Chapter 13 Red #2
“It was muffled by the door and her movement, but I heard her talking on the phone to someone by the name of Tara—I think. That’s the thing about all of this—it’s based on speculation and eighty-three-year-old ears, so take it all with a boulder of salt.”
“Tara is her sister, so you got that much right.” Gracie slid him a questioning look. “What did she say?”
“So, there was a lot of giggling and stuff, but some of the bits and pieces I heard…”
“Yes?”
“About her high credit cards.”
Gracie nodded. “I get the impression she’s up to her eyeballs in debt. Not sure why you think that’s troubling for anyone but her.”
“Because of the way she might be trying to, uh, get out of it.”
Tapping the brakes, Gracie swallowed. “How?”
“Like I said, I could be wrong. My ears are old, her voice is shrill, and she was fussing on the other side of a bathroom door.”
“Red,” she said impatiently. “Tell me.”
“Sounded like she either might have a little bun in the oven or is planning to get one, and hoping that her former husband will, um, either be the baby daddy or think he is. I don’t know because—”
“What?” Gracie choked.
“I could just be imagining all that,” he said quickly, because the words sounded so preposterous.
“I mean, she’s obviously got an agenda and I’m just saying the word ‘baby’ was bandied about a good bit, and she said things like ‘baby needs a daddy and he’s my best option. ’ What would you make of that?”
“I don’t…even know what to say,” Gracie stuttered. “Are you sure? What exactly do you remember? Please, Red, I need specifics.”
He moaned and snapped the seatbelt, digging through his memory of the moment to recall specifics. “She said this was her ‘best shot’ and that she might go to jail.”
Gracie gasped.
“But the woman is given to the dramatic,” Red added.
“Ya think?” she replied dryly. “Anything else?”
“She said she spent every dime of alimony and that was…why she is here.”
“Good heavens.” Gracie’s eyes shuttered. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”
He winced with guilt. “Because I’m not sure I heard all that…exactly. And it seems extreme and not my place and Marshall’s smart and he can see through her and…” He grunted. “I’m sorry, Gracie. I just knew I was out of line.”
“She’s out of line!” she retorted. “Way, way. Now what do I do?”
“I guess you tell Marshall and he can confront her.”
“Oh, goodness, he already has trust issues.”
“With her, not you,” Red fired back. “And you don’t have to tell him anything specific about babies and such. Just let him know that she has an agenda.”
“He knows that,” she said. “He knew it when she showed up on day one. This won’t surprise him. Maybe it will, but I don’t know. Also, you heard it eavesdropping through a bathroom door.”
He gave her a look. “Right? So now you understand why I’ve kept this to myself. I might have heard it wrong. I don’t trust my ears. Wax buildup. Age. Echo in the bathroom. Could’ve been talking about a TV show or another friend. I missed some things.”
Gracie sighed. “Or…she’s pregnant and plans to seduce him and make him think the baby is his.”
“Or that,” he agreed.
They sat in silence as the van rumbled down the highway.
“I don’t know what to do,” she finally said, clearly struggling in the very way Red had wanted to avoid.
“Benny wanted to stick Bigfoot on her,” he muttered.
“You told this to Benny?” she asked, aghast.
“No, no, no. But Benny’s smart and he talks to Olivia, and they think she wants to get back in Marshall’s good graces, maybe get him to leave and move to California and be a family again. Or Bianca would move here. Benny thinks she’s going to ruin everything.”
“She could. Benny is right. What’s this about…did you say Bigfoot?” She gave a quick laugh. “And why am I not surprised?”
“He said she’s afraid of wildlife, so he was thinking he’d scare her out of town. Raccoons, bears, or…”
“Bigfoot,” Gracie finished. “It would probably get rid of her.” She started laughing and threw him a look. “It’s so something you and that kid would do together.”
“I’ll have you know that I put the old kibosh on Bigfoot,” Red said proudly. “Bein’ the responsible adult and strong male authority in his life, I figured it was best.”
She smiled. “That you are, and I’m grateful for it.”
Red blew out a breath. “I’m getting old for that job, Gracie. My days…are numbered.”
“Stop it,” she said, all humor gone from her voice. “Don’t even say that, Red.”
“You know it’s gonna happen sooner or later.”
“Later,” she whispered. “Much, much later. You’re going to see Benny graduate from high school, college, and win the Nobel prize in physics.”
He wanted to chuckle at that, but the moment felt too serious.
“Look, honey.” He leaned over the console to make his point. “I’m fine with whatever the good Lord decides for me. The fact is, I am the man in that kid’s life and in all my years, I’ve never loved a role more.”
“You’re sweet, Red.”
“I’m a lot of things, Gracie, but sweet ain’t one of ’em. Anyway, I want a good man in your life—for you and Benny. I think Marshall is a fine candidate for the job. So this woman is really upsetting the apple cart and she’s dangerous and I don’t like her.”
“Neither do I,” Gracie said, turning off the highway to Eagle Mountain, the lights of the valley twinkling below as the van wound down the snowy mountain road.
The world outside glowed with Christmas magic—frosted trees, soft snowfall, car headlights weaving through the night.
As they pulled into the GBVI parking area, Red reached over and patted her hand.
“What are you going to do?” he asked. “Tell all this to Marshall?”
She shrugged. “I guess—I’m not sure. I don’t know what else to do.”
“There’s always Bigfoot,” Red joked.
She eyed him suspiciously. “You’re kidding, right?”
“You can never know with me, can you?”
“Nope. But I love you.” She gave him a warm look, then hugged him. “And no man could ever be a better role model for Benny. I mean that.”
He held onto the words, feeling the weight of the secret leaving his shoulders, and his heart…well, the old ticker felt good and strong for the first time in a few weeks.
That’s what doing the right thing did for a man.