Chapter 5
Ben couldn’t keep his eyes off Kallie. Everything about her fascinated him, including her developing fine-motor skills as she fed herself, and the way she wrinkled her nose when she smiled.
Is this what Cassey would be like if she were here?
“Tell us about Kallie’s father. What’s he like?” His father’s serious tone pulled Ben from his musings.
“Dad.” Ben’s tone held a warning.
His father, known for his excellent bedside manner, could come across as brusque when he used that tone. Though Ben was curious to find out what or whom Amy was running from, he didn’t want her to feel defensive.
Her body language a moment ago suggested there were things in her past she’d rather not talk about. Was Kallie’s father one of them?
“It’s okay, Ben.” She smiled but didn’t meet his gaze. “Since I pretty much admitted to running away this morning, your father is probably worried about an abusive husband showing up on his doorstep.” She smiled at James. “There’s no husband, just a... boyfriend, and he’s only abusive when he’s drunk, which is often. But I doubt he’ll come after me.” Amy’s gaze dropped to her plate.
Ben could tell she struggled to keep the hurt from her voice. What kind of man lets his girlfriend and daughter walk away?
Not a gentleman. Not if he beat her.
He continued to watch Amy. Faint shadows still rimmed her eyes, though not as dark as this morning. She wore little make-up. She didn’t need it. Her curly blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and rosy lips were enough to attract any man’s attention.
Whoa! Where did that come from?
Amy sucked in her bottom lip, which was fuller than the top, and chewed on it for a moment before speaking. “I’ve worked at Charlie’s Bar and Grill since I was fifteen. A few years ago, Charlie hired the Lance Haye’s band to play on the weekends. That’s when I first met Lance. The band was pretty good, and I became something of a groupie, since I always worked weekends. Lance was charming and charismatic. We got serious and eventually... I got pregnant. I wanted to get married, but he wanted to wait until his career took off, since they had a record label interested in signing them. About ten months ago, the band finally put out an album and went on a three-month tour of the west coast with other artists.” Amy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and fiddled with the handle of her knife.
Lasagna forgotten, Ben studied her face. He had a feeling she didn’t want to share what came next. The emotion evident in her pretty eyes mirrored the pain he saw every time he looked in the mirror. This woman had been hurt deeply, and he had a feeling it wasn’t just physically.
“I started suspecting he was sleeping around while he was on tour earlier this year. When I confronted him about it, he got angry, telling me I didn’t understand how demanding and stressful being on tour was.”
Jerk!
“When he finished the tour, he promised it wouldn’t happen again. I wanted to believe him, but deep down I knew I couldn’t. So, I started saving money, hoping to make a fresh start... somewhere.”
Her expression remained passive, but her voice rose in pitch. If she was trying to hide how badly Lance’s actions hurt her, she wasn’t doing a very good job. Her inner turmoil manifested itself in the way she twisted her napkin.
Amy let out a heavy sigh then said, “He went from introducing me as his girlfriend to calling me ‘just a friend.’ A friend and her baby, that’s all we were to him. He didn’t want to claim Kallie as his daughter because he thought it would hurt his career.”
Ben’s grip on his fork tightened aspain sliced through his chest.The man didn’t want to claim his own daughter?Ben would give anything to be able to hold his daughter again.
“I’d saved almost two thousand dollars and planned to leave soon because I knew he was sleeping around. But Lance found the money last week and got angry with me for holding out on him.” She rubbed absently at her temple, and Ben had the feeling Lance had taken his anger out on her. “He blew the money on a new guitar. I planned to start over, but last night, I decided I couldn’t stay any longer.” Amy’s voice caught, and she sucked in a deep breath.
“What happened, dear?” His mother squeezed Amy’s arm.
“I um... I quit my job last night and came home early. When I walked into...” Amy bit her lip, and Ben watched the emotions play across her face, as though struggling to decide how much she wanted to share. “He was... with another woman.” Amy’s eyes dropped to her lap. No doubt trying to hide the pain Lance’s actions caused her.
Lance was an idiot!Ben bit his tongue to keep from calling Amy’s ex a much worse name aloud. He balled his fists under the table. Lance had to know Amy would be coming home. Had he planned to get the woman out of there? Or had he wanted Amy to catch him, hoping it would drive her away?
It worked. But at what cost? Amy was better off without the loser, but to suffer that kind of rejection... not only on her behalf but her daughter’s too?
The urge to gather them in his arms and keep them safe took his breath away.Where did this sudden hero complex come from?
“And while he was caring for the baby.” His mother’s disapproval rang clear.
“Lance never took care of Kallie. My friend, Celeste, did. I’ve been stuck working nights for the past six months and don’t usually get home until after midnight, so Kallie stayed at Celeste’s house.”
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, Amy, but why did you quit your job last night?” There was his father’s gentle bedside manner.
Ben’s mom always joked that his dad could charm the appendix from ladies, young and old. It was a personal joke since his dad had to perform an emergency appendectomy on his mom the night they were supposed to go on their first date.
