A Future to Fight For

by Mindy Obenhaus

  “I can’t leave you to do the cleanup alone.”

  “Both families have already said they would help, so I’ll be fine.”

  He didn’t want to leave her. On the contrary, he still wanted her in his arms on the dance floor. But then, who knew what would happen. He’d almost kissed her. He’d wanted to. Still wanted to. And that wasn’t like him.

  But then, Paisley was unlike any woman he’d ever met. Leaving his heart and his brain in a big ol’ tug-of-war. And at this moment, he wasn’t sure which one would win.

  Chapter Eleven

  Paisley’s phone vibrated next to her on the bed Sunday afternoon, rousing her from a much-needed nap, one beset with dreams of being held in Crockett’s arms and giving in to his kiss. Meaning whoever was on the other end of the phone line had her utmost gratitude.

  Rolling over, she lifted the phone to see her parents’ image on the screen. Unease rose inside of her, but she answered anyway. “Hello.” She flopped back on the pillow.

  “Hi, sweet pea!”

  “Hi, Mama.”

  “How are you, peanut?”

  “I’m doing well, Daddy.”

  “You don’t sound like you’re doing well. Ralph, she doesn’t sound well, does she?” Leave it to Barbara June Cummings to read something into nothing. “Are you sad, sweet pea? You haven’t been cryin’, have you?” It had been five years since Peter and Logan went home to be with Jesus, yet her mother still thought Paisley was in mourning 24/7.

  “No, Mama. I was taking a nap.” Swinging her legs over the side of the queen-size bed, she sat up, brushing her hair away from her face.

  “Why?”

  “Because I was tired. I oversaw a wedding last night and got in late.”

  “Did you go to church?”

  “Yes, Mama. I teach Sunday school, remember?” She fought the urge to pull one of Mackenzie’s eye rolls. “Then I came straight home, ate a bite and lay down.”

  “Oh.” Why did her mother have to sound so disappointed? As if it was wrong for Paisley to have a life.

  “Barbara June, stop interrogating the poor girl.” Paisley couldn’t help but smile. Her father had always been eager to come to her defense. No wonder he was her original knight in shining armor. “Paisley, I promise you that is not why we called.”

  As if every other phone call didn’t start out in a similar manner. “What’s going on with y’all?”

  “We’re fixin’ to go RVing again,” said her mother. “And we thought we’d make a swing through Texas so we could stop by and see Y-O-U.”

  Try as she might, Paisley couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for the announcement. Ever since Peter and Logan’s deaths, her parents, particularly her mother, had perpetually pitied her, as though Paisley was helpless to live without them. Mama’s constant doting and placating were why Paisley moved to Texas. Yes, she’d gone through the grieving process like any wife and mother would, but it wasn’t her heartache that kept her from moving forward in Georgia. It was her parents.

  “I know how y’all love to travel.” Standing, she slid the louvers on the plantation shutters open, the bright sun making her squint.

  “Well, peanut, this country of ours is far too big to cover in one trip.”

  Perhaps they wouldn’t stay long, then. “When should I expect you?”

  “Wednesday afternoon,” said Mama. “Now, I don’t want you to go making a big fuss. We can sleep in the RV and do our own cookin’.”

  With a shake of her head, Paisley said, “Mama, you know you raised me better than that. I may not kill the fattened calf, but I do live in a bed-and-breakfast so there’s no need to sleep elsewhere.”

  “Are you sure, sweet pea?”

  She tucked her phone between her shoulder and ear, grabbed the throw from the bed and folded it. “If I came to visit you in an RV, where would you expect me to sleep, Mama?”

  “In your old room, of course.”

  “So why should you visiting me be any different?” She set the throw aside.

  “Now, there’s no need to get testy, young lady.”

  If they thought she was testy now, just wait until she’d had twenty-four hours with them. “I can’t wait to show y’all the castle.”

  “I reckon that’s been keepin’ you busy, huh?” Again with the disappointment. Why couldn’t her mother just be happy for her?

  “Things are finally gettin’ rolling.” She wasn’t about to mention the flood. That could wait.

  A beep alerted her to another call. Looking at the screen, she saw Crockett’s name. Without the slightest hesitation she said, “My business partner is calling so I need to let y’all go. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

  “All right, bye, sweet pea.”

  “Bye, peanut.”

  “Drive safe.”

  Since when do you dream about kissing a business partner? her conscience prodded as she switched calls.

  “Hello.”

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  She quickly tamped down the unwanted thrill his concern elicited. “No, my parents had that honor. Looks like they’re going to be paying me a visit. They said they’d be here Wednesday.”

  “I get the feeling you’re not too happy about that.”

  “I’ll be all right. They just frustrate me sometimes.” Wandering out of her room and toward the kitchen where there was a slice of wedding cake with her name on it, she did her best to keep things light. “So what’s up?”

  “I promised the kids La Familia for dinner, and they begged me to invite you to join us.”

