Eight Years Gone, page 31
Jagger stared up at the ceiling as he blew out a breath. “I think we need a rain check on breakfast.”
Grace hurried over to him, settling her palm on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Jagger.”
“Stop apologizing.” He captured her hands, kissing her knuckles in the way that he liked to do. “Colton and I are going to hang out for a while. We’ll probably be gone for most of the day.”
Grace frowned. “Where are you going?”
“On a field trip.”
Her frown deepened. “What does that mean?”
“It means we’re going to straighten some things out.” He kissed her lips this time. “I need to get dressed before he decides to steal my car.”
He went to the bedroom, pulling on the jeans he’d worn last night, then grabbed fresh socks and a shirt from the drawer. This wasn’t how he’d planned to spend the day, but he was following the hunch he’d toyed with in the wee hours of the morning, deciding that it still felt like a good idea.
He and Colton would come to an understanding before the day’s end.
When he walked back to the kitchen, Grace handed him a cup of coffee in a thermal mug. “Thanks.”
“I can make you guys toast for the road, but something else will take longer.”
He shook his head as he headed to the entryway for his sneakers. “We’ll grab something while we’re out.”
“I can have dinner ready when you get back.” She nibbled her lip. “Most teenagers like lasagna, right?”
“You like lasagna. I like lasagna. He can choke it down for all I care.”
She smiled. “I’ll see what I can do about our reservations and try to get in touch with Jessica, too.”
He put on his jacket, then kissed her again. “I wish I could be here with you for that.”
“I’ll be all right.”
He had no doubt that she would be. Grace had never been anything but strong. But he wanted to offer her support for the undoubtedly hard and awkward conversation she was bound to have. “We’ll be back later. As to whether he’ll be alive, that remains to be seen.”
She grinned. “Alive is always a good thing.”
His mouth met hers again before he opened the door. “I’ll text you when we’re on our way home.”
She stood in the doorway. “Okay.”
Walking to the car, he got in, quickly turning over the ignition. He backed out, waving to Grace before he drove off.
Colton crossed his arms as he sat ramrod straight in his seat. “I don’t know why you didn’t just let me get an Uber.”
Jagger turned onto Main Street. “Because we’re not going to Millsdale.”
Colton looked at him. “Then where the hell are we going?”
“To give you an education.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we’re going to Wakeview.”
Colton sat back with a huff. “What the hell’s in Wakeview? There’s nothing I need to see in Wakeview.”
“I guess we’ll see.” He turned on the music, not interested in listening to Colton bitch before he pulled into the local McDonald’s for burritos. They definitely weren’t Bea’s famous French toast with cinnamon apples and a side of bacon and eggs, but they would have to do.
Three hours later, Jagger drove through an area that was as hopeless as it had always been with its boarded-up houses, gang-tagged buildings, and trash-littered alleyways. He turned down a street he hadn’t been on in over a decade, hating the hell out of being there.
Colton sat up as he looked around. “What is this place? Why are we here?”
“Because I wanted to correct some of your ideas—most of your ideas—about who you think I am. Who you think Grace is.”
Jagger rolled to a stop in front of the small two-story shithole that looked just as run-down and depressing as it always had, but now there was an orange foreclosure notice taped to the door and an auction sign in the yard.
“I can see that my mother’s finally gotten her shit together.” He shook his head, mostly surprised that it had taken this long for the bank to finally take the house. “My guess is she’s back in jail instead of finding the next guy to pay her bills.”
Colton looked at him. “This is your place?”
He nodded, gesturing to the last name on the battered mailbox. “It was. Until Logan’s football coach saw Logan and me throwing the ball before the start of our sophomore year in high school. Steve came knocking on my door one afternoon—asked me if I wanted to play football for Sheraton Prep. He gave me an out, and you bet your ass I took it.”
Jagger accelerated again, tightening his grip on the wheel as two blocks turned into three, and he spotted the chain-link fence at the junkyard.
How many times had he seen this place in his nightmares?
Slowing, staring at the spot where he remembered carrying Logan out, he stopped.
Colton looked around. “Let me guess, you lived here, too.”
Ignoring Colton’s snarky comment, Jagger did his best to relax his shoulders. “That’s where I found Logan the night he called me to come pick him up. They’d shot him, and I almost didn’t answer the phone.”
He clenched his jaw, barely able to tolerate remembering the worst night of his life as he sat idle in the car, mere steps from where it had all played out. “He was half-alive when I got him in the car. I’ll never be sure, but I think he might’ve died where you’re sitting.”
Colton’s good eye filled with horror as he blinked. “Why the hell did you keep the car?”
“Because I can’t seem to get rid of it. Maybe it’s because I love the damn thing. Maybe it’s a punishment for not saving him. I’m not sure which. I imagine it’s a bit of both.”
Unable to be there any longer, he took off, heading toward the place that had changed his life for the better.
Fifteen minutes later, he turned onto Sheraton Way, then into the mansion’s circular driveway, where a For Sale sign had been put in the yard.
Colton shook his head as he looked around. “This must be where Dr. Dad’s millions went. It must have been super rough growing up here.”
