20. Henry
Chapter 20
Henry
D owntown Emerald is charming. It looks like the quintessential small midwestern town.
But I agree with Cian that they completely missed the chance to really lean into the “Emerald City” theme complete with a main street of yellow bricks.
However, the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz isn’t really green. Everyone is simply told to wear green-tinted glasses. It turns out, in reality, the city is no greener than any other city. It’s all an illusion. Everyone is deceived by their ‘wonderful wizard’. And I think I know exactly who is tricking who into what here in Emerald, Ohio.
As we drive toward the coffee shop, which is situated directly in the middle of Main Street, Ruby looks over at me.
“Why are you interested in the coffee shop? Really?” Ruby asks as we drive.
“Need to be sure my products and prices at Dick’s are comparable.”
“Uh huh. They’re not. Your products are superior and far cheaper.”
“So I can raise the prices and buy cheaper, crappier coffee?” I ask.
She laughs. “No.”
I wouldn’t do that, of course. And the coffee beans and menu board have nothing to do with our trip downtown this morning.
I glance over. I know Ruby doesn’t have as contentious a history with their father and his church as Scarlett does, but his rejection of them as children is still a part of her story and his overwhelming presence in this town and influence over its people still affects her.
“Actually, I want to check the coffee shop out because of Will and the guys.”
“They asked you to do this?”
I shake my head. “No. They just got me thinking. They’re from here. Grew up here. Raised their families here. Worked here. But they’re not comfortable coming downtown and hanging out at the local coffee shop. I figure the guys who are hanging out in there this time of day, a weekday mid-morning, are probably about their age, right?”
“They are.”
“So our guys probably know them. Maybe even grew up with them. But they ran our guys out of a place in their own hometown? I don’t like that.”
“You’re going to confront these guys at the coffee shop? Tell them that they have to accept Will and Dan and Charles and Ben?” She’s smiling, clearly amused. “Our guys don’t want that, Henry. They’ve chosen Dan’s place. He’s made it into what it is for them.”
“I understand. They’ve built their own little clubhouse to avoid all the stuff down here. And that’s their right. It’s just that…”
I think about how I want to explain this. I don’t know if it’s really for the best. I’ve known them one day. I’m feeling protective of them after a few hours with them. I realize this is typical of my over-the-top ways. But…I don’t care.
“I realize this comes from me having a place where I belonged and felt secure to being thrown out of that little bubble, and having no one, and then being taken into another bubble where it’s been literally my job to keep the bubble intact—only certain people in or out.” I take a breath. “But it seems strange to me that these men and women have spent their lives here, have people they can call when they really need help, the way Will said he could ask his neighbor for help, and his neighbor’s brother, and the way he called Christopher’s grandfather last night?—”
“Wait, what?” Ruby pivots toward me in her seat. “What about Christopher’s grandfather?”
I sigh. Shit. I wasn’t going to worry her by telling her Christopher showed up at Will and Mandy’s last night. “Christopher went over to talk to April. But Will called his grandfather. He came over, talked Christopher down, and he left.”
Ruby is frowning but doesn’t say anything.
“Anyway, it’s clear these guys still have connections in this town. People who like and respect them. People they can reach out to and trust. That bigger community is there. They’ve just cut themselves off because of some bullshit with your dad’s church. I don’t like that. I just want to see if there’s any way to make all these separate circles into more of a Venn diagram. Find some overlap.”
Ruby is quiet for a moment, before she says, “My father likes it that way.”
“What way?”
“Everyone in separate, non-overlapping circles. It’s what happened when Scarlet wanted to get closer to him and get to know him. He told her that she had to become a part of the church. And that meant cutting off everyone else. She moved in with him. She stopped seeing her other friends. Including me. She spent time with church kids only. He does that on purpose. He wants them surrounded by people who think the same way they do, he wants them to only hear the ideas that he approves of.” She’s quiet for a moment. “It’s how you control people. Make them feel like they belong to the ‘right’ group and that everyone else is wrong. And keep them apart.”
I nod. “I suspected that. Humans naturally want to belong to groups. They want to be accepted. Many times, the church is that place. They preach acceptance and love, and people are attracted to that, of course. That acceptance and belief that you’re on the right side and everyone else is wrong or trying to harm you is what makes it hard to leave.”
“Right. And you fear that if you leave, the ‘other side’ will reject you, and you’ll be all alone. No one wants that.”
“But I don’t like that our guys have a history in this town, that this is their home, but they can’t really live here, and feel cut off and unwelcome. That’s ridiculous.”
