The Favor

by Blaire Edens

  I chose this. This is exactly what I want. Me and Louie. Our house. Our life. Our decisions.

  Why did it feel so empty?

  …

  Taylor’s subdivision had a heated pool. Even though it was October, it was unseasonably warm, and a good swim might be the perfect escape. Since they’d moved back to Florida Street, Louie had asked incessant questions about when he was going to see Clark and Chewy. On Saturday afternoon, Anna threw a tote bag filled with towels, water bottles, and sunscreen into the backseat of her car. In the very bottom of the tote bag was a velvet box with the pearl engagement ring. She’d leave it at Taylor’s so Clark could pick it up the next time he visited.

  When they arrived, Taylor had already claimed a grouping of lounge chairs on the far side of the pool deck. Anna placed her things on one of them then handed Louie his goggles. “Stay in the shallow end. Aunt Taylor and I will be right here, okay?”

  He nodded. “Will you come in later?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “That means no, doesn’t it?”

  “Half an hour, and we’ll swim with you, okay?”

  He looked at the clock mounted above the restrooms. “I’ll come get you when it’s time.”

  After Anna shed her cover-up and settled onto her chair, she said. “I thought we’d never get here. Thank goodness we were coming to the pool. Otherwise I’d never have gotten Louie to stop begging to see Clark and Chewy.”

  “He’s really missing them, huh?” Taylor didn’t look up from her magazine.

  “Yeah. He really bonded with Clark. I want them to stay close. It’s just that, well, I think he needs more time to readjust to our house. Our rules.”

  Taylor dropped the magazine and pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head. She turned to face Anna. “Are you sure Louie is the only one missing Clark and the dog?”

  Anna’s best friend knew her all too well. “I may be missing them. A little.”

  “A little?”

  Anna exhaled loudly. “Okay, maybe more than a little.”

  “Why don’t you call Clark, then?”

  “That would just open a can of worms. Regardless of the feelings I have for him, I can’t live with someone who’s so determined to fix everything.”

  “Why not? His solution worked for keeping Louie.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You can’t avoid the question forever. I’m just going to keep asking.”

  Anna stood. “I’m going for a swim.”

  Taylor shrugged. “I’ll get you to talk. Eventually.”

  After a couple more hours at the pool, the three of them were worn out and decided to head back to Taylor’s for dinner.

  “I’ve got some chicken in the fridge. I thought we could grill it, along with some vegetables. Want some wine?”

  Anna shook her head. “I’d better not. Kid duty.”

  “I can grill chicken. Clark taught me,” Louie said. Then he sighed and crossed his arms. “I miss Clark and Chewy.”

  Anna took a deep breath. “Here we go again,” she said under her breath.

  Taylor handed her a glass. “A glass or two won’t hurt. You can always crash here if you feel woozy.”

  “Thanks. Maybe one glass.” The last time she’d had a glass of wine she’d been with Clark. Her mind flashed back to the afternoon they’d spent at Max Patch. She wished he could feel that way again, even if it was only for a few minutes.

  “Mom, when can we visit Clark and Chewy?” Louie looked up at her with huge eyes. “You said we could.”

  “We will, honey. Soon. I promise. Now, why don’t you go play in the yard while Aunt Taylor and I get dinner ready?”

  He nodded and went through the sliding glass doors that led to the fenced yard.

  “God, I’m exhausted. Totally exhausted. He asks about them at least a dozen times a day.”

  “He loves them. He can’t understand why they were just jerked out of his life.”

  Jerked. The word fired something in Anna. She and Louie had been a two-person team for so long, it was hard to imagine he was drawing security from anyone else.

  “I know they got pretty close, but it was supposed to be an adventure, not a long-term thing.”

  “Did you explain that to Louie?”

  “Of course I did.”

  Taylor opened the fridge and took out the chicken breasts. “He misses his dog. Call Clark and arrange a time for him to visit.”

  “I don’t want to talk to Clark. Not yet.”

  “What the hell happened between the two of you? He won’t talk, you won’t talk. What gives?”

  “It was okay. Just not meant to last.”

  Taylor tossed a dishcloth onto the counter and took a large sip of her wine. “I’m done. You and I have been best friends forever. Clark and I have been close our whole lives. I’m pissed off neither of you will even talk to me about it. What the fuck?”

  Anna leaned on the counter. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.”

  “Bullshit.” Taylor turned her back on Anna and began washing vegetables.

  The silent treatment always killed her.

  “The feelings that developed between Clark and I weren’t platonic. They were a little more than either of us bargained for, and it makes things tense.”

  Taylor whirled around and faced her best friend. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You found someone you could possibly love and you piss it away because it wasn’t what you planned? Because one little thing about him is enough to offset the long list of amazing things? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Do you know what I’d give for a chance at love, even with someone who’s imperfect?”

  “It’s not that simple. I have Louie to think about.” Just as she said his name, he ran by the sliding glass door, garden hose in hand. He was soaked from head to toe. In his only dry clothes. Clark would’ve laughed about it. The thought made Anna even more depressed. “My job is to raise that little boy. I can think about myself when he’s older.”

