A Gift of Time (The Nine Minutes Trilogy Book 3) (41 page)

He didn’t
say anything.

“Why are
Carter and Bill just now giving this to you?” I asked without looking at him.
“Tommy’s been gone for over a year.”

“Carter and
Bill never knew about Moe’s journal until after you left for the hospital this
morning. When I told them, Bill let me listen to this. They didn’t say anything
sooner because they figured that whatever had happened between Sarah Jo and
Tommy died with him. She obviously wasn’t there to hurt him. Plus, they heard
her grieving afterward and believed it to be sincere.”

I leaned
into him then and welcomed the refuge his massive arms offered.

“How do you
want me to handle it, baby?”

I knew what
he meant, and my first thought was to lash out, but that wasn’t me. Besides,
there was no way I’d ever use my grief as a segue for him to go back to his old
ways. I needed to concern myself with seeking a way to find true forgiveness. I
knew it would come one day, and I prayed that day would come sooner rather than
later.

“She’s
punishing herself,” I whispered. “I think that’s enough.”

I looked up
at him and said five words I’d never meant more.

“Take me
away from here.”

Chapter Seventy

Grizz

2002,
North Carolina

Grizz sat at
the kitchen table and filled Micah in on the
events of their last month in Florida.

It hadn’t
been an easy one as Ginny had reached into the depths of her soul looking for
the forgiveness she knew she needed to give Sarah Jo. She’d convinced herself
the only way to find it would be to make an honest effort toward helping her
old friend. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d done her best to visit her and
convince her Grizz was dead and not haunting her. She wasn’t sure if her visits
helped, but when it was time to leave, she did so knowing she had done her best
in the little time she’d had.

She also
knew she would heal from this, just like she’d healed from everything else that
had ever bruised her soul.

“It kind of
sucks that my wife, who doesn’t lie, had to lie in the very end,” Grizz told
his father as he cradled a mug of coffee. His green eyes stared into Micah’s.
“She had to reassure Sarah Jo I was dead. She thought it would be the only
thing that might help the woman.”

Micah’s eyes
were warm as he reached across the table and patted his son’s hand.

“She didn’t
lie, son. That man is dead.”

They didn’t
say anything for a few minutes.

“So how long
has she had this flu bug?” Micah nodded toward the room in the basement, where
Ginny slept. “She hasn’t kept anything down since you got here. A trip to the
doctor might be in order.”

Grizz
nodded. “Yeah, she started throwing up when we hit Georgia. She hasn’t kept
much down since.”

They’d all
been invited to go on a picnic in one of the many national forests. Both Mimi
and Jason were excited and had gone with the others, but Grizz elected to stay
home with Ginny and Micah. She was now lying down in the basement bedroom they
shared. Grizz had taken the quiet opportunity to fill Micah in on everything
that had transpired since they’d last seen him during the kids’ spring break.

“So, any
loose ends in Florida?”

“No loose
ends,” Grizz said. “She sold her share of Tommy’s business to his partner. The
house sold almost immediately, and the new owners let Ginny rent it back from
them until our move. She sold it completely furnished and started packing her
and the kids’ personal belongings, shipping their things to a warehouse in
Montana.”

“If somebody
looked hard enough, they could probably figure out how to trace those
shipments. Might even be able to ask the schools where the kids’ records are
being transferred to. Guessing she’ll have to have things like her car title
transferred. Get a new driver’s license. Lots and lots of paperwork.” Grizz
didn’t miss the question in his statement.

“That’s all
being handled by a friend.” Grizz didn’t have to go into detail about Bill’s
special skills, and Micah wouldn’t ask.

Micah
nodded. “I know she drove up in her car, and you drove your car while pulling
that ‘death on wheels’ thing you call a motorcycle. If you want to drive with
them out to Montana, you know, in one vehicle, I was going to suggest you leave
your car and trailer here, and maybe I’ll make a little trip out there for a
visit. I can drive there and fly back.”

