by Beth Carter
Ken headed toward the sink. “Calm down. I’ll do them.”
Suzy swirled around, facing her husband. “No, you won’t. It’s her responsibility. Stop treating her like she’s ten. She has no manners and it’s wearing thin.”
Ken frowned. “Forget the grilled cheese. I’m going out for a burger.”
She watched his stiff back as Ken walked toward the garage. “What the hell am I going to eat?” she yelled through the closed door. Suzy was too angry for dinner and marched toward Izzy’s room where rap music blared. She covered her ears and yelled, “Izzy, either turn that music down or turn it off.”
Suzy glanced around the trashed room scattered with clothes, shoes, and school books. Some clothes were heaped on the bed but most were on the floor. Izzy’s friends sprawled across the bed and floor. One had a book open and two others stared at their cell phones.
“I said turn it off.” Suzy found the plug and pulled it out of the wall.
Izzy jumped up. “Hey, what are you doing? This is my room.”
Suzy crossed her arms. “I don’t care. It’s my house. You’re going to learn some respect, young lady.”
Izzy glared at Suzy. “Who do you think you are?”
Suzy stiffened. “I’m your dad’s wife and your stepmother.”
“You aren’t my mother.”
“I never said I was.” Suzy scanned the girls’ faces. “Who ate the roast?” One continued to stare at her phone and the other pretended to be interested in her homework.
Izzy jutted her chin out. “I’ve always been able to eat whatever I wanted in this house.”
“Didn’t you think your dad and I wanted dinner?” Suzy asked.
“How would I know what you two lovebirds want?”
Suzy felt her cheeks burn. “I’m sick of your rudeness and disrespect. Get in the kitchen and do those dirty dishes.”
Izzy leaned toward Suzy and hissed, “You can’t boss me around. I repeat, you’re not my mom.”
Her friends scrambled to their feet. One said, “Bye, Iz.” Another turned to Suzy and said meekly, “Thanks for the roast. It was good.”
Izzy glared at Suzy. “Look what you’ve done. You’ve ruined my study group.”
Suzy roared. “Study group? It looks more like an eating/trashing/music/phone group to me.”
Izzy stomped to her door and motioned toward the hallway. “Get out. This is my room.”
“Do the dishes and I’ll be happy to leave you alone.”
“No. I’m not going to wash dishes.”
Suzy wished Ken would be a man—and a father—and stand up to his defiant, disrespectful daughter. Suzy crossed her arms. “I’m not doing them either. I didn’t dirty them so they can sit there until they draw ants for all I care.”
She couldn’t look at the brash teen one second longer, stomped to the breakfast table, and opened her laptop. Rubbing her temples, Suzy couldn’t concentrate on beach venues—Halloween decorations—or much of anything. How Ken forgot to mention his little princess when he proposed was beyond her. Arms folded, Suzy paced the kitchen like a cougar on the prowl. She returned to the table to check her Facebook business page but it was useless.
When she heard Ken’s car motor in the garage, Suzy stiffened. She hated confrontations.
Ken opened the door, scanned the still-dirty kitchen and living room. The first word out of his mouth was not hello but, “Where’s Izzy?”
Suzy pointed with her head toward Izzy’s bedroom.
He returned after several minutes with his mouth set in a thin line. “You made her cry.”
Suzy put her hands on her hips. “That’s priceless. She’s spoiled, Ken. You need to teach her some manners. She won’t listen to me.”
“She’s just a kid. I’m going to do the dishes. It smells in here.”
Suzy’s voice rose. “She should do them. She dirtied them.”
Ken rolled up his sleeves. “I don’t mind.”
“I mind.”
Ken pulled Suzy close, rubbed her shoulders, and kissed her. “Let’s start over. Izzy told me she had a rough day at school. One of the kids asked if they could eat the roast, and she said she couldn’t say no. Since we weren’t home, they ate it all. Iz is sorry and she’s studying now. Can we move on and salvage this evening?”
