“Are you sayin’ no?” Sean snarled.
“James is too little to go away on a trip.”
“I’m takin’ him for a week, and if you want to argue about it, we can get a judge involved.”
“There’s no reason for that,” William said, stepping between him and Annie. “And the diner isn’t the place to discuss this.”
Sean turned to William. “Are you telling me my business?”
“I can’t talk about this now, Sean. I’ve got customers.” Annie grabbed a pot of coffee and scooted around the both of them. “Just go.”
“I know what’s going on here,” Sean warned. “You can’t fool me.”
“Nothing is going on, Sean. Please go.”
“Big mistake, swabbie,” he said to William before stealing out of the diner. Annie hurried to the Old Timers’ table, coffeepot in hand, but she shook so badly while trying to pour, some of the liquid splashed on the table and splattered onto Danny’s lap.
“Oh, Danny, I’m so sorry,” she cried, hot tears stinging the backs of her eyelids.
“Give me that, honey,” Danny told her calmly, taking the coffeepot from her hand. “Easy goes it.”
She found Earl’s face plastered with concern. The sight of his droopy gray eyes pitying her were more than she could bear. She had to flee faster than her legs could possibly take her or risk spiraling into a blubbering mess in front of everyone. Rushing out the back door and across the parking lot, the cars, the trees, the sky blurred into smears of color. Why couldn’t she run quicker? Why couldn’t she sprout wings and transcend this place? She was nearly to Veterans’ Park, a block and a half away, when she noted she’d been followed.
Ducking behind a slide, freshly moistened with morning dew, she waited for William to catch up with her. She heard his pace slow once he hit the wood chips, the crunch beneath his feet crisper as he drew closer. When she sensed he’d stopped behind her, she spun and slung her arms around his neck. There was no doubt it was him coming for her, no possibility she could be wrong. He lifted her up, her feet almost leaving the ground as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed as though at any moment he might be torn from her embrace. He seemed to anticipate it and held her tightly as her body sank against his.
“Take me away from here,” she whispered. “I can’t breathe anymore.” He stroked her head, pressing his lips to her temple. She didn’t care if her eyes and face swelled, and he saw her at her worst. She needed something from him just then that could make her forget everything else. Her heart was calling to him to protect her, even if it was only for that one moment. She needed to draw from his courage until the disappointment wasn’t so massive anymore. Until she could pick up her life and manage it again like she did every day. “If Sean gets a new job, he’ll try to take James with him. He’s plotting something. And I can’t, William. I can’t let him.”
“It’s all right,” he soothed, cradling her head in the crook of his shoulder. “Shh, love. It’ll be all right.”
Annie released a hearty sigh as she squeezed him close and wished all he promised was true.
* * *
ANNIE STOOD AT Marjorie’s screen door, a silent observer to her friend and children fixing dinner and chattering as though no one else were listening. When she cleared her throat, Betsy flew to unlatch the lock and sped straight into her arms. Annie groaned as she tried to support her daughter’s weight.
“Pick me up, Mama!”
“I’m not sure I can anymore,” Annie said, laughing and then smooching Betsy on both cheeks, swinging her around.
“We’re making you dinner,” she declared, leading Annie by the hand to the stove. “James is snapping the beans, and I’m making the cornbread.”
Annie planted a kiss on James’s temple and hesitated a moment to savor his dewy brow, which smelled of all things boy—her boy.
Marjorie patted her hands dry on her apron. “You’ve quite the helpers, Annie. These two little ’uns have been fixin’ us a feast. I hope you’re hungry.”
“I don’t have an appetite, but I’d still like to try it.”
“What’s wrong, Mama?” Betsy asked. Marjorie raised an eyebrow, but Annie waved away her concern.
“Go ahead and pour the batter in the pan, Betsy. Then you two get washed up for dinner.”
Annie sank her hands into the sink of dirty dishwater and began washing to keep herself from breaking down in front of the children. Once they had scampered into the next room, she could sense Marjorie hovering behind her.
“Sean is keeping up with his promise to take James on a trip.”
“This is all my fault.”
“No,” Annie replied, spinning around to face her friend. “He would have pushed for a trip no matter what. He suspects there’s something going on between William and me, and it’s making him more agitated than usual.”
“Is that possible?”
“You know it is.”
“What is going on between you and William?”
Annie struggled to find the words because she didn’t know the answer. She had fallen in love with him again, but what did it mean in the day to day? He had told her he was leaving town, so there couldn’t be any type of future for the two of them. As far as she was concerned, he was using her to relive the good ol’ days. To reminiscence about their times together while getting a little love and attention along the way.
She shook her head and plunged her hands back into the water. “Nothing. He’s going soon so that’s the end of it.”
“Why not go with him? Anywhere else would be better for you and the children.”
“And risk Sean ending our informal agreement that I have sole custody? Never.”
“Maybe you could change William’s mind, then. He can build a life here.” Marjorie fell in line beside Annie, snagging a towel to dry.
