by S. J. McCoy
“And you believed me. You should know better than that.”
She should! “So, what are you saying?”
“That you need to move Marcus out of that house. In fact, you need to leave that place. I don’t like it there.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll have to go for custody.”
“But… You couldn’t get it. I’d fight you.”
“And you’d lose.”
She was shaking now. She had the feeling she would. Guy played dirty. He’d pull some trick, pay someone off, do whatever it took. She couldn’t take the risk.
“You know I’m right.”
She couldn’t make herself speak. She had to think. She had to figure out what she was going to do.
“So let’s say, you’ll be out of there by next weekend.”
“Okay,” she whispered. She wasn’t going to argue with him. There was no point, and she knew it.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
She knew he would. She didn’t know how, but she knew that somehow he’d know.
He hung up, and she let herself sink into one of the kitchen chairs. What was she going to do? She didn’t have time to think about it before Eddie and Marcus came into the kitchen.
Eddie gave her a worried look. “Is everything okay?”
She nodded and gave him the best smile she could muster. She needed to wrap her head around it before she said anything to him, and she certainly wasn’t going to tell him about it in front of Marcus.
“Can we go to the Boathouse for lunch then?” asked Marcus.
She nodded. Why not? If they were out amongst people, Eddie wouldn’t press her to tell him about her conversation with Guy. It’d give her time to think.
~ ~ ~
Eddie was a little disappointed when they got to the resort to see Jack and Emma and Missy and Dan sitting at one of the tables out on the deck. Hopefully, they’d be busy doing their own thing. No such luck, though. Missy waved when she spotted them and beckoned them over.
“Hey, do you want to come and join us?”
Eddie was about to say no thanks when April nodded with a bright smile. “We’d love to, thanks.”
That wasn’t like her. He knew something about her phone call with Guy had upset her. What he didn’t understand was why she seemed to be avoiding talking about it. He knew she wouldn’t want to say anything in front of Marcus, but she was avoiding even meeting his eye.
They settled at the big table to join the others, and he smiled around at everyone. It wasn’t their fault he didn’t want to be here.
“So, where were you guys Friday night?” asked Jack. “It was weird to see Chase up there by himself.”
“We went down to Laguna Beach to see my dad.”
“Oh, wow! It’s so beautiful down there,” said Emma.
“And we went fishing,” piped up Marcus. Even under these odd circumstances, with April obviously hiding something from him, Eddie still had to smile that the kid was getting more confident. Not so long ago you wouldn’t have heard a peep out of him around this many people.
Missy smiled at him. “Did you go in the tide pools?”
“No. We went out in my stepgrandad's boat.”
Eddie wondered if he shouldn’t have just told the little dude to call his dad Ted.
Missy raised an eyebrow at him, but the others let it slide.
“And we’re going back next weekend.”
“Maybe.”
Eddie was surprised at April’s sharp tone as she cut Marcus off. He needed to know what was going on with her. He thought he might have found his chance to escape when he saw Jack and Dan’s mom, Chris, come out onto the deck.
He looked around the table. “We can leave you to it if this is a family lunch. It looks like your mom’s here now.”
All heads turned to where he pointed, and Eddie felt bad when a guy came out to join Chris and took her arm. They headed to a table off to the side, directly above the water.
Jack’s face clouded over. “No worries. I didn’t know she was coming.” He scowled around at the others. “Did anyone else?”
Missy and Dan shook their heads, and Eddie had to smile as Emma started to whistle and look around at the clouds.
“Mouse?” Jack asked sternly.
“What?” she asked innocently.
“Did you know Mom was going out for lunch with that guy?”
“I might have talked to her this morning, but if I did, I would have told her she should probably go to Giuseppe’s.”
Missy and Dan were trying to hide their smiles.
“And why would that be?” asked Jack.
“Umm, maybe so she didn’t have to put up with her son giving her date the evil eye!”
“It’s a date?” Jack was halfway up from his chair before Emma caught his arm.
“Sit down and leave them alone!” It was her turn to sound stern.
Jack scowled but lowered himself back into his seat. Though he looked like he might jump up at any moment.
Dan smiled at April and Eddie. “He’s a bit overprotective; that’s all.”
Jack frowned at Eddie. “I’m not overprotective. How would you feel seeing your mom out on a date with a guy you don’t know and don’t trust?”
Eddie shrugged. He’d seen his own mom marry a guy he didn’t like and didn’t trust, so he was kind of with Jack. “I don’t think I’d like it much, but then that scenario didn’t pan out too well for me.”
“See!” Jack looked around at the others. “It’s not just me.”
Eddie smiled. “But then I was only eight at the time.”
“Thanks, bud. Thanks a lot.” Jack gave him a rueful smile as the others laughed. “Maybe we should get going.” He gave Eddie and April an apologetic smile. “We’ve already eaten, and if we stick around here, I’m just going to get myself into trouble.” He glanced over to where his mom was sitting with the guy who Eddie now recognized as one of the new pilots. His face clouded over. “Big trouble.”
