08

Chapter 7 A Monkey Wrench in the Works

We didn't end up in bed that night. I was reluctant to rush into anything with a woman I barely knew. I got the impression that Ali felt the same. There was an attraction that both of us were aware of, and I definitely wanted to explore just where it would take us. All indications were that she felt the same way.

We talked about taking Jack to the matinee play at the live theatre in town. He was just the right age for the production of a kid's play. Ali was all for it, and as it turned out, Jack was too.

When I read the notes on the single sheet that was handed to us at the ticket window, I noticed that the play was written by a woman from Canada. I also noticed that it was set in the 1920's in Toronto. I wondered how the kids would react to that. I shouldn't have worried. Anytime kids can watch other kids outsmart the bad guys, it was a guaranteed winner. When I asked Jack later what his favorite movie was, Home Alone was his immediate answer.

"That was fun," Ali said as we walked out of the theater.

"Yeah," Jack agreed immediately. "Is there a play every Saturday?"

"I think so, but they don't change to a different one each week," I explained. "We'll have to check the paper and find out when a new one comes up."

"Can we go again, Mum? Please?"

"Well, first you have to thank Mr. Rideout for taking you today," she pointed out.

"Thanks, Mr. Rideout. That was great. Now can we go again, Mum?"

I laughed at Jack's enthusiasm and his need for an immediate answer.

"I'd be happy to take you and your mother again when there's a new play," I volunteered.

"Yay!" was the enthusiastic response from Ali's son.

"You sure about this, Grime?" she asked me quietly as we walked to my vehicle.

"Sure. What else is there for a kid to do on a cold and dreary winter afternoon in Yakima?"

Jack immediately jumped on the question. "We could go skating at the rink."

"Well, there's another good suggestion," I said. "That would be fun, don't you think, Ali?"

"I'm not a very good skater," she said with a worried look.

"Not to worry," I said, wiggling my eyebrows, "I'll support you."

She squeezed my arm and held me tightly to her. "Just practicing," she whispered.

When we got back to Ali's home, I dropped them off after she said she'd call me later. I had a smile on my face I'm sure as I drove back to my townhouse. It had been great to have the three of us together and my intention to get to know Jack better was off to a good beginning. I would check the rink for public skating times when I got home.

I had barely got in the door when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me," Ali's voice came, low and sultry. "Your devious plot to win Jackie's favor has worked perfectly."

"Ah ... that's good. Now, how should I go about winning his mother's favor?"

"Just keep doing what you've been doing."

"Where are you? I can hardly hear you."

"I'm lying on my bed. Jackie's watching the telly and this conversation isn't for little ears."

"Oh ... that explains it. Just what is it you don't want him to hear?"

"He's too young to understand what his mother is thinking of doing to her new boyfriend."

"And what is that?"

"Do you remember that little extra contact we had on New Year's Eve?"

"Of course. Do you remember that little touch I gave you in return?"

"Oh yeah. I think mine had more effect though, don't you?"

"It did. We were a little reckless that night, considering we'd only just met. But tell me, what is it you don't want Jack to hear?"

"How his mother would like to give you more than just a little rub. Maybe with not so many obstacles in the way."

"This is so typical, Ali. Once again, it's the irresistible effect I have on women."

That brought about a laugh at considerably more volume.

"You can laugh if you like," I said, "but you know it's true."

"You are so full of it, Grime. I'm going to call your bluff. You start thinking of how we can have some private time and we'll just see how irresistible you are."

"How about we plan on next Friday night. See if you can find a sitter who won't mind how late you get home," I teased.

"Not a problem, sport. Just let me know when and what to wear."

"I'll call you during the week. What time does Jack go to bed?"

"Eight thirty. Call me after nine. He's sure to be singing the zeds by then."

I chuckled at the expression and told her to expect my call. I hung up and realized just how much fun I was having with Ali. Jack seemed to accept me okay and that was important as well. She was so completely different than Reese. It wasn't really fair to compare the two women. My next hurdle was introducing Jess and Matt to them. I wondered how that would go.

I was watching the clock on Monday evening, waiting for nine o'clock before making my phone call to Ali. Finally, it was close enough and I picked up the phone and hit the new speed dial number. She answered almost immediately after the first ring.

