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Momma shrugged. “Oh, well, I suppose after all this time it would be difficult to track him down. Kind of like one of those cold cases you see on T.V.”
“Grandpa,” Cameron said, “next time you’re at the house I need to show you Toby’s new trick. I taught him how to play basketball.”
“Really?” Daddy said. “Now that’s impressive.”
“He just nudges the ball back with his snotty nose whenever Cameron throws it at him,” Claire said.
“Not true. He can almost dribble!”
Zeke smiled. “I’d like to see that.”
“Well, if you were living back at home where you should be, then you’d have it seen it by now,” Momma said in a sweet voice.
The table went momentarily silent.
“So!” Daddy said cheerfully, as if they weren’t in the middle of one of the most awkward moments in Powers Grant family history, “Claire, tell us about college. Have you heard from Florida State yet?”
“As a matter of fact, I have, Grandpa.” She carefully laid down her napkin. “I didn’t get in.”
Mimi’s heart jolted. She must have heard wrong. “What? When did you find out?”
“A few days ago.”
“And… you didn’t tell me? Or your father?” Mimi looked to Zeke, who silently shook his head at her.
“It’s no big deal. You and Daddy have been busy and it’s not like I’m not going to college. I can go to the community college here and then transfer later.”
“But…your grades are so good!”
Claire sighed impatiently. “It’s not just grades anymore, Mom. It’s the whole package. Really, I’m not upset. Besides, I thought you’d be happy. Now I can stay at home next year and that will save money.”
“We’re happy if you’re happy, pumpkin,” Daddy said.
Momma made the face where she tried not to frown, but it still came out that way anyway. “Didn’t you apply to any other colleges?”
“A couple others, yes,” Claire admitted. “But I really had my heart set on FSU, so… I’d rather wait and get in there later than go off to another school now.”
Daddy nodded amiably. “That makes perfect sense.”
Zeke didn’t say anything. But then, what could he say? It was obvious he was as gobsmacked as Mimi.
Cameron began talking about Toby again and God bless Daddy, he tried to keep things upbeat and cheerful, but the rest the dinner went by miserably slow.
*~*~*
Zeke stepped outside to the backyard patio. Surprisingly, it was dark. He flipped on the patio lights.
“Please turn that off,” he heard Mimi say.
He killed the light and followed the sound of her voice to the small deck area off the pool. There was enough moonlight that he could see her well enough, but he couldn’t read the expression on her face. Immediately after dinner, she’d poured herself another glass of wine and slipped out to the backyard. Here she sat holding her drink, one leg crossed over the over, in an oversized Adirondack chair. Her skirt was hiked up a few inches above her knees and her right foot jiggled furiously. She was wearing flip flops, which looked completely out of place with the rest of her outfit. It also looked ridiculously sexy.
“Claire went home and Cameron’s playing chess with your dad,” he told her.
Mimi took a sip of her wine. “And Momma?”
“She’s doing the dishes. I offered to help, but she ordered me to come out here and visit with you.”
“Did she?” Mimi laughed softly. It was a sad little laugh and something about it tore at Zeke’s gut. He’d only seen her in this kind of mood a couple of times before. The first time had been after her grandmother had passed. She’d been incredibly sad, an emotion he understood all too well. The second time was the night she’d asked him to leave the house. He knew now it was because she’d discovered his father’s letter. She thought he’d betrayed her by not telling her about it.
