by J. P. Grider
Norah bit her lip.
Carter looked at Noah.
“He’s okay. He’s okay.” Noah tried to convince them, but it seemed to Lorraine that he was trying hard to believe it himself.
CHAPTER TWELVE
After several phone calls to friends, police, and hospitals, Lorraine’s grandmother decided to pray for her husband to be all right. “I’ve tried everyone. No one’s seen or heard from him.”
“What are we gonna do?” Lorraine asked.
“I’m gonna go to bed and pray. I’ll make more phone calls in the morning. The condo office isn’t open until eight, so I can’t even call them to check on him.”
“There’s no one else who can check?” Noah asked. “A neighbor?”
“I tried calling. No answer. The friend I did get in touch with doesn’t live in the condo and can’t get in without a key.” Mimi sighed. “I’ll try in the morning.” She wiped her tears and left the room. Since Carter and Norah already went to their rooms, Noah and Lorraine were left alone in the kitchen. This made Noah surprisingly nervous.
“I’m sure he’s okay, Lorraine,” he felt the need to say.
She didn’t respond; she just sat there at the table with her head in her hand.
Noah went to the cabinet where he’d found the blackberry brandy earlier and pulled it out. “Want some?”
Lorraine lifted her head. “My mother’s brandy?”
“Oh. I didn’t know.” He moved to put it back, but Lorraine stopped him.
“No. It’s fine. Appropriate really.” She half-smiled. It was a pretty half-smile. “Anytime Mom was upset about something, she’d pull out a bottle.”
“Is that why there are a half-dozen pints in the cabinet?”
Lorraine laughed. “Guess so. I hadn’t realized she had so many.”
Noah took out a second bottle, placed it in front of Lorraine, and sat down at the table. He opened his bottle and held it up. “To your mom.”
Lorraine held up her open bottle and said, “To your dad.”
“Don’t bother.”
“What is it you have against your father?”
Noah took a few swigs and responded with a raised brow. “It’d take all night.”
After a few swallows herself, Lorraine said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
This time, Noah responded with two raised brows. “Not sure I want to get into it, but if you’re not tired, wanna go next door? Kinda wanna get into some sweats.”
“Oh. Yeah. I didn’t wanna keep you. I’m sorry.” Lorraine put the cap back on the bottle.
Noah took another swig before he said, “No. Lorraine. You’re not keeping me. I’m inviting you. Unless you’re tired.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Not tired.”
Noah capped his bottle, tapped the table, and crooked his neck in the direction of the back door. “Come on.”
Noah had no idea why he just invited Lorraine to his apartment. He was already regretting it as he led the way. He couldn’t afford to form attachments, especially not with Brick’s stepdaughter. But he brought her to the couch despite his apprehensions, excused himself while he changed, then sat down on the couch next to her so they could continue to drink their brandy. But since suddenly Noah felt an awkward air between them, he blurted, “If I had any movies, I’d say we can watch one, but,” he pointed to the TV and DVR, “I don’t.”
“You have one.” Lorraine interrupted and got up. Pulling a DVD out of the TV cabinet, she held it up. “It’s unopened, but you got one.”
Noah took the movie from Lorraine’s extended hand. “Angels in the Outfield?” Why in the world?
“It’s been here the whole time.” Lorraine sat down again. “I was looking for something to watch one night and, well, yeah.”
Noah was still looking at the DVD cover.
“Is everything all right?” Lorraine asked.
Noah turned to look at Lorraine. “We used to watch this every Saturday morning.”
“Who?”
“My dad and I.”
“Every Saturday?”
Noah returned his attention to the DVD. “I was a creature of habit, and he had time for me on Saturday mornings.” He looked back at Lorraine. “Who put this here?”
“I imagine Brick did. Why?”
Noah shook his head. “No reason.” He placed the DVD on the end table and took another drink. His cell phone was vibrating in his pocket, but he ignored it.
“Is that your phone?”
“You can hear that?”
“You should answer it. It may be about my grandpa.”
