Out of Time (Nine Minutes #2) (18 page)

Chapter Thirty-One

2000

Ginny and Tommy
managed to compose themselves for Jason’s sake. Tommy took the jacket from his son and returned it to the bottom of the box.

“Start packing it back up, Jason.”

“But Dad—”

“Do it now, son.” He looked at his wife. She was pale.

He knew what she was thinking. She wanted to leave, and she wanted to leave right now. He walked her to where she had left her small suitcase. He held her hand as he carried it out to the car.

“I love you, Ginny. It’s because I love you that I know you need some time. I won’t fight you on this. I’ll handle the kids.”

He set her suitcase in the back seat and turned to her.

She willingly leaned into his arms. Being in his embrace, in those arms that had grown into achingly familiar ones, brought her up short. Now that she knew he was Grizz’s son, would it be a constant reminder of Grizz? These were the same arms that held her for almost fifteen years. Why was it that, after learning the truth, it all seemed somehow tainted?

She inhaled his scent. At least that was uniquely Tommy’s.

Then she remembered the reason she was leaving and hastily removed herself from his loving grip. He tried to reach for her again, but she shrugged him off, got in the car, and started it. She rolled down the window.

“Would you mind giving Carter a call and telling her I’m on my way over?”

Without waiting for his reply, she put the car in reverse and headed for Shady Ranches.

On the drive over to Carter and Bill’s, Ginny’s mind drifted. With the population growth over the last several years, traffic had become a nightmare. It would take at least forty-five minutes to get to Carter’s house. The house she had once shared with Grizz. She knew Carter would be there and that Bill was out of town.

Carter had been with Sarah Jo outside the execution viewing room just a couple of days ago. She’d told Ginny how badly Casey had wanted to be there too, but she’d been delayed at an airport somewhere in the Middle East. Casey, one of their other college friends, was now a journalist and worked for the foreign press. She was always traveling. She’d tried her hardest to be there for Ginny when Grizz died, but she couldn’t get a flight out in time. Ginny wondered if she’d ever even made it to Fort Lauderdale.

She thought back to how she had married Tommy in a quick ceremony, but couldn’t bring herself to have him move into the house in Shady Ranches. The very house she was driving to now. She’d been pregnant and emotional. It was hard enough marrying another man—even Tommy, who she’d known almost as long as she’d known Grizz. She remembered how shocked she’d been when Grizz sat her down that day, told her he’d always known Grunt had feelings for her—and that Grizz wanted her to marry him.

She sat at the red light and gulped.
How much of that was true?
She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

Yes, she had a lot to discuss with Tommy. But not yet. She needed some breathing space. She needed to think.

The light turned green and she drove on, the past wrapped around her like a blanket. Carter had been the perfect choice to live in their former home in the rural subdivision. She was one of those people who took in every stray animal that needed a home. The house, on a few acres, was just right for Carter and her adopted “children.” Her friend hadn’t been married when she’d first moved into Shady Ranches, at first to keep Ginny company, and later on her own. She met Bill a few years later at a fundraiser for an animal rescue organization. It had been love at first sight and the pair were married almost immediately. Bill had a career in computer programming and traveled frequently for his job. He made an excellent living, and it enabled them to support Carter’s animal rescue activities, but computer programming wasn’t his passion. Rather, Bill loved anything and everything that had to do with surveillance—what he called his “spy stuff.” He’d even set up a system at Tommy’s office to help them catch someone who’d been stealing from the corporate bank accounts. Bill was an electronic wizard.

With Bill gone more than not, it wasn’t unusual at all for Ginny to spend time at the house, helping Carter with the animals. Ginny laughed to herself when she remembered how Carter had provided a temporary foster home to a nasty camel named Phil. Phil turned out to be quite the challenge, and she was certain even Carter had breathed a sigh of relief when Phil was finally placed in an animal sanctuary.

Grizz had specifically asked her not to sell the home, so having Carter and Bill there, taking care of it and making good use of the property, worked out for everyone.

Even behind bars and now, beyond the grave, Grizz seemed to have his hands in everything.

She pulled into Shady Ranches and up the long, familiar driveway. Waiting for her, she saw Carter and Casey, both standing on the porch. So Casey had finally gotten a flight. She was glad. And Tommy had called ahead. Ginny had known he would. He was the most dependable human being in the world.

But apparently, just not the most honest.

She felt a stab of pain in her chest.

