Love Me ~ Like That (29 page)

He glances at Cash’s house. “I could really use some water, Bailey. Would you mind getting me a glass?”

“Yeah, I could use a glass too. I’ll be right back.” I get us both big glasses of ice water and bring them out. I see Cash making his way across the street as I hand Hendrix his glass of water.

Hendrix takes his water with one hand and pulls me in for a full body-press hug with the other. “Thanks, Bailey.”

“What the hell, Hendrix! Don’t touch me like that. I told you, friends only.” I push him away.

Cash is in the yard now, and he’s not very happy. “Why the fuck did you have your hands on my woman?”

I can see Cash is controlling himself, but who could blame him if he did hit Hendrix.

“I was just thanking her for bringing me the water. I meant no harm. I know she’s yours now. Chill, boy.”

Cash gets into Hendrix’s face. “I think it’s about time that you stop coming around here. Your help isn’t needed nor is it wanted. So take your skinny fucking ass and leave. I don’t want to see you here.” Cash reaches over and straightens Hendrix’s collar then pops him on his cheeks like he’s a kid.

Hendrix breathes heavily through his nose and talks through gritted teeth. “You know, I don’t remember asking or needing your permission to be here. The last time I checked, your name wasn’t on the deed to this property and I don’t see a ring on Bailey’s finger.”

This is getting intense, and I’m not sure how to stop them.

Cash tilts his head and lowers his voice, “It doesn’t matter if there is a ring on her finger or not, Henry. We are in love, and I love her family. I will do everything in my power to keep you away from them. I don’t trust you.”

“You don’t have to trust me, redneck. Bailey, I don’t want to start anything here. I’ll go in and say goodbye to your grandparents then I’ll be on my way.” He thrusts his shovel at Cash and goes into the house.

“Bailey, I think his biggest problem is that you’re with me and he thinks I’m beneath him. I don’t even trust him alone with Granny and Papa. He isn’t a good guy and he is out to hurt you or them.”

“Cash, if you only knew how much he’s changed. He’s so different than he used to be. How can I tell him to not come over here when he’s paying for their care?”

If she could only see through his bullshit. “Think about some of the stuff that’s been happening here lately. It doesn’t add up. Wake up, Sweet Cheeks. Please. Before something happens.”

Suddenly, I’m thinking, “What if Hendrix had something to do with the medicine and oxygen?” I can’t stand the thought of him being here a minute longer. “Come on. Let’s go inside. I don’t like him being alone with them, either.”

We walk inside the house, and Granny is nowhere to be found. I hear something in the bedroom. We head in that direction. Hendrix comes out in a hurry. His eyes are down and he isn’t watching where he’s going.

“Hendrix, where are you off to so fast?” Cash asks.

Hendrix ignores him and turns toward me. “Bye, Bailey. I’ll see you later. Be sure to call me if you need anything, sweetheart.” He has some nerve. If Cash doesn’t punch him, I will.

“If she needs anything, little fucker, she will come to me. Now, get your ass out of here before I change my mind and knock your teeth out.”

That’s my man.

Cash thumps Hendrix’s chest.

“Look, trash, you keep running your mouth all you want, but in the end we will see who ends up on top,” says Hendrix.

I want to slap the smirk right off of Hendrix’s face. “Hendrix, you need to leave. I don’t want any more drama around this house. My grandparents have a hard enough time as it is.”

“Well, you heard her, Cash. No more drama. Let’s go.” Hendrix waves a hand at the door.

What?
Does he think since I made them both leave last time, I will make them both leave again? “I didn’t say anything about Cash. I said for you to leave, Hendrix. Don’t come back if all you want to do is try to start a fight. I don’t want any of that around here, ya got it?”

“Bailey, I’d never do anything to cause you a moment of stress, Sweetheart.” He brushes his thumb across my cheekbone.

Cash grabs his wrist and twists it. “I think I’ve told you to keep your fucking hands off of her or I would knock your teeth out.”

Hendrix doesn’t flinch, even though I know he must be in a lot of pain.

“No, you said you thought it was about time for me to stop coming around. You didn’t say anything about me touching her. In fact, I thought you might want to share.”

He has gone too far. Cash grabs Hendrix’s throat and calmly walks him backward to the door. I go around them to open the door. Cash steps out with Hendrix and gives him a shove.

Hendrix stumbles a little but doesn’t fall.

“If you ever touch Bailey again, I will tear you a new asshole. Is that clear enough for you, pansy ass prick?”

“We’ll see about that.” Hendrix turns and heads to his car.

I wrap my arms around Cash and we watch Hendrix leave.

“Bailey, I’ve controlled my temper, and bit my tongue for the last time. Please don’t expect me to not pummel him into the ground if he touches you again. I can only take so much, and I’ve reached my limit.” He puts his arm around my waist and kisses the top of my head.

“If you do, just don’t do it in front of my grandparents. Please take it outside. I do think he deserves a good ass kicking though.”

What is it going to take for Hendrix to get it through his head I will beat his ass if he messes with Bailey or the Jacksons? After we go inside, we walk into the Jacksons’ bedroom. Papa is laying in bed, looking at the ceiling, and Granny is coming out of the bathroom.

“What happened? I heard a bunch of fussing out here.”

Granny looks over to us with concern.

