9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

E llie sat at the visitor table at the prison with Lyle and Richy. They had ten more minutes before the prisoners were brought in. Richy was nervously tapping his fingers on the table. Lyle had been almost mute since last night. The only time he’d shown any animation was when Ellie had informed them about Sutton.

She’d been impressed with the boys. They’d both expressed sadness for Sutton’s loss of her mother and asked what they could do when they went for Christmas to make it better for her.

They’d also broken her heart last night when they’d said to please not make them visit their dad again. She’d decided she needed to be truthful. She’d explained she hadn’t wanted to, but their dad had threatened to remove her as their guardian. Richy had asked if she was their mom, could she keep him from making them visit. When she’d questioned the boys if they wanted to call her Mom, they’d both said yes. She’d been that for a while, and they wanted it official. She’d wished she had someone to talk to because it seemed they’d made up their minds abruptly, considering less than two months ago, they’d called her a gash at Halloween.

She wished she knew how they’d grown up. She felt like she was missing some vital pieces of information. Cannon had mentioned how much therapy had helped him, and Hank even had a therapist who dealt specifically with children.

She’d add it to her never-ending list of things to do: get the name of the therapist. She wanted the boys to have the best chance at an amazing life. Maybe talking with someone would help them.

The door opened, and the guard motioned for the prisoners to go to their tables. Richy sat up and watched for his dad. Lyle was beside her and scooted until his leg was touching hers. She’d never seen this behavior from him, and she worried what it meant.

Her brother walked in and strutted over to their table. Despite being in prison, he still exuded that cocky attitude that he expected everyone to do his bidding. She hadn’t liked her brother for a long time. Sure, they were related, but she’d been treated better by people she had barely interacted with at Bluff Creek.

“Boys, don’t you have a hug for your old man?” her brother, Percy, asked.

Lyle crowded closer to her, and Richy just stared at his dad. Neither boy got up.

Her brother glared at her. “Has the gash been turning you against me?”

Before Ellie could say anything, Lyle turned toward his dad and spoke. “Don’t call her a gash. She’s treated us better than you ever did.”

Her brother tensed and then started to raise his cuffed hands. One of the guards stepping toward them had him sitting back.

“Boy, shut up. You’ll do what I say, or you won’t be living with her any longer. I decide what happens,” Percy hissed.

“No. Lyle and I talked. Lyle is going to show them what you did if you don’t sign your rights to us away and give Ellie custody. We want her as our mom. You’re never touching Lyle again.”

Ellie’s stomach dropped at Richy’s words. Neither boy had ever hinted that her brother had done anything to them, but Richy’s words couldn’t be construed any other way. She couldn’t let this go on. If they had to go to court, so be it, but she thought her standing up to her brother might make him think twice.

“Shut up, you little bastard,” Percy said.

“No, stop. I don’t know what you’ve done to Lyle, but you are not in charge. You will sign whatever it takes to give me full custody of the boys. If you don’t, I’ll make sure everyone knows that you’ve hurt a child. Do we understand each other? I’m not alone now. The MC and the bail bonds have contacts that I’m sure can find whatever I need to have the upper hand. Do you really want them all poking around in your business here and from before?” Ellie asked, her arms around the boys beside her. Had they ever had anyone who was willing to stand up for them?

“Fuckin’ gash, always thinking she’s the big hotshot.”

“I didn’t hear your agreement. If I don’t have your word that you’ll sign papers in the next week, I’ll take the leash off the bail bonds. My friends have been itching to find more dirt on you. They’re very good at what they do,” Ellie said softly.

“They’re just two wastes of space. Sure, I don’t need them dragging me down. I’ll sign whatever you need, but you keep those people from snooping,” he said.

Ellie nodded. “Boys, if there is anything else you want to say, say it now because you will never be required to return.”

“Lyle and I hope you get treated in here exactly like you treated us, and we hope we never see you again, right, Lyle?” Richy said.

Lyle nodded. Ellie worked to hold it together when she wanted to double up her fist and knock the smirk off her brother’s face, then follow it up with her knee in his nuts. He didn’t say anything else, so she stood and looked at the guard.

“We’re done here.”

The guard nodded and walked over to the table. “Walk to the exit door, face the wall, and wait for the guard to let you through.” He motioned with his hand, telling her brother to get a move on.

The guard stood there while her brother exited and then turned to the boys. “I shouldn’t say this, but I’d be proud if my sons stood up to a bully like that. Have a Merry Christmas. You can go to the door, and I’ll notify them you’re leaving.”

