A Gift of Time (The Nine Minutes Trilogy Book 3) (28 page)

Chapter Forty-Nine

Grizz

2001,
Fort Lauderdale

Grizz headed back
for his house in Laurel Falls. His mind
was still spinning from the conversation he’d had with Mimi. She was sharp, and
he felt like he’d been put through an official interrogation. If Mimi was this
inquisitive, he could only imagine what his conversation with Ginny would be
like. If he ever got to have one with her.

He answered
all of Mimi’s questions honestly except for one—how he’d faked his death.
He did, however, plant some truth in her mind: that anyone with enough power
and the right amount of money can do anything they wanted.

“I know you
are—or were—wealthy,” she’d said, brow arched. Good. He was glad
when she didn’t pursue the subject further.

His daughter
was smart and a bit sassy. She’d continued with other questions after that. He
was a little taken aback when he thought he saw her lip quiver as she said in a
low voice, “So I guess you never wanted me. You wanted Mom, but not me. You
told her to make sure I never knew you. I guess that’s because you didn’t want
to know me.”

He could’ve
explained to her then that it had never been his intention to stay away. He
could’ve gone into a lengthy discussion about never believing his fake
execution would take so many years.

Instead, he
hefted his hip off the car seat and reached for his wallet. He dug deep and
pulled out three pictures that were worn and had been cropped to fit inside. He
handed them to her.

Her hands
shook as she looked at the pictures. They were of her when she was just a
little girl.

“Mom sent
these to you?” Something that may have resembled hope was in her voice.

“No,” he
said evenly. “She honored my request to keep you away. I had surveillance on
you those first few years. I didn’t want to miss anything. When it was obvious
things were taking longer than I’d expected, I stopped the surveillance. It was
too much for me and not fair to your parents. Or you.”

She didn’t
say anything, and he thought her lip started to tremble harder.

“I’d like
those back,” he said, his deep voice bringing her back. “They’re the only ones
I still have.”

She’d
regained her composure and handed them back to him.

Now, his
groceries put away, he’d made himself something to eat and was sitting on the
couch staring at the blank TV screen.

“I won’t
bother you again, Ginny. I’ll stay away. You have my word on that.”

His own
words, spoken only hours ago, taunted him. Who was he kidding? There was a bit
of sincerity in what he’d said, but he was really trying to call her bluff. He
was certain he caught a moment of weakness in her glance when Jason introduced
himself.

Had he read
her right? Did she still have feelings for him? And if she did, to what end?
Would she lead two lives? One of devoted and widowed mother of two children and
another as mistress to a dead man? He knew how he would like to see things play
out, but it would be a long shot, and he had no choice but to wait out the
standoff he’d initiated.

Ginny was
one of the most strong-willed and stubborn women he’d ever known, even when she
was younger. She would only be stronger now.

He went to a
second bedroom which he’d set up as an exercise room and lifted weights. When
his muscles tired, he took a hot shower and did a load of laundry. He packed
his lunch for the next day and headed back to the living room. He flipped
through the TV channels and, not finding anything that interested him, tossed
the remote aside.

Where had he
put Moe’s journal when he’d moved over here from the efficiency? He went into
the bedroom and rummaged through his few belongings. There it was, stuffed back
in the bag he’d shoved into one of the nightstand drawers.

He hadn’t
read too much the one and only time he’d picked it up. He was getting tired,
and Monday morning would be here soon. Maybe he’d read just a little more.

**********

Moe’s Diary, 1975

Dear
Elizabeth,

I can’t
believe he’s still acting as if nothing happened between us. I know he told me
that same night that it probably shouldn’t have happened, that I shouldn’t read
anything into it, but I know it was more. I’ve never had a man make love to me.
Men screw me. Even Fess tries to act like it’s more special than just a lay,
but I know what I am. I like Fess and care about him. But I don’t love him.

It was
different with Grunt. I know he was upset when he got back from the beach with
Sarah Jo and figured out what Kit and Grizz were doing in Number Four. I saw
him walk back to his room with his head down. I’d thought maybe I would show
him some of my latest sketches. He seems to like them, and I like hearing I
have talent. I took some of my drawings to his unit, and he acted nice, but I
could tell his mind was on other things. He was thinking about her. I decided
to leave and thought maybe I would just give him a hug. He held me longer than
he ever had before, and when I looked up to see if he was okay, he kissed my
forehead. Then he kissed my temple. Before I knew what was happening, he was
kissing my neck. I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy it. He made his way down
my body, and next thing I knew, we were undressed and in his bed.

If he didn’t
care and was just trying to get off, it would’ve been quick. But it wasn’t. He
really took his time with me, and it was so beautiful I almost cried a few
times. I’d never had that feeling before. I know when a man gets his rocks off,
but I never knew a woman could do that, too. Grunt made me feel things I never
felt. Things I want to keep feeling, but he told me he was sorry that it
happened and couldn’t happen again. That he didn’t want it to ruin our
friendship, and that my friendship was very important to him.