She grins. “I love that you think of them as ‘our’ guys.”
I look over and she’s smiling. “I already feel that way about them.”
“See? I didn’t really build that community. Maybe I came up with getting an espresso machine and bringing in cinnamon rolls, but they made the community part of it happen.”
I reach over and take her hand, linking our fingers. “I don’t like the idea of them feeling like outcasts at that bar.”
“You want them to come down to the coffee shop instead?”
“Not necessarily. Maybe we can give these other guys another place to go.”
“You’re going to invite new guys to the clubhouse?”
“We’ll see if they’re worthy.” I mean that. “But most card games are more fun with more people. That jigsaw puzzle would be getting put together faster. There would be new stories to hear. And the gossip would be juicier with more people telling it.”
She squeezes my hand, grinning. “In that case, Mandy’s going to have to start baking more cinnamon rolls.”
I pull into a spot right along the curb. We walk toward the front doors of the coffee shop, holding hands.
“Who knows?” I say. “Maybe one of these other guys’ wives is an incredible baker, too. Or one of these guys could bake. Maybe we can expand the menu.”
She nods. “Charles has been asking for something with lemon or raspberry.”
I laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I reach for the door to the coffee shop, but it swings out before I can pull it open, and a tall man in his late fifties with salt and pepper hair steps out. He’s in a navy suit despite the casual atmosphere of the coffee shop. And really, all of downtown Emerald.
He draws up short, clearly startled. But not just startled in general. He’s clearly specifically surprised to see Ruby.
I feel rather than hear her sigh.
“Hi, Dad,” she says flatly.
His brows slam together. “Don’t call me that.”
“Believe me, it’s a lot nicer than the things I call you in my head,” she tells him, her tone almost bored sounding.
“What are you doing here?” he asks her as if this is his front porch and not a public establishment.
I move in closer to her and open my mouth, but Ruby says, “Oh, you know, just spreading my bastard, heathen aura around town. As always.” Then she yanks harder on the door, opening it wider and stepping forward, clearly intending to walk into the shop.
He steps out of her way as if worried she might accidentally touch him.
“You think you’re cute, but you reap what you sow,” he tells her. “Your attitude and disregard for decency will be your downfall.”
Ruby actually laughs at that, and I can tell she’s sincerely amused. “Well, geez, if I have a disregard for decency, it looks like I did inherit something from you after all.”
He glares at her. She lifts her middle finger to him.
I cough.
I’ve never seen Ruby interact with her father. I’ve also never seen someone flip off a pastor to their face.
She turns and walks the rest of the way into the coffee shop.
His eyes come to mine finally. He opens his mouth, but I say, in my most menacing voice, “You have nothing to say to me that I want to hear. And it really is in your best interest to remain silent. In fact, I would warn you to make what you just said the last thing you ever say to Ruby.”
I step past him, dismissing him completely.
If I thought for a moment Ruby was actually upset about their encounter, I would have had more words for him. As it is, it’s me who needs to make this man miserable, not Ruby. She’s clearly over him and fine.
I’m not.
I want that man to suffer.
I pull my phone from my pocket and type out a quick text to Iris.
Remember when I asked you to look into Ruby and Scarlett’s father for illegal activity? I need a status update.
I had started looking into him when Ruby found out he was behind influencing Emerald’s mayor to turn down a large state grant that would have provided resources for single parents in town. The same grant had been awarded to several communities in the state, including the neighboring town of Melton.
It is no secret to anyone in Emerald that the good pastor thinks single parents—single moms in particular—should have to support their families alone, even if it’s a struggle, as part of their penance for having sex and children outside of marriage. He doesn’t want programs to help them, proclaiming public support systems encourage their immoral behavior because then there are no negative consequences to their actions.
The man is a complete jackass.
He’s clearly morally bankrupt and obviously leading a church for power rather than because of any true righteous belief system.
That’s a huge red flag. There is surely illegal activity surrounding him.
I want to know what it is.
I join Ruby in line to order coffee and eye the cinnamon rolls in the bakery case. They don’t even look as good as Mandy’s. I’m still getting one so I can taste-test them, though.
A return text vibrates my phone, and I glance down.
It’s from Iris, and it’s simple. Call me.
Nope. I’m not going to do that. I’m sure Iris has several things she would like to say to me about leaving Cara without notifying her, sending Jonah with Cian and Scarlett, and coming to Ohio where there are no O’Gradys or Olsens to protect.
