For Better or For Worse (19 page)

She said kissing my cheek.
I could only hope what she said was true but with Oden there was no
telling what he had up his sleeve. There was no stopping him if he
was determined to get what he wanted. One might find that
characteristic admirable but for me it was pure annoyance. Lucy
pulled some cover out of the back seat over her white sweater to
warm her body up. Being that the heater was on blast in the car I
wondered was it the weather that was really making her chilly. I
shook all thoughts from my mind and stared ahead in deep
concentration as our turn appeared into Alachua. As we made our way
into the city we drove directly to Oden’s house and pulled into the
parking lot.

Lucy rang the doorbell in
enthusiasm, she hadn’t seen her father in a while and the fact the
he didn’t approve of me didn’t help bring them together more often
either. Oden swung open the door and greeted his daughter. “Daddy…”
“Baby girl…” He swung her around as they embraced. He finally
looked up at me. “Grant...” I nodded. “Mr. Dobson.” After the
awkward silence faded he invited us inside. “Well you guys are
coming a long way from New York how you Fairing there baby?” Lucy
and I removed our coats and made our way to the fireplace. “Just
fine daddy, I’m finishing up with school and Grants getting more
work with his job.” She said patting my knee. “Oh yeah, how is that
going Grant?”

He asked with a slick grin
that he always gave me, a grin that told me I was beneath him and
nothing I ever did would be good enough. “It’s good; I’m getting
more work done so that means more money to take care of this young
lady.” I leaned over kissed Lucy knowing it always angered her
father. Oden stood and walked into the kitchen to set places at the
table while choking down his anger. “Well that’s good Grant, you
are taking care of business, most felons aren’t able to get a
chance like that.” “Dad.” Lucy shot a cold glare at him. Although I
could have flipped out I decided to play it cool…he wasn’t worth
it. “Well I guess I’m blessed huh?” Oden nodded while setting the
food out .“Well aint that why the jailbird sings?” “Ok, Seriously?”
Lucy yelled.

Oden fixed his face as if
he couldn’t understand why she would be offended. “Joke”. He lied
trying to appease the situation. I smiled although I didn’t find
this amusing at all.
Just one hour,
I said to myself
, just
make it through the hour
. We all gathered
at the dinner table to eat. It was a nice house, full of antique
merchandise and plenty of memories of Lucy’s growing up. I tried to
focus on the real reason why I was here so Lucy could spend some
time with her father, even if he was the devil. “Lets us pray
first.” Oden bowed his head and we followed suit. “Lord thank you
for everything you have done and are going to do for this family. I
ask you to bless this food we are about to receive Jesus and bless
the bodies that it will nourish.”
Well so
far so good,
I thought. “Lord also bless
our minds father. To make the right decisions concerning our
futures and the people we decide to build that future with Jesus.”
You got to be kidding me, I mumbled. “Just guide our way Lord and
show us right from wrong, and please, please, please, Jesus keep us
from going down the wrong path. In your heavenly name, amen…So who
ready to eat?”

We both looked at him like
he was plum crazy. As we passed the food around I couldn’t help but
ask Oden some much needed to know questions…mainly to get a
reaction out of him. “So Mr. Dobson, what do you think about coming
to visit me and Lucy in New York?” I could tell he was thrown off
by my willingness to talk to him…and now that I had his attention I
planned on turning up the heat. “Well I think that is something to
think about.” Lucy smiled at his answer but I knew that it was just
said to appease her…the thought of me being with his daughter made
his skin crawl and I knew it. I continued to put on the pressure.
“Well that’s good because we were thinking of buying a house soon,
once we get on a more permanent basis.” I said while grabbing her
hand and flashing my million dollar smile his way.

