And it had been a misunderstanding. He chastised himself—for about the millionth time—for not listening to Cruz or to his mother. Even worse, he hadn’t listened to Nora.
He’d been hurt and let down and he hadn’t known how to deal with it. Before Nora and Ben, he’d been the king of stuffing his feelings deep inside. But his inner kingdom had crumbled and he was in a new land with new feelings. He had no experience to help him navigate through this unchartered territory.
The only thing he knew for sure was what not to do. In the future, he would shut his pie hole and listen. Had he done that with Nora, she would be talking to him instead of avoiding him like the plague. He’d disappointed Ben and had abandoned Nora when he’d abruptly left to go to Charlotte. He’d had to make the trip to deal with his sponsors, but he hated that he’d failed both Ben and Nora. And he’d played right into Nora’s belief that when the going gets tough, men leave.
Cruz had filled him in on what had really happened after his mother had updated Cruz. The reporter had asked Nora if he’d paid child support. Nora had given an honest ‘no’ response, but she had added that he’d offered and she’d declined. The reporter had neglected to include that. He’d also left out the other good stuff that Nora had shared about how he had taken them all to Alabama at Christmas, and how he’d bonded with Ben since becoming aware of his existence. His mom had called him earlier in the week and said that Nora felt terrible over the trouble she had caused. But apparently not so much that she wanted to speak with him.
He had talked with Ben every night since he’d been in Charlotte, but Nora hadn’t answered any of his calls or text messages. Earlier in the week both Cruz and Wade had told him he needed to grovel and ask for forgiveness. He didn’t know how to grovel, but he desperately wanted to connect with Nora, to apologize and to make amends.
Sipping coffee, he gazed across the uptown Charlotte skyline. He used to love the people, the crowds, the anonymity. But at this moment all he felt was lonely.
Angry at himself and frustrated with Nora for giving him the cold shoulder, even though he totally deserved it, he’d tried to alleviate his loneliness last night with Eden, the hot cousin of Cee-Cee’s latest squeeze. Davey and Eden had gone on a double-date with Cee-Cee and Georgiana, but it had been a complete disaster. Instead of Davey’s usual mode, engaging in the easy flirtation that was second nature to him, he’d brooded over Nora. When Eden had picked at her salad with no dressing, he’d thought about Nora and how she had unapologetically dug into her food. When he’d been prickly, Eden had made excuses for him. Nora would have called him on the carpet.
While he should have appreciated Eden’s petite figure—tiny except for ginormous, man-made boobs—all he could think about was Nora’s delectable curves. Nora’s breasts were every bit as big as Eden’s, but they’d been soft, squeezable, and so very real. He couldn’t stop thinking about her sweet ass either; he’d loved holding on to it when they’d made love. Cee-Cee had pulled Davey aside half-way through the night to inform him that Eden was in hot demand and if he didn’t get his shit together, she would move on.
He’d tried to get his shit together, but it hadn’t worked. Eden had been hotter than South Georgia in August, but he’d felt absolutely nothing for her and hadn’t been able to go through with the date. Instead, he’d given her the truth—he was hung up on someone else. Eden had been gracious about the whole thing. Cee-Cee, not so much.
That had never happened to Davey. Sure, he’d gone out with women with whom he hadn’t experienced fiery attraction, but he’d always been up for a good time even if it had just been for one night. Maybe he’d lost his mojo. A wave of worry shot through him as he pondered what the hell was happening.
The answer hit him in the head like a ton of bricks.
Nora.
When the Sunday newspaper thunked outside his door, Davey shook off thoughts of last night. He made his way through the oversized living room, across the dark hardwood floors, and past the exposed brick walls.
He retrieved the paper, took it inside, and tossed it on the kitchen table. He turned to grab his coffee but spun around when he spotted a picture of himself out of the corner of his eye. His heart leapt into his throat. Damn it, not again.
