Page 9 of Holly's Valentine Vow

What on earth did she hit?my mind whispers. I don’t see any fur that would indicate she struck a deer, and the damage is a little too low for that, there's a huge dent in the fender going onto the hood, the headlight area is broken with pieces missing, and there’s paint transfer as well. Shrugging, I replace the tarp and head to my truck, grateful I didn’t see her. She’s probably using the second car we owned, which reminds me that one of the cars needs to be sold. Although, her personal car would be better off sold to a scrap yard for parts. It won’t give us much income to split, but it’d be one less thing I have to deal with when it comes to the insurance company. I’ve got my truck and it’s a dually, so I’ve got the space inside for my granddaughters.

I hit the garage door opener for the last time to close it, then toss it into the glovebox, since I have one for my new place and don’t want to confuse the two since their casings are similar. I’ll put it and the house keys in an envelope for the realtor and drop them off since the house is up for sale already.

My stomach growls as I head to my new house, so I decide to detour to the diner to ease the rumbling. I’m not much of a cook, so I’ve been eating there rather frequently. At least for dinner, but I can always grab a meal to go and reheat it later this evening.

“Grandpa!” Turning, I see Paul sitting with Mina and Ruby and head to their table, my smile so wide I feel like my face will split in two.

While I haven’t seen the girls as much as I’d like, I decide to change that fact, especially when I see how excited they are to see me.

“Hey, my sweet girls, how are you?” I ask, scooting into the booth where they’re both sitting.

There’s something about a grandchild’s hugs and kisses that humbles a man, that’s for sure. Once they’ve both had their turn and I promise to come over and see them soon, I look over and see the expression on Paul’s face.

“Paul, you okay?”

He looks like he’s aged ten years and it was only a few weeks back since I last saw him at a card game we were both at; neitherof us won, but we had a good time shooting the shit and drinking a few beers.

He sighs then says, “Been a few weeks since I saw you last, Samuel.”

The tremble in his tone has my head canting to the side with curiosity. I can tell he’s trying to hold it together for the girls’ sake, but we’re both their grandfathers and need to present a united front whenever possible. “Yeah, it has. What’s going on, old friend?”

Because despite Myra’s shrewish behavior toward both EstherandPaul, I developed a structural friendship with them both. The three of us have the same goal; protect Holly, Rebel, and the girls as much as we can. At first our friendship was founded due to our love and commitment to Mina and Ruby’s welfare, as well as Holly’s, but then it was because I genuinely enjoyed their company and being with both of them.

“Daddy had an axdent,” Ruby states. “Pappy and Grammy sad.”

“Mama’s sad too,” Mina chimes in, before picking up her cup of milk and taking a drink.

“Rebel?” I ask Paul, needing clarification. At his nod, I add, “When did this happen?”

“About two weeks or so ago,” he replies. “Someone hit him from behind as he was angling to pull into the driveway.”

My mind immediately flashes to what I saw under the tarp, and I know my face pales by several shades. Surely Myra wouldn’t hit Rebel, would she?

“Is he okay?” I question, my body shaking as I anticipate his answer. I know he might have to censor some of what he’s gonnatell me because of the girls, but I need to know if my suspicions are correct.

“No, he’s not. He’s got a long road ahead of him since both legs were broken and he’s covered in road rash. Both of them do, actually since Holly’s been staying with him. But they just moved him to rehab, and they won’t let her stay at the facility with him overnight, so she’ll be coming home tonight to be with the girls. Esther and I’ve been taking care of the girls for her while she oversees Rebel’s medical care.”

I glance at the girls, then pull out my phone and send Paul a text, not wanting either Mina or Ruby to hear what I’m about to tell him.

Out loud, I ask, “Which rehab center?” Then I send him a message.

Me: I think I may know who hit him.

I watch the bubbles as Paul glances at me while he says, “Sunnyside Rehab. It’s got assisted living there too, but they’ve got a top-notch physical therapy program.”

Paul: Who?

Me: Myra. Went to the house to get the rest of my stuff and found her car in the garage covered with a tarp. It’s got a bunch of front-end damage.

“We need to let Rebel know,” Paul states, his voice quiet so the girls don’t pick up on the tension.

“I’ll head over there. I may or may not have pictures of the damage.”

Right now, I’m glad I thought of taking them as a precautionary measure. But, after seeing what was underneath the tarp, I chose to pull out my phone, take a video of the car, then quite a few still shots. Maybe it was instinct, I don’t know, but if Myra ends up being involved in this heinous act, I’ll have the proof they need to nail her to the wall. Once again, my heart drops thinking about how much she’s changed over the years. It’s almost as if she’s a completely different person these days. She was always a bit high strung, but over the years, that slowly morphed into a controlling persona which got even worse when Devin died.

“Good, I’m sure the police will want to see them as well,” he replies. “Girls, your mama is coming home tonight.”

“I’ve missed her and Daddy,” Mina says, her lips quivering.

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