Ana Leigh - Heart At Risk

Beth got up and began to carry dishes into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bolen,” Maddie said.

“Feel free to call me Kurt. I think you’re old enough.”

“I guess I deserve that. Do you mind stepping outside? I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes.”

They moved outside and sat down on a swing on the front porch. “I know you think I’m very rude, and I apologize,” she said. “When I heard about Scotty’s accident I fell apart, and however I may appear to you, I want you to know I’m deeply grateful. I shall always be.”

This was worse than an award ceremony with some stuffy navy commander pinning a purple heart or silver star on him.

“Look, Maddie, it’s over. Let it go. I did what any guy would have done.”

“I don’t want you to leave with the impression I’m ungrateful.”

“Fine. I believe you. So I’ll be going—”

“You think I’m wrong, don’t you?” she suddenly blurted out.

“Chill out, lady. I’m leaving.” His unexpected response caught her off guard and once again those green eyes widened with surprise.

“You don’t understand,” she said.

“You’ve got that right. You always this uptight?”

She drew a deep quivering breath as if it were her last one. “It’s just that all this has been very upsetting to me.”

“Well, like I said, it’s over. Scotty’s fine. So let it go. There’ll be other things you’ll have to deal with while he’s growing up. You can’t protect him from everything in life. There’s no way you can keep him from stumbling and falling sometimes. Just hope it’s not into another quarry,” he said, in an attempt to lighten the conversation.

“So you don’t agree with the way I’m raising Scotty.”

“Doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Would you believe me if I told you it does.”

“Frankly no, Maddie. So don’t try to tell me you give a good goddamn what someone like me thinks.”

She looked him straight in the eye. “You’re wrong. You have no idea how wrong you are.”

Kurt stood up to leave. “I’m not into this kind of scene, so I’ll get my pack and get out of here.”

“Kurt, you don’t understand. I’m not trying to be sarcastic. Your opinion is important to me.”

He looked at her a moment then flopped down again, jarring the swing. “Lady, you asked. In the short time I’ve been here, I have the impression you’re an uptight female too set in your ways. You’re smothering the kid. Once in a while it wouldn’t hurt to let Scotty make some of his own choices. Chips on his television, so he won’t watch what you don’t want him to. Ever think of trusting the kid? Putting him on his honor? Let him make the choice of the path he’ll take?”

“He’s only nine years old. I don’t believe he’s old enough to make the right choices.”

“You’ll never know until you let him try.”

She appeared to be struggling with her thoughts and he knew he had no right to express his opinions. But dammit, she had rubbed him wrong with her officious attitude at dinner.

“Maddie, I know I was pretty wild as a kid, so I’m a poor example to be giving lectures on child rearing, but maybe Scotty and I have the same problem. Neither of us had a father figure to emulate. My dad was the town drunk and I was embarrassed and ashamed of his actions. Scotty’s being raised by two women in a manless household. He needs some positive masculine influence in his life the same way that I did. How much contact does he have with his father?”

“None.”

“What? His dad lives right here in Vandergriff and Scotty has no contact with him! Is that your idea or his father’s?”

“Who told you Scotty’s father lives here?”

“Beth mentioned it earlier.”

“Well, it’s not true. Beth doesn’t know who Scotty’s father is. Nobody does but me.” She drew a deep breath. “I’ve never married nor told anyone the name of the man who fathered him.”

You sure have been blindsided, Bolen! Want to try that pass again?

Never married! The last thing Kurt expected to hear. He’d figured Maddie merely used her maiden name professionally like a lot of women did today.

A thought popped into his head. Had the guy she was waiting for last night on Poorman’s Peak fathered Scotty? Some bastard who had knocked her up then went home to his wife, kids and happy home? That could be why she was still single. She’d probably been having a running affair with the guy for the past ten years. He felt the rise of anger. And who ultimately pays the price—the kid!

Not your problem, Bolen, so move on.

He threw up his hands in defeat. “I’ve really heard more than I care to. This is none of my business.”

He figured that was as good an exit line as any. So it was time to exit stage right. “Nice seeing you again, Maddie. Take care of Scotty. He’s a great kid.”

Maddie had struggled with how she should handle the issue of Kurt Bolen. Her initial knee-jerk reaction when he had suddenly appeared in Vandergriff had been one of panic—the possibility that he would disrupt her world. She had gone as far as demonizing him to justify this fear. And then this same man had saved Scotty’s life.

For the past nine years she’d been justified in raising Scotty without revealing the identity of his father—she’d had no idea whether Kurt Bolen was alive or dead. But now that he was here, even though he had no intention of remaining, was it fair to let him leave without telling him he had a son?

And if God had brought Kurt back for a reason, she had to face that reality and consider Scotty’s needs—not her own, not Kurt Bolen’s—but Scotty’s.

She’d be blind if she didn’t see how much her son worshipped this man already. Was it jealousy on her part to even struggle with the issue? Fear that she no longer would be the center of Scotty’s devotion. Of course not. Scotty worshipped Aunt Beth, too. And besides, Scotty had so much love in his young heart, it was only natural for him to reach out to Kurt.

If only she knew more about Kurt. What he’d been up to in the past ten years. Married? Divorced? Other children?

There she was at it again. She wasn’t the omnipotent being in the issue. It wasn’t her decision. A power much greater than she had made the decision—and she had to have the faith to trust the outcome.

“Kurt, wait. Are you religious at all?”

“Enough to believe that whatever choices you make along the way will not change your destiny, whether you die young from an infected hangnail or in old age from senility.”

She looked at him a moment then sighed. “Before you leave there’s something I must tell you.”

“Maddie, I don’t want to know. I’ve heard all I want to hear. I’m just an ex-schoolmate passing through town. I’m not interested in hearing your family secrets, much less where the bodies are buried.”

Maddie hesitated. He was giving her the excuse to ease her conscience if she let him leave without telling him. Then, once again, she reminded herself that this wasn’t about her interests or Kurt’s; this was about what was good for Scotty.

Maddie took a deep breath. “I think you might be interested in what I have to say. Kurt, you’re Scotty’s father.”

Too stunned to speak, Kurt stared at her until he found his voice. “What in hell are you trying to pull, lady? Is this some kind of con to put a squeeze on me?”

“No, it’s not. I just thought you should know. Please feel free to leave.”

“You’re damn right I’m leaving.”

Kurt spun on his heel and headed back inside to get his pack. He got as far as the third step, then hesitated and came back.

“Why me? That story might have worked with other men, but I’ve never laid a hand on you, so why try it with me?”