Hazel and Charles are on the way home from dinner when Daniel calls. “Hey, Dad. In the interest of full disclosure, you’re on Bluetooth and Hazel’s in the car with me.”
“That’s fine. I want you both to hear the news from me. Hugh has been arrested on drug charges and his girlfriend, Miranda, died a little while ago from an apparent drug overdose.”
Covering her mouth, Hazel says into her hand, “Oh my god.”
“Will Hugh go to prison?” Charles asks, his eyes on Hazel.
“Probably so, son. We can talk more later, but I’m just calling now to apologize for putting you in a precarious position with my competition for vineyard head.”
Charles’s expression softens. “Actually, Dad, you did me a favor. You gave me the push I needed to leave the vineyard.”
“I’m proud of you for forging your own path. I have no doubt but what you and Hazel will make Peak Adventures a success.”
“Your support means a lot, Dad.”
“And I couldn’t be happier about the baby. I’m looking forward to being a grandfather to your little boy or girl. Let me know if there is anything I can do to make things easier for either of you.”
Charles winks at Hazel. “Thanks, but we’ve got things covered for now. It’s time I figured things out on my own.”
“You’re off to an excellent start.”
Hazel interjects, “Thank you for your kind words, Daniel. I’m curious about what happened to Ruthie’s boyfriend. Do you know where the police took him?”
“I don’t know for sure, but based on what I heard from Hugh, I imagine he will also be charged with drug trafficking.”
Charles glances over at Hazel. “What exactly did Hugh say about him?”
“In so many words, he gave me the impression that Davis is the ringleader of the local drug cartel.”
Hazel sinks down in her seat. And this drug dealer is her baby’s father. All the more reason to put this unpleasantness behind her. She’ll see a shrink if necessary. But she won’t let this be a black cloud over her baby’s head.
Charles tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry things turned out this way for Hugh. But Lovely is a safer town tonight with them locked up.”
“You’re right, Charles. Hugh got in over his head and now he’ll have to pay the price.” Daniel clears his throat. “But things are turning out well for you. I haven’t seen you this happy since you were a boy. Keep up the good work.”
“That’s the goal, Dad.”
The threesome says goodbye, and Charles ends the call.
Hazel’s fingers graze his arm. “This must be devastating for you. I know how close you are to Hugh.”
“We’re not as close as you think. We don’t bear our souls to each other or anything close to that.” Charles hesitates a beat. “I’ve never admitted this to you, but I was a sissy as a kid. Hugh, the big brother bully, was my protector. That relationship continued into adulthood. It was easier to let him fight my fights than stand up for myself.”
“That explains a lot. I wish you’d told me sooner.”
“I wish I’d told you a lot of things sooner,” Charles says with a sad smile. “Hugh has been more irritable than usual these past few months. I sensed something was wrong, something other than his divorce, but I never suspected he was involved in criminal activity. He caused a young woman to die. He deserves whatever he gets.”
“Daniel won’t be able to bail him out this time.”
Charles turns down the alley and parks in front of Hazel’s apartment. He puts the car in gear and shifts in his seat to face her. “It was wrong of me to tell my family I’m the baby’s father when you haven’t yet decided how to handle paternity.”
“Actually, I’m glad you did. Their excitement about the baby really moved me. Instead of being raised by a single mom, this little boy or girl will have a whole village of family and friends to support him or her.”
Charles’s face lights up. “So I can be the baby’s father?”
Hazel grins. “You can be the baby’s father.”
He punches the air. “Yay me! We’ll have an attorney draw up the documents we discussed regarding paternity rights.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“I’m not worried about me. I have no intention of ever infringing upon our agreement. But I think you’ll be more comfortable with the situation if we have our agreement in writing.”
Hazel thinks about it before responding with a nod. “I’ve decided to help the police convict Davis. If I need to pick him out of a lineup or whatever. We don’t live in a safe world, and we must stand up for ourselves and protect one another as much as possible.”
“You’re making a brave choice, Hazel. I’ll be beside you every step of the way.”
A moment of silence passes between them. “Can you believe how far we’ve come? Six months ago, we were miserable, stuck in a failing marriage that neither of us knew how to get out of.”
“We were waiting for life to happen to us instead of making it happen for us.”
“You made life happen for you by starting your own business. But what have I done?”
Charles chuckles. “You posted the picture of Stuart and me on social media, for starters.”
Hazel looks down at her lap. “That doesn’t count. I reacted out of anger.”
“The old Hazel would never have considered raising a child on her own.”
Hazel tugs at a loose thread on her blouse. “And the new Hazel just chickened out on doing that by agreeing to let you be the father.”
“Make no mistake about it. You’ll be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to raising this child. My job is to offer support and to spoil the child rotten with toys and cars and ponies.”
Hazel cuts her eyes at him. “Don’t you dare.”
Charles laughs. “I’m just kidding. My point is, you’re underestimating yourself. However, if you feel the need to prove yourself, you can be in charge of the bicycle tour division of Peak Adventures. Not only would you guide them, you’d be responsible for designing the tours and making the division grow.”
She jerks her head up. “Really, Charles? Do you mean it? I’ve been thinking about it, and I have some great ideas for tour packages.”
“Have at it. I’m thrilled to hand this project over to you. I have my hands full with kayaks and rafting.”
Hazel throws her arms around his neck. “Everything’s working out the way it was meant to.”
Charles holds her tight. “You bet. We took a major detour, but we’re finally headed in the right direction.”