Come to Me Free

by Leah Atwood

  “That’s fine.” He suppressed a sigh.

  Bryce’s feature brightened just a tad. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” He pulled out his phone and glanced through his calendar. “There’s nothing I can’t reschedule. Are we flying or driving?”

  “Driving. Sophie and Gracie will fly down Thursday, and this way we won’t have to worry about a rental.” He rocked on his heels. “Besides, Sophie looked up flights on the way home and the soonest one would only get us there an hour earlier than if we leave at four.”

  “In the morning?” His eyebrows rose.

  “We should miss the bulk of traffic that way.” Bryce looked at him with uncertainty. “We can push it back a few hours.”

  “Four’s fine.” He never slept much anyway. “Where are we staying?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet. Typically, I’d stay with Gram, but don’t want to impose.” He looked up, deliberating. “There aren’t any hotels in Oden Bridge, but I’ll call Uncle Gil—maybe we can stay there. If nothing else, I’m sure Dani will let us crash there.”

  Rob coughed loudly. No way was that happening.

  Looking at him now, Bryce blanched. “Sorry, that was a horrible idea. I’ll figure it out by tomorrow. When Dad calls back with more information, I’ll ask where he’s staying.”

  “Okay.” He looked around, at what he wasn’t sure. “Do you want me to stick around any longer?”

  “I think I’m good. Did you call Madison?”

  He nodded. “Yes. She’s taking care of everything on the work end.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Fjolla’s here, and I told her what happened. She’s in the kitchen, my guess is cooking up meals to fill the freezer for a month.” Food was a good idea. He’d grab something on the way home.

  A close-lipped smile formed on Bryce’s face. “Undoubtedly. I’ll go talk to her.”

  Remembering his papers downstairs, Rob inched toward the basement door. “I’ll get my song sheets and see myself out.”

  “I’ll pick you up at four tomorrow.” Bryce lingered as if he wanted to say more. “Thanks again, for everything.”

  “Anytime.” Rob gave a tight nod and went downstairs.

  He grabbed his portfolio and left. On his way home, he stopped at a fast food joint, but drove away before ordering since that was probably what they’d eat while on the road tomorrow. He’d order delivery of something once he got home.

  The entry gate to his condo building was locked when he pulled up to it. He lowered his window, leaned out, and typed in the four-digit code. In slow motion, the iron arm rose, and Rob drove through when it reached its peak height. He drove a hundred feet and pulled into his parking spot.

  No one was outside, but that wasn’t unusual. The building was geared toward younger generations, those in their twenties and thirties. It mainly housed professionals, most of whom were in the entertainment industry. As far as he knew, none of the residents had children and only a few were married. When he’d bought his unit, it was a perfect fit for him. Now, it seemed desolate and lonely.

  He stopped by the mailboxes and unlocked his, pulling open the rectangular brass door. There were only three pieces of mail waiting for him, all junk. He tossed them into the trash. Someone had been wise to place the receptacle there as it seemed most of his mail was a never-ending train of solicitations from various establishments.

  Once inside his condo, he switched a light on and dug through the menu drawer. Barbecue, no. He set that menu aside. Pizza—he shook his head. The next menu was for Chinese food. Sure, he hadn’t had it in a few months. A lady with an elderly-sounding voice took his order when he called in and told him it would be there in half an hour.

  He turned on his stereo system and changed the stations until he found a song he liked. Music blaring, he went to his bedroom and into the walk-in closet to retrieve a suitcase. Hiding in the back corner of the closet was a black suit, worn for Carrie’s funeral. He hadn’t worn it since, and he doubted it would even fit. Back then, he’d weighed a good twenty pounds more than he did now. The gym had become a close friend in those early years after she’d died.

  On impulse, he took the suit from the closet, went to the kitchen, and shoved it into the trash. He’d held onto it long enough. Returning to the bedroom, he took two pairs of black dress pants off a hanger, a gray button down shirt, and a black dress shirt. That should take care of the viewing and funeral. Despite not knowing the exact time frame he’d be in Oden Bridge, it was a reasonable assumption that he’d be there for those events.

