When Wats came to check him over, he told him that he could go home in a couple of days if things went the way they were going now. Mars was glad for that. The food, while good, wasn’t anything that he cared for. Also, he wanted to get home and be pampered by Abby for a little while.
~*~
Clayton sat in the chair that he’d just had delivered. There were more things coming for him to use, but the chair had been the first part of his new life. That, he decided, was going to be his new motto. New life.
While he’d been just wandering around a department store last night, trying his best not to get caught up with some of the news people that had been hanging out at his house, he’d gotten a phone call from North. He was never going to let those calls go to voicemail, he thought right then and answered.
“I’ve just gone by your house. There are people camped out there to talk to you. I’d not go home if I were you.” Every time something came from North, it was nice. Nothing like the harshness that his mother would have done to him. “I’ve also spoken to Abby. There is a condo that she said that you can use until you decide what you’re going to do. There are no strings, she told me to tell you. Just a place for you to hide out while you get going with things.”
It was difficult for him to gain control over his emotions lately. Every once in a while, he’d burst into tears for no other reason than a small memory would pop into his head, and it would set him off again. North seemed to understand this.
“I’d like that. But how long do you think I could stay there? The reason that I’m asking is, I don’t want to go back to the house. I can’t right now anyway with the police and other agencies there, but I don’t ever want to live there again.” North told him he doubted that Abby or Mars would care if he wanted to stay in the condo. “I’d like that. I know that the rest of you are house looking right now. That’s so wonderful. But I don’t need that big house anymore. I don’t want all that. I just...I don’t want it.”
He started to tell him that he didn’t deserve it, but why he thought that was something that Clayton was still trying to figure out. He had an appointment to talk to someone about his emotions and hoped that it was nothing more than just stress. Whatever it was, it was getting hard to deal with on his own.
So, while he was there, he’d made selections for his new life. Not even sure what he would need for one person, he ended up getting himself a computer table with a chair. Bedroom furniture that he really liked, as well as a kitchen table. Clayton rarely watched television, so he didn’t know what to do in that area. He also decided that he’d talk to Brandon about a computer, as he was something of an engineer in that area. Clayton didn’t know what exactly, but he knew that he owned a manufacturing company that dealt in components.
Now here he was sitting alone in his new place without any idea what to do with himself. It was pitiful, he thought, that he’d gotten so far out of touch with a great many things. Even his business, the family one, had gone on without him for more years than he wanted to think about.
Getting up when someone knocked on the door, he was surprised to see not just North, but Abby and Booker as well. North and Booker brought in his mattress while Abby made her way to his kitchen after giving him a kiss on the cheek. He was ready to close the door to find out what was going on when the other three came into his home with the furniture that he’d picked out and was to be delivered tomorrow.
Abby called to him from the kitchen.
“I’m making you a list, Clayton, for things that you’re going to need for the kitchen. I’ve picked you up a nice pots and pans set that is a housewarming gift from Mars and myself. He’s making his way in here from the car, as he wants to do things on his own. But he has to be extra careful.” Clayton asked her when he’d gotten out of the hospital. “Just yesterday. He wanted to make sure that you have everything you need, and we called around until we found your order and went to pick it up. By the way, you forgot to get towels, sheets, and pillows. I added those to your things.”
While he went to direct the furniture being moved around in his bedroom, Booker was yelling about the cable not being hooked up in the other bedroom and that he’d take care of it now. Before long, Mars came hobbling into the condo with a cane to keep himself upright, he told him. He also couldn’t tie his shoes yet, so he had on slippers.
“I know now why they call them that—slippers, I mean. They’re slippery little fuckers that will take you down in a heartbeat.” Clayton helped Mars to the newly arrived couch and got him a glass of water for his pill. “I should have taken it before I started walking, but I knew that you’d have at least water to drink. Is this place big enough for you, Clayton? We have ones that have four bedrooms in them.”
“No, I like this. I have enough room that I can have things where I want them, but not too much that I can get lost in it. This three bedroom is perfect. I just have to figure out what to do with the other bedroom.” Mars told him it would make a great spare bedroom for a set of bunk beds. Just in case there were ever grandchildren. “Yes, I should look into that then. What a brilliant idea.”
Mars had said that in front of North. When he didn’t disagree that it would be a good place for future grandkids, Clayton had to hold tightly onto his emotions. They were going to get the best of him if he didn’t have help soon, he thought.
“Here, Clayton. I’ve been thinking about all that you’ve been going through, and I’ve noticed that you’re having a little bit of an issue with resting and keeping yourself under control.” He took the bottle of pills from Wats. “They’re a very light dose of something that will help you get over this hurdle that has been thrown at you. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, either. You’ve had a great deal going on, and this will help you out. Don’t forget to eat too. Okay?”
“Yes. All right. I’ll remember.”
