Page 61 of The Heir

“Unions? Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think they got unions where I’m going.”

Donovan grinned, “I mean marriages, son.”

Something between a grunt and laugh caught in my throat. Was this old man senile? Had March forgotten to tell me about some condition Grandpappy suffered from?

I just told this man I was going to prison. He told me, it was going to be double the time! Now he wanted to talk about marriage?

“I– I won’t be getting married for some time. I don’t even know how much time I’m going to be locked up for. I don’t want Marchella waiting on me, seriously. This isn’t her mistake–Mistakes.” I emphasized how steep shit had gotten.

I flubbed my lips, letting out stress that I hadn’t even realized I was carrying and gripped the telephone, “Listen, Mr. Winehopper. I appreciate you coming down here. Marchella is an angel. She helped me find a part of myself I forgot existed, but–”

“No, Blaze. You hush and listen for a second,” he insisted.

My eyes bugged, not having expected him to talk to me so. I had enough respect not to curse at him, and the shock of his words made me pause long enough for him to press onward.

“Your mother can’t make these charges go away. It would flush her career down the toilet to even hint at it to the judge. I’m an honest man, I would never tamper in a court case, by asking someone to make charges disappear. However, I am a preacher. It would not be too forward of me to suggest a solution for the judge to consider. A plea agreement that would make sense to the situation, allow him to say you suffered the consequences, and not leave you wasting your potential and future in a prison cell.”

The prickly feeling that he’d stirred by scolding me instantly died down. I wasn’t sure he had such power, but it soundedreasonable. I’d heard small towns did things differently sometimes.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “Are you sure this is a thing that will– work?”

“Are you going to marry my granddaughter or not?”

I laughed and wiped at the stubble along either side of my jaw while slowly nodding, “I mean– Yeah, I’ll marry her, but not if she has to wait on me.”

He grunted and slapped his knee, a broad smile forming that took years off his face.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Marchella

Grandpa came back from giving his sermon, and said he was going to the jail to visit Blaze. I was wearing black dress slacks and a baby-blue shirt I’d borrowed from Gran to wear to the service.

“Uh– Yeah. One second.” I held up a finger and dashed toward my attic bedroom. I changed in a flash and was just putting my shoes on when I heard his truck rolling down the driveway without me.

“What the hell?” I scrambled to get the door open and darted back down the stairs two at a time.

Gran met me at the bottom with both of her wrinkled hands raised in a silent plea.

“Don’t hurt yourself chasing after him, now, dear. All will be well. Let your grandfather handle things.” She smiled.

“I– Gran, I want to see him, too,” I stammered.

“You will. Trust your grandfather, and all will be well. Just like I said.”

I let out a sigh of a laugh. She was so tender-hearted and naive where the law was concerned. How could she not be? She’d never been to jail. Neither of her daughters had ever brought legal trouble and it wasn’t like Grandpa had ever broken the law.

“I don’t think things are going to turn out as pleasantly as you hope. Blaze is in some serious trouble. He violated a house arrest order, and the fence got torn up when he came after me.”

She smiled and patted my shoulder, “Come have some tea, you’ll feel better.”

I did not feel better. I felt like I was going to come out of my skin. I didn’t want warm honeyed tea, I wanted a damn joint. Oh, I’d have paid double for a pre-roll of Grand Daddy Purp.

Just a few blessed puffs to relax me and let my mind soar while my body tingled.

The phone on the wall rang and I leaped out of the dining room chair like we were under fire. It’d been so long since I heard one of those. Everyone has a cell these days!

I stared at the phone and Gran stared at me.

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