  Taylor rolled her eyes. “Because that’s a smart way to raise a kid. Loosen up, Anna. For God’s sake, the martyr bit is getting a little old. You’re not even thirty, and you act as if you’re done living.”

  “I’m a mom, Taylor. That makes everything different.”

  “No one does everything alone. It’s not healthy. There’s a huge difference in marrying someone with an agenda other than love. I know you thought you loved George, and with Louie on the way, you made the only decision you could, but it’s not the same with Clark.”

  “But Louie has to see me as an independent woman who’s determined to make it on her own.”

  “Being a mom doesn’t mean you have to do it all without a man. Why don’t you stop thinking so much and go for what you want for a change?”

  “What I want doesn’t matter,” Anna said through gritted teeth. She was becoming very frustrated with this conversation. “What matters is I’m a good mom to Louie.”

  Taylor slammed back the last of the wine in her glass and poured herself more. “And Clark was a good dad to him.”

  He’d been wonderful to her son. He’d taught him so many things that she couldn’t have. The realization hit Anna with the force of a hurricane. Clark loved Louie. And he loved her, too. She wasn’t sure how that changed the situation, if at all.

  “How does having a boyfriend or a husband who loves Louie—and would give his life to protect the kid—prevent you from meeting your son’s needs? It only makes it richer.”

  “I want Louie to think I’m strong.”

  “I’ve always been frank with you.” Taylor bit her lip, as if she were trying to find the perfect words. “If you choose to keep up this martyr bit, you’re teaching Louie he can’t ever be more than what he is. That his dreams don’t matter. You’re showing him the only thing in life is duty, and I think that sucks. He deserves a mom who’s happy and balanced and not afraid to go after what she wants.”

  Anna’s ears burn
ed. Her face felt hot and flushed. Taylor had never been one to pull any punches, so Anna wasn’t surprised or offended by her bluntness. “But I also have to teach him to take risks and stand up for himself. I’ve been afraid of George for years. I’ve cowered every time, allowed him to bully me from all the way across town. I have to show Louie that I’m stronger than that.”

  “While some of this may be valid, it’s about eighty percent bullshit. Your son isn’t the only reason you’re running from Clark. You’re scared. George was an asshole, and you’re assuming Clark might be, too. He’s not. Yes, he’s nosy. Yes, he should ask before he plows ahead and takes charge of things that aren’t his business, but he’s a wonderful man. You shouldn’t brush him off just because he’s not perfect.”

  Taylor was right.

  Her sacrifices weren’t all for Louie, and they weren’t all helping him, either. He’d do better with a solid male presence in his life. He liked Clark. He loved Chewy.

  She didn’t have to forego all her dreams to be a good mother.

  She could find a way to balance it all. Love, motherhood, work. She and Clark had been doing just fine in the months they were married.

  Clark was just a take-charge guy who sometimes overstepped his bounds. It was irritating as hell and drove her insane, but his intentions were golden. Clark’s meddling wasn’t for his own gain. Instead, he did it to make other people’s lives easier, happier. For the first time, she really appreciated the steps he’d taken to make sure she and Louie stayed together.

  She and Clark were more alike than she’d wanted to admit.

  Could she live with a man who always tried to fix things?

  The bigger question was could she live without him.

  Her heart told her she couldn’t, that she’d be a fool to let Clark slip away when they’d had so much fun being married.

  Married.

  In the eyes of the law, they were still husband and wife. Clark had promised to file, but she hadn’t gotten any paperwork yet. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe she could remain Mrs. Clark Wainwright.

  She at least wanted to discuss it with Clark before she signed anything.

  “Can you watch Louie tonight?” Anna asked Taylor.

  With a sly smile, Taylor asked, “Why?”

  “I need to sort something out.”

  Taylor smiled. “Good girl. Call me tomorrow.”

  Anna slid the unfinished glass of wine to the side. She grabbed her purse and told Louie good-bye. As she walked out the front door, Taylor yelled, “And next time I want the truth. From the start.”

  Chapter Twenty

  There was only one thing left to fix, and then Clark was going cold turkey.

  A reformed meddler.

  Anna. He wanted another chance with her. A real chance. Not one based on his fucked-up need to make everything right.

  Jake had been dead on the money. Clark had spent his life trying to fix everything. More than once, he’d fixed something only to make the situation worse. Anna, and his relationship with her, was a prime example.

  If he’d just apologized, paid George’s medical bill, and asked her for a dinner date, maybe he could’ve established a real relationship. The chemistry was there. The attraction was there. He and Anna had so much in common. He really liked her. But instead of behaving like a normal human being, he’d swooped in like some superhero and tried to make everything perfect.

  Custody had never really been his issue to contend with in the first place, but he’d realized how important it was for Louie to stay with Anna. No matter the cost, he wasn’t willing to let another little boy grow up at the hands of a critical, hateful father. Not if he could do something about it.

  But he’d learned an important lesson. It was always better to let other people find their own way in the world. It was better to be a source of support than a fixer.

  He had to show Anna he’d changed. Clark went through a dozen scenarios in his head, discarded them one by one until he landed on a perfect setup sure to lure Anna into his scheme.

  Clark fired up the F-150 and headed to the costume shop.

