“Again, thanks for walking me up the steps. I can make it from here.” She stepped quicker but missed the edge and stumbled.
He caught her before she fell. “Now I have to walk you to the door and make sure you're inside. You aren't as trustworthy as you sounded.”
She pulled away from him. “I'm fine. I don't need your help.” Without another word she spun away and hustled to her door. But not before he'd seen a glistening in her eyes. Good move Trey, you made her cry. The problem was, he didn't know why.
Lori fumbled with the lock and the key. She stiffened as Trey took them from her.
“Let me help, and then I'll leave. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry.” He turned the key and opened the door for her.
“It's fine. Migraines turn me into a sensitive person.” Why had she told him that? He had no need to know what she was like. Just because they would be in a wedding together and seeing each other around town didn't mean secrets needed to be exchanged.
He backed a few steps away from the door and to let her enter. “Understandable. My sister gets them, and I've learned the hard way not to be pesky when she has one. Do you have ice?”
“Yes. I have all I need. Thank you.” She rubbed her neck.
“What time should I pick you up in the morning to get your car?”
“I’m sure Deni or Joel will take me. As a bonus, I can treat myself to a cupcake. Or I will if this headache is gone.”
He didn't move.
He wasn't expecting to come in, was he? “Again, thanks for the ride home.”
“No problem. I guess I'll see you around.” He turned to go. “If you need— ”
“I won't.” Lori closed the door and locked it. Home. She let out the breath she'd kept clenched in her chest. Tension slipped off her shoulders. Deni had a knack for making a place feel special, and she'd used it well in this house. She dreaded pulling out the furniture she'd bought with her first teaching check, now stored in the attic of the boat shop. Deni had mentioned it might be time to update her style when Lori moved, but she'd refused or rather said maybe later. She told everyone she liked the minimalist look, but the truth was she didn't dare have belongings that she cared about. Too easily, they could be snatched away from her.
Trey couldn't have known how much his words pierced her. She wasn't trustworthy. No matter how hard she tried, she would disappoint those she cared about. It wasn't always like that, but since... No. She wouldn't go there tonight. Not when her head hurt, and she couldn't battle the stabbing memories to her heart. She needed to let the past go, but how? The people that could help her do that... She stifled a sob. Yes, this headache was going to be her undoing tonight. She needed to take care of it now.
She grabbed an icepack from the freezer and held it against her forehead as she walked to her bedroom. She kicked off her shoes and set the icepack down long enough to slip off her clothes and slide into her soft, comfy pajamas. Deni had given them to her. Printed Labrador puppies jumped, rolled, and sat with goofy smiles across the fabric. It was her way of giving Lori a pet because she didn't have one. And wouldn't. Until she came to Silverton, she’d made sure she rented places that weren't pet friendly so she wouldn't be tempted. When Deni offered the cottage, she also suggested Lori get a pet. That was quick “no thanks” because she had thought she’d find a place of her own soon.
She picked up a basket full of photos that she kept on her bedroom dresser and sifted through them. She had nothing and yet everything to be ashamed of. Christ offered forgiveness and she'd taken it. Too bad it couldn't erase the memories of her actions. She shoved the basket in her drawer. Why she needed to hurt herself more than she did at this moment was unclear. Maybe it was the happiness on Alison's face when she gazed at Chad.
“Love struck.” That's what mom called it when they watched classic movies together. Another happy, but painful memory. They would never stop. That was her punishment for all of her failures.
“Thank you for bringing me to pick up my car, Deni.” Lori handed her friend a cupcake and sat across from her at their favorite table. “I probably should have bought you enough to take home.”
“This is fine. It's nice to have a chance to catch up. It seems we are always in a crowd these days, or I can't get away to meet you the way I used to.”
“But you have the family you always wanted, so that's a good thing.” She took a bite of the chocolate delight she'd picked for herself. “Seriously, I have to cut back on these or up my exercise before Alison's wedding.”
