Restoration

by Laurie Larsen

  Maybe being platonic friends and effective parents to Grace was enough. Maybe the whole ‘fall back in love, get married and raise Grace together’ fantasy was way out of reach. She’d better be happy with what she had ... like a greasy bag containing a cold hamburger ... and keep moving forward.

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING on the 20th?”

  Carly was talking to Ryan on the phone, trying not to notice the effect that the deep timbre of his voice in her ear was having on the rest of her body. Like her heart, pumping noticeably faster, and her hands, tingling from the increased pulse rate.

  Why did his voice do this to her? What was wrong with her lately?

  She found him constantly on her mind. The more she saw him, the more she wanted to see him. Ridiculous. She needed to put a clamp on her emotions and accept things for the way they were. Ryan making a concerted effort to be a father for Grace. This had nothing to do with his feelings for her.

  “The 20th?” she repeated, absentmindedly.

  “Yeah, my cousin is getting married. My parents and I are invited to the wedding and I wondered if I could bring you and Grace as my guests.”

  “What?” Her focus was laser sharp now. He wanted the three of them to go to his cousin’s wedding? As a family? “Why?” she managed.

  “Why?” he said and laughed. “I don’t know. It’s a family event, and you guys are my family. I just thought it would be nice to go together.”

  Nice for who? She wondered but didn’t ask.

  “Grace could meet more of her extended family and see the Melroses in action.”

  Carly brought in a slow, cleansing breath, trying to slow her heartrate. “Would you just like to take Grace?” Why would he want the three of them to go, when he could just take their daughter and let her be the center of adoration for the evening, introducing her to the relatives who probably didn’t realize he was back in his daughter’s life?

  “Well,” he started, and she recognized that he was measuring his response carefully, “I mean, I would take Grace with me if you wanted me to. But I really pictured the three of us going together. My relatives haven’t seen you for ages. In fact, some of them have never met you at all.”

  Carly’s heart stopped for a moment. Sure, some of his aunts, uncles and cousins never met her because she was the teenaged mother of Ryan’s unplanned, unexpected child who came way too early in his life to be welcomed and celebrated. She was the girl who Ryan got pregnant, the one who could’ve potentially ruined the future of their golden boy.

  Talk about awkward introductions.

  She exhaled a frustrated breath. “Ryan, spill. Why is it important for me to go to your cousin’s wedding?”

  She was putting him on the spot, and she knew it. But she wanted to hear his answer, what was truly on his mind. A moment’s pause and then, “I want to introduce you and Grace to my family and I want them to know how important you are to me.” He cleared his throat and Carly thought she could hear him rubbing a hand over the stubble of whiskers on his chin. “Will you please go with me? It would make me very happy.”

  Even if his tone hadn’t been sincere and humble, even if he didn’t sound like taking her and Grace to the wedding was the very most important thing in his life, she probably would’ve said yes anyway. Just because he’d asked her so nicely. When she did finally say, “Okay, Ryan, we’ll go to the wedding with you,” his happiness surged over the phone line and put a catch in her throat and a beat in her heart.

  “Oh Carly, that’s fantastic. Thank you. This’ll be great. I’ll tell you all the details when I see you tonight.”

  “Is it a dressy wedding?” she asked, wondering if she could find something in her closet that would be appropriate attire.

  “Yeah, you know, dresses, suits.”

  They ended the call and Carly was happy to have made his day. He was so transparent in his emotions, especially his happiness. It didn’t take much to make Ryan happy, but his delight over this was unmistakable.

  She’d been cleaning the apartment when he’d called and she went back to it, trying to avoid the inevitable line of thought: why was he so happy that she’d agreed to go with him? Why did he want to introduce her to his family so badly? Did he see a future with her? And if he did, why had he never talked to her about it?

  She had no idea. And she wasn’t about to ask him. She really didn’t want to get into a deep discussion with him about his feelings about her, because she had no idea if he would be telling her the truth. And she needed to protect her heart as much as possible.

