Truths Unveiled

by Kimberly Alan

  That guy was the only ‘helping professional’ Tom encountered who acted like he had any common sense. Tom even consulted with the man privately. But that was short lived. Sure the guy had a lot of insight. And even some other helpful suggestions. But Susan wasn’t concerned with agreements. She enjoyed the fight—plain and simple. And she was good at it.

  “When should I bring the boys back?”

  “Aren’t you going to invite me in? It looks like you’re having quite a party.”

  The hurt-little-girl routine rubbed his already thin nerves raw. If she were a man, he’d tell her she had a lot of audacity to even suggest such a thing. She didn’t want to go inside. She hated his parents. She’d said as much to them and anyone else within earshot on more than one occasion. She just wanted to needle him. Please God, he prayed. I don’t want a scene. Give me the right words to say.

  “Hey, Jarrod! Whatcha doing out there?”

  Eddie. Tom wasn’t sure if he was God’s response to his request, but he’d take it. “Thanks,” he whispered to his best friend.

  “Oh, Susan. Didn’t we just see each other last Thursday. Isn’t that twice too often in this decade?” Eddie chided.

  Susan obviously seethed. Tom pursed his lips in a straight line to hold back a grin. Clearly, Eddie’s presence infuriated her. For whatever reason, whenever he appeared, she usually backed away from whatever game she was playing.

  Her eyes blazed with warning. “Bring them home by nine!”

  “It’s the weekend, cousin, and your ex’s engagement party. Try as you might, you will not ruin it. The boys will be brought home by eleven.” Then he waved. “Bye-bye.”

  Susan’s eyes shot him with arrows. She scrunched up her lips, no doubt biting back something vile. Instead, she swung open the car door and angrily got behind the wheel. Eddie stepped forward and closed her inside. Then with an arm around Tom, he urged him toward the house. “Don’t look back. If she runs us over, at least there will be plenty of witnesses.”

  Relieved to end the scene, Tom complied. He knew Susan would find a way to make him pay eventually, but for now he was thankful for the reprieve. “When are you going to tell me what you have on her that makes her listen to you?”

  Eddie waved him off. “It’s no big deal. Glad I could be of help. Now get your butt in there and find your kids and fiancée.”

  ****

  “Grandma!” the boys called in union. The pounding footsteps bounced into the room and into Katie’s arms.

  Watching the scene, Pam held her breath to keep her eyes from welling. A.J. and Mark seemed genuinely happy to see their grandmother. And Katie’s face beamed with pride and joy.

  “You did good, kid,” Eddie whispered to Pam.

  Then she felt Tom’s arm around her waist. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”

  Pam couldn’t remember ever feeling so...she couldn’t even find a word to describe the warm and wanted feeling that washed over her. Thank you, Lord, she whispered. She leaned back against Tom and rested her hands on his.

  Her gut reaction to include the boys at the party was simply that. It just seemed like the right thing to do. After all, they would soon be her stepsons. She really disliked that term. It made her recall an old episode from the Brady Bunch. Bobby got the off-the-wall idea that stepparents couldn’t love their stepkids as much as their “real” kids, so he ran away. When he returned, Carol Brady showed him the steps leading upstairs. She told him, “These are the only steps in this house.” And that’s how Pam felt.

  ****

  “I don’t know what I should do,” Tom said later.

  Immediately, Pam understood what he was talking about. From their places, Eddie, Rebecca, Pam and Tom watched the boys in the adjoining room playing a game of Monopoly with their cousins. T.J. Jr. led the group, clearly enjoying his role as banker.

  “What do you mean?” Eddie asked.

  “I haven’t seen them in almost two years, and here we are acting like nothing happened. Should I try to explain? And what about Pam here? Should I be having them make an effort to get to know her?”

  Pam had no idea. Sure, under ordinary circumstances she’d like that. But this was such a delicate situation.

  Fortunately, Rebecca came to the rescue. Wiping barbeque sauce from her fingers, she said, “You’re doing fine. And they’re doing fine. Just leave them be. There’ll be plenty of time to get serious later.”

  That sounded good to Pam. She just hoped Rebecca was right about there being time in the future. What if tonight was just a ruse to catch Tom off guard and try to interfere in their celebration? Then she stopped. Even if that was Susan’s intent, it had failed. It was a beautiful party.

  With that thought in mind, Pam reminded herself she was not in control. All she could do was pray and do her best. God would handle the rest. She swallowed. From past experience, she knew sometimes that was easier said than done.

  “Have you set a date yet?” Katie walked up and asked. “I know you mentioned sometime after Christmas, but everyone wants to know when.”

  Pam’s gaze flew to Tom. Secretly, they had spoken earlier about the possibility of eloping. But now seeing all the trouble his mom went through for this evening and the hopeful look in her eyes, Pam gave Tom a look that said, She wants a wedding. A real wedding. She’d be crushed if she and your dad weren’t there.

