Chapter 45

I was right. Doris gave me hell about spending that much money on someone I didn't even know. I didn't say anything until we pulled up in front of the steakhouse they had chosen to eat at. I turned in the seat so I could face Doris and still be able to see Sandra and Jimmy as I spoke. She opened her mouth to say something and I just held up my hand for silence.

"You been giving me hell since I left the music store. This time you shut your mouth and let me speak. I bought the pair of violins because they are a matched pair and the owner wouldn't sell them separately. I gave one to Jimmy because he deserves it. I don't give a damn if you like it or not. I have the money and the way they play, they both deserve an instrument they can pass down in the years to come. They will pay me back ten times over when they play together. Jimmy has adopted Sandra and she him. I didn't have a say in it, but I am a parent now with Sandra, and now Jimmy, and as a parent I will buy my kids what I want to, when I want. Doris, you are his aunt but he is my adopted son now, so if you want to bitch, go to the bathroom and do it in the mirror at yourself. That's one of the main reasons why I am still single. Now let's go eat dinner and forget about the arguments."

The kids were high fiving in the back seat and Doris looked like she was going to explode. I got out and the kids were right behind me. Doris was behind the kids when she all of a sudden started laughing to beat the band. We stopped and turned to face her, and she stopped laughing and hugged Sandra and Jimmy then led the way in the front door. I was still trying to figure out what the hell that was all about when I realized I was standing by myself just inside the front door. I shook my head and then saw Sandra waving at me from a table by the front window. I went over and sat down next to her, and then I got blasted again.

"See, I told you both he was getting old. He can't even follow us to the table to sit down."

I started to blast her when I saw the smile on her face. I grumbled a little and Sandra laughed out loud at me. We ordered from the waitress, and sat back and just chatted about the look on the music store owner's face when they were playing. The kids were laughing about his mouth hanging open the whole time they played. I knew Doris was going to ask me the question and she did it, but worked it in so smoothly I answered without thinking about it.

"Harry, how much did you get soaked for those two violins?"

"I got him down to a little under a hundred grand."

All of them froze with their mouths hanging open. I almost laughed out loud at the looks on their faces. Sandra was the first to break the silence.

"Grandpa, you won't have to sell our house will you? I can use a cheaper one rather than see you have to move from your beautiful house."

"Let me make this clear to all of you this one time. I have many more thousands of dollars. When I moved out here and bought my cabin I was going to retire and just take it easy. I sold my house and property in Florida for more than a million dollars to a big multinational company. I was the last holdout and got a lot more than I thought I would, thanks to a lawyer friend who handled the deal for me. To hear you two play so beautifully together is worth a lot more than any amount of money. Besides I won five grand and Sandra got a free guitar. I have explained myself, and my feelings, so let's drop the whole thing right now. I just want both of you to be happy, and to keep playing such beautiful music."

The kids were smiling, but I could see the frown on the face of Doris as she sat looking at the kids. The waitress brought us refills and it broke some of the tension around the table. Again I knew she still had something to say so I just kept up the chatter with the kids waiting for her to figure out what was bothering her. We finished the meal, and I left a good tip and paid with my credit card. We went out to the unit and all climbed in. We hit the road with the kids' chatter in my ears from the back.

I knew Jimmy was of age but he was a kid to an old man like me, and he seemed like he was being one when he was with my granddaughter. She seemed like she had found a kindred spirit when they were together. I had to agree with Doris when she said he actually thought she was his sister. After thinking about it through the day I had come to the conclusion Jimmy had found someone he could enjoy being with, and I figured Sandra felt the same. I knew there was the age difference thing, but I really felt they enjoyed the pretend of being brother and sister. Jimmy was the total opposite from when I had met him the first time. As Doris had said, he seemed to come out of his shell since meeting her. Even though to most he would be considered slow, I knew better. He actually took the time to think before he spoke and thought everything through before he opened his mouth. I had already figured they were pretty much on the same intellectual even with the age difference. Between the two of them I would be willing to bet they were over three hundred, way over. My daughter had raised Sandra right and I could tell Jimmy had been brought up pretty much the same. They both had been through so much, and could talk about it without being bitter or hating about it. Their humor and personality came through every time they were together and they seemed to know what each other was thinking. I know it seemed like I was describing an old married couple, but once in a blue moon you meet the person that you can enjoy being with, regardless of what you're doing. This was something that ages or area or circumstance couldn't control. If I had to name it I guess I would call it karma or even the perfect match of spirits. I thought this is what was happening between these two, and I wasn't about to interfere as long as they were happy. I was the one reaping the benefits with Sandra being so happy, and the music the big wigs went to the city and paid to hear. I hoped Dina and Dana wanted to learn too. Those two were smart as whips, and they had that special something it took to be the best at everything they could learn. Among the four I would almost bet we would start having some of the best entertainment in Nevada.

I pulled up in front of the house and Jimmy got out after telling Sandra he would see her tomorrow at the shop. They hugged and he went toward the house. Doris hadn't got out of the unit so I turned toward her and saw she was silently crying. Oh God, please tell me I didn't have a weeping woman on my hands. I was the type that didn't know what to do when a woman cried. I did the only thing I knew how, I sat and waited to see what was wrong.

"Harry, what you did for Jimmy is beyond what anyone else ever has done for him. At first I thought you were trying to get to me or something like that. I don't want to get into it with Sandra here."