by J. G. Sumner
I excuse myself and head to my office and shut the door. I need to process this a little bit before I share it with the kids.
I call my mother’s phone and it goes directly to voicemail. I call my aunt’s cell. She answers on the first ring.
“Hey, Aunt Tess. Can I please speak to my mom?”
“Honey, she went away on that cruise a few weeks ago. You know that.”
“I know. You’re supposed to be with her.”
“Nonsense. I have my own kids who need me now. There was no way I could be gone for that length of time.”
I lean back in my chair completely dumbfounded.
Trust your gut and don’t believe everything you hear.
The last words my father spoke to me come back loud and clear. Something isn’t right here, and I intend to find out what it is.
“Do you know what cruise line she went on? I never thought to ask.”
“Not off the top of my head. But I can sort through some old emails. Maybe it’s in one of those. There’s nothing the matter, is there?”
“I just need to talk with her. There’s some family issues I need to discuss. I’d rather not tell you until I talk to her. How soon can you go through the emails?”
“Let me finish up with what I’m working on and I’ll get started on that. Is this the best number to get back to you?”
“Yes. Thanks, Aunt Tess. I’ll talk to you soon.” I hang up the phone and call my mom’s cell phone again. This time I leave a message and hope that she’ll get it sooner or later.
I get on the internet and search for the first flight to New York City. There’s one in about two hours. I’d feel better getting there tonight even though it will be late. I book a one way ticket. I don’t know how long I’ll have to be there, and I want to make sure it’s ample time to take care of what needs to be done, such as arranging for his body to be transported back to Boston so we can have a proper funeral.
I get up and pour some of the good scotch. Fuck being sober. My father just died and I want to be numb. I don’t want to feel the sadness that’s about to overcome my entire being like a thousand pound weight being dropped on my chest.
Once I pour my drink, I call a car service to take me to the airport then head upstairs to pack. I take enough things that will allow me to stay for a week if necessary. In some ways I hope to be gone that long, to have a chance to process everything that’s happened around me. The other part of me would rather drown myself in work and pretend none of this is happening.
Parker comes up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know what I am, but it’s certainly not okay.” I take another sip of the scotch.
She sits next to me on the bed. “When does your plane leave?”
“At eight. The driver will be here shortly.” I continue to stare at the contents in my glass.
“Do you want me to come with you? I could meet you there later tonight or in the morning.”
“No, I think this is something I need to do for myself. Plus, it’s probably better if you’re here with the kids. They’ll have a lot of questions.”
“I am sorry. I always liked your father. He treated me well over the years. Do you want me to start making funeral arrangements?”
“Let me get through the identification and find out when is the soonest we can get his body back here. Then we can come up with a date. And I still have to get in touch with my mom. I was unable to reach her.” I stop speaking, remembering that I shouldn’t trust anyone. I don’t want to tell Parker that my aunt isn’t with my mother. The less Parker knows, the better.
“It’s tragic your mom is so far away and is going to have to cut the cruise short. I know she was very excited about it.”
I nod. I’m sure my mom won’t care less about coming back early. She’s lost the love of her life.
The doorbell rings. I finish the rest of my drink, zip up the suitcase, and give Parker a kiss on the cheek. The boys are all at the door, excited to see who’s visiting. I hug them each goodbye and let them know how much I love them. You never know when it’s your time and I want to make sure they know how important they are to me.
“Where are you going, Daddy?” Tanner asks in his sweet, innocent voice.
“I have a business trip. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” I blow a kiss to Parker and tousle the boys’ hair before heading out to the car. The short walk to the curb seems a mile long. The more I walk, the further it gets.
My family slowly leaves my sight as the car pulls away. It’s almost like an out of body experience. I’m here, I’m living it, but it doesn’t seem real. I would give anything to make this all go away.
Since I have some time to kill during the drive, I start searching the various cruise lines that offer around the world trips. Surprisingly, there’s quite a few. I try to narrow my search based on the San Francisco port, but that’s not all that helpful.
I start calling the various companies. The first didn’t have any record of my mom. I even tried my aunt's name. No such luck. I called a couple more before getting to the airport. None of them had any record of my mother. I also started asking about my father’s name just in case it was because he booked it. I roll my head and stretch the muscles in my neck. The tension is giving me a headache.
I get to the airport, pick up my boarding pass, and go through the arduous process of moving through the security line. Just as I make it through, they make an announcement stating that the boarding process has started. I’m not too worried about my seat since I booked first class and can get on whenever I want to. Since I have some time, I call another cruise line before getting on the plane.
I start with my mom’s name. The lady’s nails click away on her keyboard. After what seems like an eternity she responds, “Ah yes. Penelope Davis and Edward Matthews. They should be arriving in Chile in the morning.”
My mouth drops. Why is my mother on a cruise with another man? Another man who happens to be my father’s best friend. What is going on here?
“Sir, are you still there?”
