“He came back.”
“Okay.”
“No, I mean, he decided not to do it. Before you called Joey. Before any of it. He realized that what you wanted meant more to him than some kind of macho reprisal. So he came back.”
Something loosened in Uma’s chest, something she hadn’t even realized was tight. “What the hell took him so long?” she asked, sounding angrier than she’d intended.
Jessie chuckled and took another swig. “Oh man. So, get this. Apparently, he was a mess when he got to the courthouse. Like a big, sweaty, heart-attacky mess, just loitering. Can you imagine that? Ive all…hopped up and… Anyway, as he was about to head back here, he got stopped by a couple of cops. Searched him, searched the truck, asked him the kind of questions he gets asked all the time. Being an ex-con and everything.”
“Wow” was the only word Uma could get out past the rushing in her ears.
“Yeah. So he wasn’t thrilled.”
“I can imagine.” Suddenly, she needed a second beer. She grabbed it with one sweaty hand and twisted off the cap, took a sip, and pressed it to her face. “What’s he up to over there? Spending a lot of time in the big house.”
“What do you think?” A quick look at Jessie showed the woman’s eyes focused on her, all humor gone. The expectation there was dizzying. “He’s gettin’ his place ready.”
“For wh—” Realization hit Uma like a sledgehammer. “For me?”
“Now don’t go running over there all pissed off that he’s taking your ability to choose away and all that crap, ’cause he’s not. He’s giving you a choice. Another option.”
For the first time in days, Uma felt the first tiny stirrings of hope and excitement. Of something to look forward to.
In the distance, Ivan went out to his truck for about the fiftieth time and grabbed something from the back. It looked like a rug, rolled up. As he turned back to the house, he caught sight of them and raised his head in greeting. He paused for a second, and she could feel the yearning from here. When she was about to lift a hand to wave back, he turned and slowly carried his load up to the house.
“So, what’s happening with Joey?” Jessie’s question drew her back to their conversation.
“Aggravated assault. And rape.”
“Good.” Jessie sputtered, “I mean, not good, but I’m glad they got what they needed to take that bastard to court.”
“Don’t worry.” Uma shoulder-bumped her. “I know what you meant.”
“So, what’re you going to do now? I mean, you could probably get your own place and move back up to Northern Virginia, if you wanted, right?”
“Yeah, I could.” Uma looked at Jessie again and back at the big house, remembering her first sight of that place and its owner. That first solid handshake, the most comforting thing she’d felt in forever. That was one thing that hadn’t changed as she’d gotten to know him. Nothing felt better than Ivan’s hands on her skin.
Maybe she’d had all the time she needed to think. Maybe she was ready to find out what came next. She smiled and finished her beer.
After a few more minutes of silence, she pulled two more beers out of the six-pack and stood up. “Mind if I steal these?”
“All yours.”
She smiled her thanks. “Better check on Cookie.”
Jessie stood and stopped her with a hand. “I got it.”
“You sure?”
“Think I can’t take what she can dish?”
“Yeah,” said Uma. “You’ll do just fine.” But still she hesitated, more from nerves than anything else.He came home. He changed his mind and came home. For me.
“Go. Go on.”
At Jessie’s nudge, she set off toward Ivan’s house without any sort of plan. “See you Monday?” Uma said over her shoulder.
“Not till Monday? Don’t you want to come out for drinks with me and the girls this weekend?”
