CHAPTER 42
Déjà vu? Was it not less than twenty-four hours ago that Lucy was taking this exact same escape route? She didn’t care. What other choice did she have? At least she could give herself some props for not crying…until she walked out. Tears dribbled quickly down her cheeks as she made her way down the street. Lucy did not attempt to wipe them; she only covered them by lowering her sunglasses down on her face. She wondered how she could possibly get herself out of what seemed to be an impossible situation. Would she now demand that Linda leave or she wouldn’t go through with the surgery? Even she wasn’t that heartless. Or was she? She thought of Bobbi at the coffee shop and how easily she had read Lucy. Maybe she would have some advice. It sounded crazy just thinking about it, but at this point there weren’t many options.
Before she knew it, Lucy had almost reached the shopping center. Something she hadn’t thought about was how late it was getting. The streets were pretty congested, and there were more people milling around this time. As she walked through the parking lot toward the coffee shop, her phone rang. She heard it, obviously, but didn’t even bother to look at it. There was not one person she wanted to hear from. Well, maybe there was one, but that ship had sailed. Lucy wiped each side of her face with an old tissue from her purse, then peered earnestly through the window. The shop was crowded, with almost every counter spot taken. Two women whipped back and forth behind the counter like Daytona drivers, but to her regret neither one was Bobbi. She took an anxious last look around the place and finally gave up. Now what?
“You okay, miss?”
Lucy felt a hand touch her shoulder and jolted her head back from the window.
“Sorry.” She moved to the side, making room for the man to open the entry door. He looked to be mid-forties and had a teenage girl with him. They both wore sunglasses and baseball caps, her hair pulled back, like she was the son he never had. When the man took hold of the handle and pulled, he gestured to Lucy to go ahead. “Oh…no, I’m not going in,” she said.
Still holding the door open the man replied, “Are you sure?” The girl waited behind him and stared at Lucy curiously, while the man gave Lucy one last chance. “You look like you could use a rest. Maybe something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine really.” Lucy felt strange still talking to him while he had the door open. A few patrons seated near the door had looked over and waited to see the outcome.
“If you’re worried about paying, I can—”
“What?” Oh God, this guy thinks I’m homeless or poor or something. “No.” Lucy began backing away sheepishly. “I was…just looking for someone.” She didn’t have time to decide if she was insulted or touched by the man’s caring nature. Either way, Lucy was out of there, and the Good Samaritan shrugged and entered the shop. Katie and Rick had told her people in Texas were friendly, and now she got to experience it firsthand.
Once again Lucy’s phone alerted her, but this time the sound indicated a text message. Once again she ignored it. She knew that eventually everyone would begin to worry, but she wasn’t ready to start acknowledging anything yet. Besides, she still hadn’t figured out what she would do about Linda. Maybe there was nothing to do. The surgery would be the next day. After a couple of recovery days, with no visits from her, obviously the girls would be on their way back to LA. Rick would take them to Dallas, where they’d take the train home. Then she would never see either of them again. Yep, that’s the plan, Lucy thought to herself indignantly. Then Katie will finally see for herself what Mom is really like.
Once Lucy got out of the strip mall parking lot, her thoughts had her wandering farther than she was familiar with. She contemplated calling Rick and telling him to pick her up. The sun was starting to set, and she really didn’t know where else to go. Just the thought of making that call and having to face everyone made her frustration level rise again. This is crap! She wasn’t going to let herself cry again. That part had to be over, but not letting it out cranked her anger up a notch. She charged across a side street and towards some industrial buildings. Three men were huddled around a beat-up truck with a metal ladder sticking out of the back. As she passed they all stared at her. The feeling of their eyes fixated on her fueled her anger even more. One of them, who was barefoot and had a bald head, made a sound like he’d just eaten something seriously delicious. Then he said, “Niiice.”
“Why don’t you losers get a life?” Lucy said as casual as could be. “Or better yet, how ’bout a job.” Assholes. She kept walking and didn’t look back. She could hear them all laughing it up, which just confirmed her evaluation of them. Her heart skipped a beat and she picked up her pace when she heard the doors close and the engine start, but thankfully they drove in the opposite direction. Lucy couldn’t take it any longer. She ran around to the back of one of the buildings, but just as she stepped over a small curb with one foot, her ankle gave way and she felt a tingly crack. She limped, pissed and mortified, over to the back of the building. Her back slumped against the wall, and she slid down to the ground, her glasses falling to her side. With her purse in her lap and her knees clutched close, her head dropped down to her folded arms. The tiny pit of pressure that was on her ankle stung, and she begged out loud, “Please don’t let this be serious.”
As much as Lucy pushed people away, she didn’t want to be alone now. Those were the times she felt deep despondency. The kind of grief that left some people feeling there was no way out. She didn’t want to feel that way anymore, and she certainly didn’t want to feel that way now. She couldn’t, because of Katie. Lucy was trapped inside herself, at least until after tomorrow. The sleeves on her shirt moistened up against her face as that powerful reality sank in. She tried to convince herself that it was only the pain from her ankle that was causing her distress. Then, after minutes which seemed like hours, the grinding of gravel on the ground nearby startled her. She sucked in a quick breath and popped her head up.
