Plain Promise (9 page)

Kade laughed, despite himself. This couldn’t be happening.
Mothers don’t do this sort of thing.
“This is ridiculous,” he said. He followed her to the door. “If you needed a vacation, or some time to get married, or whatever . . . you could have called me so I could make arrangements.”

She stepped outside the door and waited for Kade to join her on the front porch. “Arrangements?” She was yelling now. “I tried plenty of times to make arrangements with you in the past, and it never fit into your schedule, and . . .”

Kade waved his hand in front of her, trying to shush her, and was suddenly reminded of Sadie. He dropped his hand to his side. “That’s bull. And you know it. You never wanted to work with my schedule. You intentionally made it difficult for me to spend time with Tyler. You went all the way to North Carolina to ensure it.” Kade didn’t shut the front door all the way, and he glanced into the den. “Is he okay in there by himself?”

“He’s fine.”

Kade left the door ajar anyway.

Monica marched to the black Lexus and popped the trunk. Kade followed.

“My family is in North Carolina,” she said. “And I wanted to be near them. You had plenty of opportunities to spend more time with Tyler, and you chose not to.”

“Don’t even bother taking out any of those things.” He pointed to the suitcases piled in the back. “I’ll get you a hotel room, and we’ll figure out what to do in the morning.” Kade chuckled in disbelief. “But there is no way you can just show up here and drop off Tyler like this.”

One by one, she pulled suitcases out of the trunk and set them on the ground. “I suggest you get these into the house before the snow gets everything all wet.”

Monica had that look in her eyes. The look she had the day she took Tyler and left. There was no talking her out of it. But he was darn sure going to try. “Monica, what kind of mother abandons her child like this? Maybe you’re just having a rough time right now. And with a little notice, I’d be glad to help out with Tyler.”

She practically threw the last suitcase at him, a small, red one. Then slammed the trunk. “Abandoning? Do you want to talk to me about abandoning? You are the one who abandoned your son, and now you can make things right!”

“You left
me
, Monica! I did not leave you. When I said I’d love and cherish you forever, I meant it.”

“You are not going to make me feel guilty about this. You are not!” She stormed up to the cottage. Kade was on her heels.

“You’ve done some crazy things, Monica. But you can’t leave Tyler here. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of him.” She twisted her head around as she walked up the porch steps. “Well, I guess you’re going to learn.”

Without missing a beat, she went to the couch and retrieved the big, black bag she had carried in on her shoulder. She reached inside and pulled out a thick, black binder and dropped it on the couch beside the divorce papers.

“That is your Bible, Kade. Read it. It will tell you everything you need to know about Tyler, about his schedule, and everything I have learned about having an autistic child. Tyler is considered high-functioning, compared to some of the children in his class who don’t speak at all and who can’t do simple things, like feed themselves or go to the bathroom on their own.”

Kade ran his hands through his hair, exhaled loudly, and said, “I’m sorry, Monica. You can’t leave him here. I want to be a part of his life. I always have. But you can’t just show up here and do this.”

She squatted down beside Tyler, who seemed oblivious to the commotion around him. Cupping his cheeks in her hands, she was crying. “Mommy loves Tyler.”

He smiled. “Mommy loves Tyler.”

Kade watched in horror. How she could leave a child that she had raised since birth? He knew it was hypocritical, but the thought still surfaced. Second, if she really did walk out that door, what in the world was he going to do?

Monica threw her arms around Tyler. “Mommy loves Tyler soooo much.”

“Mommy loves Tyler soooo much.”

And with that, she ran out of the cottage. Kade was right behind her and grabbed her arm before she reached her car.

“Let go of me!” There was the hysteria he had heard so many times on the phone. “I have to go! I have to, Kade! Don’t make this any harder on me! Do you understand me? I have to go!” She wriggled out of his grasp, and tears streamed down her cheeks. “Read the book. Keep him on schedule.”

“Monica,” Kade breathed in desperation. He glanced back and forth between her and the cottage. “You can’t be serious!”

She slid into the front seat and rolled down the window. “I’ll be back for Tyler when we get settled.”

“You can’t drop him off like this, Monica, with no warning. You have no idea what my schedule is!”

“Oh, I know exactly what your schedule is! You’re taking some sort of hiatus from life. You should fire your secretary. All I had to do is get a girlfriend to call your office, and the woman pretty much spilled your entire life story to my friend.” Her face twisted with rage. “So you know what, Kade? You can enjoy your little vacation and get to know your son! I need this time for
me
! Do you understand me? So, don’t make me feel guilty! Don’t you know—”

Kade wasn’t hearing her. There was something about her hysterical tone . . .

He began to plead with her again not to do this.

She was still yelling when she rolled up the window.

As she turned the car around and headed toward Black Horse Road, Kade thought about her words.
I’ll be back when we get settled.
Kade wondered if she would come back.

Sadie pulled into her driveway, relieved that she’d be able to get out of the cold. She should have worn her heavy coat. The sunshine and rise in temperature had been misleading. Once on the road to market, her black cape had been no defense against the biting wind.

“Whoa,” she instructed Buck, glad the horse no longer lived up to his name.

She made several trips to the kitchen, unloading her bags.

Now she would sort out Kade’s groceries and prepare herself for a trip to the cottage. Perhaps he had ventured out to repair his tires now that the weather had improved. But no. His car was in the barn.

She separated Kade’s items and began to put her groceries in their proper place, then realized she forgot to check the mail. Without stopping to wrap up, she walked out of the kitchen door and hurried to the mailbox at the end of the driveway.

Nothing. Disappointment tugged at her heart, but she reminded herself that today was Tuesday. Tonight Milo would call, just as he had since they’d set up the weekly phone schedule two years ago, shortly after they began writing letters. The thought lifted her spirit as she headed back into the house.

