Valentine Wishes (Baxter Academy Book 1) (24 page)

“It will feel better once it’s christened properly.” Then I toss her over my shoulder and head down the hall. “Starting with the bedroom.”

B
rett doesn’t have a vote
, but he’s here for moral support. He was at the last family gathering which was a picnic and meeting combined and he should be at this one. Besides, he’s a part of me. Or, at least it’s beginning to feel that way.

We’ve eaten and the large picnic table cleaned off. Theo has placed the diorama the architect designed in the middle of the table and Gram has passed out the reports listing the costs, needs, plans and where the money is going to come from. She’s asking a lot and we all know it. Theo is pacing behind her, but it’s Gram who will speak. The family won’t be so quick to dismiss her.

I’m barely listening to her. Instead I’m watching the faces, trying to get a feel for their thoughts. Besides, I already know the plans. They are good, solid and costly.

“I don’t know, Mom,” my Uncle Charles finally says. “This will be year round, more students, and so many guidelines and rules we must follow. I’m not sure we can.”

“Of course we can,” she comes back. “If I didn’t think we could I wouldn’t have done all of this work.”

Their eyes shift to Theo. I can almost hear what they are thinking. She’s coddling him again and not making wise decisions.

“I can’t make a decision today. It’s going to take time for me to go through everything,” my Uncle Robert insists.

“Who would we even get to run the place?” demanded my Aunt Cheryl.

“Jackie,” grandmother answers with confidence.

“She’s not even done with school and has no experience.”

This is one question I am prepared for. “By the time the school is finished, I will have gotten my Masters. I’ll have some teaching behind me.”

“You already turned down one job. When are you going to get experience?” My Aunt Susan asks and I’m a bit offended.

“I’m taking classes now. I didn’t think it was wise to work during my first semester while I was getting a feel for how the courses were going to be.”

Her eyes shift to Theo and then she practically rolls them. Since when has my family not been supportive of Theo? This is starting to piss me off.

“I get the reasons for not making Theo finish school,” my Uncle Charles begins calmly. “And, that we aren’t going to force him to go to college to get his portion of the trust.”

Theo narrows his eyes on them.

“But this is a pipe dream, his dream, and it could ruin us.”

Theo stiffens and he clenches his fist. When did my family become a bunch of jerks? Were they always this way? Were they just being selfish with the money? It would cost them all, but they’ll still have a couple of fucking million in the bank.

“I’m not even sure we have the money to start this project. At least not until spring, but by then, we’ll be spending it for the camp.”

“Not if you are building. There won’t be a camp,” Theo reminds them.

“So, you want to get rid of my father’s dream for yours. What are those kids supposed to do next summer, and the one after that, until the school is built?”

“I don’t know, but the school is more than a camp that these kids get to attend a few weeks out of every year.”

“It’s a lot, Theo. These kids need a lot of help. I’m not sure we are equipped to take on their education, mental and physical health. The liabilities alone, the insurance we would need, could cripple us financially,” Uncle Robert points out.

“So, that’s it. You are all more worried about the money than the kids Grandpa wanted to help. Of having a little less, while these kids have fucking nothing.”

“Language!” Aunt Cheryl warns.

“It’s not just about the money,” Uncle Robert cajoles. “It’s everything. Too big for us.”

“Some people thought the camp was too big,” Grandma says. “But my husband did it anyway. Someone said the Living History, for free, was too much, but your grandfather did it anyway. Some said that helping support the town during the Depression was impossible and would ruin the family, but they did it anyway. What is wrong with you? Nothing is ever too big or too much for a Baxter.”

My grandmother doesn’t need to be getting excited. She’s still recovering from surgery and her heart isn’t as strong as it used to be.

Brett comes close and leans in. He’s been standing in the back, not saying anything until now. “I’m going to go up to the house and get your grandmother’s meds, just in case.”

I just nod. She had an attack last time we met and that meeting went a lot better than this one was at the moment, yet my boyfriend seems to be the only other person worried about upsetting her.

“Mark, you haven’t said anything. What do you think?” Grams says.

