~
Paige and Jake sat quietly snuggled into the reproduction turn of the century sofa in the parlor.
“Etta went home early,” Jake said quietly.
“I’m so worried about her, Jake.”
“I want to say she’s a big girl. She’s always been the rock. Now it seems like she’s throwing herself into the renovation for...” He stopped short remembering Etta’s rule, “You know I’m going to honor my sister’s rule: when you fear something strongly you are contributing to its creation, say it out loud and it will be so. They’ll be no broken heart for her. I’m going to see the future she wants. Let’s be part of that creation.” He stroked Paige’s hair until the sparkling combs fell out releasing her wild auburn curls over her shoulders.
“That is exactly what Etta would say!”
“That is what I wish for her. It’s what we’re going to help her create.”
Paige closed her eyes, conjuring up the image. “Yes…I can see Jon Jon playing in the yard. Etta with her polka dotted apron in the kitchen cooking dinner for her family. Will, playing with a …” Paige’s eyes flew open and she looked at Jake, “Oh, a little girl, that was weird.”
Jake laughed deeply, “Honey, you don’t know the half of it…” He smiled to himself feeling for the first time in days that everything was going to be wonderful in Etta’s world.
He seized the urge to put his hand in her hair one more time and kissed Paige sweetly, “Now, my red headed visionary, what do you see for us?” He kissed her neck.
“Well…” She pulled him up from the couch, slipped the tuxedo jacket from his shoulders and watched it hit the floor. With a naughty grin, slowly she unbuttoned his shirt, slipped her fingers into his waistband and led him to the bedroom, “It starts in here.”
CHAPTER 25
The day had come when the family would meet Miles, Jon’s grandfather. Since nine that morning, Jon Jon had been with Tammy, the capable loving nanny that Mim had hired as an act of self preservation. She felt it was the healthiest thing to do in the situation. Mim, on the other hand had nothing but time building pressure in her guts, which were tangled and throbbing. She’d dressed and primped to be sure that she looked the part of dotting grandmother; Fun, casual, capable and loving. Why was she so worried? How much trouble can one man create against a whole family? A whole city of capable adults had come together to raise the child they loved. She swallowed hard realizing she had started to cry, again.
“Damn it,” she whispered to herself and dabbed her tears gently with a tissue, “Never let them see you sweat.” Crunching gravel announced Etta pulling in the drive. It was one o’clock, almost showtime. Where the hell was Will?
“Well, look at you!” Mim called from the door, “You look beautiful!”
Etta was absolutely glowing, “I just talked to Will, he’s about 10 minutes away. Tammy have Jon in the back yard?”
“He’s down for a nap. I wanted him well rested for this… whatever it is. Tammy’s a jewel. I can’t believe I didn’t think of hiring a nanny earlier. She’s off for the rest of the day.”
Will’s jeep pulled into the drive and Etta felt her stomach clench when she saw the concern on his face. Etta quickly sized up Will’s companion, “That is not what I expected his lawyer to look like. Great energy, I like him.”
“Great energy or not,” Mim said as a matter of fact, “I don’t know why this has to be so stuffy and formal.”
“Will says we’re too trusting and we don’t know what Miles is capable of. I tried to convince him of my fear it and create it theory, but he’s not buying. He’s not willing to leave this to chance.” Etta reached for Mim’s hand, “I’m nervous.”
Mim gave her hand a firm grasp and together they met at the Jeep to welcome him home.
Will stepped out and Etta flopped in front of him waiting for the happy reunion. There was no hug, just an introduction, “Etta, Mom… this is Anthony Leona, the finest custody lawyer in northern California.”
Etta looked hard at Will trying to figure out his coolness and decided quickly it wasn’t the time or the place. She then turned and shook hands with Anthony projecting a warm welcome.
“Call me Tony, please,” he said to both women, never taking his eyes off of Mim, “Miriam, it is an honor to meet you.”
Mim felt her forehead rise up in surprise at how attractive Tony was and how delightful it felt to have her hand kissed by his lips.
