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“You go ahead. I like it out here. I can smoke, and the cold sort of numbs things, you know? Cancer doesn’t like the cold.”
I stood and kissed her cold cheek. She reeked of cigarette smoke, and unlike before, I didn’t mind so much.
Inside, Graham smiled, as jolly as ever. Yet, I knew he was working on his own acceptance. He would have to face the reality soon. I squeezed his hand to tell him that I knew.
“If you need help…” I said.
“I’ll be sure to call. I probably didn’t tell you this often enough, but I always appreciated what you did for Wayne.”
“I didn’t do that much. He was his own man.”
“No, you kept him alive. I knew Wayne before you came along. He was as wild as a March hare. I didn’t give him much chance of seeing thirty. He took chances that would have killed half a dozen men. Then, you came along, and he started thinking he needed to hang around. I didn’t do that. His ma didn’t do that. You did. Thank you. I mean that.”
“I did what a wife does. I’m coming back for Christmas. I’ll make sure to bring Emily to see you and Wynelle.”
“She would love that more than anything.” He grinned. “Of course, that means I get to play Grandpa Santa Claus.”
“You do, but don’t go overboard. Too many gifts spoil the child.”
“I’ll let you worry about that.”
We hugged, and I drove back to my parent’s house. I hugged Emily. She was half Wayne, which was the best I could do. At dinner, I made plans with my parents for the Christmas visit. Everyone was excited. How could they not be? I wasn’t quite so excited because I wouldn’t be seeing Codrin. He occupied my thoughts often. I couldn’t help but wonder who he might share Christmas with. I told myself I was being a silly schoolgirl. Codrin could and should do whatever he wished. Still, I couldn’t deny the pang in my chest when I considered the possibilities. I reminded myself that I had to bury Wayne before I could really move on.
We left the next day. Chicago was every bit as cold as when we left. On the way to the house, I had Emily call her grandmother Wynelle. The outset was a bit stilted, but before long, Emily was chattering away. It seemed Wynelle knew how to listen. At home, I called Marcie to find out what might be happening in Human Resources. This close to Christmas, there wasn’t much happening. People were too busy with presents and decorations. There was one complaint from a woman who didn’t like Christmas trees. I told Marcie to ignore that for the time being.
My phone buzzed.
Codrin.
Chapter seventeen
“Areyouhome?”Codrinasked.
“I am.”
“Can I stop by? I won’t stay long.”
“Of course. Give me an hour to clean up things.”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Any particular topic?”
“Yeah, lawsuits.”
The connection died, and I was left wondering what he meant. Who would be filing a lawsuit against Codrin or the bank? Or was the lawsuit about something else? I decided I was not going to worry about any lawsuit until I had a chance to talk to Codrin. In the meantime, I did tidy up a bit. I wanted the house and myself to look good for him. I knew I had no real chance of impressing him. He was well aware of my work and my home. The only thing that had changed was Wayne’s confirmed death.
I did touch up my makeup, but I drew the line at perfume. Codrin indicated that the visit would be business oriented. To think anything else would be wishful thinking.
Codrin arrived straight from work. Gray suit, white shirt, blue tie, and black shoes shined to mirror perfection. He was the perfect Dracula. There was no denying his power and lure. I wondered if he had always exuded such magnetism. Had high school been one long kingship? Or did he have to cultivate that image? I wondered if I would ever get the chance to ask him.
“What do you know about Tyra Green?” Codrin asked.
“The COO in Indianapolis?”
“That’s her.”
“I don’t know much. She came from a bank in Columbus. Good education, good evals, attractive, glib, she has been successful everywhere she went.”
