Chapter 11
Gail opened the door to her apartment as soon as she heard Riley arrive, crying out when she saw his bedraggled appearance, his bleeding hand, and his obvious limp. She stared at him and asked, “What happened to your leg?”
“It just … it happens.”
She quickly sat him down. “You’re all wet too.” She ran off and brought out some towels and her first aid kit, cleaning his wounds. As he shifted his prosthetic, clearly broken, she frowned at him. “I don’t know what to do about the leg.”
He laughed. “Nobody ever does, except Kat.”
“Kat?” she asked in surprise.
“Yeah, my prosthetic designer.”
“Oh, my goodness.” She exhaled heavily.
“Yeah, she’ll be pissed, but maybe she’ll understand.”
“I don’t know about understanding, but I suspect she’s probably used to this.”
He groaned. “Either way, it’s well past useful right now. I just need to get it back to her to deal with it. In the meantime, I have a spare.”
She nodded. “Can I get that for you?”
“It’s at my brother’s house.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” she muttered, “because, wow, I don’t even know how you walked on this. However, I can drive over there and get it for you.”
“Best you stay away from Jeremy.”
She rolled her eyes because his brother was not one to forgive as easily as Riley did.
He smiled at her and shrugged. “Just nothing I can say to change his mind yet. Give him time, then maybe we’ll win him over.” When he opened his arms, she walked into them and just held onto him. Riley asked her, “I don’t suppose you want to just start over, huh?”
She tilted her head back, tears in her eyes as she realized he’d said the words she so desperately wanted to hear. “Yes, please, … but I’m not sure you’re getting a good deal.”
“No, I’m not sure either, with your family,” he whispered, but his tone was teasing, and his gaze twinkled as he said it.
“I’ll never live it down, will I?” She groaned. “Now I sound like Debbie.”
“Debbie aside, let’s hope it becomes one of those things that we come to understand over time and that we can walk away from, with a realization that people will be people, and we’ll just try to do better.”
She nodded. “Agreed. Now what about your prosthetic at Jeremy’s?”
He pulled out his phone. “I got it covered. … Jeremy, I need my spare prosthetic at your house. … Yeah, I’m fine.
So, if you don’t feel comfortable bringing it to Gail’s apartment, would Sandy mind or would Gary be a better option?
Just do not let Mom get wind of this. … Great.
We really appreciate it.” He smiled at her as he disconnected.
“And?” she asked.
“Jeremy and Sandy will drop it off. They are coming soon.”
She smiled, wrapped her arms around him again, and added, “I also heard from my grandmother.”
“Yeah? What about?” he asked, as he held her close.
She twisted to see his face and smiled broadly. “The bulk of my grandfather’s inheritance has been redirected to you.”
Riley opened his mouth to protest.
She shook her head. “No,” she snapped, raising a hand.
“She knows what the family did to you. She knows who’s responsible for it.
And she knows that you’re likely to have medical problems in the future that require care and expense beyond what the military will provide for.
So, she decided that we, as a unit, take full responsibility and will help with that. ”
He was shocked into silence.
“I don’t know how much it’ll be, but I can tell you one thing. You are not to turn it down.”
He raised his eyebrows as he stared at her. “Did she set aside enough for herself?”
Gail had to laugh. “Yes, I asked her the same thing.” She added, “As much as anything, this will stick in my father’s throat every day for the rest of his life, and I think that is a fabulous thing.”
Riley shook his head. “So, I’m not supposed to turn it down so we can stick it to your dad?”
“Kind of, yes,” she confirmed. “Hell yeah, because I have control over very few things in life. But one thing I do know is that he is all about controlling other people. At least in this way, he has just lost a gambit that he started a long time ago. Every time he thinks about you getting that money, it will piss him off more.”
Riley chuckled at that.
“My grandmother has already set it up. As Grandfather’s legal and sole heir, she was at the lawyer’s office bright and early today.”
“I’ve got some news too, also of the stick-it-to-your-dad realm.”
She frowned. “Good. But what?”