I don’t feel like getting into any of that with her right now.
Or probably ever.
“Are you okay?” Ruby asks.
I look up at her. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“You know I’m fine. That guy and his opinion stopped mattering to me a long time ago. In fact, if he did like me, I’d be worried.”
I appreciate that. I would feel similarly about my father if I ever had to interact with him. Being someone that our fathers like and respect is not a compliment.
“I’m fine,” I tell her. “But full transparency, I’m looking into your father. And if I find anything to act on, I intend to.”
“Anything illegal, you mean?”
“Yes. Though if I can find a way to act on anything immoral, I’ll do that too.”
“More immoral than leading an entire cult that fifty percent of this town follows?”
“Say the word, and I’ll burn it to the ground,” I tell her, not kidding. “But also, not half this town.”
She looks up at me. “That church has always divided this town.”
Oh, of that I have no doubt. “I know it feels like half the town and the people who follow his church are loud and obnoxious, so it seems there are more of them than there are. But only about thirty percent of the church-going people in this town attend his church. There are plenty that go to other churches or follow other religions. And then there are plenty of people who are not churchgoers at all. He doesn’t even have a majority.”
She studies me, thinking that over. “That’s good to know. They do seem like a lot, though.”
“Your father does that on purpose, too. And I’m sure he’d love it to be half the town. Or more. Your father is a greedy, power-hungry narcissist.”
She nods. “Thanks. I need to remember all of that.”
It’s our turn to order, so we get a cinnamon roll, a pecan roll, a caramel vanilla latte, and a hazelnut cappuccino. If I’m going to tell people here that the coffee and pastries at Dick’s are better, I need to know for sure.
After we pick up our order, I survey the room and note the table with four older gentlemen situated right in the center of the room.
“Is that them?” I ask Ruby.
She nods. “Yup. I’m guessing my father just left them. They’re probably doing a Live Right Bible study session right now.”
“Okay then.” I lead her toward the table next to the guys.
Sure enough, they have two Bibles lying open on the table, and each of them holds a smaller booklet and a pen.
One of them is reading from the booklet, but I notice the two of the men keep glancing at the television above the bookcase. The same game show that the guys at Dick’s watch every morning is on. It’s turned too low to hear, and the closed captions are scrolling across the bottom.
I overhear something about it being everyone’s obligation to model the behavior of Christ, but I tune them out as I pull out a chair for Ruby and then settle next to her.
“I want to ask you about how we’re going to run Ruby’s Way here in Emerald,” I tell her, my voice low.
She has her cup lifted to her mouth for a sip, and she cocks one eyebrow.
“I have an idea, and I want to be sure that it’s something you and Scarlett would like.”
Ruby swallows and sets her cup down. “We’re going to talk about that here?”
I incline my head toward the gentlemen. “They come here to talk with the intention of being overheard. The idea is for those around them to be influenced by what they say, right?”
She nods. “Quiet preaching. Leading by example. Kind of.”
“We both know that Ruby’s Way is going to be leading by a much better example. If we talk about our plans here and people overhear us and like what we say, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”
She catches on immediately. “It’s not a terrible way to get a message out, honestly.”
“Less annoying than being on a soapbox on a street corner screaming into a bullhorn.”
“And cheaper than a billboard.”
I chuckle. Then I raise my voice slightly to say, “So I want to run some ideas past you because you and Scarlett get to approve it all.”
She looks surprised but pleased. She lifts her cup for another sip.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” I continue. “Since your father and the mayor declined the grant from the state to support families here in Emerald, Ruby’s Way is going to step in and supply those funds. One million a year for housing, childcare, education, work training—and we’re open to other ideas.”
She nods. “That’s amazing.”
“But,” I go on. “I want there to be a Board, made up of Emerald citizens, that meets at least twice a year and proposes programs and ideas where the money can be used for the community at large too, especially for families who are struggling. Single parents aren’t the only ones who do, though they will have priority.”
“You’re in charge of this? Not Cian?”
“Cian just wants Scarlett to be happy and to help people. He’s fine if I have specific ideas about how to run things here.”
“Okay. Well, I think that sounds good.”
“And,” I lean in. “This is important.”
“Okay.”
“No one from your father’s church will be allowed to be on that Board. That is not negotiable.”
Her eyes widen.
“They have proven by their affiliation that they don’t care about helping others in a way that meets my standards. If they choose to be affiliated with a group that chooses that kind of leadership, I don’t trust that they’ll make good choices for people in this town, especially those outside of that group. Also no one who is a member of that church will be awarded any money or resources from Ruby’s Way. If they aren’t willing to help others, then they can take care of their own.”