I try not to hold my breath but I do. Uncle Mark is the one who runs the camp, with his wife, Emily. They are both social workers within the school district in New York; that’s how they met.

“I think it’s an excellent idea.”

His comment stuns everyone into silence.

“I’ve worked with these kids. Emily has worked with these kids. Our summers are spent here and the rest of the time we are in New York, helping all kinds of kids just like the ones who come here. I wish we could make the school twice the size, but I get that we should start small.” He looks up at Theo. “You have the full support of me and Emily and we will do whatever you need to make this happen.”

“But the cost,” Uncle Charles starts again.

“Is nothing compared to these kids’ lives.” Uncle Mark cuts him off. “We are not going to go broke, if that is what you are worried about. Since when does a Baxter concern themselves with money anyway? We are blessed which is why it is required that we give, not that anyone one of us has been forced to write a check. We’ve done it willingly because that’s what’s expected of us and what we expect of ourselves.” I knew Uncle Mark was passionate about his work, but I didn’t realize how strongly until now. “We take risks. This is a risk. And if you had spent half the time at the camp as Emily and I do, you would realize how necessary this is. If I didn’t think father wouldn’t be the first to vote yes, I’d hold back, but he would want this us much as Theo. To not make the camp an even better place, let it evolve into a school, is a discredit to his memory.”

The rest of my family seem to sink back into themselves. Maybe they had forgotten the purpose of Baxter and Grandfather’s dreams. Grandpa always wanted to make the lives better for those who needed it and damn the cost. I think they are all beginning to remember that now.

“Let me look over the reports. I can’t make a decision sitting here,” Uncle Robert finally says.

“I’ll do the same.” Uncle Charles blows out a sigh.

“Julie? Lisa?” Grandmother asks. They are the two youngest daughters and haven’t said anything yet. Finally Lisa shrugs. “We’ll go along with whatever.”

“Dad would have liked the idea,” Julie says.

Those two have never really committed to much of anything other than huge fundraisers. But since they manage to bring a shit load of money into the foundation every quarter, nobody really makes them do or say anything.

“I’d like to look at the reports before I decide though,” Aunt Julie adds.

Since when did Aunt Julie have an opinion on anything? Hopefully Uncle Mark can sway her. The more bothersome something becomes the more she will just want someone to deal with it. Maybe he can convince her to just give him her proxy vote so she doesn’t have to worry about it anymore.

Uncle Robert stands. “We’ll meet next Sunday for further discussion and ask questions if we have any and then vote.”

Grandmother just nods her head, though her lips are tight.

Brett pulls back down the lane and Grandmother marches to his car and opens the door without a goodbye to anyone.

The others take their reports, gather up their dishes and kids and head home, leaving me and Theo standing with Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily. They come up to us.

“You do have my full support, Theo. I will do whatever I can to make this happen. I’ll even leave my job to work there, if that is what it takes.”

Beside him Emily is nodding her head.

I just hope they can convince the others of go along with it too. If the school is voted down, I don’t know what will happen to Theo. The very idea scares the hell out of me.

“Thanks, it means a lot. It really does,” Theo finally says then walks away. His head is down and his hands are shoved in his front pockets. He can’t give up. I won’t let him.

M
rs. Baxter is venting
from the moment she sits in my car and until I escort her into the house. I think she’s going to stomp into her room, but she goes into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of Scotch out of a top cupboard. The bottle is pretty dusty, but I don’t think Scotch gets old, as in going bad old. Though, a half empty bottle might be different than an unopened cask.

She drops ice into two glasses and then pours.

“Should you be drinking that?”

“I don’t give a damn right now.”

Okay then. I had no idea the old-fashioned, respectable Mrs. Baxter had a cussing and drinking side to her.

“My husband would be so disappointed in them. It makes me sick.” She takes a drink.

“Not all of them,” I remind her.

“True, but enough. Since when did my family start seeing dollar signs before problems? We raised them better than this. What happened?”

“I’m sure they are just concerned that it’s done right.” I’m really not sure what to say to her. And, is it even my place?

