Page 42 of Madden

Mason turns into Menace right before my eyes. It's the type of switch that flips and causes everyone else to look for cover. Before he can say anything, Ruby and Caleb start back with each other.

"Don't yell at your dad. He's done more for your kids than you have lately. Does that make you feel good?" She puts her hands on her hips, eyes blazing as she looks at him.

"Is it supposed to? Does it makeyoufeel good to point that out? If you'd stop blaming me for everything that's gone wrong in our marriage, then you'd be able to open your damn eyes and see everything for what it really is." The words are clipped, devoid of emotion.

I've worked with Caleb long enough to know when he's extremely pissed, and he's there right now. I head over toward where he stands to pull them apart, so that this doesn't get any worse than what it already is, but Ruby continues.

"I see everything clearly, Caleb. You had a bad call, some bad shit happened, and you refused to figure out what you needed to get through it. I've begged you to get help, set you up in a way that all you had to do was show up for the appointment. You chose not to. You gave up on our marriage." Her voice shakes with emotion and anger. "Not me." She points at herself.

His jaw is tight, teeth working together. "I've been quietly screaming for help, into a void that you've ignored."

"The fuck I have, I've done my best..."

"To blame me for everything that's happened between us," he interrupts her. "I moved out thinking it would allow us time to miss each other, but all you've done is prove you didn't need me." His voice is hoarse as his eyes rake over her.

"I don't." She folds her arms over her chest. "But I want you to be there. I miss you. I want you to be with us. I don't know how to ask you any clearer than this. You haven't been around." She rolls her lips together. "So I've had to learn how to do things that you normally took care of. It's not that I want to do it, Caleb, I have to."

His face is immovable, a brick of granite, as he gazes at her. "There you go again. Blaming me for all of this."

"I'm not." She stamps her foot. "I'm trying to explain to you why I've done the things I have. There's a reason for all of it, but you seem to think that I've decided where we're concerned. I haven't, Caleb. I want you to be my husband, to be a father to our kids, and to be in bed with me every single night. You're the one who's decided not to. I'm sick of begging you." Tears pool in her eyes, and she sniffles as she tries to hold the emotion in.

"I'm a fuck up." He holds his arms out beside him, as if he's role-playing Christ on the cross. "Tell everybody about how I broke your heart, and what a piece of shit I am, Ruby. Go. For. It."

CHAPTER 28

BECCA

"Is thereanything else I have to do?" I ask Shelby as I sit in her office, looking at the piece of paper laying in front of me.

"Nope, all you have to do is sign it, and we'll officially petition Trey for custody while he's incarcerated." She folds her hands in front of her mouth and leans into them. "There's one thing I need to tell you. He's facing federal charges. They haven't come down to him yet, but they've been filed. He's not getting out of jail, Rebecca. So make sure this is what you want," she says the words carefully. "When you get him, you're going to have him. Your brother isn’t getting out of jail before Mick is thirty, if he gets out at all."

My stomach drops as I hear what she's said. I knew there was a chance of this. It didn't make sense to me that they would send him to prison for the small amount of charges they had him on. Granted, they were bad by themselves, but I'd seen people with worse charges than his stay at the county level. "I had a feeling this was going to happen. It's one reason I wanted to get Mick put into my custody. If we don't do this now, they might put him in the system, right?"

"Could," she answers. "Most of the time they want to keep families together, especially if there is a member of said familywilling to take the child. You are, so my intent is to keep him with you. We're going to do our best to make that happen, I promise you. The first thing we're going to try is sending this to Trey. Maybe he'll reconsider, and go ahead, before we have to force his hand."

I never wanted this, never wanted to have to play hardball with him. Growing up, he was a hero of mine. I would've done anything for him. I had ideas about us being close and raising our families together. But he ruined that when he made decisions that would affect both of us. "Alright, I'm ready for this, although I know this is basically an act of war where he's concerned."

"I understand. I have to do what's best for Mick, and that's all I need to think about."

"You're right. The best decisions aren't the easiest, but I firmly believe you're doing what's best for Mick, and that's all we can ask for."

After my meeting with Shelby,I head over to The Café to meet Stephanie for lunch. It's a crisp day, and I'm looking forward to what will be my first fall and winter with Mick. Which means I'm going to worry about Christmas gifts, and he'll need new clothes. It's never-ending, and although I wasn't ready for this, I'll do it for Mick. He has no one else who will.

Stephanie waves at me when I enter The Café from where she's sitting in a booth. There are several LSERT wives at a table in the middle of the dining room. If I allow myself, I could see my spot there one day, but I don't want to jinx what's going on with Madden. One of them, I think it's Kelsea, Chief Harrison'sdaughter, gives me a wave. I return it and scoot in across from Stephanie.

"How did it go with Shelby?" She asks as soon as I put my purse down. "Were you able to file for custody?"

"We're sending a certified letter to the jail. Obviously, they'll know where the hell to serve him."

"He'd have to be stupid not to take this gift, and that's exactly what it is, Becca. It's a gift."

She and I know that, but I'm not sure Trey will see it the same way. "Let's hope he agrees." I pick up a menu and run my eyes down it, looking for something that sounds good. The problem is everything does. I'm starving, and I could eat the entire menu.

Our waitress comes over. "What can I get you all?"

"Go on." I nod toward Steph.

"I'll take the grilled chicken club with a loaded baked potato and green beans. Coke to drink, I need the fucking caffeine to get me through the long night I have of putting together mood boards for a few clients." She cuts her eyes and sighs heavily. "It's been a day."

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