JACK KNIFED (14 page)

“We don’t have to do this all at once.” Jack stood up, and Mrs. Ritter grabbed his hand.

“Please, I’d just like…can I make you tea?” The panicked woman struggled for words as she pulled herself up.

“That would be fine, really.” Jack patted her arm while Kristine moved over and placed her arm around the old woman’s shoulders. “I know where you live. I’ll get your number from Kristine. I’ll stop by soon.”

Jack relaxed as she hugged him, long and hard.

When she stood back, her trembling finger pointed up at him. “That’s a promise. Will you both come?”

Replacement lit up and nodded.

Jack cleared his throat. “Mrs. Ritter?”

The woman’s shoulders slumped. Jack looked at Replacement, who rolled her eyes and angled her head. The unspoken words she wanted to convey were lost on Jack. He turned to Kristine, who also made a face. He shrugged, silently asking for help.

“Jack,” Kristine began, “did you want to say something else to your
grandmother
?”

“Yes.” Jack panicked.
What should I call her? Grandmother?

He winced at how awkward that sounded. He’d never known his adopted grandparents. They had passed away before he came to live with his parents, but he knew no one called their grandmother, “Grandmother.” From the exasperated looks on Replacement and Kristine’s faces, he knew that he’d better come up with something to call her now.

“Grandma?”

Bingo.

The three women smiled. Mrs. Ritter turned around with an enormous grin and hugged him again.

“Did Steven ever mention anyone else named Terry?”

Kristine and Replacement frowned at his ill-timed question.

She shook her head. “Just the Martinez boy. He’s a teacher now.” She looked to Kristine, who also shook her head.

“I knew a Terry Bradford. He was in my grade.”

“I sort of met him. Did you date or…”

Kristine made a face as though she’d swallowed a bug. “No. I wasn’t interested, and neither was he. We belonged in different worlds. I was in theater; he was a jock.”

“Sorry.” He held out his arm and Mrs. Ritter gladly took it.

“When will you come to see me?” She squeezed his elbow.

“I’ll see you soon. This week?”

“You promised.” Mrs. Ritter smiled, and then Kristine walked her out the door.

Replacement and Jack watched them go while Jack put his hand on the doorframe.

“Are you hungry, kid?”

“I’m starving.” Replacement groaned and spun around.

“You could have grabbed something to eat in the dining room.”

“I waited for you. I didn’t know what you were doing with ‘the dancer.’” She wobbled her head and struck a pose.

“Knock it off. Subs?”

“Steak and cheese, baby.” Replacement raced up the stairs.

Jack looked out the door, but Kristine’s car was long gone.

Tomorrow I’m going to Patricia’s father’s house. I’ve got a feeling that’s going to be a different kind of reunion.

An hour and a half later, Jack stood up and yawned. Replacement was already pulling the blankets off the bed. A lopsided smile appeared on her face as she picked up a pillow.

“Don’t.” Jack kicked off his shoes.

“Care to elaborate?”

“You can sleep in the bed.” Jack grabbed some sweats and headed for the bathroom.

“And have you toss and turn all night and turn into Doctor Jekyll and kill someone? I’ll take the tub.”

She picked up the pile of bedding, but Jack stopped in the doorway and held his hand up.

“Sleep on your side. We’ll put a pillow barrier between us.”

“Really?” She lifted herself up on her tiptoes, squeezed the pillow tightly to her chest so her dimples got even bigger.

“Yeah.”

Replacement quickly divided the bed with a rolled-up blanket down the middle and was waiting for Jack when he opened the door. She dashed by him into the bathroom. Jack slipped under the covers. As he lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, he couldn’t help but relax. Slowly, he settled into the softness as the warmth of the bed radiated into him.

I have a grandmother. Weird. Do they have, like—

Replacement dashed out of the bathroom and scurried onto her side. She tossed the comforter up and slipped underneath before it fell back down. The whole bed vibrated as she wiggled around until she was comfortable.

“Isn’t this bed awesome?” Replacement whispered.

Jack’s eyelids were so heavy he could barely lift them. “It is. Can I ask you a question, kid?” Jack opened one eye to find Replacement’s face right next to his. “I’m glad they have toothbrushes.”

“Me too. It’s a really good one. I thought, free? It’s going to be one of those that fall apart and the bristles get stuck in your teeth. You know what I mean?”

Jack smiled as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

“Was that your question?” She leaned closer.

“No. Is there like a Grandmother’s Day?”

“Aww.” Replacement set her chin onto her hand, and her lower lip stuck out. “You’re…I think that you…I’ll look it up. I’m sure there is.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled and then fell asleep with a little grin.

The Widow’s Walk

Replacement’s moaning caused Jack to turn around. Her arm was draped over the rolled-up blanket that had served as their nighttime barrier. She pulled it closer, and her leg rose up as she purred again.

Jack cracked his neck. The sound of her sigh seemed almost too low for her little body, and it resonated in his chest. Jack smiled, but as he turned back to the desk, his eyes stopped on her thigh. The long shirt she wore as a nightgown was hiked up, so it just covered her bottom. He closed his eyes and turned around, but another soft moan made him think back to the first night at the motel when she’d just taken a bath.

