convenience.
We went on Thursday and I really played up to her. Sharon seemed confused and unsure of what I was doing. I told her, “I just want to be friends. Can you handle that?”
“My God, Brandon, you are married to Julie. She is beautiful and pregnant. What do you want to be my friend for?”
I couldn’t tell her the truth, so I said, “Julie is always busy. Since Marilyn died, I have no one to talk to. I just want to be friends with you. I just want us able to talk to each other. No hanky-panky, just friends.”
She was even more confused. “Okay, Brandon, we are friends.” With that, I thought that I had covered all my bases.
Julie sent everything back to Ralph. I bought her a nice jewelry set and told her to go pick out a car that she wanted. She informed me that she was happy with her car. I felt like an idiot again. Julie said, “Brandon, you are my husband, the father of my baby. You have made me happier than any man ever has or ever will. I love you and only want to be with you.”
I watched her take Johnny swimming. She was working with him nearly every day. I was hoping that she was falling in love with him; he was with her. She had him swimming distances and holding his breath underwater. He was becoming even more of a little fish.
Both Rachael and Johnny missed their mother in the worst way, but it was amazing how Julie was slipping in and taking the role for them.
Then it happened: Julie got a call from her modeling agency. A movie production company in San Diego wanted Julie to star in a movie. I was certain that Ralph was behind it, but couldn’t prove it. She would be gone for six to eight weeks. I knew that I was going to have to kill Ralph to stop him. I just didn’t think that I could do it. I kept telling myself, You already have killed three people, one more isn’t that big a deal.
Right or wrong, I decided to stay in Dallas with the kids. I would have to quit my job to go to San Diego, so we were going to be apart for a month and a half or longer.
Not being the smartest guy in the world, I began to start seeing Sharon for lunch or dinner twice a week. We went out one Saturday night and just danced. I was telling Sharon about some of what I had done, but not all of it. It never occurred to me that Ralph would have me followed. It probably was the same photographer. Anyway, he got lots of photos of me and Sharon. One such photo showed us kissing. Ralph couldn’t get that photo to Julie quick enough.
Julie began going out with Ralph, but didn’t say a word about it to me. It was Salva who let me know what was going on. Several times he had seen Julie with a man. He didn’t know the man, but knew that Julie was my wife. I didn’t like it, but I was becoming friends with Salva. He was mourning the loss of Marilyn just like I was.
On a Friday afternoon, my kids and I went out to see Julie. We went to the set and were sitting in her trailer when she finished taping. The look on her face was priceless; she was surprised and thrilled to see all of us. Then she had to admit to me that she was going to dinner with Ralph. When I objected, she showed me the photo of Sharon and me kissing. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember kissing Sharon at all.
Julie went to dinner with Ralph. I took the kids and toured all the sets. Julie was very popular on the set, and everyone seemed to know me and the kids.
When we got back to the trailer, Julie was waiting on us. She said, “Ralph proposed to me.”
You could have knocked me over with a feather. I asked her, “What are you going to do?”
She said, “You are my husband, but if I ever see another picture of you kissing Sharon or any other woman, that is it for you, buster, am I clear?”
I was tempted to defend myself, but decided that I was in the lead and should just be quiet. If you’re winning, why go out of your way to lose? I promised myself that I would never go out with Sharon again. I didn’t want to press my luck too far, so I asked Julie, “How many babies do you want to have?”
She surprised me. “I will have all the babies that you want, and just so you know, I love your children just like they were mine.”
I said, “Honey, I have to go back Sunday afternoon. Would you promise me that you won’t go out with Ralph anymore?”
She nodded. “As long as your promise to not go out with Sharon!”
We shook hands then kissed. That night I never felt so loved in all my life. If something went wrong in our marriage, it wouldn’t be my fault. I loved Julie with all my heart. Sunday afternoon she promised to fly to DFW next Friday and stay with us until Monday morning.
The kids and I flew home Sunday afternoon. It was nearly dark when we got home. I called Julie to tell her that we were home safely and got her voicemail. It made me angry; I just knew that she was out with Ralph.
