Chapter 6 -- Interlude 2
"Are you two being good?" Derrick asked, smiling as he spoke. He'd already heard from Ann about what hellions they'd been in the last day -- sweet hellions, and no worse than her own kids, but still. . . .
"We got into trouble," Jasmine admitted, her voice soft. "We didn't mean to."
"Well, don't cause trouble again," Derrick said, hoping the smile didn't come through as he reprimanded them.
"We won't," Jasmine promised and he could almost see her head bobbing up and down, hair flying.
"Kerry?" he asked.
"I'll be good," Kerry promised, his voice firm.
"Good," Derrick answered. "Now go have fun, and let me talk to your Aunt Ann."
Kerry put his phone down with a sharp thump -- probably not happy with his sister for admitting they'd been bad. Jasmine handed the phone over to Ann, who said something and laughed.
"Derrick?" Ann asked.
"Everything going all right?" he asked, glancing out the hotel window.
"For the thousandth time -- yes, everything is going very well. Jasmine and Kerry are no trouble. I'm not lying, you know."
"I appreciate all you are doing --"
"Derrick, maybe this isn't the time to bring this up, but my mother has asked me to come to Hawaii for the summer. I'd like to take all the kids. She wants to meet Sharon's children again, since she only saw them at the funeral."
"For the whole summer?" Derrick asked, his heart pounding.
"You could come along, too, you know. The vacation would do you good."
"I can't. My work --"
"And that's another reason we think maybe they should go with us." Ann's voice softening a little. "The last incident scared the hell out of us and out of your kids. Your work is dangerous, Derrick. I'm not going to tell you to get out while you still can and while you're still alive. You have to make that decision But you know the danger is why you leave the kids with us."
"I just -- so far away --"
"I know," she said, and he thought she sniffed a little, too. "But you could come and visit for a few weeks at least. The summer will go fast. Think about it, Derrick."
"I will." He suspected he wouldn't think about much else, in fact. "I'll call tonight -- though don't worry if I'm late. The weather might turn nasty and slow us getting back."
"Okay. Take care, Derrick. And be careful."
"Thanks."
She hung up the phone and he sat there on the edge of the bed, holding his cell phone for a moment before he flipped the cell phone shut and dropped it on the mattress. He took several short breaths, trying to calm the panic a sure of panic washing over him at the idea of his children going so far away. Hawaii? Clear across the country and half the ocean besides -- he couldn't let them go so far from him. He couldn't reach them if they had trouble. He couldn't....
He heard someone stop outside his door and glanced at his watch, startled at the time. He hadn't meant to make Ginger walk up the stairs. The soft knock brought him from the bed so quickly he twisted his leg, bit back a curse at the sudden pain, and limped to the door --
Markie Weston stood the other side. She looked old, dowdy, and uncertain.
"Derry," she said and offered a smile.
"Hello, Markie," he said. She winced a little. She had always insisted he call her mom. He wouldn't now. "I'm getting ready to go to the funeral --"
"Wanted to stop by for a moment. Afraid I wouldn't see you before you left." She sighed and looked toward his room again. "I had hoped you'd come by the trailer and visit."
"Junior and I are having problems --"
"Oh, you and Junior always fought." She waved a hand through the air. She frowned and glanced into the room, as though she expected him to invite her in, or expected him to have someone there. "You boys really should get along better, being family and all --"
"Markie, I'm not family. I'm not related to any of you. I don't belong at the trailer and I don't have to get along with Junior or Tom."
"Oh, don't let your dad hear you say that," she warned, shaking her head. "You know how much he hates when you play stubborn, Derry --"
He glanced down, glad to see Ginger pull up and give him a reason to get away. Talking to Markie had always been a waste of time. He thought she probably meant well, but he had always suspected she didn't have a secure connection with reality, and this conversation had reinforced everything he'd ever thought about her ten years ago.
"I have to go now, Markie." He reached back into the hotel room and grabbed his coat but didn't try putting it on. The cast and sling drove him crazy, and he didn't like to think about the next few months. He yanked the door shut and started toward the stairs, a hand on Markie's back to direct her ahead of him.
"I thought we could have a cup of coffee over at the restaurant," she said, waving a hand towards the restaurant and nearly slipping. If she'd been behind him, they probably both would have gone down.
"Maybe later." He kept Markie moving, even though she kept half stopping as though she couldn't walk and talk at the same time.
They finally reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Okay, I'll see you later, Derry." She started across to parking lot. He saw her glance at Ginger in the car with a little frown.
As she stepped away, he remembered the cell phone on the bed. He didn't feel like climbing those damned stairs again, and with a sigh of resignation, he crossed to Ginger's car and threw himself inside.
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