“I can do that.”
“There is one other thing.” Lori looked around the restaurant.
What is she looking for? Or Who? Lucy wiped the cheese off her fingers.
“Good, I don’t see a problem talking about this here. I’m often called to leave. Only a very few people know about this. Deni and Joel are two of them. I take photos at Hope House of families as they leave to start a new life.”
“Hope House?”
“Yes, it’s a shelter for abused women. It’s best not to talk about it, at least not here, just in case.” Lori gave another glance at the table next to them.
“Got it.” Not what she expected to hear, but glad Lori shared. She wasn’t sure what she would have thought if Lori got a call and took off without explaining.
“Are you done? I mean should we order another bowl for you?”
Lucy sighed. “No. But I might want to come back again this week. This was so good. Thanks for dinner. I’m sure it was way better than the frozen stuff in your freezer.” For the first time in months, eating hadn’t bothered her stomach. But she hadn’t ordered anything spicy. Maybe that was the trick? She could handle eating mashed potatoes and burgers if that’s what it took.
“Or those worms that taste like chicken.” Lori opened the restaurant door and waited for Lucy to pass through. “Good thing we got here early, or we’d be walking a block to the car.”
Lucy watched the traffic. Had it increased since she'd lived here, or was her memory of it all wrong? “I think we might be taking our chances crossing the street.”
“It's all the new places opening up. The mayor is attempting to lure people to Silverton instead of them heading to St. Louis for entertainment.”
“But it's Sunday night. What could they be doing?” When she lived here Sunday nights were game night with the family when she was younger. By the teenage years, she was hiding in her room talking to friends on her phone about what to wear to school on Monday. She'd forgotten about that, how she'd been good at helping pick the right colors to bring out a friend’s best features. She hadn't even applied any of that skill to herself in years. Her braided hair now hung down her back, and her unstructured shirt and jeans that were beginning to feel tight looked fine in the villages, but not so much here. Even in a beach town, she looked out of place. Maybe getting her hair cut and styled would make her feel more at home.
“They’re probably headed to the beach. We can go hang out there if you want to. There is a bonfire every Sunday night to encourage people to stay as long as possible. It's been so warm this weekend. I suppose that's why there are so many going. Last year, the mayor kept it going all winter. The crowds thinned a lot, of course, but the locals came. It's fun to connect with the others.” Lori sighed. “It also makes the kids tired in the morning on Mondays.”
“Let's do it. It's my first weekend back, and a beach bonfire sounds like a great idea.”
They headed to the beach, and Lori said hi to a few teenagers. “Sure hope they are ready for the test tomorrow.”
“That's harsh. Tests on Monday?”
“Be prepared is my motto. They all know it.”
She wanted to tell her there wasn't a way to be prepared for everything that life throws at a person. She knew that for a fact. She was prepared once. Things just don't work out to plan.
“Hey, Lori!”
Lucy stopped. She knew that voice. She'd also known there was a high chance that she'd have to face Evan if she came back home. If he’d been married with three or four kids, she might even have handled that. But she hadn't considered he would be dating her roommate.
“Evan.” Lori gave him a hug. “Are you going to the bonfire?”
Lori's voice reeked of happiness. How could Lucy face seeing Evan all the time and listen to Lori talk about how wonderful he was? Lucy faced the beach, wishing she'd never left the house. She was so sure she'd done the right thing by turning down Evan's proposal. At the time, she couldn't see herself living in Silverton the rest of her life.
“Wouldn't miss it. I have a blanket, and I will share.” His voice brought back memories of warm nights on the beach watching the stars twinkle. She wiped a tear from her eye. How could she get out of this?
“Thanks, that would be great. And I want you to meet Joel's sister, Lucy.”
Lucy turned and faced him. “We know each other.”
“Yes, we do. How have you been? I heard you were back from running around Africa.” Not even a suggestion of a smile or happiness washed over his face. He must hate her.
“I wasn't running. I was helping people.”
Lori stepped back. “Anger issues, you two? I can send you to the principal’s office if I need to. Think you can be friends long enough to watch the fire and a few fireworks?”
Evan handed her the blanket. “Here, you two take this. I think I'll call it an evening.”
Lori stood there with her mouth open, hugging the blanket to her chest.
“It's okay. I can see you two are together, and I'm making this awkward. Lori, I'll call Joel and have him pick me up, okay?”
“Don't be like that. Besides, Evan and I are just friends. And we are all adults, so if there is a history, why not keep it there? You're both in this town, and it looks like it might be forever, so think about it. Are you never going to talk to each other the rest of your lives?”
Shades of her grandmother and Kevin popped into her mind. They'd had a similar problem when Kevin came back for the reunion. The difference was, Kevin wanted her grandmother in his life. Evan made it obvious he didn't want her in his. “Truce, Evan?”
“Maybe later. Right now, I'm not in the mood to hear all about your travels.” He turned and walked away.
“Something pretty bad must have happened between you two.” Lori squeezed the blanket tighter to her chest. “He's such a sweetheart. I've never seen him act like that to anyone. I'd like to hear about what happened. Maybe I can help fix it.”
