Searching for Sea Glass: BEST-SELLING AUTHOR (Sea Glass Secrets Book 1) (12 page)

“Your nephew?” the old woman scoffed. “If you’re speaking of Billy Murphy, you can just go whistle in the wind. That child was put in my care by his mother. She said nothing about a familial tie between the two of you. I was not making an idle threat when I said I’d call the law. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hightail it out of here.”

“Mrs? I’m sorry, what is your name?” he asked.

And while she was preparing to answer, he edged himself fully into the vestibule of her home. His first impression was of dark paneling and the scent of beeswax furniture polish. His grandmother had used the very same polish on her furniture. Smelling it, and seeing the ornate mahogany hall tree was a bit like walking back into another century. Filtered sunlight danced in thin stripes across the shiny hardwood floors. Now that he was inside, he could smell biscuits browning in an oven and strong coffee. He heard Billy singing a soft nursery rhyme in another room.

“It’s
Miss
. Miss Maude Evelyn. Don’t you dare try to turn me up sweet with your dimple and your cunning eyes. I’ve known cads like you before. I’m immune to your shopworn charms.”

JD stifled a bark of laughter. For all her tart personality, he found he was coming to like Maude Evelyn. “Will you please hear me out? I promise I have no sinister motives.”

“So said the spider to the fly,” she grunted. She looked him up and down. After a few uncomfortable seconds, Maude Evelyn jerked her pointed chin towards the back of the house. “You might as well join us for breakfast. You may be nothing but a fast-talking Yankee. But
I
am a southern lady. And as such, I will extend hospitality, as the Bible directs, even to those I despise.”

JD’s lips quirked up on one side as he watched her graceful, but militant march down the wide hall towards the back of the place. She turned a sharp corner and he realized he’d better follow if he wanted to try reasoning with the old bat. With long strides he caught up with her. And though she failed to acknowledge him in any way, she did have the grace to make a quick introduction to the others in her large country kitchen.

“JD McIntyre will be joining us this morning.”

The newcomer was amazed to see several people in various stages of undress all sitting around a huge distressed farm table. It was a very diverse group. He instantly recognized the cook from Sea Glass Café. The burly man looked at him over the rim of a massive coffee mug. There was no welcoming smile from the grizzled veteran. Halfway down the table sat a neat black lady in some kind of uniform. She nodded her head as she took a bite of steaming shrimp and grits from her fancy porcelain plate. The handsome dark man next to her was obviously her husband. He tilted his head in greeting, but kept on eating his own meal. Billy sat perched on a stack of thick tattered books at the head of the table. He was the only one who spoke.

“Hi, I know you. You’re my daddy.”

JD sighed. That statement certainly got everyone’s attention. And not in a good way. The cook rose halfway out of his seat. His impressive fists knotted into wrecking balls. The black couple sat straight up. They eyed him with no small amount of disdain. Maude Evelyn broke the silence.

“Don’t be silly, child. That man is no more your father than I am, she said to Billy. “What do you want?” she directed the acerbic inquiry to JD. “Shrimp and grits or biscuits and gravy. I’ve got plenty of both.”

“Just coffee, please,” he answered.

“Sam said you’re his brother,” Billy began a childish monologue. “I like Sam. He’s real big. I played in the pool before Maude Evelyn came to fetch me. Matt played too. Matt’s nice. But he’s not as fun as Sam. Sam can throw me real, real high up in the air. And then when I splash down into the pool I make a real big noise. And a big wave. Sam said…”

Maude Evelyn cut him off. “Be quiet, Billy. Children are to be seen and not heard. Especially at the table. Eat your biscuit before it gets cold.”

The irrepressible child just smiled at her. He nodded. “Yes Ma’am,” he said. He crammed the whole cat’s head biscuit into his small mouth. Silently, he started chewing. But his bright eyes fairly danced.

JD knew that look. He’d seen it countless times on his brother’s face when they were growing up. Sam was always up to something. Usually JD managed to either stop his brother’s mischief or, at least, take the blame. He’d taken Sam’s punishment many times over the years. And he’d never regretted a single beating. Big John McIntyre believed in using a heavy hand when punishing his offspring. JD had the scars to prove it.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Billy,” Maude Evelyn chided him. Then she turned her eyes towards JD. “I don’t mind giving you a meal. And I don’t mind making meaningless small talk with you. But let’s get one thing straight. I don’t care who you are or what you own, you’re not going to do what you mentioned earlier on the porch.” She sent a meaningful glance to the little boy watching them so avidly.

JD decided to take a more measured approach with her. He had no intention of frightening his nephew. And he had time. All the time in the world, to get what he wanted. So he nodded as if he agreed with her.

