by Lisa Lace
She squeezes my hand. “You, too. Stop crying! You’ll set me off. I’ve only just gotten the waterworks under control after seeing the kids.”
Laura licks her dry lips, clears her throat. “How have they been?”
“They take after their mom—little fighters. Jack has been worried, but I don’t think he really understands all the ins and outs of what’s going on. He’s been a bit quiet this last week. And Megan, well, she’s struggled. She’s been worried sick. We all have.”
She creases her brow, her expression twisted with guilt. “The roads were icy. I lost control on a curve.”
“You remember?”
“Yes. Not much after that, though. The next thing I know, I wake up here, strapped into this damn thing.”
I make a face. “It looks uncomfortable.”
“I’ll say. It’s like some medieval torture device. I’m never going to take looking sideways for granted again.” Even now, she’s got her sense of humor. I admire Laura’s determination more than I can describe. I’ve always admired her grit and tenacity. Super Mom.
“How have the staff been treating you?”
“Like some sort of queen.” She smiles knowingly. “How much is Tom paying them?”
“God knows. I know he wants the best for you.”
Laura looks humbled. For the first time, I see her own eyes welling. “I don’t know what I’d have done without him. Usually, I tell him where he can stick his money, but not this time. I don’t think my insurance would have covered half of all this.” She flicks her eyes toward me. “And he’s still here. He hasn’t taken off.”
I don’t tell her that he almost did. “He’s trying.”
Laura sniffs and smiles. “Good. Damn, though. It’s true what they say, isn’t it?”
“What’s that?”
“Be careful what you wish for. I desperately wanted him to spend time with the kids. How has he been with them?”
I nod. “Better than I expected. It’s a big learning curve for him. He’s been in Megan’s firing line a couple of times, but like you say—he’s still here.”
“Megan told me he’s completely clueless.” Laura laughs again. “I told her to go easy on him. Hopefully, now that she knows I’m not going anywhere, she’ll be a bit less hostile.”
“She’s been dealing with some big emotions.”
“I know. This after what happened to Mike. I want to get home as soon as possible and be there for them. I can’t imagine how scared they’ve been. Have you spent much time with them?”
“As much as I can. I haven’t wanted to step on Tom’s toes.”
“You mean it’s been awkward because of the whole sexting and dating thing?”
I laugh. “Haven’t lost a shred of your intuition, I see.”
“It looks like I’m going to be in here a while.”
“Until the New Year, at least.”
Laura lets out a long breath, flicking her eyes up to me again. “That’s a long time to leave them with Tom.”
“He won’t let them come to harm.”
“It’s more the stability and emotional support I’m worried about. Tom isn’t a sentimental person. If they’re struggling, he won’t understand.”
“I can check in more often if you want.”
Laura pauses, bites her lip. I can tell there’s something on her mind.
I squeeze her hand. “What is it?”
“It’s, well, I was wondering if you’d consider being more of a presence until I’m home.”
“A presence?”
“Move in.”
“With Tom?”
Laura raises her eyebrows. “With the kids.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m worried about Megan. It sounds like she’s spending an awful lot of time at Justin’s, and she’s at an impressionable age. I know that she’s staying away from the house because she doesn’t want to deal with Tom, but I don’t want her to be at Justin’s every night.”
“Maybe Tom needs to be a little firmer with her.”
Laura laughs. “With Megan? That’s a recipe for disaster. She’s a real little rebel these days. If she thinks Tom’s trying to take my place, she won’t like it. But I know she’ll listen to you. She knows you, and she knows how close we are. If something’s coming from you, she’ll trust that it’s coming from me too.”
“Megan’s more than welcome to move in with me until you come home. You know my door’s always open to you and your kids.”
“That’s really kind, Laura, but your place is sort of far from her school, don’t you think? Plus, you don’t have a spare room. I really want her to have some stability; to be somewhere familiar.”
“So, you want me to be in the house with her?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask. I wouldn’t even think of it if I wasn’t so worried about Megan and if I didn’t trust you as much as I do. You were there when Mike passed. You’ve always been there. You’re family to those kids. I know you being there for them would make a huge difference.”
“You know I’d do anything for you, Laura. But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Tom and me.”
“I know you two had a couple of awful dates. So there must be all kinds of bad blood, but you’d make a good team.”
It’s my turn to look guilty. “Actually, the date we had the night before you left for the trip went well. Extremely well.”
Laura’s eyes widen. “That’s right. Tom didn’t come home that night. He stayed with you.”
“Awful timing, I know. We hit it off, and we’ve tried to keep things cool between us since, to put the kids first. I don’t know if living together would be pushing things too far.”
“Megan already knows that you two had a sort of thing. It doesn’t have to be weird.”
“She resents our ‘sort of thing.’ She thinks Tom is only hanging around for me. I wanted to keep my distance to keep that kind of thinking out of her head.”
Laura thinks, then presses on. “I know it’s not ideal, but I don’t want the kids to be on their own with him for weeks. Megan really needs someone watching out for her right now, or she might go off the rails. She was already starting to drink and spend too much time with Justin. Tom’s too irresponsible. He’ll turn a blind eye. Even if he called her out on it, you know Megan—she wouldn’t listen. She needs you. She respects you.”
