Keeping Up With the
Joneses
Part Five
Chapter 12
End of August, five years before
“The Secret of the Mansion”
True to his word, Jonesy sent some
movers to the Frayne’s house, and by the end of the following week, they had
everything packed neatly in boxes. Katie followed Jonesy’s
orders and tried to relax as much as possible. To Katie’s surprise, Rick, her
boss from the diner, called and told her to take a week off from work. When she
insisted that she could not afford to miss, her boss assured her that it was
already taken care of. Somebody had provided her a weeks’ paid vacation.
Jim bothered his
mother as little as possible. Every morning he brought her juice and toast in
bed. He finished his chores without being reminded. He insisted upon helping
her cook and clean. While the movers were there, Jim kept a suspicious eye on
them to make sure they satisfactorily performed their appointed task. He
watched as each item was packed, making sure nothing was broken or stolen.
On Friday evening, Katie and Jim were
enjoying their last night in their home.
They had gone out for burgers and fries for their dinner, since all the
kitchen things were packed away. They settled on the sofa, looking at the photo
album that had been in Win’s study, taking one last trip down memory lane.
“Here’s a picture of the house when we first
moved here, Jimmy,” Katie said, flipping through the album. “Your father
insisted upon carrying me over the threshold, even though we had been married
over a year, already.
“And here you are when you were born.” Katie
sighed wistfully. “You were just the image of your father the minute you were
born. Aunt Nell and Uncle James brought baby pictures of your father to compare
with you, when you were small. I couldn’t tell you apart!” She smiled and
ruffled her son’s thick, red hair. “You definitely inherited the Frayne red
hair.”
Jim picked up a picture apparently taken at
his parents’ wedding and studied it closely. “Who’s this guy, Mom?”
“That was your father’s best friend in
college. His name is Matt. He was the best man at our wedding.”
“Gosh, he looks a lot like Dad!”
Katie laughed. “They were often mistaken for
brothers. I’ll never forget how surprised I was to see the two of them standing
there when your father knocked me over in the library that day. I thought I was
seeing double.”
Jim examined the photo carefully. “Mom, what happened to Dad’s friend?”
Katie shrugged her slim shoulders. “I’m not
sure, Jimmy. After our wedding, we lost track of him. He got married soon after
we did to a girl from a wealthy family. Matt had majored in business, and the
last I heard, he was very successful. I’m not sure where he is now. I wonder if
he and Maddie had any children.”
“Well, Mom, if he was good friends with Dad
and is rich, maybe he could…” he stopped when he saw the warning look on his
mother’s face.
“Jim, it’s very important that you work for
what you have. Your father would be very disappointed in me if I begged money
from one of his old college chums. Besides, I don’t even know where they live.
If it’s meant to be, maybe we’ll run into Matt someday.
“I would like for you to meet him. He was a
wonderful man, and your father thought the world of him. They were very much
alike. I’m sure your dad would like for you to get to know him.” She ruffled
Jim’s hair once more. “Of course, he has that same redheaded temper that you
inherited from the Fraynes.”
Jim nodded his head. “Boy, I sure would like
to meet Mike someday!”
Katie laughed. “Matt, not
Mike.”
Jim gave a lopsided grin. “Whatever his name
is, if he’s like Dad, I really want to meet him. Maybe if he’s got lots of
money, he can help me build my school.”
Katie looked puzzled. “What school are you
talking about, Jimmy?”
“I’m gonna be a
teacher like Dad someday. And I’m gonna make learning
fun, just like Dad did.” Jim suddenly looked serious. “You know, there’s a lot of boys out there who have never had a father
to teach them neat stuff, like mine did. So I’m gonna
build a place someday to help those boys out.”
Katie’s eyes filled with tears. “I think
that’s a wonderful idea. If I know you, someday you’ll build a school just like
you’ve described.”
“Dad and I talked about it some,” Jim
admitted quietly. “Dad said it was his dream to help out poor kids. He didn’t
get to do it, but if I ever get heaps of money someday, I’m gonna
do it, just like me and Dad talked about.”
“You’re father was such a generous person,”
Katie replied softly. “If he had gotten to accomplish his dream, so many people
could have been helped. Some people have such difficult lives. Like Mr. Jones,
for example.”
Katie didn’t notice the way Jim stiffened at the mention of Jonesy. “He had such a difficult childhood. It’s so sad
that he’s been left all alone. Just like us. It’s depressing when you think
about it. He’s really been so generous to us. I think he gave me much more
money than the plow was worth, and he did all that work on the truck. And I’ll
never be able to thank him enough for taking me to the hospital. Then he called
those movers to pack everything for us. You know, I’m sure it was he who paid
for my vacation. Waitresses usually don’t have a weeks’ paid vacation. Oh, I’m
babbling on and on.” Katie looked at her son. “You’re being awfully quiet. Is
something wrong?”
Jim shrugged his shoulders. “I’m okay.”
Katie studied her son’s face. “What do think of Mr. Jones, Jimmy?”
Jim tried to ignore the sick feeling in the
pit of his stomach. He wanted to tell his mother what he really thought of Jonesy, but he didn’t want to worry her. “Oh, he’s all
right,” Jim finally said without much enthusiasm.
