CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 

“WHEN YOU FINISH checking Tim out, you can hand me the salt and pepper,” Cliff said. He’d been watching Trevor watch Randi’s ex-husband.  Ready and waiting for something to happen.

Trevor grinned.  No sense arguing.  He was pretty sure everyone there was on pins and needles.  Waiting for the other shoe to fall.  He took a swig of beer.  “I’m sure Randi appreciates you and Ginny agreeing to this.”

Cliff shrugged as he flipped the steaks.  “Randi’s done all the work.  Said it was a celebration of our news as well.  Wouldn’t let anyone to do anything.  Only allowed Marcie to provide the wine.”

Trevor felt like he was watching a play.  It was a cool Saturday afternoon.  The sun was bright, blue skies dotted with what looked like white puffy clouds of cotton.  The sun’s rays shimmered off the pool.  It was a little cool for swimming but Cliff had started preparing the pool for the summer.  Tension simmered.

Randi was nervous. Running herself ragged. Dressed in a jean skirt and apricot colored tunic top, she’d probably been up since the crack of dawn.  The boys bragged about how they had helped her make brownies.  He’d make it a point to be sure she had a large glass of wine when the evening was over.

He knew Marcie was fuming.  She was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt with Wine Diva, sequined across the front.  She might be flirting with Pete, the guy from California but she never kept Tim out of her sight.

Brad was quiet.  Considering all Randi had told him about her marriage, Trevor was sure the lawyer was trying to put things in perspective to better prepare his case.  He kept an eagle eye on Tim and the boys.

Brina and Rafe had just gotten there, full of apologies but he was sure he knew why the newlyweds were late.  He wouldn’t mind a little one on one with Randi.

Ginny, Miriam and Harriet chatted while setting the table. Ginny was her usual quiet self, Miriam was nervous being overly friendly while keeping an eye on Tim and Harriet just observed.

Pete seemed to be the only one there that was enjoying himself.  Cliff had told him that Pete owned a winery in California but hadn’t told Marcie yet.  He enjoyed teasing and arguing with her when they discussed her wine ideas.  Maybe Pete did sense Marcie’s fury, Trevor decided, as he seemed to be going out of his way to keep her distracted.

Tim just sat there while Scott and Sandy talked non-stop, trying to engage with the father they never knew.  He wore khakis, a navy polo shirt, expensive watch and loafers.  He looked bored.

Trevor recalled his conversation with Susan and watched Tim’s every move.  The man’s hands sometimes shook and Trevor wondered if it was nerves or if he needed a shot of bourbon.  He acted like the bored, irritated teenager assigned to baby-sitting.

Trevor tried not to laugh as he watched Tim get a dose of fatherhood.  He also worried what the boys’ lives would be like if Tim got custody. What little he’d heard so far, Tim’s answers were curt, single-syllable and non-interested.

Trevor grinned.  “Is it that obvious?”

Cliff laughed.  “You’ve hardly taken your eyes off Randi since Tim and Miriam arrived.”

“She’s running herself ragged.  And for what?  The jerk doesn’t deserve any of this.  Look at him, he sits there and it’s plainly obvious he’d much rather be somewhere else.  The boys try to talk to him and he answers in monosyllables.”  Trevor stopped when he saw Tim ball his hand into a fist.

He and Cliff watched Tim snatch his sunglasses from Sandy who had innocently picked them up and tried them on.  Sandy immediately had a hurt look on his face.

Trevor locked eyes with Brad who shook his head.

“Why don’t you relieve the jerk.” Cliff said.

“Not a bad idea,” Trevor answered.  “What better way to earn extra points since Harriet just observed it too.”  He exchanged looks with Rafe, reached for the soccer ball and kicked it out into the yard.  “Hey boys, why don’t you show me some of what you’ve learned at soccer.”

“Yeah,” they both hollered.

“Coach says we just have to keep our hands off the ball,” Scott said as he kicked the ball to his brother.

An expert with playing against his nieces and nephews, Rafe joined them and before long it was the big guys versus the little guys.