“That’s part of it, but they also like money in the bank. A lot of it. The Foundation could survive ten years without a deposit and they’d all be fine.”

As I have no idea how much it costs to run the art camp, I have no clue to how much money she’s talking about.

“Of course the school would deplete some of those funds, but it’s worth that risk, and nobody would starve.”

“Maybe when they have time to think about it, they’ll come around. It’s a big project.”

“They’ve had time to think about it. I haven’t exactly been secretive about what I’m working on.”

“Time,” I suggest again and take a drink. The scotch is like butter over my tongue with just a little burn as it goes down my throat. Smooth. Very smooth.

“Well.” She practically slams her glass on the table. “They’ve all forgotten one thing.”

“That is?”

“I hold the majority on any Foundation business. 51% and they split the rest. If I decide we are going to have a school and I want to spend every last dime, I will and there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it but go along.”

“Then why the vote?”

“It’s important that everyone take part in all discussions and votes, and think through the issues. I had hoped they’d learn something by now.”

“Don’t get yourself worked up, Grandma,” Theo says as he’s coming in the back door. Jackie is right behind him. “It will all work out.”

She frowns at him. “I know it will. I’m just disappointed in my kids.”

Theo just shrugs. “It’ll be fine.” He bends and kisses her one the cheek. “Thanks for trying.”

“Where are you going?” Jackie asks a bit alarmed when Theo starts sauntering from the kitchen.

He turns and rolls his eyes. “A headache is coming on. I’m going to take something and go to bed.”

“Are you okay?” The worry is deep in Jackie’s eyes.

“I’m fine. Really. Disappointed, but it will work out as it should.”

“What does he mean by that?” Jackie finally asks after he’s gone.

“That he’s more positive than you right now,” her grandmother says.

“I hope you’re right.”

T
heo’s been
in bed since Sunday. This is Thursday and I hope he manages to get out of bed today. Since the meeting he’s been under the covers and the curtains drawn. I’ve checked on him twice as much as I usually do, much to his irritation, but I had to make sure he was okay. It was one of the debilitating ones, where he can’t function and the pain makes him throw up. All I can assume is the stress of the Sunday meeting brought it on. When Theo gets stressed, he gets headaches, so we need to limit the stressors in his life. How to do that, I have no clue. Three days is a long time and we are going on four, assuming he doesn’t make an appearance downstairs. The longest one he ever suffered from was a week. Grandma had been about to finally call an ambulance when he finally emerged from his room. All he can do at times like this is not move and sleep and try to get through what Theo calls another migraine from hell.

Even though it’s not unusual for him to be in bed for a few days like this, I still skipped my Tuesday class, emailing an excuse to my instructor. I can’t leave him. Not now. Not until the vote on Sunday. If it doesn’t go his way, Theo may lose it and I have to be here for him.

I’ve taken over helping Grandma with the plans for the school. She intends to go ahead whether the family agrees or not, though she is really hoping they do. Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily have been emailing almost constantly what they know about private schools, schools for gifted artists, schools for kids who have been in trouble, schools for kids with mental health problems, and the list goes on and on. We’re making lists of what they all have in common, that makes them successful, the guidelines that we need to reach for the state of New York to be accredited, the classes that must be taught, the ones we can skip because of the type of school, the number of students we think we can take on, types of dorms, diets, the number of therapists per student ratio.

Grandmother had a lot of this information already, but with Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily’s help, we are able to fine tune everything and get more detailed. We should have brought my uncle and aunt in on this earlier. They have so much more knowledge and what they’d like to see done instead of what is already being done in the city. Things they would like to see tried that really give a kid a chance and not just a safe place for four years of school and then cut loose at eighteen. Nobody will be cut loose until they have a high school diploma, even if that isn’t until the kid turns twenty. The school will be designed to set them up for success and not just a four-year temporary fix.

