“Knowing you, JP, you probably staged the whole thing for a publicity stunt. Are you sure you even need that cane?”
She kicked the cane away with her boot, causing me to helplessly fall to the ground. The cane scattered to my right and my baseball cap flew off. A new rock bottom had been established.
She immediately knew she’d stepped over the line. She likely wanted to get things off her chest, not commit assault and battery. And she was sharp enough to realize that it wasn’t a smart move to beat up a handicapped American hero in a public place. Small town gossip could be relentless.
I remained on the ground, playing the empathy card to the hilt. Nothing else was working. Gwen gathered my cap and cane, and reached down to help me up, which I stubbornly refused.
I rolled onto my strong side and maneuvered to a kneeling position, before pushing myself to my feet. I begrudgingly accepted the cap and cane without as much as a thank you.
After dusting myself off, I said, “One of my best friends was paralyzed, and our guide was killed on that so- called publicity stunt.”
“I’m sorry, JP … I didn’t know … I was totally out of line.”
This time I accepted her apology, but wasn’t ready to talk about Byron. I had become an expert at holding stuff in to let it boil and fester. I called it intestinal fortitude, while Christina referred to it as the first warning sign of my inevitable stroke. So I did what I do so well-I changed the subject.
“It’s good to know I still bring out the best in you,” I said, testing the rough waters with a grin.
That’s when I noticed a slight smile escape from Gwen’s lips. It was the smile I had longed to see for all those years.
Chapter 28
The moment was fleeting. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, a uniformed Rockfield police officer came up behind Gwen. I was still feeling the effect of the smile, and playfully said, “Thank you for you concern, officer, but I don’t plan to press charges.”
When I took a closer look, I realized it was Jones. The man was everywhere. A small, dark-haired boy rode piggyback on his shoulders. He set the child down and they slapped smiling high-fives. The boy ran to Gwen and hugged her, before rambling on about his ride on the roller coaster.
Jones put his arm around Gwen, marking his territory. “So who brings out the best in my girl?”
Gwen made the introduction. She referred to me as her “childhood friend” and simply called him Kyle. No mention of the BF word, even if it was implied. We awkwardly shook hands, before informing her that we’d already met.
“Congratulations on your award,” I said, trying to buy some time to wake up from my worst nightmare-maybe that was the reason for the bad vibes. I looked into Jones’ eyes as I said it. Once again they gave me an eerie feeling. I pulled away from the gaze and tried to look at Gwen, but she subtly turned away.
Jones looked back at me like he was sizing up his competition. “You are Noah Warner’s brother, correct? I’m sorry, when I was at the house the other day, I didn’t put two and two together.”
“Some would say he’s my brother.”
“It’s too bad,” Jones said, shaking his head while eying the ground.
I predicted his condolences about the accident, and mentally prepared my reply.
He stared at me so hard it actually gave me a chill, then said, “It sickens me that your brother murdered that innocent girl.”
The comment hit me like burning shrapnel. “That’s a family matter.”
“It’s the community’s business when someone chooses to drink and drive. It’s no different than if a sex offender moved into the community.”
I strained as hard as I could to convince myself to take the high road. I really did. But Gwen’s
“Everybody makes mistakes. For example, your parents had you.”
Jones flushed, his beady eyes narrowing to angry slits. The subject seemed personal.
Gwen stepped in between us-the frightened child in her arms-trying to play peacemaker. “Doesn’t your shift start in a few minutes, Kyle?”
“Duty calls,” he said, forcing something resembling a smile. He gave Gwen a peck on the lips, which made me cringe. He then exchanged another high-five with the boy. “I’ll see you later, Tommy.”
“Bye, Kyle,” Tommy replied, waving at Officer Jones as he walked away. The boy then shifted gears-now pleading with Gwen to purchase a candy apple. Gwen agreed in motherly fashion, but warned him to return immediately after the purchase. Dollar bills seemed to magically appear in her hand. The boy gleefully grabbed them and ran to the concession stand.
Awkward silence filled the air, as if someone had hit the mute button. Finally I broke the silence, “Kyle seems like a really great guy.” I didn’t even attempt to sell the statement as sincere.
“I’m sorry for the comments about your brother. In his job, he’s seen some bad tragedies from drinking and driving, and he’s become quite close with the Spargo family. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.”
I nodded, although I believed Officer Jones had meant every word of it, and most likely had held back due to Gwen’s presence.
My attention went to Tommy, taking special notice of the striking resemblance between Gwen and the boy. It was just starting to sink in that Gwen had a son. Just one of the many dynamics that I didn’t factor in during my daydreams about recapturing the past.
“I didn’t know you had a child,” I said. I wasn’t sure why this surprised me-Gwen was in her late thirties and had been married for years. It was logical.
“Not sure why you
I remained quiet. This wasn’t exactly how I pictured this moment.
“What’s wrong? No wisecrack about how surprised you are such an old guy like Stephen could
She couldn’t jar me out of my serious mode. “How are the kids handling the divorce?” I remembered when Gwen’s parents divorced and how traumatic that was for her.
Gwen couldn’t hold back a smile, which confused me. “I’m just messing with you, JP.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Stephen and I never had children. Tommy’s not my son-he’s my brother.”
I tried to do the genealogy arithmetic in my head, but I was never very good at math.
Gwen seemed to be reveling in my perplexed look. “My father re-married-a woman much younger than him. They had Tommy, she bailed, and then my father had a heart attack.”
My confusion quickly switched to concern. I’d always had a close relationship with Mr. Delaney. “Is he…”
“He pulled through, and has improved a lot this past year, but he needs a lot of help with Tommy. I temporarily moved back to Rockfield when Stephen and I split up, but temporary is a lot longer than it used to be.”
I was relieved that Mr. Delaney survived. But the stronger pangs of relief were because Gwen hadn’t started our family without me. I needed a whole team of therapists.
“So how’s your mother doing?” I asked.
“She’s good. Lives out in Tucson. Has a male companion, which I guess is a way to say boyfriend when you are over sixty. And yes, JP, you are still her favorite, which she subtly reminds me every time she sends me the latest newspaper clipping about your adventures.”
I was just about to smile, until Gwen added, “I guess mother doesn’t always know best.”
The return of Tommy was welcomed. If nothing else, he could fill in the awkward pauses. He pointed his