Harriet sat in the chair next to Tim.  “Hope you’re enjoying your time getting to know your boys.”

Tim nodded, then frowned when Miriam joined them.

“Aren’t they so cute?” Miriam asked.  “Can’t wait to get them to Maryland.”

“Do you have any plans?”  Harriet asked.

“Plans?” Tim asked.

Harriet smiled.  “Yes.  Like going to the movies?  Eating ice cream.  You know they like anything that has to do with action figures.”

“Miriam can arrange all that.  I’ll be busy with meetings.”

Harriet looked at Miriam.  “Summer’s coming.  Maybe by then the boys will be familiar enough with you, they can spend a couple weeks with you.”

Miriam beamed.  “That would be wonderful.”

“Might be better to do weekend visits for a while,” Tim stated.

 

Trevor grabbed the beans and followed Randi inside when she started clearing the table.  He set the bowl on the kitchen counter and grabbed her before she could return outside.

“Trevor,” she sighed, started to push him away.

“Wait up.  Take a minute. Breathe.  It’s almost over.  You’re doing great.”

Randi looked up at him, sighed again and rested her forehead on his shoulder.  “This has been so hard.  Miriam’s all excitement, Tim’s all gloom and doom, Harriet is observing and the boys are full of it.  Not sure how much more I can take.”

“You’re doing fine.”  He rubbed his hands up and down her back.  “Food was good, boys are behaving, everyone, except Tim seems to be happy.”  He hugged her closer.  “If Tim wants to be an ass, let him.  Just remember we’ll have next weekend in Atlanta.”

“Shush, I haven’t had a chance to tell the boys yet.”  She lifted her head and smiled up at him.  “Ginny’s excited though.  Making all sorts of plans.  Wants to take them to the Children’s Museum.”

Trevor smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.  “While Mom is busy in Atlanta working.”

They both turned when Tim stepped into the kitchen and glared at them.  Randi started to pull away but Trevor hugged her closer and smiled.

“Just thanking the little chef,” he kissed her lips.

“Doubt that Cliff will appreciate that comment.”  Tim sneered.

“Doubt Cliff will appreciate what?” Cliff asked, following Tim into the kitchen.  “All I did was flip the steaks.  Good job, Randi,” he said as he set the cooking tongs in the sink and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Yeah, Mom,” Scott and Sandy carried the left-over napkins and eating utensils to the table.  Since Trevor was still holding their mother, they each gave them both a hug around their waists before racing back outside.

“Guess Miriam and I need to be heading out,” Tim said when Ginny and Miriam strolled in with more leftovers.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Ginny said.  “I had thought we could take a ride around the place.  Visit Lariat’s grave.  See some of the beautiful countryside.”

Tim frowned.  “Lariat?”

Ginny stared at him, a shocked expression on her face.  “Yes.  You know, the triple crown contender about fifteen years back?  Spicer Meadows is where he was born.  Claude Spicer trained and groomed him here.”  She smiled.  “He was such a beautiful horse.”

“Oh, I think that would be lovely,” Miriam gushed, then backed away when Tim gave her a scouring look.  “Oh, I’m sorry.  I just thought you would like to spend more time with the boys.”

“I also have an early committee meeting in the morning.”  He extended his soft hand to Ginny.  “Thank you for a delicious meal but we’ll have to pass this time.”

 

“Can you believe the nerve of the man,” Brina exclaimed as Tim drove down the driveway.  “Such an asshole.  Can’t give Randi credit for anything.”  She cringed when she turned and saw Harriet.  “Sorry. But it’s true.”

“Well, I’m certainly not going to pass up a chance to ride the territory.”  Marcie said.  She looked at Pete.  “How about you handsome?  Are you up to riding the horses?  Ready to check out the competition?”

Marcie smiled when everyone was silent.  “Oh, come on, I’m not stupid.”  She looked at Pete.  “I googled you the second time you visited.  Peter Evans, owner of Hideaway Winery.  Why do you think I’ve baited you so much?”  She turned and headed for the stables.

