Chapter 10
“Ivitts!” He stood and made his way to the door.
“Hands where we can see them at all times. You have ten minutes.” He let the guard lead him through the doorway and into one of the cubicles.
His wrists were still manacled, and he wore ankle cuffs with a chain between.
There was a chain that went from the wrist manacles to the chain between his ankles, but they removed that so he could pick up the receiver.
She sat there, hand pressed to the glass. He knew she wanted him to do the same on the other side, but he didn’t want to. That was something the guys did with their old ladies. She was his mom, for god’s sake. “What are you doing here?”
“Just came to see you, honey. You doing okay?”
“Oh, yeah. Just peachy keen. You?”
“I’m fine. Thought I’d come today and give you some news.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“Gina’s been seen around town with some guy. Somebody said she spent the night with him last weekend.”
“Mama, we’re divorced. She can do whatever she pleases.”
“Don’t you give a crap that your kids are being parented by someone else?”
“What the hell am I supposed to do about it? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in prison for beating their mama.”
“That was partially her—”
“No! It was not partially her fault. I’m going through counseling in here, and I’ve learned that it wasn’t her fault at all.
It was all mine. She never asked to be beaten up, and she didn’t do anything to deserve that.
And if she can find somebody who’ll be a decent daddy to the kids, good for her. ”
“I can’t believe you! You give up so easily!” Margie almost shrieked into the receiver.
“Mama, it is what it is. There’s nothing I can do about it, so let it go.”
“I will not let it go! It’s not right and it’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Mama. Never has been and never will be.”
“Well, I’m gonna make it fair. You just wait and see.”
“Leave them alone, Mama,” Nate warned.
“The hell you say.” Margie slammed the receiver down and stood. Through the glass she mouthed, I love you, son, more than you love yourself. Then she turned and left.
Nate sat there for a minute, wondering what was going to happen. He knew his mother. He knew she wouldn’t give up, and he feared what she might do. She’d always been one of the meanest people he’d ever known, and if she unleashed her meanness on Gina and the kids, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
And god help that poor guy, whoever he was. He was as good as gone.
The room was almost pitch black, but it didn’t matter.
Kyle lay there, one arm bent behind his head, staring at the ceiling and listening to the coyotes howl on the far side of the property.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t go to sleep.
All he could think about was Gina and how much he wished she was there with him.
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he sent her a text: I know you’re asleep, but I wanted you to know that I can’t sleep because I miss you.
To his surprise, less than forty-five seconds later his phone pinged, and he smiled when he read her text.
I can’t sleep either. I miss your arms around me.
“This is real,” he whispered to himself alone there in his room. “This is really happening. I’m really in love with a woman who loves me.” He texted back: I love you, Regina Pritchard.
He got one back instantly: I love you too, Kyle Miller. <3
Yep. It was really happening.
“Daddy, is Miss Gina coming over tonight or are we going to her house?”
“Neither. She’s got parent/teacher conferences at the school for Hadley and Briley,” Kyle explained as he stood at the sink rinsing dishes.
“What did they do?”
“What?”
“They did something wrong if she has to go talk to the teacher.”
“No, baby. It’s a conference. I go to two every year for you.”
“You do? What did I do wrong?”
Kyle laughed. “Nothing! It’s just a time for the parents and the teachers to talk about the kids, how they’re doing in school, if there’s something they need to work on, if they’re not participating in class. Things like that.”
“I participate in class. I’m the best speller in the whole room.”
“I bet you are.” The words hadn’t even faded before his phone rang. “You run on to your room.”
“But Daddy—”
“Go. Now.” Kyle pointed down the hallway just as he answered the phone. “Hey, babe.”
“Hi. How’s your evening?”
“Myla’s giving me the stink eye because I sent her to her room while I talk to you.”
“I hear you talking to Miss Gina, Daddy,” Myla yelled up the hall.
“Mind your own business, missy,” he called back to her. “How’d your evening go?”
“Not so great. Briley’s failing American history.”
“What? Why?”
“Because apparently he hates it, so he believes if he hates a class, that means he doesn’t have to pass it. We had a serious discussion once I got home.”
“And Hadley?”
“She appears to be doing fine. I’ve got to come up with an incentive for Briley to get him in the mood to pass this class. Myla doing okay except for the stink eye?”
