Chapter 5

I figured, ‘What did I have to fear? After all, if Becky kicked me to the curb over trying to help Tara and my buddy Sam, it would be no worse than what my ex did to me. Besides, I suspected Tara would at least feed me and come over the house to cook and clean from time to time.

There was another part of my brain that told me to be worried. Some memory that went something like, ‘Hell had no fury like the wrath of a woman scorned.’

I glanced at Tara, shoved her in front of me and gave her the list of the computer things ‘we’ had already purchased for Becky. She was going to be my first line of defence if things got bad. If they went to shit, a human sacrifice might be a better description of her. I wondered if the French Foreign Legion needed doctors, I might need to go to Paris if Becky really got upset.

I let her go into the store first. I heard a scream, thought it might be time to exit stage right until I heard. “Becky, look at all the stuff Don got you. (I saw her shove the list under her nose) I helped too; your boyfriend must never have gotten any of this stuff for a girl before, since alone he would have been clueless what to get. I wish my boyfriend would come back home already; maybe he would take a hint from Don.”

I think I had tears in my eyes at her words. I had followed what I thought was the right thing to do and Tara’s speech proved that to be so. Becky running when she saw me, jumping into my arms with a big hug and kiss also provided a modicum of validation to what we had done.

“Becky I’ll pick you up here after work tonight. Tara wants to make us dinner at the house then later you can take the Lexus and computer stuff back. Tara does not have a license or we would have brought it now. Besides I did not want to miss seeing you again. I’ll call and add you to the insurance. Is it OK if I use the house address for you?”

If anyone could see Tara’s face they would see no guile on it, neither did Becky. When I said what I did it flowed without any hesitation. Becky was everything I had thought she was. She started to cry and turned back to hug Tara. She responded merely by asking Becky what she wanted for dinner, we came to do some food shopping for the house,

I was told Becky was on break and I should just look around the mall and do ‘man’ things, the girls needed to talk. I did the man thing too and gave Tara like $300 to buy stuff. She tried to give me back the change when we were putting it in the trunk but I told her to keep it. On the way back home all I said to her was, “Thank you Tara”.

“For what, I haven’t made dinner yet.” She had no idea of what could have happened.

“Sam hasn’t called yet and I don’t have his number. His cell does not work wherever he is at either.

“I know Don; I know you would tell me no matter what he said.” She turned to the side so I could not easily see her tears. I knew the feelings she was having and even what she might be going through.

In a manner of speaking, I myself wondered why Sam had not called with some kind of update. When he did finally call I was not certain who was more excited, me or Tara. I got to the phone first.

“How you doing Doc. Find any stray nurses yet?”

“She not a nurse but I think I did find somebody, her name is Becky. Unlike someone who I won’t mention his name she is 18 already.”

“Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa Doc, you should have a long talk with that guy. Better yet, some of my former clients still owe me. Speaking of that, you anxious to find your own place yet?”

“Just the opposite, if you’re going to kick me out I may soon have to get a loan. Becky and I have sort of gotten used to this mansion you have here.”

“She moved in yet?”

“Nope, were taking it slow. I got your little girlfriend to cook and clean again and she and Becky get along pretty well, better than I would have thought. She misses you dude. You need to talk to her, a good talk, I got to go and pick up Becky from work soon.”

“Before you go, do me another favour, stay there. Move your girlfriend in. I ran into something unexpected here. Expect a visitor, a friend of mine. He will give you and Tara access to some funds to pay for any bills and a few extra bucks for discretionary spending. Tara will need a car like yours or give her yours and buy another for yourself. I have no idea when I might be back. Any problems?”

“Nope outside of some little girl trying to get the phone. Here, talk to her, make certain she has a number for you, she really is ‘Special’ Sam I can see that now.”

I handed Tara the phone. Her face was beaming from what I said, maybe it was the fact Sam called.

I went to pick up Becky. On the way back I hemmed and hawed a lot more than I ever did.

“OK Don, what don’t you want to tell me? I never had a boyfriend before but the girls keep telling me what to expect, especially with one I don’t sleep with.”