“He’s been so kind to us, Jimmy. He’s very
thoughtful. He’s called several times this week to check on me. He’s made sure
that I’ve been resting and letting the movers handle all the packing.” Katie
chuckled. “I thought your father was protective!”
Jim sat silently with a stony face. He
wondered if he should tell his mother how mean Jonesy
had been to him.
“You know, it’s been very hard for me since
your father died,” Katie continued. “I was so young when we were married. Your
father was the type who liked to take care of everything. He never wanted to
worry me about finances or anything like that, so it has been a big adjustment
for me taking care of all the responsibilities. It’s been such
a relief to have someone look after me for a change.”
Jim continued staring straight ahead. His
heart pounded. This was a perfect opportunity to tell his mother everything.
“He called earlier while you were out riding
Blackie. He said he’ll be here early in the morning to help with the moving. He
wants to make sure the moving company he hired does everything properly. He
teased me that he had another surprise for me. I certainly hope he doesn’t buy
me more flowers. I feel so guilty already that he’s spent too much money, with
the repairs and the hospital bill.”
Jim finally spoke. “He brought you those
flowers?”
“Well, yes,” Katie stuttered in surprise. “I
thought you knew that.”
Jim’s eyes blazed a brilliant green. “Why did
he bring you flowers? Dad said you only got flowers for your special girl!”
Katie tried to calm her son, although she
was confused why he was so agitated. “He was just being nice, Jimmy. He heard
me say that I would miss my rosebushes, and so he brought some to cheer me up.
He didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Sure he
didn’t,” Jim spat out sarcastically. “Does he think you’re his girlfriend?”
“Of course not, son!”
Katie sputtered. “He was just being thoughtful!”
“Yeah, right! I’m
sure he fixes everybody’s trucks and
air conditioners and takes everybody to
the hospital and pays their bill!”
Katie put her hand on Jim’s arm, but he
pulled away from her. Her eyes filled with tears at her son’s rejection. “You
don’t understand, Jim…”
Jim’s redheaded temper was flaring full
force. “You’re right, Mom, I don’t understand! I thought we weren’t supposed to
get help from anybody else. We can’t go ask Uncle James or Dad’s old friend for
help. We have to move to some crummy apartment and leave everything I love
because Dad wouldn’t like it if we begged for money. But you let some guy bring
you flowers, fix stuff, and take you to the hospital. Mom, you don’t really know him!”
Tears fell down Katie’s cheeks. “That’s not
fair, son. I’m doing the best I can. This is just too much for me to handle
alone.”
“So you let some stranger take care of it?”
“He’s not a stranger, Jim. He’s kindly
offered to help us out occasionally, and I’ve had no choice but to accept. He’s
been nothing but a gentleman to me. I think your father would be happy that
someone was helping his family out.”
“And I think Dad would hate him!” Jim
yelled. “You don’t know what he’s done! He’s mean and…”
“That’s enough!” Katie rarely lost her
temper with her young son, but this was one of those times. “I know you loved
your father. I loved him, too, with all my heart! Do you think I like being
alone? Do you think it’s easy raising a boy by myself?
Sometimes I need help too!” Katie began sobbing.
“Your father is not coming back, Jim! If I could bring him
back, I would! But I’m helpless and alone! I don’t know what to…” Katie stopped
suddenly and grasped her chest. Her
breaths became shallow and her face turned a deadly white.
Jim watched in horror as his mother
suffered. This is my fault! he thought. I shouldn’t
have upset her! It’s my fault! He knelt at his mother’s side, worry filling
his soul. He was ready to call an ambulance when her breathing regulated and
some color returned to her face.
“Are you okay, Mom?” he asked in a soft
voice. He nervously touched her hand.
“I’m…fine…” she gasped.
Jim began to cry. “I’m sorry, Mom! I
shouldn’t have upset you!”
Katie weakly took her son in her arms.
“Don’t worry…Jimmy. I’ll be…fine.”
“Are you still having pains?”
“It’s gone…now.” Katie took some deep breaths.
“I’ll be fine.”
“I’m so sorry, Mom! I’m so sorry! Please
don’t be mad at me!” Jim sobbed in his mother’s arms.
Katie stroked his hair. “I’m fine, Jimmy. If
you don’t want me to…”
“It’s all my
fault!” Jim interrupted. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mom! I’ve been selfish, and
I’m sorry.”
Katie pulled back and looked her son in the
eyes. “You know that I would do anything for you, don’t you, Jimmy?” Jim
nodded. “Everything I do is for you. You are the most important thing in this
world to me. I would move heaven and earth to keep you happy. I’m doing the
best I can, honey. If there was some way I could avoid moving to that
apartment, I’d do it.”
“I know,” Jim sniffed. “It’s okay. Really,
it is.”
“Jimmy, someday I’ll make things better.
We’ll live in a big house, and you’ll have another horse, and we won’t be
alone. I promise you, Jimmy.”
“I’ll help you, Mom. Any way I can.”
Katie sadly smiled. “I know you will, son.”
She took him in her arms once more.
Jim relaxed in his mother’s embrace, comforted
by the steady beating of her heart. I
mean it, Mom. Any way I can, he vowed again to himself. I’ll never complain about Jonesy, ever again. No matter what, I’ll never upset Mom.
If I worry her, she might have those pains. I can’t lose her, too! I’m just being selfish! I’ll never tell her
about Jonesy… Never!
