Michelle Major - A Very Crimson Christmas

“And was he able to explain it away?” Millie asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Actually, I think he was relieved to finally be caught,” Natalie admitted. “As soon as I knew, all the debts became my responsibility. He was off the hook once more.”

“Was it drugs?” Katie asked.

“Not really.” Natalie shook her head. “Maybe some dabbling but nothing hard-core. I lost count of his vices. Gambling was his main addiction. Most of the work he did was in Arizona and Nevada. He got sucked into the Vegas culture and couldn’t find a way out.”

Millie narrowed her eyes. “Tell me you aren’t making excuses for him.”

“Not at all. He cost us everything. My car was repossessed, the house was almost foreclosed on and our credit destroyed. It’s only in the past couple of years that I’ve felt comfortable answering the phone to an unknown number. I had creditors hounding me for so long.”

“Why you? It was Brad’s gambling.”

“Everything was in both our names. I could either pay off the debts or file for bankruptcy.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Katie got up and came around the table to wrap her arms around Natalie’s shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? We could have helped.”

“I was too embarrassed. It feels silly to say that now, but it’s the truth.”

“So that’s when you left him?” Olivia asked.

Natalie nodded. “I gave him an ultimatum. Go to rehab for his addiction or I was leaving. He told me he’d change but was unwilling to get professional help. I filed for divorce within a month of discovering what he’d done.”

Katie sat down again. “I don’t understand why you think Ruth would pay him off now. You’ve been divorced for almost eight years.”

“At the time, I wanted him out of our lives until he could get control of things again. I was angry, hurt and scared. Jason Crenshaw was my attorney for the divorce. He begged me to go after Brad for full custody, to reveal everything Brad had done to wreck our finances, but I didn’t want to air my dirty laundry in front of the whole town. Being a single mother seemed to hold enough stigma.”

“Because of how your mom was treated when she returned to Crimson?”

“I guess,” Natalie said with a shrug. “She’s definitely had a chip on her shoulders for a lot of years. You know she still has a tendency to go off the rails. I couldn’t handle everyone thinking I was like her in any way. The bottom line was I didn’t listen to Jase. I told him to make the conditions of the divorce fair to both of us, to give Brad the option of visitation when and if he straightened out his life.”

She leaned forward and took a long drink from her straw. “As a result, whenever Brad runs out of money, he comes to me making veiled threats about getting back into Austin’s life. If I thought he really meant it, I’d welcome him. No boy should have to grow up without a dad around. But it’s all about the money every single time. As soon as I offer it to him, he takes off again.”

“Scumbag,” Katie mumbled. Olivia and Millie nodded in agreement.

“Things have gotten worse in the past year. He’s racked up a lot of debt again. He’s telling the guys holding most of his loans that he helps me out financially, letting them think that’s why he can’t pay. I’ve given him as much as I can spare, but it isn’t enough.”

Olivia’s mouth dropped. “Natalie, this is serious.”

“I know it’s serious.”

“You have to go to the police.”

“And Jase,” Katie added. “Take legal action against Brad. File a restraining order. Whatever you need to do.”

“What happens when he wants to see Austin again? I can’t legally keep him from that.”

Katie shook her head. “Have you talked to Jase? He’s a good attorney and now that he’s on town council, he has a lot of pull around here. He could help you.”

“I’d planned to, but I didn’t think it would get this far. I gave Brad everything I’d saved almost seven months ago and told him that was the end. Then he started calling again. That’s when I told Ruth what was going on. I’m afraid she’s taken matters into her own hands. She’s got strangely good connections for someone her age.”

“Did you ask her?”

As her stomach pitched, Natalie gripped the stem of her margarita glass. “I only realized it when Liam accused me of taking the money. She kept Austin at her side most of the day yesterday. She’s definitely avoiding me. Once I know for sure I’m going to have to tell Liam. How humiliating is it to admit to the guy who left me behind that I’ve royally messed up my life?”

“You didn’t mess it up. The scumbag ex-husband messed it up,” Millie offered sympathetically.

“I married him.”

Millie lifted her glass in a mock toast. “Good point.”

“I have money from the inheritance I got when my grandma died,” Katie offered. “I can help you pay back Ruth if she did indeed give money to Brad.”

Natalie shook her head. “As much as I appreciate the offer, I need to take care of this mess myself. I know I have to stand up to Brad so this stops. It’s no way to live.” She took a bite of the chicken quesadilla wedge Olivia put on her plate. “It’s not fair to Austin. I’m always struggling to get ahead and I should be putting money away for his college. He deserves so much more than I’m giving him right now.”

“You deserve more, too,” Olivia reminded her.

Fear and guilt warred inside her. Her ex-husband was a problem that had been growing for years, like a festering wound she continued to try to hide with a Band-Aid. As worried as it made her, she had to deal with him, no matter the fallout. “I’m going to talk to Ruth and if she did give money to Brad, I’ll figure out how to pay her back.”

“And?” Katie prompted.

“And ask Jason Crenshaw about getting the terms of the divorce redone. It will mean going back to court, but if Brad tries to fight me I’ll go public with everything. I’ll press charges if I have to.”

“Attagirl,” Millie told her.

“Whatever happens,” Katie added, “you’re not alone. You have friends and we’re here for you, Natalie.”

“Thank you.” Natalie blinked several times. She was a lot of things, but a crier wasn’t one of them.

“Your mother?” Katie asked. “How much does she know?”

“Very little. Mom was always very pro-Brad. She thought if I’d managed to catch a husband, that my main job was to keep him happy. She was furious when Brad and I divorced. I tried to explain the situation to her then, but she didn’t want to hear it.” She took a deep breath. “I guess it’s time to try again.”

“What about Liam?”

Natalie thought about Liam’s stormy eyes and the way her whole body tingled when he towered over her. “I’m hoping to have everything sorted out with Ruth before Liam has to know any details.”

“You two were close once,” Katie said gently. “He’s rich and powerful. He could make a good ally.”

“No way. Liam made it clear what he thought of me when he left Crimson for college. He walked away and never looked back. As far as he will ever know, staying in town only brought me happiness.”

Her friends looked skeptical but didn’t argue with her.

“Whatever you need, we’re here,” Katie said. “Promise you won’t go forward alone.”

Natalie gave a jerky nod and wiped her fingers across her cheeks. “I’m going to make this right.” She just hoped she could do it before her life blew up any more than it already had.

* * *

Liam walked out the front door of Ruth’s house later that night, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. He’d brought her home after she won several rounds of bingo. He’d promptly fallen asleep in her bedroom’s big recliner as they watched reruns of I Love Lucy . She was fast asleep when he’d woken up a few minutes ago.