Unwanted House Guest

Book Two of

The Unwanted Series

by Sandra Denbo & Tamarine Vilar

Book Lamp and Chair, LLC

Portland, Oregon

Copyright

Copyright © 2014 Sandra Denbo and Tamarine Vilar

Cover art by Monika Kralicek

Editing by Shannon St Hilaire

Photography by A C Denbo

This is a work of fiction. Names and events have been created from the imagination. The heroine and her daughter are loosely fashioned after the authors but no other person is depicted in this work. Any character’s resemblance to a real person is strictly coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the authors. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Publisher: Book Lamp and Chair LLC, USA

Books in The Unwanted Series

Unwanted Discovery – Book One

Unwanted House Guest – Book Two

ISBN- 978-0-9967895-3-0

Acknowledgements

A personal thanks to Emery Denbo whose collaboration made our story even better.

A special thanks to Rhiannon Martin who provided invaluable technical advice.

To all our family, friends and fans who gave us their feedback – we thank you.

Sandra and Tamarine

Chapter 1 - The Arrival

The howling December wind rattled the screen door as Sharon Cooper sat in her easy chair next to the roaring fireplace. She had tucked her feet underneath her and she warmed her hands around a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Although the news was on, she smiled, thinking about her family. Her devoted husband, Jack, had just gone into the bathroom to replace the washer in the sink faucet. Their son, Mark, was away at college in his junior year and Callie, their daughter, was in her room looking for a job on the Internet. She was grateful that Callie was able to help her inventory and liquidate her mother’s estate last summer. Since Callie had just graduated from high school, the timing couldn’t have been better. But when Sharon recalled the secrets they found, some of her anxieties returned. She would never know the whole truth about her parents and it was too late to ask them about any of it. Her father had died years ago and her mother, Alice, was in a nursing home. Alzheimer’s and a severe stroke made any communication with her impossible. Although it had been stressful, Sharon was thankful for the good things that came as a result. The best surprise was discovering and getting acquainted with her mother’s sister, Georgia. With all of that work and drama behind her, she appreciated being able to get back to her normal routine. Deciding to focus on the positive, she smiled again.

The knock at the door startled her. Who would be out in this windstorm? she wondered. She placed her hot chocolate on the coffee table and got up. When she opened the door, she tensed.

Ralph, what are you doing here? And why do you have a suitcase? Please don’t tell me you think you’re staying here. As a courtesy, she urged him, Come in, it’s cold out there. When she opened the storm door, a gust of wind yanked it out of her hand and the safety chain clanked loudly when the door jerked to a stop.

Ralph picked up his suitcase and gripped his coat collar close to his neck with his free hand. As he stepped forward, the wind toyed with the few gray hairs left on the top of his bald head, making them dance. Even his long, wayward eyebrows moved above his thick bifocals.

When she shut the door after him, she noticed that he was hunched over even more than usual making him appear shorter than her. When she saw that his skin tone looked sickly, she wondered if their florescent lights had cast the yellowish tint.

Can I take your suitcase? she offered.

He gripped it even tighter, turned away and growled, No! Lemme talk ta Jack.

Well, so much for a hello. Would you like to sit down?

Nope, gotta talk ta Jack. He carefully put the suitcase down next to his feet.

Okay, I’ll go get him. She peeked into the bathroom. Jack, your dad’s here and he wants to talk to you. She saw the new washer next to the faucet as he put down the wrench.

Really? Uh, okay. He muttered under his breath, Why is he here so late? He never drives after dark, he said as he put down his tools. Even with that irritated tone, she always thought he sounded like that blue-collar comedian, Jeff Foxworthy.

Jack came into the living room, saw the suitcase and frowned. Hey, Dad, what’s up?

Ah gotta stay here.

What? Jack whispered, You’ve got to be kidding!

Sharon groaned inside and her fair skin took on a pink hue.

Ralph’s frown pushed his wiry eyebrows down behind his bifocals and hollered, "What’s the matter? Can’t ya hear? An’ people are always sayin’ Ah can’t hear. He raised his voice even more, Ah said, Ah gotta stay here!"

Sharon heard the controlled tension in Jack’s voice. What do you mean by ‘stay here’?

Ah need a place ta stay. Ah brought me some clothes fer now. Just show me where ta bed down.

Did you drive here?

Well a course Ah did, how else would Ah git here? Ralph huffed. Will ya quit askin’ them fool questions and tell me where ta go?

Sharon restrained a smile when she saw Jack clench his jaw. I’ll bet he’s resisting the urge to really tell him where he can go.

Jack rolled his eyes. Well, we’ve got Mark’s room available, but the bed’s taken apart and it’s in the basement. You're lucky, we were getting that room ready for Sharon’s mother, but she ended up staying somewhere else. You’ll have to help me bring it up and put it together. As they headed down the stairs, Jack added, "I want you to know, this is not permanent."

