All She Ever Wanted (Cedar Valley Novel Book 1)

by Christina Butrum

  “To be honest, I haven’t,” she said, reaching for her phone. “I highly doubt he’s that worried about me.”

  Rachel focused on Leah and raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure? Did you not see the look on his face when we left? I bet he would’ve given anything to make you stay there with him.”

  Leah held up her cell phone and waved it back and forth. “It’s a two way street. If he was so worried, he would’ve called or texted by now.”

  “You haven’t even checked to see if he has or not,” Rachel said, grabbing another pop out of the fridge.

  Leah waved a hand at Rachel and turned on her phone. Sure enough, an alert of an unread message hovered across the screen.

  “Did he text you?” Rachel asked, sitting on the edge of the chair. She gave Leah that I-told-you-so look, and said, “And you said he doesn’t care about you?”

  Leah stared at several messages she had received from him, not counting the two voicemails he had left, asking her to let him know she’s okay.

  * * *

  Hey

  Hey, you. How are you feeling?

  I feel a bit better now.

  She impatiently waited for him to say something.

  What do you say we get together on Saturday? You have weekends off right?

  Was this a... There was absolutely no way she would even agree to call this a date. Her phone vibrated with a chime once again.

  Would that be something you’d be interested in?

  A smile crossed her face as she typed Yes and hit the send button. She typed another message. What time should I be there?

  I’ll see you at Levy’s around 4. ;)

  A winky face? Oh boy. I’ll be there ;)

  Her heart raced and butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach. So many thoughts raced the same pace as her heart.

  Sweet! See you Saturday

  “Are you still texting him?” Rachel asked, walking into the living room. Leah hadn’t noticed Rachel had left. Rachel put a bag of goodies on the table and lit a cigarette. “Please tell me you are, and things are getting heated.”

  Leah smiled, shaking her head. “You wish.”

  With a quick shrug, Rachel said, “Can’t really blame me. What’re you guys talking about, then?”

  “He wants me to meet in Cedar Valley on Saturday at four.”

  Rachel exhaled the smoke with a laugh and said, “What? All two blocks of it?”

  Leah pointed a finger at her, laughing. “There’s more than that. You’re forgetting the scenery.”

  Rachel squished her cigarette in the ash tray. “What’s he going to do? Take you riding off through the mountains toward the sunset?”

  She liked the thought of that, but reminded herself it wasn’t technically a date. She wouldn’t allow it to be a date—no matter how many winks he gave or how kissable his lips appeared to be…

  “A winky face?” Rachel nearly choked on her pop while reading the messages. “It’s getting serious now.”

  Leah shifted positions on the couch, fluffing the pillows behind her and to her side. “This isn’t a date.”

  Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Then, what is it?”

  Leah shrugged her shoulders casually. “That is yet to be determined.”

  Rachel tossed a pillow at her, causing it to bounce off her head and hit the floor with a heavy thud. “Get out of here! You know damned well that it’s a date!”

  “It isn’t if I say it isn’t,” Leah said, trying to hide her giddy grin.

  She didn’t care what Rachel thought. She and Liam were building a friendship—nothing more. She’d have to keep reminding herself of that while she was with him, but she was sure it wouldn’t be that hard to remember. She was a broken mess, and the last thing she needed was another heart break. With the thought of heartbreak aside, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to Saturday. This might be the start of a new adventure for her—as long as it stayed a friendship and nothing more.

  * * *

  On an average week, her days at work went quickly. This week was definitely not an average week. She traced her capped pen along the grooves of her reception desk as the minutes ticked by slowly.

  There were only so many things she could do to keep herself occupied in the medical clinic, and she had marked off the majority of them from her to-do list earlier this week.

  She had marked on her calendar each passing day with a bright red X. The office phone rang and she fumbled the handset as she answered it. A few people waiting to be seen by the doctor raised an eyebrow or two, but a few carried on with what they had been doing—paying no mind to her.

  “Rockford Bay Medical Clinic, how may I help you,” she said. “Hello?”

  With no response, she placed the headset back in its spot on her overcrowded desk, mumbling, “Glad I could help you.”

  An older woman sat quietly in a chair across the room, watching her from behind a Good Housekeeping magazine, but she paid no attention to her. Her phone vibrated and rattled noisily against her desk. She quickly covered it with her hand. She smiled innocently at the annoyed crowd of patients.

  A message from Liam scrolled across the screen. I can’t wait to see you

  Me, too

  She slapped a hand against her face. I meant I can’t wait either

  She was such an idiot. This was a prime example why she shouldn’t be allowed to text, or talk... to be fair.

  I knew what you meant.

  Okay, good

  What are you doing right now?

  Thinking about Saturday… thinking about you… She settled for the next best answer. Right now I’m wishing the time would hurry up so I can leave work

  Oh yeah? Where do you work?

  Rockford Bay Medical Clinic

  What do you do there?

  I’m the receptionist

  When he didn’t reply right away, she thought for sure he’d died of boredom. She sure wished she had a more exciting job, like a nurse, with all of their crazy stories of their patients, or a scientist with all of their research and discoveries. But instead, she worked at a doctor’s office—a nice one, but still boring.

