Disgruntled (21 page)

Reva was pretty good at running away from places that held
bad memories. She’d learned that when she escaped from
Nick. It had been four weeks since the police handcuffed
Brent and took him away.
He had been charged with murder. Two counts apparently
and
Reva
was
stunned.
His
truck
apparently
had
dna
evidence that pointed to the disappearance of a woman.
She’d seen it on the news for days and was stunned when
they connected it back to Brent. Once in custody, Brent had
confessed
and
explained
it
as
an
accident.
Reva
was
saddened that she hadn’t seen the depths of darkness and
anger during the time he worked for her. Sure, she had
feared him a little, but she thought it was a result of her own
issues, not his. Nick’s death came as a shock at first.

Nick had not survived the surgery to repair his gunshot
wound. He’d lost too much blood. The doctors had been a
little surprised that he’d been weakened so by the shot.It had
not appeared life threatening. Apparently, he had some
blood
deformity
that
introduced
complications.
Reva’s
sadness was short-lived. Relief seemed more appropriate and
she hated that she had such brief remorse at the loss. After
all, she’d loved the man once. Hadn’t she?
Looking at the obituary, she realized there was little love in
the partnership they’d formed. It had been forged in fear
and servitude. It had been difficult to call the girlfriend and
inform her of his death. After multiple attempts where she’d
hung up before an answer, she finally rang through to a
voice. The girlfriend had disappeared and forwarded his
phone to his office. Like Reva, she’d taken the opportunity
to save herself. Reva wanted to applaud the bravery. Instead,
it made her sad. How many other lives had Nick tortured?
And who had done it to him?
She walked to the front door with Todd at her side. His
truck behind them was filled with boxes ready to be packed
full. She’d not spend another night alone in this house. Reva
sighed.
“Does it make you sad to leave?” Todd asked.
“Not really. It’s more of a cleansing. A chance to finally
wash the uglies out of my life.”
“That’s a good way to look at it. I wish you’d stay with
me
though.”
Reva touched his cheek. He leaned into her hand. She
understood that this slight gesture meant something to him,
the gentle stroke across his shadowed jaw. He’d said as
much when they sprawled across his tangled sheets last
night. When he’d asked her again to move in.
“Give me a little time, okay?”
He clasped the fingers and pressed them to his lips. “You
got it.”
They lugged boxes inside and spent the next three hours
stuffing them full. It amazed Reva how much junk she’d
collected in the short time she’d been in the house. Sweat
trickled between her shoulder blades, tickling against her
spine. A grumble in her stomach encouraged her to check
her watch. It was almost one!
The clip clop of heels on the concrete signaled someone’s
arrival. “Yoo hoo. Reva?”
Reva turned to share an annoyed look with Todd.
“Dammit, Annie, can’t you leave the girl alone?” he said
when
the
bobbed
blonde
tromped
in
the
open
door,
shadowed by Reva’s cousin, David.
David
hesitated
on
the
threshold,
nodding
at
both
occupants. “I have some good news for you. We’ve come to
a—” He placed a palm on Annie’s shoulder and squeezed
before continuing, “We’ve worked things out. I thought
you’d want to know.”
Todd and Reva shared another startled exchange.
“Yeah,” Annie added, “David and I have spent a lot of time
trying to come to some sort of compromise about your time
with Eric.” Annie fumbled with the button on the bottom of
her too-tight blouse.
David grinned. “Just tell them, sweetie. They need to know.”
Sweetie?
“See, I haven’t been exactly straight about Bob. I’m not
really seeing him. He dumped me eight months after I left
you, Todd. He never really intended to leave his wife and
marry me. He just said that to—well, you know.” Annie bit
into her lip and worked it hard. Reva thought her eyes
glistened a bit as if a tear might drop. “He thought it was the
perfect setup with me being married too. What an ass. I just
couldn’t say anything. I’d really screwed up. I was so stupid.
So, I kept coming over and dropping Eric off. Sometimes
because he wanted to see you and sometimes because I
needed to be alone.”
The puddle in her eye gave way to a couple of tears that
rolled
down
and
ruined
her
perfect
make-up.
Reva
reluctantly felt her heart tug.
“Go on,” David prompted.
“I didn’t want Eric to see me crying all the time so if I
couldn’t face you, I’d just drop him and go home. I’d crawl
in bed and cry. I was so mad. I didn’t dare tell you but I
thought I wanted you back. Only I knew you’d never have it,
Todd. In a way, I also knew that wasn’t right for either of us.
Then you met Reva.”