Sharon stood at the top of the stairs twisting her strawberry-blonde hair. Oh, great. That man is the most pig-headed, old badger I ever met– that anyone ever met. This is going to be a nightmare, especially when Jack’s at work. I can handle him in small doses, but Callie and I are going to be stuck trying to deal with him every day for who knows how long.

She went into Callie’s room and told her what happened.

Callie leaned her head back, put her hands on top of her head and gripped her long red hair. She slowly and quietly said, No-o-o. Then she looked up at her mom, her green eyes begged for this to be a joke.

I can always count on you to vocalize what I’m thinking. Anyway, Dad took him downstairs to get Mark’s bed from the basement. Will you help me put the linens on it after they put it together? Sharon tried to treat this like any other chore, although she couldn’t find anything positive about it.

After she and Callie collected the linens, Sharon stood twisting her hair as they waited at the top of the stairs for the men to come back with the bed and put it together.

Mom, why can’t he go to Dean’s or Art’s or Ricky’s house? Callie whined. They’re his kids too. Why here?

Sharon could see she was restraining an outcry as she closed her eyes.

After a cleansing breath, Callie continued. I guess it’s because you’re the only daughter-in-law that doesn’t despise him. She nudged her. Well… the only one that doesn’t show it anyway.

Sharon gave her a grim smile and a sad nod of acknowledgement. Yeah, well that back-fired.

Callie snorted with a grin. Thanks, I needed a laugh.

Since Jack had to yell for his dad to hear and Ralph always spoke loudly, they could hear the men’s voices as they worked in the basement.

Dad, why are you here? Jack said point blank.

Ain’t tellin’.

How long will you be here?

Dunno.

So you’re saying it’s going to be more than one night?

Yeah.

More than a week?

Prob’ly! Ralph snarled.

By now, they were within view at the bottom of the stairs. Jack stepped up close, bent forward and looked his dad square in the eye. He spoke slowly and loudly. I’m going to call Dean, Art and Ricky as soon as we get this bed put together and we’re going to make a schedule for you. You cannot stay here permanently. You need to get this straightened up with Mom. Are we clear?

Ralph pinched his downturned lips in disapproval and glowered, his eyebrows bunching together. Awlright, but Ah ain’t promisin’ nothin’. His gray eyes mirrored his mood.

I’m sure glad Dad doesn’t take any flack from Grumpa, Callie whispered to her mom. Her eyes got wide. Did I really just say that?

Sharon snickered, then grinned as she whispered back. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.

After fifteen minutes, the bed was assembled. Reality set in as Sharon and Callie put the linens on the bed. Ralph carefully put his suitcase in the closet.

Jack had just hung up from a conference call with his brothers when they finished. He took Sharon and Callie to the living room to tell them what they’d decided. If this goes on for more than a month…

Sharon gasped, What? and Callie moaned.

He bowed his head, I know, that’s a long time. But I couldn’t get them to agree to a shorter rotation. We’re going oldest to youngest, but since Dad came here first, Dean will be last. After four months, we repeat the rotation.

Do you know something I don’t? Sharon grimaced.

He shrugged his shoulders, No. But we’re planning for the worst. That way if he goes back home soon, we’ll throw a party. I promised Ricky that if Dad intimidates him, I’d come over to back him up because we have to stick together. You know how bad it is for Linda when he yells at her. He sighed. I could tell they were all hoping he’d go home before it was their turn.

Ralph started yelling in the bathroom and Jack jumped up to see what happened. Jack rushed in and water was spraying everywhere. Sharon got up, too. When she got to the bathroom door, she saw Jack trying to close the shut-off valve under the sink. Ralph must have seen the wrench and washer and had taken it upon himself to fix the faucet. She shook her head.

Ralph always had an inflated opinion of his handyman skills, and the delusion had escalated in the last fifteen years. Like when he thought he could fix the roof ten years ago. He insisted that a staple gun was good enough. But he promptly stepped on one of his loosely attached shingles and slid off the roof. He’d landed on a rusty car engine and broken his leg in two places. Because he refused to listen to the doctor’s orders, it never healed right and he’d had a limp ever since. When Jack’s mother, Cora, called him about the fall, he could hear Ralph yelling in the background, more from indignation than pain.

I told him to let you boys fix the roof, she’d said. I told him he didn’t have the right tools for the job. But he just wouldn’t listen. The shingles were in the garage, and you know how he is– nobody’s going to tell him what to do or how to do it. He insisted on climbing up there to do it himself. And with a darn staple gun at that… It had been obvious that she was trying her best not to laugh.

As Jack turned the handle to the shut-off valve, he shouted, Out!

