“I am happy.” He hesitated, not wanting to burst her bubble. “But it may take awhile for me to be settled. Bella’s never been big on commitment.”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” she muttered.
“Yeah, we’re too much alike in that regard, I’m afraid. So, it’s taking her a bit longer to come around. She’ll get there. I have no doubt about that. I just don’t want to pressure her.”
“That’s understandable. Just take your time.” She patted his cheek. “It’ll all work out.”
He was grateful that his mother understood and would undoubtedly give him some breathing room instead of pressuring him about his relationship with Bella.
“So, if you like the idea of building a little cottage, instead of a larger house, I can have another look at those available lots. Pick the best one. I’ll give you Bella’s contact info. You guys can talk and send pics back and forth, via email. Maybe when she gets a break in her schedule she can come out and you can sit down and hammer out some of the details in person.”
“Don’t you think you should talk to her first? Make sure she’d be willing to take on this project?” She raised an index finger. “A word to the wise, son. Women don’t like to be taken for granted.”
“You’re right.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “No time like the present. Why don’t we call and ask her now?”
She clapped her hands together. “Oh, that would be wonderful! I’d love to talk to her.”
Loran laughed at his mother’s enthusiasm. She’d been waiting even longer than he had for him to find a woman like Bella.
He hit the first number in his contacts and Bella answered on the first ring. “Hey, babe. Is everything okay? How’s your mom? Do you need me to come out there?”
The genuine concern in her voice melted his heart. There was no doubt in his mind this woman loved him. He only hoped it wouldn’t be too long before she realized that she loved him too much to ever live without him.
“She’s fine.” He smiled at his mother. “I haven’t talked to her doctors yet, but she looks good. In fact, she’s right here. I’m at the hospital visiting her and we got to talking.”
“About what?”
“Not sure if I mentioned this, but she’s retiring in March.”
“No, you didn’t. Good for her. What are her plans?”
“As a matter of fact, we were just making some. There are a few lots still available just down the road from where I’m building and Mom was thinking she might like you to build something for her. Something small—”
“Oh my God! Seriously? Loran I would love to build a house for your mother!”
He grinned as he gave his mother a thumbs up.
She relaxed against the pillow with a serene smile on her face, making Loran wonder why he’d never suggested this before. It was the perfect solution for all of them.
“Thanks, Bella. Uh, if you have a minute, I can put my mom on. Maybe you could chat a bit about what she has in mind.”
“Of course I can make time for her.”
“Great, let me put you on speaker then.” He pushed the button and said, “Mom, Bella.”
“Hey, Ms. Loran. I wish we were meeting in person. How’re you feeling?”
“Better by the minute, my dear.” She smiled. “I can’t wait to meet you. My son has told me so much about you.”
Loran knew his mother would be pumping him for information all weekend, which he’d gladly provide. His mother would fall in love with Bella as quickly as he had as soon as she realized how special she was.
“He’s told me a lot about you too. He’s been so lucky to have you in his life.”
That was an understatement. Loran cringed to think where he’d be without his mother to guide him and help him believe in himself when no one else thought he stood a chance of making it to the big leagues.
“Thank you. Now it sounds like he’s lucky to have you in his life. I just want you to know I couldn’t be happier for you two.”
Loran shot her a warning look. Bella was still skittish and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel pressured.
“Thank you.” Bella laughed. “I can’t say we didn’t have a bumpy road, but I guess that makes us appreciate what we have even more.”
Loran was surprised she seemed to be taking his mother’s comments in stride.
“It certainly will.”
“So, how exciting,” Bella said. “You moving here. Tell me about the house you’d like me to design for you, Ms. Loran.”
“Oh, you have to call me Valerie. Val, in fact. All my friends do.”
“Okay, Val.” The smile in Bella’s voice was apparent when she asked, “One or two-storeys?”
“Just one. And something small. I don’t like to accumulate a lot of stuff. Actually, I’ve had all my furniture for a really long time so I’m not even sure it would be worth it to move it clear across the country.” She laughed. “The movers would probably charge more than the furniture is worth.”
“Clean slate,” Loran said. “New furniture. All new stuff. Just pack up the mementoes that mean the most to you.”
“I’ll have a garage sale,” she said, sounding excited at the prospect. “And whatever I can’t sell, I’ll donate.”
“Whatever you want, Mom.” Loran couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He didn’t know why she’d want to go to the trouble of having a garage sale when she could just donate the lot of it. But his mother had always been frugal. That’s how she’d managed to raise a family by herself on a social worker’s salary.
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out, Val,” Bella said, laughing. “So in terms of bedrooms? How many do you think you’ll need?”
“Well, one guest bedroom would be nice. In case friends come to stay. Or my grand—”
Loran placed a finger over her lips. He was not going to let her go there.
“Sorry?” Bella asked, sounding confused. “I missed that.”
