“Shawn had too much to drink. Nancy overheard him mumbling that he was unhappy about Suzanne’s pregnancy.”
Caden didn’t make a habit of sticking his nose in other people’s business, but ever since the domestic dispute he’d responded to last summer, he’d thought the couple a disaster waiting to happen. Both were volatile and self-centered, two people who didn’t know how to share a spotlight. And at twenty-four, three years younger than Suzanne, Shawn was still grossly immature, more interested in his growing fame on the dirt track than in maintaining a healthy marriage. Caden didn’t see how a child was going to change any of that.
“Anyway,” Eve picked up the thread of her story. “Suzanne came in and started screaming at Shawn. He was at the bar with Floyd and the Bradley brothers when she unloaded on him. Telling him she was sick of him going out every night and coming home in a stupor. That he had a child on the way and needed to shape up. I’ve never seen her so angry.”
“Ryan saw all this?” He couldn’t imagine his brother not intervening.
“Yeah, but before he could do anything, Shawn stood up and pushed her.” Eve’s eyes widened with the memory. “I mean really pushed her. She fell back against one of the tables and ended up on the floor. A pregnant woman!”
Caden swore. “I hope Ryan threw Shawn across the bar.”
Eve shook her head, flapping her hands in the air like a bird. “Jerome beat him to it.”
“Kelly?” He must have heard wrong. “Jerome Kelly?”
“I couldn’t believe.” Eve gulped for air. “He flew across the room and punched Shawn straight in the face. I think the poor guy bruised his hand, and all Shawn did was stagger—probably because he was drunk. He shook it off and clobbered Jerome. Suzanne was screaming and sobbing, the whole time he was whaling on Jerome. Ryan and the Bradley boys finally got them separated, and Ryan turned Shawn over to the Point Pleasant police.”
“What happened to Jerome?”
“Katie and I iced his hand, then got him a steak to put on his eye. It was already turning black when I left. He’s pretty banged up, but I think he’s going to be okay. People at the café went out of their way to treat him like a hero. He was actually still there and smiling when I headed home.”
Caden released a quiet exhale. It could have been worse. “What about Suzanne? Is she okay?”
“Hopefully. Donnie volunteered to take her to the hospital to be checked out, and make sure the baby’s okay. She took a hard fall, and I think she banged her head.” Eve fisted her hands on her laps, her expression hardening with determination. “I am not going to serve Shawn at my café. He either gets his act together or he can find someplace else to socialize.”
“I’ll back you on that one.” Although he had a feeling after tonight’s episode and the way gossip spread through town, it would be some time before Shawn Preech grew bold enough to show his face again. A man who abused a pregnant woman had nothing to look forward to but shame and scorn.
Hooking an arm around Eve’s neck, he tugged her close and kissed her temple. “You’ve had a chaotic evening and so have I. What do you say we call it a night and start over again tomorrow?”
She flattened her palm against his chest, searching his face as she gazed up into his eyes. “You still haven’t told me about my Dumb Cane.”
He sighed. She would be fixated on the plant. Each of the leafy greens scattered through the house held a special place in her heart. Thank God they didn’t have a dog.
“Honestly?” He raised a brow. “It had a growth spurt. Other than that you’ll have to ask Lach.”
Chapter 16
On Halloween night Katie joined Eve and Sarah Sherman to watch the town’s Halloween Parade from the front porch of the Parrish hotel. Earlier, she and Eve had positioned extra rockers outside, and made sure hot cider and cocoa was available for a small fee in the lobby. Residents lined the streets with lawn chairs and stools, others gathering under the awnings of local businesses to watch the colorful procession. Overhead, the sky was clear, a cauldron of black jeweled by the glittering pinprick of starlight. A nip of cold underscored the air, but an atmosphere of excitement kept the worst of the chill at bay.
Katie had allowed Sam to accompany her mom and Martin Ward down the road, the three of them claiming a prime spot in front of Doreen Sue’s salon. The location was perfect for Sam, giving him an up-close view of the costumed skeletons and ghouls strutting down Main Street. The high school marching band followed, decked out in hooded black capes and stark white face paint. There were scarecrows, zombies, and ghosts.
“Look at that.” Katie motioned down the street where the top of a green glowing head was visible. Given the recent UFO activity and the flap that occurred in the sixties, it was only natural that extraterrestrials would make an appearance in the parade. From experience, she knew the Mothman would be last, several people costumed in gray, white, or black to represent Point Pleasant’s infamous monster. “I think the parade is bigger this year.” She liked the addition of several women dressed in fairy costumes passing out candy to the children in the crowd.
Eve moved beside her, a cup of cocoa cradled in her hands. They had a corner of the porch to themselves. “Too bad Caden and Ryan couldn’t be here.”
“Where are they, anyway?” Bundled into a coat that looked too big on her small frame, Sarah hunched her shoulders. She’d never liked the cold.