“And just so you know,” Maude Evelyn wasn’t finished. “I support Sumner fully. And I’m not boasting when I say, I have considerable influence here in town.”

“So do I,” barked Harry.

The look in his eye told JD the man wasn’t talking about anything social or judicial. Harry was ex-special forces. His style of solving problems would be a little more hands on.

JD wasn’t afraid of any of them. He’d lost the ability to feel fear a long time ago. He’d been twelve when he’d realized it didn’t matter too much what happened to you when you didn’t really care if you lived or died. That lack of preservation of personal safety had served him well over the years. JD McIntyre was fearless. But he did believe in goals. And, upon learning that he had a nephew, his only goal became finding the boy. Making sure the child was well cared for. Setting up a trust fund to ensure Billy would never become dependent upon the cruel whims of others.

“I’m not rich or anything, but I can call in some favors over at the DMV,” said Maxine as she winked at her husband. “All your vehicles can be flagged for various infractions.” The black woman grinned and shrugged her shoulders. The black man beside her just shook his head and chuckled.

“Thanks for the support, but I think I can handle Mr. McIntyre by myself,” Sunny said from the threshold of the room.

She stood there looking very tired and haggard. The simple jeans and tee-shirt she’d had on the day before were badly wrinkled Her tousled braid was unraveling again. Her eyes were heavy from a lack of sleep and something else JD couldn’t identify.

“Hi Sunny!” Billy’s innocent grin lifted her spirits. At least one person in her world was uncomplicated.

“Hi, Billy Boy. Were you good for Maude Evelyn?” She walked into the bright kitchen. She made her way to him. She tenderly ruffled his hair.

“I was. We made popcorn and she let me spin on her piano chair. Harry showed me how to play thumb war. I beat him every time. And Miss Maxine let me sit in the driver’s seat of her bus. It wasn’t on, or nothing. But I got to steer it anyway.”

JD’s sudden indrawn breath, twisted in his chest at the smile she gave the little boy. He thought it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. No old master’s portrait of the Madonna could hold a candle to Sunny’s artless, loving smile. It was apparent she loved the little boy very much. Just as it was obvious the child felt the same way about her. Could he really pull them apart, even temporarily?

“Why are
you
here? I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other,” Sunny muttered to the still man sitting next to Maude Evelyn. The perfect smile vanished from her lips.

“Oh, I think we do. But I’m wondering if you really want to do this in front of an audience?” he said, rising to come towards her.

“Billy, go get your backpack. We’re leaving.” Sunny ignored him. She walked out of the kitchen.

JD followed her out into the long hall that led back to the front door. As she reached for the ornate cut-glass door knob, JD’s hand angled over her head. It settled flat against the old door.

He watched the girl as she dropped her head as if gathering her strength. Then she turned to face him. They were so close he could almost taste the full ripe curve of her lower lip. It took every bit of his self-control not to capture her mouth and once again savor it. The fury in her eyes helped with that.

“Get away from me. I’ve told you twice now to leave me alone. And that goes for Billy as well.”

She didn’t curse. Though there was a primitive part of her that wanted to hurt him in the same way he’d hurt her. Some wisdom kicked in and told her JD McIntyre was not a man to back down from a fight. And if she escalated this situation between them, she knew he’d see it as just that. A bare-knuckled fight to the death, winner take all. The all being Billy and maybe her heart and sanity. Though she was pretty sure he’d already ripped her heart to pieces, years ago. And her sanity had always been in question. What sane young eighteen-year-old woman adopts a baby, restores a wreck of a café, and tilts at corporate windmills – all at the same time?

“Sunny, we need to talk. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Too late,” she said with a hysterical giggle.

She immediately shut her lips in a flat forbidding line. It must be the lack of sleep. That’s what she told herself. She was making a colossal fool of herself over this man. Again.

JD’s jaw tightened. A muscle began jerking up and down its shadowed length. His eyes narrowed.

“Come with me to the Towers. We can have some privacy there to get this all sorted out.”

His low, calm words suggested it was an invitation. Sunny knew better. He was issuing an order. That’s what men like him did. They threw out commands and expected them to be followed to the letter.

“I’m not going anywhere with you. And neither is my son.”

“He’s my nephew, Sunny. Aren’t you being selfish in completely rejecting anything I could do for him?”

Sunny’s two hands planted themselves firmly against his hard chest. She shoved with all her might. He didn’t even have the grace to shift away from her.

