She opened her mouth to reply, but his mom kept going.
“Can you peel a potato, honey? That’s what I really need right now. I’m working on the pies…”
Lauren’s eyes darted around the living room as they passed through. Two men sat on the couch, the older one she assumed to be Andrew’s dad. The other had a baby on his lap, his eyes glued to the football game on the television. Andrew’s dad looked at Lauren with open curiosity, but his mother kept walking at a brisk pace, and soon Lauren found herself in the kitchen.
This was where all the commotion had stemmed from. Rhonda held a wide-legged stance in front of the sink doing dishes, and Valerie stirred something in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, the large white dog sitting tall nearby with his tail wagging. Jeni sat perched at the island with the little blond girl from earlier—Andrew had called her Alva?—and they were snapping the ends from long string beans.
All of the women spoke over each other, and Lauren had a hard time deciphering if it was one conversation or many.
“Hi Lauren! We’re so glad you could come,” Valerie said brightly.
Rhonda did a kind of head nod.
Jeni smiled widely in that way where all her teeth showed and the tendons in her neck bulged, like she was asking, “Are you freaked out yet?”
“Mom,” Andrew’s voice came from behind her. He must have followed them in. “Set her up over here at the table, okay?” He pulled out two chairs and sat down at the kitchen table, which was set slightly apart from the kitchen. He waved Lauren over and gestured to the empty seat.
She went gladly.
“I thought you might want a second to process.” He shot her a knowing smirk. “It won’t be quiet no matter where we go, but at least you’ll have a little space over here.”
Andrew’s mom dropped a huge sack of potatoes onto the table, along with a large empty bowl and two vegetable peelers. She swiveled around to grab the trash can and set it between Andrew and Lauren’s feet before returning to the flurry of activity in the kitchen.
Andrew reached for a potato with one hand and a peeler with the other, raising an eyebrow at her. “You haven’t said a word since you got here.”
Lauren set to work with her own peeler, scraping the skin into the trash can. “That’s not true. The little girl,” she jerked her head in Alva and Jeni’s direction, “was interrogating me on the porch before you found us.”
“I wanted to make sure she wasn’t after your money,” Alva said loudly.
Lauren’s face heated instantly. She thought she’d spoken quiet enough that no one would hear. With her questioning and eavesdropping skills, that child was destined to be a special agent.
Andrew choked on a laugh and looked at Alva. “What? Why would you think that?”
“I overheard Mommy and Aunt Rhonda talking about your girlfriend and that she wanted you only for yo—”
“Alva!” came Valerie’s sharp reprimand.
The little girl dutifully stopped speaking, but muttered something under her breath that sounded like, “It’s true.” Lauren glanced at Andrew. He sat very still, his attention on his sisters, both of whom avoided eye contact with him.
“How old is she?” Lauren whispered.
“Five,” he said wryly. “I can’t believe it either.”
They peeled their potatoes in silence for a few moments.
“Andrew?” A male voice said from the living room. “You gonna come watch the game?”
“Nah, I’m good here,” he called back.
“Do you usually help with Thanksgiving dinner?” Lauren asked.
“No.”
“You don’t have to stay here with me.”
He met her gaze with dark brown eyes. “I want to.”
She dropped hers back to her task. “Is that your dad in there?”
“Yeah. And Valerie’s husband, David, and their one-year-old son, Charlie.”
“Lauren?” Alva interrupted. “Some people think it’s hard to tell me and Charlie apart. If you ever wonder, just remember that I’m bigger, and I’m a better dancer.”
The entire room erupted with laughter, Lauren included, and Alva’s eyes swept the room as if she couldn’t understand what was funny.
“I’ll remember that.” Lauren fought to keep a straight face. “Thank you, Alva.”
When dinner was ready, eight adults and two kids crammed themselves around the six-top table. Lauren sat squashed between Andrew and Rhonda. Andrew’s left leg pressed against the length of her thigh, and she felt the contact as if no fabric were between them. She tried to conspicuously shift in the opposite direction, but then her other leg would meet Rhonda’s, and she kind of thought that would be even more awkward.
Dinner conversation was lively and, having gotten used to the constant volume over the previous hour and a half, Lauren enjoyed herself immensely. She learned about what each of the sisters did for a living and asked Andrew’s dad (whom she’d finally been introduced to before dinner) about his farming business. He was a man of few words but opened up about his life’s work, a gleam of excitement in his eye.
Andrew remained strangely quiet during that conversation.
Jeni asked about Kansas City, and Lauren told her about the best restaurants and coffee shops, and where the best shopping venues were. She liked Jeni very much and made a mental note to suggest they get together sometime in the near future.
Halfway through the meal, Andrew’s mom frowned at her son. “Andrew, you’re not eating much. Are you okay?”
The table went silent.
“I’m fine.”
“Do you feel sick?” Valerie asked. She sat on Andrew’s opposite side and put her hand against his forehead.
Andrew gently pushed her hand away. “Seriously, I’m fine. I’m just not very hungry.”
