by McCoy, SJ
“And what have you been telling them?”
Ben shrugged. “You know me. I never know anyone's business. Too busy working. I'd heard you were here. Hadn't seen you though.”
Chance's face relaxed. “Thanks, Ben. I'll be there.” He looked at Missy. “That's not saying I'll stay for the duration though.”
Missy nodded, she didn't expect him to.
“What time's Dan back?” asked Chance.
“He should be here soon,” said Scot who had just come downstairs. “I talked to him earlier.”
Missy smiled. Dan had only left yesterday morning, but Scot had spoken to him several times. She missed him. That big bed wasn't the same without him. She'd realized how right he was about what made a home. This house had started to feel like home, but she needed him to come back now, to keep it that way.
***
Dan turned the Jeep onto Route Twenty. It had been a long time since he'd driven up here. He'd gotten used to flying. He had enjoyed his time alone on the road though. He'd needed it after his conversation with Ryan. He still wasn't sure what he should do, whether he should talk to Missy first.
Ryan had told him that the vetting process was complete and that they could get together next week to go through everything else and get Dan read in so he'd be able to start work. Ryan had also told him there had been two red flags raised in the vetting process, and they both had to do with Missy. The first one hadn't surprised him at all. He'd already known that Chance's past might be an issue—because Chance had told him all about it. Dan had decided immediately that he would back out of the job rather than have the past raked up. When he'd told Ryan that, his friend had reassured him that it wouldn't cause any problems; Ryan had simply been looking out for Dan. When he realized that Dan already knew, he was cool with it—in fact had said he'd be interested to meet Chance someday.
It was the second issue that had him confused over what to do. He'd known that Scot did have some contact with his father. Scot had told him that he received birthday and Christmas cards every year, and sometimes there was money in them. What he hadn't known, and didn't believe Missy did either, was that the guy had spent the last ten years in and out of prison and that now he was living only half an hour away from them, just down Route Twenty. Again, it didn't affect his security clearance, but Ryan had wanted him to know. Now he did know, he didn't know whether Missy would want to, or whether Scot should. He was approaching the conclusion that he would talk to Chance about it and ask his advice. Chance was family.
Dan almost wished he didn't have the information himself, but he had asked Ryan to tell him if anything came up about Scot's father. Dan had decided that he wanted to talk to the man. Following the road as it twisted and turned its way through the mountains, he looked forward to his first view of the lake. Rounding the corner, the water sparkled before him in the late afternoon sunshine. Home. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was coming home. To his family. He was hoping that before the weekend was out, Missy would say that she would marry him, become his wife. He was also hoping that Chance would help him to figure out what to do about Scot's father, so they could become a real family, and he'd have a son, and a brother-in-law, too.
Chapter Twenty
“Dan, Dan, Dan, can you come to Ethan's with me while Mom's getting her hair done?”
Dan ruffled Scot's hair. “Sorry, champ. Uncle Chance and I have got a couple of things to take care of. I could get there a bit earlier when I come to pick you up this afternoon though?” Dan felt bad seeing Scot's face fall.
“Okay.”
“I'll get back as early as I can, Scotty. Sorry.”
Scot smiled at him. “It's okay.”
Dan didn't like that he was spending less time with the kid than he had been doing, but today's little outing with Chance was important. He wanted to have everything in place by tonight. Laura was bringing the ring with her. He still didn't know how he was going to ask, but he wanted to ask Missy to marry him tonight, on her birthday. He wanted Missy to be his wife and Scot to be his son.
Missy came into the kitchen. “We need to get going, sunbeam.”
Scot scampered upstairs to get the textbooks that Dan had bought. As he'd expected, Scot had claimed them as his own when he'd found them in the RV, and now he was using them to teach Ethan too. Missy came to Dan and stood on her tiptoes to plant a sweet kiss on his lips. He closed his arms around her and breathed her in.
“I love you, Danny.”
