Grace couldn’t help but smile. “No Sweetie. She didn’t hurt me. I’m okay.”
Michelle was standing off to the side a few feet and she looked up at Grace. “My mommy used to yell like that. I didn’t like it.”
Grace looked around for Kent and discovered that he’d been right at her side the whole time. He just squeezed her hand and smiled down at her. Everything was suddenly all right in her world.
* * *
Kent had thoroughly enjoyed the party at the Livingston’s house, except for the little confrontation with Grace’s ex-in-laws.
In spite of that, for the last hour or so, he’d been almost literally itching to get out of there and go to the casino. He needed to win back all he’d been losing and he needed to do it now. All of his bills were beginning to pile up on him and he was falling behind on all of them.
As soon as most of the guests were gone and Grace was busy helping the other women clean up, Kent sneaked off but not before asking his mom to take Michelle home.
But he hadn’t quite made his escape when Matt caught him at the gate. Now what? The guy had already grilled Kent about his date with Grace and made it quite clear that he was watching Kent to make sure he treated Matt’s little sister right.
As Kent looked up at the big guy, he remembered how close the two of them had been in high school Well, now that Matt had straightened his life out, they seemed to be regaining that closeness. He just hoped that his going out with Grace wouldn’t put that friendship at risk.
Matt stepped up closer to look down on Kent who knew this as a favorite maneuver of Matt’s, intended to intimidate. Well, he wasn’t about to step back, so he held his ground and waited for Matt to talk.
“Kent, I’m worried about you.”
Now what? Kent couldn’t imagine why his old friend should be worried about him.
When Kent didn’t reply, Matt ran a hand through his hair that was now cut quite short compared to the ponytail it had been in for years.
“Well, I heard you were gambling too much and now you’re having trouble paying your bills.”
Kent was instantly angry but knew he had to curb that anger some as he was reminded who was towering over him, making that accusation.
When he thought he could answer without showing his anger, Kent said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about Matt.”
Matt’s grim expression didn’t change. “Don’t try to snow me man. I know what I’m talking about.”
Kent realized that Matt must have been talking to Larry or maybe someone else who’d seen him at the casino. But why would he say the part about Kent having trouble paying his bills? He didn’t think even Larry knew that.
“I’m doing just fine Matt. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m okay.”
Matt looked into Kent’s eyes and shook his head. After a moment, he said, “If you ever need help, Kent, all you gotta do is call me. You hear?”
Kent breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Sure Mat, I appreciate that but I’m okay. Really.”
When Matt walked away, Kent turned to go out the gate but heard Michelle calling him from a distance. If it had been almost anyone else, he would have ignored her and kept on going out the gate.
Instead, he turned around in time to be confronted by both Michelle and Brianna.
“Daddy, me and Brianna are going to have so much fun at church tomorrow. Can I go every Sunday? Please, please?”
Well, what could he say to that? “Sure you can Michelle.”
“Thanks Daddy.”
As the two little girls turned to walk away, Kent heard Michelle say to Brianna, “That’s one more way we’re like sisters. Now all we gotta do is get my daddy to marry your mommy.”
Kent didn’t want to hear any more. So he rushed out the gate and couldn’t get away from there quick enough. Too many things were happening too fast. He wasn’t going to think about any of them if he could help it.
But, that wasn’t about to happen. He couldn’t keep all the things out of his mind. On the way to the casino, he kept thinking about how Michelle and Brianna wanted him and Grace to get married. That should have bothered him, but it didn’t. In fact, he’d secretly wanted to marry Grace for many years.
Then he thought about the confrontation he’d just had with Matt. He wondered who could have told Matt that he was having financial troubles?
He decided that he’d just have to have a little talk with his brother and see if he knew anything. But somehow, he didn’t think that Larry was the one.
Then his thoughts turned to the confrontation between Grace and her former in-laws. Man, did Grace ever have some fire in her that he’d never realized she had. He couldn’t help but be proud of the way she’d stood up to that totally unreasonable woman.
Finally, Matt had walked the woman all the way to the gate and on out. Wow! That was sure some sight to see. What a day.
Now, if only his day would keep on getting better. It had to. That was all there was to it. Whether Matt realized it or not, he had been very close to the truth. Kent was in financial trouble, big time.
Chapter Twelve
When Grace woke at seven on Sunday morning, she looked out the window and saw lots of wind, rain, and lightning. Her first thought was to go back to sleep. But, she was back home in Strawberry now. She was back in her dad’s church again and was loving it. No more did she need to push herself and especially Brianna, to get ready for church.
In fact, Brianna was now so eager to go to church or school that she was usually up and ready before her mother. With that thought in mind, she wondered where Brianna was this morning. Grace dragged herself out of bed, pulled on her robe, and went in search of her daughter.
She found Brianna in her bedroom. Grace was surprised to see her on her knees beside the bed ... praying.
Grace couldn’t help but hear the last thing that Brianna said in her prayer. “And please bless Mommy and Mr. Jackson.” She paused and said, “And please get them to hurry up and get married so me and Michelle can be real sisters.”
