Page 54 of Tempting the Goalie
“Did he hurt you?” Daddy suddenly asks on edge.
“I’m fine.” I rub my hands up and down my arms. “I can handle a verbal lashing and Luc was there. It’s just that Charles was always a chill kind of drunk.”
Phoenix and my dad exchange a look. They have me sit at the breakfast bar and each of them takes a seat on either side of me.
“You guys are terrible at making a girl feel calm.” I chuckle nervously.
“Which is why we are both single,” Phoenix chants.
“I need you to be straight with me here. I’m not a kid anymore,” I say to them.
“No, you’re not, Bean,” Daddy says. I see how his dark eyes are torn and it heightens my nerves. “Last summer, after you leftback to school, Charles decided he was cleaning out his house. He found some letters written between your mom and Maggie,” he explains. I knew Mom was best friends with Luc’s mom. Mom had met Daddy through Maggie, and they loved that they could live next door to each other. “Your mom was aware Maggie was having an affair.”
“Affair? As in she cheated on Charles?” I ask.
“That’s what it means, Bean,” Phoenix says dryly.
“We don’t need your sarcasm now,” Daddy warns my eldest brother.
“Sorry,” Phoenix coughs.
“You know there was a passenger in Maggie’s car the night it crashed,” Daddy says.
“Yes, a coworker,” I state.
“You and Luc were so young when Maggie died. We did the best we could to keep the newspapers and media out of your reach. It wasn’t that hard because you both loved the outdoors. We just encouraged you to spend time outside and away from all the talk in town.
“Kyle Jensen was Maggie’s coworker. Luc and I know that. You thought you were protecting us, but we were curious. We know he was the one in the car with Maggie. That’s how Elyna befriended Riley.”
“Damn, Dad, I told you not to treat her with kid gloves,” Phoenix suddenly says in an outburst.
“I was trying to do the best I could for all of us. Your mom took off on us after Maggie’s funeral. I thought she’d be back in a few days, but we all know how that turned out,” Dad reminds gruffly. It’s still hard for him to talk about her after all these years. I know Mom broke after Maggie’s death, but I would’ve thought she would hold it together for the sake of her five kids.
“What did Charles find that tipped him over the edge?” I ask Daddy.
“Letters your mom wrote to Maggie about, uh, carrying on the affair with Kyle Jensen. Up until that point we all thought they were coworkers. Nobody thought they were having an affair. When Elyna showed up with Kyle Jansen’s grandkid, it pushed Charles over the edge. He’s been drinking out of control and disturbing the peace. I feel bad for the guy, but I’m this close to locking him up for continued disorderly conduct,” Daddy says, holding his index finger close to his thumb.
“Holy shit.” I lean on the breakfast bar and rest my elbows on the counter, pushing my hair off my face. “Do you think Mom felt responsible for Maggie’s death?” I ask both my father and brother but I don’t need the answer, I already know. She felt responsible. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t live with herself.
“Yeah, Bean,” Daddy says apologetically. “It does shed some light on the past. Doesn’t make me feel any better. Charles had a drinking problem from the start. Maggie should’ve left him. I don’t know if she stayed for Luc and Elyna. Maybe she stayed to be close to your mom. It’s impossible to know.”
“Wow. Charles looked at me tonight like I was the devil. And the way he referred to Braden as being the devil’s spawn, it all makes sense. Luc needs to know about this.”
“You should tell him, Bean, or I can sit him down and tell him,” Daddy offers. Daddy was always close with Luc since he spent so much time at our house. In a way, he was like another one of my brothers, except he wasn’t because he was the boy who held my heart. Now my heart is hurting for my best friend. It feels like this news will open old wounds for him.
“I’ll tell him. I’ll take him to the waterfall and sit him down and tell him,” I say to Daddy.
“I’m sorry you have to deal with all of this again,” Daddy says.
“I’m sorry for you too. I just wish you had been upfront with me. I wouldn’t have gone over there tonight. Charles was acting crazy. Elyna needs to know what’s going on. She and Bradenneed to get out of there ASAP. For now, I told Luc to watch Braden like a hawk.”
“I can’t imagine Charles will hurt the baby,” Daddy says.
“You didn’t see him tonight, Daddy. He was off the rails. He was mean and unhinged,” I say as I stand from the stool I was sitting on.
“I’m sorry, Bean.”
“Luc was there. I knew he would never let Charles hurt me.”
