“No way. Not with the way you keep getting yourself in trouble. You have to be an upstanding citizen. Drunk driving doesn’t get it,” Kendra said.
“You might have to get your hands dirty, washing pots and pans at a restaurant for a while or something like that, until you can move your way up. Who knows? Maybe, if you learn anything, you can be a chef or a manager someday,” Grayson said. Not that he thought Marty could do anything like that, but who knew? Sometimes someone would work with a kid like that and give him a chance. But only if he worked hard and was grateful for the opportunity. If he acted like a spoiled brat, that was different.
“A chef,” Marty said.
“Yeah, and you could work with your grandma on making pies and other meals. Maybe you’ll learn something,” Kendra said. “She’s an excellent cook. And even if you never worked in the field, just knowing how to cook as well as she does wouldn’t hurt when you find a girlfriend who will appreciate your talent. A wife even, later.”
“Do you cook?” Marty asked Grayson.
“Yeah, grill too.” Then he frowned. “Do you even know how to grill food?”
“No. Dad wouldn’t teach me. And Grandma doesn’t know how to.”
Grayson wondered if Marty just never tried to grill anything with his father. “Maybe we can have you over to the house, and I can teach you a thing or two.”
“Yeah, sure, that would be great.”
Maybe the “kid” just needed someone in his life to get him started down the right path.
Kendra was holding back a chuckle.
Yeah, Grayson hadn’t planned on becoming a role model for a grown kid who didn’t have any desire to work.
After they dropped Marty off at the police station, he waved at them like he'd met his new best friends.
22
"I didn't know you were into mentoring delinquent bond jumpers in their twenties," Kendra said to Grayson, sounding amused as they drove back over to the bonds office.
"If more 'kids' like him got a break, maybe they wouldn't be in jail as much. Though we'll see how long that lasts."
Kendra got on her phone, called Marty's Grandma, and put it on speakerphone. "Hey, this is Kendra. We dropped Marty off at the jailhouse. He'll see the judge tomorrow, and you can pick him up there afterward if the judge releases him."
"Thank you for letting me know."
"We talked to him about working around the house. He's supposed to help with chores, assist you with cooking, and he has to get a job. He said he would, but we would like you to keep us updated weekly. He’s supposed to if he is out on bond again. If he goes back on his word, Grayson will talk to him."
"You mean he’ll set him straight?" Grandma asked.
"Something like that."
"Are you marrying him? Grayson, I mean. You should. He could come live with me if he doesn't live with you."
Kendra laughed. "We're enjoying being with each other, and he's moving in with me."
"Oh, wonderful. Thanks so much for doing so much more than just taking Marty back to jail time and again. You are both worth your weight in gold."
"It's our pleasure," Grayson said. "He just needed a little persuasion."
"Well, you've made my day. Thanks."
Then they finished the conversation, and Kendra sighed. "I hope he won't become a nuisance needing lots of your time to prove he has turned over a new leaf."
"We can set limits if we need to."
They stopped by the office where everyone was taking calls. Ivan was gone so Grayson figured he was on a fugitive job.
"We just got several bail bond requests, but no one has skipped bail recently, well, except for the case Ivan is on," George said.
