She found him sitting on the edge of the deck in the backyard. A rag, a toothbrush, a bucket of water and a screwdriver were at his side as she gently touched his shoulder. “What’cha doin’?”
He didn’t look up. “Cleanin’ the weed eater.”
“Why?”
“It’s dirty.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “You are your father’s son.”
Ronnie finally looked up at her and smiled back.
“Can I sit with you a minute?” She asked.
“Sure.” He said picking up the bucket and sitting it in the grass to make room for her.
“Can you help a pregnant lady get down there?” He giggled and she grunted as they managed to get her down. “Thanks…Puppy.”
He nodded and went back to using the toothbrush on the clumps stuck on the mechanical thing Claire wasn’t really sure actually did. “Your Papa is going to be fine.”
“I know.” He didn’t look up.
“Do you understand what diabetes is?”
“Yes.” He looked up at her. “I think so.”
“It’s alright to be scared.” She tried to find words to help the boy express his feelings as she fretted that she would never get the hang of this. “I know I am.”
Ronnie nodded his head. “I more worried than scared, Miss Claire. He’s been through a lot, my Papa.”
“And so have you.” She put her hand gently on his chin and pulled his eyes to hers and said it again.
“I’ve been scared, and I’ve been worried but only a few times. Papa’s lived in fear from the day he was born.” He voice quivered just a bit. “I want it to stop, but I don’t know what to do.”
Claire sighed. “I’m not sure either, but I think if we just love him and let him know no matter what we’re gonna be there, we’ll all come out of this just fine.”
“Why won’t they let me see him?”
“Ronnie, I think that was kind of his choice, not the doctors.”
“But why?”
“Well…” Claire wasn’t sure herself, so she tried to come up with an explanation that would soothe them both. “…Vanity.”
“What?”
She gave him a playful shove with her shoulder. “You know how your Papa likes everyone to believe he’s Superman? Well, what he’s going through right now isn’t pretty. If we see him all sweaty and shaky we’d probably realize he’s human and you know that’s the last thing he wants.”
Ronnie giggled. “You know, you’re pretty good at this.”
“I am?” Claire wrinkled her nose.
“Yeah. You’re gonna be a good mother.”
“I hope so. I’ve kinda messed everything else up, and I don’t know anything about this so I’ll just have to make it up as I go along.”
“That’s what Papa does.” He assured her.
“He does?”
“Superman didn’t get the handbook either.” Ronnie looked at Claire. “So do you hope it’s a girl or a boy?”
“Personally, I don’t care. I am so tired of being pregnant. I just want to get it out of me!” Clare looked at her tummy as she rubbed it. “What do you want, a brother or a sister?”
Ronnie bit his lip. “Between you and me? I hope it’s a boy, with Vonnie and Grandma we haven’t got the energy for another girl around here.”
Claire threw back her head and laughed. “Ronnie, some times I think you’re the most mature person in this whole family.”
Ronnie threw up his hands. “All I have to do is sit back and let everyone prove it…time after time after time.”
“So, you want to go see Ian?”
His eyes lit up. “Yes!”
“Good news then.” Claire patted the boy’s knee. “I didn’t come back just so Reese could get the hospital. I was told to make sure you had a great dinner and then bring you to see your father.”
“Mean it?”
“Well, I’m not too good a cook, so the great dinner I can’t promise, but I can take you to see Ian just as soon as I figure out how to open a few cans.”
Ronnie slipped his arm around her and put his head on her shoulder, a move that genuinely touched her. “We’ll do it together. That’s what family is for.”
“That’s something I’m learning…slowly, but I swear to God I am trying to learn.”
“Miss Claire?” Ronnie didn’t move his head from her shoulder. “Do you love my Papa?”
Claire sighed. “Honey, I thought so. I was so sure, but the one thing I have learned recently is that I’m not real sure of anything.” She rubbed his shoulder with the hand from her arm that wrapped tightly around him.
