“Oh, hi! It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too, darling. I’ve heard so much about you from Ollie. Not as much from Graham, but, well, you know Graham.” She winked. “How’s your head?”
“It’s somehow still there,” I joked. “Last night was rough.”
“You kids and your coping mechanisms. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “Um, where’s Graham exactly?”
“He’s in the backyard. He called me early this morning to ask me to come watch Talon while he went to run some errands. As you know, that’s a big deal for Graham—asking people for help—so I swooped in to watch her while he left and you rested.”
“Did you leave me the breakfast?” I asked. “With the note?”
Her lips stretched farther, but she shook her head. “No, ma’am. That was all Graham. I know—I’m as surprised as you are. I didn’t know he had it in him.”
“What is he doing in the backyard?” I asked, walking in that direction.
Mary followed me, bouncing Talon the whole way. We walked into the sunroom and stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows at Graham as he cut the grass. Against the small shed lay bags of soil and shovels.
“Well, it seems he’s making a garden.”
My chest tightened at the idea, and no words came to me.
Mary nodded once. “I told him to wait to cut the grass seeing as how it rained last night, but he seemed eager to get started.”
“That’s amazing.”
She nodded. “I thought so too.”
“I can take Talon for you, if you need to get going,” I offered.
“Only if you’re feeling up to it. I do need to get going if I’m going to make the afternoon church service. Here you go.” She handed Talon over and kissed her forehead. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” she asked. “How a few months ago, we weren’t sure she was going to make it, but now she’s more here than ever before.”
“So, so amazing.”
She placed her hand on my forearm, a gentle touch, and gave me a warm smile, just like her husband. “I’m glad we were finally able to meet.”
“Me too, Mary. Me too.”
She left the house a few minutes later. Talon and I stayed in the sunroom, watching Graham working hard outside, turning his head every now and then to cough. It had to be freezing out there after the cold rain the night before, and it couldn’t have been doing anything great for his cold.
I walked to the back door that led out to the yard and pushed it open, a cold breeze brushing against me. “Graham, what are you doing?”
“Just fixing up the backyard.”
“It’s freezing out here, and you’re making your cold worse. Get inside.”
“I’m almost finished, Lucille. Just give me a few more minutes.”
I arched an eyebrow, confused as to why he was so determined. “But why? What are you doing?”
“You asked me to make a garden,” he said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “So I’m making you a garden.”
My heart.
It exploded.
“You’re making a garden? For me?”
“You’ve done plenty for me,” he replied. “You’ve done even more for Talon. The least I can do is build you a garden so you can have another place to meditate. I bought a ton of organic fertilizer—they told me it was the best kind, and I figured a hippie weirdo like yourself would enjoy the organic part.” He wasn’t wrong. “Now please close that door before you make my daughter freeze.”
I did as he said, but not for a second did I take my eyes off him. When he finished, he was covered in dirt and sweat. The backyard was beautifully trimmed, and all that was missing was the plants.
“I figure you can pick out the flowers, or seeds, or whatever gardeners garden,” he told me as he wiped his brow. “I know nothing about these kinds of things.”
“Yeah, of course. Wow, this is just…” I smiled, staring at the yard. “Wow.”
“I can hire someone to plant whatever you choose,” he told me.
“Oh no, please let me. That’s my favorite part of spring—digging my hands into the earth’s soil and feeling myself reconnect with the world. It’s very grounding.”
“And once again, your weird is showing,” he said with a small twinkle in his eye, as if he were…teasing me? “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to shower. Then I can take Talon so you can start your day.”
“Yes, for sure. No rush.”
“Thank you.”
He started to walk away, and I called after him. “Why did you do this?” I asked. “The garden?”
He lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders before looking into my eyes. “A smart woman once told me I was a shitty human, and I’m trying my best to be a little less shitty.”
“Oh no.” I pulled the collar of my shirt over my face and scrunched up my nose. “I said that last night, didn’t I?”
“You did, but don’t worry. Sometimes the truth needs to be voiced. It was much easier to hear it from someone as giggly, drunk, and kind as you.”
“I’m sorry, come again?” Mari asked me that afternoon as we walked our bikes to the hiking trail. Spring was always exciting because we could bike a lot more and explore nature. Sure, I loved it more than my sister, but somewhere deep, deep, deep inside of her soul, I was sure she was thankful to have me to keep her healthy.
“I know.” I nodded. “It’s weird.”
“It’s beyond weird. I cannot believe Richard would break up with you via a phone call,” she gasped. Then she grimaced. “Well, on second thought, I’m surprised it took this long for you to break up.”
“What?!”
“I mean, I’m just saying. You two were so much alike in the beginning, Lucy. It was kind of annoying how much of a match made in heaven you two were, but over time, you both seemed to…shift.”
“What are you talking about?”
She shrugged. “You used to laugh all the time with Richard, but lately…I can’t even think of the last time he made you giggle. Plus, tell me the last time he asked how you were doing. Every time I saw him, he was talking about himself.”
