Worth the Wait

by Traci Douglass

  His dad cursed under his breath and went back inside to return with Alex’s jacket. “Put that on before you freeze to death.”

  Alex grumbled, reluctantly tugging it on then leaning back against the wall, the blustery gray matching his dour outlook. The building inspector came out a few minutes later and tacked a sign up on the door. An Order to Vacate. Wonderful. All those weeks, all that planning and work. Gone. All gone. Just like his future.

  Just like Mandy.

  His leg ached along with his heart.

  “I’ll have my crews make the place secure for now,” his dad said to the building inspector before Alex could intercede. “Then we’ll come back tomorrow and get to work on the foundation.”

  “Sounds good, Mr. Noonan.” The inspector shook his father’s hand. “I’ll be back in a few days, then, to reassess the conditions.”

  “Sir.” The inspector tipped his hard hat toward Alex before leaving.

  Alex pulled out his cell phone and started typing in the web address for the hotel. There was some festival thing going on in town, but hopefully they still had rooms left. But no. No vacancy.

  Dammit.

  He started sending a text to Mark and Jack to see if he could crash with them, then remembered they were both working in the city this week. Great.

  “What are you doing, son?” his dad asked.

  “Finding a place to stay.”

  “Come back to the estate for a few days.” His father gestured toward the black Lincoln Town Car idling behind two Noonan Construction crew trucks. “We can talk this out.”

  “I already told you. I’ve got nothing to say.” Alex breathed out slowly and deleted his fumbled text message to start again. Adrenaline still sizzled through his nervous system, and his thumbs were slow and clumsy. “I’ll find my own place. And you can’t just take over here. This is my project.”

  “I’m not taking over, but I had to do something. They could’ve condemned this place outright. You prefer I let them?” A small muscle ticked near his dad’s tight jaw, and he looked away. “I realize this isn’t the best of circumstances, son, but you can’t stay here.”

  “I’m not coming home.”

  “Where else are you going to go?”

  Good question. He supposed he could call Dave or Nicole, but they were both so busy all the time, he didn’t want to bother them. The silence stretched between them until it snapped.

  “C’mon,” his dad said at last. “Only until this place is habitable again. No pressure.”

  The last place Alex wanted to go was back to his dad’s estate, but unless he planned to sleep on a park bench somewhere, he didn’t have much choice.

  “Fine.” He gave a reluctant nod. “But this doesn’t change anything.”

  “Understood.”

  His dad waited on the porch while Alex went back inside to pack a bag. He dodged the construction crew on the way to his bedroom and shoved some stuff in his duffel without paying much attention before grabbing Ming and his mom’s vase from the parlor and a few DVDs from the living room. By the time he returned to the porch, Alex felt like he’d aged a hundred years, his shoulders bent beneath a burden of regret and remorse. The fight with Mandy earlier seemed so stupid now, even if he had been right. She’d broken his trust. She’d broken his heart.

  He followed his dad down to the Town Car, stopping on the sidewalk to pick up a cell phone dropped on the sidewalk. From the pink unicorn case, he knew exactly who it belonged to. Alex shoved the thing in his pocket then handed his duffel to the Town Car’s driver before ducking inside after his dad, sitting on the opposite end of the seat and staring out the window as cold rain pelted the glass. Once they were on the road, he pulled out Mandy’s phone and pressed the home button. The lock screen showed a picture of her in front of the house wearing that bug costume. She must’ve taken it the first day here. Before it had all crashed down.

  The screen faded to black.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alex awoke the next morning, eyes scratchy and head aching. He rubbed a hand over his stubble-covered jaw and winced. The few hours of sleep he’d gotten had been anything but restful. Instead of his usual nightmares about the shooting, he had vivid dreams about Mandy trapped in the collapsing house and him unable to save her. He’d woken up drenched in sweat and breathless, only to remember he was the one trapped. By his own stupidity and issues.

  She’d been the one rescuing him. Until he’d driven her away.

  Ugh.

  He buried his face in his pillow to avoid the sunshine breaking through.

  Groaning, Alex flopped over and tried to doze again, but the smell of fresh-brewed coffee was too tempting to resist. Fine. He’d get up, have that talk his dad wanted, then get back to the house.

  New determination burning inside him, he got ready, then headed downstairs, only to find his sister sitting at the kitchen island instead of his dad.

  “Hey,” Nicole said, not looking up from the entertainment section of the Tribune. “How’d you sleep?”

  “Like crap.” Alex walked to the counter, pulled a mug from the cabinet, filled it with coffee, then added generous amounts of cream and sugar before going in search of a spoon.

  “Third drawer from the left,” Nic said, her attention still focused on the paper.

  “Where’s Dad?” Alex scowled. “And what are you doing here?”

  “Not sure where he is.” She shrugged. “He called me last night and asked me to come over this morning.”

  The unease pitting Alex’s stomach turned into a sinkhole. His dad was planning something, Alex just didn’t know what yet. He took a swallow of hot coffee, glad for the scald in his throat. It was a welcome distraction from the gnawing loss in his chest. “I guess he mentioned what happened at my house.”

  “He did.” She glanced at him over the top of her paper. “Sounds like a mess.”

