it!” Mac shoved the key into the lock and gave his wrist a hard twist. After the morning he’d had, he wasn’t in the mood for his son’s lip. Opening the door, he stepped inside and waited for Chase to follow.
Then he slammed the door after the boy. Hard. As Chase’s eyes widened in surprise at his father’s show of temper, Mac snapped, “I know you’re upset, but you need to watch your tone. Your mother lost her keys last week at the mall. We had the locks changed then. There’s a key for you in the kitchen.”
He led the way to his office. If Ali were having this conversation, she’d do it in the kitchen, in her territory. She’d pour her son something to drink, put a plate of cookies in the middle of the table. Then she would sit and stare down into her coffee cup as she told Chase how horrible her life was, lifting a teary, martyred gaze from time to time.
Mac went straight to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a scotch, and waved a hand toward the bar fridge, kept stocked with bottled water and juice.
Chase obviously hadn’t come to Denver to share a drink with dear old Dad, and he apparently hadn’t listened to his father’s warning a minute ago, either, because he braced his hands on his hips and demanded, “What’s the deal, Dad? Why did you step out on Mom?”
The temper vanquished by Mac’s long drive came roaring back. He banged his tumbler down on his desk, glared at his son, and demanded, “Did she tell you I cheated on her?”
“No. Actually, she denied it. I guess covering up for you is a habit.”
“Covering up for me? When has your mother ever covered up anything for me?”
“Well, she left you, didn’t she? Out of the blue? She had to have been covering up something.”
Mac just shook his head. “If you have any desire to know the real truth, sit down and be quiet and I’ll tell it to you. But if you already think you know everything, then get your new house key from the kitchen and lock the door on your way out. It’s been a long day. I’d like to see it end relatively soon.”
Turmoil rolled across Chase’s expression, and Mac had a flash of memory of when the family dog, Draper, had slipped the leash and run out in front of a car. Chase had worn the same expression as he waited for the vet to tell them if his pet could be saved. Despite Chase’s outward stoicism, Mac knew his son well enough to be aware that inside, the boy—now the man—was filled with dread. He wanted his daddy to reassure him that all would be well.
That Mac simply couldn’t do.
He took a bracing sip of his drink, then said, “I don’t quite know what to say to you. I haven’t cheated on your mother. I haven’t been violent toward her or done any other villainous thing you might consider. Has your mother told you otherwise?”
“She didn’t tell me anything other than the fact that she’d moved out,” Chase responded, his voice subdued. “What is going on here, Dad? I don’t understand.”
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t understand, either. All I know is that your mother hasn’t been happy for a long time now.”
“Is she having an affair?”
Mac started to respond no, then hesitated. Was that what this was all about? Another man?
He’d never considered that particular possibility, but maybe that was naive of him. She certainly had the opportunity to cheat. He had never worried that she would do it. Still, he couldn’t believe it. Ali was lots of things, but sneaky wasn’t one of them. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“Then why did she leave us?”
“She didn’t leave you, Chase,” he replied, his lips twisting in a sad smile. “She left me .”
“She left our family. Why? What did you do?”
The question stirred his simmering anger. What had he done other than love her and support her and take care of her since the day they got married? “Honestly, I don’t know. That’s something you’ll have to ask your mother.”
“This is crazy.” Chase marched
Then he slammed the door after the boy. Hard. As Chase’s eyes widened in surprise at his father’s show of temper, Mac snapped, “I know you’re upset, but you need to watch your tone. Your mother lost her keys last week at the mall. We had the locks changed then. There’s a key for you in the kitchen.”
He led the way to his office. If Ali were having this conversation, she’d do it in the kitchen, in her territory. She’d pour her son something to drink, put a plate of cookies in the middle of the table. Then she would sit and stare down into her coffee cup as she told Chase how horrible her life was, lifting a teary, martyred gaze from time to time.
Mac went straight to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a scotch, and waved a hand toward the bar fridge, kept stocked with bottled water and juice.
Chase obviously hadn’t come to Denver to share a drink with dear old Dad, and he apparently hadn’t listened to his father’s warning a minute ago, either, because he braced his hands on his hips and demanded, “What’s the deal, Dad? Why did you step out on Mom?”
The temper vanquished by Mac’s long drive came roaring back. He banged his tumbler down on his desk, glared at his son, and demanded, “Did she tell you I cheated on her?”
“No. Actually, she denied it. I guess covering up for you is a habit.”
“Covering up for me? When has your mother ever covered up anything for me?”
“Well, she left you, didn’t she? Out of the blue? She had to have been covering up something.”
Mac just shook his head. “If you have any desire to know the real truth, sit down and be quiet and I’ll tell it to you. But if you already think you know everything, then get your new house key from the kitchen and lock the door on your way out. It’s been a long day. I’d like to see it end relatively soon.”
Turmoil rolled across Chase’s expression, and Mac had a flash of memory of when the family dog, Draper, had slipped the leash and run out in front of a car. Chase had worn the same expression as he waited for the vet to tell them if his pet could be saved. Despite Chase’s outward stoicism, Mac knew his son well enough to be aware that inside, the boy—now the man—was filled with dread. He wanted his daddy to reassure him that all would be well.
That Mac simply couldn’t do.
He took a bracing sip of his drink, then said, “I don’t quite know what to say to you. I haven’t cheated on your mother. I haven’t been violent toward her or done any other villainous thing you might consider. Has your mother told you otherwise?”
“She didn’t tell me anything other than the fact that she’d moved out,” Chase responded, his voice subdued. “What is going on here, Dad? I don’t understand.”
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t understand, either. All I know is that your mother hasn’t been happy for a long time now.”
“Is she having an affair?”
Mac started to respond no, then hesitated. Was that what this was all about? Another man?
He’d never considered that particular possibility, but maybe that was naive of him. She certainly had the opportunity to cheat. He had never worried that she would do it. Still, he couldn’t believe it. Ali was lots of things, but sneaky wasn’t one of them. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“Then why did she leave us?”
“She didn’t leave you, Chase,” he replied, his lips twisting in a sad smile. “She left me .”
“She left our family. Why? What did you do?”
The question stirred his simmering anger. What had he done other than love her and support her and take care of her since the day they got married? “Honestly, I don’t know. That’s something you’ll have to ask your mother.”
“This is crazy.” Chase marched
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