His mother gripped his wrist and tore his hand away from her mouth, narrowing her eyes at him. “I was thinking about one of those tiny houses, Bella. That’s all I really need.”
“Well, those can be fun,” she conceded, sounding uncertain. “But I think I could design something even better if we went just a little bigger. I’m confident we could keep it under a thousand square feet, with an efficient use of space. How many bathrooms do you need?”
“Oh, one is plenty.” She laughed. “When my boys were growing up all three of us shared a bathroom until I’d saved up enough to have a second one installed when they were teenagers.”
It hurt Loran to remember how much his mother had struggled, but he’d never once heard her complain about having to take care of them by herself. She’d never made disparaging remarks about his father, or talked about how tired she was of being their sole provider. Loran only hoped he could be half the parent she was.
“Okay, so two bedrooms, one bath. Got it. Do you need another room, a small den or craft room, maybe? How about a dining room?”
“Oh, a craft room would be wonderful! Do you think we could fit that in and still keep the footprint small enough? I’m not even sure what this will cost to build… and buy the land. Hopefully I’ll get enough from selling the house here. Maybe I should talk to a Realtor first. Make sure the numbers make sense before we take this any further.”
“Mom,” Loran growled. “This is my treat. Don’t think for a second I’m going to let you pay a dime.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Yes, I can. And I will. Now say good-bye to Bella.”
“But—”
Loran started walking towards the door with his phone. “Say good-bye now or you’ll lose your chance.”
“Oh, you! Good-bye, Bella. It was lovely talking to you, dear. I hope we’ll get to meet each other real soon.”
“I’m sure we will, Val. And don’t you worry about a thing, other than getting well. Loran and I have this under control.”
&nbs
p; Loran liked that she was thinking of them as a team. It was definitely a step in the right direction.
When he stepped out into the hall, he pressed his back against the wall as he returned the phone to his ear. “Sorry about that, baby. I hope you didn’t feel pressured into going along with that. I know how busy you are, but—”
“Loran, are you kidding? I want to do this for your mom. I know how much she means to you. Besides, she sounds like an incredible woman.”
“She is.” He glanced through the window in her door. “Although a little misguided at times. She can’t wait to get me married off so I’ll be some other woman’s problem. She’s worried about me for long enough.”
Bella laughed. “I’m sure she’ll always worry about you, even when we are married.”
Loran could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. It was the first time she’d been the one to bring up marriage, as though it was a forgone conclusion.
“Was I being too presumptuous?” she asked, sounding amused by his failure to react. “I’ve heard guys spook when a girl’s the one to bring up the M word.”
“No way could you spook me. Hell, you could be the one to get down on bended knee and—”
“Yeah, don’t count on that.”
He chuckled. “Just say the word, sweetheart. I’ll run out and buy the biggest rock I can find and slip it on your finger before you have a chance to change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind about you, or us. You know that, right?”
He knew, but it sure was nice to hear her confirm it. Day by day she was assuaging his fears, making him believe that forever really was in the cards for them.
“Yeah, I know. But anytime you want to remind me, I’m cool with that.”
She laughed. “I have to go. I’ve got a business dinner to get to.”
“It’s not with some good-looking single client, is it?” He was trying to work on his jealousy and insecurity, but he knew given the chance any guy would see in Bella what he had.
She sighed. “No, it’s a semi-retired couple who wants to downsize.”
“Sorry.” He felt like an idiot for asking. “I didn’t mean to—”
“You don’t have to apologize,” she said, gently. “I get it. It’s going to take a little time for both of us to get used to this.”
“I love you, Bell.”
“I love you too. I’m going to start working on your mom’s plans right away. Just text me her contact information so I can follow-up with some more questions for her when she’s feeling better.”
“You got it. And thanks for doing this. It means a lot, to both of us.”
“I’d do anything for you. Don’t doubt that.”
Chapter Fourteen
Bella sank into an armchair when she got the call from the hospice. She’d known this day was coming, but couldn’t believe she was really gone. Stella had been an important part of her life. Their daily chats were often the highlight of her day, especially since Loran’s visit to his mother.
She thought about calling him right away to break the news, but instead she reached for the journal she’d abandoned on the coffee table the night before. The one Stella had given her. It seemed fitting to pour her heart out in the way Stella would have wanted her to… with written words.
Twenty minutes later, tears stained the page, the ink was smeared, and she felt emotionally spent. Stella had taught her life lessons that would stay with her forever. Be grateful for good health and the people who love you. Money and success are a small part of a happy life. Love with your whole heart, hold nothing back. Every day work towards being a better version of yourself. Give back whenever possible.
Bella drew her legs up, resting her chin on her knees as tears streamed down her face, clogging her throat. She was so grateful she’d gotten to know the sweet old woman, but she would leave a void in Bella’s life that would be felt for years. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to see a knitted garment without thinking about Stella and the countless hours she’d spent creating something beautiful for a stranger she deemed worse off than herself because she was alone.
