Need You Now

Chapter Sixteen




“Stop screaming!” Darlene yelled back at him after he’d unloaded on her. “I just got home and got Ansley’s note.”

“Well, I stopped when I saw her and Chad on my way home, and I told them to get their butts home.” He chucked his briefcase on the couch. “They’ve never ridden horses before, and Chad was running his horse like he was some sort of cowboy or something.”

“Was Layla with them?”

“Yeah, she was out there, but those kids shouldn’t be on horses. They have no idea what they’re doing.”

“Brad . . .” She spoke calmly as she followed him into the kitchen. “I’m sure Layla wouldn’t put them on a horse unless she felt it was safe.” Darlene had counted on that, and in her effort not to be so overprotective, she hadn’t felt the need to rush over to Layla’s and drag them home.

Brad picked up the note. “They didn’t even ask. They just went. Where were you?”

She flinched at his accusatory tone. “I went shopping. I haven’t even unloaded the car.” She touched his arm. “You heard Layla tell them at dinner the other night that they could ride the horses sometime.”

Brad loosened his tie, her hand slipping from his arm. “And did you not hear me tell them that they needed some training before they just jumped on the back of a horse?”

“Well, what better person to train them than Layla?” She made the mistake of smiling.

Brad glared at her. “I’m serious, Darlene. I can’t take it if one more thing happens to our children. After all Chad’s stuff in Houston, now Grace . . .” He shook his head. “I don’t want anything else happening to our kids.”

Despite the harsh words they’d exchanged, it was clear to Darlene that Brad was just overwhelmed with worry. Determined to get past the way he was talking to her, she put her arms around his waist and squeezed. “Grace is going to be fine, and nothing is going to happen.”

Brad eased her away, took a deep breath. “Where’s my package?”

“Oops.” Darlene frowned. “Sorry. I’m not sure if I got home in time. But I didn’t see a note from UPS or anything. What is it anyway?”

“Nothing important, apparently.”

She took a deep breath as her heart thudded a little too hard in her chest, a reminder about why she was late, fueled by the knowledge that the package was possibly a gift for her. “I’m sorry.”

When he didn’t say anything, Darlene pulled a package of chicken from the refrigerator, then turned when she heard the front door slam. “Someone’s home.”

Chad and Ansley scurried into the kitchen, and Ansley went straight to the refrigerator and pulled out the tea pitcher. “Want some, Chad?” Without waiting for an answer, Ansley pulled two glasses from the cabinet.

“Man, what a ride!” Chad walked to Ansley’s side and picked up one of the glasses she’d filled. “Thanks.” Then he turned to his father. “It’s cool, Dad. Really. The horses are super gentle.”

Brad’s face reddened. “I told you the other night not to get on the horses without me or your mom around, or until you had some training.”

Ansley stepped forward. “Layla told us exactly what to do, and it was a blast, Daddy!”

“Yeah, that’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. The minute she opened the gate to the main pasture, the horses knew to run, and they just took off with us.” Chad gulped down the rest of his tea as Brad’s face turned a darker shade of red. He pointed a finger at Chad.

“No more riding the horses.”

Chad sighed. “Yes, sir.”

Then Brad turned to Darlene. “Can you please talk to Layla and tell her not to put my children on those horses again without our permission? I’m sure she heard me say that I didn’t want them on the horses yet.”

Darlene nodded before Brad walked out of the kitchen, and a few moments later, Grace walked in with Skylar.

“Hi, girls.” Darlene smiled. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Grace said. “We just hung out at Skylar’s and played cards with her dad.”

Darlene turned to Skylar. “How’s your dad been feeling, Skylar?”

“He’s better. And he loves to beat Grace at spades.” Skylar smiled, as did Darlene.

“Can you stay for dinner, Skylar?” Darlene rolled the chicken in seasoned bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

“No. But thank you. I followed Grace home in my truck. She’s—she’s loaning me some stuff.”

“Let’s go upstairs.” Grace motioned for Skylar to follow her out of the kitchen. Darlene wondered what Grace was loaning her, but Ansley caught her attention at the refrigerator. She stood with the door open, counting her eggs.

“Fourteen dozen,” she said proudly.

Darlene walked to her daughter’s side. “Ansley Marie, we are going to eat those eggs. Do you hear me?” Darlene had already been using them secretly to cook with. With four laying hens, they were getting four eggs per day, and Ansley’s refusal to eat them was causing a huge backup in the refrigerator.