He looked
away after he said it. With all the secrecy about their move, Micah wasn’t
certain if he’d be among the people permanently saying goodbye to the son he’d
just found. And he’d never mustered the courage to suggest they move here to
live near him. He’d never been a father and didn’t know what would be considered
pushy. He didn’t want to lose the family that God had recently blessed him
with.

Grizz took a
sip of his coffee and gave his father a half-smile.

“Sounds like
a plan, Preacher. But you have to come soon. I don’t want to miss out on a
whole summer of riding with Ginny.”

He saw the
relief in his father’s face and stood up from the table. He wanted to check on
his wife. If she wasn’t feeling even a little better, he’d take her to the
local doctor.

The kids
returned later that afternoon and found their mother sitting on the couch
gingerly sipping a cup of tea. Both Spooky and Hope were snuggled up to her,
Spooky on her lap and Hope burrowed into her side. Ginny smiled when she
thought how well the first leg of this journey had gone. That is, until she’d
picked up a nasty stomach bug somewhere in Georgia. She had to let Mimi drive
most of the remaining miles to North Carolina.

Both cats
shared a crate in her car while Rocky rode with Grizz and Jason in Grizz’s
Chevelle. Grizz and Micah were now in the kitchen doing some prep work for
dinner. She hoped she’d be able to keep down whatever it was they were planning
on cooking.

“You know
your way around a kitchen,” she heard Micah tell Grizz in a surprised tone.

“So do you,
Preacher.”

Jason was
excitedly filling them all in on the day he and Mimi had spent with their
cousins.

“It’s not
just called Sliding Rock, Mom. It is a sliding rock. The water’s been running
over it for, like, a gazillion years and made it smooth.”

“Sounds like
you had fun, honey,” Ginny said, her voice sounding weak.

Mimi stood
to head upstairs to pack an overnight bag. She’d been invited to spend the
night with a cousin and wanted to be ready when the girl came to pick her up.

“Before Mimi
goes upstairs to pack, can we open Aunt Carter and Uncle Bill’s wedding present
for you and James?” Jason asked his mother.

Carter and
Bill had delivered it to them in the early morning hours on the day they were
leaving for their move. Ginny had already turned the keys to their home over to
the new owners and had promised to spend their last night having dinner with
the Bears. Instead of hitting the road after dark, they’d rented a hotel room
where Grizz waited for them. Anthony, Christy, Ginny, and Grizz had all decided
that it was in everyone’s best interest that the Bear kids never meet him, so
he’d waited at the hotel while they ate one of Christy’s delicious home-cooked
Native American meals.

“I can’t
believe I almost let you guys leave without giving you a wedding gift,” Carter
had told Ginny as she’d handed her the neatly wrapped present. “Don’t open it,
yet. I know you’re anxious to get going.”

Ginny stared
at her friend and asked under her breath, “It’s not breathing, is it?”

Carter
smiled as she remembered Bill’s role in having the black kitten delivered to
Ginny and Tommy in what seemed like a lifetime ago. She shook her head.

“Please?”
Jason begged, interrupting Ginny’s memory.

“It’s still
in the back of the car, I think,” Mimi said.

“I’ll get
it.”

Jason was
out the door and back inside carrying the present within thirty seconds.
Handing it to his mother, he said, “James should open it with you. It’s his,
too, Mom.”

Grizz dried
his hands on a dishtowel and joined them in the living room. He sat on Micah’s
coffee table, an old sturdy chest.

“Go ahead.”
He nodded at her.

By the time
it was unwrapped, Micah had made his way to the living room and stood back as
Ginny carefully opened the plain brown box. She looked down and smiled, showed
Grizz.

“What’s in
it? What did they get you?” Jason peered into the open container. He looked
mildly disappointed.

Grizz and
Ginny exchanged knowing smiles. Without taking her eyes from his, she
announced, “I think there’s a little something in here for each of us. This
would be for you, Jason.” She handed him a homemade slingshot.

