Chapter 28: Chapter 27

NOAH

“Dorothy, you should have been at the barbecue,” Noah chided his ex-wife over the phone. It was the day after the event, and only upon returning to his father’s house did he realize that Dorothy had never shown up.

Rutherford’s constant presence and relentless flirting with Lillian had consumed his attention. When he wasn’t dealing with that, he was discussing business with his brother. He didn’t bother socializing much, knowing he wasn’t particularly liked.

But Lillian seemed to enjoy herself, and that was something.

“Noah, he didn’t even want to hear about it,” Dorothy sighed. “He said it made us look pathetic, begging for help from you and your father.”

“This isn’t begging, Dora. It’s networking. Everyone does it because everything starts somewhere.”

“Do you want to explain that to him?” she scoffed.

“Actually, yes. Where does he work?”

“Noah, I didn’t mean it. It was just a figure of speech.”

“Well, I did mean it. His pride is hurting you and your kid. Where does he work?”

“He won’t appreciate you showing up at his job, Noah. And it’s not like you to be so suddenly chivalrous and helpful.”

“I guess I have nothing better to do,” he replied nonchalantly.

“In case you’re feeling guilty about anything, let me reassure you. I would have left you even if you were the perfect husband,” she teased.

He laughed. “Well, then it’s a good thing I wasn’t,” he joked. “But seriously, Dora. Does he treat you well?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Realization dawned on her, and she gasped. “Jesus, Noah! He doesn’t abuse me. He’s proud, that’s all. But he’s a good man, and we love each other.”

“Then tell me where he works and when he gets off.”

***

Noah scanned the faces of the men until he spotted the one who matched Dorothy’s description. The nametag confirmed it was indeed Kyle, so he approached him without wasting any more time.

“Hello, Kyle,” he greeted with a smirk.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Kyle snapped.

“I assume you know who I am.”

“I saw your wedding photo with Dorothy in the papers years ago.”

“I didn’t know she was in love with someone else back then.”

“And you didn’t bother to ask.”

“True. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Whatever your reason, I don’t have time to listen. I need to get back to my wife and son.”

“You love them.”

“Of course, I love them.”

“Then let’s grab a coffee and you can explain why you’re being so stubborn.”

Kyle glared at him. “I told you…”

“Text Dora that you’ll be a bit late and let’s go. I don’t plan on spending my whole day with you.”

“You’re an asshole,” Kyle spat.

“You’ll find many people who agree with that. Now text her.”

Reluctantly, Kyle pulled out an old phone and sent a text. Then they left, with Noah letting Kyle lead the way to a nearby café.

The place wasn’t impressive, but he’d seen worse on his travels. Plus, they served decent hot chocolate, which was much needed in this cold.

“Now, tell me. Why are you acting like this?” Noah asked as soon as their order arrived. Before that, they’d been locked in a staring contest.

“Like what?” Kyle asked.

“Dora’s family is being unreasonable and fighting you. My dad’s been trying to help. My brother invited you to his barbecue where you could meet people. You refuse all help.”

“I’ll make it on my own.”

“How? By working at that place?” Noah questioned. “Below your skill level?”

“It’s temporary.”

“But your stubbornness is permanent, isn’t it?”

“If you came here to insult me…”

“I didn’t come here to insult you, but man, you’re not as smart as you should be.”

“Fuck you,” Kyle spat indignantly.

“That’s on my to-do list,” Noah retorted. “But you’re not handling this right.”

“Why? Because I don’t want charity?”

“Do you really think so lowly of your abilities that you’re convinced someone would only keep you employed because of my dad or brother?”

“They’d hire me because of them,” he retorted.

“Okay, so what?” he shrugged. “There are people who would kill for the opportunity you’ve been handed. Or would you rather work for peanuts because your in-laws have blacklisted you?”

“I didn’t say that,” he defended.

“You’re not a child, Kyle. You should understand by now how this world operates and how unfair it can be. If you want to be romantic about something, take Dora to watch the sunset. But don’t gamble with your family’s future.”