“That’s so stupid, Ansley,” Chad said, shaking his head. “Why are you saving those eggs?” Then he walked closer to her. “I boiled a dozen of them just last week, and Mom uses them all the time for cooking.”

Ansley narrowed her eyes at him. “You know what, Chad? You’re just mean.” She walked out of the kitchen.

“Why do you do that to her?” Darlene asked after Ansley was out of the room.

Chad shrugged. “Because it’s retarded the way she saves them.”

Darlene spun around. “Don’t use that word, Chad.” Then she frowned. “You need a haircut before school starts.”

“Yeah, I know.” He grabbed a banana from the counter, peeled it, and took a big bite.

Darlene put the chicken in the oven. “I wonder what Grace is loaning to Skylar.” From the little Darlene had gathered from Grace, Skylar and her father lived modestly. Darlene suspected they struggled due to his health problems and not being able to work much.

“I hope it’s some clothes,” Chad said, chuckling as he left the kitchen.



Brad fluffed his pillow, then flipped channels on the TV, finally settling on a documentary about space, one of his favorite subjects. Something to keep his mind off of life and the way he’d been acting lately. He’d been so irritable around Darlene, his kids, and his coworkers.

But even as he tried to listen to the show, his mind kept drifting. He wanted to be a better man, and all this worry was just causing him to act like a jerk. Plus, he’d never kept a secret from Darlene the way he was now. Guilt filled his days, and it definitely carried over into his interactions with his family.

All he wanted to do was to take his wife in his arms and love her the way she deserved to be loved, but he doubted she even wanted to be around him after the way he’d been behaving. He repositioned himself and tuned back in to the show. The narrator was discussing a new black hole found in a far-off galaxy. That’s how he felt. Like he was in a black hole in a far-off galaxy, and there was no light, no escape.

He looked up when Darlene walked out of the bathroom and toward the bed in a short white nightgown. As she edged toward the bed, her blond hair flowing to her shoulders and still damp from her shower, he could smell her long before she reached him. He breathed in the scent of lavender as she sat down on the bed beside him, and he just stared at her for a moment. How was it possible that she was even more beautiful than the day he married her? He knew he was a lucky man. She climbed into bed, pressed her body next to his, then leaned up and kissed him tenderly on the mouth.

She smiled. “Who do you love?”

Brad swallowed hard, a knot the size of a golf ball in his throat. “You, baby,” he managed to croak out in a raspy voice.

She kissed him again, and Brad pulled her closer. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, and he wondered if she could feel his accelerated pulse. As much as he could, he shifted his attention to his wife, but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about the secret he was keeping from her.



Friday morning, the kids were still sleeping at nine o’clock in the morning, but Darlene could see Layla from her front porch, riding her horse in a far pasture. She slipped on her tennis shoes, then grabbed her keys. A few minutes later, she was turning into Layla’s driveway.

“You look like you just crawled out of bed,” Layla said as she dismounted from her horse.

“Leave it to you to always make me feel my best, Layla.” Darlene sipped from a cup of coffee she’d brought with her. “Got a minute?”

“Uh-oh. What’s wrong?” Layla frowned, one hand on her hip. “You have that look.”

“What look?”

“That serious look you get sometimes.” Layla sighed. “Let’s go in. It’s hot out here already.”

Darlene followed Layla in, all the way to the kitchen. She waited while Layla drank some water, then they both sat down at the kitchen table.

“Brad was upset that the kids were riding horses here yesterday when he’d told them not to.”

Layla pointed a finger at Darlene. “I asked those kids if they had permission to ride the horses. Ansley didn’t say anything, but Chad said it was fine with you.” She rolled her eyes. “I should have known better after the way Brad reacted the other night. But you know, these horses are gentle. There couldn’t be finer animals for them to learn on, and I was right there with them.”

“I know, but my kids wouldn’t know what to do if one of them got spooked or something.” She sipped her coffee. “But Brad’s just been in a bad mood anyway. I guess he’s been worried about Grace, and we hadn’t been getting along very well.”

“Things better now?”

Darlene recalled their time together the night before. “Yes. Things are much better.” She decided to change the subject. “I haven’t seen Tom’s car here.”

“He’s out of town on business, but he’s called.” A soft smile lit Layla’s face.

“I hope things work out for the two of you. I really do.”

Layla shrugged. “They might. They might not.”

