by Alison Stone
Mary Clare sniffed. “I know, Mom. But I want you to trust me that I’ll figure this out on my own.” And she would. Without anyone to tell her what she had to do. Not her mom. Not Chip. The notion was liberating.
“I have a little money. I could help you get an apartment since we have to move out of the house.” Her mother straightened. Deep lines settled in around her lips.
Mary Clare hesitated for a fraction before covering her mom’s hands with hers. “I’ll be fine.”
Her mother lifted her watery gaze. “I know you will. I just like to…help.”
Mary Clare giggled. “I know. And you know what else? It’s your time to do your thing after all the years of worrying about me and Bill. You have to live your dream. Move to Florida with Aunt Carol. You can’t change your plans for me.”
Her mother fidgeted. “It just doesn’t seem right. My entire family will be back together in Mills Crossing and I’m moving away.” Her mother revealed a vulnerable side Mary Clare had rarely seen. “I have to be out of the house by the end of September. Will that be enough time for you and Henry to find another place to live?”
“Mother, I just got the job offer today. Even so, there are apartments in Mills Crossing. I’ll make it work.”
Her mother laughed. “This from my daughter who wanted nothing to do with Mills Crossing.” Her mother sat ramrod straight. “Wait a minute. This change of plans has nothing to do with Jesse Thorpe, does it?”
“No it doesn’t.” Mary Clare couldn’t help but bristle. Apparently, her feelings on that front didn’t make a difference. Jesse had already moved back to California with only occasional visits to Mills Crossing. She couldn’t have a part-time man in her life. It wasn’t fair to anyone.
“Good. I don’t think he’s the right man for you. You need to experience life on your own. You can’t run from one man to the next.”
“Mother,” Mary Clare said, “remember what we just talked about?”
“You can’t say I’m wrong. He’s trouble. He still drives that horrible truck from high school. He’d weigh you down like an anchor.”
“Jesse’s a good guy. Let’s leave it at that.” She tamped down the unreasonable anger bubbling up. Jesse had been one of the kindest, gentlest souls she had ever met.
Mom’s just trying to protect you.
Mary Clare understood that.
“He’s the kind of man who’ll break your heart.” Her mother squeezed her hand. “You don’t need that. You need to grow strong again. Prove to yourself and Henry how independent you are.”
Mary Clare wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Great advice, Mom.” Too bad her mother hadn’t warned her before she had given her heart to Jesse Thorpe.
Chapter 15
“Mom, can we ride bikes around the block?” Henry ran to the back deck where Mary Clare and Amanda were shucking the corn for tonight’s dinner. Little Billy played in an inflatable pool on the deck. He squealed every time his beach ball hit the water and sent a spray of water over his mom and aunt.
“Once around, then come back and let me know you’re back.”
Amanda waved her hand. “They’ll be fine. Go around a few times then come back here and play with Billy. Maybe he can splash you and his brother instead of me.” She wiped the water from her leg and gave her youngest son an exaggerated look of annoyance. “Can you believe next year at this time, I’ll have another kid to keep track of?”
Henry didn’t wait for his mom to change her mind, turning on his little sneakers and bolting out front. She tracked his movements around to the side of the deck, a nervous knot forming in her stomach. Letting go was taking some getting used to. She grabbed another piece of corn and peeled back the husk. “Did you tell my brother about the”—she lowered her voice and mouthed the word—“baby?”
Amanda waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh yeah. He’s thrilled. He’d have an entire baseball team if I agreed to it.”
“You guys are great parents.”
“The key is to go with the flow.”
Mary Clare laughed. “I try, but I’m not made the same way as you.” Amanda opened her mouth, probably to protest, but Mary Clare didn’t feel like having the same discussion. “Hey, I have news.”
Her sister-in-law froze mid-husk. “Yeah?”
“I got the job teaching at Blessed Trinity.”
