Chapter 22
Owen
As soon as I finished dealing with the January payment at the home, I headed to Ivy’s room to explain why I might be late for dinner. I had no idea how long it would take to bail Bee out of jail or even what that entailed. I had shockingly little experience dealing with the Slippery Slopes Police Department in my life here, most likely contrary to everyone’s belief. Depending on how much her bail was, I might have to sell a kidney or beg for another job. After getting punched, Benny Jr. stomped off to lick his wounded pride in privacy. I’d have to beg Benny Jr. to smooth things over, I might have to grovel. I pictured Bee sitting in a jail surrounded by Slippery Slope’s roughest characters and ground my jaw. If I had to grovel, I would.
Not to sell Bee short. She could obviously hold her own. There was a fifty-fifty chance that she’d befriended everyone in there or incited a riot that would lead to more serious charges.
Maybe thirty-seventy.
I owed it to her to get her out. No matter what, I’d figure it out.
“What’s all this about you being stuck up in that death trap?” Ivy said by way of greeting.
I bent down to kiss the top of her head where she sat in her usual chair, and she cupped the back of my head with her shaky hand to receive me. Instead of stepping away, I held her warm, knobby hand for a moment longer. The relief at knowing she was safe for another month was palpable.
Only worry for Bee knotted my guts now.
She patted our linked hands and gave me a lingering inspection. I cleared my throat and acted naturally.
“News traveled fast.” I reluctantly folded myself in the too-small folding chair across from her. I was anxious to get going but could feel her studying me closely after my lingering greeting. “Everything worked out, though.”
“Okay. Then why the sourpuss?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“I’ve told you, this is just how my face looks.”
She snapped her fingers impatiently at me. “Out with it. Talk to me.”
I glanced at the clock on her nightstand, but she wouldn’t let me go without more information. And so I unburdened myself. Just as she had since I was fifteen, I let Ivy guide me through my feelings. I explained the traumatic events of the night since I left her side—leaving out the more salacious details, of course—ending with Bee’s gut punch.
“I always liked that girl,” Ivy said, nodding her approval.
No doubt in my mind that these two would be fast friends. I imagined them, with faces close, whispering back and forth, shooting me glances before they cackled.
On second thought, maybe I wouldn’t reintroduce them.
“Sounds like you two had a real connection,” she said, breaking through my worry. “Such a rare and beautiful thing.”
“I can see myself making plans for a future with her. I’ve never felt that way about anybody. I don’t think I can go back to who I was before. She met me without judgment but also fully as her authentic self, so I felt like I saw her clearly too. Is that normal? It’s like I know her so completely but also feel desperate to learn everything about her.”
“Oh,” Ivy said softly, a smile spreading as her eyes went glassy. “Maybe not typical, but a sort of magic.”
“If she’s not in prison.”
She snorted. “Don’t be so dramatic. Javier isn’t going to let her get arrested. He just did what he needed to do to appease Benny Jr.” She referred to Officer Martinez, who was most likely also her student, at one point.
“I hope so. I shouldn’t have let Benny Jr. get under my skin.”
“Ah, but he’s so good at annoying the shit out of people. Why take away what he’s good at?”
I chuckled without real gusto and glanced at the clock.
“Go get her. You don’t have to sit around here with me. Go tell Bee how you’re feeling before she thinks you aren’t coming for her. Do something big and exciting. Hopefully, you used the Hookup Hut to its full capacity, but I never understand the younger generations anymore.” She patted my hand. “Oh, don’t look so shocked. That cabin has been there as long as the tram, if not longer. Every generation thinks they invented being wild.”
“Okay, well, this is getting dangerously close to things I never want to think about, so I will go.” I stood, my butt already half asleep.
The intern from last night poked his head in the door, paling slightly when he spotted me. Hard to think that it wasn’t even twenty-four hours ago when I had been here. I felt like a totally different person.
“Mr. Campbell, uh, sir. The billing admin has a question. I guess your payment?—”
I cut him off before he could say anymore. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I spoke with slow emphasis, giving him plenty of time to backtrack and get out.
“They just want to make sure you meant to pay through February.” I gave him a look that should have melted his face, but he wasn’t the brightest bulb.
