Now and Forever 5, Love's Journey (17 page)

“If he could desert a beautiful woman like
you, he can’t be worth it.” Rex moved closer to her.

“Thanks
.
”

Daylight was fading shadows were growing
longer. She looked around. Rex moved a little closer. He touched
her, gently pulling her into his shoulder. She tried to move away,
but his grip tightened slightly.

“I’m a good shoulder to cry on,” he said,
“do you live near here?”

“I live in Willow Falls.” Sweat broke out on
her upper lip.

“So do I. Can I give you a lift, since your
family seems to have left?”

“They wouldn’t leave without me.” She
stepped back from him.

“Maybe they think you already went home or
your boyfriend took you home.” He crept closer to her slowly.

“They know I’d never leave without telling
them. I don’t have a way to get home without them.”

“It’s your lucky day, now you do. My car is
right over there. Why don’t you let me give you a ride?” He reached
for her hand.

“Thanks anyway, I’m going to look for my
family.” She moved away from him.

“I’ll go with you,” he said, staying close
to her.

“I’d prefer to go alone.” Her hand trembled
slightly.

“Don’t you like me?” He reached for her
arm.

“No woman likes a man who won’t take no for
an answer.” The girl stepped back, her foot slipping on a rock. Rex
was too quick for her, before she could recover and make a getaway;
he snatched her arm and held it in a vise-like grip.

“Come here, my saucy little bitch. You give
me a hard on.” Rex yanked her toward the empty 4-H booth.

Chapter Ten

Back at the picnic table, Chase had
returned, alone.

“Where is Kaitlyn?” Danny asked.

“Isn’t she back yet?” Chase asked.

“Why isn’t she with you?” Eliza asked him,
her hands on her hips.

“We broke up,” Chase admitted, dropping his
gaze to the ground.

“You dumped Kaitlyn?” Tanner yelled at his
brother.

“Yeah, and it’s none of your business,”
Chase replied.

Danny grabbed Chase by the upper arm.

“You left Kaitlyn to wander the fair alone
and upset? Any badass with five bucks can be at the fair, preying
on young women. Where did you leave her?”

Chase started to sweat.

“We were by the administration booth.”

“Take me there, now,” Danny demanded.

“Chase, how could you leave my sister
there?” Sally asked.

“Guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“Guess you weren’t. Let’s go,” Danny said,
his voice tense, his body ready for action.

Mac went with Danny while Peter and Sam
remained at the picnic table, in case Kaitlyn showed up. When they
got to the administration booth, it was almost dark and there was
no sign of Kaitlyn. Danny, Mac and Chase divided up the territory.
Mac ended up near the 4-H booth. He heard someone sobbing and went
quietly to investigate.

“Please leave me alone. Don’t hurt me,”
Kaitlyn cried.

Mac peeked around the corner, spying a
powerful man standing over her, unzipping his pants. Her face had a
red mark, like the imprint of a hand. “Kaitlyn!” he called,
stepping out from behind a wall.

The man looming over Kaitlyn turned around
and saw Mac. He evidently decided she wasn’t worth fighting for,
zipped up and took off, disappearing into the woods. Mac called for
Danny and Chase, then went in and knelt down to help Kaitlyn up.
Danny and Chase were there in a heartbeat. Danny folded his arms
around her. She sobbed against his chest. He found a picnic table
and sat her down.

“Kaitlyn, I’m so sorry I left you there
alone,” Chase said.

Kaitlyn turned her face away from him.

“Why don’t you join the others,” Mac said to
Chase.

The young man looked at the ground and
walked away.

“Was Chase pressuring you for sex? Is that
why you guys broke up?” Danny asked.

Kaitlyn didn’t answer. She put her head on
Danny’s shoulder and her tears returned. Mac whipped out his
handkerchief and handed it to her while he and Danny exchanged
glances. She wiped her face and stood up.

“Did that guy hurt you?” Danny asked.