“Yes. I’m here. Ahh…is there a number where I can reach her? It’s a family emergency.”
“Yes. Just a moment please.” The clicking continues.
I pull my hand through my hair in disbelief. For God’s sake, nothing has been normal in my life for months now. Is my mother having an affair? Is that the reason for the dissolution of the company? Is that why Parker has been acting so strange?
“Do you have a pen and paper?”
I scramble through my briefcase, locating the necessary items. “Yes, go ahead.”
I scribble down the number and hang up. Last call for boarding is announced, which is good. I’ll need the flight to think about what I’m going to say to my mother. To ask her what the hell she’s been doing.
Chapter 17
Beth
“I think you should consider looking for a new job,” my mom announces out of the blue while we’re eating some tough casserole she’s slaved over.
I downed my bite with a sip of milk. “Why do you say that?”
She puts her fork down and looks at me intently. This can only mean one thing. She’s concerned and we’re about to have a heart to heart. “I think you’re becoming too close to that family. And, well…you have a history.”
I already know what she’s talking about, my ex-boyfriend to whom she revealed I was underage. “I see. And you think this situation is like that one?”
“Something’s different about you. You’re wearing nicer clothes. Your hair and makeup is perfect every time you go over there. It’s like you’re glowing.”
“So the fact that I’m able to purchase nicer clothes and have learned how to put myself together is somehow bad?”
“Are you in love with him?”
I drop my fork. I’m not sure how the woman does it, but she is damned perceptive. “Am I in love with Tre—I mean Mr. Davis?”
My mom places her napkin
on the table. “Beth Anne! He’s married, he has young children, and he’s twice your age. Parker has been very kind and generous to you. How dare you go in there and try to break up a happy family?”
“Mom! Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself? I may think he’s attractive, but that doesn’t mean I’m breaking up his family. If anything I’m providing a more stable environment for those kids. Parker is always gone. I get them home every night, help them with their homework, make them dinner, and get them ready for bed. It’s not my fault she’s gone all the time. At least the kids have someone there who cares about them.”
“Are you playing mom now too?” My mom takes a sip of her water.
“I don’t know. I guess. They call me Beth, but I guess what I do is kind of what a mom is supposed to do.”
“Beth Anne, you will go in there tomorrow and give them your resignation or I’ll have to tell Parker she needs to let you go. This has gotten out of hand.”
There is no way I’m going to confess to anything. I know what happened last time. Trent is the love of my life and I refuse to let my mother ruin that. The thought of losing him is unfathomable. “I know what you’re insinuating and it’s not true. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Davis are working hard on their marriage. They’ve been trying to spend more time together. I’m just there to help facilitate that,” I claim matter-of-factly. Well, not all of it was a lie.
My mom settles down as she ponders my response. “You didn’t answer my question. Are you in love with him?” she asks in an eerily calm voice.
“I think he’s attractive, but who wouldn’t? Even if I was in love with him, which I’m not, it wouldn’t matter. He’s devoted to his family. I’m just there to make sure those kids have a safe environment to be in while their parents are at work. Please, Mom, don’t make this into more than it is. I like this job. I need the money. For the first time in my life I’m able to buy nice things and I have my own car. Kids at school don’t look at me like I’m the poor girl anymore. I’m finally starting to fit in.”
I don’t tell my mom that by choice I have only one friend and I couldn’t give a shit if I fit in or not. All those people in high school are just kids. Becca and I are the only girls in school that recognize how immature high school boys are. Becca is dating a guy in his late twenties.
She sighs heavily as though she’s exacerbated by this conversation. “If you promise that you’re not becoming too involved with that family you can keep your job. But if I get any inclination that something is awry, I’ll pull the plug so fast your head will spin. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mom. You have nothing to worry about. Now please, how about you tell me about your day?”
My mom goes on and on for quite a while telling me the gossip at her new bookkeeping job. I tune in and out of the conversation while we do dishes. I don’t know any of the people she’s talking about so it’s hard for me to be interested. Frankly, all I can think about is how hot Trent looked making tacos for the kids. Everything about him is perfection. How Parker could take him for granted is beyond me.
When I reach my quota for bonding time, I excuse myself and head to my room to do some homework. While I may hate school, I’m determined to get the best possible grades. I want to be a well-educated woman that can carry on a conversation. If it doesn’t work out with me and Trent, I intend to go to college. Hopefully his influence can get me into an Ivy League school. I’m determine to meet the people and eventually marry someone who will give me the lifestyle most can only dream about.
Some might think I’m a gold digger. I’d like to consider myself an opportunist. Even if Trent wasn’t extremely wealthy, I’d still be all over him. His entire aura screams of power and it’s incredibly sexy. I feel so alive when I’m with him. He makes me feel like a woman. Wanted and treasured. I just wish there was something I could do to make his life a little easier.
