“No, we were just playing a game. And it looks like I was right!” She nudged Rodney in the arm and took another pull of beer.
“She cheated! You cheated!” Rodney yelled, pointing at her.
It caught her off guard when his hand patted hers, lingering for just a few seconds before he pulled it away and drained the rest of the alcohol from his bottle. Tapping the glass on the surface, he pushed away from the bar and stood up, stretching his arms out. Damn, was he leaving? It was just getting good, but maybe it was for the best. The absence of the ring was going to bug her, and she certainly wasn’t going to ask him about it.
“Well, Amelia, I should probably get going.” He glanced at his watch and cringed. “I didn’t even mean to stay this late. Drove by and a cold beer sounded good. Y’all have the coldest beer in town.”
“Yeah, I need to go too. I have work in the morning, and since tomorrow is Friday, I’ll be coming straight here to work my shift after I get off at the hardware store.”
“How are you getting home, Amelia? If you’re waiting on that friend of yours, you might be here a while.”
“Yeah, she’s my ride.” Damn, and Amelia didn’t want to stick around. The crowd was thinning out and she had enough excitement for one night. “Guess I can call for an Uber.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll take you home. It’s not like this town is huge, or anything.”
Amelia thought about it for a second. Was this his way of conning girls into his truck? She was being ridiculous but she also had to be careful. Just because he was good looking didn’t mean he was exempt from being a psychotic killer. Something about him told her that he wasn’t like that.
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all, Amelia. Let’s get outta here.”
She followed him out into the parking lot. Heather was oblivious to the fact that Amelia was leaving so she pulled her phone out and shot her a text -
Got a ride home. I’m fine. Be safe tonight and get an Uber or a cab if you are too drunk!”
Rodney drove a pretty nice pickup, but cliche for the type of work he was in and where they lived. Every other vehicle on the road was a Chevy Silverado but she kept that thought to herself. Had she drank anymore and the filter might’ve been gone. To her surprise, he opened the passenger door for her and shut it once she had climbed up into the cab. Taking a quick look around before he got in, she noted a booster seat in the backseat. A young child rode in this truck. And it also smelled like him - masculine aftershave but nothing too overpowering. It was cleaner than most men’s trucks, with a foam cup in the cup holder and a little dust on the dashboard.
The door squeaked open and he climbed inside, winking at her as he turned the key in the ignition. The loud engine came to life and the initial flip out of park jarred her forward.
“Where do you live?” Rodney asked, glancing in the side mirrors as he waited for her to respond before he turned out of the parking lot.
“Myers Road, just a few blocks down from here.”
Nodding, he turned left, the engine rumbling again as he applied the gas. “I know where that is. I had a roofing job there a few weeks back.”
“So, that’s what you do. You’re a roofer?”
Rodney’s eyes squinted again and he clicked his tongue, glancing at her and back to the road. “Sort of. All around handy man, I guess is what you call it. I work on air conditioners, heaters, sprinkler systems, roofs, blah blah.”
“Wow, that’s cool. I’ll keep you in mind as summer gets closer. My damn air conditioner always needs to be recharged.” C’mon, Amelia, don’t say too much. Just get through the ride to your house and you won’t embarrass yourself. She continued to look at his left hand, curled around the top of the steering wheel. There was no ring in the cup holder or anywhere visible. What if he was wearing it around that silver chain she had spotted? Her worry over it was driving her crazy - she needed to get to bed and sober up.
“Just let me know. I take all the business I can get.”
“My house is the white one on the corner right there.” Amelia pointed to it and he parked up in the driveway behind her car. “Thanks so much for the ride. I don’t think I would’ve wanted to stay until last call. Knowing Heather, that’s exactly what she’ll do.”
“It’s no problem. Better safe than sorry. I’ll probably see you at the store tomorrow. Gotta get some more supplies.” He tapped his hand on the steering wheel but left the engine running. “Get some sleep. It’s gonna be a long Friday for both of us.”