“What could you do for Billy?” she asked. It was a purely rhetorical question because she continued without waiting for him to answer. “Teach him to be as empty and grasping as your fiancée? Instruct him on how to care more about your businesses’ bottom lines than the everyday working folks who make them thrive happen? Or maybe you think Billy needs to learn how to use and manipulate others? That seems to be one of your best skills.”

“I don’t care what you think of me, little girl. But Billy’s my blood. I’ll make sure he’s raised with more than a group of motley hangers-on and a failing redneck joint as a support system.”

Sunny’s eyes flashed fire. “Sea Glass Café is not a redneck joint. And my friends are none of your business. Just because you don’t see the value in authenticity and salt-of-the-earth folks, doesn’t mean anything. What do you know? I once heard somebody say you were the only living heart donor. I guess they knew you pretty well.”

He grabbed her and slammed her up against his body. He leaned down. His words were harsh and so low she barely heard them. “If I was as heartless as you claim, I’d turn my back on Billy. I’d pretend he didn’t exist. But, even though you don’t want to see it, he’s a McIntyre.”

“His last name is Murphy,” she argued.

“Really? Did Willow even know who his father was? Or had she been hanging around that crowd down at your café so long, she just didn’t care?”

His words were calculated. And though they sounded cutting and cruel, even to him, there was a reason he used them. He’d loved his sister. And he had no reason to think she’d become promiscuous after leaving Texas. But if he could shake Sunny’s resolve. If he could make her more angry. She might inadvertently tell him what he needed to know about Billy’s father.

She managed to free one hand from the vise between them. Without thinking it shot out. She slapped his face as hard as she could. The sharp pop and the obscene sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed down the empty hall behind them.

“Willow was not a whore. Billy’s dad was the love of her life. Lorenzo Morales was… is a very good man,” she said before she realized what she’d just revealed.

JD instantly released her. He stepped back. His smile was as cold and icy as an Arctic winter. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful. Get Billy ready. I’ll come and get him this afternoon for a short visit. And Sunny, don’t try to fight me on this. I’ll destroy you, if you try to get in my way.”

With dull eyes, she watched him open the door. He pounded down Maude Evelyn’s steps to the sidewalk. He walked like a conqueror out of sight.

“Too late,” she whispered again to no one in particular. JD McIntyre didn’t know it. And he never would, if she could keep it from him. But the man had already destroyed her a long, long time ago.

Sunny, I gotta go to the bathroom again,” Billy whined.

The woman driving the little rattletrap car understood his fatigue. She was tired herself. They had been on the road for almost twelve hours. She’d done the only thing she could think of. She’d run.

“We’re almost there Billy Boy. Just another couple of minutes,” she said.

She wiped at her gritty eyes. Ironically, they were in Dallas. Not the rich, pretentious high-rise part where the McIntyres owned a host of hotels and numerous other business interests. No they were in the poor, scary barrio outskirts of the city. In a place where mean, skinny dogs roamed the streets. And men who looked just as hungry and dangerous hung out in front of dirty barred convenience stores. Sunny was taking great care to not let her little car idle too long at stop signs. The doors were locked. And even though it was a stifling one hundred degrees outside, and the car boasted no air conditioning, the windows were rolled up.

“Tell me who we’re going to see,” the child asked as he listlessly waved a cheap coloring book in front of his sweaty little face.

“It took me a long time. But I found your daddy, Billy.”

She gave him a worried look. Sunny had intentionally put off telling the boy why they had to leave Sea Glass Point. She didn’t know exactly what they were going to find when they got to the Dallas Charity Hospice. She’d tried to call several times, but never got an answer. When she’d researched the place online last week, she’d learned it was a hospice for the indigent. She’d been slowly working up her courage to call the facility when JD had shown up in Sea Glass Point.

“You found my daddy?” he asked in awe. The boy perked up. He sat straight up in his seat. He looked at her with a thousand hopeful wishes in his dark eyes. “I’m going to get to see my daddy?”

“Maybe,” Sunny answered.

She kept her eyes on the road. The medical building was very close. She saw it about a half a block away. It was a dull gray building tagged with spray-painted gang symbols. There was a high chain-link fence around the meager parking lot. A strand of barbed wire edged its top like some kind of awful bunting.

“I want to see him,” Billy said with a hint of belligerence. His lower lip poked out.

Sunny felt so sorry for her tired little son. He’d been cheerful and obedient for many hours, as they’d traveled. But it seemed he’d come to the end of his patience. She could relate. She was bone weary. And she had the added anxiety of not being sure if what she was about to do was the right thing.

“I know you do, sweetie. And I want that too. But your dad’s sick.”