Chapter 13
Katie sighed unhappily as she watched her
young son climb the stairs to his bedroom. She looked longingly at the picture
of Win that was in the album on her lap. Oh,
Win! How do I help Jimmy?
Katie’s heart ached for her son.
Tears of frustration welled in her blue eyes. She was overcome with feelings of
helplessness.
Katie dreaded moving the following morning.
She had so many special memories at the farmhouse…
“Win,
put me down!” Katie giggled as her handsome husband carried her through the
front door of their new home. “You’re going to drop me!”
“Drop
you?” Win repeated in mock horror. “You’re light as a feather, babe! How could
I possibly…” He pretended to let her slip out of his grasp, but easily caught
Katie before she fell to the ground.
“You
goof!” she exclaimed, punching his arm.
Win
laughed in that hearty way that Katie adored. He set her on the ground, then leaned down to kiss her. “Have I told you recently how
much I love you?” he said, stroking her blonde waves.
Katie
giggled. “Hmmm… not since lunch time. I could stand
hearing it again, you know.”
Win
took her gently in his arms. “I love you very, very much, Katje
Frayne.” Tenderness filled his green eyes.
“And
I love you,
“Do
you really like it?”
“It’s
perfect, Win! I love it!” Win smiled at the sight of his wife’s sparkling blue
eyes.
“I’m
so glad, Katie. I wanted to give you a beautiful home and make you happy.”
Katie
stroked her husband’s strong jaw. “You didn’t need to buy me a house to make me
happy, silly! I would be perfectly happy living in a cave if you were with me!
But I have to admit, your timing was perfect.”
Win
raised a ginger eyebrow and studied his wife’s pretty face. “What do you mean?”
Katie
got a secretive smile on her face. “Well, our apartment was a little cramped. The extra room will come in handy…” she
paused dramatically, “for the baby.”
“Baby?” Win gasped. Katie laughed as she watched her husband
stagger around in circles with a dumbfounded look on his face. “You’re having a
baby?”
Katie
nodded, trying to discern Win’s reaction. Could he be disappointed?
“A
baby!” he yelled excitedly. He picked Katie up and began swinging her around.
He stopped short when he heard her cry.
“I’m
getting nauseous, Win! Put me down!”
“Sorry!”
Win grinned sheepishly. He gently laid her on the couch in the living room.
“Guess I’ll have to start behaving myself.”
Katie
snorted. “Is it possible for
Win
kneeled on the floor beside Katie. He gently took her hand. “Are you feeling
better, babe?”
“Yes,
I think the room has finally stopped spinning. So you’re happy about the baby?
I know we weren’t planning on children for a while.”
“Are
you kidding? I’m on cloud nine! I wanted to start a family, but I thought you
might want to finish your schooling first.”
Katie
laughed. “I guess that will have to wait.”
Win
studied Katie carefully. He stroked a piece of blonde hair away from her eyes.
“Are you happy, babe? I know you wanted to get your degree.”
“I
couldn’t be any happier,” Katie sighed contentedly. “I know I could go back
before the little one comes, but I’ve been having some morning sickness and…”
“Morning sickness?” Win interrupted. “Are you okay? Can I
get you something? Do I need to boil some water?”
“You
can be so silly!” Katie teased, lovingly. “I’m fine. It’s very normal for women
to have morning sickness. And I’m sure you won’t have to boil water any time
soon. They just did that in the old days when they had their babies at home.”
“Well,
you better take it easy, hon. No lifting heavy boxes. I’ll take care of
everything.”
Katie
giggled. “I think I like this pregnancy thing.”
Win
looked lovingly at his wife and gently rubbed her still flat stomach. “I can’t
believe there’s a little baby growing inside you.”
“I
know! I’ve wanted a baby so badly ever since I held little Juliana before they
left for
Win
kissed her nose. “And just think, maybe someday we’ll have a little girl with
blonde hair and blue eyes, just like her cousin.”
Katie
smiled. “You know, we might have a little boy with red hair, green eyes, and
freckles.”
Win
rolled his eyes. “Oh, Lord! Not another Frayne with a fiery temper!” he
exclaimed in mock terror.
“That’s
quite possible!” Katie laughed. “You know what they say, you reap what you sow!
You might end up with a boy who is as stubborn and temperamental as you are!”
“Me?! Have a temper?! You must be joking, Mrs. Frayne!”
“Well,
I would love to have a little boy who looks exactly like his handsome daddy!”
Win
nodded. He wistfully imagined days filled with teaching a son to ride a horse,
bait a hook, load a gun… “Whatever we have, I will be
happy,” he said, tears filling his green eyes.
“You’ll
be a wonderful father.”
“And
you will be a wonderful mother. Have I told you lately that I love you?”
Katie
giggled and buried her head in Win’s shoulder. “I think we already had this
conversation ten minutes ago. You’re getting forgetful in your old age, Pops.”
“Old, huh?” Win easily gathered Katie in his arms.
“Where
ever are you taking me, Mr. Frayne?”
“There’s
something upstairs that I need to show you, Mrs. Frayne. We better get busy christening
every room in the house before the baby comes.”
Katie
laughed and pointed to the stairs. “To the bedroom,
So
many happy memories, Katie
thought, flipping through the album. Win had taken a plethora of pictures
during her pregnancy. After every doctor’s visit, he snapped a picture and had
written a note on the back of the picture after it had been developed. He even
insisted on attending the baby shower that some of the neighbors had given her.
