Helen got up, every inch of her five-foot-four frame standing erect. “Robert, don’t you dare. ”
“You have got to be kidding me. ” Eddie laughed grimly. “This is not the best moment to push it with me, Haskell. ”
“What do you care, anyway?” He considered the guy for a moment. He knew Jessup had been there for his wife and child, and it stung. He wanted to lash out, but since he couldn’t take the guy with his fists, he’d take him with words. “If I were you, I’d be worrying about minding my own damned business. Fairview’s got a casino in Reno, and the place has been crawling with suits. I heard them talk, and there’s something fishy with that construction project of yours. So you need to stop throwing stones when you live in your own damned glass house. ”
Eddie squinted at him. “What the hell are you talking about? You’re so full of it, trying to make this about me, when you should be thanking me. I was there last night for your family, doing what you should’ve been doing. ”
“You need to stay away from my wife. ”
“And you need to get a grip,” Eddie said. “Look at you…look at all your bullshit. The gambling, the money, this big-guy attitude of yours, screw all of it. You’ve got a wife and kids who love you. That’s the jackpot right there. And you’re going to lose it all. ”
The statement hung, reverberating, until Helen added quietly, “It’s one thing to neglect me, Rob, but Ellie could have died. ”
He broke then.
He began to weep, in front of all those people. But he didn’t care. He’d strip naked and walk through Sierra Falls if it meant his wife would forgive him. “I don’t want to neglect you, Helen. I love you. ”
Eddie scowled at him. “Then you need to man up. ”
“That’s enough, Eddie. ” Helen inserted herself between the two men. “I’ve got this. ”
Rob took her hands and told her earnestly, “All I ever wanted was to take care of you. To treat you to things. Treat you right. ”
She flinched, and it was a knife in his belly. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it. ”
“I just wanted some extra cash,” he pleaded. “For us. I wanted enough money to hire a sitter for you. To get you some help every once in a while. ”
“I love the kids,” she shot back. “I love spending time with them. I wanted to spend time with you, too. ”
“But you’re always flirting with other men. ”
“Hoping to catch your attention,” she snapped. “I don’t want them. I thought you had a mistress. ”
The front door jingled, and Ellie ran in, with Edith right behind. His angel girl, and she ran right into his arms. “Daddy!”
“I tried to keep her on the couch. ” Edith shot a glance at Helen, and it was loaded with uncertainty and apology. “She saw his truck in the lot and insisted. ”
His daughter forgave him, and he swore to himself he’d do all he could to make himself worthy of it. He scrubbed his face dry. “Hey, pretty lady. How are you feeling?”
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Ellie was clueless to the discomfort of the adults in the room and reported with a wide smile, “Missus Edith gave me a special wallet for my money. ”
“What money?” Helen was instantly suspicious, and it made him feel like a thief. She took the beaded wallet from their daughter and opened it, but when she saw what was inside, her expression crumpled.
“Daddy gave me his buffalo nickel,” Ellie said proudly.
Helen gave him a pointed look. “That’s your lucky coin. ”
“I don’t need it anymore. ” He reached for her hand. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. ”
She held herself stiffly, but finally she didn’t pull away. “I don’t need babysitters and fancy cars,” she said, sounding so tired. “I need you. ”
“Really? Do you really mean that?” He would erase that sadness from her eyes—he’d dedicate himself to it.
Finally he felt Jessup, Edith, and the others drift away, giving them some privacy, and he let it all out. “I see you…you’re so damned sexy, Helen. And I’m such a screwup. I’ve got a job at the hardware store, and then I see you talking to guys like…like Eddie, or that Damien. I see how men like that look at you. I see the way you smile at them. You could be with any man you wanted. You’re that beautiful. We’ve been on this road a long time. We were young when we started. I’d understand if you want to leave me. ”
“I do want to leave you. ” She swept a tear from her face. “But don’t you get it, Robbie? I don’t care about those other men. All I ever wanted was to make a life with you, my husband, and you took that from me. ” She sighed. Paused. It was the longest moment of his life. “But the kids love you, and God help me, somewhere in my heart, I do, too. I’ll give you one more chance. Just one more,” she added vehemently. “Because if I see you so much as looking at a deck of cards, I’ll fix it so you’re never alone with me or our children ever again. ”