“Sam’s not sure when he is coming back, says he ran into something unexpected. He wants Tara and me to stay long term and look after everything in the house; he even is sending money or something. Hell I would pay for everything just to stay around you. You ought to know that. What you said though is a problem. I ... he, told me to ‘move you into the house’. We never talked about that and I don’t want you to rush you or have you think badly of me.”

Becky put a hand to her mouth. She seemed to be trembling and her eyes were getting misty. Not a word was further said by either of us but she leaned her head on me and held my arm as we drove back.

When we got back to the house, Tara and Sam were still on the phone. I would hate to see what that bill was going to be. Tara waved at Becky and smiled. My guess was it was not a kiss-off on either end.

“Got to go Sam, Don and Becky are back and I’m the cook tonight. I love you but I will wait to grow up some, Don is helping me through this and poor Becky is being more a mom or big sister to me now than even Peggy is. I’ll be waiting for you whenever you get back. I’ll tell Don those other things too. I can open your mail here and see if anything for you and have mom check if anything comes to the office too. Don will have to be on the account with me but I can write out checks for any bills. Don is letting me keep my room here but if Becky wants to move in, I can move back with mom if she wants me to. I love you Sam.”

She had tears in her eyes. Hi Becky, got to cook, see you later.”

She shoved a piece of paper in my hands, saying it had Sam’s number and another to call if we ever needed anything. “He does not know when he will be home.”

Becky canted her head. “Wait up Tara, I’ll help, I need your advice on something.”

During our meal of something I could not even pronounce, I found out some of those things she needed Tara’s advice on.

“Don, we girls have decided that we can work things out here. I told Tara that you asked me to move in, she was fine with that. I asked her to stay and continue whatever she wants here that does not include you two in bed together, pool, even the hot tub is Ok. The poor thing thinks you’re a nice guy though and I don’t have to worry. Maybe I might have to agree with her. When she gets her license to drive, which Bonnie, Sam’s ex is working on; you need to add her to your car insurance, we can share the car, but only the house and car buster. Any questions refer to this paper.”

She handed me a folded up sheet of paper which I opened. It simply said, ‘Rule number one, We girls are the boss, what we say goes. Rule number two, if any disagreement or questions about that see rule number one.’

It might have been funny if the looks I was getting were not so serious. I had to admit this solved a lot of problems now and in the future. One of the things Tara said was that all the POA’s, guardianship papers and things Bonnie was working on would either be duplicated with Don’s name or have his name added. Legally Tara was still a minor. After Sam called and they talked, it was one of her good days. I was finding her being a minor hard to believe.

Tara told me later that because of the relationship I had with Becky and that I would never lie to her made having Tara living there only as a friend, plausible. I never thought of her any other way, I knew she wanted only Sam. Becky and Tara became closer as time went on.

Becky agreed to move in next the weekend although she indicated to the girls that she would pay her share of the rent and their shared car expenses even longer. I offered to have a moving firm handle everything. She laughed saying all the things she was taking would fit in both cars. She drove the Lexus with the computer stuff home.

I knew that she needed the time to re-think and adjust to what she was doing so I did not push her move in date. Tara said she would help too. I made a point to get Tara the exact same computer stuff the next day, she had earned that treat. I did not tell her what Sam had said about getting her a car.

Everything seemed to be going fine, until Wednesday morning and the door chimes sounded. Tara voiced that she would get it, I was still on the deck having breakfast. It was a super duper breakfast, Tara was a great cook. She opened the door without looking out, she had gone out for the paper and had already turned off the alarms earlier.

Two very large men in blue-black suits with bulges on both sides were at the door. Tara already knew enough that they were not simple bill collectors. In the drive, a new Mercedes 600 limo was waiting with doors open.

“Mr. Jefferson sent us. You and Dr. Weaver are to come with us; I assume you are Tara, correct?”

“Don, would you please hurry here?” The men made no attempt to interfere with Tara slowly closing the door. When I was there, we again opened the door to find a third man. “Sorry about these ‘Stupido’s’, my cousin’s boys.” He stuck out his hand to shake saying Sam had sent him, his name was Sal. If we needed, call Bonnie, she knew him; he was a friend of Sam’s.