Rhonda leaned across Lauren. “You’re always hungry. Are you nauseous? I can get your medicine, if you need it.”
Lauren felt Andrew stiffen, and it was obvious he didn’t appreciate the attention.
“You know, appetites come and go during chemo treatment. It’s completely normal,” Lauren said. “Andrew’s been doing great, there’s nothing for any of you to worry about.” She paused, searching for a change of topic. “You mentioned earlier you were making a pie, Mrs. Bishop. That’s my all-time favorite dessert, and I’ve never met a kind I didn’t like. What did you make?”
It did the trick, and the conversation moved on to Mrs. Bishop’s famous buttermilk pie recipe and how many times it had won awards at the Nebraska State Fair. Andrew reached his hand under the table and squeezed Lauren’s fingers with his own. It was quick, the contact a mere second, but her skin tingled as if he still touched her.
After dinner, Lauren found herself on the screened-in back porch with Jeni and Duke, the big dog whom she’d learned was the family pet that refused to be left at home alone. The men insisted on doing the dishes, and the rest of the family had moved into the living room to watch a movie with the kids. Valerie discovered Andrew’s phone in the pink purse Alva was carrying around and returned it to its proper owner.
The porch, outfitted with a small fireplace and a space heater, was surprisingly cozy, and the women enjoyed mugs of coffee while they chatted.
Andrew joined them not long after, and in a move that was an obvious ploy to leave them alone together, Jeni excused herself, Duke jumping off the chair to follow her.
Andrew settled on the couch next to Lauren, close but not touching. He propped his feet on the coffee table and leaned his head back, the corners of his eyes crinkling adorably as he smiled at her. “Well?”
“Your family is…”
“Loud? Overbearing? Nosy?”
“I was going to say wonderful.”
A shade of relief fell over his features. “Yeah?”
Lauren nodded. She turn
ed her upper body to face him, pulling her right knee up to her chest. “I barely know any of you, but I felt included. Like I was part of it.”
“My mother has never met a stranger.”
“It felt really nice.”
Andrew’s eyes bounced back and forth between hers. “Earlier, you said you were used to spending holidays alone. Do you mind if I ask why? What about your family?”
“No, I don’t mind.” Lauren took in a deep breath and exhaled. “My parents met in college. They were together for most of it, and during senior year my mom got pregnant. She had me right after graduation, and they didn’t stay together long after that. My dad ended up being the one with primary custody. My mom moved to New York City for medical school, and my dad stayed in Oklahoma for pharmacy school. They met other people, remarried, and both started new families.”
Lauren tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Growing up, I always felt like this extra kid that no one really knew what to do with. My parents took care of me, and I wasn’t neglected or anything like that. But I always kind of thought they saw me as this mistake from their college days, and their new families were the real ones. Several years ago, my dad and his wife and kids went to the Caribbean over Thanksgiving. I called my mom and asked if she’d like me to spend it with her. She said yes, so I drove down to Dallas, where she lived at the time. When I showed up for dinner, she’d completely forgotten I was coming. Because she hadn’t planned for me to be there, the dining room table was set up and full to the brim with her children and in-laws, and I ended up on the couch next to the kids’ table.
“I didn’t really have the desire to repeat that, so I’ve spent it alone ever since.”
Andrew’s jaw had drifted down as she spoke, but suddenly he snapped it shut, a muscle popping in his cheek. “What assholes.” His cheeks flushed immediately and he added, “Sorry. Those are your parents and I don’t even know them. But…that pisses me off.”
Lauren looked at her hands. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.”
She didn’t know what else to say, and Andrew took the hint. “So, your dad is a pharmacist, too? Is that why you chose that career?”
“Yeah, initially,” she said. “He owns an independent pharmacy in Cedar Creek and has always wanted one of his children to take over the family business. It’s difficult for independent pharmacies to survive these days, with the chain stores on every corner…but he has a loyal customer base and does some unique compounding that keeps him afloat. I thought that’s what I wanted to do, too.
“But once I learned about clinical pharmacy and the specialty of oncology, I never looked back. The day I told him that I didn’t want to come home and work with him, with the plan of eventually owning it, was awful. He was so upset that I ended up telling him if I didn’t get a job offer to stay here at the hospital I know I love, I’d consider forgoing an oncology job and move back to Cedar Creek.”
“There’s no way you’re doing that,” Andrew said tightly. “The man can’t even invite you to the beach with him and his other family for Thanksgiving.”
Lauren’s lips quirked at his quick defense of her. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. Was he the most involved or affectionate father? No. But he gave me a safe place to live, took me to the doctor when I was sick, and he never forgets my birthday. He paid for my school, all of it, and in a way I feel like I owe it to him. Not enough to drop my extra training right away, but in all honesty, oncology pharmacist jobs are scarce right now. If I can’t land one at Coleman, I don’t know that I’ll have another option.”
“Believe it or not, I understand how you feel. My dad wanted me to take over the family farm, and he wasn’t happy when I told him I wanted to go to law school instead. It’s hard to feel like you’re disappointing a parent, but you gotta do what’s best for you. What will make you happy.”