  Nodding, Tom placed his hand over hers. “How about March? The weekend that falls closest to the 17th?”

  “It’s the anniversary of our first date,” Pam added, feeling her face flush.

  Katie jumped to her feet. “Well, let’s get out the calendar.”

  “My mom said there won’t be a wedding.”

  All eyes focused on the innocent nine-year-old boy who had entered the room.

  Truths Unveiled

  Truths Unveiled

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “Shut up, Mark!” A.J. ordered. He yanked his younger brother by the shirt back into the family room. “Don’t listen to him,” he told the adults while shaking his head. “He doesn’t understand stuff.”

  “But that’s what Mom said,” Mark insisted. “I heard her.”

  “I know,” A.J. whispered back. “But…”

  Pam couldn’t overhear the rest of the boy’s comment.

  “That’s to be expected,” Thomas Sr. said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

  Pam wanted to look at Tom. What was he thinking? she wondered. She was sure she could handle almost anything Susan dished out. But what about him? Ultimately, that would determine their fate. Would he rise to the occasion and address his kids’ needs head on? Or would he be like so many fathers she’d seen in the hospital? Emotional cripples who closed themselves off because they couldn’t or wouldn’t handle their child’s illness or deformity. Those men forced their wives into handling everything alone, feeling isolated and abandoned, while the men basked in their misery.

  Dear God, please, don’t let Tom do that, she prayed. I’m not coming here to trade one set of issues for another. I just can’t.

  Taking a breath, Pam cast a sideways glance in his direction. To her surprise, she found him staring at her. Forming a semi-smile, he said, “I hope you believe in that ‘for better or worse’ stuff.”

  ****

  “Pam seems nice, Dad,” A.J. commented. He and his brother sat buckled in the back seat of the truck. Tom took his seat up front and checked the rearview mirror. Mark was already asleep. Tom’s father had offered to go along for the ride to Susan’s house. From the front passenger’s seat, he gave Tom a confident wink.

  “I’m glad you think so, son. I do, too.” Again, Tom marveled at his children’s resilience. They’d been through a lot, and yet tonight it was as if their separation from him never occurred. He’d so many questions he wanted to ask them. So many assurances he wanted to offer. But where should he start?

  “Mom doesn’t like her.”

  From out of the mouths of babes, Tom thought, while maneu
vering out of the long driveway. Well, honesty is always the best response to honesty. No sense sugar coating it. “No, A.J., I don’t think she does.”

  “Will I see you again, Dad?”

  Okay, another zinger to the heart. Please, God. Give me the right words. “Of course you’ll see me again, A.J. I’m your dad. I’m not sure exactly when, but I hope it’s real soon.”

  “Mom’s mad at you.”

  “You think? I had no idea.” Tom couldn’t help himself. He knew he shouldn’t joke but the entire situation just seemed so absurd. There were no answers. No road map. Only potholes and ditches. One right after the other.

  A.J. caught the sarcasm and giggled. “Don’t worry, Dad. It will be okay.”

  Tom’s heart went out to his young son. His own child was offering him encouragement. “I know it will be, A.J. And I don’t want you to worry, either. The problem is between your mom and me. Not with you and Mark. We both love you no matter what.”

  “I love you, too, Dad.”

  Tom turned down Susan’s street, gulping back a quiet sob. Susan’s porch lights lit up most of the front lawn.

  “Dad?”

  “Yeah?” he glanced in the mirror. But before A.J. could answer, his mother opened the door and stepped onto the porch.

  In a flash, his son’s demeanor changed. “Ah, nothing,” he said hurriedly. He poked his sleeping brother. “Come on, Mark. We gotta go.”

  The distress Tom witnessed in A.J. mirrored his own. Even just anticipating Susan’s presence set Tom’s nerve endings on alert. Why does she have this effect on people? His heart broke for his boys. Living with Susan had taught him how to walk on eggshells all the time. He’d hated it. That wasn’t what he wanted for them. Yet there seemed no alternative.

  Susan, dressed in a fancy black lounging outfit, met them in the driveway. He gripped the steering wheel. She wanted to talk. He knew she would. He tried to think of a way to avoid her, but knew it wouldn’t be possible without causing a scene in front of the kids. She was an expert at boxing people in like that.

  “I need to talk to you,” she said predictably, after sending the boys inside. Tom had stepped out of the truck to hug them goodbye. Now, he got back inside and lowered the window. He looked to his dad. Tom, Sr. sat quietly in the passenger seat.

  “Okay. Go ahead.”

  “Do you want to come in?”

  Tom recoiled, as if to say, “Are you nuts?” But he held his tongue. “Thanks, but I’ve got to get back.”

  “I don’t want to argue anymore.”

  Tom nodded. “Me neither.”

  “How were the boys?”

  Tom thought of a million nasty things he could have said like, Fine. Considering you tried to poison them against me. But he held back. That wouldn’t help anyone. “Great. They got to see their cousins and the rest of the family. It was a good time.”

