Chapter 15

“Thanks for taking these to Gracie.” Pastor Ted helped load the donated goods into Aaron’s car along with the groceries Aaron had packed for her.

“Glad to,” Aaron answered, distracted by Barney strutting across the street at Charlie’s Gas Station, flirting with the girls in the car behind his.

Pastor Ted’s eyes followed. “How do you think Gracie is doing?”

“Holding on.”

“I can tell she doesn’t seem herself, and it breaks my heart to see Thomas like that, too.”

“I know,” Aaron agreed, listening to the girls’ giggles as Barney leaned in their open window.

“He’s an interesting one.” Pastor Ted nodded warily toward Barney. “You have any idea where he came from before he started working for Gene?”

“Oh, Barney Cartwell? No, but he’s trouble.” Aaron stepped into his vehicle and adjusted his black rimmed lenses over his eyes as if taking a closer look at the scene.

Across the street, windows rolled down and music blaring, Barney peeled out of Charlie’s Gas Station leaving a trail of rubber.

* * *

“Gracie? You home?” Aaron called through the screen door.

Gracie stood from the couch more slowly than her grandfather would have and opened the door. After seeing the men in the middle of the night, she hadn’t slept.

“You look tired.” Aaron pushed his way past her and headed toward the kitchen to unload the bags of groceries in his arms. “Think I got everything you need.”

“Thanks for the groceries, but you didn’t have to …”

“Glad to.” Aaron moved around the kitchen, putting away the bread and eggs. He held up the sugar, and Gracie pointed to the pantry.

Gracie took a jar of cinnamon from the grocery bag and placed it in the spice rack.

Aaron grabbed it. “I make a tasty cinnamon roll,” he announced, turning the oven to 350. “You have flour, don’t ‘cha?”

When the phone rang, Aaron whirled toward Gracie and asked, “Can you get that?”

Sure, it’s my phone.

“Hello?” she answered, nodding to Aaron who pointed to the flour canister.

“Gracie, just wanted to say I was sorry to hear your grandfather’s sick,” the gruff voice came across the line.

“Who is this?”

“Barney. I was wonderin’ if you’d like to go out some time. I know you’s there all alone and everything.”

“Barney, I’m not really in the mood for anything like that.” Gracie wished she hadn’t answered the phone.

“You heard from Kage?”

“Yes.”

“Welp, I figure he won’t ever be back this way. He didn’t much fit in ‘round here. Gene didn’t care none for him.” Barney snorted, spitting his snuff without regard.

“Guess he didn’t.” Gracie’s grasp tightened on the phone.

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know. There’s a good chance I’ll be coming into some big money soon.”

Gracie ended the call, made faces into the phone and slammed it down. Then she dialed Kage’s number. The call didn’t go through. She steadied her hand, pressing her neck tighter against the phone receiver nestled against her shoulder, and dialed again, but his line now played a disconnect recording.

* * *

Gene had been contemplating it for months, but Thomas’ visit convinced him. He wasn’t getting any younger either. He propped his heels against the baseboard and pushed the dresser toward his bed. Then bracing his palm against the wall, one knee at a time, he bent to the floor—further convinced by the aches in his bones that he was making the right decision. Lifting the plank from the floor, he pulled out a cigar box and wiped the dust from its lid. Benjamin Franklin’s face on the bills greeted him, sharing Gene’s similar solemn expression. His life-long savings were neatly stacked and tied with grass string in bundles. When he had first started saving, it had been to build a house for Olivia. Then when she’d left, he planned to use the money to pay a lawyer in Hartington to find his wife. Gene remembered adding bills to the box, like each was a penny tossed into a wishing well for Olivia to return.

When the lawyer returned with only divorce papers, he hadn’t taken Gene’s money.

* * *

When Pearl realized their phone was not working, she cursed and banged the receiver against the phone. “I swear! I send the bill in a day late, and they cut it off,” Pearl squalled.

Although writing wasn’t Kage’s forte, slim on options, he mailed Gracie a letter on the way to see about a job at a gas station.