He took the pills to his bathroom and took one of them at Wats’s recommendation. He knew that they wouldn’t work immediately, but just knowing that someone had noticed that he was suffering made him feel so much better. Coming out of the bathroom, he went to the kitchen again when Abby yelled.
“What sort of food do you like? Or would it be better to ask you what you can cook? If you can’t cook, you can join Mars and I for meals until you can get some lessons. Or I can teach you a few basics. You don’t have a microwave, but that isn’t any big deal to get for you. I know that you won’t have any trouble with that. That’ll be a good start for you. Tonight, I’m cooking for us all while they take you to get the things that I’ve made the list of.” He wasn’t sure if she’d asked him if she could or not, but he was really glad for the company and the things they were doing for him. “Clayton, I want you to know that none of us, not even Mars, holds you responsible for what happened. We do think that you could have done more to stop it, but that’s water under the bridge, and the water is receding. You need us as much as we need you. Remember that, all right?”
“Yes. I’ll try. It’s a little much right now.” She said that she could fully understand that. “I’m betting for some reason that you do. I can’t thank you enough for all this, either. You helping me out with moving all this around was nothing that I thought of.”
“It wasn’t my idea, but North’s. He said that when he spoke to you yesterday about the condo, he didn’t know how you were going to get it all put in here. He asked us if we’d make a day of it. So, here we are.” She handed him one of the lists that she was working on. “This is food that you should have. It’s staples like flour and spices. Stuff like that. This list is the things that you want to get, if not today, then soon. I noticed that you have a few hand towels here. You’ll need to flush out your kitchen as well.”
“I would have been bouncing around this place for a week before I figured that out.” She kissed him on the cheek as she put the rest of the things away that she’d just washed up. Abby seemed to be at ease in the kitchen. Really
, he’d never seen her anyplace where she wasn’t at ease.
As he made his way into the living room where Mars was, he stood there staring at the furniture. Not only did it look really good in the room, but whoever had added lamps to the things had picked out something that he might well have picked for himself. He could see himself just sitting in here and reading the paper, or even having a long conversation with North and the rest of them.
“Dad?” He nearly didn’t know who was yelling for him until he turned and saw North standing there. “I purchased myself a truck today, and if you have the lists that Abby set up for you, we can head out to get what you need. Booker said that he’d help you with a television if you want, too. Really, I think that he wants to watch the game that is on later.”
As they headed out the door, he got another delivery. It was from his butler, Jamison—he’d brought him clothing. When Wats said that he’d take care of it, for them to get going, Clayton felt himself smiling for the first time in weeks. This family stuff was much better than he ever remembered it being.
“Wow, this is a nice truck.” North nearly glowed with happiness about his new purchase. “I guess I should get me something to drive around. I’m to understand that the staff has closed up the house for me, and they’ve mostly left for other jobs. I think most of them were gone when they found out about Eita. The staff that has stayed, they’re going to be taking care of the house while everything is decided about it. I’m hoping something is decided soon, but the house is fine the way it is.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but—”
“Anything that you do for me or with me, I will never mind it. Whatever you do, you just assume that I’m okay with it. I want us, if nothing else, to be friends. All right?” North nodded, then pulled off to the side of the road. “Everything all right? I’ve not upset you, have I?”
“No. I just wanted a hug.” Clayton was very proud of himself for not crying again. The hug was strong and felt like a thousand blankets of warmth to his heart. After they pulled apart, North started the car again but spoke as he drove. “I love you, Dad. It might take me some time to get over all that happened, but I have never once stopped loving you.”
“Thank you, son. You have no idea how much that means to me right now.” North nodded. “I didn’t love your mother. I mean, I haven’t for a long time, I think. She was like a piece of furniture that you get used to seeing in the corner. It would seem to jump out and stub my toe on occasion, but I got used to it. Which is worse than falling out of love with her in the first place. It’s taken me a few hours to figure that out for myself. But I wanted you to know that too.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I’ve not loved Mom for decades. I loved Aunt Holly.” Clayton said that he wished every second that he’d had the chance like North had to know her. “Abby and Mars sat us all down and said that we have to share his mom with the rest of you. Stories that we had with her. Growing up and learning things that we didn’t from anyone else. He also told us that it wasn’t entirely your fault that you didn’t get to know her as we did. I have a lot of pictures of her with us growing up that I’d like to share with you. Also, some stories about the fun times she always made for us.”
“Holly was a great kid. And we loved her to pieces when she was a child. I have stories that I can tell you about her as well.” North said that he’d like that. “Good. That’ll be a start for us.”
“I don’t want to talk about Mother.” Clayton told him that he was sorry. “I don’t mean forever, just not today. We’re having a wonderful day together, and I don’t want her to be the one that closes us off to each other. She did that. Closed us off from seeing each other. The real people that we are.”
“I can understand that. I do. That’s a good way of putting it too.” He nodded, thinking that his son had it right. They were going to get to see each other as they were, not the way Eita had described them. “I want to get some snacks while I’m out today. I’ve never been able to have them around, and I know that I have to eat better. But I don’t think something like some microwave popcorn would be too bad for me, do you? I so love the smell of it cooking.”
