Chapter 20
Twenty
I’m not sure how many Reese’s peanut butter cups it takes to be happy, but it’s not twelve.
—Weaver to Eddy
Weaver
My stomach was in knots by the time I arrived at Hopps.
The bar was in full drinking mode as I walked by the patrons to get to the back corner where I knew my girls to be.
“You have a baby,” Boston said as she caught sight of me. “In a bar!”
I rolled my eyes and tugged lightly on one of her braids before saying, “Where’s Eddy?”
“She’s in the bathroom.” She leaned into me. “Went straight in there when we made the move to the bar. Your friend Apollo yelled really loud and scared the shit out of her. We think she’s drugging herself in the bathroom.”
I squeezed my daughter’s shoulder and left her sitting there with Nettie.
I wasn’t concerned that she was alone, though, because I could see the bathroom from the booth that they were all occupying, and the bathroom back where we were was Dixie Wardens use only.
Everyone had a direct line on the bathroom, but that didn’t stop me from heading toward it anyway.
I hesitated when I saw Apollo leaning back in a chair to talk to Denver and Black about Audrey Stanley, but chose to get caught up later in order to check on Eddy.
When I got back to the bathrooms, it was to hear Eddy loudly cursing.
“Eddy?”
There was a pause in the cursing and then, “Hey, can you somehow break into this bathroom?”
There was a moment of silence and then, “Yeah. Give me a second.”
I used a credit card from my wallet to jimmy the bathroom door lock.
When I pushed it open, I used my body to block the view from the rest of the bar and looked toward the side to see Eddy on the toilet fully dressed.
“What is going on?”
“I took a seat,” she admitted. “I needed a break. But this toilet is lower than Nettie’s standards. I can’t get up.”
I grinned and walked toward her, offering her my hand. “What are you in the bathroom contemplating?”
“Well, at first I was only popping some pain pills,” she admitted. “But then I got to thinking about things I heard Apollo saying as I left, and I just lost track of time.”
When she was fully standing, I gently pulled her toward me, smoothing her messy locks into a semblance of control before asking, “I’m almost afraid to ask what it is that Apollo found out about Audrey.”
“How’d you know about her?”
“I passed them and they were talking about her,” I said. “It was pretty heated, so I assumed she was involved in something that she shouldn’t be.”
“My parents’ thing,” she said. “Her and her dad.”
I blinked, instant disgust coating my tongue. “What? You’re joking.”
“All this time we never thought my parents would have an accomplice, but it makes sense that they would. They all ran the Mother’s Day Out thing together.
In all honestly, I think I remember it being Audrey’s idea to form it.
I always thought it was because she wanted money and an easy job, but knowing what I know now…
We just never thought a young woman and a deacon would be involved in their debauchery. ”
“What’d Apollo find?”
“I left before he could get into any great detail,” she admitted. “I didn’t really want to know.”
I didn’t blame her. I had great parents. I couldn’t imagine them being bad people, and having to live with myself knowing that their actions were hurting innocent people. Innocent children.
“Are you ready to go home?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She sounded exhausted. “I thought I’d be okay. I mean, I’ve been sitting for a solid ten days now. But sitting in a hard bench is a little bit different than sitting in a bed.”
“Time to go,” I said. “I’m guessing you heard about your parents’ actions?”
“Well, I heard I had a hit out on me,” she admitted. “Have we confirmed that it was my parents?”
“Well, it looks like the money came out of Audrey’s accounts,” Apollo said as he came to stand in the mouth of the bathroom. “But she was paid the same amount from the church’s coffers.”
“And I’m sure that my parents will make it look like she stole the money and wrote the check to herself.” Eddy wiped at her eyes with her good hand. “I need some sleep.”
“Come on,” I said, curling my arm gently around her. “How are your ribs?”
“They’re okay now,” she said. “I had plenty of time sitting on the toilet for the pain pills to kick in.”
“Weak stomach?” Apollo teased.
“Ribs wouldn’t allow me to stand,” she corrected him. “See you later, Apollo.”
“You’re not even going to wash your hands?” He chuckled.
“I didn’t touch anything. Though, maybe you’re right and I should.”
“Nah.” I guided her out of the room. “You can wash your hands when you get ready for bed at my place.”
Nettie met me at the mouth of the bathroom hallway and asked, “Are you going home?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m exhausted.”
“Can I come by tomorrow morning before I leave?”
That last part was directed at me.
“Absolutely,” I answered. “You’re welcome any time.”
An hour later, I was in my kitchen scanning the contents of my refrigerator, wondering where all the ice cream had gone.
“What are you looking for?”
I looked over my shoulder at my daughter. “I was thinking I’d have a little ice cream.”
“That, uh, might be kind of hard,” Boston whispered. “I might have eaten it.”