  “It was.” He limped over to sit on the stool beside hers.

  “I’m sorry.” Nicole set her newspaper aside and focused on him at last. “But at least Dad was there to help.”

  He took another sip of coffee and stared out the window above the sink at the manicured backyard. That was one perspective, he supposed. “Mandy’s the one who called him, not me.”

  “You should be glad someone did, then.” Nic narrowed her gaze on him. “How is Mandy?”

  “Fine, I guess.” He tried to sound nonchalant and failed miserably, if the look his sister gave him was any indication. “She’s staying at her sister’s house now.”

  “Hmm.” She picked up her paper again, her tone dubious. “I always liked Mandy.”

  Me too. He swallowed those words with another gulp of coffee then changed subjects. “I don’t appreciate Dad taking over my project.”

  Nicole snorted.

  “What?” He scowled.

  “Nothing. Just you two are way too alike for your own good.”

  “How?” Alex scrunched his nose.

  “Both stubborn and determined to have your way,” Nic said from behind the crime section. “He’s not getting any younger, you know.”

  Before he could respond, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the room, followed by a high-pitched squeal. A toddler waddled into the room, thumb in his mouth and his brown eyes wide. He stopped before Alex. “Who you?”

  “That’s your Uncle Lex, remember?” Nic smiled. “Say hi, Connor.”

  “Hi, Connor.” The toddler grinned, all baby teeth and drool. “Uncle Wex.”

  “Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Dave walked in and scooped up his son.

  Alex frowned at his brother. “Let me guess. Dad called you, too?”

  “He did.” Dave said as his wife Staci walked in holding their newest little one. “Why?”

  “He’s planning something.” Alex slumped back in his chair
and shook his head, remembering his flub. “Happy birthday, by the way. I meant to call or get you a card, but things got busy.”

  With Mandy.

  Longing and loneliness stole his breath. Man, he missed her. So much.

  “It’s okay, man.” His brother clapped him on the shoulder then pulled a juice box out of the large stainless-steel fridge for his son. “And from the looks of it, he’s planned a reunion.”

  “Good to see you, Lex.” Staci kissed his cheek. “We missed you at the party.”

  “Thanks. Yeah, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.” Tried to remember what he’d been doing that night. Probably the movie night with Mandy. Or maybe Chez Maize. Or the cheesecake afterward. Or one of the nights they’d just watched TV together on the sofa. All those happier moments, happier times seemed to run together now into a montage of everything he’d lost. Because of his own actions, his own stubbornness, his anxiety.

  He drained his mug, more uncomfortable thoughts surfacing.

  Maybe his dad was right. Maybe he could do it on his own but shouldn’t.

  “More coffee, Lex?” Nic asked, grabbing the pot to refill. “Still some left.”

  Distracted, he pushed his mug toward her in response.

  He liked being wrong even less than he liked being vulnerable, but damn…

  Another door opened, this time from the garage adjoining the kitchen, and his father stepped inside. He took one look at the small crowd gathered and grinned wide. “Good. You’re all here.”

  Alex’s hackles rose and he pushed to his feet to get more cream and sugar. When he turned around again, his family stared back at him, and his gut clenched. “What’s going on?”

  “Sit, son,” his dad said, pointing to a stool.

  “I’ll stand, thanks,” he said, too restless and wary to sit.

  “Fine. I called you all here to apologize once and for all. You were right, son. I said some awful things after the shooting, but I was terrified I was going to lose you.” His dad gave an ironic snort. “That’s not an excuse, but it’s the truth. I’m so sorry, Alex. There’s no way I can take back those awful words, but I can ask for your forgiveness and try to do better in the future. To make amends, if you’ll let me.”

  The ground dropped out from beneath Alex’s feet. He’d been so sure how this would play out, so determined to keep his walls firmly in place and hold his ground at any cost, but now all those barriers around him crumbled. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was the fact he’d already lost so much when he lost Mandy. Maybe it was the fact his dad, the strongest man he’d ever known, was baring his soul before him. Whatever it was, Alex’s hurt caved beneath a rush of forgiveness so strong it nearly knocked him to his knees. His dad pulled him into a hug and by the time they pulled apart, his dad’s eyes were damp and Alex’s throat felt tight with gratitude.

  “Well, now that that’s over with,” Nic said, swiping the back of her hand across her damp cheeks. “How are you going to fix things with Mandy?”

  “How do you know what happened with Mandy?” He asked, his words rougher than he’d intended as regret constricted his vocal cords. He sank back onto his stool. “Talk about a mess. I screwed up. Big time.”

  “Scew wup, Uncle Wex,” Connor repeated and everyone laughed, breaking the tension.

  “Seriously, though.” His shadows descended once more. “I drove her away. Just like I did Felicity.”

  “I doubt that. Felicity never cared about anyone but herself, though you never saw that.” His father placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder. Instead of the usual urge to flinch away, Alex relaxed. “Mandy cares for you, son. She always did.”

  “But we fought and said some terrible things to each other…” He turned away. “History keeps repeating itself with me, I guess.”

