“The reporter said what Ava asked him to say.”
George flinched. Dylan frowned. “Why would mom-”
“While the reporter was still in the room, me and Ava walked in, Ash-Lynn got out of that bed wearing your mama’s clothes, jewelry and shoes.”
“No,” George said, “No.”
“Yep, Ava knew her daddy couldn’t take the scandal, he was crazy about Ash-Lynn, another heart attack he’d die for sure, so she covered for his wife.”
“No!” George growled, “Damn it to hell, that’s not true.”
“Why do you think Ash-Lynn never came back to Aberdeen? Dylan was a little bitty thing back then. Ava did it to save her daddy. Why you think he’s still alive and ticking to this day? I told her not to cover for Miz Ash-Lynn but she was so sure of you.” Arthur pointed at George. “She knew you’d believe her, that you’d understand. Ava never doubted you for a second. When she tried to explain you destroyed that girl.”
George blanched. He shook his head in denial.
“So many times I wanted to tell you about your sorry self. Seen the ruthless way you punished her, paraded your other women in her face, she never cheated on you even after you threw her away like trash but she stayed for her son. Now he grown, his life on track, she gonna leave you.”
George backed away, then he doubled over. Dylan knelt by his side. He touched his hair and back. “Dad? I’m here okay.”
A keening moan ripped from his dad’s throat. The sound of agony tore at Dylan’s heart. George rocked back and forth.
“Breathe,” Dylan said, “Just breathe.”
When George gasped, he hung his head low. “She tried to tell me,” he rasped, “I didn’t believe-”
“You can make this right,” Dylan said.
“How?” George moaned, “Dyl you have no idea.”
“Tell me,” Dylan said, “I’m your son, I love you, nothing you say will ever change that.”
His powerful father looked like a lost boy, totally out of his depth.
“We were happy once, so happy and I, when I saw the pictures I just lost it. It was her hair, her jewelry, her clothes, everything. I had no doubt in my mind, it was her, half naked, straddling another man. I threw her out of our bedroom. I never touched her intimately again. I wouldn’t talk to her for years. I cheated on her several times and I made damn sure she knew it. I used her for my own political gain. I undermined her for spite, hurt her, God, you wouldn’t believe how much I hurt her.”
“Listen to me, you can win her back.”
“Dylan, I wasted twenty-five years punishing your mother for something she didn’t do. I put her through hell, I set a terrible example for you-”
Dylan looked at the older version of himself. “I admire you, I respect you, I couldn’t ask for a better father. Yeah, you sucked as a husband but you’re bull headed, stubborn and relentless. If there’s anyone on the planet who can fix this, it’s you, now get your ass up, go find your wife and be the man she thought you were.”
George Chambers rose to his full height. He brushed grass from his tailored slacks. They embraced. Dylan pat his dad on the back and said in his ear, “Go get her back.”
Chapter 15
The wedding of Mayor Dylan Chambers and Emerson Riley was the scandal of the season. Political pundits debated his moral character. The Washington committee got spooked and withdrew their endorsement for a future race for governor. Dylan revised his twenty year plan, much to the horror of his grandmother. Public opinion didn’t faze Dylan one bit. He loved his bride far too much to care. He decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps in charity work as a new career path. He partnered with his new grandfather-in-law, Arthur Hickman and expanded the soup kitchen to feed the homeless in several counties.
The ceremony was a small, intimate affair with only thirty guests. Jordan sat in the back row, slack jawed from the stunning turn of events. Grandmother Menerva sat ramrod straight, shocked to the back teeth that her grandson defied her legacy plan. Maybe she’d run for politics herself! She mentioned as much to Jordan. He had a sudden gleam in his eyes. On the bright side, they both agreed, with Emerson in the family, they’d get gourmet cookies for life.
Emerson’s dear friends since high school, Harper and Sawyer were her bridesmaids. Gran was Emerson’s matron of honor.
Ava Chambers thought she was having an out of body experience. Not only was her son getting married to the love of his life but George was acting – weird. He fully supported Dylan’s decision to leave politics and go into community service – that was shock #1.
Next, he voluntarily touched her by holding her hand to walk down the aisle. Her pulse leaped in her throat. When his thumb caressed her fingers, she shivered. She scowled at him. Ugh! The jerk!
Another thing, straight out of the twilight zone happened during the wedding vows. George stared at her with probing eyes as if he were repeating the vows to her. Was this his idea of a sick joke? Was he having a midlife crisis? Or worse yet, dying? George smiled in a heartbreaking way, as if he understood her distrust. Butterflies took flight in her stomach. Damn the man!
Their son was getting married. George would not spoil this day for her. And if he thought she would just fall into his arms after all these years he could just forget it!
Ava would go through with the divorce proceedings – she’d lawyered up! The potent force of his charm proved her undoing. By the first dance, George had her smiling. During dinner he had her laughing. By midnight he had her kissing. In less than twenty-four hours, George had his wife back in his bed and every single day after that.
Emerson and Dylan danced beneath the stars. They were both barefoot in the grass under a Texas moon. They were Mr. and Mrs. Chambers at last.
Update from the blog of Susie Q and Penny May about the Mayor and his new bride:
Wedding Song – Downtown Train by Rod Stewart
Honeymoon – St. Lucia
Children – 5 and counting!
Blaze: A Texas Heat Novel Page 8
