Page 66 of Indescribable

When we walk in, Dale is with a customer but excuses himself when he notices us.

“Excuse me a moment. I think this is what you’re looking for but if you need more help, just let me know.”

The customer nods and he strides toward us, immediately pulling me into a warm hug.

“Naomi, I missed you, honey.”

I lean back and give him a squeeze before stepping out of his embrace. “I missed you, too, Dale.”

“Just because my dumbass of a son screwed up, that doesn’t mean that you can’t come around once in a while.”

That makes me smile. “I’ll remember that. Can we go to your office and talk quick, though?”

“Uh oh. I know that look. I suspect I’m not gonna like whatever it is y’all are here to tell me.”

He guides us to the back where his office is and shuts the door behind us, gesturing for Leah and I to take a seat and he does the same behind his desk.

“What ball did you come to drop on me?”

I look at Leah who nods her reassurance for me to continue. “I don’t know how to start.”

“Usually from the beginning is best.”

“How about I just blurt it out?”

He motions for me to get on with it.

“Today Wyatt showed up at my house and he was… not himself. He was really agitated and angry and when I asked him to leave, he wouldn’t. It went on long enough that I…” I trail off, afraid to say the rest. Leah reaches over and grips my hand in a reassuring clutch.

“You what?” Dale asks gently.

I roll my lips together, wondering how he’s going to take this. “I had to call the police.”

“Pardon?”

“He was not taking it well and kept demanding I let him inside. But the way he was, I didn’t feel safe to do that.”

Dale is quiet for so long I start to fidget in my chair.

“He was arrested?”

I shake my head. “Not unless I press charges, but I don’t plan to do that.”

He blows out a breath, giving himself time to process everything. “There’s something else you’re not telling me.”

As tenderly as I can, I tell him, “I think he was high on some sort of drug, Dale. The police suggested cocaine.”

His head drops into his hands and my heart breaks when I see his shoulders begin to shake as he cries silently.

I jump out of my seat and hurry around the desk to hug him.

He crosses an arm over his chest and holds me to him as he continues to let out his emotions. It takes him several minutes before his tears subside.

“I wondered,” he says, his voice shaky. “Knew whatever he was up to was no good but didn’t want to admit it, or see it, really. Things have been… bad for him for quite some time and I turned a blind eye.”

“What do you mean it’s been bad for him for quite some time?” Leah asks.

I rest my hip against his desk and he wipes his eyes.

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