“That’s not what I said,” Leon stated.
“Oh, the implication was clear,” she countered. “The fact of the matter is I don’t really care what you think of me. Nothing will change the truth. John kidnapped our daughter and threatened to do it earlier. That was the reason his visits had to be supervised.”
He didn’t respond.
When Misty walked away, Eleanor sat down across from her nephew. “She’s been through a lot, Leon.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t a cake walk for John either. All he ever talked about was trying to get his family back.”
“I know how much you love your friend, but John was abusive.”
Leon shook his head in disbelief. “I guess that’s why John didn’t fight the divorce,” Leon said almost to himself. “That’s what he meant when he said Misty didn’t give him any choice but to sign off on the petition.”
“She did what she had to do—I would’ve done the same thing,” Eleanor said. “I don’t blame her at all.”
Leon studied Misty as she moved about the restaurant. She seemed nice enough. Misty was fiercely protective of Talei—as any mother would be under the circumstances. He thought back to his last conversation with John.
“I love Misty and I’m working hard to get her back, Leon.”
“Does she still love you?”
John finished his drink. “I think so, but she wants me to leave the company. As much as I want to quit, I can’t do that. My dad needs me. We’ve been having a lot of employee turnover.”
“I thought you wanted to leave, as well.”
“It’s not about what I want, Leon. It’s what I have to do. I keep trying to get Misty to understand this, but she’s only focused on what she wants.”
“How is the co-parenting going?”
John shrugged. “Fine, I guess. Only I don’t get enough time with my daughter. My ex is doing a good job teaching Talei about Native American culture and traditions. My dad is against it, of course.”
“Why?”
“He feels that it will complicate Talei’s life and he doesn’t want her confused. He wants her to identify as Black—not Native. He thinks that Misty denies her Black side.” John shrugged. “It doesn’t make sense to me. I want my daughter to experience both cultures.”
“Did you tell Elroy that?”
John signaled for another drink. “Leon, you know my dad. You can’t tell him anything. I just let him talk. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m doing what I can to get along with Misty, and it’s working out great. She’s finally agreed to let me spend more time with Talei. I’ve been thinking of taking her on a trip somewhere out of the country. I could definitely use a vacation.”
“Is Misty okay with this?”
John nodded. “Yeah, things are so much better between us right now.”
Silas brought Leon’s meal.
“Thanks,” he said.
While he ate, Leon replayed his final conversation with John repeatedly in his head. Each time brought him back to the same troubling conclusion.
When Eleanor came to check on him, he said, “Auntie, I was just at Rusty’s store and he mentioned that you’d made a couple of pies for him. I told him I’d pick them up. I have to go back by there to pick up my order.”
“He installed a couple of ceiling fans for me. He wouldn’t accept payment, so I told him I’d make him a key lime and his favorite, a chocolate peanut butter pie.” Smiling, Eleanor said, “I knew he wouldn’t turn them down.”
Leon laughed. “You know Rusty is in love with you.”
“Rusty Stanley and I have been friends since we were in middle school. He took me to my junior prom and when it was over, he didn’t even attempt to kiss me. He’s never even flirted with me.”
“He also never married.”
“That’s probably because he hadn’t met the right person or maybe he enjoys being one of the island’s eligible bachelors,” Eleanor suggested. “Regardless, I consider him one of my dearest friends, but that’s all we have between us.”
Leon shook his head. “I don’t know about that, Auntie. Whenever you talk about him, I see something in your eyes.”
Eleanor laughed. “Boy, you need to worry about your own love life. Speaking of which... Don’t you think it’s time for you to get back out there?”
Leon regarded her with amusement. “I’m fine.”
“You’re too young to live life alone.”
“I’m not alone. I have you, Auntie.”
* * *
MISTY WALKED OUT of the kitchen carrying a tray of fudge. She was keenly aware of Leon’s scrutiny. It bothered her that he thought so little of her. He didn’t even give her the benefit of the doubt—just believed everything John had told him about her.
“Try not to be so hard on my nephew, Misty,” Eleanor said as she wiped down the counter.
“Maybe he shouldn’t be so judgmental.”
“Leon considered John a friend. I know they kept in contact.”
She wiped her hands on her apron. “Oh, I had no idea.”
“John came to the funeral when Leon’s wife and child died. He definitely helped Leon get through that day.”
“Really? He never told me.” Misty was surprised to hear how her ex-husband could be so supportive to Leon, but extremely selfish when it came to his own family.
“Yes. They were closer than you know. I know that Leon encouraged John to fight for his marriage.” She poured herself a cup of tea. “When my brother and his wife died, Leon and his brother...” Eleanor paused for a moment, then continued. “Oh, Misty, they were so heartbroken. I never thought they’d ever get over losing their parents. Then Leon met Vera in college. I hadn’t seen him that happy since they were children. Just when he’d found happiness with his wife and the impending birth of their little girl, tragedy struck a second time. Vera developed what they said was an amniotic fluid embolism. Somehow the fluid entered Vera’s bloodstream. Losing both Vera and Selena—it was almost too much to bear for all of us.”