Grace stepped back in the hallway and waited for a few beats after she heard Brianna say, “Amen.” Then she knocked on the door and entered.
Brianna jumped up, raced toward Grace and leaped into her arms. “Hi Mommy. Isn’t it so great that Michelle is going to church with us today.”
Grace smiled and hugged her daughter back. “Oh Brianna, it sure is. But it looks like the weather is going to be rather nasty today, and we’ll need to bundle up so we can stay dry. Okay?”
“Sure Mommy.” She giggled. “Michelle is riding with us today, isn’t she?”
“Yes she is Sweetie. I’ll go make breakfast while you get dressed. Okay?”
Later, as Grace pulled her car into the church parking lot, listening to the giggle fest in the back seat, she thought again, about how much better things were since they’d moved back to Strawberry. Brianna was so much happier here and Grace had to admit, so was she.
Then she thought about the aftermath of her confrontation with Meredith Donaldson yesterday. She still couldn’t believe how brazen the woman had been, coming right into a private party in her parents’ backyard that way. How could she have thought that anyone would have let her leave with Brianna. Why, the woman had to be delusional.
But thank God that Matt and Kent had both been there for her. Things had turned out fine this time. But as Meredith had threatened, Grace was sure that wasn’t going to be the last of it. But she knew that her family would be with her all the way. She paused to thank God silently.
Grace had to hurry to keep up with the girls as they raced into the church. As soon as they were inside, Brianna turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, I can show Michelle where our Sunday School class is. Okay?”
“Yes Dear. You may go on to your class.”
Grace turned to look for her parents who were always in the foyer greeting people as they arrived. She noticed then that her dad seemed to be in an intense conversation with Hal Wallac
e. She wondered what that was all about.
Well, she didn’t have long to wait. Hal joined his wife, Judy, and they went down the hallway toward their class. As soon as they were gone, her dad motioned for her to follow him to a far corner of the foyer. Now what?
Once he looked around to assure himself that they wouldn’t be overheard, he frowned down at her and said, “Hal just gave me some disturbing news.”
She waited, wondering if it had anything to do with the Donaldson’s.
He leaned a little closer before continuing. “Hal said that Wally Cooper saw Kent in a casino last night.”
While she was digesting that, he went on. “Wally said that he walked right up to Kent to say hello but Kent didn’t act like he even knew Wally was there.”
“Why would Wally Cooper be telling Hal that?”
He smiled. “I guess you didn’t know that Wally is one of Hal’s officers did you?”
She shook her head. “No, I guess I didn’t.” She frowned. “I just can’t believe Kent would ignore Wally that way. They were always such good friends.”
He made a sound between a grunt and a snort. “They still are. That’s why Wally was so concerned. He said Kent looked right through him from only two feet away and didn’t even act like he knew Wally was there. He just kept playing a slot machine.”
Grace went to her class deep in thought. Kent must have gone to the casino in Kansas City after he left the party last night. She didn’t remember seeing him leave, but it had to be around eight or even later.
Concern for Kent was foremost in her mind though. What her dad had said about Kent just didn’t sound like the Kent she’d always known. He wouldn’t snub anyone he knew, especially a friend like Wally.
Then another thought hit her. Could Kent be sick. She remembered her mom saying that he acted as if he was having bad headaches.
After Sunday School, as Grace was walking through the hallway toward the foyer, Matt stepped in front of her. He didn’t say a word but she took one look at his face and followed him into an empty classroom.
When he just looked at her for a moment, she said, “What is it Matt? What’s wrong?”
He frowned down at her and finally spoke. “You’ve been around Kent more than I have since you’ve been back.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Have you noticed anything strange about his behavior?”
She wasn’t sure if he knew what their dad had told her yet, so she said, “Mom said she’d noticed that he seemed to be having bad headaches lately. She asked me to watch and maybe ask him about it if I noticed them.”
Matt frowned and ran his hand across his chin where a beard had been for many years. “I hadn’t heard that one yet. What else do you know?”
Grace thought she knew her brother quite well, but he had changed a lot in the past year and she thought all of it had been good, at least she hoped that was true.
“Matt? Why are you asking me all of this?”
He gave her a blank look at first, then he grinned down at her. “I’m trying to be his friend again, that’s all.”
She made a decision then. “Okay, I’m not sure Dad told you this yet, but Hal told him this morning that Wally saw Kent at a casino last night and he didn’t even recognize Wally.”
Matt stared at her with a look of total astonishment on his face. “He what?”
He walked around the room for a moment then turned back to Grace. “I guess this is much more serious than I thought.”
When she didn’t comment, he said, “Larry told me that he happened to see some bills on Kent’s table the other day and they all had overdue stamped on them.”
Grace felt as if a heavy weight had just fallen on her. “Oh Matt, what are we going to do to help Kent?”
He shook his head again. “I don’t know Gracie, but I think we need to talk to Dad about all of this. I’d say we all need to compare notes and work together to help Kent.”
As soon as they stepped back out into the hallway, Brianna and Michelle caught them and Grace didn’t get a chance to think about all of this until after church.
