I'll Stand by You (18 page)

He left at a lope and came back just as quickly.

“This is a key to the house. You might be needing it in the days to come, and the car keys, of course.” He dropped them in her palm then curled his fingers around her hand. “It’s just help, Dori. At one time or another, we all need it.”

She nodded, and just for a moment after he let go, it almost felt like she’d lost her anchor.

“I won’t be long,” she said and then rubbed her finger along Luther’s arm. “Hey, little man, you be a good boy for Mama, okay?”

Johnny smiled. “He’ll be fine. Strangely enough, I seem to be good with boys.”

She put the house key in her pants pocket and made a quick exit before she changed her mind.

Starting the car made her nervous, and then she had to move the seat forward to better reach the brake, evidence of Johnny’s long legs. But as soon as she backed out of the drive, she forgot about who she’d left behind and focused entirely on the journey ahead. The distance to the funeral home wasn’t far, but it was facing what she had to do once there that made her sick to her stomach.

She got to the funeral home without incident, but the moment she parked and got out, her legs began to shake.

“I can do this,” she mumbled and kept moving forward.

Evelyn Harper must have been watching for her, because she opened the door to greet her.

“Good evening, Dori,” Evelyn said and gave her a brief hug. “How are you doing?”

Dori shrugged as tears welled.

“Are you ready?” Evelyn asked.

Dori nodded.

“Come this way,” Evelyn said, taking her by the arm and leading her into a viewing room.

Dori crossed the threshold, saw the open casket, and stumbled. “Oh Lord,” she whispered.

Evelyn stopped. “Would you like to be alone?”

“Yes.”

Dori moved toward the casket as Evelyn walked out and closed the door. She looked at the suit, at the tie, at his hands crossed just above his waist, at the way they’d combed his hair—at everything there was to see until there was nothing left but his face.

He looked like he was sleeping.

Tears rolled as she reached for his hand, but then she flinched. Not only was it stiff, but it was cold—a reminder that he was done with this body.

“Oh, Granddaddy, I am so sad. We are lost without you.”

She sat down in a chair beside the casket and ran her fingers along the satin-like finish on the cherrywood, like Grandy’s dining table and chairs. But then she remembered that they were gone too.

She cried until her eyes were swollen and her head was throbbing in rhythm with her heartbeat before she made herself get up. This time when she looked, she looked straight at his face, as if willing him to open his eyes and acknowledge her presence.

“I know about all the money you left for us. You saved me when Mother and Daddy died. You saved me again when Grandy died, and you didn’t throw me away when I got pregnant with Luther. Now you’ve saved us again by making sure we aren’t homeless and penniless. You were the best grandfather ever. I won’t let Luther forget you. I promise.”

She took a deep breath, wiped her hands across her cheeks, and walked out of the viewing room and into the office across the lobby, where Evelyn was sitting. Her eyes burned when she blinked and her mouth was dry, but she was almost done.

“He looks fine…just fine, Mrs. Harper. I can’t thank you enough for all you did.”

Evelyn Harper politely ignored Dori’s appearance as she opened a desk drawer and pulled out an envelope.

“It was our honor. I need to give you this. It was in the pocket of Meeker’s blue jeans.”

Dori took the envelope and quickly opened it. A long, flat key fell out in her hand.

“It looks like a key to a safety-deposit box,” Evelyn said. “I thought you might need it.”

Dori was stunned that he’d thought to take it with him when they’d left the house. She’d have to let Peanut Butterman know.

“Thank you very much,” Dori said.

Evelyn nodded. “So, do we have your approval to open the viewing room to the public?”

“Yes,” Dori said, then slipped the key into her pocket and walked out.

The drive back to Johnny’s house was anticlimactic. She’d seen Granddaddy’s body and faced the fear without losing her mind. By the time she pulled up into the drive and killed the engine, she was numb.

Oblivious to the fact that the porch light was out, she got out of the car with her feet dragging and then sensed movement in the dark and looked up.

Johnny walked out of the shadows.

She paused.

“He’s in bed asleep,” he said, answering her question about the baby before she could ask.

She shuddered.

He opened his arms.