When Loran’s name flashed across her screen, Bella drew a deep breath. The hospice asked if they should call Loran, but Bella told them she would break the news to him.
She cleared her throat as she accepted the call. “Hey, babe. How’s your mom?”
“She’s doing better.” He paused. “How are you? It sounds like you’ve been crying. Is everything okay?”
She struggled to find her voice before finally giving into the pain. “She’s gone, Loran. Stella’s gone.” She would have given anything to feel his strong arms around her.
“No.”
“I’m so sorry.” If she was hurting, she could only imagine how he must feel. Stella had become like a second mother to him. “The hospice just called me.”
“Damn. I should have been there with her. She shouldn’t have died alone.”
Bella hated that he felt guilty when he’d done so much to make Stella’s last months as pleasant as possible. Stella told her that having Loran and Bella enter her life when they did was a blessing she never could have anticipated.
“She wasn’t alone. She had the staff at the hospice. And the other residents. You know how much they all cared about her.” Bella didn’t know how the people who worked there endured the sadness of saying good-bye to friends, day after day.
“But I should have been there.”
She could hear the anger and frustration in his voice, and she understood it, but she knew that’s what Stella would have wanted. “You were with your mother,” she reminded him. “Stella knew that. You went to visit her before you left.”
“I know, but—”
“Babe, we knew this day was coming.” She knew Loran had been volunteering at the hospice for a while, but she suspected this was the first time he’d had to say good-bye to someone he’d grown to love. “We had to let her go sometime.” She wiped a tissue across her tear-streaked face, trying to stay strong in memory of her dear friend, for the man she loved.
“I know, but I wasn’t ready.” His voice broke. “How selfish is that? I know she was in pain, but I wasn’t ready to let her go. What does that say about me?”
“It says that you loved her. It’s never easy to let go of someone we love.” She hadn’t had a lot of experience with letting go, but she knew if she remained on at the hospice it was something she would have to get used to.
“I suck at letting go. That’s why I pursued you like my life depended on it, ‘cause I couldn’t stand the thought of letting you go.”
“You pursued me,” she said, allowing a slight smile. “Because we were meant to be together.”
“That’s true.” He sighed. “She didn’t want a funeral, you know.”
“I know.”
Bella tried to change her friend’s mind, telling her there were so many people who would want to honour her, but Stella insisted funerals were archaic rituals that left everyone feeling sad and depressed and she refused to allow the people who’d cared about her to feel sad in her name.
“I want to do something, Bell. To honour her in some way.”
“I know. I feel the same way.”
“I could make a donation in her name. Maybe the high school where she taught? Set up a scholarship fund in her name there?”
“That’s a lovely idea.” Leave it to Loran to think of the perfect way to honour his friend. That’s why Bella loved him, because he didn’t pay lip service to the people and causes that mattered to him, he backed it up with action.
“I’d like to do something at the house too. Something to remind us of her.”
Us. Bella loved that he was including her, as though he’d already assumed he would be sharing his dream home with her. “What did you have in mind?”
“Maybe a special place in the garden? A bench? How about a gazebo? We could plant her favorite flowers around it. Along with bird feeders. You know how much she lov
ed to watch the birds from her rocking chair by the window.”
“That’s perfect. I can speak to the landscape architect about it today. Get him to sketch something.” Since the outdoor space was an integral part of the home’s design, Loran had hired him at the onset of the project to work closely with Bella.
“That would be great. Get him to sketch something and we’ll have a look at it. Tell him this is something we want to do to honour a special person in our lives. Make sure he incorporates all the things Stella loved. I’ll send you a list and you can add anything you can think of.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll fly out later today.”
“You don’t have to do that. The hospice will take care of things on their end.” Bella couldn’t bring herself to say ‘her body’. The wounds were still too fresh. “And since she didn’t want a service—”
“She made me executor of her will.”
“Oh, I just assumed one of her children would handle her affairs.”
“I suggested that, but she said that would only cause friction between them if she appointed one over the others. She said it would be easier this way because I was a neutral party.”
“Do you want me to call her children? I’m sure the hospice already has, but we should offer our condolences, right? Let them know how much their mother meant to us?”
“Would you mind waiting ‘til I get home to do that? I’d like for us to speak to them together.”
“Of course.” Bella was grateful he’d be there to hold her hand while she talked to Stella’s children. She didn’t trust herself not to fall apart when she told them how much their mother had meant to her. “You’ll let me know when you book your flight. I can meet you at the airport.”
“That’d be great, thanks. Yeah, I’ll text you the details as soon as I have them.”
“Loran?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too, baby.”
“And thank you for introducing me to Stella. I’ll never forget her.”
Payback (Summer Rush #6) Page 14