Chapter Forty
Dinner at the Frayne house started off with disaster.
Brian had warned Natala about Hallie.
“She can be extremely unpleasant,” Brian told her. “She’s very bitter towards life, though only God knows why. She has money, a beautiful home, and wonderful kids. And she’s married to my best friend. She also drinks too much and she has the mouth of a sailor sometimes.”
“I’m not worried,” Natala answered.
Brian took her hand. “She may spew some very ugly things, especially if she’s already drinking. We’ll leave if she does.”
“I won’t run away from anyone,” Natala said firmly. “I’m a Belden too, and she can get over herself.”
Brian smiled at her. She looked so different now. Tiffany had taken her to the salon, and now her hair fell a little past her shoulders in layers. It was shiny and curled just slightly. She didn’t need makeup, and her red cashmere sweater set off her fair skin and blue eyes. She was bundled up in her red wool coat, a white hat, scarf and gloves, jeans, and winter boots. The timid expression was gone, but the haunted eyes remained.
Jim greeted them at the door.
“Come in, come in,” he was smiling but there was tension in his eyes. Natala felt the storm moving somewhere behind him.
“Nat!” Valerra bounded down the stairs of the elegant cottage and hurled herself at her cousin for a hug. Natala laughed and hugged her and the boys joined them. Regan threw his arms around her legs to hug her.
“Daddy, can I show her around?” Please?” Valerra asked.
“Give her a minute to get her coat off,” Jim smiled at his daughter.
The storm came closer, and Natala looked up from Val to see the woman in the doorway. She was thin, not quite as tall Natala, with rich, lustrous black hair, and big dark eyes, really quite stunning, Nat thought, if she hadn’t looked so sour. Thin, wearing expensive clothes, with her nails recently done, makeup applied skillfully, and ornate rings decorating her hands, Hallie looked quite polished. Her arms were crossed under her breasts, and she held a tumbler full of amber liquid.
“Hallie, come meet Natala,” Jim said politely, but there was an edge to his voice.
She sauntered over, her cold eyes sweeping over Natala. “So this is Brian’s bastard. Nice to meet you.”
“Hallie!” Jim hissed. “Apologize.”
Hallie cut hard eyes to him and back to Natala. Brian’s face was red with fury.
“I always thought my cousin here preferred boys,” she said coolly. “Guess your mother was a hot enough whore to turn him on.”
Valerra and Byron gasped, old enough to know the word. Regan frowned at his mother.
“Mommy, don’t be mean!” he yelled.
“Hallie, apologize, right now,” Jim barely got the words out, he was so furious. Brian’s expression was lethal.
“Why? She’s a mystery brat, popping up after—”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence, as Jim grasped her by the arm and dragged her from the room. A door shut somewhere but they could still hear the raised voices.
“I’m so sorry,” Brian reached for Natala, who swallowed hard. “I had no idea she’d say those things.”
Natala shrugged. “I’ve heard that sort of stuff before, and worse,” she said quietly.
The three children crowded in close to hug her tightly.
“I don’t know why Mommy’s so mean all the time,” Val murmured.
Natala swallowed her tears at the child’s sentiment. She knelt down to hug her young cousins. “Some people are just that way. But we won’t let that stop us from having fun, right?”
“Right!” Regan beamed.
“Why don’t you kids give Nat that tour?” Brian suggested.
Once they kids had Natala in tow up the stairs, he headed for the kitchen, where Jim was yelling at Hallie.
“How dare you! How dare you treat a family member like that!”
“I didn’t ask for her to come over here!” Hallie shot back. “I didn’t want this damned family dinner crap shoved down my throat. She’s Brian’s spawn, and I’m sure Helen is pissing herself over the girl! Let her go play with the family there!”
Brian burst into the kitchen, shaking with fury. Hallie did a double take, and backed up against the fridge, where Brian cornered her, towering over her.
Hallie had never seen her cousin look so murderous, and for a moment, had a twinge of regret. Brian had always been nice to her. But now, the mild mannered, even-tempered doctor was ready to strangle her, and Hallie didn’t doubt he just might.
“I don’t know what the hell happened to you, Hallie, to make you such a vile, repulsive bitch, but if you ever, ever talk to my daughter that way again, I will personally teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” he growled, his grim face inches from hers.
Hallie swallowed. Brian didn’t make idle threats. She mumbled something.
“I didn’t catch that,” he hissed.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“You’ll apologize to her when the kids bring her back down,” he snapped. “If they hadn’t been standing there I would have hit you for those comments, and I have never hit a woman in my life.”
Hallie nodded. She had gone too far, she realized.
“I think it best if you excuse yourself from dinner,” Jim said coldly, arms crossed over his chest. He was stunned by Brian but didn’t blame him. His friend had never displayed his temper like that.
Hallie nodded. “I’ll apologize and leave,” she murmured. She didn’t doubt Brian’s threat for a second.
