“Yeah. That was close.” Miguel nodded. “You were smart to remove the guns.”
“Of course, he won’t remember that, well, until he gets in the house.”
“I’m sorry about the tractor. Maybe I shouldn’t have bought it from you.”
She waved a hand. “No, no. If it wasn’t that, it’d be something else. Please, don’t worry about it.”
“I worry about you.” He looked into her eyes. “How areyoudoing?”
“Oh, you know. I’m okay.”
“I know it’s hard being a caregiver. I took care of Beth before she died. Even with Mama’s help, it was a rough road. And there’s only one of you.”
“Well, my daughter and granddaughter are coming,” she told him. “That should help.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“I better go check on CT. God knows what he’ll be up to next.” She grimaced to imagine him wielding a kitchen knife. That had never happened before, but you never knew... She remembered today’s little surprise and, hoping to lighten things up, decided to share it. “You know what, Miguel?” She chuckled. “CT brushed his teeth with Preparation H this morning.”
Miguel laughed. “Might be good for his gums.”
“Maybe, but it took him three cups of coffee to get the taste out of his mouth.”
“Think the caffeine added to his temper?”
“Maybe. Anyway, please, don’t be concerned. He’ll have forgotten this whole business by suppertime.”
“Sure hope so.” Miguel waved before returning to his tractor and firing up the engine.
Honey walked back to the house, less confident than she was trying to appear. Despite his memory problems of names and dates and daily tasks, CT sure didn’t forget everything. Like the fact he used to own and operate vehicles or had an admirable firearm collection. Pickups and guns occupied a deep place inside him. Probably part of being a man’s man. Even when she’d tried to hide or throw away his rifle magazines, hoping subscriptions would soon expire and quit appearing in their mailbox, CT always seemed to find them. And if a pickup commercial played on TV, CT was all eyes and ears and sometimes tears. Yes, some things were hard to let go. For her too.
4
Jewel
Driving north on I-5, Jewel marveled at how smoothly cutting her ties in San Jose had gone. It had been much less complicated than she’d expected. Selling her gallery to Jess was fairly simple. A down payment would give her an income up in Oregon. And although she didn’t have a ton of equity in her condo, it was satisfying to sell to Monica. All in all, things had wrapped up nicely. Very liberating. Like shedding a bulky winter coat and stepping out into a sweet summer day. For the first time in a long time, Jewel felt nearly happy. And when she’d packed her art supplies, which were safely tucked in the back of her SUV, she felt she finally had the right energy to get serious about painting again.
The only wrench in the works had been her daughter. Cooper seemed determined to thwart Jewel every step of the way. After several protest tantrums and attempts at sabotage, Cooper had totally disappeared about two weeks ago. But thanks to the tracking device on Cooper’s phone, Jewel quickly located her runaway. She’d moved into her friend Cassie’s house, thinking it could be a permanent setup. Although Cassie’s mom had been sympathetic, she had problems of her own and wasn’t eager to adopt another teenager.
After that, Cooper had doubled down with the silent treatment. Then she’d refused to pack up her room. It wasn’t untilJewel informed her daughter that the movers would deal with her things—in whatever way they felt was best—that Cooper cooperated.
Then about a week ago, Cooper attempted a dramatic phone call to her dad, using all her charm in an attempt to talk him into full-time custody. She begged him to take her in, even offering to change schools if necessary since Rodney lived on the other side of town. Jewel hated playing eavesdropper, but it was hard not to hear her daughter’s heart-tugging pleas.
Thanks to the newest wife’s pregnancy and Rodney’s plans to accept a job in San Diego in August, Cooper’s Oscar-worthy performance was futile. Jewel actually felt sorry for Cooper afterward and didn’t nag her about packing or mention Oregon for a couple days. She also didn’t mention how disturbing it was that Cooper’s final grades had been in the toilet. Although it did give Jewel additional incentive. A fresh start was in Cooper’s best interest too.
Finally, though, they were on their way to Oregon, trailing the moving van packed with all their earthly possessions. Jewel checked her rearview mirror, imagining Cooper’s Doc Marten heel marks leaving long black tracks on the freeway behind them. Of course, that was ridiculous, but the back seat had grown so quiet, she needed reassurance that Cooper was still in the SUV. When they’d first started out, the audio from Cooper’s video games had been obnoxious, but Jewel hadn’t bothered to ask her to turn it down or to use her headphones. Why poke a hornets’ nest?
Naturally, her stubborn daughter refused to sit up front like a civilized person. Instead, she camped in the back with her bedding and her phone and the junk food Jewel had allowed her to purchase when they got gas in San Jose. Cooper’s thumbs were furiously pounding out what Jewel supposed was a rant to her friends, who were most likely just crawling out of bed now. Jewel just hoped those misfits weren’t concocting some sort of roadside rescue mission at their next fuel stop.
Relatively assured they were out of harm’s way and that Cooperlooked moderately comfortable, Jewel tried to relax. She usually enjoyed a long drive. And the farther north they went, the better the countryside looked. Oak trees were greened up, and recent rains made it look like the rolling fields were coming to life. It would only get better up in Oregon. Someday Cooper might thank her mother for doing this. Or not. It was hard to say. Maybe it didn’t matter. Some teens were determined to be miserable no matter what.
Jewel remembered how strong-willed and outspoken she’d been as a teen and yet somehow her parents endured her. But there had been two of them. And despite Jewel’s attempts to divide and conquer, for the most part, her parents presented a united front. Hopefully they’d partner with her for Cooper too. At least Mom anyway since she was familiar with young teens.
Jewel wasn’t sure how Dad would be. Although she felt his illness had softened him, she wasn’t too sure. And based on a few things Mom had shared about his recent feuds with their neighbor, Jewel realized Dad might be more of a challenge than she expected. But she wouldn’t let him bully her daughter. Not if she could help it.
It was around two when they finally crossed into Oregon. The fuel light came on, and Jewel knew it was time to find a station. The back seat was quiet again. Cooper was either asleep or faking it. Though if she really had been making an escape plan, which Jewel knew was ridiculous, she doubted her friends could’ve made it up to Grants Pass. All the same, the thought of Coop making a run for it was a little unnerving. And besides gas, Jewel needed a pit stop too. Just the same, she drove past the exit for a big truck stop. Despite its low prices and fast-food options, it looked like an opportune location for a teenage girl to pull a vanishing act.
“You hungry?” Jewel asked as she drove into a smaller gas station just off the freeway.
