At Home in Last Chance

by Cathleen Armstrong

  14

  Did Steven come get my pictures?” Olivia wasted no time when she threw her backpack into the backseat and climbed in after it.

  “Yes, he did. Just as I was leaving.” Kaitlyn waited for the seat belt click before joining the line of cars snaking out of the school parking lot. “I imagine he’s almost to the hospital with them by now.”

  “Did you show him the one of Speed Bump and Sam making friends?”

  “Honey, I didn’t have time to do more than just hand him the pictures and run out the door. He’ll see them when he shows them to Miss Elizabeth. Now, what do you say we go see how Sam’s doing? I’ll bet he could use some company.”

  Sam was sitting on the welcome mat when they stopped in front of Elizabeth’s house, and he chirruped as he trotted down the walk toward them, tail held high.

  “Sam! How did you get outside?” Olivia tried to carry him back to the house, hugging him around his rib cage, but his hind feet barely cleared the sidewalk, and he protested with a low moan.

  “Put him down, Livvy. He’s too big. He’ll come with us.”

  Kaitlyn walked up the steps and tried the front door. It seemed strange to find it locked. From what she had heard, most people in Last Chance didn’t even know where their house key was until they were going to leave for some extended period of time. Sarah, or someone, must have locked up when they let Sam out. She gave the door another little rattle.

  “It’s locked.”

  “I can see that, Livvy.” Kaitlyn glanced at her watch. Sarah probably wouldn’t be home for another hour. She supposed they could come back later, but getting Olivia to leave Sam alone and locked out, even for an hour, was probably going to involve some drama.

  “Here.” Olivia nudged her off the welcome mat and turned back the corner, exposing a key. She picked it up and handed it to her mother.

  “Well, there you go.” Kaitlyn fitted the key in the lock and opened the front door. “How did you know there was a key there?”

  “I saw it when me and Miss Elizabeth were sweeping the porch.” Sam led the way inside, but Olivia stopped just inside the front door. “It’s cold in here and it’s dark.”

  “I guess someone turned down the heat since no one’s home.” Kaitlyn turned on a lamp and headed for the kitchen. “Come on. I’ll bet Sam’s ready for his dinner.”

  “And it smells funny too.” Olivia still stood in the middle of the living room. And she didn’t look happy.

  Kaitlyn sniffed. “I don’t smell anything.”

  “Well, it doesn’t usually smell like this.”

  “Sweetie, I know it’s different. Miss Elizabeth isn’t here.” Kaitlyn began to wonder if bringing Olivia over was the good idea she thought it was. Far from finding comfort in the familiar surroundings, all Olivia could see was the dark, the cold, and the absence of her friend. “Come on. I’ll bet Miss Elizabeth wouldn’t mind if we had a cup of tea while Sam eats his dinner. I’ll make the tea. You feed Sam.”

  A few minutes later as they sat at the table sipping tea and Sam was crouched over his food dish, tail wrapped around his body, they heard the front door open.

  “Hello?” Nancy Jo appeared in the kitchen doorway. “I thought that was Chris’s Jeep outside.” Her smile was friendly, but she was clearly waiting for an explanation for their presence in Elizabeth’s deserted house.

  “We, um, just stopped by to look after Sam.” Kaitlyn tried to shake the feeling that she had been caught doing something wrong. “We thought it would make Olivia feel a little better. Steven seemed to think it would be okay. Didn’t he mention it?”

  “Oh, Steven.” Nancy Jo flapped an indifferent hand. “He probably meant to. He’s just, well, Steven. But I think it sounds like a great plan. Sam could probably use the attention. He is one spoiled kitty.”

  “I hope it’s okay that we made some tea. Elizabeth and Olivia always have a cup after school.”

  “Of course it’s okay.” Nancy Jo’s warm smile put Kaitlyn at ease. “In fact, having someone spend a little time here every day is probably a good idea. And with everybody as busy as they are, it likely wouldn’t happen without you, so come on in, have tea, play with the cat, and make yourself at home. I’m sure Mom will be glad to hear of it.”

