Happily Ever After Isn't Easy Read online

  Mr. Sawyer leaned back against the desk, crossed his massive arms and legs, and waited. On his left bicep, the bottom of a black tribal tattoo peeked from under the sleeve of his tee. Tattoos definitely did it for Gabe. Endeavoring not to fidget nervously, Gabe clasped his hands behind his back, twining his fingers together.

  He cleared his throat, praying his voice didn’t squeak. “Travis has an understanding with Coach Wilson about certain gym activities he’s uncomfortable with. In return, Coach Wilson gives Travis assignments to complete. I’m sure you weren’t aware of this arrangement.”

  Mr. Sawyer rose to his full height. If they were outside, Gabe thought he’d probably block out the sun, which wasn’t true since Gabe was only a few inches shorter. Why did the man feel so large?

  “So while the rest of the class follows orders and participates, Travis breaks off from the group and does as he pleases?”

  Follow orders?

  Gabe feigned bravado in the shadow of the intimidating substitute. “Travis has certain issues I’m not able to discuss with you, but understand Travis isn’t doing this to be difficult or to defy ‘orders,’ as you put it. He’s working hard to overcome these barriers, and a little understanding from others goes a long way.”

  Mr. Sawyer frowned, and two dimples popped out on his cheeks. “Coddling kids maintains their weaknesses. Avoiding situations will not strengthen their character or allow them to rise above and become the best they can.”

  Said like a product of the military.

  Gabe’s heart rate increased, a warning his calm facade was in danger of cracking. “And calling them lazy will? This isn’t boot camp, Mr. Sawyer. It’s high school, and despite your errant beliefs, tough love doesn’t cure everything. You have no idea what Travis has endured. If you did, you’d see strength of character that rivals anything your military beat into you. He’s a survivor who hasn’t quit even when the rest of the world has pretty much given up on him.”

  By the time he’d finished speaking, Gabe’s hands were clenched into fists at his thighs and he leaned closer to the other man.

  Mr. Sawyer continued his pointed stare at Gabe, who battled to maintain his position and not cower. Sweet Jesus, those hazel eyes were looking right through him.

  Without removing his perpetual scowl, Mr. Sawyer relented. “Okay, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll allow Travis to decide if he wants to participate in the assigned activities with his peers. In return, he’ll complete assignments that I deem are replacements for his absence.”

  Why did that statement trip all kinds of warning bells in Gabe’s head? He should have questioned what Mr. Sawyer meant. However, Gabe knew when to back down and call it a draw. He’d have to keep a close eye on Travis. Maybe visit his assigned gym class a few times. Check in on Mr. Sawyer.

  Yeah, that part was 100 percent about Travis.

  “I appreciate your willingness to help Travis. He’s a good kid and really needs people on his side.” Gabe tentatively held out his hand.

  Mr. Sawyer eyed the appendage in much the same way Gabe imagined he would assess a weapon pointed at him. Deliberately, Mr. Sawyer extended his hand while keeping his eyes trained on Gabe’s face. The warm palm slid against Gabe’s skin, and fingers wrapped Gabe’s hand tight in an almost painful grip. That heat zinged through Gabe’s body and flipped his stomach, flushed his skin, which felt too tight, not to mention what was happening in his groin. In Mr. Sawyer’s eyes, Gabe saw something akin to a challenge, but a challenge of what? There was a definitive physical attraction but—

  “Yeah, well, next time call and make an appointment,” Mr. Sawyer said gruffly, then left the office.

  He couldn’t stand the egotistical ape. Resisting the urge to let Mr. Sawyer know just what he thought about him, Gabe quit while he was ahead.

  WHEN HE returned to the office, he remembered to touch base with Charles about Karen. That morning he’d called Karen at 8:00 a.m. and reminded her to take her pills and to eat. Her tone concerned him, but he had to admit she sounded better than she had on Saturday.

  “Hello, Gabe. How’re you?” Charles’s tone sounded guarded.

  “I’m good. You?” Gabe sat at his desk.

  “Can’t complain. I received your message and spoke with Karen. She’ll be coming in tomorrow.”

