An Appointment (Summer in New York Book 4) Read online

  “No,” I said. “I don’t think so.”

  “Mommy?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you afraid of Daddy?”

  Sometimes, I’d been terrified. He could be verbally and emotionally abusive. When he came home, my stomach would be in knots. On his bad days, I couldn’t even eat. Yet, I’d gone on, staying in a toxic marriage because I wasn’t a quitter. I hadn’t wanted to give up on my husband or my son.

  But Kevin had been quick to give up on me.

  “Are you?” I asked.

  He looked into my eyes and I saw the truth. My son was just like me.

  “You don’t ever have to see Daddy again if you don’t want to. Okay?” I rubbed his hair.

  He nodded, burying his head in my chest. I kissed his hair and cried quietly.

  If we were going to make it through this, I had to be strong. Or Kevin would break me.

  Trey squeezed his arms around my body as we sat there hugging each other. When Mom came in the room, we didn’t separate. She sat down on the bed and talked to us for a while, trying to make us feel better. Soon, it was time for dinner and I felt more positive about the future than I had in a long time.

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do for work?” Daddy asked.

  We were having chili for dinner, and it was delicious. I’d only taken a few bites when he said something.

  “Well, I’ve been sending my resumé off and making phone calls. I’m having a problem because I don’t have a college degree. And the only business connections I really have are linked to Kevin.”

  “Savannah, don’t get upset but your father and I have been thinking...” Mom said.

  “There is an opening at the restaurant,” Daddy said.

  “You want me to wait tables?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “That’s the gist of it. But before you say no, just hear me out.”

  I’d waited tables through high school and college. I had the experience. But it felt like taking a step back.

  “I know you’re my daughter, but you’re the best waitress we’ve ever had. You know how to do the job. And it will be a way to earn some money until you find somethin’ more permanent.”

  I chewed on my cheek. “What about Trey?”

  “I can keep him,” Mom said. She was retired. She’d sold the art gallery years ago.

  But I hesitated, because this wasn’t part of the plan.

  “It’s summer. You know how expensive it would be to put him in daycare,” Daddy said.

  “I know, but I don’t want you to have to keep him for free. I’d like to pay you for it. And Daddy, I appreciate the job offer. But you’re my father. Shouldn’t I have to get a job on my own?” I asked.

  “You shouldn’t have to do anything. I’m offering you a job and I’d like you to take it,” he said.

  “Can I at least think about it?” I was trying to be more open-minded. But after I married Kevin, I’d never planned on being a waitress again. I’d liked my job as an administrative assistant. I wanted it back.

  “Sure. Take your time. If you do decide to take the job, my offer still stands about the two of you moving in with us.” Daddy dipped himself another bowl of chili.

  “But I want a place of our own,” I said.

  “And you’ll get there,” Daddy said. “But you have to crawl before you can walk.”

  I put my head in my hands, because they were giving me opportunities. I just felt like I didn’t deserve them. I’d made so many mistakes, that I wanted to punish myself. For me, life shouldn’t be easy.

  “Sweetie, you’re not the only one who’s ever gone through this.” Mom patted my arm. “But sometimes, you have to take a step back before you can move forward.”

  “Your mother and I are in a position where we can help you,” Daddy said.

  “Please let us.” Mom squeezed my hand, trying to convince me.

  “Just let me sleep on it,” I said. “I’ll let both of you know in the morning.”

  Mom and Daddy seemed to like that answer, because they smiled.

  After I’d gotten ready for bed, Mom came in my room. Daddy was reading Trey a bedtime story next door, which reminded me of all the times he’d done that for me as a child. I had the best parents in the world. I was incredibly lucky. And yet, I felt like I’d failed at every aspect of life that truly mattered.

  “It’s okay to ask for help, you know,” Mom said. “Or to take it when it’s offered.”

  I sat in bed with my back to the headboard. “Where are you going with this?”

  “I think you should call Preston. Find out why he gave you his number. Is he interested in you or does he really just want to help Trey? It’s the only way you’ll ever know for sure. And if he really does want to help, then why not let him?” she said.

  I sighed, because she was right.

  “You wouldn’t send a lifeguard away if he was trying to keep you from drowning. Would you?”

  I didn’t say anything.

  “Don’t be stubborn,” she scolded.

  “I’m not stubborn.”

  “Yes you are! Your father is stubborn, and you’re just like him.”

  I shut my eyes with a breath. “I don’t even know him. Preston, I mean.”

  “Then get to know him. He’s taken an interest in your son. Isn’t that more than any other man you’ve met?”

  She had a point. Preston was a pediatrician. He really seemed to love kids. I’d noticed it at Trey’s appointment. I wondered if he had any children of his own. He’d never mentioned them.

  He was probably single, too. Because I hadn’t seen a wedding ring. Not that I was looking.

  I checked in on Trey once he’d fallen asleep. I kissed his head and ran my fingers through his hair, remembering what he’d told me. He liked Preston. And that was something.

  I couldn’t sleep, so I went back to my room and shut the door. My notebook was in the nightstand and when I looked at it, I got a tingle in the back of my neck. I’d wanted to get a job and find a safe place to live. Daddy had just offered me both. And Mom was more than willing to watch Trey while I worked.