It took his breath away whenever she said it. He still couldn't believe how lucky he was. “I love you more, beautiful. Happy Birthday.”
“It is. The happiest birthday I've ever had.” She smiled and touched the earrings he'd given her this morning. They matched the necklace he'd given her last week. Three little hearts sat at each ear.
He framed her face between his hands and rubbed his nose against hers. “It's not over yet. Hopefully you'll be even happier by the time we go to bed tonight.” He hoped she'd be wearing another new piece of jewelry by then.
She rubbed her hips against him, making him hard. “I'll definitely be happier once we're in bed, hero.”
As Dan held her against him, Scot came skidding back into the kitchen and Chance let himself in through the French doors. He let go of her reluctantly.
“Come on, Mom. Ethan just texted. He's waiting. See you later guys.”
Dan smiled as he watched them go, loving this new life they were building.”
***
“You want me to come in with you?” asked Chance when they pulled in to the trailer park.
Dan shook his head. “No thanks. I've got this.”
Chance looked around as they drove. “You don't know what you're going into.”
Dan had a fair idea. Judging from the sofa he'd seen in one yard, the various old cars, sitting on blocks, or just rusting away, the gang of kids smoking on the corner they'd just passed, and the pit-bull roaming loose, he wasn't expecting to be invited in for tea! He bit his lip and looked at Chance.
“I appreciate it, but I need to do this myself.” He shrugged. “Though I won't pretend I'm not glad that you're going to be outside waiting.”
“I've got your back, bro.”
Just hearing that buoyed him up. “Thanks. Look, that's it.” He pointed at one of the trailers. The number 1511 hung lopsided next to the door. Clothes hung on a line in the front yard. Dan rubbed a hand over his face as Chance pulled the truck over. “Wish me luck,” he said as he climbed down.
The man who opened the door wasn't what Dan had expected. His disheveled hair was light brown, his eyes blue. Dan had expected him to look like Scot. He didn't. At all. Maybe this wasn't him?
“Are you Travis Gibbs?”
The guy nodded, looking wary. “That's me. What do you want?”
“I want to talk to you about your son.”
The guy rolled his eyes. “Which one? What have they done now?”
That caught Dan off guard. “How many have you got?”
“The two of them....” Travis stopped short. “Do you mean Scot?”
Dan nodded and was shocked to see Travis' face turn pale. “Is he okay? Tell me he's alright? Is Missy okay?”
“They're fine,” Dan reassured him. “They're both fine.”
Travis looked over his shoulder and came outside, closing the door behind him. “Then what do you want? Why are you here? What's going on with Scot?” He walked down the side of the trailer and took a seat on a log in the yard.
Dan saw Chance move to get out of the truck, but shook his head and waved him back as he followed Travis and sat beside him.
“Scot's doing great,” he said. “I want to marry Missy.” He looked Travis in the eye, “And I want to adopt Scot.”
Travis let out a big sigh. “I would have been there for him, you know. I didn't even know about him ’til he was two. It took 'em that long to find me.”
Dan nodded. “She told me.”
“I was married by
then. Already had my daughter and another one on the way.”
Dan nodded again. He didn't know what to say. The guy seemed to be apologizing.
“I had nothing to offer him.” Travis put his head in his hands and said nothing for a long while. When he looked up again, he swept his arm out over the trailer park. “This is the nicest place we've ever lived. I've spent most of the last ten years inside anyway. Joy and the kids have been on their own. I figured Scot would do better without me in his life than with me.”
Dan silently agreed.
“What's he like?”
“He's a great kid. Smart, really smart. Loves his mom. Loves his computers.”
Travis pursed his lips. “He wouldn't even have one, if I'd been his dad. My lot pester me for one, but I can't afford that shit.” He looked at Dan now. An appraising glance that took in his clothes, his boots, his watch. “Money's not a problem for you though, is it?”
“No.”
