“Are you okay?” Ross asked.
Crap. He hadn’t realized Ross was still standing there.
“Yeah, fine. Just …” Michael shrugged and left the sentence unfinished.
“Are you sure? Want me to get Janey or Karen?” Michael heard a chair being dragged over closer to the end of the couch.
Ross sat down. He leaned in close enough that Michael could smell the beer on his breath.
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“I’m fine.”
“They worry about you, you know, the girls do, over there in that big house all by yourself.”
“There’s no need for them to worry. I’ve been living there for years.”
“Sure, sure. But now, with Phil gone and all. Well, you know how Jane is. Karen, too, for that matter.”
Michael nodded.
Oh, for Christ’s sake, please don’t let him start in again about moving
into the in-laws suite.
“I sort of appreciate the quiet,” Michael said.
“Yeah, well, I guess it is pretty quiet. Though I hear you had company the other night,” Ross chuckled. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, in my opinion anyway.”
What the hell was he talking about? Company? But then Michael got it, or a suspicion of it anyway.
“I’m not sure I’m following you,” he said, not wanting to tip his hand in case he was wrong.
“Well, you know, Karen told Janey that she stopped by the other night and—oh, excuse me a minute will you, Michael? I’ll be back.”
Ross left Michael alone with Great Aunt Marie. She let out a soft snore followed by a very ladylike snuffle.
Sonofabitch
. Michael tossed back half his beer in a single swallow.
So Karen had told the whole family that Alan was at the house. And Ross had been given the job of talking to him about it. Lucky him.
Sonofabitch
.
“Michael, sweetie, how are you?” Phillip’s cousin Frances dropped into the chair Ross had just vacated. She leaned forward and enveloped Michael in a powder-scented embrace. “I wasn’t sure you’d be up to today.”
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“Why not?” Michael returned her hug and clutched his beer bottle like a lifeline.
“Oh, well, you know, because of Phillip and all. It must be hard.” She rubbed her hand up and down his arm.
“It’s fine, Fran. I wouldn’t have missed Sammie’s communion party for anything.”
“Oh, well, aren’t you sweet? And so brave. But of course you have to get on with your life. It’s what Phillip would have wanted, you know. And I’m sure Ross and Jane appreciate the effort.” She patted his forearm. “Let me get you a plate, sweetie. Nana made her sausage and peppers and there’s a lovely fruit salad out there too. How about if I fix you something, hmm? I’m sure you’re not eating right being all by yourself and all. It will be such a relief to everyone when you move into the apartment where Janey can take care of—not that you need taking care of, but—”
“A plate would be nice, Fran. I haven’t had Nana’s sausage and peppers in ages.” He wasn’t especially hungry but he’d do just about anything to end this conversation.
“I’ll just get that for you then.” She bustled off and Michael let out a sigh of relief mixed with frustration. So the whole family thought his moving was a done deal. It looked like he’d have to disabuse them of that idea, and soon.
A few minutes passed and Fran brought him a plate piled with enough food to feed a small nation. And she also brought him another beer. That was just the ticket. For the next little while he ate and made small talk with whoever happened by. When he found himself reaching to check the time, again, he very deliberately resisted. It wouldn’t pass any quicker if he dogged it.
Michael’s eyelids drooped. His head nodded forward then jerked upright hard enough to give him whiplash. He forced himself to sit up straighter. God, he was getting like Aunt Marie, nodding off in the middle of parties.
Michael slid to the edge of the sofa cushion. He needed to stand up and stretch his legs. But before he could get up a hand touched his arm.
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“Where you going?”
It was Great Aunt Marie. Her hand was tiny and arthritic but she clutched his sleeve like a dog with a bone. He hadn’t even realized she was awake.
Michael’s lips curved, his first real smile of the day. He liked Aunt Marie. She said what she thought and no bullshit about it.
He patted her hand. “It’s okay, Aunt Marie. I’m just going to the bathroom.”
She said something, but he didn’t catch it. He leaned in closer.
