by Claire Adams
“It was your brother’s favorite. I had the cook make it before she left, and I’m reheating.” She walked over to the sink and washed her hands before she took out a big bowl of salad which she tossed with her hands as if she’d made it herself. That’s the way she’d always done it, and I cringed every time. I heard Bre’s car and then walked into the other room to greet her.
“Dinner smells amazing, Mr. P. How are you doing?” Bre gave Dad a hug and then hurried to put down her purse.
“That’s new.” I walked over and admired the bag as she gave me a quick hug. Her hair was almost as long as mine, but instead of jet-black, hers was more of a purple-toned red and wavy. Bre had always been a bit edgier and had often tried to get me to put color in my hair. Jet black was as brave as I could get, and with my tanned complexion, it worked.
“I hit the biggest sale down at the mall. I tried to call you, but you never picked up. I assumed you were on shift.”
“I miss everything.” I poked out my bottom lip and then Mom came in to hurry us up.
“Dinner is ready, and I’ve made a salad.” She turned to walk away, and Bre glanced my way, mimicking my mother’s hand tossing of the salad. I nodded, and she made a face. She knew Mom well. The woman hadn’t made a meal much less a salad in her life.
“Can’t wait.” Bre threw her arm around me, and we walked to the dining room where my parents were already seated.
We chatted a little, mostly Bre and I, while we ate and then finally I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to know what was going on and what the big surprise was.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on? What’s this big news?” I smiled Dad’s way and hoped I could tell simply by the look on his face. He was much easier to read than my mother, but then he gave me a weary look.
“You tell her, honey.” He took a drink and wiped his mouth. When I turned to my mother, she had tears in her eyes.
“We’ve decided it’s time to go forth with the lawsuit. We filed the papers today.” She took a long pull from her drink, and I was certain it was laced with something stiff.
Bre sat back in her seat and dropped her fork, and my stomach turned. I had hoped that my parents could move along and be satisfied with the insurance settlement, but they’d gone back and forth for months contemplating for the right time and if they should.
“What’s changed? Why now?” I reached for some sort of understanding.
My mother swirled her glass, clinking the ice in it. “Well, after paying the house off, there simply wasn’t much left for your father and me to retire on, not to mention we’d like to secure your future.”
“So this is about money.” I knew my parents had blown through the life insurance money, but this was ridiculous. “Don’t you think you have enough?”
“There was new evidence found by our investigators. It puts Mr. Walker in the pilot’s seat at the time of the crash. He wasn’t a licensed pilot,” Dad explained. “It’s perfectly within our rights, Lexa.”
“No, I don’t have enough because I’ll never see my son again. You’re brother meant the world to me, Lexa, and because of some rich prick wanting to show off in the cockpit, I’ve got to live without him!” Mom threw back her drink and downed it.
I couldn’t argue with her. I understood the pain of losing Shawn, but no amount of a settlement would make it right and the man she wanted to punish died along with my brother. There was nothing to gain, and both families had suffered enough.
I’d heard that the Walkers’ son, Aiden, Allison’s brother, was the only surviving family member. I couldn’t imagine him losing his entire family. It didn’t seem right to sue someone who’d already lost so much. There was nothing left to gain, and I couldn’t help but feel that my brother wouldn’t want things this way, either. He’d loved Allison and wouldn’t want this.
I only wished I could tell my parents, but I knew they wouldn’t understand. They hadn’t cared much about my opinions since the funerals when I’d wanted to go to Allison’s. I ended up skipping it out of respect for them, but I’d since felt so lonely in the world because neither of them had been there to support me in my grief.
Thank goodness that I had Bre. She sat next to me wringing her hands in her lap, and I knew she was biting her tongue just as hard.
Chapter Three
Aiden
For the first time in days, I woke up in my own bed instead of on the sofa; even better than that, I had managed to make it under a blanket. I pushed the covers off of me and sat up noticing the beer bottles that had collected on my bedside table. Mattie hadn’t made her way into my private room, and for that I was thankful. She wasn’t going to be happy with me when she saw how much laundry had piled up.
Over the past year, I had discovered that I only needed so many shirts and pants, socks and underwear for this type of existence, and my effort to keep them clean had been the only chore I’d kept consistently. I wasn’t a total slob, even if I lived like one for the most part.
Sure my house was a mess, but that’s because one night I’d had a party and never cleaned up, so the mess had only been around for a good solid six months. The party had been a fluke, and I didn’t know any of the people that showed up. I’d woken up naked with three women in my bed, and that’s about all I remembered. Once they all left, I’d thrown out the food they had lying around, showered, and got on my bike to go to the bar.
And since other than showering daily and keeping my clothes and linens washed, I didn’t do anything else. Every meal was bought, and though I’d kept a pretty healthy diet, I’d stopped going to the gym.
I stripped off my clothes, walked naked to the bathroom, and turned on the water. While it got hot, I stood at the sink and brushed my teeth, wondering how long I was going to let my beard get.
