No Way Out - Fern Michaels Page 0,29

was at her wits’ end. The drinking was out of control. He had practically wiped out Greg’s entire bar stock. He hadn’t once cleaned the bathroom in the basement and always left a pile of dirty clothes on the futon. Since he wasn’t using it as a bed, he was using it as a laundry hamper. And it was going to stay that way. Ironing a shirt for when he was going to see his son was one thing. Being his personal maid was something entirely different. Elaine wondered how Colleen had been able to put up with him for as long as she had.

Mitchel climbed the steps, looking like a different person. He was showered and clean-shaven, and his hair was combed. He had on a clean pair of jeans and the shirt Elaine had ironed. His shoes needed a little work, but Elaine wasn’t going to mention it. “You look very nice, Mitchel,” she offered.

“Thanks to you.” Mitchel could turn on the charm when necessary. But it seemed as if he didn’t think it had been necessary for a while. “And thanks for putting up with me.” Now he was pouring it on thick. He knew he had been teetering on the edge of getting thrown out on his ass, and he surely didn’t want to go live with his mother. Spending the entire day with her was bad enough. At least he would have Jackson with him.

“What are your plans for today?” Elaine asked, as if she cared.

“We’re going to grab some lunch, then go to a movie. Maybe stop at the bowling alley if we have time.”

“Sounds good.” Elaine poured herself another cup of coffee.

“What time is your mother coming over?” She hoped it was soon and that she would only stay long enough to pick him up.

“In about fifteen minutes. She’s picking up Jackson at eleven.”

“Will she stay for coffee? I can put on a fresh pot.” Elaine held her breath, waiting for an answer.

“Nah. We’ll want to get moving.”

Elaine sighed in relief. Her mother-in-law could be one nasty old hag.

“After your visit, what do you think you’ll be doing?” Elaine was praying he would say “looking for an apartment,” but she knew that miracles rarely happened.

“If we go bowling, Ma will drop me off, then take Jackson home.”

“You’re coming here right after?”

“Not sure. Playing it by ear.” Mitchel reached for a cigarette and winked. “Going out back.”

As Elaine watched Mitchel exit the kitchen door, she thought how sad it was. He was, or at least had been, a nice-looking man. Tall, thin, sandy-brown hair, green eyes, and a big smile. He had had an excellent job at an auto-repair shop and was considered their best mechanic. That was until he started arriving late and not showing up a few times. Then, when he got arrested, Otto, the owner, couldn’t deal with him anymore. His life was in shambles at age thirty-six. Such a waste.

Elaine remembered when he had met Colleen. She was a sophomore at the state college and was home for the summer. She was working the arcade at the county fair when Mitchel first approached her. They started dating, and the rest, well, the rest had turned into a calamity. Mitchel’s mother didn’t like Colleen from the get-go. She thought Colleen was a bit uppity, being a college student and all. In turn, Colleen’s mother didn’t much like Mitchel. She thought Colleen “could do better.” Mrs. Griffin was right. Colleen could have and should have done better. Her mother-in-law, on the other hand, should have been kissing Colleen’s feet. Mitchel might have been good-looking and charming, but there was something about him that had never sat right with Elaine. And her instincts had turned out to be spot-on. Mitchel had become a train wreck, and the rest of the family was having to clean up the mess. Mitchel certainly wasn’t going to lift a finger to help himself.

The doorbell rang, and Elaine called out the back to Mitchel. “Vivian is here.” She refused to refer to her mother-in-law as mom, mother, or any other type of endearment.

Mitchel came in and walked to the front door. “Hello, Mother.” He gave her a peck on the cheek.

She nodded hello. “Mitchel. Elaine. You look well, dear.”

Vivian secretly blamed Elaine for not giving her more grandchildren, but Elaine had a fairly good idea about how Vivian felt. She would admonish Elaine for working while she was pregnant. “You should be at home, where you belong.” Did