“I’m getting around to it,” Jamie said. She patted Hershey on the head as he sniffed and wiggled against Marcia, trying to get her attention.
“Sweet dog,” Marcia said. “Did you finally decide to get one for the boys?”
“Ryan got it for them,” Jamie said. “He thinks a dog will help Drew with his night terrors.”
“That’s not such a bad idea,” Marcia said. She took Brock Jr. out of the stroller and set him on her lap. “See the doggy?”
The little boy squealed with delight as Hershey licked his hands, and Marcia said, “Now look, I’m going to have to get a dog too. Bianca’s going to be pressuring me as soon as she finds out Ben has a dog.”
“Sorry,” Jamie said. “They seem to get on very well.”
She neglected to mention that Ben thought of Bianca as his girlfriend.
“A little too well,” Marcia agreed. “Bianca’s such a tomboy I never thought she’d want a boyfriend.”
“Aren’t they too young? When I was growing up, everyone was afraid of cooties and thought that the opposite gender was yucky.”
“Yeah, well, they do lots of things together these days,” Marcia said. “Coed PE classes, girls in Little League, but don’t worry. They don’t do anything other than act like best buddies.”
Jamie’s attention was turned to the baseball diamond where each kid was given a chance to bat from a batting tee.
Ben went first and walloped one past the outfield. Several children ran to field the ball. Drew was next, but he shook his head and refused to take the bat from Ryan.
“Come on, Drew,” Ryan said. “I know you can do it. I bet you’ll hit a homerun over the fence.”
He placed a baseball on the top of the batting tee, and nudged Drew with the bat.
“Here, I’ll show you.” Ryan wrapped his arms around Drew and put his hands on the bat, but Drew screamed and his body went stiff.
“Can you hold the leash?” Jamie asked Marcia. She needed to intervene before Drew had a meltdown.
“He doesn’t like to bat,” Ben said, tapping Ryan’s arm. “Ever since our father swung a bat at him, he’s scared.”
Jamie felt the stares drilling through her, as the entire assembly quieted down at Ben’s words. Andrew had scared her sons, and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. It would come down to his word versus the children. He would claim she coached the children to say these horrible things so she could deny him visitation rights.
Ryan handed the bat back to Ben and picked Drew up, holding him. “Sorry, little buddy. Pitchers don’t have to bat, not if they’re in the American League. Ben can be your designated hitter.”
“Does that mean I get to go again?” Ben asked cheerfully. He took practice swings with the bat, which caused Drew to hold his hands over his head in a defensive position.
“No, we need to give everyone a turn. Go to the outfield and let your classmates rotate in.” Ryan took the bat from Ben and gave it to another kid.
He took Drew’s hand and led him over to Jamie. “Hey, looks like your mother has a dog for you.”
“Let’s go pet your puppy,” Jamie said, glad for the distraction.
She avoided Marcia’s concerned glance as she put Drew on her lap and held him.
What had Andrew done? And what was she going to do about it?
Her stomach curled with anxiety as she realized she would have to confront him. No way would she ever let him have unsupervised visits with her sons, especially Drew. But at the same time, he’d deny everything and call Ben a liar.
Even worse, he would escalate and accuse her of coaching Ben to extort more money from him.
She shuddered, despite the warm temperatures. Andrew had always said that no one wins a fight with him. If she brought a knife, he’d bring a gun. If she brought a gun, he’d bring a nuclear bomb.
Andrew always hit twice as hard, and he never, ever lost.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“I bet you think I’m a horrible mother,” Jamie said to Marcia as she watched Drew and Brock Jr. play in the sandbox.
The assembly had concluded and Ben and the rest of the second graders had gone back to their classrooms. Ryan had taken Hershey to the ballpark, and he’d promised to drop him off later after Ben got home from school so they could start the dog walking.
Marcia put her hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “You are absolutely not horrible, and if you’re referring to what Ben said about Andrew and the baseball bat, none of that is your fault.”
“Except I did nothing after Ben told me about it a year ago,” Jamie said. “I bought what Andrew said, that Ben had misinterpreted it.”