My cell phone rang, and I walked back to my room to see that it was Layne Connor, my dad’s business partner at the law office. I ignored the call because I’d heard enough of his trying to get me on board at the firm. I didn’t care if my name was already on the letterhead, door, and the sign out front: I wasn’t much of a defender. I’d spent my time in law school hoping to be a prosecuting attorney, and since my parents’ death, I’d lost interest in it as much as I’d lost interest in seeing my face in the mirror.
I brought the phone with me into the steamy bathroom and left it on the counter as I stepped under the spray.
After washing up, I stepped out to find that Layne had called again, but I wasn’t in the mood. I hadn’t had enough alcohol in me to deal with his shit, so I wrapped a towel around me and went to my closet. I grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of jeans and got ready to go downstairs where my beer waited.
In the fridge, I found the pot of chicken soup, which had always been my favorite growing up. No one made it like Mattie, but I found myself not wanting to eat anything. Another glance had me cursing. She’s thrown out my beer and left fresh vegetables and some of my favorite power bars in its place. Everything else was gone.
I closed the door and took the keys out of my pocket, but remembered my bike was at the bar. I’d have to take my old truck, which was my other standby. It wasn’t my favorite vehicle to drive, but at least I’d get my bike back safe and sound.
I headed out to the bar, and before I got there, Layne had called again. I knew if I didn’t answer him soon, he’d come looking for me, especially since he’d never called so much in a day before. I decided to let him wait a while longer and went into the bar and took my favorite stool.
“There’s the man. How’s it going?” Smitty, the old man who sat on the opposite end of the bar from me and spent more stool time there than I could handle, always had a greeting for me if nothing else.
“Hey there, Smitty.”
“Starting a bit early today, aren’t you?” Glen came out from the back with a confused look on his face. “Your bike is in the back. I figured you’d be around later, but damn.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I can handle what’s com
ing without a beer and apparently my maid threw out my beer.” I clapped my palm against the bar and Glen went over to pour me one.
He placed it down in front of me and then went to tend to Smitty’s request. “So, what’s coming?” Glen took Smitty’s glass and poured him another.
“I’m not sure. It’s Dad’s partner, Layne. He keeps calling me.” I took out my phone and glanced at it. I had a few missed calls from random women and then about ten from Layne throughout the morning.
Glen tossed his rag over his shoulder and stepped up in front of me. “Why haven’t you answered your phone? It seems important.”
“The last time I answered my phone when it was important, it was the police telling me that my entire family had died. I doubt it can be more important than that.”
“What else have you got to do all day?” He wiped the bar and cut me an accusing glance.
“Ouch, that’s harsh, friend. I do plenty. I’m even thinking of going back to the gym.” Smitty laughed at something on the TV over the bar and Glen turned it up.
He walked back around to me as a few more patrons arrived. “You mean you stopped?” He regarded my build and shook his head.
“Yeah, I haven’t been in some time now. I guess I miss it.” I missed plenty.
“I think you should do something other than sit on that stool and pound beers. Not that I don’t want your money, but I’m working overtime with that bike of yours hanging around. You showing up here early is a bad sign, one I’ve seen before.”
“Well, to show you I don’t have as big of a problem as you think, I’ll leave after this one, and after I get my bike loaded, I think I will head over to the gym. My membership is still good, and I think there’s a woman or two missing me.” I glanced at my phone again, certain that one of my missed calls was a woman I’d met at the gym. If I wasn’t right, then that would be an awkward reunion.
“I’ll keep your seat open for you.” He winked and tended to the other customers.
I turned up the last of my beer and then pushed the glass forward on the bar. I walked to the back and found my bike waiting safe and sound. Good ol’ Glen. I couldn’t blame him for being bothered; he’d taken care of moving my bike to the back so many times that I should be paying him for the extra service. I pulled the ramp down on my truck bed, and Glen came out to help.
“You know, you could just start parking back here, then I wouldn’t have to move her.” He helped me heave the thing up into the truck, and I thought how I needed a trailer.
“I’ll try to remember that. I wouldn’t want to stop drinking and put you and Scott Uber out of business.”
“Scott Uber, clever.” He folded his arms as I moved the ramp back into place and secured my straps. “You know, friend to friend, I really think you need to take that call. I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“So do I, but I don’t feel like dealing with it. I’m going to go get lost for a few hours, and I’ll be back around later.”
“I don’t understand you, man. I’ve been to your place, I’ve seen what you have; do you even give a damn anymore?”
“It’s just a house, might as well be like any other.”
“It’s not like any other, and you’re not some average Joe. You’re a wealthy man who’s slumming it eight days a week. Not that I hate your company, but you’ve got responsibilities.”
“Have you been talking to a woman named Mattie?” I chuckled, but Glen wasn’t laughing.
“You’re bound to have gone to college; why aren’t you working? You’ve got a huge estate that’s going to shit. I’ve seen that place in its glory, and it’s going down fast. I don’t want to be the guy that tells you how to live your life-”
“Then don’t.” I kept a smile only to let him know I wasn’t angry, but I wished he’d mind his own business. I had a lot of responsibility, and it had all been dumped on me at once along with the fact that I didn’t have my parents and my sister.
“I’m just trying to understand. Most people would kill for what you do have left.”