I know he
has feelings for her, but she doesn’t love him. She doesn’t care about him the
way I do. It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.

**********

So Moe had feelings for Tommy.
Grizz wasn’t surprised by this. Other than Fess and Ginny, Tommy was the only
person who’d ever shown any kindness to Moe. And now knowing they’d had a night
of passion only confirmed what he’d already learned in the back of that pool
supply store in Tallahassee. Moe was the insider at the motel. Between her love
for Tommy and her hatred of him, having Ginny gone would’ve served two
purposes.

His jaw
tightened as he finally came to the part where Moe had unwittingly helped set
up Ginny’s rape and almost murder. He believed what he was reading. That Moe
hadn’t intended for it to go that far, but that fucking bitch, Willow, posing
as someone named Wendy, had tricked her. And Ginny had paid the price. Well,
he’d made sure Willow and her brainless boyfriend paid the ultimate price. He
may have had some regrets about his criminal past, but he never had any regrets
for something he’d done in retaliation for anything directed at Ginny. Willow’s
last words to Moe mocked him and clawed at his subconscious as he fell into a
restless sleep that night. “It’ll be tit for tat…it’ll be tit for tat.”

He had angry
and violent dreams that night. Dreams of being helpless. Even though he hadn’t
witnessed it, he relived Ginny’s torture and rape by a man in a black ski mask.
He dreamed he was strapped to the gurney in the execution room, and he could
see Ginny through the glass window. Except he wasn’t seeing her calmly sitting
with the rest of the spectators. He was seeing their bedroom in the motel. The
man with the black ski mask had just finished raping and beating Ginny and she
laid there, her face bloated and swollen. A trickle of blood flowed from her
left nostril and ear. The man placed his ear to Ginny’s chest to see if she had
a heartbeat and, satisfied that he’d killed her, he slowly climbed off the bed.

Grizz
watched in a helpless dream-state as the man stood and looked around the motel
room, searching for something to steal. He noticed Gwinny jump up on the bed
and gently approach Ginny. She started licking Ginny’s face. Grizz watched the
man grab Gwinny and kill her. He then tucked the black cat beneath the covers
next to Ginny. It was intended as a sadistic surprise for the person who’d
eventually find Ginny’s body.

Then he
watched the man take off his ski mask. Even in the depths of so dark a dream,
Grizz felt his heartbeat quicken. He wasn’t looking at Ginny’s rapist.

He was
looking at her then-best friend. He was looking at Sarah Jo.

Chapter Fifty

Ginny

2001,
Fort Lauderdale

I don’t know
how many times that week I picked up the
business card that Grizz had given me and just stared at it. I threw it in the
garbage at least three times, only to find myself digging it out and wiping off
strawberry and coffee stains along with a myriad of other nastiness. I didn’t
have to keep it. I’d stared at it so many times that I’d subconsciously
memorized the address Grizz had written on the back. I knew the subdivision. I
didn’t know anyone who lived there, but I’d passed it enough when visiting
clients who lived or worked in that area. Of course, since I no longer had any
clients, I had no reason to be over that way.

After
walking Grizz out to his car that day, I went back into the house to talk to
Mimi. We left Jason, who was absorbed in his video game, and went into Tommy’s
office, shutting the door behind us.

Mimi
explained everything. The disappointment of Slade’s second rejection. The
uncomfortable ride home with Christian. Trying to find me and ultimately
running into Grizz at the grocery store.

“And you
just knew it was him and walked right up to him?”

“He looked
like an older version of that first picture I’d seen. You now, the one with the
long hair. Maybe I wanted it to be him, Mom. I don’t know. When he didn’t deny
who he was, I was more curious than anything.”

“But, Mimi,
you climbed into a car with a stranger!”

“Yeah, I
already got an earful from him for doing that,” she said sheepishly.

That was
something Grizz would’ve done. Reprimand the child he hadn’t raised. As upset
as I was, I felt a small smile trying to find its way to my lips, but I fought
it.

Mimi
explained that he’d been forthright and truthful. She’d even tested him by
asking him things she already knew about. He didn’t lie to her. Not once. Hmph.

“Well, I
hope you know I’m forbidding you to ever see him again. Never, Mimi. He is not
welcome in our home or in our lives.”

She looked
at me. “I know, Mom. He told me you would be mad and not to try and get in
touch with him or try to see him again. He wouldn’t tell me where he was staying
or anything. I could’ve tried to do a search on his name and license plate, but
I’m not stupid. It’s probably registered to a phony address.”

My insides
began to churn. “So he told you I’d be mad and not let you see him? He forbade
you first?”

Mimi looked
at me sideways with a curious expression on her face. “Mom, are you actually
mad because he agreed with you, or are you mad because he told me first?”

