Healing Hearts: A friends with benefits, small town romance (Hope River Book 3)

by Margaret McHeyzer

  “Oh man, that’s rough,” Charlie says. He removes his right hand from the steering wheel, and leans over to entwine our fingers together. “I’m sorry,” he says.

  “Yeah. Dad is a work horse. There was no work-family balance for him, it was always just work. If he wasn’t working behind his desk, he was out schmoozing with his business associates.”

  “Ah, right.”

  “Anyway, um, I’ve been so closed off to everyone…” I purse my lips together. “…especially to you, um, because my entire life I’ve been overlooked or betrayed by everyone I ever cared about.” Shit, this is hard. There’s a giant boulder sitting on my chest, and I can barely breathe. “I’ve been let down so many times that I find it hard to trust anyone. The only person I’ve let in is Aunt May. She’s the only person who’s ever cared for me.”

  “That’s not true. I care for you,” Charlie says softly. “I care for you a lot.”

  “And I want to be honest with you, and tell you that I’m struggling with that. Because I’ve learned the hard way, that no one sticks around for me. I mean, if my own parents didn’t want me, then what chance do I have with a complete stranger?”

  “You just need to be yourself with me, Tabitha. When I ask a question, don’t let your knee-jerk reaction be nope, can’t do it.”

  “I don’t know how to stop that, Charlie. It’s part of who I became growing up. I was isolated, and was pushed away by the very people who should’ve wanted me, but didn’t. But we’ve talked it over. Dad didn’t realize how bad it was for me. He actually told me he was blindsided by some of the things I told him. Especially when it came to Mom. He had no idea she was as bad as she is.”

  “How can a man who made his own wealth not see the pain his daughter is going through?” Charlie asks. There’s no venom in his voice, but genuine concern.

  “Because he’s always had his head down, working. You know, when I was walking through the airport on the way there, I kept wondering if Dad would be shackled to his desk, and Mom to her cocktail glass.”

  “Oh, your mom drinks?”

  “Yep, and apparently I’m to blame for that too. She told me I need a face-lift because I’m looking old. She tried to book a botox appointment for me.”

  “A face-lift? Botox? You? You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, you don’t need shit. You only need me! Preferably between your legs, and definitely in your life.”

  I can’t help but laugh, because Charlie has successfully turned something so intense, to easy. “You’re good to talk to, Charlie. But I’m going to ask a favor.” Charlie groans, I think he’s thinking the worst. “When I retreat, you have to push me not to. Because I don’t know how to be open with anyone. It’s not like I find it hard to talk, I just find it hard to trust. And I’m gonna be honest, I don’t yet trust you, but I want to try.”

  “Trust isn’t an easy thing either. It has to be earned. Frankly though, if I’m over your shit, I’m going to call you on it. Because I’m not a fan of bullshit, okay?” He quickly looks over to me, waiting for my response. I nod. “Good. So now you and I, we’re going to try, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And we’re not having sex until you can learn to trust me.”

  “What?!” I yell, causing him to startle. “No sex? For how long? Like what the hell is wrong with you? Why not? I need sex, Charlie. I need sex!”

  He moves my hand, bringing it up to his lips and placing a kiss on my skin. “But, until you can learn to trust me, no sex. Because you use sex as a substitute for love, you don’t allow any connection with it.” I do? Hell, I think I do. “And I’m giving you fair warning, I’m going to kiss you.”

  Panic brews deep inside my gut. “I’m not a kisser. It’s too intimate,” I say while freaking out on the inside.

  “I know. But you’re going to have to learn that I want to kiss you, and you’re going to have to learn to want to kiss me too.”

  I try to pull my hand away, but he tightens his grip on me. Shit, kissing. “Charlie, I’m not ready to kiss you.”

  “That’s fair, but you’re going to have to push past this fear you have, Tabby. Because soon, I’ll be kissing you.”

  “What time frame am I looking at? A week, a month? A year?”

  We pull up at Aunt May’s. Charlie turns the truck off and shifts in his seat to look at me. “When you’re ready to kiss me, you’ll be ready to have sex with me too.”

  My mouth falls open with shock. “What?” I murmur. “What if it takes me six months to be able to kiss you?”

