by Jennie Marts
She didn’t care if her hair had turned white and her veins showed blue through her wrinkled skin. She felt alive and passionate, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and twisted her fingers into his hair.
His arms found their way around her waist, and he pulled her to him. He kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her neck, then laid his forehead against hers, gasping for breath. “Whew. Did you forget I’m an old man? I haven’t been kissed like that in a decade. Are you trying to kill me, woman?”
“Old is just a word. You still look pretty good to me.” She looked up at him and winked. “And if I were trying to kill you, I would’ve flashed you my boobs.”
John broke into a grin, and he laughed out loud. “You still know how to make me laugh.” He pulled her close to him and kissed her once more, lightly on the lips. “You make me feel like a teenager. My heart is racing, and my hands are shaking. I have never stopped loving you, Eddy. Not a single day’s gone by that I haven’t thought of you.”
Edna nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “I have always loved you, Johnny. You took a piece of my heart with you when I thought you died, and I’ve never been able to fully love another man the way that I loved you. With pure abandon, never thinking about the consequences or that you wouldn’t be there to return that love. After you died, I protected my heart and sheltered it so I would never be hurt like that again.”
She reached up and brushed his hair from his forehead. “And now here you are. Sitting beside me. Kissing me like a teenager on the basement stairs. Even now, I’m scared to death to even say the words. To tell you that I still love you. Always have and always will.”
“Edna, I can’t promise that I will always be here. I’m over eighty years old. I could die tonight. But if I do, I want you to know that you have always been the one that holds my heart. And if I live until tomorrow or I live until I’m a hundred, I don’t want to spend another day without you. I want to go to bed with you at night and wake up to your sweet face first thing in the morning.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “John Collins, are you suggesting we shack up together? That we live in sin?”
He grinned. “No, of course not. That was my foolish way of asking you to marry me, Edna Allen.”
“Holy cow!”
“That’s your answer? I was expecting a ‘hell no’ or maybe an ‘absolutely,’ but not a ‘holy cow’.”
“Would you prefer ‘divine bovine’?” She giggled. Actually giggled, like a schoolgirl. “I don’t even know what to say.”
The sound of the front door opening interrupted Edna’s response. Zoey’s voice could be heard calling into the house. “Hello. Grandma, I’m back. And it’s just me.”
“We’re down here,” Edna called. “If I can get up off these stairs, we’ll come up.” She hauled herself up by the railing and the assistance of John’s hand. She stood a few steps higher and turned to him, her face now level with his. “We’ll continue this conversation later.”
He grinned at her and winked. “Oh, I know we will. Now that I have you back in my life again, I’m not letting you go.”
Her face beamed with a radiant smile and her insides melted. She reached up and touched his cheek. “That’s a deal.”
He turned her toward the kitchen door and gave her a light pat on the fanny. “Good, now let’s go see our granddaughter.”
Chapter Nineteen
“I get the feeling there’s more to you and Johnny than just being old friends.” Zoey handed a dripping plate to Edna, who stood next to her at the kitchen sink.
It was the following afternoon, and Edna, Zoey, and John had just finished lunch. John had left to retrieve his car and move it to Edna’s garage. They figured even if the car was in her garage, they couldn’t prove that John was with them, and they all felt safer with the car locked up.
Edna took the plate and wiped it dry with a towel. “There are all kinds of old friends.”
Zoey turned and gave her an “I’m not an idiot” stare.
“Okay. You’re right. Johnny was my first true love. I met him at the same time as your Grandpa Frank, but I fell in love with John. We spent the summer together and had planned to marry. I didn’t get together with Frank until after Johnny died.”
“Died? You mean that guy we just had lunch with was a ghost?” Zoey had inherited the family trait of sarcasm. She passed Edna the last plate and drained the soapy water.
“We all believed he died. He faked his own death, and we had a funeral for him. Frank had been his best friend and my sole companion, and it was only natural that we would seek solace in each other. One thing led to another, and the next thing you know, we were married.”
Zoey put her hand on her hip. “Nothing is ever that simple with you. I like John, and I haven’t asked many questions about this whole ‘harboring a fugitive’ thing we’ve got going on, but now I know there’s a love story involved. So spill it. What’s really going on here?”
Edna sighed. “I better get us some tea.” She fixed two glasses of iced tea, and Zoey followed her into the living room. Edna sank into the couch and recounted the tale of her summer in Coopersville. She told Zoey everything up until Johnny’s death, not ready to reveal the true identity of her grandfather yet. She wouldn’t do that without John.
“So, he’s been in hiding all these years, and he left out of love for you and Frank.” Zoey’s eyes filled with tears, sentimentality being another Allen trait. “That is so romantic.”
“It might be romantic, but it makes me mad as hell.”
“Why?”
“Because I missed out on all those years with him. We could have spent our whole lives together. And he made that decision on his own, without even asking me.”
Zoey picked up Edna’s hand and held it in hers. “Grandma, I hate to sound clichéd, but I really do believe everything happens for a reason. You have had a good life. And Grandpa Frank was a good man. You’ve always grabbed life by the horns and squeezed every ounce of living out of it. I’ve never known you to look back with regrets. Plus, you got me out of the deal. That wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t married Grandpa and had my mom.”
