“We’re here to see Lucy Conlay,” Joe spoke softly to the young blonde nurse when she smiled up at him.
“Visiting hours is for family only,” she announced and continued to smile up at him. “Are you family?” she asked and Joe didn’t miss the salacious gleam in her eyes. Realizing the pretty little thing was asking if he was Lucy’s boyfriend or husband, a cocky grin spread across his face and he leaned one arm on the waist high partition between them.
“I’m an old friend of the family,” he explained and then nodded down at the superhero clad boy. “This is Ms. Conlay’s son, Jacob.”
The nurse, Samantha, her nametag read, stood and peered over the counter to inspect Jacob. The little boy tucked his chin and stepped closer to Joe, partially hiding himself behind the man’s large leg.
“Are those flowers for your mommy?” Samantha asked and flashed a genuine smile at the child. “I bet she’ll love them,” she praised and turned back to Joe. “Ms. Conlay is in room 507, just down the hall on the right.” She pointed them in the direction.
“Thanks,” Joe drawled and pushed off the counter after shooting a wink at her.
“My shift is over in ten minutes,” she called and Joe tossed her a flirty smile over his shoulder.
A major part of Joe wanted to dump Jacob off with Lucy for a few hours and take the hot little nurse for a ride in his rental car. Tall, curvy and busty, she had all the assets he appreciated in a woman. Glancing down at his watch, he realized he had enough time for a quickie.
“C’mon buddy,” he murmured to Jacob. They turned toward the door marked 507 and Joe reached down to push the handle. The large door slid open on a whoosh and he inhaled sharply when he saw Lucy’s frail form snuggled beneath a thin blanket atop the hospital bed. A multitude of tubes ran from her body to the machines sitting around the bed. Although her eyes were closed, she smiled and raised a hand riddled with IV tubes.
“There’s my baby boy,” she murmured. “I’ve missed you so much,” she added and tried to sit up. But no matter how much she struggled or wiggled, she didn’t have enough strength to move her body even a fraction of an inch.
It was in that moment that Joe truly realized just how bad Lucy’s health was. If she wasn’t strong enough to survive chemo or radiation, then she wasn’t strong enough to survive at all. He glanced down at the little boy he’d grown fond of and smiled when Jacob ran to his mother’s bedside, his arms outstretched and offering her the flower arrangement.
“Look what we got Mommy.” He shoved them toward her and she scrambled to catch the vase before both flowers and water spilled on the bed.
“My favorite,” Lucy exclaimed and brought them to her nose. “They’re beautiful, thank you,” she beamed at her son and then turned an appreciative glance on Joe.
“I dressed myself, Mommy,” Jacob added, prompting her attention back to him and moved back to show off his attire. Lucy giggled when she took in the superman garb.
“I see that,” she responded. “You look like you’re ready to save the world.”
When the child started rambling about everything they’d done the past few days, Joe stepped back toward the door and raised a hand to draw Lucy’s attention.
“I’m gonna step out for a few,” he murmured. “Let you two catch up, I’ll be back,” he added and hastily escaped when Jacob shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his mom.
He slumped back against the closed door and inhaled sharply. He didn’t understand the feelings running rampant in his gut. Never one to get caught up on just one woman, Lucy was taking up entirely too much of his attention for his liking. It was time he sought some different company.
Shoving off the wall, he sauntered back down the hall, approaching the blonde at the nurse’s station. She looked up and then grinned.
“How ‘bout we go somewhere quieter?” Joe drawled and grinned at her in return.
Chapter 7
Lucy frowned when Joe hastily retreated. It wasn’t like she’d expected him to fawn all over her or anything, but she would’ve liked an update on what he and Jacob’s were up to these past couple of days. But from the look of her son’s choice of attire and his high spirits, she knew it couldn’t have been all that bad.
“Come,” she invited and patted the bed, “tell all about your time with Uncle Joe.”
