After All These Years (23 page)

The unspoken words rang loud and clear.
And I have the money to fight until I win.
It all came down to money.

“I've changed, Lia.”

“You just threatened me!”

“With legal proceedings. I promise you, I've changed. Just give me a weekend with her. I'll come pick her up.”

Defeat turned her bones to water. “I will talk to my niece.” She hung up and marched into Chloe's room.

“You gave him our number? Why didn't you talk to me first?”

“Aunt Lia, please let me see him! He's going to take me to the zoo.”

“Grandpa can take you to the zoo!”

The little girl's lower lip quivered. “I want to see my daddy!”

But he killed your mother!
Tears streamed down Lia's face. She sat on the bed beside Chloe and hugged her. “I have to think about it.”

Now, Lia opened her car door. What was there to think about? She knew what was best for Chloe, and it did not include a visit with Nelson Greene.

Did it?

The moment Celeste released Lia from a bear hug, Isabel gathered her into her arms. They stood in Celeste's entryway,
a homey shoe- and coat-infested area at the bottom of an open staircase.

At last Lia wiped her tears and gave them a small smile. “Amazing how planks in the eye can be invisible to the one looking out. Thank you for helping me see the resentment I'm still clinging to.”

Celeste patted her cheek. “In all of our eyes, Nelson doesn't deserve forgiveness. It's natural you couldn't see the need to do just that. But the more you give up that thought to Jesus, the less power Nelson has over your emotions. There's a great freedom in that.”

“And you both think I should let Chloe see him?”

Celeste smiled. “Forgiveness doesn't happen just inside your head.”

Isabel added, “She'll be fine, Lia. It's a good plan for when she has that long weekend off of school. If your parents come and get her and you pick her up on Sunday, she won't be alone with him a long time. And you never know, she might have a completely boring time.”

“Maybe.” Lia opened the front door. “Maybe I'll pray for rain on their zoo outing.” Her dark eyes crinkled. “Just kidding. I think. Goodnight, ladies. Thank you!”

As they called goodnight to Lia, Celeste tugged on Isabel's sleeve. “Stay for a minute?” They went back into the living room and sat on the couch. “It's about your friend Tony.”

Isabel opened her mouth to protest and then realized he
was
her friend. Becoming more and more so as the days went by.

Celeste's pixie face contorted as if in pain. “You know we all think he's adorable, and we're praying for his soul, but something has come up.”

Isabel shivered. Had she found out they had lived together? “What?”

“Brady talked with Peter today. I can't give you specifics because Peter won't give me specifics.” She paused. “The gist is that Tony hinted at something, at some information he possesses that could tarnish Brady's image. Oh, Peter said tarnish is even too strong a word, but in the hands of a reporter…” She held up her palms.

“Did Tony threaten to include this information in his article?”

“Not directly. You know how Brady is. He doesn't care. The problem is Gina didn't know. Until now. Tony stirred things up on Monday, but Brady didn't have a chance to talk with her until Tuesday night.”

“Oh,” Isabel moaned. “Does this have something to do with why she didn't come tonight?”

“I think so. She's…upset. Isabel,” Celeste squeezed her arm, “don't overreact.”

“Celeste! This is so unfair! Tony is such a jerk!”

“Shh. He's not, honey.”

Isabel clenched her fists and closed her eyes, letting her friend's soft voice wash through her. She would strangle Tony Ward!

“I wanted you to know, just in case you can influence him. Brady may not care what's printed about him, but we're concerned about Tony's discretion.”

“I don't ever want to see that snake in the grass again.”

“Isabel. Weren't we just talking about forgiveness? Tony needs our prayers.”

She sighed. “Now
that
I'll have to think about.”
Oh, Tony!
He could be so warm and caring and understanding. “But I will talk to him. I can't promise what impact I'll have on him, but I
will
talk to him.”

“And pray for Gina and Brady.”

“Of course.”

“She's…” again the painful pause, “thinking about returning to California with her parents.”

Cal's lights were on. He was a night owl even when he didn't work the third shift. Isabel banged on his front door, too energized to simply push the doorbell.

He opened the door. “Isabel. What's wrong? Come in.”

“Cal, you knew! Didn't you? You knew!”

“Mendoza, calm down! I don't know what in the world you're talking about. Sit.”

His stern tone cut through her anguished restlessness. She sat in a worn armchair and glanced around to get her bearings. Cal's entire home was worn—usually neatly kept—but worn. It had been his grandparents' home. They had built it over 50 years ago and left it to their only grandchild when they passed away. The furnishings had probably been theirs, too. Doilies certainly would have adorned things at one time. No doubt he had pitched them.

He turned off the big-screen television and sat down.

Cal was a decent guy. Why couldn't she fall for a decent guy?