“Why do you even care about us?” he questioned.

“I don’t know. Maybe I just don’t have anything better to do with my time.” He’d given the same response so many times that it was starting to sound absurd even to him. He’d ponder it over later.

“You’re not in love with Dora, are you?”

At this, Noah burst into laughter. “Good Lord, man! I wasn’t even in love when we got married.”

“She’s told me about how you treated her, but sometimes all it takes is losing someone you took for granted.”

“I’m willing to admit that I was a terrible husband, which isn’t saying much. But I never had feelings for her, at least not romantic ones. That’s why I didn’t make the divorce difficult. Our marriage was a bad joke to begin with.”

“That’s what she said too.”

“And as you know, every bad joke has an expiration date.”

“If you both agree that your marriage was meaningless, why do you interfere so much? If you have so much free time, maybe you should find a hobby.”

“What really irked me,” he said, ignoring the man’s sarcastic comment, “was that her parents thought they had a say in her life. That they fought you and ostracized her and your child. I’ve never been a virtuous man; quite the contrary. And I can safely say that it didn’t work out well for me.”

“Are you trying to make up for past mistakes, Ryder?”

“Let’s just say that I’ve had a change of heart in the past three years,” he smiled.

“So, you think I should just bow down, accept the help, and be grateful?”

“I never said anything about bowing down. If you want respect, you need to hold your head high, but not too high, or you’ll come off as arrogant. But yes, accept the help. It’s just a little push. Attend one of my father’s parties with Dora. Don’t let her go alone; she doesn’t like it, and I know because I’ve seen how uncomfortable she was.”

“Go and do what?”

“Network. Talk about your expertise. Subtly make it clear that you’re a hard worker and mention your references. Think of it as an informal interview. Use what you’re given, and then it’s up to you to prove whether you deserved it or not.

“Her family has influence, but mine has more—and if you prove your worth, no one will be able to question you.”

“You sure do talk a lot, don’t you?”

“Well, I’ve said my piece. I don’t think I’ll be saying much for the rest of the day—maybe even tomorrow.”

He caught a glimpse of a smirk on Kyle’s face and hid behind his coffee cup.

***

“What did you say to him?” Dorothy demanded the very next morning when she called him.

“What do you mean?” He feigned ignorance, smirking.

It was so convenient that she couldn’t see him.

“I mean he’s agreed to let me accept your father’s next party invitation—and promised to accompany me.”

“That’s good news, isn’t it?” he asked.

“It is. So, thank you for going out of your way to find him.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t tell him anything he hasn’t heard before.”

“Since when did you become so humble, Noah?” she chuckled.

“I’m not being humble, Dora. I just told him what you’ve been telling him, only a bit more bluntly. If he finally agreed, it’s because he obviously cares about you two.”

“If she called you humble, she’s right,” Lillian told him when he ended the call.

“Were you eavesdropping?”

“Yes,” she admitted without hesitation. “It’s entertaining to watch you play the good Samaritan to distract yourself from the fact that you have no idea what to do with your new property.”

“Keep your voice down,” he scolded.

“You don’t want your father to hear?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Why don’t you tell him?”

“I let him know I’m sticking around in Europe. That should help him relax a bit.”

“But parents never really stop worrying, do they? I know mine don’t.”

“All I can do is reassure him for now. It’s a good thing we’re heading out in a few days.”

“Maggie’s extended another invitation to her place.”

“Really? How?”

“We swapped numbers. Not just with Maggie, but all the women. They said I’m always welcome to visit, but I had to turn them down since we won’t be here much longer.”

“You certainly made an impact,” he said, a chuckle in his voice.

“Did you expect anything less?” she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Careful with that, you’re giving me ideas—naughty ones.”

He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. The urge to take her hadn’t faded during their stay, and holding back was becoming increasingly difficult.

Almost as difficult as…

“Hands off,” she snapped, batting his hand away. “And keep it in your pants unless you want to lose it.”