For a fleeting moment, Suzy wanted to get to the bottom of her complicated relationship with Izzy once and for all. Then she remembered how she had pined for Ken since high school. He was worth putting up with Izzy. He really was. She softened. “Okay. Let’s start over. But I’m still not doing their dishes.”
Ken laughed. “You shouldn’t. Sorry about the roast. It would have been much better than my greasy burger.”
Izzy marched into the room and made a beeline for her dad. She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’ll help you with the dishes, Daddy.”
“That’s my girl.” Ken kissed the top of her head.
Suzy rolled her eyes and went to the bedroom. What a long freakin’ day. My son never acted like this.
Chapter 46
After work Alex put the top down on her white Mustang, refreshed her lipstick, and drove over the speed limit to find the house for Tony’s ex. She had already plugged the address in her phone and placed the screen face up on the seat so she could anticipate future turns. As she raced through every yellow light, she cursed herself for losing track of time while finalizing a press release about their newest bank lender.
She pounded the steering wheel. Dammit. Tony will be so disappointed in me, plus being late isn’t the best way to meet his ex. Her mind raced with anticipation and nerves as she thought about their troublesome, complicated relationship. She half-heartedly smiled as she remembered their initial, awkward meeting—after she had rear-ended him. Their undeniable chemistry had been immediate. For months, they hid from everyone and struggled with their obvious feelings until Tony finally separated from his cheating wife. When he told her at her high school reunion—disguised as a server, no less—that he had discovered his precious Joey was his nephew instead of his beloved son, Alex saw how shattered Tony was. To make matters worse, DNA proved his jerk brother, Sean, had fathered Joey. When she saw the paperwork that fateful night, her heart went out to her cop boyfriend. She had promised they’d always have Joey in their lives and knew it would work out. Somehow.
Thoughts of little Joey with his mop of curly, brown hair made her smile. Tony was overly protective of his little guy, which she admired. It didn’t matter whether he was his biological son or nephew. She knew Tony would always consider Joey his son and Alex wanted to be there for the little guy too.
She made another right turn and glanced at the screen when she came to a stop light. I’m getting close. Her heart pounded with anticipation. Dammit. Tony isn’t perfect but I still care for him. Neither had said those three little words but they were sort of unspoken. Weren’t they? But she couldn’t erase her nagging doubts about the family baggage. Having never met his ex, she could only imagine what cheating Nikki must be like.
When she rounded the last corner to the street address she had been given, Alex’s pulse quickened. A barefoot woman wearing a red tank and short shorts stood with her arms crossed. The cop’s ex scowled as she leaned against a purple Jeep in the driveway. The woman never took her narrowed eyes off Alex.
As Alex slowed to park, she noticed Joey clung to his mother’s leg. Stay calm, Alex. You can do this.
She took a deep breath, yanked her seat belt off, and strode toward them. She could tell by Nikki’s posture that this wasn’t going to go well. Not. At. All.
Attempting fearlessness, which was ordinarily her default position, Alex held her chin high, pushed her shoulders back, and stepped across the lawn with feigned poise. An ex and a child were new territory.
&n
bsp; When she got within hearing distance but still a few feet away, Nikki spoke through gritted teeth. “Well, well. You must be the infamous man-stealing Alex.”
“Mom.” Joey’s cheeks turned red.
“Go inside, Joey. This is between the adults.” Nikki smirked at Alex. “At least one of us is an adult.” She nudged Joey’s shoulders toward the house as she eyed Alex from head to toe.
“Fancy bank clothes. Trying to impress us?”
Joey took a few steps toward the house but stayed close to his mother.
Alex held her tongue so hard she nearly bit it off. She wanted to lace into this charlatan—the woman who had been a serial cheater throughout her marriage to Tony. He had been devastated by her lies and deceit. Tony was especially undone about the fact that she had pretended for years Joey was his son when Nikki obviously knew Tony’s brother had fathered pint-size Joey. Alex wanted to spit on Nikki’s feet but somehow remained composed. She smiled at the young boy. “Hi, Joey. How was school?”
