Goody.
Mina closed her eyes and thumped the back of her head against the wall. “What did I do to deserve this?”
The hinges on the front screen door squeaked as it swung open. Oh god. He’s back.
“Well seeing this makes me feel a little better.”
Shit shit shit damn. Mina jumped up from the floor. “Oh God, Nancy. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, honey.” She looked around the room. “Don’t even worry about it. Looks like you got your hands full.”
Her stomach growled. Damn it. Why didn’t it do that an hour ago to remind her of their lunch date? “Don showed up.”
Nancy’s brow furrowed. “For what? Make sure you’re picking up trash correctly?” She snorted. “He’s just trying to figure out how to get a permit pulled to get in your pants.”
Just the thought of Don in her pants gave her the willies. “So not funny.”
Nancy laughed. “It’s hilarious actually. And you’ll let it slide since you forgot me.”
“I can’t believe I did that. I don’t know what’s been with me lately.”
“It’s really no big deal. I wanted to see your new project anyway and figured you were here, so I got it to go.” For the first time, Mina noticed Nancy had two white plastic bags slung over her wrists.
She stepped forward to help with the bags. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“I’m hoping it’s a lot because I have a favor to ask.”
Just then, Paul came through the doorway connecting the living room to the dining room, headed out the front door with an armful of garbage bags. He saw Nancy and stopped dead in his tracks, frozen.
Nancy gave him a small almost shy looking smile. “Hi Paul.”
Paul stood silently, staring at Nancy.
Nancy held up the bag left on her arm. “I brought Mina lunch and thought you might be here with her, so I asked Joe to give me something for you too.”
“Oh.”
Nancy flashed Paul a much bigger smile as she pulled a large foam box from the bag and held it out to him. “I didn’t ask what it was, he just said it was your favorite.”
He took the box. “Thank you. What do I owe you?”
“Oh, gosh. No. It’s my treat. A thank you for protecting my friend from the big bad building inspector.” She flashed that smile again.
“Um. Well, thank you.” He turned to Mina, an odd look on his face. “I, um. I gotta go, I have an appointment I forgot about. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He paused on his way out the door and looked back at Nancy. “Thanks again.” The door swung closed behind him and Mina looked at Nancy.
“What in the hell just happened?”
Nancy was already on the floor peeking into the remaining box she pulled from her bag. “What are you talking about?”
“Pretty sure you know what I’m talking about.”
Nancy ignored her, taking a big bite of her sandwich. “Oh man, this tuna is on point today. You better eat yours before it gets all soggy.”
“Yeah, this is just making it worse. What is with you and Paul?”
Nancy plunked her sandwich back in the box and finally looked up at Mina. “It’s complicated.”
After the way Paul reacted to Mike and now seeing them face to face, she imagined complicated didn’t begin to scratch the surface. “Yea, I kinda got that. Complicated how?”
“Just… we have a history, I guess.”
“A history.”
“Yes.”
Nancy was just as eager to talk about Paul as he had been about her. Something was up. Something interesting. Mina hoped her friend would be more forthcoming than her contractor, but obviously that wasn’t the case. She sighed. It would have been nice to think about someone else’s relationship issues for a change.
Plopping down beside Nancy, she opened her tray and inhaled half her sandwich before she remembered. “What’s the favor?”
Nancy popped the last bite of her sandwich in her mouth and shoved her box back in the bag. “He’s making me crazy.”
“Who? Paul?” Maybe Nancy wanted to talk about him after all.
“Thomas. I need you to go talk to him.”
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m not following. I need to talk to him, why?” She had talked to him. Then never heard from him again. Obviously he wasn’t that interested in what she had to say.
Nancy stood and pulled a black bag from the roll. “Are you just chucking everything?”
“Yeah.” Mina yanked a pair of gloves from her pocket and tossed them to her. “Why is it I need to talk to him?”
Nancy started loading the bag. “The day after you went to see him, he had a long talk with the doctors and somehow he has decided they told him he would never be… hell, I don’t really know what he thinks, but he’s acting like his life is over, like he’s never going to get any better than he is now.”
She started shoving trash in the bag faster. “He won’t take any pain pills. He barely moves and he’s being… he’s just being a huge pain in the ass.” She already had a bag filled. Tying it off, she stomped out the door before throwing it as hard as she could. The black bag bounced off the back wall of the dumpster before hitting the steel bottom with a thud.
“Wow that felt good. I’m think I’m gonna do another one.” She pulled another bag off the roll and started stuffing.
“He is freaking miserable and he’s making me miserable. I’ve tried to talk to him, his cousin’s tried talking to him and he’s just refusing to listen.”
Mina shoved her empty lunch box into the bag Nancy was filling at warp speed. Maybe she should just keep Nancy pissed until the house was empty. Pissed Nancy was productive. “What makes you think I can help?”
Nancy head was down, her arms flying. “He knows what you went through. Maybe you can give him some perspective.”
“That’s like apples and oranges. I don’t see how my experience would be relevant. There aren’t many similarities there.” That and the fact that seeing Thomas again would be the equivalent of poking a stick into her own eye.