Her friends approached the car. She couldn’t park quickly enough. She practically fell into their outstretched arms. She leaned heavily on Carter, sobbing, while her friend gently guided her into the house. Casey retrieved her small suitcase from the back seat and followed them inside.

Chapter Thirty-Two

1979

“
Kit, Axel just
pulled up. Are you ready?” Grizz called from the living room.

“Just a sec,” she called back.

She never did convince Grizz to take her dancing for her birthday a couple of months ago. She knew asking him was a stretch, but she figured she’d give it a shot. She was still happy she was getting to go to a dance club. She loved to dance and Axel was only too happy to oblige. Of course, he’d told Grizz if he was coming to the motel to pick up Kit, he didn’t want to get hassled by the others. Grizz understood and they put on a pretense in front of some of the regulars. Grizz “ordered” Axel to take Kit dancing, and Axel pretended to stomp off, mad. Kit was actually surprised that Grizz had agreed to play along.

Grizz watched from the window as Axel talked to some of the guys in the pit. He could tell by his body language that Axel was “complaining” about why he was there. Grizz actually smiled.

Then his smile faded as he thought about Kit’s rape last year. He still hadn’t caught the guy, but he knew he was getting close. And if he was going to be honest with himself, he didn’t like her going out dancing.

But he knew he had to let her. She tried to put on a brave face, but he would watch her sometimes, could tell when she was sinking into the horrible memory of that night. He had to let her have some freedom, some kind of recreation that didn’t involve him or the motel.

“All ready!” She said from behind him.

Grizz turned around to see his wife standing there, a vision. His mouth actually hung open. He stared at her slowly as his gaze made its way down from the top of her head to her pretty pink toes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, looking down at her dress. Then she brought her hands to her face, patting her cheekbones. “What? Is my makeup smudged or something?”

“You look beautiful,” Grizz told her.

“Oh, thank you!” She did a quick twirl, relief evident in her voice. “I bought the dress last week. I love it! I think I’ll look great on the dance floor. Don’t you?”

“No. Take it off. You’re not wearing that dress out.”

“What? What do you mean take it off? I’m
not
taking it off. I love it, and it’s perfect for dancing.”

He pointed. “Your nipples are showing.”

She looked down. “My nipples aren’t showing.”

“I can see your nipples. You’re not wearing that dress out, Kit.”

“You can’t see my nipples, Grizz. This dress isn’t see-through. They’re hard because it’s freezing in here. You keep the temperature as low as possible.”

“Then put on a bra.”

“I don’t have a bra that I can wear with this dress and you know it! Look how the straps are.”

“Then put on a sweater.”

“No, I’m
not
wearing a sweater to a discotheque! No way. You’re being ridiculous.”

He marched past her and headed for their bedroom. She could hear him rummaging around. If he thought he was bringing back a sweater for her to wear he was crazy.

He walked back into the small living room. “Here, these’ll work. I’ll help you put them on,” he said, handing her two bandages.

“You want me to put Band Aids on my nipples? You are just too over-the-top! No way, Grizz!” She crossed her arms, refusing to take them. “You have topless women running all over your bars and you don’t care who sees
their
nipples!”

“None of them are my wife!” he growled. “I’m telling you now, Kit. You are not leaving here in that dress.”

He glanced out the window. Axel was walking toward number four.

He leveled a look at her. “Change or I’ll tell Axel you’re not going.”

She stomped off to their bedroom. She came back out less than five minutes later, this time dressed in a more conservative black number. Axel was inside now, talking to Grizz.

“Better?” she asked Grizz with a hint of an attitude. She stood there stiffly. “Any other rules I need to know about?”

“No. Axel knows what time I want you home.”

Axel looked from one to the other. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what it was. He could sense the tension in the room. He decided to lighten the mood. “Is that your new dress, Kit? It’s really nice.”             

“No, it’s not my new dress,” she answered him, her chin raised just a little too high.

“I thought you told me you bought a new dress just for tonight,” he said quietly. Maybe he was getting into something he shouldn’t. He looked from Kit to Grizz and back to Kit again.

“I did buy a new dress, but I’m not allowed to wear it.” She clutched her oversized purse to her chest and approached the front door. As she swung it open, she called out over her shoulder. “Apparently, if I want to wear my new dress tonight, I need to leave my nipples here with Grizz, and since I can’t do that, I changed my dress.”

Axel looked at Grizz with an expression of bewilderment.

Grizz just laughed. “Keep an eye on her. Get her home safely.”

He stood in the open doorway and watched as Axel escorted her to his car and held the door open as she climbed in.

