Home in Carolina

by Sherryl Woods

  “What happened back there?” Ronnie demanded. “Erik brought your meal to my table while you were speaking to Ty. The next minute you were leaving. Did Ty say something to upset you?”

  Now that her worry had been replaced by fury, she was ready to talk. “Let’s start with the fact that he never showed up at the spa for his therapy tonight. Add in that I couldn’t reach him when I tried to call. Then I find him out with Trevor’s mother, having a cozy little family gathering, in my mother’s restaurant, of all places!” She met her dad’s worried gaze. “I spent most of the day with him yesterday. I let down my defenses. I really started thinking we had a chance, and now this.”

  “The dinner was probably innocent,” Ronnie suggested, though he said it tentatively, as if he didn’t quite believe it himself. “I’m sure he’s not so insensitive that he’d bring Dee-Dee to Sullivan’s otherwise. They probably had some custody issues to work out, or maybe she scheduled another last-minute visit with Trevor.”

  She scowled at him. “Do you hear yourself? You’re making excuses for him. Whose side are you on?”

  “Yours, always,” her dad said. “I’m just saying that it didn’t seem like you gave him even a half a chance to explain.”

  “Maybe because there was no good explanation,” she retorted. “Just excuses. Well, I’m done. I took a chance, and look where it got me.” She picked up her pace. She wanted to get home, take a long, soaking bath, go to bed and forget the existence of Tyler Townsend. If Sarah hadn’t told her Walter was arriving tonight, she would have gone there and downed a couple of potent margaritas.

  Her dad kept pace with her, his expression sympathetic. “Hey, how would you have felt if I’d given up on your mom the first time there was a bump on our path to reconciliation?”

  “That’s different,” Annie said.

  “How? I made the same mistake Ty did. I cheated. Then your mom thought for sure I was about to cheat again with Mary Vaughn.”

  Annie waved off the comparison. “Everybody knew you’d never look twice at Mary Vaughn.”

  “Everybody except your mother. She had her doubts, and there I was with Mary Vaughn practically every time she turned around. She had no idea I was thinking of buying the hardware store and seeing Mary Vaughn because she was the Realtor. Trust me, your mother was not happy with either one of us.”

  “Well, you were destined to be with mom,” Annie said.

  “And you’ve always been convinced you were destined to be with Ty.” His look was calculated. “Have you changed your mind?”

  Tears stung Annie’s eyes. “No,” she admitted, her voice choked. “I’m not the problem. He is.”

  “Because he was out with Dee-Dee?”

  She nodded.

  “The mother of his child?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re always going to have that bond, Annie. If you can’t handle that, then you’re probably right to walk away. Otherwise, you’ll just be setting yourself up for a lifetime of suspicion and heartache.”

  “Which is exactly why I’m done,” Annie said bitterly.

  They’d reached the house now, so she turned to face her dad. “Go on back to Sullivan’s and wait for Mom. I’m okay. I’m going to take a bath and head straight to bed.”

  “You sure? I can hang around if you want to talk some more. Maybe fix you a sandwich.”

  She managed a faint smile at his ability to slip in a subtle reminder that she hadn’t eaten. “There’s nothing left to say and I can make my own sandwich.”

  “Yes, but will you?” he asked, clearly not reassured.

  “You’re just going to have to trust me, Dad. I know the stakes of not eating.”

  Ronnie regarded her with dismay. For a moment, it looked as if he might say something more, but then he simply kissed her forehead. “Don’t give up on Ty just yet,” he said quietly. “I’m still betting on destiny.”

  Annie watched him walk away and sighed. This was only the second time in her life that she hadn’t believed her dad. The last time had been when he’d tried to explain why he had to go away and leave her and her mom. He’d told her it wouldn’t change how much he loved her. He’d told her they’d still see each other. It hadn’t happened that way.

  And Annie had no reason to believe he was right about her future with Ty, either.