“Hi, Lucy.”
She squinted up at the tall figure that was halfway blocking the setting sun. He wore loose-fitting jeans and a button-down shirt. Praying that it wasn’t a dream, she turned her body and adjusted her view for clarity. It was him. She immediately got to her feet and plunged into him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
“Well this is something I didn’t expect!” he said with a quiet chuckle.
“Kyle, I can’t believe you’re here.” Lucy was still hanging on tightly, but balanced on one foot. Her eyes were still wet and closed. There were no more games to be played. No pretending not to need him. She did need him—now more desperately than ever. They stood there frozen in time until her grip finally loosened. Wait a second, the thought jingled in her brain. What is he doing here?
He seemed to read her mind, or at least her expression. “I know, pretty crazy, huh?”
His smell was familiar, and his body felt perfectly fit to hers. Although every inch of her didn’t want to pull away, her curiosity took over. “What are you doing here? I don’t mean just in Texas either, actually right here?”
“Looking for you.”
“Well I kind of figured that much out…but why?” She tried to take a step back, but leaning on her foot made her wince and do a little hop.
“What happened? Are you okay?” He tried to balance her by holding her under one arm.
“I think I twisted my ankle.”
“Here, let’s get you to the car.” Kyle bent over and began to pick her up.
“Wait!” Lucy hopped back on one foot. “What car? You need to tell me what’s going on.”
“Look, I’ll explain everything after we take care of you. Now will you let me carry you?”
She stood staring at him with a look that said, That’s not good enough.
“Lucy, I came here to help you.” His voice was stern yet convincing. “Yesterday after we spoke I knew you didn’t mean what you said. And I knew I had to see you. So here I am. Now can we please go somewhere else and talk? I rented a car…it�
��s around the other side of this building.” He opened his arms pleadingly and waited for her response.
Lucy knew he was right. She gave a couple of mini head nods and hobbled closer to him. “I’m sure I can walk though.”
“Better not take any chances.” He scooped her up into his arms and gave her an understanding grin. She hung on tightly as he carried her to the car, studying his face as he looked ahead, trying to memorize every facial feature.
Kyle had rented a maroon Ford Escort. Although not really his style, he was happy to get something decent at the last minute and without a reservation. In the car he explained how he’d arrived this morning and as part of his master plan got to Katie’s house about an hour ago. Anne had filled him in on the details as they were relayed to her from Katie. Lucy felt a pang of guilt when Kyle told her that Rick was out looking for her as well.
“Hey,” Lucy said, interrupting his detailed account. “Where are we going?”
“Well, I guess that’s up to you. I could take you back to your sister’s if you want.”
“What do you mean? What other choice do I have?”
“I got a room just a few miles away. If you need more time, Lucy, we can go there.” Kyle looked down at her with a concentrated stare, his eyebrows raised.
Lucy looked down at her ankle and tried to make a few rotations with it. The slip-on loafers she was wearing felt tighter, and her ankle appeared to be puffier. A terrifying thought sliced into her brain. “Oh God,” she whispered to herself.
“What?”
“There can’t be anything wrong with my ankle.”
“It’s probably just a sprain.”
“No, you don’t understand!” Lucy’s voice strained, and her eyes looked frantic. “There can’t be anything wrong with it. They won’t do the surgery if they see this.”
Kyle put his hand on Lucy’s knee. He wanted to calm her, but he knew that he shouldn’t make idle promises. “Let’s go back to my room and take a look. Maybe it just needs some ice. We’ll figure this all out, together.”
CHAPTER 43
Kyle placed Lucy gently on the bed and stacked the pillows up behind her back. The room was dark except for a light on between the two beds which barely shone beneath the thick golden lampshade.
“First we have to get your ankle elevated. I need to find something to prop it up with.” Kyle disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a stack of towels. Lucy was impressed with Kyle and watched in awe as he took charge and took care of her. Slowly he lifted her foot, pushed the towel stack underneath, and then lowered it back down. “How’s that?”
“Okay I guess.” Her face squinted. “How do you know about all this stuff?”
“My brother Alex,” he said, slipping the shoe off her foot. “He was the athlete in the family. But he was always getting hurt. One day it was a sprained ankle or broken foot, next it was a dislocated shoulder. Ooh, this is a little swollen.”
“Is that really bad?”
“Maybe not. Let me run down the hall to the ice machine. You may want to take that time to call your sister, let her know you’re okay.” His voice and expression made it sound like a question, but Lucy took it more like an order. He was right, though. She shouldn’t let everyone worry, especially now that she knew Rick had gone out looking for her. So before he even got out the door, Lucy was on her cell placing the call. After several rings, it was Katie who answered the phone. Lucy got right to the point. No small talk or even questions about whether or not Linda was still there. She simply apologized for taking off, let her know she was at the hotel with Kyle, and assured her that she would be there first thing in the morning. There was no way she was going to mention her ankle. No matter what, Lucy was going through with the surgery. She’d fake it if she had to.