“What’s that?”
“I said, you don’t listen to Ross. You don’t want to move, you don’t move. He no make you move.” She chuckled. “
Stunad,
eh?”
Michael laughed. “Whatever you say.”
Her fingers dug into his arm. “You listen, Michael. Nobody make you move. They try to make me move, leave my house, but I no do it. I live there in that house for seventy years and nobody make me leave. Nobody make you leave either, you hear me?”
Michael covered her hand with his. “I don’t want to leave either. I love my house. Everything there makes me think of Phillip and I don’t want to give that up.”
Somehow it felt okay to admit to his grief in front of her.
Somehow he knew she would understand.
She turned her hand over and gripped his. “You come see me at the house. I tell you stories about Phillip when he was little.
You come, maybe this weekend.”
“I will,” Michael said.
“Michael, how’s it going, man?”
“Hey, Frankie, it’s going pretty good.” Michael stood and cautiously rounded the coffee table to greet Phil’s younger brother.
“Fist bump,” Frankie said.
Michael laughed and they bumped fists.
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At last, someone besides Aunt Marie he could actually enjoy talking to. Frankie was a few years older than him and had never been freaked out by his blindness.
“So where you headed? Can I get you something?”
Michael shrugged and pitched his voice for Frankie’s ears alone. “Can you get me out of here for a few minutes?”
“Let’s try the kitchen.” Frankie offered his arm.
Michael took it and they wove their way through the people and chairs and kids sprawled on the floor.
Frankie pushed open the swinging door and they slipped into the kitchen. It was marginally quieter inside, the party noise decreasing down to a dull roar.
“Whew, that’s a relief.” Michael crossed the kitchen and leaned his butt against the counter.
“I know parties aren’t your thing. How about a beer? You look like you could use one.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You aren’t drinking one.”
Michael grinned. “That’s a good enough reason for me.”
Michael heard the refrigerator open. “If I can even find another beer,” Frankie said.
“I think there’s some in a cooler on the back step. That’s what I heard somebody say anyway.”
“Okay. You want to hang here while I look?”
“Sure.” Michael heard Frankie go to the back door. The hinges screeched a little as he opened it and a blast of cold air filled the kitchen.
A moment later he was back. “I don’t see it. Let me go find Ross and ask him. You want to go sit down or hang out here?”
“I’ll hang here.”
He left the kitchen and Michael went to the back door and opened it. He stepped outside and drew in a deep breath of the
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cold air. Though February’s icy temperatures had moderated somewhat, March had definitely come in like a lion. Still, it was a clear day and the sun felt good on his face. More precious though was the peace and quiet.
Michael sighed and lowered himself to the top step. He would stay out just for a minute, just long enough to get his head together and face the thundering hordes again.
The door behind him opened.
“Michael, what are you doing out here?” Jane stepped onto the back stoop. The door banged shut behind her. “It’s freezing.
You’ll catch your death of cold.”
“It’s not that cold, Janey. Besides, you get a cold from germs, not from the weather.”
She huffed. “You sound like R.J.”
Michael laughed. “Ross Jr. turning into a know-it-all, is he?”
“He’s eleven, of course he knows it all, and of course I know nothing.” Jane chuckled, the love unmistakable in her voice.
“Move over, will you? I want to talk to you for a minute. I haven’t had a chance to spend any time with you all day.”
Michael scooted over on the step and she sat down beside him.
“Sure you won’t catch your death sitting out here like this?”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“To be honest, I’m a little hot.” She blew out a breath and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m beat. I’ve been running my butt off all day.”
“How’d it go at the church?”
“Nice. Oh, it was so … I cried, of course. Sammie looked …
Well, all the kids really looked so sweet, like little angels in their white dresses and little suits.” She sniffed. “Oh man, you’re going to get me going again.”
He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “It’s all right, mom. You’re allowed.”
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She gave a watery laugh, sat up and took his hand. “I guess.
Maybe a little anyway.” She paused. “Michael, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“What about?”