A slow smile—an are you kidding me smile—spread across her friend’s face. She tossed down her partially husked corn. “Are you serious? You’re going to stay in Mills Crossing?” She tipped her head back and laughed. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”
“No.” Mary Clare shushed her. “Don’t say anything. I haven’t told Henry yet. Technically, I haven’t heard about the salary and benefits, but I’m sure it’ll work out. And, of course, Chip’s not thrilled about the idea. Part of the divorce agreement states neither of us can move out of the area. Mills Crossing’s not that far, right? What, Buffalo’s an hour, an hour and ten minute drive at most. But technically, it is out of the area.”
The brightness in Amanda’s eyes dimmed. She was never a fan of Chip’s. “You don’t think he’d resist.”
“He’s just being a jerk.” Heat crept up Mary Clare’s neck as she remembered the tense exchange on the phone earlier that afternoon. Chip would do anything to punish her for leaving him. But she wasn’t going to let him control her. Not anymore. “He’ll fight me. Out of principle.” She glanced around to make sure Henry hadn’t come back. “But Chip hardly paid attention to his son when we all lived in the same house. He’s not going to inconvenience his life by screwing with mine.” She was going to stay in Mills Crossing and fight him no matter the backlash. This move was best for Henry. That’s all that mattered.
Amanda pulled a thin strand of corn silk from the cob. “Have you told Jesse?”
Mary Clare grabbed another piece of corn and yanked on the husk. She clutched the corn with two hands and snapped the husk off the cob. “No, I mean, we just hung out a couple of times.” There was no reason to tell him of her decision to stay in Mills Crossing.
“I think you should tell him. Maybe that will change things.” Amanda held up her hand and deflected the beach ball back into Billy’s little pool.
“We were just having fun. That’s all.” She knew her friend would see her for the fraud she was. “Besides, he’s going through a tough time with his dad. His job requires a lot of travel. He’s based on the West Coast.”
Amanda tossed the cob of corn into the pot of water sitting on the table. “That’s a shame.” Her friend twisted her lips. “Maybe Bill could mention your plans to Jesse?”
“No way,” Mary Clare said emphatically. “I’m not having my brother play matchmaker. Besides, I’m not going to have a relationship with a man who’s not going to be around. Been there. Done that.”
“So, you’d be interested if he were around?” Amanda asked with a wry twist of her mouth.
“Stop. Don’t even joke. I need to get my life on track without worrying about someone else for a change.”
A high-pitched shriek sounded from the front yard. A blanket of terror squeezed all the breath from Mary Clare’s lungs. She bolted from the deck and had to stutter-step around Billy on her way to the deck gate. She struggled with the latch, finally got it open, then slammed it shut behind her.
Out front, she found Zach leaning over Henry who was lying on the grass holding his elbow, his eyes, mouth, and nose scrunched in agony.
As Mary Clare crouched down next to him, a numbing sense of calm focused her attention. “What happened?”
Henry opened his eyes and let out a wail. “I fell off my bike. Tried to jump the curb.”
Mary Clare took his arm and tried to straighten it. He groaned in protest.
“Don’t, Mom. It hurts.”
Her stomach hollowed out. “Come on.” She helped him to his feet and glanced down the street. Her car was at home. “Let’s get Aunt Amanda’s car keys. I nee
d to take you to the emergency room.”
Amanda ran out front with Billy on her hip. She had wrapped him in a beach towel. “Is he okay?”
“I need to take him to the emergency room.” Mary Clare lowered her voice. “I think he may have broken his arm.” She glanced over at Henry clutching his elbow, leaning on Amanda’s car. Adrenaline pulsed through her. “Can I borrow your car?”
“I’ll go with you,” Amanda offered. “You can hold Henry in the back.”
Mary Clare held Billy while Amanda ran back into the house to grab the car keys. Zach sat in the middle of the lawn with his head bowed, shoulders sagging. Her sister-in-law returned and they all climbed into the car.
Mary Clare buckled Henry into the back seat. He winced. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
Her heart melted. He hadn’t called her Mommy in years.
Mary Clare pushed Henry’s sweaty hair from his forehead. She planted a kiss on the crown of his head. “We’ll talk about that later, okay buddy? I love you. Everything will be okay.”
