Page 14 of Scooter's Endgame
Now that I know she’s free of the slimeball she was engaged to, it takes everything in me not to make a move on her. Having watched from the sidelines for the past seven years, yearning for something I couldn’t have, I want to make her my own before I miss my opportunity.
But it’s not fair on her. No matter what the relationship was like, she needs time to move on from it. I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little longer, difficult as that may be.
“Well, then –” She clears her throat. “We should, er, probably eat beforeourfood gets cold.”
“Yeah.”
Reaching for my burger, I shift in my seat in an effort to ease my discomfort. Between bites, we chat about the job and what her duties will be, hours, pay, benefits and other random things.
We’re almost done eating when Luke comes running up to the table. His face is a little flushed, his breathing a bit choppy, but his eyes are shining with excitement. “Hey there, bud. You good?” I ask.
“This place is so awesome.” The boy stands bouncing in place beside the table. “I’m thirsty, Mama.”
Kathleen hands him his soda. “There you go.” He drinks nearly half before returning the glass to the table. “Come sit a minute and have some of your nuggets and fries.”
“I’m not hungry, Mama.”
She frowns, but then simply says, “Well, okay. If you’re sure, I can have them box it up, and we can take it home for you to eat later.”
“Yeah, I’m sure – I’m just thirsty.” He reaches for his glass again, draining it this time. “Can I go play some more?”
“Yes, you can, but only for a little bit longer, okay? We still need to go by the storage locker before we go home. And then it’s bath- and bedtime.”
“Okay.” He gifts her a smile so sweet even a grizzly SEAL like me can’t help but be affected by it.
I watch as he runs off before turning back to Kathleen. “Everything all right? You seemed taken aback when Luke said he wasn’t hungry. Not a usual occurrence, I take it?”
“Not at all, no. Unless he’s fixing for an attack. He did seem a tiny bit short of breath when he got to the table, but that could also just be from him running around with the other kids.”
“Tell me about him,” I invite.
“Who, Jeff?”
I have to bite back my original response, since the man is not one of my favorite people, by any means. “No, I meant Luke.”
“Oh. Sure.” A smile of pure love tilts her lips upward, pulling her wide mouth into the most endearing cupid’s bow. “Jeff and I were together around six months when I discovered I was pregnant. We weren’t in the best place at the time, but Jeff seemed so excited about the prospect of a baby, especially if it was a boy, that it improved dramatically. I had an easy pregnancy; no problems or complications and life had never been better.
“One night Jeff went out with friends, and I decided on an early night. It wasn’t until he came home blind drunk and madder than a wet hen that I realized where he’d been – Jeff has a gambling problem he was trying to beat. Or so I thought.
“I came out of the bedroom to see what all the fuss was about, since he was ranting like a crazy man. He was coming up the stairs.” She pauses for a moment, and it’s clear to see the memory isn’t a happy one. “We got into it, and he got in my face to yell at me.”
Everything tightens in me as my mind races ahead to how this story is probably going to end. But I hold my peace, not interrupting her.
“He said I disgusted him with my constant whining, and how I never wanted him to have fun anymore. Then he pushed me, telling me to get the fuck out of his sight. I lost my footing and tumbled down the stairs.”
“Jesus, Kathleen …” The horror of the mental image her words invoke has me feeling queasy, the burger I’ve just finished sitting like lead in my stomach.
She runs a shaking hand through her hair, the memory obviously still difficult for her. “At first, when I landed at the bottom, nothing hurt, and I thought everything was all right. But then the most indescribable pain ripped through my abdomen. I won’t go into the details, but the end result was premature labor at twenty-eight weeks.”
“Ah, it makes sense then – why he’s been so sick over the years. At the time, we left on a mission, and you were still pregnant. We were gone for so long that I just assumed you’d delivered when you were supposed to. Well, damn.”
“Yeah. He spent months in the NICU before he was strong enough to come home.”
“That must have been rough on you guys.”
Kathleen’s quiet for a moment. “It was for me, yeah. Jeff wasn’t around much – you know how it is.” Her softly spoken words leave much unsaid but clearly understood. I just don’t think she realizes that.
It’s the worst kept secret on base that he’s been cheating on her with one of the ladies in human resources for years. I wonder if she’s aware of it and tolerated it, or has been blissfully unaware of the man’s lack of morals.