I grinned and closed the fridge door. “I never would’ve thought you could put away so much food. I’ll be sure to stock extra ice cream.”
“If you’re giving me a choice on what kind you provide, I really like Blue Bell.”
I looked at my daughter. “They don’t have Blue Bell up here, kid.”
“They do!” she disagreed. “Though I found out that you can also order it online.”
“Like the pineapples you charge to my account every month when you order them directly from the Dole Plantation in Hawaii?” I teased.
“Hey.” She held up her hands. “It’s not really like I meant to find out that they were good. You were the one that had them delivered.”
“You sent me the video.” I pointed out.
“True.” She smiled. “We’ll have to keep ordering them. I’ll bet Eddy will love them.”
“She told me she hates berries, but loves citrus. So I’m assuming she’ll probably like pineapples from Hawaii just fine.”
I watched Boston walk around me to the kitchen cabinet where I kept my pantry staples and pull out a package of Oreos.
I grinned when she placed it between the two of us on the island and went for the milk.
Grabbing two perfect dunking cups down from the cabinet, I placed them on the counter just in time for Boston to fill them both to the brim.
I peeled open the package and the two of us took turns grabbing a cookie and dunking it.
“I taught you well,” I teased on my fourth Oreo.
“I’ve missed this, Daddy,” she said softly. “I love Grandma and Grandpa, but they’re not a good substitute for you.”
I tapped her on the nose before pulling another Oreo.
“I wish I could rewind and start over. Maybe stayed in the Navy so I didn’t insert myself into places I didn’t need to be.”
“Or,” Boston said softly, “you might’ve been unable to save any of us.”
She had a point.
“What ifs are just that, what ifs. We can’t change the past, we can only guide our future. Nor can we make decisions for others. We have to live the life we’ve been given—the life we’ve had a choice in making—and make the best of it.”
“When did you start sounding so wise?” I asked.
“When I realized that feeling sorry for myself didn’t change anything.” She leveled me with a look. “You really like Eddy, huh?”
“Like is too tame of a word for what I feel for Eddy,” I admitted.
“I like her a lot, too,” she said. “For what it’s worth, I’d be super happy to have her here all the time.”
“You think she knows that you’re half in love with her?” I teased.
Boston’s face flamed. “I can’t wait until she’s better and she can coach me in soccer. I’ve heard so much about her. And meeting Nettie was the highlight of my life.”
“My little soccer star, so in love with two women who have no clue how obsessed you are.” I laughed.
“Do they know you’d heard about them from me?” she asked. “Before you even knew them?”
“No,” I admitted. “I’m not really all that sure how to bring it up, to be honest. It makes me feel weird to tell them that you’ve followed their whole careers.”
“You what?”
We both looked guiltily at the entrance to my bedroom where Eddy was now standing looking at us.
“Uhhh,” Boston drawled.
“You like soccer?” Eddy asked.
“I love soccer,” Boston admitted. “I actually used to follow y’all’s careers. You both came to a tournament that I was at when I was six. My grandmother had taken me since my dad wasn’t able to, and I fell in love with you both.”
“Really?” she asked. “What are the odds?”
“One in a million,” I admitted. “I hate to admit this, but I didn’t even realize who y’all were until I called Boston to tell her about you.”
“That might’ve also been a reason that I hopped on a Greyhound bus and made my way here…”
“You’re joking.” Eddy walked toward us, stiff and hesitant.
“Want some Oreos?” I asked.
Eddy reached us and took a seat between the both of us.
She didn’t dunk an entire Oreo, though. She twisted the two sides apart and ate all the cream before dunking the plain cookies into my milk.
“Blasphemy,” I teased.
She grinned and followed the same steps with her second one.
“We should try those double-stuffed ones next time, Dad,” Boston said. “We like them just as much, but if she likes the filling, she’d probably prefer those.”
“Oh, you don’t have to…” Eddy started, but Boston waved her off.
“Dad likes to buy these because he feels like they’re healthier…” She laughed. “When in actuality, neither cookie is really all that great for you.”
“You have a point.” She looked over at me. “What…”
There was a banging at the door, and we all froze.
“Who…”
“Open this door, right now!”
I froze, right along with my daughter.
“What on earth?” Eddy asked.
“What do we do, Dad?” my little girl gasped, fear evident in her eyes. “Oh, my god. Did she follow me?”
“She might have,” I replied, dread lacing my tone.
“Who is it?” Eddy asked.
“My aunt.”
Boston sounded so forlorn that I couldn’t stop myself from hauling her into my arms.
“It’ll be okay, baby. I promise.”
Eddy pushed herself up, no hint of pain on her face.
“You.” Eddy pointed at me. “Go into the back room. And you, Bossy, come with me. We’ll answer the door and deal with your aunt.”