“Have you had a chance to think about Lucy moving into the lake house with you? I know last night you were miserable with that headache, so I get it if you didn't.”
The chocolate cake swelled in her throat. She took a long sip of her chai tea. “You know I'm not comfortable with other people living with me. Except for you in college, I've managed to live alone. But you and Joel have a purpose for that house, and if you didn't, I wouldn't be living there. I'm willing to give it a try with Lucy if she wants to move in with me. Just tell her no candles. I can't live with that.” That was her one concession. Without it she couldn't—wouldn't—allow Lucy to live with her.
Deni nodded. “I understand, and I'm sure Lucy will be okay with that. But I don't want you to be uncomfortable. We can find another place for her. Maybe she could go back and live with her parents. But I don’t know what it would cost to get out of their house-switching agreement.”
“Pretty sure that would be the last thing she'd want to do. At least I wouldn’t want to upset the plans of others. I know she lived with Joel's grandmother for a summer because she didn't want to move back home.” She wouldn't want to live with her father, but for different reasons than Lucy, she was sure of that. But what if things were different, and her mom were still alive? Her heart had never healed from losing her.
“Great. I'll let her know when I get back. She says she's fine sleeping on our couch, but that doesn't work for the family more than a few days. Joel built that amazing house, but he didn't think about teenage boys living in it. A two-bedroom house wasn’t meant for a family of four. We need a basement so they can have some kind of game room.”
“A boy cave?”
“Exactly.”
The bell over the door jangled. Lori looked over and met Trey's eyes as he entered. Her cheeks warmed. He'd been so nice last night. A smile tugged at her lips, and then she noticed Brent standing next to Trey. Oh no. What was Trey’s last name? Had anyone mentioned it? Wait hadn’t Wade called him Reeves? She hadn’t made the connection to Brent. At the time her head was hurting and she was trying not to get between their conversation. He must not have figured it out either. He would have if he’d returned her messages about Brent's behavior.
“... it's settled, Lucy can move in this afternoon?” Deni interrupted her inner tirade.
“Sure. Listen I need to speak with Trey, so give Lucy my cell and have her call before she comes.” Right now, she didn't care if Lucy came. She had a bigger problem to solve. Brent. She scooted away from the table.
“I'll clean up the table. Go ahead and talk to Trey.” Deni smiled.
“It's not like that. This is about his nephew.”
Lori tapped Trey on the shoulder as he waited in line to place his order. “Hey there.”
“Lori, this is perfect I wanted you to meet my nephew, Brent.”
“We've met.”
“Hi, Miss Peterson.” The boy's widened eyes let her know he was afraid of what she could tell Trey. That meant Trey was clueless about Friday.
“I have Brent in one of my classes. I left a message for you after the gas leak scare.”
“What gas leak scare? I didn't get a message.” Troy squeezed his eyes shut. “That's what I forgot to do. It's been making me crazy trying to remember. I was supposed to change the cell number on the contact form. I changed providers last week and had to give up my old number. I also forgot to turn off the other phone line. My sister reminded me about twenty times. What did the m
essage say, anyway?”
“I wanted to have a meeting with you about Brent. Would you care to schedule that next week?”
“We could do it here.”
“No, it's better to have this kind of meeting at school. Brent should come as well.”
“Is he in trouble?”
Brent rocked back and forth on his heels. “Probably. I left school Friday. I figured the day was over, and it was like literally the last warm day this town will get before winter, so I went to the beach.”
“And you left without telling anyone?”
“Yeah, what's the big deal? I didn't want to waste the day standing on the tennis courts with the other losers.”
“Outside. Now. I'll be there in a minute, and you better be waiting next to the door when I get there.” Trey's cheeks were bright red. He sucked in a breath and let it out slow. “I'm sorry. I honestly don't know what I'm doing. I'm not a parent. If I were, I hope I'd have suspected something. He came home with sand on his feet and said the class had gone to the beach to look for some kind of shell. I bought it.”
