Time Off for Good Behavior (27 page)

Read Time Off for Good Behavior Online

Authors: Lani Diane Rich

BOOK: Time Off for Good Behavior
10.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub


Why?


So you can tell me what I should do.


What makes you think I know w
hat you should do?


Well, I figure a priest won

t let me do the wrong thing.


This is why people need to join the church before going to confession. I

m here to listen to your sins, not to make all your choices for you.

Now, there was the Father Hard-As
s I knew and loved.

Look, I

m just trying to do the right thing. Tell me what to do, and I

ll do it.


All right. Join the church.

We both laughed.

No, Father. I mean about the something meaningful. Should I do it? Do the ends justify the means?


That
all depends on the ends and the means.

I threw my hands up in the air.

For crying out loud! Do I have to join the church to get a straight answer outta you?


Yes!

He laughed again, then paused. When he started talking, his voice was more serious.

What
you need to do is between you and God. And I

m not privy to that information, even if you join the church.

A beat.

But it can

t hurt to hedge your bets.

I grinned.

A couple of Hail Marys, then?


We

ll get to that. For now, I think you should go to th
e gift shop and buy a St. Erasmus medal.


A St. what medal?


Erasmus. Also known as St. Elmo.


Oh,

I said, brightening.

The guy from
St. Elmo

s Fire
?

Father Hard-Ass sighed. I imagined he got that a lot.

The lights in the sky that used to help sail
ors find their way were named after him, yes. He

s the patron saint of navigators. Maybe he can help you find your way.

I could feel my throat tighten with emotion.
Cripes.
What was the deal with me? Getting weepy over a saint? I should trade in all those
sticky notes for a prescription and get it over with. I stood up.


Thanks.

I looked up at the ornate cathedral ceiling again.

Hey, Father? I know this is supposed to be all confidential and everything, but can I know your name?

There was a pause. Then,

I

m Father Gregory.


Nice to meet you, Father Gregory. I

m Wanda.

I heard a chuckle.

It was nice meeting you, too, Wanda.

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn

t see it. I grabbed at the curtain but paused before leaving.

Father Gregory?


Yes?


Thank you. For listening to me. Even though I

m not part of your flock.

He leaned close to the grate and spoke in a low, friendly tone.

Don

t tell anyone, but I

ve enjoyed listening to you.

I smiled. Had me a priest on my team. That had to be a good sig
n.

Maybe I

ll see you again sometime.


I

m here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress.

I went straight from there to the gift shop. They were all out of St. Erasmus medals. Shocker.

 

***

 


Just shut up and sit down,

I said.

And put the damn hat on, w
ill you?

Bones grumbled something offensive but put the hat on.

What time is it?

he asked.

I

m already hotter

n hell in this getup.

I checked my watch.

Eight-forty-five. Fifteen minutes to open.

I checked the connection from the digital camera on t
he tripod to the computer, then went around the desk to check out the image in the software Kacey had set up for me. I hit the button to take the picture, and the flash lit up Bones

s craggy old face.


Damn, girl, you trying to blind me?

he yelled.

I don

t know who ever heard of a black damn Santa Claus, anyway.


You don

t shut up, Bones,

I said, bringing the printout over to show him,

you

re gonna be a dead damn Santa Claus.

He took the printout from me. It was good quality, on card stock, with a mis
tletoe border that read

Merry Christmas

in the lower right-hand corner. He harrumphed and handed it back to me.


It

s off-center.


You

re off-center,

I grumbled, heading back to the computer but freezing midway.


Bones? Is that music playing on the sys
tem?


What music?

Damn.
The crescendo built. I hummed along, closed my eyes, tried to place it.


What

s wrong with you, Wanda?

I held up a hand to shush Bones. The music faded.
Shit.
I continued over to the computer, only looking up after I realized Bones had been uncommonly silent.


What?

I said.


You going crazy on me, girl?

he asked.


Just a little,

I said.

No more than usual.

He nodded but continued to watch me, his dark eyes
glittering with poorly masked concern.


Stop eyeballing me, Bones,

I said.

I

m fine.

He looked away, tugging at the collar of the Santa suit.

Don

t think I

m gonna be doing this Santa thing for you every damn day. I have real work to do, you know.

I
grinned.

Just smile and look pretty, Bones. Only six more hours to go.

 

***

 


Have you spoken to Jack lately?

Elizabeth stopped dunking her tea bag. I took a sip of my coffee and tried to look casual.


No,

she said, and continued dunking.

Why?


No re
ason,

I said, shrugging.

Can I ask you something?


Sure.


Do you still love him?

She gave me a tight smile.

Are you ever going to call Walter or what?

Oooh. Counterattack. I raised my eyebrows and pulled an Elizabeth.

We were talking about Walter?


No,

she said, then threw her hands up in the air.

Don

t you have Santa pictures to take?

I shook my head.

Monday. Station

s closed. Deft change of subject, by the way. Now back to you and Jack.


Why are you suddenly so interested in me and Jack?

Sh
e white-knuckled her tea mug and took a sip. I half expected the thing to crack in her hands.


He came by to check on the house on Thanksgiving. We talked.


Wait. You were here on Thanksgiving? I thought you had plans.


They fell through. Anyway, we talked and...

I cleared my throat.

He still loves you, Elizabeth.

She put the mug down and put her face in her hands.

I can

t talk about this, Wanda.


Okay,

I said.

That

s okay Look, I don

t know anything about anything
, but he seemed sincere to me. I just thought you should know.

She slammed her hands down on the table. I jumped back.

I know,

she said, her voice taut with anger.

I know he loves me. I know he

s out there being all hurt and sorry and...

She took a de
ep breath. Her eyes welled up.

You wanna know if I love him? Yes, I love him. And maybe he still loves me. And maybe he

s changed, but I

m not going to destroy myself again on a maybe. I

d rather be alone forever than go through that again.

She stood up
and poured her tea down the drain. I kept my back to her, feeling like the stupidest person alive, hearing my father

s voice ring out in my head:
Sometimes you just have to know when to shut the hell up.


I

m sorry,

I said.

I shouldn

t have said anything.

She sighed. I turned around and looked at her. In four minutes she

d aged five years.


No, I

m sorry,

she said, rubbing her forehead.

It

s just... You

re right. You don

t know about me and Jack. Just like I don

t know what

s going
on with you and Walter, but I stay out of it because it

s not my business.

I nodded.

Well, actually, you have kind of butted in on it once or twice.

She raised one eyebrow at me.

You looking for a fight?

Other books

Fortune's Lead by Barbara Perkins
Maggie's Girl by Sally Wragg
Blue Crush by Barnard, Jules
Allegiance by Cayla Kluver
Mending the Rift by Chris T. Kat
Menudas historias de la Historia by Nieves Concostrina
Terror in the Balkans by Ben Shepherd