“Tracy, you had a guy here.” Chuck surprised himself when he said it out loud.
She crossed her arms and smirked. “Are you jealous?”
“That’s not good for Jack. He shouldn’t be exposed to you bringing guys in all the time.”
Tracy’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in close to Chuck. “It’s none of your business,” she hissed. “I don’t owe you an explanation. I don’t owe you a confession, and I certainly don’t need you, of all people, to police my personal life.” She pushed a finger in Chuck’s chest. “You are no different from me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Chuck stepped back, widening the space between them. “I’ve been forgiven and that’s why you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. There’s only one person in this world that I hate.”
“And that’s your father.”
Chuck waited for her to react, to explode, to come clean, something, but there was only silence. A long, uncomfortable silence. “Tell Jack I’ll see him Wednesday.” Chuck could still feel her icy stare as he got in his car.
Bobbi scooped an Indonesian blend into the basket of her coffeemaker, and pushed the brew button. Leaning over the kitchen counter, she breathed in deeply, savoring the rich aroma, and she finally allowed herself to relax. She survived the weekend. Now she had two days to regroup before it began again.
It was hard not to love Jack. He reveled in his new family, soaking in each experience. So eager to please, but desperate to fit in, every instinct pulled at her to shelter him, and build him up. He wasn’t hers though. He belonged to that woman.
She jumped when the phone rang. “Bobbi, this is Laurie Dillard. Is Chuck home, too?”
“Yes, let me get him.” Bobbi started to lay the phone down.
“Actually, if Glen and I can invite ourselves over, I’d like to talk to you both for a minute.”
“Sure. I just put Shannon to bed, so we can talk like grown-ups.” Hopefully this wouldn’t be a performance review of her stepmother weekend.
“Who was that?”
She never heard Chuck come in behind her and start unloading the dishwasher.
“Laurie. She and Glen are coming over. She needs to talk to us.”
“I hope she didn’t try to buy Tracy off, too, and she’s coming to confess.” Chuck put a stack of plates in the cabinet.
Bobbi smiled at her husband. “I don’t think you have to worry. Laurie is about as different from Rita as two people could get.” The coffeemaker kicked off, and Bobbi poured a cup for herself. “Do you want a cup?”
“No. How do you drink that stuff so late and still go to sleep?”
“A delicate balance of tolerance and exhaustion.” Bobbi took a sip. “Actually it makes me sleepy. It’s all warm and soothing going down. Everything gets relaxed. It’s a wonder I make it upstairs to bed every night.”
“Well, the day your doctor tells you to cut out caffeine, I’m moving out.”
“Hey, I’ve gone twenty-seven months, three pregnancies, without it. I can handle it.”
“Spoken like a true junkie.” Chuck grinned and closed the dishwasher.
“So you never told me, what did ... how did it go this evening? Taking Jack home.” Bobbi leaned against the counter and took a long drink from her cup.
“She’d had a guy there,” Chuck answered slipping into one of the kitchen chairs. “I could smell the after-shave, so I know Jack could, too. She told me it was none of my business.”
“Which it’s not,” Bobbi replied, flatly.
“But that’s not good for Jack.”
“You’re not responsible for what he learns when he’s with her. You probably can’t undo it in the short time you have with him. All we can do is fill him up with as much that’s positive and good that we can, and trust God for the rest.”
“You don’t sound like a woman unsure about raising him anymore.”
“We aren’t raising him. You have visitation rights. His mother is the one who’s shaping him.”
“For now. That’ll change.”
“Did you watch him this weekend? He didn’t make a move without checking to make sure it was okay. If he doesn’t learn how to function in a family, he’ll be in therapy when he grows up.” She took another sip. “I wonder if she’s abused him.”
Chuck shook his head.
“I don’t mean beating him. I mean, yelling at him, intimidating him, that kind of thing.”
“She does have a temper, and it doesn’t take much to set her off.” Chuck said. “But he’s crazy about her. Wouldn’t he be afraid of her if she was mistreating him?”