  It didn’t feel like an achievement, but maybe it was. A small step in the right direction.

  Perhaps I needed to accept these blessings in order to move forward. I needed to swallow my pride. Starting with the first goal on my list—keeping Trey safe. Preston was only a phone call away. What if he was my metaphorical lifeguard and I’d rather drown than let him help? I may be stubborn enough to let myself go to ruin, but I wouldn’t see that happen to my son. He came first. Always.

  Despite the fact that my heart was pounding, I looked at the number Preston had written on the back of his card and dialed. He might not even remember me. We’d only spoken a couple of times.

  His phone rang while my stomach filled with butterflies. I almost hung up because he probably wouldn’t recognize the number. And what was I doing anyway? By leaning on another man, was I making the same mistake?

  “Hello?”

  It was him. I recognized his voice. Deep. Serious. Sexy.

  “Preston?” I was so nervous. Why did men always do this to me?

  “Yes. Who is this?”

  I knew it. He didn’t remember me. But then I realized I hadn’t told him who was speaking.

  “Hi. It’s Savannah.” I winced, hoping I wouldn’t feel too crushed when he admitted he’d forgotten me.

  “Ms. Taylor,” he said. “How are you?”

  “Good.” My cheeks burned with blush. “How are you?”

  “Good. I’m guessing you found my card?”

  “Yes.” I flipped it over in my hand. “How did you manage to slip it in my purse without me noticing?”

  “I spend my spare time pickpocketing.”

  Red flag. Red flag. Red flag.

  “What?” I knew this guy was bad news.

  “I’m kidding. It was a joke. Probably not a very good one.”

  “Oh.” I ran my thumb over hi
s business card, feeling every letter of his name.

  “How is Trey?” he asked.

  “Okay, I guess. I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Are you still there?” I asked.

  “Yeah, yeah I’m here.”

  “You said you have experience with these kinds of situations.”

  “Yes. Sometimes the child has to be taken away from the parent. It’s not easy to see.”

  I heard a woman’s voice in the background. Music, too.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you with someone? I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “No,” he said. “I’m at dinner with my dad. That’s just the waitress.”

  My shoulders relaxed. Why did I like hearing that so much? Would I have been jealous?

  “I’ve been on call this weekend so we’re eating kind of late.”

  “Oh. Well, umm... do you think you might be available sometime this week to talk?”

  “Sure. How about tomorrow?” he asked.

  It was so sudden. I hadn’t expected him to be able to see me so soon.

  “Yeah, tomorrow works.”

  “Listen, I’ve got your number now. Let me look over my schedule for tomorrow and I’ll text you later tonight.”

  “Okay.” I was in shock. Were men normally this flexible? Kevin never had been.

  “Tell Trey I said hello.”

  “I will.” I couldn’t say it without smiling.

  “And Savannah?”

  I stayed on the line. “Yeah?”

  “I’m glad you called.”

  Chapter 6

  Preston

  I walked into Geraldo’s without knowing what to expect. It was the first time Savannah had agreed to meet me somewhere. Maybe she only needed me to help with Trey, but I didn’t care. Because when I saw her standing there, catering to a table of elderly men, my whole world stopped.

  They looked about the age of my father. And they seemed to love her company.

  One of them touched Savannah’s sleeve and eyed me. That’s when she turned and saw me sitting down.

  I took a small table by the window, away from all the noise. The corner of my mouth lifted as she approached me, wearing a name tag and an apron. Her flaxen hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. I wanted to wrap my fingers around it and pull until every last strand spilled out and framed her face like an angel.

  She came over and gave me a sweet smile. “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “My break starts in ten minutes. Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

  “Coffee,” I said, holding her gaze.

  “Comin’ right up.” She walked away with those long legs, while my eyes settled on that hair. Her ex-husband must have been a complete idiot. Why would any man leave this woman and her adorable son? Then again, if I was as much of a catch as Dad claimed, then why did Abigail leave me?

  I glanced at a menu and then looked out the window, wondering what my future held.

  “Sorry I asked you to meet me here.” Savannah appeared, pouring coffee in a white cup. “But it’s my first day and I—”

  “No, it’s fine.” I took a sip of coffee and nodded. “That’s good.”

  She smiled, too bashful to accept my compliment. “I need to check on a few tables and then I’ll be right back. Can I get you anything else while you’re waiting?”

  “No, thank you.” I looked her in the eye.

  She folded her hands together and left my table, making her rounds. Last night, I’d texted her about getting together this morning to talk. Originally, we planned to meet at a local coffee shop. But then she got hired here and had to start the next day. I’d told her I could come by when she had a break instead.

  For some reason, she felt guilty about letting me meet her here. But I had no problem making adjustments. I didn’t care that she was a waitress. She was earning an honest living, and that was nothing to be ashamed of. So far, she was lifting more fingers than Abigail ever had.

  Savannah returned, sitting down in the chair across from me. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Someone brought her a cup of coffee and she thanked them with a smile. But when she put her hands around the cup, I noticed that she was shaking. That’s probably why she didn’t pick it up.

