Chapter Fifteen
Rhys read over the written exams and was tempted to give a B to everyone and call it a day. But he remembered the last time he’d done that. It was more of a headache than it was worth with all the people lined up for his office hours arguing how they deserved a better grade. Besides, some of those students clearly did not deserve a grade that high. He should have given this to one of his Teaching Assistants, but it was always his policy to grade the midterms and the finals himself. He needed to get these in by the end of the week and he was nowhere near finished.
It was hard to concentrate when his personal life was absolute shit and he had no one but himself to blame. His daughter had severe emotional problems, but he’d ignored the signs and now his ignorance had ruined one of the best things in his life. His gut twisted in knots when he thought about Sadie and the nasty things he’d said to her. He remembered the pain etched on her lovely face as he cut her down.
She hadn’t returned any of his calls, not that he could blame her, but eventually, they’d have to talk for the baby’s sake. He was going to be a father again and he had so many mixed emotions on the matter: joy, sadness, pride, and regret. Somehow he had to make this right, but considering what Carys had put her through, and how he’d treated her he wasn’t sure if it would be that easy.
Giving up all pretense of grading papers he pushed them aside and stood up with a yawn. He glanced at the clock to see that it was past nine and he still hadn’t eaten. When he made his way to the kitchen, he halted upon seeing Carys sitting at the kitchen counter eating a bowl of cereal.
She looked up from her meal and froze. For the better part of the week, they hadn’t said much to each other. Carys seemed as if she wanted to say something to him, but Rhys was at a loss for words. He didn’t know what to say to this stranger he’d raised. With a sigh, he walked further into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “I left some money on the counter for you to order pizza.”
“I saw it, but I-I was hoping you’d come out of your study and we can have dinner together.”
He pulled out some bread and sandwich fixings from the refrigerator. “You know I have term papers to grade. I don't really have time for much until I get my grades in.”
“Oh. Well….Daddy?”
“Yeah?” He didn’t bother looking up as he carefully piled deli meat, lettuce, and tomatoes on his bread.
“I was wondering if you could take me to the stables this week. To check on Buttercup I mean.”
“I’ll be busy. Besides, there won’t be any more trips to the stable for you.” He spread mustard on his sandwich before putting everything together and taking a bite.
“For how long?”
Rhys chewed his food and swallowed before answering. “I’d say when you make enough money to afford your own horse.”
Carys furrowed her brows as confusion marred her face. “I don’t understand. I have Buttercup and Sassafras.”
“You had them. As of Tuesday, Sassafras and Buttercup are up for sale, hopefully to owners who know how to take care of them.”
“But…but you can’t do that. They’re my horses!”
He took another bite of his sandwich and put it down in order to place the deli meat and condiments back in the fridge. “Were your horses. I guess you failed to remember the conversation we had when I purchased them for you—to take care of them. Because of your little prank, Buttercup could have died. Thank goodness, Dr. Hayes is an excellent veterinarian or she would have.”
Once he’d put all the items away, he picked up his sandwich and headed out the kitchen, only to be stopped by Carys. She grabbed him by the arm, her eyes brimming with tears. “I said I was sorry, Daddy. You know how much I love them. I never meant for that to happen. I swear I didn’t. I promise it won’t happen again.”
He yanked his arm out of her hold. “You’re right, it won’t because I’m not going to change my mind.”
“But I thought…I told you what I did. You and Sadie can get back together now and everything will be okay.”
Rhys was absolutely incredulous. Did she think she was doing him a favor by giving her offhand approval for him to see Sadie? After what she’d put the poor woman through? Even now, he didn’t think Carys understood the full extent of what she’d done. Sadie could have ended up in jail, could have gotten seriously injured, could have lost the baby—could have died. Rhys had to remember Carys was still a child, lest he said something he couldn’t take back. While he loved his daughter, he didn’t like her very much right now. “You think it’s that easy?”
Carys’s mouth opened then closed.
“Did you think you could do what you did and everything would be okay just because you said you were sorry? Well, it doesn’t work that way, little girl. When you play adult games, you have to expect consequences. I take the bulk of the blame here for giving you everything, spoiling you and making you so selfish that you can’t see beyond your own needs. For that, the responsibility lays on my shoulders, but what you did—” he broke off unable to wrap his head around it. “Disgusting.”
He turned on his heel and stalked away. On his way out of the kitchen, he dropped his sandwich in the garbage can, his appetite gone.
* * *
“Hold still unless you want this polish all over your feet.” Lily scolded, carefully applying color to Sadie’s toenails.
“Sorry. I can’t help it. I’m just fidgety today. I really like this color. What is it?”
“Toasted Almond. When I saw it, I thought of you.”
“You didn’t have to apply it for me.”
“I don’t mind. It’s not like you can do it yourself with one arm. Anyway, this brings back memories of when we were kids and we used to play beauty shop. I was the pedicurist, Rose the hair stylist and Daisy manicurist.”
“And I was the client. You three made me look all kinds of funky. Rose would have my hair in all these crazy styles. Daisy swore she could draw designs on my nails. They always ended up looking like something Jackson Pollack did.” She giggled. “You were the only one who did a halfway decent job.”
Lily smiled as though remembering those days as well. “I did a damn fine job, thank you very much. I think I missed my calling in life. I should have done pedicures for a living.”
“You would have been bored within a week. You love your job too much for something so mundane.”
Lily snorted. “I used to love my job. Do you know what that asshole said to me the other day?”
Sadie had learned that when Lily referred to “the asshole” she was talking about Colin Edwards. She didn’t really need a reminder about anyone in the Edward’s clan, but Lily had always listened to Sadie’s problems, so it was her turn to lend an ear to her sister. “What did he say?”