Hearing that from Mari didn’t make it any easier to deal with the fact that Richard had broken up with me. I knew she was right, too. The truth of the matter was, Richard wasn’t the same man who fell in love with me all those years ago, and I was far from the girl he knew me to be.
“Maktub,” I whispered, looking down at my wrist.
Mari smiled my way and hopped on her bike. “Maktub indeed. You can move in with me, so you’re not stuck in his apartment. It will be perfect. I needed more sister time. Look at it this way—at least now you don’t have a mustache going down on you.”
I laughed. “Richard hasn’t gone down on me in what feels like years.”
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. “Then you should’ve broken up with him years ago, sister. A boy who doesn’t go down doesn’t have the right to your services once he goes up.”
My sister was filled with irrefutable knowledge.
“You don’t seem that sad about it at all,” Mari mentioned. “I’m a bit surprised.”
“Yeah, well, after drinking my weight in whisky last night and spending the rest of the morning meditating today, I’m feeling okay. Plus, Graham made me a garden this morning.”
“A garden?” she asked, surprised. “Is that his form of an apology?”
“I think so. He bought a ton of organic fertilizer, too.”
“Well, he gets an A for that one. Everyone knows the way to Lucy’s forgiveness is through dirt and organic fertilizer.”
Amen, sister.
“So, are we still on for going to visit Mama’s tree up north for Easter?” I asked as we started biking the trail. Every holiday, Mari and I tried our best to make it up to visit Mama. One of Mama’s old friends had a cabin up north that she didn’t use often, and that was where we’d planted Mama’s tree all those years ago, s
urrounded by people from all around the country who made up her family.
If I’d learned anything from all my traveling with Mama, it was that family wasn’t built by blood—it was built by love.
“So, you’re going to hate me, but I’m going to be visiting a friend that weekend,” Mari said.
“Oh? Who?”
“I was going to catch the train to Chicago to see Sarah. She’s back in the States visiting her parents, and I thought I’d swing by, seeing as how I haven’t seen her since I got better. It’s been years.”
Sarah was one of Mari’s closest friends and a world traveler. It was almost impossible to pinpoint where Sarah would be one month from the next, so I completely understood Mari’s choice. It just sucked because with Richard gone, it would be the first holiday I’d be spending alone.
Alas, maktub.
15
Graham
Professor Oliver sat across from me at my desk, his eyes roaming over the first draft of chapters seventeen through twenty of my novel. I sat impatiently waiting as he flipped each page slowly, his eyes narrowed, deep in thought.
Every now and then he’d glance my way, make a low hum, and then go back to reading. When he finally finished, he sat the papers back on my desk and remained silent.
I waited, arched an eyebrow, but still, no sound.
“Well?” I asked.
Professor Oliver removed his glasses and crossed his leg over his knee. With a very calm voice, he finally spoke. “It’s kind of like a monkey took a big shit and tried to spell their name in it with their tail. Only, the monkey’s name is John and he wrote Maria.”
“It’s not that bad,” I argued.
“Oh no.” He shook his head. “It’s worse.”
“What’s wrong with it?” I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just fluff. All fat, no meat.”
“It’s the first draft. It’s supposed to be shit.”
“Yes, but it’s supposed to be human shit, not monkey shit. Graham, you’re a New York Times bestseller. You’re a Wall Street Journal bestseller. You have millions of dollars in your bank account from your craftsmanship in creating stories, and there are numerous fans around the world with your words tattooed on their bodies. So, it’s a shame that you had the nerve to hand this complete and utter bullshit to me.” He stood up, smoothed out his velvet suit, and shook his head. “Talon can write better than this.”
“You’re joking. Did you read the part about the lion?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes so hard, I was certain his eyeballs were going to get lost in the back of his head. “Why the hell is there a lion loose in Tampa Bay?! No. Just—no. Find a way to relax, okay? You need to loosen up, break free a bit. Your words read as if you have a stick up your ass, and the stick isn’t even teasing you right.”
I cleared my throat. “That’s a really weird thing to say.”
“Yes, well, at least I don’t write monkey shit.”
“No.” I smiled. “You only speak it.”
“Listen closely, okay? As the godfather to Talon, I am proud of you, Graham.”
“Since when are you her godfather?”
“It’s a self-proclaimed title, and don’t kill my spirit, son. As I was saying, I am proud of how great of a father you are to your daughter. Every minute of your day is spent caring for her, which is amazing, but, as your writing mentor, I am demanding that you take some time for yourself. Go smoke some crack, hump a stranger, eat some weird mushrooms. Just loosen up a bit. It will help your stories.”
“I’ve never had to loosen up before,” I told him.
“Were you getting laid before?” he countered with an eyebrow arched.
Well, fuck.
“Goodbye, Graham, and please, don’t call me until you are high or having sex.”
“I’m probably not going to call you while I’m having sex.”
“That’s fine,” he said, grabbing his fedora off the desk and placing it on his head. “It probably wouldn’t last long enough for you to dial my number anyway,” he mocked.
