I discovered why when I picked up my sandwich. Jim had taken a huge bite, and half of it was gone. I shook my head at Jim and ate the rest of my sandwich. I knew better than to leave food unguarded around him.
Winifred continued showing the kids the shorts, pants, shoes, sandals, and swim trunks she’d gotten for each of them. She’d even purchased new underwear and socks. Humans liked new stuff.
“Michelle,” Winifred said, breaking into my thoughts. “I hope you don’t mind, but I found a few things that I couldn’t resist getting for you.” She indicated the two remaining bags. “Would you like to see?”
Michelle nodded.
Like the boys, she had a full wardrobe that included shorts, two additional pairs of jeans, and several printed tees.
“I’ll let you look through the rest on your own,” Winifred said, stopping halfway through the second bag. “If something doesn’t fit, just let me know.”
“What?” Jim said in mock indignation. “No suit for her? Come on Nana, tomorrow’s the fourth. We could go to the lake.”
Please let there be a suit for Michelle, I thought to myself. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Jim shoved something into his mouth.
“Of course I bought her one. She can look for herself.”
I looked at Michelle’s plate and saw her sandwich was missing. I elbowed Jim, and he grunted before swallowing hard. Michelle turned to look at us. We both found something on the walls to study.
Humor drifted from Aden and Liam. They both had witnessed Jim’s theft.
Michelle turned back toward Winifred and reached for her sandwich. She saw her empty plate then turned to look at Jim. He had the guts to point at me.
Aden burst out in giggles.
“Jim, if you can’t behave, you can go finish mowing the lawn,” Winifred said. “Boys, put your plates in the sink if you’re finished. Emmitt, can you help me take these up to the apartment?” She indicated the bags as she picked up two herself.
I quickly put my plate on Jim’s, then went to grab the rest of the bags. When Winifred asked someone to do something, it was best to listen. Jim put our dishes in the sink, then moved to go outside. With the riding mower still apart, I doubted he’d be mowing any time soon. Aden scrambled to put his plate away then followed Jim, same hitch to his walk and everything. I grinned as I headed up the stairs.
Winifred was already coming down them.
“Try to keep it all folded,” she said as she passed me.
I pretended to look puzzled but didn’t fool her. She laughed and kept heading down the stairs.
As soon as I was in the apartment, I started going through Michelle’s clothes until I found the swimsuit. It was two pieces. Winifred had my unending gratitude.
From the open window, I heard Jim begging Michelle to let him take Aden for a mower ride. Winifred scolded Jim and sent him to the basement to look for a mitt and a ball.
Then, I heard Winifred offer to watch the kids so Michelle could change.
I hurriedly put everything back into the bags and walked out of the door as Michelle reached the third floor. She gave me a timid smile and went into the apartment. She had no idea what that smile meant to me. A beginning. Grinning, I jogged down the steps.
Outside, I found the boys finishing their cookies on the porch. Liam glanced at Winifred and me.
“We would like to go upstairs,” he said quietly, reaching for his brother’s hand.
They were asking for permission to be excused. At their ages?
“Of course,” Winifred said. “Go see your new clothes.”
They went racing inside.
“Don’t worry,” Winifred said when she caught me looking after the boys. “We’ll do what we can to bring them around.”
“But will it be enough?”
Unable to just stand around and wait, I went to the garage and pulled out the push mower that Jim hadn’t destroyed. Jim had managed at least half the lawn with the riding mower before it broke, or he broke it. Either way, the rest needed cutting. After checking the oil and gas, I fired up the push mower.
Conveniently, Jim came out on the porch after I was already cutting a swath. I hated the noise within minutes and couldn’t blame Jim for taking the other one apart. Not only did it make it hard to hear much of anything beyond the drone of the motor, but it was hot work. I paused to take my shirt off and tucked it into the back of my pants.
A minute later, I heard Winifred call out that she was on the porch.
I glanced up just as Michelle stepped out. She was still wearing her old clothes. She caught me looking at her and quickly turned to Winifred.
“I wanted to thank you for the clothes, Nana,” she said, handing Winifred money. “And I was wondering if I could borrow a towel and shampoo for a shower.”
Tell her to keep her money, I sent Winifred.
Winifred looked at the bills.