“Wow.”
“Of course, if they want to leave the church and come to us, we’ll give them a second chance. We all really like those?—”
She smiles.
“And we’ll help, then, of course. Because that’s the right thing to do.”
Ruby wets her lips. And nods.
“I’m right to leave them out of this,” I say.
She nods. “You are.”
“So what do you think?”
“I think this sounds amazing and will have a big, positive impact on a lot of people.”
“Do you think Scarlett will agree?”
“I do.” She’s just staring at me.
I lean in. “What is it, Gem?”
“Is all of that real, or is that just for show?” Her voice is quiet, and she glances toward the table of church guys.
“Of course, it’s real. I did want to tell you, ask you, about all of that. Doing it here at the coffee shop is just convenient for other reasons.”
“Well, Scarlett will love it.” She pauses. “I love it.”
“You would be proud to have your name on this?”
“Very proud”
“And this makes you happy?”
“So happy.” She gives me a bright, sweet smile.
“Then it’s a done deal. That’s all I want.”
She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “Don’t look now.” She leans close as if she’s imparting an intimate secret. “The guys are listening.”
I take the opportunity to kiss her cheek before I lean back. I tip back the rest of my coffee, acting casual. Then I say, louder again, “This was good, but Dick’s is definitely better.”
“Oh, I know,” Ruby agrees. “I don’t think I can ever eat a cinnamon roll again after having the ones out at Dick’s.” She pushes her unfinished roll away. “In fact, would it be crazy to go out there now and have one?”
I grin. “If they’re not all gone.”
We get to our feet and start cleaning up our garbage.
I nonchalantly glance toward the men at the next table. They’re looking at us, so I smile and ask, “Have you guys had the cinnamon rolls at Big Dick’s?”
One of them scoffs. “The bar?”
“Well, it’s not a bar till six at night. During the day, there is coffee and rolls. Sandwiches and burgers at lunch. It’s pretty fun. They’ve got card games going, too.” I gesture toward the television. “The guys out there love this show. They actually watch this one and the next two every single day.”
They all look predictably surprised, and I am stupidly pleased.
“Do they listen to it with the sound on?” one of them mutters.
I still answer. “Oh, absolutely. They really get into it. You probably know the guys who hang out there. Ben, Will, and Charles. And, of course, Dan. You guys should stop out sometime.”
They’re nodding, obviously aware of my guys. “Dan doesn’t want us to come around,” one of them says.
“Well, I’m the new owner. Maybe we can start over.”
“You own the place now?”
“Yep. Pretty recently. Enjoying it, though.”
“Well, we come in here for our Bible study,” one of them tells me.
“Bible study, huh?” I say, acting as if I have no idea what they’re talking about. “Every day? You’ve all been around a while, haven’t you covered that book front to back by now?”
One of them chuckles. “Sure. But it’s always good to review.”
“Okay,” I say, with a little shrug. “Just if that ever gets boring, the guys at Dick’s have probably heard it all a number of times too so you don’t need to tell them all about it. You could just sit around and talk about other things.”
One of the men surprises me with a chuckle. “Charles and Will and I actually went to church camp together for four summers in a row.”
Another nods. “I was in Sunday school every week with Will and Ben.”
I smile. “Sounds like Will knows all the Bible stories pretty well.”
“He should,” one says with another chuckle. “Maybe we should stop out there and quiz him.”
“Tell you what,” I say. “I’ll let you do a little Bible talk in the bar if you agree to also spend equal time doing arts and crafts with the kids.”
“Arts and crafts? Like glitter and stuff?” the church camp aficionado asks.
“Yep. Play-Doh, fingerpaints, all kinds of fun. You do some of that stuff with your grandkids, don’t you?”
“Sure. I guess that would be okay.”
“Maybe we could convince those guys to come to church,” one of them says to the others.
Another laughs. “You’ve known them as long as I have. We’re not getting any of them to church.”
“But—” The guy glances at the TV again. “Pastor probably doesn’t know that. And all we can do is try.”
“True,” his friend agrees. “If we have a stubborn case, we’ll just have to keep going out there to work on them.”
Another guy nods. “Good point. If it’s a guy we’ve known for a long time and we were friends with back in the day, makes sense we would want to do our best to bring him around.”
“And not just anyone is going to want to go out to the bar in the morning. That seems like something guys like us should do.”