Reva turned and plunked a stack of books into the box
behind her. Her face started to warm.
Here it comes.
“I could see you really cared for her and it made me jealous
and well, more lonely.”
David cleared his throat and rubbed her shoulder. “Todd,
what Annie’s agreed to is this: Eric will stay with you during
the summers and every other weekend, unless you can’t take
him. He’ll stay with Annie during the school year. If you’d
rather do it differently, she’s open to ideas.”
Annie hiccupped and Reva turned to see Annie’s make-up
smeared face watching her. “I’m sorry Reva. You saved
Eric’s life and I never really thanked you. I was so angry at
myself and how badly I’d botched everything up, I just saw
you…”
“As the bitch who’d weaseled into your family?” Reva
grinned.
Annie giggled. “Well, yeah.”
All four adults stood staring at the floor for endless minutes
until the back door flung open. Eric swept in and hugged
Todd, then Reva. “Dad, how are you gonna box up all that
stuff in the backyard?” he asked.
Annie seemed to welcome the interruption that broke their
tension. “What stuff is that, sweetie?”
David groaned. “Not you, too, Reva? Ben’s filled your yard
up with all that junk?”
Reva laughed. “Hey, now. It’s art. Some of it isn’t all that
bad
either.
In
fact,
he’s
sold
a
few
pieces
to
Todd’s
company. They’re putting it in their catalog this fall.”
“Good.” David looked at Todd. “Maybe you can buy all
mine too then.” He grabbed a box and started loading it
from the kitchen cabinets. Annie joined him and rubbed a
hand across his back. Well, well.
Looks like they worked out
more than just Todd’s parental rights.
Todd leaned into Reva’s hair, his breath warm against her
ear, and whispered. “He could do a lot worse, I guess.”
She turned and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Yeah,
they’re cute. Who would have thought
that
?”
Eric flipped on Reva’s music and pressed the button that
she’d programmed to Disney tunes for him when they’d
painted shirts. He grabbed a box and joined the packing
party, though he danced more than packed. Within thirty
minutes, the small team had moved to the bedroom when
voices calling caught their attention.
“Where’s the party?” That had to be Ben.
“Back here,” Todd called. He and Reva went out to meet
him. Only it wasn’t just Ben. No, Ben, his kids, Tim, and
Reva’s parents all strolled in.
Reva’s mom held a big bucket of KFC. “I thought you guys
might be hungry.” She smiled.
“You’re an angel.” Todd hugged her, covering her forehead
in sweat. He swiped the boxes off the table and grabbed
paper plates.
“Hey, David! Why don’t you guys get in here and see this.”
Some scuffling in the back occurred, then David and Annie
appeared.
“What’s up? Oh, food! Whew, thanks.”
Todd motioned to Reva. “Hey, gorgeous, why don’t you
dish it up for everyone?”
“Are you really trying to get me to serve food to this group?
I think they can handle it themselves. I’m not your waitress,”
Reva huffed. She picked up a plate. “But I’ll go first if you
don’t mind.”
She slipped the lid off the chicken and started to reach in
when her fingers touched—fuzz.
“What the?” A felt box. She stared down at it, befuddled. A
breeze hit her sweaty legs as Todd dropped down next to
her.
“So, what do you say, babe? Think you and I could do it
right this time?” He glanced over his shoulder at Annie. “No
offense, Annie.”
“None taken.” Still, there were tears in her eyes.
Reva looked at the box, then at the man on his knee in front
of her. “Todd Grisham, are you proposing to me with a box
of chicken? Seriously?”
He laughed. The whole room clapped. Her family roared
with laughter. All of them. “Yes, honey, that’s exactly what
I’m doing. I’m being
normal
. Straight up normal and I’m
asking you to be boringly and exquisitely average with me
for the rest of your life. Right here. In front of your whole
family. With this ring and a box of chicken. And I promise I
won’t lay a hand on you if you turn me down.” Todd
crossed fingers over his heart and held them up, then stood.
He lifted the box out of the chicken and brushed the crumbs
away, then opened it and placed it in her hand. “So, what do
you say?”
She smiled around the room.
Yes, this is how it was intended to
be. Everyone around for all the big moments. Nothing hidden in the
dark or behind closed doors. This is how someone loves you. And you
love them.
She gulped down the knot in her throat and took the ring
out. “Wow, that Datemydad.com website really works!”

Shelley grew up on a farm outside of Kansas City,
Missouri. She‘s a graduate of Oklahoma State University
with a bit of post-graduate work at OSU and University of
Wyoming-Casper. She now resides near Houston with her
family.

Numbers Never Lie
Bring It On
The Designated Driver’s Club