Chapter Thirty-Seven

"I'm sorry. The number you're trying to call is either disconnected or out of range. Please-"

I sighed as I closed my phone once again, asking myself why I even bothered to try. I'd made sixteen calls to him, and he hadn't picked up on any of them. I should've been used to it, I guess, being as it was Kai who I was trying to get a hold of. Still, he didn't have to go on vacation to God only knows where with that new woman of his without telling me... especially not when I had so much to deal with on my own.

Even work was becoming overwhelming for me, and I probably had the least stressful job in the whole damn building. I sorted mail for Christ's sake, and I didn't even have the patience for that. Every time someone came in for something, I felt like I was just about to lose it, and I still had to force myself to smile as I handed them whatever they needed.

There was really no one to blame for how I was feeling, either. I couldn't even point the finger at Vaughn since he had no idea what was happening. Even if he went out of his way to make trouble for her, he couldn't have known what his ex-wife was going through over the past few months, and he sure as hell didn't know how I figured into the whole mess of things.

'Denny, are-"

"What is it?" As soon as I'd said it, I had to look away. After all, I hadn't expected it to be her... "Sorry, Claire. I didn't mean to snap at you... It... it just hasn't been a good day for me," I tried to explain, resting my head in my hand. She only smiled.

"I thoughts so... That's why I was going to ask if you were alright." I was quiet then as I settled back into my chair, but even as dense as I was, I could tell she was worried about me. Not that I doubted what she had said, of course. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." It wasn't like she could actually do anything about the situation... "I'll be alright."

"You know... when people say that, they're usually anything but," she replied with a soft smile. She sat down on my desk, her skirt riding up ever so slightly while she did so, and I immediately turned away. It wasn't as if I was bothered by it, but something told me that if Gray caught me taking so much as a glance in her direction at that moment, I should consider myself a dead man. Or at least very close to it... "You don't have to be embarrassed," she assured me, having clearly misunderstood just why I'd looked away. "We all have our problems from time to time."

"But it's not my problem," I explained with a heavy sigh. I frowned, trying to put my thoughts into words. "It's just that there are some things that aren't my business, and even though I know that, I still feel like I should do something." Anything really...

Claire was quiet for a time, her blue eyes kind and filled with understanding, but when she finally spoke, there was a spark of gentle laughter in her voice. "You feel that way a lot, don't you?" I didn't say anything in return, but I felt my face warm all the same. "When Kai went to that club... I know I can't really say this for sure, but I think you felt the same way then as you do now. Am I right?"

"I guess so..." To be honest, I probably had only told her as much as I did because I was mad at him at the time, but I didn't say as much to her. After all, she did seem happier now... so maybe I had actually done something for her in the end. Of course, I couldn't really say whether that was the truth or just my ego getting the better of me.

"Well, I know it's not my place to say this, but... I think you should help her out."

"But I never said-"

"She's lucky to have a man like you, Denny." I flushed again when she said it, but the young woman only smiled before sliding off my desk and making her way back into the hall. Just as she was about to the corner, though, she turned back to me and flashed me a shy grin. "And that little girl is very lucky to have you, too."

"Thanks..." I murmured as I glanced back down at my desk. By the time I lifted my gaze again, she was gone, and I was left alone with my thoughts once again. I sat there for a moment, still lost in somewhat of a daze as I stared out into the empty space in front of me, but I nearly jumped out of skin when I felt my leg start to vibrate. What surprised me more, though, was who happened to be calling me.

"Denny? Oh thank God you picked up..."

"Chelsea..." I breathed a sigh of relief, but that feeling didn't last for long. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"My house..." Her voice was only a whisper at first, but then, for the first time, I heard the heart wrenching sound of a woman's sob.. "Denny, they're taking my home away from me. I... I don't know what to do. I just-"

"I'll be right there."

To be honest, I hadn't thought much through before I found myself running out the front door and into the street. I hadn't even bothered to grab my jacket in my mad rush to go see her, and not having the patience to wait for the bus, I picked a direction and started off for the house. I knew the woman wouldn't have to leave at that very moment, but I wasn't about to waste any time regardless of that fact.

It wasn't like I hadn't expected it to happen, of course. She had put the house up for sale just as she'd said she would, but time had clearly run out for her to find a way to make ends meet. Not that I was surprised. After all, even the houses that managed to sell went for next to nothing these days, and so even if she had managed to sell it, I doubted her situation would've been any better.

Still, hearing her break down like that... even if it was just over the phone, it was more than enough to put an end to any doubts I may have had about helping her out. I didn't really know what I could do for her just yet, but whatever it was, I knew I had to do it quick.