  His phone rang, and he answered after turning off the radio—delivery was calling, needing to be let into the complex. He went to the keypad by the front door and entered the code, remotely unlocking the gate. Minutes later he had his food and was sitting on the sofa eating Kung Pao chicken straight from the container while watching the evening news.

  A young reporter was interviewing a homeless man who was caught saving a woman from a would-be mugger, when his phone rang again. He was tempted to ignore it, wanting to eat in peace. Too much was going on though, and it could be something important. Setting down the cardboard box of food, he exchanged it for his phone. Dani was calling. A fist clenched around his heart.

  After taking a deep breath, he muted the TV and answered the phone. “Hello.”

  “Hi. Rob?” Hearing her voice brought a part of his heart alive.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s Dani.” She sounded so uncertain, full of sorrow.

  “I know. Caller ID and all.” He tried to make a joke, not to devalue her grief, but to make her smile.

  She chuckled, soft and nervous. If speech were musical instruments, hers would be a violin, going up and down, sometimes quick, sometimes drawn out. Her emotions were played so clearly in her tone, brought to life like a violin’s bow to the strings. “Of course.”

  “How are you?” Leaning over, he propped his elbows on his knees.

  “Okay, I guess. Not really, but I will be.” A stifled sound came through the line.

  “I’m really sorry about Gramps. I was with Bryce when the call came.” As though the explanation of his presence would help. He shook his head, reminding himself not to offer useless information.

  He heard her suck in a breath before replying. “I got your message. That was really sweet of you.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “No, not that I can think of.” In the background, a cat meowed. There was some shuffling, and he pictured her feeding Pip.

  “Bryce asked me to come to Oden Bridge with him tomorrow.” A question had lingered in the back of mind since Bryce had asked. “Is that okay with you?”

  “Absolutely. Why wouldn’t it be?” Was it him, or did her voice seem suddenly breathless?

  He attempted a joke again. “Just wanted to make sure past grievances are forgiven.”

  A sad laugh came from Dani. “I’d like to think we’ve moved beyond that.”

  “Good.”

  “Can I ask a question?” Hesitation filled her words.

  “Go ahead.”

  “In your message, you said you’d pray for me.” She cleared her throat. “Did you mean that?”

  “Yes.” He already had and would continue to do so.

  “Thank you. That means more to me than anything I’ve heard today, especially coming from you.”

  His breath was knocked from him. He sat up, leaned back against the cushion. “You know, in a roundabout way, Gramps is responsible for those prayers.”

  “Really?” She sounded more like herself, the not-grieving Dani. “How so?”

  “His advice and wisdom helped bring me back from a dark spot.” An inner force nudged him to say more. “Maybe one day I can tell you the whole story.”

  “I’d like that,” she whispered.

  The conversation was coming to an end. As much as he wanted to extend it, anything more would be forcing something when it wasn’t time. “If you need anything…�
�� He trailed off, leaving the invitation open.

  “Thank you for calling.” Sadness filled her voice again. “And thanks for being a friend.”

  “Anytime.” He disconnected the call, wishing for everything that he could go back several months and change the course of events.

  In his redo, he would have realized his feelings for her much sooner, and then put aside his fears before it was too late.

  Chapter 12

  “I’m sorry I can’t make it. There’s no way to reschedule my appointments.” Jeff’s eyes cast downward, expressing genuine remorse.

  Dani sighed. “I understand.”

  But she didn’t. She shouldn’t hold it against him that he’d be missing Gramps’ viewing and funeral. Yet if he really cared, wouldn’t he have found a way? Wasn’t that what a boyfriend, or whatever he was, did? Be there for his girlfriend? On the other hand, he had left work early yesterday to spend the evening with her, supporting her. He wasn’t completely heartless.