Dan couldn't help but respect the guy when he said, “It's not just about money though. Being a dad is so much more than that. You need to love 'em. Show 'em right from wrong. Teach 'em to be good people. That must sound like so much horse-shit coming from me, but it's what I believe. I always hoped Scot might have a chance to find a real dad, if I stayed out of the picture.”
“That's what I want to be,” said Dan. “I love him. I think he loves me. I came here to ask if you'd have any objections to my adopting him, trying to be a dad to him.”
Travis nodded. “I'll sign anything you want me to, but I do have one condition.”
Chance had warned him that Travis might try to get money from him. Dan wouldn't mind giving him some, but he didn't believe that was what Travis wanted from him. He was right.
“Let me know how he's getting on? Send me photos sometimes?”
Dan smiled. “Of course.” He took out his wallet and gave Travis a photo he'd been carrying for a while now. Scot was sitting on the back step of the RV, playing on his GameBoy. Missy had taken it when they were all up at Emma's. Scot was oblivious to the camera and everything else. The lake sparkled in the background.
Travis smiled. “He's gotten so big. Is that your rig?”
Dan nodded. It occurred to him that the RV that he and Scot used as a workshop and game-room was much bigger than the trailer Travis and his family lived in.
Travis rubbed his arm over eyes and nodded sadly. “What was your name?”
“Dan. Dan Benson,”
“Well, take good care of him, Dan Benson.” He stood up. “I'd better be getting on, but you send me the papers. I'll sign 'em.” He held out the photo.
“You can keep it if you want?” Dan wanted him to have it. He'd send him more too. He understood that Travis believed he had done the best he could for Scot by staying out of his life. Dan respected that—and was glad of it.
“Thanks.” Travis held out his hand and Dan shook it firmly.
“I want you to know I'll do my best for him. Always.”
Travis nodded and walked away.
***
They were almost back to Summer Lake when Dan's cell phone rang. When he saw Leanne's name on the display, he muttered a quick sorry to Chance and answered it. He'd seen a voicemail from her this morning, but hadn't had time to check it yet.
“Hey, Lee. Is everything okay?”
“I'll let you decide that. Have you heard from Olivia?”
“No.”
“Well you can expect to. I've had her on, bitching me out.”
“Why? What's going on?”
“Seems like she got some insider information from Systech.”
“Insider information? Like what? And how?”
“Considering it's the weekend and considering Corey is disillusioned with her, my guess is that she's screwing one of them now and that's how she found out that what Systech wanted most out of Prometheus was you. She thinks the deal is going to fall through if you're not part of the package.
Dan tried to process this. He couldn't. “So?”
“So watch out, my friend. She'll be hunting you down now she thinks she needs you again.”
Dan gave an involuntary shudder. He'd been pleasantly surprised that Olivia had made no attempt to contact him after he'd told her he was done with her and the company. “So, what do I do?”
Leanne laughed. “Hide! Block her calls, and let me draw up a deal with Corey.”
Dan thought about it. He didn't need to hide, he was up here at the lake. He could easily ignore Olivia's calls. He had no desire to talk to her. Especially not today. He'd talked to Steven, it seemed his old friend had given up, he'd even encouraged Dan to sell to Corey. “Okay then. Do it.”
“Will do. Call you later.”
Chance looked at him as he hung up. “Everything okay?”
Dan nodded. “I hope so.” He explained the whole situation to Chance as they spent the last few miles crawling along in the weekend traffic heading in to the resort.
“Watch your back,” said Chance. “You know what they say about a woman scorned.”
Dan smiled. “I do, but there's nothing she can do to me now. She's part of my old life. Everything and everybody I really care about is up here now.”
Chance looked at him, eyes narrowed, jaw set. “Watch. Your. Back.”
***
Missy sat between Emma and Holly in the big pedicure chairs at the salon. Emma's birthday gift had been to bring Missy to get her hair done, ready for the party. Holly had decided that they should all get manicures and pedicures while they were there.
“So.” Emma grinned at her. “Are you all ready for tonight, birthday girl?”
