Page 8 of Stronger Than Blood

Chapter eight

Mick

“She’s recovering, thank you, ma’am,” I said at Mrs. Kennedy’s, Brenda’s, questioning. Somehow, Brenda was related to us through her Hensley side. Hell, it seemed like I was related to everyone. But Brenda was Granny Ida’s great-niece or great-great-niece on her husband’s side—I wasn’t quite sure.

“Do you think you’ll be able to provide us with any produce this year? I know your Granny isn’t going to be up to much.”

I shrugged. Brenda had been buying fresh tomatoes from Granny Ida long before I moved here. “I’ll be keeping up with the garden, but…” I hesitated. The doctor had said Granny would likely recover, but that she shouldn’t live alone.

“Well, bless her heart and bless yours. I’m sure she’s fit to be tied,” she said, and I laughed.

“Well, you know her. Luckily, her stroke was minor, and she’s regained use of her arm, and her face is back to normal, but they’re going to keep her for a while. The doctor wants her to go to Chattanooga skilled nursing.”

“That’s a decent place. My mom was there for a while,” Brenda said with a sigh. We both knew Granny Ida was gonna hate it, but what could I do? I didn’t know how to take care of her, and she needed physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a variety of other services I didn’t understand.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go over and keep the garden going, but I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to do it after this year.”

Brenda smiled sadly. “Son, it’s been a miracle your granny’s done as well as she has at her age, but you don’t reckon you’re gonna move back to her place? I mean, it’s such a sweet little home.”

I shook my head. “No, I can’t see myself living there, not without Granny Ida.”

Someone came in behind me, and Brenda smiled and patted my hand before she said to let her Aunt Ida know she’d be coming by to see her soon. I turned to go and felt a warm sensation dance through me. I looked up into a pair of the most beautiful light brown eyes I’d ever seen.

The man was tall—six feet at least—probably a few inches more. I’d never been good at guessing that sorta thing. He smelled… like the forest right after a gentle rain, and even though I knew I was being creepy, I couldn’t pull my eyes from his.

“Mr. Kennedy, I’m so happy you made it back.” Mr. Kennedy? He must be related to Brenda’s husband’s family. He was probably one of the most handsome men in the world, which was no wonder, considering he shared the same genetics as Rebecca, who was renowned for her beauty.

He smiled at me as Brenda led him toward the back of the café. I stared after them, unsure why I felt so… strange after seeing the man. It wasn’t just attraction; there was something else underneath that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

It made me think of the house. Holy shit, that house.

We’d just been talking about it. Now it made sense why my reaction to the sexy man had been so mixed up with that.

Had I just had another spell? Oh well, no point in pondering that now.

I’d be avoiding the damn place anyway, and when Granny Ida was settled, I’d address what needed worrying about then.

I glanced one last time toward where he and Brenda had disappeared and shook my head before leaving the café and heading back to my car. If I got home soon, I could at least get four hours sleep and still have time to get to the hospital to see Granny before I had to be at work.

***

“Why don’t you stay at the house?” Granny asked, causing me to shudder before I could stop myself.

She stared at me from her hospital bed, then sighed. “You had another spell, didn’t you?” she asked.

I shrugged. It wasn’t the time for her to be worried about me. “Granny, I’ll take care of everything, but I’m happy to stay in my apartment. Besides, I’ve got a routine and…”

“And nothing. You living in that shoe box is ridiculous when I’ve got a whole house that’s gonna be sitting there empty.

You heard what the doctor said: I’m going to be in that place,” she said with an almost sneer, referring to the rehabilitation facility.

“So if someone ain’t there to take care of things, you know it’s all gonna run down.

Besides, that’s your home, and when I’m gone, it belongs to you. I already put it in your name.”

My eyes grew wide. “What?”

“Well, it ain’t like you didn’t know that was what was happening. After my sister died, and all her relations rushed in like vultures on a day-old kill, I didn’t want the same thing happening with you. That’s your house, and well, it’s just yours.”

I sat next to her bed, even though I knew I was going to be late for work, and sighed. “Granny, I-I don’t know what to say.”

She patted my hand. “Ain’t nothin' to say. It’s yours and now it’s ridiculous for you not to go stay there.”

