Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them. His grandmother is totally against his plan and has just told him so in no uncertain terms. Shaken, his grandfather told him that his father took after his grandmother, and his volatile personality caused the Senator a lot of problems. When we left off last week, the senator had reminded Hank that his father rescued his mother when she was kidnapped and shot. Both he and Hank's father were at the hospital where this excerpt took place.

“Your mother was wounded when she deliberately took a bullet meant for me. Richard, your grandmother Lane, and I stayed all night with her at the hospital, and the next morning while
your dad was taking a shower, Elizabeth’s old fiancé showed up to visit her.”

Senator Lovinggood paused to take another sip of his drink. His hands had steadied. “It’s a shame Elizabeth’s mother died when you were so small. You’d have liked her.

“Anyway, I stupidly let the man come in because I knew he had to be worried. It had only been a short time since he and Elizabeth broke up, so I thought he should be allowed to talk to your grandmother for a minute while your dad was in the shower.”

The senator’s eyes started to sparkle. “Well, it didn’t work out like I planned. Your dad came out of the bathroom to find a towel, and he saw Alex—that was the guy’s name. They exchanged a few insults, and Alex hit your dad. He came up swinging, and it took every man in the room to separate them.”

“Who else was there?” Hank interrupted.

“Your uncle Scott was there, and so was Richard’s boss, Austin Fields.”
“Go on.”
“We got them separated,” the senator continued, “but Richard taunted Alex; he said some really nasty things to him. Then, Alex broke free and charged across the room.

“Richard jerked to the side, so he didn’t get hit, but I did.” Senator Lovinggood chuckled. “It made me so mad I hit him back. Knocked him down too.

“By that time we’d made such a commotion hospital security arrived. Dick Whitney, Elizabeth’s doctor, threw every one of us out, even your father. All the way to the parking lot Richard and I worried about what your grandmother would say when she saw us. We both looked like we’d been in a fist fight, which of course we had.”

A lump came to rest in Hank’s stomach. I wish I hadn’t heard this story. I thought Grandpa would tell me something bad, well, not bad maybe, but something that proves Dad wasn’t perfect. Instead, he told me about an adventure the two of them enjoyed together. And they did enjoy it. They got into a fight and had a fine time doing it.

He and his grandfather didn’t have that kind of relationship. They’d never brawl in the hospital or any other place for that matter. 

Blue 52 is available at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com or Amazon.com