by Carolina Mac
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TWO DAYS LATER, Grace drove to San Antonio for her last meeting with Derrick. The first book of the three-book series was finished and in Derrick’ hands, ready for the final edit before it went to print.
She hesitated before going into his office, knowing their parting wouldn’t be pleasant.
He stood up when she came through the door, then rounded his desk and gave her a hug. “I can’t say that I’m happy with your decision to go back to Canada, but after what you went through in that horrible trailer park, I understand it.”
“I’m glad you’re not too upset, Derrick. It’s what I need to do to get back on track and get Robbie back on track. He’s a welder, and a good one, and I’m thinking of setting him up in his own shop with my advance on the series. You don’t know him, but he’s a good person.”
“He must be a good person, Grace, if you loved him enough to marry him. You certainly deserve the best.”
“Thank you, Derrick. That was sweet.”
“We’ll be in touch daily by email and I hope that will get us through the rough spots, if there are any. Maybe you could manage a trip down here once or twice a year?”
Grace smiled. “Sure, I could. When the weather gets terrible in Ontario, I’ll be on your doorstep.”
A WEEK LATER, the moving truck arrived to haul their worldly goods back to Canada. With everything except their personal luggage packed in the back of the big tractor-trailer, Rob held Joey in his arms as together they waved goodbye to the truck.
“Will they give my toys back, Daddy?”
“They will. When we get to Canada in a few days, your toys will be waiting for you.”
“I brought a few of your trucks with us,” said Grace. “You’ll need something to play with on the way home.”
Rob buckled Joey into his car seat and gave him one of the trucks. He took a last look at the trailer and hoped he’d never see it again. This park had been a nightmare.
Grace drove through the rusty gate and said. “Hope I never see this park again.”
“Amen,” said Rob.
Grace had been driving north for over four hours on route two eighty-one when Rob said, “There it is. The cut-off for Mineral Wells.” He turned his head and Joey was asleep in his car seat. “Wake up, buddy. We’re going to get something to eat and then we’ll visit Darlene.”
Darlene was at home with Mr. Steele Senior. She looked slightly better than the last time they’d seen her, but it was obvious she still needed more healing time.
She’d been lying on the sofa, but sat up when her father showed them into the living room. “Hey, Joey, did you come all the way up here to see your Aunt Darlene?”
“Uh huh, and so did Ted.”
“Where’s Ted? I want to see him.”
“Mommy said we should leave him in the truck.”
“No,” said Mr. Steele, “bring him in. He was a big help looking for Darlene. He was the one who found her badge.”
Grace went out and brought Ted in. He ran straight to Darlene and licked her face.
“Hey, buddy, I missed you.” She stroked his long ears. “Tommy said Sid got away.”
“He got away from the farmhouse when the cops raided it,” said Rob, “but he made the mistake of coming back to his trailer a week later.”
Darlene raised an eyebrow. “And… you got him?”
Rob nodded.
Darlene held her fist out for a fist bump from Rob. “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”
THREE LONG DAYS of driving later, Rob held his breath as Grace stopped at customs. The officer stepped out of his booth, looked in the back at Joey in his car seat, spent most of his attention focused on Grace and hardly gave Rob a glance.
“Welcome home, Miss Whitmarsh,” said the customs guy. I’ve read most of your books.”
“Thank you so much,” Grace beamed at him. “Nice to know I have a fan at the border.”
“Oh, you have a lot more than one,” he said, and Rob wanted to punch him. “Wish I had one of my books here for you to sign.”
“Next time,” she said, and she winked at him.
Rob saw her do it and almost reached the boiling point. As they drove across the line into Canada, she reached across the console and patted his arm. “Just keeping his attention off my husband, sweetheart. Nothing more.”
“Fuck,” Rob said in a whisper. “I’ll never get used to it.”
IT WAS ALMOST DARK when Grace parked behind her brother’s truck at the Oshawa duplex. Rob stood on the front lawn with Ted and let him have a run before they went inside.
Grace walked up the steps with Joey and opened the door. “Anybody home,” she hollered, and Rob heard Jerry yell, “Is that my sister?”
Rob followed Grace in and Jerry still had her in a bear hug, weeping into her long black hair. The guy had been worried sick about his sister. That was for sure.