Etta felt the electricity of Will’s hand on her lower back and then the sweetness of his kiss on her cheek, “You have an amazing glow,” he whispered in her ear. “Now, I’ve got to see our little man,” he rushed off.
Miles was over thirty minutes late. The tension in the house was so thick it was hard to breathe. Mim busied herself in the kitchen putting finger foods on a silver tray.
“I hoped this day would be friendly, like welcoming family.” Mim said to Etta.
“Well, that’s your way, Mim. Being late like this is just disrespectful.” Etta said curtly.
“It smacks of self importance,” Mim said then stopped herself. “I’m not going to get catty. I’m going to be a wonderful hostess, with a warm welcome. This is Jon’s grandfather. I think he’ll be delightful when he gets here.”
A twenty year old pickup truck rattled down the driveway much too fast and stopped in a cloud of dust and gravel sputtering to a pitiful silence. She quickly motioned to Etta and they watched from the kitchen window as a man in his fifties jumped out of the truck and ran around the other side to open the door for a woman. The man, apparently Miles, was wearing jeans, a pale plaid western shirt with the sleeves rolled up to above the elbows. Obviously in need of a haircut, he repeatedly pushed the overgrown salt and pepper hair out of his eyes. The woman accompanying him was dressed as a twenty year old in spite of her fifty year old figure. Her barely contained bosoms jigged while she pranced on the gravel drive. Wearing skin tight stretch jeans and a glittery silver top, a cigarette dangled from her fingertips as she whispered something in Miles’ ear that made him nod and smile.
“Not on my walkway…” Mim whispered vehemently as the woman dropped her cigarette and snuffed it out with her pudgy turquoise pump.
“Wow,” Etta said. Looking sadly at Mim, she slid the window open to hear what they were saying as they approached the front door.
“This old babe’s got money,” Miles said.
“Classy digs. I could get used to this.” The woman’s eyes darted to every detail of Mim’s front yard.
After hearing that, Mim wanted to grab Jon and run far away. These were not people that were going to have in any part in his life. She could easily see how Miles’ daughter had turned out the way she had. “Oh Etta, I’m judging,” she said ashamed of herself.
“No, you’re not Mim, you’re seeing the obvious. Goddess help us!” Etta whispered.
Mim dabbed her eyes and opened the door with a bright smile.
The meeting went from uncomfortable to unreal as they could smell sour bourbon on Miles’ breath. Will entered the room with Jon, who was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Jon, this is your Grandfather, Miles. Can you say hello?” Will asked softly into Jon’s ear.
Jon looked at the strangers in the living room and buried his head against his father’s neck. Everyone gasped as Miles jumped up and reached for the baby. Letting out a yowl, Jon clung to Will’s shirt collar in protest.
Then Linda, Mile’s partner, rose up, “Hey there, Handsome,” she cooed in a baby voice, “you wanna’ come see… your…” Her shoulders fell and she looked toward Miles, “He’s not going to call me Grandma is he?” Linda asked horrified. Miles shot her a warning look. With her aged cupi-doll face and her bouncing bosoms, Linda smiled, got so close to Will he could smell what she’d had for lunch and went back to baby-talking Jon, “Who’s the luckiest baby in the world? You’ve got Grandpa Miles,” She smiled widely at Jon, “Yes you do.” Her pony tail was wagging behind her, looking absolutely ri
diculous.
Jon scowled and slapped at Linda’s face. Mim took in a sharp breath and stood to take control of the situation, “Why don’t we all go outside for some refreshments. Jon loves it outside and I think he’ll be more at ease out there.”
The group migrated toward the French doors leading outside and Mim overheard Linda whisper to Miles, “What are we gonna’ do? He doesn’t like me.”
Apparently Tony heard the comment as well and followed Mim to the kitchen, “I’d love to help.”
She turned quickly to hide her fury. “What in the world do they want with that sweet baby?” Mim spat at Tony.
“Opportunists, I’m afraid to say.” Tony stated. “Sadly, Mim, this is what we feared.”