  Grief had her confused, unsure what she really felt. Holding a grudge against Jeff wasn’t fair to him, especially since they weren’t in a serious relationship.

  “I need to get back to work now. Are you going to be okay?” He laid a hand on her upper arm.

  “No.” She stepped back from him, breaking his contact. If one more person asked if she was okay, she would scream loud enough for the whole world to hear.

  Jeff’s sharp intake of air produced an audible whoosh. “I’m really sorry, Dani. My hands are tied.”

  She blinked rapidly, willing the tears to disappear. “Just go, please. I’m not thinking clearly right now and need to be alone.”

  “I’ll call you later.” He took her into an embrace, but his arms were too rigid to offer any comfort. Either he was mad, or uncomfortable. Considering the way she was acting, she wouldn’t blame him if he was both, but she couldn’t seem to stop it and didn’t try to hug him in return. Releasing her, he backed away and left her house.

  The door closed behind him, and she went to the kitchen, grabbing a pint of chocolate ice cream from the freezer and a spoon from the drawer. On her way into the living room, she caught sight of herself in the mirror above the fireplace. No wonder Jeff had greeted her earlier with a strange look.

  Her hair was pulled back in a messy knot and looked like it hadn’t been brushed since she woke up. Come to think of it, she didn’t remember doing anything with it today beyond pulling it back into a hair tie. She hadn’t bothered with makeup either and had barely gotten dressed, if throwing on a pair of holey jeans and a paint-stained T-shirt counted. Admittedly, she looked rough.

  She had to get herself together before she left for Gram’s house in a few hours. Between the church and the community of Oden Bridge, there was enough food there to feed an army, and the family was meeting for dinner and to console one another. Initially, the plan had been to meet at her parents’ house because they didn’t want to cause more work for Gram, but she seemed to thrive on having people around her.

  Plopping down on the couch, she tucked one leg under another. The ice cream carton was cold in her hand so she balanced it on the sofa’s arm. She removed the lid, digging in. The first bite was cold and soothing, comfort food at its best. Halfway through the carton, her stomach begged for mercy. A pint of ice cream wasn’t the best choice of nourishment when she hadn’t eaten anything since the beignet yesterday morning. Lid replaced, she carried it back to the freezer.

  Someone knocked on the front door.

  “Who could that be?” She walked to the foyer and looked through the peephole. “Oh no,” she muttered under her breath. Bryce had shown up early. With Rob. “Be there in a minute.”

  Even through the barrier of the door, Bryce’s laugh was loud. “Open the door, Dani. I see you right there.”

  So much for freshening up before letting them inside. Horrified by her appearance, she opened door. “Hi.”

  “Hi to you, too.” Bryce smiled, and for a second, in her happiness to see her cousin, she forgot about the reason he was here.

  “Come in. I didn’t think you’d be here this soon. What time did you leave?” She moved away from the entry, allowing room for the two men to come inside the house.

  “Too early.” Bryce’s smiled faded, and he regarded her solemnly. “I’m always glad to see you, but, man, I wish it were under different circumstances.”

  “Me, too.” Her bottom lip trembled, and the waterworks were about to start again.

  Bryce took Dani into a big bear hug, letting her cry on his shoulder. A brother by blood couldn’t have been a better comforter. Finally the tears subsided. As often as she’d cried in the past twenty-four hours, she was starting to wonder if they were going to become a permanent fixture.

  She’d briefly forgotten about Rob. He stood back, unobtrusive. Pink tinged her cheeks when she realized he was witnessing her at her worst. The emotional breakdown, the lackluster—err, pitiful— appearance.

  “Hi,” he said when she made eye contact.

  “Hi.” She fought the urge to smooth her hair and draw attention to the mess.

  They stared at each other. Volumes of silence begged to be filled with words, but neither spoke. He extended a hand, she took it. Still, no words were exchanged.

  Bryce cleared his throat with an intentional cough. Startled, she released Rob’s hand and spun to see her cousin eyeing her with a quizzical gaze.

