Chapter 11
The number on Gina’s phone was strange, but she answered it anyway, concerned that it might be the school. She wished she hadn’t the minute she answered it and a male voice said, “You have a collect call from the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Will you accept?”
It was a pretty sure bet the big sigh she let out was something the operator heard often. “Yes. I’ll accept.” There was a click and she uttered a dispassionate, “Hello?”
“Gina? Don’t hang up!”
It was a real shame he couldn’t see the eye roll she turned loose. “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. Scuttlebutt is that you have a new boyfriend.”
“That’s none of your business, Nate,” she reminded him.
“I know, I know. It’s not that. It’s my mama.”
“What about her?”
“She’s determined to make your life hell.”
“You say that like it’s a news flash. That was true even when we were married.”
“No. What I’m saying is that there’s something else going on there, Gina. I think she’s gone around the bend.”
“Again, no news flash there.”
“Look.” She could hear the frustration in Nate’s voice. “I don’t care about your boyfriend. I mean, I’m not saying I want anything to happen to him. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m trying to say that it’s okay that you have a boyfriend, and—”
“Like I need your permission.”
“Damn it, Gina, listen to me!” He was silent for a few seconds before he started again.
“I don’t wish any of you any harm, not you or your boyfriend.
I know it’s time for you to move on. I accept that.
” That was the closest to being an adult she’d ever heard him sound.
“Mama … There’s something wrong with her, Gina, and I’m kinda afraid for you. ”
“Afraid for me? Why are you afraid for me?”
“Because I think she’s really unstable.” Gina started to say something else sarcastic, then decided against it.
It took a lot for Nate to say something like that about his mother, and if he was saying it, he really was worried.
“She’s talking crazy stuff, about how you and that guy need to be stopped, about how he’ll corrupt the kids and all kinds of bullshit.
I’ve told her over and over to drop it, but she won’t.
I try to get her talking about something else, but it always comes back to you and, what’s his name? ”
“Kyle.”
“Yeah. Kyle. She told me about the wheels and—”
“Nobody tore anything up, just slowed her down.”
“I know. I get it. But you need to watch out, Gina. I swear, I’m afraid she’ll try something nuts and hurt somebody.”
Gina sat there for a minute, trying to process what he was saying. “You really are worried, aren’t you?”
“I am. I’m worried for you, for Kyle, for the kids. Doesn’t he have a kid?”
Yep. His mother had definitely been talking. “Yeah. Little girl.”
“I don’t want to see her get hurt, and I’m afraid Mama’s planning something crazy. Honest to god, Gina, I haven’t bothered you, have I?”
She sighed. “No. You haven’t.”
“Okay. So I wouldn’t tell you this if it wasn’t important, and I think it really is important. You need to stay away from her. Get a protective order if you need to.” His voice held an edge of bitterness when he added, “I know you know how to get one of those.”
“But she hasn’t really done anything, and she’d have to before I could get an EPO against her.”
“I know. I get it. But keep an eye out, Gina. She’s up to something. I don’t know what, but whatever it is, it won’t be good.”
“Okay. I’m glad you told me this. I’ll be watching the kids and I’ll tell Kyle to keep an eye out.”
“Good. I don’t want anybody getting hurt.
Honestly, I told her not to come back here.
If all she wants to talk about when she comes to see me is revenge against this person or that person, I really don’t want to hear it.
I could use some positive stuff in my life, some good vibes, instead of that kind of shit. ”
She wasn’t sure what had happened, but Gina realized in that moment that the man talking to her wasn’t the same old Nate. “You’ve changed. What’s happened?”
“You know,” he said, his voice tired and sad, “I think I finally grew up.”
“Good for you.”
“I live with a lot of regrets, Gina, regrets I have to face every day. I’m not proud of the person I was. I hope someday I can get out of here and be a better person. I really do want that.”
“Nate, there’s no way that—”
“I don’t mean with you. I know that’s over, and I don’t blame you.” Wow, something really has happened to him! Gina told herself. “You should have a good life, you and the kids. You didn’t deserve what you were living in, and for that, I’m really sorry.”
“I appreciate that. Look, I need to go, but if she says anything to you that gives you any idea what she’s—”
“I’ll call you. If I’ve used up my phone privileges, I swear, I’ll talk to the warden and get him to contact the sheriff’s department. But I don’t want any of you getting hurt because of her.”