“I'm sure you're not used to the tricks yet. What’s your number? We still need a meeting.”
“Give me your phone, and I'll put in for you.”
She slapped her cell in his outstretched palm. When he returned it, his hand brushed hers shooting off sparks through her arm. She swallowed. He was not the person to be involved with. Not when he had a teenager to take care of, and her student, one filled with an attitude aimed at her. “Thanks. I'll be in touch.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Thanks for the ride, Joel.” Lucy sat in the car for a moment taking in the lake house. “It's still as peaceful as I remembered it. But in much better shape, and is that a deck on the back? That wasn't here, was it?”
“No, Deni had that added. It's a great spot to watch the sunset. When we don’t have anyone living here, the two of us come over. We get a sitter and do the date night thing and enjoy the solitude. Lucy, are you sure you'll be okay here? Lori is kind of quiet, but once you get to know her, she's a lot of fun.”
“I'm sure she is. Yeah, I'll be fine.” Why Joel suggested she move in with Lori? Had she become a burden already? Or was he being a big brother and getting her settled? Probably the latter. She didn't even know Lori, but if she was like Deni, they would get along.
Lucy opened the car door and stepped out.
“Sis, when you're ready, you can tell me the real reason you’re back, okay?”
“It was time for me to come home, that's all.” She needed to get away from him fast because her brother could always tell when something wasn't right with her. She waved as he took off down the gravel drive and took a seat on the bottom step of the deck. She had a key, but she'd wait for Lori. Besides she was early, it would be odd to go in. Would I dump my stuff on the floor or search for the bedroom I'm supposed to take? Too many variables. She didn't need a Goldilocks moment. She'd had enough of those in her travels.
“Lucy!” Lori walked up from the path to the beach. “I must have let the time slip by.”
“It's okay. I'm early.”
“The beach is so calming, and I like to spend as much time as I can there. I hope you can take advantage of it too.”
“I plan to. I'm finding since being back in the States I'm a bit overwhelmed by the noise and busyness that seems to be everywhere I go.”
“I can't imagine. Especially coming from a house with teenage boys. The noise from those games are enough to make anyone flee outside. Or at least that was the case until Deni insisted they wear headphones. Is Joel bringing the rest of your stuff later?”
Lucy glanced at the duffel sitting at her feet. “This is it. I travel light.”
“I'll say. It's a good thing, since the closet in your room is small.” She flashed a grin at Lucy. “Welcome to your new home.”
“Thanks. I do appreciate you sharing the space with me. I'm not sure how long I'll stay. Once I get things figured out, like a place to work, then I'll find a permanent space.” She needed to do that fast. And looking for a job brought all kinds of problems. Maybe she could find one where she worked at home? She hadn't had a chance to research that yet.
“Do you have a place in mind that you want to work? Oh, and just to reinforce what I asked Deni to tell you, I can't have candles in the house.”
“She did tell me that, but not why.” Deni wouldn't tell her. She said it was Lori's story to tell if she wanted to.
“Just don't want them. They’re too dangerous.”
“What if they aren't lit?” She wanted to ask her if she'd seen a fire started by a vanilla latte candle, but the look on Lori's face stopped her. She wouldn't have appreciated the humor. What
-ever the reason, it must be a good one.
Lori tilted her head. “I hadn't thought about that. Candles do smell nice. I suppose if they aren't lit, then they aren't a problem. Why do you have a dozen in your backpack?”
She laughed. “No, I don't have any in here.”
“I wasn't sure, I mean that backpack could work like a Mary Poppins satchel. That thing is amazing.”
“I've always wanted a bag like that. It would be so convenient.” Lucy picked up her backpack and slung it over one shoulder. “Especially for traveling.”
“Come inside. Let's get you settled.”
Lori pointed through a bedroom doorway. “You're in here. We can work out the details of fridge and cabinet sharing later. For now, help yourself until you get to the store. By the way, how will you get around? Is Joel getting you a car?”