Her skin was so soft. Warm. She used that body conditioner and…

He looked back at her, and noticed her hips rise slightly. Jack coughed. Loudly.

Replacement’s eyes flew open, and Jack mumbled, “Sorry.”

“I, uh…I…you’re up,” she stammered. Replacement pulled the comforter around her, and Jack could see the color rising in her cheeks.

“Good morning,” Jack greeted her.

“Hi. Did you like sleeping with me?” She froze mid-stretch, but her cheeks became even pinker. “I meant I liked sleeping with you. I meant you…I enjoyed it…”

“I slept great.” Jack grinned and spun back around.

He could hear Replacement slip out of bed and hurry for the bathroom. He grabbed another yearbook and opened it on the desk. He started at the beginning of the book again and carefully scanned each page.

What’re you missing, Jack?

Jack had learned long ago to trust that “check” inside him. Call it what you want: intuition, Spidey-sense, or a gut feeling; he trusted it. Every time he even thought about the yearbook, he got that feeling. He studied each face in every photo and read every typed word. His hand stopped on page fifteen.

No way…

Jack glared down at the picture of a man, in his late twenties, dressed in a dark suit and tie. His light-brown hair was on the longer side, and he had a dashing smile. TERRANCE WATKINS, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.

He was a guidance counselor, and she was a kid in trouble. She may have gone to him…

“A teacher?” Replacement’s finger jabbed the yearbook. “I didn’t even think…he’s, like, way older. What a dirtbag.”

“I’ll call Cindy.”

Replacement stamped her foot. “I can’t believe I didn’t bring my laptop.”

“Cindy? Can you do me another—sorry.” Jack turned away from Replacement, and he could feel the color rise in his cheeks. “How are you? Good. Is Collins—is Sheriff Collins still flipping out?”

“Tell her I said hi,” Replacement whispered.

“I wouldn’t even go there, Jack.” Cindy sighed.

“Replacement says hi, but I need another favor. Terrance Watkins. Everything you have, okay? Thanks.”

“I want to go check something.” Replacement opened the room door and hurried out.

“Hold up.” Jack grabbed his keys and hurried after her.

“Do you think Kristine has a computer?” Replacement disappeared down the staircase.

Jack thumped down the stairs after her and called out, “I don’t think the Pilgrims had the Internet, so that would be—” He stopped talking as he saw Kristine at the front desk, frowning up at him. Jack clicked his tongue. “That was…just a little joke.”

Replacement smiled at Kristine and pointed back at Jack. “Was his dad a wiseass too?”

Kristine’s lips pressed together and she nodded.

“Do you have a computer?” Replacement asked.

Kristine straightened up and looked coolly at Jack. “I have one back in the office…next to the telegraph.”

She turned, and they followed. Replacement elbowed Jack and stuck her tongue out.

“Did you know a Terrance Watkins?” Jack asked as they passed through the middle room and into a small office in the back.

Kristine shook her head and pointed Replacement to a wooden desk with a computer. “The name isn’t familiar.”

The room was small, with only a desk, a chair, and a small filing cabinet in the corner. A window looked out on the backyard and the woods beyond.

“I thought Jack was kidding about a Pilgrim owning this thing.” Replacement’s lip curled up as she sat down. “This computer is older than me.”

“That isn’t a high bar to overcome.” Kristine smiled.

“Terry Watkins was a guidance counselor.” Jack leaned against the desk between the two women.

“Mr. Watkins?” Kristine’s nostrils flared. “He was a creep. I remember him.”

“What about him upsets you?” Jack reached vainly for his notebook that was typically in his chest pocket. He looked around, and then grabbed a pen and pad off the desk.

“Mr. Watkins started working my senior year. He was useless. I’ll never forget the way he ogled me. He had me sit in this low chair, and then he sat on the edge of the desk.”

“So he could look down your shirt,” Replacement snapped as she continued to type, never taking her eyes off the screen.

“Seriously?” Jack asked.

Kristine patted Jack’s arm. “A lot of guys are scumbags. You’re one of the good ones.”

“Is this him?” Replacement pointed at the monitor. Jack and Kristine walked around to look.

“That’s him. Now he has a bad toupee,” Kristine answered.

“It says here he’s married. No kids. He’s a real-estate salesman now. Can you guys give me a couple of minutes so I can find out some more?” Replacement frantically typed.

Kristine patted her shoulder. “Take your time. I have no idea what you’re doing anyway. Jack, would you like to join me for a cup of tea?”

Jack leaned down. “Go to it, geek girl. Do you want a cup?”

“Tea? No thanks.” Replacement didn’t even look up.

“This way.” Kristine walked back into the middle room and over to the little table as Jack followed. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“Okay…” Jack noticed the tremor in her hand as she poured two cups of tea.

It’s never a good thing when a female says that.

Jack moved over to the couch but, before he sat down, Kristine spoke. “Not here, upstairs.” Kristine handed him a cup, and her nose wrinkled as she smiled.

“You certainly have piqued my interest.” Jack smirked as he followed her.