  What are you doing?

  I just got out of a meeting with a loan officer

  For what? She knew it wasn’t her business, but curiosity was her weakness. What was the meeting for?

  She tapped a pen against her desk, impatiently awaiting his response. She had overstepped her boundaries. What business was it of hers what the meeting was for?

  Just as she was about to type a message telling him to forget that she had asked, and apologizing for being rude, her phone vibrated. She opened it and studied it for a good minute or two.

  She barely knew this man, but the thought of him and his family losing their business to foreclosure caused a knot to form in her stomach.

  I’m sorry

  No big deal, we’re a strong family. We’ll figure it out

  She was lost in thought about Levy’s, when another text caused her phone to vibrate against the palm of her hand.

  No worries, ok? See you Saturday

  Ok. She put her phone down and tried to focus on the last hour she had left at work.

  7

  She inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and patted down the ruffles on her plaid shirt. A cool breeze filled with crisp mountain air blew softly through her hair. It had only been a week, but she had missed this place.

  She tapped send on a quick message to Rachel, asking her for one last good luck or whatever encouragement she might need at the moment.

  Levy’s parking lot was nearly vacant, with only a few cars. The sign blinked in the window announcing they were open. The daily special was written on the chalkboard which hung on the side of the door. For a small town bar, it was a nice place. She could tell there was a lot of effort and pride put into it.

  When her phone buzzed and dinged, she pulled it out of her pocket. The message she waited for bounced across the screen. She tapped the glass a
nd opened the message.

  You have nothing to worry about. Take your time and enjoy the day. P.S. don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. ;)

  Leah smiled, sliding her phone into the front pocket of her blue jeans. After double checking her car door to make sure she had locked it, she made her way to the screen door of the entrance into Levy’s. Pulling on the small metal handle, she stepped inside. The creak of the door announced her arrival before she even stepped a foot inside. She was greeted by Wes, who stood at the end of the counter.

  “Well, will you take a look at that,” Wes said, smiling wide and motioning others to look towards the entrance. “How are you doing today, sunshine?”

  She smiled at the warm welcome and continued her way to the counter. “I’m doing fine. How about yourself?”

  The old man grunted, and said, “Well, it’s another day and I’m here. Lots to be thankful for.”

  She nodded in agreement and glanced around. The bar had changed a smidge from the last time she was here. It was more open and seemed to have less tables or something. It felt roomier and warmer—not temp-wise, but warm, like comfort.

  “My grandson took out a few tables to make more room for the Friday night crowds that come in,” Wes said, watching her marvel over the improvements. “I guess more people like to dance now days, or so he says.”

  She looked around for Liam, but she couldn’t find him. Wes pulled a chair out from a nearby table and slid it close to her.

  “Might as well have a seat,” Wes said. “Liam had to run out to the farm to check on the horses. Not sure how long he’ll be. He told me to have you wait here and that he’ll hurry back.”

  “And here I was hoping I wouldn’t be late,” Leah joked, as she slid into the offered seat. “Are the horses okay?”

  “Got some coyotes running wild around our farm this morning. They tried to get to the chickens, but ol’ Bear scared ’em out of there. Liam wanted to make sure the horses didn’t get bit.”

  Leah didn’t know much about coyotes, but she had heard some of the farmers in the city talking about them when they came to see the doctor. They said they were the ugliest, meanest creatures on earth. She’d take their word for it.

  Wes tapped his fingers on the ridge of the table. He appeared to be thinking about something. Leah scooted her chair closer to the table. Wes turned to her and said, “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Yes, please,” Leah said. “Water will be fine. Thank you.”

  Wes slid his chair back and stood up. “Are you sure? There’re plenty of other things to drink around here that taste better than water.”

  She was taken by his kindness. The old man had a way about him that could charm anyone.

  She smiled, and said, “I think I had plenty of the other things last weekend. I’ll take a soda, I guess.”

  “You got it.”

  She watched him as he hurried behind the counter to grab her a soda from the cooler. She guessed him to be at least sixty-five, if not a tad bit older, but younger than seventy.

  He shuffled his way back to the table carrying her soda. “Here you go, miss. Let me know if it’s cold enough for you. If not, I’ll pour it over ice.”

  She popped the top, and said, “I’m sure it’ll be just fine, thank you.”

  The first drink tasted good. Her mouth had been pretty dry before that. Wes sat next to her at the table, fiddling with something in his hands. It looked like an old coin, or something metal. It was bronze in color and oval shaped. He must have noticed her eyeing it, because he reached out and showed it to her.

  “This here, my wife gave me when we first opened this bar,” he said, flipping it over in his hand. “She told me it was a good luck charm.”

  She caught a glimpse of the tears that welled in the man’s eyes. He gently opened her hand and placed the coin in it. The coin was nothing of value, but was covered with faded cursive inscription. She guessed they had once been words from his wife.

  He took it back, holding it in front of them. “She had a way with words, that woman.”

  She wanted to ask about her, but waited. She knew nothing about this family and she wouldn’t interrupt this man’s memory to ask questions.

