Sweet Surrender Page 17

  The phone rang. He wasn’t moving. His salty soup was half-eaten. He moved it to the side table. Although he wasn’t going to answer the phone, he still was curious about the caller. He didn’t expect Haley to call, unless she’d forgotten an important cooking tip or needed his medical expertise.

  The ringing stopped before the answering machine clicked on. He stared at the black box, then noticed the blinking light. The display showed three messages. He pressed the play button. A weak flicker of hope flashed expectantly, and then burned out in a hollow poof when he identified the caller.

  “Pierce, are you there? Call me. You’re such an idiot.” He hit the erase button. He wasn’t in the mood for fighting with Sheena. He could guess what she was fired up about, but he wasn’t in the mood.

  “Pierce, I know you’re there. Where else would a moron be?”

  What was wrong with Sheena? He erased that message and went on to the next one, which he sensed was also from Sheena. So much for thinking that Haley would call him. “I can’t believe that you’re my brother. Guess you got one hundred percent of the stupid gene. I’m coming over and don’t bother pretending that you’re not at home.” His finger poised ready to erase Sheena’s tirade. First, however, he would determine what time the message had come through so he could figure out how much time he had to escape.

  The message came in at 6:00 p.m. The clock on the microwave showed 6:27 p.m. Crap. Sheena only lived fifteen minutes away with traffic.

  No one had to witness his retreat. He refused to use the word cowardly. All he was doing was setting the boundaries of his personal space. Since the warrior queen had announced her attack, he had to move his personal space to higher ground. Grabbing his keys and his wallet, he headed for the garage, listening for any signs that she’d pulled up to the house.

  He started the car and punched in the button to open the garage. “All these darn women are going to give me a heart attack.” He shifted the car into Reverse, waiting for the right amount of space between his car and the garage door before he floored the gas.

  A familiar dark blue minivan roared up the street before, tires squealing, it blocked his car. He slammed on his brakes.

  “Sheena, move your car!” he shouted, staring at hers through the rearview mirror.

  Instead of obeying, Sheena stepped out of the car. She blocked his escape and he had no alternate plan to deal with her. Pierce leaned his head back and closed his eyes in frustration and defeat.

  Where was Mrs. Saltzberg when he needed her? he wondered. He knew the answer. She probably sat staring out the window taking in every detail and eating popcorn while she enjoyed the show.

  A sharp knock on his window startled him. Sheena and Carlton Jr. looked in at him. Sheena glared and Junior stared. He could pretend not to understand her and motion that he couldn’t hear her. He knew that the scene, despite its humorous points, would raise her temper to the point where she’d start shouting at him through the window of the car as he sat in the driveway. And he’d earn a citation from his strict home owners’ association.

  He waved her away from the car so he could emerge.

  “I just came from Haley’s. I needed to talk to you and figured you would be over there,” Sheena said.

  “I don’t live there.” Anymore.

  “Before yesterday, I would’ve called you a liar because you were always there, even when she wasn’t home,” Sheena said.

  His nephew sipped from a juice box. When he squeezed the box, juice squirted from the bent straw onto Sheena’s shoe. She didn’t notice. Junior looked worried that his mother would make the discovery. I’ve got your back, little man. Pierce patted his head and winked at the young boy. And that’s what uncles with mean sisters were for, he wanted to explain to his nephew.

  “Sheena, I’m tired and I have lots to do. What do you want?”

  “What? Tired of being a jerk? And I don’t really care where you were running off to. I’m not going to let you mess up your life. See, I’m going to play your role in this little drama that you’ve created,” she explained.

  “As usual, you don’t know what you are talking about. But that has never stopped you from jumping right in,” he told her. He resumed playing with his nephew, tickling him under his chin. Carlton Jr. giggled and ran around their legs. Playing tag was so much more fun than being chewed out.

