“What about Andy?”
“He loathes his father. When the abuse became violent, Andy tried to protect Charlie and me, but he was only a boy. I feel like I’m stuck in the middle, trying to help both of them when all I want to do is forget about Scotty.” She took two mugs out of the cupboard. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’ll grab a glass of water if I get thirsty.”
She filled a mug with coffee and sat at the kitchen table. “I’ll call my lawyer in the morning, then talk to Ethan. If he has the time, I’d like him to supervise Charlie’s visit with his dad.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Will you go with Charlie?”
“If he wants me there, I will. Otherwise, I’ll see Scotty separately.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I used to think I’d never be able to see him again, but I have to. If I don’t, he’ll always be in my head, telling me I’m not good enough.”
David sat beside her. “Do you believe that?”
“Sometimes,” she said softly. “But then I remember how far the boys and I have come. It makes me proud of the choices we’ve made. At one of my counseling sessions, Ethan told me we can’t change the past. All we can do is change our reaction to what happened. That helps me keep focused on what’s happening now.”
He wanted to make her feel better, to see the woman who inspired him with her courage and determination. But he didn’t want to suffocate her with words she wasn’t ready to hear.
So, instead of telling her what was in his heart, he said, “From my perspective, what’s happening in your life right now is pretty incredible. You have a successful business, you make people happy each day with your delicious food, and you made a clinical director very happy when you let him sleep on your sofa. You can’t get much better than that.”
Andrea smiled. “You’re a good man, David O’Dowd.”
He wanted to be so much more but, for now, it was enough. One day, he would show Andrea just how amazing the two of them could be together.
The next day, David was working from the cabin at the new research facility. So far, everything was going remarkably well with the redevelopment. The project manager was pleased with the construction company and the steady arrival of materials, which was a bonus for David.
Juggling his job as clinical director and keeping the board informed of what was happening was proving more time-consuming than he thought.
Someone knocked on the door. He looked up from the report he was writing and smiled. Andy stood hesitantly in the doorway looking a little lost and forlorn. “Hi. It’s good to see you.”
“Mom doesn’t know I’m here, but I wanted to talk to you.”
David’s eyes widened. Andrea would be worried if she knew he was missing. “Where does your mom think you are?”
“At the church. Pastor John’s running another basketball tournament, but I’m worried about something. I told Charlie I was coming here.”
At least he’d told someone he was leaving. “I’ll just log off my computer and then we can talk.” Before he did that, he sent a quick email to Andrea telling her Andy was at the cabin. With Scotty in the area, she’d be worried if someone called her to say he was missing. “How about we go for a walk while we’re talking? I could do with the exercise.”
“Okay.”
When he stepped outside, Andy proudly showed him the black and green bicycle leaning against the cabin. “You should get a mountain bike like mine. You can use it on any of the trails around the lake.”
“It’s awesome.”
“Mr. Jessop helped me fix the gears. He knows everything about mountain bikes.”
“He’s a good person to know. Let’s walk toward the park.” When Andy joined him, he asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“Charlie wants to see dad.”
David nodded. “What about you?”
“He hurt Mom. Charlie doesn’t remember some of the fights, but I do. I don’t want anyone to see him in case he hurts us again.”
“Your mom wouldn’t let that happen.”
Andy stuck his hands in his pockets. “That’s what she said when he was hitting her.”
His voice was barely above a whisper, but David could still hear the hurt. “Your mom didn’t know how to keep everyone safe when she was married to your dad. Now she does.”