He smiled to himself. Did she really think he wouldn’t notice her bulging purse? He knew he had to let some things go. He knew he had to let her occasionally think she’d won. He would allow her this small victory, but he didn’t have to like it. He closed the door and went to make a phone call.

They were about fifteen minutes into their drive when Kit said to Axel, “Do you mind stopping before we get there? I really need to use the bathroom.”

“Yeah, sure no problem, Kit,” he said and pulled into a fast food restaurant. “Is this okay?”

“It’s fine. I’ll just be a minute.”

Less than five minutes later Kit walked out of the restaurant and headed for the car. She was wearing a different dress.

“Don’t say it, Axel,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat. “Don’t say a word. I’ll change back before you bring me home. I could’ve worn a stupid sweater and taken it off, but it’s the principle of the thing. He always has to win. Well, not this time.” Then she tossed her large purse and the dress she’d been wearing, along with her bra, in the back of the car. “He can’t always get his way, you know. Sometimes he can be such a bully.”

“Sometimes?”

Then he smiled and put the car in reverse. Truth was he really liked her. She was a sweet girl. Probably too sweet for Grizz. But he could understand where she was coming from. Grizz was a bully, and even though Axel would never be disloyal to him, he was willing to let some things slide. This would be one of them. He knew that she was still a little upset so he decided to let her know, in his own way, he was okay with the wardrobe change.

Without taking his eyes off the road, he extended his right hand toward her.

“I’m not really into the whole nickname thing. I’m Greg. It’s nice to meet you.” He glanced over at her with a kind smile.

She smiled back and extended her own hand, then hesitated. Should she? Could she? Then she grabbed his hand, gave it a shake.

“I’m—I’m Ginny. Nice to meet you, Greg.”

They talked the rest of the way about anything and everything not related to the motel. Even with the dancing in number four, they’d never really been out together, and they were both glad there seemed to be a real friendship that went beyond the motel and their dance lessons. They both agreed that even though Saturday Night Fever was already two years old, disco would always be around and John Travolta was dreamy.

When they arrived at the club, there was a long line out the door. Axel walked her past the line and, nodding at the bouncer who opened the rope gate, escorted her inside.

It was loud and crowded inside. The dance floor was packed as the crowd swayed and gyrated to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”

Axel scanned the room. When he saw who he was looking for, he nodded and smiled. Kit noticed the exchange but couldn’t see who he was looking at.

He walked her down the hallway toward the restrooms. It was still loud, but here he wouldn’t have to yell.

“Kit, there’s been a small change of plans. I hope you don’t mind.” He looked at the ground shyly.

This was new. Axel almost appeared to be blushing. He looked over her shoulder and smiled at someone. She turned around and gave a quick glance. That’s when she saw him. He was a short redhead with a boyish grin and freckles. She looked back up at Axel.

“He’s cute. Who is he?” She grinned.

“His name is Jonah,” and after a pause, “He’s younger than me. No gang connections. A really good guy.”

He looked at the ground again.

“It’s okay, Axel. I understand. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re blushing,” she teased.

“It’s the real thing, Kit. I think I’m in love.”

“Go. Go be with Jonah. Have a special night. Just be back here thirty minutes before you told Grizz you’d have me home.”

He looked at her then and broke into a wide grin. “You didn’t think I’d leave you here all alone, did you?”

Before she could answer, she felt a breath on her ear and heard a voice ask, “Do you think I’ll be a decent substitute for the Saturday Night Fever king?”

She turned and smiled. “Grunt!”

They talked a few more minutes. Axel explained it was a last minute thing. He didn’t mean to be deceptive. He had an opportunity to attend some benefit with Jonah. He didn’t go into details, but said that it was a rare chance to actually be somewhere with a man he loved. A place where he wouldn’t be judged. Kit didn’t ask for information. She knew he was loyal to Grizz, and she also knew she didn’t want to deprive him of a special night with his new beau.

She looked at them thoughtfully as they made their way down the hallway and out the door. Then she looked up at Grunt, who was smiling down at her. She hadn’t seen him since he’d returned from his business trip to Vancouver over a month ago. She realized how much she’d missed him.

“I’m not the best dancer, but I don’t think I’ll embarrass you,” he told her.

She hugged him. When she pulled away from him, he looked down at her, his expression serious.

“You really look beautiful tonight, Kit,” he said. And before she could thank him for the compliment, he added, “I can’t believe Grizz let you out the door in that dress. Your nipples are showing.”