She pulled the battered car into the small parking lot. She edged it into an empty space. She turned the ignition key to still the grinding motor. She looked at him in the rear view mirror. The back seat was awash with discarded toys and fast food bags.

“He’s sick?” Billy seemed confused.

“Yes, he’s very, very sick.”

Sunny unfastened her seat belt. She got out of the car and looked around. There seemed to be no immediate threat, so she opened his door. He popped open the lock on his seat belt. He scrambled off his booster seat. They stood looking at each other on the hot gummy surface of the asphalt parking lot. Sunny took his hand and began leading him to the entrance. Their steps stirred the creosote smell of the scorching tar beneath their feet. Waves of heat shimmered over the cars parked in the small enclosed space. Sunny found it very hard to catch her breath.

Opening the door of the hospice building was a relief. A rush of cool air enveloped them both as she hustled the child inside. She walked up to the reception desk. The Hispanic lady answering phones smiled a greeting.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

“We’re here to see Lorenzo Morales,” Sunny said.

“Are you a relative?” The woman’s professional demeanor hardened slightly.

“I’ve brought his son to meet him.” Sunny nodded her head down toward Billy.

The receptionist frowned. “Lo’s got a son? Are you sure? According to our records Mr. Morales has no relatives. At least not in this country.”

“Yes, I’m very sure,” Sunny said.

“Let me go ask if he wants to see you. And I’ll need you to sign a few waivers and releases for the boy to go back. Children typically aren’t allowed in the rooms. We’ve got a very strict policy about visitation. Especially for our acute patients.” The woman hurried away.

Within a matter of minutes, the waiting room was crowded with nurses and attendants. It seemed they all wanted to meet Lorenzo Morales’s son. Some were Hispanic. A few were black. The tallest one was a blonde man. All of them eyed her like she was an alien species come to exploit the earth and massacre all of mankind.

Sunny was glad to see the receptionist bustling back. Behind her was a woman in medical scrubs. She had the look of a doctor. Serious demeanor and practicality combined to construct a façade of ultimate confidence.

“This is Dr. Worth,” the receptionist introduced the woman.

“Hello, I’ve been told you’re here to see Mr. Morales. And that you’ve brought his son?” she smiled down at Billy.

“Yes,” Sunny said. “I’ve been looking for Lo for several years. I was finally able to find him on the internet.”

“You’re the child’s mother?” the doctor inquired.

“Adoptive mother. His birth mother is dead. My name’s Sunny Murphy.”

“And Mr. Morales can vouch for what you’re telling me?”

Sunny shook her head. “No, I’m afraid we’ve never met. But if you tell him I’ve got a letter for him from Willow, I think he’ll want to see us.”

“Willow?” The doctor cocked her head.

“Billy’s birth mother,” the girl answered.

“May I have the letter?” the doctor asked. “I’m sure Lorenzo would like to read it.”

Sunny nodded. She fished around in her huge old bag. Finding the dog-eared envelope, she handed it to the other woman.

Dr. Worth smiled. “I’ll take this to him and be back in a minute.” She walked back down the florescent lit corridor and disappeared.

“You don’t look like Lo,” commented one of the Hispanic ladies with her eyes trained on Billy. She was short, round, and had hair the color of a blackbird’s wing.

“Yeah, you’re too white,” said another with a speculative gleam in her eye.

“We all think a great deal of Lo. We wouldn’t like it if this is some kind of scam.” The blonde man’s words were venomous. His face wasn’t much better.

“How does a catholic holy man come to have an anglo kid?” the first one mused aloud.

“He’s a priest?” Sunny was stunned. She’d only been able to access Dallas public records. Lo had been listed as a parolee. It had taken her a long time to get up the courage to google his address. When the hospice had shown up as his place of residence, she’d quit her research.

“You don’t know Lo very well, if you don’t even know he’s really Brother Lo,” the man mocked. “I knew this was a scam. You know how gun-shy the church is these days. This woman is clearly here to accuse Lo of something and get part of the Vatican’s settlement.”

“No, no I would never do anything like that. I just want him to get to meet his son. I do need his help, but it’s got nothing to do with money. I swear to you,” Sunny pleaded with them.

“I say we call the police,” one of the nurses mumbled.

“No please, I’m telling the truth,” she begged.

“I don’t think so, lady. What are the odds that poor Lo would have two visitors in one day, after three years of having no visitors at all?” hissed the man. His words were so quiet, only the staff nearest him heard them.

“He has visitors. One of the Sisters of Mercy comes to see him every Saturday, just like clockwork,” another argued.

“That’s just a benevolence chore. None of those ladies ever claimed to be Lo’s family.”

“I didn’t think he had any family.”

