Page 121 of Bourbon Kingdom
“Tell me what is going on right now,” he demanded into the phone.
I recalled my interaction with Mercy and told him about her connection with Rex.
“She looked deranged, Jett, like she was high or something.”
“I’m coming to get you.”
“No!” I practically shouted. “Don’t come get me, I just . . . I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay? You’re the one who’s out in the open. I knew this wasn’t a good idea,” he mumbled.
“Because she said it would be a shame if something happened to you. I didn’t know if someone was trying to kill you.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jett said into the phone. “I’m not the one to worry about. Goldie, listen to me, I want you to be safe. Can I please send my security detail to watch over you? It would put my mind at ease.”
“What about my mind?” I asked in a panic. “Something wasn’t right about her, Jett.”
“Which is why I would prefer for you to be protected. I can take care of myself. Please, Goldie, please let them at least watch over you for a little while until I can get my men to check out this Mercy woman. Please do this for me.”
The strain in his voice had me caving.
“Fine, I’m at the cemetery.”
“I know; they’ll be there shortly. They’ll give you privacy, I promise.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely, grateful he understood my need to talk to my parents.
“I love you; please be careful,” he said softly into the phone.
“You do the same,” I added seriously.
“Say it,” he responded.
“I love you,” I added.
With a sigh, he clicked the phone off, leaving me to spend some time with my parents. Feeling a little bit better, I walked over to their gravestone and sat in front of it. It’d been so long since I’d come to visit them that guilt washed over me when I saw the dead flowers that sat in front of their grave.
Holding back the tears that threatened to spill over, I placed my hand on the cold stone and said, “I’m sorry I’ve been such a lousy daughter and haven’t come to visit you more often. Things have been a little crazy lately. You guys remember Jett, right? I talked about him a couple of times. Well, I kind of fell in love with him.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “Who am I kidding? I didn’t kind of fall in love with him; I full on threw my heart off the edge and tumbled down the side of Love Lane. I’m so far gone when it comes to that man. I feel like I’ve developed the kind of love you two would have wanted for me. It’s taken a while, and we’ve had our ups and downs, but I feel like we’re in a good place now. I just know he was meant for me.”
A rustling came from behind me, causing me to whip my head around only to see one of Jett’s security people had made himself present. Once I spotted him, he pointed to where he was going to be. That was quick, but the man wouldn’t be working for Jett if he wasn’t quick.
I nodded and waved, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Jesus, I’m losing my mind,” I said to my parents. “Being with Jett isn’t easy, that’s for damn sure. It seems like the more money you have, the more people want to destroy you. You were right when you said money isn’t everything in life. I’m finding that out rather quickly.”
Changing the subject, I traced the outline of their names and said, “I would give anything to have you two back in my life right now. I’m kind of stuck as to what to do with my life. I don’t want to dance anymore. I know I have so much more potential with my art, but I don’t know where to take it. I really want to figure this out on my own, to provide for myself, but Jett has this idea in his head that he needs to take care of me, to provide for me and protect me. Hence, the burly men hovering over our conversation. He kind of offered me a job that . . . God, it would be so amazing. An art therapy job to work with those looking for a second chance in life. It would be perfect for me, but the only thing wrong with it is it’s just one more handout I would be taking from him. I don’t want to be helpless anymore. I want to be able to provide for myself.”
Shaking my head and looking down at the dirt, I thought about what I was saying. This was my second chance, why was I so opposed to taking it? Because, once again, Jett came to the rescue?
Yes, that’s exactly why, because Jett was involved. I really wanted to do something that didn’t involve him, to prove that I could be self-sufficient.
“Ugh, what do I do? Why is he the one who had to offer the opportunity? Why aren’t you guys here with me?” I asked, as a tear rolled down my face, just as a breeze picked up, wrapping a tight wisp of air around me. Dirt swirled in circles as the wind picked it up and scattered it around the gravestone.
Sun broke out between the tree leaves and shined down on me. Warmth spread through my body from the heat, and right then and there, I knew my parents were trying to comfort me, to let me know everything was going to be just fine.
The wind tossed around some more until a twig flew off the tree above me and struck me in the head. I grabbed the twig and looked down at it. It was in the shape of a “Y,” and in my own twisted and convoluted head, I surmised that the twig was from my parents, telling me “yes” to take the job and not worry about where the offer was coming from, but to appreciate it.