She walked into his embrace and closed her eyes.

“You did it, girl,” he said softly and cupped the back of her head with one hand and slid the other one across her back.

He didn’t want to feel a connection with her, but he did; whether it was empathy or something more didn’t matter. For as long as she needed him, he was here.

Dori shivered again.

“That was hard,” she whispered.

“I know,” Johnny said.

Then she remembered he’d buried his mother. Yet another road he’d already traveled before her. She sighed. It felt good—too good—standing there like that. She pushed away from his embrace and then handed him his car keys.

Johnny saw tears on her cheeks, but her voice was steady.

“Thank you again for saving me,” she said. “I’d better get inside.”

He pocketed the keys and led the way, then locked the door behind them as she headed down the hall to her baby. The sound of her footsteps faded as she entered her room, but the memory of how she felt in his arms was anything but gone. He looked in on the boys, who were in the kitchen doing homework, and then headed for the shower. Tomorrow would come all too soon.

Dori checked on the baby. He was dry and sound asleep with the little barrier of pillows around him. She sat down in the rocking chair, then got back up again and put the key on the dresser, and then found Butterman’s card and sent him a text.

I have the safety-deposit key. Call me tomorrow.

She hit Send and then laid out a new nightgown for later and left the bedroom. She could hear the shower running as she walked down the hall and thought it was the boys until she walked into the kitchen and saw them at the table with their schoolwork. She eyed the bottles of Pepsi from Ruby Dye and then glanced at the boys.

“How’s it going?” she asked.

“Good,” Marshall said and kept working on his math.

Beep didn’t have homework, but he liked to read and had his nose in a book.

“Are you guys allowed to have pop before bedtime?”

“No,” Beep said. “I would pee the bed.”

She gave up the idea of a Pepsi.

Marshall looked up.

“You can have one. Johnny does. We don’t mind. I don’t like to sleep in pee and Beep only has one pair of pajamas. Me and him agreed we don’t want pop at night until he’s a big boy.”

Dori smiled. The boys were adorable.

She got a glass, filled it with ice, and then poured in the Pepsi. She took her first sip while it was still fizzing because she liked the tickle of it on her nose. The kick of caffeine was welcome as the cold drink slid down her throat.

“Cookies don’t make me pee the bed,” Beep said.

Dori stifled a grin and looked at Marshall, who shrugged.

She got the sack of cookies. “To make homework better,” she said, giving them one apiece and then sitting down in one of the chairs with her drink.

Johnny walked in as Beep was swallowing his first bite.

“Hey, can I join this party?” he asked.

Marshall grinned. “I’m almost done, Johnny. Just one more problem.”

“Good for you,” Johnny said, making himself a glass of Pepsi too and sitting down across the table from Dori.

She pushed the bag of cookies toward him.

He took two, then leaned back in the chair and took a bite. “These are
good
,” he said, somewhat surprised.

Dori nodded and took another drink.

“I might need a swallow of water,” Beep said as he polished off the last of his cookie.

“You can have a drink of my Pepsi,” Johnny said.

Marshall looked up and frowned. “I don’t like to sleep in pee.”

Beep looked longingly at the glass. “I’ll only have one little sip.”

Marshall sighed and went back to his problem.

Beep took one small sip and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “That’s good stuff. Some hair of the dog,” he announced.

Dori’s eyes widened.

Johnny frowned. “Let me guess. You’ve been watching old gangster movies at Miss Jane’s again.”

Beep nodded. “Belly up to the bar, boys. The drinks are on me,” he added.

Dori burst out laughing.

Johnny shrugged. “I know. Who knew Miss Jane had such a fondness for gangster movies? She doesn’t seem the type.”

“I’m through!” Marshall announced.

“Good job,” Johnny said. “Both of you get your baths and into bed. I’ll come tuck you in shortly, and remember, be quiet down the hall. The baby’s sleeping.”

They tiptoed out of the room.

“They are adorable, Johnny. I hope you know that,” Dori said.

“I know. I love them to the moon and back,” he said softly and then gathered up the sack of cookies and his empty glass and headed for the sink. “Let me get the boys through in the bathroom, and then it’s all yours,” he said and left the kitchen.