“I love popcorn too. Aunt Holly used to pop up some when we’d have movie night. I’ll ask Mars where she got her popper. It’s one of the kinds that you put on the stove and turn the handle. Man, I love that smell and the taste of fresh popcorn.” Nodding as he was getting out of the car, North stopped him. “We’ll get together whenever we can, Dad. But I want to have movie night, or whatever we end up doing together, once a week. So we can hang out and catch up. Okay with you?”
“Couldn’t be better, son.”
They were headed into the department store, and he was ever so thankful for the list. He knew that with it, he was going to be just fine. Christ, he thought, what would he do without his family? Clayton loved the sound of that. Family.
Chapter 10
After dinner, he didn’t try walking back to the car on his own. He was rested up, after taking a nap on the sofa, and felt like he could run around the world. However, he knew better than to attempt anything like that. While he was on the mend, he was still far from being perfect.
“What do you say that you and I have a nice long night of it? There isn’t any reason for us to get up early. And when we do have to go out, we can get some lunch or an early supper, then make our way back here to rest up again.” He asked Abby why she was so exhausted. “Gee, I don’t know. You insisting that I sleep with you last night so that you’d know I was close. I don’t think I closed my eyes for more than a minute. I was afraid of rolling over on top of you and taking advantage. Wats said we had to wait a few more days.”
“I talked to him tonight. He said so long as I don’t throw you around or you do the same to me, we can have a go at it.” Mars regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, but smiled when Abby called him a romantic. “Well, I’ve never been in love before, and I have to learn how to be more of a romantic.”
“You have a great deal of time to work on this, do you? From where I stand, you have no ability at all.” He tickled her, and nearly fell on top of her while doing it. “Behave until I get you back to the house. Also, I had a nice talk with Clayton. He said for us to have a look at his house, the big house, before we purchase something else. He seems to think that he’ll never return there. Do you think he’s just too stressed right now?”
“He told me the same thing. North too. And he said that he thought his dad was going to be very comfortable in the condo. I think Clayton is going to be hanging around with us a great deal. The others too.” Abby asked him why he thought that. “I don’t know. Mostly because they have all been sucker punched by this whole thing. Even Hank said that he’d like to be invited when we all get together for dinner or whatever. Josiah told me the other day that he misses his son. I don’t think they’ve actually sat down and had a conversation for decades.”
“That’s really sad, don’t you think?” Mars nodded. “I’ve fallen in love with all of them. They’re like brothers to me. I know you probably feel the same way about them.”
“I always have. Mom never treated them any different than she did me. She was just as hard on them about studying. She celebrated things with them when they accomplished a goal. We were one big happy family that never had very much in the way of strife or even arguments. I’m not sure, but I believe that my mom even told us all about sex, too. She was a great person.”
“I know.”
They were at the house, and Mars was feeling pretty good about himself. Still ever so cautious, he took the sidewalk slowly, holding onto his cane like his life depended on it. The pain wasn’t all that bad right now, but he knew that any sudden movement would make him nearly cry with it. The one in his chest hurt, but the one at his lower back hurt him a great deal in everything that he did, including going to the bathroom.
As soon as th
ey were in their place, he was glad to know that they were alone tonight. The rest of them, except for North, had gone to their other homes to get some of their things to make a long stay of it here. Mars was happy that they’d been able to get the few things that they’d wanted from their family homes too. Clayton had been a big help in that.
“Now, my dear. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve set us up a time to get married in the courthouse tomorrow. Before you have to be at the doctor. If you want to have something larger later, then we can do that too.” Mars laughed and asked her if he was going to be there. “I’ve been thinking on that too. I’ve decided that there is no other man in the world that I’d like to be hitched to than you.”
“Well, aren’t you about the cutest thing that I have ever loved?” She kissed him when he was seated on the couch. “Tell me, Abby. What would you think about living in the big house? I’m not saying that I want to. I would love to take a walk around it, just to see all the things that my mom described to me. But living there? I don’t know. It’s a huge jump from living in a two bedroom condo to living in that place.”
“What do you think your mom would say to you about living there after all this time? Do you think she’d tell you not to do it, or would she say for you to go for it? Then say not to be an asshole like the others were that lived there.” Mars said that he really didn’t know. Then remembered that he’d seen his mom when he’d been shot. “Really? I don’t know if that’s scary or not. I mean, what was she doing there?”
“She kept telling me to stay still. Something like that. I thought about it more in the ambulance when I came awake. Then more when I was in recovery. She just kept saying something like to be still.” Abby nodded and carefully sat on his lap, facing him. Mars held her there. “I must have been out of my head or something. I mean, I even remember thinking that she was gone and that it couldn’t be her there.”
Marsden (Wilkerson Dynasty Book 1) Page 13
