He’d given one of the early sketches of what he’d like to see at the park to Becca so she could think about more ideas.
“Ellen’s an architectural engineer, and—the best part—she was in the Marine Corps.” Becca opened the tube and pulled out the contents. When they heard Tuck rustling around in the kitchen, she grabbed Rave and dragged him onto the front porch. She handed him one side of the large paper and unrolled the entire thing.
Rave could hardly believe what he was seeing. “It’s the park.” From the tall fence and wrought iron gate to the cobblestone streets to the large fountain in the center with water cascading over a mound of carefully placed boulders. In the drawing the weeds and the brush were nowhere to be found. Large planters filled with colorful flowers sat beside the many benches, and the massive trees had been trimmed back to allow ovals of shade between the areas of bright sunlight. “It’s amazing.”
Becca nodded furiously, a sparkling pink smile on her mouth. “It’s just the beginning. I told her you had other ideas, but she said it would be fabulous to have a visual, even if it’s going to evolve. This way, we have something to show people.”
Rave couldn’t stop staring at the paper. Only a short time ago this whole thing was a dream, nothing more than an idea. Now, it was alive, breathing, growing. His thoughts turned to his grandfather. “Let’s show Tuck.”
Becca nodded and let go of the paper. Rave carried it inside, and they called for Tuck to come out from the kitchen to the dining table. Rave used a heavy mug to anchor one corner of the page and a book to anchor the other.
“What’s this?” Tuck leaned over the page with curiosity.
“Tuck, we’ve been working on something. I didn’t want to share it with you until we knew if it was going to happen or not.”
Tuck frowned.
“I know I made a promise to continue the memorial, but—well, it just wasn’t enough. I want your men, and all the men and women who’ve served, to be honored. So we went to the mayor.”
Tuck’s frown increased. “You spoke to the mayor about my private memorial?”
Rave had practiced saying this a million times, but now that he was, it all seemed to be coming out wrong. His words rushed to fix the damage he was doing. “Tuck, there are a lot of people who feel the same way you do. I wanted to help unify—”
Tuck rubbed a hand over his mouth. “They don’t understand.”
Becca lightly touched Tuck’s arm. “My dad does. He was in a war, too. He still has nightmares, still has bad days.”
Rave swallowed. “We felt like it was time for this town to rally around its veterans.”
Tuck took a marginal step back. “Who’s doing this?”
Becca pointed to Rave. “Your grandson. This whole thing was his plan. I got him an appointment with the mayor, and let me tell you, he gave one heartfelt plea for Barton to turn over the park to us.”
“What? What do you mean to you?”
Becca smiled. “The mayor spoke to the city council on our behalf. The council agreed to a committee that can oversee the restoration of the park. Rave and I will be on the committee. So will Pastor Keith, and he would like for Rave to chair the committee. The park will be incredible. It’ll be a place of reflection and remembrance for all veterans and their families. Rave did this because of you, Tuck. But because he loves you so much, now all the veterans will benefit from his goal to honor you and your men.”
Tuck’s eyes softened. “Because you love me?” He looked straight at Rave, his watery blue eyes filled with too many emotions to count.
A relief-filled laugh escaped Rave’s mouth. A single tear accompanied it, sliding down his cheek. He sniffed and brushed at it. For all of Rave’s life, he’d never had a male role model. No father figure, no man to look up to. Now he had all of that and so much more. “Yes, Tuck. I love you.”
Tuck sucked a quick breath. When he reached for Rave, he was trembling. “I love you, too, boy. I love you, too.” They came together in an embrace that had both men sniffing away the tears.
Maybe grown men weren’t supposed to hug. Maybe they weren’t supposed to cry, but nothing felt more natural to Tuck than this, having his grandson wrapped in his arms and feeling wave after wave of love for him.
When Tuck released Rave, Becca patted the old man’s shoulder. “It’s quite a good grandson you’ve got there.”
Tuck nodded. “So much more than I deserve.”
From the other room, they heard Bullet bark and then the unmistakable sound of someone knocking on the door. Repeatedly. Without stopping for even a second.
