Page 32 of Shelter for Martina

“I just know it’s been a while for you, and—”

“Might I remind you that I gotyouhere, young man,” Bud snapped as he turned the steaks.

“Awkward,” Dimitri mumbled.

“Isn’t it though?” Bud replied and turned to him. “My son is quizzing me on my sex life. Who’d have ever thoughtthatwould happen?”

“I’m just concerned, that’s all,” Blake said, and Bud laughed.

“You needn’t be concerned, son. I remember how it’s done.” Then, just to freak Blake out, Bud added, “I had a good amount of practice over the years.”

“Information I did not need,” Blake muttered and rolled his eyes.

Dimitri snorted. “He can dish it out, but he can’t take it.”

“Guys! Everything else is ready! How’s it going?” Martina called from the garage door.

“Good. I’ll have them to the table in two minutes!” Bud called back. “Here,” he said and thrust the platter at Blake. “Hold this while I take them off the grill.”

Dinner was amazing. Everyone talked and laughed, and Martina and her grandkids seemed to fit right in. Bud was in seventh heaven. His whole family was enjoying time with his new girlfriend, and he couldn’t have been happier. She seemed happy too, laughing and smiling with the Riley and Maeve.

The kids and grandkids rolled out at six, and it was time for Martina to gather up the girls’ things and take them back to Nola’s. The car seats were mounted in her little ChevyMalibu, so Bud drove and Martina told him where to turn until they got there to drop them off. He was surprised—Martina and Nola were very friendly, and they spoke excitedly about how Darnell would be home later in the week and the girls would be with him for the time he was home. He was especially touched to see Nola hug Martina and wish her peace and strength. “We’ll be thinking about you,” Nola assured her as they climbed back into her car.

“She’s very nice,” Bud pointed out as they drove away.

“Yes. She’s been a good friend to me all this time. We were both very against our kids marrying. We didn’t think they were mature enough. But Darnell has been good to Renita, and he stuck with her through a stint in rehab before this all happened. And Nola’s been there for her too. They’re just as upset as I am. Well, maybe not as upset, but they’re really upset.”

“Nice to know you’re not alone in that,” Bud added.

Martina took his hand and kissed the back of it. “Yes. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.”

He smiled in the dash light. He’d be right beside her. There was no doubt about that in his mind.

“Could we go to my house so I can pick up some stuff? I have a few things I need for the coming week.”

Bud nodded. “Sure. Let’s go.” As he drove, they talked and laughed. It had been a good weekend. “By the way, I just wanted you to know, I meant what I said.” She raised one eyebrow. “I do love you, Martina. More than you know.”

“And I meant what I said too. I love you. You’re good to me. You’re good with me. You’re good for me. I can’t go wrong with you, Albert. I think you’re the man I was looking for all along.” He smiled as he watched her from the corner of his eye, her own face smiling as she watched the miles go by out the car’s window.

They pulled up to the dark house and went in. “Can you go get those clothes out of the dryer back there? There’s some stuff in there that I need. I’ll go in the bedroom and get some other things together. Just bring them in there after you’ve run them for a minute or two, okay?”

“Sure, babe.” Bud headed for the laundry room, then turned on the dryer and leaned back against it, smiling as he thought about the weekend and the way things had gone. He had a girlfriend! The dryer was a little loud, and when it went off, he heard something that had been hidden by its noise.

Voices. And one of them was Martina’s. He made his way through the kitchen and to the front of the house. She was obviously outside, and there was someone with her. A male voice.

He yanked open the front door to find her on the porch in a heated discussion. But the person she was talking to was quite a surprise.

MartyBurgess.

“What the hell’s going on here?” he barked, and then he got a look at Marty’s face.

The younger man was sobbing. It wasn’t crocodile tears, those boo-hoo-hoo kind of things that actors did. No, he was hysterical, tears rolling down his cheeks and snot running from his nose, babbling almost incoherently. He heard Martina say, “Yes. You can trust him. What do you want, Marty?”

“Yeah, what do you want, Marty? What the hell are you doing here?” Bud snapped.

“Sir, sir, please,” the younger man whispered, leaning forward, his hands out imploringly. “Please, I need to talk to somebody I can trust. Please? Can I talk to you for just a minute? Please? I don’t know who to trust, sir. Please?”

Bud turned and stared at Martina. “I don’t know what to say. Do you want to talk to him?” she asked.

---