  Instead, she pulled out the Comet and a sponge and headed for the bathroom, ready to scrub her aggressions out.

  AFTER THREE WEEKS OF rehab, Shaw took Thunder out of the sling apparatus. Free in his stall for the first time, he stood completely still, gazing at Shaw and Nora, as if asking for direction.

  “Come on, Thunder, come over here, boy,” coaxed Nora. The horse stood with his injured leg slightly bent, avoiding putting any weight on it.

  Shaw walked to him and placed a gentle hand on his halter. Applying subtle pressure, he pulled Thunder’s head while murmuring soft words in his ear. But instead of taking a few steps, Thunder simply extended his neck as far as he could without moving his legs.

  “I want to see him try to put weight on that leg. I’d rather be here so I can make adjustments if he’s still in pain.”

  Nora nodded. She wondered if the healing was complete. “So, you think he’s ready to walk without the sling?”

  “It’s a trial and error approach. If he still favors the leg and I think it’s because he’s in pain, I’ll take him back to the clinic for a follow up x-ray. If I think it’s because he knows in his head that it used to hurt, and he’s still favoring it to avoid more pain, then I can use some techniques on him to forget about that for a while and see if he can actually walk.”

  Shaw walked over to the stall door and slid it open. “Come on buddy, want to go outside? You haven’t been out for a long time.”

  Thunder perked his ears and lifted his nose, sniffing the incoming breeze. Although he looked interested and tempted, he stayed still. Shaw watched him for a moment, then went over to Thunder’s feed bin and grabbed a handful of oats. Walking back to the open stall door, he held his hand out. “Here you go buddy. Want some oats? Come over here to get them.”

  Poor Thunder. He looked tempted, and he seemed to know exactly what Shaw was trying to get him to do. But he stubbornly stayed still in his spot.

  “How about a carrot? Or an apple? He loves those treats,” Nora suggested.

  Shaw shrugged. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Nora jogged out of the stall, out of the barn, across the yard and into the mansion, coming back with the treats. Unfortunately, they didn’t work either.

  Shaw went back to the horse, running his hands down the leg, pressing to catch a reaction, searching for swelling or problems. He straightened. “The leg feels good, and Thunder didn’t show any pain. I think his head’s getting in the way. Not unusual for animals. As long as they remember something painful, they’re not going to put themselves in that position again.” He patted Thunder’s shoulder and left the stall. “I think he’ll be fine in here, even if he does put weight on it. But if you notice him in trouble, just call me. I’ll drop everything to come over.”

  Nora nodded. “I’ll check him whenever I have a break in my day.”

  A FEW DAYS LATER, CARLY stopped by Haley’s reception desk. Haley seemed like the kind of girl who owned some dressy dresses. Maybe she could get some advice. “I need some help. Some wardrobe advice.”

  Haley looked up with a smile. “You sell yourself short! You look nice. I like the dark pants and white button-up blouse. Only thing you might want to add is a clunky necklace and earrings to add a splash of color.”

  Carly chuckled as she looked down at her plain outfit. “No, actually, I w
asn’t talking about this outfit. But thanks for your expert critique.” She reached out and patted Haley’s hand when she blushed at her faux pas. “I need something to wear to a wedding.”

  Haley recovered, looking interested. “Whose wedding is it?”

  Carly shrugged. “A cousin of Ryan’s.”

  Haley’s eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped. “He invited you to a family wedding?”

  “Yes. Well, me and Grace.”

  “Oh. My. Gosh.”

  Carly really didn’t want to get excited. She gave a restrained grin. “Now, don’t get crazy.”

  “Why not? He wouldn’t invite you if he didn’t have feelings for you. Told ya! Told ya!”

  “Haley, I don’t ....,” her voice trailing off.

  “Okay, follow me home after work and you can look in my closet. I’d recommend a cute cocktail dress. Something with lace and a little bling, shows a little skin, but not too much.”

