On the Verge (Sisters Series Book 3)

by Karen Lenfestey

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Nathan stood beneath the contractor’s ladder, shielding his eyes from the sun. Thank God it had stopped raining, but in the spring, the weather could change as quickly as a woman’s mood. Like Val’s, for instance. He couldn’t stand the way she had glared at him this morning. She’d even recoiled when he tried to kiss her good-bye.

  “I really need to get this fixed ASAP,” he shouted up to the guy on the roof.

  The man in faded blue jeans and a thick Carhartt jacket climbed down the ladder. He adjusted his sunglasses nervously. “You’re not gonna like what I have to say.”

  Nathan braced himself. “What’s the damage?”

  “You have some serious problems.” The man pointed toward locations that needed repairs. “Basically, the whole roof is ancient and needs to be replaced.”

  “Oh, man.” Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets. The wind was vicious. “How much?”

  “Here’s the thing. Those shingles are called barrel tiles. They’re handmade in Mexico. The men actually mold them over their thigh so they’re bigger on one end and slide together.”

  Nathan groaned. He didn’t like the sound of this. “Can you order them?”

  “Sure. But you need to be prepared that it’s gonna cost ya.”

  “How much?”

  The contractor paused. What was this--a game show? Nathan didn’t need the suspense.

  “Thirty or forty grand.”

  Nathan choked on his own saliva. “Shit.” Why did he feel as if he’d just been raped?

  “It’s not just the tiles. Some of your copper gutters have been stolen. The ones you have left need a lining in them to restore their integrity.”

  He shook his head. “My wife wants this done yesterday, you know what I mean?”

  The guy nodded as if he understood about trying to keep a woman happy. “If you’ve got the money, I can order the tiles.”

  Nathan looked away from the man. He watched Homer digging in the sprouting grass as if he’d found buried treasure. “You order the tiles and I’ll get you the money.” Even though he didn’t know how.

  # # #

  “I think maybe. . . you were right about Nathan.” Val put down her ham sandwich and stared out the conference room window at the city skyline. She shook her head. “I rushed into marrying him.”

  Joely plunged her spoon into her non-fat Greek yogurt. “Don’t tell me that. I don’t want to be right.”

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this either.” She twisted the bottom of three studs in her ear. “He’s not who I thought he was.”

  “Well, he hit his head pretty hard.” Joely kept eating.

  “But he doesn’t even kiss like he used to.” Fond memories of the peck on each cheek before their lips met warmed her insides. Now he went straight for her mouth like a teenaged boy. Not that she didn’t like his new sexual intensity, but last night’s anger flare freaked her out. Her pulse quickened. She touched the tender spot between her breasts where she’d been struck. A hidden bruise.

  Her friend didn’t offer any advice. In fact, she tilted her head and looked a little judgmental.

  Val ran her hands through her hair. “You don’t understand.” After all, she didn’t take marriage lightly. She’d chosen a man who would be the voice of reason to her sometimes impulsive choices. He was supposed to be the yang to her yin, not someone who lost control. “It’s not just little things. He has a temper.”

  At this, Joely’s eyelids stretched wider. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Well. . .” Even though she had started down this road, she realized she didn’t want to tell Joely about the butter knife. She smoothed her hair again. “Last night we got in a fight. He had this look in his eye as if he wanted to come after me.”

  Finishing her yogurt, Joely wiped her lip just below her mole. “I don’t know what to say.” She paused. “Have you talked to his doctor?” She unwrapped a diet snack bar and bit into it.

  “Not really. He recommended we get counseling once Nathan came home, but I didn’t think we’d need it.” She’d been so naïve to think things would return to the way they were before. Clearly, it would take some time for Nathan to recover both physically and emotionally.

  Joely finished chewing and swallowed. “The only reason I didn’t want you to marry him was because he was so dull.”

  “He’s not dull anymore, that’s for sure. The old Nathan would never have got a puppy without checking with me.” And he never would’ve thrown a knife.