He held eye contact with her for a bit, his lips parting in another smile that held so much power over Amelia. Could he tell what kind of effect he had on her? She was a damn school girl again, crushing over the cute boy in the playground.
“Okay, just bring your list in and I’ll help you out. Have a good night, Rodney.”
She didn’t wait to see if he would come around and open the door for her again, and it was neurotic of her to think he would. They weren’t dating. It was just a kind gesture that most men didn’t do anymore. Sliding out onto the ground, she thanked him again and shut the door, hurrying up to the porch. He didn’t back out of the driveway until her door was unlocked and she was going inside. Closing it behind her, she slid to the floor and rested her head against the wall. Rodney was right - tomorrow was going to be a long day.
Chapter Ten
Rodney didn’t want to go home. Justin was staying at Carol’s for the night, so the place would feel completely empty without anyone there. At least going to the bar turned out to be a good decision. He had debated on doing it in fear of completely indulging in the many options of booze that would easily get him in trouble. Susan had mentioned his DWI from ten years ago and it had been a long time since he had thought about that. And if he had gotten wasted, he’d be a hypocrite for scolding Susan about her choices and then going out and making the same ones. He was no angel and would never be high and mighty over people’s choices to kick back and relax with a few - he’d had been drunk his fair share but the difference in the two of them was he didn’t depend on it. Susan’s life revolved around being under the influence of anything that would alter her state of mind.
Kicking his boots off, Rodney tossed his baseball cap on the table and sat on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. The whole time he was out, he didn’t think about Susan much. At first, drinking alone was bringing up too many memories that were turning him angry, but the company of Amelia had helped him get it off his mind. She was a sweet girl and he was glad to have met her.
Now that he was home, alone, the thoughts of Susan came crashing on top of him like a building imploding. How could she be so selfish to choose that life over her kid? Justin wouldn’t understand the divorce. He was still young enough to be naive and believe that saying sorry would fix it all. If only it were that simple, but even if it was, Rodney wasn’t sure if he’d ever accept her apology. The idea of her cheating on him felt like someone was driving a knife through his heart. And the fact that she had been carrying on the affair for months made that knife twist in circles, deepening the wound.
Standing, he padded to the bookshelf and picked up a picture frame with him, Susan, and Justin together. Turning it over, he slammed it on the corner of the shelf, shattering the glass that held the picture in. He was in no mood to clean up the mess - it’d be there in the morning, just like the rest of his problems, waiting to pounce on him the minute he woke up. If he was even able to go to sleep.
Shrugging out of his shirt, he stripped down to his boxers and slid in between the silky sheets. They smelled like Susan and usually, he would’ve loved that, but tonight it was liking pouring kerosene on a lit match. Kicking his legs over the edge of the bed, he went down the hallway to Justin’s room and crawled into his bed. It was small and Rodney’s legs were too long but it’d have to do. He didn’t want to sleep on the couch and be in the living room with all of their pictures staring back at him. He didn’t want to sleep in his bedr
oom for the obvious reasons.
Rolling on his back, he stared up at the ceiling. Justin had glow in the dark stars and planets cascading overhead, and though Rodney was physically exhausted, he spent the remainder of the night studying the plastic constellations he had helped his son put up a few months ago. His thoughts were on Justin and his future, and how he would handle his mother not being around. His heart ached for the child. Divorce was a tough thing for everyone in the family to go through.
As if someone was changing the channel in his mind, Amelia even popped in his imagination a few times, her laugh and smile soothing him, toning down the anger he couldn’t quite get under control. It was way too soon to be thinking about another woman. He didn’t need a rebound and Amelia certainly didn’t deserve that. He could at least call her a friend. A person couldn’t have too many of those.
