The door swung open and in walked Sandra with a stagger that could only be caused by her appetite for alcohol. Though her pale-green eyes were shadowed by dark circles, they shone with anger like laser beams. As if I weren’t pissed off enough she came in on a tirade.
“There you are. How dare you push those thugs you call security on me! Like I want to be dragged out of my bed, out of my home, and driven here.” I’d tried to reach her, but since she’d been on another bender, getting her guard to wake her was the next best option.
She stopped in her tracks as Luna and her father’s presence registered.
“This is Jay Spencer and his daughter, Luna. This is Sandra, my sister-in-law.” I figured getting the introductions over with was better than letting the good pastor speculate. As soon as Sandra had barged in, he’d been ready to explode. I couldn’t blame him, for all he knew she was a girlfriend.
“Luna. The new wife? I read you’d married your assistant.” She turned her head toward Luna and clapped slowly. “Well played.”
As Luna’s back straightened, I stood and put myself between them. “Where’s Harbor?” My nephew was supposed to be with her, or at least I’d assumed he would be. The kid was going to be a problem if the media got a hold of him. I suspected his recent habits were worse than his mother’s.
“Your guess is as good as mine. I’d hoped he was here. I haven’t seen him in days. He popped in a week ago and woke me up asking for money. He took what I had on-hand, and I’ve had to live off the card since.”
My jaw tightened at that. The card she referred to was mine, and even though I kept a healthy sum in it, the principle of her wasting my money pissed me off.
A smile played around her lips. “Don’t worry, I’m a cheap drunk.”
It wasn’t that I’d feel the money missing as much as I hated what she’d become. “I’d rather have you sober and spending my money than passed out or hammered all day.” Luna and her father had the front-row seat to the ugliness of my life, but I was well beyond pulling the curtain on it now.
“I’m sure your wife will do enough spending for us both.” She raised her open hand and wiggled her fingers at Luna who sat wide-eyed and angry. Then laughter roared from Sandra and faded down the hall to the guest room. She wouldn’t have made it up the stairs.
Luna shifted around to face her father. “She’s pleasant.”
“She needs help. Reminds me of myself back when your mother died.” The pastor’s eyes were hard, but not out of anger. I’d seen that look before and imagined he had a dark past, something gnawing at him, and maybe that’s what fed his insanity for his daughter. Protective fathers were one thing, but there was a whole other layer to him.
“I’m sorry she brought up painful memories. I’ve tried to get her help, but she’s never gotten over my brother’s death. Until she does, I’m not sure she can be sober.”
“Maybe she blames herself?” The pastor was off on that one – off by a mile.
“No, sir. She blames me, and I’m afraid because of that, I tolerate her. Hell, I guess I’m an enabler, but if I cut off the money, I’d feel even worse.”
“I have counselors at the church, if you’d like to try them.”
That brought my head around. Maybe the man wasn’t so bad after all. Before I could finish my thought or reply, Judy announced dinner was ready.
Jay stood and pulled Luna to her feet. “Great, I’m starved.”
Luna let out a sigh and I led them to the dining room where Judy had already placed out plates. Jay took the seat at the head of my table, and I shrugged it off for Luna’s sake. Instead of taking the seat across from her, I sat next to her. “Would you care to join us today, Judy? I’m sure you and the good pastor here would like to catch up.” And thank God, she took the hint.
***
As the sun set across the vineyard, we said goodbye to Pastor Spencer and I could finally let my guard down. After a short distraction in the form of Joe calling to give me a report, I found Luna on the patio staring at the moon.
I sat beside her and folded my hands in my lap. “You’re in my favorite chair.”
“Sorry, do you want to swap?” She made no move, keeping her eyes locked tight on the sky.
“No, I only meant to point out that you’ve found one of my favorite places. I think it’s funny you gravitated here of all places.”
“Maybe we’re kindred souls, after all.” She turned her head and met my eyes.
“Ah. You remember that from our ceremony?”
She nodded, returning her gaze toward the moon. “I’ve started remembering lots of things: the tacky carpeting in the wedding chapel, the smell of the man who banged on the machine to get it to release our rings, and how that lady I’d never met before caught the bouquet we’d borrowed from the chapel.”
“The coordinator had a hell of a time getting that back, I’m sure.” We shared a laugh before she wrapped her arms around herself as the wind picked up, blowing against them.
“I wish things would have gone better than that earlier.” I hated that they had to witness Sandra especially.