A Gift of Time

by Beth Flynn

  “No,” I told them firmly. After discovering it was a little girl, I said, “I’m calling her Hope.”

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Grizz

  2002, Fort Lauderdale

  Grizz watched from the bench as the woman seated herself at a small table by the restaurant window and perused the menu as she waited for someone to join her. He held the newspaper up to block his face and would occasionally lower it so he could see just over the edge. He didn’t know what he wanted to see, needed to see. He just knew he felt compelled to watch Sarah Jo.

  He thought about all the things that had happened in his life since before Christmas and up until the anniversary of Tommy’s murder. He remembered being unsure as to whether or not to accept an invitation to Ginny’s for Christmas dinner. He’d made sure not to ever show up at her home uninvited like he’d done so many months before, when he’d driven Mimi home from the grocery store. It was probably for the best that he’d stayed away, yet he couldn’t resist the invitation to spend Christmas with them. He knew Mimi and Jason were beginning to accept him.

  He smiled when he thought about the confirmation he’d received that Christmas day.

  “Hey, you two are standing under the mistletoe!” Jason grinned. “You know what that means.”

  It was Christmas night, and Grizz had been standing in their foyer getting ready to leave when Jason’s words interrupted their goodbyes. His emotions were scattered as he warred with wanting very much to kiss her, grateful that Jason wanted him to and wondering how to pull it off without it being too awkward. He was extremely mindful of the fact that this was their first Christmas without Tommy, and the last thing he wanted to do was appear disrespectful in Tommy’s home.

  “What are you waiting for?” Mimi had teased.

  He took Ginny gently by the shoulders and softly kissed her forehead.

  “Thank you for a delicious dinner,” he’d told her. “And a wonderful day.”

  “Ah, that’s no kiss,” Jason said, laughing.

  Setting memories of Christmas aside, he now watched as another woman made her way to the table and Sarah Jo stood to give her a hug. Her name was April. She had been married to a man named Stephen, and they had both been to his and Ginny’s home in Shady Ranches many times back before Grizz’s arrest in 1985. They were a nice couple, and he’d recently asked Ginny about them.

  “I noticed Stephen was at Tommy’s funeral, but he wasn’t with April. He was with some redhead. What happened to April?”

  “They divorced a few years back. Nothing bad. I guess they just grew apart.” Ginny looked thoughtful. “April’s settled down with someone new since then, but Stephen hasn’t. She said he’s having too much fun being single. Apparently, he enjoys chasing a certain body part around. It’s a new woman every month.”

  “A certain body part?” He gave her an odd look. “You mean his dick? He’s chasing his dick around?”

  “Yes, that’s what I mean, and that’s what he’s been doing. They’ve stayed friends, but I have to tell you, April is not only a natural beauty, but she’s a genuinely sweet and caring person. He’s been seeing women that seem a little...I don’t know...edgier. Just so different from her. They seem to have a different look, too. It’s odd.”

  “I have to agree. I remember the woman from the funeral.” He paused before adding, “So how long has his dick been vision-impaired?”

  Ginny gently scolded him and said Stephen’s new girlfriends weren’t unattractive, just different. In characteristic Grizz fashion, he disagreed with her and told her he thought the redhead was downright ugly.

  He now laid the newspaper aside and stood to leave. He had just ducked behind the side of a brick building when he decided to look over his shoulder. Sarah Jo just happened to glance up and quickly looked away. Her eyes returned to the spot where she was certain she’d just seen something that couldn’t be.

  It wasn’t the first time since Christmas that her eyes had played tricks on her. She was certain she’d spotted him several times, but she knew it was impossible. What was wrong with her? Why was her brain screwing with her like this? Was it guilt over the falling out she’d had with Tommy? Guilt over the subtle way she’d drifted away from her tight friendship with Ginny?

  Funny how that had been Tommy’s goal and she’d resisted it, yet it’s what was happening anyway. Whatever was behind the reason for her recent Grizz sightings, she needed to shake it off before it drove her crazy. After saying goodbye to April, she headed back to work.

