[WS02] Taming Alex

by Jill Sanders

  She watched as both of their faces sank and felt steam coming off her skin. How dare these two make her feel inferior. It was almost as if they'd been happy to hear that she'd be leaving. Well, let them choke on this bit of news.

  “Actually, I've moved in with Grant.” She smiled big when she saw both of their chins drop.

  “Grant? But we heard…,” Patty started, only to be hushed by her husband.

  “I suppose it's not true either that you're pregnant?” Roy asked.

  Alex looked between the pair. The night Savannah had approached her at the Rusty Rail popped into her head. She couldn't help it, she laughed so hard several people turned their heads.

  “No wonder everyone's been looking at me funny all week.” She laughed harder, holding her sides. “No,” she said loudly, “I'm not expecting. But I'm happy to say that Lauren and Chase will be welcoming their first child early next summer.” There, let the town choke on that.

  “Now, would you like to order something or did you just come in here to hear the latest gossip about my life?” She smiled even more when she saw Patty's face start to turn purple. “I'll give you two a few more minutes to look over the menu, shall I?” She turned on her heel and walked away without another word.

  Walking into the back, she waited until the door swung shut, then collapsed into Jamella's relaxin' chair just inside her office.

  “What da say to you dat has you upset?” Jamella walked in and took the seat across from her.

  “Nothing.” She closed her eyes for a moment, wishing the throbbing would subside just a little. “Jamella? Am I smart?”

  “What kind o' question is dat? Of course you're smart. You da smartest girl I knowed. Why do you tink I kept you on so long?”

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  “Did da tell you dat you weren't smart?” She watched her boss rise no doubt to go and tell the mayor and his wife off.

  “Hang on.” She took her arm and held her still. “No, they didn't. It's just that I've always thought of myself as just ordinary. I mean…” She dropped her hand and looked down at her fingers. “I did okay in school. Made good grades and all, but I never went to college. I've only been to two major cities my whole life. I've actually never even been outside of Texas. I'm just afraid that Grant deserves someone better. Someone smarter.” She sighed.

  “Girl, none of dat stuff matters. You have what matters, in here.” She tapped her chest and lightly put her fingers against her forehead. “And in here. Girl, you are like my own, you and your sisters. My kids…” She grunted and shook her head. “Mmm, dey took off and left me alone to all dis. But, you…” She looked down at her. “You walked in dat day and filled a spot in my heart.” She patted her chest. “Girl, you are worth eighty times any girl dat went to a fancy school.” She pulled her up and gave her a big hug. “Now, stick dat chin in da air.” She smiled when Alex did. “Good, girl.”

  “Thanks, Jamella. Your kids don't know what they are missing.” She placed a kiss on the woman's wet cheek and walked out front feeling better.

  By the time Grant and his family walked in, Travis' parents had left. She was thankful for that and sat down next to Grant.

  “You look tired,” he said, frowning. “How's the head?” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes.

  “I'm okay, now that you're here.” She leaned over and kissed him right there.

  “You two look good together,” his mother said, leaning against his father's shoulder. “Don't they dear?”

  “Yes, I always knew you would get together.” He smiled then laughed when his wife gently hit him in the arm.

  “Alex is moving in with me,” Grant said, smiling at Alex. “Oh, and you have a grandson.” Grant laughed when his mother's face turned a little pale.

  “A puppy grandson,” Alex corrected and slapped Grant's shoulder. “Don't scare your folks like that.

  “Scare? My dear, I was excited. But a puppy will do for now.” She smiled.

  She had laughed at them. Actually laughed at them in front of everyone at Mama's. How dare she do that. How dare she ruin everything. Well, there was only one way to handle this now. Looking down at what lay in the seat, a smile crept across lips slowly.

  Taking everything she loved away from her would prove to her that she wasn't worthy. Maybe then she would leave and never return. Maybe then she would understand that you don't screw around with the Nolans.