She stepped out of the way as Ralph stormed past her, dripping a trail of water. She shook her head when she realized Ralph had, yet again, managed to turn a simple fix into a laborious ordeal.

Ralph grumbled as he limped towards Mark’s room. He don’t talk ta nobody else like that! Dang ornery kid.

After the water was shut off, Sharon went in to help Jack clean up. The water had sprayed everywhere. A quick rub with a towel over his short, sandy hair was enough for himself. The room, however, required several towels.

As they worked, Jack said, This is a nightmare. Then he laughed. Who would actually remove the handle and not check the valve first?

Sharon got out another towel. Well, I’m sure glad you’re smarter than that.

That’s not saying much. And I can’t believe he drove in this weather. What was he thinking? What if he hit some ice? It’s almost freezing. I just can’t seem to convince him to stop driving, even with all the stuff I’ve done to his car.

To discourage Ralph from driving, Jack regularly went over to his parents’ house to do ‘repairs’ on his dad’s car. The repairs were to undo what he’d done before and then make another change to make it run poorly or disable it again, but he never did anything unsafe. This had worked for several years to discourage Ralph from driving– but not tonight. After Jack changed into some dry clothes, Jack brought some automotive tools outside.

Sharon brought Ralph a towel and he stayed in his room for the rest of the night; everyone was thankful for that.

The next morning, they were awakened by Ralph yelling in the hallway.

In bed, Jack rolled over and blinked at the alarm clock. What? It’s 4:30! He jumped up, threw on his robe and ran into the hallway to see what was wrong.

Ralph was limping up and down the hallway. When he saw Jack, he glared and pointed his finger at him. Tell yer woman Ah want mah breakfast!

Go back to bed, Dad! Jack yelled back. We don’t get up before six around here! I have to work today and if I’m too tired, I might get hurt! Do you want to be responsible for that?!"

Ralph backed down and shook his head.

Jack leaned forward as he pointed his finger at his dad. "And don’t you ever talk about Sharon like that again! You’ll treat her with respect! He moved closer so they were nose to nose. Got it?!"

Ralph nodded meekly and reluctantly went back to his room.

When Jack crawled back in bed, he said, Can you believe he wanted breakfast? I’m so mad right now, I can’t go back to sleep. Jack usually let things slide with stresses in his life, but his dad always pushed his buttons.

Sharon reached over to comfort him. Oh, Sweetie, let me make you some coffee.

Won’t that just make him think he’s getting what he wants?

Oh, don’t worry, I’m not serving him.

He put his hands over his eyes. How are we going to survive a whole month of this? He looked at her with a half-grin. We could all get ear plugs and pretend he’s not here.

Sharon laughed and put her arm around him. I’ll go visit your mom to find out why he’s here. And Callie can stay here to babysit Ralph and keep him out of trouble– as much as she can. We’ll get him back home– we have to.

Chapter 2 - Cora

Cora woke up at the usual four o’clock. She started to get up, but then she remembered Ralph wasn’t there. She snuggled back into the warmth of her bed with a grateful sigh. She read for a little while and then fell back to sleep. She finally got up at seven.

Ralph usually rushed her to make his breakfast. But now she took her time combing her long, gray hair as she put it in her usual bun. She felt an ache in her shoulders as she reached up with the comb. She shook her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Well, I am almost 70. At least I can admit it. Hmph. Ralph never would.

She looked at herself more closely. An old woman stared back at her. She noticed how her eyelids seemed to droop now, almost hiding her once happy brown eyes. She pulled up her forehead to undo the sagging skin, wishing it would stay up when she let go. It didn’t. Yup, I’m getting old alright.

She had gained a bit of weight throughout the years, probably from cooking rich foods, which was the only comfort she had since her boys had moved out. Long ago, she’d given up cooking healthy foods. Ralph had always criticized her and refused to eat anything she cooked that he didn’t like– which was anything that looked like it could be nutritious.

Then she smiled at her reflection. Well, this is refreshing. Now I can cook whatever I want. Wearing her slippers and robe, she went to the kitchen. She made a bowl of oatmeal, which she enjoyed while reading the paper. She was surprised to see it was already past 8:30 by the time she finished. Ralph would’ve chastised me for wasting the whole morning. Then she leaned back in her chair and smiled. I haven’t been able to lollygag in years.

Even though it was overcast and drizzling outside, she started humming. She picked up a stack of old magazines and sat on the couch. She clipped recipes, read a couple articles, and finished a crossword puzzle.

Sharon knocked on the door just after eleven.

Cora’s smile greeted her when she opened it. Oh, Sharon, how are you dear? I guess I should’ve expected you, although I’m surprised I didn’t hear from you last night. Come in. She shut the door quickly to keep out the cold.

Good morning, Cora. You look rested.