He gave me a twisted look
but eased it off just in time. “What do you think about the market
in New York when trying to buy a house?” Oden took a sip of wine
before answering. “Well New York can be very costly I wouldn’t
consider purchasing a home there.” Lucy decided to chime in
intrigued by the conversation. “Well Grant is making good money at
Good and Weldness, plus I’m doing great at my internship. Pretty
soon we’ll both be bringing in a lot of income to buy a home dad.”
Oden tried to chuckle off his frustration but the vein popping on
his neck was still throbbing. “What’s with this talk of houses and
what not? You guys aren’t trying to get hitched anytime soon…Are
you?” The smile on his face was warm but the look in his eyes was
desperate. Lucy looked to me then back to her father. “Well of
course not now but soon I hope.” That vain of his nearly popped out
at the thought of me being a permanent part of his family. Oden
gave a faint smile trying to stay cool. “Honey you are a little too
young to even be thinking about that right now.” I cleared my
throat as I jumped back into the conversation. “Well Mr. Dobson,
the keys to a successful marriage is love, security, and
commitment. We got plenty of that to at least consider holy
matrimony.” If looks could kill I would be a dead man right now.
Oden had a tight grip on his wine glass.

“
But you’re still young,
you need to wait it out a little longer…explore all you options.” I
looked at Lucy who appeared to be irked by his comment. “What
options, there are no other options. I want to be with Grant.” He
shook his head. “Lucy you haven’t even lived yet baby. Neither of
you have, you don’t want to be tied down to the first man you have
ever been with.” “I don’t understand, I love Grant, I want Grant,
and there is no one else.” I nodded. “And I feel the same way.”
Oden finally stood up unable to mask his true feelings anymore. “Ok
I can’t do this…I can’t sit here and let you throw your life away.”
Finally the real Oden Dobson showed up, Lucy shook her head and
looked at her father and placed her fork down on the plate. “Dad,
Grant is going to be a part of my life, if you don’t agree than
that’s just too bad.” “Honey this man is going to ruin you. He sees
you’re going places. He’s just a leech trying to live of your
success, don’t you see that?” I rose from the table having had
enough of his insults. “I don’t have to listen to this.” “Grant
wait...” Lucy called for me.

“
No let him go…you don’t
need a man like him…” I stood frozen in my tracks and turned
around. “A man like what?” He eyed me up and down like I was
worthless. “A street thug that is going to use and abuse my
daughter till he moves on to his next victim.” “Dad that is not
true…he loves me.” Lucy pleaded with him. “Of course it’s true,
when are you going to see him for what he really is, a product of
the ghetto and he aint going nowhere. God forbid he drags you down
with him.” Ok that did it…that did it. “Look old man I love your
daughter and you can throw all the shade you want to at me but that
doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going anywhere. You might not
want to realize this but I’m her man not you…and if you focused
more time worrying about yourself you would have your own woman and
leave us the hell alone.” He stood in shock at first but soon
turned boiling red angry. “That’s it, that’s it.” He turned to Lucy
who was trembling at her father’s wrath. “I will not sit back any
longer and let this man destroy you. You decide right now him or
me.” “What?” she stared at him hurt by what he was making her do. I
shook my head at this man’s audacity, he didn’t even care that he
was hurting his daughter by doing this. “After tonight I don’t ever
want to see him again, now unless you want the same fate you better
make a decision. Him or me, make a choice.”

Oden continued to pressure
his daughter. I had enough of this and I grabbed our coats off the
rack. In my eyes she didn’t need him anymore, he had served his
purpose and now it was my job to take over. “Lucy are you coming?”
She looked at me teary eyed then back to him. “Yes.” She stood
slowly as she walked away from the first man she had ever loved.
The drive to a hotel was a silent one ,every word Oden had
slithered out still replayed in my mind. “I can’t believe him…after
all the things I have done for you he still thinks I’m not good
enough.” Lucy sulked in the car disappointed by the demise of the
holiday dinner. “Well once we show him that were serious about each
other, he’ll have no choice but to accept it.” I was so caught up
in my anger I failed to see what she was saying. “What are you
talking about?” She looked up at me. “You said you wanted to marry
me right?” I swallowed and remembered I had let that slip out and
now had put myself in a whole lot of trouble. “Yeah but…no time
soon.” Lucy eyed me strangely as she sat up. “Then why would you
say that?” I glanced at her then back to the road. “I meant what I
said. Just, not right now.” She took inventory of my tone and
sighed in the passenger seat. “So let me guess you just said all of
that marriage stuff to piss my father off right?” “I meant what I
said baby, I did.” Lucy looked out the window trying to hide the
tears sliding down her face. “I can’t believe you.” I shook my
head. “I meant what I said Lucy I want to marry you just...” I
could hear her sobbing with her head down, I reached out to touch
her but she smacked my hand away. “Don’t!” She continued to sob. I
road through the icy snow regretting the pain I had just caused the
woman I love.

