by Shaw, Rhonda
She stayed on her feet. “Calmly? There’s no discussing this calmly, Mark. I can’t believe I’m even hearing this.” She paced around the front of his desk.
“Maddie, please sit down.”
Looking back at him, she hesitated a second before slumping back down with a sigh. “Mark, you can’t actually believe something like that. Chase is an adult, not a young, teenage boy. It’s not like I’m pulling a Mary Kay Letourneau here or something.”
“I know, I know.” He sat back heavily in his chair. “But I’m never surprised by what some parents will come up with.”
“I don’t understand why anyone would even think something like that.”
“I know, but the problem here is that with all of the issues right now, with the school district and budgets and cutbacks and everything, we can’t afford to put ourselves in a compromising position. We can’t give people anything to create a stir about.”
Maddie threw her hands up in exasperation. “Give them anything? Mark, we’re not giving them anything. It’s my personal life—it has nothing to do with my work.”
“You know that and I know that, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”
“This is ridiculous.” She took in a deep breath and shook her head before looking back at him. “Okay, so what are you saying exactly?”
Mark was silent for a second before he leaned forward and rubbed at his eyes under his glasses. Heaving a deep breath, he looked back at her. “Well, unfortunately, it seems you have a choice to make. I could put you in a position that removes you from direct contact with the students, or I could approach the board with a request for removal, or you could...” he broke off, leaving the unstated third option hang in the air around them.
She stared blankly at him. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was bad enough that he was under the absurd impression that her dating Chase was going to cause a stir among the parents, but to hear that she had a choice to make—a choice between Chase and her job—she was speechless. Silence passed between them for a few seconds before she let out a sad laugh and looked up at the ceiling.
“I can’t believe this. I have to choose between my job and my boyfriend. This is unbelievable.”
“Maddie, believe me, you are tremendous with the students and I wish we weren’t in this position—”
“You put me in this position!” she interrupted.
“I don’t want to, believe me, but I need to put the school’s priorities over our own, unfortunately, and this is what’s best.”
Maddie gave him a sad look. “Best for who, Mark? Certainly not for me. I’m in a lose-lose situation here.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Believe me, I am.”
She stood up and moved to the door. “I’m sorry it’s come down to this, Mark. You’ll understand if I need a few days to process this.”
He stood up. “Of course, Maddie. Take your time and talk to me when you’re ready.”
She nodded and started to leave when he called her back.
“I know you’ll make the right decision, Maddie. You’ll do what’s right for you and Bree.” Mark gave her a pointed look.
“How dare you,” she spat before storming out of his office.
She didn’t stop as she breezed past Bree. “Come on, Bree. Let’s go.”
* * *
Maddie was able to make it home without falling apart, but once she shut the door behind her and shoved Bree toward her room, she started coming undone.
“Please go play in your room, Bree.” She tried to keep her voice steady, but it cracked.
“Are you okay, Mommy?”
“No, honey, I’m not and I really need to talk to Aunt Karen. Please just go to your room,” she pleaded.
Rushing into the kitchen with the tears finally starting to fall, Maddie grabbed the phone and quickly dialed Karen’s number as she slouched down at the table. When voice mail picked up after four rings, she cursed.
“Karen, please, I desperately need to talk. You’ll never believe the bullshit I just went through. Call me back right away.”
Throwing the phone down on the table, Maddie put her head in her hands and tried to process what had just happened. She couldn’t believe the position she was in. First, she had to listen to insinuations that because she was dating a younger man that somehow meant she harbored feelings for her young male students. And because of that, she now had to choose between Chase and her job. It all made her stomach turn and she wanted to be sick.
She’d desperately wanted to tell Mark to take the job and shove it, but she knew deep down she couldn’t do that, at least not until she had another job lined up. Besides, who knew if she could even find a job at another school once they found out the reason behind her leaving. If her current job was worried about something as ridiculous as her love life, then maybe other school districts would as well. She couldn’t risk not being able to provide for Bree, even if she knew she could get help from Karen, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. Her dear friend would lend a hand without hesitation, but she had already done so much over the years that she couldn’t bear to ask for any more and this wasn’t exactly the time to go to Lenore for anything.
So that left sticking with this job until she could find something else, and apparently sticking with this job meant not sticking with Chase. That thought made her just as sick.
She had a fleeting thought to call Chase, but she quickly dismissed it. This wasn’t his issue and she didn’t want to bother him on his road trip. He had enough on his mind without her troubling him with things that were her concern. Besides, if she ran straight to him, it would only be confirming everyone’s assumption that she was with him for his money. This was something that she would have to figure out by herself.
The front door opened and closed, and she looked up as Karen hurried into the kitchen with a worried look. Spotting Maddie’s red, tear-splotched face, her concern deepened. “What happened? I just got your message.”
“Because I’m dating Chase, who is a younger man, somehow that equates to me being a child molester.”
Karen scowled as she sat down across from her. “What?”