  “So Pam’s staying? She’s going to take the job at the medical center?”

  “Yes.”

  Straightening, Susan folded her arms across her chest. “Have you set a wedding date?”

  “Not yet.” They had, but she didn’t need to know.

  “Don’t you think we should settle our property dispute before the wedding? That way you’ll have nothing to distract you on your honeymoon.”

  Tom kept his voice level even as his skin crawled. “That’s very considerate of you. What did you have in mind?”

  “I want that property, Tom. I’ll pay you double what it’s worth. Take it. It’s a good deal.”

  “That’s very generous,” he agreed. “But I just don’t think so.” He saw fire ignite in her eyes, the same fire that always smoldered beneath the surface ready to flash out at any given moment.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Then I don’t think it’s particularly healthy for A.J. and Mark to be exposed to a stepmother at this point, especially when the woman got away with vehicular manslaughter.”

  Tom saw red. He reached for the door handle and started to leap from the truck but his father held him back.

  “Keep quiet, Thomas!” he hissed. “She’s just baiting you.”

  Smirking, Susan stood there in the moonlight and watched Tom pull out of the driveway.

  Beyond fury, Tom used every ounce of self control not to peel down the street. Desperate, he needed to vent his frustration. But then he realized it wouldn’t change a thing. And he’d look like a fool. Susan was Susan. To hope she’d change was just an act of futility.

  “I think your mom and I are going to file something in the court to get grandparents’ visitation,” Tom Sr. declared. “What are your thoughts about that?”

  Weary, Tom rubbed his forehead. “Thanks, Dad. But I don’t want to get you involved. You know her. The situation’s hopeless.”

  “Maybe, but Mom and I have been patient long enough. Those kids are our grandchildren. I say it looks like Susan needs a little reminder of that fact.”

  “I don’t know. She’s up to something. I can feel it.”

  “You could be right. That’s why now may be a good time for us to go to court. We should have done it years ago.”

  Tom looked at his father and noticed a sly smile creeping around his mouth. “She’ll get nasty.”

  Tom Sr. nodded. “I’m counting on it.”

  Truths Unveiled

  Truths Unveiled

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Can I come in?”

  It was Tom. Pam glanced in the dresser mirror in his old room. Yikes! She’d just gotten out of the shower. Her hair was still wet, and she didn’t have a stroke of makeup on her face. As planned, they got up early to eat breakfast together before going to the nine o’clock church service.

  It would be her first church experience in several years. She reached for a pair of jeans, trying not to think about it. Still, her insecurities managed to slip through, including the fact that it would bring her face-to-face with all of Middleton. Some people were bound to remember her.

  Pam mentioned her nervousness to Tom the night before. They hadn’t heard from the creep since earlier in the week while they were still in Boston. Would her appearance in church spur him back into action? In a way, Pam hoped so. The more strikes taken against her, the easier it would be to catch the coward. Though she wasn’t totally convinced of her innocence in the accident, if she was going to move here and start a new life with Tom, she needed this person exposed immediately.

  “Sure, Tom. Be right there.” Seconds later, Pam turned the doorknob and found herself wrapped in his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair and nuzzled her neck. “Boy, I can’t wait to get used to this.”

  Pam released a small sigh. Again, something else she’d been missing and hadn’t even realized it. Four weeks, she reminded herself. In four weeks, I’ll be here for good.

  “How about calling Boston to say you’re taking all your vacation and sick time now? We’ll hire movers and they can bring all your stuff down here. Then you won’t need to go back at all.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” she replied dreamily. She had a million and one little things to do before the big move, including putting her condo on the market. In some ways, she felt anxious to get started. But still, she dreaded leaving Tom.

  “Then we could move up the wedding to next week. We could be on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean by the weekend!”

  Imaging the scene, Pam dreamingly led Tom into the kitchen. “That sounds wonderful. Do you have a particular island in mind?”

  “Mom’s already working on it,” he said, tilting his head to the counter. Then he brought a basket of homemade muffins to the table, while Pam eyed a pile of travel brochures.

  Pam stood and grabbed silverware, plates and coffee mugs. She set the table. “Gee, she works fast.”

  “Aunt Emily is a travel agent. She brought the stuff over at the crack of dawn this morning.”

  As they ate, they coordinated their schedules and made a list of things that needed to be done before the wedding.


  “So it’s March twenty-first,” Tom confirmed. Then he asked, “Are you sure that’s enough time?”

  “Enough time for what?”

  “You know. To get all those frilly, lacy things girls buy for their honeymoon.”

  Pam laughed. “Frilly, lacy things?”

  Tom stood up and grabbed her up from her chair. Holding her around the waist, he twirled her off her feet. “Yes,” he assured her. “They’re very important. You can never have enough. Think of all the opportunities I’ll get to slip them off you.” His lips met hers with a lingering kiss.