“Nasty stuff, that cancer.” Rodney nodded and looked at his watch when Grandda told them he was going on back to the house. “I’ll see you there for supper, won’t I?”
“Yes. Trenton, do you—? Why are you shaking your head? I didn’t even get the question out.” Trenton said he was staying away from his house for a while yet. “Why? What have you done? Please don’t tell me you pissed Rebel off. She could turn you into a sheep if you did. Remember that.”
“Really?” Rodney shook his head while laughing. “Smart ass. No, you have a single woman at your home, and I’m betting donuts to dollars she’s going to be mine or Heath’s mate. That’s the way it’s been working around here. I’m not ready. Not that I think it will matter when she does come along, but my home is not ready. More than half the rooms are empty now.”
“So fill them up, you turd. That mate of yours won’t care a fig if you’re living on the street.” Grandda pointed to him. “Your brother here, he’s got himself a mate. I think he’s enjoying that.”
“I love her.” Grandda told him he’d better or he’d kick his bottom. “I believe you would too. But having a mate is so much more than just being in love. It’s a whole new world too. Friendship and love, I know now, go hand in hand.”
“It sounds like it makes you sappy. No thanks. I’d rather wait until I’m Grandda’s age before I think of looking for a mate. Someone to take care of me in my retirement age.” Grandda slapped him on the arm before Rodney did. “Oh, that won’t work either. We’re never going to get old as dirt.”
Rodney was still laughing at Trenton and Grandda as they made their way back to his house. True to his word, Trenton went home, but not before teasing Grandda about pretty women and pie. He wasn’t quite sure why Grandda went to the hospital to get pie, but he’d been doing it for years now, and he wasn’t going to get into a debate about there being a nice bakery not far from where they all lived.
“This little girl, she’s thinking of moving back here when she settles up her mom’s stuff. I don’t know why, but I feel like she’d be better off staying with you and Rebel.” Rodney said he was all right with that. Unless she wasn’t. “I think she’ll stick around. For a while, any who. But there is something about her that makes me want to take her under my wing and help her out.”
“Are you thinking she is one of the other two’s mates? Rebel thinks the same thing. Or she knows. It’s hard to tell with her sometimes. She told me she can see a bit into the future, but not much more than that. I can’t, which I think I’m grateful for.”
“Yeah, I thinking knowing too much would be hard to take.” They were at the house then, and Grandda asked him if he’d sit a spell with him. Sitting in the rockers, they sat there in silence for several minutes until Grandda started talking. “I miss your mom. Everyday. I have a hole in my heart, too, from when your grannie passed on. I’ve been thinking about this living forever thing, and I want you to tell me truthfully if you were me, nearly ninety years old, would you want this thing?”
“Can I ask you a couple of questions first?” Grandda nodded at him. “All right. What does your age have to do with you being around forever? You’re not sick. You’re clear-minded, a great deal more than men half your age are. You don’t seem to have any kind of soreness that keeps you from walking every day. Hanging out with the Forster kids when they’re playing street hockey.”
“That’s a good question, and you’re right. I’m fit as a fiddle. I do play around with them kids on account’a their daddy being out of the picture. They talk to me—trust me, they told me. So that’s a plus. But as for my age? I don’t know what that has to do with me being around either. What’s your next question?” Rodney told him. “You see, that’s all I can think about. Seeing my grandbabies being born. Growing up and becoming something. Seeing you boys coming to your own too. That’s a good one. I talk to your mom and grannie when I get out there. They understand, I think, that I’m building up stuff to tell them. I know it seems silly, me taking pictures and showing them to the headstones there.”
“Grandda, I think it’s wonderful that you share them with Mom and Grannie. I believe that they see them. Being around Lach and the others, I believe a great many things I didn’t before.” Grandda said that was right. “I love so many things about having you here. I love too that you come and stay with each of us for a while. Hang out with our mates. They love you as much, if not more, than we do. And I know that Bella’s dad is only thriving because you go there and talk to him.”
“He’s a good man. But he won’t be hanging around me too much longer. The dementia, it’s taking its toll on him. I see it more and more of late.” Rodney knew that as well. Bella and his brother were looking for a place for him to live that was safer for him. “The other day when he got out of the house was the breaking point for Bella. He’d broken his hand and some fingers trying to knock out a window in a car he thought was his. She cried for nearly an hour after he was found because she’d not been able to keep him safe. I told her it wasn’t her fault, but there was no helping her. That’s when they decided to find him a safe home to live in.”
“She asked me for some places I would send him to. I don’t know what she’ll do when he’s out of the house. And I know that Dru will miss him. Even as young as he is, he lights up when he sees you and Fletcher coming to him.” Grandda said he loved that little man. “It shows too. Rebel and I are waiting to get some of this magic that we have under control before we bring a baby into the mixture. It’s scary enough having this much power. The probability of having a child as strong as we are is huge. I want to know what I’m doing before I have to try and figure out what an infant might be able to do.”
“Are you two going to sit out here all evening, or do you think you could come in and join us for dinner?” Rodney kissed Rebel when she scolded them. “Grandda, you’re a bad influence on Rodney. The trouble the two of you get into is growing daily. Did you get the things worked out with the gazebo?”