God, I hated that man.
Too bad he was my best friend.
“Hey, Talon’s down for a nap. I just wanted to see if you wanted me to order a piz—” Lucy’s words faded away as she stepped into my office. “What are you doing?” she asked warily.
I set my phone down on my desk and cleared my throat. “Nothing.”
She smirked and shook her head. “You were taking a selfie.”
“I was not,” I argued. “A pizza is fine. Just cheese on my half.”
“No, no, no, you cannot change the subject. Why are you taking selfies while dressed in a suit and tie?”
I straightened my tie and went back to my desk. “Well, if you have to know, I need a picture of myself to upload on this site.”
“What site? Are you joining Facebook?”
“No.”
“Then which site?” She giggled to herself. “Anything but Tinder and you’ll be okay.”
My jaw tightened, and she stopped laughing.
“Oh my God, you’re joining Tinder?!” she hollered.
“Say it a bit louder, Lucille. I’m not certain the neighbors heard you.”
“I’m sorry, I just…” She walked into my office and sat on the edge of my desk. “G.M. Russell is joining the world of Tinder…I knew it felt a little cold in the house.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, when I first met you, I figured you were the devil, which meant your home was hell, which means with it now being cold that—”
“Hell has finally frozen over. Clever, Lucille.”
She reached for my cell phone and started trying to unlock it. “Can I see your photos?”
“What? No.”
“Why not? You do know Tinder is like…a hookup site, right?”
“I’m fully aware of what Tinder is.”
Her cheeks reddened and she bit her bottom lip. “You’re trying to get laid, eh?”
“Professor Oliver is convinced my writing is suffering from the fact that I haven’t had sex in a while to loosen myself up. He thinks I’m uptight.”
“What?!” she gasped. “You?! Uptight?! No way!”
“Anyway, he’s one hundred percent wrong about the manuscript. It’s good.”
She rubbed her hands together, giddy. “Is it? Can I read it?”
I hesitated, and she rolled her eyes.
“I’m your biggest fan, remember? If I don’t love it, you’ll know Ollie was right. If I do love it, you’ll know you’re right.”
Well, I did love to be right.
I handed her the chapters, and she sat reading, her eyes darting back and forth over the pages. Every now and then she’d glance at me with a concerned look. Finally, she finished and cleared her throat. “A lion?”
Shit.
I rolled my eyes. “I need to get laid.”
“Take off your tie, Graham.”
“Excuse me?”
“I need you to unlock your phone and take off your tie and the suit jacket. No girl who is trying to have sex is in search of a man with a freaking suit and tie on. Plus, you buttoned the top button on your shirt.”
“It’s classy.”
“It looks like your neck has a muffin top.”
“You’re being ridiculous. This is a custom-made designer suit.”
“You rich people and your labels. All I hear is that it’s not a penis, and therefore it eliminates your opportunities to get laid. Now, unlock your phone and take off the tie.”
Annoyed, I followed her orders. “Better?” I asked, crossing my arms.
She grimaced. “A little. Here, unbutton the top three buttons on your shirt.”
I did as she said, and she nodded, taking photographs.
“Yes! Chest hair—women who are trying to get it on love some chest hair. It’s like the three little pigs; it has to be the right amount. Not too much, not too little, your hair is justtttt right.” She grinned.
&n
bsp; “Have you been drinking again?” I asked.
She laughed. “No. This is just me.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
After taking some shots, she studied them with the biggest frown I’d ever seen. “Yeah, no. You have to take off your shirt completely.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not taking off my shirt in front of you.”
“Graham,” Lucy whined, rolling her eyes. “You have your shirt off every other day doing that kangaroo thing with Talon. Now shut up and take off your shirt.”
After some more arguing, I finally gave in. She even had me switch into dark black jeans—to “look more manly.” She started snapping photographs, telling me to turn left and right, to smile with my eyes—whatever that meant—and to be moody but sexy.
“Okay, one more. Turn to the side, drop your head a little, and slide your hands into your back pockets. Look as if you hate everything about me taking pictures of you.”
Easy enough.
“There,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “Your pictures are now uploaded. Now all that’s left to do is perfect your bio.”
“No need,” I told her, reaching for my cell phone. “I already did that part.”
She raised an eyebrow, seeming unsure, and then went to read it. “New York Times bestselling author who has a six-month-old child. Married, but the wife ran away. Looking to hook up. Also, I’m five foot eleven.”
“Everyone seems to put their height. I guess it’s a thing.”
“This is awful. Here, I’ll fix it.”
I hurried over to her, standing behind to watch what she typed.
Looking for sex. I am a big dick.
“I think you meant I have a big dick,” I remarked.
She wickedly replied, “No, I meant what I wrote.”
I groaned and went to grab my phone.
“Okay, okay, I’ll try again!”
Looking for casual sex, no strings attached.
Unless you’re into being tied up.
Looking at you, Anastasia.
The Elements Series Complete Box Set Page 93