Hadley & Grace(79)

The plan is still for Skipper to go with Grace to London, and Hadley is still supposed to find a way to join them. But how? She has no money, no place to go. And Mattie is still here. How can she go to London when Mattie is still here?

At least Skipper is doing better. In large part thanks to Jimmy. After Jimmy carried Skipper to the car, something changed for him. Like a duckling orphaned from his father, it’s as if he imprinted on the first alpha male he found, and Jimmy has gone along with it, perhaps realizing how fragile Skipper is.

It started with small talk about baseball, a sport Jimmy fortunately knows a lot about, but after a while, it turned to the army. Jimmy told Skipper about his job in Afghanistan, leaving out the bad parts and mostly talking about the guys in his unit. He talked about each of them and their nicknames and how they earned them, a topic near and dear to Skipper’s heart. Eventually the conversation turned to Jimmy’s uniform, and patiently he explained the different “teams” in the army and why each soldier wears what they do. He even took off his fatigue jacket at one point and handed it over the seat so Skipper could check out the different patches and pins as Jimmy explained what each one meant.

Grace pretended not to be listening, but Hadley could tell she was, her jaw clenched hard against it as she tried not to care.

Part of Skipper’s change also has to do with what happened with Frank. It took some time for him to process it, but once he did, Hadley’s certain he formed his own very strong opinion about it. Skipper has a very defined sense of right and wrong, and though he has a remarkable ability to move past things and is the most nonjudgmental person she knows, he never forgets, and wrong is wrong in his eyes, so he rarely forgives. It’s simply who he is.

Hadley asked him how he felt about what had happened when they were walking to the pawnshop, and he said, “Coach shot that man who was in the car with us when I left my uniform at the pool, and he took First Base.” Then his face got dark, and he added, “And that’s all there is to say about that.” Then he marched a few feet ahead, making it clear he didn’t want to talk about it again.

Skipper’s forthrightness is the reason he still needs to go with Grace. If Skipper is ever questioned, he will describe in remarkable detail what he has witnessed through his crystal-clear lens, leaving out nothing, and everyone will believe him. Skipper never lies, and his recall is extraordinary, a strange gift of memory for places, people, and events. Without meaning to, he would implicate Hadley and he would implicate Grace. He might implicate Melissa, and he would definitely implicate Jimmy. A domino effect of travesty created by his perfect, artless recall.

The car slows as Jimmy takes the exit for North Platte, and a minute later, they pull into the parking lot for a mall.

“Back in a bit,” Grace says, stepping from the car with Miles.

Miles began fussing a few minutes earlier, clearly fed up with being strapped to Grace’s chest and probably in need of a change. Like a pro, Grace unhitched him from the baby pack and flopped him over her shoulder, settling him down as if it was no big deal, and beside her, Jimmy beamed like she was the greatest mother on the planet. Grace rolled her eyes, but Hadley could tell she was proud, her back slightly straighter as she walked toward the entrance.

Jimmy parks in the shade, then turns sideways in his seat to look at them. And again, Hadley is charmed. Her loyalty bone vibrates, knowing it’s a betrayal to like this man who’s caused Grace so much pain, but trying to not like him is like trying to not like Superman. He’s all muscles and white teeth, and there’s something about a man in uniform that makes you believe they are good, even if they’ve done nothing to prove it. It’s like he is cloaked in truth, justice, and the American way, and it makes her want to stand up and salute, or applaud, or knit socks—a swelling of gratitude for his courage, service, and selflessness.

She knows he screwed up. Badly. It’s his fault Grace and Miles are in this mess. But now that he’s here, smiling at her, his army fatigues undone and his dog tags dangling against his T-shirt, quite frankly she’s having a hard time holding her grudge.

“Hey, young man,” he says to Skipper. “What do you say we get you your own set of army fatigues? Make you a real private.”

Hadley waits for Skipper to shake his head and offer his defiant kneejerk response of “No,” the answer he gives anytime anyone suggests he wear anything other than his baseball uniform. But instead, he shocks her with, “That’s the starting soldier? Like the rookie?”

“Yep,” Jimmy says. “A private starts off with a plain uniform; then he earns the rest.”

“And I can wear a private uniform?” Skipper says slowly, his face taking on a look of awe.

“Well, I don’t know,” Jimmy says thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “First you need to answer a few questions.”

Skipper’s eyes get wide, and his face grows serious.

“Were you born in the United States?”

Skipper looks at Hadley, and Hadley nods.

“Yes,” he says.

“Have you ever committed any crimes?”

Skipper shakes his head.

Jimmy nods in approval.

“Do you promise to be brave, serve your country, and protect those you love?”

Skipper’s head reverses direction.

“Well then, I don’t see any reason why you can’t be a junior private.”