Leslie pointed a wooden spoon at her.
“We’re almost done. You can sit here and play with your spoiled grandson to keep him out from under our feet.”
Leigh laughed as she scooped him up into her arms and hugged him close.
“Where’s Jesse? He’s usually a pretty fair babysitter.”
“In his room watching a movie about Daniel Boone.”
“Ah...that explains it,” Leigh said, then kissed the back of Johnny’s neck. “You want to come help Nanny change her shoes?”
The baby immediately pointed to her feet.
Leslie laughed again.
“Yes, he does love shoes, doesn’t he? We caught him trying to put on one of Aidan’s boots the other day. He got so far into it that he was stuck, and then he got mad.”
Bowie grinned and ruffled his little nephew’s curls.
“Hey, little guy, they’re telling tales on you,” he said.
Johnny grabbed hold of Bowie’s finger and tried to poke it in his mouth.
“He’s teething again,” Leslie said. “You’ve been warned now, so proceed at your own risk.”
Leigh left the room smiling, with the baby on her hip. They smiled as they watched her go, but the smiles ended as soon as she was out of sight.
“Was it bad?” Bella asked, referring to the meeting with the Waynes.
“If it hadn’t been for Bowie’s quick reaction, Mama’s twin brother would have put a knife in her back,” Samuel said.
“Oh my God,” Bella whispered. “What’s wrong with those people?”
Bowie shrugged. “Who knows? Too greedy? Too rich? A sense of entitlement that’s larger than their collective IQ?”
Aidan grinned.
Michael sighed. “Weird to think how closely we’re related to those people. They’re total freaks.”
“You should have heard Mama break it down for them,” Samuel said. “They were scared and mad, and I would be surprised if they don’t sacrifice one of their own for the sake of the others, regardless of who’s really guilty.”
“She was awesome,” Bowie said. “But we’ve seen that side of her before. Remember when we let Jesse play in the lake and he couldn’t swim? I honestly thought she was going to give us all away.”
Michael chuckled.
“Actually, I would have voted for that rather than face the spanking Daddy gave us for not minding her.”
Aidan shrugged.
“I still say I should have gotten a break. I was only seven and had no vote in what we did.”
“And Jesse was five. Lord, it’s a wonder he’s still here,” Samuel said, and then realized what he’d said and wiped a shaky hand across his eyes. “If we’d known how his life would turn out, I wouldn’t have teased him when he was little.”
“Hey, he grew up tough. It’s probably why he’s still here,” Bowie said. “We all did, and we’re the better for it. And now I’m going to change clothes, then come back and help any way I can,” he said.
“I won’t say no to that,” Bella said. “So let’s get back to it, girls. We’re almost finished.”
As soon as Bowie changed, he sat down on the end of the bed to call Talia. After the chaos of this day he longed for the sound of her voice.
When she answered, she sounded exhausted. “Hello?”
“Hey, honey, it’s me. Just calling to hear your voice. You sound beat. Are you okay?”
Talia rolled over to the side of the bed and sat up.
“Yes, I’m okay, Bowie, just tired. Honestly, I just showered and was thinking about going to bed early when you called. They came and got the hospital bed out of the living room this morning. I was so relieved to have it gone.”
“I can only imagine,” he said.
“The funeral home also called. I went to see Dad today.” Her voice broke, and it took her a moment to catch her breath.
“I’m sorry you had to go alone,” Bowie said.
She sighed.
“No, no, it wasn’t like that,” Talia said. “In a way, it seemed fitting. We’d gone through the illness together. Paying him that last visit was mine to do alone.”
Bowie hurt for her, but he understood all too well.
“Have you set a date for his service?”
“Yes. Day after tomorrow, graveside only. We don’t have any relatives, so there’s no need to wait for people who would be traveling. His service was paid for already, and he’ll be buried beside Mom at Bluebird Cemetery on the hill outside town.”
“I remember going with you to her grave,” Bowie said.
Talia wiped a shaky hand over her face.
“Yes, you did, didn’t you?”
“Every year on her birthday for four years straight.”
Talia sighed. “I remember.”
“I would be honored to accompany you to the ceremony.”
“Yes, please,” she said.
Bowie hesitated. Something had been on his mind ever since he’d come home and discovered her secret. Now felt like the time to say it.