  Gabe fiddled with a paper clip. “She’s not doing well, Charles. When I went there on Saturday, she was in bed and the twins were alone downstairs. I checked her meds, and she’s missed over half of them in the past two weeks.”

  Charles exhaled noisily. “I was afraid of that. Mary has been calling and trying to reschedule her missed appointment several times without success.”

  Gabe crushed the clip between his fingers. “Why didn’t you call me? I could have made sure she made her appointments.” Could have pulled his head out of his ass and done something other than pine for Tim.

  A pause. “Gabe, you know I can’t discuss Karen’s case with you, much less tell you when she isn’t making her appointments. The release she signed for me to talk with you expired quite a while ago.”

  Gabe would make sure she signed another one soon. “I need to make sure she’s taking care of herself. The twins mean the world to her, and if something happened to take them from her, I don’t know what she would do.” When her depression worsened after the birth of the twins, Randy had taken the babies to his mother’s to give Karen a break. Karen had accidentally taken too many meds in a short period of time and had needed to be hospitalized. While she said she hadn’t meant to harm herself, Gabe hadn’t been so sure.

  “Karen is your ex-wife. Shouldn’t her husband be taking care of this?”

  “Do you see him calling you? He isn’t making sure she takes her pills. He works long hours, so I doubt he’s helping with anything in the house, including Karen. I’ve been trying to make sure she’s doing what she needs.” Well, except for the past two weeks, that was.

  “She…. Damn it, Gabe, she didn’t tell me any of this. To hear her speak, this guy is Prince Charming, who dotes on her and treats her like a queen. How can I help her if she isn’t telling me the truth?”

  Gabe pinched at the bridge of his nose. “It’s probably what she wants to believe. We both know this affair and the resulting kids were during a manic phase. She had to live with me for over twenty years. I was emotionally unavailable and in the closet. Randy was a way out, a way to get the love and affection she needs. They barely knew one another when they got married.”

  “Tell me what I’m dealing with when she comes in.”

  “If I had been walking into someone else’s house on Saturday, I would have called child protective services. I couldn’t do that to her, which is why I’m doing everything I can to get her back to a functional level.”

  “Okay. I’ll get her to sign the release at her next appointment. Just so you know, I’m going to push her for the truth about her husband and current level of depression. I’ll do a suicide assessment as well. If I even suspect those kids are in danger, I have to do something. But I promise I won’t do anything until I speak to you, okay?”

  Gabe blew out the breath he swore he’d been holding since dialing Charles’s number. “Thanks. I really appreciate that.”

  “Sure. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  Gabe hung up ready for a drink, but it was only eleven thirty. As he opened a report he needed to write, his mind went back to Mr. Sawyer. He didn’t even know his first name, but he couldn’t stop his mind from wondering how those hard pecs would feel under his palms.

  “Shit.” He so needed to forget the annoying, handsome man.

  Chapter 4

  THE NEXT morning Gabe checked in with Karen before heading to work. Afterward, Gabe made a second cup of coffee before heading to work. He’d tossed and turned, the issues with Karen and Travis and Mr. Sawyer keeping him up most of the night. He trudged through the morning with mind-numbing weariness. Tuesday afternoons had always seemed to beat him down, but since Tim, the effect had tripled. He l
ooked forward to a few quiet hours to focus on progress notes. He was on his third cup of coffee of the day and could feel the twitchiness in his muscles from the caffeine. Maybe he should lay off the legal stimulant, but then he’d probably fall asleep at his desk.

  The shrill ringing of his phone practically brought him out of his chair. He rubbed at his forehead, trying to moderate the rapid beating of his heart. He reached for the phone and checked the caller ID.

  Julia Massier, the school principal.

  Gabe exhaled wearily. “Hey, Julia. I’m assuming since you’re calling my office line this isn’t a social call.” The chuckle he tried for fell flat.

  A heavy sigh. “No, Gabe, I’m sorry. It’s not. Travis got into an altercation in gym class. He’s in the quiet room.”