  Grant convinced Alex to head home with him after lunch. She'd really looked too tired to continue her shift, and he could tell that she had a headache. After his parents left, he stuck around until she closed out then drove her home in his truck since she looked too tired to drive herself. He told her they'd get her car first thing in the morning. She closed her eyes and rested her head all the way home. Their home. He still couldn't get used to it. He knew this was just step one in his master plan to convince her to marry him by Christmas.

  Alex was down the hall, taking a nap, and Grant worked on the website, answering emails from clients, since his license had been fully approved. He'd fallen into a pattern of spending a few hours a day answering questions. He actually found it very enjoyable and looked forward to getting more clients. His father helped out and took his share of questions every day as well.

  The doorbell rang, and Junior started yapping. Grant quickly scooped the little guy up before he could wake Alex. “Shhh,” he told him as he walked to the door. “Hush now or you'll wake your mother. Shall we see who's come to visit us?” He held the small dog to his chest.

  When he opened the door, he was smiling and had no time to react. He saw the smoke at the bottom of the stairs first. It billowed out in a white puff, fogging his view. Then he heard the loud crack as the air was ripped apart. He hit the ground before he felt any pain. All he could feel was sorrow for what he knew was coming next for Alex.

  Alex jumped when she heard the loud crack. Her eyes darted open as she sat up in bed. Her foggy mind wondered if she'd just dreamed it, then she heard frantic yapping and rushed down the hall. She stood at the end of the hallway, frozen as she looked at the horror that lay before her.

  Grant was flat on his back, his feet at the edge of the doorway. There was a fist-sized hole in his shirt and blood slowly oozed out of the hole. Rushing to the front door, she clasped a hand over Grant's chest, trying to stop the bleeding, which by now covered the whole front of his shirt.

  When she heard gravel being thrown by tires, she looked out the door in time to see a blue truck speed out their driveway.

  “Grant!” she screamed over and over, not knowing what to do. She kept her hands over his chest as his face and arms drained of color. With shaky hands, she reached for his cell phone on the table by the front door. It was charging and she fought with the cable as she tried to pull it closer so she could keep pressure on his chest.

  When she dialed, blood splattered the screen from her fingers, causing her to dial slowly. She felt his chest rise and fall sporadically and closed her eyes for a moment, shooting up the mother of all prayers.

  When she set the phone down, still on speakerphone with 911, she noticed Romeo was lying by Grant's side. The little dog was breathing hard as blood oozed slowly out of his hip. Keeping pressure on Grant's chest, she reached over and started putting pressure on his wound as well.

  Hours later, she rushed into the waiting room at Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. They had Life-Flighted Grant to the hospital from their front yard.

  It had taken Alex, Lauren, and Haley almost an hour to get there by car. Chase had stayed behind to see to the dog with a promise that he'd be there as soon as he could. She couldn't stop shaking. She was still covered in blood, some of it Romeo's.

  Concern for the dog hadn't even registered yet, since her mind was completely focused on Grant. He'd lost so much blood. Had the bullet hit his heart? So many questions ran through her mind. Haley had tried to keep her from shaking by holding her hand, but Alex just rocked back and forth instead.
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  When they arrived, Grant's parents were already there. Worry flashed in their faces when they saw how much blood was still on her hands and arms. She'd changed her clothes in the car, thanks to Haley having a spare pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in the back of the truck. But her hands and arms were still covered with the blood she’d tried to keep from leaving his body.

  “Where is he?” She rushed into the emergency room.

  “They have him in surgery,” they said together. Tears streamed down their faces. “What happened?” Carolyn asked.

  She had quickly told the sheriff what she'd seen while the ambulance crew worked on Grant as they waited for the helicopter to pick him up. She'd told him who she'd seen leaving their house, but it still hadn't fully sunk in.

  “It was Travis’ mother. Patty Nolan did this,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I saw her driving away in Travis' truck.” She shook her head again as tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “Patty?” Carolyn said, “No.” She shook her head. “It couldn't have been Patty.” She grabbed her husband’s arm.