  Ty’s appetite had fled after seeing the misery and barely banked anger in Annie’s eyes. He’d wanted to go charging after her, but he hadn’t wanted to leave Dee-Dee alone with Trevor. The only reason they were out together in the first place was because he’d felt sorry for Dee-Dee after what she’d revealed in Helen’s office. He’d figured giving her some time with Trevor, with him present, was the least he could do.

  That didn’t mean he was ready to change his stance on any kind of custody, but he wasn’t so hardhearted that he could deny Dee-Dee any access at all to the only child she’d ever have.

  He’d spoken to Helen privately after the morning meeting, and she’d expressed skepticism about Dee-Dee’s story.

  “I think she’s playing you,” Helen said. “She could have brought this up from the beginning. Why now, except to play on your sympathy when she realizes it’s the only way to win?”

  “At first, I thought the same thing,” Ty admitted. “But those tears were real, Helen. I didn’t know Dee-Dee all that well, but even when I told her there was no chance for the two of us, she didn’t fall apart. She fought to change my mind.”

  “Maybe, or perhaps she missed her calling. I’m sure there’s a role just waiting for her on some soap opera.”

  Again, Ty had dismissed her doubts.

  “Let me at least check into this story,” Helen pleaded.

  “Doctor-patient records are confidential,” Ty reminded her.

  Helen lifted a brow. “Who’s the lawyer? If she’s going to use her inability to have more children as an argument in court, then we’re entitled to proof.”

  Ty had finally relented.

  He snapped back to the present when Trevor pulled on his sleeve. “Daddy, is Annie mad at us?”

  “Just at me, kiddo.”

  “Why?”

  “Grown-up stuff,” he told his son. “I’ll fix it.”

  Dee-Dee listened to the exchange, then said, “I could tell her that you were just being kind, giving me a little time with Trevor.”

  “I’m not sure she’d believe anything you have to say,” Ty said. “No offense.”

  Dee-Dee shrugged. “None taken. In her place, I guess I wouldn’t believe me, either. Do you want to leave now and try to catch up with her?”

  “Our meals just came. I’ll talk to Annie later,” he said. “It’s already past Trevor’s bedtime. I need to get him home.”

  “I could take him back to your house,” Dee-Dee offered. Her eyes lit up. “I could read him a bedtime story, maybe hang out till he falls asleep.”

  “No,” Ty said more sharply than he intended.

  Trevor’s head snapped up at his tone. Ty forced a smile. “Hey, buddy, how are your chicken fingers?”

  “’Kay,” Trevor said, but he appeared to have lost interest in them. He yawned widely, and his eyes started to drift shut.

  Dee-Dee didn’t seem hungry, either. Ty finally sighed. “Maybe we should just go.”

  “Wait,” Dee-Dee said, putting her hand on his arm. “I need to ask another favor.”

  Ty steeled himself against that cajoling tone.

  “As long as I’ve driven back over here, is it okay if I stick around for the weekend? I’d like to spend a little more time with Trevor, if I could.”

  The request meant that Ty would have to be with the two of them, but once again, he couldn’t think of any reasonable way to deny her the opportunity. “Sure, stick around,” he said eventually. “Call me first thing in the morning, and we’ll figure out a time to get together.”

  “I could just pick him up, so you wouldn’t be tied down all day,” she offered.

  Ty frowned. “Not
going to happen,” he said at once, wiping the hopeful expression from her face. “When it comes to your visits with Trevor, where he goes, I go. You might as well accept that.”

  “I just thought you might need to see Annie or something,” she countered defensively. “I was trying to be thoughtful.” She regarded him with a frown. “Ty, what do you think is going to happen if I’m alone with Trevor?”

  He met her gaze, his own unflinching. “I’m not willing to find out,” he said succinctly. “We do this my way or you might as well go back to Cincinnati first thing in the morning.”

  She gave him a sad look, but she nodded in agreement. “We’ll do it your way,” she said quietly.

  Of course, that was only partially true, because if Ty really had his way, she’d go back to Ohio and never see Trevor again. Lately, though, seeing how good she was with Trevor and how much his son was starting to love his mom, it was getting harder and harder to justify keeping the two of them apart.