He snapped pictures of the cake and all the gifts, before and after opening.
Finally, on a sultry afternoon in July,
Katie began having contractions. Win calmly got the bag he had packed ever so
efficiently weeks before and helped Katie out to the car. He somehow managed to
obey all traffic signals and speed limits while driving to the hospital.
Once settled in a room, Win had brought out
his trusty camera once more. Katie couldn’t help but giggle at the captions
written beside the photos. Katie dilated to three centimeters. Katie dilated to
four centimeters. Katie eating ice chips. Katie
screaming for pain medicine…
Katie
gripped Win’s hand and held her breath as another painful contraction swept
over her.
“You’re
doing great, baby,” Win cooed. He fed her some more ice chips and adjusted her
hospital gown. He glanced at the monitor
that was measuring his wife’s contractions. “Wow! This is going to be a big
one!”
Katie
leaned over to slug him, but before she could, a horrendous contraction stopped
her. She groaned in exhaustion as it faded away, and then slapped her husband
in the gut. “You’re not helping by watching that monitor!” she gasped. “It’s
almost like you’re enjoying this!”
“It’s
fascinating how your pains register on that thing,” Win replied, clicking a
picture at the screen on the wall.
The
hours passed, and the pain grew worse. By the time Katie had reached seven
centimeters, she was exhausted and cranky. A nurse had just finished an
examination. “Not too much longer now, Mrs. Frayne.”
Win hurriedly picked up his camera and
snapped another picture of his wife after the latest painful contraction ended.
“If
you take one more picture,
Win grabbed his wife’s hand. He
brought over a cool washcloth and began wiping her sweaty forehead. “I’m sorry,
baby. The camera will not make another appearance until the baby does.”
Three
long hours later, James Winthrop Frayne the Second was born. Katie held her son in her arms and cried with
happiness. She lovingly stroked his little head, covered with dark red fuzz.
Win
shed so many tears that he couldn’t even see to work his camera. He was forced
to ask a nurse to take pictures of him, his wife, and his newborn son. Little
Jim gripped his father’s finger as he nuzzled his mother’s breast in search of
food.
“The
little guy has a strong grip already,” Win said fondly. “Just like his mama.”
He rubbed his hand, which was sore from all of Katie’s squeezing during her
final contractions. He had a feeling the bruises she caused wouldn’t go away
quickly.
Katie
giggled. “Sorry about that, sweetie. I don’t know what came over me.” She undid
her hospital robe and drew her tiny son to her breast. “Are you hungry, Jimmy?”
she cooed to her son.
“Before
you know it, Jim will be riding and fishing and hunting with me,” Win stated
proudly, his chest visibly puffing up with pride.
“Well,
let’s get him home from the hospital first,” Katie teased, a tired smile on her
pretty face. “Did you call Uncle James and Aunt Nell?”
“Yeah,
I slipped out while the nurses were helping you into a new gown. They had taken
Jim out to be weighed and measured, so I decided to call Uncle James and Aunt
Nell. They were thrilled about the
news.”
“What
did Uncle James say when you told him what we named the baby?”
“He
was over the moon! He gave the phone to Aunt Nell so he could rush out and buy
the baby an expensive gift.”
“Uncle
James is too good to us,” Katie replied. “Naming our son after him was the
least we could do after all the generosity he’s shown us.”
Little Jim finished his meal, and Katie
gently laid him against her shoulder and patted his back.
After a faint burp was heard, she looked at her husband. “Would you like to
hold your son, Daddy?”
Win’s
eyes glistened as he carefully picked up the precious bundle. He had never in his
life handled anything more valuable. He securely held his son close to his
heart. With one finger, he gently stroked Jim’s cheek and wondered at the
miracle he held in his arms.
Katie
wanted to rest, but she was too captivated by the sight of her husband and son
to fall asleep. Win walked over to the window in the hospital room and softly
talked to his son. She watched as he gently rocked Jim in his strong arms and
whispered adoring words. Finally, the tiny baby drifted off to sleep, safe and
secure in his father’s embrace…
Katie turned the pages slowly in the album.
First tooth, first word, first step… It all had been captured on film by Win.
She laughed at the picture of Jim’s first birthday. Uncle James and Aunt Nell
had come to
Jim’s fiery temper was evident, even at that
young age. After his third failed attempt at mounting the horse, he stomped his
foot and squalled angrily…
“Jim
certainly has inherited that infamous Frayne temper,” Aunt Nell commented.
“Why,
Nell, what temper are you talking about?” Uncle James asked, the corners of his
mouth twitching slightly in amusement.
Aunt
Nell chuckled. “You know what temper I’m talking about, James. You have it. Win
has it. Now little Jim has it as well.”
On
his fourth attempt, Jim mounted his rocking horse and began giggling as he
rocked back and forth. He squealed in delight as he rode his new toy.
Win
was close by, as usual, with his camera. “That’s my boy! Way to go, Little Man!
It won’t be long until Daddy buys you a real horse to ride. Then we’ll have us
a time, riding the trails around here.”
“Win,
dear, you’re going to blind Jimmy before he’s five with all the flashing from
that camera,” Katie teased. She loved watching the interaction between her two
favorite “men”. It was obvious they adored one another. “Daddy, now we need to
get the little man in his high chair so he can have a piece of birthday cake.”