“Daddy’s going to be mad.”
Renewed anger bubbled inside her. She hated that this was one of his worries. “I’ll deal with Daddy.”
Mary Clare sat in the emergency room while Henry hugged his splint to his chest. Amanda had dropped them off at the door and then drove home. They had decided having a wiggling, fussy toddler running around the ER would do nothing for anyone.
“You’ll need to make an appointment with one of these doctors to get a cast, but I don’t foresee any complications.” The ER doctor handed her a sheet of paper with a list of names on it. “The bones are lined up. It’s just a matter of keeping them that way until they fuse back together.” The physician smiled tightly and Mary Clare wondered if he thought he had a charming bedside manner. “Please wait here until the nurse comes back with your discharge papers.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
The doctor tipped his head and strode out of the room, his white coat billowing out behind him.
“You were a trouper,” Mary Clare said to Henry.
He frowned. “Did you call Dad?”
Ah, Chip. “I should probably do that, huh?” She pulled her cell phone from her purse and smiled warmly at her son. She pressed the little phone icon under Chip’s contact information. After a few rings, it clicked over to voicemail. She left a message that Henry had broken his arm, but he was okay, and that they’d call when they got home. She hung up and tossed the phone into her purse, partially relieved he hadn’t answered. She had done her duty in notifying him, but she didn’t have the added displeasure of talking to him. “All done.”
Henry’s mouth tugged down in a frown. “Wait till he shows up at Grandma’s and drags me back home.”
“Stop being melodramatic,” Mary Clare said while a knot twisted in her stomach. “You did absolutely nothing wrong. Kids break bones all the time.”
“Reassuring,” he mumbled, wiggling the fingers that poked out at the bottom of his splint.
“Make sure you keep that still.”
“Or you’ll have a big lump under the skin like I do.” They both shifted toward the door to find Jesse standing there.
“Hey, Jesse.” Henry’s entire face lit up.
“What are you doing here?” Mary Clare rose to her feet.
“Heard my stunt man took a hard landing.” Jesse cut a gaze toward her son, then back toward her. “Your sister-in-law took a chance and called me. I happened to be home. She felt bad she couldn’t keep you company while Henry got patched up.”
Mary Clare didn’t know whether to hug Amanda or give her a slug. It pained her to see Jesse and know what could never be.
“Tell me, buddy. What happened?” Jesse asked.
“I was practicing my motocross moves on your old bicycle so that I’d be a pro by the time I got my own.” Henry smiled brightly at Jesse. “You should have seen me. I almost made it. But then my tire hit the crease between the sidewalk and the lawn. Totally wrecked.”
“How’s my bike?” Jesse asked, a twinkle in his eye.
“Oh man, I don’t know. I was a little freaked out when I saw my arm bend where it’s not supposed to bend.” Henry held his arm closer to him, seeming a little braver now that he was out of pain.
Mary Clare’s heart squeezed at the easy way Henry talked to Jesse.
“I’m just kidding.” Jesse ruffled her son’s hair. “I’m not worried about the bike. I’m happy to see you’re okay. Did you have your helmet on?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Arms can be fixed. Noggins not so much.”
Mary Clare watched the interaction between them and wished her son could always have such a positive male influence. She appreciated Jesse cared for him, but how would Henry react when the summer quieted down and he fully realized Jesse wasn’t going to be part of their lives?
The nurse, dressed in pink scrubs, popped into the room with a stack of papers in her hands. “Henry’s all set. You can sign here and take him home.”
Mary Clare stood, running her hand down her ponytail. “Of course.” After signing the papers, she turned toward her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ready to go?” She helped him up and Jesse stood close on the other side.
Henry looked up with a concerned gaze. “Aunt Amanda said we were having hot dogs for dinner. Can we still go over there?”
Mary Clare glanced at the clock on the wall. “Why not? I’m sure your cousin will be happy to see you. To know you’re in one piece.”
“Can Jesse come?” Henry asked, throwing her off guard.
Trained to never be rude, Mary Clare found herself saying automatically, “Of course.”