“No. I have a pickup truck, but it wouldn't start this morning. It may be dead. Joel suggested I donate it. It was well loved, but it may be time for it to be recycled or retired to a farm.”
“A good friend of mine owns a dealership in town. I'd trust him to find you something decent if you don't want a new car.”
Please don't say it's Evan. Had he taken over his dad's dealership?
“Then again, Evan would be happy if you bought a new one.”
Evan. How could she face him?
Lori closed the door to her bedroom and fell back on the bed. What was she going to do with a roommate? She hadn’t shared her space with anyone since college. And that experience ended well with Deni becoming her best friend. Maybe this could be a good thing. She and Kat could add Lucy to their singles group. It could be fun having another person to do things with, especially since Alison was now getting married.
Lucy's face when she suggested buying a car from Evan was confusing. Did she not want help in finding a better vehicle, one that starts? Winter would be here soon, and the woman couldn't walk everywhere. Or maybe she was planning to do just that. Maybe that was how she got around overseas? That made sense there when there were busses and trains easily accessible. But Silverton was not built to be traveled by foot.
She needed to figure out what to do. Staying in her room wasn't really an option. In fact, she had papers to grade, and they were in the living room. Hiding out felt too much like living at her aunt's house back when... Nope, not going there. This situation was nothing like that. Pull yourself together, Missy. Something her mom used to tell her. Fix your face and get out there.
She'd do it for her mom. She owed her that. With a mood as dark as a moonless night on the lake, she stood, ran her fingers through her hair, and attempted a smile in the mirror. Her lips looked as if they were being pulled up by fishhooks. She shook her head. That would never do. Just go with it. Open the door and ask Lucy if she is hungry.
Stepping into the hallway she called out. “Lucy, I'm going to fix dinner. Would you like to join me?”
After a moment, the door opened. “Sure. I guess. I'll help.”
Her eyes were red rimmed. Had she been crying? Or was she tired from her journey? Lori's heart softened. Maybe she wanted to fit in. After all, Joel had pushed her out of his house pretty fast. “I think tonight I'll cook, and you can tell me about some of the places you’ve been and what
you've seen. I'd really like to know.”
“That's a good idea. I haven't cooked on a stove or used a real oven in a long time. I'll probably need lessons on being an American again.”
“Nothing to it. Once you figure out how the microwave works and how to slit the plastic on top of a frozen meal, you'll be good to go.” She opened the freezer and pulled out two boxes. “I'll show you, but first, do you prefer something that looks like meatloaf or would you prefer chicken? Don't judge the end result by the photo on the box, or you'll be sadly disappointed.”
Lucy's eyes widened. “I remember this stuff from college and not fondly.”
“Yeah, not my favorite way to ingest calories, but when you are the only person to cook for, it makes sense. Not to mention if I’ve been working all day. Then it doesn't matter what I eat as long as I eat.”
“I'm used to eating what is available.”
“What's the oddest thing you ate but didn't want to?”
“Mopane worms.”
Her throat threated to close. “Worms?”
“Yes, in South Africa it's a staple. They aren't bad. Tastes sort of like chicken.”
“Uh, no. Don't think I can believe that one.” She shoved the frozen packages back in the freezer. “We're going out. My treat. And we aren't having worms or chicken.”
Lucy sat across from Lori at the restaurant. “This was a great idea. “Macaroni and cheese oh how I’ve missed you.” She breathed in the aroma of warm cheese.
“I think I needed to miss it more often.” Lori stuck another forkful into her mouth.
“Thanks for letting me stay. Do we need other rules besides the candles?” Even if it was temporary Lucy was grateful to have a place to call home. And having lived with others in closer quarters, the boundaries at the lake house were doable.
Lori set her fork back in the bowl. “I would guess the usual. Let me know when you’re leaving and coming home. Just so I’m not surprised. We’re a bit secluded and I’m not used to having anyone walk into the house.”
A Time to Heal Page 4