“Cool,” he
said as he snapped the rubber band that was attached to it.

Ginny handed
Mimi a small stuffed gorilla. “I think this little guy can find a home with
you. But I’ll keep this little card that came with it.” She carefully removed
it from the gorilla’s wrist.

Ginny handed
the shaving bag to Grizz. “I bet you’ll find a use for this, Gri—James.”

He winked at
her.

She took the
Barry White album out last, cradled it to her chest.

“And I’ll be
holding onto this.”

Chapter Seventy-One

Ginny

2002,
North Carolina

I scanned the
waiting room looking for Grizz, the news I’d
just received still not sinking in.

“That’s not
possible! Please check again, Tammy,” I’d begged of the nurse who was offering
me an understanding smile. She was Grizz’s second cousin and had been there
with her family at Micah’s that first day we’d met him. She was also one of the
women at the Bunco night I’d attended.

“I’d be glad
to check again, Ginny, but I’m pretty sure it’s accurate. I’ll have the doctor
come back in.”

I now
spotted Grizz in a corner, huddled in conversation with a man I didn’t
recognize. I stiffened as I realized his body posture while talking to the man
brought on a sense of déjà vu—of when he used to conduct business around
the pit. He sensed me staring and looked up. My expression must have startled
him because he jumped up, and came to me.

“I’ll tell
you in the car,” I mumbled as I headed for the door, not wanting to make eye
contact with anyone in the waiting room.

I was
walking so fast his long legs were having trouble keeping up with me.

“Who was
that?” I asked a little too sharply when we got outside.

“Merlin
Shoup. Ginny, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you sick?”

He unlocked
and opened the car door for me.

I shot him a
look, suspicion coursing through me. “What were you talking about?”

He slammed
the car door shut and quickly walked to the driver’s side to let himself in.

“He asked
how long we’d be visiting.” Before I could ask why Merlin Shoup was interested
in our visit, he added, “He found two hunting dogs that were either abused by
the elements or by their owner. The only shelter two towns over wants to put
them down. Shoup heard through Micah that I have a way with animals, and he
wanted to know if I’d be here long enough to foster them, try and rehabilitate
them. Okay? Now tell me what’s wrong!”
        

Oh. I
flushed, guilt washing over me. I swallowed and chanced a glance at him. I
didn’t know how he would take the news I was about to tell him. This was
certainly going to put an end to the honeymoon phase of our marriage. I was
starting to feel overheated and asked him if he would start up the car and turn
on the air conditioning. He did, and the radio immediately started blaring “I’m
No Angel” by Gregg Allman. Grizz gave me a sheepish smile and turned it off.

“I’m
pregnant, Grizz. I’m pregnant.” I let out a long breath. “I mean, I can’t
believe it. I was certain I was missing periods because I was entering
menopause. I mean, I’m in my early forties! But apparently, it wasn’t
menopause. It was stress, and I was still ovulating. I just don’t know what to
say. I’m just so shocked at myself for being so irresponsible. I didn’t even
think to use birth control.”

He hit the
dashboard so hard I jumped.

“Hot fucking
damn! Are we going to have a baby, Kit?”

I looked at
him then, and he was smiling so hard I thought his cheeks must hurt. I could
only nod. He pulled me close to him over the console of the Chevelle, taking my
face in his hands and kissing my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, my chin.

“I didn’t
think you could make me any happier, Kit. Thank you, baby. Thank you for a
chance to raise a child with you. Thank you.”

I was still
in a state of shock when we got back to Micah’s and announced it to the kids.
They were more excited than Grizz.

The realities
were beginning to sink in. I wanted, needed to let him know what having a baby
meant. The responsibilities, the exhaustion, the lack of sleep, the midnight
runs to the pharmacy.

But he
countered every negative with a positive. I was starting to get butterflies of
excitement as I realized he really did want this child. Thank you, Lord. One
last thing occurred to me, and I figured I might as well throw it out there.