She scooted over, although it wasn’t really necessary and Jacob scrambled on to the bed next to her.
“Why do you have all these things stuck to you?” he asked curiously as his wide eyes studied her.
“Well, this helps me to get better,” she said and smiled weakly.
Her heart ached for her little boy and was it not for him; she would have had no fight left. The shock after learning she had breast cancer was devastating, her life literally flashed past her eyes and the thought of Jacob growing up without her was her worst nightmare.
“When will you come home?” he asked and snuggled against her shoulder.
“Soon, very soon, now tell me, have you been having fun with Uncle Joe?”
“Yes!” Jacob exclaimed, we eat Pizza, and we watch TV. Uncle Joe said he’s going to teach me baseball too…”
Jacob rambled on about all they had been up to and Lucy sighed contentedly. She was truly thankful that the two of them got on so well, now it was just a matter of the secret that weighed so heavily on her heart. Sooner or later she was going to have to tell Joe that Jacob is his, and she had no idea how he might react to that.
As Jacob told her about his fun times at home with Joe, she glanced out past the louver blinds that hung over the window that separated her from the nurse’s station. Jacob was talking to one of the nurses and she appeared completely mesmerized by him, hanging on every word he said as if he was a god. He hadn’t changed much, always the charmer having every eligible girl run after him like a lost puppy looking for a home.
When Joe looked her way she quickly averted her eyes. Even after all these years, there was still a flutter of wings left in her stomach. The years had taught her to live with disappointments in life, and one of them was the day Joe drove out of town, she spent days crying in her room and finally when she made peace with the fact that she would never see him again, she managed to pick up the pieces of her scattered life. By the time she realized she was pregnant she had already made up her mind to just deal with her situation. She never once considered calling him or claiming any alimony from him.
“Can I go play?” Jacob asked drawing her out of her reverie.
“Well it’s a hospital, there isn’t much room to play here, but maybe uncle Joe can take you back home now, then you can come visit me again tomorrow.”
Jacob clambered off the bed and ran out to where Joe was standing and tugged on his pants. She watched how he grinned at her little man and picked him up, tossing him over his shoulders like a sack of maize before returning to the room.
“We’ll come around again tomorrow, looks like this little superhero has superhero things to do,” Joe said and grinned and set Jacob down on his feet.
“Joe…” she started, and then closed her eyes. Now was not the time, she hesitated and in instead said “thank you.”
He reached out and placed his hand over hers, “I told you, friends help each other, now you don’t worry your pretty little face, and just get better.”
She smiled weakly at him and then sank back into the pillow. Everything from a smile to a hug was effort for her, and her energy had drained almost completely. As soon as Jacob and Joe left, she fell asleep.
Chapter 8
Seeing Lucy so frail and pale really threw Joe off, and when they left, although he sounded cheerful for Jacob’s sake, he was worried. He was only seventeen when his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but by the time they had diagnosed him, the cancer had spread too far. He had undergone radiation and chemotherapy but at most all they could do was keep him comfortable. Within three months of Joe Senior’s diagnosis, he passed away. It was a devastating time f
or the entire family, and most of all, his mother. Thankfully his dad had all his financial affairs in order to make sure that they never suffered financially, but money could never replace his dad. A few years later the evil disease took his mother’s life too. When she was first diagnosed he thought he was ready for the worst, he had already lived through the pain and heartache of losing his father. But it was never easier; his mother went for various treatments, treatments that weakened her completely. Doctors were all hopeful, but when she picked up a viral infection due to her compromised immune system, she never stood a chance. In the end it was a pneumonia that cost her, her life.
He stopped at a traffic light and looked back in the rearview mirror; Jacob sat playing with one of his superhero action figures. He was so young, and had no idea what was really going on. He knew that Lucy hadn’t told him just how sick she was. His heart ached for the little champion who was so oblivious to the harsh reality, but it was not his place to tell him the god honest truth. He could only hope that Lucy could get some borrowed time to spend some quality time with her son, and help him understand what waited for him in the near future.
