by Jeremy Asher
Her father’s hand on hers jarred her back to reality. “So, Dad, as I was saying. I’m coming to your next doctor’s appointment, okay?” She gave him her I-won’t-take-no-for-an-answer look.
“Doesn’t sound like you’re giving me much of a choice,” Stanley replied. He turned his gaze back to Jesse. “So tell me about your pet store.”
Jesse leaned back against the railing of the gazebo. “It’s small. We mainly sell supplies and a few animals.”
“Sounds nice.”
“My Uncle August’s dream was to open his own business. My Aunt Sherry loves animals, so it wasn’t difficult to sell her on the idea.” Jesse paused and ran a hand through his hair. “Ever since my uncle passed away, it’s just been me and my brother, Robbie, running the place. Aunt Sherry doesn’t involve herself with the details of the business.”
“That’s where I ran into him,” Sarah chimed in.
“Is that so?”
“Remember my lilies and the suggestion you made about earthworms? I went to the pet store to purchase a few and I was nearly attacked by a giant spider. So when Jesse says that they sell common pets, they’re not all common.”
Stanley’s eyes widened. “You sell spiders?”
“Yes. Actually, they’re one of our biggest sellers. People seem to love tarantulas,” Jesse replied.
Stanley laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Sarah asked.
“I wish I could have been there when the spider attacked you. You’ve never liked spiders.”
Jesse joined him in laughter. “The worst part was that she ended up knocking a bag of dog food off of a shelf and onto my head.”
Stanley’s laughter grew more intense—then turned into a cough.
“Are you okay?” Sarah placed a hand on his back.
“Yes,” he said, still choking. “I think I’m coming down with a cold.”
An uncomfortable pit formed at the bottom of Sarah’s stomach. Every time he coughed, sneezed, or said he was tired, the situation hit her all over again. She already didn’t like how her father looked and she definitely didn’t like the sound of his cough. And she had a feeling that he wasn’t being totally honest about his health. She wanted to force him to tell her everything, but she knew that with Jesse here, she would only embarrass him—and anyway, he wouldn’t tell her. After all, he didn’t want to be a burden. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“Everything’s fine. I already told you, I’m coming down with a cold.” Impatience rang in his voice. When his cough ceased, he looked into Sarah’s eyes and a soft smile formed on his face.
“This place really is beautiful,” Jesse said, taking another look around.
Stanley stood up and walked over to him. “It’s a passion of mine. One I wished I would have done more with.”
“How’s that?” Jesse asked. “Looks like you’ve done a lot with it already.”
“I spent most of my life in an office. I often found myself staring through my office window wanting to be outside more than I wanted to be behind a desk.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I just never had the courage to do something about it.”
“I see. What would you have done differently?”
“What we’re doing now,” he answered, looking back at Sarah.
Sarah could see the vision of their nursery forming in her father’s eyes as he spoke to Jesse. In the last two years with Kevin, she had never seen her dad connect with him the way he seemed to with Jesse. If she didn’t know better, she would have guessed that they’d known each other for years. Of course, she couldn’t imagine anyone not liking Jesse. His personable demeanor and easy-on-the-eyes looks drew people like bees to honey.
“That does sound good,” Jesse said.
“What about you?” Stanley asked. “Have you always wanted to own and run a pet store?”
Jesse smiled as he looked back out into the garden. “Not exactly. I mean, I can’t complain. There are a lot of things about it that I do enjoy, but…”
“But what?” Stanley prompted.
“I don’t know. I, too, find myself staring outside the window. When I see the large skyscrapers and buildings, like the Hancock and the Drake, I can’t help but think about how incredible it must feel to have been a part of building something so magnificent, so monumental.” Jesse paused. “Sounds crazy, I’m sure.”
“No. It sounds more like passion.” Stanley patted Jesse’s chest. “Hold on to that passion. Chase it. And someday you’ll be building something great with it.”
The corners of Jesse lips curved into his typical crooked smile, and in that moment Sarah felt something flutter inside her heart she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Stanley turned to Sarah. “Well, I guess you two are probably anxious to get to your next stop by now.”
“Yeah, we should probably get going.” As much as Sarah hated to leave her father, she thought it would be better for him to get some rest. “You ready?” she asked Jesse.
“Sure,” he replied. “It was a pleasure meeting you,” he said, offering his hand to Stanley.
They shook. Stanley said, “It was a pleasure finally meeting you.” Then he walked over to Sarah and gave her another hug. “I love you, sweetheart.”
Sarah held on tight. This man had only a finite amount of hugs left. “I love you.”
Chapter 15
Jesse
Jesse offered to let Sarah drive, but she declined. The streets seemed quiet for a Chicago night. Lights from nearby buildings illuminated Sarah’s face to a soft glow. She twirled a few strands of hair as she stared out the passenger window. Jesse had a feeling that her sudden loss for words had something to do with her father.
Before firing up the truck, Jesse asked, “So where are we going?”
She looked at him and flashed the tiniest of smiles. “Can you just drive me home? I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood to go out right now.”
