Love Mercy Part 7

She closed the cabinet door and picked up the phone. Clint answered on the second ring.

"Good afternoon, Clint," she said.

"Hey, Love," he said.

"I have a problem-"

"No, you can't have an extra day for your column. I need it yesterday. You know Bob the printer gets his panties all in a bunch if I ask him to work even a modic.u.m of overtime. And he charges me an arm, a leg and a couple of fingers even without overtime. I ought to sell this rag. What was I thinking? It's nothing but a money pit."

"No, Clint, I-"

"I'm serious. Owning a magazine might have been my dream at one time, but it's turning into Dante's nightmare. Is that a correct literary reference? Probably not, but nevertheless, it's exactly what it feels like. I should have stayed at my old job. Putting rapists and wife beaters in jail was much less stressful."

Four years ago, after thirty years on the bench as one of the toughest, most feared criminal judges in San Bernardino County, he'd retired to the Central Coast. After six months of fis.h.i.+ng, he was ready to retire from retirement, so he bought the struggling regional magazine.

"I-" Love started again.

"Okay," he interrupted. "For you, I'll do it. Only because I'm a sucker for smart, good-looking broads with silver red hair who bake killer chocolate rum cupcakes. Have the cupcakes in my office by nine a.m. tomorrow. With a mug of joe."

"Judge, I need your help."

His voice grew serious in a flash. She only called him Judge when she was upset. "What's wrong?"

"Isn't your son visiting you this week?"

"He's probably reclining on my leather sofa gobbling down my favorite Wasabi-flavored potato chips and watching a police-chase video as we speak. Why?"

"My granddaughter is sick, and I'd like him to look at her. I'm sure it's just the flu, but I . . . I don't know that much about her health."

There were ten seconds of silence. "Your granddaughter? I didn't know you and Cy had a granddaughter."

"Actually, we have three. Long story. I'll tell you all about it someday, but right now I need your son."

"Nine-one-one?"

"No, I think it's just the flu, but I'd feel better-"

"He can be there in ten minutes. Would you like me to come by?"

"Not tonight. I want you to meet Rett, but I'm sure she'd prefer feeling a little better before I inflict my friends on her."

"Inflict? Knife to the heart, Love. I'll have you know young women have always adored me. The young law clerks often compared me to Paul Newman." He paused, and Love knew the punch line was coming. "Or maybe it was Alfred E. Neuman."

"You, my dear friend, are a little of both," she said, relieved. "Thank you. I will make you those cupcakes."

"Wait until after my son leaves. He's a human garbage disposal. I honestly have no idea how he stays so thin."

"I can make a double batch. What is his name again?"

"Garth."

"That's right, like the country singer."

"Actually, Beth named him after the ill.u.s.trator, but no one realizes that now."

"Of course. Garth Williams. The Little House books. Thanks again. My column and photo will be on your desk in a few days. I promise."

"I knew that. What is it about?"

She paused a moment before answering. "Gifts." Actually, the one she had finished was about hearts, since it was for the February issue. But Rett's arrival, the moments at the drugstore, made her want to explore the idea of gifts.

"Appropriate for Valentine's Day. As always, I'll look forward to giving it a vicious critique."

She laughed with him, both of them knowing that he wouldn't change a thing. When he bought the magazine and was considering changing the format and content, he'd seen her photographs with their humorous captions in the b.u.t.tercream and thought they were just what he was looking for. He proposed she write a monthly column ill.u.s.trated by her sometimes mystifying and always controversial photographs.

"Only if I have complete creative control," she'd told him.

"Sold," he said. "My only request is that they be controversial. I love it when people get all hot and bothered."

She cemented her place in his heart with her first column about the magazine's new publisher. The photograph showed the scales of justice sporting a grinning Ken doll head on one scale and a fresh fish head on the other. The caption read, "What kind of name is Clint Lawhead?"

To his delight, people talked about what it "meant" for weeks. The reason he and Love clicked was because they both understood, it didn't really mean anything.

"Judge Lawhead, you're the tower of pizza," she said.

"Or at least a bowl of ravioli. Let me know how she's doing."

After they hung up, she checked on Rett again. Ace lay next to the bed, his head down on his paws, his liquid brown eyes worried. Rett's eyes were closed, her breathing slow and even.

