At Home in Last Chance

by Cathleen Armstrong

  15

  Well, we got some good news and some not so good news this morning.” Aunt Nancy Jo already had lunch on the table when Steven and Joe Jr. came in at noon. “The good news is that Mom is doing really well. I talked to her this morning, and while we were on the phone, her doctor came in, so I got to talk to him too. He says Mom’s not going to need surgery after all, and she’ll be ready to leave the hospital for the convalescent home in a few days. He said if she were younger, she might even already be home by now, but since she’s so old, they need to be extra careful so she doesn’t fall and break something else. I have to tell you, when he said that, I’d have given anything to see Mom’s face. And I would love to have been a mouse in the corner when we hung up. You can bet she had something to say about him talking about how old she was.”

  “And the bad news?” Years of experience had enabled Joe Jr. to sift through his wife’s ramblings for the nuggets that interested him while ignoring the rest.

  “Oh. It’s not that it’s bad news. In fact, it’s really good news in the long run, I guess.”

  “Nancy Jo, get to the point.” Joe Jr.’s patience did have a limit.

  “Well, I talked to Lainie this morning too. She and Ray are coming back to Last Chance.”

  “And that’s bad news? How?” Steven must have sounded a little defensive, because his uncle’s hooded gaze rested on him for a long moment before he returned his attention to his lunch.

  “It’s not their coming that has me so put out; you know how tickled I am at the thought of Lainie and Ray living right here in Last Chance. It’s why they’re coming.” Nancy Jo looked from one to the other, clearly waiting for the predictable question. When neither her husband nor Steven seemed inclined to ask it, she answered it anyway. “They want to move in with Mom when she comes home and take care of her. At her house.”

  “Well, since Gran wants to live in her own house, and you said she needs someone with her all the time, I still don’t see the problem.” Steven’s defense of Ray was automatic. No one, not even his aunt, could so much as hint criticism of his brother and get away with it. Truthfully, though? Steven felt a familiar knot of frustration settle in his gut. He had wanted to make sure his grandmother got what she wanted, and was ready to take on the entire Cooley clan, in fact, if he had to. And then here came Ray on his white charger to save the day while his hopeless younger brother stood by and watched. Of course.

  “The problem, Steven, is that Gran needs to be here where I can look after her.” Aunt Nancy Jo sat back and planted her fists on her hips. “I know Ray means well, but he and that sweet wife of his need to worry about their own lives. They’re practically newlyweds, for Pete’s sake. The last thing they need to do is pull up stakes again and come back here to take care of an old woman.”

  “You’re talking about Gran?” Steven’s voice was as cold and expressionless as stone.

  “Of course I’m talking about Gran.” His aunt puffed her exasperation. “I know you love her; we all do. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s staring ninety in the face and has just suffered an accident that will likely leave her needing someone looking after her every day for the rest of her life. And I might as well just say it. I think Ray has more than earned the right to think of his own plans for a while.”

  And there it was. The never mentioned but always just under the surface charge that Steven had allowed his brother to give up years of his life to keep that bar open for him while Steven was away in the service, only to have him walk away from it when he got home.

  He pushed away from the table. “You know, I’m not real hungry. And since I’m going into San Ramon this afternoon to see about getting Gran’s house fitted out for her, I’d better finish what I started out there.”

  “Steven, hang on there a minute.” Steven had just picked up his hat and reached for the door when his uncle’s voice stopped him. “I’ll have a word with you on the porch before you head out.”

  Jamming his hat on his head and giving the brim an extra tug over his eyes, Steven stepped out on the porch to wait for his uncle. Joe Jr. never raised his voice or quickened his step, but on the ranch, and even in town, all he had to do was clear his throat and everyone stopped to see what he had to say.

  His uncle wasn’t wearing either his hat or his jacket when he joined Steven on the porch, and if he even noticed the blast of winter wind that had Steven hunched into his own sheepskin jacket, he gave no indication of it.

  “Listen, son.” Joe Jr. had to look up to meet Steven’s eyes, but Steven didn’t feel he had the advantage. At all. “I know that after your mother passed, Gran all but raised you, so I’m going to cut you a little more slack than you probably have coming to you, but we need to get some things straight.” He looked out toward the mountains, and Steven followed his gaze. “See that? As far as you can see, that’s Cooley land. Including my grandchildren, six generations of Cooleys have lived on it. It belongs to all of us, including you. But see that?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “That house belongs to one person only, and she’s in there cleaning up a lunch you wouldn’t eat. And anyone who walks through that door is going to show her the respect she deserves. Are we clear on that?”

  “Yes, sir.” What else could he say?

  “Good.” Joe Jr. reached for the door. “Then before you sit at her table again, she’ll have your apology, right?”

  “Yes, sir.” Steven’s teeth were gritted, but he got the words said, and that seemed to be all that his uncle was looking for.

  “I’ll tell her she can look for it.” He gave Steven another long look before letting himself back into the house.

  Steven took a few deep breaths to calm the rage burning in his chest before shoving his hands deep in his jacket pockets and stepping off the porch. Speed Bump, who had slipped out when Joe Jr. went in, trotted at his side as he headed for the barn.