“Everything okay?” Jesse asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied, still staring out the window.
Jesse thought about her father and how close they seemed to be. It reminded him of his mother. Sure, he felt loved every time his aunt gave him a hug, but it still wasn’t the same. Hugs were funny that way. With a friend, they felt as warm as a hello, but with his mother, he could feel love pouring from her arms and into him. He’d been ten years without that feeling.
“You guys seem very close.”
“Hmm?”
“You and your father seem very close.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty much all we have. Ever since my mother left.”
Jesse knew about her brother and he knew about her father, but until now Sarah hadn’t mentioned her mother. “Did they get a divorce?”
“Sort of. She left us when I was fourteen.”
“Did they not get along?”
Sarah didn’t say anything at first. Her fingers weaved the same lock of hair between her fingers, like someone crocheting a blanket out of yarn. “Things were different after my brother passed away. Things just…fell apart.”
Jesse remembered how hard it was when he lost his mother, and losing his uncle hadn’t been any easier. “It must have been tough, especially at fourteen.”
Sarah’s eyes fell into her lap. “It was my father’s birthday. I came downstairs to help my mother prepare his favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy. It’s something we had done for him ever since I was a little girl.” She paused and looked at Jesse. “I found my father, crying at the kitchen table, holding a letter that she had left him.”
Jesse waited. When Sarah said nothing more, he said, “I’m sorry.”
A forced smile crossed her lips. “Funny,” she said. “That’s exactly what her letter said.”
Jesse couldn’t imagine what that must have been like. To wake and find your mother gone and a letter that just said, I’m sorry. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” she said, releasing her hair. “I think she blam
ed me.”
“For what?”
“For Henry’s death.”
Just when he thought the story couldn’t get any worse. How could her mother blame Sarah for something as awful as Henry’s death? This entire time he had seen her talk so positively about the plant nursery; never did he see the weight she had been carrying inside of her heart. How could she hide something so devastating so well?
Although he didn’t know the story of how Henry had died, he knew Sarah could in no way be at fault for it. He pulled his truck into a vacant parking lot. When Sarah looked at him, he grabbed her hand. “You do know that it’s not your fault, right?”
Lights from passing traffic revealed the tears welling in her eyes. Her hand tightened on his. “It was a long time ago. I was so young. And he…” Tears ran down her cheeks.
He wanted to take away her pain. “You don’t have to say anything.”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “My father’s the only one who believes me.”
“I believe you, Sarah. Whatever it is, I believe you.”
She looked into Jesse’s eyes and Jesse felt them draw him in like they had ten years ago beneath the willow tree. “Jesse?”
“Yes?”
“I’m so scared.”
“How much time does your father have?”
“Months, weeks, days. Nobody knows for sure.” Her hand squeezed tighter. “He’s my father, Jess. I can’t lose him.”
The image of the last time he had seen his mother popped into his mind. And for some reason, as if he somehow knew it would be the last time he’d ever see her alive, the memory remained as vivid as if he were watching it from a recorded video. Her smile moved from her lips to her eyes, like sunshine spreading across a field of wheat. Her long brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. The smell of laundry soap from her job. The way she gently pushed away the hair on his forehead to give him a kiss. It was as if she were there now, kissing his forehead, loving him. He missed her terribly.
The thought of Sarah about to lose what he had lost tore him up inside. He wanted to bring her into his arms, make her feel safe and loved. He yearned to shield her, protect her from the inevitable bomb she was about to be hit with. “You’ll never lose him, Sarah. He will always be with you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on his hand. His heart ached for her. He couldn’t take it anymore. He brought her into his arms and held her while she cried.
Then he saw her ringless finger and realized just why she was getting married so soon, setting up the nursery so fast. She was losing a race against time.
Chapter 16
Robbie
Robbie froze as headlights from a passing car lit up the inside of Ernie Montico’s van.
“You need to relax, champ.” Ernie’s smile brought no relief. “This isn’t like last time. You’re not goin’ to get caught.”
His reassuring words brought no relief either. Robbie looked around Ernie’s van. The same van he had sat in just before he got popped and spent two years in prison, and the last place he wanted to go back to. Ernie sat in the driver’s seat, with his silent partner, Randy, riding shotgun. The man never said more than two words at a time and never left Ernie’s side. Robbie sat in the back, smearing dark paint on his face to keep from being seen or recognized. Next to him sat Fatso. His curly black hair and greasy face made him about as attractive as his personality. And he carried about a hundred too many pounds that he blamed on a thyroid issue, although Robbie suspected it had something to do with all of the Big Macs he had seen him eating. “What’s so different about this time?”
“Look at you. A little time made you skittish.” He turned to Randy, who just gave him a nod. “Listen, Robbie. This is easy money. We’ve learned a few things since the last time you worked with us.”
“Really? Like what?” The rock in Robbie’s stomach felt sharp and jagged.
“Randy’s spent the last week casing this joint. We know the exact schedule of Old Man Neeter. That mean old bastard has a routine like a lifer in a federal prison.”