  “Then no sex for six months. As much as kissing is intimate to you, so is sex for me. And in the meantime, we have to trust each other that when you’re ready, you’ll tell me. It’s about listening to your heart, and about finding out that I have no intentions of going anywhere.” He turns and looks at Aunt May’s house. “But I have to say, I had nothing to do with it.”

  “What? You had nothing to do with what?”

  “Um. Let’s go inside,” he says as he opens his door, and hops out of the truck. He takes my carry-on suitcase, and waits until I’m at the front of the truck to link our hands again.

  We walk up the front steps, and when we get to the door, I instantly go to release Charlie’s hand, not wanting Aunt May to see us together. “Nope,” he says gripping me tighter. “Push past it, Pop Rock.”

  I like it when he calls me that. It’s cute. He gave me that name when we first started our friends with benefits relationship, because he said I’m like his own Pop Rock candy. Exploding in his mouth. It made me laugh then, and it makes me giggle now too.

  “Aunt May!” I call when we’re just inside the door.

  “About time you got your butt back home,” Aunt May says from the kitchen. She’s washing a few plates, and turns to see Charlie and me holding hands. “About time you came to your senses too,” she says as she pointedly looks at our hands.

  “We’re taking it slow,” I reply.

  Charlie drops his grip on me, and I walk over to Aunt May and hug her so damn tight. “So, how’s that cow of a sister of mine? Did you speak before you left?” I shake my head. “Ugh, she doesn’t deserve you, Tabitha. What a sour, horrible person she is. I’m ashamed to call her my sister.”

  “I’m just going to put my stuff away.” I grab my bag, and wheel it toward my room. “Hey,” I say when I get to where my door is supposed to be. “Where’s my door?”

  “You were acting like a brat before you left, so I had Charlie remove it.”

  “What?” I walk out there to find Aunt May pouring us all a glass of her lemon iced tea. “Aunt May, can I have my door back?”

  “No,” she candidly replies. “You locked yourself in there and completely isolated yourself from me. I won’t tolerate that kind of behavior, Tabby. This is our home, but I refuse to let it feel uncomfortable to me, like I’ve done something wrong. So, the door stays off until you learn that locking yourself away is of no benefit to anyone. Including, but not limited to, yourself.”

  Shit, talk about a tongue-lashing from Aunt May. “Why do I feel like I’ve just had my ass handed to me?”

  “Because you have,” Aunt May replies.

  Charlie’s laughing but trying to conceal it with the glass of lemon iced tea. “Well, ladies. This has already been an amusing, and enlightening day. I’ve got to get to work, but…” He walks over to me, and places a kiss on my cheek. I freeze, wanting to turn and run. “Dinner tonight?” he asks. Tension is pulsating through my body, my arms are stiff, and my neck is strained and rigid. Jesus, my body is going into hyper-drive, and all he’s done is give me a kiss on the cheek. I nod as fast as I can just so he leaves. “Kiss me back,” he says, pushing me out of my comfort zone.

  I’m not sure I can. Aunt May is staring at us, and he’s expecting some kind of affection from me. I lift my hand slowly, and go to pat him on the back.

  “No,” he says. “I want a kiss on the cheek.”

  Fuck, why is this so hard? I was able to
tease him publicly by shoving my butt into his groin, and now I can’t give him a kiss on the God damned cheek? “I’m really struggling,” I admit bluntly.

  “Good. I’m glad you’re honest with me, because it means I’m beginning to mean something to you. Now, kiss me.” He moves his head so his cheek is close to me. I can feel my heart pounding inside my chest, and Aunt May watching us like a hawk. Although, I bet she’s not, and this is all in my head. Sweat forms around the base of my hairline at the back of my neck. “Come on, I don’t have all day.” Slowly, I step forward, and place a kiss on Charlie’s cheek. “Thanks for tea, Gran. Bye, ladies,” he says as he winks at me and casually walks out of the house like what just happened didn’t make the world tremble.

  The screen door bangs shut, then I hear Charlie’s truck start. “How was that?” Aunt May asks.

  “Terrifying. I didn’t know I could do that, Aunt May.”