"Hi ... right on time," she said quietly.

"Hi. How was your day?"

"Long ... slow. It couldn't end too soon. I've been laying here waiting for your call since Jackie went to bed."

"I was watching the seconds tick by until I thought I could call," I admitted. "I could come over there, Ali. It's only a few blocks."

"No ... not yet. Let me be certain I know what I'm doing. I've made one mistake. I can't make another."

"It won't be a mistake," I said. "I think you know that already."

"Be patient, Grime. I'm a bit uncertain right now. It's only been days since we met."

"Yeah ... you're right. It has been happening quickly, hasn't it? Okay, I hear you. I'll try and be patient."

"Will you phone me tomorrow?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yes ... same time ... same guy."

I heard her chuckle. "I'll be waiting for you," she promised.

Well, it wasn't phone sex, and there wasn't an invitation to be there with her, but we were making progress. I needed to feel that way because I found Ali in my thoughts constantly. It was something I hadn't experienced before, even when I was courting Reese. This was much more powerful and invasive. Was it me being desperate to replace a lost love? Was I in a rush just to find someone to share my bed ... anyone?

This coming weekend was my turn to have the children. I would pick them up on Sunday afternoon and bring them to the townhouse. They were used to the procedure now, but still, it seemed like an awkward life for them. Reese and I stayed in the same place while the kids were ferried back and forth. I wondered if there wasn't a better way.

I got a surprise when I phoned Ali on Tuesday evening.

"There's a rumor going around the office that Gordo has postponed the wedding," Ali told me. "At first it was supposed to be the day after the divorce was final. Then it was early January. Now it sounds like mid-February. Something's going on."

"I haven't heard a thing. I could ask Matt or Jess, I suppose. I wonder what it means if it's true?"

"It probably means he's got cold feet and is looking to do a runner." I could detect the sneer in Ali's voice.

"Do you think he'd bail out on Reese? After what the two of them have gone through?"

"I wouldn't put anything past him," she said emphatically. "Besides, what's he really gone through? A brief embarrassment in court and that's about it. Reese is the one who stands to lose big. It's Gordon's big pay packet she is counting on. Where does that leave her if he buggers off?"

"I never thought of that. You're right. This could have some fairly serious consequences for both of us," I said.

"Tell me what you're thinking," she asked.

"Reese doesn't have any income. The court awarded no alimony or child support because Gordon had sworn that he would marry her and his income was well in excess of mine. If he doesn't marry her, she's in really serious financial trouble. And if she's in trouble, so are my children. I'd better find out if there's any truth to the rumor."

I cut the call short and called my old number. Reese answered on the third ring.

"Reese, it's me. Can you talk?"

"Yes. What is it Graham?" she said in a very subdued voice.

"I hate to be the one to act on rumor, but I heard that your wedding has been postponed for the second time. Is that true?"

"Yes. It's been delayed until the third week of February."

"What's going on, Reese? Are you going to have financial problems until then?"

"I don't think so. Gordon's been taking care of the monthly bills. This is just a delay. Something about legal issues he has to look after. I'm sure it'll be all settled in February."

"Reese ... if for some reason ... for any reason ... something happens that puts you into a financial bind, I want you to call me ... right away."

"Graham, I don't expect a problem. I think you're overreacting to a bit of a delay. I'll be okay."

"Promise me you'll call me if anything happens to change the situation. Please, promise me," I nearly begged.

"Oh, all right. I promise. But don't expect a call anytime in the future. I think it's just the rumor mill grinding out the usual garbage."

"I hope you're right. Keep in touch. I'll see you Sunday."

I called Ali back right away.

"Well, the rumors are true. Reese is making it out to be no big deal. She says it's some kind of legal stuff that Winters has to look after. I'm not so sure. Anyway, I made her promise to call me if anything unexpected happens. I'll see her on Sunday, so I might get a better idea then."

"I wouldn't put it past Gordo to leave her in the lurch. What would she do then?"

"Damn good question, Ali. One that I don't have an answer for. I hope it doesn't come to pass. Anyway, have we settled on ice skating for Saturday afternoon?" I wanted to change the subject before I began to obsess about it.