Emma laughed. “Yeah, we probably should get going. Baby says it’s time for our afternoon nap.” Eddie watched as Jack placed a hand on her baby bump. He wondered how that must feel. He’d never thought about being a dad before. Marcus had changed all that, and now, if he wasn’t mistaken, he was starting to feel broody!
“Okay guys, we’ll see you around,” said April.
Eddie nodded. “See ya.”
Once they’d all gone, he turned to April. “Is everything okay?”
She’d already picked up a menu and started studying it. “Everything’s fine; I just want to get our order in. I’m starving.”
Eddie nodded. Or maybe she was still just avoiding talking to him. She was definitely avoiding meeting his gaze. He didn’t get it.
“Can I go feed the ducks?” asked Marcus once they’d ordered their food.
“I didn’t bring any bread,” said April.
Eddie got the feeling that she didn’t want him leaving them alone together. “Hang on.” He reached across to the table next to them that had just been vacated and grabbed a roll from the basket. He handed it to Marcus with a smile. “There you go, but stay where we can see you.”
“Thanks!” Marcus trotted off to the steps at the end of the deck where the ducks were waiting hopefully.
April frowned at him.
“What? He loves to feed the ducks.”
“I know, but…”
“But now you’ve got no more excuses not to talk to me?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Whatever Guy said has obviously thrown you for a loop, but I’m here. Talk to me?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to yet.”
That took him by surprise. He’d thought she’d share with him.
She reached across and took hold of his hand. “I’m sorry, Eddie.”
The way she said it scared him. It seemed like she was talking about more than the fact that she didn’t w
ant to talk to him yet. “What for?”
She shrugged.
Of course, the server chose that moment to return with their food. Why was the service so quick when you wanted them to take their time?
April called Marcus to come eat and Eddie knew that it’d be a while before he got another chance to make her tell him what was going on.
~ ~ ~
April felt bad as she watched Eddie leave for work. She’d avoided him ever since she’d talked to Guy this morning. She wanted to come up with a solution. And she needed to do it by herself. She didn’t need to lean on him to solve all her problems for her. Even as she thought that, she knew it wasn’t true. She’d love for him to help her, but she wasn’t sure that there was going to be a solution this time. The only answer she could see was to do as Guy said and leave. If she didn’t, she knew he’d go after custody of Marcus. She just knew it, and there was no way she’d put Marcus or herself through that.
Guy had put her in a place where the only solution she could see for herself was to take Marcus and run; in other words, do exactly as he wanted her to. For once their interests matched. She wanted to keep Marcus safe, and he wanted her to leave the life she’d built—and the man she’d fallen in love with. The only way she could get what she wanted would be to do as he wanted. She shook her head. But how could she leave Eddie? Was she crazy?
Part of her wanted to talk to him, to tell him what Guy had said, and for them to find a way to deal with it. But she knew Guy too well. If Eddie helped her, then Guy would do his utmost to destroy him, too. She couldn’t drag him down with her. She wouldn’t do that to him. She loved him!
Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out warily. Another numberless text.
When are you leaving? I’ve been thinking about it. Sooner would be better.
For you, the boy, and the loser.
She wanted to scream. It was as if he could read her mind!
I need time.
She had to figure out what to do. She couldn’t just go, even if she decided she had to. She’d need to figure out where, and she couldn’t just leave Renée in the lurch. She couldn’t even think about leaving Eddie! She couldn’t do it.
You have until weekend.
She stared at her phone. She’d talk to Eddie. They’d be able to come up with something between them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Eddie sat at the bar waiting for Chase.
Ben raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s going on, bud?”
Eddie shrugged and took a sip of his beer. “I wish I knew.”
Ben came over. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged again. Did he want to be the guy who sat at the bar and spilled his woes to the bartender when things were going wrong in his relationship? He gave himself a mental shake. It wasn’t like that. Things weren’t going wrong with him and April. She was just edgy because of her divorce and her bastard of an ex. He had to understand that and be supportive of her—not get uptight himself because he felt like she was holding out on him.
He met Ben’s gaze. He wasn’t just a bartender; he was a friend, and Eddie knew he’d do whatever he could to help him and April out. “Something’s going on with April and her ex, and she won’t tell me what it is.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “What kind of something?”
“I don’t know. I think he’s still threatening her with something.”
“But I thought she agreed to everything he wanted, and he was going to leave her alone.”
“That’s what we thought, too. But he got in touch with her over the weekend. She talked to him, and she won’t tell me what he said. Just that she needs time to get her head around it.”
“And that’s a problem?”
Eddie shook his head. “It shouldn’t be. I get that it’s not my business. I want to be there for her, but if she needs to deal with it by herself, then she should. It’s just…”
“What?”
“I dunno. I feel like she’s hiding something. You probably think I’m nuts.”
Ben shook his head. “I don’t. From what she’s said about him, I believe that man is capable of anything. Do you think he’s still threatening her?”
