Dating the Best Man

by Gail Sattler

  She paused as Daphne watched, speechless.

  “I saw a flash—I think it was a knife—then he kicked Cory. But instead of Cory falling, he suddenly went crazy. He moved so fast—he’d always been good at sports, you know.

  “He broke Hank’s arm and cracked a couple of ribs. I thought he was going to punch Hank in the nose when he threw Hank against the wall so hard that the wall busted. Then Cory turned around and walked out.”

  This was definitely a different version than what Cory had told her. If he hadn’t been able to disable Hank, it sounded as though Hank wouldn’t have stopped until he’d seriously disabled Cory or even killed him.

  Cory had given her a very tamed-down version of what had really happened. She could only guess that it was so she wouldn’t hate his mother. And that said a lot about him.

  “What you’ve told me really helps a lot.” Knowing what Cory had been up against, she knew she would never have to fear him. Considering the way he’d been attacked, he could have done so much worse. Not only had he defended himself against a crazed drug dealer, he’d also defended his mother—a mother who had not treated him very well.

  Kathy’s eyes welled up and she wiped her sleeve across her face. “I know I should have done something, but I didn’t. All I could think about was that if I didn’t stand up for Hank, he’d cut me off. I’m a terrible mother. I knew right then that Cory would be better off without me. I know it was wrong, but I was still strung out at the time. I kicked him out and told him not to come back. Now he’s got a good life for himself, and I want to keep it that way.”

  All Daphne could do was feel sorry for Cory’s mother. In a skewed way, Kathy’s actions had forced Cory to make a better life for himself, but being the man he was, he would have done it anyway.

  Daphne started to reach out to cover Kathy’s hand with hers, but pulled back at the last second. Kathy didn’t seem as if she wanted to be touched by a stranger. “I really don’t know what it’s like for you, and I didn’t come to try to talk you into going to rehab. But Cory’s right. It will help you. I don’t know what it’s like to be addicted to anything, but I know it is possible that, with some help, you can pull yourself out of it.”

  Kathy sniffled, then blew her nose in her napkin. “I can’t afford rehab. I can barely afford to live.”

  “Cory told me he’d pay for it.”

  She shook her head and blew her nose again. “I can’t let him do that.”

  This time, Daphne did reach out to lay her fingers on top of Kathy’s hand. “But he told me he wants to.”

  “Okay. Last time I talked to him he said he had a place in mind for me.”

  Daphne opened her mouth to tell Kathy that she’d been going to group therapy sessions and they really helped, but stopped herself. “Okay? Really?”

  Kathy’s lower lip quivered. “Really.”

  Daphne didn’t know what to do, but she had a feeling that whatever it was, it needed to be done right away, before Kathy changed her mind. “I don’t have any of the information. Can I call Cory?”

  “Okay. I’m tired of living like this. There’s got to be something better.”

  “There is. Let me call Cory.” Daphne reached for her cell phone, in the outside pocket of her purse, right next to pocket containing the can of bear spray.

  It only took her a few seconds to hit the button to speed-dial Cory. He answered quickly.

  “It’s me. Daphne. Don’t ask questions. I’m with your mother, and she’s said she wants to try rehab. I need you to find all the information she says you’ve got and come here.”

  “Where are you? Are you at her place?”

  “No. We’re at…” Daphne looked up at the menu board and read the name of the restaurant. “It’s about five minutes from her place. Do you know where that is?” For a second she thought of taking Kathy back home to wait for Cory, but she didn’t want to do anything that would allow her to perhaps become more comfortable and change her mind. “We’re going to stay here and wait for you.”

  “I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

  She didn’t think this was a good time to tell him not to speed or to say out loud that her brother was a cop. “Okay. See you soon.”

  After he disconnected the call, she tucked her phone back into its pocket, turned to Kathy and tried to give her a friendly smile. “Until he gets here, how would you like to tell me what Cory was like as a little boy. Was he always good at sports?”

  * * *

  The whole way to the restaurant, Cory watched the speedometer, sticking precisely to the posted limits. He wanted to speed, but Daphne’s unspoken words that her brother was a cop, that she often repeated, kept echoing through his head.

  He didn’t know how or why she’d met his mother. He didn’t know what his mother had said to Daphne about that night. She’d told him that she didn’t remember a thing except that he’d attacked Hank, totally unprovoked.

  It hadn’t been unprovoked. Hank had tried to kill him, and Hank had said that when Cory was dead, Hank was going to kill his mother, too.

  Daphne didn’t need to hear that. He’d pulled himself completely away from that kind of lifestyle. He’d never participated in it in the first place, only watched from a distance. He now regretted giving her the scaled-down version of the events of that day, because that was surely why she’d gone to his mother, to find out more.

  Except now she’d met his mother and that wasn’t a pretty sight if his mother was again strung out on drugs.

  For years he’d hoped and prayed for the day his mother would consent and go to rehab. He didn’t know why now, or what part Daphne had played, but whatever the reason, he would thank God in his prayers tonight.

