“Hmm, it’s Rey calling.”
“You’d better answer it.”
She got up and moved away, but I heard her say, “Rey, what’s up?” A minute or two later, she was back near me saying, “Rey, hang up and call 911, and then call Geepa. Call me back after.”
Her eyes drilled holes into me after she hung up. “Rey said an old man in a big black car was there threatening Mom and Easton. Easton was hiding, but Mom looked scared.”
“Shit. Stuart?”
“His father.”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“Only the police can step in now. He’s trying to throw his weight around and it’s not going to work. But I’m sad Mom is there alone.”
“Your grandfather will know what to do.”
English’s phone rang.
“Rey! What’s going on?”
I stared at English as she spoke to her sister. Her face paled and then the phone fell out of her hand.
“English, what happened?”
“Rey said Geepa just got there, but Stuart’s dad knocked him down. He’s not getting up, so she doesn’t know what to do.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
English
We were on the first flight back to Atlanta. Tristian had handled all the details as I was on the phone with Mom hearing about the situation back home.
The police had arrived, thanks to Rey, and Bill—Stuart’s father—was still at the house, slinging threats. Easton had hidden in a closet in Mom and Dad’s room, where Rey had told her to go. Mom and Banana had been hovering over Geepa when the police arrived. Finn had slipped out the back door, run around the front and let them in to find Bill McLure shouting threats at the entire family if they didn’t hand over Easton immediately.
Rey, who had brilliantly recorded everything on her phone, was our superhero that day. She’d thought of everything, particularly recording Bill as he unveiled his true self.
An ambulance had taken Geepa to the hospital and I swore if anything happened to him…
“English, the courts will make Bill pay,” Tristian said. “He can’t get away with this.”
“This is terrible. I never imagined he would go to these lengths.”
The police had arrested Bill and carted him off in the back of the car, handcuffed, while he continued to throw threats at them. Rey and Finn said he’d been yelling the entire time.
We called the attorney who was handling my case because we were going to sue this time.
“Enough is enough. It’s one thing for that son of his to threaten you, but for the father to do this to your grandfather is utterly uncalled for,” Tristian said. I agreed. This wouldn’t go unpunished, one way or the other.
The flight was interminable. I asked Tristian a million times if we were almost home. He was more than kind, offering me drinks, rubbing my neck and back, and doing everything he could to calm me down. It wasn’t easy thirty thousand feet in the air. At least we had wi-fi and were able to text. Rey kept us informed. So far, nothing bad had shown up for Geepa on his scans.
By the time we landed, the doctors determined he’d suffered a severe concussion and would spend the night in the hospital. There were no signs of a brain bleed or any other serious effects. He’d injured his shoulder when he fell and they would do an MRI before he left the hospital.
I called Mom on the way in from the airport and told her we were on our way to the hospital.
“Don’t bother. Go straight home. Geepa is sleeping and so is Banana. She’s spending the night in his room and I’ll take them home tomorrow. I’m walking out of the hospital now. I’ll meet you at home.”
She looked like she hadn’t slept for weeks when we got there. Purple crescents sat beneath her eyes and her stooped posture told me how worried she was. We hugged for an hour, it seemed.
“Thank God everyone is okay,” I said, holding back my tears. I wanted to be strong.
“Yes, we all have a lot to be thankful for.”
“Did you ever reach Dad?” We’d also tried to call but it had gone straight to his voicemail.
“No, I’m afraid not. He’s traveling to a remote area and won’t be back online until tomorrow. I’ve left him a message though.”
“So did we. Mom, I saw the door. We need to get that fixed.”
She rubbed her eyes, then neck. “I know. That horrid man forced his way inside and look what he did.”
“You showed the police, right?”
“I don’t even remember. I was too concerned about your grandfather.”
I pulled my phone out of my purse and took a dozen or more photos of the damaged door. The wood was splintered around the knob where he’d pushed against it.
“Ugh, that man was so awful,” Mom said.
“I’m so sorry I got our family involved with them,” I said. “This is my fault.”
Tristian’s attention snapped to me. “How in the world could you have known? You met Stuart when he was just a high-school kid. How would anyone know then?”
“My dad did. He never liked Stuart.”
“Honey, don’t blame yourself. It’s over and done.” Then Mom brightened a bit. “You know, one thing good will most likely come out of this. His behavior will demonstrate that they are terrible candidates for any type of custody of Easton.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
Tristian added, “We’ll make certain the attorneys do.”
Mom said, “Enough about this dreadful subject. How was the wedding ceremony?”
Tristian and I glanced at each other and cracked up. “Oh, God, you should’ve seen the Elvis minister and his wife. They were the best. We were serenaded.” And we told her the story.
“I can’t wait to see the video, but show me that rock you’re wearing.”
I held out my hand and she said, “My, oh, my. Tristian, you sure do have good taste in jewelry.”
“I aimed to please,” Tristian said. “But Easton gave me strict orders too.”
Mom chuckled. “I’m sure she did. She loved the tiara picture and wouldn’t stop talking about it.”
“Then she’ll love my wedding rings,” I said.
“I hate to do it, but I have to get some sleep. This has exhausted me.”
“No, it’s fine. Call me in the morning and I can go with you to the hospital.”
Tristian and I left and went back to my house. The more I thought about Stuart’s dad, the more it angered me. “The nerve of that man. Going to my parents’ home. How rude.”
“English, he doesn’t give a damn about being rude. He just wants to exert his power.”
“You’re right. He’s always been about that. What a creep though. And then to do that to my Geepa.”
“Hey, we’ll get him. I promise.”
We unloaded the car and climbed the steps to my room. Easton was still at my parents’ so it was only us at home.
Tristian asked me if I was hungry.
“I should be, but with all this commotion, my appetite is still in Vegas.” I only had one kind of appetite now, but wasn’t sure if he was game. I reached for him and said, “I’m game for a shower, if you are.”