Her gaze traveled to Leon. “I can’t imagine going through something like that.”
“I was terribly worried about him during that time. He shut completely down—it was John who was finally able to get through to Leon and get him out of his shell.”
“Miss Eleanor, excuse the interruption, but we’re almost out of eggs and sugar,” Silas said.
She frowned. “Silas, we should have plenty. A delivery came yesterday.”
“There were no deliveries, Miss Eleanor.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “They come every Wednesday.”
“Yes ma’am, I know. I just checked with Josh and he said we didn’t have one yesterday.”
Misty made a quick phone call. She hung up a few minutes later, saying, “They had no record of an order, but don’t worry—I placed it and they’re rushing it through. They should be here in about fifteen to twenty minutes.”
Eleanor released an audible sigh of relief. “I can’t believe I forgot to order supplies. I need to do a quick inventory to make sure we have everything we need.”
“There was a lot going on,” Misty said. “If you hadn’t been there for me and Talei, you probably wouldn’t have forgotten.”
“It was a busy day.” Eleanor shrugged. “I thought for sure I’d placed that order.”
“It was an easy fix,” she reassured her.
Leon pushed away from the table, stepping in Misty’s path. “I need to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
He captured her eyes with his. “During my last conversation with John, he told me that you’d agreed to let him spend more time with Talei,” Leon said. “He mentioned that he was planning to go on vacation out of the country and take her with him. Is any of that true?”
“No, it’s not. There’s no way I’d le
t Talei go without me.”
He took a deep breath. “He was planning to run away with her. Misty, I want to apologize to you,” Leon said. “I know there are two sides to every story and I only know John’s side. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“Leon, I appreciate the apology. I get that John was your friend, but he was troubled more than you knew.”
“I see that now.” Distracted, Leon glanced over at his aunt.
“Is Aunt Eleanor okay? She looks upset about something.”
“Yes,” Misty said. “She forgot to place an order, but it’s been taken care of—no worries.”
“I keep telling her that she needs to slow down. She feels like she has to be here every day.”
“Miss Eleanor loves this place.”
Leon smiled. “Yeah, she does. I can’t even think of this shop without my aunt’s presence. Aunt Eleanor did all of the baking back then.” He glanced around the room. “I have a lot of wonderful memories in this place.”
“I’m sure,” Misty murmured. “I hear that a lot from the locals. A few of them have told me that their families have been coming to the shop for generations. The other half say they’re related to your family. One of the things I love about Polk Island is the history.”
He smiled. “I’ll have to give you the five-dollar tour one day.”
“I’d like that,” she responded.
She cautioned herself not to get too involved with Leon. The last thing the handsome widower needed in his life was someone who was more broken than him.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE NEXT MORNING, Leon reported to the station house for work.
Charles greeted him when he entered the day room. “Hey, Leon, how you doin’? I know you have to be pretty broken up about your friend.”
“It doesn’t really seem real to me yet.” He walked with Charles to the dorm area. “I have to tell you... I don’t know what or how to feel. Grief seems to be a permanent fixture in my life.”
There they were joined by another coworker. “I heard that it was your friend who died in the accident. The truck driver.”
“Yeah,” Leon responded, ignoring the stab of pain in his heart. He stuffed his backpack into one of the metal lockers.
“Did he really kidnap his daughter?” one of the other coworkers questioned.
“Hey, don’t ask the man something stupid like that,” Charles interjected. “He just lost his friend.”
“I honestly didn’t mean anything by it, Leon.”
“Joe, I know you didn’t. Look, John just wanted to spend time with his little girl. He wasn’t a bad person, but he handled this situation wrong and it cost him his life.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“If I were married to Misty Brightwater, I’d do everything I could to get my family back, too,” Leon overheard another one of the guys say. “She’s stunning.”
His coworker was right. Misty was a beautiful young woman, but there was a side to her that Leon perceived as unsympathetic. When she first learned of John’s death, she wasn’t overcome with emotion. He knew she was more concerned about Talei, yet it bothered him that she hadn’t displayed any outward signs that John’s passing upset her.
John had once told him that she could be cold. He said she had the ability to just turn her emotions on and off. Leon had witnessed this himself.
Misty was the type of woman he would never give a second thought. She could break a heart with just the flick of a switch.
* * *
IT WAS THE hottest day in May so far this year. A perfect day for spending time at the Sterling Village community pool. Misty laughed in pure delight as a giggling Talei dipped her tiny toes in the wading pool while enjoying the momentary cool breeze swirling around them.
“Mommy...”
“Yes, baby?” she prompted.
Pointing to the Olympic-sized pool on the other side of the gate, she said, “I wanna get in wata...”
“We have to stay on this side, sweetie. It’s too many people over there.” Misty led her toward the middle of the children’s pool. She sat down with Talei beside her. “This feels good, doesn’t it?”
Her daughter nodded. “Daddy love wata.”