I have more tact than that, she said silently to me before saying, “This is more than what I spent on the clothes.”
“It’s okay. I really appreciate what you did for us. It saved me from having to—it would have been boring for Liam and Aden, and I didn’t want to leave them alone.”
Winifred nodded as if in understanding.
“How about we send Jim to the store to buy some picnic food? Then, we can go to the lake tomorrow like he suggested. It’s a public lake but remote enough that not many people go there.”
Michelle stared at the porch floor for a moment then nodded. Winifred handed Jim one of the bills.
“I’ll be right back,” he said with a mischievous laugh.
Michelle glanced at me, and I focused on cutting the lawn.
Winifred’s warning tone as she said Jim’s name had me looking up just as he swung a leg over my motorcycle and inserted the key. I let go of the mower, killing the engine just as the bike’s engine roared to life.
“Damn it, Jim. Get your own bike.”
Jim laughed loudly and revved the bike to drown out my words. With a salute to Michelle, he took off.
“Nana,” I said in frustration. “You couldn’t stop him?”
Just then, Jim revved the engine again out by the road and squealed a tire on the blacktop. The sound faded rapidly.
Nana glanced at Michelle with a small smile.
“Jim was lonely without Emmitt.”
I heard her quiet words as I went back to the mower.
“Missed me or missed my bike?” I said under my breath, knowing Winifred would hear.
“I can tell,” Michelle said absently.
I rubbed my hand through my hair in frustration.
“Did Emmitt miss Jim, though?”
“Not even a little,” I said.
Winifred laughed. “Let’s get you that towel, Michelle.”
****
After I finished the backyard, I moved to the front. Jim still hadn’t returned when I heard Michelle and the boys come outside. It was probably good he was taking his time. I’d cooled off some. He was just trying to stir up trouble and redirect attention like he usually did when there were problems.
The motorcycle roared into the yard not long after that thought.
“I’ve got some cool stuff for tomorrow,” I heard him say loudly.
I stopped the mower, curious about what Jim had found and considered cool. Rounding the corner of the house, I saw Winifred and the boys look down into a plastic bag Liam held.
“James Grayson Cole,” Winifred said. There was a definite warning growl in her words. “That wasn’t your money.”
I saw the immediate effect her tone and words had on the kids and Michelle. Withdrawal. Fear.
“I got what we needed, Nana.” Jim met her eyes steadily, silently challenging Winifred.
The big idiot was going to get his butt handed to him in front of the kids. What was he thinking? I stepped forward, drawing Michelle’s attention. She looked relieved to see me, and I heard her heart skip a beat.
I winked at her, trying to break the tension, and she blushed. What a sight. I almost forgot what I was doing.
When I neared, I glanced at the contents of the bag and saw what had caused all the trouble. Fireworks and sparklers.
“Let’s save this conversation for another time,” I said softly, setting a hand on Winnifred’s shoulder.
The kids look ready to pass out. You’re destroying your grandma image.
Though Winifred nodded, her eyes promised Jim she wouldn’t forget what he’d done. We were raised to pinch pennies and give back to the pack to help everyone. We didn’t waste money on fireworks.
Still, I smiled at Liam.
“Do you think we should light some of these tonight?”
Liam’s eyes darted to Michelle, then between Jim and Nana.
“I think we should go inside,” Michelle said, holding her hands out to the boys. Liam dropped his bag, and Aden immediately did the same. They went to Michelle and quietly walked inside with her.
“New rule,” I said softly. “Never show anger around them.” I turned to Winifred. “I can still taste their fear.”
“You’re right,” she said with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
“Jim, stop making it so easy to get mad at you.” I walked away without waiting for his smart response. After I finished mowing, I found the third floor door firmly closed and everything quiet.
“Have they been down for dinner?” I asked Jim, walking into the apartment.
“No. They’re barely moving up there.”
I went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, considering what I should do. Twisting off the top, I heard Winifred open her door. She joined us in the kitchen and grabbed a beer for herself.
“I don’t think we should push them right now. If they get hungry enough, they know we’ll feed them. I think they just need to feel safe for a while.” She took a drink, her gaze pinning Jim. “Jim, you need to be on your best behavior tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I didn’t believe him and from the look Winifred gave, neither did she.