  “Come on, Carlton. I’ve got your favorite cookies all ready for you,” Pierce said to the boy. He refused to continue this conversation on his sidewalk. He took his nephew’s hand and led him into the house. Unfortunately, he heard Sheena’s footsteps and, if he concentrated, he’d feel her breath on the back of his neck. She was like a fire-breathing dragon. She was muttering something about the size of his head.

  Pierce had a routine when his nephew visited. He retrieved the box of his favorite cookies and placed a few on a plate with a large glass of milk. His nephew thanked him in his cartoon-character voice and settled in to enjoy his favorite chair, a kid-size reclining chair, in the family room.

  “Didn’t know you had one of those.” Sheena walked closer to inspect the burgundy-colored, upholstered chair.

  “I’m prepared to give my nephew whatever he needs when he visits, which isn’t often enough.” He’d loved Carlton Jr. from the first day Sheena had declared that she was pregnant. As Carlton got older, Pierce couldn’t help thinking about the day when he would have his son or daughter. “When are you going to have another child?”

  Sheena looked thrown off by the question and then she smiled. He wondered if there would soon be an addition to his sister’s family. She was a great mother. He wondered if he would be as good a father. Thoughts of parenting shifted his thoughts to their father.

  He had come to the realization that his father had played a crucial role in his family’s development. Pierce had been sixteen years old when his father had left, but remembered camping in the backyard looking up at the stars with his dad. He and his father had taken a trip to the mountains where they’d gone white water rafting. That trip had been their last. It had been exactly a month before he’d disappeared from his life.

  On that last day, his father had driven toward the house where Pierce had waited to play catch with Omar. The girls had gone to visit their friends. His mother had been in the kitchen fixing dinner. The Crown Victoria had cruised past Pierce, never stopping, but had slowed enough for him to see his father do a single wave. Pierce had remained at that spot until the car had disappeared from the intersection.

  When Omar had come out, Pierce had played with him, not like a big brother with his annoying kid brother. He’d played with him as he thought a father would play with his son. From that day, he’d wanted to shield his family from the pain of betrayal and the guilt of his foreknowledge of their father’s desertion.

  “I wish that Haley could see you like this.”

  “Like what?” Pierce tore himself from his maudlin thoughts. Any mention of Haley tended to grabbed his attention.

  “Sensitive. Human. Not trying to be the man who knows everything or has done everything,” she said. He pulled her by her arm before she finished her sentence. Carlton didn’t need to see him argue with his mother. They stood face-to-face in the living room.

  “I didn’t get any complaints from Haley. Since I’m not going out with you, then your opinion doesn’t really count. What does Haley have to do with you?”

  “Why did you break up with her? Did she cheat on you?” Sheena took a seat, crossed her legs and folded her arms.

  “Where do you get your information?”

  “Okay, let’s try another question. Did you cheat on her?”

  “Sheena, I’m tired.” He flung up his hands in surrender. “I don’t want to play your games tonight. Neither Haley nor I cheated on the other.” His sister was wearing out her already thin welcome.

  “See, I think that you did cheat on her. You’re the type of man to do that,” Sheena said.

  “On second thoughts, maybe you sh
ouldn’t have another child. I think your brain is leaking good sense.” Her accusation insulted him. “Sheena, this was a mutual decision between Haley and me. We are two adults who knew better than to pretend we were in some fantasy land, instead of being responsible.”

  “Here’s a news flash. You’re not a parent. You never were a parent. And at the rate that you’re going, you may never be a parent.” Sheena’s leg started its swinging, a sure sign that she was only getting started. “You cheated on Haley with us. We are your convenient tool. Between work and your family, you don’t have to deal with your life. You don’t have to gamble on having a relationship. You don’t have to screw up and fail. You don’t have to get your heart broken. You don’t have to be a quitter and walk out like Dad,” she said. “Pierce, don’t be scared to love.”