Rolling on his side, Rodney closed his eyes and tried to think about anything but all of the drama in his life at the moment but it was impossible to get his mind to shut off. It was almost two in the morning and he needed to up early for work. It’d be another long, exhausting day, but at least it was Friday and he was off this weekend. Amelia had mentioned that she was working at the bar - maybe he’d go get a few drinks and enjoy her company. That’s all it could be. Just her company and nothing more. He was going through a divorce, and it was just at the beginning stages. He didn’t need to put more on Carol and he probably should stay home with Justin for the weekend. The kid was going to have a ton of questions about his mother and Rodney wanted to make sure he handled the situation correctly. The worst thing he could do was bash the child’s mother, despite his resentment toward the woman.
His body relaxed into Justin’s mattress and he was on the verge of dozing, his mind giving into his body’s warnings to get some rest.
Six AM had come fast and halfway through Rodney’s work day he was feeling it. They were completing a residential roof and the thick humidity made it feel like the temperature was ten degrees hotter than it actually was. Why people were deciding to put new roofs on their houses right as storm season was starting was beyond Rodney, but it meant money, and money meant a decent paycheck.
Lifting his baseball cap, he wiped the sweat from his brow and took a long pull of water. It was icy cold, fresh out of the cooler and it helped cool him to the core. Three other guys were working with him today and he was thankful for that - with their help, they were finishing well before schedule and maybe they could all start their Friday’s early, though Rodney didn’t have big plans.
His phone buzzed in his pocket - it was a text message from Carol, who was watching Justin after school. Rodney made a mental note that he’d eventually have to enroll him in after school care so Carol could get on with her life. It’d be another adjustment for everyone, but Justin would probably enjoy more time with his friends who had to stay and wait on their parents.
Hey, Rodney. Sorry to bother you at work but you should probably get to your house ASAP.
Rodney put his baseball cap back on and read the message again. Rather than wait for a series of texts, he dialed her number and walked to the other end of the house, out of earshot from the guys. He wasn’t ready to let them know about his home life drama.
“Hello?” Carol answered, her voice shaking.
“What’s going on, Carol?”
“Are you able to come over?”
“I uhh…” Rodney assessed how much more they had to finish up. It wasn’t much and the guys could do it without him. “Yeah, I think so, but what’s going on?” The fact that she sounded frantic made his pulse race. “Is Justin okay?”
“Yes, Justin is fine. There’s a caseworker here and they want to speak with you and Susan.”
Shit. Not what he wanted to hear, though he expected this to happen after their last encounter with the doctor in the ER. “I’ll be there in ten.” Walking over to the other workers, Rodney took off his tool belt and set it beside the cooler of water. “Hey guys, I hate to do this to you, but I gotta run. I’ve got a minor emergency back at the house.”
“Oh no, is everything okay?” Dalton, the youngest member of the group looked up, squinting his eyes against the sun.
“I’m not sure. I’m gonna go find out. If there’s still time when I’m done, I’ll come back and help finish up.”
“Don’t worry about it. Start your weekend early. We’ve got it under control here.” Jeremy, the most experienced under Rodney patted him on the shoulder. “I hope it’s all okay.”
“Me too.”
“Call and let me know if you need anything.”
Rodney shook his head and went down the ladder, hurrying to his truck. The guys were thinking a different kind of an emergency was going on - this was a caseworker that could potentially take Justin away, all because of Susan. Checking the mirror, Rodney made sure no one was coming and backed out into the street, going well over the speed limit. It didn’t take more than ten minutes to get anywhere in town and as he promised Carol, he got there in the time estimated.
Carol was sitting on the front steps, Justin was out in the yard with his glove, and the caseworker, a Hispanic woman with a knee length skirt and matching blazer, was trying to get his attention to talk to him. Heat coursed through Rodney. He felt his clammy skin against the steering wheel. Was she allowed to talk to him without an adult? Or was that just in police interrogations? Rodney didn’t know and he didn’t have time to waste. Scooting out of his pickup, he approached them, the caseworker looking up, her smile fading quickly.