Rave rushed forward, meeting the panicked knock with a brisk stride. He tugged the door open and found Trini on the front porch.
“I thought you’d never answer,” she said, blowing past him to come inside. Her energy had Bullet turning circles again and waiting for attention. He stomped his feet and whined.
Trini pointed at Bullet. “Sshh,” she commanded, and the dog instantly cowered.
“Wow.” Rave closed the front door. “I’ve never seen him listen to anyone that fast.”
She went to Bullet and rubbed his head. “Knows who’s boss.”
There was not a person in the room who doubted Trini’s statement. Trini was boss. Period. All five feet one inch of her. Whether she was at home, at church, at a restaurant, at the feed store. When Trini entered the room, she was in charge. “Now,” she said, opening a bag hanging from her forearm. “I expect you kids are leaving. Is that right?”
Tuck grinned. He wasn’t sure what would come next, a lesson on date etiquette or a sermon. Either way, Trini had both young people’s attention.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m taking Becca out on the boat.”
Becca squealed. “The boat? Awesome.”
He faced her and leaned closer. “I thought we’d watch the sunset and talk.”
If Tuck wasn’t mistaken, Rave was very hopeful about this boat trip. Tuck understood why. Becca was a special kind of girl. The kind who only comes around once in a lifetime. Like a comet. You get one shot, and if you miss it, it’s gone.
He thought of Millie. How he could have driven right past her that clear, sunny day when she’d gotten stranded, when she’d stood at the edge of the road taking out her aggression on the flat tire by kicking it with the toe of her platform-sandaled foot. Though he’d not been much of a praying man throughout his lifetime, he’d more than once thanked the good Lord for the infidelity of Millie’s boyfriend. If not for his alley-cat ways, Tuck wouldn’t have met his Millie.
Trini reached into her bag. Her white locks were pulled back with a headband. “I’ve got some playing cards, a bag of microwave popcorn, and duct tape.”
Rave’s brows rose. “Duct tape?”
Trini waved it through the air. “In case this old scoundrel tries to get away,” she joked.
“Scoundrel, you say?” Tuck’s knuckles went to his hips, but he’d be a liar if he said he didn’t enjoy the goading. He didn’t want folks treating him with kid gloves or like an invalid. “You better have something stronger than duct tape if—”
Trini put a finger to her mouth. “Sshh.”
Tuck shut up. Just like Bullet had. Hmm. Guess she really was the boss.
Trini turned to Becca. “You two kids go on. I’ll keep Tuck occupied.”
Tuck frowned. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a grown man. Lived alone for years.”
Trini faced him. “I thought I told you to hush up. Now, I’m here, and I’m staying. I’ve got a purse full of poker chips, and the cash to back it up.”
Tuck ran a hand through his hair. He did enjoy playing poker. “Blackjack?”
“Texas Holdʼem.”
Tuck closed one eye and pointed a crooked finger at her. “All right. But if I catch you cheating—” he teased.
“I’d renounce my poker title if I even thought I’d need to cheat. You’re out of practice, Tuck, and my card-shark teeth are sharp.”
Tuck turned to Rave and Be
cca. “You two better go on before it gets serious in here.”
CHAPTER 13
Rave and Becca stepped outside onto the front porch. It was a perfect June evening with a soft breeze whispering through the quivering leaves of the trees. Inside, they could still hear the trash talk passing between Tuck and Trini.
Becca stopped at the top of the steps.
Rave turned to see why. “What’s wrong?”
“Rave, let’s invite them to come along.” Her hip was cocked, her hand on the banister, her forehead puckered in a concerned frown.
He cast a glance to the door. Had Becca seen something he’d missed? Trini and Tuck seemed happy to stay behind. “Why?”
She tipped her head back, and the rays of the early evening sun kissed the highlights on her face. “I don’t . . . know.” Becca toyed with the edges of her sundress.
Rave stepped up the stairs to her. “What’s wrong, Becca?”
