The Price (14 page)

“I think you’re right,” said Kate as she caught wind of the aroma and made a face. “You want to change him?”

“Hell no.” Jack laughed. He climbed up on his knees and shut off the camera. “That kid has been leaving bombs in his shorts ever since you started him on solid food.”

“So you’re going to make me do it?” She grunted.

“Damn straight, I’m going to let you do it,” he stated. “You’re his mother.”

“So much for the hands-on dad,” she frowned.

Jack reached for the diaper bag and pulled out the baby wipes and a new diaper.

“That’s about as much hands-on as you’re going to get.” Jack grinned and handed them to Kate.

“Thanks.” She rolled her eyes then reached for her son and slid his little legs toward her, flopping him on to his back.

“You’re going to squish it by dragging him like that!” Jack exclaimed as he scooted back and away from the soon-to-be-revealed disaster.

Kate removed Jesse’s miniature jeans then tossed them on the carpeted floor. Jesse began to squirm and twisted his upper torso trying to roll over.

“Shhh baby. Lie still,” said Kate, and she pulled back on the diaper tabs while fighting with her son’s hands to stay clear of the mess.

Kate lowered the diaper and Jack’s eyes almost bugged out of his head when he saw the nice Christmas present his son bestowed to them.

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Jack, and he covered his nose and mouth with his hand. “What the hell is that?”

“Oh God, it’s terrible.” Kate started to laugh as Jesse’s hands went wandering. “Help me, Jack. Keep his hands away.”

“You’re kidding right?” Jack looked mortified. “I’m not going near him!”

“Will you shut up and help me before he sticks his hands in it?”

“How could one tiny kid do something so big?” asked Jack as he moved over and took his son’s hands. “Hell, I don’t even shit like that.”

Kate tried to use the baby wipes to clean up her son’s mess.

“Oh man, this is disgusting!” laughed Kate in her futile attempt to change him.

“There ain’t enough wipes in that thing to clean up this explosion!” exclaimed Jack. He jumped to his feet and reached down and lifted his son by his torso.

“What are you going to do?” She watched Jack carry their son at arm’s length while he walked into the kitchen.

“I’m going to hose him down, that’s what I’m going to do,” said Jack, as he kept his nose lifted in the air and held his breath.

Kate wrapped the diaper up tight and ran into the kitchen after them. She tossed it in the diaper pail and Jack held their son over the kitchen sink.

“You’re going to wash him in the sink?” She shuddered. “We put dishes in there.”

“Hell yes, I’m going to wash him in the sink,” said Jack, as he dangled two tiny feet into the steel tub. “Turn on the water and grab the sprayer.”

Kate turned on the water and when it was warm, she hosed her son off. Jack started to gag and looked away.

“Can’t you go any faster?” His eyes began to water.

“I’m going as fast as I can.” Kate reached for the hand soap and washed her son’s bottom then hosed him off again.

Jesse started to laugh at the game his parents were playing and reached for the sprayer. He kicked his legs in the air and released a puff of stinky air right at Jack.

“Jesus Christ,” yelled Jack, and he gagged again. “What the hell is wrong with your son?”

“Oh, so now he’s
my
son?” Kate laughed so hard that her side hurt. “What happened to him being a McBride through and through?”

“Whatever that was coming out of him, it was not from the McBride side of the family,” declared Jack. “That reeked of something foul.”

Kate finished cleaning up Jesse and shut off the water. Jack shook him off above the sink, before Kate patted his little bum dry with the dishtowel. They returned to the living room and Jack placed a fresh diaper on his son and re-dressed him, then placed him by the tree to return to playing with his toys.

“Do you want me to help you clean up the living room?” asked Jack, seeing Christmas paper strewn all over the living room floor.

“So now you want to help.” Kate giggled and opened the trash bag she set aside earlier.

“That was bad baby, even for Jesse,” said Jack, as he bent down and wadded a bunch of paper together and shoved it in the bag Kate was holding open.

“Oh, it was.” Kate shook her head while she gathered more paper and tossed it in the bag.

“Can you imagine the kind of dump that kid will make when he’s sixteen?” Jack shuddered at the thought. “We’re going to have to enlarge the plumbing!”

“Stop it!” Kate wiped her eyes clear of the tears from laughing so hard. “You’re going to make me pee myself.”