Eddie sighed. “Probably, but I don’t know what with, and I don’t know how to help her because she won’t damned well talk to me.” He slammed his beer down on the bar. He was frustrated as hell!
Ben smiled. “I’ll tell you what. How about I stop in the bakery tomorrow morning? I’ll see if she’ll tell me anything.”
“Thanks, Ben. She might talk to you.” He smiled. “And don’t worry, I won’t expect you to betray her trust and tell me—unless you think I need to know.”
Ben smiled. “We’ll cross that puddle when it rains. Let’s see what she says first. She might not tell me anything.”
“I bet she will. You’re her friend.”
Ben shrugged. “We’ll see. But don’t go getting yourself too wound up. You two are going to be just fine. I can tell.”
“I hope you’re right. I feel like she’s shutting me out.”
Ben shook his head. “Nope. You two are going to be fine, take my word for it.”
Eddie wished he could, but he had a ball of cold dread in his stomach that had gotten bigger with every day that had passed since April had talked to Guy on Sunday.
~ ~ ~
April sat beside Marcus on the dock. They were fishing, but she couldn’t concentrate. She hadn’t been able to concentrate all week. She was paralyzed with fear and confusion. She didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t see how she could stay here either. She had to keep Marcus safe, and she had to keep Eddie safe. She’d had another text from Guy on Tuesday. He’d said that it would be best for Eddie if she left. She knew what that meant, and she couldn’t stand the thought of Guy doing anything to hurt him.
Not so long ago she wouldn’t have taken his threats of violence against anyone but her and Marcus seriously. But since Missy had told her about Beau’s car accident, she’d called her sister, and it seemed Guy was getting involved in all kinds of horrible things. Of course, nothing had been proved, but April didn’t need evidence, she just knew.
“Mom! You’ve got a bite!” She looked at Marcus and then at her pole. She hadn’t been here at all. She started to reel in, but she’d lost it.
“Are you okay? You’ve been funny this week.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just tired.”
“Is that all?” Marcus looked scared.
She didn’t want to lie to him. She nodded. “Why? What are you worried about?”
His eyes filled with tears. “Do you still love Eddie? You haven’t been nice to him since we went to see his dad.”
April was shocked—shocked that Marcus had noticed the change in her and that he thought she might not love Eddie anymore. She smiled. “Of course, I do! He’s wonderful!”
“But what then? Why are you being mean to him?”
“I’m not being mean. I…”
Marcus nodded his head. He obviously thought she was, and he wasn’t going to buy her excuses. “I love him, Mom. I don’t want to leave here. I want him to be my dad.”
Tears filled her eyes. And here she was thinking about taking Marcus away—from the man who’d shown him love and made him feel safe.
“You’re not going to leave him, are you?”
April stared at him; she’d been thinking about it, but only for his own good, and for Marcus’s.
“Please don’t! Say we can stay here? Say we can stay with Eddie?”
A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. There was a little voice inside of her, echoing Marcus’s pleas. She nodded. “We’re going to stay.” She had to. She couldn’t just walk away and break all three of their hearts, and she knew that’s what it would do. She had to be stronger than that. She couldn’t let Guy ruin their lives anymore. She needed to talk to Eddie, and they had to find a way to make Guy stop once and for all.
Eddie was later than usual back from pr
actice. She was ready to talk to him, but he seemed distant. She decided she’d wait until tomorrow. If she was going to land her problems on him and put him squarely in the path of Guy’s anger, then she at least wanted to feel that they were in it together. Right now he was tired, and she needed to get some sleep before work in the morning. She knew if they started talking now they’d probably be up for hours. It could wait.
When they got into bed, he put his arm around her waist and drew her closer. She smiled, the way he was holding her reminded her of their first few nights together, when he’d held her all night, but had never made a move on her. He was such a good man. She wasn’t going to lose him. She wouldn’t. She was going to love him for the rest of her life.
“I love you, Eddie.”
“And I love you, sweetie. I’m here for you, whenever you’re ready to talk to me.”
She squeezed his arm. “Can we talk tomorrow when I get home from work?”
His arm tightened around her, and he planted a kiss in the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “Yes, please.”
She smiled. It was going to be okay. She knew it. She didn’t know how yet, but this, what she and Eddie had, what they were, it couldn’t be taken away from them. She’d been stupid to think about throwing it away, but she was smart enough to have realized it in time.
~ ~ ~
Eddie walked down to the bakery to meet April when she finished work. He hadn’t been able to hang around the house any longer. He needed to know what was going on. She’d promised she’d talk to him today, and he’d waited long enough.
She looked up and smiled when he came in. “I thought you might come.”
He nodded. “I couldn’t wait anymore.”
“I know. I’m sorry I made you wait this long. I just…I had to think.”
“But you’re ready to talk to me now?”
She nodded as Renée popped her head out from the back. “You get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
Eddie was glad that she didn’t argue. She just picked up her purse and came around the counter. He was even happier when she came to him and looped her arms up around his neck. “I’m scared, Eddie. That’s what’s been wrong with me. I’m scared, but I love you.”