  “Why?” Glenn asked, walking his wife over and helping her sit down. “Why?” he asked again.

  “I think it was to get back at me,” she said softly as her sisters took her arms and forced her to sit. “It's all my fault.”

  “No,” Haley and Lauren said at the same moment. They looked at each other.

  “No,” Lauren said again. “You didn't do anything wrong. I don't know why Patty Nolan did this, but I'm sure it is not your fault.”

  “She's right,” Glenn said as he rubbed his wife's shoulders. “If he hadn't talked you into leaving work early, he'd be gone.” His voice hitched. “You were there. Your quick response saved our son. The paramedics told us so.” He smiled a little.

  “How do you know?” She stood up and threw up her arms. “If he wasn't seeing me, none of this would have happened.” She stormed out of the waiting room, blindly heading down hall after hall of the unfamiliar hospital. She could hear her sisters calling after her so she ducked into a dark room. She held her breath when they passed her hiding spot, calling out to her.

  Closing her eyes, she rested her head back against the door and tried to level her breathing. But when her breath hitched, she collapsed against the door and cried.

  “Oh, what's the matter dear?” came a sweet voice.

  Looking up through watery eyes, she noticed she was in someone's private hospital room.

  “Oh!” She blinked and wiped her eyes. “I'm sorry. I didn't know…” She looked around.

  “It's okay, dear. Come over here.” The frail gray-haired woman patted her bed. “Don't be shy. I stopped biting after they took my teeth away.” She smiled and Alex saw that the woman was completely toothless. She couldn't even smile at the joke.

  “What's the matter? What has such a pretty young thing like you crying like the world has just ended?”

  “It has,” she said, her voice hitching as she walked closer to the woman's bed. Then everything came out. The whole story from how she'd been the cause of her mother's death to how she was to blame for Grant. Everything. It was all her fault.

  “I'm poison.” She hiccuped and wiped her eyes with the tissue the woman had handed her.

  “Oh, don't be silly,” she said. “You're no such thing. It was fate.” She nodded and her eyes narrowed. “Just look at me.” She motioned with her hands. There were wires coming out of her left arm, but the woman didn't seem to mind. “Do you know why I'm here?”

  Alex shook her head and dried her eyes.

  “You wouldn't think to look at me, but I'll be one hundred tomorrow and I can tell you, I never thought I'd make it this far.” She smiled a little, sadness in her eyes. “I’ve outlived three husbands, two children, two grandchildren and even a great-grandson who died during birth. I'm ready and happy to go home. Everything that put me here or took my sweet babies away was meant to be. You've been through some rough patches, and your man will make it through this.” She nodded. “Just wait and see. You'll both be stronger for it.” She tilted her head and looked at her. “Sometimes things like this happen in order to change the direction you were heading.” She sighed and leaned back on her pillow. “You wait and see. You and your Grant will look back at this day and remember it as the day everything changed.” She sighed and closed her eyes.

  Alex sat there in the darkening room, listening to the old woman breathe as she slept. She didn't know her name or if she was right. She only knew that she couldn't stand to walk out the door and find out what was going on. She was scared that the news was bad and the longer she sat in hiding, the longer she could make believe that Grant was okay. That he was out of surgery and that everything was going to be alright.

  Finally, when a nurse came in, she quietly excused herself and went to find her family. When she asked the main desk for directions, the nurse smiled. “Your family has been looking for you.” The woman stood up. “Come on, honey, I'll take you to them.”

  She hadn't asked about Grant. She couldn't stand to know if she'd lost him. Her mind had played so many scenarios in the last couple hours and none of them had ended up happy. When she walked into the private waiting room, Alex's heart dropped. The look on everyone's faces told her everything she needed to know. Her eyes closed as she swayed and then her whole world changed.