I let out a long, pained breath, and make a face. “Are you sure this is what you want, Laura? Is it what you think is best?”
“I really do. Please, try it. Just for a week and see what you think. Please, Zoe. If I know you’re with them, then I can rest easy in this damn Rube Goldberg machine.”
“I’ll talk with Tom, see what he thinks.”
Laura smiles. “Thanks, Zoe. I knew I could count on you.”
After a couple of hours keeping Laura company, I say goodbye, kissing her on the forehead and promising I’ll be back soon.
I take the bus home, and the first thing I do when I get inside is pick up my phone and call Tom.
When he answers, he sounds flustered. “Hello?”
“It’s Zoe.”
“Oh.”
“Everything okay?”
“Justin just came by to pick up Megan.”
“What! It’s after ten at night.”
“I know. There was nothing I could do except block the door. I’ve called Tess, and she’s told me not to worry. She says she’ll make sure Megan stays in the guest room.”
“Why didn’t you tell her she couldn’t go?”
“I did! She doesn’t listen to me.”
Laura’s words echo in my head. She predicted that Megan would start to break the rules with only Tom watching over her.
I want to be angry, but I can hear the frustration in his voice. I bet it’s been a damned long time since anybody ignored Thomas Vermont. “It’s good that you called Justin’s mother. That was a responsible move.”
There’s a pause. Then I hear Tom laugh, the tension slippi
ng for a moment. “Why do I feel like I’m a schoolkid all of a sudden? Good job, Tom, that was responsible. I have been known to behave like an adult, you know.”
When Tom says it, I realize how condescending I sound, and I laugh too. “I’m sorry. I was trying to make you feel better. You sounded frustrated.”
“I am frustrated. Megan won’t listen to reason, and she rolls her eyes every time I tell her something she can’t do and does it anyway. I’m not going to physically hold her back or block her way. I don’t want her to feel like a prisoner or to scare her. After all, as everyone keeps telling me, I’m a strange man in the house.”
“Actually, that’s why I was calling.”
“Why?”
“I went to see Laura this evening. She’s asked me for a favor.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She thinks I should move in with you guys for a while, to help keep an eye on the kids.”
“To lay down the law when Megan completely ignores me?”
“Megan’s a tough kid to get through to. Don’t blame yourself; she can be a challenge. Laura thinks that maybe she’ll listen to me because she knows me better.”
“Does Laura know about us?”
“She remembers you not coming home the night before the accident.”
“Oh.”
“Mm-hmm. I told her that things were complicated between us right now.”
“To be honest with you, Zoe: I’m completely out of my depth. I’m with Laura. You should move in.”
I expected at least some resistance from Tom, so I’m surprised. I don’t know if he’s so keen for me to move in because he’s struggling with the kids, or because he’s missing me.
“Are you sure?” I ask him. “We’d have to keep our distance from each other. We don’t want to make the kids uncomfortable.”
“I can control myself. As long as you keep that little black robe in your closet.”
“I’ll bring my ugliest pajamas.”
Tom laughs. “I think it’s a great idea. Help me, please.”
“Okay. I’ll come by after work tomorrow.”
I finish the call and hang up. My stomach is filled with nervous butterflies. I feel excited to know I’m going to be near Tom again, but I also feel wary. It’s going to be hard to resist him. If I catch the scent of that cologne on his skin, I’ll lose it.
I wonder if a tiny bit of Laura is still trying to push us into each other’s arms. I smile. I’m onto you, Laura.
Tom
Zoe arrives with a cross-stitched floral bag that looks like a thrift-store find.
“Nice bag.”
“Thanks. It was my granny’s. She used to bring it with her every time she visited. There were always at least three packs of cookies inside.” She holds it up to me. “It still smells like shortbread.”
I smile at the anecdote. She’s right; it smells like shortbread.
Zoe narrows her eyes, but she’s grinning. “You hate it, don’t you?”
“No! I think it’s cute.”
“You’re such a bad liar. Sorry, it’s not Louis Vuitton.”
Even when I don’t say anything, I come across as an arrogant prick. You’ve really got to figure out how to stop doing that, Tom.
“Let me take that for you.” I hold out my hand for the bag. “I’ve changed the sheets on Laura’s bed for you. I thought it would be best if you slept upstairs, near the kids.”
“Where are you going to sleep?”
“Sofa.”
She smiles at me. I can see the appreciation in her eyes. She hands me her bag, then follows me upstairs.
I’ve tried to make the room nice for her. The clean patchwork bedding smells like fabric softener, and I brought up the house plant from Laura’s kitchen to put on the bedside table.
Zoe smiles and points it out. “Is this the one from the kitchen windowsill?”
“You know this house too well. I was trying to make the room homier for you. I thought a flower might do the trick.”
“Thank you. That’s really sweet.”
“You hate it, don’t you? I know I killed the flowers, but it’s still kind of green.”
Zoe bursts out laughing. “It’s the thought that counts. Didn’t you water it?”