“Andrew lied, and you thought it was a reasonable explanation. You can’t blame yourself,” Marcia said. “He’s a typical abuser. He lies and he won’t take responsibility for his actions.”
Jamie blinked at Marcia, her jaw dropping. “What do you mean Andrew’s an abuser? He doesn’t even spank the kids. I know the boys are scared about this baseball bat incident, but I’ve never seen Andrew raise a hand at them.”
“If he scared them, and then he dismissed it as nothing, then he has abusive tendencies,” Marcia said, her eyes narrowing. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I saw Andrew grab your arm hard enough to hurt.”
“He was trying to get my attention,” Jamie explained. “I know he chews me out and says nasty things, but he’s never hit me before.”
Well, at least not hard, Jamie rationalized at the times Andrew had gotten upset while drunk, for which he had apologized profusely and claimed they were accidental, that he hadn’t been aware of what he’d done.
“He got physical and he hurt you, so it’s abuse in my book,” Marcia said. “I have more experience than I want to with domestic violence and abuse.”
Jamie swallowed hard, not wanting to pry, but at the same time unable to believe Brock could be abusive. Then again, most people saw Andrew as the happy-go-lucky life of the party. He was always so congenial with outsiders, glad-handing everyone and making them feel like they were his best buddy.
“Brock’s father abused him from childhood, and we had a hard time when Brock feared he would follow in his father’s footsteps,” Marcia explained.
Jamie let go of the breath she’d been holding, relieved that it wasn’t Brock. Ben and Bianca were such good friends, and she’d trusted Brock to take them to the ballpark or to movies and pizza nights.
“I can’t picture Andrew hurting his own sons. He ignores Drew for the most part.” A nagging voice reminded her that Drew hated going anywhere with Andrew. “He thinks of Drew as defective. Do you think that could cause him to take out his frustrations on him?”
“It might. He got physical with you after finding out you went out with friends. The way things are with abusers, the less they’re in control, the more dangerous they are. If you’re dating Ryan, he could blow his top when he finds out.”
“I’m not dating Ryan,” Jamie said, sounding like a stubborn little girl told to put away her toys.
One side of Marcia’s mouth lifted in a half-grin. “Denial, Jamie. Whether you’re dating him or not, the chemistry between you two is off the charts. Believe me, Andrew will notice. Where is he anyway?”
“Out in California helping someone with a tax audit.” Jamie shrugged. “He hasn’t checked up on me as much, so I’m kind of tiptoeing around, hoping he lost interest.”
“These types of control freaks will never lose interest. Something or someone could be keeping him busy.” Marcia lifted an eyebrow. “Does he go to California a lot?”
“More so lately; do you think he’s seeing someone?” Jamie’s eyes widened.
“It’s possible,” Marcia said. “How do you feel about it?”
“I’m over him. If he’s got someone else, that’s great. Maybe he won’t be so jealous about Ryan.”
“Let’s hope so,” Marcia said. “The important question is if you should demand supervised visitation for him. I’m worried he’ll
take it out on Ben when he finds out Ben’s broadcasted his abuse to his entire school.”
“I know, but what do I do now?” Jamie chest was heavy with a feeling of impending doom. “I can’t let Andrew have unsupervised visits with the boys, but if I report him, he might get fired and put in jail. Or social services will take Ben and Drew away from me for being so negligent.”
“You should talk to a lawyer and see what options you have.”
“I have a lawyer, but he’s always praising Andrew for how generous he is with the child support, and how responsible he is, holding a job. He acts like I should be grateful that Andrew hasn’t left us dirt poor and homeless.”
“He’s only doing what he’s supposed to do,” Marcia said. “Are we supposed to give him a medal for supporting his own family?”
“Guess not.” Jamie felt the sourness in her belly at the impossibility of her situation. “He seems so nice and attentive to us when others are around, and people say I’m lucky that he’s so supportive. But he’s always threatening to take Ben and Drew away from me, and he tells everyone he knows what a horrible mother I am.”