“I’ll stop,” he laughed. “Wouldn’t want to get your panties wet… at least not that way. I’d prefer soaking them the old-fashioned way.”

Kate just shook her head and Jack winked at her.

“So, what time are Clara and Adam coming over for dinner?” He continued.

“I told them we would eat around two.”

“Two, huh?” He got that look in his eye. “That gives us four hours of free time. You want to go upstairs?”

“You want to go upstairs after
that
?” exclaimed Kate, and she gave him a look like he was crazy. She bent down to pick up several bows lying by the tree.

“I always want to go upstairs,” he grinned and goosed her right on her bottom. She jumped, and when he went to do it again, she slapped his hands away.

“You may have four hours of free time,” she giggled, picking up another bow, “but I don’t. I have to finish cooking, and what are we going to do with Jesse?”

“He should be ready for his morning nap shortly,” he said. “After exploding that bomb he should be exhausted.”

Jack grabbed the top of her pajama bottoms and pulled her against him.

“What do you say, Kate? Are you game?” He teased her, holding on like a master puppeteer with his marionette.

“Jack, let me up,” she laughed, feeling him tug higher on her flannel bottoms.

“Not until you say
yes.
”

He was persistent. She’d give him that.

“Yes,” she laughed again.

Jack released her and Kate adjusted her bottoms to rid herself of the wedgie. Just then her phone rang. She looked over at Jack recognizing the familiar ringtone. The smile fell from both of their faces.

“Don’t answer it, Kate,” said Jack, as his playfulness faded.

“It’s the third time she’s called this morning.” She stared at her phone and debated whether to answer it or not.

“Whatever Marnie wants it can wait,” stated Jack. “It’s Christmas, and I don’t want her ruining it for us.”

Kate’s phone stopped ringing and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“There she hung up,” he said. “No more worries!”

But he spoke too soon. Kate’s phone began to ring again.

“Jack, I’m answering it.” She walked over to her phone and picked it up. “Let me just find out what she wants.”

Kate answered the call placing it to her ear.

“Hello Mother.” Her voice was monotone.

“Merry Christmas, Kathryn,” said Marnie St. Claire.

“Merry Christmas, Mother,” answered Kate as she looked at Jack and watched him scowl.

“This is not a social call,” stated Marnie matter-of-factly. “I have some bad news.”

“What is it?” She gripped the phone tighter, as fear of the unknown flooded her being. “What’s wrong?”

Kate looked at Jack and he knew in his gut this was going to be bad. He watched as the news was given to Kate. Her facial expression changed and all the color drained from her face. She slunk down in a chair and absorbed everything her mother was telling her, shaking her head like she was in shock.

“There’s no easy way to tell you this, so I’m just going to say it,” said Marnie. “Your father had a heart attack last night. They rushed him to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do to save him.”

“Daddy’s
gone
?” Tears welled up in Kate’s eyes. “What happened? How do you know?”

“Weren’t you listening, Kathryn?” said Marnie with annoyance in her voice. “I don’t know all the particulars. His floozy called me. Can you believe she had the nerve? She probably wanted to rub it in my face that the alimony was stopping. Anyway, the funeral is this Thursday and the reading of his Will is two weeks from Monday. You are expected to be present for both.”

“Thursday?” Kate felt this overwhelming sense of guilt. “That’s right before New Year’s. How am I going to go to Santa Cruz on such short notice with the baby and all? Where would we stay?”

Kate was not thinking rationally. Jack sat on the arm of the chair and placed his hand on her shoulder for support.

“We’ll be there,” he said in an assuring tone. Kate looked up and nodded. “We’ll get a hotel.”

“Nonsense,” said Marnie, overhearing Jack. “You’ll stay with me. I have plenty of room to accommodate you, the baby, and your
so-called
husband.”

Kate disregarded the not-so-subtle intolerance of Jack.

“We’ll talk it over,” said Kate.

“There is nothing to talk over. The funeral is at nine so I will expect you to arrive Wednesday evening,” said Marnie, bulldozing right over her daughter. “Merry Christmas, Kathryn.”

“Merry Christmas, Mother.”

Kate placed her cell phone in her lap and stared at the clock on the opposite wall.

“I’m sorry, baby,” said Jack, taking her hand and placing it in his. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know what I am right at the moment,” she said truthfully, watching the hands on the clock move. “It’s not like I was close to my dad. I haven’t seen him in years.”