I sighed and pinched the area between my brows. “I’ll be right there.”
I thought maybe she’d let it slide, but just when I crossed the threshold to leave, Ivy said, “I know you aren’t thinking about taking another step without explaining what that was about.”
Shit .
“It’s nothing,” I said, not meeting her gaze. “Just a clerical mix-up. They must think I’m your son.”
“Boy, sit your butt in that chair and tell me why you’re paying my rent.”
I scrubbed at my short hair, scratching my palms. I went to the chair and sat back down. I would have to tell her sooner or later. Maybe I should have told her a while ago. I held her gaze and explained the horrible truth as I held her hands. “I’m so sorry. He took the money from your account and hasn’t been back since. As you know.”
“What about the cards he sent?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
I cleared my throat. “I-I sent those too.”
“I thought it was weird that he finally remembered my birthday.” She sat back and blew out a low whistle through her crepe-skinned lips. “You know, sometimes I wonder if he resented me because I gave so much to my students. Or maybe he just took the personality of his father. Shame.”
“I shouldn’t have lied to you. I’m so sorry. I just didn’t want him to hurt you anymore,” I said, feeling smaller than a GP.
I wasn’t prone to violence. That much was obvious at this point.
But I could sic Bee on her son.
“You’re telling me you’ve been paying my rent for over six months?”
“I-I’m sorry. We don’t have to make a whole thing out of it. After everything you’ve done for me.”
“Sometimes, I think you are an overlooked secret genius, and then other times, you don’t seem to have enough common sense to find your own nose,” she said.
“It wasn’t that I expected a thank you, but I wasn’t expecting to be insulted.” I blinked at her.
“You insulted me first.”
My jaw dropped.
“You think I’m dumb enough to let that numbnuts of a kid have full access to all my accounts?”
I blinked, slouching back. “What am I missing here?”
“Everything, apparently. The account I gave Jonny access to only had enough to cover my bills here. He’s been scamming me since he could walk. I’m not saying it’s his father’s fault, but … anyway. I knew he would take advantage of my age the second he thought he could. I would never be stupid enough to give him access to all my money.” She rubbed her forehead and blew out a long breath. “No wonder you’ve seemed so damn stressed lately.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just shook my head. I had assumed that her son had taken it all. It hadn’t even occurred to me that there was money kept from him.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She waved away my apology. “Here’s the deal. There’s no reason for you to be paying my rent. I came to Slippery Slopes because I wanted to teach until I could ultimately retire here with the supposed healing waters and all that. I’m a little bit of a woo-woo in that way. You’ll see when you read my will in thirty years.”
I huffed out a laugh. I could only hope we had that much time.
“Though honestly, if Ned Fled is any indication, I may not be exaggerating that number,” she said. The oldest man in town was a modern miracle. “But the point is, I have money. And this isn’t your burden anymore. It never was. I appreciate you looking out for me, but you’re getting that money back. Trust me.”
I tried to argue, but she wasn’t having it.
I let the truth settle into me as she explained how much I’d be getting back.
“You really screwed the pooch. That girl is sitting in jail, and you’re here. I thought I raised you better than that.”
Despite her scolding tone, her words sent a frisson of pleasure into my heart. She had raised me, hadn’t she? I had parents who I had lived with, but this was the woman I shaped my values after, who took care to nurture me.
“You did raise me,” I said, throat wobbling. “And I’m so thankful.” I held her gaze and poured my earnestness into it.
This time, she didn’t make a joke. She held my gaze with her own watery eyes and gave me a tight-lipped smile. “It was my honor to.” She wiped at her face, annoyed at the emotional display. “I hope you see now that I’m not just a lonely old woman. That other people will see you for who you really are if you let them.”
I nodded and let out a breath, anxious to get to Bee.
“I hope you have plans to make it up to her,” she said.
“I have money to go bail her out,” I said, half out the door.
“I know you’re not about to spend the money I’m giving you back on somebody else already. Better plans than that, mister. Money is an easy, empty gesture when it’s given out of guilt.”
I opened my mouth and closed it, a fresh thought popping up.
“Actually, there is one more thing you might be able to help with.”
I explained what I needed quickly so that I could get to Bee. I could only imagine how terrified she was.