“I was Daddy’s little girl. Anything I wanted he provided with extra sunshine. Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t love my Mama, but let’s face it, she’s a little cold. He was always the glowing warmth in our home.”
She placed her head on top of his. “When my Daddy died, I didn’t think I could live then along came your Papa, the one man on the face of the Earth that didn’t seem to know I existed no matter how hard I tried. He was, he is so much like my Daddy. Unfortunately I’m so much like my Mama. I thought we balanced each other out, the perfect match. Like my parents. I’m pretty sure I messed that up, too, but I think maybe if we try we can be the perfect friends. I’d like that.”
“Me, too.” Ronnie sighed with her. “Ya know I’m kinda hungry.”
“Well, if the two of us can manage to get me out of this position maybe we can get in the kitchen and feed ourselves.”
It took them several tries and several minutes, but they finally managed to get Claire upright again. They quickly cleaned up after Ronnie’s cleaning up and found themselves giggling. They found themselves having fun making a simple chicken casserole, tossing in some frozen broccoli to convince themselves it was healthy.
As they set the table for two Claire finally admitted out loud. “I’m certainly glad that Ian’s problem is as simple as diabetes, not to belittle that terrible disease, but it is manageable. What really yanks my chain about this whole episode is the only person allowed near your Papa is Ripley. Why is that? Why not you or even me?”
Ronnie looked up at Clare. “It’s his job, Miss Claire.”
“His job?” She pulled out a chair from the table and plunked down. “I thought he cooked and cleaned for his paycheck.”
“Naw.” Ronnie giggled. “He does that cause he loves us, and he enjoys it. His job is to keep us safe. He’s our live in body guard.”
It was Claire’s turn to giggle. “Body guard? What does Ian need a bodyguard for? Sure he’s getting more and more famous by the day, but I haven’t noticed throngs of people trying to rip his clothes off at the supermarket or sneaking in the house to snip off locks of his hair.”
Ronnie pulled the chair out beside her and sat down. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Miss Claire, someone is trying to kill my Papa.”
Her face fell. “Oh come on. So one time some one broke in the house. I think hiring a body guard is just a little excessive.”
“I’m not supposed to know, but I do. You’d be surprised what I know but am not supposed to. Sometimes the adults think that just because Vonnie and I aren’t over five foot tall we don’t understand what’s going on. We may be short but we can hear whispered conversations a mile off.” He said very seriously.
“I’m sure that…”
“No. Someone is seriously wants Papa dead. They’ve probably tried several times. The F.B.I. is involved.”
Claire tried to marginalize the boy’s statements by patting him on the hand and saying, “I’m sure you’ve just misunderstood some partial conversations.
“No, ma’am. I’m have not.” Ronnie remained steadfast. “They don’t know who it is, but every day they are getting a little closer. They don’t know the guy’s name yet but they do know for sure he works at the network.”
“HRT?”
The boy nodded his head. “He’s done this before at other places. He comes into a company and steals money and kills people. Then he disappears. They know of at least four people he’s already killed, people he gets to do his dirty work or people who can identify him. That’s why he’s been hard to catch. He never does the bad stuff, he gets other people to do it and then he kills them.”
“I’m confused Ronnie.” Claire took his hand. “You’re father stole money from HRT?”
“No, no.” Ronnie tried to explain. “I’m not exactly sure how or why, but this guy always finds someone in the company to blame everything on so he has time to get away or something. They think he was trying to blame what he did at HRT on my Papa or he thinks Papa’s on to him, something like that.”
“You’re sure of this?” Ronnie nodded his head. “Why hasn’t anyone said anything to me?”
Ronnie shrugged his shoulders. “I think that’s why Papa had you move in here with us, to make sure you and the baby are safe. As long as Uncle Ripley has an eye on us, nothing can happen.”
“And you’re sure no one knows who this person is?” Claire asked to be certain.
“Everyone they know of who can identify him or has had any kind of contact ends up dead…everyone.”
Ronnie went silent. Which was a good thing, because suddenly the voices in Claire’s head got very, very loud.
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