Glen had earned a deeper look into my life, so I leaned against the truck to stay grounded while I explained. “I wasn’t exactly raised mowing lawns, cleaning house, and cooking, and I can’t stand having an entire staff around giving me pity. So, shortly after the accident, I let the staff go, paid off the ones who deserved retirement, and have been dealing with things alone. I haven’t answered those calls because I’m afraid he’s either got more bad news, which I don’t want to deal with, or he’s trying to get me to come to work for the firm.”
“So you really are a lawyer?” His eyes widened, and he gave me a sideward glance as if tilting his head would put everything into perspective.
“Yes, but that’s the last thing my father and I disagreed on. He wanted me to come into the firm as defense, but I preferred prosecution. He didn’t get my argument, and so I was going to go into practice on my own, away from his firm. You can imagine how well that went over.” I remembered how angry my father had been. He’d never understood why I didn’t want to fall right into what he had made for me.
“Well, now is your chance to do your own thing. The only person holding you back is you. I’ll serve you beers any time you want, but this will always be here. You should really think about straightening up a bit and dealing with what you’ve been left with. It doesn’t have to be so bad.”
I knew he was right, but as the phone vibrated in my pocket, I decided to leave it and Glen where they were. “I’ll see you later, man. Keep that stool open.”
I got into the truck and drove out to the house to return the bike. As I passed by the place to get to the long drive, I got a good look at the grass and other overgrowth. A storm had knocked down one of the oaks, uprooting the mound of earth beneath it, but I hadn’t done anything about it.
Maybe it was time to do something more. I could hire a few people to help out. Get the home back in shape over the next month or so and then keep them around for general upkeep, but part of me felt guilty that I didn’t want the same staff as before.
Maybe a fresh start is what I needed, but I knew it wasn’t happening anytime soon. I had already made up my mind to go down to the gym and see how much it had changed. That was much easier than dealing with how much I had.
Chapter Four
Lexa
I walked into the back and stripped off my gloves. I couldn’t believe I’d not only knocked over one cart, but two. There was nothing more embarrassing than being asked to leave the room by the doctor, and I waited for him to come out any minute to tell me I needed to go home. I leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths as tears stung my eyes. I needed to calm down. Crying would only make it worse and embarrass me more.
Moments later, the doors opened and Dr. Robert Benson, who we all affectionately referred to as Dr. Rob, came out and stood in front of me.
“Is everything okay?” He seemed genuinely concerned, with a puzzled look on his face. “This is not like you, Lexa. You’re usually my rock in there, always in focus.”
“I know. I’m having an off day, I guess.” It was the worst thing someone in my line of work could admit. We had to stay sharp and on our toes.
“Want to talk about it? I’m a pretty good listener.” He leaned against the wall next to me, and when I looked up into his deep brown eyes, I saw the most sincere concern there.
Something about him put me at ease, and I was reminded of my brother. He had the same way about him. “I don’t know if you’ve heard about the plane crash last year that killed the Walker family and their guest; it was all over the news at the time.”
He scratched his chin. “I do remember something about that. That wasn’t your family, was it?”
“My brother was on the flight with his girlfriend’s family. There were no survivors, and well, now my parents have decided to sue the family’s estate. I don’t feel right about it at all, and to be honest, it’s stirring up some feelings I thought I’d dealt with months ago.”
<
br /> “Grief hits us all differently and at different times. Sometimes, just when you think you’re moving on is when it gets to you the worst. You know, I lost a brother, too, so I know what it’s like. You have that person with you for your entire life, and then one day, they are just gone. No one is ever prepared for that.”
“Imagine losing your entire family all at once.” I took a deep breath. In all my grief, I couldn’t help but wonder about the man on the other side of things. Dr. Rob’s brow twitched upward as if waiting for an explanation.
“The Walkers had a son they left behind. I’ve never met him, but every time I start to feel bad, I can’t help but think that his grief is so much more than mine. He lost everyone. And now, my parents are going to add salt to his wounds by suing him.”
“Well, you’re in the right business with that level of empathy. Some aren’t as understanding as you when it comes to things of that nature. They think there’s a way to make things even as if that will end their pain. But it won’t. Money is no substitute for love.”
“I’m sorry I made a mess in there. I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m usually not such a klutz.” I palmed my face and peeked up at him through my fingers.
A warm-hearted chuckle erupted from his chest as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “I hated to ask you to leave, but the only thing left to knock over was the patient.” He gave me a nudge.
“No, don’t worry about it, really. Things like that happen. We’re all human. But if you need to talk to someone, I’m here. Maybe, if you’re ever feeling up to it, I could take you out to dinner, and we can learn a bit more about each other. I’ll tell you about my brother. He was a nice guy; you’d have liked him.”
My face warmed, and I was sure it was stained with blush. I wiped my teary eyes and took a deep breath. He’d lost someone, too, so he knew what I was going through. “Sure, I’d like that.”
I couldn’t believe he’d asked me out, and even though I wasn’t sure I was interested, there was no way I’d say no. Every nurse in the hospital was itching for his attention, and he had a good reputation for being a gentleman. The fact that he was tall, dark, and handsome didn’t hurt, either.