“I just was thinking he might listen to someone who’s been through something terrible too.”
“You’ve been through something terrible.”
“I don’t count. I’m his mother. I know nothing.” Nancy finished filling the bag she was working on and tied it off.
“Just think about it. I was going to bring him dinner tonight, but maybe you could go instead. I’ll take the kids out for dinner or something.”
“Tonight?”
“He needs to start on physical therapy now or he will get worse and I can’t handle him now, I can only imagine if he got worse.” Nancy walked to Mina and grabbed her hands. “Please think about it. I think you would be really good for him.” She paused. “Talking to you I mean.”
Nancy was one heck of a mother. Only a mother could lay on a guilt trip like this.
They both knew she couldn’t say no. If Nancy only knew what she was really asking her to do. Could you please go over to my unbelievably beautiful son’s house and make him feel better?
Mina could think of more than a few ways to make him feel much better and she was sure none of them were what Nancy had in mind.
She blew out a breath. “I’ll go.” She had to. Nancy had successfully made her feel like there was simply no other option. Well played.
Nancy grabbed her into a tight hug. “Thank you so much. I’ll come get the kiddos and bring you his dinner at five.”
“Okay.” Mina felt like barfing, but she was positive the tuna sandwich she just finished tasted much better going down than it would coming back up.
Nancy let her go smiling brightly. “I gotta go. I’ll see you at five.” She grabbed her filled bag and gave Mina wave as she headed out the door, throwing the trash in the dumpster as she left.
Well, shit.
Mina looked at her watch. It was 2:00. She could work another hour before the kids were done with school. He
r eyes traveled from her wrist down to her hands.
Or she could go get a manicure so at least her nails would be pretty when she died of a panic attack.
She grabbed her purse off the floor and locked up the house before jumping in her van and heading for the nail salon.
Her mind was reeling as she drove through town. What was really going on with Thomas? He seemed okay when she saw him in the hospital. Why was he so upset now?
Nancy said he thought he would never get better, but from what she said after their meeting with the doctors, he would have to go through physical therapy and give it some time, but he would be okay. Maybe he knew something his mother didn’t.
If he told her, she wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret from Nancy. Then she would be caught in the middle with no good way out.
Mina pulled into a spot right in front of the shop and shut the van off. What in the heck had she agreed to? She took a minute to lean her head back, close her eyes and take a few deep breaths.
This was going to be hard, and not just because it could put her in an awkward position.
As much as she wanted to say this meant nothing, that seeing him would be no big deal, it wouldn’t be the truth. This could end with him feeling better, and her feeling worse, longing even more for something that would never be.
This was getting out of control.
She yanked her keys out of the ignition and grabbed her purse. Whatever happened tonight, she would be fine. Conjuring up scenarios in her mind was only going to get her more wound up and she needed to calm the fuck down.
Way down.
**************************************
Thomas opened his eyes. Even with the blinds shut, he could tell by the shadows in the room it was already dark outside. The satellite company’s screen saver floated across the television. He’d been asleep at least the two hours it took the box to shut off from inactivity.
The pain in his leg woke him up. That and a bladder full of filtered beer. He needed to head for the bathroom, but moving around was going to make the pain worse. Stalling, he clicked the remote, searching for something interesting. He settled on the news and stared at the screen as the talking heads recounted the happenings of the day.
More snow was coming to replace the layer that just melted. A new Italian restaurant was opening. Interest rates were down, more people were buying houses. Life was going on.
He looked around the dark living room littered with empty beer bottles and dirty dishes. This wasn’t fucking fair. He was a good fucking person. He looked back at the TV as a mug shot flashed across the screen. Some guy got arrested for robbing an old lady.
That’s the guy who should be like this. He deserved this shit, not someone who took care of his mom and carried old ladies groceries to their car.
“Goddammit.” He swiped his arm across the tray beside his chair, sending three empty beer bottles crashing into the wall before shattering on the floor.
He leaned his head back against the chair and rubbed his eyes.
Sitting here day in and day out was making him lose his mind. You might as well get used to it. He rubbed his hands across his face, two weeks of unkempt beard making his skin itch. He scratched his cheek through hair just long enough to be soft.
This sucked. His life sucked.
Deciding he’d put off the inevitable long enough, he reached for his walker and drug it in front of the recliner. Pulling the lever, he slowly and carefully adjusted his injured leg as the chair dropped his feet to the floor.
He heard tires crunching in the driveway and a car door slam. He hit the menu button on the television and squinted at the screen. It was after six.
It had to be his mother. Lovely.
Hopefully she was feeling a little less combative than the last time he saw her. He stood slowly, bearing most of his weight with his arms, trying to keep pressure off his leg.
The kitchen door opened and shut quietly. She probably though he was asleep.
“It’s fine. I’m up.”
He heard the sound of bags softly hitting the table and footsteps slowly making their way across the kitchen. What was she up to?
“Mom. Did you hear me?”
A woman appeared in the doorway and it wasn’t his mom.
Shit.