Edna wished she could tell her the truth. Would it be better for her to know the truth now? To give her a chance to get to know John and have a relationship with him or to hold onto the grandfather she grew up with? The one who took her fishing and read her books and taught her how to change a flat tire. The one who gave her his name and always loved her as his own.
Frank was still her grandfather. Johnny’s presence would never change that. Zoey was smart and kind. She was one of the most loving persons that Edna had ever known. Could she make Zoey see that John was an additional grandpa instead of a replacement one?
Edna smiled at her granddaughter. “He’s asked me to marry him.”
Zoey’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, that’s wonderful. What did you say?”
“Holy cow.”
Zoey scanned the room. “Holy cow what?”
“No, that’s what I said. Holy cow. I haven’t given him my answer yet.”
“Why not? You were just complaining that you missed out on having a life with him. Well, as far as I can tell, you’re still alive. You have a chance to spend the rest of your life with him now.”
“First of all, I don’t complain.” Edna paused, waiting for her granddaughter to challenge her. Zoey just looked at her. When did this little girl grow up into a woman? And when did she get so smart? “You do realize we are both in our eighties? Having a wedding at my age would create quite a ruckus.”
“Eighty-schmeighty. And when have you ever shied away from a ruckus?” Zoey cocked her head and regarded her grandmother. “Is there something else going on here that you’re not telling me? Is there a reason why you don’t want to marry him?”
Yes. There was one big gigantic beating reason. Her heart. She had vowed to never risk loving another man the way that she had loved Johnny Collins. She had spent her entire life guarding hersel
f from ever having that pain again. She loved Frank. She did build a good life with him. But she always protected herself. Never fully trusting him with everything. With the full passion of her heart and soul.
“Don’t you still love him?”
Edna nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “With every fiber of my being.”
The back door opened, cutting off any further response from Zoey.
John walked into the kitchen, towing Havoc on a leash. He wore the fedora/trench coat disguise and he tossed the hat on the kitchen table and grinned at Edna. “You look more beautiful than when I left a half hour ago.”
Edna waved a hand at him. “Oh stop it, you old coot! Not really. Keep going.”
“No, stop, please.” Zoey laughed. Havoc had run straight at her, dragging his leash behind him and catapulted himself into her lap. She unhooked the leash and nuzzled into his furry neck, giggling as he licked her ears. “Did you have any trouble getting the car?”
John poured himself a glass of iced tea from the pitcher Edna had left on the table. “Nope. It seemed fine. Right where I left it. And now it’s safely locked in your garage.” He carried his tea into the living room and sank into the arm chair across from them. “What have you girls been up to? Solved the plight of the world yet?”
“Not yet,” Zoey answered. “We’re still working on the Northern Hemisphere.”
Edna watched John and her granddaughter as they laughed and joked together. It made her heart happy to see them getting along. Heck, it made her happy to see Johnny at all. He looked pretty good for a dead guy. His hair was still thick and his eyes bright. Geez, it sounded like she was describing a dog. A really handsome dog.
The years working on the farm had kept John in good physical shape, and Edna admired the fact that he still seemed so healthy and robust.
Zoey was right. She did have a zest for life, and it seemed like John shared that zeal. He could have shrunk into a hermit-style existence, hiding from the law and turning completely paranoid. But he seemed as if he hadn’t let life or his circumstances get him down. He found something he enjoyed and built his life around it. Working outdoors and with animals seemed to have made him happy, and she still loved to hear him laugh.
And now they had the whole afternoon ahead of them. It was great watching them get to know each other. How fun that she got to spend the entire day with two people that she loved like crazy.
Edna clapped her hands together, startling the dog. “Well, what shall we do with our afternoon? We could start a gin rummy tournament, or I can make some popcorn and we can veg out in front of a movie.”
Zoey groaned and held her stomach. “I’m still full from that delicious lunch you made. I’m gonna gain ten pounds if I stay here much longer, Gram.”
The house phone rang, putting off their decision for a few minutes. John picked up the handset and checked the caller ID. “It’s an unknown number. Do you just want to ignore it?”
Edna reached for the phone. “No, I love sales calls. I get a kick out of messing with them. I either string them along for ten minutes to get them back for wasting my time or I tell them about the Bible and try to convince them to follow Jesus. Either way it’s fun.” She depressed the on button and answered in a cheery voice. “Hello.”
Her cheerful greeting died on her lips, and she motioned for something to write on. Zoey grabbed a pen and notepad from the kitchen counter and passed it to her grandmother.
Edna scribbled a quick note as she listened intently to the caller. It’s the retired cop that was asking ?’s at the police station. Has info about W’s murder. Wants to meet.
“Look, sir, I don’t even know you. How do I know you’re not just trying to get me alone to rape me and steal my money?” Edna huffed in annoyance. “Sir, you can stop laughing now. I don’t see what’s so amusing about that statement.”
She listened for a few more minutes. “All right, but I’m not coming alone. I’m bringing three friends along, and two of them are Smith and Wesson. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Edna hung up the phone. “That was the guy Mac told us about. He said his name is Officer Halloran, and he’s a retired cop from Kansas. He’s been following this case for years and supposedly has information that can clear Johnny’s name. He wants me to meet him up the pass at the Waffle Inn on Highway 36.”