  His father shook his head. “But it doesn’t have to. Look at today. Last week I’d have said this was impossible. Now here we are. That’s all thanks to Mandy.”

  “True.”

  “First, though.” His dad reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pamphlet with the name Georgina Chase, PhD on the front. He handed it to Alex. “I’m not saying you need it and no pressure at all, but she helped me a lot after your mom died. Helped me work through the error of my ways with you, too, Alex. Maybe she can help you work through what you’re going through also son. She worked with some of my buddies after Vietnam. Nice lady.”

  “Yeah?” Dave hoisted Connor higher on his hip and chuckled. “How nice?”

  “Yeah, Dad.” Nic grinned. “Like ask-her-out-on-a-date nice?”

  Relieved the spotlight had swerved off him, Alex studied the brochure closer. After all, struggling to handle everything himself had gotten him exactly nowhere. After reading it through, he tucked it in his back pocket then smiled. “Thanks, Dad. I’m ready to go check out the house now.”

  …

  Mandy crawled beneath her blanket on Gina’s sofa later that night and stared at the envelope from her mom in her lap while Bubba made a bed for himself atop her feet.

  With all the craziness the past few weeks and moving to the new house, she’d forgotten all about it and left it behind at Gina’s. And well, honestly, she’d been putting off opening it. But now she needed to hear her mom’s voice, even just through her written words, to get some comfort and clarity on everything. With a heavy sigh, she glanced over for the eleventy-billionth time at her empty charger on the coffee table. She’d lost her phone, just like she’d lost Alex, because of her own negligence.

  Mandy thumped her chest lightly with her fist then glanced down at Bubba.

  “I made a mess of things,” she said, sniffling. The dog came up to lick her face in sympathy, and she hugged his furry little body tight. “I love Alex and I hurt him.”

  Woof.

  “Yep. It was all my fault.” She chuckled through her tears. “You’re right.”

  Woof. Woof.

  “I don’t know how to fix it,” she said, grabbing a tissue from the box beside her to blow her nose. “Do you?”

  Woof, woof, woof!

  “Yes, I owe him an apology, but he doesn’t want to see me. He said so.” She wiped her face then set the dog back at his end of the sofa. “Okay. Enough feeling sorry for ourselves. Let’s open our letter, yeah? Should we open our letter?”

  Bubba wagged his tail and panted before turning in circles and lying down again.

  Right. Closing her eyes, she picked up the envelope and tore it open, pulling out the letter inside then whispering, “Please tell me what to do, Mom. I need your help.”

  Dearest Mandy,

  If you’re reading this, then that means I’m already gone. I hope you followed my directions to a T on the funeral. You know how I love final appearances. Better things are always around the corner. Which brings me to the house. You’re also probably wondering why I left it to you, eh?

  Honestly, I wondered myself at first, but decided it was the best thing for you both. After I heard about the shooting where Alex was injured, I knew I had to do something. He’d always been such a sweet boy, complimenting me when he was home on breaks from school. So, I thought the house might make a good project for him. You too. Together.

  It took me sixty years to realize I was searching for a home. A real one. You love Alex. You always have. Both of you are all grown up now, and it’s time to admit your feelings.

  I gave you both the house in hopes it might help bring you together at last. Love is never easy, nor is it guaranteed. You can’t hurry it along. But if you’re lucky enough to find it, then it’s worth the wait. Never let it go.

  Go for it, dear. Think positive.

  Mom

  Mandy sat for a moment taking that in while Bubba returned to her lap and flopped over onto his back so she could rub his belly. She stroked his soft fur absently, fresh tears blurring her vision. She’d asked
her mom for advice, and she hadn’t failed her. Looking back now, she never had. Through all the moves and all the marriages, she’d always been there for Mandy, no matter what. She’d been her home.

  Sobbing, Mandy let her grief out at last while Bubba whined and licked her hand to comfort her. Finally, feeling oddly empty, she set the letter aside and took stock of her situation.

  Part of her wanted to run back to the house and beg his forgiveness, but that wouldn’t help anything. Not yet. They both had issues to work out. She never should’ve contacted his dad without telling him, regardless of her motives. He’d been right, about all of it. She had tried to fix him, in her own weird way. Or at least tried to fix his anxiety issues. But she wasn’t a psychologist, and she should’ve kept her nose out of it. She owed him an apology, big time.

  But first, she had Bud’s movie to get through. After that, who knew? Honestly, the thought of going to Hollywood didn’t hold the same appeal it once had. She’d been thinking a lot more about Dr. Langer and the drama therapy program. She’d even gone online to check it out. She wasn’t ready to commit fully just yet, but it was a definite possibility. She sighed and glanced at the clock above the stove.

  So now what?

  Well, now she’d go to Tennessee. Do Bud’s movie. Let her heart heal and her head clear. Figure out what to do about Alex and where to go next with her career.

  Things might not have turned out the way she’d planned, but they could still be good.

  As she switched off the lights and closed her eyes, snuggling down beneath her blanket once more, her mom’s mantra ran through her mind one more time.

  Think positive. Better things are always just around the corner.

  For once, Mandy knew that no matter what the future held, she wanted Alex to be a part of it, in whatever capacity he wanted.