Page 99 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Bob’s face grew red and bright, his neck bulging with veinsand sweat pouring down his forehead. “Get me aspirin,” he gasped, clutching athis collar and tearing it open.

“Didn’t you take your aspirin today? The doctor said to takeit every morning,” Sammie Mae muttered as she bustled off to the bathroom.

Bob glared at Christopher. “You.You did this.” His wife returned, and he got the bottle open with shakinghands, swallowing two aspirin with a gulp of water. “You came in this house andbrought chaos and hell in with you. I’ve known since the day I met you that you’dspend eternity burning in hell and I married your mama anyway! Saved her from alife of poverty and sinfulness! But you!You!”

The kids were crying now. Aaron demanded pumpkin pie, andJackie tried to get Sarah Beth to go find her jacket, but the little girl wastoo scared to even stand up from the table. Christopher reached out and coveredher hand, and when her tear-bright eyes met his, he whispered, “It’s gonna beall right, Sarah Beth. I promise.”

“What good is the promise of a hell-bound pervert!” Bob cried.

Sarah Beth’s chin quivered and Christopher shook his head,rolling his eyes gently at her and then twirling his finger by his head toillustrate that Bob was cuckoo. But she didn’t smile at all.

“Jackie, forget about her coat,” Joe said. “You can get ittomorrow. I don’t want them hearing a single second more of this crap. I’ll getAaron, you grab her up, and we’re going. Lee, come on, son, get your headphonesand iThingy. Hurry up now. And Christopher, you should leave too. Let SammieMae take Gran back later when this is all over. I think Gran’s reaped thepunishment of listening to all of Bob’s bullshit anyway, don’t you?”

Gran cackled and shook a finger at Joe. “Oh, you naughtyone. I love you so, Joe. Such a good man you are.”

Bob was still gasping, sputtering, and trying to preach orrail, but he seemed to be having a hard time breathing.

“Bob, honey, calm down!” Sammie Mae ran to the sink and weta rag. She brought it back and started mopping at his forehead while he triedto bat her hand away. It would have all been comical in a horrible way ifChristopher wasn’t kind of scared that Bob really was going to burst a bloodvessel and die right there.

Bob cried out, gripped his head. His face went a lividpurple.

“Call nine-one-one,” Gran ordered calmly.

“Bob!” Sammie Mae fell to her knees and stared up at herhusband’s face. “What’s going on? What hurts, baby?”

Bob groaned and moaned, rocking back and forth in his seat.

Joe, Jackie, and the kids stopped in their scramble to starewide-eyed. Jackie whispered, fear lancing through her tone, “What’s happening?What’s he doing?”

Gran sighed. “Looks like a stroke to me.”

Christopher pulled his cell phone from his pocket and calledthe ambulance. Jesus, Gran just might have killed Bob after all.

“Jesse, sweetheart, before you go there’s something I’vebeen meaning to talk to you about.”

“Okay, but we’re about to sit down for dinner,” Jesse saidinto the phone. “You talked to the kids already, so can we pick this up later?”

His mother went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “Nova called afew days ago to help me arrange the children’s Christmas presents. She alwaysknows what they like, and I have no idea, so I just let her buy for me and Ireimburse her.”

“I know.” She used to reimburse Marcy the same way.

“Well, we were talking and she mentioned that you might beseeing someone. A young man.”

Jesse sat back in the La-Z-Boy and turned his head towardthe kitchen, where he could hear Nova and Tim talking the kids through theintricacies of carving a turkey.

“Sweetheart?”

Jesse sighed. Might as well get it over with. “His name isChristopher. I was going to tell you when the time was right.”

“I understand, darling. I’m not upset about that. Do youcare about him?”

“Yes. He’s a wonderful guy.”

“I’m glad. You deserve to be happy, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Mom. You do too.” He waited uneasily. Maybe that’sall she wanted to say.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “I’m truly happy foryou. It’s just that I’ve been thinking.”