  “He wouldn’t have bought that house, either. It’s like a Spanish castle.”

  “Or a drug lord’s. Apparently, that’s what the last owners were mixed up in. That’s why I felt they didn’t love the place like they should. The neighbors told us one night there was a drive-by shooting, which left bullet holes in the stucco.”

  “Didn’t you notice them when you looked at the house?”

  “They’re hidden behind some bushes in the front yard.”

  Joely seemed to process that for a minute. “Do you still feel that spirit in the house?”

  Val nodded. “It told me to get out of bed the morning the ceiling caved in.”

  “That is so cool. I wish my place had a spirit.” Joely took another bite of her snack bar.

  A smile curved Val’s lips. “It is cool, isn’t it?” She loved her house, despite its leaky roof and worn out carpet. Her mind maintained a list of items that needed to be renovated, which grew faster than she could check them off. But she could envision the finished product. It would be spectacular.

  Maybe she just needed to be as patient with Nathan as she was with the house.

  # # #

  Joely signed Anna in at the gym’s child watch center. Her daughter gazed up at her. “Do I have to go here again?”

  “I thought you liked it. You can color pictures or play with the other kids.” In fact, the child watch center had been the deciding factor in signing the gym’s year-long contract. The ladies who ran the place obviously adored children and some had taught preschool. Last time Anna had been here, the workers had led the kids on an Easter egg hunt. Anna had been thrilled with the little chocolates that had been hidden inside the plastic eggs.

  Anna’s blue eyes pleaded with her. “But we come here all the time. I just want to go home.”

  Mommy guilt flooded her veins. Was she being selfish dragging Anna to the gym several days a week? God knew Joely’s body was growing weary. She had to pre-dose herself with pain pills before each workout. But now that they had a location, she and Jake would settle on a wedding date soon. She was running out of time in her battle of the bulge.

  Joely gave her daughter a hug and promised she wouldn’t be gone long. Anna made her way over to a little boy who was playing with a toy rocket and started telling him about Sally Ride. Joely’s shoulders relaxed as she went back into the hall.

  She passed by the scale, but made herself stop. It seemed as though she should be seeing some progress by now. Steeling herself, she stepped up on the scale. The number was hard to get used to, but it was half a pound lighter than last week. Hooray!

  With almost a bounce in her step, she headed for the yoga class. Rather than slow flow yoga, she’d decided to try hot yoga. Maybe sweat away some pounds. She walked in the sauna-like room and unrolled a yoga mat. Around her, other students sat cross-legged and quiet. She followed their lead, but it hurt her knees. She straightened her legs in front of her.

  “Excuse me,” a female voice whispered.

  Joely turned to see a woman about her age with chubby thighs sitting pretzel-style next to her. “Hi.” Perspiration formed on Joely’s face and she fanned herself with her hand.

  The full-figured woman’s ponytail bounced as she spoke. “I think I saw you in my zumba class.”

  Joely’s cheeks flared. Another class that she’d had to quit before it was officially over. “Maybe. I liked the music, but I couldn’t keep up.”

  The th
irty-something woman nodded. “It’s pretty intense.”

  “Exactly. All of that jumping is hard on the knees.”

  “If you liked the Latin music, you should try aqua zumba. It’s much lower impact, but you’d be surprised what a workout it can be.”

  Joely smiled at the woman’s suggestion. “Thanks. Maybe I’ll check it out.” Knowing all the while that she wouldn’t. Not only couldn’t she swim, but she hated to think what she’d look like in a swimsuit these days.

  They stopped talking when the instructor entered the room and turned on the Middle Eastern music. The bony teacher wasted no time putting them in awkward poses with legs going one way and arms the other.

  Oh my God, this room is hot! Joely swallowed and wiped her forehead. She thought about her conversation with Val. How could Val already regret marrying Nathan? Because he was a little moody? He’d suffered a head injury. If her good friend could feel that way about him, it seemed that Jake might turn against Joely sometime, too. After all, she’d be the first to admit that she could be quick tempered when she was in pain.

