Penny looked at him and said, “Does that mean I gotta stay with the old lady?”
Floyd was upset and began to wonder if he’d made the right decision so he said, “You should be more respectful of Mrs. Whitaker, Penny. She’s a nice lady.”
“Yeah I know. I won’t talk to her like that.”
“Good, and yes you will be staying with her.”
“Okay.”
Floyd was breathing a sigh of relief when Andy spoke up.
“But Mom! What about you and Dad?”
Sue Ann looked shocked at first then seemed to recover. “Sweetie, I guess I need to tell you something about your father. I was sure he’d already told you . . .”
“What? He didn’t tell me anything.” He was almost shouting by then.
“Okay, Andy, please calm down and I’ll tell you.” She took a deep breath and said, “He’s getting married again.”
Andy looked like he was going to say more but instead threw his napkin in his plate and ran out of the room.
Sue Ann started to follow him but her mother laid a hand on her arm and said, “He needs to be alone for a bit, Dear. It seems to have come as quite a shock to him. He must have been hoping you and Ray would eventually get back together.”
The three adults were equally shocked when Penny laid her napkin on the table next to her plate and quietly left the room too. Floyd could see that she went back toward Andy’s bedroom.
When he started to get up, this time it was Sue Ann who laid her hand on his arm. “No, Floyd, this could be a breakthrough for the kids. She didn’t look like she was mad or anything.”
He eased back into his chair and frowned over at her. “I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand females.” He tilted his head toward the bedrooms. “I thought that it would be easier with a small one, but I think, if anything, it’s even worse.”
Wanda joined Sue Ann in laughing at that.
A few minutes later, after Floyd had helped the two women clear the table and load the dishwasher, the two kids came out of the back and sat quietly in the living room.
Floyd turned to Sue Ann and said, “Well, I’ll be darned.”
The adults joined the kids and they all watched another one of Andy’s nature shows together.
When Floyd and Penny were leaving, Andy stepped up to Penny and said, “Thanks Penny.”
Penny just frowned at him and left through the door ahead of Floyd.
Floyd turned to Sue Ann who just shrugged her shoulders and grinned back at him.
Chapter Five
Floyd awakened Saturday morning feeling better than he had in a long time. He knew that part of it was because he had a daughter and she was here with him. The problem was would he be able to get her to at least like him a little? That might take some time, if ever. But after last night at Sue Ann’s house, it looked like Penny was starting to at least adjust to living with him. She still hadn’t called him Dad yet. For that matter, she hadn’t called him anything. She seemed to be avoiding having to do that.
Then he thought of Sue Ann, which was another reason he felt so good. He was actually going on a date with Sue Ann Curtis tonight. He refused to think of her as Vickers. The woman he’d admired from afar since she first showed up at a family gathering with his little cousin Jo. Sue Ann and Jo had to have been about six then and were probably in the first grade that year. He was five years older, but even at eleven, he’d admired Sue Ann’s long shinny blond hair and her sparkling blue eyes. Don’t forget that laugh. It always sounded so musical. But she didn’t laugh that much anymore.
His fascination or infatuation had only gotten worse after that. But she’d always been way too young for him. He’d gone into the Army when the girls were only thirteen . . . too young. Then when he’d left the army four years later, he was married to Darcy. By the time he was no longer married to Darcy, Sue Ann was living in Springfield, and married to Ray Vickers.
Since she had divorced Ray and moved back to Crowleyville, it seemed like every time they were around each other, either he said something to make her mad or she said something to make him mad. They’d been constantly at each other’s throats.
As he looked back though, he realized that for all those years, something or someone had always been there between them never allowing them to really get to know each other. Well, that was about to change. In fact, it was going to start changing this very evening.
Penny came into the room dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and running shoes. He’d noticed that she always came out of her room fully dressed. That made him wonder and he decided to see what he could find out about her life up to then.
“Good morning Penny.”
She grunted something unintelligible as she pulled a box of cereal out of the cabinet.
He waited until she was eating her cereal to start.
“Penny, I loved your mother.”
He waited for a reaction and wasn’t surprised when she slapped her spoon down on the table, glared at him, and said, “Then why did you leave her?”
He’d been expecting that so he was ready. “I’m sorry Penny, I know your mother told you that I was dead, but why do you think she did that?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer. “I think it’s because she was so mad at me when she left here that she didn’t ever want me to know about you.” He shook his head when she looked up at him with a sour expression.
“I tried to make things work between us, Penny. I really did. Your mother just could not adjust to living here in Crowleyville and by the time I finally realized that, it was too late. She wouldn’t wait for me to try to get on with some other agency near where she wanted to go. At that time, it was St. Louis.”
“You’re lying. My mother wasn’t like that.”
She ran from the room and slammed the door to her bedroom.
Well, so much for getting closer to his daughter or getting any answers about her previous life.
When his cell phone rang, he had a feeling that he was going to have to leave and he was right. There had been a hit-and-run accident involving a pedestrian downtown and he had to go.