Pete grinned.  “Woman after my heart,” he said and sprinted after her.

“Can we ride?” Sandy called out to Marcie.

Marcie turned, looked at Randi.  “Only if it’s okay with your mother.  You can ride with me and Scott can ride with Pete.”

Both boys raced to their mother’s side.  “Mom, pleeeeezze?”

“You have to sit very still,” Randi said when everyone followed Marcie and Pete to the stables.

As soon as Scott and Sandy were seated on the horses with Marcie and Pete, Cliff, Ginny, Brina and Rafe loaded up into Cliff’s jeep.  Brad and Stacie said they’d follow in Brad’s vehicle.

“Harriet?”  Randi asked.  “Would you like to join us?  I’ll be glad to drive the Escalade if you’d like.”

“No, no,” Harriet waved her hands.  “I really need to be going anyway.  My daughter is having a surprise birthday party for my grandson this evening and I promised I would help her with the decorations.  Probably should have been there thirty minutes ago.” 

She didn’t add that she’d almost left earlier but was glad she stayed and witnessed Tim’s performance in the kitchen.  Harriet took Randi’s hand and smiled.  “I want to thank you for a wonderful time.  It’s obvious you put a lot of thought into this and I appreciate your hard work.”

“Thank you.  Ah, before you go, I need to tell you that I will be out of town next weekend.  I need to go to Georgia.  With Trevor.  To bid on a project in Atlanta.  But Ginny will be taking care of the boys,” she quickly added.

“I don’t want you to think you have to give up your life just because Tim is seeking joint custody.  If he and the boys were more familiar with each other, I’d suggest that they might spend the weekend with him but after what I observed today, he is nowhere near ready to be their father.”  She looked at Trevor.  “I’m sure this job will be an important one and I encourage you go try to get back to a normal life.  You need to earn your living as well.” 

“Thank you,” Randi said.  “You don’t know how much better that makes me feel.”

Harriet gave Randi a hug and smiled.  “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

 

“Did you see the way Tim treated Miriam while they were here?” Randi asked Trevor as they headed out in his truck to catch up with everyone.  “I mean, she’s so timid.  Almost afraid to be with him but scared to be away from him too.”

“Did he always talk down to you like he did her?”

“Not at first.  Only after he got elected and our marriage started going downhill.”

By now, they had caught up with the rest of them.  They had stopped at the family cemetery.  Ginny bent to weed around Claude and Alexander’s graves.

She glanced up when Randi and Trevor stepped through the gate. “You haven’t been introduced to the members of the Spicer’s Meadows family, have you?” Ginny asked Trevor.

“Claude and I traced the genealogy of the family and discovered that there were lots of girls and only one surviving son for each generation.  We wondered if there was a curse as the mothers died in childbirth after giving birth to the sons.”

She stepped to the far side of the cemetery.  “Almost all of the Spicer men were active in the military and the community.  This is Gerald Spicer.  He immigrated to Virginia from Ireland at the age of eighteen and built the two-story log cabin over there in the woods.  He planted tobacco and became established in the church.

His son, Gerald the second continued to develop the farm and served in the House of Burgesses.

Gerald’s son, Clifton, fought in the French and Indian war and then built the Manor house when he returned home.”

Ginny moved to the next row of tombstones.  “This is Clifton’s son, Clifton the second who worked the farm but also trained horses.  That’s how the family got into the horse business.

His son, Clifton Gerald trained in the military and served as a Confederate officer in the Civil War.  He also had to rebuild the manor house after the war when the Union soldiers almost destroyed it.

Clifton Gerald the second was Claude’s father.  He was a strange man.  You’ll notice he has the biggest marker and his two wives are buried on either side of him.  He had one son, Clifton Gerald the third, then another son Alexander and four daughters.  Claude’s father bragged that he had somehow escaped the curse until his oldest son was killed aboard the Lusitania in nineteen fifteen.  There is a second Clifton Gerald who is buried next to his second wife.  He was born in nineteen thirty-seven and named Clifton Gerald the third in honor of his firstborn.