She redressed in her bonnet, cape, and boots, which not only protected her from the weather, but also from Kade’s curious eyes. More than once, she’d caught him staring at her, which made her uncomfortable.

Perhaps Jonas and the elders had been right. How much did she really know about the fancy
Englischer
? Was she really safe out here alone with him? But then she recalled the way he handled Jonas. Sadie didn’t think he was dangerous or bad.

Kade’s groceries fit in three small plastic bags that she draped over one arm. She pulled the full container of tapioca pudding from the refrigerator and balanced it against her chest. She planned to unpack his things quickly, then scurry back home.

But she’d only taken two or three steps toward the cottage when she heard screams. Continuous shrill hollering, like she’d never heard the likes of before. She stopped walking, stared at the cottage, and listened. Sounded like a child. She turned toward the barn where she could use the phone. In her community, they tried to keep the
Englisch
police out of their lives if possible, but something bad was going on inside that cottage.

She quickly shuffled across the snow with the grocery bags and pudding. Then she stopped and looked toward her shop up near the road. Mary Ellen and Rebecca’s buggies were parked outside. Couldn’t they hear this child crying for help? She decided they couldn’t, and she continued on her trek. But then the shrieks grew louder and louder.

There’s no time
. She set the food down in the snow and ran toward the cottage instead. With courage she didn’t know she possessed, she sprinted up the porch steps and flung the door open. She stood in the entryway, her heart racing. Kade was squatting down beside a small boy in front of the fireplace, begging him to please stop hitting his head on the floor. He looked up at Sadie with fearful, desperate eyes.

“Please help me.” He attempted to wrap his arms around the boy, who pulled away and continued bumping his head against the carpeted floor.

Sadie grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and ran to their side. She squatted down beside Kade and placed the pillow underneath the child’s forehead. At least the pillow would soften the blows to the boy’s head.

“I’ve tried picking him up, but he bit me,” Kade said. He held up his left arm, pushed back his sweatshirt, and revealed a prominent set of teeth marks on his forearm. “I don’t know what to do. He’s never done anything like this. He’s hurting himself, and I don’t know how to make him stop, and . . .”

Kade’s voice trailed, and his eyes begged her for an answer she didn’t have.

“Who is he?” she asked.

“My son.” He reached out to touch the boy’s head, only to have the child scream even louder.

“Your son?” She narrowed her brows at him. “Have you done something to this child, to make him act this way? Have you hurt him?”

She wished she’d never said it. Kade sat there staring at her in disbelief, his face registering torment, and his eyes glassy and wide.

Sadie didn’t wait for him to answer. She had her answer.

“Hello,” she said to the boy, in a voice loud enough to rise above his cries. She leaned closer. “My name is Sadie. What’s your name?”

No response. She looked up at Kade. “What’s his name?”

“Tyler.” Kade tried again to reach out to the boy, who began flailing his arms wildly and continued to bang his head on the pillow in front of him.

“Tyler, do you like pudding? I brought your
daed
some pudding.” The child stopped screaming, but he continued to bang his head. Sadie looked at Kade, who nodded at her progress, and then she turned her attention back to Tyler. “It is yummy pudding, and I sure would like for you to try some.”

Tyler didn’t look at her, but his destructive behavior began to subside. “Tyler likes pudding,” he mumbled.

She glanced at Kade, who ran his hand through his hair, sighed deeply, and said, “Did you really bring some? Because I’m out of pudding.”

The boy didn’t seem to hear Kade and repeated, “Tyler likes pudding.” He sat straight up, and his eyes began to jet around the room, as if he was searching for something.

“
Ya
. I made you more pudding,” she told Kade. “It’s outside.” Sadie turned back to Tyler. “Why don’t I go get you some pudding?” She slowly stood up.

“I’ll go get it,” Kade said. He jumped to his feet and moved toward the door. “Where is it?”

Sadie kept her eyes on the boy, who had begun playing with plastic letters on the floor next to him, as if nothing had ever happened. “Near the barn, along with your groceries.”

Kade was out the door before Sadie could say anything else.
His son?

She reached over to touch Tyler’s arm. He didn’t look at her, but jerked away and flinched.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Kade returned, dropped the groceries inside the door, and headed toward the small kitchen with the container of pudding. “I’ll put some pudding in a bowl for you, Tyler,” he said.

Tyler lined his letters up in no particular order. He was calm. Sadie saw Kade searching for a spoon, pulling drawers open. She allowed herself a look around the cottage. It was a mess. Dishes were piled in the sink and clothes strewn across the back of the couch. He really should have opted for the housecleaning service she offered with the rental, although she was glad he hadn’t.

“I should go.” She stood up and smoothed the wrinkles in her black apron.

“No. Wait.” Kade slid a spoon into the bowl of pudding and walked toward her and Tyler. He offered Tyler the bowl of pudding, which the boy accepted. A smile swept across Tyler’s face.

“Tyler will be all right, no?” Sadie took a step backward and put some space between her and Kade.

“His mother dropped him off here, so she could run off and get married.” Kade put his hand on her elbow and gently coaxed her away from Tyler and toward the far side of the den. “Tyler’s autistic.”

Sadie didn’t know what that meant, but she edged out of Kade’s grip and turned to face him. “But you said he was your son. How—”

“His mother and I have been separated for three years, and now she wants me to sign the divorce papers so she can remarry.” He pointed to the bound papers on the couch. “She left him here without any warning, and she expects me to keep him until she gets
settled
.” Kade shook his head, then looked up at her. “I haven’t seen him in six months.” Then, as if trying to hide shame, he added, “But I used to see him once a month . . . when his mother would let me.”