“Talk to me.”

“Tony found some dirt on Brady.”

He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face. “What dirt?”

“You tell me! You knew he would dig, and you knew there was something for him to find! Why didn't you warn Brady?”

“I did.”

“Well, it was too late!”

“Isabel, I'm in the same room.”

She gasped back her screeching tone. “Gina might leave him. At least go back to California with her parents next week. Peter told Celeste, and she just told me.”

“You're pretty close with Gina, aren't you? Talk her out of it.”

She had already considered this. “I won't know what I'm talking to her about! And I don't want to know!”

“Brady's not perfect.”

“Yes, he is!”

“Come on, Mendoza, don't go squirrelly on me. I love the guy, but he's got his faults.”

“Is it horrific?”

“No, of course not. It was just stupid. He chased after Nicole. This was soon after you came to town, I think. You didn't know him well then. He was…nuts about her. I thought he was losing touch with reality. Working too hard at three jobs, teaching, farming, and writing but not getting published. Anyway, she called from California, told him goodbye, said she'd mail the ring. Next thing I know, he's gone and it's spring planting time. Two weeks later he shows up on my doorstep, in obvious need of a shave and a shower.”

Cal leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and muttered, “Cured me of ever wanting to get serious with a woman, let me tell you.”

“Cal!”

“He told me he found Nicole. She said she didn't love him anymore. He realized he'd been an idiot. Then the new boyfriend appeared. Brady punched his lights out.”

Isabel gasped.
Brady Olafsson punched somebody?

“He got arrested. They charged him with stalking—”

“No!”

“And assault and battery. But when he agreed to leave town, give Nicole the $10,000 ring plus damages, and never contact her again, they dropped the charges.”

“So it's not on any records.”

Cal shook his head. “Ward went to L.A. right after the Autumn Faire. Somebody must have told him about Nicole, and he found her.”

“Dot.”

“Dot?”

“They talked at the Faire. And, Cal, you know she would. I'm sorry. She's Tammy's mother, but you know she would.”

He appeared to mull that over.

“You've known him longer than any of us. You should talk to Gina. She must be scared out of her wits, wondering what kind of weirdo he is. She hasn't known him very long. Should we all talk to her?”

He grimaced. “I'm batting zero when it comes to women lately.”

“Cal! Brady needs you!”

“Why don't you talk to her and I'll talk to Ward?”

“No way.” She shook her head. “He's mine, soon as he gets back from Chicago.”
And he will pay for this.

Brady had been known to shout “Go away!” at friends and family. Anyone who disrupted his writing time by finding him out on the screened porch at his laptop was considered an intruder. Cal was no exception, but early Friday morning he braved Brady's wrath.

He bypassed the front door and walked along the leaf-strewn stone walk around the log house to the back porch. He climbed the three deck steps and saw him. He wasn't at his laptop.

Brady stood the other side of the screen door, coffee mug in hand. “Cal.” He opened the door and stepped aside. He needed a shave. His baseball cap was pulled low on his forehead. “Coffee?”

“Sure.”

Brady gazed at him, as if lost in a thought that had nothing to do with the coffee he just offered.

“I'll get it, Brade.” Cal hurried into the kitchen, noted it wasn't in its usual neat shape, grabbed a mug from the cupboard, and helped himself to what remained in the carafe. He'd make some more before he left.

Back on the porch, Brady hadn't moved. “Well, you warned me.”

“Too late. I'm sorry. I liked the guy. Underestimated his ability to backstab.”

Brady gave him a tiny smile. “I like him too, but I could have done without this little episode. Gina feels like she's been through the wringer. I feel like I've been clothespinned to a line, hung out to dry.” His voice faded.

Cal looked for signs. Brady was in a bad way, but not strung out the way he was when Nicole left. “You okay?”

“No, but we'll be okay. I think. I mean, she can't believe it. She has to, though, because it's true. All of it. Tony hinted, she sensed something was left unsaid, I told her Tuesday night. How'd you find out, anyway?”

“Peter told Celeste—no details, bud. Just that Tony had information to hurt you. Celeste told Isabel. Isabel told me.”

Brady took off his cap, scratched his forehead, and replaced the hat. “That's the kind of stuff that drives Gina up the wall.”

“I, uh, I told Isabel the details. She needed to know in case Gina wants to talk with her. And then there's her relationship with Ward. Seemed best to level the playing field.”

Brady nodded. “Isabel should know. How do you think Tony found Nicole?”

“Dot. Well, anybody could have given him Nicole's name and that she was last known to be in the Los Angeles area. But according to Isabel, Dot had the opportunity.”

“And the motive.” They exchanged a knowing glance. “Cal, I know she's an attractive girl, but Tammy is…immature, with no help on the parent front.”