A Gift of Time

by Beth Flynn

  Sensing the conversation might go somewhere neither one of them wanted, she added, “You remember how sick she was that first time she got pregnant? Poor thing couldn’t keep water down and wouldn’t let you take her to the doctor for medicine. That alone told me how dedicated she was.” Chicky smiled warmly at him.

  He returned her smile. “Yeah, she was so fucking sick with that baby. But you’re right, she wouldn’t even go to the doctor. Said she wasn’t going to put drugs in her body because it might hurt the baby.”

  “She wouldn’t even use the herbs Grunt gave her,” Chicky said. “And they were all natural. She just needed to add them to her tea and they were supposed to help.”

  “I don’t remember Grunt giving her any herbs.”

  “She probably never told you about them because she never took them. Grunt told me he’d gotten them from Sarah Jo. Her college roommate had made a little concoction that was supposed to help Kit keep some food in her stomach. Anyway, it didn’t matter. I caught Kit throwing them away, and she begged me not to tell Grunt. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like Kit.” The memories of the Kit he’d been so in love with, was still in love with, warmed his heart, and he realized he was grateful Chicky had come to see him. Maybe she would be able to visit him in the future. Or maybe not.

  “Chicky, are you getting the right kind of medical help? You have everything you need?”

  “We have good insurance, Grizz. I can’t think of anything they won’t pay for. Well, I have been told about some experimental drugs that are being used in trials, but those are out of the country. That would definitely be something not in our budget. But I’m okay. I’m confident I’m getting the best care I can.”

  “If you had the money, would you go for the trials?”

  “Of course, I would. I’ve been told I’m going to die from this cancer, and the chemo and radiation can only help for so long. It’s inevitable. So yeah, I’d go for the trials. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s gonna kill me?” She laughed then and waved her hand in the air in typical Chicky fashion. “We all gotta die some time.” She flinched at her words. “I’m sorry, Grizz. I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

  “It’s fine, Chicky. I didn’t take it that way. Before you leave today, write down all your banking information for me. Okay?”

  She cocked her head and smiled, giving him a nod. He then made another request that surprised her.

  “And if you ever have some free time and aren’t feeling too bad, do you think you can keep coming to see me? You know, just to talk?”

  Before she could answer him, he quickly added, “I’ll pay all your travel expenses, of course.”

  “Awww, Grizz, honey. I’d be glad to come back and see you. Now, will you do something for me?”

  He nodded slightly.

  “Tell me why this fucking cell of yours smells like blood.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Tommy

  2000, Fort Lauderdale (After the Execution)

  Tommy sat in the office of Axel’s auto repair shop and watched through the big glass window as the mechanics worked on high-end cars and motorcycles.

  Axel had a thriving and legitimate business and, from the looks of it, an extremely successful one. Tommy had called Axel to ask for a favor the day after Mimi brought Elliott home for dinner.

  Just then, the door opened from behind him, and Axel came in. Tommy stood and went to shake his hand, but Axel pulled him in for a hug.

  “Grunt—errr, Tommy! Man, you look fantastic. How the hell have you and Gin been?”

  “We’ve been good, Axel. The usual. Work, kids. Life in general.”

  Axel nodded as they both took a seat. “I was wondering how things have been since, you know, this summer?”

  Tommy knew Axel was referring to Grizz’s execution.

  “It’s all good, Axel. We’re good. I’m glad it’s over,” Tommy said honestly. Of course, he wouldn’t tell him about the problems he and Ginny had after the execution, not to mention the ongoing drama with Sarah Jo.

  Axel didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything. He’d known Grizz since they were children, and in spite of Grizz’s ruthlessness, Axel actually missed his friend.

  “Hey, before I forget,” Axel said, breaking the spell, “I got a quick and lucrative deal on the cars and bikes.” He reached into a drawer, pulled out a check, and handed it to Tommy. “I had it made out to Ginny. Can you give her this check?”

  “That was quick.” Tommy pocketed the check. “Thanks for handling it, man. I wouldn’t have a clue what those cars and bikes were worth, but I bet you got a pretty penny for the seventy-eight Harley.”