  Grizz drove back toward his side of town, lost in thoughts about why he’d begun spying on Sarah Jo in the first place. It wasn’t until Christmas night when he’d gone home to Laurel Falls that something small and insignificant that Ginny had said at Christmas dinner triggered a memory. The memory had been nagging at him since reading Moe’s journal. He knew there was something lurking in the back of his mind that kept poking at his subconscious, but he could never bring it to the surface, like when a song lyric or movie line keeps replaying itself in your head but you can’t place the singer or the actor that said it. Then, one day, when you’re doing something totally irrelevant, it lets itself be known.

  That’s what happened Christmas night. He was drifting off to sleep when he remembered who’d used the term “tit for tat.” He hadn’t even caught it when she gave the eulogy at Tommy’s funeral, but when he did remember it, it came on him like a steel hammer to the head. He’d convinced himself all those years ago that it had been Willow who had used that phrase. He’d been wrong—and he knew Tommy must’ve been smart enough to have caught it when reading the journal.

  He also knew Tommy had died in the very hospital where Sarah Jo and her husband worked. Did he really succumb to his injuries? Or was it something else?

  He didn’t have to think about whether or not Tommy’s shooting was planned or random. Anthony Bear’s sources were too reliable. It was not a setup by Sarah Jo or anyone else. But Tommy dying in Sarah Jo’s hospital—he couldn’t shake it.

  And he wouldn’t bring it up with Ginny. The few times he’d mentioned Sarah Jo, Ginny talked fondly about her, though she confessed that they weren’t as close as they used to be. He’d asked her if it was of her choosing or Sarah Jo’s. She looked thoughtful when she said they’d started to grow apart after his execution in 2000. Right afterward, Jo’s husband had started interviewing for jobs outside the country.

  He couldn’t help but wonder.

  He didn’t know why he felt compelled to watch Jo. It must’ve been an instinct left over from his old life. Would he allow himself to exact revenge on the woman? He honestly hoped not, but the call of that old life occasionally taunted him.

  He was relieved when Ginny and the kids stoically made it through the one-year anniversary of Tommy’s passing. He kept his distance, giving them the space he thought they needed. He felt like he’d held his breath for the week after that dreaded anniversary, but life continued. The one thing he couldn’t continue to avoid and didn’t know how to handle was Jason’s constant invitations to public events.

  He was now in his back yard throwing the ball for Rocky when the cell phone in his pocket buzzed.

  “Hey, baby, I was just thinking about you,” he said into his flip phone.

  “Hey, yourself. What are you doing?” Ginny asked.

  He smiled. “Throwing the ball with Rocky. Well, I’m throwing. He’s retrieving it.”

  “The kids and I just drove through Dairy Queen. We were wondering if we could stop by. They have something they want to ask you.”

  Ten minutes later, Jason was presenting Grizz with a vanilla milkshake that had obviously suffered on the drive over.

  “Mom said she remembered vanilla was your favorite flavored milkshake,” Jason said, handing over the tall cup. “You know, from when you used to be married to her.”

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Ginny

  2002, Fort Lauderdale

  I watched as Grizz froze while retrieving the
melting milkshake from Jason’s hand. I saw him swallow, and his eyes met mine. Grizz may have been a man of few words, but he was never a man without words. He was without them now.

  I suggested he put the milkshake in the freezer to let it harden up a bit. Without saying anything, he did as I suggested, then seated himself in the overstuffed chair in his living room. Jason, Mimi, and I sat on the couch. Mimi spoke first.

  “Mom explained to Jason and me that you two were married a long time ago, and how after you went to jail, she married our dad.”

  “My dad,” Jason said.

  Mimi looked at her brother. “He was my father, too, Jason. Mom explained that.”

  “I know, I was just trying to tell James I know that part, too. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Mimi.” He looked at her with wide eyes, and she gave him a smile and a quick hug.

  Grizz swiped his hand down his face. He took a big breath and sat on the edge of the chair. I could see uncertainty in his eyes as he looked to me, then back at the kids. I nodded for Mimi to continue.