She killed time cleaning up after their snacks and tried not to think about Granddaddy lying cold and alone in a cherrywood box. Even if his spirit wasn’t there anymore, it was all there was left of the man she’d loved. It hurt her heart.

Her steps were slow as she picked up a couple of baby bottles and filled them with milk, then set them in the refrigerator for later. This was the second night in the Pines’ home and nothing was routine, nor should it be. She was simply passing through their lives.

She glanced out the window into the dark and then on impulse walked out onto the back porch, curious to see what night was like on this side of town.

Lack of burning streetlights made the stars brighter and the night sky seem closer. She saw lights on in different houses around the neighborhood and one with the garage door open, the house lit up in every room including the garage. She could hear the faint sounds of music coming from there and guessed by the number of cars parked nearby, someone was having a party.

It was a vivid reminder of how the world went on, regardless of death and loss.

She heard an owl and a hissing cat, and then a dog barked sharply, as if announcing both his presence and the parameters of his territory. She saw a shadow move between where she was standing and the house next door. When she couldn’t figure out if it was man or beast, she decided she’d been outside long enough.

She went back inside, locking the door behind her, then gave the kitchen one last look and turned out the lights as she headed down the hall. The bathroom door was ajar and the room was dark. After checking on Luther to make sure he was still sleeping, she got her nightgown and headed for the bathroom.

Johnny had laid out a clean towel and washcloth for her and wiped up the floor. The idea of taking a long, hot soaking bath was enticing, but she opted for expediency and chose the shower.

The water was lukewarm, but she didn’t care. She showered quickly and dried off fast before putting on her nightgown. After brushing her teeth, she opened the door and turned out the light.

The hall was dark, but the night-light in the bathroom shed just enough light for her to get back to her room, and the dim lamplight was kind to the shabby furnishings. She got into bed, pulled Luther’s blanket up over his shoulders, then stretched out beside him and closed her eyes. The knot in her stomach tightened as Granddaddy’s face slid through her mind.

“Lord, help me through this,” Dori whispered and fell asleep to the sound of Luther Joe sucking his thumb.

* * *

Across town, Pansy Jones stood at her living room window, looking across the street at the blackened skeleton of what was left of Meeker Webb’s house and reliving what she’d done. No matter how many ways she tried to justify it, she failed in her Christian duty and was blaming it all on Bart. This whole mess was his fault.

And when she heard his footsteps coming up the hall, she rolled her eyes. He was obviously ready for bed, which meant he wanted his sixty seconds of sex so he could sleep. The sound of those plodding steps grated on her last nerve, as did the bellow that followed.

“Pansy! I’m ready for bed.”

She turned and yelled back at him. “I’m not in the mood to pretend I enjoy your ‘wham, bam, thank you, ma’am’ sorry excuse for sex, so you might as well go on to bed without me.”

Bart’s mouth dropped. “You cursed.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’d make a preacher curse. Go away, Bart. I’m not in a very good mood, and you’re not making it better.”

He walked off, mumbling about wifely duties, which she promptly ignored. She needed to figure out how to put herself back in good standing in the community. She went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and then sat down at the table while waiting for the microwave timer to go off.

Right now Dori Grant was everybody’s tragic heroine, living in the same house with a boy from the other side of the tracks who’d become Blessings’s knight in shining armor. And none of this would be happening if she had ignored Bart and done what she thought was right. Trouble was, she couldn’t figure out how to fix her reputation unless she destroyed theirs first.

* * *

In Oneida, which was the next town over, word was spreading about the tragedy in Blessings. Lots of people had known Meeker Webb from his days as a roofer and were saddened to learn of his fate.

But there was one man in Oneida who was hearing the news for the first time and wondering about the dead man’s granddaughter, the girl he’d fucked outside the high school gym. Frankie Ricks would never have remembered her name except that the next time he saw her she’d been big as a barrel with his kid. Now he was wondering if he might capitalize on it. He kept staring at a spot on the wall of his apartment and thinking that if the girl got anything in her grandfather’s will, he might reconsider his options.