Filed to story: Love on the Sidelines (Natalie & Karl)
God, I wish I could have been there to see Gretchen’s face.” By the time I repeated the tale, she was holding her sides, laughing and gasping for air. “Next time you decide to go off the deep end, make sure you have a video camera with you. I’m so proud of you. You’ve needed to let go for a long time now.”
“Well, I’m not proud of me. I could have found a better way to put her in her place.
It’s not Gretchen’s fault that Piggy is a whore, bless her heart.” That statement sent us both into gales of laughter. “Do you know, Sue Matthews actually wants me to run for mayor next fall?” I choked.
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” The response was male and came from right beside me. “Mind if I join you?”
As my gaze met Karl’s amused gray eyes, my laughter faded, replaced by a scowl.
“Yes.”
“Of course not.”
Jenna and I spoke at the same time. When I glared at her, she only smiled innocently. Naturally, it was her reply Karl chose to hear. When he sat down on my side of the booth, I moved over hurriedly, trying my best not to let his leg touch mine.
“I went by Southern Supply, but Kenny told me you had gone to lunch.”
“Oh?” I took a sip from my soda. “A problem with your material?”
“No. I wanted to talk you. I heard the whole story about what happened yesterday at the IGA.” His gaze held mine. “Still trying to save me, Natalie?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
He crossed his arms on the table. “Then why did you do it?” I sighed. “I did it because your son doesn’t deserve to live with that kind of viciousness. Especially when the rumors aren’t true.”
“Daniel’s a tough kid. He knew what to expect when we came back.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Jenna said. “I’m glad Natalie put a stop to it.” She gathered up her purse. “Well, got to run. You two enjoy yourselves.” Before I could protest, she was gone, leaving me with the suspicion that she was trying to push me at Karl. Maybe I’d thanked her for her loyalty a little too soon.
Karl made no effort to move to the other side of the booth. Instead, he stretched his legs out and put his arm across the back of the seat. “Are you doing anything this evening?”
“Filing my teeth,” I snapped.
He grinned. “That sounds interesting. You do seem to have a thing for necks these days, don’t you? First you go for Gretchen’s jugular, then Hugh’s. Who’s next?”
“Look, Karl, how many times do I have to say it? I won’t have dinner with you. I don’t want to talk to you. Give it up.”
Casually, he picked a fry up from my plate, stuck it in his mouth, and chewed. “The reason I asked is because Daniel has been bugging me to let him visit you. After the reception you gave me, I wasn’t sure it was safe, but it looks like I made a mistake about that.”
My breath caught in my chest. “Really?”
“If it’s okay with you.”
“It’s fine.” I could barely contain my excitement. For days, I’d tried to figure out a way to talk to Daniel without humiliating myself by going through Karl. Now he’d dumped the opportunity into my lap.
“Tell me about him?” I blurted the question eagerly, before I had time to think.
He straightened, a smile playing on his lips as though he’d discovered the master key to the Pearly Gates. “He’s a great kid. Makes the honor roll every year without even trying. He likes to read and he’s good at sports. And he’s real outgoing. Never meets a stranger.”
Exactly the way Katie would have been, I thought wistfully, pain curling in my chest.
Karl popped another fry in his mouth while he thought. “He’s not a nerd, but he loves computers. He built his own from scratch last winter. I guess he’s a little bored right now, though. He doesn’t know any of the kids in town yet, and there’s not a lot to do in Morganville. He spends most of his time following me or Bowie around, driving us crazy with questions.”
“Who is Bowie?”
“Bowie Grant. I guess you could say he’s a friend, but he’s a lot more than that. He takes care of us.”
I picked up my purse and the check. “Well, tell Daniel he’s welcome to visit me any time he wants. Now, I have to get back to work.”
The rest of the day dragged by in spite of the increase in business. I couldn’t get my mind off Daniel, wondering when he’d be there, what we’d say to each other, terrified it would be awkward, praying it wouldn’t.
It’s hard to explain now, my feelings at the time were so confused, but I honestly felt like I had a small claim on Karl’s son. The same blood that had flowed through my daughter’s veins flowed through Daniel’s. The same forces that had given Katie dark hair, gray eyes and dimples, had blessed Daniel in a similar fashion. Karl had fathered both children, and in my mind, that gave me a legitimate tie to Daniel, one that not even my anger at Karl would stop me from exploring.
And there’s always the possibility that I had a darker motive, one I couldn’t let myself acknowledge. Not then. Karl had left me. I had borne our daughter alone, loved her, and seen her die. All the hatred and anger I’d aimed at Karl still lived, buried inside those walls I’d built. He had nearly destroyed my life.
So if I couldn’t have my daughter, I’d steal his son.
Oh, not physically. But mentally, emotionally? Since then, I’ve tried repeatedly to analyze my intentions, and the truth is, I simply don’t know. While I hope not, maybe revenge was driving me. Maybe I thought Karl had no right to a healthy, happy child when mine had died. Maybe, God help me, I thought he owed me his son.