  “Hey.” I touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” she swallowed. “Not really.”

  “Is it Trey?” I asked. “Did something happen with his father?”

  “No, not since...” She let her eyes do the talking. They lingered on me for minutes. “I believe Trey when he tells me that it was his father. I’m his mother. I want to protect him. I just don’t know how.”

  “Has his father made contact with you since the last visit?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “But that’s not out of the ordinary. Kevin comes in and out of Trey’s life as he pleases. Sometimes, he’ll let more than a month go by before he realizes he hasn’t seen his son.”

  I smoldered, taking it in.

  “Kevin hasn’t contacted me about seeing Trey yet. But at some point, he will.”

  “I’m assuming you have full custody?” I said.

  “Yes. But I’m not allowed to keep Trey from seeing his father. That was part of our divorce agreement.”

  I nodded.

  “I would never try to take his son away from him. But if he’s abusing Trey, then I don’t have a choice.”

  “I agree.” I took a sip of coffee, relieved when she finally did the same.

  “If there was a way I could talk some sense into Kevin, it would be different.” She looked down. “I hate going behind his back. But I don’t know of any other way. He’s not exactly the most reasonable person.”

  “Well, there are a few things you can do,” I said. “You could try talking to your ex-husband directly if you’re not comfortable with getting the police involved. Or you could file a restraining order so he won’t be able to come near Trey. Or you could go back to court and prove that it’s not safe for Trey to be around his father. But Trey would have to get on the witness stand. He’d have to testify.”

  Savannah shook her head. “I don’t want to do that to him. He’s only eight.”

  “Look, if you really believe he’s the one hurting Trey then you have to do something. If you’re not ready to get the police involved, at the very least you need to come up with a plan for what to say to your ex-husband when he does call.”

  “I know.” She stared at her coffee.

  “What does he do for a living, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “He’s an attorney.”

  “What kind?”

  “He practices family law,” she said. “And his father’s a judge.”

  “Well, that’s just great.” I exhaled, studying the way she rubbed her hands together.

  “Yeah,” she sighed. “With Kevin, it was never smooth sailing. He doesn’t fight fair.”

  “So I guess speaking with him directly is out of the question?”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “First, I’d have to gauge what kind of mood he’s in.”

  “If you do confront him, maybe you shouldn’t go alone.”

  Her green eyes flitted up to meet mine. She gave me a look as curious as it was piercing.

  “Yeah.”

  Maybe I was being too hasty, wearing my heart on my sleeve. But I didn’t care. I wanted to protect her.

  “I could go with you,” I volunteered.

  “Preston.”

  “If he’s a danger to your son, he could get angry. What if he—”

  “I can handle him,” she said. “I was married to the guy for seven years.”

  “I know but...” I reached out to touch her hand and she pulled away.

  “I don’t need protection.” She rose to her feet. “From you or any man.”

  “Mommy!” Trey ran into the restaurant with Am
y behind him.

  His presence startled Savannah. When she turned around, he leapt into her arms.

  “Mom.” Savannah sighed, cradling Trey in her arms. “What are you doing here?”

  “We’re having brunch with your father. Why don’t you join us?” Amy asked.

  “Mom, I have to work. It’s my first day.”

  “You mean your first day back? I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  “Mom.” Savannah lowered her voice. “I don’t want special treatment.”

  Amy set her eyes on me. “Dr. Cole? What are you doing here? What a pleasant surprise!”

  Savannah rolled her eyes, balancing Trey on her hip. “He was just leaving,” she said.

  “Nonsense,” Amy said. “We have a table reserved in the back. Why don’t you join us?”

  “Mom,” Savannah hissed. “Preston is a doctor. I doubt he has time to spend with us.”

  I met her fierce green eyes. She was pushing me away with both hands. It felt like a challenge.

  “Actually, I think I have a few more moments to spare. I’d be happy to join you.”

  Savannah looked at me with a glare. It made me want her even more.

  “Fine,” Savannah said. “I’ll go make sure your table’s ready.”

  She left with the twist of her hips, her long blonde hair cascading down her back.

  Savannah was stubborn. She needed someone to help her with this. Why couldn’t that someone be me?

  If she wanted to drive me away, then go ahead. That didn’t mean I had to leave willingly.

  While I stared after Savannah, Trey tugged my pant leg. I knelt down and smiled, because he was such a cute kid. Much sweeter than his stubborn mother was being right now.

  “Hey, buddy!” I gave him a high five. “How’s it going?”

  “Good.” He grinned. “Where are your glasses?”

  “Right here.” I touched my breast pocket. “They’re for reading.”

  “Can I see them?”

  “Sure.” I couldn’t tell this kid no, so I handed them over.

  He took his glasses off and put mine on. “Woah. You’re blurry,” he giggled.

  “Don’t mess up your eyes,” I teased, holding his glasses for him.

  He put his hand on my calf to keep from falling over. Then he wrapped both arms around my knee and hugged my leg. I looked down with a chuckle, because he wouldn’t let go. When I caught the smile on Amy’s face, it read like a book—the reality that Trey’s father had never been a staple in his life.