  “I didn’t sell a seventy-eight,” Axel said as he picked up another envelope and started to pull its contents out.

  “So it’s still there? You didn’t sell Grizz’s favorite bike?”

  “I don’t know what you mean, Tom. Ginny told me to sell the bikes and cars in the garage. My guys picked up a Trans Am, a Corvette, and two Harleys, an eighty-one and an eighty-five.” Axel handed him the contents of the envelope. “And here—the other thing. I didn’t have a lot of time because you wanted this back so quickly.”

  “Yeah. We leave for our cruise tomorrow, and I would’ve gone nuts wondering if there’s anything I needed to know about this kid. And I really appreciate you doing this. I know it’s not your thing anymore.”

  Axel raised an eyebrow. “The Ax Man still has the right connections.”

  Tommy smiled. Just then someone outside in the shop caught Tommy’s eye. Axel noticed and followed the direction of Tommy’s gaze.

  “Looks like the spitting image of his father, doesn’t he?” Axel said.

  “Holy shit, yeah. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was looking at Anthony Bear. That’s not Slade, is it?”

  “No, Slade favors his mother, but Christian looks exactly like Anthony at that age except for his eyes,” Axel said. “He’s just as mean, too. I would know. I knew Anthony as a kid.” Axel shrugged. “I’ve given him a job. He’s been in and out of trouble. His parents even let him sit in juvie a stint hoping it would straighten his ass out, but it didn’t help. Anthony tried putting him on one of his landscaping crews, but the kid has no interest in lawns, so Anthony asked me for a favor and I said I’d do what I could. I have to give the kid credit. He knows his way around an engine, and it’s keeping him busy. Hopefully, it’ll keep him out of trouble. Seems to be working.”

  Tommy hadn’t seen Anthony and Christy’s family in years. He was never comfortable around them because Anthony had been Grizz’s friend. But Ginny had formed a friendship with Christy and wasn’t giving that up because Grizz went to prison. Tommy knew the women had gotten together with the children many times over the past years. Since Anthony and Christy had moved over here from the west coast of Florida, Ginny and Christy frequently met for lunch, and he knew Christy had been invited on an occasional girl’s night out, but he was pretty certain the kids hadn’t crossed paths in some time.

  Good thing. He couldn’t imagine Mimi bringing home a Christian Bear. It had been a while, but he thought he remembered Ginny telling him Christy had told her Christian used to have a small crush on Mimi. Tommy dismissed the memory and was reminded as to why he was there to see Axel.

  “So, this kid, Elliott. What did you find out?”

  “According to what you’re holding, he checks out.” Axel swiveled in his chair and picked up a soda can from his desk. He took a big swig and watched as Tommy read the report.

  “So he really did just turn eighteen this past summer,” Tommy said more to himself than Axel. “I thought he looked older.”

  “I agree. But he is who he says he is. He graduated high school in June and lives with his maternal grandmother, Edith Wainright. He’s named after his grandfather, Elliott Wainright, but as far as I can tell, his grandmother is the only one who calls him Elliott. He’s mostly known to his friends b
y his middle name. He was raised by a single mother who remarried the kid’s father. When she left to be with him, Elliott moved in with his grandmother to finish school. The mom is a bank teller, and the dad works in a car factory in Michigan.”

  “Why would he introduce himself to Mimi as Elliott if his friends call him something different?”

  “I don’t know. You told me the kid admitted to coming close to being in trouble. Maybe he wants a fresh start with Mimi. I can’t tell you for certain, but if you’re worried about aliases and gang affiliations, I couldn’t find any. Like I said, I can dig more, but you haven’t given me a lot of time.”

  Tommy read over the papers as Axel talked.

  “I didn’t have a lot of time to put the kind of detail on him I normally would. I can confirm some of the shit he’s already told you. He is taking classes at the community college and works at the hardware store. I had him followed twice. One time he took his grandmother to church, then out to lunch. The next time he met with some friends in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. Looked like they were just hanging. No drugs that my guy could see, but they were all having a beer. They weren’t crazy drunk, and they weren’t causing trouble. Just to be sure, my guy got a couple of license plates. I ran them, and looks like he’s still friends with the kids that were trouble, but he didn’t leave with them or anything. He just went home. That’s as far as I got. I can do some more digging if you want.”

