Keeping Up With the Joneses

Part Four

Jixemitri CWP #5

Chapter 9

August, five years before “The Secret of the Mansion”

Jonesy began spending a lot of time at the Frayne farm. There constantly seemed to be a reason for him to spend his Saturdays there. He needed to replace the brake pads on the truck. He repaired the house’s air conditioner. He packed up all of Win’s woodworking tools to sell. Jonesy always did a lot of work and managed to get invited to dinner, especially when Katie was serving her homemade pecan pie for dessert.

Jonesy and Jim’s relationship was strained. Both were trying to keep their deal, although for different reasons. Jim knew his mother needed assistance. He wanted to live up to his father’s last request, and he knew he needed help to do that. As much as Jim hated Jonesy, he knew Jonesy cared about his mother. Jonesy, while coarse and demeaning to Jim, always treated Katie respectfully and even tenderly. He was knowledgeable about repairs and seemed quite willing to help Katie any way he could.

Jonesy’s reasons for keeping the deal were not quite as altruistic. He knew Katie would not like his “teasing” of Jim. He personally thought he was assisting the boy in growing up. Katie, however, might not see it this way and Jonesy didn’t want to hinder his chances with her. He knew if he wanted to marry Katie, he had to appear interested in being a “good role model” for Jim. Katie was still a long way from accepting a marriage proposal. He knew his best chance was to capitalize on Jim’s need for a father.

Jonesy was busy that particular day helping the Fraynes pack their belongings in boxes. Katie and Jim were moving the following Saturday to their new apartment. Currently, they were working in Win’s old study. Packing her husband’s possessions was making Katie sentimental. She told several stories, emphasizing her husband’s accomplishments and talents. Listening to Katie talk about Win was making Jonesy ill, but he knew he had to endure it.

Katie was lovingly staring at an old family photo. “Oh, Jimmy. You look just like your dad. He was so handsome.” She ruffled Jim’s red hair. “Just like his son.”

“Mom!” Jim protested with a grin. Normally, he didn’t mind when his mother did that, but he didn’t want Jonesy to tease him about it later. He sensed that the older man was brooding about something.

Jonesy was brooding. He was tiring of the talk about Win. Once again, he was consumed with feelings of inadequacy. Could he ever measure up to the dead man in the picture? Every time he looked at Jim, he was reminded of Katie’s perfect late husband.

Still, Jonesy was on his best behavior. He bit his tongue many times when he had wanted to say something nasty to Jim. He arrived at their house that morning and dutifully helped Katie pack. Jonesy had never been so domestic in his entire life. If the guys at the bar could see me wrapping up this junk in bubble paper, I’d be ruined. He shuddered at the thought as he carefully wrapped an autographed picture of John Wayne that Win had acquired at an auction.

“Thank you for helping us, Jonesy,” Katie said, a large smile on her pretty face. “I didn’t think we’d ever get all this packed. You’ve been a big help today.”

“No problem.” One of Katie’s smiles always strengthened his resolve to make this woman his. Her smile always made him weak in the knees.

“Look at this, Jim!” Katie exclaimed, picking up a silver cup from the top shelf of Win’s bookcase. “It’s your christening cup from Uncle James.” She gently rubbed the mug, trying to remove some of the tarnish. “A little silver polish and this will shine like new.”

Jim took the cup and studied it. “So Uncle James got this for me?”

“Yes. He brought it when he came to see you for the first time. He was so proud that we had named you after him. That’s why he’s giving you such a large inheritance.”

Jim put down the mug, and Jonesy nonchalantly picked it up. He studied the cup’s fine craftsmanship and the delicate inscription. James Winthrop Frayne II. Looks expensive. Very expensive, he thought to himself. Wonder how big an inheritance Jimmy boy has coming to him? He put the cup down before Katie noticed.

Katie was too busy to observe Jonesy, however. She was holding the family photo album. “You may want to look at this, Jim,” she said, handing the album to him. “I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at it before.”

Jim took the album and flipped through the pages. He became uncomfortable seeing the brooding expression on Jonesy’s face. “Maybe we can look at it later, Mom,” he said nervously. As he handed the album back to his mother, a piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. Jim picked it up and opened it. “Look, Mom! It’s your wedding announcement!”

