Renee smiled. “Great. Maybe we’ll run into each other again.”

  “You never know.”

  Patrick checked his watch. “Renee, we’d better get going,” he said, placing his hand on her arm.

  “Okay,” she said before giving Sarah and Abe both a big hug goodbye.

  * * * * *

  As soon as they got close to Illinois, they noticed there was no snow, sleet, or precipitation, which made Renee happy. In retrospect, the snow had actually brought her and Patrick closer together, so for that she was grateful for the elements, and excited about what was to come.

  Finally, after several hours, Renee made it back to her apartment. As soon as she got inside, she took a long, hot bubble bath. Curling up with her journal, she wrote several passages ab
out her time away.

  The quaint bed and breakfast we stayed in was a diamond in the rough. The ambiance and décor was French provincial for sure, but Abe and his wife, Sarah, are just the type of clients I’d like for my business. I know they said they didn’t have money for marketing, but it would be worth the sacrifice. I saw their warmth and experienced their hospitality. I believe in my heart if we could get even the smallest updates done, it would make a world of difference. After the holidays, I think I’m going to contact them myself and just offer my services pro-bono. I’m sure it will pay off for us both in the end.

  As far as Patrick is concerned, I think I’m falling in love with him. Not because he was good in bed, although that helps, LOL. He is such a sweet man, so gentle and kind. He makes me feel appreciated and worthy of his attention. I matter to him, and he is so encouraging even when it comes to the work I do. It’s a beautiful thing and I’ve never been out with a man so in tune with my feelings. He seems to know when I’m upset or when something is wrong and is not afraid to give me his opinion. Listening to his advice these last couple of weeks has made me think about my actions and what steps to take with Julia. I need to add protector to his list of attributes, because he quickly found us a safe place to be once the weather changed.

  But before I go professing that I’m head-over-heels in love, I need to take my time. I don’t want to do what I’ve always done—jump in head first. I think I’d rather step slowly into this relationship and keep my head above water.

  I’m also glad he came to me about helping the company he works for get their business stabilized. I want to help him make a good impression with his boss by creating a solid marketing plan. Unfortunately, the holidays are around the corner and then the gala, but I will make time. I think this is important to him, so I’ll just have to do whatever I have to in order to get it done.

  Note2Self: Don’t miss out on the man because of what you think you see. I have to wonder though, is this the man for me?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Early the next morning, Patrick got up, determined to put the next part of his plan into action. But first, he would need to get his father’s approval. Since he knew that James was probably already up, he’d talk to him before work.

  Since his return, Patrick had been staying at his childhood home in his old bedroom. He and his father were the only people who lived in the sprawling three-story estate, which still held classic charm with its dark brick and pale stone. His father lived alone, so he didn’t need all the staff there once was.

  Mrs. West, the housekeeper, came and went every day, still taking care of his father after almost twenty-five years. His father stayed in one part of the house while the other wasn’t being used unless relatives came from out of town.

  Patrick had tried to get his father to downsize, but he was adamant about staying in the home he built for his family. There was no question that Patrick would stay with him on his return to Chicago.

  Patrick slipped his robe over his pajamas and went looking for his father. When he’d looked in on him last night after he’d returned from dropping off Renee, he was already asleep.

  He hoped his father would be open to having someone come in and help them get more exposure for the business. For too long now, they had been operating on past reputation and history, but that didn’t work anymore. They had to be able to reach a larger audience and market their services differently than they had even two years ago.

  After going to the obvious places around the house and not finding him, Patrick headed to the home office located on the first floor. He and Robert used to play hide and seek in that room more than anywhere else in the house.

  Opening the door, he saw the huge mahogany desk facing him. The floor-to-ceiling built-ins were filled with books on a wide variety of topics. Over to the right, he found his father sitting on the window seat, looking outside, coffee cup in hand.

  “Hey, Pop,” he said, taking a seat next to his father.

  “Son, I thought you’d gone to work already.”

  “No, I don’t have to pick up my first client from Midway until ten o’clock.”

  Patrick watched his father’s attention go back out to the courtyard and circular driveway. The fountain had been turned off several weeks ago because of the changing season.

  “What are you looking at?” he asked as he peered out the window himself.

  “I love having my coffee near this window so I can look out at nature,” James responded, taking a sip from his mug.

  Patrick peeked out again. “All I see is the driveway.” He chuckled.

  “You’re not looking far enough,” James said.