  “What kind of trouble were his friends in?”

  “Punk shit. Some vandalism, petty theft, joyriding.”

  “Are they his age and are they staying straight, like him?”

  “They’re all younger than him. Two are still in high school, and one should be, but he dropped out. Nothing on the record for any of them since January, almost a year ago. I don’t know. Maybe he’s their leader, and he’s setting a good example, and they’re following suit. I still think they’re punks, but maybe we could ask Christian. He’s been around the streets, and he hears shit. Let’s run these names by him, see if he recognizes anyone.”

  Before Tommy could stop Axel from dragging Christian into his business, Axel stood and opened the office door. He jumped back with a start causing Tommy to look up.

  “Fuck, Christian, you scared the shit out of me. I was just coming to get you,” Axel said.

  “I was just coming to tell you Mrs. Fuckface wants to talk to you,” Christian said.

  Axel rolled his eyes and stepped aside, motioning for Christian to come into the office. He shut the door behind him.

  “You can’t refer to one of our regulars as Mrs. Fuckface. As a matter of fact, you can’t be calling any of our client’s names, Christian. Are you trying to get fired?”

  Christian rolled his eyes.

  “And I told you to keep your hair in a ponytail or something. You should know how fucking dangerous it is to have your hair around the engines.”

  Tommy cleared his throat, and Axel remembered the reason he’d wanted to talk to Christian.

  “Listen, Christian, I know it’s a big city, but I also know that for someone your age, you’ve been around,” Axel said.

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “I’m going to say four names. I just want to know if you know them or know anything about them. Okay?”

  “Why?”

  “It’s none of your fucking business why.”

  He then proceeded to say the four names, slowly. First, middle, and last names. One guy even had a nickname Axel made sure to mention.

  Christian shook his head. “Never heard of any of ’em. Anything else?”

  “No. That’s it. Thanks. And tell Mrs. Fu...Mrs. Marquart I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Christian looked at Tommy then. “How’s Mimi? Haven’t seen her in a long time.”

  Tommy was caught off-guard. He hadn’t seen Christian in years and was a little surprised the boy remembered and recognized him.

  “Mimi’s doing really good,” Tommy said. “You know girls. She’s got herself a serious boyfriend and thinks he’s ‘the one.’”

  Christian nodded and, without saying anything, left the office and shut the door behind him.

  Tommy looked at Axel and shrugged. “What? I remember Gin telling me he had a crush on Mimi when they were kids. You think I’m opening the door for him to show up one day? No fucking way.”

  Axel started laughing then and stood. “It was nice to see you again, Tommy. Let me know if I can do anything else for you.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Tommy followed Axel out as Axel went to look for the upset customer.

  Tommy was relieved. Elliott had been truthful. Tommy would be taking his family on their cruise tomorrow, and he wouldn’t have the burden of not knowing if Elliott was who he said he was. Of course, now Tommy would have to handle the thought of Mimi dating an eighteen-year-old, but at least now Tommy knew who he was dealing with. A kid who’d almost found himself on the wrong side of the law but came to his senses just in time.

  Christian watched out of the corner of his eye as Mimi’s father left Axel’s office. He’d noticed him walk in earlier, and he’d purposely pissed off Mrs. Fuckface so she’d insist on speaking with Axel. He’d wanted an excuse to ask about Mimi.

  He hadn’t spoken to Mimi in years, but he still had deep and unresolved feelings for her. He couldn’t understand why. They were so young the last time he’d seen her, and he’d been with plenty of girls since then. But there was always one face that kept coming back to haunt him. Mimi’s.

  He never sought her out or suggested to his mother that they do something as a family. As a matter of fact, he was so disturbed by his obsession with her that he ran as far away from it as he could.