She looked at the front door. “It’s just that, well, Trini likes Tuck.”
“Yeah.”
Becca rolled her eyes. “No, you’re not getting it. She likes Tuck.”
Oh. Oh! Rave might be slow, but he wasn’t blind. Of course, Trini liked Tuck.
Becca chewed her cheek. “She has for a long time. And now, now I think she feels like time’s running out.”
Rave pressed a hand to his stomach. “I feel the same. But they looked pretty happy to stay right there.” Besides, there were things he had to discuss with Becca. Maybe this was her way of putting off the inevitable.
She sighed. “I remember losing my grandpa. He had an opportunity to come to the lake with us just a few days before he died. No one knew anything was wrong, but he stayed home. And I remember looking through all the pictures my mom took that day and wishing we had pictures of him. Wishing he’d gone with us.”
“I don’t think we have a camera here, Becca. Unless you brought one.”
She shook her head. “We don’t need one. Memories are pictures. They’re stored in the part of your mind where happiness lives.”
That was something Rave understood. “Tomorrow I buy a camera. Or a cell phone with a good camera in it. Tonight, we’ll take memory pictures.”
“I can invite them?” Her face glowed.
Rave nodded. “But what about the things we need to talk about? Ashley isn’t going away, Becca. We have to deal with this.”
She spun from him and sat down on the porch swing. “So deal with it.”
Right now? He’d rehearsed this differently. After nibbling on cheese and crackers and watching the sun go down. He’d imagined the gentle rock of the waves and the warm sun on her skin. “Uh.”
“Deal with it,” she repeated, as if he’d forgotten what he was supposed to do. When he still didn’t speak, she added, “I’m waiting.”
Instead of sitting on the swing, Rave dragged a chair over so he could sit with his knees brushing against hers. When he placed his hands over her knees, Becca stopped the swing’s motion and swallowed hard.
Rave dived in. “When you can see someone for what they really are, it removes their power. Ashley used to have power over me. I see that now. I thought she loved me, but she only craves more. She’s like an addict in that respect. I won’t turn Daniel away. I know he needs me, and I love him. But Ashley won’t ever come between us—us meaning you and I.”
A soft chuckle escaped Becca’s mouth. “Yes, I know what us means.”
“I know you’ve been through a lot with the college boyfriend and with your family. I know you passed up a partial scholarship to stay here and help with bills. You’ve sacrificed a lot for the ones you love, and Becca, I know it’s not right for me to put you in the center of all of this. But you’ve taken up residence in the spot that’s in the center of my heart. Right or wrong, my world is orbiting around you. You’re already at the center of all this. I’ll never hurt you. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. And Becca, if you give me the chance, I’ll love you.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign until she threw her arms around his neck. “I’ll love you, too,” she whispered in his ear. A moment later, he dragged her off the swing and onto his lap. Perched just above him and with the wind tossing her hair onto his throat, she bent and kissed the edge of his mouth.
Hunger churned inside, rushing to life like a wildfire. He tried to still himself, but his flesh quivered in response to her touch. “Kiss me again,” he growled.
This time when she bent, he moved at the last possible moment, causing her full lips to press onto his. Soft. Warm. Perfect. It defied words. He decided to call it home. She tasted like home. And it wasn’t nearly enough. He parted her lips gently, nudging them with his own. The kiss deepened, and his hand came up and thrust into her hair, capturing her, planning to never release her.
When they finally broke the kiss, he pulled her forehead to his and closed his eyes. Becca was breathless. Rave was the same. “Are you sure you want to invite them along?” As he asked, he wove his fingers through hers.
Becca cleared her throat. “I think we might need a chaperone.”
He kissed her throat. “We’re adults. We don’t need a chaperone.”
She drew a shaky breath. “Then why do I feel like a teenager on her first date?”
“Is it a good feeling?” he asked, pressing his lips against her collarbone.
“A little too good, I’m afraid.” He heard the tension in her tone, so he stopped.