He shrugged but didn’t speak, likely afraid to anger his mother.
Nikki glowered at Alex and turned toward Joey. “I said go inside. Momma’s not telling you again.”
He shook his little head. “I don’t want to.”
Nikki took a step toward him. “Go inside right now.”
Joey’s eyes widened. He turned and ran into the house. A dog barked nearby as the screen door slammed.
“What’s your problem?” Alex studied the attractive but hard-looking brunette. “Tony asked me to come here, get Joey, and take him home.” Her heels sank in the lawn as she defiantly took three steps toward the house. “And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Nikki hissed, “No, you’re not. He’s my son. He is home. Go away, you man-stealing bitch.”
Alex stiffened. She could hear Joey’s sobs through the screen. The last thing she wanted was a public display. Quickly trying to defuse the escalating situation, she extended her hand. “Let’s start over, shall we? I know this isn’t ideal but Joey is Tony’s son, er, nephew.”
Nikki kept her arms crossed and didn’t accept the handshake. She hissed, “Get this straight. Joey still thinks of Tony as his dad. He always will. Sean was simply a sperm donor. Thanks to you we now have a confused little boy.”
Alex stopped cold. “Thanks to me? You’re the one who slept with his damn brother.” Her mind swirled as her heart nearly stopped. She assumed Nikki was happy to be back with Sean. After all, they had apparently had affairs under Tony’s nose for years. Does this mean she wants Tony back?
“Listen, if—”
Nikki narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me to listen. You’re on private property. Get off my lawn.”
Alex took a few tentative steps backward until she was on the sidewalk. “Let’s be adults about this, okay?”
Nikki shook her head. “Who do you think you are? Are you hard of hearing? I said, ‘leave.’”
Undeterred, Alex said, “If you could have seen how upset Tony was when he discovered the DNA results, you wouldn’t be acting like this. It was a terrible secret that you and Sean kept all these years. You nearly destroyed Tony. He wants to be in Joey’s life. He loves the little guy to the moon and back.”
The woman stomped across the grass. “You don’t know anything about our lives.” She poked her finger in Alex’s face. “Who do you think you are? Some fancy banker with fancy clothes and a fancy car. One who thinks she can come in and wreck our family?” She got so close they were nearly nose to nose. Alex could feel her hot breath.
Alex’s impulse was to shove or punch Nikki but she couldn’t lose control. Crossing her arms, she said, “That’s rich. You and I both know I didn’t wreck your family. You did. Tony told me about the multiple affairs you had while you two were married.” She stared daggers through the woman whose eyes were as black as coal. Holding up her fingers, she asked, “Want me to count the ones I know about?”
Nikki’s voice rose two octaves. “You think it’s funny to break up a family? I wonder what your important bank boss would think about it. What’s his name? Jim Hooban?”
Alex’s eyebrows shot up. She didn’t expect this type of retaliation. She couldn’t control herself one second longer and said, “I repeat. I didn’t break up your marriage. You did, and you know it. I never slept with Tony when he was married to you. Not even when you were ‘separated.’” Alex made air quotes. “Not once.”
The woman smiled wickedly. “Yeah, right. Fairytales are for Joey.” Her eyes flickered, “I might have slipped on occasion, but Tony always took me back, didn’t he? I’ve always loved that man. I always will. You aren’t getting him and you certainly aren’t getting my son. Go away.”
Alex pulled out her cell. “Tony asked me to pick up Joey. I thought we could handle this like two adults but I was obviously wrong.”
Nikki shook her head with a veracity that would have made The Exorcist envious. “Not gonna happen. He’s not leaving with you and he never will.”
Alex clenched her jaw as she jabbed numbers into her cell. “Let’s see what Tony has to say.”
Nikki snatched Alex’s phone and threw it onto the sidewalk. She laughed as it busted into several pieces.