  “She thought it was important for us to know we had a family,” Mimi said. “We’ve never had a family before. It’s always just been Mom, Dad, me, and Jason. No grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins.”

  “Aunt Carter and Uncle Bill aren’t our real aunt and uncle,” Jason explained.

  “Anyway,” Mimi said, frowning at Jason for the interruption, “we’re going to meet our family for spring break.”

  “And we want you to come with us because it’s your family, too!” Jason shouted the last part, his excitement too much for him to contain.

  Grizz nodded numbly and excused himself to use the bathroom. I knew he was hiding, but he couldn’t stay in there forever.

  Ten minutes later, we stood at the sliding glass doors and watched Jason play with Rocky in the back yard. Mimi was sitting on the couch watching one of her favorite television shows.

  “I can’t believe you told him,” Grizz said quietly.

  “I couldn’t keep it from him. He’s going to be twelve this year. He’s a sensitive child but not stupid. He’s had to grow up awfully quick since Tommy died.” I cast him a glance. “I’m taking the kids to meet your father whether you go with us or not. I didn’t want to go there with the pretense that we were meeting an old family friend. He is Mimi’s biological grandfather, and I don’t want to hide that truth. I don’t want to hide any more truths, Grizz.”

  “How did he take it?”

  “Jason is an optimist. He was excited to find out they had a grandfather and lots of cousins.” Before Grizz could ask, I said, “He understands that they are biologically Mimi’s relatives, but he doesn’t care. He’s excited.”

  “That’s not the part I was wondering about. What did he think about us being married?” he asked, his voice still low.

  He didn’t have to talk so quietly. Mimi knew everything and had even helped me by pretending to learn these things for the first time along with Jason. She didn’t want him to feel like he was the last to know. She had changed so much over the past year and a half. My heart couldn’t have been prouder.

  “He was shocked. Had lots of questions, as you can imagine.”

  Grizz nodded.

  “But the thing that was most important to him was wanting to know if Mimi knew Tommy loved her as much as he loved him. He was worried Mimi’s feelings were getting hurt by finding out Tommy had married me when I was already pregnant with her.” Tears filled my eyes. “My child has a huge heart.”

  “Not as big as his mother’s,” Grizz whispered.

  The question the kids wanted to ask Grizz that day was if he wanted to go with us. After returning from his bathroom break I watched him seriously consider his answer, and after a few moments of silence, he nodded.

  **********

  Four days later we found ourselves on a road trip.

  Jason beamed. “Don’t be nervous, James. We’ll be there with you when you meet your father for the first time.”

  After making sure Rocky, Hope, and Spooky were safely delivered into Carter’s care, we hit the road. We were miles from the North Carolina border when I noticed Grizz’s demeanor change. He looked tense.

  I gently touched his arm. “It’ll be fine,” I whispered. “Have some faith.”

  We had just crossed into North Carolina. The roads were curvy, and I thought I might be getting a little motion sickness. The scenery was breathtaking. I’d visited this little town the previous winter. It was a different type of beauty then. Leafless trees with stark branches had been splayed against a backdrop of brilliant white snow. It was now spring, and the trees and plants were coming into full bloom and providing a canopy over the narrow road. The air even smelled different here. We saw a sign that said, “Welcome to Pine Creek, elevation 3,800 feet.”

  We made a left turn at a small coffee shop that had been the original schoolhouse back in the 1800s. The school bell still hung proudly in its small steeple. Before we knew it, we were turning onto a dirt road. We came upon a mailbox that said “Hunter,” and we knew to make a right.

  The gravel crunched beneath the tires, and we all let out a collective sigh of wonder when we reached the top of the long driveway. Green pastures spread out against a breathtaking view of the mountains. A large two-story cabin sat right in the middle, a red barn in the back. Cars and trucks were lined up on the right side of the property, and people were spread out everywhere. The smell of barbecue drifted through the open car windows.