“Oh yeah.” He took out the phone and saw the caller id. Sofia. “It’s not.” He put his phone on top of the movie.
“So, you gonna tell me your problem with Brick?”
Noah smirked. “Nah. We’ll save that for another day.”
“How long you staying?”
“Tomorrow after the funeral.”
Lorraine sat up straight. “So soon?”
“We’re right in the middle of wrestling season.”
Lorraine bit her lip and nodded.
“Norah should be okay, right?”
“Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” Lorraine sipped more brandy, then leaned her head back against the couch.
Noah went to take another drink, but was surprised to find his bottle empty. “Whoa. This is gonna hit me hard.” He held up the bottle to Lorraine.
“Wow.” She looked at her bottle. It was half gone. “Want mine?”
“Nah. Not supposed to drink too much during the season.”
“Why? Gotta keep focused?”
“Gotta make weight.”
“What’s your weight class?”
“One fifty-seven.”
She scrunched up her eyebrows. Damn, she was cute. “How tall are you?”
“Five nine. Kinda short.”
“That’s tall to me. I’m only four eleven.” Her eyes drifted closed.
“You’re a peanut.”
She giggled. She was buzzed; Noah could tell. Both of them were now leaning their heads back, but they were turned toward each other. “Why were you such a jerk yesterday.”
He looked straight into her eyes. “I’m a jerk every day, Rainy.”
She smiled and lazily shook her head. “No. Jerks don’t do what you did today.”
Noah couldn’t speak. He was thrown back to this afternoon, Lorraine coming apart in his arms, he, trying hard not to break with her. He swallowed, but he couldn’t speak.
Her eyes were wide open now, waiting for a response. His eyes were glued to hers, wondering if he should kiss her.
“You’re not a jerk,” Lorraine repeated, her voice softer, her eyes serious.
Noah slid his hand across the couch. Lorraine’s hand crept toward his. When their fingers touched, Noah closed his hand around hers. Their eyes never lost contact.
“You shouldn’t have been alone today.” He paused. “When you saw her for the first time. Lying there. You shouldn’t have been alone.”
Lorraine didn’t acknowledge his words at first, she just kept looking into his eyes. But after an intensely silent minute or two, she whispered, “Were you alone?”
He barely nodded.
Lorraine turned her hand and squeezed his. “You shouldn’t have been.”
Without breaking eye contact, Noah leaned in closer and tugged her hand so she’d move in towards him. But just as she did, Noah’s phone vibrated again. “Is that about my grandfather?” Lorraine sat up, the mood now broken.
Noah picked up his phone and put it right back down. Sofia again. “No. Sorry.”
Lorraine sat back again, the brandy still in her hand, and took a sip. Noah took the bottle from her hand and threw a gulp back. “Didn’t you finish a whole bottle already?” Her eyes were drifting closed again.
Noah’s own eyes were heavy. “My bottle wasn’t full, remember? I had some this morning.” He lifted Lorraine’s bandaged hand. “About the time you did this
.”
She let him continue holding her hand.
“So, your last name’s Mattina?” he asked.
“Yeah, so?” she mumbled, her body leaning in towards him.
“In Italian, Mattina means morning.” He let go of her hand and cupped his hand around the side of her neck, running his thumb along her cheek.
She closed her eyes at his touch.
Slowly, Noah said, “So, theoretically, your name is Rainy Morning.” He traced her ear with his finger.
Lorraine opened her eyes to say, “Figures. Nothing but gray skies and black clouds.”
He ran his finger along her busted nose and the space around her black and blue eyes. “I like rainy mornings.”
Noah thought Lorraine had the most beautiful smile, even though, at that moment, it was a sad, probably drunken, smile. He draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Lorraine rested her head on his shoulder. “Why were you such a jerk yesterday?”
His eyes drifting closed, his fingers running through her long dark hair, he said, “Told you, Rain, I’m a jerk every day. Today was an exception.”
“Why are you then?”