And there was the pissy sarcasm again. “Yeah, those poor little rich kids, right?”
Colton jerked his shoulders.
“Their mom died, and their dad dumped them off here to be raised by the housekeeper. Steve stayed in Philly in a condo, remarried a few months later, and rode Logan’s ass until the kid couldn’t breathe—until he decided that pain pills were the answer. Grace. The perpetual peacekeeper and the one who was constantly stuck in the middle. She’s always just rolled with the punches. And she’s had more than her fair share.”
Colton shrugged again. “I guess we’ve all got our problems.” But there was no derision in the words as he spoke them.
Jagger sensed that Colton was waking up to the fact that things weren’t always as they appeared, especially when he’d gathered his facts from a couple of pictures he’d found on the internet. “Grace and Logan hardly had the perfect family. Steve was far from father of the year.”
“At least he acknowledged them.”
Jagger nodded. “When it suited him. Steve was a hell of a doctor—world-renowned. Everyone got the best of him. Except for his kids. All three of them.”
Colton looked at him. “He means nothing to me.”
Jagger didn’t believe that. “You’re pissed at him. I get that. Or I get it as much as I can. I had daddy issues, too. Mine left when I was two, popped back up in my life when I was in third grade, bought me a bike and stuck around long enough for me to get my hopes up before he disappeared again. I haven’t seen him since.”
Colton had nothing to say about that.
“Steve could be a selfish dick,” Jagger continued. “There’s no doubt about it. He was careless with the people who needed him the most.”
Colton swallowed as he stared out the windshield.
“I guess my question to you is, will you do what your brother did? Are you going to let your anger at Steve and the world, in general, be the reason you spiral?”
Colton glared now. “I’m not Logan. I didn’t even know him.”
Jagger shrugged this time. “You didn’t know him, but you’re doing a hell of a job of following in his footsteps.”
Colton’s glare was back. “What the hell does that even mean? I got arrested for punching some dickwad in the face.”
“You’ve been arrested twice,” Jagger reminded him.
“So? I don’t take drugs. I don’t plan to get myself shot.”
Jagger ignored Colton’s comments. “Logan did his best to make Steve pay—and I guess in the end, he did. But he’s dead, so… Logan never had the chance to figure out that the only person he was destroying was himself. He hurt Steve. He devastated Grace. He messed me up pretty good too. But we’re still here, living. Maybe you won’t end up addicted to drugs and shot the way Logan did. But there’s prison. There’s living in squalor the way I did for half my life. Maybe you’ll have the chance to figure out what Logan couldn’t. You making a mess of your life to pay him back will only fuck you in the end.”
“I’m not Logan,” Colton muttered again.
“Things in Millsdale seem a little rough,” Jagger continued, getting straight to the point. “Maybe you might want to think about giving Preston Valley a shot. Living with me and Grace for a while.”
Colton huffed out a laugh. “So, I get arrested, and now I’m supposed to stay with you and Grace? You two can’t help me. I don’t even know you.”
Jagger shrugged. “So, you’ll get to know us. We’re willing to give it a try—to give you a fresh start if that’s what you and your mom want.”
“And what do you get out of it?”
“Honestly, not a whole damn lot. But family means everything to Grace, and Grace means everything to me. So, there you go.”
“I’m not Grace’s family.”
Jagger jerked his shoulders again. “We’re giving you a chance. You get to decide what you’ll do with it. But here’s a promise. Logan made Grace’s life a living hell during the last couple of years he was alive. The rehab. The relapses. The verbal abuse. When Logan died, it absolutely destroyed her. I seriously messed things up with her too. But I won’t let you hurt her that way. You’ll either get your shit together or you can be gone. Zero tolerance. That’s the bottom line. Again, you get to decide.”
Colton exhaled a quiet breath. “I don’t know.”
“You have time to think about it—until we track down your mom.” He turned over the ignition before he sent off a quick text.
We’re heading home. We’ll see you right around six.
He accelerated around the driveway. “But I have every intention of going home to eat. Grace is making lasagna. She’s a damn good cook.”
Thirty-Nine
Grace closed the pantry door, having put away the last of the groceries after a quick run to the store. She glanced at the clock and then toward the darkening sky, calculating that the guys would be home in about two hours.
She’d spent most of the afternoon on her cell phone, being bounced from one customer service representative to another, while she unpacked hers and Jagger’s suitcases, trying to clean up their travel mess.
After all was said and done, she and Jagger were out several hundred dollars, and rebooking fees would apply when they were eventually ready to head to Montana.
Jack, the editor at Travel, wasn’t entirely excited about her last-minute change of plans, either. But the situation was what it was. Family would always come first. A concept her father had never understood.
“Lasagna. And a salad. Garlic bread, too,” she muttered, heading for the refrigerator for the Italian sausage and ground beef, determined to have a delicious dinner ready when Jagger and Colton walked through the front door.
She moved to the cupboard for her biggest pan as someone knocked on the door.
Walking to the front window, she glanced out, not recognizing the blue Subaru in the driveway. “Who is it?”
“It’s Jessica Sawyer.”
Grace froze with her hand on the doorknob as her heart suddenly beat too quickly. She’d known this moment would come. It had been inevitable after she and Jagger had picked Colton up at the police station last night.