“He slapped me once. But if you hadn’t come
when you did…” She started to cry again and whispered, “he was
unzipping his pants.”

When they rejoined the group at the picnic
table, Kaitlyn flew into her mother’s arms. Eliza cried. Mac picked
up Jason and in silence they all headed to the parking lot.

In the administration building at Kensington
State University

The next day, Mac picked up his intercom and
heard his secretary, Jonesy’s, puzzled voice.

“Mac, a personal call for you on line two.
He wouldn’t identify himself.”

“Okay, Jonesy,” Mac said, picking up the
phone.

“Mr. Caldwell? My name is Tucker Carlson.
You don’t know me, but I think you know my son, Jason?” an
unfamiliar male voice asked.

There was silence as Mac tried to absorb
what the man was saying to him.

“What? You’re who?” Mac said, disbelief in
his voice.

“You heard me. You have my son, Jason. I
just found out he is my biological child and I want to see
him.”

“You’re kidding me. This is a prank, isn’t
it?” Mac asked.

“This is no prank. I’m dead serious. I
intend to sue you for custody of Jason, Mr. Caldwell. How serious
does that sound?”

“Where have you been all this time?” Mac
asked, tapping his pen on his desk.

“I’ve been out of the country. I found out
about Jason only two days ago.”

Silence.

“Of course, I’d hate to disrupt his life. My
sources tell me you provide a good home for the boy, which should
count for something especially since I’m not married. I want to be
reasonable and do what’s best…my return to Willow Falls left me
kind of short of funds…Mr. Caldwell.”

“Are you blackmailing me?” Mac asked, the
tapping got louder.

“What an ugly word, Mr. Caldwell. But a loan
of…say…twenty thousand would go a long way toward letting you keep
the boy…you must be pretty attached to him by now.”

“You want me to pay you twenty thousand
dollars to keep Jason,” Mac asked, his eyes wide.

“A crude way of putting it, Mr. Caldwell.
Let’s say the loan would keep me in the background. And you’d
continue to raise the boy as your own.”

“And no one would ever know, right?” Mac
asked, his eyes narrowing.

“That’s right. No one would have to
know.”

“How do I even know you are actually Jason’s
biological father?”

“I could do a paternity test, but it might
raise a lot of questions…not only with people you’d rather not know
about this…but with the boy. You wouldn’t want to tell Jason, would
you, Mr. Caldwell?”

Mac swallowed hard. He’d never subject Jason
to such an ordeal.

“Let me talk it over with my wife, Mr.…ah,
Mr.…what did you say your name was?”

“Carlson. Tucker Carlson. But what
difference does a name make, Mr. Caldwell? It doesn’t make someone
a father, does it?”

“Years of parenting make someone a father,
Mr. Carlson,” Mac said, unable to keep his irritation out of his
voice.

“That’s right. And you are more Jason’s
father than I am…or may ever be. But I doubt a court of law will
agree. Talk it over with your wife. I’ll call you back in three
days. Have your decision by then,” the man said and hung up.

Mac was stunned. Jason’s father? Could it be
or was this blackmail, pure and simple? He was sweating and
worried.
Could this be true?
This man wouldn’t stop at
twenty thousand. He’d bleed Mac dry for years.

Jonesy came in when Mac ignored her buzz on
the intercom.

“Mac, what’s wrong with…” she started to ask
as she opened the door. But she stopped when she saw his pale,
frowning face.

Mac got up and took his briefcase with
him.

“I’m going to be working at home this
afternoon, Jonesy. If there are any emergencies, you can reach me
there. Otherwise, please don’t give anyone the number.”

“What happened, Mac? Who was on the
phone?”

“I can’t discuss it, Jonesy, even with you,”
Mac said, patting her shoulder as he passed by on his way out.