When they reached the second floor, they crossed a landing to a small, wooden staircase that went up.

“I thought there were only two stories?” Jack peered up.

Kristine grinned. “This way.”

At the top of the stairs, Jack exhaled. “Wow.”

Kristine grinned broadly, crossed her arms, and gave herself a little squeeze. The original widow’s walk on the house had been remade in the early 1900s with glass and wrought iron. The iron was fashioned to look like vines and flowers, and it encircled a glass atrium with a breathtaking view of Hope Falls. Jack walked up next to Kristine and looked out over the forest, which stretched off into the distance behind the inn.

“Did you have this done?”

She shook her head. “It was the reason I bought the inn. I’ve had to have a lot of work done, but almost none up here.” She hugged herself tighter. “It’s my favorite place on earth.”

“I can see why.” Jack turned to look off in all directions. A long field sloped off to the north. Rising hills sparkled in the south and, as he looked west, he could see Buckmaster Pond in the distance.

“I wanted to talk to you about Steven.” Kristine placed a hand on his elbow.

“I might need coffee if we’re going down that road.” Jack swirled the tea in the dainty cup.

“I think you need to know.” She walked over to face the forest before she continued. “I take it Patty didn’t talk about him and…I know it sounds strange but…I don’t want that part of him not passed along.”

Tears are coming.

Jack took a step forward, and she held out a hand.

“You’ll hear things about Steven from his mother, and that’s a part of him. She’ll talk about Steven, the son. Terry Martinez or Dennis can talk about Steven, the friend, but…there’s no one else to talk about Steven, the man.”

She kept her eyes closed.

“Forgive me if I go on, but please let me. I met your father when he beat up my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.”

Jack smiled.

“I was on a date at a little fast food place downtown. I’d been seeing Bryan Ross. He was a real jerk, but I didn’t think I could do any better.” She shrugged.

“I brought the food back to our table and I spilled Bryan’s drink. I was trying to clean up the mess, and doing my best not to cry at the same time, when Steven ran over. He started helping me clean up. I didn’t really know him. He was a class under me, and I thought anyone younger than me was…less. What a snob I was.

“The drink had gone all over Bryan’s pants. He called me a stupid bitch, and Steven punched him in the mouth.” She shook her head. “Bryan ran out to his car and took off. I ran after him, but he was gone. I stood there, crying in the parking lot, until Steven came up and offered to give me a ride home.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “I said yes.

“He ran around the corner and came back with his bike.” She laughed. “Jack, you and he have the same smirk. He said ‘I didn’t mean that I’d drive you home, just that I’d give you a ride. Your chariot, my lady,’ and he gave a little bow.

“He jogged beside me all the way to my house. We talked while I rode. I never told him I took the long way because I didn’t want it to end. I fell in love with him that day.”

She opened her eyes, and the corner of her mouth curled into a smile.

“Steven sealed the deal when we got to my street. Bryan had come back looking for me and he saw us. He was too scared of Steven to stop, but he drove by and teased him about not having a car. Steven didn’t seem to care. I asked him why. He looked at me and said, ‘My dad used to say never be embarrassed if you do your best. My bike is the best I can offer you. Besides, Bryan was too stupid not to treat you like gold. Why would I care what he thinks?’”

Kristine continued to talk for over an hour. She shared her personal memories of a man Jack didn’t know, but the similarities in their personalities floored him. Many times he found himself fighting back tears but, much more often, he smiled. She talked about times when they were alone and the private things they said, but it didn’t feel wrong. Jack knew it was her way of passing on Steven’s memory. A week ago, if you asked him who he thought his birth father was, he wouldn’t have cared. Now he found himself gathering the stories that fell from Kristine’s lips and holding them dear.

“And then I went to college…” She opened her eyes and lowered her head.

“You broke up with him before you went?”

She shook her head.

“No. We were going to have a long-distance relationship. Steven was confident. He was trusting. But he was wrong.”

The silence in the room grew, and she continued to stare out into the forest.

“I called him. I couldn’t do it to his face.” She shifted her feet. “There wasn’t anyone else, but I thought…I thought I was so smart and so special.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her lip trembled. “I thought that I could do better, so I broke up with him, but never said why.”

“You never told him why?” The words escaped Jack’s lips before he could stop them. He could see the impact immediately. She hunched her shoulders, squeezed her arms tightly around herself, and sobbed.

“He came to see me. He drove twelve hours straight to ask me, and I still didn’t tell him. What could I say? That I was selfish? That I was a spoiled brat?” She walked forward and leaned against the iron railing.

“He came back two weeks after that. He said he just wanted to know why. I could tell how hurt he was but I just walked away. I walked away from the nicest man I have ever known…to a group of girls whose names I can’t even remember. Back then they were so important to me.” She leaned her head against the glass. “They were laughing and I joined them. That was the last time I ever saw him. I thought I was so special. Do you know why? I figured it out years later.” She kept leaning but turned her head to look at Jack.

“I thought I was so special because that’s how he treated me. That’s what he always told me. He made me feel special. And if I hadn’t done that, he never would have…”