* * *
Kent was surprised when his mom spoke up as they all sat around the table eating their Sunday dinner.
“Kent, your father and I have some things we need to do back in Arizona this week, so we’re flying home this afternoon.”
Before Kent could respond, Michelle spoke up, “Oh Grandma. I don’t want you to leave now.”
Kent was surprised to see tears come to his mom’s eyes. As he thought about it, it made him feel good that Michelle had taken to his parents, at least his mom, so well.
“Oh Sweetie, we won’t be gone very long. We’ll try to come back next weekend. Okay?”
Michelle gave her a sad look. “Are you sure?”
Kent leaned over to whisper in his mom’s ear. “She isn’t used to promises being kept.
A look of recognition came over his mom’s face then and she leaned over to speak to Michelle. “Oh Honey. I want you to know that when I promise you something, then I will do my very best to do it. Do you understand?”
Michelle still didn’t look totally convinced, but she finally nodded her head slowly and smiled a little.
Again, before Kent could ask, his mom turned to him and said, “I know you want to continue spending as much time with Michelle as you can. So Sheila and Aaron are taking us to the airport. The boys are going to be with Aaron’s parents this afternoon.”
As usual, Kent’s dad didn’t get involved in the conversation but just watched from the side.
After his parents left with Sheila and Aaron, Kent planned to spend some time with Michelle. He found her in the family room watching some kind of kids’ sitcom. Well, he figured he could endure almost anything to be able to spend time with her.
They were on their third half-hour show when Kent heard a knock on the front door. Before he could get there, Larry had used his key and met him halfway.
Kent didn’t give Larry a chance to say anything, He stuck his head back in the family room and said, “Michelle, Uncle Larry and I will be in the living room. Okay?”
If he hadn’t been looking, he wouldn’t have seen the slight nod of her head. She really seemed to be engrossed in that silly show.
Once they were both sitting in facing chairs, Kent said, “I want to know what you’ve been telling Matt about me going to the casino.”
Larry looked surprised at first, then he glared at Kent and said, “I just told him you’d been there a lot over the last few months.”
“And what else did you tell him?”
Larry held up his hands. “That’s all I said about you going to the casino.”
Even though they weren’t very much alike, Kent knew his twin brother all too well. Right now, he knew enough to know that Larry was splitting hairs with that answer.
“Okay Larry. What else have you told him?” He didn’t wait for the answer he knew wasn’t coming. “Did you tell him anything about my finances?”
Larry tried to look hurt by that question. “Hey Bro, would I do something like that?”
Now Kent knew for sure that Larry was avoiding the question. By asking a question that way, he didn’t feel like he was lying.
“I know you Larry. That’s just your way of avoiding the question. Did you or did you not tell Matt that I was having financial troubles?”
Larry attempted to look sheepish but Kent didn’t think he pulled it off very well.
“Well, since you put it that way, I may have sort of mentioned something about seeing a stack of bills on your table all marked overdue.”
Kent could feel himself start to lose control of his temper. But before he could say anything, Larry began talking fast.
“Hey Bro, I’m just trying to help keep you from having big-time problems. I just want to help, that’s all.”
As Kent began to regain control of his temper, he said, “Why didn’t you come to me first?”
Larry looked a little emba
rrassed then. “Well, I was going to but Matt came to me before I got a chance to and said he’d heard you were spending a lot of time at the casino.” He tried to grin. “And I guess it just slipped out before I realized it.”
Larry knew that Kent never could stay mad at him when he was giving Kent that hangdog look that he’d perfected over the years.
Kent blew out a huge sigh and looked Larry in the eye. “Now, what I want you to do is tell Matt that you made a mistake. You didn’t really see what you thought you did.”
Larry looked at him like he was crazy. “No way Kent. I saw them and what’s more some of them even said second notice. Hey man, that means that they’re about to do something drastic if you don’t pay them.”
Kent chose to ignore that last statement. “Okay then, why did you come over here today Larry? When you came in the door, you looked like you had something on your mind. What was it?”
He wasn’t sure Larry was going to answer for a long moment. Then Larry looked down at his hands and said, “I wanted to talk to you about your gambling. I’m worried about you.”
That was when Kent really got mad.
Are you trying to tell me that you think I have a problem? You who drink yourself to the point where you almost pass out several times a week and sometimes do. You who are with a different woman every night? Are you going to tell me I have a problem?”
Kent caught himself when he heard a sound from behind him. When he turned around, he saw Michelle standing there wide-eyed.
“Daddy. Why are you so mad at Uncle Larry?”
That not only knocked all the anger out of him but it also knocked the air out of his lungs. He looked over at Larry who seemed almost as stricken as he was.
Larry stood and spoke to Michelle. “It’s okay Michelle. We’re brothers and brothers always yell at each other. It’s nothing at all.”
With that, Larry went to the front door and as he was going out said, “We can talk about this later when you’ve had a chance to cool off some.”
Then he was gone leaving Kent with one very confused little girl.
Walking Away (The Walking Together Series Book 2) Page 15