Darlene waited a few moments to see if Layla would elaborate. When she didn’t, she asked, “And that’s okay with you?”

Layla tapped her finger to her mouth a few times. “Yes, it is. Either way. We’ve talked a lot. About everything. And that’s something we didn’t do after Marissa died. I guess it was too raw back then.” She paused. “Oh, there were tears, for both of us. But there were things that needed to be said, and I think that whatever happens, we’ll stay close.” She smiled, shook her head. “You know, I prayed for God to bring Tom back. And He did. But I never expected things to turn out this way. I know that I’ll be fine if we don’t get back together. And Tom will be okay too.”

Darlene touched the dove pendant around her neck. “You sound different . . . I mean, about everything.”

Layla smiled. “It’s been a long time since I felt the peacefulness that a relationship with God can bring. I’ve missed it.”

They were quiet for a minute.

“Can I . . . ask you something?” Darlene ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. “It’s about Dave.”

Layla frowned. “Is he hitting on you?”

Darlene sat taller. “Why would you ask that?”

Layla raised her chin, lifting one eyebrow. “Because I saw the way he was looking at you at the gala.”

Darlene shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I think maybe. I went to his house to see some paintings that Cara had done recently, after I’d run into him at Walmart.” Darlene scratched her head. “I don’t know, Layla. Sometimes, the way he looks at me . . . I just get this feeling. Maybe I’m wrong.”

“Stay away from him. You and Brad have a great thing going. Don’t mess it up.”

Darlene was insulted. “I would never do anything to mess it up.”

“Never say never,” Layla said as she stood up, walked to the sink, and filled her glass up with water.

“No, cheating is just not something Brad or I would do. It just wouldn’t happen.”

“Then why are you even telling me this? Are you attracted to Dave?”

“No!”

Layla sat back down. “It’s okay if you are. He’s a handsome man. Doesn’t mean you have to act on it.”

Memories of dancing with Dave at the gala flooded her mind, along with the tender way he treated her in Walmart, the way he looked at her in his bedroom. Yes, he was handsome, but she was never tempted for one second. Uncomfortable a few times, but never tempted.

“Of course he’s nice looking. But I don’t see him like that.” She stood up. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything. He wants to bring Cara over to see the chickens from time to time.”

Layla grunted, grinning. “I bet he does. Probably while Brad’s at work and the kids are in school. They start school next week, right?”

“Yes. And, Layla, quit saying things like that. I’m going home.”

She should have known that Layla would react exactly as she had. Problem was, Darlene was having a hard time arguing with her. Layla followed her to the door. Darlene turned around before she left. “See you at church Sunday?”

“You betcha. I told you, me and God are on good terms these days.” Layla gave a thumbs-up. “Plus, I don’t want to miss pancakes.” She frowned for a few moments. “Is Brad going to still be mad at me?”

“No. He won’t be mad. Just don’t let the kids ride the horses for a while. I think Grace is doing better, and he and I are doing better, so hopefully he won’t be as cranky.”

“I just don’t think my babies would ever throw your babies. Those horses have never thrown anyone.”

“I know. And I’m sure he’ll come around. The whole thing with Grace scared us both.”

“But you think she’s stopped cutting?”

“I don’t think she’s done it any more, and her counselor says they are making progress.”

“Good.” Layla waved. “See you Sunday.”



It started off just like any other Sunday. Church at eleven, followed by pancakes. Layla had sat with them at church, stayed for brunch, then hurried off to pick up Tom at the airport in Houston that afternoon.

Darlene agreed to kitchen cleanup by herself so all the kids could go shopping for last-minute school supplies in the afternoon. After a lengthy argument about whether or not Chad or Grace would drive, Ansley flipped a coin. Grace won, but Darlene wondered if Ansley rigged the toss since she disliked Chad’s loud music as much as Grace.

She wiped the counters, dried her hands, and went to find Brad. He’d been quiet, but not nearly as cranky as he’d been the past couple of weeks. This seemed like a good opportunity to sneak in some time to themselves, maybe even drive to Brenham to go see a movie.

After checking around the house and calling his name, she figured he must be piddling in the barn, or the “Man Cave” as he called it. She was almost to the barn door when she heard him talking. No one else was home, so she knew he was on his phone. She was just about to turn the corner and go through the barn door when she heard Brad’s strained voice.

“I’m telling you, Barbara . . . if my wife finds out about this, my marriage is over.”