Thank you. Cora frowned, Aww, Sharon, you look so tired. I’m sorry about Ralph. But there was just no choice. I had to.

You had to? What do you mean?

Oh. I guess he wouldn’t have told you, would he? He’d be too embarrassed. I kicked him out.

Sharon’s eyebrows shot up. No way! She’s so nonchalant. How’d she get the courage to do that? He must have done something off the charts. She swallowed slowly to regain composure. May I ask why?

Well, as you know, Ralph and I are old-fashioned and believe the man is the head of the house. What he says goes. But I just couldn’t let this go. So I just had to.

She still didn’t answer the question. I’ve got to keep her talking. Do you need to run any errands? We can make it a girls’ day out.

Well, it would be nice if you’d drive me to the bank. I’ll pay for your gas.

Oh I don’t want your money; I’m happy to help. I hate to leave poor Callie stuck at home with Ralph. But Cora seems to be willing to talk with me, and we really need to find out what happened so we can get Ralph back home again.

They left after Cora got dressed. On the way, Cora babbled on and on about nothing in particular.

What’s with her? She’s usually so quiet. I wonder if this is nerves or if there’s something else going on.

Cora looked over at her. What are you smiling about? Am I babbling like a brook?

No, not at all. I’m just happy to see you so animated. She pulled over to the curb and then looked her in the eye. Is there anything in particular you want to talk about?

Cora’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth and then she closed it. She took a breath and then looked out the passenger window.

I’ve seen how you and Ralph interact, Sharon said, He sure likes to rule the roost.

Cora looked down to her lap and fiddled with her purse as she spoke with a nervous smile, Yes, but it wasn’t always that way. When we got married, he was so considerate and kind. She smiled. The whole time the boys were little, he was a good man. Then Cora frowned slightly, But, when they all grew up and started to leave home, he changed. He started barking orders– and I learned to obey. Otherwise, it… Looking startled, she stopped suddenly. Well, I won’t go there. Then Cora looked at Sharon with an ambiguous smile. Today is a new beginning.

Sharon smiled back but she was secretly terrified that this ‘new beginning’ could be permanent. What is she hiding? She pulled out into traffic again and in a few minutes she pulled into the parking lot at the bank. They walked in together.

Cora approached one of the tellers. I need to open some new accounts. Then she transferred almost everything from their joint accounts into those new accounts: checking, savings, and money market.

As they walked outside, Sharon held the door open for Cora and asked, Why did you do that? Won’t Ralph be left with nothing?

Well, if he can’t keep a handle on it, then I have to.

Cora, please tell me what happened, Sharon implored as they walked out the door.

Cora sighed. Her voice was subdued. I guess you should know, with Ralph at your house and all. Then she looked down and said quietly, Ralph has a problem with gambling. He has for years. She looked up quickly. But he always had a handle on it. We set aside a certain amount every week, just for that. I thought that would make him happy. Shaking her head, her voice quivered. But, now… now, it’s out of control. Yesterday, the statement for our money market came in the mail. That’s when I found out he’d withdrawn thousands of dollars since last quarter. When I asked him about it, he just said he had to pay the bookie.

Cora straightened up with her head high. A tear escaped and her voice cracked. So, I kicked him out. I have to protect what’s left, that’s why I moved what’s left into my name. I have to make sure he doesn’t throw away everything else.

Oh, Cora. I’m so sorry. Sharon reached out to give her a hug.

Cora patted her on the back. You’re such a dear. Then she pushed away and shook her finger. "But don’t you dare let Ralph know I told you. Or that I did this. He’d have a real conniption fit."

When they got to the van, Cora paused and pointed down the street. Will you go with me over there, please?

Sharon did a double-take when she realized that Cora was pointing at the beauty shop.

Cora stood outside looking at the listed services for a few minutes before she went in. Sharon followed her inside and the receptionist asked her what she would like.

I want a cut and a color. I think I’ll go blonde.

Sharon’s eyes almost popped. What’s Ralph going to think? He’s always insisted that only floozies dyed their hair.

While Cora picked her new style, Sharon excused herself to go outside to call Callie. Is Grandpa behaving himself?

Don’t worry, I put him to work. He’s going to paint the basement. But he’s moving everything away from the walls first. And I hid the paint rollers so he’ll have to use a brush. That should keep him occupied for at least a week. I figured it wouldn’t matter if he made a mess. I hope that’s okay.

Okay? Are you kidding? That’s wonderful! Brilliant idea! But I really called you to tell you about your grandma. You aren’t going to believe what she’s doing right now. She’s getting a cut and color at a beauty salon!

Callie laughed. That’s a good one, Mom.

No really, she’s in there right now. But don’t you dare breathe a word of it to Grandpa. Don’t even tell him I called.

Callie was still laughing. "So you’re serious?