“Hendrix keeps hugging on me. He’s pushing Cash’s buttons to start a fight with him,” Bailey says. She bends over the bed checking on Papa.

His eyes are dilated, and he is drooling.

“I was in the bathroom for about twenty minutes, and now I come out and your Papa is all spacey. What happened to him while I was in the bathroom? He was having such a good day, all happy and talking to me.” Granny says.

“Hendrix came to tell you guys bye, and we came in a few minutes afterward because we didn’t trust him in here without one of us,” Bailey says.

“When we came into the house, Hendrix was coming out of here,” I add.

“Bailey, he is kind of scaring me. I don’t think I want him over here anymore,” Granny admits.

“Cash told him not to come back here anymore. So, do you think he did something to Papa?” Bailey asks as she feels his forehead and looks closer at his eyes. She checks his pulse.

She looks to me with a worried look on her face. Surely, he wouldn’t do anything to Papa? Why would he do something to him? What would he have to gain? All of those questions really don’t matter at the moment because we need to figure out if Mr. Jackson is okay.

“Papa, are you okay?” Bailey asks. He doesn’t respond. “I think we need to call his doctor.”

“Alan! Alan, can you hear me?” Granny is down by his ear.

I call mom on my cell and she comes right over. Despite everything that has happened to her, when something like this takes place, she is level headed and good under pressure.

“They have left for the day but I left a message with the answering service,” Bailey says as she comes back into the room.

Mom comes in and goes straight to Papa looking him over. “I think we need to carry him to the hospital,” Mom says.

“Bailey, I think Margie is right, we need to call 911,” Granny says, her brow furrowed.

I take out my phone and make the call.

“Have any of you noticed that he doesn’t seem to be taking full breaths?” Mom asks.

“I’ve noticed that his breathing is a little shallow,” Bailey says.

We stand around his bed anxiously waiting for the paramedics to arrive. They came in about ten minutes last time. Granny gets into Papa’s field of vision and talks to him. Bailey holds his hand, and tears well up in her eyes. Mom and I keep giving each other concerned glances.

I wish we had moved here earlier and I had the opportunity to get to know Papa before the dementia robbed him of his body and mind. Watching him slowly get worse through Bailey’s eyes has been heartbreaking. It’s like a long goodbye because we are losing a little more of him each day. I wonder how long it will be before he doesn’t know his family any longer.

The paramedics arrive, and Bailey and Granny both have fear in their eyes. Mom and I step out of the room, but I stand in the open doorway listen to everything.. I’d do to anything at all in a heartbeat to make things better.

“How long has he been this way?” one of the medics asks.

“Maybe thirty minutes or so now. What do you think could have happened? He was fine and then all of a sudden he was like this,” Bailey says.

“I’m not sure, how long did you say he has had dementia?” The guy looks up at us as he listens to Papa’s heart.

“About three and a half years, right, Granny?”

“Well, that’s when the doctor actually confirmed it, but I think he has had it longer. We started noticing little things six or seven years ago,” Granny says.

“What medications is he on?” the medic writing down all the vitals asks.

Bailey goes to the kitchen and comes back with a basket full of medicine. The guy goes through it bottle by bottle writing everything down. He gets to one bottle, and he shows it to his partner.

“When is the last time you gave him the morphine?” He looks at Bailey.

I step back into the room because I’m not liking where this is going.

Bailey holds her hand out for the bottle. She looks at the label then the pills inside. “I give these to him right before bedtime. They are supposed to help calm him down so he can sleep.” She hands the bottle back to the paramedic that is questioning her.

“Are you sure you didn’t accidentally get confused and give them to him early?”

He gives Bailey a stern look. I think he speculates Bailey of overdosing him on purpose.

“Look, mister, if my granddaughter says she didn’t give it to him, then she didn’t give it to him.”

Granny’s bear claws are coming out, protecting her cub.

He holds his hand up to ward off Granny. “Okay, ma’am, we just see morphine used a lot on people that are in their last stages of life to make their end more comfortable. Higher dosages can lead to shortness of breath.”

“Do you want us to take him to the hospital? We can take him in, but it is really up to you. Personally, I think this is just a sign that he’s slipping into the last stage of dementia and you need to do everything you can to make sure your time with him now counts.”

The cocky sounding asshole makes it sound like Bailey is keeping him drugged all the time.

Granny looks at Papa with silent tears running down her face.

“No, if we feel like he needs to go to the hospital, we will carry him ourselves.” I step up and take charge of the situation.

“Okay, then all I need is to get a list of everyone present and a signature saying you are refusing medical help for Mr. Jackson.”

He’s making me mad and this isn’t turning out to be a good afternoon. I give him everyone’s name and as caregiver, Bailey signs the paperwork. It’s not long before they are gone.

“I’ll go and pick up something for everyone to eat.” I say. “Bailey, make a list of what everyone would like to have.” I have to do something to be useful.

Mom brings in an extra chair so she and Bailey can both sit beside the bed. Granny sits on her side of the bed next to Papa. Watching the love she has for husband, how she tenderly cares for him, even when she isn’t exactly capable herself, is so gratifying. I see why Bailey admires them both so much and wants that type of devotion from her life partner. I want to be the one she spends her life with and the one who gets the opportunity to be loved like that by her.