Katie took the piece of paper. She smiled as she read it. “I wondered where that was. Your dad said he put it in a safe place. I should’ve known it would be here.” Her smile turned wistful as memories of her wedding day filled her mind.

Katie and Win had a small wedding as neither of them had much family. She wore her mother’s gown. She would never forget the look of total love on Win’s face as she walked down the aisle. Win said she seemed to float. When she took Win’s hand, he winked at her and whispered, “I love you.” They said their vows earnestly. Katie meant every word. Richer or poorer, better or worse, till death do we part…

The ceremony passed quickly. At the reception she and Win danced for the first time as husband and wife. The band played “their” song, “Could I Have This Dance”. Katie had never been happier as Win held her in a close embrace. She snuggled closer to him, looking up at him tenderly. “So, where are we going on our honeymoon?” she whispered.

“Oh, I thought I might take you to the drive-in and see the original King Kong.”

Katie smirked at him, only antagonizing him to tease her more. “Well, if that isn’t romantic enough, maybe I can throw a blanket in the backseat of the car and find a nice, secluded spot in Central Park, and then we could…Ooof!” His teasing was interrupted by a quick punch in the gut. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

“A secret, huh?” Katie raised an eyebrow. “Now I’m really interested.”

“Patience, Katje Vanderheiden. Patience.” Win kissed the end of her nose.

Katie sniffed indignantly. “I’ll have you know, Mr. Frayne, that my name is Katje Frayne. I don’t think my husband would appreciate you calling me by my maiden name.”

“A thousand apologies, Mrs. Frayne. Do you think your husband would mind if I kissed you?”

Katie giggled and raised her lips. “Not at all, Mr. Frayne.”

“Mom!” Jim’s voice brought Katie back to the present. “Where do you want me to put this?” He was holding the album out to Katie.

Katie shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “Just lay it on the desk, Jimmy. We’ll look at it together later.” Jim only nodded at his mom. He noticed her cheeks were flushed and she seemed short of breath.

“Are you feeling all right, Mom?” he asked, putting a freckled hand on her cheek.

“I’m fine, son. Just a little tired from all this packing.” She picked up a picture of herself from Win’s desk to wrap. Suddenly, there was a thud and the sound of shattering glass as Katie fell to the floor. Both Jim and Jonesy were at her side, carefully picking up the glass so Katie would not get cut.

“Are you all right, Mom?” Tears filled Jim’s eyes. Not Mom too! he thought.

Katie tried to sit up but couldn’t. “I just got a little dizzy. I’m fine, Jim.”

“But you passed out, Mom! We need to take you to a doctor!” Jim pleaded tearfully.

“Katie, you do need to see a doctor,” Jonesy said, examining her. “Even if it was just a dizzy spell from working too hard, you have a nasty cut on yer hand from the glass in that picture. You probably need stitches.”

“You don’t understand,” Katie protested weakly. “We don’t have any insurance since Win died. And money isn’t exactly plentiful either.” She tried to get up. “I’ll be fine.”

Katie’s protests abruptly ended, however, as Jonesy picked her up in his arms. “You need to go to the hospital, Katie, and that’s final. Don’t worry about the cost. I’ll take care of it myself.”

Jim followed Jonesy to his truck. It was starting to storm. Jonesy’s truck had a large king cab, and Jonesy laid Katie in the back seat. “Get in the front with me, boy, before you get drenched out here!” Jim quickly obeyed, eager to get out of the pouring rain. “Yer ma’ll be more comfortable back there,” Jonesy explained as he pulled on the main road. “Now, which way to the hospital?”

Jim gave directions to the nearest hospital. The two did not talk much during the trip. Their former squabbles were inconsequential at the moment, with their worry about Katie. Jonesy drove quickly. He squealed his tires as he made the turn into the hospital’s emergency entrance and slammed the truck on the corner. He ignored the hissing sound of air leaking from his tire as he gathered Katie in his arms and ran into the hospital. He quickly gave the nurse at the desk all the necessary financial information, then took a seat while the nurse asked Katie about her medical history.

