Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
M itch yawned, the old movie on the television no longer holding his interest. Joyce and Beryl had long gone to the guest house. Ruthie was asleep and Kyle had gone to bed an hour after her.
Mitch wasn’t sure why he was still up, alone. Enjoying the peace and quiet, maybe. He shut off the television and the house lights, then did a quick check on Ruthie, who was fine, and went into the bedroom. He had Kyle’s book on his tablet. Possibly he was just avoiding it?
He wanted it to be good. Right now, still unread, it very well could be. But the moment he started reading, he’d know for sure. It was Schrodinger’s book.
He chuckled as he squeezed toothpaste onto his brush. Whatever he thought of Kyle’s story, having Harper’s opinion would help. He knew she’d be honest in her reactions. Although she’d couch her criticisms in the kindest possible way.
He liked that about her. The care she took in phrasing things. She probably would have been a great writer. It was part of what made her input so valuable to him.
Hmm. If she liked Kyle’s book, maybe Mitch would hire her to help Kyle with it. Work as a beta reader. Or even help him brainstorm the next one. If there was a next one. And if he wanted help.
Mitch rinsed his toothbrush and stuck it back in the holder. He was getting ahead of himself, all because he was anticipating his son had written something worth publishing. The only way to make that determination was to read it.
He changed into a different T-shirt and took off his cargo shorts, leaving just his boxers on, and got into bed. He sat still for a second. Had he heard Ruthie? He listened carefully, but the house was quiet other than the soft whoosh of the air-conditioning.
Amazing what having a baby around did to a person.
He picked up his tablet, found the manuscript in his downloads, and opened it up. He exhaled. And began to read.
Different start. No woman in danger running for her life. Instead, the book began with the killer finishing up with a victim, being careful not to leave any evidence, arranging the body a certain way. Then the point of view switched to a cop answering a dispatch call and finding the body.
When Mitch looked up again, he’d been reading for an hour. He smiled. Sure, there had been some craft things he would have done differently, places that could use a little tightening, but the story was compelling. And the voice was strong.
He wanted to read more, so he did. The next time he stopped, he was halfway through the book and Ruthie was gearing up for a full-blown meltdown. He could hear it in her ragged little sobs growing louder.
He tossed the tablet aside and jumped out of bed. He went straight to the kitchen and got a bottle into the warmer, then went to get her. “Shh, it’s all right, sweetheart. Grandpa’s got you. I’m right here. You’re okay. I know you’re hungry.” He bounced her as they walked back to the kitchen. He glanced at Kyle’s room. Mitch was pretty sure he’d gotten to Ruthie before Kyle had woken up.
He kept her as quiet as he could until the bottle was ready, then he took her to the couch and fed her. After that, he took her back to the guest room, put her in a clean diaper, then laid her down in the crib.
Singing wasn’t a talent he possessed, but he did it anyway, keeping his voice low as he did his best rendition of Cat’s in the Cradle while leaning over the crib. He really needed to learn some lullabies. Ruthie drifted off, probably in spite of his singing.
Yawning, Mitch went back to bed, falling asleep quickly. If Ruthie woke up a second time, he slept through it, not lifting his head off the pillow again until his usual waking hour. The sky outside was dark, but it would be light soon. He dressed in his running clothes, eager to get outside.
Ruthie was asleep when he checked on her. Satisfied she was fine, he started the coffee and went out for a run.
He’d read the second half of Kyle’s book today. He was eager to see if it finished as strongly as it opened. It was good. Readable. More than readable—it was a page-turner. Mitch already had some ideas about how to increase the tension in a couple of places, but the kid was a natural.
Mitch grinned. Chip off the old block. Of course, the book might fall apart in the end. He’d seen it happen. But with that kind of strong start, a weak end was fixable. That’s how editors earned their keep.
He finished his run by walking the driveway as he usually did, spirits high with the good news about Kyle’s book. Mitch was pretty curious to see what Harper thought of it. And also to see if his opinion had more to do with Kyle being his son than the book really being that solid.
He liked to think he could tell what was good and what wasn’t, but some bias was inevitable.
Impulsively, he sent her the manuscript before getting into the shower, along with a quick note of thanks.
When he’d dressed, he grabbed his tablet and went back out to the kitchen for coffee. Joyce and Beryl were both there. Joyce was assembling breakfast ingredients and Beryl was sitting at the counter, studying a grocery list. Kyle had Ruthie over his shoulder, which was covered with a cloth, and he was patting her on the back as he paced the living room.
A houseful of people. A month ago, it would have sent him into a rage. Now, he couldn’t have been happier.
“Morning all,” Mitch said. “Beautiful day, huh?” He filled his coffee cup.
“Morning, Dad. You go for a run?”
“Yep.”
Kyle nodded. “Man, I need to get back to that. Thanks for getting up with her last night. I was up with her around four, but I still got some pretty solid sleep. I can’t believe how much better I feel just in the few days that we’ve been here. Sleep is kind of important, apparently.”
Mitch laughed. “Yeah, it is.” He leaned on the counter next to Joyce. She was cracking eggs into a bowl. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Nothing too extravagant. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Then Beryl and I are off to the market to get everything we need for the meal this evening. You need me to pick up anything?”
“Nope, I’m good.” Anything he might have mentioned, she’d inevitably have on her list already. He looked at Kyle. “You good to take care of Ruthie today? I have pages I need to get done.” And a book to finish reading, but he didn’t want to mention that just yet. Better he see how it ended first.
“Sure. She is my daughter.” Kyle smiled at Ruthie. “Aren’t you, baby girl?”
Ruthie cooed at him.
“You know,” Joyce said. “There’s one of those Mummy and Me classes at the community center today.”
Mitch narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”
She gave him a look. “They send out a calendar of events every month. And I tack it up on the bulletin board in the laundry room.”
His eyes narrowed further. “We have a bulletin board in the laundry room?”
“Oh, get on with yourself now. You’re just pulling my leg.”
He hadn’t been, but he laughed and let her think that. “I’ll be in my office.”
“I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.”
He carried his coffee and tablet in, closed the door behind him, and went right back to Kyle’s book, curious to see if it was as good as he remembered or if that had somehow been a dream. He was skipping journaling this morning, but he had good reason.
Kyle’s book was no dream. Even in the light of day, the story pulled him back in. He only read a few pages, forcing himself to stop so he could check email. He was waiting on news from the attorney he’d talked to yesterday.
News about their bid for sole custody of Ruthie.
The email he’d hoped for was there, along with a handful of others. He read through the attorney’s message, nodding as he digested it. He shot a quick reply back, telling the man to move forward and that he’d send money via bank transfer immediately.
There was an email from Lucinda as well. He smiled as he read that one. The movie for The Light Within was a go. They had a director attached, Jin Huang, who was known for doing big, artistic productions. Impressive choice, Mitch thought.
Also, casting was underway, and the first payment for the rights would be arriving via direct deposit very soon. Money that would more than cover what he was going to send to the attorney.
This was good. Maybe even a sign that he was doing the right thing where Ruthie was concerned. Not that he needed convincing. Addison’s attitude had done that.
He logged onto his bank’s website and got the money transfer started.