  “I can’t take much more of this. My head hurts. I’m happy to see my nephew, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Pierce needed air. Everything crowded in on him. The walls with their decorations, the bulky furniture, the large TV. His sister pointing at him didn’t help. All he wanted to know was when she would stop.

  “I don’t know why you made yourself into the martyr. Mom had moved on. Sure she hurt and cried, but she didn’t waste her life pining away after Dad left. Have you conveniently forgotten that she had male friends? She may have always compared them to Dad because she never remarried, but the point is that she didn’t give into her fears, at least not completely, or stop living and loving.”

  His sister came forward and touched him on his shoulder. He couldn’t remember the last time that they had touched, much less hugged. “You’ve helped us, but you’ve also used us to build a fortress around your heart. It’s time to let us go. Omar will make you proud, whatever he decides to do. I do have my doubts about his success, but he’s got to live his life. Laura lives and breathes for her big brother’s approval. One day she’ll find that special someone. And you know me. I take things one day at a time.

  “It’s time for you to release us and free yourself from the burden of thinking that you have to carry us on your back for all eternity,” she said quietly.

  Anger mixed with sadness, shock and then with happiness. His emotions swirled out of control. He didn’t like feeling as if he had no options. “I’ve made my decision. I can live with it. I suggest that you try to do the same. Focus on you and yours,” Pierce said. He stepped back.

  Replacing the distance between them helped him regain his balance. “Refresh my memory, but I do recall you not liking Haley when you found out that she would buy the house. You had unjustly accused her of wanting a meal ticket and a father for her child. Then you embarrassed her at your barbecue. Don’t pretend that all of a sudden you give a damn about her and her feelings,” he accused.

  “I’ve made my apologies. She may not see me as a friend as yet, but she sees me as someone who speaks candidly. I told her that you loved her and that your love scared you,” she said.

  “Have you lost your mind? How dare you?” he blustered, looking for the right words to blast her out of his house.

  “Do you love her?” Sheena demanded.

  He nodded.

  “I didn’t hear you,” she prodded.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Then what else matters?”

  “I may not be able to make her happy.” The simple confession depleted him. He took a seat on the bottom step of the central staircase. He rested his aching forehead on his crossed arms.

  “And why do you think that’s your sole responsibility?”

  Pierce’s head snapped up. Haley stood in front of him. He stared at her openmouthed, vaguely wondering if his sister’s assault had sent him into a state of hallucination.

  “I think this is my cue to leave,” Sheena said and called to her son. “No need to call me for a pickup. I already know how this will work out.” She walked over and planted a kiss on his cheek. “See, big brother, you aren’t the only one with mother hen instincts.” She leaned close to his ear. “Don’t screw this up. I like her.” With that comment, Sheena nodded toward Haley and exited with her son in tow.

  “How long have you been standing there?” He didn’t have the strength to move from his seat. His bone-weary exhaustion had been replaced by deep surprise and a rising excitement that teetered on ecstatic delirium.

  “Lucky me. Sheena came to my house first, lectured me, then demanded that I get in her van. I really thought that I was being kidnapped. Didn’t know we were coming here. Can’t say that I would’ve come even if she’d threatened me.” Haley eyed him, as if waiting for his response. His mind hadn’t gotten over the surprise of her appearance. She continued, “When I saw you in the driveway, I knew that every word your sister spoke, might I add at the top of her lungs, was true. I was afraid that, if you saw me, you wouldn’t listen to her, or me. But once you saw Carlton Jr., you didn’t focus on anything else,” she said.

  His demeanor softened at the thought of being seen playing with his nephew. Spending time with Carlton was one of the few times that he didn’t have to assume a role. At times he yearned for his nephew’s innocence.

  “Do you want me to stay?”

  “Yes,” he said quietly.

  She sat next to him, slipping her hand around his arm. Her hair fell across his shoulder. He leaned closer, drawing in her scent. There were so many things that he remembered about this woman. The minute he heard her voice, his resolve disintegrated like fine powder. How could she do this? They’d agreed to go their separate ways. He hung his head in shame. The accusations he’d flung at her haunted him.