“You know,
people will think we are this child’s grandparents.”

“Fuck what
people will think.” Grizz looked at me, still smiling. “Ginny—we’re
having a baby!”

Later that
night, the whole family was sitting in Micah’s living room watching “That ‘70s
Show.” We were chatting about our move during the commercials. We’d planned on
staying at Micah’s for just a few more days and were discussing when Micah
would be bringing Grizz’s car and bike out to Montana when Jason asked, “Do we
need to leave so soon? I’m having fun here. Aren’t you, Mimi?”

“Huh?” Mimi
was curled up in a chair with her nose in a book. She blinked, looked around.

“Are you
having fun here?” Jason asked. “I asked Mom and James if we can stay a little
longer. I like it here.”

“Yeah, I
like it here a lot, too.” Mimi closed her book. “I’m going to have to say
goodbye to cousins who are better friends than I ever had in Florida.”

“See? Mimi
wants to stay longer, too. Do we need to leave so soon?”

Micah piped
up, “Do you need to leave at all?”

The room was
quiet, and then both Mimi and Jason started talking over each other as Micah’s
suggestion that we stay in North Carolina took root.

“I know you
mean well,” Grizz said. “But nobody knows us in Montana. We’re looking to make
a fresh start.”

“Exactly,”
Micah said. “Nobody knows you. No family. Nobody to rely on. Nobody that will
have your back if you need them to. I know why you want to move, and I
understand, but I don’t think you realize your anonymity in another state can’t
protect you like your kin. You weren’t raised here, but you’re family. And
nobody messes with family.”

I could see Grizz
thinking this over.

“Gri—James,
maybe we should at least consider it.” I put a hand on his arm.

Truthfully,
the thought of the cross-country move in my weakened state seemed like a bit
much. And was it wrong of me to admit I liked having a family?

Before Grizz
could reply, Micah said something that caused the room to grow quiet.

“You can be
Grizz and Kit here. And don’t everybody look at me like that. I know those are
your nicknames for each other, and not only have I caught you both almost
slipping, I hear you when you don’t think anybody’s listening.”

I gulped and
looked from Micah to Mimi and then finally to Jason, who to my surprise was
nodding and smiling.

“I know he’s
your big old grizzly bear, and she’s your kitten.” Micah looked at us pointedly.
“You have nicknames for each other. That’s fine and dandy, and we don’t care.
Nobody on top of this mountain cares. Stop acting like you have to hide from
your past.” He waved a hand toward the kids. “A life you have to hide from is
no life at all.”

I understood
what he was doing, and I appreciated it. He’d explained the nicknames away as
simple pet names, but I knew one day Jason—and probably even the baby I
was carrying—would know the truth. All the truth.

Micah was
right. Living a life in hiding would not be living at all. I believed Micah. I
believed in the sanctuary this mountain offered. I could only hope Grizz
believed in it, too. I didn’t want to leave.

**********

The next day, Mimi and Jason
were picked up to visit some of the places where the movie “Deliverance” was
filmed. None of us had ever watched the movie, but after last night’s
discussion, Micah thought they would enjoy seeing what this area looked like
back in the seventies, so he popped in a DVD and pointed out the scenes that were
shot nearby. The kids were fascinated by the fact that an entire town was
relocated to make room for a lake. I had to agree. Even though I didn’t care
for the theme of the movie, I had to admit that moving an entire town was
pretty interesting.

Aunt Tillie
had joined the three of us after the kids left for their day trip, and we now
sat around the kitchen table talking about the real possibility of moving here.
Every time Micah tried to say something, she’d cut him off.

“Micah can
come live with me, and you can have this place,” she said in a voice indicating
there would be no further discussion on the subject.

“Oh, no!” I
said. “We can definitely get our own house. We may be homeless right now, but
we’re not poor by any means.”

“Nonsense.”
Aunt Tillie waved a hand. “This house is perfect for the four of you, soon to
be five. Besides—”

“Matilda!”
Micah’s face was red, and he turned to stare at her. “Is your bun too tight,
sister? Will you please for the love of the good Lord, who is my all and my
everything, shut up and let me get a word in?”

