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“What have you been up to with the computer?” He decided to change the subject. Just thinking of her coming after him with a switch, as she really had when he’d been a child, made him want to limp a bit. “Did
you get the revised list that I laid out for you this morning?”
“I did. I have to admit, I never thought of the food for the children. The roast beef and all the trimmings might have been a grand meal for us when we were poor, but I doubt much these children want to have it at a children’s Christmas party.” Duncan told him how he’d seen a party for children in a book and had gone from there. “Yes. That was brilliant of you. It was easy enough then for you to change it to party favors with a Christmas theme.”
“I didn’t actually come up with that until I saw some of the paper you’d been ordering to wrap gifts with. That was all on you.” Cowell thanked him. “I want this to be an annual thing with the holidays. We’ll have something for the children, a little extra cash for the adults to have something nice, and food for them to take home for their own holiday.”
Duncan had been at the hospital one morning and one of the nurses told him that there were plenty of children that would go home to a cold house and no food. It was hard, he knew, but he’d never thought of the affect it might have on the little ones in the household. The party and all of it was on Mary.
He’d come home and told her what he’d heard. It hadn’t occurred to him that he could help the children, other than giving their parents a gift card for food. She’d smacked him in the back of the head and asked him what he’d have done if he’d only gotten a meal for Christmas and no presents. There were always presents under the tree for him and Cowell, even if it was a sweater that Mary had made them. But he was never hungry; no one was that his mother cared for.
The party was launched that very afternoon, and plans began the very next day to get things set up. The hardest part so far was getting permission for the children to travel to his home. Red tape had nearly killed the idea before it began. And now it was going to happen, and that was where he’d meet his mate.
Chapter 12
Joel stood over the graves of his parents. After they’d been exhumed, he’d asked to have them buried near where he was. The lot at the back of the property that he and Mercy owned was zoned for the purpose, and now he had them close enough that he could go and talk to them, should he wish. Today, he felt, was a good day to see them.
“I wanted you to know how sorry I am that this happened to you. I never thought that he’d do something so cruel as to take you away from me.” The bench had been Miley’s idea, so he sat down on it after brushing off the newly fallen snow. “He murdered you both. I’m sure you’re aware of that, but I wanted to tell you some things you might not have known at the time. Saul thought that there was money, a great deal of it, for some reason.”
A small bird landed on the headstone that Piper had made especially for them. It even bore a small picture of them over each of their names, and in the middle, their wedding picture. Every time he looked at it, Joel cried. It was a gift that he never would have gotten without these women in his life.
“I’m married now. I have a wonderful wife. Her name is Mercy. And Miley is walking now.” The bird flew away, and a smallish kitten came to join him on the bench. “Hello there. Where did you come from? My, but you’re a pretty little thing.”
The kitten mewed at him and he put her down. He wondered if any of the women would object to him having a cat for Miley and laughed. They were birds—they might very well be afraid of it. He’d ask Mercy later if it was still here.
“Saul is going to a federal prison that specializes in handicapped people, such as he is now. I only just figured out that you knew he was a diabetic and that you tried to help him stay on a diet, Mom. But he didn’t. In the last month or so he got his levels up so high, and didn’t take care of them, that one of his kidneys failed. The doctor that is caring for him said that Saul will not live long. He has given up on trying to be a healthy and better man.”
He looked around again, wondering if Saul would be put here with his parents. Then he decided that he didn’t want to bury him near here. He hadn’t been good to anyone, and he didn’t deserve a beautiful resting place.
“I’m going to update you on Saul’s health, but I just don’t think I’m ready to talk about his behavior about killing off our child. He’s lost his leg and the other foot to not caring for himself. And a finger so far. His hands are in bad shape because he refuses to let anyone take care of them. They have to sedate him to get the doctor in to see him. He...well, he throws things at him, fecal matter, and then laughs.” Joel cried a little, thinking of the state of his brother. “I wish we could have been a normal family. All I can think of is the day I turned fifteen and him hurting you both so badly, because you’d not let him have the money that Grandma had been sending me all along.”
Saul had come into the house just as he was handing his mom the cash that he’d been sent. Thankfully that was all he’d gotten that day, but Saul had been so pissed off that he beat Mom so badly that she’d ended up in the hospital with nineteen stitches in her head. Dad had had to stay overnight from the concussion that he’d gotten when he’d tried to hold Saul away from Joel. Saul would have more than likely killed him on the spot if not for his dad. As it was, they’d had to use all his money that had been saved to buy prescriptions for them both.
“I never minded that. I know that you felt terrible for it. I could hear you crying that night, and it broke my heart. The money would have been wonderful to have bought something for you and Dad, which was my plan all along, but being able to help you feel better was better than any gift I could have gotten.”
Joel sat there for another half hour, not talking about his brother anymore, but he did talk about his life. His new baby coming along, and how well Miley was doing in school. Walking back to his home, he stopped to watch the swans on the lake that hadn’t frozen over, and a few deer eating the last of the apples from the trees.
Joel was nearly home when he saw what he thought was a fox kit and remembered the kitten. She was still there when he went back, still curled up under the bench. When he sat down again, picking her up, she mewed at him again and wrapped herself inside of his jacket. He reached out to Mercy to let her know his thinking.
You want to bring a cat into a home of birds. Well, I guess if it didn’t mind you, it won’t us either. He’d never thought of that and told her. Yes, well, you’ve not been a bird as long as I have. A cat might do us some good around here. The barn could use a few of the little beasts to scare away the mice.
Beasts? I take it at one time you were scared by a cat. She said that it was more than one time, and yes, she didn’t much care for the creatures. But you’ll allow this little fella to come live with us? I think that Miley would love a pet of her own.
Sure, bring her here. But you do realize that Miley could very well be her own pet, don’t you? I’m joking, love. Miley has been saying she wanted a pet. I’m just glad she’s not asked for anything larger than a puppy. While I’m thinking about it, the horses that you and I wanted are to arrive sometime after the new year. The foals will be big enough to take from Momma then. He told her that was wonderful. I think so as well. Miley is enjoying her riding lessons now that she’s getting around much better. She said that she feels like she’s eighty feet tall on the back of a horse. I told her not to fall from that height, or I’ll never let her ride again. She laughed, Joel. I don’t think she takes me all that seriously.
She does, but she loves it when you get all mom-like on her. Joel blew kisses to his parents and told them that he’d return soon. Then he made his way, again, back to the house. I’ve decided something out here. I don’t want Saul to be buried out here with my mom and dad.
Good. The little fucker needs to be cremated and dumped on a land fill. He would agree with her, but he didn’t think he could live with himself if he did that. I’ll see what I can find for the local cemetery. I think we donate the money it takes to clean it up all summer. Maybe they can find us one that no one has purchased as yet.
I’d like that, I think. I love you, Mercy, and thank you. She said that she loved h
im too, and to come home. I’m on my way right now. I have the kitten with me. She seems to like the inside of my coat.
Because you smell like lunch.
He was still laughing as he came up on the porch. The house was decorated in fall colors now. Miley loved the ability to put out just about anything that she wanted and was having a blast with it. She and Mercy had come home just yesterday with a giant blow up turkey and a pair of pilgrims. Joel was almost afraid of what they’d have for Christmas.
The mailman was just driving up to their mailbox when he sat down on the step. It was just too pretty to be inside. Walking out to get the mail from him, he loved the fact that the man not only knew who he was, but also asked sincerely about Miley.