***

Detective Trent looked at
me intently and sat across the table. “Grant your wife fell down a
flight of stairs and was admitted in the hospital with numerous
injuries and I need to know how she got there.” I was getting
frustrated; this was insane. “You can’t be serious? You really
think I would try to hurt my wife come on now.” I was sick of this
I needed to be there for Lucy right now, not entertaining Oden’s
hired help. Instead of the smart ass approach I tried to reason
with him. “Did it ever occur to you that this may have been an
accident?” There was a knock on the door, Detective Trent rose up
and chatted with another officer for a minute then returned back to
me. “Well Grant looks like we are going to find out everything we
need to know now….The hospital called your wife is awake.” My heart
pounded loudly at those words….she’s awake.

Chapter 19

It was
an Accident right?

Lucy

Oh damn,
I thought. I woke up and felt so groggy, like a
ton of bricks had toppled over me. My body was hurting and I could
barely move.
What happened,
I thought. What’s going on? As my vision became
clearer I looked up to see an older looking familiar man at my bed
side. “Dad...” I managed to get out softly. He smiled at me. “Hey
baby girl…I thought I would never see those pretty eyes again.” I
became uneasy as I saw tears began to form in his eyes. “What are
you doing here daddy?” I asked. He patted my hair trying to comfort
me in my time of need. “You had an accident honey….The doctor
called.”
Accident,
I thought. Blurred visions filled my brain and I recalled the
whole scene at the hospital. I spotted Grant with Alexia, I ran
away, and then somehow fell down the stairwell. I leaned up trying
to regain control of all of my limbs but my dad reached up and
stopped me.

“
Don’t do that honey.
You’re going to need all of your strength.” Just then a young
attractive Spanish man entered my room. “Honey this is Detective
Trent from the police station…he’s going to ask you some questions
about what happened ok?” I looked at him in confusion. “Mrs. Smith,
I understand you had an accident here at the hospital?” I nodded as
he continued. “Can you tell me what happened?” I struggled as I
tried to recall the events that led up to my accident everything
seemed hazy after so much time. “I was feeling sick…at work…so I
made an appointment…. I saw my husband at the hospital……” I
hesitated to finish the story. “And what happened?” Detective Trent
pushed on. “I ran…to an exit stairwell….I couldn’t breathe…I was
looking for my phone….in my purse… then….I.” Detective Trent and my
father leaned in closer. “You what? What happened?” I shook my
head. “I don’t remember....” Detective Trent nodded. “Did you see
anything or anyone?” I was trying to see could I remember if I saw
or smelled something that was familiar so I could trigger something
in my brain but I couldn’t recollect anything. I shook my head and
my father stood up. “So what do we do now? We can’t make an arrest
on that.”

“
An arrest?” I nearly bust
open some stiches at the sound of that. “You have someone in
custody?” “We are currently questioning someone.” Detective Trent
clarified staring at my father sternly. “But I’ll keep in touch.”
And with that he exited the room. “Dad what’s going on?” I asked in
utter disbelief. “Nothing honey just relax while I’ll go check on
little Greg.” Little Greg…With everything that had been going on I
failed to remember my own child. “Little Greg …where is he? Is he
ok? Let me see him.” My dad tried to calm my nerves but it was too
late I was in a frenzy. “I’m going to go get him now
sweetheart…just calm down.” I finally tamed myself and eased back
on the bed. My dad kissed me on the head and I watched him exit the
doors. While this commotion was going on all I could seem to think
about was Grant.
Where is he? Does know
I’m here? Does he care?
I wanted to call
him but then again I didn’t. I was so confused but one thing was
clear I needed rest.