Tension tightened Lucy's shoulders as she blinked back tears. She wasn't ready to revisit that part of her life. “No, this is beyond repair.”
CHAPTER SIX
Lori sat across from Brent, his file opened in front of her in the conference room. She still couldn't get over that this school had a room to meet with parents. And it was a nice one, not an empty classroom or large closet that wasn't being used, No, this one came with stuffed chairs, a pod-type hot drink maker, and even a cabinet with snacks to offer parents.
Brent sagged in his chair, shrinking as low as possible without hitting his head on the top of the polished wood table. Did he think she'd forget he was there? Maybe so, as it seemed his uncle had forgotten about the meeting or was running late. Really late. “If your uncle doesn't come soon, we'll have to reschedule this meeting.”
Brent sat up and looked at the clock. “He forgets a lot of stuff. So I should get back to class.”
“Sit back down. He's not here, but we are and—”
The door opened. Trey's appearance, while expected, took her breath away. The man could be a model with that bearded face.
“Sorry I'm late, I had a client that wouldn't cooperate.”
“We were about to discuss Brent's behavior without you.” Lori put as much frost into her voice as possible. She didn't care what animal was giving him problems. He should have left and been here for his nephew. Maybe Trey was the problem. What else had he forgotten that involved Brent?
“I'm here now and ready to listen.” Trey pulled out a chair and sat. “I'm sorry, Brent. I really am.”
“It's okay. I'm getting used to it.”
Trey's eyes widened. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
Trey shook his head. “I don't get it. What am I doing wrong? It's not like I asked to move you here or that I yanked you away from your mom.”
Lori gasped. Taking a deep breath, she released it slow. This wasn't a counseling session, but it sounded like these two needed to set one up and
soon. “Stop.” She held up her hand. “It sounds as if there are several problems here that need to be addressed. This morning, though, we are here to discuss Brent's school choices, mainly the ones happening in my room.”
“Is it just your class he's having a problem with?” He shifted in his seat to look at his nephew. “Sit up straight. You aren’t at home on the couch. Brent, what's the deal? You like art.”
“Not this ancient art stuff. You were supposed to get me into the digital arts class, but you forgot, and I ended up here learning about dead guys. Nothing like what I wanted to do.” His face showed no emotion.
“Brent, when did your mom deploy?”
“Two weeks before school started.” Trey answered for his nephew. “It was one of those ‘Hey, you're leaving in two weeks’ and my sister wasn't prepared. I thought she should have left Brent with his best friend's family. She didn't agree.”
“I wish she would have. At least Jordon's mom has her act together, even if she doesn't let you eat meat. Jordon's never been stuck outside waiting for her to pick him up from anywhere.”
They acted like brothers. It's a wonder Trey didn't see it. “Trey and Brent, did you ever consider that she wanted to leave you two together because you're family? Maybe she wanted you to get to know each other better.”
“We know each other.” Trey looked at Brent. “Thought we were buds.”
“Were is right. You used to be fun, Uncle Trey, but now you have rules, and you don't even follow them.”
This is a mess. “There's only a few minutes left until my next class starts. You two need to have a conversation with each other. Make this work. And while you’re doing that, Brent, you have to do the homework for the class. I promise that next semester when you take graphic arts this will be important. Learn to design from the masters and carry it over to your digital work. Not everyone takes this step, and if you do and take it seriously, then your work will stand out from the others.”
“Is that it?” Brent scooted forward in his chair, looking like he was ready to stand.
“For today. I need to see you making an effort and you never leave this school without permission again. Next time it will be a detention, and I won't recommend you for the graphic arts class, or possibly the principal will have you leave permanently. Head on back to class.”
Brent didn't hesitate. He bolted from the room.
Trey looked confused. “You could have done that without me.”
“And you have a lot to learn about having a child in your care.” She scooped up Brent's file and stood. “Have a nice day, Mr. Reeves.”
Have a nice day. Who did she think she was, anyway? Trey would have stomped off to his truck, but who knew who would be watching. They'd probably write capital letters in red ink and put in Brent's permanent file that his uncle was not a good role model for his nephew. Maybe even unfit. What if they called child services?
He thought he was doing alright taking care of Brent. He made sure his nephew had clean clothes and food. He had allowed Brent to install the newest online games, and he even paid for them. Besides, the kid was fifteen. Shouldn't he know what he needed to do without someone hovering over him and checking his work?
He hadn't wanted to bring Brent here any more than Brent wanted to come live in Illinois. He was proud of his sister, but he wished she'd never signed up to serve again. Guilt flooded through him. That wasn't right. His sister was the brave one of the family, volunteering to be in the Air Force when she had no need. She loved the work, though, as much as he liked shooting pictures.
But what about Brent? He hadn't a say in any of this. His dad had left when he was two. Did his nephew feel like he'd been abandoned by both parents?
Claire had signed up for the Air Force right after high school graduation. She married her high school boyfriend. Turned out the weasel didn't like watching his son while his wife deployed. When Claire discovered he had another girlfriend, she sent him and his last name, packing. The scum terminated his parental rights, and Brent became a Reeves. And not one minute too soon. Too bad she was wise enough to tell her brothers after she kicked him out, because even though they weren't military strong, they might have escorted him to another state.