  She gathered her bearings and waved them to the kitchen. “Come have a seat. Should I put some coffee brewing?”

  “Coffee would be fantastic.” Scraping sounds of metal against tile ensued as Bryce pulled a chair out from the table.

  “Yes, please.” Rob sat down also, the same chair he’d chosen the first, and only, time he’d been in her house.

  Once the coffee was ready, she poured a cup for each of them and joined them at the table. “You must have driven through the night to get here at this time.”

  “He told me four, but dragged me out of bed at three.” Rob sounded alert, but she could tell by his drooping eyes that he was tired.

  “Not my fault you weren’t ready.” Bryce took a sip of coffee, then looked at her. “Gracie woke up around two, upset and crying. Once Sophie and I got her back to sleep, we were wide awake, so I figured I’d go ahead and leave early.”

  Dani pressed her lips together, thinking. “I hate that any of us are going through this, but I especially hate it for Gracie. How is she, honestly?”

  “I think she’ll be okay in time. Unfortunately, she’s had to learn the facts of life much sooner than any child should have to.” Drawing in a long breath, Bryce stared into his coffee. “How’s Gram? I only got to speak with her a few minutes before she insisted we stay with her.”

  “Gram’s a trouper.” She drummed her finger against the tabletop. “I wish I had the amount of faith she possesses. You didn’t stop there first?”

  “No. I wanted to see you first to get the real scoop. I knew you’d tell me the truth about Gram.” His phone rang and he looked at it. “It’s Sophie, I’ll bet wanting to know if we made it. Excuse me.” He stood and moved to the living room, leaving her alone with Rob.

  “I’m glad you could come with Bryce,” she told him.

  He shrugged. “It’s what friends do.”

  “How was the drive?”

  “Pretty good. A few spots of traffic, some fog early on.” The coffee mug spun between his fingers.

  She laced her fingers, twirling her thumbs. “How long are you staying?”

  “Trying to get rid of me already?” Although smiling, insecurity reflected in his eyes.

  “You’re always welcome.” She returned his smile, but her stomach knotted.

  Nothing had changed between them, yet everything had. The attraction that arced back and forth from them at the wedding hadn’t disappeared. Neither had the unwillingness to discuss that spark. Rob’s lack of faith was no longer a hindrance, but that didn’t mean he’d changed his views of relation
ships. Those were moot points anyway since she was seeing Jeff.

  “How’s work?” Unhanding the mug, one arm rested casually on the table and the other was bent over the back of the chair.

  “Slower than I would like, but otherwise good. I decided to close for a few days in light of everything.” Although Angela had offered to keep the fires burning, Dani decided shutting the doors for a few days was best for her well-being, if not for business. She needed a full break from the restaurant to deal with Gramps’ death.

  “How are you?” The depth of his blue irises locked onto her, piercing her with their gaze.

  The weight of his stare—his genuine concern—threatened to make her cry again. She swallowed. “I miss him.”

  He reached over and clutched her hand, briefly, then let it go.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Bryce standing in the doorway. His head was cocked to one side, his lips clamped in a straight line. “Ready to go, Rob?”

  Rob broke eye contact. “Whenever you are.”

  “You can’t stay a little longer?” She stood and pushed her chair in, not sure what Bryce’s sudden problem was. “Aren’t you hungry? I can fix you something to eat. Dinner at Gram’s isn’t for another several hours.” Goodness, she hoped they couldn’t hear the desperation in her voice, but she didn’t want Rob to leave.

  “I could go for something to eat. Breakfast was ages ago,” Rob spoke up, surprising Dani by vocalizing his desire to stay.

  “I don’t know.” Shifting his feet and looking at her, then Rob, Bryce hedged.

  “There’s shrimp and crab gumbo in the freezer.” She played the right card, knowing it was a favorite of Bryce’s that he didn’t eat often because of Sophie’s shellfish allergy. “It won’t take long to heat it.”