Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
M itch had made a quick dinner for himself and Kyle. Cheeseburgers in the cast-iron skillet, along with a tray of frozen French fries in the oven. He was happy to see that Bunny was not a begger. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t interested in the aromas she was smelling. She took a few good sniffs, nose in the air, then went to settle down.
He’d already given her the okay to sleep on the couch. It didn’t seem right to take a dog into your house, only to put all sorts of restrictions on them. He wanted Bunny to feel comfortable, to know she was home, and for her to be a friend and protector for Ruthie.
If she could do that, she deserved a spot on the couch.
After Harper had left, Kyle had organized all the things Mitch had bought for Bunny. He’d set up an eating area for Bunny at the end of the kitchen counter, and put a bed for her in Mitch’s office and another in the living room. Mitch had gotten a few toys for her, along with a leash, collar, harness, food, treats, a brush, some chew toys, and a Bunny-sized life vest for trips on the boat.
Mitch plated up the burgers, putting them on buns. The cheese was melted and perfect. “Kyle? Dinner’s ready.”
Kyle was in his room, working, but the door was open. Ruthie was in her swing by the kitchen table where Mitch could keep an eye on her. He glanced over to check on her. Bunny was curled up next to the swing, head down but still very much awake. Guarding her charge.
Mitch smiled, and softly said, “Good girl, Bunny.”
She looked up at him, ears twitching at her name, tail thumping the floor a few times, then went back to rest mode.
Kyle came out. “Smells great. I am so close to being done with this book. I might work late tonight and finish the last few sections. Once those are done, I’m going to read it through one more time, make sure I’m happy with everything, and then it can go to Lucinda.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you’ll never be happy with everything.” Mitch laughed. “It’s the writer’s curse.”
“I get that,” Kyle said. “But I don’t think I have enough experience to see the book that way yet. Right now, I’m kind of in awe of myself for writing it.”
“I feel that way about what you accomplished, too.” Mitch got the fries out of the oven, sprinkled salt on them, then used tongs to add a portion to each plate. He carried the plates to the table. “Get yourself something to drink.”
“Okay. You want something?”
“I’ll take a bottle of Pelegrino.”
“You got it.” Kyle opened the fridge, grabbed two bottles, then brought them to the table. “Bunny’s chilled out, huh?”
“All that running around with Archie had to wear her out some. Although today was a big day in general for her. Getting adopted and all. They said at the shelter that it could take her a few weeks to really settle in.”
Before he sat down, Kyle cranked Ruthie’s swing so that it would keep going. “I don’t know. She seems pretty settled to me.”
Mitch took his seat. “I’m sure her personality will come out even more over time.”
Kyle squinted at him, turning his head to the side. “Do you hear that?”
Mitch shook his head. “No. What?”
“Dad, I think your phone is ringing.”
Mitch leaned back, his hands going to his pockets. “I must have left it in my office. It can wait.”
Concern filled Kyle’s face. “What if it’s the attorney?”
Mitch got up. “Good point. Be right back.” He jogged to his office, hoping to catch whoever it was before they hung up. The screen said Harper. He smiled and answered. “Hey, there.”
“Hi. Do you have a minute? I need some help. Well, a friend needs some help.”
“Can you give me a few? Kyle and I just sat down to eat.”
“Sure, no problem. Call me when you’re done. No rush.”
“Okay, will do.”
“Enjoy your dinner.”
“Thanks. Later.” He hung up and went back to the table, taking his phone with him.
Kyle looked up expectantly.
Mitch shook his head. “It was Harper. I told her I’d call her back.”
“You sure? I don’t mind if you need to talk to her now.”
“No, it can wait. I want to have dinner with my son. Tell me about the book. How did the edits go today?”
They talked about books and writing and what Kyle hoped his career as a writer would be like and by the time they’d finished eating and cleaned up, it was nearly forty minutes later. Mitch left Kyle to feed Ruthie before putting her in her crib. He went to his office to call Harper back.
“Hi,” she answered. “How was dinner?”
“Good. Nothing fancy. Cheeseburgers and French fries.”
“A real guys’ meal if ever there was one. How’s Bunny?”
“She’s great. She was sleeping by Ruthie’s swing this evening. I hope that’s a sign of things to come.”
“I’m sure it is.”
Mitch got right to it, eager to find out what was going on. “Who’s your friend that needs help?”
“This is just between us, okay? No one can know he’s here. I know you understand the need for privacy.”
“I do.” Mitch frowned, wondering who she could be talking about.
“Jack Marsh is currently staying in my guest house.”
Mitch’s brows shot up. “Jack? How is he? I haven’t seen him in years. Wait—is he in some kind of trouble? You said you had a friend that needed help?”
“Yeah, he is. And he does. Listen, this is all still private and personal, but he’s got a woman stalking him. Well, it’s more than that now. She said if Jack doesn’t pay her off, she’s going to the press and saying he forced her to sleep with him. She has pictures.”
Mitch groaned and rubbed his forehead. This was bad news. Bad . “Not good. Not in this day and age. What’s the real story?”
“He had too much to drink and hooked up with her at the restaurant where he was drinking. She was an employee there. All he remembers is overdoing it and waking up at her place. This could ruin him, Mitch.”
He nodded. “He’s already got a reputation as a playboy, but he’s still a beloved figure. This really could be bad. How on Earth can I help?”
“I’m telling you all of this with Jack’s permission, because I thought maybe you could help him write a carefully worded text to her. She’s been pretty smart so far, only leaving one voicemail that doesn’t have anything on it that could really incriminate her. We’re hoping you could come up with a text or a series of them that might charm her into saying something that could be used against her.”
Mitch took a breath. “I have racquetball with Lucas tomorrow, but after I get home and shower, I can swing by and sit with Jack. Try to draft something.”
“That would be fantastic. Thank you. I really appreciate this. And Jack will, too.”
“No problem. You want me to text him? I have his number.”
“Sure, if you want.”
“I’ll do it right now.”
“Thanks again. Have fun with Lucas tomorrow. Don’t hurt yourself.”
He laughed. “Thanks, I’ll try not to.”
“Talk to you later.”
“Night.” He hung up and scrolled through his contacts until he came to Jack’s number. He tapped on the messaging icon and stared at the blank screen, putting his words together in his head before typing them out.
Just heard from Harper. Be glad to help. I can come by mid-morning, if that works. I’ll text before. Let me know?
Then he quickly added. It’ll be great to see you again. Wish it was under different circumstances.
Jack answered not long after. Be great to see you too, man. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the help. IOU
Mitch shook his head. He hadn’t done anything yet. But he hoped he could help. He’d known Jack a while. As long as he’d known Arlington and Teddy. They weren’t users and abusers.
Arlington had been, well, Arlington. Strong, patriotic, a firm believer in God and country and all of that. He’d raised his boys the same way.
Teddy had some past issues with substances, but he’d gotten through that. He was a dedicated family man now.
And Jackson, while definitely a lover of women and life, had his own sort of do-no-harm creed that extended beyond people to animals and the land he lived on. Jack would never force a woman to do anything, except maybe recycle. He just wasn’t that kind of guy.
Mitch knew what Jack needed him to do. He grabbed a pen and notebook and took it back out with him to watch television. He’d make some notes on these texts, see what he could come up with.
By tomorrow, he’d have something for sure.