Robbie’s fingers curled into a fist.
“No offense, Robbie.” Ernie turned back toward the store and then looked at his watch. “The old man should be locking up anytime now.”
The worn sign read NEETER’S ELECTRONICS. It flickered as if about to burn out completely at any moment. And then it did. Shortly after, Mr. Neeter opened the door and locked up before leaving. The man was well known for his high-end electronics business. TVs, stereos, surround sound systems, and some appliances.
“What are we doing here?” Robbie asked. “There can’t be much cash in there. Most people buying this stuff don’t carry that much with them. They usually use credit cards and personal checks.”
“We’re not here for cash.” Randy’s deep voice rang through the quiet van and hung in the air.
“Then what are we here for?”
“Money isn’t the only currency. You’d be surprised at what people would pay for a 50 inch television on the street.” A menacing smile crossed Ernie’s face.
“Are you crazy?” Robbie asked. “TVs have serial numbers that can be traced when stolen. This is way too risky. Where would you even unload them?”
“I know a guy,” Ernie replied.
“Looks like someone’s having second thoughts.” Fatso pulled a Snickers from his pocket and peeled it open like a banana. “What’s the matter, Robbie? You scared?”
“It doesn’t take fear to know that this is stupid.” Robbie thought about the last time he had gotten caught. The disapproving look Jesse gave him. The devastated look in Aunt Sherry’s eyes. He couldn’t go through that again. “You know what? I can’t do this.” He started to sit up when Fatso grabbed his arm.
Robbie looked him in his greasy face. “You take your hand off of me, Fatso, or else I’ll find another place to stick that candy bar.”
Fatso looked at Ernie, who had pulled out a shiny six-shooter. “I think you oughta sit down, Robbie.”
Robbie’s heart quickened. It had been a long time since anyone had pulled a gun on him, and even then it didn’t end well. “So this is how it’s gonna be.”
“Robbie. I love you like a brother. But I can’t have you bailing on us now. We’re a team here. I need to be the look-out; I’m the wheels, which leaves two guys to do the lifting. If you bail, then I’ll have to leave half the merchandise here, which isn’t exactly good business.” He lowered the gun and smiled. “Besides, I can’t exactly have you knowing and not participating. It makes us…nervous. I’m sure you can appreciate that.”
Robbie should’ve known they’d never let him out at this point. That’d make him too much of a liability. Liabilities were usually problems that had to be dealt with quietly and swiftly. He sat down and thought of a way out of his situation.
“You’re goin’ to have to trust me, man. Everything’s gonna be fine. An hour from now you’ll be $5,000 richer.”
$5,000 was a lot of money. More than Robbie could make in a month at the pet shop—heck, in three months. He thought of the moment when Felicia had told him that she was pregnant. How excited and scared she looked. He had to do something, but what if he ended up in prison? How would he be there for her and the baby then?
Fatso finished his candy bar and balled up the wrapper before tossing it onto the floor. “He’s gone.”
Ernie turned around. “All right, guys. It’s now or never. The alarm system has sensors on the front and back doors and downstairs windows.”
“So how are we gettin’ in?” Robbie asked.
“Now you’re talkin’, champ. We’re goin’ in through the alley window on the second floor. The fire escape is out of commission, so you’ll have to use the van as a boost. We’ll drive to the back, where you’ll load the merchandise. Make sure you have everything piled in. Once we open that door and the alarm goes off, we’ll have about four minutes before the cops get here.”
The rock in Robbie’s stomach grew. He stared
at the alley, trying to determine how far he would get before Ernie opened fire. That was if he even took the shot. If he did, the noise alone would cause them to take off without any merchandise.
Ernie pulled into the alley and Randy stepped out of the van. Fatso looked at Robbie and slid the side door open. “Time to get to work,” he said, climbing out. Robbie felt the van rise a few inches. Fatso nodded to Ernie before disappearing around to the front of the store.
Robbie still sat in his seat, wishing he hadn’t called Ernie, wishing he hadn’t decided to come here in the first place.
Ernie turned around and looked at Robbie. “You can do this, champ.” He pulled out the shiny gun. “I have faith in you.”
Chapter 17
Jesse
By the time Sarah stopped crying, a storm cut through the night, a bolt of lightning arcing across the sky. “I didn’t realize it was supposed to storm tonight,” Jesse said.
“Me neither,” said Sarah, wiping away her tears with a tissue from Jesse’s glove box. “I’m really sorry about this. I doubt this is what you had in mind when you agreed to help with the greenhouse.”
“It’s fine, really. I understand.”
She looked him in the eyes. “Something tells me that you really do.”
His gaze turned up toward the sky, watching as lightning bounced like bullets ricocheting off invisible walls. “I should probably get you home before this thing cuts loose.”
“Yeah, I should probably call it a night.”
“So what was your idea for tonight anyways?”
“Oh, it was silly,” Sarah said, waving a dismissive hand.
“You can tell me.”
“Speed dating.” She flashed a faint smile, almost as if she was afraid of his reaction.