“He doesn’t. At least none in this country. He has a sister in Ecuador who’s too poor to make the trip to see him, I think,” said the male nurse.

“Excuse me,” Billy interrupted them all. “I hafta go to the toilet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry sweetie,” Sunny said as she knelt down to hug him. “I forgot all about that. Can you show us the bathroom please?”

She looked beseechingly at the crowd as they all moved closer. Before any one of them could answer, Doctor Worth was back. There was a shimmer of tears in her solemn eyes.

“Thank goodness you got here when you did. Brother Morales is very close to the end of his journey. He says your arrival is an answer to his most heartfelt prayer. Come with me please.”

“Sunny, I gotta go,” Billy whined. It was obvious he was in distress.

“The restroom is on the way. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you where it is,” the doctor said.

Together, they waited patiently for Billy to use the facilities. Standing in the cool hall, Sunny turned to Dr. Worth. “Is Brother Morales up to seeing us?” She needed the man’s help. But she didn’t want to spur his demise.

“Lo is dying. All our clients are. But he’s been fading faster this last week. He’s had a tiring day. So you’ll need to make allowances for his condition.”

“His condition?”

“Yes, he’s dying from untreated Hepatitis C. He has liver cancer. He ignored his symptoms for years. He became very devout as an inmate. He was an unofficial prison chaplain. His faith has inspired many. The local cathedral supports him as a pious volunteer. But now, there’s just not much we can do to help him. The damage to his body is significant. It’s a miracle he’s survived this long.”

“Is he contagious? Will Billy be in any danger?” Sunny asked concerned.

“No, his illness is only transferred to others by blood exchange,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m going to ask for you to be kind to him. His life has been one of much hardship and pain, though he’s deserved none of it. So please, please, no accusations or drama.”

“No, of course not.” Sunny nodded. “I’m just trying to keep a promise to a friend. And get his help with a custody issue.”

The doctor frowned. “I don’t think Lo will be able to do much for you. He’s barely conscious. He’s drifting in and out. He may not even be able to speak to you. But he definitely wants to see the child.”

As she was speaking, Billy came out of the restroom. Sunny took his hand. Together, they followed Dr. Worth further down the hall. She stopped at the closed door.

“Here’s his room. Let me go in and make sure he’s ready to see you.” She disappeared inside.

“Sunny, I‘m scared,” the little boy said with a quaver in his voice.

“It’s Ok Billy. There’s nothing to be scared of. Your daddy’s just real sick. And this is like the hospital.”

“It smells funny,” he whispered.

“I know sweetie, but there’s really nothing to be worried about. This is something your mother wanted us to do.”

Doctor Worth came back out. She left the door open. Inside the dim room, Sunny could see the outline of a hospital bed. There was a frail figure lying there.

“Please come in,” the doctor invited.

With no small amount of trepidation, Sunny led her son into the antiseptic space. She immediately became aware of the bump and hiss of medical machines. The thin man in the bed was connected to a vast array of equipment. The lights on the machines flickered. The sporadic beeps of one of the monitors told her the man she had driven halfway across the country to meet was very close to death.

“I’ll leave you to your conversation. Please make it brief. I’ll be back to see you out.” The sensitive doctor melted from sight.

Sunny swallowed hard. She took a firm, comforting grip on Billy’s hand. Together, they moved closer to the bed.

“He… hello,” she began. “I’m Sunny Murphy. And this is William Lorenzo Murphy. He’s your son.”

The man in the bed gave an infinitesimal nod. Sunny supposed at one time he would have been considered very handsome. He had Billy’s beautiful olive skin and black eyes. The shape of his poor ravaged face was pointed and gaunt.

“Willow?” he rasped out on a long sigh.

Sunny shook her head. She felt the hot tears gathering in her eyes. “Willie’s gone. She died trying to save me. Birthing Billy was her last heroic act. She was my best friend. And she loved you very, very much. She was so sorry for what her mother did to you. And she regretted running away with her last breath. She wanted you to have the letter. And I… well, I wanted you to meet Billy.”

She couldn’t bring herself to ask him to sign the papers she had in her purse. They were a statement of intent. One she’d gotten from Judge Morris. He’d told her that if Billy’s biological father signed them, they would prove an almost iron-clad defense if JD took her to court for custody of the little boy. But seeing the broken man in the bed, she just couldn’t bring herself to ask for such a selfish favor. He could barely talk. How was he going to lift the hand, to sign anything, with IV’s taped to it in several places?

“Come?” he whispered, looking at Billy.

The boy seemed to lose all his fear in that moment. He went to the man. He struggled up to sit by his father’s side in the tilted bed.