  Gabe rubbed at the burgeoning knot at the back of his neck. “Is he going to be suspended?” Travis’s father would flip if that happened again. Like most everyone else, the man was nearly at the end of his rope with Travis.

  “I’m still sorting out what happened. I’m heading down to talk with Mr. Sawyer. Would you care to join me?” Gabe’s snort brought a titter from Julia. “I heard you met our substitute gym teacher yesterday.”

  Gabe grunted at the word. The gorgeous man had definitely “substituted” for Tim lately in his fantasies. The idea of seeing Mr. Sawyer after the nefarious thoughts Gabe had been having was unnerving.

  “Yeah, I met Mr. Personality. Recruiting from the military now, Julia?”

  It was Julia’s turn to snort. “He’s actually good for many of the students who need strong direction. He may need to work on his people skills.”

  “What people skills?”

  “I think you two got off to a bad start. Really, he’s a nice guy. I like him, and you know that many of my teachers I can take or leave. Give him another chance.”

  Gabe wasn’t so sure about that. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “SERIOUSLY? YOU thought that was a good idea?” Gabe had practically shouted. He gripped the edge of the windowsill to keep from strangling the clueless man.

  Mr. Sawyer stood across from Gabe in Julia’s office while she attempted to referee the confrontation. Gabe had insisted on speaking with Travis before the meeting. The kid was a wreck, terrified of both his father’s reaction to the fight and the principal forcing him to return to gym class.

  “Gabe.” Julia held up her hand. “Let Brandt finish.”

  Gabe gritted his teeth so hard his ears hurt. The arrogant, self-righteous… Jesus… good-looking asshole.

  “What I thought was I had two men unable to see eye to eye. So I paired them up and required them to work together.”

  Gabe took a brave yet idiotic step toward Mr. Sawyer. The man looked as if he were ready to throttle Gabe. “No. What you did was pair one of the school’s biggest bullies with the kid who’s been his main target for years.” How Gabe wished he could wipe that smug look off that handsome face.

  “Now wait, Gabe. I think the concept was a good one. Actually, this school could use some team building between the students.” Julia raised her hand again to stop Gabe’s protest. She should just carry a stop sign. “However, in this case it did backfire.”

  “Because Travis didn’t put in the effort.” Mr. Sawyer crossed his arms, accentuating his large chest. “Gregg tried to get him to help, but the kid refused.”

  “Because Travis couldn’t build your bridge or whatever you had them doing, he’s at fault?” Gabe’s voice rose with his growing irritation.

  “No. Travis hit another student. That’s why he’s at fault.”

  Gabe’s rage grew arms and legs, taking on a life of its own. He was a professional, but Mr. Sawyer evoked high levels of emotions in Gabe that he rarely experienced, lust being at the forefront. “Did you even talk with Travis? Get his side of the story?”

  Silence, and then Mr. Sawyer shook his head. “He ran out of the gym, but several other students corroborated Gregg’s story.”

  Gabe’s fingers clenched at the fabric of his pants to force his hands to stay down. “Those students are Gregg’s friends, and they’d say anything to back him up. There’s your team building for you. They’ve got each other’s back. Too bad it was at the expense of another team member. And I’m sure none of them heard Travis being called a… ‘fag.’” Gabe hated that slur.

  Mr. Sawyer flinched at the word. At least he’d had some sort of reaction.

  “Yes, Mr. Sawyer, on top of all the other shit Travis has had to deal with, he’s gay. He once made the mistake of showing interest in another boy, who he thought was reciprocating. Instead that boy told the entire school, and now Travis has to deal with the homophobic attitudes of not just some students and parents, but even some teachers. Are you one of those people, Mr. Sawyer?”

  “Gabe.” Julia’s caution didn’t halt Gabe’s need to know which “Travis” category the substitute was in, pro or con.

  Mr. Sawyer’s eyes narrowed with a fiery rage that should have scared the bejesus out of Gabe, but he was too high on anger for any fear.

  “I’m not a homophobe, Mr. Reynolds. In fact, it’s a character flaw I find intolerable. Hate breeds fear and intolerance, which weaken the strongest men. A group is only as strong as its weakest member.”