Lifting the paper, he read the headline: Davey Johnson: All-Star Dad. Scanning the article, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. It gave Nora’s explanation of the omission from the last piece. It quoted her as saying he’d been nothing but a stellar father since the day he’d found out about Ben—which was nice, even though they both knew it was a lie. She’d also said he was now paying child support—another lie since she had yet to give him her checking account number.
Sinking onto a chair, he flipped to the life section and read the rest of the article which lavished more praise on his parenting skills. There were also photos, mostly of him and Ben. One included him, Nora, Ben, and Lucas in the hotel lobby in Birmingham. A rush of happy memories flooded Davey. In the picture, Nora had her hands wrapped around his arm and she was laughing into the camera. Gazing at Nora, his breath caught.
When a knock sounded, he put the paper down. “Come in,” he called out. Because his suite took up the entire top floor and the building had security tighter than the CIA, he rarely locked his door. Cruz lived a few floors down and was the only person other than Security who had access to the top floor. Security made all deliveries, so Davey never had uninvited visitors.
Cruz sauntered in with a newspaper in hand.
“Yeah.” Davey rose to get Cruz a cup of coffee. “I saw it.”
“For someone with no media experience, Nora sure hit on all the right things,” Cruz said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Davey brought over a cup of coffee fixed just the way Cruz liked it, with a splash of cream. “She’s still not talking to me.”
“You can fix that,” Cruz drawled, taking a long sip of his coffee. “You just need to decide if you want to make the effort.”
For the first time in Davey’s adult dating life, he wanted to make the effort. He sat next to Cruz and clasped his hands on his lap. “Will you help me?”
Chapter Seventeen
Nora pulled up the online article in the Charlotte paper and read every word with a profound sense of satisfaction. Davey would be pleased with this piece and it would get his sponsors off his back. “There,” she said, brushing her palms together. She’d righted her previous wrongs. She rose and headed toward the kitchen to brew tea but circled back to the computer nook when the phone rang.
She checked caller ID before answering, something she’d begun earlier in the week after Davey had blown up her phone. Sure enough, it was him.
“Nora, pick up. Please.” She nibbled on her fingernail. She wanted to talk with him, but she didn’t think it was wise. “Damn it, Nora. I’m sorry for being an ass.” He let out a long breath. “I don’t know what to do to make it right.” At his next pause, she reached for the phone, then snatched her hand back. She didn’t belong in Davey’s world. This incident had been a glaring reminder. “Will you go out with Ben and me on Tuesday night?” His voice sounded genuine…and a little desperate. She slowly reached for the phone. “Again, I’m really sorry. Call me.” Thankfully, he ended the call before she caved.
“I wish he’d stop calling,” she mumbled, trudging toward the kitchen and practically tripping over Cosmo.
When she ungracefully hopped over the dog, Cosmo gave her a long look.
“What?” She shoved at her hair. “I didn’t mean to trip over you.”
When Cosmo continued to stare at her, she got that he wasn’t talking about her clumsiness. It was Davey’s call.
Nora lowered to the floor and sat next to her dog. She put her hands around his head. “I made things right,” she said. “Now, I just want him to go away. Not from Ben, but he needs to stop bugging me.”
Cosmo angled his head. Is that really what you want?
“Yes. No.” She scrunched her face. “I don’t kno
w. He didn’t even listen to me. He just left,” she whispered, not wanting Ben to wake up and overhear. “He didn’t just leave me, he left Ben too.” Just like her father had done.
Cosmo pinned her with a look.
Rubbing her dog’s fluffy ears, she sighed. “I guess he had to meet with his sponsors.” Cosmo nudged his head against her side as if prodding her to look for more. “Okay, he called Ben on the drive to Charlotte to let him know he had a work emergency.” She scrunched her lips together. “But Ben was still disappointed.” Cosmo bumped her again. She puffed her cheeks. “He’s been calling every day, and not just for Ben.” Hope blossomed but she quickly tamped it down. “It’s not going to work. He’s Davey Johnson…and he’s a man. It never works with men, so why bother?”
Cosmo shook his head. Don’t let the past ruin what could be a magnificent future.