"She'll be all right," Love said, bending over to stroke the dog's head. "She'll be playing ball with you in no time. I promise."

"For sure," Rett murmured.

Love bent closer. "Rett, I've called a friend who is a doctor to come and look at you. I didn't want to give you any medication until he checked you over."

"Okay," she whispered. "But, really, I'm fine."

"Your mother-" Love started.

Rett's eyes flew open. "No. Do not call her."

She didn't want to upset her granddaughter so early in their relations.h.i.+p, but it bothered her that Karla Rae might be wondering where Rett was, worrying if she was safe. Rett had never been a mother. She didn't know that heart-in-the-throat feeling of panic a parent felt when they didn't know if their child was safe. No matter what kind of relations.h.i.+p Rett had with her mother, Karla Rae had a right to know that her daughter was all right.

"Rett, she'll be worried."

"Doubt that." Rett closed her eyes again.

She stared at Rett's vulnerable face; its smooth, flushed skin; the fine, strong line of her chin. Love wished she could capture this moment on film. In Rett's wide, high cheekbones, Love could see her mother; in her long, dusky eyelashes, Love's brother, DJ, lived again. When she was a girl, Love used to complain that DJ got the eyelashes she should have received.

"Don't call my mom," Rett said again, her voice weak but determined.

Love didn't answer. The girl had inherited Cy's stubbornness too. It wouldn't do any good to argue with her right now, but like it or not, Love would find out where Karla Rae lived and let her know Rett was safe. She dreaded speaking to her daughter-in-law, but it was the right thing to do.

Less than fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the front door causing Ace to dash out of the bedroom, barking.

"Hush," she told the dog, grabbing his collar.

Love opened the door to find a fortyish man wearing a San Francisco Giants T-s.h.i.+rt and baggy tan chinos. He clutched an old-fas.h.i.+oned leather doctor's bag, something that surprised her. The only photos she'd seen of Garth were in Clint's office. He had been in his UCLA football uniform and much younger. She was struck by the physical resemblance to his sixty-two-year-old father. Both had silver-streaked chestnut hair and tall, long-limbed bodies.

"I'm Garth Lawhead. Where's the patient?"

Ace growled and pulled against Love's hand. "It's okay," she told the dog. "Friend."

Garth held out his hand for Ace to sniff, then once the dog was satisfied, scratched Ace's white chest.

She let go of Ace's collar. "I'm Love Johnson. Nice to finally meet you. Thank you so much for humoring a worried grandmother."

He grinned. "It's a grandma's prerogative and duty to worry. Glad to help out. Dad promised me some awesome cupcakes for my effort."

"Oh, you share your dad's sweet tooth," she said, ushering him into the house.

"When it comes to sweets, we try not to share at all," he said, laughing. "The cupcakes are mine."

"I'll make a double batch. Rett's in the bedroom at the end of the hall."

He followed her into the bedroom, his manner turning completely professional when he walked over the threshold.

"h.e.l.lo, Ms. . . ." He turned to Love, his face questioning.

"Rett Johnson," Love said.

He turned back to Rett, whose eyes were open and suspicious. "h.e.l.lo, Ms. Johnson. I'm Dr. Lawhead, a friend of your grandma's. She says you're feeling a little under the weather."

"I'm okay," Rett said, struggling to sit up, her face flus.h.i.+ng with embarra.s.sment.

"I'm sure you are," Garth said. "But let's just set her mind at ease. I'll do a quick examination. I promise I have a real license and everything. Are you eighteen?"

She closed her eyes. "Eighteen and a half."

He glanced over at Love, and she nodded, verifying her age. "So, this'll just take a minute." He smiled at Love and waited.

"Oh, yes," she said, taking his hint. "I'll go into the living room."

Less than ten minutes later, Garth came out of the bedroom, zipping up his doctor's bag.

"Well, Grandma Love, you called it right. My professional guess is it's just a little flu. Considering all the truck stops she's been in the last few days, she was exposed to about a billion germs. She's young and healthy, so my diagnosis is she'll be over the worst of it in a few days. Tylenol, lots of liquids, dry toast and maybe some chicken soup when she's up to it. Last, but very important, I prescribe an occasional hug from Grandma. That should do the trick."

"Truck stops?" she couldn't help repeating.