  Four different people reported to Annie that they’d seen Ty with Trevor and an unfamiliar woman on Saturday. With each sighting, Annie’s mood grew increasingly grim. By the end of the day she was ready to stuff a sweaty old towel into the mouth of anyone who mentioned Ty’s name to her.

  Unfortunately, Maddie chose that precise moment to summon Annie to her office.

  “Close the door,” Maddie ordered. “We need to talk.”

  “If this is about Ty, then we don’t need to talk,” Annie said, still standing in the doorway.

  “It is and it isn’t,” Maddie said, making herself as clear as mud. “Close the door.”

  Reluctantly, Annie stepped inside and shut the door, but she didn’t sit down.

  “Do you realize you’ve been growling at your clients all day long?” Maddie asked, her tone surprisingly gentle. “I’m pretty sure I know what’s on your mind, but you can’t take it out on the people paying us for our services. We’re supposed to be a place women come to relieve stress and get pampered, not a military camp where people get yelled at by a drill sergeant.”

  Annie winced. “Have I been that bad?” Not that she really needed to ask. She knew she had been.

  Maddie’s expression softened. “Depends on who you ask. Mindy Laughlin left in tears, but then she cries if someone says boo to her.”

  Mindy Laughlin had been the last person to mention having seen Ty, Trevor and Dee-Dee. Annie might have been less than receptive to her observations.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll apologize to Mindy and everyone else.”

  “That would be good,” Maddie said. “In the meantime, though, is there something you’d like to get off your chest? I’m a good listener, as you well know.”

  “You’re Ty’s mother. You’ll take his side.”

  “Not automatically,” Maddie said, then grinned, “though I might be a little bit prejudiced in his behalf.”

  “I don’t need to hear you defending him,” Annie declared. “Did you know he blew off his rehab appointment last night?”

  “Because Dee-Dee showed up unexpectedly,” Maddie said. “I don’t know the details, but something happened. Ty said he’d explain later.”

  “Is that more important these days than his career?”

  Maddie gave her a chiding look. “You know Ty puts Trevor before his career.”

  “Trevor, certainly, but Dee-Dee?” Annie scoffed. “I didn’t know she figured into the equation.”

  “She’s Trevor’s mother. None of us have to be crazy about that, but it’s a fact. And right now—well, things are a bit uncertain about what role she’ll play in Trevor’s life. Ty’s trying to juggle all that, along with his need to rehabilitate his shoulder and get back to playing ball. You could cut him a little slack.”

  “I would if he’d just been straight with me. He didn’t call. He didn’t answer my calls. For all I knew, he could have been run over by a bus.”

  “In Serenity?” Maddie said.

  “It was an expression. I know there are no buses in Serenity,” Annie said impatiently. “I just meant I was sitting around here worrying about him, and what do I find when I stop by Sullivan’s? There he is with Dee-Dee and Trevor, looking like the perfect little family.”

  “You know better,” Maddie said.

  “Do I? Do I really?”

  “Of course.”

  “No,” Annie told her. “I thought I did, but now what I know is that the same old pattern of lies and evasions is starting all over again. Been there, done that. It’s not happening again. Now, I need to go before I say something I’ll regret. Good night, Maddie.”

  Maddie regarded her with disappointment as she walked out and closed the door. Out of respect for their long history, she closed it gently, but what she’d really wanted to do was slam it hard enough to rattle its hinges.

  Not that any of this was Maddie’s fault, but right this second she was the only person in the vicinity whom Annie could hold accountable for Ty’s actions. He was certainly nowhere to be found. And why not? Because he was spending the day with Dee-Dee and his son again. Just the thought of it was enough to have her grinding her teeth.

  It was a good thing she and Sarah were going to Charleston tomorrow. Because as difficult and unrewarding as their mission to check on Raylene might turn out to be, it had to be a huge improvement over sitting around and wondering what Ty and Dee-Dee were up to.

  After spending most of the weekend around Dee-Dee, observing her with Trevor and feeling the knot in his stomach finally lessen, Ty actually listened when she requested on Saturday that Trevor be allowed to go home with her to Cincinnati for a brief visit.