“I don’t mean to get all up in your business or anything.”
Which was a sure sign that she was about to get all up in his business.
Michael steeled himself not to react, or at least not to react negatively to whatever she was about to lay on him.
“What is it?”
“Well, Karen told me when she stopped by the house the other night, you had Alan Stuart there with you.”
“Yeah? And?”
“She said you had him reading the mail and helping you with the paperwork for Phillip’s estate.”
“That’s right.”
“You know you don’t have to do that, get him to help with that, I mean. One of us would be glad to come over and go through Phillip’s papers for you and take you to the lawyer. I told you I would do it.”
“I’ve got it under control. Everything’s in order and I’m seeing the lawyer this week.”
“I’m sure you’re handling it just fine, but you don’t have to do it on your own. That’s all I’m saying. You have the whole family here ready to help. There’s no need to bring in a stranger to look at all Phillip’s personal papers.”
So that was it.
“Alan’s hardly a stranger, Janey. He took care of Phillip for—”
“I know, but he’s the next thing to a stranger, isn’t he? I mean, had you ever met him before he started taking care of Phillip?”
Michael shook his head. “No, you know I didn’t.”
“So you see what I mean.”
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“I’m not sure I do.”
“Well …” She drew out the single syllable. “I mean, don’t you think it’s odd that he’s all of a sudden so friendly and accommodating? To someone he doesn’t even know?”
“No, I don’t think it’s odd at all. He knows me and we spent a lot of time talking while Phillip was in the hospital.”
“You don’t think it’s a little … I don’t know, stalkerish?”
“Stalkerish?” Michael laughed. “Are you trying to tell me Alan is a stalker?”
“No, of course not. Don’t be silly.” Jane laughed, but it sounded forced. “I’m just saying, you and Phillip have quite a few assets, don’t you? And Alan is just a nurse. Not even a nurse, really, he’s just a nurse’s assistant.”
“Yeah? So?”
“He’s a nurse’s assistant, Michael. They don’t make that much money, not compared to the kind of money Phillip had.”
“I still don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
She gripped his hand in hers. “I don’t mean this the wrong way, but I just think you should be a little careful, that’s all.”
“Careful about what?” Of course he knew where this conversation was heading, thanks to Ross. But he wasn’t giving her anything. If she had something to say then she could damn well say it. Just so there could be no mistake.
Beside him, she shrugged. “You know. People do things.
They see someone who’s grieving and, maybe not even meaning to, they could take advantage.”
“Jane, Alan was at the house because I invited him.”
“You invited him. You mean like—” She broke off. “Don’t you think it’s a little soon for that?”
Michael stood so fast he swayed and had to reach out and steady himself against her shoulder. Despite the cold he felt heat rise to his cheeks. “I’m not listening to this.”
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been gone for—”
“I know how long Phillip’s been gone. I know better than anybody. And if I want to have friends over to the house, it’s nobody’s business but mine. Not yours. Not Karen’s. Mine.”
Michael spun around, seized the backdoor handle and jerked the door open.
“Hold on. I’ll take you back inside,” Jane said.
“Don’t bother.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “Michael, wait. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sure Alan’s concern is on the up and up. I just want you to be careful, that’s all. You’re still grieving and you may not be thinking clearly.”
“Thanks so much for your concern.” Michael jerked his arm free and walked into the house. He stalked into the kitchen and nearly ran smack into Frankie.
“Michael, I was just coming to find you. I got us a couple beers, finally and— What’s wrong?”
Michael’s heart was beating so hard he could hardly swallow past the pounding in his throat. “Frankie, do you think you could possibly give me a ride home?”
“Sure, just let me know when you’re ready to go.”
“Now.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, I’m ready now. Can we please just go?”
“Sure. Let me grab our coats. Wait here and I’ll—”
“I’ll come with you.”
There was a pause. “All right.”
In the guest room, Frank sorted through the coats on the bed.
He handed Michael his jacket. “Are you sure you’re all right?”