Brett went back to work and has been staying in his own place because he didn’t get much unpacking done while I was there. That’s fine. I get it. I wouldn’t want to live out of boxes either and he totally understands why I can’t leave Theo right now. Brett plans on coming back to town on Friday night and stay with his uncle until after the meeting on Sunday. After that, we’ll see how things stand with Theo, depending on the vote and go from there.

Even though Grams will go ahead with the school, Theo needs to know that the family supports him. Not that he has said so to me. He hasn’t even left his bed, but if I were him, I’d want them to give me their support. Trust in my vision and plans. I’m afraid they are just seeing him as a kid with a wild idea, who may not be right in the head. Theo may have suffered a brain injury, but his intelligence was never damaged. I just hope they can see that.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Relief washes through me when I see Theo at the door to the dining room. His hair is sticking out in all kinds of directions, and he’s paler than normal, and looks like he lost some weight. He’s been skinny since the accident anyway and even though he got taller, he didn’t fill out. At least he’s standing, awake and doesn’t appear to be in pain anymore.

“More details for the school.” I shove the papers toward him as he slumps into the chair.

“Cool.”

I expected a little more enthusiasm, but he may not be fully awake yet either.

“What can I get you for breakfast?” Grandma starts bustling to the kitchen. If Theo doesn’t speak up, she’ll produce a platter of eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage and toast just so there is something for him to eat.

“Just coffee right now.”

“You need to eat.”

“Let me see if I keep the coffee down first. Maybe toast.”

She nods sympathetically and heads off to the kitchen.

“How are you feeling?” I finally ask.

“Better,” he basically grunts and starts looking at our notes.

He’s nodding as he reads and I take it as approval. This is his school, his idea and it’s important to me that he approves.

“Where did these other ideas come from?”

I tell him and the how Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily have been researching and emailing.

“I’m glad to know somebody beside you and Gram are for this.”

“The others will come around.”

“And if they don’t, we’ll do it anyway.” Grandma announces as she brings Theo his coffee and two pieces of buttered toast.

“I think I’ll head up into the mountains on Saturday.”

“Why?” It’s not unusual for Theo to take these little trips, but I thought he’d want to be home to prepare for the meeting.

“Time with my camera and in nature. To make peace.” He smiles and takes a sip of coffee but my gut churns. “I just want to get my head on right before Sunday because I have no intention of being laid up in bed with another headache next week because of our relatives.

So, he is planning on being at the meeting. I was worrying for nothing.

“Don’t you have a class or homework or something?”

“Not right now.” I out and out lie to him. I’m not leaving here until everything is settled and Theo has a school to plan for real. No just the idea of it.

I don’t think he’s buying it because he smirks before he takes a drink of coffee. “Brett been around?”

“He’s been unpacking all week. He’ll be here tomorrow night.”

Theo shoots me a look. “How come you aren’t helping him?

“That’s not her place,” Grandma insists. Thankfully Grams didn’t see Theo roll his eyes.

“First, I was worried about you. This was a bad one. And second, I was helping with the school. I want to be ready for Sunday as badly as you do.”

He nods. “Just don’t neglect that guy. I like him and expect him to be around for you. And, don’t neglect your school. I’m counting on you to see it my school happens.”

“You have nothing to worry about.”

I
haven’t seen
Jackie since Sunday, but I will see her tonight. Of course, that didn’t keep me from calling her a couple of times a day and each night. I’m busy at work and I still have boxes to unpack. I don’t know where all the crap came from because I don’t remember accumulating it, and suspect Aunt Helen has been packing up boxes with stuff she finds at garage sales or on sale because there are dishes and towels I’ve never seen in my life. Maybe she was more anxious to get me out of the house than I realized. If that is the case, she sure hid it well.

It’s just past four in the afternoon and I know Jackie’s alone in the house because Theo was going to take Mrs. Baxter to therapy. I’m not exactly alone in the office. I don’t have near enough seniority to move beyond a desk in a large room with even more desks and agents sitting at them, but at least Jackie will be able to talk more freely and not have to go hide in her room.

“Hey,” she answers. “How’s your day going?”

“Great. It is Friday.”