She kissed the top of her dog’s head, then rose. Thinking about his advice, she made her way to the kitchen. No sooner had she gotten there than the doorbell rang. “Jeez, I’m never going to get my tea.”
She opened the front door and a delivery man extended an enormous bouquet of flowers. “For you,” he said.
“Morning,” Steph called from her porch.
“Hello.” Nora glanced over. Steph also had an arrangement of flowers in her arms.
“Have a great day.” The delivery man tipped his hat and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Nora said. “Give me a minute so I can grab a tip.”
“No need.” He grinned. “It was included.” The young man sprinted down the steps and into his van.
As Nora drew in the sweet scent of her bouquet, she nodded at Steph’s flowers. “Are they from Cruz?”
“Yes.” Steph’s lips curved into a slow smile. “He said he missed me this week.”
“Aww.” Nora hugged her flowers close to her chest. “That’s so sweet.”
“Yes.” Steph’s eyes turned dreamy as she waved a hand toward Nora’s bouquet. “Are yours from Davey?”
Were they? Nora didn’t know who else would send her flowers. Hope bloomed in her chest bright as the flowers in her bouquet. She removed the card and read it out loud. “Sorry for being an asshole. Love, Davey.” She snorted out a laugh.
Steph laughed too. “At least he’s trying.”
Nora conceded that point as she took the flowers inside and put them in a vase on the kitchen table. Even though she was still annoyed with Davey, the flowers brightened her mood. She hummed through her morning tea and the warm, fuzzy feeling stayed with her as she worked through the busy lunch shift at OTR.
After the lunch crowd had dwindled, Steph called out from the stockroom. “Nora, delivery’s here.”
Nora asked Jenna to cover the bar, then made her way into the back.
Steph pulled on a jacket at the same time as Nora. “I thought we’d work the truck together,” Steph said, “since it’s a large order today.”
Outside, a Moonshine Brews and Beverages truck was parked in front of the loading dock. Anxiety tapped in Nora’s stomach. She wondered if her grandpa would show up, and if he did, if Steph would be able to see him too. If he was only visible to Nora, Steph would think she was a whacko. But it had been a while since he’d last appeared so Nora wanted to see him anyway. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face as an odd mix of dread and excitement whirled in her belly.
Steph wrapped her arms together. “It’s cold.” She blew out a visible puff of air. “I can see my breath.”
Nora studied the gray-white sky, which hung low and heavy like a thick blanket of fog. “I wouldn’t mind the cold if the sun were out.” They’d had several consecutive days of overcast skies and it was taking its toll on Nora. Ella had dubbed Nora the poster child for Seasonal Affective Disorder and her best friend was right. SAD was an appropriate acronym for the disorder, considering that’s how Nora felt without light. She’d been tired and cranky for most of the week.
“Well, well, well,” Scott said, rounding the corner of the truck. “Two lovely ladies.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “This must be my lucky day.”
“Here we go,” Nora whispered, rolling her eyes.
She and Steph greeted Scott, then he hopped onto the back of the truck, opened the door, and dropped the ramp. He strolled down with a dolly. Leaning against it, he gave Nora a slow grin. “Have you changed your mind about going out with me?”
“Uh, no.” As Nora gave Scott a firm look, Steph spoke up.
“She’s dating my son.”
“What?” Nora turned toward Steph. “Davey and I aren’t dating.”
Steph smiled. “He’s sending you flowers.”
“I could send you—” The rest of Scott’s words were lost when his body started to fade.
“What…what’s happening?” Steph gripped Nora’s arm. “It’s like he’s vaporizing.”
“It’s my grandpa,” Nora said in a tight voice. Because what normal person would believe that?
Sure enough, her grandfather began to materialize from the bottom up. His feet and legs filled in first, then his mid-section, and finally his head.
“Do you see him?” Nora asked quietly, hoping beyond hope that Steph was experiencing the same inconceivable encounter.
“Uh-huh,” Steph murmured. “But I don’t understand.” She continued to clutch Nora’s arm as she gaped slack-jawed at Nora’s grandfather taking form.
