Page 39 of Grit
“Sorry.” Would she ever get used to having a preteen? Just the word made her shudder. “Get your stuff together and we’ll go.” She looked for her mom. “As soon as Grandma is finished talking to Melvin.”
“Melissa?” Sherry walked over to her. “I wanted to ask you, because someone said you knew Kevin Fontaine? The rep from the holding company who spoke at the council meeting?”
“I don’t know him.” Melissa took the file Sherry handed her and started paging through it. There were news clippings of Kevin Fontaine breaking ground on a golf course in Santa Maria. A printout of the man in a suit at what looked like a board meeting. “I know the last name, but I don’t really know him.”
Abby jumped up on the chair next to Melissa and leaned over her shoulder. “Is it that guy?”
“Yeah.” She tugged the edge of Abby’s T-shirt. “Abby, don’t jump on the chairs.”
“I know him.” Abby pointed to the picture in the file. “He’s one of Uncle Devin’s friends.”
Melissa turned to Abby, forgetting about the chair. “What?”
“Uncle Devin, Aunt Audrey’s husband.”
“Yeah, I know who your Uncle Devin is.” Calvin’s younger sister, Audrey, had married the slimiest of slimy salesmen. Devin would do anything for a buck, but he sucked up to Greg and Beverly, which meant that Audrey and Devin were family favorites.
Abby pointed to the picture of the smiling man in the file. “That guy’s one of Uncle Devin’s friends. I’ve seen him at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”
“When was this?”
Abby scrunched up her nose. “The last time I was there without you, I think. They had a party. There were so many people.”
“That was six weeks ago.” Melissa glanced at Sherry. “Long before the council meeting.”
Sherry’s mouth formed anO. “Well… that’s unexpected.”
But was it? It wasn’t hard to imagine that Greg and Bev would try to interfere with Melissa’s life if they couldn’t get her to bend to their whims. There was definitely something going on, and she would be calling Greg as soon as she saved up enough aspirin for the headache it would cause.
“Let’s go.” She patted Abby’s back. “Thanks, kiddo. Grandma and I will take care of it.” She looked at Sherry. “I’ll let you know when I do, okay?”
Sherry nodded. “Sorry. It’s always complicated when it’s family.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” She turned and followed Abby out of the church social hall where they were meeting.
Dammit, Calvin. Of all the things to inherit, your parents have got to be the most work.
Melissa walked to the truck and started it, waiting for her mom to join them.
“Mom?” Abby piped up from the rear seat.
“Yeah, honey?”
“Is Uncle Devin being shitty?”
She winced, fairly certain Abby was repeating something she’d overheard from one of her own conversations. “Don’t call Uncle Devin shitty. But… possibly yes.”
Abby sighed. “He doesn’t like goats.”
“Uncle Devin?”
“Yeah. He thinks my goat-milk-soap idea is stupid.”
Melissa turned. “Did he say that?”
Abby rolled her eyes. “No. But I can tell. Just like I can tell that you really like goats even though you say you don’t.”
“They’re not my favorite animals, Abby. But I think your soap idea is great and sounds like a good weekend project.”