Missy nodded happily. “Yep. I'm having my best birthday ever. The party will be the icing on the cake.”
Emma's grin grew bigger. “Speaking of cake, I made your fave. Though how we're going to fit all those candles on top, I don't know.”
Missy slapped at her arm. “Give it a rest with the old lady thing, Em. I already feel ancient!”
Holly laughed. “Don't feel too bad, Miss. You're the one who has snagged yourself a young hottie. We landed ourselves with a couple of old men, compared to your Dan.”
Missy smiled. “It doesn't feel like he's younger than me though. He's so smart, and he takes such good care of us, you know?”
Holly smiled back at her. “I do know. I wasn't so sure at first. I honestly thought he was a bit clueless, but he's not, is he? When he asked me to find you a dress, he knew what he was doing alright.” She laughed. “He even showed Pete up, and you've got to love anyone who can do that!”
Missy nodded happily. She did love him, but she wasn't going to tell the girls that yet.
Emma watched her with that knowing smile, though. “Are you still going to argue about being my sister-in-law?”
Missy felt the heat in her cheeks. She could no longer trot out her arguments about being at different places in life. Since he'd mentioned it in Vegas, she kept hoping that he might ask her to marry him.
Holly laughed. “Your silence says it all, sweetie. Sorry, but it was obvious from the beginning that he wanted you more than he might want to go off and start a family.”
Missy nodded. “I get that now. But honestly, I could never forgive myself if he wanted babies and he missed out on that because of me.”
“Hopefully you believe that he doesn't, now?”
She nodded. She really did. Knowing that he couldn't have children made it so much easier too. She wasn't depriving him of having a family of his own. She was sharing something with him that he would never have known otherwise.
“Anyway,” she said. “What time is Laura getting in? We've been playing phone tag for weeks, but I still haven't managed to talk to her.”
“She's going to call before they take off,” said Emma. “The poor thing was so excited that Smoke was going to get her, but then she had some diamond people show up, and she's spent the last couple of days with them. She won't even get to see Smoke ’til she gets to the a
irport.”
“Aww, what a shame!” Missy had been looking forward to hearing how Dan's plan to get those two a couple of days together had worked out.
“At least they'll both be at the party tonight,” said Holly.
“Hopefully,” replied Emma. “Jack said he'll pick them up from the airport, whatever time they arrive. What time are you going over there, Miss?”
“I don't know, I'm waiting for my men to tell me what we're doing.”
Emma laughed. “It must be love! I never thought I'd see the day you would wait for a man to tell you what your plans were.”
Missy nodded. “I know. It's weird isn't it? I like it when it's Dan though.”
“I definitely hear more wedding bells on the horizon,” said Holly. “Just do me a favor and coordinate with Pete before you decide on a date? You know what he's like for planning and he has to make sure nothing clashes!”
Missy looked up as a glass crashed to the floor. A woman, sitting in the waiting area a few feet away, had knocked it over, along with a pile of magazines. She stood up and looked around. Missy offered her a friendly smile, knowing how embarrassed she would feel if it were her. The expression on the woman's face as she looked back at Missy wasn't one of embarrassment, or even humor. It was a look of pure venom that took Missy's breath away. She tucked a strand of her angular cut bob behind her ear before turning and stalking out of the salon.
“Wow!” said Holly as the door slammed shut. “Who the hell was that, and what did you ever do to her, Miss? It's a good thing looks can't really kill, or this would be your last birthday!”
“I have no idea!” Missy was stunned.
Jackie, the owner of the salon, came over to clean up the broken glass and soggy magazines.
“Who was that?” asked Emma.
“A tourist, I guess,” said Jackie. “She came in saying she just wanted a blow dry. I told her it'd be at least an hour before we could fit her in, but she wanted to wait. I guess she changed her mind, huh?”
“I wouldn't worry about it,” said Holly. “She might have turned us all to stone, giving out looks like that!”