By the time they got home, Jacob had fallen asleep in his booster seat and Joe carefully lifted the small person into his arms and carried him into the apartment. Suddenly the quaint, disorganized space with its bright and beautifully décor suffocated him. Did Lucy even have a plan for the future, what would happen to Jacob if she didn’t manage to beat this disease?
He carefully laid Jacob down on his bed and headed to the kitchen to grab something to drink. It was time he called Chris to find out exactly what he knew and what Lucy’s plans were if she were to… Joe could hardly bring himself to think about it, the thought of Lucy dying was like a noose around his own neck, and out of anger he beat his fists down on the counter top. She was not allowed to die, and he wasn’t going to let her die. She had a beautiful son to raise, a son who needed his mother. No stranger would be able to fill the shoes of any child’s parents. He was fortunate enough, when he had lost his parents that he was already standing on his own two feet, but others haven’t been as fortunate. Shoved into foster care, moved from one home to another, or being foisted off with family who already had their own children was stressful. He knew Chris wouldn’t think twice to take Jacob in, in fact, he expected Christ to stand up and do what he must. But he didn’t know Chris’ wife as well as he hoped to. On the outside she was the perfect woman, but that’s where it stopped. He had seen women turn into monsters the moment they had to take care of another person’s child. His thoughts were running ahead of him, but he couldn’t help it, there were just so many questions that wracked his mind for him to idly sit back and not do anything. He fished for his phone and dialed Chris.
“Hey man,” he said when he heard Chris on the other end.
“Joe, my man! Howsit going?”
“It’s going okay,” he said clearing his throat, “Lucy’s looking better, Jacob and I went to visit her earlier.”
“Yeah, I spoke to the doctor earlier this morning, thank you for helping her out, I swear if I was able to I would have…”
“Nah, it’s cool, I’m glad that I came, she has a great kid,” he said interrupting Chris. There was a slight pause on the other end.
“She hasn’t told you has she?” Chris asked and Joe could hear the waiver in his tone.
“Tell me what?” he asked frowning.
“Nothing…”
“For fucksakes Chris, tell me what?” he said impatiently.
“It's better she talks to you,” Chris said, “Look I have to go, but take care of her okay? As soon as I can get away here, I’ll fly up and come see you guys.”
“Wait…”
And then the phone went dead. Chris slammed his phone down on the counter and cursed, was her cancer worse than he expected? Had it already spread to the rest of her? Joe ground his teeth and took a few controlling breaths. Why could Chris not tell him? At least then he would know what his future held. His future? How could think of his own happiness when there was a little boy sleeping alone in his room, oblivious to the fact that his mother was possibly dying. Guilt over the fact that he was still such a selfish prick as always twisted its vice around his insides and for the first time since his rise to fame, Joe felt like a villain instead of the superhero ball player that everyone made him out to be. Suddenly his life seemed completely insignificant. It was a barren wasteland filled with trivial parties and empty headed women who threw themselves at him the moment he entered a room. When did his honor and integrity leave him and turn him into a selfish arrogant bastard who cared for no one but himself?
“Uncle Joe?”
Jacob’s little voice intruded his thoughts and he composed himself instantly, “Hey big guy, I thought you were sleeping,” he said and picked him up.
“There’s a monster under my bed,” the little boy said with a slight tremble in his voice.
“A monster, well, I’ll be damned, do you know what I do to monsters that creep around at night?” he said as he caged Jacob between his arms where he placed him on the counter top.
“W-what do you do?”
“Why, I show them who’s the boss,” Joe said, “wait here.”
Joe headed into Jacob’s room and dug around in his toy box for toy guns and a few other things, and when he got back to the kitchen the two of them dressed up as soldiers.
“Right, so we’re going to go in there, and teach’em monsters a thing or two,” he said and Jacob’s eyes brightened up.