  “Imagine how much better your life is going to be once you loosen that white knuckle hold you have on it. And this old lady thinks you’ve got yourself a good one with him.” She looks out the front door, all the while showing me the cheekiest grin ever.

  Okay, I have to do this, because I’m tired of feeling unimportant.

  When I open my eyes, the sun is streaming into my room. I grab my phone to see what time it is. “Shit!” I say as I jump out of bed.

  “What is it?” Aunt May calls from the kitchen.

  “I slept in. I’m late! Evie and Cara will be at the B&B on their own.”

  Aunt May laughs. I’m fairly certain she’s laughing at me. “The world won’t end if you’re a little late, Tabby. Come have a coffee, I’ve made one for you.”

  I rush out, trying to fix my hair, and put my chef whites on all at the same time. I look around for my work boots and can’t see them. “Aunt May have you seen my steel caps?” I ask as I keep searching.

  “There…”

  I look to see where Aunt May is pointing, and I notice she’s smiling, but weirdly. The left side of her mouth droops, and the coffee cup she’s holding in her left hand falls to the floor and smashes. Aunt May collapses to the left. “AUNT MAY!” I scream at the top of my lungs. I sweep her up. She’s trying to speak, but her speech is all slurred. “Aunt May.”

  What do I do? Fuck!

  I place Aunt May down gently, jump to my feet and run into my room to get my phone. I dial 9–1-1, then run out to see if Charlie’s truck is still here. I let out a relieved breath, run to his door and bash it until he opens it. “What’s wrong?” he asks, taking in my disheveled appearance. “What’s wrong?” I can’t talk; instead I point to the house.

  Why the fuck is 9–1-1 taking so long? I look at the phone, and I didn’t hit the green phone icon. Charlie has run ahead, and I’m behind him. “Fuck!” Charlie says as he looks around.

  “I’m calling 9–1-1,” I manage to say.

  “There’s no time for them. I can get her to the hospital faster than they can get here.” Charlie scoops Aunt May in his arms, and runs out to his truck.

  With no shoes on, half dressed for work, I jump in the back with Aunt May, cradling her as Charlie tears down her driveway, and speeds along the road on the way to the hospital.

  No, I can’t lose Aunt May. I can’t. She’s everything to me. Please, please, please.

  Charlie

  Great, I’m running late this morning. I should’ve been on the site, ready to rough in one of the houses. I look around, trying to find my keys for the truck. I always leave them on the counter in the kitchen, but they’re nowhere to be found.

  Walking into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I see my truck keys sitting on the vanity. “What are you doing there?’ I ask the keys. “You know, you’ve made me late.”

  I squirt some toothpaste on my toothbrush, and quickly brush my teeth, well aware that Hope’s going to rip me a new asshole because I’m late. I know how much of a perfectionist she is. She hates people being late. The worst thing is, I can’t even remember putting my keys on the vanity.

  There’s a loud banging coming from the door, and when I open it, I notice Tabitha’s a mess. Her hair is all over the place, her eyes are wide with fear, and she’s breathing so fast I’m afraid she may pass out.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask. But Tabitha is trying to do something on her phone, while frantically looking back at May’s house. “What’s wrong?” I ask again. Something’s not right. I run into the house to find May collapsed on the floor. The color has drained from her face, and she’s talking, but it’s all jumbled, like she has a mouthful of marbles. Shit, I think she’s had a stroke. “Fuck!”

  “I’m calling 9–1-1,” Tabitha struggles to say through her hysterical tension.

  “There’s no time for them. I’ll get her to the hospital faster than they can get here.” I carefully gather May up in my arms, and run out to my truck. The moment I have May secure in the back with Tabitha, I fly down the road, and call Jake.

  “Hey, buddy, what’s happening?”

  “Where are you?” my voice is stern, and focused.

  “Shit, are you okay?”

  “I think May’s had a stroke.”

  “Fuck, what do you need? An ambulance?”

  “No, I’ve already got her in the car, on the way to the hospital. I need to get there faster, so an escort if you’re able to. And I need you to call ahead to the hospital, too.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Down near Old Roger’s, I should be hitting it in about two minutes.”

  “I’m on it. I’m out, so I’ll find you.”