Aunt Tillie
huffed her indignation at the reprimand and nodded when Micah thanked her for
shutting her pie hole.

 
“As my older sister was telling you, this
house is perfect for you. I’m tired of taking care of all this property. It
belongs to you anyway, son. I had everything taken care of after your last
visit. It’s all yours.”

I mulled it
over. “Well, if we did move in, couldn’t you just stay here with us? It’s
obviously big enough.” I looked at Grizz, and he nodded.

Aunt Tillie
folded her arms. “No, because—”

“Matilda!”
Micah’s voice had grown even more agitated. He turned to me. “I’m used to
living alone, Ginny, and this ain’t an insult because I love when you’re here,
but let’s just say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

I heard Aunt
Tillie mutter “old dog for sure” under her breath. I smiled.

“And I can’t
believe I’m saying this, but I think I can get more used to living with Matilda
than four people and a new baby.” I knew he wasn’t telling the truth, and he
knew I knew, but he smiled at me. “Besides, honey, this is new for all four of
you. You’ll need your space.”

“That’s what
I was going to say!” Aunt Tillie said.

Micah rolled
his eyes and winked at me.

I wasn’t
happy with the thought of displacing Micah from his home, but he was adamant.
It was settled. Grizz would have Bill take care of getting our things shipped
here from Montana, as well as the kids’ school transcripts, then erase any
electronic evidence. He couldn’t erase any hard copies of paperwork, although I
had to admit he’d done a great job back in the eighties when he’d personally
sabotaged files about Grizz stored on microfiche. But I seriously didn’t think
anybody would ever go to all that trouble to find us. After all, Grizz was
dead, and I didn’t have any real ties left undone.

I did have
one last delicate request, and I felt a little funny bringing it up, especially
since Micah was a minister, and I didn’t know if this was considered
sacrilegious or not. Aunt Tillie had considered the matter settled and had
already left for her afternoon bridge game at the local library.

“Umm,
Micah?” I asked.

“Yes, sweet
pea,” he answered, using his new nickname for me. I could tell he was giddy
with excitement that we’d agreed to move here, and to be honest, I felt the
same way. It just felt right.

“I guess you
know by now we’re not what most would consider a conventional family.” I
cleared my throat. “So I doubt this is a conventional request.”

“What is it,
Ginny?” Curiosity shone in his eyes.

“Well, Grizz
asked me what I wanted for a wedding present, and I told him I didn’t want
anything, but that’s not exactly true.”

I glanced at
Grizz for reassurance. He nodded at me to continue.

“I wanted
him to promise me he’d find a way when we finally settled in our new home.” I
hesitated. “That—that he’d find a way to bring our loved ones with us.”

I could tell
Micah was confused. I rushed on.

“I mean, our
loved ones that have passed away. Tommy, Ruthie. My mother and stepfather. I
can’t stand the thought of leaving them in Florida. I can’t imagine anyone will
ever visit their graves.”

I wouldn’t
meet his eyes and looked down at the table, stretching my arms out in front of
me. I nervously twirled my wedding and engagement rings. I was asking for a
secret exhumation of not just one or two graves, but four.

I felt
Micah’s warm hand reach out and grab my forearm, pulling it toward him. I
looked up and didn’t see disgust or condemnation. I saw tears.

“You have
the biggest heart of any person I’ve ever met, Ginny. It’s not as uncommon as
you might think. I’m certain we can work something out. I know our family
graveyard has plenty of room for some more kin.”

I smiled and
had to blink back my tears.

“My
suggestion would be that we have it done quietly,” Micah said. “leave their
headstones where they’re at and have new ones made for here.”

“Thank you,
Micah.” I stood to give him a hug. “Thank you so much.”

“Family is
family, and we take care of our own, Ginny. And if you’re our own, then so are
they.”