“Impossible.”
“Goodness... Why?”
“He can’t wait to leave. He was ready to go as soon as he arrived.”
“But he’s still in town?”
“Yes.”
“What’s keeping him here?”
“His mother.”
Marjorie nodded, knowingly. “And?” she prompted.
Annie let her mind wander to William’s smile. Had he begun to fall back in love with her again? She’d once thought they were soul mates. Ha. The thought now seemed like a naive fantasy. She’d believed in soul mates and fairy tales a long time ago, but she’d also grown up a long time ago and much faster than she’d wanted to. It was silly to place all of her hope in William. Not when he could distract her from bigger problems on the horizon. No matter how much she wanted to wish that he loved her, too.
Annie’s heart leaped in excitement when she heard the rumble of a motorcycle pulling into her driveway. But as she peered through the kitchen sheers, her heart sank. Sean.
“Children, stay here with Marjorie,” she said as they raced to the screen door.
“Do I have to go with Dad?” James asked, his voice raised an octave higher than usual.
“Not tonight. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Annie marched across the yard to meet Sean as he shut off the engine. She stopped in front of him, eyeing the motorcycle before raising her eyes to his smug face.
“What is this, Sean?”
The corners of his mouth turned up in a mischievous curl. “Like it?”
“Not really.”
“This is the newest edition Harley-Davidson Street Glide, baby. Want to go for a ride?”
Annie crossed her arms over her chest. “Your newest edition must have cost a fortune.”
“Not for me.”
“You bought your BMW only a couple of months ago.”
Sean scoffed at her comment, his chin protruding as punctuation. “Counting my money for me, eh?”
“No, but it does make me wonder.”
“I’m being wooed.”
“Wooed?”
“You shoulda stuck with me, baby. You could have been a California girl.”
“I don’t understand. Are you job hunting?”
“Send the kid out.” Sean reached for the ignition. Annie took a breath to calm her nerves and widened her stance.
“James isn’t going anywhere on that thing, Sean, not that it makes a difference tonight. He’s staying home.” Sean dropped his hand from the key and relaxed back on his seat. He eyed her for long enough that Annie felt goose bumps prickle her skin. “And what you said at the diner about going on a trip—”
“You don’t want to do this.” His eyes still fixated on her.
“Do what?”
“Make me cross.”
Annie had never known a time when Sean hadn’t been cross with her, with the children or with life in general. If life up until this point had been Sean on a good day, she knew things were heading south quickly.
“Why do you want to take him? Don’t you want to go on vacation alone?”
“Who says I’ll be alone?”
Annie bit her tongue to prevent a nasty quip. “He wants to stay here all summer with Betsy.”
“He does, does he? And what about you and the company you’ve been keeping lately?”
“Excuse me?”
Sean paused and then licked his bottom lip. “I suppose I could forget about the trip for now...seeing as our custody arrangement needs to be reviewed anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sean shook his head and tsked. “You need to pay better attention to the company you keep, baby.”
“Is this about William?” Annie scowled. “We’re not married anymore, Sean. You can’t punish me because you’re jealous.”
“Jealous?” Sean replied. “How can I be jealous of an ex-convict who tried to bash my brains in at The Grove the other night?” Annie couldn’t school her reaction. It must have played out on her face. “That’s right. I think a judge will be interested to learn that. Maybe James would be in better hands with me.”
“How can you say that? I’m his mother.”
“It’s not up to what I say. It’s about what a judge thinks. Do you smell that?” Sean craned his neck, angling his nose in the air. “Winds of change, baby.”
As he fired up the engine and thundered back down the street, Annie swayed with the breeze, unable to feel her legs beneath her. How could she be standing upright when the world had begun to swirl around her. She squeezed her eyes to shut out the dizziness and prayed when she opened them again, everything would be as it should.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MANILA FOLDER IN HAND, William helped Joyce to his truck before climbing into the driver’s seat. This was what satisfaction felt like, he thought, and slid the folder onto the dashboard.
“This is all moving so quickly,” Joyce said enthusiastically while tightening her seat belt. “Do you think we could move in there before the end of summer?”
“Possibly.” William nodded, firing up his truck. Moving the diner to a new location could actually be in the cards for the struggling business. He pulled out onto the road, contemplating the fact that as soon as one aspect of his life started to run smoothly, another one began to tank. He had been certain of the signals Annie was sending, but then...
He brought his attention back to Joyce, who continued their conversation from the passenger side. “I still think you should have worn a suit, but it didn’t seem to matter none.”
“I wore a tie.”
Joyce rolled her eyes. “Well, times have changed since I last applied for a loan. But luckily I have you to help me navigate. What was the part he said about inspection?”
“The bank has their own inspection guidelines we need to meet. It’s so they can protect their investment.”