“Not if that’s all he’s ever known.” Bobbi rinsed her cup out in the sink. “I see it in kids at school all the time.”
“So should I ask him about things at home?”
“I wouldn’t. Just be aware and watch for any subtle clues. Things that seem odd.” She slipped the cup into the dishwasher. “Hey, I heard a car. That’s Laurie and Glen.”
“I’ll catch them before they ring the bell or Shannon will be down here,” Chuck said, making his way around the kitchen table. Bobbi straightened his chair, and turned the kitchen light out before joining Chuck in the entry hall. He swung the door open and shook hands with the Dillards. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier so we could’ve had this meeting at Dave’s?”
“You want me to send Glen after some pie?” Laurie asked. “It’s not that late.”
“You can just owe me,” Chuck said.
“We can sit in here,” Bobbi said, flipping on the overhead light in the living room.
“Thank you for letting us come by on such short notice.” Laurie perched on the edge of the far end of the sofa, folding and unfolding her hands.
Bobbi slid in beside her. “Whatever it is, it’s not worth getting this nervous.”
Laurie glanced at Glen sitting in the recliner across from them, and he nodded. She swallowed hard and spoke without lifting her head. “I don’t know how to tell you this other than to just say it.” Laurie looked at Bobbi then Chuck. “Chuck, your son is one of my kids.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Chuck said.
“It’s not exactly. I didn’t realize who he was, and I’m sure he and his mother don’t know that I know you. His mother ...” Laurie glanced back at Glen, and then rolled her eyes up to the ceiling before continuing. “Chuck, the way she talks about you ... And it’s all lies.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Like when she got the summons, or whatever it’s called. She said you had it in for her and you were trying to take her son away from her to get back at her. She never said your name though. I had no idea it was you until I saw Jack this morning.”
“Why would she do that?” Chuck asked quietly.
Because she’s mental! Bobbi wanted to shout. Just when she started to let down her defenses, even slightly, Tracy proved it wasn’t worth the risk.
“After she came in that day,” Laurie said, “I was so torn up about it. I went home, and told Glen all about this deadbeat jerk trying to steal one of my kids from his mother ... I’m just sick, Chuck.”
“About what?”
“Because I thought all these terrible things about you.”
“Not me, someone who only exists in Tracy’s imagination.”
“See, that’s what I told her!” Glen said. “It’s the liar’s fault, not her fault for believing it.”
“Tracy’s a very good liar,” Chuck said. “You didn’t have a chance.”
“What do I do now? What do I say when she comes in Monday afternoon?”
“Call her on it,” Chuck said. “She won’t lie to you again, at least about that.”
Bobbi shook her head silently. What else was she lying about, and who else had she dragged into this mess? “Chuck, it just never ends,” she said quietly. “What else is she going to pull? What is she doing? Priming a witness for a future court case or something? Is she going to make up some story, and sue us for
mistreating Jack?”
“Bobbi, you’re doing it again,” Chuck said.
“Doing what?”
“Getting all irrational about Tracy.”
“And you’re belittling my concerns again,” Bobbi shot back. “If she finds out who Laurie is, she’ll switch daycares. She won’t face her again.”
“Well, if she does, she does,” Laurie said. “I can’t listen to her lie about Chuck that way. I’ve got to confront her. Tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 13
ADMISSION
Monday, September 10
Laurie Dillard restacked the mail and files on her desk, all the while wishing this was her week outside with the preschoolers. Instead, she was stuck inside, watching the clock, waiting.
Tonight, it would be nearly seven o’clock before Tracy picked Jack up. She made a pretense of working late Mondays and Thursdays, but everyone on the staff had smelled alcohol on her on those nights. Even though she never seemed impaired, Laurie and the others struggled with whether or not they should send Jack home with her.
Laurie heard the distinctive diesel rattle of the school bus outside. “Good. The kids are here.” She made it out of her office just as Jack Ravenna burst through the front door with even more energy than usual.