I ran my
hand through my hair and huffed out a breath. “I’m not mad. I’m just upset that
he thinks he can show back up and get his hands into things he has no right
to!”

My daughter
just looked at me. I could tell she was trying to figure out what my feelings
were for her biological father. Well, if she does figure them out, I hope
she’ll tell me what they are.

**********

The following week dragged. I
had a lunch date with Alec down at a popular restaurant on the Intracoastal. We
walked along the docks afterward. The sun was bright, and he grabbed my hand to
steer me toward a little kiosk that sold visors. After buying me one, he
casually retrieved my hand for the rest of the walk. It wasn’t as hard or
awkward as I thought it might be. It was very comfortable, and I convinced
myself I liked the feathery kiss he placed on the side of my mouth after he escorted
me to my car.

Now I was on
my way home and letting myself wonder what it would’ve been like if he’d kissed
me on the lips. Could I see myself kissing Alec back? Could I picture myself
enjoying it? I raised my hand to the spot he kissed, letting my fingers mimic
his mouth.

My ringing
cell phone interrupted my daydream. Sarah Jo, calling to catch up and apologize
for not being around the last several months.

“I’m sorry,
Gin.” Her voice was quiet. I hadn’t seen her after the couple of weeks that
followed the funeral. “I don’t know what to say. It might sound awful, but I’ve
been dealing with Tommy’s loss, too, and well, being around you was just too
painful.”

Relief
washed over me. I think deep down I’d been wondering if it was something else.
Something more.

“I
understand completely, Jo. Please—don’t feel bad.” And I meant it.

I remembered
that awful day at the hospital when I fell apart at Sarah Jo’s arrival. I was
certain I wouldn’t be able to get through that awful time without her, but
oddly enough, I had. Everybody grieved in their own way, and I understood her
need to stay away. The truth was I had become accustomed to not seeing much of
her, and if I was being honest with myself, I hadn’t noticed her absence. I
missed our friendship, but not as much as I probably should have. I couldn’t
explain why.

We made a
plan to meet for lunch the following week. I hung up the phone and realized I’d
lost track of the time and my route home. I had just pulled into the
subdivision of Laurel Falls. Grizz’s subdivision.

I slammed on
the brakes, did a sharp U-turn in the middle of the road, and headed for home.

**********

Another week dragged, and with
it my anxiety only increased. I just knew Grizz was going to show up again, and
I found myself mentally rehearsing for the tongue-lashing he’d receive.

My lunch
with Sarah Jo was pleasant, but something was off. I was certain it wasn’t her.
It was me and my preoccupation with Grizz’s return.

Before I
knew it, still another week had passed and there had been no sign of Grizz.
He’s staying away. He got the message. Good.

But it
didn’t help that Jason had asked about his father’s old friend, James Kirkland,
more than once.

I’d seen
Alec a couple more times in those weeks, and he didn’t hold my hand or give me
a goodbye kiss like he had at the docks. As a matter of fact, he went back to
being the perfect friend and if I hadn’t been so consumed by my angst over
Grizz, I might’ve had my pride pricked or wondered if he was playing a game. He
probably wondered the same about me.

I prayed for
strength when I found my thoughts drifting to Grizz. I asked God to give me the
grace to be able to forgive him for whatever anger and resentment I held onto.
I needed the peace that only the Holy Spirit could give me.

I also found
myself praying for the man I’d once been so in love with. I wanted him to find
happiness. I wanted him to find God. And maybe, maybe buried deep down
somewhere, I wanted him to find me and bring me back to the love I’d once felt.
But it was just too late for that. At least that’s what I told myself.

I hadn’t let
myself think about loving Grizz. It was easier to be mad, but it was also
exhausting and so contrary to how I’d lived my life. Now I’d slip in and out of
moods I wasn’t used to experiencing. I’d always been so confident in my
thoughts and in my actions. As I realized my anger about Grizz and our past had
finally started to wane, I discovered it was replaced with a new anger. One I
couldn’t explain.

Grizz was
following my orders. He was staying away from my church and my grocery store.
He was staying away from my children and my home. He was staying away from me.

I convinced
myself he was only keeping his distance to mess with my head. That it was all
part of some big game he was playing to get me to go to him. Of course, this
kind of behavior wasn’t anything like the Grizz I’d known—the man who
never asked permission but did and took what he wanted. The man who ran over
people and squished them like insects. The man who’d wanted me enough to risk
losing it all by having me abducted back in 1975.

No. This
wasn’t like Grizz at all.

It truly
bothered me that I thought about him so much. I reasoned that I had to get this
man out of my head and out of my life once and for all. I also knew I couldn’t
go to him. I wouldn’t give in to what I thought was a mental game.

Whether
imagined or real, it consumed me. No, I decided. I wouldn’t lose this one. I
would never go to him.

Never.