*
Natala thoroughly enjoyed her tour of the house, and seeing the children’s rooms. Val’s was all in shades of pink and white, flowers and princesses, and posters of pop singers. Nat noted the many horse pictures and asked if she liked to ride.
“I love it!” Val enthused. “Regan has been teaching us for years. I’m sure he’ll teach you too!”
“I don’t know that I’m very comfortable around animals,” she replied hesitantly. She knew Val wasn’t referring to her 8 year old sibling.
“Regan makes them really calm. He’s great with horses. He was at the house Christmas eve. This is him.” Val pointed a picture of her sitting atop a beautiful chestnut brown horse, in full riding gear, with a blue ribbon pinned to her chest. Natala recognized the redheaded man, with just a hint of gray to his hair, standing next to her, beaming proudly. He was one of the quieter men. Someone’s uncle, but she couldn’t remember who.
“We’ll see about it,” Natala smiled at her.
“He’s Dan’s uncle, really, but we all call him Great Uncle Regan, except it’s too long, so we have two Regans,” Val explained. “Byron calls our Regan Cinderhead but he doesn’t dare do it in front big Regan.”
Natala had to laugh.
Byron’s room was decorated in blues and gray, with a theme of planes. Model ships, posters, and books about planes covered everything.
“I’m going to a pilot,” he boasted. “I’m going to fly bombers for the Air Force!”
That would push his mother over the edge, Nat thought. “I’ve never been in a plane but flying them sounds amazing.”
“You’ll get to ride in the family jet sometime,” Byron assured her. “Dad keeps saying I should be a private pilot but I want to be where the action is!”
Natala shuddered at the thought of him flying through combat zones. At his age, he didn’t fully grasp the horrors of war.
Regan’s room was decorated in Spiderman, Superman and Batman. The youngest cousin proudly showed her his collection of comics.
“I have more, that are really expensive, put away,” he said proudly.
“You dope,” Byron laughed. “Those are Dad’s, and Grandpa Matt’s, not yours.”
“Dad said they’ll be mine someday,” Regan admitted.
Natala hugged the little boy. “I’m sure it’s a very impressive collection and you’ll take care of it very well.”
The house was decorated simply but elegantly. Furniture matched. Deep wood tones and colors, muted wall colors, artwork that she recognized as having been created by family members. It was a comfortable house, but thick with tension, centered on the one room upstairs they didn’t go into. The one that Nat was positive was Jim and Hallie’s bedroom.
When they came down the stairs, the three adults were waiting. Hallie was pale, Brian’s face had returned to his reserved doctor demeanor but his body was still tense. Jim stood extremely close to Hallie, as if waiting for her to mouth off again.
“I love the house,” Natala said nervously.
“Thank you,” Jim smiled at her. “Kids, go on in to the dining room and sit down.”
Once they were out of the way, Hallie spoke stiffly. “I apologize for my comments earlier. It was uncalled for.”
Natala just nodded, unsure what to say.
“I won’t be joining you for dinner, but please, enjoy.” Hallie pushed past her and ran up the stairs.
“She’s not going to drive is she?” Nat asked. “She reeks of liquor.”
“I took her keys, so she’ll be upstairs,” Jim said calmly. He motioned for her to enter the dining room. “We do, however, have a tasty dinner awaiting us.”
The children were seated as Brian and Jim set dishes out on the table. As usual (of late) Natala found herself with a heaping plate of vegetables and meat, and Valerra promised pineapple upside down cake for dessert proudly announcing that she had made it earlier.
The rest of dinner passed peacefully, and Natala was happy she could genuinely say Val’s cake was the best pineapple upside down cake she had ever had, making the young girl beam.
After dinner, they relaxed in the living room, with Regan curled up in Natala’s lap and Valerra sitting next to her, as the kids regaled her with stories. Val’s goal was to be a top equestrienne, while Regan hoped someday to take over as Spiderman. Jim shook his head at his older son when Byron opened his mouth to dispute that.
Val brought her a photo album, and showed Natala pictures of the Fraynes over the years. Natala couldn’t help but be a little sad, and it became evident Hallie wasn’t in many of the pictures. She was definitely not an involved mother. There was a picture of Brian holding a very small Valerra that made Natala’s heart twinge.
Why couldn’t it have been her Brian was holding? Why couldn’t she have been the little girl in these pictures? Swimming at the lake, riding horses, playing games with the cousins, ice skating-something Natala had always wanted to do.
She had lost so much, she thought sadly, as she ran her hand over Valerra’s hair. But that made it all the sweeter what she had found now.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
Author’s Notes
- A huge yee-haa to the fabulous and lovely Ronda, for editing this and her suggestions which made it much better!
- Yes, Jim and Hallie are coming soon. No, not immediately. Probably by the end of the year.
- Word Count, 1,805
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