I’m grinning at all of them. “Why don’t you just stop by tomorrow?” I ask. “We’ll see how it goes. I’ll make sure we have extra cinnamon rolls, just in case. Did I mention they’re free?”
They all sit up straighter.
“They’re having a special celebrity edition of Name ’Em Frame ’Em ,” one of them says of the game show that’s on television as we speak. “Scarlett Johansson will be on. I love her.”
“I’ll want to hear that at full volume,” another agrees
“We’ll be there tomorrow,” the first guy tells me. “And we probably don’t need to bring the Bibles. Like you said, those guys have heard it all before.”
Ruby barely waits for the coffee shop door to shut behind us before she starts to laugh and says, “I don’t feel weak at all by how easily I fell for you and your charm and dropped my panties. I swear you can win anyone over.”
I grin. “Not everyone, but I do have a pretty good track record.” I’ve always been very confident, and hanging out with royalty for the past decade-plus has definitely rubbed off on me.
“But the cinnamon rolls are not free at Dick’s, by the way.”
I wave my hand. I’m feeling incredibly triumphant. “They are now.”
“We give the money back to the women who bake for the ingredients,” she tells me as we head back for my car.
“Ruby, of course I will still pay them.” I’m offended she would think otherwise. “In fact, I’m going to triple whatever they usually get just because you insinuated that.”
She’s giggling as I open the door for her. I love that sound so fucking much. Especially when our visit to the coffee shop started with a run-in with her father.
Speaking of that asshole, my phone hasn’t stopped vibrating with texts, and I know they’re all from Iris. But I also know they’re not full of information about Ruby’s dad. They are various forms of if you don’t call me back, I’ll make you sorry.
A thought occurs to me as I round the car and get in. “So Mandy bakes cinnamon rolls at home once a week, and then Will shows up at Dick’s later that same morning, and there are cinnamon rolls. How has he not figured out that they’re the same cinnamon rolls?”
I back out of the spot and head for the bar.
Ruby grins at me. “Oh, he has figured it out.”
I look over at her. “He has? Mandy said I absolutely could not tell him.”
“I know. I don’t understand it, but it’s this game where they all pretend they don’t know what’s going on. But the men know who’s doing the baking. And I actually think that the women know the men know.” She laughs. “They’re happy, and I find them amusing, and that’s enough for me.”
“Well, I hope the guys aren’t upset when these guys show up.”
Ruby takes my hand. “I think it’s sweet you want to get this group of friends back together.”
“I do. I don’t think it’s right that our guys are relegated to a bar outside of town. And hell, it seems like maybe the church guys need a break.”
She nods. “It really does.”
“But honestly, I want these church guys to meet April and the kids, too.”
“Really?”
“Definitely. Your father has convinced these people that single mothers deserve to be cut off and ostracized and don’t deserve support and resources. Because of his own prejudices, he’s making an entire group of people turn their backs on a vulnerable part of their community. Their neighbors and people they pass on the streets every day. People who haven’t done anything wrong but who might just need a little help once in a while. It’s the antithesis of community and certainly of the things he’s supposed to be teaching from the book those guys had lying on that coffee shop table.
I want these men to actually meet someone their pastor is telling them to reject. It is so much harder to say no to something when there is a face to it in your mind, when there’s a person that is representing the issue. Very few humans can look directly at another human and say I’m going to do something to hurt you.”
“I don’t know. My father certainly did that to Scarlett,” Ruby says.
“And my father did it to me. But our fathers are the exception to the rule. I really want to show you that.”
“You’re doing this for me?”
I look over at her. “In part. Of course. You’re always on my mind, Ruby. Since I met you, with everything I do, I think about what would Ruby think of this or how would this make her feel?”
I can see the emotion in her eyes. “Wow. That’s…something.”
I squeeze her hand. “I’m also doing it for April. And Elliot. And all of the other women and kids like them. Those men might still decide to follow your father and reject helping the single parents, but I’m going to make them do it with full knowledge of what their decision means. I’m not going to make it easy on them.”
“Yeah,” she says softly. “I didn’t stand a chance.”
I glance from the road to her again. “A chance of what?”
“Keeping my panties on around you.”
I grin at her wickedly. “You wear panties way too often as it is.”
“Interesting that you would mention that,” she says, sitting back in her seat.
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because I decided to see what it would be like to go without today.”
That sinks in, and I growl. Then, make a sharp right at the next corner. We need to make a not-so-quick stop at home before going out to Dick’s, it turns out.