On Temporary Terms

Unfortunately, his demons—both mental and pharmaceutical—now controlled him to such a degree that most days he was a broken-down shamble of a man.

“I wanted to see my baby, but I couldn’t get in the house,” he said. The words were slurred. When he moved closer, she smelled alcohol on his breath.

Abby clutched her purse more tightly in her arms. “Well, you’ve seen me. I need to get to bed. It’s late.” She took a breath. “The reason you couldn’t get in is because I changed all my locks.”

He held out his hand, his expression half cagey, half pitiful. “You’re doin’ mighty well in that lawyer job of yours. How ’bout giving your old man a loan? I’m running a little short this month.”

Don’t engage. Don’t engage. Don’t engage. The mantra had preserved her emotional health and sanity on more than one occasion. “I have to go,” she said. No matter how unfounded, waves of guilt battered her self-esteem. It was not even the middle of the month. He received several pension checks, one from the government and a couple of others from his few stable periods of employment. There was no reason in the world for him to be out of money.

Even if he was, it wasn’t her responsibility. She turned her back on him and took a step. But Howard Lander was not giving up.

He scuttled up beside her. “A hundred, Abby girl. That’s all. And I’ll pay you back, I swear.”

Fury rose inside her chest in a choking cloud. Good parents provided a loving, nurturing environment for their children to succeed. Not only did Abby’s father not support her as a teen and young adult, he had actually harmed her and nearly derailed her academic successes.

“If you don’t stay away from me,” she said, her throat raw with tears, “I’m going to take out a restraining order against you.”

The old man stumbled and gaped, genuine puzzlement in his half-vacant expression. “Why would you say that?”

Abby laughed, though she wanted to sob. “Every time you come inside my house, you steal from me, Dad. Money, jewelry, prescription drugs. Did you somehow think I never noticed?”

Even in his addled state, he didn’t bother to deny her accusation. “I’ve had a few hard times. No reason for a man’s daughter to be cold and cruel.”

“I can’t do this anymore, Daddy. If you won’t leave me alone, I swear I’ll move to the other side of the country. It’s embarrassing enough that the whole town knows what kind of man you are.”

He’d been a door-to-door salesman back when that was still a thing. A combination of charm and dogged persistence had given him moderate success. In between bouts of selling encyclopedias and household items, he’d chased one get-rich-quick scheme after another, always convinced that his fortune was just around the next corner.

By the time Abby was eight, Howard Lander stopped wasting his money on babysitters, instead choosing to leave her at home alone after school and on the weekends. Fortunately, she had been mature for her age and not prone to wild stunts that might have endangered her life or burned down their home.

For Abby, high school graduation brought a moment of release, of freedom. College and grad school had been some of the happiest years of her life. Coming home to Candlewick and working for the Chesters’ law firm, on the other hand, had been a mixed blessing.

Her father stood, shoulders hunched, staring at the ground. “I never meant to harm anyone. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I had good intentions.”

Sadly, that part was probably true. There was no malice in the old man. Only unfounded optimism, a total misunderstanding of finances and an ability to con people out of their money one way or another.

“Good night.” Abby made herself walk away, but her father was in one of his more stubborn moods, fueled by alcoholic courage.

“You owe me,” he shouted. “I could have given you up for adoption when your mother died, but I didn’t. That’s worth something. Wouldn’t look too good for you if I start telling everyone how badly you treat the only parent you’ve ever known.”

The callous, calculating threat put another crack in her shattered heart. She had paid for her meal that night with cash. The change was in her pocket. Seven dollars and thirty-two cents. She fished it out and shoved it at him. “Take it and go. I don’t want to see you here ever again.”

She ran up the walk and into the house, slamming the door and bolting it behind her. The tears came in earnest, blurring her vision and knotting her stomach. The bedroom was too far. She fell onto the sofa, buried her face in the cushions and cried until her bones ached.

Every time she tangled with her father now, she felt dirty. She had worked so hard to make something of herself...to lead a decent, normal life. Yet always, her past hung over her head, reminding her that she might forever be tainted by his dishonesty.

At ten, she dragged herself down the hall to take a shower. Looking in the mirror was a mistake. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and smeared mascara made her resemble a rabid panda. It was a good thing Duncan Stewart couldn’t see her now.

As if she had summoned him somehow with her thoughts, her phone dinged. She picked it up and read the text.

We never made a plan for tomorrow night, did we?

They hadn’t. She had agreed to see him again only if she could speak with Miss Izzy first about the prospective buyer. She gripped the phone, torn about how to answer. She knew that dating Duncan Stewart was a dead end and a bad idea. Ethics aside, they had nothing in common. He was wealthy and had lived a life of relative ease.

She was sure he’d never had to worry about having the electricity or the water turned off because the bills hadn’t been paid in three months. And she was equally positive he had never been forced to eat boxed macaroni and cheese five nights in a row because it was the only thing in the pantry a kid could microwave easily. Or the only food available, period.

Wistfully, she did the grown-up thing.

I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other socially, Duncan. Too many layers of complications.

Thirty seconds passed. Then sixty. At last, the phone dinged.

What about that kiss?

Despite her low mood, she smiled.

What about it?

Don’t be coy, Abby. We’re both adults. I want you. You want me.

She tried to be incensed by his careless arrogance, but damn it, the man was right.

Not all itches have to be scratched.

You don’t know me very well yet, but here’s the thing, lass. I rarely take no for an answer.

Neither do I! She threw in a few emojis for good measure.

Fine. I’ll take you to see Granny before dinner. But don’t be surprised when she says no to your buyer.

And if she says yes????

Abby could almost feel the frustrated male silence on the other end. Maybe Lara was right. Maybe Duncan was conflicted about letting Abby get to his grandmother, because if the offer was good enough, he’d be off the hook and headed home to Scotland.

At last, he answered. I’ll pick you up at five thirty. We’ll have hors d’oeuvres with her, and you can make your pitch. But no bullying or hard-sell tactics. If she says no, you drop the subject. Period.

You’re an arrogant ass, Duncan Stewart.

Aye, but you like me anyway...

She turned off the phone and tossed it in a drawer, as if it had the power to regenerate and bite her.

Duncan was dangerous to her peace of mind for many reasons. Clearly, he knew women well enough to recognize mutual interest when he witnessed it. Abby could protest ’til the cows came home that this relationship was a terrible idea. All Duncan had to do was kiss her until she forgot the many reasons why she should stay away from him.

* * *

Friday was an exercise in torture for Duncan. Every time he saw his granny’s smiling face, he felt guilty. Tonight, he was going to let a lawyer with her own nest-feathering agenda get close to his grandmother, just so he could find his way into that lawyer’s bed.

Any way you sliced it, that made him scum.