Virginia Myers - The Dad Next Door

Kate sat down opposite him. “Don’t worry. These things happen. I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you in front of Raymond, but Marsha mentioned that adoption idea to me, so I knew it was coming.” She glanced at her watch. It was only four forty-five. Not time to start dinner yet.

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Ian muttered. “Marsha’s always got an angle. My guess is that Burgess wants a family—he’s a bit older than she is.” He looked at her questioningly.

“I…I think that’s what she said. She plans to have their own baby,” Kate said, to be fair. “But not immediately.”

“Don’t take any bets on it,” Ian said. “Raymond was what they call an ‘unplanned pregnancy.’ I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be dumping on you like this.”

“It’s all right. This is stressful for all of you,” Kate said. She knew all about Raymond’s beginnings. They had been too careless, not realizing how quickly he understood the nuances. I heard ’em fighting, see. I almost got aborted. Marsha’s always bringing it up to him. How he told Granddad and Granddad put a stop to it. There’s lots of money on the Greer side and Marsha’s an only child. Raymond hadn’t missed much.

“How’s Marsha doing?” Ian asked.

“She took a shower and went to bed. She did seem exhausted.”

“I’m sure she is. That’s vintage Marsha. She’s probably bushed. She does that, goes and goes and goes and then crashes. This is an old rerun. Burgess didn’t come with her? Did she say where he is?”

“I think she said he had gone to break the news to his family about the marriage, about not waiting for the June wedding.”

He was quiet for a time, slowly twisting the water glass on the coffee table, around and around. He looked desolate, and it tore her heart. She was accustomed to seeing him as Raymond saw him—confident, successful, always in control. Dad’s always been first string. In everything. All his life he’s total success. She wanted desperately to comfort him in some way. Almost six years ago when Claude had died she had settled down to a life of widowhood and motherhood, sure she could never be attracted to another man.

Until now.

For the first time she admitted to herself honestly that she could love again and, Oh, dear God, help me, this was the man. She wanted to touch him, push back his hair from falling over his forehead, reassure him, heal his hurt.

He looked up at her, his beautiful hazel eyes troubled. “You’re a good friend, Kate.”

A good friend. She made herself say it. “Well, neighbors help neighbors, Ian. And you know how fond I am of Raymond.”

“You’ve been a godsend to my boy. I could never repay you for what you do for him.”

I don’t want you to pay me. I want you to love me. She wasn’t looking at him anymore, for fear of what he might see in her eyes. Sounding practical and neighborly, she said, “What will you do now? Don’t you think you’d better try to nip this adoption idea in the bud? Can you do that?”

“Yes. Absolutely. I mean, I’m pretty sure I can. I know I’m just a working stiff and I’m up against people who can usually get their way, but I don’t think Justin—Marsha’s dad—will go for that. He’s a pretty fair-minded guy. Things like old-fashioned honor count with him.”

“Where is he? Can you reach him?”

“What time is it?”

“Almost five.”

“They’re over in Scottsdale for the winter. They like the sun. He’d just about be coming in from the golf course, I think. May I use your phone? Now, where’s my phone card?” He had taken out his billfold and was shuffling through credit cards. Kate got up to leave and he glanced up. “Would you mind sticking around? I…kinda need some moral support.”

“Of course.” Kate sat back down, feeling a warm glow in spite of herself. It was nice to be needed. She watched him covertly, seeing the hard clear line of his jaw, the breadth of his shoulders, the way he moved to the little phone table near the door, the way he picked up the phone and punched in the numbers. Apparently someone answered almost immediately.

“Lydia? Ian here. How are you? Getting enough sun over there?” Then a pause. “Yeah, we’re snowed in.” Then a longer pause. “Actually, I’d like to speak to Justin if he’s available. Oh, fine. Yes. Marsha’s here. She’s told me about the marriage.” Longer pause. “Of course I’m glad she’s found someone. I wish them every happiness. I…Oh, okay. Hello, Justin. Yes, I was just telling Lydia that Marsha came here to Seattle.”

There was a much longer pause as he listened intently to his former father-in-law. “Yes, she told me that, too. It’s out of the question, of course. I would never agree to give up my son. Never.” Then he listened quietly for a long time. Finally, his tone sounding relieved, he said, “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your support on this, and I will think about some sort of boarding school, but for now I have another arrangement I want to try. Why don’t I call you again when I’ve got it firmed up? Raymond’s pretty upset. There was some trouble at school and he got the short end of it.”

They talked a while longer and Kate felt a growing sense of relief. Apparently Marsha’s father was in agreement with Ian. When Ian rang off he came back to the couch.

“Well, that’s that for now,” he said with a sigh. “I wish the weather would break so I could get Marsha to some hotel. I know she can’t get out of Seattle yet. We had the news on the radio coming back from the doctor’s and Sea-Tac is snowed in. Nothing’s coming in or going out. Which reminds me. I didn’t finish telling you about what Dr. Madison said. I really have to go down to Raymond’s school. They don’t want the gangs to get down into the middle schools, or next it’s the elementary schools. The world’s gone nuts. I understand that the Seattle police have a special gang unit that needs to know these things.”

“That’s encouraging, at least,” Kate said. “When you told Colonel Greer you had another arrangement you wanted to try, was that…?”

He grinned. “Yeah. Raymond’s so stressed-out I guess I’d better go along with the homeschooling. At least for a while. When he’s with you…Kate, you have no idea how much you mean to that boy. And since you offered, I…”

“Oh, yes, I’m eager to try it, Ian,” Kate said, feeling a rush of excitement. “School is closed for students now, but I’ll bet the administrative offices aren’t. I’ll talk to someone tomorrow. I’ll check with Pastor Ledbetter for some coaching first,” she added. Somehow she had to make this work, for everybody’s sake.

“Justin means well, but he’s one of those people who thrive on stress and pressure. He doesn’t really understand that some people can’t. He made it through seven years as a POW in Viet Nam. You’ve never met him, have you?”

“No. Mrs. Greer was here once, to see Raymond, and I met her, but not the colonel.”

“He’s one of those thin wiry guys, quiet, soft spoken, never hurried, never rattled, a real old-line gentleman, but hard as nails underneath. His idea, and he honestly believes it, is that a good military school would ‘toughen Ray up’—his phrase, not mine. I think I know my boy, and that toughening-up process kids in a military academy go through would scatter what reserves Ray has left. If I have to settle for a boarding school it’s going to be one more laid-back than that.”

“You won’t have to settle for any boarding school,” Kate said firmly. Oh, God, please help me. I’m not sure I know what I’m doing.

“I’ll help you all I can between trips. I wish…”

“You wish what?”