Alex’s mouth flew open. “You bitch. I need that phone for work. What’s your problem?”
“You’re my problem. Now get back in your damn car and leave. I’m getting my family back and you’re the only thing standing in my way.”
Alex hated defeat. She rarely lost a battle. Her mouth went dry. A combination of rage and sorrow nearly blinded her. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to conquer—or even pursue—this new territory. Is Tony worth this shit?
A million thoughts flooded her mind. Thoughts of having Joey in their lives, possible constant fights with his ex, and the dangers of her boyfriend’s profession. Alex was much more comfortable behind a desk dealing with customers, sales vendors, media reps, and bankers. Hell, she’d rather make an impromptu marketing presentation to the entire male board of directors at 8 a.m. every week than put up with this neurotic woman.
Alex reached for her keys. “I can see you aren’t going to change your mind, not today at least.”
“I’ll never change my mind. You might as well leave, husband stealer.”
Alex huffed away, climbed into her Mustang, and slammed the door so hard it shook her teeth. This is bullshit.
As she turned on the ignition, she accidentally turned the windshield wipers on as she threw the car into reverse. The bitch has me so rattled I can’t drive my own car.
She sped off but couldn’t resist a quick glance toward Joey whose small face was pressed against the screen. Meanwhile, the ex from hell flipped her the bird. Slut. Whore. I can’t even call Suzy or Hope because she ruined my fucking phone. Alex pounded the steering wheel and turned on the radio to drown out their hateful conversation.
In a blur, she passed an AT&T office, did a U-turn, and went inside. She picked out a new phone within minutes, and after arguing with the clerk, decided to change her number. She wasn’t sure why but had a feeling it would be necessary. She made a mental note to give her new number to Suzy, Hope, Cheri, and her boss. She decided she’d let Tony have her new number if and when she felt like it.
Chapter 47
As Cheri experimented with savory sauces and reductions using whatever intriguing ingredients she could find in her grandmother’s pantry, the landline rang, breaking her concentration.
She hated the loud, jarring sound and ignored it as she simultaneously stirred three different sauce pans, adding various components like a mad scientist.
Soon her cell reverberated. Annoyed, she turned the burners off and glanced at the screen which read: MOM.
Positioning the phone between her shoulder and ear, Cheri said, “Hi, Mom.”
“Darling, are you still at Grandma’s house? The doorman said you haven’t been in your penthouse apartment. I thought you’d be back traveling back and forth to New York by now. Is everything okay?”
Cheri smiled. “Everything’s fine. I love it here and have been able to work from Branson. The view is—”
“You’ll get bored soon. There can’t be any good shopping there. No Nordstrom’s, No Bloomies—”
Cheri sighed. “I have tons of clothes.” She changed the subject. “I assume you and Daddy are still traveling in Europe.”
Victoria’s voice was more breathy than usual. “Of course, darling.”
“Are you ever coming home?” Cheri asked.
There was a long pause.
“Mom?”
Cheri heard the sound of air being exhaled. “Are you smoking again?”
Victoria Van Buren’s tone changed. “Do you have me on Skype or something? I don’t have any makeup on. You know I hate being seen without makeup.”
Cheri suppressed a laugh. Her mother was vain beyond belief. “We’re not Skyping. You called me. If you can’t see me, I can’t see you.” She sighed again. “I can hear you blowing smoke.”
Her mother didn’t bother answering.
Already bored with the conversation, Cheri sipped her cucumber water, which made her feel like she was at a spa. She and her mother often had friction and her dad was always too busy to talk. She decided to drop a small bomb. “You won’t believe who I met.”
Obviously on high alert, her mother said, “Careful, darling. Is that pesky National Enquirer following you around?”
“No. Nothing like that.”
“InTouch Magazine?”
“Nada.”
“That’s odd.”
Cheri paced in the kitchen. “Amazing, isn’t it? I’m loving the lack of attention. I’m just a regular Josephine around here.”