“I’ll never push you, Bec. We’ve been taking things slow, and if that’s what you need, that’s how we’ll continue.” That wasn’t really what he wanted, but it couldn’t all be about him. Rave wanted this to last. He’d like for it to last a lifetime, and things that had staying power also required good sense. And patience.
“Rave, I know I’m changing the subject here, but I think you should head the committee.”
He closed his eyes for a second and tried to access a picture of himself in charge. “Or you could.”
She cast her eyes heavenward. “I’m being serious. This is your vision. And like you said, who wants to listen to a couple of kids?”
“So my being the head of the committee helps how?”
“It gives you a louder voice. The decisions about the park will be made at your discretion. Pastor Keith believes in you. And so do I. And this is for Tuck and his men.”
Head a committee. No. That was as far from his nature as . . . as spending every other Saturday night reminiscing about the Vietnam War. But she had a point. Plus, this wasn’t about him. This was for Tuck. One side of his face slid into a smile. “You make a convincing argument. OK. I’ll do it. For Tuck.” Rave rose from the seat, lifting Becca with him. “Come on, let’s go see if we can ruin that poker game.”
Tuck was surprised to get the offer from Rave and Becca. Trini had won two hands in a row, and he suspected she was sitting on a royal flush when the kids came back into the house. He and Trini were reluctant at first to go along on the boat ride. But after a little coaxing, they agreed. What Tuck couldn’t understand was why Rave and Becca had invited them. Why did these two kids want a couple of dried-up raisins tagging along? By the look on Rave’s face, whatever the boy needed to talk to Becca about was done. Rave had spent the entire day with his face pinched in a frown. It hurt Tuck to see him like that. He remembered Millie walking around the house with that same look after Sharon left. It broke Tuck’s heart then, and it still did.
But the kids had been gone just a few minutes when they returned and asked Tuck and Trini to go. Now, the four of them were on the boat and headed toward the cove. The sun was still up but riding low on the horizon, like it was tired, like it would soon succumb to gravity and land—like a dropped ball—on the lake’s edge. Maybe it would bounce, or maybe it would scorch the water, and they’d hear the sizzle from here. Tuck had to laugh at himself. Such musings for an old man with a death sentence. He had months, a year at most. That’s
what the doctors had said. For the first time since Millie died, Tuck had something to live for.
The water was smooth glass with the only breeze generated by the movement of the runabout. Rave was at the helm. Becca at his side. Tuck knew her daddy used to have a boat, but Becca must have been an avid fan, the way she hopped onto the deck and untied the ropes like a pro. The two young people gleamed.
Trini, sitting beside Tuck in the front of the boat, leaned closer to him and whispered, “They’re holding hands.”
Tuck tried to wave it off—as if it was none of their business, and they shouldn’t notice, but when Rave released Becca’s hand and slipped an arm around her shoulder, Tuck couldn’t help the words from zipping out of his mouth. “Look, look.”
Luckily, the two kids were too engrossed in what they were doing to notice the audience watching their every move. This was a memory Tuck would cherish for his remaining months. But as he scooted closer to Trini, a renegade thought struck him. It had come from somewhere deep within, a knowing, a premonition.
With absolute certainty, Tuck was sure he had a lot less time than that.
Two major things happened for Rave over the next few weeks. First, Ashley began to comprehend Rave’s level of commitment to Becca. Rave wasn’t trying to rub it in her face, but it was vital that she understand. Her attempts to drive a wedge between them became fewer and fewer. Finally, by around mid-July, she ceased completely and had even gone out on a few dates with guys in town. To Rave’s delight, he could concentrate on the things that mattered: Tuck and his health, Becca and Daniel, and of course, the memorial.
The second thing that happened was a series of committee meetings that had the memorial park beginning to feel as real as the picture Rave had in his mind. The town had rallied and started working on the place. Weeds were pulled, trees were trimmed. Becca met Rave there after work every day. The two of them digging in to whatever project was on the day’s schedule. A few trees were being moved, the wrought iron fence was being power washed and cleared of debris. It was beginning to look like a clean slate.
Something Like Family Page 17