  “You have something like that?”

  “Of course!”

  Carly let out a pent-up breath. “You really are a life saver.”

  At the end of the work day, Carly followed Haley home and parked in her apartment lot. Carly couldn’t help but notice what an upscale complex Haley lived in. Covered parking stalls to protect from the elements, beautiful palm trees and tropical floral landscaping, undeterred ocean view. They both parked, and Carly caught up with her. “Beautiful place, Haley!”

  “Oh thanks,” she said, her voice dismissive.

  They walked up a flight of stairs to a second-floor apartment. Haley unlocked the door and led her into an impressive open floor plan apartment about four times the size of her own. She couldn’t help a gasp of admiration. “Haley,” she breathed. “This is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.”

  She took some mesmerized steps over the light-toned hardwood floors straight through the living room to the sliding glass doors. A balcony overlooked a swimming pool with a swim-up bar, and further on, the ocean. “It’s like living constantly in a vacation resort!”

  Haley nodded. “Yep. It’s my parents’ rental unit. But when I started working, I convinced them that it was stupid for me to find a cheap, scruffy little apartment that fit my budget, when they were continuing to rent this place out to vacationers. So, I pay them rent, probably much lower than it’s worth, and I get to live here.”

  “Oh, how wonderful.” Carly tore herself away from the view. She’d love to live in a place like this, but she’d never get anything done. The sound of the waves and the gulls flying overhead, and the kids and adults vacationing on the sand below would be way too distracting for normal life.

  “Want to see my closet?” Haley asked, and they went to her bedroom.

  Forty-five minutes later, Carly made her selection. That is, after trying on half a dozen dresses of varying colors and styles, all of them perfectly suitable for a dressy wedding. A tinge of envy hit Carly’s heart perusing all the selections in Haley’s stock full walk-in closet, almost as if she were at Nora’s Dress for Success showroom.

  But she finally selected a peach-colored pastel with cap sleeves, a lacy V-neck bodice, and an embroidered skirt that fell to about an inch above her knee. It was simple but classic, and beautiful. Better than anything, it was comfortable and flattering.

  “Thank you so much, Haley. I can’t tell you how much you’ve saved me here.”

  Haley smiled. “No problem. Although we’re not exactly the same size,” and she tapped her bodice with an index finger, indicating that hers was much fuller than Carly’s, “we’re about the same height and for the majority of dress styles, we can share pretty easily.”

  Carly pulled her friend into a one-armed hug while clutching the dress covered in plastic. “You are so nice and so generous, Haley. I can’t thank you enough. Thanks for being my friend.”

  Haley smiled happily. “My pleasure. I’m a sucker for happy endings, and I’m determined to make sure you get yours.”

  Emotion poked Carly in the eye and she blinked away a tear. Not quite trusting her voice, she waved, gestured to the dress, and left.

  Chapter Nine

  Thunder didn’t move from his spot on Day Two. On Day Three, Nora visited him three times, and by the third, he had moved to the far corner of the stall. He must’ve decided to give walking a try. She slipped into the stall and approached him quietly, her hand out for him to smell. He was comfortable with her, so she went to his leg, running her fingers down it as Shaw had. However, her fingers didn’t have the magic touch like his did, so she had no idea what she was looking for. She was happy that Thunder didn’t flinch at her touch.

  Shaw came over later in the day and Thunder had moved yet again. They held a private celebration in the stall, rewarding the gelding with a carrot and an apple and lots of pats all over. Shaw clicked the lead rope onto his halter and led him out of the stall into the barn aisle. Although he needed to be encouraged to leave the stall, he eventually complied and took a short walk up and down the aisle before Shaw let him back in the stall.

  “He’s looking good. He’s favoring it slightly but no limp. I’m happy with what I see.”

  As they were leaving the barn and closing up for the night, Shaw said, “Tomorrow morning I’ll be over to take him out to the pasture, see how he does there.” He grinned and pulled Nora into an embrace, her body pressed up against his. “We got lucky. Thunder’s a very special horse.”