  In that moment, her hesitation wasn’t only because of Crockett. All the time she’d spent with him and his children this past week reminded her how much she missed having a family. Add to that Mackenzie’s desire to know if Paisley liked her dad, and she suddenly found herself wondering if she shouldn’t back off a bit and limit her time with them.

  Then again, if she did that, Mackenzie would have no adult female influence in her life. No one she felt comfortable talking to about girl things. She’d be a teenager soon, and it was better for her to get advice from an adult she trusted rather than her peers. Still...

  “Crockett, I—”

  “Please don’t say no. Otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it, and I won’t be able to enjoy my dinner.”

  She chuckled, her reasoning evaporating quicker than a drop of rain on a hot July day. “Yes, I can totally see that. What time should I meet you there?”

  “Six o’clock okay?”

  Glancing at the clock on the microwave, she noted it was four thirty-five. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

  Doubt encroached as she ended the call. Had she done the right thing in agreeing to have dinner with them? She had such a soft spot for Mackenzie and David, but she was walking a fine line between friendship and maternal instincts.

  And then there was Crockett. Had he really been about to kiss her last night, or was she imagining things? Though the bigger question was, would she have kissed him back?

  As much as she hated to admit it, yes, she would have. Simply being held in his arms had triggered a sense of longing to be loved again. But longing didn’t equate to love. Yes, Crockett was a good man, but he wasn’t the man for her. Even if she was willing to travel down that road again, he wasn’t. His wounds had yet to heal, if they ever did, so she’d be wise to guard her heart.

  By the time she made it to the restaurant, she’d convinced herself that she and Crockett had simply been caught up in the euphoria of the wedding. There was nothing romantic between them. He had no interest in getting married again, and she definitely was not interested in a man with more issues than Time magazine. They were friends, nothing more.

  Over their meal, the kids laid out their plans for each of their parties in the barn.

  “Me and my friends could pla
y laser tag.” Elbow on the table, chin in his hand, David swirled a chip through the bowl of queso. “We’d need some stuff to hide behind, though.”

  Crockett’s fork dangled over his chicken-stuffed chile relleno. “Hay bales come to mind.”

  “Dad.” The boy rolled his eyes. Must be taking cues from his sister.

  While they waited on their tab, David looked at Paisley. “Do you have any board games?”

  “Why, yes, I do.” She set her napkin on the table. “My friends and I used to have game night three or four times a year. Though now that two of them are married, we don’t get together much.” And while she was over-the-moon happy for her friends, she missed those times.

  “Do you have Monopoly?”

  “I sure do. I have all the classics. Monopoly, Scrabble, Sorry!, Jenga, Yahtzee. Not to mention dominos and cards.”

  “Dad!” Mackenzie’s face lit up. “I just had a brilliant idea.” They all looked at her as she continued. “Why don’t we run by the store and get some ice cream, then we can go to Paisley’s to eat it and play a game.”

  “Mac—” Crockett glared at his daughter “—you have got to stop volunteering Paisley for things without checking with her first. She has a life, too, you know.”

  Her countenance fell as she peered up at Paisley with those dark eyes. “I’m sorry. I just got so excited hearing about all those games.”

  Paisley knew she should say no, but after being with the kids, going home to that big, empty house seemed rather unappealing at that moment. What would it hurt to play one game? And she was out of ice cream.

  She looked at Crockett. “I’m down for some ice cream if you are.”

  He looked at her skeptically. “You sure? You were out late last night.”

  “I took a nap this afternoon.”

  He was quiet for a long moment. Probably having the same reservations about spending time with her as she was with him. Then he said, “What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”

  * * *

  Sitting at Paisley’s kitchen table with a Sorry! game board stretched out in front of him an hour later, Crockett found himself wishing he hadn’t given in to his children’s whims. The fun and laughter they all enjoyed when they were with Paisley just felt so...right. And that was wrong.

  This was the sort of stuff families did. Paisley wasn’t family.

  Still, it was impossible to ignore the positive influence she had on his kids. Selflessness was instinctive for Paisley, much the way it had been for his grandmother. Mamaw was the only woman who had ever truly loved Crockett, and she expressed it in everything she did. From the molasses cookies she’d make just for him to the Bible stories she’d share while he helped her cook to the little notes of encouragement he’d find tucked in his suitcase after he went home.

  “Your turn, Dad.” Arms folded atop the wooden table, Mac watched him.

  He drew a card. “Five.” Moving his yellow game piece, he counted off the spaces. “We should probably call it quits after this round.”

  “Aw.” His children whined collectively.

  “Why?” Mac pouted.

  “Uh, because you were up till almost midnight yesterday and then had to wake up early this morning for church. After the busyness of these past few days, we could all use a good night’s rest.” Of course, if tonight was a repeat of last night, he wouldn’t be doing much sleeping. Not when he kept thinking about how perfectly Paisley fit in his arms.

  “Your dad and I have a meeting with our contractor at the castle tomorrow.” Paisley picked up her water glass. “And we need to return the tables and chairs from the wedding. We should do that before our meeting with Wes.”