“All lies.” Marcia’s eyes blazed with fury. “If you’re so horrible, why did he leave the boys with you? This is a typical abuser thing, making himself look like a wonderful person to outsiders, so he can isolate you and make you wonder if your perceptions are true.”
“The thing is, I don’t know what to think.” The anxiety gnawing inside her made her shiver. “He’s nice to Ben, and he doesn’t really care to have Drew go along on the field trips he takes Ben on, so maybe I don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Are you saying the last time he took Drew out was the bat swinging incident?” Marcia scowled. “How long ago was that?”
“About a year ago,” Jamie said. She clapped a hand over her mouth and a chill slithered up her spine. “They went to the same park we went to on Sunday, and if I’m not mistaken, it was exactly a year ago.”
That could explain why Drew’s night terror was triggered.
“So, no real contact with Drew for a year?” Marcia asked.
“He barges in and interrogates me on Drew every so often, wants to know his progress and whether the schools and special programs are doing any good,” Jamie said. “I’m not too worried he’ll take Drew out for visitation. Maybe it’s all okay, since he’s never alone with Drew.”
“For now.” Marcia’s face grew serious. “The thing about abusers is that they escalate. Verbal turns physical, and small pushes or pokes turn into full-fledged beatings. I have that video of Andrew yanking your arm. I say we find a new lawyer for you and see if there’s anything you can do.”
Jamie’s stomach churned with bile. “I’m afraid to rock the boat, but I have to do something. I’ll never forgive myself if he really hurts Drew or Ben.”
“Or you.” Marcia’s voice was ominous. “Don’t forget, the real target is getting you to knuckle under to his program, and the boys are tools for him to subjugate you.”
Jamie hugged herself as her skin froze with a medley of chills. “I can’t picture Andrew being so evil. How would it benefit him if he gets caught abusing either me or the boys? He’s going for partner at his firm, and if they found out, he could be passed over.”
“How did it benefit Brock’s father to beat his mother to death and spend the rest of his life in jail?”
Jamie gasped and she saw inside her mind Andrew swinging a baseball bat at a batting tee. Except instead of a baseball on the tee, it was Drew’s head.
Thwack.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Ryan got permission from Jamie to pick Ben up from school. He and little Hershey waited outside Ben’s classroom.
As soon as the bell rang, all the doors to the pods swung open and students streamed out. Their teachers stood at the door and said goodbye. Ben, who Jamie said was a bit of a loner, was now surrounded by classmates.
Ryan walked over and greeted Ben’s teacher and then all the children gathered around Ryan and Hershey.
“Ben, can you and Mr. Hudson come to my birthday party?” Wyatt, the obvious popular boy, asked.
“Sure,” Ben said, looking expectantly at Ryan.
“Depends on if I’m needed at the ballpark,” Ryan said. “But go ahead and invite Ben. If I’m able to, I can come by.”
“Cool!” all the other boys said, bouncing around excitedly.
Ryan patted Ben on the shoulder. “Okay, son, we’re going to practice walking the dog now. Say goodbye to your friends.”
“I’m coming with you,” Bianca said to Ben. “I want to practice walking dogs, too.”
“Is your mother around?” Ryan asked. “I need her permission to take you from the classroom.”
“Bianca, you need to stay with me until your mother gets here,” Mrs. Udelhoven said. “You know better than to go off with someone else without telling your mother.”
“But Mr. Hudson is my daddy’s friend,” Bianca said.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t release you to anyone without your parents okaying it,” Mrs. Udelhoven said, glancing around the schoolyard. “Oh, look, there’s your mom.”
Marcia pushed the stroller and walked briskly toward them. She greeted them. “Sorry, I’m late.”
“Mom, can I walk the dog with Ben and Mr. Hudson?” Bianca bounced up and down, her two pigtails flouncing over her shoulders.
“Not today,” Marcia said. “You have a dentist appointment.”
“How about tomorrow?” Bianca was persistent. “I like dogs.”