Riley told her about the fight in the tunnel, searching through the pockets of six guys and finding her father’s card in five guys’ pants. “Also the paramedics think Billy will make it so that’s something good at least.”
“Thank God for that.” She sat back studying his face, letting all that he said integrate.
“Oh, this is gonna be so good. Not only will Dad’s attorneys fight Grandma’s gift to you but he’ll need some criminal attorneys to fight off these newest charges—accessory to murder, theft, drugs, money laundering, whatever.
He may go to jail and lose Grandpa’s money. ” She had to laugh.
“I’m sorry. I should not be so happy, yet I am to see some justice come to my parents.
Oh, and Grandma’s check will be hand-delivered tomorrow.
She says deposit it in the trust account that she set up for you, too.
We just need to go to her bank, and you sign the documents, then do the deposit.
She recommends you spend it immediately just to avoid any hold or garnishment.
Put it into some asset. That way it’s one more step removed from Dad’s attorneys.
This day is just getting better and better,” she exclaimed.
“And what about you?” he asked. “How will you make amends for your part in all this?” His eyebrows waggled.
She smiled up at him. “I already have plans for that. Are you free, morning, noon, and night, for … the end of time?”
He smiled. “I like the sound of that, and, now that I’m out of the military, I think I can accommodate those scheduled times. Plus, I may want to train K9s again, so we need a house with land. Does that sound good to you?”
“Yes,” she squealed, “the more animals the better. Can I also do a rescue on the land?”
“Of course.” He grinned, so pleased to see her so happy.
“And,” she added, “I’m obviously going no-contact with my parents, but I’m hoping that you’ll be okay if we do have contact with my sister and her daughter over time.”
“Of course,” he replied, as he rolled his eyes.
“Of course?” she repeated anxiously.
He nodded. “Okay.”
“And her husband, the man whom she didn’t want my father to destroy?” Gail asked next.
“With good reason, I might add,” he noted. “So we can see him too, if that’s what you are asking.”
“Yes. Thank you. Plus, I’m happy to report that Simon returned home, and he and Debbie are working on their marriage again.”
Riley frowned.
“Oh, I didn’t tell you that Simon left her?” At his nod, Gail continued. “After she told him an update on that whole lying fiasco, she admitted that she never told me that she lied, just told our parents, so I was the last one to find out.”
“Wow,” Riley muttered. “When it rains, it pours.”
She took a deep breath, adding, “And I’m hoping you will be okay with visiting my grandmother and having her over as well.”
“Anytime.” He smiled and nodded. “Your grandmother has always been incredibly awesome. I have no problem with having that much of your family. I might need a little bit of time with your sister, but I’ll work on that too.”
She smiled. “I don’t really think you’ll need much time, because Debbie has come a very long way, but you will be allowed whatever time you want.”
“Of course I am bringing into our circle my mother, Lily, and her partner, Gary, plus my brother and his wife, Sandy, so you won’t get away easily there either.
” He scratched Cain’s head as he lay beside him on the couch.
“And of course this guy is family now too. And there could be dozens more, depending on what I finally decide to do with my life.”
“I’m totally okay with all the furry family we want to keep,” she shared, laughing. Then she sighed and gave him a wince, bravely adding, “I know asking for their forgiveness is a lot, but I’m okay to do whatever it takes to make amends with your family.”
He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Just remember that their reaction is one coming from love for me. I have to frequently remind myself of that too.” He shook his head. “So over time, when they see who you are and how happy we are, they will accept you back.”
Gail wasn’t as positive about that as he was but knew it would be okay at the end of the day—as long as she and Riley were together again. “As for me,” she shared, as she looped her arms around his neck, “I intend to spend the rest of my life making up for what I did to you.”
He shook his head. “No ma’am,” he argued. “We’re not going down this second-chance pathway with that hanging around our necks. You get to go forward, living your life as you choose to now. The one thing I ask is that we keep our communication open and honest.”
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and she nodded. “That I can do.”
Then he leaned down and kissed her with all his heart.