She looked over at Jack and gave him a sad smile.

“We’ll get through this,” he stated, not knowing what else to say. “Besides, it doesn’t matter how close you two were. He was still your dad.”

“He was more like an acquaintance than my father,” she sighed. “Charlie was not the easiest man to love. I tried for a long time but then gave up when he married Cheryl. I think she didn’t like the idea he had a child from a previous marriage.”

Kate laughed thinking about it, but Jack saw the pain in her eyes.

“The least she could have done was to call you,” said Jack, feeling his wife’s pain.

“I’m not surprised Cheryl didn’t call me.”

“You would think it would be harder to call the ex-wife than the daughter?” He voiced his thoughts aloud.

“Are you kidding?” Kate shook her head. “I bet Cheryl couldn’t wait to pick up that phone and tell Mother her alimony checks were about to stop.”

“Marnie didn’t seem any worse for wear?” said Jack, seeming a bit confused.

“That’s because upon my father’s death,
Mommy Dearest
inherits half of everything he owns,” said Kate. “And I’ll wager Cheryl has no clue. That’s why my mother wants me there for the reading of my father’s Will. She wants a witness when the twit goes off the deep end especially when she hears how much of his estate she is going to have to fork over to my mother.”

“I’m glad I didn’t have that problem when my old man died,” he said, realizing for the first time he was grateful they didn’t have two nickels back then. “The fireman’s league picked up the funeral expense and his burial.”

“That was a nice thing they did for you, Jack,” said Kate and she meant it.

Jesse began to fuss. Kate lifted him from the floor and sat back in the chair and began nursing him.

“So how are we going to do this?” she asked the dreaded question. “Mother wants us to stay with her.”

“Over my dead body am I staying with Marnie,” declared Jack in the authoritative tone she’d expected. “We’re staying at a hotel and that’s that!”

It was bad enough he would have to see the old battle axe, much less stay at her home. The last thing he needed was for Kate to be turned upside down again. It took them a good month to return to normal, after Marnie St. Claire weaseled her way into their marriage and planted doubt. Jack arched his back as a surge of anger rose up his spine. He’d be damned if he would let her do it again.

“It might be easier to stay with her than at a hotel,” stated Kate, thinking about Jesse. “I mean traveling with a six-month-old might be difficult.”

“I don’t care how difficult it is,” Jack raised his voice. “I’m putting my foot down on this one, Kate. We are not staying with your mother, so get that idea out of that pretty little head of yours.”

“What do we do with Jesse for the funeral?” asked Kate.

“We’ll take him with us or we’ll have Maria babysit him.”

“I’m not leaving without him.” She shook her head
no
. “We’re going to be gone for several days.”

“Then we take Maria with us,” answered Jack.

“That’s a lot of money for two rooms,” said Kate, calculating the costs in her head.

“I know what you’re doing, and it isn’t going to work.” Jack shook an obstinate finger at his wife. “Not this time. My mind is made up. We are not going to stay anywhere near Marnie St. Claire, much less under her roof. The answer is no, Kate. No! You got that?”

Kate saw the veins on Jack’s neck pulsate as his face turned a funny shade of red. He was adamant about his decision. When Jack McBride made up his mind there wasn’t anyone, including Kate, that could change it, and he was not about to change his mind on this.

“That woman is going to be the death of me!” Kate heard Jack grumble as he left the living room and stormed down the hall to his study. Kate heard the door slam shut. She looked down at the child in her arms and sighed.

“What are we going to do with your daddy and grandma?” she whispered to the child who continued to suckle. “You think they could maintain a cease-fire until after the funeral?”

Jesse looked up, blue eyes staring back at his mother. He gave her a gurgle and a grin.

“You think so too?” Kate smiled back at her son, lifting him upright on to her lap. “You’re right. The ocean will have to flip inside out, before your daddy and my mother ever call it a truce.”

Kate released a heavy sigh. She didn’t want to think about her mother at a time like this. Her thoughts should be on her dad. Her dad was gone, and she wished she felt something more than just sadness. She felt a little guilty for not feeling like the grief-stricken daughter. A part of her wasn’t sure if she wanted to go to the funeral. She didn’t want to pretend to say her goodbyes when she had done that many years ago—when her dad had made it clear he didn’t have time for her in his life.