“Grandda said we should go with not just white, but a couple of other colors too. Like a tan and a nice shade of cream. That’ll be nice colors for whoever wants to use it.” Rodney followed Rebel and Grandda into the house as he continued. “Trenton thinks that since we have the original plans, we should use them, then make an extension off the back of it that’s much larger. Wider and taller, I was thinking. He seems to think that with the idea of using it as a backdrop for photos, they’ll need the extra room there.”
“I love that idea.” After they were all seated at the table, he noticed that Shannon wasn’t joining them. “She’s sleeping. With my help. I don’t think she’s slept all that much since they arrived here two weeks ago. A good night’s sleep will make her feel better about everything. At least I believe it will.”
“That’s a good thing you did for her, Rebel. I thought she was looking a little peaked too.” Grandda poured himself some tea as he told them about his plans for the money he’d been given. “I think I’d like to see a bit of the world. I’ve not been anywhere special in a long time. I don’t know if I’d want to camp it a little or not, but it’s an option. Also, as a senior, I get a good discount on air travel, as well as ships, should I want to go that way.”
“I love that idea.” So did Rodney, and he told him that as well. “You’ll need to have a good camera to take lots of pictures you can send to us all—also, a passport. I’ll see how to go about that. Unless you already know.”
“Nope. I’ve never had the occasion to need one, so I’ve not the foggiest on how to make that work. Thank you, Rebel. That’d be really helpful. I was going to see if Rodney here could help me pick out some luggage. The stuff I have is older than any of you people.” Rodney told him he’d love to help out. “I knew you would. Well, let’s eat this here fine meal. I got some figures to work on with my paying job money.”
Rodney knew he’d hired five men to help with the grocery part
of his business. They would go shopping for someone and then take it to them. They were also, from what he’d heard, making good tips, something no one had thought of. Also, Grandda had set up a few men, younger than the others, to shovel snow from driveways and walkways. Grandda was having people clamoring to work with him. And twice that many people asking for their help. Yet another reason to feel proud of his grandda.
When dinner was over, they settled in the living room. It wasn’t yet chilly enough to have a fire, but he could tell that Rebel wanted one. The house had free gas to it, so burning the fireplace didn’t cost anything. It just created a little too much heat. As soon as he had it on and was seated again, Rodney looked over at his grandda. The man was sound asleep.
“He ordered the roses to be put in next year. They were your mom’s favorite, he told me. There is also wisteria that will be planted that will be in full bloom in a few years. Less if I were to help it along.” They both watched Grandda snore softly. “I’ve been looking around town, and I think there are a lot of improvements that can be made that won’t cost the bank. I know there is supposedly a lot of money, but we don’t need to replace everything when the older stuff is still good enough. Not good enough, I guess, but it’s weathered this town this long, so I’m sure that it’ll last for a good long time.”
“That’s what we were talking about at the gazebo. Grandda suggested that we use the wood we’re going to have to take down for some park signs. You know, keep out of the flowers and such. He also suggested we could put the names on them for the people that donated over a hundred dollars. He said more people would help out if they could see their names in print.” Rebel laid her head on his shoulder. “How is Shannon doing? I mean, she was pretty upset when I saw her today.”
“She’s doing well. I had her talking about her mom before she went up to rest. They were incredibly close, the two of them.” Rodney said that was what Grandda had told him. “I think that once she rests, she’ll be able to handle just about anything thrown at her. I offered for one of us to go with her when she has to sort through her mom’s things. I would think it would be difficult for her.”
At some point, they both must have dozed off because when their phones rang, they were both startled awake, and he was tossed off the couch. Answering his phone, when Rebel walked out of the room with hers plastered to her ear, he heard yelling and cursing right off.
“Doctor Marshall, I would like for you to come to a house for a woman that has been beaten nearly to death.” The officer at the other end gave him the address even as Rodney was pulling on his shoes. He asked if he was all right, as his voice was strained and full of anger. “No. No, I’m not. We’re waiting on you so that we can make the charges go either way for Mr. Todd. Murder or attempted murder. There is also an unborn child.”
“I’m on my way. There are children in the house, I’m assuming that’s why you’ve called my wife too?” He said it was, and they were beaten up pretty badly as well. “I’m on my way.”
Just as Rebel came into the room, he started for his bag when she handed it to him. Telling him that she was taking them there, he closed his eyes and held onto her. They were standing right outside the house when he opened his eyes. Kissing her on the mouth, quickly, they headed to the front door opening and then into what he thought was the kitchen area.
There were broken pieces of furniture all over the room. Plates and glasses were broken and lying in a dangerous way on the broken furniture and other items there. Blood was mingled in with all the mess and made the room look like it was a strange and macabre art attempt. There, lying in the middle of all of it, was a woman so badly beaten she didn’t look human at all.
“He beat her.” Mr. Todd started laughing, lunging at Rodney and telling him not to touch his woman until he was finished with her. “The neighbors called it in. When we arrived, he was ready to take an axe to her head.”