He put a finger to his lips. "That was supposed to be between Rett and me. She had quite the little adventure getting to the West Coast from Knoxville. I'm sure she'll eventually tell you about it." He shrugged. "Problems between her mother and her. Not so unusual. I barely spoke to Dad from age eighteen to twenty-one. And seeing as I was quite the jerk during those years, he might have been okay with that."

"Did she say anything else?"

He shook his head no. "But I'm sure she'll open up sooner or later."

Love wasn't as sure, but she thanked him anyway while walking him to the door. "Tell your dad I'll have the cupcakes at his office tomorrow afternoon."

"Good. I'm leaving day after tomorrow. I'll bring them back to the wife and daughters. If what Dad says about the cupcakes is true, I might be off the hook for Christmas presents."

She smiled, shaking her head. "They aren't that good, but I think your wife will like them if she likes chocolate. How old are your girls?"

"Eight and ten."

"Then you have a ways to go before they start hitchhiking across the country to escape you."

"From your lips to G.o.d's ears," he said, looking up to the ceiling. "Right now, they still think I'm relatively cool."

"Enjoy it while you can."

After Garth left, Love made up a tray of ice water, toast, a gla.s.s of ginger ale and two Tylenol. She carried it carefully into the bedroom where Rett lay on her side, her back to the door.

"Rett, are you awake?"

Rett turned over slowly to look at her. "Yes, ma'am."

"The doctor said Tylenol would make you feel better. I wasn't sure if you were hungry, but I made you some toast."

"Just the Tylenol," Rett said, sitting up.

"I'll leave the tray here." She set it down on the maple desk across from the bed. "I'll put the water on the nightstand next to you. Why don't you try to rest, let the Tylenol go to work?"

"Okay." Rett swallowed the pills with a sip of water and lay back against the down pillows, her face relaxing.

Just as Love closed the bedroom door, she heard a faint. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she answered softly.

She went into the kitchen, fed Ace, then made herself some cocoa and toast with peanut b.u.t.ter. She carried them into the sunroom and sat down in her easy chair, staring out at the darkness. She knew she should try to find Karla Rae's phone number and call her, let her know that Rett was here. The thought of talking to her daughter-in-law filled her with dread. Though it was cruel, she decided to collect her bearings before she spoke to Karla Rae.

So, her next photograph would have to have something to do with gifts. But what? It was such a loaded subject. Gifts represented so many things to people. People spent their whole lives trying to give the perfect gift or longing to be given the perfect gift. What was it about gifts that held such power? Something that should be easy and fun was fraught with a vast array of frightening, confusing and complex emotions. No doubt how people felt about gifts-giving and receiving-could likely be traced back to their earliest years, to those first gifts they both gave and received.

The question was, of course, how would she say all that in a photograph? That was always the dilemma. Something would come to her. She sipped her cocoa, wis.h.i.+ng she could just sit here forever and never make that phone call. Ace settled at her feet and gave a wide yawn.

"Well, flyboy," she said, leaning over and ma.s.saging his neck, "we have to let Rett's mama know that she is safe, even if my granddaughter hates me forever. I'm just going to take it on faith that by doing the right thing, it will eventually come back to reward me."

She stood up and turned on her computer. This was definitely one time that the efficiency and downright convenience of the Internet would come in handy. She Googled Karla Rae's maiden name and came up with fifteen people, none of whom lived in Florida or Tennessee. She found an old address book and looked for Karla Rae's name. Next to it she'd, thank goodness, written her second husband's last name, Ryan. She Googled that. It gave an even a longer list: forty-two names. She could pay forty bucks to find out more, but she was afraid she'd just pay good money to get the address she already had. Then she dialed information in Pensacola, Florida, and quietly asked for Karla Rae or Pete Ryan. There was no listing. Did they move? She knew from Magnolia that Rett hitchhiked from Tennessee. Wait, Garth had said Knoxville. She called Knoxville information and asked for Karla or Pete Ryan. No listing. They probably had a private number if they had a landline at all. So many people were getting rid of theirs these days.

Then it hit her. Rett's cell phone. Surely she had her mother's number listed in her phone's address book. Love quietly opened the guest room door. Rett was sound asleep. Within minutes she had Karla Rae's phone number and was back in the living room, proud of her sleuthing.