  “Yes, he is,” she said. She tilted her head back, and they joined lips for a kiss.

  NORA’S CELL PHONE RANG while she was wrapped up in paperwork for her not-for-profit. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was an unknown contact. “Nora Ramsey, may I help you?”

  “Hi Nora, it’s Sadie Flynn.”

  Nora looked up, leaving the paperwork behind. Shaw’s daughter. “Hi Sadie.”

  The girl’s happy voice filled the line. “Dad tells me he’s introducing you to his favorite country artist, Radley Ray.”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Are you a fan too?”

  “No. In fact, I know nothing about country music. I’m sadly behind the times.”

  Sadie laughed, a happy explosion of sound. “That’s okay. He mentioned he gave you a CD to listen to. That’ll help you get familiar with his music.”

  “Yes, and I have been listening. I’ve found his songs very easy to listen to. Very sing-alongable.”

  “Great! You’ll be able to sing at the concert too.”

  Nora didn’t know about that. Singing in public was definitely not in her comfort zone. Sadie continued, “If you’re going to be around, I have some things to drop off. Dad said you might need a few wardrobe choices to go with your new cowgirl boots.”

  They discussed sizes and found that Sadie had a few things to share. “That’s very nice of you, but let’s just say our age difference could keep me from looking good or feeling good in your clothes. Can’t I just wear my blue jeans?”

  “Of course! But maybe just a few tops and skirts to give you some options.”

  They agreed on a time and hung up.

  A few hours later, Sadie arrived, right on time, with a short stack of clothes on hangers draped over her arm. Nora let her in and chuckled. “Not very often that someone is giving me clothes to wear. Usually it’s the other way around.”

  Sadie smiled and gazed over at the Dress for Success showroom. “Yeah. I’d love to browse over there sometime.” She brought her head back. “But first thing’s first. Dressing for a country concert is across the board. You can wear usual clothes – jeans, t-shirt, shorts, whatever. But you can also wear stuff that you’d never wear anywhere else. Like a costume.” She pulled out a few plaid cotton tops in various colors. “Plaid is always a nice option to wear with denim. I brought a couple to choose from to see what you like the best. And I will say that although you can certainly wear jeans, a short skirt or shorts really showcase the boots
.”

  Nora sighed. She was nervous but decided to try everything on. Who knows? It was all about keeping an open mind, like she promised Shaw. Maybe there was a hidden gem in this stack. She swiped them all up and headed for the dressing room in the showroom. “Keep your fingers crossed.”

  Inside, alone behind the closed door, Nora was relieved to find that Sadie was right; these were flexible styles that could be appropriate for a woman her age. She tried on all of them and finally settled on a denim skirt that wasn’t too mini – it fell almost to her knee. She paired it with a red and blue plaid shirt that she could tuck in. She could even put a tank top on underneath it and leave the top few buttons open. If she thought of it as a costume, she didn’t feel so ridiculous. Gathering her courage, she wore it out to where Sadie sat waiting. Her response was immediate, and positive.

  “You think?” Nora said, her forehead scrunching with doubt while Sadie raved about her appearance.

  “I know! You look fantastic. Perfect for a Radley Ray concert.”

  Nora looked down at herself and brushed her hands over the skirt. “If you say so.”

  “Better yet, I know my dad will think you look fantastic.” She beamed her approval.

  Nora supposed that was the important thing. She was leaving her old Philadelphia lawyer life further and further behind. Now she was wearing cowgirl boots, a denim skirt and a plaid top to a country concert and her date was a cowboy veterinarian. Not to mention, her cowboy’s daughter cared enough to loan her concert-worthy clothes.

  Who would’ve ever thought?

  Nora changed back out of the clothes. “Thanks so much for bringing these over. It’s really sweet of you, Sadie.”

  The girl shrugged. “Just want to make sure you two have a good time.”