“A jerk?” He kissed the top of her head. “Shhh. It’s not important.”
***
Noah woke to the sound of the knock on his door. Lorraine was asleep on his lap. Headache, his first thought. Lorraine, his second. The knocking continued. “One second,” he shouted to whomever was behind the door. “Lorraine,” he whispered, gently tapping her shoulder. “Lorraine.”
“Hmmm?”
“Rain. You need to get up.”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him as if she didn’t know where she was.
Noah smiled at her pretty face. “Hey, hazel-eyes, you need to get up. Someone’s at the door.”
“Oh.” Lorraine shook her head and sat up, finally realizing her whereabouts. “Oh. My grandfather.”
Noah got up to answer the impatient person still knocking on the door. “One second,” he said again, as he turned to get one last look at Lorraine, who was finger-combing her hair. “You look fine,” he mouthed, then opened the door.
“Noah. I’ve been calling all night.”
“Sofia. What? Why?”
Sofia side-stepped Noah and walked right in. “I didn’t believe you when you said you wanted to be alone. All I could think about was after your mom—”
“Sof.” He needed to stop her from talking. “I’m fine. Stop. I’m fine.” He looked at Lorraine. Her wide eyes were staring back. “I’m fine,” he said to Lorraine, in case she’d heard the story from Brick.
“Hey. Lorraine, right?” Sofia asked. “You mind giving me a moment with your brother?”
Lorraine stood and headed toward them. “He’s not my brother.” She looked at Noah, who cringed at the brother reference. “I’m going to see if she heard from my grandfather.”
Noah nodded. “Come back and let me know.” He let his eyes linger on Lorraine as she walked away.
Sofia moved in front of him and shut the door. “Noah. Why didn’t you answer your phone all night?”
“I was sleeping, Sof. I’m fine.”
“You’re really going back today?”
He wanted to sit down, his head felt kind of loopy, but he didn’t want to give Sofia the impression she could stay. “Yeah. I’m leaving right after the funeral. I have a meet. Coach wants me back.”
“Your father just died, No. He has to understand.”
“Yeah, well, you know how I feel about my father. I’m ready to go back.” Besides, he was forming an attachment here, which needed to be severed as soon as possible.
“Can’t we spend a little time together first?”
“No. Sorry, Sof. I gotta get back. And right now, I gotta get ready for the funeral. Thanks for coming though.”
She swung her arms around him and kissed him. The door opened. Noah, who would have broken the kiss right away anyway, tore his lips from Sofia’s. “Lorraine.”
Lorraine hesitated, then said, “They found him on the floor in his bathroom.”
He peeled Sofia’s arms off of him and went to Lorraine. “He’s not—”
“No. They don’t know what happened. He was disoriented. Mimi’s friend’s gonna call after they get to the hospital and see what’s going on.” She dropped her head and said, “You wanted to know, so—”
“Yeah.” He took Lorraine’s wrist. “I’ll be right in.”
After Lorraine left, Noah turned back to Sofia. “You have to leave, Sof. There’s just too much going on.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Thanks for coming though. Really.” He kissed her cheek. “Bye, Sofia.”
“Bye, No.”
***
Lorraine was disappointed. She should have waited until Noah came into the house to tell him. She knew she was going to find him in Sofia’s arms, but she had to see for herself. Of course Noah wouldn’t be into Lorraine. Sofia was tall, dark, and sexy. Lorraine was short, mousy, and barely cute. It was the brandy that made him pay attention to her last night. Or it was the brandy that caused her to misread his signs. Either way, she was stupid to think Noah was attracted to her. Besides, he was technically her stepbrother and eww, right?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Noah stayed with Norah through all of the funeral. One, she was the whole reason he was there in the first place, two, there was some dude sitting next to Lorraine, and they looked pretty damn close, which brought him to three. He needed to distance himself from Lorraine. He wasn’t supposed to feel things, and being with her made him feel. Especially when he’d added brandy to the mix. The foundation to the walls he’d built had been weakened last night. Keeping away from Lorraine today would help to strengthen it. Besides, Norah needed him. Not because she was so sad about her father dying, but because she wasn't. Noah hadn't seen his sister shed one tear yet, even though she told him she had.
