10.
C OURTNEY
I watched Dayton walk up the sidewalk toward the school, ready to jump out and tackle him if he took off. I was pleasantly surprised when Officer Dumont opened the door and held it for Dayton before he waved to let me know everything was okay.
“Did you really think he would take off?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I muttered.
“Okay, all the kids are in the care of responsible adults, and there are no listening ears. Tell me everything !”
“There’s really not a lot to tell,” I hedged.
“Shut your face, and start at the beginning,” Leticia said as she pulled out of the parking lot.
“The beginning.” I hummed before I said, “Well, it all started when Satan met an unsuspecting man, who I’m going to assume was worthless, too, and made me.”
“Remember when we were kids and I accidentally hit you in the head with a soccer ball?”
I laughed before I answered, “I’m pretty sure that was on purpose.”
“The next time I hit you, it will be. Now, get to talking!”
Leticia and I had been friends for so long that I knew she was joking, but I feigned shock before I said, “I’m not sure I feel safe trusting you with my secrets.”
“Girl, I know so many of your secrets that every time you tell me new ones, some of the old ones have to fall out of my head to make room for more.”
“That’s probably true,” I agreed. “Okay, so it all started when Dayton stole my car and got into a wreck. The tow truck driver was so understanding . . .”
“I remember. What does that have to do with . . . Holy shit! Is he your new lawn boy?”
“One and the same.”
“Tell me everything !”
I filled Leticia in on the drive to the coffee shop and then told her the rest after we sat at the table by the window - the same table where I’d had that first conversation with Zane a few days ago.
By the time I was finished, we were on our second cup of coffee, and Leticia was sitting in stunned silence.
“Are you okay?”
“I can never leave town again.”
“I say that every year when you’re planning your vacation, but you don’t listen to me.”
Leticia ignored me and said, “We need to make a list of what we need to do first.”
“Go see the police about my mother.”
“And then you need to go car shopping.”
“You don’t think they’ll find mine?” I asked. When Leticia just gave me a bored look, I sighed. “This is going to make my insurance rates go through the roof.”
“It will, but you know you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Of course I do!”
“You’ve got enough money for you and the kids to be comfortable for a long time, especially if you keep hoarding it like Scrooge McDuck.”
“You know why I do that.”
“I do, and I understand it, but what good is it going to do you sitting somewhere when you and the kids need a bigger, more dependable house and a new vehicle?”
“I just hate to give up Grandma’s house.”
“Turn it into a rental. Find a tenant that’s handy and knock some off the rent for any repairs they do. Whatever money you make after that can go toward Grandma’s care.”
“The new car has to be first on the agenda - after the police station, of course.”
“True.”
“Zane is helping Dawson with Grandpa’s old car, but it’s not going to be running dependably anytime soon.”
“So, let Dawson learn some skills from this, and give him the car as payment for the work he’s put into it.”
“That’s a great idea!”
“That’s why you keep me around. I’m the brains of this operation, and you’re the brawn.”
“True.”
“So, tell me, how good did it feel to finally get to beat the crap out of Jill?”
“Sooo good,” I admitted giddily. I told her about the fight with my mother, and then the conversation went back to Zane and our kiss last night.
“He looked familiar, but, to be honest, I was paying more attention to his naked chest than his face, so I’m not surprised I couldn’t put my finger on where I’d seen him before.”
“You were here all the time when you were a kid, so you probably met him when we were younger.”
“It was only a few weeks in the summers,” Leticia reminded me.
“But still, it’s not like Rojo is a booming metropolis. He said he has a big family, and I’ve already met his sister Zoey.”
“Zoey?”
“She’s his twin.”
“ That was Zane Duke ?” Leticia screeched.
“You know him?”
“Of course I know him. Not as well as my older siblings, but yes. We moved away when I was little, but they grew up with him until we left. I haven’t seen him in ages, obviously, because I didn’t recognize him.”
“How do you know him?”
“My grandmother was his family’s housekeeper for ages, and she considered them part of our family. The last time I saw any of them was at her funeral, but I don’t remember him looking anything like that.”
“I’m sure he had a shirt on at the funeral. If he didn’t, I’d probably remember seeing him there too!”