“Miss Laurie!” he called. “Guess what?”
“You’re yelling inside?”
Jack smiled sheepishly. “Besides that. Guess!”
“I don’t know,” she answered. “Tell me before you bust.”
“I have a grandma and brothers and a sister and a aunt and a uncle and some cousins, and I got to play football, and my dad took me to church, and I got my own Bible and—”
“Goodness, that’s a lot. Let me get you a snack, and you can tell me all about it. Put your backpack away.” Laurie pointed to Jack’s hook, and then waved and greeted the other children as they headed outside. “Juice or milk?”
“Milk,” Jack said, “and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
“Excellent choice,” Laurie said, as she got out the bread. Moments later, she set the sandwich and a cup of milk in front of Jack.
“You’re fast,” he said.
“I’ve had lots of practice. Now, tell me about your weekend with your dad.”
“Wait, my dad said we had to say prayers before we eat. Do you know how to do that?”
“Yes.” Laurie bowed her head, ready to pray, but Jack began before she could speak.
“God, thank You for this peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and for my mom and my dad and Mrs. Dad and everybody else in my family. Amen.” He took a bite of his sandwich, and then said, “I know how to say prayers, too.” After a gulp of milk, he continued, “My mom was right. My dad is a good guy. And Mrs. Dad is really nice. She teaches a class at church and I went to it. I learned the verse first. You want to hear it?”
“Absolutely,” Laurie answered.
Jack sat up very straight. “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
“Perfect. Is that your first Bible verse?”
“Yep. But my dad said I had to get a harder one next time.” He took another bite of his sandwich. “And my brother, Brad, he played football, and he showed me how to throw, and my cousin, John, was a football player, too. He’s bigger than Brad, and my brother, Joel, knows every word from Obsidian’s Exiles.” Jack swallowed another mouthful of milk.
“Jack, you’re gonna choke. I’m not going anywhere. Take your time.”
“And my grandma read me a Bible story about a evil giant and David. And then everybody had a Bible but me, and my dad said he’d get me one, then we went to church, and I still didn’t have a Bible, so my dad took me to meet the preacher.”
“What’d you think of him?” Laurie asked.
“He was nice. I think he used to be a cowboy, and he might be smarter than my dad.” Jack bit the remaining corners off his sandwich. “It looks like an arrow now,” he said, holding the sandwich up.
“A fat, squished-up arrow, maybe. You wanna know a secret about Pastor Glen?”
“Does he have a secret identity?”
“Kind of, I guess. Pastor Glen is my husband.”
“Really?” Jack’s mouth dropped open in exaggerated surprise. “But you weren’t at church yesterday.”
“Oh yes, I was. You just had so much new stuff going on you didn’t see me.”
“Wait till I tell my mom!”
“Do me a favor, Jack. Let me tell her.”
“Okay,” Jack said. He finished his sandwich over more stories of Shannon’s toys and Brad’s bedroom, and all his new family. Finally, he pushed his plate away.
“Think that’ll hold you?” Laurie asked, taking the dishes away.
“Yep! Thanks!”
As Jack headed outside, Laurie called after him, “Remember, this is a late evening.”
“I know,” Jack answered from the playground.
Attending to the day’s playground issues, and helping with homework made the time pass quickly. One by one, the children left with their parents until only Jack, Laurie and a couple of other staff members remained.
Finally, just after six-thirty, Tracy’s white Lexus pulled up in front of Building Blocks. “Here we go, Lord. This one’s all You.” Laurie took a deep breath, and met Tracy at the door. “Before you get Jack, can I speak to you in the office for a minute?”
“Has Jack done something wrong?” Tracy asked, following Laurie to the daycare office.
“Not at all,” Laurie answered, closing the door. “Have a seat, please.” Laurie sat behind her desk in the crowded office. Tracy twisted sideways in her chair so she could cross her legs.