  I spotted him immediately. Like his son, he would be a hard man to miss.

  Micah Hunter started walking toward our car, speeding up when Grizz put the car in park. I watched as Grizz hesitated, then slowly opened the door and started to get out. He had just slammed the car door shut when Micah reached him and pulled him into a bear hug.

  With his voice quavering and his face buried in Grizz’s shoulder, I heard him say, “Welcome home, son. Welcome home.”

  Chapter Sixty

  Grizz

  2002, North Carolina

  Grizz stiffened as the father he’d never known invaded his personal space and clung tightly to his only child. When he pulled back, he allowed himself to meet the old man’s eyes, and what he saw caused him to look away.

  Micah Hunter looked at his grown son with a love that was timeless. It didn’t matter that they’d never met before today. There was acceptance, joy, and a certain expectation in the man’s gaze, and Grizz wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about any of it. He could only surmise that Ginny hadn’t told Micah everything about him. No. There had to be things he wasn’t aware of because he certainly wouldn’t be welcoming him with open arms.

  Grizz cast a wary glance over at Ginny and then at the people who’d gathered in Micah’s yard.

  As if sensing his son’s discomfort, Micah told him, “My excitement got the best of me, and I planned a pig roast to celebrate, but don’t worry, they know they’re not allowed to stay. They’ve already cleaned up from supper and were just getting ready to head out anyway, but hung around just long enough to get a look at you-uns.”

  Micah called out to those gathered on his property. “I thank you all kindly for being here to welcome my son and his family home.”

  Ginny was standing next to her children and chanced a peek at their faces after Micah’s reference to family. Mimi and Jason were both grinning ear-to-ear.

  “But,” Micah continued, “like I told y’all when we sat down to supper, this is a bit much for them. For me, too. So we’ll save introductions for another time.”

  Grizz watched with obvious relief as the guests, respecting Micah’s wishes, started gathering their families. Smiling parents shooed their children toward cars and trucks as they balanced paper plates covered in tinfoil. A few kids hung back, and it was obvious they wanted to meet Ginny’s children. Eventually, they were shuffled off, too.

  “How many of them do you think there are?” Jason asked his mother, eyes wide.

  She shoo
k her head. “Too many to count.”

  She’d been watching as an older woman, almost mannish in appearance, seemed to take charge of herding the guests toward their vehicles.

  Micah was now making small talk with Grizz, Mimi, and Jason, but Ginny wasn’t paying attention. She watched as the older woman said goodbye to the last family and, after slamming their car door shut, made a beeline for Micah.

  “Don’t you think for one single second, Micah Edward Hunter, that I am going to be sent away before I get to meet my nephew!” the woman said in a loud voice. The conversation stopped as Micah turned to face her. “My late husband was a Jamison, so I have connections to this boy from both sides of my family, and I’m not being run off with the rest of ’em!”

  Ginny smiled at her reference to Grizz as a boy.

  Micah sighed. “Jamison, Ginny, Mimi, Jason...” He gestured toward the woman who was now standing with hands on hips, her gray hair pulled back in a severe bun. “This is my sister, Matilda, and ever since her husband and my Margaret Mae died, she thinks it’s her responsibility to take care of me. Thank the good Lord she doesn’t live with me, but I’ve no doubt she would if I’d allow it.”

  “I’m Tillie, Aunt Tillie to the four of you,” she told the small gathering as she stared into each of their eyes with a look that dared them to call her otherwise. “Now. I want some hugs!”

  After Aunt Tillie got her hugs and headed for home, Grizz and Micah carried the suitcases into the house, and Ginny realized the cabin was far larger than it looked from the outside. They walked in through the front door and noticed a staircase on the immediate right that led to a second floor. They walked further into the house and found themselves in one large family room with a tall fireplace on the right side wall. The ceiling was high, and above the massive glass sliders there were trapezoid windows that showcased a spectacular mountain view. To the left was a large kitchen and an island that separated it from the family room. There was a small bath off the kitchen and a hallway that led to a master bedroom.