"Yeah. I'm going to strap a big inner tube around my bum to protect me. Jackie already knows how to skate, so it's just me to watch out for."

We finished off the call on a lighter note as we talked about our Saturday afternoon date. I discovered that the public skate times were 5pm to 8pm on Saturday. I decided we would go at five and I'd take Ali and Jack to dinner at Applebee's afterwards. When I let Ali know, she was fine with that, except she wanted to take care of the bill at Applebee's. We argued about it briefly before I surrendered.

Ali had exaggerated her lack of skill at ice skating. She was no expert, but she was more than capable of making it around the arena without my assistance. She confessed she used to roller blade when she was younger, and briefly when she lived in Brisbane. We spent almost ninety minutes at the rink before hunger helped us make the decision to quit.

Jack enjoyed the outing and was getting used to the idea that his mother and I were dating and that we would try and include him when we could. I know he appreciated that, but he had his friends as well and wanted to spend time with them too.

"Jack, your mom says you want to play baseball this spring."

"Yeah. My friends are playing T-Ball. I want to too, but I don't have a glove. Can you get me a glove, Mum?"

"I think that can be arranged," she said, smiling at him. "What is T-ball?" she asked, turning to me.

"A great way for kids to learn baseball at an early age. Instead of a pitcher, the kids hit the ball off a tee, something like golf, only taller. Every kid gets to play. They get a team shirt and hat, too. The score isn't too important, it's the participation. Matt played T-ball when he was Jack's age, then went to Little League, then Babe Ruth. Now he's thinking of trying out for his high school team. If he doesn't make it, he'll go back to Babe Ruth for another year."

"Does it take a lot of time to play?" Ali asked me.

"No. About the same amount of time our skating took. They usually play the games during the week in the evenings so both parents can attend. The kids have a lot of fun."

"Do you know what kind of a glove I should get?" Ali asked.

"What hand are do you throw with, Jack?" I asked.

He held up his right hand.

"Okay, we need a glove for his left hand. In fact, I may have something that's just what he needs. Matt's old little league glove is in good shape and all broken in. New gloves are often stiff and hard for the little kids to squeeze. Matt outgrew his first glove, but kept it. I'm betting he'd let Jack use it."

"That would be great, Mr. Rideout," Jack said immediately.

"Good," I said, please that it satisfied him. "I'll talk to Matt tonight and see if it's okay with him. I'm sure he'll be happy to help you."

As I expect, Matt was glad to help Jack, and even offered to coach him if he got the chance. The glove came with a bat and official baseball and Matt told me they were Jack's to keep. I called Ali, told her and then told Jack myself. He was really enthused about the gifts and promised to thank Matt when he saw him on the weekend.

~*~

Two weeks later it was time to return Jess and Matt to their mother. I walked them to the door and waited as Reese opened it. The look on her face wasn't what I was expecting. She had been crying by all appearances and had a hard time looking me in the eye. The children brushed by her without comment and I decided to find out what had caused her upset. I had a pretty good idea of what it might be.

"What's wrong, Reese, you look terrible?"

"Gordon called off the wedding, Graham. He's decided he doesn't want to be married. Too much responsibility, he said. I don't think he's really father ... or should I say step-father ... material. I've been led along the garden path, just like you thought. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I've already started looking for a job, but I don't have high hopes of finding anything that will allow me to keep the house."

She'd let all this out as we walked into the living room and she sat, hands in her lap, looking very lost and down at that moment. I could understand why.

"Don't panic, Reese," I said. "I'll put some money in the account to hold you over until we figure out what to do."

"Why, Graham. Why would you do that? After what I did to you, why?"

"There's still the children to think about, Reese. We'll figure something out. I don't know what just yet, but we'll figure something out," I repeated.

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with this problem, but I already knew I couldn't leave Reese hung out to dry and not do something. I thought about visiting Gordon fucking Winters and seeing just what I could do to convince him to live up to his obligations, but I realized quickly that I wasn't going to force Reese into a loveless marriage just for the money.

I returned to my townhouse and called Ali. I gave her the whole story.

"That bloody bastard!" she spat. "I had a feeling this was all going to come to tears."

