Anthony watched the entire scene in a state of shock. He never expected Christy had denied Nadine’s request for a place to stay because she owned the home and never intended to evict the woman.
He watched with approving eyes as Christy followed her brother out of the house. Apparently, explaining who Anthony was and why he was with Christy had been a non-issue after all. He decided to follow Christy out the door and observed as she headed for the driver’s door of his truck. Anthony watched her open it and reach for what was behind his seat—something she must've noticed on the drive over. She slammed the truck door shut and headed for the Camaro. He broke into a run to try and head Christy off, but he wouldn’t make it in time.
An agitated Marcia had retrieved her cigarettes from inside the car and was now leaning up against the side of it, trying to light one up while she shoved Richard away from her. He was obviously trying to placate her. She finally managed to light it and took a long, slow drag. Neither one of them saw Christy coming, but they both jumped when the tire iron hit the front window on the passenger side. Christy was heading for the driver’s side when Anthony finally intercepted her.
“Don't, Princess. Calm down. Don’t make a scene. It’ll only bring the cops. Let them go,” Anthony said in a hushed tone as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Let someone call the cops,” she screamed. “I don’t care. There’re probably drugs in it anyway. I won’t get in trouble, they will!”
This caught Richard’s attention, and he yelled for Anthony to keep his crazy sister away from them.
Anthony wrestled the tire iron from Christy and shoved her toward the waiting arms of Nadine who’d followed them out and was now pulling Christy back toward the house.
Richard tried not to show how shaken he was as he helped Marcia climb into the passenger side of the Camaro. Making his way to the driver’s door, Richard stopped to deliver a parting shot. He stood with the door open, ready to climb in. “Princess, huh? You think my sister’s a princess?” he asked Anthony.
So, he’d heard Anthony’s quiet words attempting to calm her down. Anthony didn’t answer him.
“She’s a bigger whore than Marcia!” Ignoring Marcia’s objection from inside the car he continued, “Ask her about the time she broke my grandmother’s heart. The summer of ’74. She took off right before Grandma’s birthday to shack up with her middle-aged boyfriend. Had my family on edge for almost four months, but guess what? The princess,” he sneered, “came home just in time to open her Christmas presents. That’s the princess I know.”
Without waiting for an answer, Richard got in and started the car. Shifting into reverse he leveled the mailbox before speeding away.
Chapter Nine
Naples, Florida 1978
Anthony calmly walked back inside and watched as a heartbroken Nadine tried to comfort Christy. They were sitting on the couch, and Nadine had her right arm draped around Christy’s shoulders.
“I’m so sorry he did this to you, Nadine. If I had any idea that he was capable of being this despicable I would’ve warned you. I honestly thought you were the miracle that he needed. Can you ever forgive me?” she cried, her face buried in her hands. She suddenly felt weak and tired. Whatever had made her so sick with fever was apparently still lingering.
They were interrupted when an elderly woman appeared. “The baby is finally sleeping. Come, let us all eat.”
Anthony had wanted to leave, but for some reason he couldn’t identify, he was drawn to the old woman. After he was again introduced as Christy’s friend, the four adults and Cody sat down to Nana’s home-cooked meal. Christy had lost her appetite and picked at her food, not because of her recent illness, but because of what had transpired with her good-for-nothing brother. Nadine and Nana respectfully refrained from asking the quiet yet imposing visitor any personal questions and they were surprised when he opened up about his Native American heritage.
“You’re Cherokee and Seminole?” Nadine remarked. “We’re Seminole.”
Her grandmother's expression turned wistful, and when Nadine saw that Anthony noticed, she offered up a quick explanation.
"Nana's oldest daughter, my aunt, left to marry a Cherokee man. She used to keep in touch, but one day she stopped calling."
Anthony was going to ask the name of the woman or the man she ran off with, but he knew it would be a long shot to think they could've been his parents. Besides, he could've visited the Seminole reservation years ago and made inquiries, but he had no interest in making any possible family connections. That was a different lifetime. One he'd rather forget. Nadine quickly turned the conversation around to Nana's colorful childhood and before they knew it, the old woman came to life as she regaled Anthony with tales of her youth. Nobody seemed to mind when Christy excused herself to have some time with Cody who had finished eating and was getting antsy.
“I’ll take him back to his room and play with him while you three finish up. And I’m going to peek in on Zachary. I promise I won’t wake him up or go near him,” she told Nadine as she scooted her chair away from the table. "I think I had some kind of twelve-hour bug and it's mostly gone, but I don't want to take any chances." Anthony looked like he was going to object, but said nothing.
Taking little Cody by the hand, Christy led him to the hallway, telling him to stay quiet so he didn’t wake the baby. Once out of sight and earshot of the other adults, Christy crouched low and whispered to him, “Cody, if I let you pick out some toys from your room, will you play quietly by yourself in Mommy’s room while I talk on the phone?”
He nodded enthusiastically.
After taking a peek at Zachary and making a pit stop in Cody’s room to grab some toys, Christy headed for the master bedroom. She set Cody up on the bed with his favorite play things and pulled the phone book from the nightstand. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she picked up the telephone and dialed it.
Less than twenty minutes later, Christy laid down the telephone at almost the same time she heard the chairs in the kitchen scraping across the floor. Anthony, Nadine, and Nana were obviously finished eating. She turned to the little boy who she loved more than life itself and pulled him in for a hug.
“You know how much I love you, don’t you, Cody?” she asked, nuzzling the top of his head with her chin.
“I love you too, Aunt Chrithsy,” he replied with his adorable lisp.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t play with you today, but I promise I will next time. Okay?” she asked pulling back so she could look into his big, chocolate-colored eyes.
He nodded and smiled. She took him by the hand and walked him down the long hallway. They almost bumped into Anthony who must’ve been on his way to find her.