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She was wearing that same tracksuit she had on the day I first met her, only now it was hanging off her. She was skinny before; now she was emaciated.
Fuck, I hated the sight of the wig on her.
“I’m takin’ her with me. You’ll have to fend for yourself for a while. Hiring a nurse might be a plan.”
Her expression dropped from a grimace to something that looked verging on emotional.
She replied, “Whatever.”
Like it didn’t matter to her.
“You know what, Francie?” I started.
Gigi burst from the bedroom and ran for me, throwing her arms around me. “How’s Jojo, what’s been happening?”
“Who’s Jojo?” Francie asked.
“No one you’d know,” I said. “All’s good, baby. She’s safe. You ready to roll?”
Gigi nodded, sinking against me. “Call you tomorrow, Aunt Francie. You need anything before I go?”
“Told you already I’ll be all right,” she said and sipped from her glass, eyes on me, as if daring me to go off on her.
“Feel better Francie,” I said with a phony as fuck smile. “I’ll be sure to share your thanks with all the people in my club who helped out.”
She gave me a hard look. “I’m a proud woman. I don’t like to ask for help from nobody. This hasn’t been easy on me.”
“I’m sure it hasn’t. Not too difficult to be decent to people tryin’ to help though, is it? It also hasn’t been easy on your niece. You’re related through G’s father, right?”
“He’s my little brother.”
“And where’s he been through all this?”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s useless. She knows that. Always has been; that’s why I took her in when she had nowhere else to go.”
Was that a dig suggesting Gigi owed her this? Because Gigi also told me the woman regularly kicked her out.
“Is he gonna step up now? Because your niece was more than happy to help you, but she has to get back to her life now. So…” I let that hang.
“I’m startin’ to feel a little better. If I need help, I’ll get it. Don’t worry about me.”
“Right.”
“When’s your next oncologist appointment, Aunt Francie?” Gigi asked.
“Next Thursday.”
“Okay, let me know if you want me to come with you and I’ll try to get back down here for it.”
I made a sound at the back of my throat.
“I’ll be fine. You go on and live your life, girl,” Francie said.
Gigi went to her aunt and pulled her into a hug. “I’m praying you’ll get better, Aunt Francie. I really, really am.”
“Mm hm.” She patted her niece’s back.
And I saw something slip in Francie’s expression. Something raw. Something bleak. Fear?
She caught my eyes on her and cleared her expression, then swallowed. “You two go on.” She gestured to the door. “Haven’t had a minute to myself in weeks. I’m gonna sit on my couch and watch some of my programs in peace and quiet. Go on.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Aunt Francie.”
“Yeah. All right.”
This was the most pleasant I’d seen her. And she was far from pleasant.
***
“So, Jojo’s okay,” she checked, fastening her seatbelt.
“She’s unhurt.”
“What an ordeal! And now the enemies know where that cabin is. That’s a shame.”
“For sure. You confront your aunt about the money?”
She shook her head.
“Didn’t think so,” I grumbled.
“I’m sure she knows I heard. And Trudy said something so it’s obvious everyone knows. Told her she’s expecting a donation to the club’s charity. Trudy knows the social worker that came over. It’s her neighbor.”
“But you said nothing?”
“No point arguing with her. She is who she is.”
“Yeah, and fuckin’ lucky that you are who you are.”
“What’s that mean?”
“When are you gonna stop setting yourself on fire to keep people warm, baby?”
“Probably never. Want me to keep you warm, Jesse?”
I shook my head in dismay. “Damn right I do. That’s why I’m bringin’ you home. But you ought to have figured out by now that I’ll build the fire and keep you warm, too.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Sorry about all this.”
“Not your fault, hostage. But you’re back in my clutches now.” I wiggled my eyebrows.
She smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes. “Guess I really am your hostage again, huh?” She reached for the radio dial but then pulled her hand back.
“Go ahead,” I invited. “Fuck with my radio. You know you wanna.”
She unclipped her seatbelt, leaned over to kiss my ear, then clipped her seatbelt and turned on the radio with a smile that lit up her whole face.
“I know you’re sick of hearing it, but I’ve missed you so much.”
“More like just sick of feelin’ the same. And tired of you being her doormat. If she deserved all she got from you, I’d have… actually, nah…I can’t promise I would’ve been more patient, but I would’ve tried to be.”
She squeezed my leg. “I don’t blame you for getting tired of this. And… I … I did something to get a little of my own back. I wasn’t sure I wanted to admit this to you, but… maybe you need to hear it, so you realize I’m only fifty per cent doormat.”