The town of Pleasant Valley was nestled against a mountain range. Within a few miles of the city, Highway 36 led into the mountains and over a treacherous pass.
“I’m confused. Why does he want to meet you? Why wouldn’t he just give the information to the police? Especially if he is a policeman.” Zoey wrung her hands together, as if she were the elderly woman instead of her grandmother. “Maybe we should call Mac. Or Jake. This feels really fishy to me.”
“Of course it’s fishy. I don’t trust this Officer Halloran, if that’s even his real name, for anything. But he knows about the murder, and he mentioned Johnny’s name. He’s obviously up to something, and we need to see what it is.”
“I don’t like this,” Johnny said. “It feels like a trap or like he is trying to draw us out. Maybe this is the guy that set the car on fire.”
“First of all, we don’t know if that fire was meant to scare Zoey or you. And if this guy is involved in these threats, that’s great. He may think he’s drawing us out, but really we’ll be luring him in. It’s a win-win.”
Zoey looked skeptical. “I don’t like this either. It sounds dangerous.”
Edna rubbed her hands together. “That’s what makes it exciting. Plus, I have my gun and a pocket Taser. And if we start to feel like anything is getting too dangerous, I’ll call Mac. I promise. First sign of trouble and he’s on speed dial.” She reached for her purse. “We need to go. I said we’d be there in fifteen minutes and it will take ten just to get up the pass. I’ve eaten at the Waffle Inn years ago. I know where it is.”
John looked at Zoey and shook his head. “It doesn’t sound like she’s gonna listen to reason. I guess we’re going for a drive. We’ll take my car.”
The phone rang again, and they froze. Was he calling back already? Had he changed his mind?
Edna picked it up and checked the readout. “It’s not him. It’s the police station. I’d better take it.” She pushed the button to answer. “Hello. Oh hi, Mac.” She held her hand over the receiver. “It’s Mac.”
Zoey rolled her eyes.
“I’m here with Zoey, but we were just heading out. We’re going to get some waffles.” She listened a few minutes more. “Okay, I’ll wait here. How soon can you get here?” Pause. “All right, see you soon.”
She hung up and swore. “Well, crap! I guess you all will have to go check out the Waffle Inn without me.”
“Without you?” John asked. “Why? What does Officer McCarthy want? Why is he coming over here?”
“He said he got the ballistics tests back on the gun used in Weasel’s murder, and he has some questions for me.”
“Then we should stay and see what he found out. It may be important.”
“No. We can’t take a chance on missing out on this lead. There’s something going on with this guy, and we need to check it out.” Edna grabbed one of her jackets and a gardening hat from the front closet. “Zoey can wear these and go with you. They’ll disguise her from any press that may be looking for her and hopefully trick this Halloran fellow into thinking she’s me. Zoey, you need to have your phone ready. Try to get some pictures of him, or better yet, some video.”
Zoey shook her head. “I don’t feel very good about this idea, Gram. Maybe we should wait for Officer McCarthy and have him go with us.”
“No way. That’s half the reason I’m staying—to distract Mac so you all can go check this guy out.”
Accepting that they wouldn’t convince her, John and Zoey agreed. Zoey put on the disguise, and after a quick hug, she and John left.
Edna paced her kitchen for the ten minutes it took Officer McCarthy to show up on
her doorstep. Impatient to hear his news, she had the front door opened by the time he walked up the steps. Ushering him in, she’d already poured him a glass of iced tea and had it sitting on the kitchen table.
With an appreciative nod, he picked up the glass and took a long drink. “Thank you, Ms. Allen. I needed that. It’s a warm one out there today.”
Edna had a moment of pity for poor Zoey wearing the jacket and hat on a warm day, but was more concerned about the reason for Mac’s visit. “Enough with the pleasantries. What’s going on? You said something about some tests.”
Mac pulled out a kitchen chair, took a seat, and waited to speak until Edna was also seated. “The tests came back on the gun used in Warren Farris’ murder. Ballistics proved that it was a match to the murder weapon and the only fingerprints on it were indeed Donna Kaufman’s. The prints are arranged in a manner evident of her firing the gun. It’s enough evidence to clear John and issue a warrant for Donna.”
Edna released a huge sigh. “Praise the Lord! I always knew he was innocent, but now everyone will know. And he won’t have to hide anymore.”
“On the crazy off chance that you might see him, you can let him know we’re dropping the charges against him. It may take a few days for everything to go through, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a free man.”
“And what about that wicked Donna? Have you arrested her? Is she even still alive?”
“Yeah, she’s alive. But she seems to have disappeared. No one seems to recall having seen her in the last few weeks.”
“That’s strange. Where does she live? Is she in a home?”
“No, she lives with her son. She’s stayed in Coopersville all this time. Eventually got married and raised her son there. We had a little trouble tracking her down because we were looking for Donna Kaufman instead of her married name of Halloran.”
Edna almost choked on her tea. “Did you say Halloran?”
“Yeah. Why?”