“Oh, yeah, and it gets better.” She took a deep breath and wiped at her tears. “And now I apparently have to choose between my job and Chase.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Waving her hands, Karen shook her head as if trying to shake out the fuzziness. “Let’s back up here. Start from the beginning and tell me exactly what happened.”
Maddie sniffled and slowly started to recount what had happened, starting with the phone call the day before. When she finished, she sat back in her chair and gave a big sigh. Every time she relived it, it seemed to get worse.
Karen stared at her in disbelief, her mouth literally hanging open. “I can’t believe this,” she finally said.
“You and me both.”
“Well, I hope you told Mark to shove it up his big fat ass,” she said with certainty.
Maddie gave her a fleeting, uncomfortable glance before focusing on her fingernails.
Hearing no confirmation, Karen pushed her hands away forcing her to make eye contact. “You did tell him that didn’t you, Maddie?”
She closed her eyes in frustration before sliding her chair out and pacing to the middle of the kitchen. “I couldn’t! I told him I would get back to him.”
“What?” Karen cried as she hopped up and stood in front of her. “I can’t believe you are even thinking about this! The things he accused you of are disgusting. He had no right to do that.”
“Well, he didn’t actually accuse me,” Maddie said weakly.
“The fact that he even said it is bad enough.”
“I can’t lose my job, Karen. I have Bree to think about.”
“Maddie, you have more t
han enough people to help you out. Chase, me—”
She cut her off before she could go any further. “I will not ask Chase for help,” she said heatedly. Taking a calming breath, she shook her head. “And I’ve already leaned on you too much.”
Something in her words struck Karen as odd. “You are going to talk to Chase about this, right?”
Maddie cringed a bit before turning away and walking back to the kitchen table, keeping her back to Karen. “This is my issue, not his. I don’t need to put this on him.”
Karen rolled her eyes. Her friend was so thickheaded sometimes. “Maddie, you two are dating now and since his presence is what triggered this issue, he deserves to be in the know.”
She spun around. “No! I won’t do that to him. He has enough to worry about that I don’t need to bore him with my small problems.”
“Small problems? Mad, are you hearing yourself?”
“This is my issue and I will fix it. I don’t want him to think that he has to help me out of every situation.”
“So what are you going to do then?”
That took the wind out of Maddie’s sail and she slouched back down in defeat. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
The ringing of the phone interrupted them and panic flashed on Maddie’s face as she read the display. “It’s Chase,” she cried.
“Well, answer it,” Karen said simply.
“I can’t talk to him right now. I can’t....he’ll know something’s up.” She shoved the phone at Karen. “You answer it. Tell him I’m out running errands or something.”
“Nope, not doing it.”
“Karen, please. Just do it this once. I swear I won’t ask you to do this again,” she pleaded.
“Fine,” she said as she stuck her hand out for the phone. “Hello?”
Maddie listened as Karen told Chase that she was out running errands and tried to figure out what she was going to do. As far as she was concerned, she had no options—she couldn’t lose her job and she couldn’t lose Chase.
Karen threw the phone down on the kitchen table and pointed at Maddie. “He doesn’t deserve that, Maddie. He’s been nothing but honest and straight with you. He deserves the same in return.”
Karen was right and she knew it, but Maddie didn’t know how to stop. It seemed matters were out of her hands now and she could only watch helplessly from the sidelines as her world fell apart around her.
* * *
A few days passed after Mark’s talk with her and Maddie had yet to put any clear thought toward her predicament. Any time she started to deliberate on it, she quickly became overwhelmed with despair and anger, and couldn’t think clearly. As far as she could tell, she was stuck in an impossible situation. On the one hand, she couldn’t even consider quitting her job, even as a matter of principle, but on the other hand, she couldn’t even begin to contemplate moving on from Chase. Neither was an option in her opinion, which left the situation without a solution.
It didn’t help that every time she talked to Chase, she couldn’t completely keep the strain from creeping into her voice. More than once, he’d asked what was going on and she tried to assure him that everything was all right and she was only tired. She wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to buy that excuse before he started demanding she tell him the truth.
She missed him more than anything. She and Bree watched every game, hoping for a glimpse of him sitting in the dugout if he wasn’t pitching and they talked to him each night, but it wasn’t enough. It sickened her when she realized she was going to have to make a decision and that she needed to be secure in that decision before he returned, because once she saw him, it was going to be that much more difficult to remain resolute.
After dinner, she walked around the family room, picking up the clutter that forever seemed to exist no matter how much she cleaned up, when someone knocked at the door. Bree, watching TV, looked up at her mom.
“Who’s that?”
“Not sure.” Maddie frowned as she walked over to the door. When she saw who was standing on the other side, a feather could have knocked her over.
“Kyle,” was all she could say.