  “I need the worst superhero costume you have.”

  The woman behind the counter tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. “I don’t understand why anyone would want a terrible costume.”

  Time to turn on the charm. “It’s kind of a long story, but the truth is, I’ve upset my wife.” My wife. “I need to make things right with her. I want to make her laugh.”

  How many times, just in the last year, had he uttered that phrase? “Make things right.” No wonder it was starting to piss people off.

  The lady warmed up instantly. “I have an idea. Let’s search the damaged ones in the back room. Maybe we can find something just perfect.”

  He followed her back to a storeroom filled with all sorts of abandoned costumes. Pirates mixed with princesses, warlocks tossed onto piles with vampires. “Where should we start?”

  The woman shrugged. “We haven’t cleaned this room in years. See what you can find. It’s on the house.”

  Clark would’ve much rather purchased three costumes from the neat and orderly racks than dig through this mess, but he was doing it for Anna. Imperfection was key. No matter how much it itched.

  An hour later, he emerged into the store with an armful of spandex in a veritable rainbow of colors. “How much do I owe you?”

  The woman was flipping through a magazine. “Not a dime. I’m just glad you’re taking it off our hands. Less to clean up.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “You do that. And send us a picture of the costume. We like to put them up on the wall.” She pointed to a corkboard lined with photos behind her. No way was he sending them one.

  After a stop at the craft store, he headed to the cabin to assemble the costume. He threw the shopping bags onto the bed and got to work.

  An hour later, he looked in the mirror.

  He’d certainly accomplished the goal. Nothing matched. Yellow leggings with avocado green underpants over them. Like a seventies nightmare come to life. The cape was black with a red reverse, no doubt originally part of a vampire costume, and it was ripped in several very obvious places. Bright-red boots that looked like they belonged to a professional wrestler’s garb completed the look.

  He elected not to wear a mask, even though he had several to choose from. He wanted Anna to be able to see his face, hopefully read the sincerity in it.

  In short, he looked ridiculous. Just what he intended. He smiled into the mirror and hoped like hell the plan worked. He wasn’t sure he could stand one more night in the bed alone. He couldn’t stand one more night without Anna in his arms.

  Clark jogged up to his loft office and sat down at his computer. He quickly printed the pièce de résistance and placed it on his chest with double-sided tape. Along with a mismatched bunch of artificial flowers, he totally looked the part of Captain Won’t Try to Fix It.

  He tried very hard not to itch at the mismatched and ripped costume. He wanted to run back to the store and get a nice, shiny matching costume in a nice package. But he wasn’t going to give in to the urge. Clark was turning over a new leaf.

  “Come on, Chewy. We’re going for a ride,” he said, grabbing his keys off the foyer table. The dog nipped at his heels and jumped up and down. “Too bad I don’t have a costume for you, too. Louie would love to see you dressed as my sidekick.” At the mention of the boy’s name, the dog went crazy. Clark snapped a leash onto his collar and said, “I know. I miss him, too. Let’s try to get him back to the cabin.”

  When he opened the door, Anna was standing on the other side. Chewy pulled at the leash and jumped onto Anna’s leg, leaving a scratch.

  Clark pulled back on the leash. “Chewy, down.”

  Anna bent and ran her hands along the dog’s back as if to calm his nerves. “He’s grown,” she said, looking up at him. Clark’s heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t speak. �
��Can we talk?” she asked and stood.

  He nodded and gestured for her to come inside.

  He sat on the sofa, as she took the chair by the fireplace. Judging by her stiff body language, she was here to ask him to file for divorce as quickly as possible. He’d promised himself every day since she and Louie had left that he’d go by the attorney’s office. Every day, he’d put it off, told himself tomorrow would be the day.

  Then, after the scare with Jake and coming to terms with his flaws, he’d decided to skip the attorney and win her back.

  But now it was too late.

  …

  If Anna had to describe the costume in two words or less, she’d say “visually assaulting.”

  He was still holding flowers, except they didn’t look like flowers she’d expect to see outside the confines of a cemetery.

  It was comforting to know she wasn’t the only one cracking up.

  Chewy had gotten over his initial excitement and was gnawing on his leash. He seemed to be paying no attention to either of them. Guess the dog hadn’t missed her as much as she’d missed him.

  “Are you doing birthday parties as a business now?”

  He shook his head. “I had a plan. I was going on another superhero mission.” He pointed to his chest. “Ah, shit. I must have lost my sign. There’s irony in that somewhere, but right now I’m just nervous that you’re here to beg me to file the divorce papers.”

  Anna wrinkled her brow. “What sign? What plan? What is going on, Clark? Have you been drinking?”

  “Nope, although I wish I had been. It might take the edge off a bit.”

  “I’ll put Chewy in the backyard for now. Can you pour us some wine?”

  “I would love to.”

  Clark brought the bottle into the living room along with two glasses. He poured one for Anna and handed it to her. “I don’t want to get divorced,” he said when she sat back in the chair and took a sip of her wine.

  “You don’t?” Her heart did something weird, fluttery. “You don’t want a divorce?”

  He shook his head. “I want to see if we can make our marriage work.”