Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
MATTHEW
D onna marches into the kitchen, her eyes red. “How could you? Mom loved you more than anything and spent her whole life taking care of you, and this is how you repay her? By replacing her with your high-school sweetheart?”
I expected my kids might be surprised but not mad. “Replacing her? I’m not trying to replace your mom. She isn’t replaceable.”
She swipes at tears. “Think of how it looks. As soon as Mom is gone, you rekindle a romance with your high-school sweetheart and move her into the home you shared with Mom. I’m guessing you wanted to get us all together so we could cheer on this new fling, but I won’t do it.”
My daughter was always closer to my wife than she was to me. So I’m trying to understand, but it stings.
“I thought my kids would be happy that I found love again.”
“A love that you have evidently had on hold since high school. What happened? Did Tandy not want you until she found out you had a nice big ranch and savings from a successful business? A business Mom helped you run.” Her chest heaves.
Daniel and David walk into the kitchen and stop when they see Donna’s red face.
This is not what I imagined when I planned a family meeting. “Donna is upset.”
Daniel nods. “That is kind of obvious. My question is why is she upset?”
She wipes her face. “Did you know that Dad has reconnected with his high-school sweetheart and moved her into this house? He’s probably gathered us all together to announce that he’s getting married again. Then she’ll get more than all his attention. She’ll get half of everything here. Mom would hate that.”
David shakes his head. “Tandy isn’t like that. Have you even met her?”
“We bumped into each other just long enough for me to hear how much Dad pleases her.” Donna crosses her arms. “You are a grown man, but if you go through with this and marry her against all our wishes, I’ll…” Sobs drown out whatever she planned to say.
“Please just listen to me.” Feeling ignored and talked over, I’m trying to rein in my anger.
“You have to choose, Dad.” When her husband peeks into the kitchen, she runs to him.
A second later, the front door closes.
Daniel and David exchange a look. Then Daniel says, “For the record, I don’t have a problem with your getting married. I think Donna is having a hard time because she misses Mom. She probably just needs some time. And David seems pretty certain that Tandy isn’t after you for money, so I’m not inclined to think you’re being blinded by love.”
David rubs his face. “Tandy isn’t after Dad’s money. She owns lots of property in town, and she just bought a pretty good-sized ranch. The woman isn’t hurting for money. Believe me.”
I’m not sure where David’s learned this information, but he’s had a business in town for many years. And while I know most of the ranchers in the area, he is more connected to the business realm.
Tandy and I haven’t talked about her assets. It was never really an issue. But hearing that she owns property in town—other than her house—is a surprise. “You mean like houses?”
“I mean like the strip mall with the donut shop, Haley’s photography studio, and Delaney’s store. Why do you think they get such great deals on rent?” David leans against the counter. “I should probably shut up now.”
I don’t bother to ask how he knows. And it doesn’t make one lick of difference to me what Tandy does or doesn’t own. I love her just a little more now that I know she’s been giving my daughters-in-law great deals on rent. But that wasn’t even because of me. When she decides she likes you, you get all the good things from Tandy. That’s just how she is.
Daniel pats my shoulder. “I’ll talk to Donna. No promises because unlike me, she can be a bit stubborn.”
David and I both laugh, which is exactly what Daniel expected.
But the second of levity dissolves quickly.
“I’m going to find Tandy.” I head down the hall, angry and upset.
My daughter rarely calls, barely visits, and now accuses me of replacing her mother. Losing Catherine was hard on all of us, and grief is different for everyone. I get that, and I’m trying to be understanding. But the things she said about Tandy were uncalled for. And just plain wrong.
When I walk into Tandy’s room, she’s packing a bag.
“What’s going on?” I try to sound calm, but it’s not really working.
Tandy gets down on her hands and knees, probably looking for her cats. Those two have taken to hiding under the bed when company arrives. It started after the grandbabies were over. “I’m trying to find Chip and Dale.”
