Summer flame - 4
A contemporary action-adventure romance, copyright 2021
Sunday
Mel told herself a picnic wasn’t a date, but she wore her best jeans and fancy blue top anyway. It matched her eyes.
“How was church?” she asked as Jack spread the blanket near Laurel Lake.
“Actually kind of peaceful. I haven’t been in a while.” He took the picnic basket from her and put it on the blanket for her to unpack. He had set a folding lawn chair at the edge of the lake for his mom. She was there now with Sarah, tossing bread crumbs to the ducks while Sarah waved a toy fishing pole around.
Mel knelt beside him and handed him potato salad and fried chicken, along with plates, napkins and plastic cutlery. Jack got out his contributions of a sub, a gallon of lemonade and a store-brought fruit salad.
“She’s getting on well with Sarah. She used to babysit her when I went on job interviews or took Dad to the doctor. Of course that was two years ago.”
“Then she is the same with children, just not with me. Maybe because I neglected her for so long. You’re not saying anything. Is it because she can only relate to children now?”
“No. I don’t know how to put it. Possibly your Mom is the way she always felt like being, independent and footloose, but she masked that under another role.”
“My mother? Footloose?” Jack shook his head. “Hard to picture.”
“My dad told me something right before he died.” She hesitated, trying to form the words. “He never wanted children, thought he was too old. Mom had me anyway so I was an accident in his eyes.”
“Accident? No!”
Sarah shrugged and smiled as she sorted out the plastic ware.
“He couldn’t have been thinking clearly by then. He didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Turns out Dad is the one who rescued us from Andy. Dad came to the hospital and got us.”
“See, he did love you,” Jack said.
“I’m glad he told me the truth, because he then said he was later glad for me after awhile because he thought Mom wouldn’t be alone. Turns out he outlived her. So he sort of thanked me for loving him in spite of himself, his inability to—” Her voice cracked.
Jack reached for her and she scooted closer. His arm rested on her shoulder as she knelt against him.
Jack was going to think she cried like this all the time. Maybe she had been putting on a brave face, but he was so easy to talk to. She could tell him things she didn’t even want to tell Annie. Jack was never shocked and he understood, but he didn’t act like he felt sorry for her.
“The point is: she had me in spite of him. They were married, but she did not let him stop her from becoming herself.”
“Free will,” Jack said. “I guess the search for who we are is a lifelong quest. I think I know myself as little as I know my mom.”
She pulled back and laughed at him. “You did ditch your job to come home.”
“Finally. Why was I working for that inhuman jerk in the first place?”
“Don’t you remember how you were as a kid? You always avoided conflict. I’ve seen you talk yourself out of fistfights and end up shaking hands with the other guy.”
“Except the ones who were harassing you. They didn’t seem to listen when you told them to hit the road.”
“I shouldn’t have relied on you so much, but you did get me to stand up for myself just as you stood up to your boss.”
“My dismissal was hardly a scene of conflict. Rick said if you walk out that door, you’re fired.”
“What did you say?”
“Okay.” He chuckled and she caught a glimpse of the playful Jack from years ago.
She sat back on her heels and laughed at him. “That’s so you.”
“So now I have to play the parent to my parent, make her take her pills and keep her doctor’s appointments, yet treat her like an adult so she doesn’t feel like my prisoner.”
“Now is when you have a chance to be her friend also. Drive her where she needs to go, take her to do fun things, maybe even invent some.”
“Like what?”
“Monday night Bingo.”
“Oh no.” He waved the idea away. “I’ve heard from Annie how violent the bingo nights can get.”
“You don’t have to play. In fact, I recommend you don’t. I work at the concession stand. You can help me.”
“What about Sarah?”
“Sarah helps as well. It’s over by nine.”
“Purely for the sake of protecting you and Sarah from Bingo-mad seniors, I will drive. Where is it?”
“At the fire department social hall. Really there is no violence, just a lot of grumbling.”
“If you’re sure.”
A splash pulled their attention to the water. “Hey, I think they caught something,” Jack said.
“Impossible. There’s no hook on the line.”
They went to the edge of the shallow lake and Jack pulled in their catch. “Classic. An old shoe.”
“Can we keep it?” Sarah asked.
“No, let’s throw it back,” his Mom said. “Could be something nasty living in it.”
That made Sarah want to look inside, but Mel settled the question by untangling the line. Jack tossed the shoe in a garbage can.
Mel put away the fishing rod. “Come on, you two, before the food spoils.”
Jack helped his mom stand, folded up the lawn chair and tucked it under his arm.
“I’m not crawling around on some blanket,” his mom said.
“No, Mom, that’s why we brought the chair.” Jack carried it toward the picnic and popped it open like a magician, then took her hand to seat her. She looked like a queen.