That explained a lot about Andrew and his dad’s interaction—or lack thereof—today. “We’ve both got daddy issues, huh?”
Andrew chuckled. “I haven’t referred to it that way, but I guess so. How likely is it that you’ll get a job at the cancer center?”
“Pretty good, I think. Dr. Hawthorne, the Chief of Medicine, and the Director of Pharmacy have both said they’d like to keep me on. It all depends on if the administrative and financial side of the office think I’m worth it.”
“You are.”
Lauren smiled. “I think it will work out. I’ve worked hard to create a good reputation.” She met Andrew’s eyes and took in his muscular form sitting so near, his handsome face focused on her.
The skin on his jaw was smooth, but he looked just as good this way as he had on the day they’d met. Without the light layer of scruff, her eyes seemed drawn straight to his lips.
She swallowed and looked away.
“I just can’t mess it up.”
Chapter Ten
“What’s going on with you and Lauren?”
Andrew glanced across the living room at Jeni, where she stared at him in that direct way she’d mastered as a social worker for Child Protective Services.
No time for bullshit in that line of work.
He returned his attention to the television. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pull that with me.” She was also a human lie detector, which was helpful in her job but frustrating as hell when Andrew didn’t want her up in his business.
Andrew’s hand went to his head, stupidly expecting to find hair to rake his fingers through. The habit hadn’t faded, despite the three weeks that had passed since Jeni had shaved it off. He hadn’t considered the hair on his face being affected as well, and he hadn’t needed to touch a razor to his skin in that time, either.
He gave up. “I like her. A lot.”
“I know.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
“She doesn’t feel the same.”
“Bullshit.”
Andrew jerked his gaze up. Jeni’s expression hadn’t changed. “Why do you say that?”
“I pay attention. I’m a female, and I know what it looks like when one is interested in a guy.”
“She turned me down. Said it was unethical to date me, since she’s a pharmacist at the same place I’m getting chemo. And that I need to focus on getting better instead of dating.”
“She’s probably right, and I respect her for that,” Jeni said.
On one hand, Andrew did, too. But it stopped him from getting what he wanted, and that part he didn’t like.
“Doesn’t change the fact that she’s into you, brother. She blushes every time she sees you at the cancer center. She smiles at you like you’re a man with water and she’s been walking in the desert for days. She spent hours at my house last week with our crazy family, because you asked her to.”
“Actually, you asked her to. Maybe it’s you she’s into.”
Jeni ignored that statement and raised her eyebrows at him, pursing her lips. “What are you going to do?”
Andrew rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. “I don’t know. As much as I want to convince her to stop worrying about the rules, I also don’t want to be responsible for her losing her job. I’d never want to hurt her, and I know her career is important to her.” He sighed heavily. “I’m halfway done. I have two cycles left, and when chemo is over, I’m hoping she’ll reconsider. I’m trying to hold out, but I’ll be damned if it’s not the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Jeni nodded her agreement. “Patience will serve you well with this one, I think. The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.”
Andrew shot his twin an impressed look. “Listen to you, being all insightful and stuff.”
Jeni snorted and returned her attention to the television.
Andrew grinned and pulled up his email on his phone. He read thr
ough one from Todd Griffin and another from a classmate about a study group. He also received confirmation that he’d passed the background check and online training for the Children’s Hospital program and that he was eligible to volunteer. He texted Lauren right away.
Andrew: I’ve got good news.
Lauren: You passed your test?
Andrew smiled. They’d both ended up at The Grind House two nights ago with their books—naturally it had become Andrew’s favorite place to study—and he’d mentioned he had an exam the next day.
Andrew: I did, but that’s not it. I’m officially approved as a volunteer at Children’s Hospital.
Lauren: Really? That’s great! I didn’t know you applied.
Andrew: Right after you told me about it.
Lauren: When are you going to go?
Andrew: I was hoping I could come with you. The first time, at least. I don’t know what to expect. Would you mind?
Lauren: I don’t mind. I’m going this Saturday at nine.
Andrew: That sounds great. Will I see you tomorrow at my appointment?
Lauren: Actually, I took the day off. I have a dentist appointment and need to get my oil changed.
Andrew: I can’t help with the teeth but I could change your oil. Save you a few bucks.
Lauren: You know how to do that?
Andrew: Of course.
Lauren: Impressive. The appointment is all set up but I’ll remember that for next time.
She likely didn’t realize that meant they’d still need to be in touch several months down the road…but luckily for her, Andrew fully intended for that to be the case.
Andrew: Should I meet you at the hospital on Saturday?
Lauren: Where do you live?
Andrew: River Market.
Lauren: You’re close to the hospital. I guess I could pick you up on my way.
Andrew was surprised by the offer, but sure as hell wouldn’t decline it. He texted his address and said he’d see her Saturday. Jeni’s dry comment came as he hit the send button. “Get that ridiculous smile off your face. You look like a fool.”
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