  Crockett was well aware of the meeting. However, he’d forgotten about returning stuff to the church. If either the bride’s or groom’s family had a trailer, he would’ve left it up to them. But since they didn’t...

  He looked across the table to Paisley. “I can handle the tables and chairs. There’s no need for you to go.”

  “I don’t expect you to load them all by yourself.”

  “No big deal.” He lifted a shoulder. “Keeps me in shape.”

  “But it’s time-consuming. Besides, having the reception in the barn was my idea, so I can’t sit back and let you do all the heavy lifting.”

  “As if you sat on your laurels and did nothing. You worked your tail off.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be out at your place first thing tomorrow morning.” She looked at his son. “David, it’s your turn.”

  The last thing Crockett wanted was Paisley helping him. Not when she had a knack for making even the simplest of things fun. She’d introduced his kids to new adventures, everything from parties to picking wildflowers. Spending so much time with her had awakened something inside of Crockett. She’d given him a glimpse of the kind of life he’d once dreamed of, a life he’d planned to have with Shannon until Shannon decided he didn’t meet her standards. She’d never been interested in rolling up her sleeves to help him with a project or even enjoying a board game with her kids.

  “I need more ice cream.” He pushed away from the table and crossed to the island.

  The more he was with Paisley, the more he wanted to be with her. She made him long for the impossible. She was kind, beautiful, smart...

  But she’d never be interested in a broken-down lug like him. He’d built too many walls. Even if she knocked them down, she’d see nothing but scars, ugly ones that had left him disfigured and uncertain of what love really was.

  No wonder your own mother didn’t want you.

  Setting his bowl on the counter, he retrieved the rocky road from the freezer. As he reached for the ice cream scoop, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, surprised to see his stepmother’s name. Dad usually just put it on speaker so Crocket could talk to both of them.

  Curious, he set the phone to his ear. “Hello, Irene.”

  “Crockett, I’m at the hospital with your dad.”

  He froze. “What happened?”

  “He was working in the yard. When I went out to check on him I found him sitting on the patio, holding his chest and struggling to breathe, so I brought him to the ER. They don’t think it was a heart attack, but they did find some blockages so he’s going to have surgery to put in a couple of those stents.”

  “When?”

  “They’re prepping him right now.”

  “Now? Which hospital?”

  She gave him the info.

  “I’m on my way.” Ending the call, he said, “Mac, David, we gotta go.”

  Paisley pushed out of her chair and joined him as he returned the ice cream to the freezer. Concern pinched her pretty brow. “Is something wrong?”

  “My dad is in the hospital in Katy. It’s his heart.”

  “Is Grandaddy gonna be okay?” His daughter’s sad eyes peered up at him.

  “I hope so, sweetness. They’re going to put some stents in his heart, so that should help.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” Paisley wrapped an arm around David. “I could go with you in case you need me to sit with the kids, or they could stay here.”

  Instinct told him to say no, but at the same time, he didn’t know what to expect once he arrived at the hospital. What if they wouldn’t let the kids in to see his dad? Crockett didn’t like the idea of leaving them alone. But what if this was their last opportunity to see their grandfather? If something happened—

  Paisley took hold of his hand. “Crockett?”

  Feeling as though he’d fallen into some kind of wild dream, he looked from their joined hands to her face.

  “Go start the truck. I’ll grab my purse.” She’d made the decision for him.

  Squeezing her fingers, he said, “Thank you.”

  With his truck shrouded in darkness for most of the hour-and-a-half trip and the
radio playing low, the kids fell asleep in the back seat while memories and what-ifs ping-ponged through Crockett’s brain.

  What if Dad didn’t make it? Dale Devereaux had been the only constant in Crockett’s life. He’d sat with Crockett when he was sick, coached Little League, watched proudly when Crockett received his high school and college diplomas, waited at the hospital when Mac and David were born, and stood by Crockett during his divorce, even though it brought back memories of his own split with Crockett’s mother.

  “You okay?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Paisley watching him.

  “Just trying to convince myself that he’s going to be okay.”

  “Angioplasty is a very common procedure.”

  “I know.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s just...he’s always been so strong and healthy. What if I lose him?”

  Reaching across the console, she squeezed his forearm. “If and when that happens, you will go on, one step at a time.”

  One glance revealed a woman who wasn’t just spouting words, but a truth she’d had to put into practice for the past five years. Her husband would have been in his prime and her son, well, Crockett had no words for that. Yet they were gone in an instant.

  He laid his left hand over hers. “Paisley, I didn’t mean to—”

  “Don’t worry. You didn’t.”

  His kids woke up as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. He called Irene as they entered the hospital to find out where to go.

  “They’ll be taking him into surgery soon.”

  “Can I see him?”

  “I believe so. Let me check.” Muffled voices sifted through the line. “Yes, you can come up, Crockett.”

  He, Paisley and the kids took the elevator to the second floor, then Paisley stayed with the kids in the waiting room while he continued through the double doors.

  Irene waited outside his father’s door, her usual peaceful expression marked with concern.

  He hugged the woman with short, light brown hair streaked with only the slightest hint of gray. “How is he?”