Ellie led the boys to the door and then waited as the guard opened the door and let them through. They went through the motions of exiting the prison. The boys stayed close to her and then got in the car. She honestly didn’t know where to even start the conversation to discuss what she’d heard in there. She started the vehicle and looked at the boys.

“I know we need to discuss a lot, which we can if you want. Or we can table everything until we’re home, and we’ll grab some snacks for the road and leave town. I’m happy to discuss stuff, but if you need some space because that was emotional, then we can wait,” Ellie said.

“I vote for road snacks and then head home,” Richy said.

Lyle didn’t say anything. He was sitting in the back seat. She glanced in the mirror.

“Mom, I’ll tell you all about it, but I only want to go through it once. Can I do it when we’re with Hennessy? I mean you and he are a thing, right?” Lyle asked.

It must be important to him if he was asking, and she vowed to not lie to the boys except to protect them.

“We’re friends becoming more. Hennessy has said he wants forever. I think I do too, but I’ve never had someone special in my life like this. I want the happily ever after, but I want it to be something wonderful for all of us,” Ellie said.

She pulled into the convenience store parking lot. She didn’t need gas, but they did need their road snacks.

“What about Sutton?” Richy asked.

“I think Hennessy will be getting two sons, and I’ll be adding a daughter if you both are on board with what Hennessy and I are thinking. What do you think about a little sister?” Ellie asked.

Lyle nodded from the back seat. “We’ll protect her. I’m on board with Hennessy and the Nelsons. I think it would be good for all of us. Now I want my own popcorn. Richy hogged it all last time.”

The boys unbuckled and they all exited the vehicle. She was surprised at Lyle talking that much, but she wasn’t going to spend the whole way worrying. She was going to do the same thing with her worries about Lyle that she’d done with her worries about Sutton. She’d hold them in until she and Hennessy could talk alone.

She hoped her brother would do what he’d said and sign the papers without any fuss, but she also knew him. He’d be thinking of how he could swing it to have himself come out on top. She needed to get a lawyer working on paperwork immediately to not give Percy any time to renege on his agreement. They quickly bought what they needed and got back in the car.

She was glad they hadn’t stayed long at the prison. She wanted to get back but where did she want to get back to? It was the same distance to Dodge City and Hennessy as it was to Bluff Creek. She needed Hennessy to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She also ached to see the little girl who was now a part of their lives.

“Guys, what do you think about heading to Dodge City and Hennessy instead of home to Bluff Creek today?”

“Let’s do it. Do you think we should stop and buy something for Sutton?” Richy said. It did her heart good that he was thinking of others after the horrible day they’d had.

“Do three-year-olds like dolls?” Lyle asked softly.

“Can we text Sprite and Winnie? I bet they know what kids that age need. If you’re short of money, Lyle and I have money from our chores we could use.”

These boys were killing her. She tried to hold back the tears, but honestly, she’d had so many ups and downs in the last twenty-four hours, she just couldn’t hold it together any longer. She sniffed but then the tears started rolling down her cheeks.

“Richy, she’s crying. What do we do?” Lyle asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe hug her?” Richy said, leaning toward her and slipping his arm around her. Lyle was in the back seat and leaned up to pat Ellie’s shoulder.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Lyle asked, his voice rising.

She needed to calm down and reassure these boys that had tunneled into her heart. “I’m okay. It was just a lot today dealing with your dad. Then having you both want to do something sweet for a little girl you’ve never met touched me so much.”

The boys continued patting her, and Lyle handed her the box of tissues from the back seat.

“He’s not our dad. The dads we’ve seen since we moved to Bluff Creek don’t act like ours did to us. I don’t want him to have that title anymore. How about we call him something else?” Richy suggested.

Ellie wiped the tears off her face and blew her nose. She turned to the boys and smiled.

“I think that sounds fantastic. Now whose turn is it to pick the music?” she asked.

“How about you pick it the first hour, Mom?” Lyle said.

“Okay, country it is, son,” Ellie said and smiled at her boys. “Next stop, Topeka, for some extra clothes for all of us and some special gifts for Sutton. I have plenty of money, so I’ll pay, but the gifts will be from all of us. Why don’t you text Winnie and Sprite for ideas. Should we surprise Hennessy or warn him we’re invading?”

“Surprise him,” the boys answered.

Ellie nodded and flicked the station to country. She smiled when she heard the song. How appropriate that Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar was playing. She did love the bar, but the man she was going to see in the bar was who had her heart.

Despite these being big changes for her life, for the first time in a while, she was calm and relaxed about this decision. With Hennessy was where she was supposed to be.