After his body had formed, his features sharpened. His hair shaded gray-white like the sky, his teeth turned white as the snow that threatened to fall. Honey-colored eyes sparkled with delight as his gold pocket watch appeared and attached to his pants.
“Good day to the two of you,” Pap said, rubbing his pocket watch. He pulled Nora into a tight hug. When he drew back, he extended a hand to Steph. “Jeffrey Williams, Nora’s grandpa.”
“Hi,” Steph chocked out. “But…what…how…”
“Scott’s grand-dad and I go way back.” Pap gave Steph a charming smile. “Bill said Scott wouldn’t mind if I borrowed his grandson’s skin now and again to see my Nora.”
“That’s lovely,” Steph said, her voice still a little shaky. “It’s just not something you see every day.”
“That’s the truth.” Pap rolled back on his heels. “Took Nora a while to warm up to the idea too. Isn’t that right, Cupcake?”
Nora nodded, pleased that her grandfather had appeared to both her and Steph. She wondered if there was a particular significance or if he’d just happened to arrive at a time when Steph was with her.
“Anyhoo,” Pap said, flashing his warm eyes at Steph. “I sent Nora to see you about the job.”
“I’m so glad you did,” Steph said, her voice nearly back to normal. She brushed a hand along Nora’s arm. “Nora’s such a blessing. She connected me with my son and introduced me to my grandson.”
“All a part of the grand scheme.” Pap stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Today, I want to talk with both of you,” he said, answering Nora’s previous inquiry.
“Let’s go inside where its warm.” Steph’s lips curved into a smile as she held the door open. “Please come in.”
Nora was surprised when her grandfather stepped inside the building. When he’d appeared in the past, it had always been outdoors. Because of that, she had thought he’d been limited in where he was able to go. Then again, in the past, he had only presented himself to her, and now Steph could see him. Unease poked at her gut as she followed him inside, wondering if others would be able to see him too. But it was a moot point since there was no one else in the hallway.
Steph led them to her office. “Make yourselves comfortable.” Steph sat in one of the arm chairs as Nora and her Pap settled on the loveseat.
“I only have limited time here on Earth,” her grandfather said.
Nora’s heart pounded. She didn’t want Pap to leave. “I don’t want to lose you again,” she said, tears brimming in her eyes.
“I’ll be here for as long as you need me,” he assured h
er, brushing a tear from her cheek. “But I can’t overstay my welcome in Scott’s body.” He took her hand. “I know you had a difficult childhood and I’m sorry I had to leave Earth when I did. But despite everything, you’ve grown into a beautiful woman.” He patted a hand over his heart. “On the inside, where it counts,” he said, his lips curving. “Although you’re quite the looker too.”
Steph reached over and touched Nora’s arm. “He’s right. You’re an amazing human being.” She glanced at Nora’s grandfather. “And she’s a wonderful aunt too.”
“She sure is.” Pap hugged Nora. “I’m proud of you, sweetie.”
Nora blinked back the tears at her grandfather’s and Steph’s unexpected praise.
Drawing back, Pap looked Nora in the eye. “Now, we need to work on the baggage that you carry from your past.” He squeezed her hand. “It holds you back.”
“Like what?” she asked, tilting her head to one side and pursing her lips. She had overcome the hell she’d lived through as a child and had taught herself how to be a good mother-figure for Ben.
“You think every relationship is doomed,” Pap said, “and that men always leave.”
Oh, that. That was her belief, but not only because of her childhood. She’d never seen a romantic relationship work, at least not in real life. Sadness closed in on her, dark and heavy as wet cement. With her current convictions, she had no hope of ever having a happy marriage, no hope of creating a connected, contented family.
“Your grandmother and I had a wonderful marriage.” Pap smiled nostalgically. “We had fifty-five beautiful years together before she passed. Sweetie, your parent’s relationship failed simply because your mother and your father were a bad match. It happens, but it doesn’t happen all the time.” He met Nora’s gaze, his eyes warm and twinkling. “Without the two of them, you wouldn’t be here and neither would Ben.”
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