  Gabe crossed his arms. “Nice speech. Bet they taught you that in the service. How about telling us how you really feel?”

  Mr. Sawyer stepped closer, close enough that Gabe could feel the heat radiating off his body. “What a man or woman chooses to do in their private life is their own business. I measure a person by their integrity, respect for others, and fulfillment of their duties. Not by whom they choose to sleep with.”

  Gabe’s breath caught. That heady, musky, all-male scent drew Gabe in as much as those mesmerizingly sharp yet sexy eyes.

  “Okay.” Julia’s voice brought Gabe back to the room. “We have two issues here. There will have to be consequences for punching Gregg. I won’t suspend Travis, but he’ll have in-school suspension. As for Gregg calling him a… fag”—she hesitated to say the word—“that’s a violation of our hate prevention policy, and we have to decide if we give him in-school or out. I vote for out, but then I’d like to ship him off to another school.”

  “Wait.” Gabe knew what that would mean for Travis. “There’s no one to back up Travis’s claim that Gregg called him a fag. If you suspend Gregg, you’ll not only make Travis out to be a snitch but open him up to all kinds of retaliation.”

  “While I agree, Gabe, something has to be done. I’ve never known Travis to say something happened that wasn’t true, and I won’t tolerate that hateful language in my school. You know I can’t.” Julia glanced meaningfully at Gabe.

  As friends, she’d experienced firsthand what some people in town had called Gabe when he’d come out. Hateful and nasty slurs ignorantly spewed his way that had nothing to do with Gabe as a person. Those words had hurt worse than a stab of a knife, but what had cut him to the core was the mistrust. Some parents had refused to allow him to counsel their children, as if he’d recruit them to the gay side or, worse, was a sexual deviant. As a mental health professional, he could rationalize and theorize their attitudes, but as plain old Gabe? Plain old Gabe had never understood what he’d done to deserve their viciousness and hate.

  “While you might not agree with my methods, Mr. Reynolds, what appears to be needed here is some character training. The Seven Core Army—”

  “This isn’t the Army.” Gabe rolled his eyes in a less than professional manner.

  “I’m very well aware that this isn’t the Army.”

  God, how could Gabe dislike someone and be so attracted to him at the same time? Add to that the man was straight and you had Gabe’s twisted life.

  Mr. Sawyer went to the whiteboard and wrote “LDRSHIP. The Seven Core Army Values.” He pointed to each letter of the acronym. “Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage. All values we strive to personally attai
n and teach every kid. In the Army, soldiers live these values every minute of every day. Not just on the job.”

  Julia cocked her head. “I like the idea, but how do you turn it into something that’s not just another lecture to zone out?”

  Mr. Sawyer actually cracked a rueful smile. “As they do in the Army, with some basic training.”

  Gabe could only think that Brandt’s idea was going to be a disaster.

  WITH TRAVIS squared away and happy with in-school suspension, Gabe left the school. As he climbed into his car, he received the call from Charles he’d been dreading.

  “Hi, Charles.”

  “Hey, Gabe. Karen just left. I have a signed release, so I’m not going to mince words. I’m really concerned. She’s highly depressed. I couldn’t assess any immediate threat; however her delusions of her marriage and current level of functioning are disturbing. Despite my pushing her to admit her statements weren’t as truthful as she said, she continued to claim what she was saying was true. Even confronted with the fact that I was aware of what was possibly happening in the house, she continued to get quite angry that I was challenging her.”

  “You think she believes what she’s saying?” A scary thought, which could point to a deeper psychosis than he’d originally thought.

  “When I was with her, I didn’t notice any extreme anxiety, disorganized thoughts or speech, or hallucinations. Despite the crying and lying in bed, there was no indication that she was anything more than severely depressed. I got the impression that she might believe what she’s saying. Although she could also be protecting herself from having to admit her marriage is failing. I had her psychiatrist, Dr. Warner, meet with her, and he adjusted her Klonopin, as well as adding Seroquel, which hopefully will address the acute episodes. I’m hoping with following the medication routine and seeing me twice a week, we can turn this around.”