After he left a surprisingly mellow Penny with Mrs. Whitaker, Floyd raced downtown. Hal Lewis was the first person he encountered when he hopped out of his Tahoe at the scene.
“Sorry to pull you out on your day off, Floyd, but I knew you’d want to be in on this one.”
Floyd nodded and said, “What you got?”
Hal took off his hat and wiped his hand across his smooth head. “Well, it looks like this fellow from Springfield was crossing in the crosswalk right there.”
He pointed to the intersection that was closed off. There were some white spray paint marks on one side.
“The witnesses we’ve found so far just say that all they saw was that he was hit by a dark colored car. No one got a license number or any better description of the car.”
“What’s his condition?”
“Didn’t look too bad. The paramedics said both legs were broken but they weren’t sure about anything else. He was alert and talking okay when they left with him.”
Floyd walked over to the crosswalk and stood looking first one direction then the other. Hal followed him and said, “The witnesses said the car turned right on Clover.” He indicated the next street. “After that they lost track of it.”
When Floyd started walking back to his vehicle, he noticed Bert Smith standing under a huge oak tree. Floyd almost smiled. He liked Bert who was a resident of a state run home for what they called challenged adults. It was kind of like a half-way house with all the residents having some sort of job.
The skinny kid looked like he was eighteen but was really in his late twenties. He waved to Bert who just stood there with his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face. That wasn’t like Bert who almost always gave him a smiling greeting.
Floyd was about to turn back to Hal when he noticed Bert making some strange movements with his head. It looked like he was trying to mo
tion to Floyd. The kid’s hands stayed in his pockets but he kept making that motion.
Floyd turned to Hal and said, “Anybody talk to Bert?”
Hal looked over at Bert and shook his head. “I guess nobody even thought about talking to him.” He frowned. “You know, he’s been standing there just like that ever since I got here.”
They walked over to where Bert was standing and Floyd said, “Good morning Bert, how you doing today.”
Bert flashed his trademark big grin and said, “Hey Mr. Sheriff.”
“Bert. How long you been standing here?”
Bert shrugged his shoulders, “Long enough.”
Floyd was trying to be patient. “Bert, how long is long enough? Long enough to have seen that accident?” He pointed toward the crosswalk behind him.
Bert pulled his hands out of his pockets and placed both of them on top of his head then spoke softly. “Yep.”
Floyd gritted his teeth and said, “You saw it?”
“Yep.”
“What kind of car was it Bert?”
“Don’t know cars Mr. Sheriff.”
“What color was it Bert?”
“Don’t know colors. They say I’m blind.”
Floyd almost chuckled at that. He was about to turn away when Bert cleared his throat in that way that those who knew him knew meant he wanted to say something. Floyd turned back to wait.
“Got the writing.”
Floyd was confused for a moment then it hit him and he said, “You got the license number Bert?”
Bert shook his head and Floyd’s hope dropped again.
“Got that writing off the back of the car.”
“You did. Bert, do you remember what that number was?”
Bert shook his head again. “Nope.”
Again, Floyd was about to turn away when Bert made that clearing his throat sound again. When Floyd looked back at him, Bert was looking down at his shoes then he pointed with his right shoe.
“Right there.”
That was when Floyd looked down at the bare ground between them and there were three numbers followed by three letters drawn in the dirt.
He pulled a small notebook out and wrote the number down then handed it to Hal. “Run this and see what you get.”
An hour later, Floyd was dropping Bert off at the home where he lived. He knew that Daisy Thomas, the director of the home would be wondering where Bert was.
Floyd stepped out of his Tahoe and went around to the passenger side. Bert was still sitting there looking at the console where the on-board computer sat in the midst of all the switches for lights, siren, and radio. His eyes were still big.
Floyd opened the door and said, “Come on Bert you’re home. We need to go tell Daisy where all you’ve been.
Daisy Thomas, a petite woman in her early thirties with long brown hair and beautiful green eyes, met them at the entrance and backed up into the large room just inside. Floyd knew that room was a combination rec room and TV room for the residents.
“Bert, are you okay? Where have you been all afternoon?”
“I’m okay, Miz Daisy.”
Floyd took off his hat and said, “Daisy, you can be proud of Bert.”
“I can?”
“Yep, he witnessed a hit-and-run accident today and was able to give us the license number of the car and we got the joker.”
“He did?” She reached out and patted Bert on the shoulder. “My, my, Bert. It sounds like you’re quite the hero.”
Bert hung his head and blushed.
* * *
Sue Ann was glad that she only stayed open until two on Saturdays. She needed to go home and relax a little before her date with Floyd. Date with Floyd? That still sounded strange to her. And she would like to talk to Andy some before then too.
At one-thirty, she had one in her chair and two waiting. Thankfully, they were all haircuts. When the door opened, she turned to see Ray standing in the doorway. That was all she needed.
Ray looked at Sue Ann then the two ladies sitting in the waiting chairs and silently took a seat in the one closest to the door.