He stood before her, flawless, tall and handsome, his dark hair perfectly in place and not a wrinkle in his black linen pants or white dress shirt. He flashed a bright smile at Maddie as he stepped in. Once the sight of him would have made her tingle, but now it only made her angry.
“To what do we owe this?” Maddie asked tightly. Kyle never showed up unannounced, so she knew he had an agenda.
“Oh, I thought I’d stop over to see my girl.” His eyes trailed over her as one brow arched, taking in her disheveled appearance before turning to Bree. Kneeling down, he reached out to her, his discomfort obvious. “There she is. Can I get a hug?”
Maddie watched as Bree gave her father an unenthusiastic hug. She would have lunged herself at Chase, laughing and smiling, but with Kyle she was timid and hesitant. As nice as it was that he was claiming he wanted to see their daughter, she knew better.
“Huh,” she said as she walked over and sat on the back of the couch crossing her arms. “Are you sure there isn’t another reason for this visit?”
His piercing blue eyes flashed before he grinned to cover his irritation. Standing up, he kept his hand on Bree’s shoulder. “Well, perhaps there is something you and I need to talk about.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “That’s what I thought. Bree, would you give your father and me a moment alone, please?”
Bree looked more than happy to retreat to her room and leave her parents alone. Kyle watched her walk down the hallway before turning back to Maddie. “She looks great. She looks more like you every day.”
“Why are you here, Kyle?” she asked, not in the mood for small talk.
“What’s going on with you and that Rockets player?” he asked as he casually shoved his hands in his pants pockets.
Not again, Maddie thought, but she forced herself to remain impassive. “How is this any of your business?”
He arched his brow as if it were obvious. “Well, you’re not my business, but Bree is.”
“And what does this have to do with Bree?”
“Well, let’s just say I’m not sure his lifestyle is exactly suitable for a young girl.”
Maddie stood up and shook her head. She felt like she was back in Mark’s office. Again, the issue of Chase was coming up from someone who had nothing to do with either him or her. “What lifestyle is that?”
“Oh come on, Maddie. You know how it is—all the traveling, all the press. The girls.”
“No, I don’t know. Whenever he’s around, he’s been nothing but attentive and doting to Bree which is more than what I can say about you.”
He clenched his teeth together, trying to tame his anger. Kyle always thrived on being able to keep his cool and he wasn’t about to let her push his buttons. “I agree I’ve been less than attentive, but maybe I want that to change.”
“Oh, please! That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Maybe you’ll believe me once you hear from my lawyer,” he suggested with a cold smile.
She stopped and stared at him in disbelief. “What? Your lawyer? What for?”
“It’s simple. I don’t want our daughter to be exposed to that lifestyle, and if you continue to date him, then I’ll be forced to take you back to court and contest the custody agreement.”
Fear, dread and heart-stopping panic pulsed through her at the thought of Bree bring taken away from her. “Are you really that much of an asshole, Kyle? Really?”
He shrugged easily. “I’m just doing what’s best for my daughter. It’s nothing against you.”
“It sure feels like it is,” she said, her voice wobbly.
Kyle gave her a long hard look before turning a
round and walking to the front door. With his hand on the knob, he turned back to her. “Think about it, Maddie. I think you’re smart enough to know what the right thing to do is.”
Maddie watched as he walked out, shutting the door behind him. She’d wanted to call his bluff by pointing out he hadn’t even said goodbye to the daughter he was suddenly so concerned about, but she was too overwhelmed to even speak.
Walking back to the kitchen, she tried to process everything that had just transpired. What if he wasn’t bluffing? What if he truly intended on taking her to court to fight for custody of Bree? She could not lose custody of her daughter, it would kill her, but she also couldn’t afford the cost of a lawyer, especially if she was contemplating quitting her job.
Starting to shake, she realized she was sobbing uncontrollably and slid down the nearest wall to the kitchen floor with her head in her hands. The happiest time of her life had become the absolute worst time of her life. It seemed as if everything in the universe was joining forces to block her attempts at any sort of happiness. Her time with Chase was more than she could have ever asked for. He made her feel alive, young and free, but apparently, it wasn’t to be and she was supposed to be alone. There was no other reason that could explain why everything was stacked against her.
Feeling a timid hand on her arm, Maddie jerked her head up and Bree’s look of concern filled her vision. “Mommy, are you okay?”
Unfolding herself, she hugged her sweet little girl tightly. This was the only true thing in her life. She would never let anything come between them and, with that, she knew she had her answer.
Chapter Eighteen
Driving home from the airport, Chase was anxious to see Maddie and Bree. It’d been a long, draining road trip and the Rockets had only managed to win half of their games. He’d managed to secure his twelfth win of the season, but it didn’t matter. It was the team’s record that got them to the postseason, not his.
Toward the end of the trip, Maddie had become more and more distant each time they spoke. He tried to call every chance he got, but he could feel her pulling away each time. He hoped it was only due to the extended separation between them and nothing more, but there was empty feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn’t shake. Something wasn’t right.