Win
reached for Jim, who was still enthralled with his toy. Jim cried and clutched the horse’s yarn mane.
“Nooo!” he sobbed, holding on to the horse as if his
very life depended on it.
Win
looked a little sheepish. “Maybe he does have a little of the Frayne temper.”
Uncle
James chortled. “That will get you into trouble someday, Jimmy! Win, you and
Katie will have your hands full with that little rascal!”
Jim
does have that Frayne temper, but he was really never any trouble, Katie thought, remembering Uncle
James’ comment. He was always such a good little boy. He had a natural
curiosity and a low frustration level, but he was always quick to obey. After
being disciplined a few times for temperamental outbursts, Jim had tried to
learn to control his fury.
This was especially true after his father’s
death. Katie knew that Jim was trying his best to be on his best behavior. In
fact, he had not lost his temper ever since Win had died. So why did he get so angry talking about Jonesy?
Katie wondered. Jim is as honorable
and honest as his father was. What was that he said about Jonesy?
Katie tried to remember what it was, but she had been so upset that she
didn’t hear him.
Did Jonesy do something to upset Jim? I don’t care how good
he’s been to me, Katie thought. If Jonesy has been mean to my baby, I’ll tell him to never set
foot near us again. But surely Jim would tell me…
Katie was close to her son. She knew
he would confide in her if anyone had hurt him. Feeling better, she closed the
album and packed it away in a box. Yes,
Jim would tell me if Jonesy upset him. After all, Jonesy wants to help me and my son. He wouldn’t hurt Jim. Jimmy is just upset about having to move…
Chapter 14
Jonesy pulled into
the Frayne driveway early Saturday morning. The movers had just begun loading
their trucks with furniture. His swagger as he climbed out of the truck belied
the fact that Jonesy was fraught with insecurity. His
heart beat furiously inside his chest as he knocked on the door. However, when
Katie opened the door, his heart stopped completely. Each time he saw this
woman, he was taken by surprise by her beauty.
“Good morning,” she said pleasantly. “You
must have gotten up at the crack of dawn to get here so early. You had a long
drive.”
Jonesy mustered
all his courage and lightly kissed her cheek. “I’m an early bird, anyway. But,
it would be a lot easier if you moved a little closer to
Katie stiffened slightly at his greeting,
but soon she relaxed. It had been a long time since any man besides Win had
touched her so familiarly.
“Are these workers gettin’
the job done right?”
“They are doing a wonderful job! Thank you
so much for hiring them. I’ve just been a lazy goose all week while they did
all the work.”
Jonesy smiled.
“Good, good. You needed a break. You’ve wore yerself
out. I’m glad to hear that you followed my orders.”
“Oh, yes. I knew if I did too much I’d have
to answer to you, as well as Jim.”
“Where is yer
boy?” Jonesy tried his best to sound like he actually
cared about the answer.
“He’s taking one last ride before we leave.
He’s upset about having to leave his horse.” Katie sighed sadly. “I’m just so
worried about him.”
Jonesy once again
tried to look concerned. “He ain’t sick, is he?”
Katie shook her head. “He’s just having a
difficult time adjusting to all the changes. He was very close to his father.
And since his death, I’ve had to go to work. I stayed at home when Win was
alive. I always planned on returning to college after Jim got older, but I
never did. Now I wish I had. Maybe I could have gotten a better job. I have to
work so much and get paid so little. Last night he was very upset about moving.
He’s not used to living in town, and he’ll miss the country. He spends most of
his free time now fishing at the pond or riding his horse on the trails. It
will be a big adjustment living in a tiny apartment in town.”
“Maybe you and the boy could visit me
sometime at my farm,” Jonesy suggested. “I have a
pond nearby where Jim could fish, and there’s always
lots of animals around.”
Katie shyly smiled. “That would be nice. I’m
sure Jim would enjoy that. I would really appreciate you spending some time
with him. He needs a fatherly influence.”
Jonesy coughed. Me?! A fatherly influence? I was thinking more along the lines of Jim goin’ off to the pond, leaving me alone with you! he thought. He
recovered quickly, however, and smiled in the charming way he had practiced.
“I think that sounds like a fine idea,
Katie. You know, I think it would help yer boy out a
lot to be around a man.”
Katie nodded, sadly. “He is really missing
his father. I just can’t take the place of Win in Jim’s life. I’m so worried
about him. I know that a boy needs the influence of a good man in his life. I
just don’t know what to do!”
Jonesy heard how
shaky Katie’s voice had become and saw that she was near tears. He slyly put a
comforting arm around her shoulders. “Don’t you worry, none.
I’d be happy to help out with yer boy any time you
need me to. I know how a kid feels to not have a good daddy around. I wouldn’t
want anyone to suffer like I did as a boy.”
Katie looked up at him gratefully. “I’d do
anything in the world for my son. He means the whole world to me.”
Jonesy continued
comforting, the whole time in deep thought. There’s
yer ticket, Jonesy boy, he
told himself. Make nice with Jimmy and it
won’t be long until his ma is eating outta yer hand.