  The man’s blue eyes shimmered with the tears that had filled them. She could see the pain etched on his face as he recalled the memories. She reached a hand across the table and said, “She sounds like a wonderful woman.”

  He nodded in agreement, cupping her hand with his. He patted her hand and said, “She was a mighty good woman. She loved with all of her heart and you wouldn’t get anything less than that from her.”

  Usually, Leah felt awkward in situations like this, with people she hardly knew, but not today. Today, she was relaxed and she felt at home with this man who sat at the table with her while she waited for his grandson.

  “You know, up until her last breath, she gave everything she had. That woman was a fighter, a stubborn one at that,” he said, clearing his throat. “Cancer took her from me five years ago today.”

  Today? Tears stung Leah’s eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they refused to go. Instead, they slid silently down her cheeks; as she listened to this man pour his heart out about the woman he loved. She squeezed his hand because she had no words to say. Even if she attempted to speak, she’d be a blubbering mess.

  He was about to continue with the story of his wife, but was interrupted by the slam of the screen door.

  “Crap, I gotta fix that dang spring so it doesn’t slam so dang hard,” Liam said, fixing his gaze on Leah. Smiling, he walked towards their table.

  From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Wes drying his tears with his handkerchief. She kept a hold on his hand until he released hers. She dabbed a napkin under her eyes and cleared her throat.

  When Liam approached the table, she could see the concern in his eyes. “What’s the matter?” he asked, looking from Leah to his grandfather. “What happened?”

  Leah sat silently in her chair. She had no idea how to explain what had happened. Every feeling she had in her body had become apparent when this man told her about his wife.

  Wes sat straight in his chair and cleared his throat. “We were just talking, son. I was telling her about how wonderful a woman your grandmother was.”

  Liam looked at Leah and asked, “Are you okay?”

  Leah nodded. She was fine, but her heart ached for Wes. Life was so unfair sometimes. It seemed loved ones never had enough time together. And cancer, that awful no good son of a…

  “I’m sorry, sunshine,” Wes interrupted her thoughts. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

  Shaking her head, with a smile she said, “No apologies needed.” She took hold of his hand once again and said, “I’m very sorry for your loss. I hope your memories of her never fade, and continue to comfort you.”

  Liam cleared his throat—an attempt to keep his emotions at bay. When she glanced over at him, he quickly swiped at the tear that had escaped.

  “Thank you, dear,” Wes said with a kind smile on his face. He sat back and slid his chair out from the table. “Why don’t you two run along? I’ll keep an eye on this place.”

  “Are you sure, Gramps?” Liam asked, concern etched hard across his face.

  His grandpa patted his shoulder and gripped his arm. “I’m tough, son. Run along.”

  Liam squeezed the old man’s shoulder. “Love you, Gramps.”

  He held out his hand to Leah and helped her out of her chair. “What do you say we get out of here? The bus leaves in two minutes.”

  “Bus?” Leah asked.

  “I’m just kidding about the bus, but I’m ready to show you around,” he said, motioning towards the door. “Do you need me to grab you anything before we head out?”

  Leah looked around for the restroom. It was along the far back wall of the bar. “Let me run and fix my makeup. With all of those tears that fell, I probably look a mess.”

  A wide smile spread across his face
. “Actually, you look just fine. More than fine, actually.”

  Leah grabbed her purse and headed for the restroom. To her amazement, her makeup hadn’t smeared at all. She ran a paper towel under the faucet and wrung it out. She traced the outline of her face—the coolness was refreshing. She touched up her makeup and swung the door open.

  “Ready?” Liam’s excitement matched hers.

  “Ready,” she said, allowing him to hook his arm through hers.

  “Be back later, Gramps,” he hollered to Wes, who had busied himself with sweeping.

  He held the door open while she climbed into his pickup. Cheerfully, he offered her a slight boost.

  “It’s quite a ways up,” he said, as she climbed into the seat.

  She wondered if she would have made it up without his help—probably not. The truck sat so high off the ground, she could only see the top of his head as he walked around the front of the truck.

  The driver’s door opened and he hopped up without difficulty. She smiled. He nodded, turning the key in the ignition. “Buckle up.”

  She fastened her seatbelt, and asked, “Where are you taking me first?”

  His grin could charm all the women in town. “I’m going to show you around. We’ll take the backroads.”

  She nodded and said, “Okay, I’m ready.”

  The drive through the town didn’t take long. Ma and Pa businesses were sporadically placed along the main street. Gorgeous houses with welcoming front porches lined the remaining quiet streets.

  “So, how many people live here?”

  “In Cedar Valley?” he asked, and then quickly answered her question. “About one hundred thirty-five.”

  Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “One hundred thirty-five?”

  He nodded, as he steered the truck through the town. “Rough estimate.”

  “Where’re their houses?” She asked. It might have been a dumb question, but the way it looked, this town couldn’t accommodate one hundred thirty-five people.

  “You’ll see. Some are the ones you see here in town, but most are out in the country,” he said. “The actual town is small, I know, but we’re mostly country here. The country runs for miles around.”