“I’m… well, I’m not sure I can. Not without you there.”

She looked down at her hands and fussed with her gown a bit before looking back up at me. “I hate that your memories of that home are still wrapped around that day. We all lost so much because of that lowlife son of a bitch.”

I chuckled at her fiery no nonsense then sighed.

We hadn’t talked about that day often. Just a few times when I first started having spells.

She’d said she never felt anything negative, although she was the one who’d shot and killed him.

She also said she could sometimes feel her daughter, my grandmother, who’d died at his hands.

“Listen, it’s about time you faced whatever it is in there that’s got you by the neck.

Your grandmother was good people, and so was your granddaddy, and great-granddaddy.

They all died there, and they are your guardian angels.

I just know that.” She looked up at me and smiled.

“I ain’t never been one to get involved with the spirits and angels and such, but that don’t mean I don’t think they’re real.

I do think they are, and I believe you got good people lookin’ out for you, so focus on them and when that…

that piece of shit comes around causing you trouble, let them in so they can help you.

” She reached over and took my hand. “Sweet boy, my time here is short. I feel it, and being my age, that ain’t no surprise to nobody, but don’t let some stranger, someone who should’a never been in that house to begin with, chase you out.

My daddy built that house from a kit he got from Sears and Roebuck. Did I ever tell you that?”

I laughed, despite the conversation, and shook my head. “No, I knew your parents had it built, but I didn’t know he ordered it from Sears.”

“He sure did, and he built it along with my brother, Eddie. I was just about to get married to your great-grandpa, you see, and they all wanted to make sure we had a place to live close by.” She chuckled.

“The truth is they didn’t want your grandpa to drag me off to Nashville, where he was from.

” I smiled as she thought about her memories.

“Anyway, that’s been a good house and it raised your grandma and even your mama, although she didn’t stick around long. ”

My mother wasn’t a topic we discussed often either. She’d had me dropped off years before, then disappeared without a trace. Neither of us had spoken to her since, and to be honest, that’d been a gift in and of itself.

“That’s your legacy, your heirloom. Do what you gotta do to kick that SOB out of your life, and you make the most of that house, you hear me? That’s what you can do for me, your ol’ granny.”

“Ol’ granny, my foot. You only say that when you’re trying to get me to do something.”

She chuckled since we both knew that was true.

I stood up and kissed her. “I gotta go before I’m so late Mrs. Milner lays an egg.”

Granny Ida cringed but held her tongue. Mrs. Milner had gone to school with my grandmother, and the two had not been friends. A fact that Mrs. Milner had told me flat out the day she’d hired me.

“Okay, and you think about what I said. I don’t want that house sittin’ empty and you living in a box just ’cause some stupid ghosts are lurking around.”

I saluted her, which made her laugh again, then bent down and kissed her cheek. “I love you, even if you are an old coot.”

She pinched my arm, but not enough to hurt, then all but pushed me toward the door.

“I love you too, grandson,” she said before I left. I turned back and saw her smiling. I loved my great-grandmother with all my heart, and hated leaving her in a hospital all alone. Fuck, if I didn’t think I’d get fired, I’d have called in. Oh well, not much I could do about that now.

I rushed to the car and to work. I’d heard that story before, but never that the house had been built from a kit from the old hardware store catalog.

I’d always admired the pretty Victorian that stood across the road from where Granny’s house.

It wasn’t huge, like some of the others in these parts, but it had a large front porch and turrets.

My great-great-grandparents had owned it, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he’d built that one as well.

Just not likely from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.

For many years, I stared at that house, wishing someone would buy it and restore it to its former glory. Long before I came to live in these parts, the house had been painted white. Even with its proximity, I barely knew the family who’d lived there.

I knew my granny lamented that. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to see the house in which you grew up in the hands of people who didn’t care about it.

Of course, I had no doubt that’s how I’d be about the home granny had told me was now in my name.

However, I had a legitimate reason not to want to live in that house.

Unfortunately, I arrived ten minutes late for work. As I suspected, Mrs. Milner met me at the door. “I’ll see you in my office,” she said, leading me through the store and back into the storeroom.

I started to sit, but she stopped me. “No need for you to sit. You won’t be here that long.”