“I will not have that baby tainted by those… those… people!” Mim smacked the counter with her fist. “Did you smell his breath? He’s drunk. I heard them talking on the front porch. They are in this for… for the money!” Mim’s eyes stung with righteous indignation.
The look Tony gave her did little to soothe her nerves, “We’ll do everything we can to keep him safe and here in Nevada City.”
He reached across the island and covered her tight fist with his warm hands, rubbing until his touch eased the tension in her balled up fingers. It had been a long time since she’d needed comforting and even longer since she’d received it.
“Our lives are in your hands.” Mim hesitated, “I told Will we didn’t need you and now I’m so glad you’re here.” Something darted across the back yard and caught Mim’s attention, “Now what?” She moved to the French doors leading out into the yard, “That son of a biscuit eatin’ rat bastard…” Mim howled, creating her own wind tunnel as she flew outside.
Will shot his mother a defeated look as she busted out the door. She stormed into the huddle of adults who were watching in disbelief as Jon gleefully rolled on the ground with a black and white bundle of adorable fur. His giggling was met with a tiny pink tongue licking every inch of exposed skin in a fury of mutual wild excitement.
“What kind of a dog is that?” Mim asked Miles.
“He’s just a mutt. My neighbors had a litter and I thought he’d like to have his own dog.” Miles squatted down to call the puppy, which ignored him completely.
“So you brought this dog for the baby?” Mim asked, eyes narrowing to slits. She was feeling the urge to start shooting fire lasers at these people who assumed that the easiest way to a baby’s heart was through a puppy.
“Who doesn’t love a little puppy?” Linda cooed to Miles as she slipped her arm around his waist and shot him a sly wink.
“Babies don’t know the first thing about puppies. They can hurt each other.” Mim said feeling very tired. As if on cue, the puppy yelped. Jon dangled it by one hind leg clasped in his chubby fist. The puppy twisted and turned. Jon released him and the puppy snapped repeatedly at the child with razor sharp teeth. Blood curdling screams shocked the air as Jon wiggled his hands. The puppy kept snapping at him. Etta scooped Jon up, realized that he was bleeding and ran him straight into the bathroom. Will was right behind her.
Miles reached down for the puppy, “Well, you can’t just pick the little guy up by a leg and not have him bite you.” He scratched the puppies head while tucking him under his arm. The puppy covered his face with forgiving licks.
“It occurs to me that you have no more concern or forethought to Jon’s safety than you do for that puppy’s.” Mim was looking directly at Miles.
“Well, didn’t you turn out to be an uppity bitch?” Miles spat out, and shoved the dog to Linda, “Take him to the truck.” Miles stormed back into the house.
Frozen in her place, Mim’s eyes stung with the unshed tears of frustration. Tony reached for her, “This is pretty much what I expected from him, Mim,” He rubbed her shoulder lightly. “I have a plan.”
“Have you met him before?” Mim asked quietly.
“No. But after talking to his lawyer, I knew what to expect.”
“How much do you think he wants?”
“I have no idea. If I have my way he’ll be lucky to just walk away and not look back.”
“I wanted Miles to know his grandson. I thought it was the right thing to do.” Mim justified, “I should have listened to Will.”
“Will’s been through a lot in the last year.” Tony turned to look her square in the face, “He started out with a ‘full of faith in humanity’ attitude, now he’s more of a realist. He has worked harder than anyone can imagine making sure Jon grows up surrounded with love. I should know, he hired me the very first day he held Jon in his arms. I’ve watched his dedication, his strong sense of family. I know that came from you.”
“Maybe you know why he didn’t tell me about my grandson until recently.” Mim said softly, hurt.
“He couldn’t stand to break your heart. He knew the odds were stacked against him. He couldn’t take on the system alone, so he hired me.”
“And here you are…” Mim said thoughtfully, “Thank you, Tony”.
“You know, Mim, he thought he was home safe when he brought Jon back to Nevada City. If he’d known that Miles would come crawling out of the woodwork, he’d have stayed in San Francisco.”