Maybe Lori was right. Brent did need Trey to pay more attention. He'd been acting as if he'd had a roommate rather than someone he loved living with him.
But how could he turn this around? He'd never planned on being a family man. A fun uncle yes, but he couldn't sustain that kind of relationship with Brent now. If he did, the kid would end up doing something stupid that might get him locked up.
He drove to the library, hoping that they would have a book on parenting. Sitting in the parking lot with his hand on the door handle, he realized he had no clue where to look for a book like that.
If he called his mom, she'd want to know why he needed it. Then there would be the always present prodding. “Why don't you find a nice girl and get married? If you had done this like we've mention one million times you wouldn't be calling to ask for help.” A million was probably an overestimate, but it had to be close. Why his parents had a need for him to settle down with a wife and have a bunch of kids made no sense to him. Other than he could pass his name on to a son and carry on the tradition of Treys, he didn't know why they felt compelled.
Besides, he had plenty of time to think about marriage. And as far as having kids of his own? He'd need to see if he could keep Brent from being expelled before he considered that drastic of a lifestyle change.
“Lucy, I'm home.” Lori tossed her keys into the basket on the counter cutely labeled “Keys.” Another Deni touch, but she'd admit it made it easy to find her keys in the morning.
“Hey. I was in the back taking a quick nap.” Lucy rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“Bet you have a lot of sleep to catch up on.” She had purple halfmoons circled under her eyes. “I heard you walking around last night. When is the last time you slept all night?
“I don't know. A few months maybe. It's no big deal. You don't need to worry about me.”
Awkward silence filled the room. So much for casual conversation.
Lori's phone buzzed in her pocket. She grabbed at it like it was a lifeline. Her new roommate wasn't all that friendly today. “Hello.”
“Hi there. It's Trey Reeves. I've been thinking about what you said. About helping Brent.”
“Hang on, please.” She turned to Lucy, “I have to take this. I'm not sure what I'm making for dinner.”
Lucy turned back to the hallway. “It doesn't matter. I don't feel like eating, anyway.” She walked away with her shoulders hunched.
Lori shook her head. Okay then. Definitely a grumpy roommate. “I'm back, Trey. What can I do for you?”
“I don't know what to do. I thought about it, and I'm stuck. I don't know anything about caring for a teenager, but I'm willing to learn, and I think you're the one to teach me. So how about it? I want you to teach me how to do this. Will you help me? I don't want to mess up that kid. He's a good student and artist. I don't want to tell my sister, Claire, that I broke her son.”
“And how do you expect me to teach you?” This was not her problem. Trey should run to the library or even the internet and find this stuff out on his own. “I could recommend a few books for you I suppose.”
“No. I need one-on-one lessons. How about dinner, tonight? I know you’re free because I overheard your conversation with Lucy.”
He knew about her roommate? Then again, he did know Alison, so that made sense.
“I could pick you up at seven tonight?”
“If you don't forget? And what are you feeding Brent tonight?”
His voice was smooth as the caramel sauce she loved on her ice cream.
“That's why I said seven. I'll get him a pizza to eat while he does his homework. So yes or no? You can see I need help here.”
“It's a bit unusual.” She tried to remember if the Brown Academy conduct book said anything about teachers an
d parents going out. But then it wasn't a date more like a meeting. Yes, that's what she would call it. A meeting to help someone navigate the school year with a freshman boy. Even though she didn't have children, she was around them and had more knowledge than Mr. Beautiful Brown Eyes. Yes, she had noticed his eyes. They were hard to look away from, warm and inviting. She tried to avoid them but ended up wanting to touch his beard. Was it soft or coarse?
“I'm not sure if I'm the one to help you.”
“Then do it for my sister. She is serving our country in a dangerous place. Please.”
And polite, too, but she couldn't skip tonight. Families were counting on her. “I'll do it, but not tonight. I have other plans.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“I have a staff meeting after work.”
“What if you text me when you're done, and we can meet at Bert’s Chuckwagon?”
“Sure. But don't forget to have a plan to feed Brent before you come.”
“I won't. I'm not completely clueless on what to feed a teenage boy.” He laughed. “I grew up on pizza, tacos, and cheeseburgers. I turned out fine.”
She placed her hand over the ring threaded through her necklace. She'd been fooled by fine once before. Good looks didn't mean the man inside lived up to expectations set by the face.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lucy winced at the sound of the truck motor as she pulled into Evan's dealership. She didn't want to go inside and ask him for help, but she had to have a different vehicle. This one had done what she needed—got her back home. She could go somewhere else, but where?
She trusted Evan once, and still did. But what if he wouldn't help her? What if instead had one of his salesmen work with her? Could they be trusted? She had some money saved up, but cars were expensive, and she didn’t have a job. Her hand waited on the key for direction from her brain. This was not how she intended to return back home. She moved her hand to the shifter, popped it into reverse. The truck shuddered and died.
A Time to Heal Page 5