THIRTEEN
Never before in his life had he contemplated killing someone. Not until this moment, standing in his living room, if you could call relying on a walker to keep yourself upright standing, staring at this woman who was not his mother.
It was a good thing it wasn’t his mother, because right now he thought he might kill her.
“Hi.”
Her voice was just as soft and sweet as he remembered. He wondered if it was always so soft and sweet or if a man did just the right things, she would be loud and demanding.
“Hi.”
For a second they just stood, staring at each other. He had no idea what to say to her. Should he apologize for not calling her? Did she even care? Maybe she didn’t leave their last meeting with the same feelings he did. Maybe she was only here out of pity.
“What are you doing here?”
“I… brought you dinner.” She pointed over her shoulder into his kitchen.
“Where is my mother?”
Mina took a few steps closer, each one bringing her further into the dim light the TV cast across the room. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself from appreciating how absolutely beautiful she was.
Her long hair was slung over one shoulder in a thick braid. A few strands escaped their confines and lay in soft waves around her face. A thick grey sweater hid her most feminine assets, but it didn’t matter. The flimsy shirt she wore to the hospital did much less to camouflage her figure and he remembered every curve. He’d had weeks to think about it, burn it in his memory since that would be the only place he would ever have it.
“She’s with my kids. Having dinner.”
“She throw you under the bus?”
“Yes she did.”
Thomas laughed. For the first time in weeks, he laughed. If this poor woman only knew what his mother was really up to.
“Are you hungry? I can bring you in a plate.”
“No. I mean yes. I am hungry, but no you don’t need to bring me a plate. I’ll come to the kitchen.” His bladder reminded him of the reason he was standing in the first place.
“First I have to use the bathroom.” He glanced down the hall. The bathroom seemed like it was miles away. He glanced back at Mina. She didn’t head into the kitchen like he’d hoped. It appeared she was staying put and he would have to make it there with her watching.
“Do you need help?”
No way was he going to let her help him. It was bad enough she was here to see him like this. “No thanks. I’m good. I’ll be in in a few minutes.”
She smiled and by the grace of God, headed into the kitchen. He turned and shuffled as fast as he could down the hall, praying with every step she didn’t come back out to check on him. Then she would see just what a pitiful sight he made hobbling along with his walker like a decrepit old man.
He made it into the bathroom and shut and locked the door behind him. After using the bathroom he checked himself out in the mirror. He looked awful. His beard was scruffy and unkempt, made even more obvious by the lack of hair on his head.
He sniffed under his arm. He smelled awful. He grabbed a stick of deodorant off the counter and popped the lid off rubbing it under his arms. He took another whiff.
That wasn’t going to cut it. He had to take a shower. He flipped on the faucet before struggling out of his clothes and under the stream of warm water, trying his best to hurry.
Five minutes later, he was dried off and wondering what to put on. He picked up the clothes he had on and decided between the odor and the stains, that was not an option. He was going to have to get down the hall and grab something fresh to wear.
He opened the door a crack and peeked out. Mina was
nowhere in sight, but he could hear noises coming from the kitchen. He softly closed the door back and wrapped his towel tightly around his waist. As he reached for the walker he paused. That thing was loud. She would hear him a mile away. He had to go without.
He peeked out the door again and once he was sure the coast was clear, he gimped his way down the hall, one hand on the wall as he half hopped trying to keep his balance without putting too much weight on his bad leg.
The door was in sight as he felt the tuck of the towel around his waist begin to loosen. He grabbed at it with his free hand just as it came loose, dropping and baring his naked ass as he finished the last few feet to the laundry room. He stepped in, quickly shutting the door behind him before turning on the light. Damn he was tired.
He leaned against the wall as he dug through the dryer, searching for something he could get over his leg easily, but wouldn’t be too terrible looking. He pulled out a pair of cotton jogging pants and a t-shirt and wrestled them on. Both were a little wrinkly from being left in the dryer, but at least they were clean. He quickly stuffed his feet into a pair of thick socks then headed back out to the kitchen. He considered grabbing his walker as he passed the bathroom, but decided against it. Damn thing was a pain in the ass anyway.
He quietly made his way through the living room and into the dining room. From there he could watch as she made her way around his kitchen putting away the dishes she found in the dishwasher.
He should stop her, but watching as she stacked cups and organized silverware, he was struck by how much he missed this. He loved having someone to come home to. Someone to take care of. Someone to take care of him.
He loved being married. Maybe that was why he had been so unable to see the flaws in the one he was in. The past two years he’d been so focused on being mad at Mary and embarrassed by what happened that he forgot how much he loved being a husband. How much he loved having a wife. Watching Mina now, he couldn’t help but wonder if she would be different.
She turned, smiling as she saw him. “Hey. Feel better?”
His shower had not gone unnoticed. Being a mother he should have known she would have ears like a bat.
“I do. Sorry I took so long. I figured since you went to all the trouble to bring me dinner, the least I could do was make myself presentable.” He made his way into the kitchen, slowly lowering himself into a chair. He was exhausted and his leg was starting to throb.
Run (Never Waste A Second Chance Book 1) Page 10