“And their investment is us!” Joyce bubbled. “I must admit I thought you were overreaching when you first pitched the idea of moving Pop’s Place, but, sweetie, you’ve pleasantly surprised me.”
William glanced at his mother. “Overreaching? I thought you were eager to move.”
“Well, truthfully, no. I was willing to do whatever you wanted, though. I still am.”
William readjusted in his seat. “What exactly do you mean?”
She patted his arm in several quick flutters. “New ownership usually translates to new ideas, is all.”
William hadn’t wanted to have this talk today, but his mother’s giddiness was forcing his hand.
“I can’t do this with you,” he told her, bracing himself for her bitter disappointment.
“Do what, dear?”
“Run Pop’s Place.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I can’t stay here.”
“Here?”
“Chinoodin.”
“But, William, it’s your home.”
“No,” William interjected, giving a brisk shake of his head. “It isn’t.”
Joyce’s brow tightened in a streak of lines. “Is this about Dennis?”
William groaned. “No, Mom. This doesn’t have anything to do with him.”
“Because if his ghost is keeping you from staying here and building a life—”
“I can’t stay for my own reasons. I have to move on soon.”
“But the new property... I don’t understand...” Her voice cracked as her fingers slipped into her handbag and emerged with a tissue.
“Since I’ve been away, a lot of things have become a lot clearer to me. If Pop’s Place continues the way it’s going, you’ll wither away and...” He caught himself, readjusting his hand on the steering wheel before saying any more. He knew how high the stakes were for his mother if Pop’s Place failed, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter the word. It was too much responsibility to yoke on his shoulders. It wasn’t fair. He’d do the best he could to get her on the right track, to get Pop’s Place on the right track, within his limited time frame. “I can help you get back on your feet before I leave, but I do have to leave.”
“How nice of you.” He strained to decipher any trace of sarcasm in her voice but found her sweetly sincere. It only made his heart twist with guilt. He waited for her to mention the cancer, to tearfully drop it into the conversation as a reason to hold him here. She could sob about how she was sick. She could tell him she had been fighting for her life. She could twist the knife and remind him that if Pop’s Place disappeared, she wouldn’t be able to afford her treatments. Cancer, bankruptcy, desperation. She had all the cards to lay on the table and force him to stay, and she could play them all.
But she remained quiet.
They rode silently for a few minutes until he pulled up to Pop’s Place and threw the truck in Park.
“Mom...”
“When?” she whispered, dotting her eyes with her tissue and swallowing the lingering emotion before returning to work.
William shook his head. “I don’t know. Soon.”
“It’s too bad, really.” She sighed, her hand placed over the door handle as she added a parting thought. “I wasn’t the only one happy to have you back.”
* * *
WILLIAM CAREFULLY STUDIED the payroll sheets in the office. Line by line of numbers were making his eyes glaze over when something caught his attention out the window. He would have sworn he had spotted Annie’s beat-up Malibu roll by, and the prospect of seeing her made him jump to his feet.
Without hesitation he moved to the back door. She was there, climbing out of her car, but as soon as her gaze met his, her face dimmed. She tore across the parking lot like a lioness stalking a gazelle.
“Annie,” he began, offering an inviting hand, but she smacked it away and grabbed his other one.
“This,” sh
e demanded, pointing at his tattered knuckles. “Did you get this fighting?” William stiffened as her eyes read exactly what she needed to know from his silence. “And the other night when your face had been bruised... Did you get it fighting Sean?”
“How do you know about that?” he asked, inwardly cringing at his weak response.
“All that matters is you didn’t tell me about it.” She dropped his scarred hand and returned to her car. William jogged to catch her, and did, but found her eyes fierce. His breath caught at the sight of her. “What else haven’t you told me? How do you expect me to trust you if you keep things from me?”
“Yes, okay,” he sputtered, out of a desperation to try to reach her. To make her understand.
“Yes, okay, what? You lied to me, and now I’ll lose James. Go!”
But she was the one to step backward and then ran the rest of the distance to her car.
“Why did you come here?” William called after her. “What did you want me to say?”
“Say why you did it!”
“Why I fought Sean? Because he was asking for it!”
“Ha!” Annie cried, her eyes moistened with tears. “Do you know how many times over the years other people have wanted to do the same and didn’t?”
“But it’s true,” he insisted. “Ask Brandon.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Then believe me. He came itching for a fight with me that night.”
“And that?” She pointed again to his hand. William hesitated, recalling the night he now regretted more than ever. “Well?”
“I was itching for a fight.” He walked toward her.
Annie shook her head. “You have to give me something better if you want me to understand.”
“I can’t right now.”
“If not now, when?” She squeezed her eyes shut, turning her face to the heavens as William edged nearer. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“This isn’t a fight.”
She frowned. “I don’t mean with you.”
William’s eyes narrowed. “What happened with James?”
“Do you really care?”
“Of course I do,” he answered without hesitation. He loved the little guy. “I care about the both of you. And Betsy, too.”
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