  “Just a few days, Ty, please. I want Jim to meet him. We’ll fly up, stay a couple of nights and come back Tuesday. You can come along if you want to.”

  He silenced all of the instincts that told him to say no, and after conferring with Helen finally said yes. He also took a huge leap of faith and decided not to go along. He needed to see Annie, and sooner or later he was going to have to learn to trust Dee-Dee to do as she’d promised. If she passed this test, well, then he’d have to see whether he could live with more liberal visitation terms.

  Still, it was the hardest decision he’d ever made in his life. Letting go of his son, even for twenty-four hours, just about killed him.

  “You’ll have him back here Tuesday night,” he said again as he drove them to the airport. “I swear, if you don’t, Dee-Dee, I’ll make sure you never set eyes on him again.”

  “I understand,” she said. “I won’t break my promise, Ty. There’s too much at stake. Don’t you think I know that?”

  “Just making sure,” he said grimly.

  Inside the airport, he hugged Trevor fiercely, then watched as his son walked onto the plane with Dee-Dee. All the way Trevor babbled excitedly about everything he saw. In the doorway, he turned and waved happily at Ty. The expression of sheer joy on Dee-Dee’s face was almost enough to convince Ty he’d done the right thing.

  Fear, however, settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew it would still be there until the moment Trevor returned.

  By the time he’d gotten home from the airport on Saturday, it was too late to see Annie, but first thing on Sunday morning, Ty went straight over to her house to try to set the record straight. He had his apology all ready, along with an explanation that would win her over, no matter how mad she was. He even stopped at his grandmother’s to pick a bouquet of flowers.

  When Ronnie opened the door, his expression was daunting.

  “Is Annie here?” Ty asked.

  “No.”

  Ty began to see that his problem went beyond Annie. The whole family was now furious with him. Justifiably so, he was forced to admit.

  “Where is she?”

  “She’s gone for the day,” Ronnie said, his expression still forbidding.

  Ty resigned himself to getting information one tidbit at a time. “When are you expecting her home?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Okay,
then,” he said, giving up. “Just tell her I stopped by and ask her to call me.”

  He started to go when Ronnie said, “Not so fast. I think you need to come inside, so the two of us can have a little chat.”

  Ty winced, but he knew there was no choice. He followed Annie’s dad into the kitchen. Ronnie poured a second cup of coffee and set it in front of Ty, then picked up his own cup and refilled it.

  “Mind telling me what the devil you were thinking the other day?” Ronnie asked.

  “If this is about me and Dee-Dee, I can explain, but I think I should be explaining to Annie.”

  “Start with me and let’s see if I agree with you,” Ronnie said.

  Ty filled him in on the custody dispute, Dee-Dee’s big announcement, all of it. “I was just trying to cut her a break, let her spend a little time with Trevor. Since I didn’t want to leave her alone with him, I had to be there every second.”

  “And yet you allowed him to go to Cincinnati with her,” Ronnie observed.

  “Reluctantly,” Ty admitted. “But these visits are going to happen, and after spending time with her on Friday and yesterday, I decided it was time to take a chance. Helen agreed it was the right thing to do.”

  “Okay, let’s say I get that,” Ronnie said grudgingly. “Couldn’t you take five seconds to call and explain all that to Annie?”

  “I should have, no question about it,” Ty admitted.

  Ronnie leveled a look straight into his eyes. “Are you really serious about getting back together with her? Because if you’re not, you need to back off right now.”

  “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life,” Ty swore. “I love her, Ronnie. I’ve always loved her. I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d have me.”

  “Well, good luck with that,” Ronnie said sarcastically. “Right now, I wouldn’t give you two cents for your odds.”

  “She’s that furious?”

  “She’s hurt and angry, yes, but worse, she’s questioning every bit of progress you’ve made. She doesn’t trust anything that’s happened. Just when she was ready to forgive you and move on, you start hanging out with the very woman who came between you in the first place. Take it from someone who’s been there, it’s not smart, and I don’t care how logical your reasons may be.”