Taking a steadying breath, Grace opened the door, staring at the woman she hadn’t seen in eighteen years.
Jessica’s hair was a dark brown instead of the honey blond she’d colored it more often than not when she’d been twenty. She was still beautiful and petite and about the same height as Grace. Her son had inherited the color of her eyes.
“Grace.” Jessica cleared her throat as she fiddled with her purse strap, her discomfort unmistakable. “You’re all grown up.”
Grace nodded, not entirely sure what to say. “Yes. Uh, come in.”
Jessica shook her head. “I’m just looking for Colton.”
“He’s not here.” She opened the door wider. “Jagger, my boyfriend, took him out for the day. They’ll be gone for a couple of hours yet.”
Jessica hesitantly stepped inside. “I got your address from the police department.”
Grace shut them inside, not bothering to mention that she’d attempted to call her four times throughout the day, but she’d been immediately sent to voicemail, and Jessica’s mailbox had been full. “That makes sense.”
Jessica crossed her arms. “Thank you for picking Colton up. I saw their call come in last night—listened to their message—but I thought it would be better if he stayed put until I figured out what to do with him.”
Grace studied Jessica as the woman shrugged her rigid shoulders, recognizing the frazzled hopelessness she felt herself when Logan’s constant problems had become too much for her to handle. “How about a cup of tea?”
Jessica nodded. “Sure. Thank you.”
Grace moved to the kitchen, putting the meat back in the refrigerator. Dinner would have to wait. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you,” Jessica said again.
Grace quickly heated water in the kettle and put mugs on a tray, along with honey, milk, and sugar. The assorted box of teas came next.
Pouring the hot water into the cups, she moved back to the living room, where Jessica sat on the edge of the middle couch cushion. “Your home is lovely.”
“Thank you.” Grace set the tray on the coffee table and sat in one of the two cozy chairs. “Help yourself. I have cookies, too, if you want.”
Jessica shook her head as she randomly picked a tea bag, setting it in her steaming cup. “I’m at a loss for words. I have no idea what to say other than I’m sorry. About everything. This situation with Colton… I had no idea you knew until the police officer told me Colton was with his sister, Grace, in Preston Valley. Your mother. Logan. Steve. You’ve dealt with so much loss.”
Grace looked down at her cup, finding the current situation entirely strange. Everything had been so different when the woman sitting across from her had been a part of her life. Everyone had been healthy and alive. The Evans family had been happy and whole.
“I had no idea about Colton until I found my mother’s journals a couple of weeks ago—when I realized my father had kept our home in Wakeview. He and I had a difficult relationship after Logan’s death. We didn’t talk.”
Jessica closed her eyes. “That’s a shame. You were always such a lovely family.”
Grace nodded as she held her cup in her chilly hands. “I had thought we were.”
Jessica looked down, stirring her tea with her spoon. “I can only imagine what you must think of me. There’s no excuse for what I did, but what happened between Steve and me was one time. It was a terrible mistake on both of our parts.”
Grace sipped her tea, not entirely sure what she was supposed to say to that.
“But I can’t be sorry about Colton,” Jessica added, looking at Grace. “He was the biggest of surprises, but he’s been the light of my life. Or he was for a long time.”
Grace set down her cup. “Did my father acknowledge him at all?”
Jessica shrugged. “My parents disapproved of my pregnancy, especially when I refused to name the father. I don’t speak to them or my sister, so there hasn’t been any family support there.”
Grace nodded.
“I went to Steve when I was five months pregnant. He assured me he would take care of his responsibilities but couldn’t play a role in Colton’s life. He’s always provided financially.”
Grace pressed her lips together as she nodded again. She and Logan were handled the same way after their mother passed away. They’d been provided for. Generously. But the love and support they so desperately needed hadn’t been available to them. “I’m sorry that was the case.”
“I’ve always dealt with Steve’s lawyer—”
Grace’s eyes sharpened. “Dennis?”
Jessica nodded. “Yes. Dennis Fitch. His firm has taken care of the monthly child support payments for Colton. Adjustments have occasionally been made for Colton’s changing needs. But I’ve never taken advantage of Steve’s wealth. I’ve only asked for what I needed for Colton. Even now with Steve’s passing, Dennis has assured that Colton is taken care of and will be for the foreseeable future.”
Grace wanted to shake her head, never more ashamed of her father. Colton had been nothing more than a responsibility—a transaction—that had needed to be taken care of. “He’s had a rough time. Colton.”
Jessica sighed as she nodded. “He’s always been a good kid. He’s smart. He’s a gifted basketball player who also plays the guitar quite well. But the past couple of years have been hard.”
“What do you think happened?”
“My longtime boyfriend and I broke up toward the end of Colton’s eighth-grade year. He’d been in Colton’s life for eight years. Marcus owned the car dealership I worked at. It became difficult for us to work together, so I decided Colton and I needed a fresh start. We moved to Millsdale the summer before his freshman year so I could take a job as an office manager at one of my good friend’s salons.”
“That sounds like a nice change,” Grace offered, trying to be supportive where she could.
