“Is that all?” Kennedy said dryly.
“Kennedy,” his mother replied. “What’s going on? You’ve never been in a fight before.”
He had no answer for her. He was hiding evidence, sleeping with Grace, punching Joe. He’d be better off without any of it, but one thing seemed to lead to the next. And he couldn’t say he regretted sleeping with Grace. He knew he’d do it again if she ever gave him the chance. Last night had been satisfying in a very primitive way. He felt his body stir just thinking about it.
“Is it your father?” she asked, lowering her voice. “Is this some sort of reaction to his illness? I know it’s affecting you. It’s affecting all of us.”
“I gave Joe what he deserved,” he said. “What happened doesn’t have anything to do with Dad.” The fact that life could be fleeting, that he didn’t want to waste a moment of it, might’ve played a role. But that was only a small part of everything going on. Mostly it came down to wanting something he couldn’t have. He knew what it was like to love as deeply as he’d loved Raelynn. And he knew what it was like to lose the woman who’d meant so much to him. He wanted to fill the hole that had been left in his family when she died. Not just for himself, but for his children.
Unfortunately, they seemed to have chosen a woman whose past made that impossible.
“Elaine claims the fight was over Grace. That you were at her house at three in the morning.”
This was where it all grew worse…. “That’s true.”
“I can guess what you were doing there. What I can’t figure out is why Joe was with you.”
“He wasn’t with me. He was lurking outside.”
“Lurking?” She hesitated as though tempted to give up her antagonistic approach. He could hear her sigh. “You were still stupid to do what you did.”
“Thanks,” he said with a grimace. “It helps to have you spell out the things I already know.”
She ignored him. “We have to do something to stem the tide of public opinion.”
“What can we do, except tell the truth? He was trespassing, he called Grace some unflattering names and I hit him. What more is there?”
“We have to prove that Grace isn’t what everyone’s always thought, that she was abused, like you said. Then you’ll come off like a white knight for seeing the truth when no one else could. She’ll finally get the respect she deserves, and—”
“She deserves?” he interrupted. “Don’t tell me you’re having a change of heart, Mother dear.”
“Stop, will you? I’m working on damage control here. We have to make Joe look like the bad guy.”
“Joe is the bad guy. He’s a complete—” Kennedy turned to see Heath and Teddy, listening to every word, and quickly amended his remarks “—moron. But we can’t do what you’re suggesting.”
“Why not? You told me you have proof.”
“Forget it. I won’t drag Grace’s most tragic moments out for everyone to see. If she wanted that, she would’ve done it herself.”
“We’d be doing her a favor. What happened to her makes her very sympathetic.”
“No.”
“I’m willing to befriend Grace, Kennedy, but not at the cost of what it could do to you.”
The automatic sprinklers came on, sending a spray of water against the window. Kennedy watched the droplets roll down the pane. “We have bigger things to worry about.”
“Bigger than your future?”
He shoved a hand through his hair. “My future will be what it is. How’s Dad feeling?”
There was a long pause. “He’s going to be fine.”
“Just take care of him, okay, Mom?” Kennedy said, imbuing his voice with some of the urgency he felt. He didn’t want the decisions he’d made to affect his parents at such a critical time. “I can take care of myself.”
He expected her to respond with something like, “You haven’t been doing a very good job of it lately,” but she didn’t.
“I know it was hard to lose Raelynn,” she told him. “But your father’s going to make it.”
“I’d better go,” he said. “I’ve got to get to the bank.” He could predict the kind of day he’d face as the story of the fight spread through town, but he figured he might as well get it over with. It beat talking about death with his mother. All the talk in the world wouldn’t stop the Grim Reaper if he was on his way.
“Are you bringing the boys over here, or to Grace’s house?” she asked.
He turned to watch Teddy gather up his money. “I won’t be seeing Grace anymore.”
“What about the fireworks tonight?” Teddy cried, overhearing.
Kennedy covered the phone. “She’s going with her sister. She’ll see you there.”
“No,” the boys cried, almost in unison.
Kennedy gestured for silence. “You’ll see her, I promise.”
“Isn’t it a little late to give Grace up now?” Camille asked.
He thought of what Janice had told him and wondered where Clay had hidden Barker’s car. “The stakes only go up from here,” he replied.
Camille Archer perched on the couch in her living room, facing her husband, who sat across the coffee table from her, drinking the green tea she’d made for him. “So what do you think?” she asked.
Otis ran a hand over his jaw. He hadn’t shaved yet, but he’d decided to edge the lawn before the sun grew too hot. The scent of fresh-cut grass lingered on his clothes. Camille had tried to talk him out of exerting himself. She didn’t know what she’d do if they couldn’t get his cancer into remission. She didn’t want to live without him and constantly pleaded with him to take it easy. Kennedy had promised to edge the grass tonight, since the boys weren’t old enough to do that part of the yardwork. But Otis wasn’t the type to sit around. As long as there was half a breath left in him, he’d work at something. She supposed he had to, for his own peace of mind. He probably enjoyed the menial tasks he insisted on doing now that he wasn’t feeling well enough to spend many hours at the office. At least he took what he did slowly, at his own pace, and often came in to rest.
“Sounds to me like he cares about her,” he said simply.
“He and Raelynn had a good relationship. He could be on the rebound.”