Chapter 15
Three months later, in November…
Jim sat miserably in front of the television
with his mother and Jonesy. He refused the popcorn
his mother offered him. He sulked when he saw Jonesy’s
arm creep along the back of the sofa behind his mother’s back cringed when he heard her giggle at a comment
that Jonesy had made.
Jim had hoped that once they moved to the
apartment, Jonesy would lose interest and disappear.
However, his presence became even more frequent. And, sadly for Jim, the small
apartment offered no barn to which he could run away.
Jonesy had not
said one cruel word to him since their last confrontation. When they were
alone, Jonesy totally ignored him. If Katie was
there, he would play the concerned adult, asking about friends and school. Jim
almost gagged at the patronizing tone that Jonesy
used when he spoke to him. It was all Jim could do to remember his vow to never
complain about Jonesy ever again to his mother.
“Are you all right, Jimmy?”
Katie asked him tenderly.
Jim tried to smile. “I’m all right, Mom. I
just have a lot on my mind.”
Katie studied her son’s face. “Are you
sure?”
Jim nodded and attempted a happy expression.
“I’m fine, Mom.”
“I thought we’d have hot dogs for lunch,”
she mentioned. “I know they’re your favorite.” She got up to go in the kitchen,
which was only a few steps away from the living room.
She noticed that her son’s face brightened.
However,
Jim was not happy about the hot dogs. He was happy that his mother had moved
away from Jonesy.
“I think we need some more buns,” Katie
informed them. “Jimmy, can you walk to the store next door and pick some up?”
Jim looked hesitantly at Jonesy.
He didn’t like leaving him alone with his mother. “Uh… sure
Mom.”
Jonesy dug his
wallet out of his jeans. “Here, kid. This’ll take care of the buns and you’ll
even have some left over to get yerself somethin’.”
Jim reluctantly took the money. “I’ll be
right back,” he stated for Jonesy’s benefit. He
hurried out the door, determined to be gone as short a time as possible.
Jonesy listened to
Jim’s footsteps down the hall. When he was sure the kid was gone, he sauntered
into the kitchen. “Need any help?” he asked wrapping his arms around Katie’s
waist.
Katie laughed nervously and wiggled out of
his grasp. “I’m busy,” she gently scolded him. She got the baked beans out of
the oven and stirred them. Jonesy sat down at the
kitchen table and watched her.
“Don’t you think Jimmy has been quiet?” she
asked, putting the beans back in the oven.
Jonesy shrugged.
“I guess so. I thought maybe it was just ‘cause I’m
around.” He studied Katie’s reaction.
“I’m sure it’s not that,” Katie insisted.
She took a package of macaroni and cheese down from the cupboard and filled a
large pot with water. “He just hasn’t been the same since his father died. I’ve
been worried about him lately.”
“Is he causin’ you
trouble?”
“Not at all! He’s
just been quiet, and I can tell something has been bothering him. I know he’s
still grieving for his father, but recently, it’s been more than that.” Katie
banged on a jar of relish, trying to open it. Jonesy
grinned and took the jar from her.
He easily opened the jar and handed it back
to Katie. “Is he still mad about moving?”
Katie nodded sadly. “I think that’s
partially it. I can’t say that I blame him. Everything that made him feel safe
and secure has been ripped away from him.” A tear trickled down her cheek.
Jonesy put a
comforting arm around her shoulders. “He still has you.” This time, Katie did
not pull away. She moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder. He
hesitatingly embraced her and rubbed her back in a comforting manner.
“I’m not much,” she sniffed. “I can’t be the
parent that Win was. I can’t take him on campouts or mountain climbing. I can’t
even give him a decent place to live!”
“Yer too hard on yerself,” Jonesy whispered. “A
good ma goes a long way in raising a boy. I wonder how my life mighta been different if I woulda
had a ma like you.”
She looked sympathetically at Jonesy. “I’m sorry you had such a rough childhood.”
He shrugged, uncomfortable to reveal so much
about himself. “Life stinks sometimes,” he muttered.
Katie moved away, once again unnerved by Jonesy’s nearness. “I just wish I knew how to help my son.
I’d do anything for him.”
“I bet it would help yer
boy out a lot to have a man nearby,” Jonesy casually
suggested.
“I’m sure it would, but unfortunately, this
apartment building is full of old ladies and single women,” Katie laughed.
“Maybe I should just pack up and go to Sleepyside. Uncle James might let us
stay with him.”
“No!” Jonesy
refused. “I thought you said he hadn’t been well since his wife died. You
wouldn’t wanna be a burden to him.”
Katie shrugged. “Maybe Jim was right. Maybe
it would help Uncle James for Jim and me to be there.”
“I wouldn’t want you to live with him. If
he’s crazy like you said, he might not like havin’ a
kid around. If he’s not right in the head, he may end up hurtin’
the boy.” Jonesy knew he had succeeded in convincing
Katie not to turn to Uncle James. Her face had turned white with fear.
“You might be right,” she agreed. “I don’t
want Jimmy to get hurt.” There was a long moment of silence.
“You could always come to
Katie abruptly looked up at Jonesy. “I couldn’t just pack up and move there. This is
our home now, as pathetic as it is, and I don’t have the money to relocate to a
new apartment.”
“You wouldn’t have to worry about all that.
You could marry me, and I’d take care of everything.”
Katie’s mouth flew open in stunned silence.