Kyle laughed. “Yeah. First question was if you were coming here or we were going there. From there, it was a discussion about how you going to the school didn’t mean one of the kids was in trouble. She’s still wrestling with that concept.”
“Aha. I see,” she replied with a chuckle.
Good. She’s in a good mood. Time to ask, he thought. “So, did you check into filing that restraining order?”
“Yes. I did. And since she hasn’t really done anything, I can’t. But they told me if she keeps harassing me, they can do something about that.”
“Have you seen her today?”
“I don’t think so. I got a feeling somebody was following me when I went to the school, but I think I’m just paranoid from the other day.”
“Follow your gut, baby. If you think you’re being followed, you probably are.”
“That doesn’t make me feel a bit better!”
“No, but if it makes you cautious, I’ve done my job,” Kyle said with all the sternness he could muster.
“Oh, I’m being cautious. I see that old bag behind me, I’ll probably throw my car in reverse and ram into her. I’d love to be able to tell the cops she hit me from behind,” Gina groused.
“Don’t do it, babe. Don’t stoop to her bullshit. Just ignore her and report her if she starts harassing you.”
“I will, I promise. God, I miss you!” Gina whispered.
He smiled to himself and hoped she could hear that smile through the phone. “I miss you too. Tomorrow night?”
“Yes. Can you come here? I’ll cook.”
“Sure. Be there as soon after you get off work as I can.”
“Sounds good. Text me when you get into bed.”
“I will. Love you, girl.”
“Love you too, stud.”
“Stud! Woo-hooo! Ain’t nobody ever called me that before!” Kyle said, laughing.
“You’re pretty damn studly in my book, babe. Talk to you later.”
“Yep. Night, babe.” Well, whaddya know? I’m studly! Kyle laughed to himself as he hung up. That was a word he never would’ve equated with himself, and yet that’s how Gina saw him.
Who was he to tell her she was wrong?
Gina put away the clean laundry and took the basket back to the laundry room.
That was the last of it, and she was glad.
At least she and Kyle were comfortable enough together that they could work on each other’s laundry and not be embarrassed, so things still got done even when they were going back and forth between houses.
After she’d brushed her teeth and hair, she slipped on her pajamas and wished she was naked up against Kyle instead.
Padding back to the kitchen barefoot, she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
On her way back, she noticed the porch light was on, so she stepped over to the door and flipped it off.
Out of habit, she peeked out the window on the door and when she did, she got a big surprise.
There was a gray car parked in front of her house, and she recognized it immediately.
It was Margie’s car, and she could see well enough to know that there was someone in it.
What the hell was the old bitch doing? Watching her?
Should I go out and confront her? she asked herself, then opted for a better choice instead.
“Yes, nine-one-one? This is Gina Pritchard over at four twelve Carruthers Street. There’s a car with someone in it out in front of my house.
Being here alone, that makes me pretty nervous. ”
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll have a cruiser go by and check it out. Just stay inside and keep your doors locked and you’ll be fine.”
“Of course. Thank you so much.” It was darker in the house than it was outside, so she knew Margie couldn’t see her peering out the little window.
Several minutes went by, and then she saw a police cruiser come slowly down the street.
The officer flipped the lights on just as he pulled in behind Margie’s car, then got out and walked up to the driver’s side window.
She saw him talking, then pointing on down the street.
In a minute, Margie started the car and drove away with the cruiser right behind her.
At least she knew she’d been spotted, and she knew Gina wasn’t going to take her shit. Heading back to the bedroom, her phone pinged with a text message and she knew who it was.
Hey, babe, heading to bed.
She didn’t bother to text back, just hit his contact in her list and waited. “Hey! Didn’t expect you to call me,” he chirped.
“Didn’t want to text. Just had the police come by here.”
“Why?” She could hear the panic in that one simple word.
“Because Margie was fucking sitting out in front of my house in her car.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Very. I called the cops, told them I felt uncomfortable with somebody sitting in front of my house in a car at this time of night.”
“Did they come?”
“Oh, yeah. Told her to leave and followed her out of the neighborhood.”
“Good. You did the right thing, babe.”
“It’ll only stop her for a little while, Kyle, and she’ll be back. And if I keep calling them, pretty soon they’ll get tired of coming, and then they won’t come when I really need them, and—”
“Slow down! You don’t know that to be true. Besides, maybe this will scare her off.”