5. Elle
Ending my call to Gisele, I made the next one. Waiting for my younger sister to answer which she did after only two rings I told her the same story and received the same response. The good thing about Blessings was our houses and businesses were a stone’s throw from the centre of town where the Town Hall was located. When Gisele said she would be here in sixty seconds she had not been exaggerating. Exactly one minute later, both sisters were standing either side of me.
“What the heck is going on?” Claudia asked first, while Gisele continued to the car where Liam was doing his best not to shit his pants in front of our dad. Going toe to toe with a man my father’s size, with his background in bare knuckle fighting was only going to end in a trip to the hospital. For Liam, not my dad.
“Mum called me spitting fire and brimstone. Apparently, dad got pulled over by some big city cop, even had him in handcuffs until Georgina Grace came barrelling out of the store shouting all kinds of obscenities and demands. The cuffs were removed but the charges are still standing according to the hot cop.” Pointing out the tall handsome newcomer, not that he was hard to miss. He stood about the same height as dad, big muscles but not the kind that came from steroids rather an everyday work out and running. Greying hair cut close to his scalp, but not from age most likely an inherited thing. If I wasn’t over men and on a self-imposed vow of celibacy, and already married. I might be impressed.
Sadly, I was married to an absolute imbecile. My vow due to the idiot I married not touching me sexually for six months now. Where he was getting his relief from, I didn’t want to know, I knew he was going elsewhere. Jake wasn’t the kind of man to go without, but I knew one thing, no way was I letting him anywhere my vagina without a medical certificate. If he ever came home that was.
“Where is Mum?” Claudia asked, her eyes watching Gisele as she marched up to Liam her hands planted on her slim hips getting stuck into her douche bag baby daddy.
“She’s in the fray there somewhere,” I laughed, “Miracle is with her so don’t worry about the chickee. No one is going to take her anywhere.”
Nodding, Claudia’s tense shoulders relaxed an inch.
“What the hell is a detective from Gracefield doing in Blessings?” Claudia asked, moving with me towards the drama that was unfolding in front of God and everyone in Blessings.
Walking slowly, only because I knew no real trouble was going to come down on dad, other than him getting thrown in the cells at Town Hall for knocking Liam’s teeth out, I sighed and let it rip.
“Seems Jake’s mum is convinced her son is missing. Missing as in foul play. She thinks that maybe dad might have acted on his many threats to take care of my deadbeat husband.” Ignoring Claudia’s snort, I continued. “The detective was just hitting town when dad was laying down some liquorice on the road for Miracle’s entertainment. Popped on his siren and flashing blue’s, arresting dad right in front of Miracle.”
“Fuck me drunk,” Claudia breathed out, the word fuck sounding weird coming from her. Seeing our little sister turn her rage from Miracle’s father to the newcomer, Claudia and I quickened our pace. Pulling her phone from her back pocket, Claudia brought up her husband’s number.
“I’ll call Josh and have him come and collect the chickee,” she said, putting the phone to her ear, but I stopped her.
“No need, Josh already knows, he was outside standing near the petrol bowser cheering dad on when it all went down. He’s over there in front of the GT,” I informed her pointing at her husband who was leaning down over the motor looking so casual as he checked the dipstick whipping it on the rag he kept hanging from his overalls.
“Men,” Claudia muttered but the sappy smile she was sporting said something else entirely.
Not in the mood for Claudia’s sappy love for her hubby, I veered away to where our mother was. Trusting Claudia would go back up Gisele, I wasn’t ready to face the detective just yet.
“Is he spending the night in lockup, or have you got your own way again?” I asked as soon as I got to my mother and niece. Noticing the stain of tears on my niece’s beautiful face. My heart breaking for her.
“Got my own way, you know I can’t sleep without your dad’s lump beside me.” Mum answered with that authoritative tone only she could pull off. Ignoring that comment, I bent down and picked up Miracle, settling her on my hip, holding her so her arms would be free to speak. For an eight-year-old she was tiny, her early birth the reason for her small stature.
“And what about you chickee, are you okay?” watching her hands intently as they flew at lightning speed, my grim smile turned into a real one.
“Really? No way! Grumpy did that? Wow chickee that must have been fun.” Watching again, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I agree chickee, there isn’t anything better than the smell of burning rubber. Remember your words, Miracle. There isn’t not ain’t.” I gentled chided her. Keeping Miracle on my hip, I reached out to my mother and gave her arm a squeeze.
“I’ll be back in a minute, just going to take chickee here to Josh then can you come with me to talk to the detective, please?”
“Don’t even have to ask Elle Naomi. Whatever his reason for being here is, it has nothing to do with you.”
Thankful for having a mum like Georgina, I leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Hopefully the same goes for dad,” I muttered only half joking. If anyone could make a body disappear it was Jock Blessing.
Smiling, mum planted a big noisy kiss on Miracle, her eyes dancing with humour.
“Darlin Elle, the day you become a mumma, you will understand that nothing will be more important in your life than your children. You will do anything to keep them safe and happy, your daddy just happens to have that quality about him in spades when it comes to his girls.” Patting my cheek, mum walked off to join back with dad, probably to stop him from killing Liam.
Damn shame that.