  “Oh, Pierce, talk to me. What went wrong?” Haley draped an arm over his shoulder, resting her cheek against his body. “I heard most of what Sheena said, but I know that this isn’t a one-way street. I had my fears, too.”

  “No,” he said softly. “Sheena was right, but don’t tell her I said so,” he said and grimaced. Suddenly, he pulled Haley against his chest. He had used his father’s actions to set up a ghost in the closet of his emotions. And to think that he had given it so much power that he almost walked away from the only woman who had scaled that ten-foot wall around his heart and conquered him.

  “You know what I was afraid of?” Haley looked up in his face. He shook his head. “After having such a messy marriage, I wanted to make things as perfect as possible the next time around. I wanted to pave the rest of Beth’s life with no problems, no issues and no disappointments. But life doesn’t quite work that way. Our relationship didn’t go along a set course. I was in some kind of fantasy while my daughter got sick. And I took my fear out on you.” Haley’s eyes glistened with tears. She wiped away a few that had spilled down her cheek.

  He kissed each eyelid, wishing that he could stop the cause of her pain. But he had to learn to give her the space to express her emotions.

  “I felt guilty about feeling so happy in your company. Boy, and when you sat across from me over a romantic dinner, I thought it wasn’t right or fair, because my daughter was hurting. I’d promised her this rosy garden, but couldn’t keep up my end of the deal.”

  “That’s why we’ll do this together. No more superheroes,” he assured her. “Haley, you are my rock.”

  “And you’re my reality and my future,” she said.

  Night had fallen. Dinnertime had passed. The outside world and its goings-on didn’t matter. His life, his love, sat next to him. He opened his hand and she laid hers in his. Together they could help each other heal.

  He kissed her, stopping short of the emotional avalanche that could quickly overcome him. “Let’s raid the kitchen. I may have ice cream and some whip cream.”

  “I never asked, but who decorated your house?” Haley patted the bar stool at the counter of the kitchen.

  “My sisters. You don’t like it?”

  “It’s efficient, but not really you. Isn’t your favorite color blue? Yet there is no shade of blue anywhere in this house.”

  “Sheena doesn’t like blue.
” He shrugged, making a face. “Madame Critic, are you up to the challenge?”

  Haley fed him a spoon of the vanilla ice cream. He rolled his eyes in contentment. Kissing her lips after each spoonful of ice cream, he enjoyed the hot and cool sensations. If she’d let him, he’d alternate a kiss with each mouthful of treat until the freezer was empty of ice cream.

  “Can’t believe that Sheena offered to babysit Beth.”

  “She’s trying to make up for your rocky start.”

  “It’s okay. I know that she was being protective. I’d be that way with my brothers, although they seem to be able to handle themselves where the women are concerned. I’m the one who seems to need help in the romance department.”

  “Hope you haven’t had to call them about me.”

  She snuggled against his chest. He loved the smell of her hair. He ran his fingers through it, massaging her neck.

  “I did call them.”

  “And…”

  “I think that’s between me and my brothers.”

  “Then I’m going to have to interrogate you and get you to tell the truth.”

  “All yours, big boy.” She unwrapped his arms from around her and slid to the other side of the couch.

  “Did I tell you that I’m uniquely qualified for this task of debriefing you?”

  “So you keep saying. I think that you’ve met your match.” She stood and moved around to the back of the couch. Pierce didn’t move, aware that their game of seduction had begun. He resisted the urge to pull her down into his arms. She was playing dirty and he liked it.

  “Why don’t you meet me upstairs?”

  She trailed her finger along his shoulder, over his back to the next shoulder. She pressed her breast against his arm and blew in his ear.

  If he was a puppy, he’d be running in circles. His tail would wag furiously as he waited to jump on top of Haley. As man’s best friend, he’d get to lick her for a vigorous ear rub.