I was in bed asleep when my phone rang. It was Julie. She had gone to the movies with some of her girlfriends. She was upset. Ralph had shown up and played and teased all the women. Most of the women were impressed or attracted to him. It had made her so angry that she never wanted to see him again.
I knew that I was now in the driver’s seat, as long as I didn’t mess up. The problem was, I was very good at messing up. However, I was confident that I could keep Julie. I had my big trump card: she was pregnant with my baby. I used that card every chance that I got.
The week went by slowly. All I did was work and take care of the kids.
Friday afternoon came and we were out at the airport waiting on Julie. I saw her walking down the gangplank. She was walking in her model pose. Then I could see why: two guys were following her. They were both pointing at her and grinning. It was obvious that they both had the “hots” for her.
I stepped between Julie and the two men, and my kids swarmed her.
I eased up beside her. “What are you going to do when your baby chases you?”
Her face lit up in a big smile. The two men went on and left us alone.
Julie said, “I can’t wait. I want that baby so badly, I can’t stand it. By the way, I have been having some morning sickness.”
She was nearly four months pregnant, and I asked her, “How are they hiding that you are pregnant?”
She smiled. “They used computer animation to reduce the size of my belly. I haven’t seen it yet, but they say that it will work fine.”
I never saw Ralph get off the plane, but it turned out he was on it sitting in the back, sort of hiding from Julie. He watched us all walk to my car with a slight smile on his face. He had his own plan.
We took Julie’s bags home and let her unpack, then took her to dinner. It was a fancy dinner, a cafeteria, an all-you-can-eat one. Her smile was dazzling. We ate and then rode around downtown Dallas, then went back home and played a game with the kids. It was me and Rachael against Johnny and Julie. I don’t know how they did it, but they beat us. They jumped and cheered, making Rachael and me sick. We had ice cream and then went to bed.
Julie confided in me, “Honey, I think you need to watch yourself. Since I won’t go out with Ralph anymore, he threatened your life. I don’t know if he was just talking big or was serious, but be careful!”
Saturday, we went to the zoo and watched all the many animals. Johnny loved the cage where they got to feed small animals. He ran from a small lamb that chased him. Julie got it as a movie on her cell phone. We were all laughing, then I looked around and Rachael was gone. I looked in every direction and couldn’t see her. Julie and I spread out. I was panicking.
It was Julie who found her at the giraffe exhibit. She brought Rachael back to me and I wanted to spank her, but I didn’t, but we left the zoo. I was frightened beyond belief.
Sunday we went to church and sat in the same spot that Marilyn and I had once sat. Sharon made a point of shaking Julie’s hand, and they seemed to hit it off pretty good. I was happy with the both of them. We wound up taking Sharon with us to lunch and to the park after we were finished. Julie and Sharon both talked like they were old girlfriends. I got the impressio
n that Julie didn’t know that Sharon and I had a history together. I didn’t realize just how smart Julie was; she was getting to know Sharon on purpose.
Sunday night we went out to eat again, and Sharon went with us. I was just wanting Sharon to leave us alone. Julie’s plan was working quite well.
It was getting late when I said, “I have to get the kids and Julie to bed. Sorry, Sharon, but we have to go home.”
We went home and all rather grudgingly went to bed.
Monday morning, we took Julie to the airport and had her on a plane at seven o’clock. Then I took the kids to daycare and I went on to work. I was like a cyclone all day, I was full of energy. The company got their money’s worth out of me for once.
I picked the kids up at five-thirty and took them home. I fixed dinner for the three of us. I put them to bed at eight-thirty and then I called Julie and talked to her for nearly two hours. She said that she had not seen Ralph at all. I was happy with that. I should have been worried. Where was Ralph? I didn’t know and didn’t care. I should have.
Tuesday morning, we were about to get in the car when Rachael bent down and looked under the car. She said, “Daddy, there is something hanging down underneath the car!”
I bent over and looked myself. It was a thick red wire. I grabbed Johnny and Rachael and jerked them away from the car. I had them sit in the grass as I crawled under the car and