  “How is she?”

  “Oh, fine as we can expect, I guess. It’s going to be a long road.” She shook her head and settled her bag more firmly on her shoulder. “Well, I need to get home and start supper. I’ve been at the hospital all day. Just stopped by for the mail. Be sure to close up tight when you leave, okay?”

  “Sure thing.” Kaitlyn returned Nancy Jo’s smile and a few seconds later heard the front door open and close. She was pretty sure that if anyone else had asked—Sarah, say, or maybe even Juanita—the hospital report would have been much more detailed. But the outsider got the quick-and-easy, thanks-for-asking version. Harder to understand, though, was Nancy Jo’s dismissive attitude toward Steven. Kaitlyn somehow knew that Nancy Jo wouldn’t have told him much either.

  Olivia drained her teacup and went to sit on the floor by Sam, and Kaitlyn took another sip of her own tea as she watched her daughter stroke the big tabby while he ate. Everyone had told her that Steven was the black sheep of the Cooley family, but even if they hadn’t, she would have known. She knew all the signs well. There was the cocky attitude, of course, and the your-rules-aren’t-my-rules swagger. But beyond the bluster and even, in Steven’s case, the charm, there were the eyes. And his eyes looked so lost.

  “She asleep?” Chris looked up from the computer on his lap when Kaitlyn came back into the living room.

  “Pretty close. I got the usual fuss about her early bedtime, but she settled down pretty quick.” Kaitlyn settled into a corner of the sofa.

  “Yeah, well, a 4:30 wake-up call will do that to you.” He tossed the remote into her lap. “Watch what you like. I’ve got about an hour of work I have to finish.”

  “You know, Chris.” Kaitlyn flipped idly through the channels. “If I stayed home in the mornings, Livvy wouldn’t have to get up so early. I could come over after I dropped her off at school.”

  “How? You don’t have a car.” Chris didn’t look up from his screen.

  “Well, I could run you over to the Dip ’n’ Dine real quick. I’d be back in maybe ten minutes.”

  “And leave Livvy alone?” This time Chris did look up, and from his expression, Kaitlyn realized she had failed another mom test.

  “It would just be for a couple minutes . . .” Her voice trailed away. Parenting seemed to be filled with these pop quizzes. And how come Chris always seemed to have the right answer when she did not?

  With a shake of his head, he went back to his computer, and Kaitlyn hit another button on the remote. On the screen, someone was solemnly being told they had not made the cut and would henceforth no longer be part of the group. She gave the remote another punch and settled into watching an old movie. Who needed to watch reality when you lived it?

  Chris had just closed his computer and stretched when they heard the sound of a car crunching up the gravel drive.

  “Who could that be? And why would anyone be coming by this late?” Chris checked his watch.

  “Good grief, Chris, it’s 8:30. Someone around here needs to get a life.”

  “Got one, Kait. It just starts way early in the morning.” Chris got up and headed for the door.

  Kaitlyn hadn’t even realized she had been thinking about Steven, but seeing him on the porch gave her a little start, almost as if she had conjured him up.

  “Hey.” Steven took off his hat as he stepped inside. “I’m on the way back to the ranch and took a chance Livvy might still be up. I have something for her.”

  “She’s been out for over an hour; we go to roost pretty early around here. But we’d be happy to pass something along for you.” Chris’s smile may have softened his message a bit, but Kaitlyn noticed he didn’t ask Steven to sit down either.

  “Oh, it’s no big deal.�
�� Steven put his hat back on and grinned. “I just took some pictures of Gran looking at her drawings. I can show her some other time.”

  “She will love that. Can I see?” Kaitlyn held out her hand for the phone Steven held.

  Chris had not budged from his spot near the front door, still hinting he would be glad to show Steven out. Kaitlyn could have slugged him.

  “Are you hungry? I know you can’t have eaten at the hospital.” Kaitlyn ignored Chris, but Steven clearly caught the incredulous look he directed her way.