“Yes, he does.” She ran her fingers through Talei’s curly puffs. “He did love the water.”
Looking up at Misty, the little girl asked, “Daddy coming?”
She shook her head regretfully. “No, sweetie. He can’t come.”
“He hurt,” Talei said softly.
“Yes, your daddy was really hurt from the car accident.” She released a short sigh. “Do you remember where heaven is?”
Talei pointed upward. “Daddy go to heaven?”
Fighting back tears, Misty said, “Yes.”
“Daddy get better in heaven.”
She planted a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “Yes, my beautiful little girl. Your daddy is in a much better place. He is going to watch over you always.”
Talei chuckled when she put her duck in the water. She watched it float, then went after it.
Misty loved the sound of her daughter’s laughter. It signaled that she was feeling safe and secure, but she missed her father.
The best thing she had done was move here, Misty thought. She loved living on picturesque Polk Island. The beaches, the oaks draped in Spanish moss and the awesome beauty of the island were the main reason she’d come to the area. Historical landmarks citing the rich Rothchild history were prevalent around the island. This was the perfect place to raise Talei, especially now.
She left work early to spend quality time with Talei, and also to note if her daughter might be experiencing any trauma. Her mother left for Charleston when Misty arrived home earlier. It had been wonderful having her with them.
Misty glanced down at her as she played in the water. “Five more minutes, then we’re going home.”
“Okaay.”
When time was up, Misty said, “We have to leave now.”
Batting her long eyelashes, Talei responded, “Five minutes, pleeze.”
Misty eyed her daughter in amusement. “Okay, but after that we have to go home so I can make dinner.”
Talei continued splashing around in the pool, happily.
Misty checked her phone, then stood. “Time’s up. We have to get out of the pool.”
Talei didn’t protest, provoking a soft sigh of relief from Misty.
She wrapped a towel around her daughter, then placed one around herself, as well. Misty picked up her tote. “So, what are we gonna cook?” She held Talei’s hand as they walked along the tree-lined sidewalk to her condo.
“Hot dawg and fench fries.”
She bit back a smile, then offered a suggestion. “How about grilled chicken nuggets, broccoli and—”
“Macarooni,” Talei interjected.
“We can do that.” Misty stifled her chuckle.
Five minutes later, they walked inside their home, a two-bedroom condominium with a picturesque view of the ocean from the patio and the balcony. It was this stunning view that sold her on the property. Her condo wasn’t a large place, but it provided just enough space for her and Talei, and her alimony payments covered the rent and utilities. Now that John was gone, Misty considered that she might have to take on a second job. It didn’t matter. She would do whatever was necessary to make ends meet.
“Let’s get our baths out of the way.”
Talei patted her damp swimsuit. “Mommy, I don’t need bath. I clean.”
Misty chuckled. “We still need to bathe after we get in the pool, sweetie.”
Talei sighed. “Okay, Mommy.”
They entered Talei’s bedroom, a yellow-and-white haven stocked with stuffed animals, dolls and a closet filled with everything from everyday clothing to Native American fringed dresses, and
a feather headdress designed by Misty’s mother, Oma.
She opened a drawer to retrieve a pair of pajamas.
In the bathroom across the hall, Misty gave Talei a bath, dried her off and then dressed her in pink-and-white-polka-dotted pajamas.
Talei followed her into the master bedroom. “Sweetie, you can watch television in my room while I take my shower.”
Misty left the bathroom door ajar.
She came out dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and an oversize black-and-white T-shirt. Talei was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the king-size bed playing with Pooh Bear and the one she called Eon. She looked up and said, “I hungry.”
“Dinner will be ready soon, sweetie.”
Thirty minutes later, they sat down to a quiet dinner.
“Mommy, we call Daddy?” Talei asked.
Misty wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I’m afraid we can’t, sweetie. Daddy’s not able to talk to us.”
Talei nodded, and then turned her attention to the bear she’d brought to the table. Normally, Misty wouldn’t allow it, but this bear was a gift from John and her daughter kept it close.
“How is Pooh Bear feeling today?” Misty inquired.
“Sad,” Talei responded. “Her miss Daddy.”
She got up and went around the table to her daughter. “I know you miss your daddy. I want you to know that he loves you. He will always love you, sweetie.” She knew that Talei was too young to fully comprehend the reason for John’s absence.
Misty cleaned the kitchen afterward while her daughter watched television.
With Talei settled in for the evening, Misty retrieved a box of photos from her closet—photos of her with bruises on her arms, neck and face. Leon had no idea the chameleon John was; he could be charming and loving one minute, and then transform into a malicious, abusive tyrant in another. She decided there was no need to keep the pictures any longer, so she ripped them up and threw them in the trash. She didn’t want Talei to ever see them. Misty didn’t want to taint her daughter’s memory of her father.
* * *
LEON LEFT WORK and met up with John’s parents at the funeral home. They were making the arrangements to transport his body home to Orangeburg. The magnitude of their despair was almost overwhelming.
Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Page 52