  He would also hope and pray that it didn’t turn Daphne off so much she would refuse to see him again because of his less-than-stellar upbringing. And that maybe, Daphne could even envision his mother in her future.

  Finally he pulled into the parking lot. Seeing Daphne’s car made his heart pound. Not only had Daphne called him, but his mother had made that important initial decision.

  He couldn’t blow it now—on both counts.

  When he walked in he spotted them immediately. He couldn’t see Daphne’s face, but he could see his mother’s. Her eyes were red, as though she’d been crying.

  It didn’t look good.

  The second his mother saw him her eyes widened, she slapped her hands over her mouth, made a choking sound, and started crying again.

  This really didn’t look good.

  He quickened his pace, hurrying without running, so as not to cause a scene.

  “Mom. Daphne,” he muttered as he slid into the empty seat beside Daphne. “Here I am. I brought all my stuff.”

  His mother nodded without speaking as more tears poured out of her eyes.

  Daphne rested one hand on top of his, halting the question of asking how they’d met.

  Daphne wrapped her fingers over top of his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Your mom and I have had a good talk. Do you have that phone number?”

  He reached into his back pocket and pulled the card out of his wallet, where it had been for years, waiting for the time when she would ask for it. “Yeah. Except it’s Saturday. I hope they pick up and it doesn’t go to voice mail.”

  “It shouldn’t. I’m sure they have someone answering on the weekends.”

  If not, he could call his pastor as the next best option.

  When a real person answered, a burn started at the backs of his eyes. This really was it. He identified himself and gave them the file number so he wouldn’t have to repeat all the personal details, something he was glad for in this public place.

  When they were ready, they asked him to hand the phone to his mother, so he did.

  His mother listened and nodded a few times. “Yes. I can do that. I think that’s a good idea. But I need to ask my son.”

  She covered the mouthpiece of the phone with one hand and turned to him. “I might not need to t
ake much time off work. They said they have some programs that are only two days a week. I think I really can do this. He says he can see me now, to talk to me and ask more questions. Will you come with me?”

  “Of course I will.” Cory’s heart pounded in his chest. It was really happening. However it got to this point, he owed it to Daphne.

  His mother ended the conversation and looked up at him, her eyes again starting to water. “Let’s go now…”

  In the back of his mind, Cory filled in the rest of her sentence. In case I change my mind.

  While watching his mother’s face, he became aware of the vague sensation of warmth on his left hand. He looked down to see Daphne’s hands wrapped around it.

  She looked up at him with big, wide eyes behind her dark glasses. “I’ll come with you if you want.”

  His throat closed up. He didn’t like subjecting her to the ugly parts of his life, but at the same time, he felt lost. More lost than the day as a kid when his favorite dog he’d been walking at the animal shelter had been adopted and taken to a new home before he’d had a chance to say goodbye. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to leave my car here, since I don’t know how long this will take. I’ll follow you.”

  “Okay.”

  Without another word, he escorted his mother to his truck. He watched as Daphne got into her car and closed the door, then he headed for the rehab center.

  After a few blocks his mother turned to him. “She seems like a nice young woman.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  “It seemed quite brave of her to come here to talk to me. She had no idea what she would find.”

  It was true.

  He didn’t know why she’d come, but the bottom reason would be that it was because of him. “Yeah. It was pretty brave. She’s been through some bad stuff.”

  “You must like her a lot.”

  He would marry her tomorrow if she said she would. “Yeah. I do.”

  “I hope I haven’t ruined that for you. I’ve ruined so much of your life.”

  He squeezed the steering wheel as he spoke. “It hasn’t been that bad. I’ve had a few rough spots, but they helped make me the man I am today, and I’m not a bad guy.” He let the silence hang then turned to her when he stopped for a red light. “It was God’s guidance that helped me with those rough spots, and God will help you now. All you have to do is ask.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  He nodded. The rehab center was a Christian organization, so he knew that she would be in good hands. Hopefully one day soon she would open her heart to God. When she started to ask questions, if he wasn’t there to answer, it would be someone else when the time was right. Right now, she needed to take one small step at a time. For her to actually agree to rehab was a very big step.

  They spent the rest of the way in silence, with only his favorite CD playing softly in the background. When they arrived, he escorted his mother out of the truck and led her to the office, where a woman was waiting for her.

  The woman smiled and reached out to shake his hand. “It’s best if you stay here, for confidentiality.”

  He didn’t want to think that there were things his mother wouldn’t want him to know, but there probably were. “I understand.”

  He looked at his mother. “I’ll stay until you tell me to go.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said. “That’s best.” Without another word, she led his mother into one of the offices and closed the door.

  Cory sank into a chair. This was the moment he’d been waiting for, but now that it was happening, he felt lost.

  The ring of the bell signified someone else had just entered the lobby. He turned to see Daphne walking in.

  “What happens now? I’ve never done this sort of thing before.”