“I was thinking. I could come to your place tonight instead of you making the long drive here.”

“I thought you wanted to be around for Theo.”

“He’s better and I’m not that worried. He wants to go up into the mountains tomorrow and take some photographs.”

My first reaction is to either keep him from going or to go with him.

“He wants to get his head on straight and get prepared for Sunday.”

Well, if he’s talking about Sunday, I don’t really need to worry. “I can pick up a pizza or hit the grocery store and cook something.”

“Pizza and beer.” The perfect end to a long week. There’s a smile in her voice and I cannot wait to see her. Having her alone in my new house won’t be so bad either.

“Hey, hold on. Someone’s at the door.”

I don’t like that she’s all alone and isolated right now, but the kid who was stalking her is getting help and family is somewhat close. Still, she’s alone and I don’t like it. “Check who it is before opening the door.”

I swear I can hear her eyes roll. “Yes, Mr. FBI.”

I don’t know why I’m on edge, but suddenly I am and for no good reason.

“It’s your uncle,” she says with a chipper voice.

My gut tightens. Uncle Quinn is working right now and not making visits to acquaintances.

“Hey Jackie, can I come in?”

“Sure.” The cheeriness is gone from her voice. “What’s going on?” Now the wariness is creeping in.

“There’s no better way to tell you this.”

“Oh God,” we both say at the same time.

“There’s been an accident,” my uncle says solemnly. I’m grabbing my stuff and shutting down my computer as I’m listening to their conversation. I’m not off work for 45 more minutes but I don’t care. I scribble out “emergency” on a note and shove it under my co-worker’s nose. He nods and I dash for the elevator.

“There was an accident and your grandmother has been taken to MidHudson. I don’t know her condition right now.”

“And Theo. Is he okay? Where did they take him?”

There is a long pause and I hope I just lost the connection when I stepped into the elevator and that my uncle is telling Jackie that Theo is fine.

“I’m sorry, Jackie.”

The next thing I hear is a bang of what must be her cellphone hitting the marble in the foyer and then the call is lost. I quickly dial my Uncle Quinn’s phone, hoping he answers.

“Brett?”

“Tell Jackie that I’m on my way and will meet her at MidHudson. Tell her family and make sure someone stays with her. Call me if anything changes.”

I don’t give him a chance to respond but hang up and start my car.

I keep my phone within reach and the volume turned up so I don’t miss any calls and drive as fast as I dare. I’m kind of speeding but I’m not that much over. And, despite how worried I am, I’m being careful, but all I can think about is getting to Jackie as this turns out to be the longest drive of my life.

I think I’m practically out of the car before it even comes to a full stop and run into the ER. I don’t know if that is where they’ll have Mrs. Baxter, but my Aunt Helen is on duty in the ER and will tell me where I should go. My Uncle Quinn is standing in front of the desk.

“Mrs. Baxter?”

“In trauma and should be okay.”

I breathe out a sigh then look around the waiting room. Jackie isn’t there. Nor is anyone from her family.

“They are in there.” He points to a private family waiting room. The kind that all ERs have for delivering bad news, or I assume that is what they are for. Jackie already received the worst news. And I have to prepare myself to go in there. The long drive should have done that but now that I’m faced with seeing her I’m not sure I even know what to say.

“Do you know what happened?” I finally ask my uncle.

“One car accident. Theo was driving. It went off the road. We just don’t know why and are hoping Mrs. Baxter will be able to tell us.”

The cause could be anything from a blown tire, an animal ran out in front of them and he swerved.

“It doesn’t look like he even attempted to brake, or let off on the gas and plowed right into a tree. Mrs. Baxter is very lucky her injuries are so minimal in comparison.”

I glance over at the closed door, not sure if I should go in. Her whole family is in there. I’m not family and they might not like me intruding on them.

“Go,” my uncle urges. “She needs you.”

That’s all I need to hear and I take a deep breath and open the door. Jackie is sitting in a chair against the far wall just staring off into space. Some of her aunts and uncles are here, the ones that are the children of Mrs. Baxter, but nobody is talking.