“He told me that I needed to get laid and maybe I’d loosen up. Can you fucking believe that shit?”
“Isn’t that sexual harassment?”
“Among other things. He’s angry because I turned him down. I don’t know why he doesn’t leave me alone? He has a bevy of office bimbos throwing themselves at him.”
“Maybe he’s just the kind of guy who appreciates a challenge.”
“He can drop dead for all I care. He thinks because he has broad shoulders, a killer smile and a head of dark waves a girl wants to run her fingers through, he thinks he’s irresistible.”
Sadie suspected her sister wasn’t as immune to the older Edward’s charm as she led on but Sadie knew better than to say it. “Imagine that.”
“I can’t wait until he goes back to Wales.”
“I thought he was going to make your office his home base.”
“Unfortunately. I hate that I have to report to him as much as I do. I never had to with my last boss. It’s as if he doesn’t trust me to do my job.”
“Or maybe he wants to see more of you.”
“As if I’d give him the time of day. After the way his brother treated you, what makes him think he’d have a snowball's chance in hell with me.” Lily looked up from her task the minute the words were out of her mouth. “I’m sorry Sadie. I know we agreed we wouldn’t mention the R-word tonight.”
Sadie sighed. “I guess it’s a subject that’s bound to be brought up when I have a couple of reminders.” She touched her belly fleetingly, feeling a wave of sadness brush over her. Her child would be raised in a single parent home. It’s not what she’d envisioned for her life, but she had to do what she had to do to protect her baby. Maybe she and Rhys could have worked out some kind of supervised visitation, but his reaction to her pregnancy didn’t bode well for that happening.
She reached over to the end table and picked up a slender metal rod and eased it inside her cast to relieve an itch that had been irritating her for the last several minutes. She couldn’t wait to get this thing off and regain full mobility.
“So, have you heard from him recently?”
“He called, I but haven’t returned any of his calls. I just can’t do this right now. I’m not in the right frame of mind, ya know? I’m still smarting over our last confrontation, which made me realize, I have to take care of me and this baby. His needs and wants are the furthest things on my mind right now.”
“Good idea. But what will you do if he decides to show up? You two work on the same campus. You’re bound to run into one another at some point.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
“I admire how well you’re handling this, little sister.”
“What choice do I have?” She hastily wiped away a tear that escaped her eyes. Oh hell, she thought she was done crying.
Lily rubbed her knee. “Oh, hon, it will be alright. You’re not alone. You know Daisy, Rose and I have your back and we’ll support you in whatever.”
“I appreciate that. I only hope I’m a better mother than I am at relationships. I sure can pick them can’t I?” Sadie laughed without humor.
“You’ll be a great mother. I don’t know anyone as loving as you. You’ll certainly be ten times better than that she-beast who calls herself our mother. Speaking of her, is she still leaving you harassing messages?”
“Unfortunately. She still wants me to come back to DC.”
“You’re not considering it, are you?”
“I am actually.”
“Why? She’ll make you miserable, not to mention the added stress she’d cause. You don’t need that in your condition.”
“Relax. I’m thinking of going up there for a visit, nothing more. Maybe because I’m about to become a mother, I need to talk to her. See if there’s some connection there. To find out why she is the way she is.”
“I can save you a trip. She’s the way she is because she’s an evil shrew who wants everyone to be as miserable as she is. For as long as I can remember she’s always been bitter and unhappy. When Daddy was alive, he went out of his way to avoid her. It always made me wonder what he’d ever seen in her in the first place, and then I figured it out.”
Sadie barely remembered her mother and father’s interactions with one another but what little bit she did, they never seemed particularly affectionate with one another. Her curiosity was peaked. “Why?”
“I was born less than nine months from when they were married.”
“You could have been premature.”
“I doubt it. It’s clear he married her because he felt he had to and not because he actually loved her. Who’d love that?”
“Mom’s an attractive woman.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “On the outside, but she’s ugly to the bone. Why put yourself through the aggravation of seeing her?”
“I don’t know. I just need to do this.”
“Well, I’ll go with you. No sense in you going up there alone. And before you argue, I insist. When were you thinking of going?”
“There’s a three day weekend coming up. I was thinking next weekend.”
“Okay, I’ll make the arrangements.”
For once she didn’t mind her sister’s persistence. Sadie had a feeling she’d need all the support she could get when she faced her mother.
* * *
Rhys was exhausted by the time he made it home that night. How he got through his lectures he didn’t know, but somehow he made it. He’d had office hours but thankfully no one had shown up giving him the chance to finish up his term papers. Once he was done, he calculated grades and left them for the admin assistant to enter into the system.
He’d stayed later than he normally would have, but things had been awkward at home lately. He still couldn’t bring himself to look at Carys and not remember what she’d done, but he knew that he’d have to eventually have a sit down with her.
Rhys contemplated calling Sadie but didn’t want to battle with her answering machine. He’d call her tomorrow. No, he’d go to the registrar’s office and see her in person and give her the apology she deserved.
As he walked upstairs he heard the bath running. Carys rarely used the bathroom in the main hallway unless she wanted to take a bath since she had a shower stall in her private bathroom. When she was younger she took bubble baths, but not so much anymore. Shrugging it off, he would have walked by if he didn’t hear a squishing sound under his feet. He looked down, noticing the carpet was wet. The water was coming from under the bathroom door. What the hell?
He knocked on the door. “Carys, you okay in there.”
No response.
“Carys, turn off the tap.”
Still no answer.
He twisted the door handle. Locked. On instinct, he shouldered the door with all his might, forcing it open. He cried out at the sight that greeted him. Sitting in the tub full of red water was an unconscious Carys. A razor lay on the floor.