“Yes.”
“Where are they?”
“Right here with me.”
“Well, hurry up. Apologize to Jill and bring me my grandbaby!”
“What? Why would you assume I have to apologize?”
“Because you do. Now quit wastin’ time and git it over with! It appears I’ve waited fifteen years to see that child.”
“Mom. It’s not that simple.”
“I don’t care to hear the details, Holdin Thomas. I can do the math. She was eighteen and you need to apologize, son. Now beg for forgiveness and make it right. I expect to see both of them within the hour.”
“Everyone’s so concerned with the damn math! I used a condom. Mostly,” Holdin growled.
“I told you I don’t care to hear the details,” Carol reiterated in amused exasperation. “But since you brought it up, big boy, apparently you didn’t know how to use a condom properly. Sadly, your father and I had no idea you needed instruction on that. However I ‘spect it’s the times you didn’t use one that got you in this lovely fix. Don’t bother denyin’ it. You were young. I know better, you’re my boy and I know the kind of guy I raised. And don’t think you’re big enough to curse at your mama.”
“Curse at you? Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I wasn’t cursing at you, Mom. Believe me, I knew how to use prophylactics. You’re probably right about the other time though. And I’m trying to bring them home but Jill isn’t sure she’d be welcome. Perhaps you’d like to talk to her?”
“Certainly. Hand her the phone please.”
Holdin held the phone out to Jill. “Mom wants to talk to you.”
Jill glared at him as she took it. She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what the other side of the conversation had sounded like. He was blaming her for their reluctance to go out to the ranch. It didn’t matter that it was the truth, telling his mother was playing dirty. Now she, the scarlet woman who’d had a baby out of wedlock, had to speak to his mother!
“Hello, Mrs. Powell,” Jill greeted cautiously.
“Jill! I’m so glad to hear your voice. Please call me Carol. I hear you and my grandbaby are in town and I can hardly wait to see you both. Please feel welcome to come out to the ranch. In truth, there aren’t two more welcome people on earth.”
“Um…Mrs…ah, Carol, don’t you want to know why?”
“The details? Of course I do, dear, but not as much as I want to see you both. I’m sure when we have a minute you’ll tell Chuck and me exactly what happened, but right now that’s of no importance. I’m simply too thrilled at being a grandmother to be concerned with the details. Getting you to come home is much more urgent. We have a guesthouse now, so if you’d like some privacy, we’ll put you in there, but I’d rather the two of you stayed in the big house with us. You’re family and I don’t want to give up a minute of getting reacquainted and meeting my grandson. Please say you’ll come out and at least see if you’d be comfortable. If the problem is Holdin, I’ll put him in the guesthouse.”
Jill burst out in a soft chuckle. “No, no. You don’t have to put Holdin in the guesthouse. I’m sure everything will be fine. Thank you for the kind invitation. We’d be happy to visit you and Mr. Powell.”
“You can call him Chuck, honey. I’ll be looking for you. And welcome back, dear.”
“Thank you, Carol. That’s so kind of you. Goodbye.” Jill held the phone out to Holdin. She felt overwhelmed in a whole new way now. She knew her goodbye had been stiff compared to the generous kindness Carol Powell was extending. Dealing with so many unexpected developments was stretching her resources. Even kind surprises were costly to her reserves.
Before, spending time at the Powells’ family ranch had been a rare treat. It was twenty minutes from town. Usually Holdin spent time with her after they both got off work.
The ranch was the
“Where are they?”
“Right here with me.”
“Well, hurry up. Apologize to Jill and bring me my grandbaby!”
“What? Why would you assume I have to apologize?”
“Because you do. Now quit wastin’ time and git it over with! It appears I’ve waited fifteen years to see that child.”
“Mom. It’s not that simple.”
“I don’t care to hear the details, Holdin Thomas. I can do the math. She was eighteen and you need to apologize, son. Now beg for forgiveness and make it right. I expect to see both of them within the hour.”
“Everyone’s so concerned with the damn math! I used a condom. Mostly,” Holdin growled.
“I told you I don’t care to hear the details,” Carol reiterated in amused exasperation. “But since you brought it up, big boy, apparently you didn’t know how to use a condom properly. Sadly, your father and I had no idea you needed instruction on that. However I ‘spect it’s the times you didn’t use one that got you in this lovely fix. Don’t bother denyin’ it. You were young. I know better, you’re my boy and I know the kind of guy I raised. And don’t think you’re big enough to curse at your mama.”
“Curse at you? Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I wasn’t cursing at you, Mom. Believe me, I knew how to use prophylactics. You’re probably right about the other time though. And I’m trying to bring them home but Jill isn’t sure she’d be welcome. Perhaps you’d like to talk to her?”
“Certainly. Hand her the phone please.”
Holdin held the phone out to Jill. “Mom wants to talk to you.”
Jill glared at him as she took it. She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what the other side of the conversation had sounded like. He was blaming her for their reluctance to go out to the ranch. It didn’t matter that it was the truth, telling his mother was playing dirty. Now she, the scarlet woman who’d had a baby out of wedlock, had to speak to his mother!
“Hello, Mrs. Powell,” Jill greeted cautiously.
“Jill! I’m so glad to hear your voice. Please call me Carol. I hear you and my grandbaby are in town and I can hardly wait to see you both. Please feel welcome to come out to the ranch. In truth, there aren’t two more welcome people on earth.”
“Um…Mrs…ah, Carol, don’t you want to know why?”
“The details? Of course I do, dear, but not as much as I want to see you both. I’m sure when we have a minute you’ll tell Chuck and me exactly what happened, but right now that’s of no importance. I’m simply too thrilled at being a grandmother to be concerned with the details. Getting you to come home is much more urgent. We have a guesthouse now, so if you’d like some privacy, we’ll put you in there, but I’d rather the two of you stayed in the big house with us. You’re family and I don’t want to give up a minute of getting reacquainted and meeting my grandson. Please say you’ll come out and at least see if you’d be comfortable. If the problem is Holdin, I’ll put him in the guesthouse.”
Jill burst out in a soft chuckle. “No, no. You don’t have to put Holdin in the guesthouse. I’m sure everything will be fine. Thank you for the kind invitation. We’d be happy to visit you and Mr. Powell.”
“You can call him Chuck, honey. I’ll be looking for you. And welcome back, dear.”
“Thank you, Carol. That’s so kind of you. Goodbye.” Jill held the phone out to Holdin. She felt overwhelmed in a whole new way now. She knew her goodbye had been stiff compared to the generous kindness Carol Powell was extending. Dealing with so many unexpected developments was stretching her resources. Even kind surprises were costly to her reserves.
Before, spending time at the Powells’ family ranch had been a rare treat. It was twenty minutes from town. Usually Holdin spent time with her after they both got off work.
The ranch was the
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