“Three times a day.”
She covers her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. “I love it.”
I take a step closer to her. The smile falls from her face, replaced with a look that is a mixture of longing and resistance. Her lips part slightly, and she bows her head.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I say.
She glances up. “Me, too.”
I step closer still. Zoe takes in a sharp breath but doesn’t step back. She’s frozen, torn between her desire to run and her desire to fall into my arms.
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into a close hug; but nothing more. Her body relaxes against me. I can feel a week’s tension falling away. She lets her head rest against my chest.
“You’re better at this than you know,” she tells me.
“What’s that?”
“Stepping up.” She looks up at me and smiles. “All this time you’ve tried to stay away, but I think you’re pretty good at holding everyone together.”
I laugh. “I’m not so sure about that. You’re one thing. The kids and Laura are another.”
“I couldn’t have done this alone.”
“Don’t be stupid. Of course, you could have, and if I hadn’t have been here, that’s exactly what would have happened.”
I step back from Zoe, letting out a long breath. I run a hand through my hair. Guilt punches me in the gut again. A lot of guilt has been catching up with me since I returned to Maine.
I sit on the edge of the bed and pat the mattress beside me, inviting Zoe to sit with me.
“This week has been tough,” I tell her. “It makes me realize how strong Laura is. It’s one thing keeping a company together, but a family’s another thing.”
“You’ve always been a lone wolf, haven’t you?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Not by choice. I’m not good with relationships. Other people always seem to be able to read signs, tap into emotions, and know what to say to each other. I never got a copy of that instruction manual.”
Zoe smiles at me fondly and nudges me. “There’s no manual, Tom.”
I lie back on the bed, my arms above my head, and stare at Laura’s cracked ceiling. “In business, it’s easy. You don’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. If a job is beyond you, you delegate. You can’t delegate family drama.”
She falls back beside me, fiddling with the neckline of her sweater. She looks calmer than I’ve seen her since I’ve been in town; almost content. There’s a smile playing on her face.
“I miss the family drama. My parents took off traveling when I was twenty-one. I hardly see them now. I’d love to have a weekend listening to them bicker and then flirt, for my mom to demand when I’m going to have kids, for my father to tell me that I’m not running my business properly. All that criticism is annoying as hell at the time, but I kind of miss having people who care enough to criticize.”
“You think it’s a sign of caring?”
“Sure! That’s what families do. They drive each other nuts.”
“Aunt Zoe?”
We both sit up. Megan is standing in the doorway, looking at us both lying on the bed. Her face twists into an expression of disapproval. She raises her eyebrows and folds her arms across her chest.
“I didn’t know you were here already.”
“I just got here.” Megan steps in and leans against the wall, casting her gaze around the room. “You’re staying in Mom’s room?”
“Is that okay?”
She shrugs. “I guess.”
Zoe stands and crosses the room to Megan. She pulls her toward her and kisses her forehead. Megan’s attitude slips a little, and her lips twist into a reluctant smile.
“Did Mom send you here?”
“She sure did. She said that your Uncle Tom was a terrible cook with awful taste in movies. She begged me to come save you.”
Megan laughs, but bites down on her smile, like she doesn’t want us to catch on to the fact that she’s glad Zoe’s here. She nods. “I’m old enough to take care of myself, you know.”
“I know. But who’s going to take care of your Uncle Tom?”
Her eyebrows lift again. “Is that what you’re doing?”
Zoe chuckles and gives Megan a playful shove, pulling her back into a one-armed hug. “Enough of that, young lady. You’ll have to wait until your next visit with your mom to have a good gossip. In this house, we’re not going to say a word about what you may or may not know about your Uncle Tom and me.”
Megan grins, and I’m left astounded by Zoe’s ability to get her on her side so easily.
“Tell me, Meg, what do you want for dinner tonight?”
“I’m going to Justin’s.”
“You know, I haven’t seen Justin in a while. Tell him to come here. We’ll order a pizza; then you two can disappear upstairs and have your privacy for a couple of hours. We’ll even stay off the Netflix so you can watch whatever you want. How does that sound?”
Megan seems unsure. She hesitates.
Zoe strokes back Megan’s hair behind her ear in a motherly fashion. “Please, Meg. I promised your mom I’d keep an eye on you. How can I do that if you’re all the way over at Justin’s? Besides, you told me that Justin’s house smells like spaghetti and cats.”
“It does.”
“It’s decided, then. Justin will come here tonight. Agreed?”
Reluctantly, Megan gives in. “Fine. I’ll call him.”
“Thank you, sweetie. Why don’t you call the pizza place while you’re at it? Whatever’s your favorite.”
Megan disappears downstairs to make her calls, and Zoe looks at me triumphantly, trying to hide her victorious smirk. She sits back down beside me, holding in that smile.
I shake my head. “How did you manage that?”
“Years of practice.”
“I told her to order her favorite pizza the other day, and she told me I was trying to bribe her.”
Zoe rests her hand on my knee and offers me a sympathetic smile. “Give it time. Megan’s still getting to know you.”