  “Thanks.” I hang up, driving even faster to get May to the hospital. Tabitha is crying in the back, whispering words of a prayer for May. May’s trying to speak, but her words are confusing and jumbled. Shit, did I do the right thing? Should I have waited for the ambulance? Did I do the wrong thing by moving her? Could I have hurt May more?

  I see Jake’s sheriff cruiser, and he must see me too. Because he pulls out in front of me, and with lights and siren, setting a fast pace for the rest of the drive to the hospital. The moment we arrive, there are already a few nurses and two doctors waiting for us with a gurney.

  “What’s happened?” the doctor asks.

  Tabitha is a mess, and can’t string a sentence together. I have to keep it together for her and for May. “She was on the floor of the kitchen. She’s struggling to speak, and I noticed the left part of her mouth is drooping. She’s talking jibberish.”

  The nurses carefully take May out of the back of my car, laying her on the gurney, and quickly usher her inside.

  “You did a good job getting her here quickly,” the doctor says.

  “Thank you for looking after May, Martha,” Jake says as he extends his hand.

  The doctor takes Jake’s hand and shakes it. “Who found May?” the doctor asks Tabitha and me.

  “I… I did. Is she going to be okay?” Tabitha asks. I wrap my arm around her, and bring her in for a tight hug. Tabitha is all crunched up, withdrawn into herself.

  “I need to ask you some questions so I can determine what we need to do. Please.” The doctor indicates for Tabitha to follow her.

  “Do you want me to come too?” I ask.

  “No, I’ll speak with Tabitha first, then someone will come get you,” the doctor says.

  Of course, she knows who Tabitha is, and who May is. This town is tiny, and everyone certainly knows everyone else. “Okay.” I nod.

  The doctor takes Tabitha inside, and I turn to look at Jake. I let out a deep breath, and walk away placing my hands on my head. “You okay?” Jake asks.

  “Um, yeah, I think so. I’ve never really been in a situation like this before. And, I’m beating myself up because I don’t know if I did the right thing.”

  “You got her here, Charlie, and that’s a good thing. You can’t go back and have a redo. You stepped up. You’re a good man.”

  “I’m worried, man. I’m so worried.”

  “Martha is a damn g
ood doctor, she’ll figure out what’s happening, and get May back to rights. Right now, you need to be the strong one, because Tabitha is a damned mess.”

  “I know. She was praying in the back of the truck for nothing to happen to May.”

  “May’s a strong old broad, she’ll pull through it. And let me tell you, the moment the town hears about what’s happened, this whole hospital will be swarming with people from all over.” Jake starts walking to his cruiser. “You did a good thing, Charlie.”

  I nod, even though I keep going over every detail in my head. “Thanks.”

  “I’ve got work to do, but I’ll be back later.” While I’m outside, I call Hope to tell her what’s going on. I walk back in to find where Tabitha is. She’s pacing up and down the wide corridor, chewing on her nails. “Hey,” I say as I approach her.

  The moment Tabitha sees me, she bursts into tears, and runs toward me. I open my arms, ready to hold her. “The doctor’s in there with Aunt May now,” she cries into my chest. “What am I going to do if… if…?”

  “This is the best place for May, and from what Jake told me, this doctor is fantastic. We’ll get through this, okay?” I gently move the hair off her face, and kiss her forehead.

  Tabitha nods slowly. “I can’t lose her, Charlie. I can’t.”

  I don’t know the right thing to say here. Do I say that she won’t lose May? What do I do? Instead, I say nothing but keep my arms firm around Tabitha as I walk us over to the waiting area. Tabitha hasn’t stopped crying, and I know this has to be hard for her. “I’m here, baby. I’m here,” I say as she curls into me, and keeps crying.

  It feels like we’ve been here for hours when the doctor comes out to talk to us. “Tabitha.” The doctor sits beside Tabitha and smiles. “So, we’re running a few tests on May. But at this stage it looks like she’s had a stroke. You have to bear in mind we’re still running some tests—but I think what this is, is an ischemic stroke.” Tabitha gulps and brings her hand up to her mouth.

  What the fuck is ischemic stroke? Isn’t a stroke a stroke?

  “There’s more than one type of stroke?” Tabitha asks what I’m thinking.