  Cory stood. “Me neither.” He turned toward the office door where his mother was. No windows in the wall or the door ensured confidentiality of the person inside, which was probably a good thing. “The woman said to wait. I guess this is the moment where they outline what happens along with expectations and requirements, and my mother will either agree and sign up, or I take her home.”

  “I think she’s going to do it.” Daphne turned to him. “She was really sorry for everything. We had a really good talk.”

  Before he could respond, the door opened. His mother remained inside while the woman approached them. “She’s going to stay. She asked if you can go to her place and bring her some clothes and make sure her car is locked. The five-day detox withdrawal session is going to be hard, so she wants to stay here so she doesn’t change her mind. A lot of people do that.” She dropped his mother’s keychain in his hand. “You can leave a suitcase or bag at the front desk if I’m not here.”

  He stared at the keys in his hand. “I can do that.” But his feet wouldn’t move. He turned toward Daphne.

  “I’ll go with you,” she said before he needed to ask.

  Chapter 13

  For a while Daphne didn’t say anything as Cory drove in silence. But as the silence continued, it nearly broke her heart to watch his face. He looked absolutely stricken.

  “How would you like to stop over there for coffee?” She pointed out the window to a coffee shop. “I think we need to talk.”

  “Sure.” He didn’t say anything as he pulled into the lot and parked the truck.

  She really didn’t want coffee. She really wanted to talk to him when he wasn’t driving. Before he could get out of the truck to run around to get the step for her, she reached out to wrap her fingers around his lower arm.

  “Wait. We need to talk. I want to talk here, where it’s private and you don’t need to concentrate on driving. Your mom told me what really happened that night. I think you told me quite the edited version.”

  His face tightened. “She doesn’t remember what really happened.”

  “Not all of it, but she remembered most. Why didn’t you tell me that you were struck several times before you struck back, and that he threatened both you and your mother?” She gulped. “And that he had a knife?”

  He pulled his arm out of her grip, wrapped both hands around the steering wheel and stared forward. “I’ve gone over it hundreds of times in my head, and each time it sounds like I’m making excuses, like it couldn’t possibly have been like that. I’ve even doubted myself over the years. Maybe I’m remembering it the way I want to, to excuse my own guilt.”

  “You’re not. Why can’t you believe in yourself?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know to this day if I did the right thing. I seriously hurt him. I could have killed him. I even thought about it for a few seconds.”

  “But you didn’t. And from what your mother said, it sounded like he was trying to kill you.”

  He turned to look at her.

  “But he didn’t. I won the fight, then instead of getting away from all that, my mother threw me out. She said I was ruining her life. I was trying to do something so her life wouldn’t get ruined. I sure failed at that, too.”

  He turned back to stare blankly out the window. “I’m so mixed up. She’s finally in the right place, and I should be really happy, but I’m not. There are no guarantees that she’ll straighten out.”

  “Want to pray about it?”

  He gulped then once again looked at her. “Yeah. I do. That should have been the first thing I did, but everything has been moving so fast.”

  “We’re not moving anywhere now.” She extended one arm to emphasize that they were at a dead stop with the engine off, in the middle of a parking lot.

  He sucked in a deep breath when she reached forward and held both his hands. “I’ll start,” she said, then lowered her head.

  Daphne first prayed for his mother to open her heart and accept the help she would receive, and for strength to get through the hard parts. She then prayed for Cory; that he could release all his hurts and know that God had been with him then and was with him now.


  When she went silent, Cory thanked God for his mother’s change of heart and, to Daphne’s surprise, he thanked God for her strength, support and friendship at a time when he needed it.

  His heartfelt prayer nearly broke her heart, especially when he hesitated at the word “friendship.”

  This wasn’t friendship. What they had was so much more.

  If she doubted that she’d fallen in love with him, with all that she’d learned today, all those doubts had been erased. Now, hearing his words, she knew that without a doubt she’d fallen in love with Cory.

  “Amen,” she muttered, opening her eyes and releasing his hands.

  He echoed her amen and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked multiple times and then wiped the back of his hand over his eyes.

  She didn’t know if it was possible to love anyone more than how she loved Cory.

  Not waiting for him to recover, she pushed herself up to her knees, faced sideways on the seat and leaned toward him, then reached forward to cup his cheeks. “I’m going to kiss you, Cory Bellanger, because I love you.”

  His eyes widened, causing her to smile but not to stop what she was about to do.

  Daphne moved toward him, closed her eyes and kissed the man she loved.

  For a split second he stiffened, then his arms surrounded her and he kissed her back just the way she wanted.

  The sound of footsteps beside the truck made her pull back from him. She didn’t want another embarrassing incident of a stranger telling them to get a room.

  But no one spoke. Instead, a young man turned and looked at them as he walked past, making an okay sign in the air with his fingers.

  Her cheeks heated up as she looked at Cory, who didn’t look the least bit embarrassed.

  He reached forward and grasped both her hands in his larger ones. “Daphne Carruthers, you are the love of my life and keeper of my heart. Will you make me the happiest guy on earth and be my wife?”