Kate stood in the kitchen doorway with the baby in her arms. “Grace, come in and see our little girl. I want to show Danielle to her cousin.”
The girls went into the kitchen with the two little ones and Rob and Jerry stood on the front step and smoked. “Thank God, you found her, Rob, and I can’t tell you, man, how happy I am that you talked her into moving back home.”
“It was a decision we made together,” said Rob. “I can’t really talk Grace into anything she doesn’t want to do.” He smiled. “Not possible.”
“Now you’ll only be a half hour away at the most. I know Kate is keen on the kids knowing each other as they grow up. Cousins are so important.”
Rob shrugged. “Never had a cousin that I know about, so I wouldn’t know.”
Jerry didn’t comment. “You guys are sleeping over, right? Your furniture will be at the trailer, but it will be in a pile of boxes.”
“I think that’s the plan. Sleep here and tackle the mess in the morning.”
“Fantastic. Let’s have a beer.”
AFTER PANCAKES with Jerry and Kate, Grace drove north to the trailer park. As she pulled through the gate, Rob was filled with memories. Some good, some better, and some not good at all.
“You don’t look happy, sweetheart,” said Grace. “Are you going to be okay moving back here?”
“I think so, but if it doesn’t work out, we can look for a house somewhere. I can use my trailer money for a down payment.”
“Uh huh. But I want to stay here for now. It will be cheaper for us until your shop is up and running.”
“I’m happy that you want to set me up in business, Grace, but I don’t know a whole lot about the welding business. Only the welding part. That’s all I know.”
“Of course, I’d do the bookkeeping and all of that stuff for you. I wouldn’t expect you to handle any of that because… well, just because.”
“Because I can’t fucking read and can barely write my own name. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“I’m not trying to say anything, Robbie, and I don’t want to fight.” Grace turned left onto Hickory Lane and drove to the second trailer from the end of the dead-end street. She parked and turned off the engine. “Here we are, Joey. We’re home.”
Grace hopped out and freed Joey from his car seat. “Come on, honey. This is where you were born.”
Joey was sleepy and didn’t care where he was born.
Rob sat for a couple of minutes staring at the trailer. The trim needed to be painted, the deck could use a coat of stain, and the grass definitely needed to be cut. Once his leg healed, he’d be a busy man.
Rob opened his door and eased his right foot onto the side-step, then gripped the door handle, swiveled around and got his right foot firmly on the ground. He slid out of the truck and stood on one leg while he reached for the crutch. “Jeeze, he mumbled, “when will I be any good for anything?”
He made his way onto the deck and had to rest on the top step. His uselessness made the heat rise in his neck like nothing else did. He lit up a smoke and stared at the highway in front o
f the park. “Can’t wait until I can ride my bike. Hope it’s all good in the back of the truck.”
“What’s that you’re saying?” Grace leaned down, kissed his neck and put a cold beer in his hand.
“Talking to myself about my bike. That’s all.”
“We’ll get it unloaded when Jerry comes up after work.” Grace sat down beside him on the step, leaned over and kissed him. “Stop worrying about working, about your leg, about the welding shop—all of it. Be happy we’re home and take it one day at a time.”
Rob nodded. “Okay, I will, Grace. I am happy to be home and away from that freaky park that had no real people living in it. We have each other and we have Joey and we have money in the bank. Why the hell am I driving myself nuts?”
“You’re a bit of a pessimist, my sweet one, and have an inclination to expect the worst. Not unnatural after the things that have happened to you in the past, but now you need something more important to think about. Try this on for size. Our first night back in our own bedroom. Think about all the things you’re going to do for your wife when we go to bed.”
Rob closed his eyes. “Oh, yeah. I’m focusing on that now and I think I could focus a little better if you got me another beer.”
.
Thank you for reading
I sincerely hope you enjoyed Return to Paradise, book two in Paradise Park Series.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolina Mac is the author of Lily, the 11 book Regulator Series, the 13 book Quantrall cowboy PI series, and the off-beat trailer park mayhem series, Paradise Park and Return to Paradise.
Available on Amazon.
Carolina lives with her family in Ontario, Canada.