  The class moved into downward dog. At least Nathan would probably get better with time, whereas she could only get worse.

  Black spots. She blinked. She closed her eyes and tried to shake them away. Her stomach growled. Maybe she should’ve eaten a snack before class. The room started to spin.

  Next thing she knew, her body was splayed on the mat and everyone was staring at her. The anorexic teacher held her hand. “Are you all right? You passed out.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Marisa Tomei?” Nathan asked his physical therapist. The brown-eyed actress’s name finally connected from one side of his brain to the other.

  “Who’s that?”

  Boy, did he feel old. “She’s an actress. Real pretty.” Oops. Did he just say that?

  Pink spread from her cheeks up to her ears. “You think so? If they ever make a movie of my life, I guess I’ll request her.” Mia worked her thumbs into his right shoulder.

  He’d never had a massage, but suspected it felt something like this. “I want Bruce Willis to play me.”

  “You need someone younger.”

  He was glad he knew he never blushed. “Aren’t you the smooth talker?” She giggled and it pleased him.

  “Let me think.” She put her finger on her chin. “Leonardo di Caprio maybe.”

  “I’m the king of the mountain,” he tried quoting Titanic.

  “I think he says he’s the king of the world.”

  “Oh.” Embarrassment burned inside him. “I hate how my memory does that to me.”

  She continued pressing her thumbs into his shoulder. “No biggie. Everyone forgets things. You’re too hard on yourself.”

  He nodded and thought more about the movie. If he were Leonardo, Mia could pose topless for him while he sketched her. Guilt surged through his veins. Why would he even think such a thing?

  He shook away the image. Something about her gentle yet purposeful touch, her kind words. . .she’d become his daily confidant and coach.

  An awkward silence lingered between them.

  Finally, she cleared her throat. “How do you think your recovery is going?”

  “I plan on returning to work soon.” He swallowed. “I have to admit, I’m nervous.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want the guys to feel sorry for me. I still speak a little slower than I used to.”

  Her brown curls jostled as she shook her head. “I don’t even notice it anymore.”

  He sighed. “But you didn’t know me before.”

  “That’s true. You’ve made a lot of progress in a short amount of time, though. Both here and in your speech.”

  “Thanks. I’m anxious to get back to work. That house Val wanted is such a money pit. As soon as I get one thing fixed, something else falls apart.”

  “That’s right. You’re married. I forgot.”

  Excitement zinged through his body. Such a thrill to think she considered him available. Then crushing guilt. What was this thing going on between him and Mia? Was it normal to develop crushes even though you were married? Was this all in his head or did Mia feel it too?

  He concentrated on Mia’s working hands. She was always professional. But something about being cared for by another woman and chatting about his day created this odd connection. He’d never seen a female doctor or dentist or even had his hair cut by anyone but his barber. Before PT, the only women he’d ever touched were girlfriends or one-night stands.

  She tied a long green band on the doorknob. “Let’s see if you’re ready for the next level.”

  See? All business. She wasn’t interested in him.

  He stood and pulled the stretchy band with his right hand down to his side then back up again. Just like he practiced at home every morning and night.

  “Good. Nice form.”

  He smiled. What a pain in the ass it was to have to work muscles that used to function perfectly fine on their own. It wasn’t like lifting weights, where the end result was visible. This was trying to get back to normal. “Val doesn’t realize how hard this is.”

  Mia untied the green ribbon and affixed a yellow one to the knob. “Head injuries really take their toll on families.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m the one stuck doing physical therapy and speech therapy. I’m fixing up the house and doing everything I can to make her life easier.” Sure, he’d lost his temper once or twice, but he’d had good reason. His life had crashed and burned. He’d been screwed royally. Val had nothing to complain about. “She has a job she enjoys, a son who loves her and the house that she wanted.”