◆◆◆
“That was intense,” Leticia said as we walked out into the sun. She took a deep breath and asked, “Do you realize that the only times I’ve ever talked to the cops have been with you?”
“I’m glad I could broaden your horizons,” I said sarcastically. I stopped on the bottom step and looked around before I asked, “Does the air seem fresher than it was before we went inside?”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you this relaxed.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this way.”
“I hate to burst this happy bubble that you’re in, babe, but she’s still out there. And you know that Jill always lands on her feet somehow.”
“Not this time. I know that it’s going to break Grandma’s heart, but I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she doesn’t . . . even if that means I have to chop her fucking legs off.”
Leticia winced before she said, “I’m not even sure what to say about that.”
“They took all the data off of the phone she gave Dayton, and the selfies of the two of them are absolute proof that she violated the protective order, which is a charge in and of itself as well as a violation of her parole. She hasn’t even seen her parole officer in weeks, and that makes them really pissy.
Oh, and her decision to convince Dayton to steal my car is an additional felony.
Now that they’re looking into her using Alana’s identity to get lines of credit, that will stack the odds against her even more. ”
“So, what’s next on the agenda?”
“I want to go get ice cream and then shop for a car.”
“Used or new?”
“Fuck it. I’m going new with all the bells and whistles.”
“It’s about time you spent some of your amassed wealth!”
“You know I have a fear of being broke,” I reminded her as we walked to her SUV.
“With good reason, but you’re also on foot, so, in this instance, I think dipping into your stash is warranted.”
I giggled before I said, “It still makes me happy when I remember how pissed off Chad was when he realized that not only did I not need him, but he very much needed me.”
“I hate that he really didn’t even know you after all that time together.”
“That’s not nearly as sad as the fact that he didn’t want our son.”
“True, but now that you know your income is steady, you can start thinking about getting a new house.”
“The thought of a mortgage pains me.”
“It freaks everyone out, especially the first time, but it’s a necessary evil.”
“I have been thinking about staying at Grandma’s for another few years and then buying some property so I can build a house.”
“You’re a budgeting goddess, so if anyone can do that, it would be you.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you! Taking your advice has gotten me further than I would be without it.”
As she backed out of the parking space, she asked, “I already know the answer to this question, but are we shopping luxury or solid and dependable? I have to know beforehand so I know where to take you.”
“I’m not a luxury vehicle kind of person. When I said bells and whistles, I meant a warranty and maybe heated seats.”
“Wow! You’re really going out on a limb there. Are you feverish?”
“Shut it! I’ve got the money for a solid down payment, and after years of working on my credit after what Jill did to me, I qualify for a low-interest loan.”
“It took you years to get that resolved.”
“Luckily, she hasn’t been using Alana’s identity for very long, and I’ve got some time to get it cleared before she’s an adult.”
“I can’t believe she put the electricity at that house in your sister’s name.”
“I know,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “Jill may be diabolical, but she’s not all that smart.”
“Because she’s turned her brain into Swiss cheese with all those drugs.” We pulled into one of the larger car lots in Rojo, and Leticia grinned at me before she said, “Let’s go test drive some SUVs, my friend.”
“Let’s do it.”
◆◆◆
ZANE
I was surprised to see a brand-new SUV with dealer tags in the driveway at Courtney’s, but I didn’t have much time to check it out before the front door flew open and Alana, Leo, and Beau ran out of the house onto the porch.
I let myself in through the gate and smiled as I walked toward them. I chuckled when Alana asked, “Do you like my new car?”
“It’s yours, huh?”
“Mom said that if I get really good grades, I can have it when I get my driver’s license!”
“And when will that be?” I asked as I fist bumped Leo and then Beau.
“Five years, eight months, and three days.”
“Already counting down, huh?”
“I used Dawson’s phone to ask Siri.”
“Will you go let your mom know that I’m here?” I asked as I stopped on the porch.
“She knows you're here and told us to come get you,” Alana informed me.
“Are you going to eat dinner with us?” Leo asked.
“Let’s eat on the driveway again!” Beau suggested as he grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door Alana was holding open. “I liked that!”
“That’s up to your mom, kiddo,” I told him as I followed him into the kitchen.