*****
Later that day. as the sun set. Mel stared out her kitchen window toward the faded green house next door. It had been a perfect day because of Jack. He had listened to her and treated his mother not like a child but like a respected friend. His mother had laughed and joked with them. She’d remembered stories, old ones from when they were little. Now his mother was watching the Sunday night mystery special as she always did, which gave Jack the freedom to visit for a while. Mel spotted him coming down the walk and went out onto the porch before he rang the bell.
“Mom and I made cookies,” Jack said. “She insisted I bring some.”
“That’s nostalgic,” she said as she took the plate.
Sarah hopped out after her and ran to see what kind. “Sandtarts,” she said with glee. “Let’s eat outside.” Sarah chose the biggest cookie and skipped to her little table.
“Not really nostalgic,” Jack said, “since we’ve never done that before together, though I do remember the cookies.”
“She makes the best.”
Sarah came for another one, proving Mel’s point.
“Still, it’s progress,” Jack said. “She was content today, maybe even happy. And she’s agreed to bingo tomorrow night.”
Mel put the plate on the side table before she sat on the swing. “What will you do all day?”
“Whatever she wants.” He stared at her. “You had fun today, right?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“Because right now you look so sad.”
Mel had not meant to tell him. “Andy left a message. At least I wasn’t home when he called,” she whispered.
Jack sat beside her. “What did he want?”
“He says he’s coming to see Sarah, to take her on vacation. But he’s allowed only supervised visits. I’ll call Children’s Services tomorrow. They won’t let him take her.”
Jack glanced at the child to make sure she could not hear. “I thought he denied her.”
“I have full custody. He’s limited to three hours in the presence on a social worker, not me. It’s just his perverse attempt at controlling us.”
“Has he ever tried to see her before?”
She sighed. “Yes, but he never showed. Sarah sat there terrified for three hours and he didn’t come.”
Jack looked down at the porch floor. “What about a protection from an abuse order?”
Mel felt paralyzed. Even though the old swing wanted motion, she could not bear to push it. “Not sure I have grounds. He injured Sarah before the custody hearing and hasn’t threatened either of us since.”
“You’re terrified. That should be enough reason. Let’s check with Dan.”
She nodded. “I’ll do it. No harm in asking him.”
Jack reached over and covered her cold hand with one of his strong ones. “Do it now.”
Mel tried to focus while she dialed Dan’s cell phone. Why did she think no one would take her seriously? Just because it happened two years ago in another state did not mean it might not happen again.
Things were different now. She was not dependent on either Andy or his parents for food and shelter. Now that she had a house, and her salary paid for everything else, she should be able to cope. It was a simple life but it was her life. “Dan will stop by,” she said as she ended the call.
“We can come with you to court,” Jack said.
“About that, I wonder if it’s a good idea. As soon as someone takes out a PFA, she usually gets killed.”
“Hmm…I’ve heard that. But I’m sure we never hear about all the cases where the PFA helped. Do you think it would set Andy off? Sorry, am I being an interfering pest?”
She laughed. “No, and you're right it can’t be bad to get another opinion. I hated to interrupt Dan’s Sunday.”
“He’s on duty all weekend,” Jack said. “Want me to stay?”
“Sure. Sarah, do you want to go inside and find a game or some books?”
They saved Dan some cookies, but when he got there half an hour later he turned them down and stood at the edge of the porch. “If there is any possibility he may turn violent, the PFA gets him arrested before that can happen," Dan explained. “Has he been abusive in the past?”
“He beat me up and broke Sarah’s arm. Charges were filed, but he never served time.”
Dan nodded. “First offense. What does your custody order say?”
“One short supervised visit a month, but I don’t know how I’ll stop him if he tries to kidnap her.”
“Okay, you can get an emergency PFA from our department but it’s only good 'til morning. The next step is a temporary one. You have to arrange a court appearance and it’s good for ten days. After that you both must appear in court where you must prove your need for one. I won't lie. It’s not an easy process. The final order, if approved, lasts for three years and has to be renewed.”
“I’m having second thoughts. I don’t want to face him again, though I doubt he would show up.”
“I don’t want to discourage you from going for more protection, but based on the court order in place, we can arrest him if he tries to abduct her.”
“Then I’m going to leave things as they are.”
“That would be my take.”
“Thanks. That’s all I care about, keeping Sarah safe.”
She watched as Jack walked with Dan to the gate and wondered if he was promising to look out for her. She had no doubt he would do so if he was here. In spite of him quitting his job, she could not count on Jack to stand watch over her twenty-four hours a day. She would have to protect Sarah herself. Mel went inside now and locked the doors.