A look she couldn’t quite read flickered across Jesse’s face. “Oh, I don’t know.” He sighed heavily.
“Please,” Henry said. “I want to show you where I made my epic jump.” He hugged his arm to his chest and lowered his voice. “Almost epic.”
“If you have to get home, we understand.” Someone had to be with Mr. Thorpe at all times.
“Lynne’s with my dad. He’s fine for now. So, if it’s okay with your mom, I’d love to see the ramp situation. Maybe I can give you pointers for next time.”
“Gee, thanks.” Mary Clare rolled her eyes and Jesse smiled at her. Her heart melted a little bit.
“Always like to be of service.” A spark lit in his eyes. “Besides, you need a ride home, right?”
Henry slipped his hand into Jesse’s and headed toward the automatic glass doors of the ER.
When they arrived at her brother’s house after a quick stop at the pharmacy in the grocery store, Mary Clare’s heart stopped when she noticed Chip’s high-end luxury car parked in her brother’s driveway. She glanced over at Jesse, then to Henry in the back seat. For the first time since she found him sprawled on the front lawn holding his arm, a look—not pain, but genuine fear—swept across his face.
Sympathy, misery, fury all tangled into a knot in her stomach.
She cleared her throat. “Your father’s here.”
Henry nodded woodenly. “I don’t know why you had to call him.”
Jesse reached for the door handle and Mary Clare whispered, “Hold up a minute.”
She reached into the back seat and gently shook Henry’s knee. “He loves you and he needs to know if something is going on with you. Just like I’d need to know, if you were with him.”
Henry’s lower lip quivered. “He’s going to be mad.”
“He’ll be happy you’re okay,” Mary Clare said. Her gaze drifted to the front of her sister-in-law’s house. Chip appeared in the doorway with a sour expression on his face. She shifted in her seat. “Jesse, can you stay in the car for a second while I resolve this? It’ll only take a minute.”
“I can go home, if that’s easier,” he said.
“No, please don’t. Henry will be disappointed. Just…please…” Without waiting for an answer, Mary Clare climbed out and intercepted Chip as he strode across the lawn in his penn
y loafers, light purple golf shirt and plaid pants. She held up her hand to stop his forward momentum. “Hello, Chip.”
“I want to see my son.” His lips twitched. “And who’s that?”
“Never mind about that.” She flicked a glance back at the truck, her pulse roaring in her ears. She had to bite back the urge to rage at him. “Chip, Henry broke his arm. He’s fine.” She had to push on his chest to keep him from advancing on her. “He’s afraid you’re going to be mad.”
His brow furrowed. Anger flashed in his eyes. He gestured at the bike on the ground. “Of course I’m mad. He could have killed himself on that piece of crap bike.”
“It’s not a crap bike.”
Mary Clare spun around to find Henry standing outside the truck, big fat tears rolling down his freckled cheeks.
Chapter 16
Jesse sat behind the wheel of his truck, watching the animated expressions of Mary Clare’s ex. He was obviously angry and that made him a weasel after the afternoon his son had endured. Jesse wanted to jump out and give Chip a throat punch, but realized that wouldn’t exactly be productive or a good example for Henry.
Was it even Jesse’s place to intervene?
Jesse reached behind the seat and grabbed the few groceries they had picked up on the way home at the same time they filled Henry’s prescription. Jesse pushed open the door and heard Henry yell, “It’s not a crap bike.”
Henry bent down and tried to right the bike Jesse had given him, but he couldn’t quite do it with one hand.
Jesse set the groceries on the edge of the lawn and helped a one-armed Henry with the bike.
“My dad called your bike crap. It’s not crap.”
Jesse struggled to contain his smile. Man, he loved this kid’s loyalty. He patted the seat of his bike. “Well, it is a little old and funny looking, but I suppose you’re right. It’s not crap.” He lowered his voice. “Are you supposed to say crap?”
It was Henry’s turn to smile. “No.” Henry looked out of the corner of his eye. “My mom will probably give me a pass because of my arm.”