“Telling me that she’s not going to birth me a son. I done got me two fucking girls that she won’t let me sell off. Fucking cunt should just die.” No one said a word as Rodney, ignoring the man, felt for the pulse of the woman. “I hope to fuck she’s alive. I want to have another go at her. She’s a lying fucking bitch, and she’ll learn that I mean business.”
“I’m reasonably sure she understood that.” He looked at the officer. “I’m sorry, she’s passed on. I’m going to work on saving her child. I can hear the heartbeat, and it’s going to be next if I can’t save it.”
“Please save one of them.” Nodding, he pulled out the tools of his trade and did something he always did in his practice—he told the patient what he was doing. Rebel joined him in the room, and Officer Layman asked about the children. “When we arrived here, they were huddled in the corner over there. Bleeding and in obvious pain. Never said a word to anyone as we separated them from the mess in here.”
“They’re going to the hospital now. I let them out through the bedroom window so they’d not see what is going on in here.” Rebel looked at him. “You can do this, Rodney. I’ll assist you in any way I can.”
Nodding, Rodney set to work to deliver the child by C-section. Pulling the little girl free of her mother, Rodney handed her off to Rebel. She was tiny, much smaller than he thought she should be for a newborn. He wasn’t sure how far along Mrs. Todd had been, but the baby looked to be fully developed. When Rebel told him to get the other child, he was dumbstruck for a few seconds.
There’re twins there, Rodney. Take the other child before he dies. There is a good chance we can save them both if you hurry. He did so. Freeing the second child, he could see that he was slightly heavier than his sister. But the newborn wasn’t responding to any of the stimuli to get him to breathe. Give him a little of yourself. I cannot stand the fact that in addition to losing their mother, those little girls are going to lose a sibling as well.
Rodney wasn’t entirely sure how to do it, but he just did what came naturally to him. He told the little boy to live. Almost as soon as the word and the magic left his body, the child screamed out his first breath of air, like he’d only been waiting on someone to tell him to.
“That’s my son.” Rodney was cleaning up the little boy while his sister was having the same done by Rebel. Ignoring Todd was the best thing he could think of doing since he was bragging that he was going to raise himself a boy finally. Rodney noticed that the baby boy and girl were both bruised. The boy also had a wound on his left thigh that looked like a gunshot wound. “He’s going to be just like me.”
“Christ, I hope not. Having just one of you around is bad enough.” Rebel looked at him. Tell Layman what you suspect happened to the baby. It will lengthen that monster’s stay in jail. I’ve already told him that I believe the beating of the mother has hurt the little girl.
“This is what I think is a gunshot wound here on his leg. I’ll have to stitch it up and hope the bruising doesn’t cause him any long-term trouble.” Layman had one of the other officers take pictures. Not just of the wound, but both children as they were laid on their mother’s body. “If you don’t need anything else with us, I’d very much like to get these two to the hospital and have them checked out. Also, you’ll need to call the coroner. He’ll need to get her to the hospital as well.”
As they were leaving with the second ambulance, he and Rebel worked with the babies, taking their temps and weighing them, even going as far as to measure them for their length. Both were doing much better now, but he was worried that once they were a few hours older, the bruising on the little girl’s head might cause her some issues. But they’d have to wait to get some X-rays before he would know anything.
“They wanted me to tell you that Todd is in jail.” The driver of the ambulance, he couldn’t remember his name right now, told them both. He told him he was sorry and asked after it. “Basil Basken. My mom thought that having an herb name would ward off the devil. I didn’t have any tempting very much, so I’m thi
nking she did right. I asked Layman about the gunshot wound he had in his shoulder, and they said he could suffer until tomorrow. That the two of you had your hands full with the children. One of his men shot Todd so he’d not use the axe on the missus.”
“Have you been called to that home often?” Rodney looked at Rebel when she asked. It was something he never did when on a call, asking for personal information that didn’t pertain to his job. Basil told her it was at least twice a week and also to the school when the children showed up beaten. “Someone should show him how it feels to be beaten like he did those little girls.”
Rodney hadn’t seen the children. Rebel had not just sent them ahead to the hospital but had also ordered a lot of tests to be done, as well as putting them in the same room. Having them stay overnight was the best way to calm them. Rodney wondered what was going to happen to the babies when there was no one to take them.
I’ve got some information on the family if you’d like to have it. Rodney asked Harris if it was bad news. He couldn’t take anymore tonight. I don’t blame you. I’m so sorry that you lost her. She was, according to those that knew her, a very nice woman that had it bad with her husband. Or who they thought was her husband. He wasn’t, just so you know. Not legally anyway. Also, just a heads up, the other two do not have Todd’s name on their birth certificate. I’m looking into how that happened, but until I do, their last name is the same as their mother’s was. Avery.
Tell me what you know. But kindly tell me the bad shit with a few good things sprinkled into it. I’m telling you now, I don’t think my heart could take much more. The little boy I’m holding right now not only lost his mom, but the man who killed her was his father. He’s been shot and beaten up, and he’s not even an hour old. She told him again how sorry she was. I am as well. These little ones are going into the system, aren’t they?
Rodney: Marshall’s Shadow – Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance Page 10