“Okay. Thanks for the heads-up. You take care of yourself.”
“You do the same. Bye, Gina.”
“Bye.” The phone went dead and Gina sat there, holding it and staring at the wall.
If Nate had actually called her to warn her, something more than the usual craziness was going on with Margie.
Something had tipped her over the edge, and she was free falling.
Problem was, she was trying to take everybody else with her.
Gina couldn’t let that happen. She finally had a life worth defending.
And she’d defend it to the death. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that, but with Margie, anything could happen.
Kyle sat there, stunned. “Babe, if he thinks his mother is that dangerous, we’ve got a real problem. You realize that, right?”
“I know. I really don’t know what to do, but I feel like I need to do something.”
“That’s we. You’re not in this alone. And we need to make Hadley and Briley aware of this. They’re old enough that she could cause problems for them.”
“That’s true.” Just the look on Gina’s face was enough. He could tell she was stressed to the max and exhausted. “I just …”
Kyle took her hands in his and held them tightly.
“Baby, we’re going to get through this. No matter what, as long as we’re here for each other, we’ll be fine.
Your family is here for us, and so is mine.
We’ve got a small army rooting for us. It’s gonna be okay.
” He could see her lower lip quivering, so he just dropped her hands and pulled her up against him.
She shook as she cried, and it hurt Kyle, but it also infuriated him.
Hadn’t that family done enough to hurt and scar her?
To abandon and sadden her children? It was enough, more than enough, to break their hearts and hurt them in ways from which they’d never heal, and the idiots just wouldn’t stop.
It was slightly encouraging that Nate had reached out in the way he had, though.
Kyle wondered about the guy. What was he like?
Was he more than just the asshole who’d beaten Gina and terrified their kids?
Was his warning intended just to frighten her and keep her on edge?
From what he’d seen of Margie, he was fairly certain that Nate’s warning was justified.
The house was dark and everyone was asleep except the two of them when Kyle pulled Gina into bed with him and cuddled her against him. She was scared, and he didn’t blame her. What he’d seen of Margie told him she was a threat. How far would she go to harass them and get her way, whatever that was?
He really didn’t want to find out.
“Did that shipment ever show up?” Miles had been waiting for the carton of organic liquid fertilizer for a week and it had never come.
Gina put the last bag of pesticide dust on the shelf. “Not yet. I’m watching for it.” It was late enough in the afternoon that she knew it wouldn’t be coming that day.
“Mr. Case is calling me every day to ask for it. I mean, Case is really on my case!” Miles laughed at his own joke and Gina grinned. Her dad was kind of corny, but he was funny too. Even on her worst days, he managed to make her smile, and she’d had quite a few of those days over the years.
First it was distant and in less than a minute, the siren’s wail was so loud that Gina stopped and looked up to see a sheriff’s department cruiser fly past the store. She’d no more than opened a box of hand cultivators when another flew by, siren blaring. That was unusual.
The phone rang on the counter and Miles picked it up.
“Pritchard’s. May I … What, honey? What?
Okay, okay, it’s okay. Calm down. Your mom will be right there.
It’s okay.” Gina turned and stared. “Okay, sweetie. She’ll be right there.
Just do what they tell you. It’ll be fine.
I love you. Bye.” Miles dropped the receiver and spun to meet Gina’s eyes.
“Hadley. She’s at McCaskill’s. Go. Now. Right now! ”
Gina dropped the box and hit the door at full stride.
Gravel flew as she tore out of her parking space behind the building, and she raced down the street, checking before crossing on red lights and driving as fast as she thought she could without causing an accident.
When she reached the corner near McCaskill’s Quick Mart, her heart froze.
There was a sea of sheriff’s department cruisers and city police cars sitting there, blue lights almost blinding her, and a crowd had gathered.
Gina screeched into a spot at the curb, threw the truck into PARK, and sprinted toward the building.
A deputy stopped her with an outward-facing palm. “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but—”
“I’m Hadley Ivitts’ mom! I need to get in there!”
“Yes, ma’am. Go on in.” The deputy moved out of her way and Gina bolted past him and into the throng of people, many of whom were teenagers.