She dropped the glass bowl she was holding and didn’t react as it shattered on
the ancient linoleum. “I-I couldn’t m-m-marry…”
Jonesy hurried to
her side and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I care about you, Katie. You
need takin’ care of. Yer boy, too. He needs the firm
hand of a man around.”
“I can’t marry you.”
“Why not, Katie? It
all makes sense! I need you, Katie, and you need me. I need someone to love me,
and you need a husband and a father for yer kid.
Marry me, Katie.” Jonesy looked at her pleadingly.
“Please?”
“But I don’t lo…” Katie was interrupted by
the slamming of the front door. Jim was home. Katie hurriedly began cleaning up
the broken glass on the floor.
Chapter 16
Katie hurried to the diner Monday morning.
“Hey, Rick!” she greeted the owner. “Sorry I’m late.”
Rick grinned. “You ain’t
late. You still got five minutes.”
Katie smiled at her boss thankfully. She
tied on her apron and began pairing forks and butter knives to stick in plastic
bags. “I had to drop off a permission slip for a field trip Jim is taking
today. Then his teacher wanted to talk to me,” she explained.
“Any trouble?”
Katie shook her head. “No,
not really. His grades are wonderful. He never disrupts class. He’s very
polite and helpful.”
“So, did the teacher just call you in to
tell you what a great kid you got?” Rick asked.
“No. It seems Mrs. Moore is worried about
Jim. She said he looks sad all the time and has withdrawn.” Katie sighed
unhappily. “I just don’t know what to do for him.”
“He misses his dad, huh?”
Katie nodded. “Yes, but it’s more than that.
He’s been upset ever since we had to move. And he’s worried about me.”
Rick carefully studied Katie. He had noticed
that she was still pale. And her uniform was looking baggy. He was sure she had
lost more weight. “You feelin’
better, Katie?”
“I’m okay,” she replied nervously.
Thankfully, the phone rang. “Good morning. Rick’s Diner.
How may I help you?” She listened and then covered the receiver. “It’s for you,
Rick. A Mr. Sellers. He said it was business.”
“O-okay,” Rick stammered. “I’ll take it in
my office.” He quickly left the room. Katie hung up the phone when he picked up
the other line.
“Wonder what that was,” she muttered under
her breath. Soon, Betty, the other waitress on the morning shift, hurried in.
“Whew! I made it before the boss man!” she
exclaimed. She tied her apron around her ample waist.
Katie giggled. “Actually, the boss man is in
his office. He got a business call from a Mr. Sellers.”
Betty raised her gray eyebrows. “A Mr. Sellers? Huh. I guess Rick might go through with it
after all.”
Katie put down the silverware she was
sorting. “What do you mean, Betty?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t worry you about it, hon. You have enough on your mind. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Betty
busied herself putting the silverware bags on the tables.
Rick hurried back in the room and put the
“Open” sign up on the door. He went back into the kitchen without saying a word
to the ladies, which was very unlike him. Rick was a friendly man and liked to
gossip as well as his waitresses.
Katie watched him leave. “Wonder what’s
wrong with Rick?” she asked with raised eyebrows. “I hope that call didn’t
upset him.”
Betty clamped her mouth shut. She was saved
from any questions by several customers coming through the door. Katie shrugged
her shoulders and grabbed her order pad.
Several hours later…
After the breakfast and lunch hours,
the diner slowed down considerably. Katie and Betty each sat at the counter
with a cup of coffee.
“Oh, my aching feet!”
Betty moaned. “This job sure gets harder as the years go by.” Betty had worked
for Rick for over twenty years.
Katie giggled. “Yes, it’s hard on the feet.
But I sure am thankful for this job. Rick really understands if I need to take
off for an emergency. And he’s been great letting me work the early shift so
that I can be with Jimmy at night. Most every place I applied for said I would
have to start at the graveyard shift.”
Betty nodded. “I feel for you, hon. It sure must be hard trying to raise that boy by yourself.
And jobs around here aren’t easy to find, unless you have a degree. How’s that
cute kid of yours doing?”
“He’s just as handsome as ever,” Katie
smiled. “I’m worried about him, though. He’s been a bit down lately.”
“Give him time,” Betty advised. “He has a
lot of adjustments to make. I’m sure he’ll be fine after he’s had time to get
used to all the changes.” Betty took a sip of her coffee. “You still seein’ that Jones fella?”
“I-I’m not really seeing him,” Katie explained, her cheeks flushing. “He’s just a
friend. How did you know about him?” Katie had not mentioned Jonesy to her friends at work.
“He came in right after you got sick. He
arranged for Rick to give you paid sick leave. I just assumed that he was
courting you.” She took another sip of coffee. “Of course, it’s none of my
concern.”
Katie grinned. She knew that was a plea for
more information. “I thought it was Jonesy who did that. It was very kind of him.”
“He wasn’t a bad lookin’
fella,” Betty added. “Kind of had a Jack Nicholson look about him. He had an authoritative presence that was
kind of attractive.”
Katie nodded absentmindedly, but actually
she hadn’t noticed.
“He sure seemed worried about you and Jim,”
Betty mentioned casually. “I think he’s kind of sweet on you.”
“I-I guess so,” Katie agreed, her cheeks
flushing. “He has been very
concerned. And he’s been a big help around the house. I don’t know how I would
have moved without him.”
“Might be nice to have a man around the
house again,” Betty went on. She looked at her friend to see her response.