  Patrick rested a hand on his father’s shoulder. “How are you feeling today?”

  “I can’t complain, son. It is what it is.”

  “It’s a little bit more than that for me though, Pop. You didn’t tell me that you had to carry nitroglycerin pills with you,” Patrick said, trying to get his father to give him his full attention.

  James finally looked up at his son. “Yes, I started carrying them about a month ago.”

  “When is your next doctor’s appointment? I’d like to go with you.”

  “I have one in a couple of weeks,” James replied, taking a sip from his cup.

  “Should you even be drinking coffee?”

  “Patrick, don’t start with me. I know what I can and can’t have,” James said. His voice elevated. “Let me ask you a question.”

  “Shoot,” Patrick said,

  “Have you spoken to Robert since the argument I walked in on?” James asked, slowly standing to his feet.

  Patrick knew how his father felt about him and his brother fighting, but it wasn’t his fault that Robert was hard to get along with. “No, I haven’t.”

  “You boys had better get it together,” James warned, walking toward the door.

  Patrick stood to his feet. “Pop, wait, I wanted to talk to you about some ideas I have for the business.”

  James turned around and came back. “You’ve figured out what happened?”

  “Well, not everything, but I want to have an independent audit of the books as well as hiring a marketing manager to come in and revamp our brand.”

  “What will this audit tell you?”

  “It will examine the company’s entire financial situation.”

  “Who will do this audit? You?”

  “No, we would have an independent company come in to do it.” Patrick turned toward his father. “We need to know how the funds are being accounted for—what we’re spending our money on.”

  James pulled his hand over his head. “Then we have to do it, son.”

  Patrick nodded. “Pop, you aren’t going to like this, but I can’t tell Robert what I’m doing.”

  James squinted. “Why can’t you tell him? Wouldn’t you want to know if you were in his position?”

  “I tried to tell him, Pop,” Patrick said as he paced in front of his father. He could feel his heart racing. “Look, every time I try to have a conversation with Rob about anything dealing with the company, he blows me off.”

  He watched the lines in his father’s forehead deepen. “I don’t know why that boy is so bullheaded.”

  Patrick took a deep breath and sat back down. “I know I would want to know if someone was coming in to take a look at the books if I was running the business. But I also have a sneaking suspicion Robert has been up to something.”

  Not wanting to make the situation between him and his brother worse, Patrick had held out as long as he could from mentioning his misgivings to James, but it was unavoidable.

  “I don’t know if we should keep this from him, though.”

  “Pop, you’re the one who told me that he was spending money like water. If we’re ever going to find out what’s going on with him, I need to keep this between you and me
.”

  James stood and exhaled loudly. “Okay,” he said, nodding his head. “I guess we don’t have a choice in the matter,” he said, walking away.

  Patrick stood quickly, caught his arm, and faced him. “I’m not trying to hurt Robert. I hope he can eventually see that we need to work together.”

  James reached over, placing his hand on Patrick’s shoulder. “I don’t want your relationship with Robert to be like the one I have with your Uncle John.”

  Patrick squinted, thinking about his father’s younger brother. The last time he’d seen John Dunlap was his senior year in high school when the brothers got into a big fight.

  Patrick re-took his seat.“You still aren’t speaking to each other, Pop?”

  James dropped his head then shook it slowly as he sat back down beside Patrick. “No, son, we aren’t, and it’s not because of my lack of trying. I loved my brother, love my brother,” he said, correcting himself. “But he betrayed me in a horrible way. At first, I thought I could never forgive him, but as the years have come and gone, I miss our relationship. I reached out to him after your mother died, but he was still holding a grudge.”

  “Is that why they moved out?”

  “I allowed him to become a part of my business and come to find out, he was running his own side business dealing drugs with some of my drivers.”

  “What?” Patrick was astounded by the news. His father had never told him that before.

  “I had worked so hard, and it felt like he was standing on my back, stomping me, my business, and our reputation to the ground.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “An undercover operation. One of his dealers snitched. We didn’t know they had the sting operation going and he got caught.”

  “But I don’t remember him going to jail.”

  “That’s because he didn’t. He got off on a technicality, but a couple of the drivers are still in prison because they got charged with possession.”

  “That’s crazy,” Patrick said.

  “It took me a long time to get my business cleaned up and to ensure it was legitimate. John wasn’t even good at driving the cars because he was busy partying and acting a fool.”