  Then, at the beginning of this year, he’d seen her from afar. She was at the mall and had been sitting on a bench talking to a woman. He’d stopped in his tracks and ducked into a store. He watched her from the store window as he remembered how they’d played as children and when they’d gotten a little older, just old enough to be aware that they were the opposite sex, how those get-togethers had turned a little awkward and shy. Then, the family get-togethers just stopped, but he never stopped thinking about her.

  He was getting ready to walk into Axel’s office and interrupt whatever they were talking about when he heard Mimi’s name. Most of the conversation was muffled, but he was sure he heard them mention Mimi. He stopped to see if he could hear more. He then heard his own name and had his hand on the knob to turn it when Axel swung the door open.

  He’d gone inside and listened as Axel recited the four names. He’d politely inquired about Mimi. He’d noticed the concern in her father’s eyes, and he’d feigned indifference as he walked out.

  But he wasn’t feeling indifference now. He was pissed. He was angry. He wanted to beat on something or someone.

  He wouldn’t let his temper get the best of him. He would have to play along to figure out what the fuck was going on. He wanted to know which of the guys Axel named was dating Mimi.

  And more specifically, he wanted to know why that piece of shit gang-wannabe Nick Rosman was calling himself Elliott.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ginny

  2000, Fort Lauderdale (After the Execution)

  The Thanksgiving cruise couldn’t have been more perfect. There was some disappointment for Jason because Alec and his boys had backed out, but he quickly made friends and enjoyed himself immensely. Between the nonstop activity and all the food, my normally rambunctious and energetic son collapsed into his small bed every night and fell into a quick and heavy sleep. As a matter of fact, we all did.

  The days were full, and as much as I’d wanted to make love with Tommy in the privacy of our cabin, we both found ourselves worn out by the day’s activities, and we succumbed to sleep as quickly as our children did. That was okay. We have the rest of our lives to make love, I’d told myself.

  “I really wish Casey and Alec had connected,” I’d told Tommy as I slipped into my bat
hing suit.

  “He told me they just didn’t have chemistry, and maybe it was a little too soon to be dating. I think what happened with Paulina may have screwed with him more than he’s willing to admit.” Tommy had already pulled on his bathing suit and was slathering his arms with sunscreen.

  “I know. She told me the same thing.” I grabbed the lotion out of Tommy’s hand and indicated for him to turn around. I squirted some on his back.

  “Ahhh, Ginny, it’s cold. Warm it up in your hands first!”

  A pounding at our door interrupted us, and I went to answer it as Tommy put on a tank top.

  “We’re ready! Are you guys ready?” Jason asked with his toothy grin. Mimi stood behind her brother and smiled.

  Now, I was lying on the isolated beach with Mimi, leaning back on my elbows and watching as Jason and Tommy snorkeled. We’d taken a small boat to the island and walked quite a distance until we’d found a spot we could call our own.

  “I can’t believe Dad would think I’d stop loving him when I found out,” Mimi said.

  Tommy and I had more than one conversation with Mimi since that day in my bedroom when Tommy told me he was concerned about Mimi having feelings for Grizz. I’d told him the truth that day when I’d said I needed him to help me convince her not to hate Grizz. I hadn’t realized how powerful the word hate was until I saw it in my own daughter’s eyes. Saw it as we talked about the man who’d given her life.

  I had been wrestling with what I thought was my hatred of Grizz since I’d learned he was still alive. I’d come to realize, through my discussions with Mimi, that it wasn’t hate I was feeling. It was hurt and confusion. I was totally baffled by his rejection of me.

  But I also couldn’t deny my love for him. I had been totally and completely in love with Grizz, and I’d realized it was important to me that the child who’d been conceived in that love knew it. She had to know how much she was wanted and loved by both of us.

  It wasn’t easy to convince her. She held onto her dislike of him like an iron fist welded to a steel pole. The fact that I was being truthful about him and our past didn’t help. Grizz had done some horrible things. But I made sure she knew how he treated me. How it was his idea for Tommy to marry me so I wouldn’t be alone. That Grizz was the one who’d insisted Tommy raise the child he couldn’t because he knew Tommy loved me and would love my child as his own.