"I'm going to put some money in the household account to tide her over. I'll have to figure out something for a longer term solution. She's already out looking for a job. Maybe she'll get lucky," I said, not holding out a lot of hope.

"Don't do anything rash, Grime. I'm thinking there's more than one way to skin this cat."

"I won't do anything without talking to you, Ali. We ... we're involved ... and you need to know what to expect from me."

"If you were unemployed and broke I'd still know what to expect from you," she said, not joking at all.

"That's very kind of you. I don't hope to be unemployed. About being broke, I'm not so sure."

"Don't start worrying about it now, Grime. Something will come up. I'm certain of it."

"I like your confidence. I wish I felt the same way."

We talked for a while longer. As usual, it was about our plans for the weekend and other less consequential things. We avoided any more discussion about Reese and her problems.

~*~

It was a week later, the second week of February, that I got a phone call I wasn't expecting.

"Graham, this is Kim Bledsoe. I wonder if you could come to my home for a meeting on Saturday?"

"Uhhm, I guess so. What's the meeting about?"

"I'd rather not discuss it over the phone, but it is important to you and my daughter Allison. Can you be here by three o'clock?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Who all is going to be at the meeting?"

"We will be joined by Allison and Miles Hoffman, along with your ex-wife, Clarissa."

"Oh ... that's a surprise. Okay, I'll be there at three o'clock," I promised.

I spent the next two days wondering what the meeting was about. Ali was unwilling to talk about it, but promised me it would be important for both me and Reese. I wondered how they convinced Reese to be there. Kim Bledsoe was a powerful woman in the community, but I didn't think she knew Reese.

Kim Bledsoe's home was quite something. A sprawling, low ranch-style home set in the middle of a cherry orchard. This was no mansion, but certainly far larger than anything I had seen before. I noticed some out-buildings in the back that had quite a few large fruit totes piled up on the outside. By the look of it this was a producing orchard and not just a hobby farm.

I was welcomed almost immediately after I rang the door chime. Ali met me with a kiss on the cheek that couldn't have been missed by anyone in the room. As I entered a very large, peaked-ceilinged, open room, I saw that all the people Kim had mentioned were already there. Kim greeted me with a handshake, as did Miles. It was good to see him again.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to this meeting and being so prompt," Kim began. "Allison has told me of your problem, Mrs. Rideout, and Miles and I have put our heads together to see if we couldn't come up with a solution."

"Why?" a bewildered Reese asked. "Why are you doing this? You don't even know me?"

"That's true, but we are connected. Allison is involved with your ex-husband as I'm sure you already know. If what happened to you affects Graham, then it affects Allison, and that affects me. My very good friend, Miles, is here to offer advice and a possible solution to your difficulties. Why don't you explain, Miles?" she smiled turning to him.

"Thank you, Kim. Mrs. Rideout, the settlement that was imposed at your divorce hearing was, in part, based on testimony given by Gordon Winters at that hearing. He testified, under oath, as to what his income was. He also testified that he intended to marry you directly after the divorce was final. That commitment by him was a large part of the foundation for Judge Patriquin's settlement decision. Now, he has reneged on that commitment.

"The State of Washington has on its books a very old statute covering such actions. It's called 'Breach of Promise.' He has sworn to marry you and provide for you and now he has gone back on that promise. You have legal grounds to sue him. However, I'd like to suggest that as a last resort. I think we have an alternative that might be less stressful and even more effective."

At that point, Miles turned to Kim and nodded.

"Gordon Winters is a very good salesman, but not a very good human being," she began, directing her comments to Reese. "I'm very disgusted with his treatment of you, not to mention his actions that led to the divorce. I'm sure he'd like to avoid a court case that could be very expensive no matter the outcome. I'm also sure he would like to avoid seeing his name in the papers, or possibly on TV, indicating why he was in court.

"I'm proposing that Mr. Winters be transferred to the Wenatchee dealership. It is the largest of our four and will certainly not harm his income earning potential. In the meantime, Miles will negotiate the following." She turned back to Miles.

"Mr. Winters will make a one-time payment of ten thousand dollars to your account for pain and suffering. In addition, he will make monthly payments of twenty-five hundred dollars to your account as support. That will hardly make a dent in his normal lifestyle, and you will have a base income to work with," he said, turning back to Kim.