As he walked home, he wondered how anyone
knew about Jason. Audrey, Jason’s biological mother, died five
years ago. Maybe she told someone before she died. Still, wouldn’t
this Tucker Carlson guy have come forward before? Not if he was
overseas. But what if this man recently found out about Jason’s
heritage and was only a blackmailer? What if he wasn’t Jason’s real
father? Mac had lots of questions but no answers. Time to talk to
Callie.

* * * *

Callie, Mac and Sam drove up to the lake
house for the weekend with the children. After the children were in
bed, Mac and Callie retired to their bedroom early. He explained to
Callie about the blackmail.

“If this guy is for real, why doesn’t he
come forward and claim Jason?”

“Good question.” Callie sat at her dressing
table.

“I think he’s only a blackmailer. A
blackmailer who got a hold of this information about Jason and
decided to cash in. But how did he find out about Jason?”

“You don’t think your ex told him, do you?”
Callie glanced at Mac.

“Since Audrey never told me who Jason’s real
father was, even in the hospital, before she died, I doubt she told
anyone else, either. I only told my father who wouldn’t breathe a
word to anyone. Have you told anyone?” Mac asked.

“Just Peter,” Callie replied, brushing her
hair.

“What do you mean,
just Peter
?”

“I mentioned it to Peter once. We were
talking about how you and I got together and I mentioned it. But
he’s your brother. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt us.”

“Not intentionally, but he might by
accident. I’ll bet he told somebody. Callie why did you tell him? I
told you never to tell anyone Jason isn’t my biological child,” Mac
said, anger creeping into his voice.

“I’m sorry, Mac. I thought I could trust
Peter…he’d keep it quiet.” Callie slipped on a silky robe.

“But you told him anyway, after I asked you
not to. You may have put Jason in jeopardy. You may’ve put our
whole family in jeopardy.” Callie turned to look at Mac. She had
never heard this tone of voice directed at her before.

“I’d never do that!” Callie exclaimed, her
eyes wide.

“But you did. Peter is the only person who
could’ve leaked the information.”

Mac was angry. Clearly he blamed Callie for
the blackmail. She was stricken.

“Please take it back. I never meant to harm
Jason. I love him too. He’s been my son for the past five years,”
Callie pleaded, tears forming.

“It doesn’t matter how sorry you are, you’ve
done it and it can’t be undone. Now we have to pay or maybe lose
our son. Don’t expect me to be happy about your loose lips,” Mac
said, turning angry eyes on her.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry. Mac, I’m so sorry,” she
said, tears filling her eyes.

“Don’t cry! You always cry. Whenever I get
angry, you cry and then I cave in. Not this time. You’re
manipulating me with your tears. Stop it!” He raised his voice.

Callie froze. She’d never seen Mac like
this. His fury frightened her. He had never yelled at her before.
She understood he needed to vent his fear and anger, and she was
taking the brunt of it. Trying to blink back tears, her hands
clutched the sides of her robe.

“I can’t help it if I cry. I get emotional.
I don’t do it on purpose.” Her voice shook, a sob stuck in her
throat.

“I don’t care. I don’t want to deal with
your tears tonight.” He looked at her, then quickly looked away.
Mac finished undressing and walked toward the bed. Callie removed
her robe and tossed it on the bed. She went over and put her small
hand on his bare chest but he brushed it aside.

“Not tonight, Callie,” he said, in clipped
tones.

“You don’t want to make love?”

“No.”

“But you always want to make love.”

“Not tonight. Leave it alone,” he said,
walking away from her, toward the bed.

“What about make-up sex?”

“How many times do I have to say it? I don’t
want to make love to you.” He got into bed, snatched the covers and
yanked them up around his chest. He turned his back toward her.

Silence hung heavy in the room as Callie
tried to catch her breath, feeling a tightness in her chest. As
fear and anxiety settled in her stomach, she thought she was going
to be sick. She tried to concentrate on breathing.

Mac had never treated her like this. He
never took his worries or anger out on her. He admitted it was
something she didn’t mean to do but still he wouldn’t forgive her.
She was devastated.