On the limo ride back to The Brownstone House, where Noah’s bike was waiting because he was not going to join them at the repast, Noah spoke quietly with Norah. He was hoping Lorraine, Carter, and Mimi were too engrossed in conversation about their grandfather that they couldn’t hear him. “You okay, Nor? You’ve been really quiet.”
“Not much to say.”
“Haven’t seen you cry either.”
“And you have?”
“No, but that’s different. My relationship with Brick was pretty much non-existent.”
“You think mine was any different?”
“Wasn’t it?” Noah was confused; Brick always took care of Norah.
“No. I mean, he was nice. Gave me things, but we never even had a real conversation. I don’t think he knew how to talk to me.”
“Really?” Noah was surprised. He’d certainly had conversations with his father. They may have ended in arguments, but they talked. At least they had before their mother died.
“He’s a guy. He’s like you, No.”
“Oh.” Noah didn’t know how to respond to that. “So, you’re not sad?”
“Yes, I’m sad. And I have cried Noah. I told you that. I just don’t like crying in front of a bunch of people. Besides, it’s not like it was when Mom died.”
“No. It’s not.” Noah had to agree. Thier mom was their everything. Sweet. Nurturing. The all-American mother involved in all aspects of their lives. Brick on the other hand was always working. “So, you gonna be okay after I leave?”
“I guess. I’m worried, though.”
“‘Bout what?”
Norah looked over at Mimi, then leaned in to Noah. “What if Mimi doesn’t want me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not her real granddaughter. What if she doesn’t want me living with them?”
“Oh.” Noah hadn’t thought of that. “Shit.”
“Did you know Aunt Margaret wants me to come live with them?”
“What? When did she say that?”
“She told me last night. She said s
he was going to talk to Mimi, but Noah, I don’t want to live with her. I hardly know her. And she lives in Branford, wherever the heck that is.”
“It’s in Connecticut. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Lorraine’s grandmother.” Shit. Noah knew nothing about the legal aspects of custody issues. He couldn’t deal with this right now though; he had to head back, and Mimi had a repast to attend.
“Good. ‘Cause I do not want to leave Rainy.”
“Yeah? She’s good to you?”
“Oh yeah.” Both of them looked over at Lorraine at the same time Lorraine looked at them.
“What?” Lorraine asked.
“Nothing,” Noah said.
“Nothing,” Lorraine repeated.
“You okay?” Mimi asked all three.
While Norah nodded, Noah asked, “Have you heard anything new about your husband?”
“No.” Mimi looked at her granddaughter. “No one called your phone, right?”
“No.”
“He’ll be okay,” Mimi reassured them. “Let’s just get through today. You sure you can’t stay, Noah?”
“Yeah. My coach has been calling. We have an important meet coming up. We leave tomorrow.”
“Okay. Check back in with us, all right?”
“Sure.”
***
Lorraine, Carter, and Norah sat at the kitchen table while Mimi listened to the doctor on the other end of the phone. Every so often, they’d overhear a word or two come from Mimi. She purposely spoke on the phone in the small den off the kitchen so the kids couldn’t listen, but Lorraine kind of thought that if Mimi really didn’t want her grandkids to eavesdrop, she’d have taken the call upstairs. Maybe Mimi needed the moral support.
Lorraine was tired and couldn’t wait to go to sleep. This day needed to end. But she also needed to know about her grandfather. Why wasn’t their family given a break? Their parents just died, their grandfather had to be in the hospital now too? Like her grandmother could handle all this at once? Lorraine was worried about her. Also about Carter; he hardly spoke to Lorraine, except for last night at the wake. The only reason he was sitting at the table now was to stuff his face with leftovers from yesterday afternoon. She also worried about Norah; was she sad? Was she okay? Lorraine was tired of worrying.
