Page 3 of Trick or Treat

“No. Grandma Lynn had Bingo.” Keegan started chewing his bottom lip and absently rubbing a hand up and down his pant leg.

Trick knew, deep in his gut, he wasn’t going to like the answer. “If you didn’t stay with Grandma Lynn and your mom went out with Aunt Patty, where were you and your sister?”Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say.

When Keegan still hedged, Trick reached over and took his son’s hand in his own, giving a reassuring squeeze. “Son, just tell me. You won’t be in any trouble. I promise.”

“Westayedhomealone,” he quickly blurted.

It took Trick a second to process what his son had rushed to spit out. Surely he didn’t say what he thought he heard? They stayed home? Alone? He cleared his throat and had to force his anger down in order to get the answer to his questions. “Are you telling me you and Reagan stayed home alone?”

“Yeah, Dad. We did.” Keegan’s response was so quiet, Trick almost missed it.

Fuck me. His kids were home alone while their drunk of a mother was out whoring around? His chest felt tight from holding his breath too long. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come to get you guys.”

“I couldn’t. Mom took her phone with her.” The more they talked about the situation, the more upset Keegan was getting. “And I didn’t want to go outside to go use Mrs. Middleton’s phone. It was dark. And Reagan was scared.”

At the stoplight, Trick moved his hand to gently squeeze his son’s neck. He gave him a little shake to get his attention. “Look at me. Buddy, I am not mad at you.” He was, however, furious with Michelle. What was the woman thinking, leaving an eight-year-old in charge of a four-your-old? “You did the right thing by not going outside in the dark.” The light turned green and Trick drove on. “You kept the doors locked, right?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Good boy.” He gave a turn signal and made a right. Fuck, he wanted to hit something so bad right now he could barely stand it.

So as not to freak his son out, Trick had to remain calm on the outside while on the inside he was a ranting, raving lunatic wanting to get his hands on his ex. He had to make sure this never happened again. But how? He thought about it for a moment then got an idea.

“I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. Sometime this weekend before I take you guys home, we’ll go buy you a phone.” At the way Keegan’s face lit up, he continued. “It is not to be something you play with. It is only for emergencies or any time you or Reagan need to talk to me. I need you to keep it somewhere safe in your room and I don’t want you to let your mom know you have it. Can you do that? Keep that secret from your mom? Because I gotta say the thought of you and your sister home alone kinda freaks me the hell out. If thateverhappens again, you call me immediately. You hear me?”

“Yeah, Dad. I hear you. And I can keep a secret.”

Damn it. He couldn’t watch Michelle 24/7. Every minute Keegan and Reagan spent with their mom, he had this gnawing fear that something would happen to them and he wouldn’t be there. If he could only get sole custody of them, he could finally quit worrying.

It killed him that his kids had been in that house all by themselves. He didn’t have to guess that she’d come home late and the kids had probably already put themselves to bed. More than likely, Keegan had put Reagan to bed and then climbed in bed with her. He’d feel responsible for keeping his sister safe. He was a fucking kid and had the responsibility of a teenager because of his mom. Fucking bitch.

He tipped his head toward the paper in Keegan’s hand, changing the subject for now. There was no point in talking about what a disappointment Michelle was as a mother to his eight-year-old son. He was sure it weighed heavily on Keegan’s mind without his dad adding to it. He knew for a fact that she bad-mouthed him to both of their kids on a regular basis because she’d done it in front of him. “What’s that?”

“School supply list.”

Trick pulled his truck into Jackson and Calliope’s driveway and shut it off. He held out his hand for the list, folded it up and shoved it into the pocket inside his cut.

“And I’m supposed to let you know that Reagan’s daycare needs money.”

Not for the first time, Trick wondered where the hell all the money went that he paid her to take care of his kids? He paid her enough to pay the electric, the water, the cable, as well as to feed and clothe his kids. There was no way in hell she didn’t have enough to pay the daycare. Fuck that. It wasn’t in the divorce decree that he had to pay her specifically for daycare, so he was going to just start paying for it directly to the daycare. Michelle wouldn’t like it, probably even threaten to tell her lawyer, which he would inevitably end up paying for, too. Let her. He was done with this shit.

Blessedly not privy to his mind’s inner thoughts, Keegan unbuckled his seatbelt and asked, “Jackson and Calliope’s?”

“Yup. Calliope cooked dinner.”

“Salisbury steak and gravy?” Keegan’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah, I think that’s what she said,” Trick teased.

“All right!” Keegan cheered. Trick couldn’t blame him. Calliope’s Salisbury steak with gravy was that good.

“All right!” Reagan cheered from the back. She didn’t understand what they were cheering about, but his girl was happy if they were happy. He watched her smiling and kicking her feet in excitement. Her sparkling silver shoes reflected the sunlight, causing it to look like a disco ball on the roof of his truck. He and Keegan both glanced up and started to laugh.

“You all coming in or what?” Jackson asked from Trick’s side window, causing him to jump and Keegan to yelp. Sneaky bastard.

“Yeah. Yeah. We’re coming,” he replied and unfastened his seatbelt. While he was getting himself out and Keegan was doing the same on his side, Jackson had gone around the back of the truck and gotten Reagan out.

“How’s Princess Reagan doing today?” Jackson asked. She sat perched on his arm the same way Trick had carried her earlier. Her eyes sparkled and her smile blinded everyone around her. He loved that his girl was such a happy child. She charmed everyone she ever came in contact with.

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