“Then I would be happy to make one for you,” the woman said, cutting her off, sounding not very happy at all. There was a brief pause with only the clicking sound of long nails on a keyboard audible over the connection. “His first opening is a week from next Wednesday. If you would give me the reason for your call, please.”
“That is not acceptable,” Faith heard herself saying, wondering where in the hell the confidence in her voice was coming from. “My name is Faith O’Connell. I am in town for one day only – today. And as for what it regards? Tell Mr. Longstreet that it concerns his son.”
Silence.
Faith’s entire body was shaking now. Matt looked at her, pride etched across his beautiful, youthful face, and he gave her a two-thumbs up – a well-timed reminder that this was not about her.
“Hello.” Faith recognized Nathan’s voice immediately. Even that single word held the command of a quarterback calling out a play to his team mates, the smooth Southern drawl so familiar. “Hello? If this is some kind of prank - ”
“Nathan,” she finally managed. She heard him pause on the other end. “Who is this?” he asked, his voice a little less authoritative.
Faith took a deep breath for strength. “Nathan, it’s Faith. I – I got your letter.”
The silence on the other end of the line stretched for so long Faith thought he might have hung up, at least until she heard him sigh. She looked at Matt, who gave her a smile of encouragement. When she spoke again, her voice sounded more confident.
“I thought maybe you and I could talk for a few minutes.”
Another long stretch of silence. “Alright. Come to my office and - ”
“No, Nathan,” Faith said before she lost her nerve. “Neutral ground.”
“Neutral ground?” Nathan asked, sounding surprised. “Are we at war?”
Faith ignored that. Nathan Longstreet might have been able to charm her once before, but no longer. She wasn’t a scared, na?ve fourteen year old anymore.
“How about Pappy’s Diner, ten a.m.?” Pappy’s was a twenty-four hour place right off the interstate. A very busy, very public location that would hopefully keep the drama to a minimum.
“I’d prefer to do this in a more private setting.”
This was not about what Nathan preferred. Faith didn’t give a damn about that. “That’s a no, then?”
Again, she sensed his surprise. He wasn’t used to her having a spine, she realized.
“You aren’t going to be reasonable about this, are you?”
“I am trying to be reasonable, Nathan,” she said, just a hint of annoyance staining her otherwise even tone. “But if you prefer to handle this in court - ”
It was a bluff, of course. Faith had already decided she would not have Matt submit to a paternity test. One million dollars was a hell of a lot of money to someone who’d been eking out a living day to day, but things were finally starting to look up. She and Matt were happy (broken heart notwithstanding). She had a decent job, and Matt was doing phenomenally well in school, making lots of friends. They had their own home. It might not be much in most people’s eyes, but it was theirs. She liked her new life. And she wouldn’t give it up for anything.
Another sigh, but this one was definitely forced. “Alright, Faith. I’ll meet you at Pappy’s. But if you think for one minute that I am going to - ”
“I don’t,” she said, cutting him off. “Ten a.m., then. Goodbye, Nathan.”
Her hands were still shaking even after she flipped the mobile closed. “Well?” Matt asked.
“We’re meeting him at a diner just outside of town. I was thinking we could stop by Ethan’s grave on the way, pay our respects.”
Matt nodded soberly. “I’d like that. And Mom? Thanks.”
*
Kieran sat in the rented sedan, waiting impatiently. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest when he saw her. Well, to be truthful, he saw Matt first - the kid literally towered over his mother – but had he not, Kieran would have had difficulty picking her out of the constant ebb and flow around the airport.
He stepped out of the car, ready to pull an intercept. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say. “What the hell were you thinking?” probably wasn’t the best opener. Neither was, “You belong to me,” or “Get in the fucking car, we’re going home.” It seemed all of the things in the forefront of his mind weren’t suitable. After much thought, he decided to wing it based on her reaction to seeing him.
By the time he got to the cab waiting area, they were gone. He knew she didn’t have a rental lined up; the reservation would have appeared in the searches he’d done. And there hadn’t been time to grab one once their flight landed.
He very nearly smacked his palm on his forehead. Of course she wouldn’t get a rental! Just like she wouldn’t get a cab. Maybe he was every bit as insensitive to her situation as she’d accused him of being. Even as the thoughts found purchase, he spotted the bus pulling away. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Ian with the number of the bus as he sprinted back toward his rental.