“Only if I come with you,” Marcia said, flashing Ryan a smile to show she had nothing against him, but wanted to teach her daughter proper safety concerning adults.
“Okay,” Bianca said. “Bye, Ben and Mr. Hudson. Maybe tomorrow?”
“Definitely,” Ryan said. “As long as it’s okay with your mom. See you.”
He didn’t mind Marcia being protective with her daughter. In fact, he appreciated it. Parents should be more vigilant, and if he were a father, he would vet everyone his children came in contact with.
One could never be too careful these days, especially since some of the worst abusers hid behind friendly and responsible demeanors.
What Ben had said about Andrew bothered him, and he wanted to ask him about it as soon as he got a chance.
After a while, Ben’s new friends were picked up by their parents, and Ryan was able to lead Ben away from the school.
“Have you ever walked a dog before?” he asked.
“No, but it looks easy,” Ben said. He took the leash from Ryan, and the puppy tugged on it. “He wants to run.”
“Part of it is not letting him run wild,” Ryan said. “He needs to learn to walk and not pull.”
He showed Ben how to shorten the leash and talk to the puppy, stopping when he tried to pull and pounce on passersby, and always encouraging him when he did a good job walking by their side.
After a while, Hershey picked a spot and squatted to go to the bathroom.
“The other part of walking a dog is his bathroom time,” Ryan said. “We have to make sure not to leave his droppings behind for other people to step on.”
“Ewww, I hate stepping on dog poop,” Ben said.
Ryan whipped out a biodegradable poop disposal bag. “I’ll show you a trick of picking it up without getting your hands dirty.”
“I have to pick it up?” Ben wrinkled his nose.
“Yes, but you don’t have to touch the poop.” He showed Ben how to wear the bag on his hand and used it to pick up the poop, then turn it inside out and wrap the droppings inside.
“Hey, cool trick,” Ben said, still shying away from the bag.
“I’ll tie it up in a knot so nothing falls out and pitch it in the trash can,” Ryan said. “You have to walk your dog at least twice a day. But with a puppy, I have to take him out almost every hour.”
“It’s just like potty training,” Ben said. “When Mom first started Drew, she put him on ev
ery hour.”
“Right, and I bet she did that with you, too,” Ryan said.
“I was two years old when I stopped wearing diapers,” Ben said. “My dad says I’m smarter than Drew.”
“It’s not a matter of being smart,” Ryan explained. “But the way your brain is wired. You have the signals going to the right places, but things are harder for Drew because he can’t put things where they should be.”
“Drew is smart in some things, but really dumb in other things,” Ben said.
“I wouldn’t call him dumb. Each person learns in different ways,” Ryan said.
“My dad says he’s dumb. That’s why we can’t do anything because of him.” Ben’s brows lowered. “We can’t have a dog. We can’t go swimming. We can’t go camping. We never get to go to Disneyland or anyplace fun because of Drew.”
“I don’t agree with your dad,” Ryan said, feeling his stomach clench. “Drew is not dumb, and you can do all these things if you accommodate him. You know people in wheelchairs can do all these things, right? As long as there are wheelchair ramps and places for their chairs and special equipment for them to use. The same is true with Drew. We just have to make sure he’s comfortable.”
Andrew’s role in making Ben resent Drew was not helpful, and Ryan was determined to show Ben that it wasn’t as much as Drew not fitting into the world, but that the world needed to accommodate people like Drew.
“My dad would rather leave Drew at home, so he can’t spoil our outings,” Ben said.
“Oh, really? Where does he take you that Drew can’t go?” Ryan led Ben through the park near the school so he could have more time to talk.
“Roller coasters, boats, horseback riding, all sorts of fun stuff. He and his girlfriend are taking me camping this summer and skiing in the winter.”
“Your father has a girlfriend?” Ryan stopped under a spindly tree to let Hershey sniff it and mark his territory.
“She’s really nice, but I’m not supposed to tell my mom about her,” Ben said.
“Was she around when your dad swung the baseball bat at Drew?”
Playing for the Save (Men of Spring Baseball Book 3) Page 20