“I’m glad he’s home.” She took in a deep breath, “I’ve got to make sure Jon is okay.”
Jon’s cries were so shrill they could have broken glass. Mim tore to the bathroom where Etta had Jon on the counter tending to his tears and puncture wounds. She heard Will’s voice coming from the kitchen, “Does that dog have shots? Do you even know where he comes from? He could have given him rabies for Christ sakes.” The veins in Wills neck and temple were bulging, his hands were in his pockets. It was a trick his mother had taught her hot headed son when he wanted to hit someone.
“Look, you overeducated Mamma’s boy,” Miles thick finger jabbed into Will’s chest, “you’re responsible for my Darla’s death. I’m going to get what’s coming to me, so you better get ready to pay up.”
“You didn’t even know where she lived. What kind of a father doesn’t know his daughter is pregnant or where she works?” Will spat, “Did you even know she was a stripper or a drug addict?”
“Darla had a mind of her own. She didn’t want to talk to me. I didn’t follow her.” He stated flatly, “Now I’ve got a grandson and unless you want to hand him over, it’s going to cost you,” Miles said with a cocky smirk.
“He’s not going anywhere. I’ll see you dead before that happens,” Will hissed.
“Just like you got rid of my Darla?” Miles raised an eyebrow, “How is that going to sound in court?”
“Just one cotton picking minute!” Mim thundered into the room, “Will didn’t have anything to do with your…”
“That’s enough!” Tony yelled over the arguing, “Stop talking. We’re overly emotional and this isn’t going to accomplish anything.” His common sense took charge, “Now, I’m going to suggest that we continue another day.”
Linda had slipped into the kitchen through the patio doors and sidled up to Miles, “What’s all this about, Daddy?” she pouted at the raised voices. Miles shrugged her hand off of his arm.
“I think this boy should pull himself off the tit long enough to write me a check and I’ll leave your perfect family alone. Otherwise, it’s going to get real ugly.” Miles poked again at Will.
“Just for the record, Miles, What would that number be?” Tony held up a mini tape recorder, “just for the record…”
“Will!” Etta raised her voice from the kitchen door with Jon in her arms, “He needs stitches!” Her eyes were wild with worry even though her voice was calm for the baby’s sake.
“Nice going you two,” Will spat at the couple standing in his mother’s kitchen. He was at Etta’s side immediately with car keys in hand, “Let me see…”
“I can’t get the bleeding to stop. I’m afraid to take the pressure off. He’s got a really deep gash on the back of his hand.”
Mim was furious with herself.
How could she have insisted that Miles be given the chance to know his grandson? That perfect little hand, tender baby flesh ripped open and bleeding… all because she believed in the inherent goodness of people. She paced the hallway outside the examination room of the doctor’s office. Praying that nothing would be permanently damaged, she wrung her hands. The baby screams were blood curdling. Mim held her breath when she heard him howl with pain and paced when he took another breath.
Etta poked her head out from the examination room and spoke softly to Mim, “Three stitches, all done.”
Back at Mim’s, the baby, an absolute noodle of exhaustion fell asleep immediately in the car. The adults sprawled out on sofas wishing they could do the same. Tony crept into the house looking like he’d been hit by a truck.
“Good Lord, you look like I feel,” Mim remarked.
“I took the puppy to a vet’s for observation. I had to chase Miles and Linda down to get him back.” He held up his hand to quiet them, not wanting to stir up another hornet’s nest of anger. “The vet’s going to make sure there’s nothing wrong with the dog and then he’ll let us know. He’ll have to be there for 10 days.”
Will reached over and took Etta’s hand into his, “Take a walk with me?”
Etta wearily nodded and they headed out the French doors and into the emotional security of the beauty they grew up with. The sun had dipped down behind the trees to cast long shadows over the lawns. Will pulled her close to him, their hips touching and his arms warm around her waist, “I’m so sorry I missed the party. I’ve been wrapped up in this… this…” He looked close to cracking wide open.
Broad Street Goddesses Page 21