lot of money.”
“That’s a matter of perspective, isn’t it? I’ve got this house, this land, and the money that went along with it. None of which I worked a day for. And a pension on top of that. I can afford it.”
“That’s not the point.”
“All of a sudden I feel like I should be defending myself, and I don’t know why.”
“That other night, after you left. I was up a long time thinking.”
“About?”
“About pulling you into this.”
“Nobody did any pulling.”
“Maybe not, but now you’re in it, aren’t you? And I’m worried that you’re in it more than either of you are telling me.”
He put down the bottle.
“Bobby screwed up,” he said. “I’m sure if he could go back in time, he’d do things differently. But right now he’s in a jam, and I might be able to help him get out of it. It would be hard to turn away from that.”
“It’s you I’m worried about.”
He leaned back against the railing, looked up at her.
“I know,” he said. “But you don’t need to be.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
He looked off across the yard, watched a rabbit nose through the grass beneath the willows.
“I’ve known Bobby a long time,” he said.
“I know.”
“Longer than I’ve known anyone else in my life. Anyone.”
She didn’t respond.
“He crossed a line with this thing, a big one. But I have no desire to see him get screwed over as a result, either, especially by people like those. He made a mistake and he realizes that. You guys have been together for, what, fifteen years?”
“Sixteen next month.”
“And you’ve got the baby to think about as well now. You don’t need this hanging over you. Now, I can rag on Bobby for being a screwup, walk away from him, or I can do my best to help him out. And I can help him, it’s in my power. One mistake shouldn’t doom people for life. That’s not fair, either.”
“I guess what it comes down to is I’m scared. By this whole thing.”
“I know.”
“And angry too. If he had come to me first …”
“You’d have told him not to do it.”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s why he didn’t. He knew what you’d say.”
“Then why did he go through with it?”
“He told me you needed the money.”
“Of course, we needed the money. We
always
need the money. But not like this. Jesus, Harry, he’s pushing forty. He’s going to be a father. He’s not a kid anymore. This isn’t a game.”
“He knows that.”
“And when it comes to money, there are things we could do. My parents …”
“I doubt Bobby would have gone for that.”
“… or worse comes to worst, we could go down to North Carolina and live with my sister. There were other options.”
“Maybe he wanted to be the one to provide, no matter what it took.”
“Excuse me, Harry, but that’s male bullshit.”
“Maybe.”
“It is. And maybe I’m not being fair to him, I don’t know. But when I think about it, this whole thing just makes me so goddamn mad. Mad that he would get involved with someone like that, even madder that he would endanger what we’ve got. It feels like we’ve worked so hard for so long, and he’s risking it all. And now you’re in it as well.”
“Slow down,” he said. “What’s going on in your relationship is between you two. But this issue right now, it’s a money question, that’s all. It can be dealt with. I already talked to Fallon.”
“You did? What did he say?”
“Not a lot. But I think we can deal with him, if that’s what you’re asking. We already have some money to give him. It will keep him quiet long enough for Bobby to work on the rest.”
“You sound sure of that.”
“For Fallon to do anything else would be counterproductive at this point. And whatever he is, he’s no fool. He wants his money, that’s all.”
“You’re trying to make me feel better,” she said. “But I don’t know if you believe all this yourself.”
She sipped water, watched him. They sat in
“That’s a matter of perspective, isn’t it? I’ve got this house, this land, and the money that went along with it. None of which I worked a day for. And a pension on top of that. I can afford it.”
“That’s not the point.”
“All of a sudden I feel like I should be defending myself, and I don’t know why.”
“That other night, after you left. I was up a long time thinking.”
“About?”
“About pulling you into this.”
“Nobody did any pulling.”
“Maybe not, but now you’re in it, aren’t you? And I’m worried that you’re in it more than either of you are telling me.”
He put down the bottle.
“Bobby screwed up,” he said. “I’m sure if he could go back in time, he’d do things differently. But right now he’s in a jam, and I might be able to help him get out of it. It would be hard to turn away from that.”
“It’s you I’m worried about.”
He leaned back against the railing, looked up at her.
“I know,” he said. “But you don’t need to be.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
He looked off across the yard, watched a rabbit nose through the grass beneath the willows.
“I’ve known Bobby a long time,” he said.
“I know.”
“Longer than I’ve known anyone else in my life. Anyone.”
She didn’t respond.
“He crossed a line with this thing, a big one. But I have no desire to see him get screwed over as a result, either, especially by people like those. He made a mistake and he realizes that. You guys have been together for, what, fifteen years?”
“Sixteen next month.”
“And you’ve got the baby to think about as well now. You don’t need this hanging over you. Now, I can rag on Bobby for being a screwup, walk away from him, or I can do my best to help him out. And I can help him, it’s in my power. One mistake shouldn’t doom people for life. That’s not fair, either.”
“I guess what it comes down to is I’m scared. By this whole thing.”
“I know.”
“And angry too. If he had come to me first …”
“You’d have told him not to do it.”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s why he didn’t. He knew what you’d say.”
“Then why did he go through with it?”
“He told me you needed the money.”
“Of course, we needed the money. We
always
need the money. But not like this. Jesus, Harry, he’s pushing forty. He’s going to be a father. He’s not a kid anymore. This isn’t a game.”
“He knows that.”
“And when it comes to money, there are things we could do. My parents …”
“I doubt Bobby would have gone for that.”
“… or worse comes to worst, we could go down to North Carolina and live with my sister. There were other options.”
“Maybe he wanted to be the one to provide, no matter what it took.”
“Excuse me, Harry, but that’s male bullshit.”
“Maybe.”
“It is. And maybe I’m not being fair to him, I don’t know. But when I think about it, this whole thing just makes me so goddamn mad. Mad that he would get involved with someone like that, even madder that he would endanger what we’ve got. It feels like we’ve worked so hard for so long, and he’s risking it all. And now you’re in it as well.”
“Slow down,” he said. “What’s going on in your relationship is between you two. But this issue right now, it’s a money question, that’s all. It can be dealt with. I already talked to Fallon.”
“You did? What did he say?”
“Not a lot. But I think we can deal with him, if that’s what you’re asking. We already have some money to give him. It will keep him quiet long enough for Bobby to work on the rest.”
“You sound sure of that.”
“For Fallon to do anything else would be counterproductive at this point. And whatever he is, he’s no fool. He wants his money, that’s all.”
“You’re trying to make me feel better,” she said. “But I don’t know if you believe all this yourself.”
She sipped water, watched him. They sat in
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