“I’m gonna shoot’em dead!” Jacob cried out excitedly.
“Here,” Joe said and slipped his baseball glove unto Jacob’s little hand, “This is a monster shield, the moment one of those buggers come your way, you hold it up like this.”
The two of them tiptoed down the small corridor, Joe in front and Jacob behind him, every now and again Jacob peeked past him. Joe pointed towards the door with two fingers, and Jacob scrambled past him to stand on the other side of the door. With his eyes on Jacob he reached for the door handle, nodded once, and then shoved the door open and barged in.
Jacob followed with a tuck and roll and banging sounds erupted from the two of them as they opened fire into the room, shooting at the monsters that lurked under the bed.
“Closet Jacob, open the closet!” Joe shouted as he stood ready to aim.
Jacob opened the closet and raised his gloved hand to block any of the monsters, while Joe shot at the invisible enemy. The two of them laughed and ransacked the room, finding all the monsters that hid in the dark and when Jacob was finally satisfied that all the monsters were annihilated; he stood proudly next to Joe. Joe chuckled and looked down at the youngster. If he ever had kids of his own, he hoped that they would be just like Jacob, he thought to himself.
Much later, Joe woke up next to Jacob, his neck stiff and the little boy curled up against him. Not wanting to wake him up, he reached for a small blanket lying on the floor and propped it under his head and closed his eyes. Sleep evaded him, but he didn’t feel like leaving the room; instead he stayed with Jacob.
Chapter 9
Jacob arrived at the daycare only to have a very sad little boy hop into the passenger seat next to him.
“What’s up buddy?” he asked and turned Jacob.
“Nothing,” he said as he folded his arms.
“Sure ain’t nothing, why don’t you tell me?” he prompted again.
Jacob dug into his backpack and held out a note, it was a note about the daycare’s annual Father and Son Camping Evening, and he could only surmise that Jacob was sad because he didn’t have a dad to hang out with him. He could only figure that Chris may have been the only father figure he ever had, but whether or not he ever did things like this with Jacob was a mystery to him.
“So this Father Son thing, you wanna go?”
“I can’t,” he said with a pouty lip.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t have a daddy.”
Joe’s heart went out to the little boy and as he read the note it was quite clear that only dads were allowed, and he wasn’t Jacob’s dad or legal guardian. It irritated him that the school would be so callous and uncaring.
“Come along,” he said and got out of the car then rounded it and picked Jacob out. Without a second thought he marched straight to the small office. Mothers and teachers alike stared at him as if he was a piece of candy, and he smirked inwardly. If ever his fame was going to count for something, today would be it.
“I’d like to talk to the principle please,” he said as he entered the foyer.
“How can I help?” the elderly lady asked.
“So, this is how I see it, Jacob here would like to attend the father and son evening, and I’ll be standing in for his dad,” he started.
“Mr...”
“Landers, Joe Landers.”
“Mr Landers, unfortunately only…”
“I don’t think you’re following me,” he looked down at Jacob, “why don’t you go wait on the bench and I’ll handle this,” then turned back, “So this is how it will be working. I’m currently the only father Jacob has, his mother is unfortunately in hospital and his legal guardian is away, so I will be attending the father and son evening with Jacob.”
“Well Mr. Landers, I’m sure that Jacob would love to attend, but the rules…”
Joe’s patience was running thin, it was time he pulled a trump card out, “Listen, it’s obvious that you have no idea who I am, but that’s fine, you can figure it out later. Now I see the playground is in much need of some serious maintenance, and I’m more than happy to fund a renovation if you let me attend the event with my… Jacob.”
The woman peered at him over the brim of her glasses, and if looks could kill he would be six feet under right now, but he wasn’t going to let some stuck up lady prevent Jacob from having a great time, he was just about to continue when another woman exited the office.
Cowboy's Barmaid: A Small Town Military Romance (Lucky Flats Ranchers Book 2) Page 48