The Dad Next Door. Virginia Myers

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СКАЧАТЬ never guess,” Raymond hissed angrily. “She made me take off all my clothes! And she took a picture!” He flung his damp watch cap into the corner.

      “Cool it, Ray,” Ian pleaded, picking up the watch cap and draping it over the edge of the washer. “The ‘she’ my son so disrespectfully refers to is Dr. Madison. And Dr. Madison explained about the picture. It’s a childabuse precaution. Raymond is one big bruise. Doctors have a certain responsibility.”

      “It was gross! I’m twelve years old! And there’s no point. I’m not going back to that dumb school.”

      “You are also covered with bruises and abrasions and the doctor was only doing what she’s required to do, and—“

      “And Dad has to go over to the school, but I’m not going back!”

      “All right, Ray, I’ve agreed to that, but as the doctor pointed out, I have an obligation here. The school authorities should be told. It might save some other boy from getting the same treatment you got. You certainly understand that, don’t you?”

      “Oh, I guess so,” Raymond admitted reluctantly.

      Kate stroked his tousled head. “Look, Raymond, you don’t have to go back, so what do you care? You’ll never see those kids again.” His bruises looked far worse today.

      “Yeah, okay,” he said in a small voice.

      Kate wondered nervously how she was going to break the news to both of them that Marsha was waiting in the living room. She knew that Raymond regarded his mother, whom he always referred to as “Marsha,” with an odd mixture of natural love and cautious distrust. And Ian? What did Ian really feel about Marsha? He had always been so careful not to betray his feelings.

      Tommy said, “Mommy, we don’t need a snack. Ian got us some big pretzels from this vendor guy—”

      “And apple juice,” Joy interrupted. “The thick kind, you know.”

      “Just a minute, kids. Ian, I want to tell you—”

      “I didn’t eat the pretzels,” Raymond said. “I got those soft little cupcake things—”

      “Okay, wait a minute,” Kate said desperately. “Ian, you and Raymond have company. Marsha is—”

      Ian’s face, half-smiling at the children’s chatter, seemed to close. “What about Marsha?”

      “She’s here,” Kate said helplessly. “Ah…she came a while after you had gone. I…she’s in the living room.”

      “Marsha’s here?” Raymond asked, suddenly seeming oddly more composed. The complaining child of a moment ago seemed to have changed. Instead there was a cautiousness, a tentativeness about him. He was standing quite still, not leaning against the washer anymore. “She’s not gonna like the way I look,” he added. “Dad?” He looked up at Ian. “Maybe you’d better kinda break it to her…”

      Kate, too, glanced up at Ian’s face. He was slightly flushed and—oh, no—-just for an instant had she seen a glint of eagerness? Happiness? Hope?

      “Okay,” Ian said. “You’re right. Stay out of sight until I talk to her.” He put his hand on Raymond’s shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. He was looking at Kate intently.

      “Kate? Is there anything else you want to tell me? Before I go in there?”

      Kate swallowed. What could she say in front of the kids?

      “I…you mentioned that she had found, uh, Mr. Right. Chester Burgess, she said his name is.”

      Raymond muttered contemptuously, “Chester Burgess. I met that Chester Burgess. He’s a stick.”

      “Well, she told me that, uh, they had been going to marry in June, but they, well, they decided to go ahead with it, and they’re already married.”

      Ian started to say something, but Raymond interrupted. “You gotta be kidding! She married that stick? When she coulda had Dad?”

      Could she have, Kate thought with a qualm. Would Ian have taken her back?

      “Cool it, Ray,” Ian said quietly. “Kate? What else? There’s only one reason for her to come back here after she remarried.”

      Kate nodded. He was too perceptive. Her gaze flicked over to Raymond for an instant. She couldn’t help it.

      Ian looked grim. “Well, she can forget that.”

      “Dad?” Raymond knew immediately what had been left unsaid. “Don’t let them mess with our custody deal, okay…? Okay?”

      Kate’s heart went out to him. Children were so at the mercy of adults.

      “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.” Ian opened the door to the kitchen and strode through.

      “Shut the kitchen door,” Kate said to his retreating back, not sure he had heard her, and making a grab for Joy, who had started to follow him. “Stay here,” she commanded. “We’re going to stay in the kitchen.”

      “What’s up?” Tommy asked, frowning. “Why are you so antsy?”

      “But what’ll we do in the kitchen? We’re not going to eat yet. There’s nothing to do in the kitchen.”

      But there was. Before Ian had taken two steps he met Marsha coming into the room.

      “Ian?” she said pleasantly. “I thought I heard voices back—” She stopped, because she had seen Raymond, who had also followed Ian. She gave a cry of horror and covered her face with her hands.

      “It’s all right,” Ian said, taking her into his arms. “It’s all right. He’s okay. I know he looks—”

      Kate was startled at the wave of pure jealousy that swept through her as Marsha broke away.

      “Don’t!” Marsha cried. “What have you done to him! What have you done to my son!”

      Raymond groaned. “Marsha, it’s no big deal. Don’t make a big deal of it, okay?”

      Kate came forward and took Marsha’s arm. Seeing your child in Raymond’s condition would be a shock—to any mother, even a part-time one. “Sit down here, Marsha. Remember I did tell you that Raymond had been in this school fight. Raymond will be fine. Ian’s just taken him to the pediatrician.”

      Marsha sat down at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. “I can’t look,” she moaned. “I can’t look.”

      “Well, don’t look,” Ian said coldly. “Just listen. Ray got beaten up by some tough kids at school, and—I’ve taken him out of that school. He won’t be going back. Everything is under control.”

      Marsha peeked through her fingers at Raymond and slowly took her hands away from her face. She was trembling. “How could such a thing happen? What kind of school was he in? You should have listened to Daddy. Daddy always said—”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