Sue Ann tried not to let Ray catch her looking at him, but she kept sneaking peeks at him anyway. He picked up a magazine and acted like he was reading it. She knew better. She had a few men’s magazines but they were all on the other end of the room. Ray would never even look at a woman’s magazine.
Just as she finished the last haircut and was checking the woman out, the door opened again. No! She didn’t need that. All she wanted to do was to somehow avoid a confrontation with Ray and get home to be with her son.
She almost laughed when she saw that the newcomer was Jillian Clark, the owner and editor of the local daily newspaper. Sue Ann was delighted when Jillian made a beeline for Ray and landed in the seat next to him.
As usual, the very short Jillian was wearing stretch slacks a size too small, a loud blouse, and a large hat. She sat her big bag down and pulled out a steno pad and pen. Then she began.
“You’re the architect on that new shopping center going in here aren’t you? I want to get an interview with you for my Sunday paper.”
Sue Ann almost laughed again. She didn’t know how Jillian did it but her so-called interviews were usually more of her telling than the subject of her interview telling her. Where she got all her information, Sue Ann had never been able to figure out.
But right now she was so happy to see Jillian that she could have hugged her. Sue Ann hurried around doing all the things she needed to do to close for the day while Ray was still occupied.
Jillian, bless her heart, looked up when Sue Ann turned the “Closed” sign around. She jumped up from her chair, grabbed Ray’s arm, and said, “Come on down to the coffee shop with me. I’m not finished with you yet and it looks like Sue Ann wants to close up and go home.”
With that, Jillian dragged Ray out the door. Sue Ann wished she’d been able to get a picture of the expression on Ray’s face as he was being manhandled by a woman who didn’t quite come up to his shoulder.
She started to call Floyd and tell him that Ray had come in again, but decided against it. She’d see Floyd in a few hours and hopefully Ray would be occupied for a while anyway. She should be able to get home without him catching her again.
She finished closing the shop and went out the back door to the small parking area where her car was. She looked both ways as she exited just in case Ray had been able to get away from Jillian but she didn’t see anyone. Great!
She was looking forward to having a talk with Andy but was disappointed when he wasn’t home.
“He’s down the street playing with Bobby and another boy.” Her mother said in answer to her query.
“Darn. I wanted to talk to him about last night and basically about Ray in general.”
Wanda looked at her daughter and said, “Maybe it’s best this way. I don’t think Andy woke up in a very good mood this morning. Hopefully he’ll be in a better mood by the time he comes home.”
Sue Ann was ready early for her date with Floyd. She wanted . . . no needed to talk to her son first. He’d just returned from his friend’s house and she hadn’t had a chance yet. She was sure he was still angry with her and she needed to set things right with him if she could before she left.
She knocked on the partially closed door to his bedroom. When she only heard a grunt that could have been anything, she ventured in.
He was sitting on his bed with his back against the headboard playing a game on his phone. She sat next to him on the bed.
Neither said anything for a couple of minutes. She was waiting to see if he would acknowledge her in any way.
Finally, he took his eyes off his game and looked at her with a scowl on his face. She decided if that was the best she was going to get, she’d go with it.
“Andy, I need to talk to you.” When he gave her a look mixed with question and anger, she continued, “I guess I should have told you all of this much sooner, but I didn’t want to upset you.
”
Now she knew she had his attention.
“I believe that your father has been telling you things about me that I hope you know aren’t true.”
She let that sink in for a moment while he kept his eyes on her face.
“You know that I didn’t do any of those things he says I did.”
Still no reaction.
“Okay, Andy, here it goes. Your father was seeing that woman he’s marrying even before you and I left Springfield. That’s why I left him and divorced him.”
She blew out a breath and said, “That’s all I’m going to say.” She thought for a moment, “Except this. I still want you to have a good relationship with your father. But you need to tell him that you don’t want to hear him talk about me anymore.”
She thought she saw moisture in his eyes.
“Do you understand what I’m saying Andy? You need to spend time with your father and you need to spend time with me. But neither one of us should be saying bad things to you about the other.”
He looked down at his hands, which were still holding the phone and tears did streak down his cheeks this time. “I didn’t believe him Mom.”
When he looked up, Sue Ann held out her arms and he slowly leaned into her hug.
They were still that way when she heard the doorbell ring. She pulled away a little and said, “That should be Floyd. Are you okay with me going out with him?”
She looked deep into her son’s blue eyes that were so much like hers and was surprised to see a little spark of humor there.
He tilted his head to the side and gave her one of his famous under the eyelash looks. “Do you think he’d give me a ride in his police car? Penny said he would.”
Sue Ann let out her breath, laughed, and pulled him back into a hug. “Yes, Andy, I’m sure he will give you a ride in his police car, but not tonight okay?”
He nodded and grinned as she stood to leave.
“I love you Andy.”
He smiled and said, “Me too.”
Now, she was ready for her date with Floyd.
* * *
A Better Solution (Crowley County Series Book 2) Page 7