There were no more Spicer males in the family until Cliff was born thirty-two years ago.”

Ginny pointed to Claude’s headstone.  “This is Claudette Spicer.  She was Clifton Gerald the second’s oldest daughter after Alexander.  For the longest time, everyone thought Claude was Cliff’s great aunt but we learned last year that she is really his grandmother.  She fell in love with Quentin O’Malley before World War II.  It’s a long story but Quentin went off to war and was injured.  Claude had Cliff’s father the same day her stepmother had another girl.  Claude’s father was so distraught, he made Claude give up her baby and claimed him as his son Clifton Gerald the third.”

Trevor shook his head.  “Quite a history.”  He looked at Cliff.  “I’m sure it was a shock.”

“Yes, at first but it also explained why Claude made herself so much a part of my life.”  He looked at Ginny.  “I used to come here in the summers and worry Ginny.  When I had to return to settle Claude’s estate, things started unraveling.  Claude stipulated that we both administer her estate and marry within a year of her death.  Claude had adopted Ginny and Brina late in life and I think she always knew I was in love with Ginny.”

“And this baby?”  Trevor nodded at Ginny.

“Will not be Clifton Gerald the fifth,” Cliff quickly answered.  “We’re still working on that.”

Ginny took Scott and Sandy up the hill to visit Lariat’s grave.  The triple crown contender had put Edmondsville on the map and was like the mascot for the town.  Streets were named after him and they planned to name the firehouse complex Lariat Square once it was finished.

“Trevor, if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you could look at the original home-site.” Marcie pointed to a cabin tucked just inside some trees at the far end of the field.  “I know it’s a long way off the main road but the soil is good back here.  I think Pete even agrees with me on that.  In addition to planting grapes in these back fields, I’m hoping Cliff and Ginny will let me do some renovations to the original home site and make it the tasting room.”

“She doesn’t want to take my word for it,” Pete said.

Marcie glared at the winemaker.  “You?”  She poked a finger to his chest.  “The guy who couldn’t be honest with me from the beginning.”

“I was just having fun,” Pete said.  “I wanted to see how determined you were.  Didn’t want to sway you either way.”

Marcie winked at Trevor.  “You might know about grapes and winemaking but Trevor is the construction guy.”

Trevor headed across the field.  He’d let them catch up when they stopped arguing.

It was a small lot with trees that had apparently grown up when they moved to the bigger manor house.  He looked back at the cemetery.  Back then, family cemeteries were located off in a distance so family could visit with ancestors whenever the mood struck.

Trevor decided it would add a little charm to the exterior.  Especially if they spruced up Lariat’s grave up on the hill.  Lariat could be part of the purpose of the winery.

Marcie and Pete joined him as he stepped towards the cabin.

“It needs a lot of work,” Marcie said, “but I’m hoping you’ll think it is worth it.”

“Yes,” Trevor agreed, “but nothing a little upgrading and renovating can’t take care of.”  He stepped inside and looked up at the exposed ceiling joists.  Looks pretty solid.”

“There are only two rooms.  And they’re both small.  But I was wondering if it would be possible to take part of the interior wall out and make it one large tasting room.”

Trevor checked both sides of the wall.  “No reason why it can’t.  Not like you’ll have a second floor.  And any needed support for the roof can be made into columns.”  He looked up.  “The exposed beams will give it a little more character.”

Marcie hid her pleasure behind the hands at her mouth.  Her eyes sparkled as she stared from Trevor to Pete and back to Trevor.  “Are you sure?”

“It’s doable, yes.  Clear the front for a parking lot.”

“Add onto the back and make it the operations center for the winery.”  Pete said.  “Maybe even replace part of the back wall with glass so customers can see the winemaking in action.”

Tears glistened in Marcie’s eyes.  “You don’t know how happy this makes me.  A winery and tasting room here and new wine shop in town.  I can’t wait.”