“Why are you packing a bag?”
She drags Chip out from under the bed and shoves him into his carrier. “I was standing in the hall, Matthew. I heard everything.” After coercing Dale out from under the bed and adding him to the carrier, she finally turns to face me. “This is your family, Matthew. I won’t get between you and your daughter.”
“So you’re just running away?” I am a little panicked and a lot angry. “Again?”
“Yeah.” She blinks, then wipes her eyes. “But this time I won’t quit talking to you.”
“Don’t do this, Tandy.”
She hugs me. “I love you too much to break up your family, Matthew. I don’t want you to wake up one morning resentful that your daughter no longer speaks to you because of me.”
“Please, Tandy. I need you.”
Cupping my cheek, she flashes a teary smile. “You’ll be okay. I gave Haley my meatloaf recipe, and soon those grandbabies are going to need their Grampy to show them how to ride horses and to drive them around the ranch on the mule. You have a lot of people who love you.” She holds out the ring. “Here. This is yours.”
I shove my hands in my pockets, heartbroken and frustrated. “I don’t want it back.”
She steps closer and tucks it in my pocket. “We’ll just go back to being friends.”
I shrug, knowing that nothing I say will convince Tandy not to walk out of here.
But I’m not giving up. There has to be a way to make everyone happy. There has to be. Because right now, I’m miserable. Absolutely gutted.
Tandy kisses my cheek, then picks up the cat carrier and her suitcase. “I’ll come back when everyone is gone and get the rest of my stuff. Please tell them goodbye for me.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“I’ll figure it out. I always do.” She peeks out of the room before hurrying down the hall and out through the garage.
When I hear her truck engine rumble to life, I close myself in my room. And for the first time in years, I let myself cry. And I didn’t even do that when I thought there was a possibility I was dying.
Someone knocks. Then Patsy says, “Matthew, lunch is ready. Please come eat.”
My daughter-in-law might be the sweetest person on the planet, and it’s obvious she’s worried. And I don’t want her to worry about me.
“Coming.” I get out of bed, smooth down my hair, and open the door. “Sorry about… everything.”
She gives me a hug. “We’re working on Donna. Trying. I like Tandy, and I’m sad that she left. But I get why she did. We all heard what Donna said. Well, everyone who was here. It’s probably good that Zach and Eli weren’t here because they’re pretty hot under the collar about it.” She starts down the hall. “Oh, and all that stuff about their rent. Could you maybe not pass that along to anyone? David wasn’t supposed to say anything. Not even Zach and Eli know that Tandy is giving them a steal. She prefers it that way.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Thank you.” She walks on ahead of me, giving me time to compose myself before sitting down with my family.
In the last hour, I’ve had time to think. And I’ve made some decisions.
When I step into the kitchen, Donna wraps her arms around me. “Thank you for choosing us, Dad.”
“I didn’t choose anything.” My tone is sharp, but that can’t be helped.
Donna pulls back like she’s been slapped. Stunned, she stammers out, “But she left.”
I really don’t need to be reminded of that. “Because she heard all the accusations you spewed.” I turn to look at Zach and Eli. “Have y’all had a chance to talk it over?”
Eli nods, then turns to Zach. “You tell him.”
Zach holds his arm out to Haley, who eases up beside him. “Eli said that he and Delaney already have their forever home. So Haley and I talked about it, and we’d love to move out here to the ranch. I can’t imagine a better place for my little guys to grow up.”
“Great. I’m glad to hear that. While everyone is in town, we’ll go through sentimental items and figure out who wants what. Then I’ll be cleaning this place out so that Zach, Haley, and the boys can move in.”
David glances at his siblings, then asks, “Where will you live after you move?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet.” I sit down at the table. “Thank you, Patsy, for getting all the food laid out. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Then we all sit down to a tense and awkward lunch. Our family dinners are usually full of laughter, but not today.
And it’s sad because I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for months.