Having finally come to find the address, though, I found I could only stare up at the place she called home. I had seen it before when Kai and I had brought her and her daughter there after our day spent at the beach on that late summer's day, but standing there now... I saw just how painfully beautiful it was.

A high pitched roof with gingerbread trim, wood siding painted a bright and cheerful yellow, white windows with matching shutters, and even a white picket fence... It was the kind of house that any woman would dream of living in.

And now that dream would be nothing but a bitter memory.

Coming to the cherry red door, I hesitated with my fist raised at the ready, but before I could even knock, it opened and beckoned for me to come in. I could only stare as Chelsea smiled up at me, blinking away her tears while she struggled to do so. Her face was red and stained from crying, but we both chose to ignore the fact as she gestured for me to step inside into the living room.

If the outside was beautiful, I guess the only word I could use for the inside was perfection. Not that it was immaculate by any means, but it still reminded me of one of those pictures in Better Homes and Gardens. From the overstuffed couches and chairs to the buttercream walls and the honey-colored hardwood floors, the room was warm and inviting. Despite all that, though, I was still more than aware of the sadness lingering in the eyes of the woman standing next to me, and in the back of my mind, I reminded myself that there was once a time when Vaughn had lived there as well.

The asshole... leaving her everything and knowing full well she could never hope to keep any of it.

"I found the notice on the door after I dropped Alisa off this morning," she explained with a heavy sigh. "When I saw it, all I could think was, 'I thought they only did that in the movies.'" Chelsea tried to laugh then, but it soon became another sob. Although I wasn't accustomed to such things, I still tried my best to comfort her by wrapping my arm around her and drawing her closer to me. Her hair smelled just like honey. "I'm sorry, Denny... I really am," she choked out, wiping away her tears. "I guess it's finally gotten to me."

"When do you have to be moved out?" I asked quietly. She shivered a little to hear my words, but while I was readying myself for her to start to cry again, she stayed relatively calm. Even as she gave me the answer, she refused to let herself be shaken up any more than she already had been.

"Unless I start making payments again... we have three more months before we have to leave," she replied, resting her head against my chest. "Only three more months, and then-"

"How much do you owe?"

She hesitated for a moment before pulling away from me, but my gaze was steady as I took a strong hold of her shoulders. When she realized just what I was trying to say, her face flushed an even deeper shade of red. "Denny, you can't be serious... There's no way you could afford it."

"Yes, I can," I assured her with a smile. "I have some money we could use." As soon as I suggested it, the woman began to furiously shake her head. "What's wrong? Don't you want to keep this place?"

"Of course I do," she snapped, her eyes clouding over when she did so. "But that's not... You really shouldn't have to do all this for me. What about your boat? Isn't that what you've been saving up for all this time?"

"It can wait."

"No, it can't," she argued back, pushing me away with both hands. "There's just no way..."

"Listen..." I began with a sigh, taking her hands into mine if only to try and hold her attention. "Right now, I have about six grand in the bank." She only stared at me in disbelief, but I just had to chuckle. After all, I hadn't known she'd be so surprised... although I suppose I didn't exactly look like a man who was made of money. Not that I wanted to be, either, mind you. "Don't you think I could've bought that boat already if it was the only thing I wanted?"

"Then why-"

"Because it just seemed so pointless," I explained. "Even if I bought one, I didn't feel like I could enjoy it. I never really knew why I felt that way, but ... right now I think I understand." Then, tilting her chin up to have her look at me, I smiled again. That was the only dream I ever had... until at that very moment. "Now that I have you and Alisa to think about... and I realized that it doesn't really matter if I have that thing or not."

Chelsea was quiet at first, no doubt in a state of shock, but soon enough her eyes were filled with tears once again. "Oh Denny.. I don't know how to thank you," she began, stumbling over her own words. "Really, I... Thank you so much."

"I have one thing I have to ask, though."

"What is it?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking ever so slightly. I only smiled as I reach out to hold her and bring her close to me. I hadn't had time to really notice when I came in, but in that moment, I realized that she was wearing her yellow dress. The very one she had worn when we first met at the docks and even before when I only knew her as the mysterious woman outside my window. Her face was no longer burned by the wind and her hands now felt soft and gentle, but she was still very much the woman I had fallen for- even if I hadn't known it for the longest time.

Maybe it wasn't the right time, and maybe I should've waited a little longer... But when I thought about it right then, I decided I just didn't care anymore. After all, this time... it was my business, and that's exactly why I had to ask her that one very important question.

"Will you marry me?"