“I presume you are Mr. Keller, Justin’s father?”
“I am. What’s this all about?” Rodney spread his hands, glancing over at Carol and down to his son, who was rolling the ball down the walkway.
“My name is Maria Serbantez with Child Protective Services. We received a report earlier this week and are here to investigate.” She motioned for Rodney to follow her and they went onto the porch.
“Investigate what?”
“Susan Keller, Justin’s mother, has been in and out of the hospital numerous times for drug and alcohol abuse. Medical staff were concerned about his well-being, considering how many times within the past year this has happened.” The woman pulled out a clipboard with a large stack of papers on it. “Mr. Keller, are you a drug user?”
“No. No, I’m not.”
“What about alcohol? Do you drink?”
Rodney glanced down at Carol and Justin, who were now playing catch. “Occasionally. I told the doctor this already.”
“The doctor?” Ms. Serbantez arched her eyebrow and looked up from her paperwork.
“Yeah, the doctor who reported us.”
“Who says it was the doctor?” Ms. Serbantez asked. “Mr. Keller, the issue isn’t who reported this. I’m just here to make sure Justin is being taken care of. You say you drink occasionally? Define occasionally for me, please.”
“A few on a Friday night. No more than three. But I certainly don’t do it every day or in excess. Not like Susan did.” He didn’t care about incriminating her. She had made her choice and he meant it when he said he was finished with her.
“Do you drink in front of Justin?” She pointed her pen at him.
“I have before, yeah, but not in a long time.”
“So when you go out and have your occasional drink, where are you?”
This woman was pushing him into a hole that was getting deeper and deeper. He felt like he should be in an interrogation room with a huge light flashing on him. Wiping the sweat on the back of his neck, Rodney licked his lips. No matter what he said, she was going to twist his words around. Being honest was the best thing to do.
“At the bar. I’ll meet up with friends from work sometimes.”
“Who watches Justin when you do that?”
“Susan was until she fell off the deep end again. Carol has been very helpful. If you’re suggesting I leave him without supervision, you’re mistaken, Ms. Serbantez.”
“Your record indica
tes you’ve been arrested for a DWI. So, would you say that the occasional drink might be more than the legal blood alcohol level?”
“No.” It infuriated him that the mention of his DWI kept coming up. Susan’s deeds were digging up his past and punishing him when she was the one who needed the help. “That DWI was ten years ago before Justin was even thought of. It’s the only one I ever got and I cleaned myself up after that.” He didn’t attempt to hide the anger in his voice and Ms. Serbantez looked up from her papers again.
“I’m gonna need to do a walk through of your house, Mr. Keller.”
Rodney opened the front door and led her inside. This was demeaning, like they were already assuming he wasn’t equipped to be a father. The caseworker paid the closest attention to Justin’s room, which wasn’t immaculate but it wasn’t filthy either. It looked like a child lived there, his toys scattered due to bad habits. She also checked the refrigerator and cabinets. Without saying anything, she jotted more notes down.
“Every decision I make is for Justin. I take his well-being into consideration before anything else. You can believe me or you can just assume it’s me trying to make myself look good in front of you, but it’s the truth. Write that down on your little clipboard, Ms. Serbantez.”
“He does seem happy. And you’ve got good food in there for him but you need more fruit in the house. Apples, oranges, strawberries. Kids love those kinds of things. Is Mrs. Keller getting help? Has she been going to therapy?”
Rodney hesitated and looked down at his feet. “I don’t know, Ms. Serbantez.”
“You don’t know?” Again with the eyebrow arch.
“No. She moved out yesterday. As of then, she was using and having an affair. I’m filing for divorce.” Maybe that would work in his favor, or maybe CPS wouldn’t like the fact that Justin was in a broken home. But there was no use hiding it. They’d find out eventually. If they could dig up his record from ten years ago, they’d know about the split.
Never Let You Go: Save Me Series Book 2 Page 7