Before her resolve wavered any further, Laurie cleared her throat, then looked Tracy in the eye. “My husband is the pastor of Preston Road Community Church, where Chuck Molinsky and his family attend.” Tracy’s only reaction was an extra blink of her eyes. “I saw Jack at church yesterday with Chuck and realized you had lied to me about your situation. For our professional relationship to continue, that has got to stop. Now.”
“All right,” Tracy answered. “Is that all?” She uncrossed her legs and seemed ready to walk out.
“No, it’s not,” Laurie answered. “I don’t understand why you did it.”
Laurie watched as Tracy silently interlaced the fingers of her perfectly manicured hands, and laid them gently in her lap. When she raised her head, her eyes were dark with a faraway fury. “When I was eleven years old, I watched my father come home in a blind, drunken rage, and beat my mother to death. No provocation, no warning, nothing.”
“I am so sorry.” Laurie said quietly.
Tracy never acknowledged Laurie’s comment, but continued to speak with the rehearsed cadence of a story told and relived too many times. “He went to trial. During the sentencing phase, I testified, and I told the truth.”
Laurie could see Tracy’s hands, still folded in her lap, but now her knuckles were white and a subtle tremor shook her body.
“Because I told the truth, the judge determined that my father was not death eligible, and he went to prison. He may get out one day because I told the truth.” She blinked as if coming out of a trance, then relaxed her hands. “The truth never did anything for me.”
“That’s a terrible burden to carry all alone. What can I do to help you?”
“You ... want to help me?” Tracy’s voice dripped with sarcastic disbelief. “Why on earth would you want to help me?”
“Because you need it, because nobody else is willing to, except maybe Chuck.”
“Chuck?” Tracy laughed. “He hates me.”
“No, he doesn’t. Bobbi doesn’t hate you, either.”
“Excuse my skepticism.” She crossed her long legs again, and seemed almost relaxed.
Laurie felt a nudge inside her soul and she seized the opportunity. “Listening to you talk ... it reminds me of something I read about a man who was on the run, in danger for his life, and he felt completely isolated and
abandoned. He even said, ‘no one cared for my soul.’”
Just a slight movement of Tracy’s eyebrow indicated she was willing to listen a little longer, so Laurie went on. “He was wrong, though. It took him a little while to realize it, but he was wrong. I’m pretty sure you’re wrong about how things are, too.”
Tracy didn’t reply, so Laurie ventured another step. “Sometimes when people are mistaken about their situation, they do desperate things, because they feel as though they have no other alternative.” Again, Tracy didn’t react, so Laurie braved one more question. “Are you still afraid of your father?”
“Laurie, thank you for your concern, and for taking such good care of Jack, but I should get him home.” Tracy picked up her purse and stood.
I blew it. I had her, and I went too far. Now Laurie had nothing to lose. “One more thing. How much did you have to drink this evening?”
Tracy’s hand was already on the door handle, but she dropped her head, and a moment later, she turned back and smiled. “Never more than two. I would blow legal if I got pulled over. Jack’s not in any danger.” Then she opened the door with a flourish and walked out of the office. “Jack! Are you ready to go get some dinner?”
Laurie slumped back in the desk chair, exhausted. Tracy didn’t storm out. That had to be a good thing. That woman needed healing, and a friend, a confidante. The verse that Jack learned yesterday, God couldn’t have arranged a more perfect verse for Tracy to hear. Her best hope was facing the truth.
Laurie reached over to the phone on the desk and called her husband. “How’d it go?” Glen asked even before saying hello.
“Some good and some bad.” Laurie then recounted the conversation. “I don’t think she’s going to take Jack out of Building Blocks, so maybe I’ll have a few more opportunities.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Even if you don’t get to talk to her again, you got some good points in.”
Laurie didn’t agree with him, but knew that debating was pointless, so she changed the subject. “Jack had a great weekend. He told me all about meeting the preacher.”
Indemnity: Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series Page 17