Jonesy sat in the waiting room and grabbed a magazine to occupy his time. Soon Jim made his way over and sat in a seat across from Jonesy. “They aren’t busy, so they already put Mom in an examining room. Our family doctor is the attending physician today, so he has our medical records.” Jonesy nodded and continued looking at his magazine. “Thanks for bringing her.”

Jonesy looked up at the boy. It was obvious that the words had been hard to say, but that they were totally heartfelt. “Yer welcome, kid,” Jonesy choked out. “I may not like you much, but I really do care about yer ma.” He looked out the window. “Well, I better get out there and change that tire now that the rain’s slacking off.” He exited out the door, leaving Jim to worry alone.

Chapter Ten

One size fits all! Katie thought in exasperation, studying the hospital gown she was wearing. How about one size fits none. The nurse had already been in and checked her blood pressure, weight, temperature, and all those other things that seemed to waste time until the doctor graced the patient with his presence. She was thankful that their family doctor was on call in the emergency room. She would feel more comfortable dealing with him than a stranger.

There was a quick knock at the door and Dr. Phillips entered. He was a large man with a thick shock of graying hair. He had kind brown eyes that seemed able to diagnose with a glance. He had treated the Frayne family for years and knew of Win’s recent death. “So, Katie, what’s the problem today?” He looked over her chart.

“I’m not really sure, doctor. I felt a bit faint and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor. I broke a picture when I fell, and it cut my hand.” She held out her hand for the doctor to examine.

“Hmm. Looks like it might need a few stitches.” The doctor gently put down her hand and studied Katie’s face. “So, any reason you would faint?”

Katie shrugged. “I’ve been doing a lot of packing. It was probably exhaustion.”

The doctor studied her face carefully. “Packing, huh? Are you selling the house?”

Katie sighed. “Yes, I can’t make the payments. Jim and I are moving to an apartment next week. It’s been stressful making all the arrangements.”

“Have you been sleeping well?”

“Not really,” Katie admitted. “It’s so hard to sleep without Win there.”

Doctor Phillips studied her chart. “I see you’ve lost a few pounds since your last visit.”

Katie nodded. “I guess so. I haven’t had much of an appetite since Win died.”

“Any other symptoms?”

Katie hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly, “I have been having a few chest pains.”

“How often?” The doctor began furiously scribbling something down in her chart.

“Not very often. I’ve only had a few.”

“Like when you worry,” the doctor suggested. “Or maybe when you’ve been thinking about Win?” Katie nodded. “You had a complete physical a few months before Win died, and according to it, you were healthy as a horse. A bit too skinny, in my opinion, but healthy nonetheless. I can order some new tests to see if anything turns up, but in my professional opinion, I think you are suffering from extreme grief.”

“Grief?” Katie asked. “Can that cause these symptoms?”

The kind doctor nodded and took Katie’s hand. “Katie, I’m going to be totally honest with you. You’ve lost a lot of weight, which you didn’t need to lose in the first place. You’re not sleeping. You’re working too hard. Now you’re having chest pains and fainting. If you don’t be careful, you’re going to grieve yourself to death.”

Katie gasped. “Nothing can happen to me, doctor! What would Jim do if I died? There is no one to take care of him!”

Dr. Phillips patted her arm. “Now don’t start worrying about that, Katie. I’m going to write a prescription for you. It will help you sleep at night. Be sure you read all the directions before you take them. I’m going to call this in at the pharmacy, then I’ll be back in here to stitch up that hand. You be sure and come back if you have any more of those chest pains.”

The doctor left the room and went to the nurse’s station in the waiting room. He whispered some directions to the nurse. Jim saw him and ran over to the doctor.

“Dr. Phillips! How’s my mom? Will she be OK?”

The doctor put a kindly arm around Jim’s shoulder. “She’ll be fine, Jim. We’re going to put a few stitches in her hand and I’m writing her a prescription to help her sleep.”

“Is there anything I can do to help her?”

