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Chapter Eleven
***Autumn***
Thekidshadjust gone to bed when I went down to the beach to call Mom that night. It’d been a long day. Jones was blaming me for taking his mom away, Caroline had screamed basically the entire afternoon, and Grace had just been so freaked out by everything that she just wanted her daddy. I was amazed that I’d gotten through the day without being fired or running into the ocean. My head hurt and I wanted to cry, but I needed to check in and vent to someone who would understand.
“Honey? How are you? I haven’t heard from you in days!”
I smiled. “Hey, Mom. I miss you and Granny Lane. How are you two getting along?”
“No, no, no. Don’t change the subject. I asked you how you were. You not answering makes me worry that you’re not okay.”
I groaned. “I’m stressed. It’s not exactly an easy job.”
“Tell me everything.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! Mom is listening in, too. We both want to hear it all.”
I started out slow, and then before I knew it, I was spitting everything out, with the exception of my history with Con and sleeping with Zeke. I told them about letting Stacy kidnap Caroline and Jones and the fallout from it. I spewed it all out like a geyser, unable to stop once I started. When I finally finished, Granny Lane snorted. “What?”
She laughed. “Sounds like you need to spank those kids and maybe their dads, too.”
My mind went somewhere dirty, and my face burned with shame. “Um…”
Mom scoffed. “No spanking. You just do what you do best, honey. Show them care and patience and they’ll come around.”
“It’s hard to be patient. These kids literally have everything they could ever want, and they can still be terrible.”
“It doesn’t sound like they have everything, honey. It sounds like they lost a normal relationship with their mom, and their dad doesn’t even talk to them.”
I kicked at the sand. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier to be hated, does it?”
“No! Jones despises me. He also considers me the help. And not in a good way.”
Granny Lane interrupted. “Spanking!”
Mom whispered something to her mom and grunted. “Sorry, honey.”
“The men are all inept in their own way, too. How do I teach Griffin how to be a father? Can I even do that? I’m just in over my head. This is different from teaching. I’m too involved in their lives.”
“Autumn. You can do this. It’s just a summer. It’s just three children and three men. You can handle that.”
Granny Lane giggled. “Three men. Whew. You’re living my dream, sweetie. One for cooking, one for cleaning, and one for everything else, if you know what I mean.”
I laughed, caught off guard. “Granny!”
She grunted. “I just think that it’s a waste if you don’t try to marry one of them.”
“What?” I shook my head and looked around, afraid someone would hear her crazy ideas. “You just heard me complain all about them. Why would you think marriage is a good idea?”
“Because they’re rich and you’re not. If you marry a rich man, then you can send me to the old folk’s community in Florida.” She sighed like she was already there. “White sand, a pool, and all the drinks I can handle.”
“Mom, you’re talking about a Sandals resort. That’s not an elderly community.”
“Whatever. If she marries a rich man, she can send me everywhere I’ve ever wanted to go.”
I walked into the water and closed my eyes as the cold waves washed over my feet. “Okay, well, this conversation has gone astray. I should go.”
“Oh, honey, don’t go. I’ll kick Granny off the other line.”
“You can’t kick me off! That’s my granddaughter. I can talk to her all I want.”
“No, it’s okay. I need to get inside and get to bed.”
“Wait, just one more thing before you go.” Mom grunted and hissed something at Granny Lane. “I don’t really think it would be all that bad if you married a rich man. You’d never have to worry about money again. You’d be able to afford any apartment you wanted.”
“And all at the low, low cost of my morals and dignity. I’m not marrying for money. I don’t want money. Any more than it takes to live, anyway.”
Granny Lane swore. “You and your father.”
Mom sniffled. “He was an idealist. He just wanted enough money to live happily and nothing more.”
I blinked away my own tears and sank into the sand. “He said money made people assholes.”
Mom laughed gently. “Your father could afford to be that way, honey. He already had everything he wanted.”
“And I don’t?”
“I think we both know you don’t.”
Digging my toes into the sand, I sighed. “I guess not. I’m not sure money would change that, though.”
“It opens doors.” Granny Lane sounded reserved, strangely enough. “Doors that you never ever knew about. Maybe just flirt with the idea. And the men. See which one sticks.”
I just rolled my eyes. “Goodnight, you two. I love you both.”
“Love you!”
“Love you, you little shit. Go find a rich husband!”
Hanging up, I tucked my phone away and stared out at the ocean. It was too dark to make anything out, but I watched anyway. I thought about Dad and his idealism. I thought about a husband and how that wasn’t what I really wanted. I wanted kids. As many as I could have. As much as Dad was an idealist, I had the problem of being a realist with my personal life. Some things just weren’t meant to be.