  Patty stood at the stove, a smile placed on her perfectly glossed lips. Her apron was in place, and her sleeves were rolled up so that the grease from the chicken didn't splatter on her clothing.

  Everything had to be perfect for when Roy and Travis got home. After all, they were the perfect husband and son and they deserved the best.

  Flipping a piece of chicken, she watched as the sheriff’s car pulled into her driveway and she wondered what Stephen was doing here. Maybe he wanted to stay for dinner, she thought as she turned the heat on the stove down.

  Walking over, she greeted him just as Roy's car drove up.

  “Well, evening, Sheriff. Would you like to stay for dinner?” she asked as Roy walked up the driveway, a frown on his face.

  “No, ma'am. I'm…” He cleared his throat and looked to Roy.

  “Patty, he's here to arrest you for shooting Grant Holton. Why'd you do it, Patty?” Roy rushed to her side, taking her hands. She jerked them away. After all, one didn't show emotions publicly; it just wasn't done.

  “Really, Roy. It's no big deal.” She turned to the sheriff. “This is all some kind of misunderstanding. After all, I did warn them several times that their behavior was unacceptable. They hurt our Travis. It's all their fault that he won't get out of bed, and everyone in town knows that that West girl was no good for our boy. Causing him to drink and get into all that trouble.”

  She shook her head. “Really, honestly.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “I'm surprised someone hadn't done something about it sooner.”

  “Are you confessing to shooting Grant Holton?” the sheriff asked.

  “Well,” she frowned at him. “I don't know about confessions, but of course I did.” She leaned closer to the sheriff. “Really Stephen, that girl needs to be taught a lesson. One would think she would behave better since God took her mother and father away. But it's apparent the only way she is going to learn is by losing everything she wants. I tried to get onto Saddleback Ranch to teach her some lessons, but Chase and the men there were always around, so…” She shrugged her shoulders. “I decided Grant was the only way to get to her.” She shook her head and chuckled.

  “Patty Nolan, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Grant—”

  She laughed. “Really, this is all just a misunderstanding. Once I explain everything to you again…” She trailed off as Stephen put handcuffs on her and started pulling her towards his car. When she looked back at her house, Roy was standing there looking at her like he didn't know who she was. But what really hurt was seeing her boy, her one and only son, standing next to his father, looking at her like she was completely crazy.
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  Chapter Seventeen

  She woke to the sweetest voice she'd ever heard. The deep sound vibrated in her mind. Keeping her eyes closed, she listened as he called her name over and over again. She must be dreaming…or dead. That thought caused her eyes to jerk open. She looked up into her sister’s face and frowned. She'd sworn she'd heard Grant.

  “Grant?” She started sitting up.

  “He's here.” Haley smiled and nodded to the right.

  “Alex, my god, don't scare me like that again,” Grant said as she looked over at him. He was sitting up in a hospital bed, a white sling on his left shoulder. Thick bandages were wrapped around his bare chest. His tan face was pale and he looked very tired. His hair was a mess, but he was alive.

  Alex was up in a rush and by his side. “You're okay?” she asked, running her eyes over every inch of him.

  He reached up, touching her face and nodding. “Looks that way.”

  The room quietly emptied as they looked at each other, tears running down her face. “I thought…” She took a deep breath and tried again as he took her hands with his. “I thought I'd lost you.”

  He smiled weakly. “Not even close. The doctor said the bullet bounced off my ribs.” He chuckled, then held his side and groaned a little. “He asked me how much milk I drank as a kid.” He smiled.

  She looked down at their joined hands and tried to pull free, but he held on, pulling gently until she sat next to him, their eyes level.

  “I'm sorry. Grant, I never thought that anything like this would happen.”

  “Of course you didn't.” He frowned. “I didn't even see it coming. Makes me wonder if it was Patty doing all those other things all along, instead of Travis.” He put a finger under her chin and gently pushed until she looked at him again. “There's no way either of us could have seen it coming.”