Just like he'd always watched her.
His mind flashed back again to the episode inChase's truck; he’d had a perfect view from his hiding place in thebushes. The whore dove onto that asshole’s lap, climbing all overhim and letting him touch her. This time, she'd learn. He'd makeher realize she was his alone. No one else would take care of herthe way he could. Protect her from the world.
He knew he'd made a mistake all those yearsago, causing her to run away. He’d warned her what would happen ifshe tried to leave him. A decent woman would have come crying backwhen her future had fallen apart. But not his Madelyn. She'd runaway like a wounded bird.
Next time, he'd show her how much she meantto him by keeping her close. He'd have to keep better track of her.He reached into his pocket and jingled the keys he'd fortuitouslyfound when he'd snooped her house.
15
Maddy finally waved goodbye to her friend aftertheir snack, walk, and Payson’s quick packing. Payson leaned outthe window as she drove away, "You'd better have gotten laid by thetime I get back. You know, nature."
The avenue was thankfully, still mostlyempty. Maddy felt empowered after her talk with Payson. Shewouldn’t pressure, just see what happened. She strolled down thelength of Beachside Avenue to Chase's office. Funny, when had shebegun to think of it as Chase's office, and not her dad's?
She stopped outside and straightened herdress and hair. Mustering up her courage, Maddy let herself in theback door to the office. She used to work around the office or onthe docks every summer, wherever they'd needed an extra hand, andstill had a key.
Brent greeted her with a smile as she reachedthe top of the stairs. "Good morning, Brent, how's the daygoing?"
Brent was a sweet guy, a few years older thanMaddy. He was happily married with a baby on the way. Handsome,with a few gray hairs that had only recently made an appearance onhis sideburns. A Seaview transplant, his wife had dragged him herefrom the midwest. "It’s a quiet day around here, thankfully. Whatare you up to this morning?"
"I'm enjoying my day off and was hoping todrop in on Chase. See how he's holding up with Dad out of thecountry." Brent eyed her suspiciously. Maddy realized theexcessively feminine sundress combined surprise visitation when herfather wasn't there might look a bit suspicious. Maddy hoped herprim smile reduced the desperate-for-a-booty-call look she may havedonned.
Brent blushed. Nope, she likely looked quiteobvious. "Chase was here for a bit this morning, but just leftabout half an hour ago. He wasn't sure if he'd be back. Said he hadsome personal business."
She thanked Brent and made her way backdownstairs. Personal business? As she walked back out onto thequiet street, she remembered the day. It was Chase's dad, Henry’sbirthday. She should have realized it would be a tough day. Hehadn't seen his dad since he left, and he had returned a few monthsafter he’d passed. No funeral was even held, as he hadn’t had manyfriends in the end. Chase had put on a brave face, but of course hewould mourn.
Maddy strolled the mile-long walk back downBeachside to her house and hopped in her jeep. She didn't evenhesitate, driving straight to the cemetery. It was a guess, but shesuspected he'd be paying his respects.
He couldn't have gone to his dad's house, asit had been torn down about two years ago when Henry had passed outafter having loaded firewood haphazardly in the fireplace. He'dwoken up enough to pull himself out alive, but the house had burnedto the ground. Maddy suspected Chase had sent back money forHenry's housing, as he was quickly placed in a nice assisted livingfacility.
The cemetery was as quiet, as town had been.Maddy parked her jeep next to Chase's truck. She pulled on aflannel shirt with her denim jacket, anticipating the increasingchill in the air, as the wind had picked up with the approachingstorm. Wishing she had thought to bring an umbrella in case thosedark clouds opened up, she trudged on.
She hoped he wouldn't mind the interruption.Of course, her lustful thoughts had quieted, and instead sheworried for her friend.
Chase stood stoically a hundred feet away. Hesilently looked down at the headstone, his body stiff. Maddyquietly walked up to join him. His body jerked as she arrived, asif she'd caught him unaware.
As he looked to Maddy, she noted his eyeswere moist with unshed tears. His jaw was clenched tight. Shesoftly slipped her hand into his and leaned into his side. His gazeturned back to the headstone. Maddy hadn't seen the headstone yet.Simple, nothing eloquent written, just name and date. She guessedthere hadn't been much to say.
Minutes ticked by as the pair stood insilence. The wind gently stirred the simple bouquet of assortedflowers that sat in front of the headstone. Chase broke thesilence. "I didn't bring those. Must have been Aiden for your mom.No one else would have thought of it."
"Despite Henry’s failings, my mom knew heloved you, so she loved him for that." Laura had always seen thebest in everyone, even Henry. Maybe that was why she'd been such abeloved judge. She followed the letter of the law, but alwaysunderstood the people it affected.
Chase inhaled slowly, calming his thoughts."How'd you know I was here?"
Maddy leaned her head on his shoulder. "Istopped by your office, but Brent told me you'd left early andwasn’t sure if you'd be back. I'd forgotten the day at first, butknowing you weren't one to leave work early without a good reason,it didn't take long to deduce where you'd gone."
"Thanks. Thanks for coming." He put his armaround her waist and pulled her in close.
Maddy basked in his warmth against the coldwind. "How are you holding up? You hadn't said much about your dadwhen you got back, so I didn't want to pry."
"It's ok. I'm doing better than I thought Iwould.” Chase paused, looking around at the trees surrounding thecemetery. “I was so mad at him for not pulling it together. For notseeing that I needed him. He'd started to drink when my mother leftus. She'd already been so distant I hardly noticed she was gone.Damn, what a terrible mother she must have been for me not to carethat she'd left. Dad had to work two jobs to make up for the lossof income, maybe that was the problem. I don't know.
"I just know I saw less and less of him, andhe drank more and more. We'd moved to Seaview when he'd run out ofwork back home, or at least had burned enough bridges. He'd gottena job on a construction crew up here. Didn't last long. I thoughtI'd fall apart. I was so lost.” Chase kissed the top of her head,still holding her close. “But then I met Aiden and you, and yourparents of course. I knew I'd be ok."
Maddy felt a hot lump forming in her throat,eyes blurring with tears of her own. "You fit right into the foldpretty nicely. It was hard watching you go through those toughyears. My parents felt so torn, knowing they could only do so muchto help you."
"Hey, just spending those one or two nights aweek with your family was amazing. I couldn't abandon my dadthough; I knew he needed me. I was so angry at the world for what Icouldn't control. It was finally your mom, you know..." Maddy'seyebrows raised in question. "…Why I could leave. She worked withvarious social programs to keep Dad housed and fed so I could leavewithout worrying that he would wind up dead on the side of theroad. She and Frank bought my damn plane ticket out of here."
"I didn't know she did that. I knew you senta lot of money back over the years, for medical bills andcaregivers. He knew. Mom kept him updated on how you were doing;she'd give him copies of the pictures you sent."