Katie hesitated for a moment. “I guess it
would be. But I don’t love Jonesy. He already asked
me, and I turned him down.”
Betty chuckled. “There are other reasons
besides love to get married. My grandmother lost her first man when she was
just a young bride. She didn’t have a penny to her name and had a baby on the
way. All her family was miles away, and besides, she was too proud to go
crawling back home. Back then, there weren’t a lot of choices for a girl in her
shoes. A neighbor man offered to marry
her and raise her child as his own. She took him up on it. She didn’t love him
right then, but she had to do what was best for her baby.”
Katie’s blue eyes grew wide. “What happened to her?”
“Well, she and my grandfather grew to love each other very
much. They had forty happy years together and had five younguns,
six counting her first one. She always said that marrying Granddad was the
smartest thing she ever did.”
The bell jingling on the door interrupted their talk. Katie
hopped up from the counter.
“I’d better wait on this customer,” she mumbled, deep in
thought.
Betty smiled and sipped the last of her coffee. Katie, my friend, I only want
what’s best for you. I bet Jonesy would
make a wonderful husband and father. And Jonesy,
there’s that good word I said I’d put in for you, she thought, remembering
the generous $50 tip Jonesy had left for her when he
had talked to Rick.
At the shift change…
The evening shift waitresses had
arrived and taken over dinner preparations. Katie and Betty went into Rick’s
office to get their purses.
“Hey, ladies, I need to talk to you before
you go,” Rick called. He shut his office door behind him and sat behind his
desk.
“I hate having to do this, but I needed to
tell you both as soon as possible. I know you both depend on this job.” Katie
and Betty exchanged anxious glances. “I’ve had an offer to sell the place. Me and the missus have been wanting to retire to
“Will we still be able to work here for Mr. Sellers?” Katie
asked nervously.
Rick sighed and nervously rubbed his bald head. “I talked to
him about that. I told him what a great group of waitresses I have working
here, but he said it will be a family operation. He has several family members
that will be cooking and waiting on tables. I’m really sorry, gals.” He looked
at them sympathetically. “I have to get back to the kitchen now. I’m sure you
ladies won’t have any trouble finding new jobs.”
“Oh, sure,” Betty said sarcastically after Rick left. “Everybody
wants to hire a 62-year-old grandma with absolutely no office skills
whatsoever.” She looked over at Katie and was alarmed at how pale her friend
looked. “Katie, are you all right?”
Katie clutched her chest and gasped for breath.
“I’m…f-fine.” Without another word, she grabbed her purse and stumbled to the
door.
Chapter 17
Katie somehow managed to walk the block back
to her apartment. She walked in a daze down the street, totally oblivious to
the chilly November wind. For once, she was thankful that Jim would be home
late. A neighbor was dropping him off when he returned from his field trip.
Once safe in their apartment, Katie lay on her bed and
sobbed. She tried to calm herself down, as the crying made her chest pains
worse.
The phone rang. Katie wiped her tears and
picked up the receiver. “Hello?” She knew that her voice sounded shaky and the
caller would know something was wrong, but there wasn’t much she could do about
it.
“You okay, Katie?” Jonesy
asked.
“I’m all right,” Katie replied, trying to
control her voice.
“No, you’re not. Did something happen to
Jim?”
“No, no. I just got some bad news today that
I’m upset about.” Just thinking about it brought a fresh torrent of tears.
“Hon, I had a delivery to make in Pittsford.
I thought since I was so close by that I’d stop in and say hello. I’m calling
from a pay phone a few blocks away. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” Katie answered. She would be
grateful for a shoulder to cry on.
A few minutes later, Jonesy
knocked at the door. He took one look at Katie’s swollen eyes and pale
complexion and ordered her to sit down. He led her to the sofa. “Let me get you
a drink,” he offered. He returned from the kitchen with a glass of ice water.
Katie nodded her thanks, then drank the water. Jonesy took the glass and put it down on the coffee table.
Jonesy sat down
close to Katie and put his arms around her. “What’s wrong? Did something happen
to yer Uncle James?”
Katie shook her head. “No, I just found out
that Rick is selling the diner. The new owners won’t be
needing any waitresses, so I’ll be out of a job.”
“Surely you could find somethin’
else,” Jonesy tried to console her, gently rubbing
her back.
“I had enough trouble getting this job,” she
cried. “All the other restaurants would start me on the evening shift, and I
can’t leave Jim by himself. He acts all grown up, but he’s just a little boy.
And th-then…”
“What else is wrong?” he prodded in a
concerned voice.
“I talked to Jim’s teacher, and she is
concerned about him. He’s withdrawn and quiet. He’s avoiding the other
children. He’s just not acting like himself. I’m just so worried! I don’t know
what to do! If I lose my job, I’ll have no way to support Jim and me. I just
feel so helpless!”
“Marry me!” Jonesy
blurted.
Katie pulled away and looked at him. “W-what
did you say?”
“Marry me,” he insisted. “I’ll be good to
you, Katie. Nobody could ever love you like I do.”
“What about Jim?”
Jonesy hesitated
briefly. “I swear to you, Katie, that as long as we’re married, I’ll be good to
Jim. I’ll feed him, and clothe him, and try to bring him up right.”
“Would you love him?”
“Of course,” Jonesy</