  “I’m good. I’ll just grab something out of the refrigerator when I get back to the ranch. You guys need to get to bed.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Kaitlyn got off the couch and motioned him to follow her into the kitchen. “I’ll heat you up some spaghetti. I did the cooking tonight, so don’t expect much.”

  Steven stood where he was, looking from brother to sister. Kaitlyn smiled. “Come on.”

  Chris gave up. “I’ve got to get to bed. Do what you want, but remember that alarm’s going off awfully early.” With a wave at Steven, he ambled down the hall to his room.

  Steven still hadn’t moved. “Really, I guess it is later than I thought. I should head on back.”

  “Don’t mind Chris. He’s really old.” Kaitlyn raised her voice to make sure Chris could hear her before turning back to Steven with a grin. “I give him a hard time, but as brothers go, he’s not too bad. Just really, really conscientious.”

  “Sounds like my brother Ray.” Steven followed her into the kitchen and dropped into the chair she indicated at the kitchen table. “On the one hand, I’ve looked up to him and admired him all my life, but on the other, I knew there was no way I was ever going to measure up, so why try?”

  “We don’t have the same brother, do we?” Kaitlyn put a saucepan on the stove and reached into the refrigerator for the leftover spaghetti.

  “I hope not.” There was that dimple again. “I haven’t exactly thought of you as a sister.”

  “Maybe you better not think of me at all.” Kaitlyn put the leftovers on to heat and turned to face Steven. “Or maybe just as a waitress at the Dip ’n’ Dine, or Olivia’s mom, or something. I’m trying to avoid complications right now, not find new ones.”

  “Hey, I’m not complicated. Ask anyone.” Steven didn’t seem ready to give up, but that smile didn’t seem as assured as Kaitlyn had seen it.

  She turned back to the stove and didn’t speak again until she had put the dish of spaghetti in front of him and taken the chair across from him.

  “Steven? Do you ever get tired of it?”

  “Tired of what?” Steven’s fork stopped midway to his mouth. “Tired of trying to get to know someone better? It’s not like I hide in the bushes waiting to leap out at every woman who passes by, you know.”

  Kaitlyn almost smiled. “No. That’s not what I was asking. I imagine you’ll be hitting on the nurses when you’re in the home. I meant, do you mind being the screwup?” She stopped when she saw all the teasing animation drain from his face. “I phrased that wrong. I mean, do you get tired of people just expecting it from you, of never even noticing when you’re doing it right because they’re still remembering the last time you messed up, or waiting for the next time?”

  Steven still hadn’t said anything, and Kaitlyn felt tears sting her eyes. She blinked them away and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I’m making a lot of assumptions here that I have no right to make. Forgive me . . . and eat your spaghetti. I’ll even get you a glass of milk to wash it down. Chris, as you know, is the cook in the family. I’m just . . . well, we already covered my place in the family.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Steven finally spoke, and Kaitlyn stopped in midpour.

  “Right about what? My role as family disaster, or how bad the spaghetti is?” Since she was the one who brought it up, Kaitlyn knew she didn’t have the right to be offended, but that didn’t change the fact that she was.

  “Neither.” Steven’s grin was back. “The spaghetti is outstanding, by the way. I’d eat it any day. No, I meant you’re right about me being sick and tired of everyone just assuming I’m about one step away from planting my boot in another cow pie. Sometimes I think it would just be easier on us all if I just gave them what they expect.”

  “Well, that would solve everything, wouldn’t it? And what’s stopping you from that astoundingly mature course of action?”

  “Gran, I guess.” Steven looked up at Kaitlyn. “She’s the one who never stopped believing I was better than I was. Actually, that’s not quite right. She knew me exactly as I was but never stopped believing I had it in me to be a better person than I was letting on. I finally got tired of disappointing her.”

  “Is she going to be okay?”

  “I think so. I hope so. I can’t imagine a world without Gran in it.”

  “Let me see the pictures.” Kaitlyn held out her hand for his phone. She smiled as she scrolled through them. “Olivia will love these. Your grandmother looks just like herself. You’d never dream she went through what she did yesterday.”