Next she took the time to text Anne. She was starting to feel bad that Anne had to ride out all this drama. But reliable, faithful Anne responded as Lucy had expected, with sympathy and understanding. She wondered why Anne stuck with her and how she was lucky enough to get a friend like that. When she thought about it, she actually had some great people in her life. That thought made her feel both gratified and saddened. How many times would they come back after she pushed them away?
Kyle opened the door just as she was setting her phone down. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, thanks to you.”
His smile said it all. Whether he was there because he truly wanted to be with her, or just out of some sense of male chivalry, either way he looked pleased with himself. Lucy knew he deserved it and was not about to take a shot at him. Kyle took the plastic liner from the ice bucket and filled it with ice. Then he sat down at the end of the bed, and when he draped it over her ankle, she grimaced and whined, “Shit, that’s cold.”
“Sorry, but it’s really necessary.”
“I know. Thank you for taking care of me.”
“It’s my pleasure.” His smile diminished when he noticed Lucy’s eyes were morose and somewhat glazed. He scooted closer to her so that their faces were just inches apart. “Hey, don’t be upset. It’s going to work out.”
“I’m sorry you came all this way for me.” She looked down, away from the power his gaze held over her.
He stroked her hair, her cheek, and then he leaned in and whispered, “I’m not.” Softly he swept his lips across hers. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here.” He paused for a moment, peering deep into her eyes. There was so much heat between them she sensed her ice might start melting. On impulse, Lucy grabbed ahold of his collar and pulled him into her for a long, hard kiss. She needed to show him what she always had trouble telling him, even though it was something Kyle had known all along. She felt his hand slip behind her back, drawing her body into his. Neither wanted to pull away, to give up the intensity they were experiencing, but eventually Kyle did. He wasn’t going to risk everything by rushing things and not thinking it through. It would be so easy to just give in.
For a moment they both stared at each other, wondering what to say next. Under normal circumstances this would have been an ideal situation. Alone in a cozy hotel room. Together on the bed under low lighting. Add to that the obvious physical attraction between the two coupled with dramatic circumstances. You couldn’t make a better recipe for romance. Unfortunately, they both knew a bad ankle and an impending surgery was standing between them. I can wait if you can, his face seemed to tell her.
Little did he know that it was killing Lucy to do just that. It had been so long for her, mainly because she never let herself get close enough to anyone. She wondered if her own image of the perfect man had sabotaged her struggling love life. Since she’d lacked a male father figure for a good part of her life, her ideal was based more on fantasy than reality. But now, for the first time, fantasy and reality had melded together in the form of the perfect man: Kyle. If only she could hang on long enough to create something lasting, something stable.
Taking their minds off one sensitive topic, Kyle bounced to another—the surgery. He asked Lucy if she was ready, mentally that is, to go through with it.
“I’m not afraid to do it, if that’s what you’re asking,” she replied. “I’m more afraid of what would happen if I didn’t.”
“How has your sister been since you’ve been with her?”
“I can see her illness taking its toll. Growing up, we both got kind of used to push away any kind of pain. I know she’s doing that now. Katie is very strong.”
“She gets it from her sister.”
They both exchanged a smile and some more small talk. Then after about an hour, Kyle took the ice off and asked Lucy if she could move her ankle. She complied, turning it around in a few circles. But when Kyle did the same and pressed it backward with the palm of his hand, she flinched and pulled her leg back.
“How bad did that hurt?”
“Just a little really. I think it scared me more than anything.” She straightened her leg. “Try it again.” Lucy gave him a trusting l
ook and braced herself on the bed. Gently he picked up her foot and nudged it back just slightly, watching for her reaction. With eyes locked on each other, Kyle continued to move the ankle in different positions until he finally set it back down on the bed.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not broken. My guess is that it’s just a slight sprain.”
“But do you think I can get by tomorrow? I mean, obviously I won’t be doing much walking, but someone will see me when I first walk in.”
“I guess that depends on how well you can fake it. Why don’t we get you up and see how you walk?”
Kyle helped Lucy to her feet and stood waiting for a cue. Lucy was still for a moment with most of her weight balanced on her good foot. Slowly she bobbed back and forth putting more and more pressure on the injured ankle.
“How do you feel?” Kyle asked, wondering if she was being a trooper or if Lucy was willing herself not to feel pain.
“I…think…it’s not too bad.” After a few more sways, she took hold of Kyle’s arm and slowly walked in a semicircle around him.
“But how’s the pain?”
“It’s a little sore. I’m sure there’s nothing broken.”
“Seems like the swelling has gone down some as well.”
“I can pull this off. I have to.”
“You know I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Just then Lucy’s text alert went off on her phone. Any correspondence in the eleventh hour was bound to make her jumpy. She flopped down on the bed and scooped up her cell. Kyle caught a smile forming on Lucy’s face when she read the text from Benny.
Are you okay?
Don’t worry, I’m fine, she quickly typed.
I tried to call you to wish you luck for the surgery. Then I tried Anne and she told me what happened. You know I worry about my girl Lucita.
In Search of Lucy: A Novel Page 22