“Jim, your mother is suffering from a severe form of grief. As you know, she loved your father deeply. Her physical health is being affected by her emotional turmoil. She’s had a few chest pains that I’m worried about, so you need to try not to upset her. Just help her out as much as you can.”

“Chest pains?” Jim was filled with fear. He knew some kids at school whose parents died from heart attacks. “Does she need to have surgery or anything?”

The doctor smiled. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do for a broken heart. You just help her out all you can and try not to worry her. I’m sure she will be fine. Now I need to go see about her hand.” The doctor walked away down the hall. Suddenly, he turned back to Jim and called, “You keep an eye on her and make sure she comes in if she has any more pains.”

Jim nodded and hung his head sadly. He felt the weight of the world on his young shoulders and helplessness in his soul. How do you heal a broken heart?

Chapter Eleven

Jonesy had patiently waited at the hospital until Katie was released and then went to the pharmacy to fill her prescription. When they arrived at the house, he helped her inside. He promised that some acquaintances of his who moved furniture would be there the next week to finish packing. He ordered Katie to take it easy and let them take care of everything. Then he gently persuaded her to go up to her room and rest. She tearfully thanked him and climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

Without a word to Jim, Jonesy turned and went out the door of the house. Jim followed after him. As much as Jim detested the man, Jonesy had greatly helped him that day. Gathering up his courage and biting back his animosity, Jim called out Jonesy’s name. “Thank you for all your help today,” he said solemnly when Jonesy faced him. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”

Jonesy’s hard expression softened momentarily. “Like I told you earlier, kid, I did it for yer ma. I really do care about her, you know.”

Reluctantly, Jim nodded. “I know,” he said softly.

“You take care of her,” Jonesy ordered. “Don’t you be worryin’ her none.”

“I won’t. The doctor talked to me at the hospital. He told me not to worry her, and I won’t.” Jim looked at his feet sadly. “I’m really worried about her.”

For a split second, Jonesy almost felt empathy for the boy. He quickly dismissed that feeling from his mind. “She’ll be fine. She’s just worn out and has a bad cut on her hand.”

“The doctor said she has a broken heart.”

Jonesy chuckled in disbelief. “That’s a bunch of bunk, kid. Yer ma will be fine after she gets some rest.”

The fire returned to Jim’s green eyes. “I’m not lying,” he insisted. “When I talked to the doctor, he told me that Mom was sick because she misses my dad.”

“That’s foolishness! This is the real world and not some fairy tale!” Jonesy sputtered.

“It is not! My parents had a love for each other that you’ll never understand!”

“What yer ma needs is a real man to take her mind offa yer dead daddy!”

Jim stared at Jonesy in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what a monster this man was. He wanted to lash out at the man and hit him as hard as an eleven-year-old boy possible could. Somehow, he controlled his redheaded temper and looked coldly at Jonesy. “My mother will never love anyone the way she loved my father. Especially somebody like you.”

Jonesy angrily stalked over to Jim. I hate Win Frayne and I hate his kid! He balled up his fist, intent on punching the boy, but something stopped him. I’m not going to let this brat get to me! Katie will be my wife and she will love me! “You better watch yerself, little prince,” he growled in Jim’s ear. “Someday the little crown prince won’t have his loyal subjects around to take care of him.” Then Jonesy strode to his truck, got inside, and spun out of the driveway.

Home

*A Jixemitri CWP #5. Elements included are a see-crud (Win’s honeymoon surprise), pecan pie (Katie’s), auction (Win purchased John Wayne picture at one), King Kong (Win teased Katie about seeing it on their honeymoon), changing a tire (Jonesy changed one at the hospital), shattered glass (broken picture), a missing personal paper (Win and Katie’s wedding announcement), a storm (rainstorm on the way to the hospital), a broken heart (what Katie is suffering from), Could I Have This Dance? (song played at Win and Katie’s wedding), and the carry-over item was from #1 sex in a park (Win teasing Katie about honeymoon plans).

A huge thank you to my editors, Kaye, Kathy, and Lori D! You ladies are the absolute best! I would have made a majorly bad boo-boo if it had not been for one of my astute editors. I would have gotten the bad KK award of the year! Thanks again!