  A noncommittal “hmm” resonated from behind Mia’s lips. Her full, moist lips.

  # # #

  Val walked into the empty house at six o’clock in the evening. “Hello? Nathan? Chip?” Nathan’s car wasn’t in the garage and she had no idea where they were.

  She tossed her purse on the couch and wondered if she should cook dinner or if they’d all go out like they often did when she was tired. Up the stairs she went to change into jeans and her Lansing Community College shirt. The light was on again in the former nursery. She walked in and looked around, seeing only the desk and a bureau left by the previous owners. Of course, no one was there. Off went the switch. She shook her head, wishing she knew what the spirit was trying to communicate. So far the diary hadn’t revealed anything.

  Outside she heard the rumble of a car and it didn’t sound like Nathan’s. She peered out the back window to see Nathan and Chip riding in an antique automobile. It looked a lot like the one Nathan’s brother had loaned them on their wedding day. Except this one was red.

  She ran down the stairs to find out what was going on. Chip burst through the back door just as she’d made her way to the kitchen. He ran and gave her a hug. “Hi, Mom! Nathan and I had the best day!”

  Nathan entered the house. “Want to go to dinner in our new car?”

  “What? You bought a car?” Thoughts of unpaid medical bills and roof repairs bombarded her. “How much did it cost? And what happened to your other car?”

  Nathan shrugged. “I traded it for this. Not exactly an even trade--I still owe them the balance. Isn’t she a beauty? I always wanted a roadster.”

  “How much more do you owe? That thing doesn’t even have seat belts, does it?” She noticed that Chip’s face looked a little sunburned. “How long have you two been driving around anyway?”

  Chip’s eyes suddenly studied the checkerboard floor.

  Nathan opened the refrigerator and pulled out two cans of Dr Pepper--one for him and one for her. “I took Chip out of school early.”

  “You what?” She set the pop on the counter without opening it.

  Chip slunk out of the room.

  Nathan, however, acted as if he’d done nothing wrong. He popped the silver tab on top and gulped his drink. “I told Chip if he got one-hundred percent on his spel
ling test, that I’d take him to the antique car show. Aren’t you happy? He aced his test.”

  “I am happy, but you should’ve asked me first.”

  “I thought you wanted me to be more involved. Be his dad.”

  Val pushed on her temples. A piercing headache came out of nowhere. “I do. But I’m still his mother. You can’t take him out of school--let alone risk his life--without checking with me.”

  Nathan’s eyebrows lowered. He squeezed the can until brown liquid spilled over the sides and dripped onto the floor. “You’re not the boss, you know. I can do whatever I want without checking with you first.” He tossed the crumpled can into the sink causing a metallic rattle. He marched out the back door.

  She watched through the window as he started the car and jerked it through a three-point turn. He sped down the driveway out toward the road.

  One hand pressed against her forehead and the other against her pounding chest. Her legs gave way and she slumped down to sit on the tile floor.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  After Joely drank some orange juice provided by the health club, the room stopped spinning. She hated the way everyone from yoga class stared at her. “I’m all right. I’ve been on this diet and with the heat. . . I feel better now.” She started to stand.

  The yoga teacher wouldn’t let go of her arm. “Can I call someone to drive you home?”

  Joely waved her hand. “No, no. I’m fine. The juice helped.” Who would they call anyway? Val was busy with her own problems. Jake was working nonstop. And Kate lived two hours away.

  It took at least fifteen more minutes to convince the instructor to let Joely go home by herself. Joely checked Anna out of the child watch center and left the gym, her face burning.

  When they were near Joely’s car, Anna tugged on her pants in a rather unlady-like way. “Look, Mom. I’m so fat.”

  Joely froze. She crouched down to look Anna in the eyes. “You are not fat. You are a perfectly healthy little girl.”

  Anna’s big, blue eyes stared at her mother. “But my pants don’t fit. You always say that you’re too fat when your clothes don’t fit.”