I look at his picture in my phone from Christmas when we took the kids to see the lights. His smile is genuine. The dimple in his cheek is downright sexy as hell. His soft blue eyes are warm and caring. He’s sensitive, tough, charming, and more than any woman could ever hope for.
I can’t resist texting him.
Me: How’s it going? You had radio silence for the last couple of days. Everything okay?
I know when I don’t hear from Trent, it’s because Parker is around more. Even though I should probably be jealous, I’m not. Trent is walking on eggshells and has to be careful about us. Plus, when he told me he suspected Parker was up to something, we instantly backed off. She doesn’t need to know about our love for one another until he’s ready to announce it. It has to be at the right time.
Trent: I’m on a plane heading to New York. I’ll call you when I get there.
New York? That’s strange. He never mentioned he was leaving town.
Me: Are you alone?
Trent: Yes.
Me: KK. Have a safe flight. I love you.
He sends back an emoji blowing a kiss.
My heart warms. I fantasize what it would be like sitting next to him on that plane and traveling around the world together. I imagine what it would be like to lie next to him in bed at some fancy hotel in the city and what our life could be like.
I’m going to surprise him and show up in New York since Parker isn’t with him. I check the train schedule. There isn’t another one until morning, and I reserve a ticket.
Next I call Becca. She’ll cover for me with my mom. Since my mom is working long hours for the next few days, I’ll just tell her I’m staying at Becca’s. She’ll totally buy that. I’ll email my teachers, tell them I’m sick, and ask for my homework. Everything will work out fine.
I’m very excited about my plan. This will be the first weekend alone with Trent. Just the two of us. No kids, no Parker. I want to scream I’m so giddy, although that’s not an option unless I want my mom in here giving me the third degree. Instead I do a silent happy dance on my bed. This is going to be so great.
Chapter 18
Trent
The second hand slowly makes it around the dial of my watch. Seven-fifty-eight. I can go identify my dad in two minutes. I want to get this over with. I hope and pray it’s not him, but deep down I know it is.
I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I kept replaying our last conversations over and over, looking for some sort of sign that this was coming, searching for answers to his strange behavior. Unfortunately, I’m nowhere near resolving this puzzle. Then there was the issue with my mom. I called the cruise ship and there was no answer in her room. I’ve called her cell phone several times this morning to no avail. It’s as though she fell off the planet.
My phone vibrates. Beth is calling. I can’t answer the phone right now. I don’t want to talk to anyone until this is over with. I let it go to voicemail.
A clerk unlocks the doors to the coroner’s office and I proceed through. My phone vibrates again, but this time it’s a text from Beth.
Beth: I’m here in New York City. I came to be with you.
What. The. Fuck? How did she get here? I look at the door to the coroner’s office and then back at my phone. She’s seventeen years old alone in a big city. I’m not sure she’s ever been here before.
Me: Where are you?
Beth: Penn Station. Is there someplace we can meet?
Me: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
I hightail it back down to the subway and head to Penn Station. I imagine her standing in the middle of the platform with sleazy guys trying to hit on her. I certainly wasn’t looking for something else to deal with, but now that Beth is here, I’m glad to have the support. Doing this alone is awful. I had hoped to have Penelope here by now, but it looks as though she’s on a rendezvous with another man. My dad’s best friend. Perhaps that’s what he was trying to warn me about.
I text Beth when I arrive in Penn Station. It’s a big place and I don’t feel like walking around searching for her. She responds immediately and we agree to
meet under the large clock. It’s easy to find and Beth will definitely stand out.
I rush to our meeting point and slow down once I eye her. She’s turning around, studying her surroundings. She’s absolutely beautiful in her wedge heels, cropped jeans, and button down shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up. No man in their right mind would ever suspect she’s as young as she is. And right now, her age means nothing to me. I pick her up into my arms and swirl around. It’s a scene straight out of a movie. I kiss her deeply before putting her down. I didn’t realize until this very moment how much I’ve missed her and how happy I am she’s here with me. It’s only been a couple of days since we’ve been apart, but it might as well have been an eternity.
She appears equally as excited to see me. “Why are you here?” I ask.
“You told me you were coming alone. I wanted to be with you.” She smiles. “Are you happy to see me?”
I wipe a lock of hair from her face and kiss the tip of her nose. “More than you know.”
“Are you here on business? What does your schedule look like?”
The smile disappears from my face and my heart again becomes heavy. “You didn’t talk to Parker?”
“No. I just texted her I was busy with a school project and wouldn’t be able to watch the boys for a few days. Why? What’s going on?”
“It’s my father. He’s dead. I have to go identify his body and make arrangements to move his body back to Boston.”
Speechless, Beth freezes in place trying to make sense out of what I said.
I put my hands on her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tears trickle down her cheeks. “I came here thinking we could spend some time together alone. I’m so selfish. God, what an idiot I am. I’m so sorry about your father. Is there anything I can do for you?”