  “Well, I tried to keep as much of the hospital stuff out of the pictures as I could. The point was to cheer Livvy up, not upset her more. And, of course, Gran wouldn’t let me anywhere near her with a camera until she’d fixed her hair and put on lipstick.”

  “Sounds like her.” Kaitlyn handed the phone back. “Thanks for doing this. It will mean a lot to Livvy.”

  “Glad to do it, and thanks for the dinner too.” Steven pushed back from the table and grinned at Kaitlyn. “Now, I should get going and let you get to bed. I understand you all get up real early around here.”

  Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. “Oh, Chris. He means well, but he still thinks I’m Livvy’s age.”

  Steven laughed as he got to his feet and shoved his phone back in his pocket before heading through the living room, picking up his hat on the way. “Well, I need to be getting on home, anyway. We start things pretty early at the ranch too. Sorry I missed Livvy, though. I know Gran wanted her to see how pleased she was with the pictures.”

  “I’m sure we’ll find a time. If not before, you’ll see her at basketball practice Thursday.” Kaitlyn stopped at the door and smiled up at him. As tall as she was, there weren’t many men, outside of Chris, who she looked up at. And truthfully? It was kind of nice.

  “Hey, why don’t I send them to you, and you can show them to her?” He pulled out his phone again. “What’s your number?”

  “Okay, it’s 5—” She stopped. “Are you just trying to get my number?”

  “A little full of ourselves, aren’t we?” Steven raised an eyebrow. “I just want to send you some pictures to comfort your child, and you make it all about you.”

  Kaitlyn gave him a look. He may have intended to look disapproving, but the smile he was trying so unsuccessfully to hide gave him away.

  “You think you are one smooth dude, don’t you?” But she gave him her number.

  “Got it.” He winked as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and opened the front door. And just before he jammed his hat back on his head and shut the door behind him, he bent down and left the lightest of kisses on her lips.

  Kaitlyn listened to his steps cross the porch and crunch across the gravel, too surprised—and face it, unsettled—to do more than stand there. When was the last time she had been caught off guard like that? And who did he think he was anyway? Had she not made it clear—every time they had met, in fact—that she was not interested?

  She drew a deep breath and flipped off the porch light. It was late, as Chris had been pointing out for the last hour. And morning would come early. He had mentioned that too. She checked on Olivia one last time, drawing the kicked-off covers over her sleeping daughter, and floated through the house switching off lights, turning down the thermostat, and doing all the little late-night tasks that prepared the house for the night. Finally, she slipped into her coat and ran around to her own little trailer in the back. And through
it all, she could still feel Steven’s kiss, as light as it was, like a whisper on her lips.

  Steven had second thoughts about the kiss almost as soon as he heard the latch click, and if he had thought about it for two seconds before he did it, he might not have kissed her at all. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have planned things a little better. But with Kaitlyn, he always seemed to be acting before he thought, and with disastrous results, he had noticed.

  “You need to get a grip, Braden.” He started the truck and headed for the road. “Either start being a little more cool or move on, because you are making no headway with this woman at all. In fact, every time you are with her, you wind up worse off than you were before.”

  He turned onto the highway. Way ahead down the road, he could see the taillights of what was probably an eighteen-wheeler. Other than that, he was the only one on the road. Maybe moving on was the best idea. Last Chance really wasn’t his kind of place. Never had been. He and Kaitlyn had joked about Chris thinking 8:30 was late, but he sure wasn’t the only one. Everyone in Last Chance seemed to roll up their sidewalks at sundown. Everyone but Gran.

  Steven smiled to himself as he thought of his grandmother. She was a real night owl, crocheting and watching endless reruns of Perry Mason way into the night. And she was in the hospital. And when she left there, it would be to go back to the ranch, whether she wanted to or not. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Gran had never stopped fighting for him, and now it was his turn. He’d see to it that she went back to her own home, or die trying. And then—then he’d move on.