  This, this was why he left Last Chance in the first place. This was why he was in no hurry to come back, and this was why that highway was taking him out of here the minute he could manage it. He was sorry he had let his temper show when Aunt Nancy Jo had alluded to Ray’s sacrifice on his behalf. And he was sorry Ray put his own life on hold to run the High Lonesome Saloon for him. But, dang it, he hadn’t asked for that. He hadn’t even been consulted. First he heard of it was at Dad’s funeral when Ray told him it had been their father’s dying wish that the bar would be waiting for Steven when he got out of the service.

  “I told him then not to do it.” Steven stopped and looked down at the dog at his feet. Speed Bump gazed up at him with solemn attentiveness. “I told him he should just stick to his painting, but he said all Dad could talk about before he got real bad was how he and I had planned to run the bar together someday, and he was doing it for Dad. Never mind that I was fourteen when we made those plans.”

  He paused, almost expecting the little dog to say something. Speed Bump remained silent, but she did look concerned. “And here I am, trying to carry on a conversation with a dog. At least you listen, don’t you, Speed Bump?”

  Steven clamped his hat to his head as a gust of wind tried to lift it, and he picked up his pace as he headed to the barn. Speed Bump had to move from a trot to a lope, but she never left his side.

  “Chris, I was thinking.” Kaitlyn shouldered her way into the kitchen carrying a bin of dirty dishes. “Do you think it would be all right if I took off early this afternoon and ran up to San Ramon to visit Elizabeth before I pick Olivia up? She was in such bad shape the last time I saw her. I’d just like to see for myself that she’s doing okay.”

  Her brother pushed back from his computer and looked up. “Yeah, I guess so. It’s pretty quiet today. You might want to run the idea past Juanita, though, since she’s here by herself now when you have Olivia in the afternoons.”

  Kaitlyn sighed and looked back through the window into the dining room. Juanita was standing at one of the three occupied tables talking to the diners sitting there. Thi
s was not going to go well. She just knew it. Juanita didn’t say much anymore when Kaitlyn left to take Olivia to school or to pick her up, but her pinched mouth and huffy sighs said all she needed to say. Kaitlyn could never quite understand how Juanita managed to convey her annoyance at both Kaitlyn’s presence in and absence from the Dip ’n’ Dine, but it was pretty clear that Kaitlyn got on her last nerve just by breathing the same air Juanita did.

  “Um, Juanita, do you have a minute?” Kaitlyn intercepted Juanita at the coffee machine.

  Juanita barely glanced at her as she began making another pot of coffee. Her brisk movements conveyed the clear message that unlike some people, she had more pressing things to do than stand around chatting. “What is it?”

  Kaitlyn let her gaze fall on the table where Juanita had spent the last few minutes visiting with the customers while she gathered her courage. Taking a deep breath, she plunged in. “I’d like to leave early this afternoon and run up to San Ramon to see Elizabeth before I pick Livvy up. It’s really the only time I can go, and I’ve been so worried about her. Chris said since you were the one picking up the extra slack, I should check with you.”

  There. She hated the fact that she sounded like a five-year-old asking if she could go out to play, but when you got down to it, a lot of her conversations with Juanita seemed to take that tone.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, Kaitlyn.” Juanita probably thought she was keeping her voice low, but even the diners in the furthest booth looked over to see what was wrong. “It’s not that I can’t manage without you. Chris and I did just fine before you got here. But you’re treating this more like a hobby than a job. Do you work here or don’t you?”

  Kaitlyn bit back the answer that flew to her lips. Juanita wasn’t really looking for a response, and that was probably a good thing. Because truthfully, if Kaitlyn allowed herself to say what she thought, who knows where it might end? Not with a visit with Elizabeth, she was pretty sure about that.

  After a second or two, Juanita snatched up a full coffeepot and turned back to the dining room. “Oh, go ahead. Give her a hug from me and tell her that Russ and I will be up to see her sometime soon.” She paused for emphasis. “After work.”

  Kaitlyn took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down enough to wait on customers, but gave up and slammed into the kitchen.

  Chris stopped her with a raised hand as she opened her mouth. “I heard. Everybody heard. Just grab your coat and go. I’ll talk to Juanita after we close.”

  “But—”

  “Here.” He tossed her the keys to his Jeep. “I’ll give you a call when I need you to come get me.”

  Kaitlyn still had so much to say, but when she tried, Chris stopped her again.

  “Just let it go for now. Wait here. I’ll go get your coat and you can leave by the back door. The customers have had enough entertainment for one day.”

  Kaitlyn watched him move through the dining room on his way to the storage room where they left their things. He seemed so relaxed and easy as he stopped to exchange a few words with this table or that. Even Juanita seemed in better spirits as she shared a joke with some friends of hers at a window booth. The diner was the perfect picture of a friendly, hometown eating establishment. The only piece that didn’t fit was her.

  “Am I the cause of all the drama around here, or am I just imagining it?” Kaitlyn turned to Carlos who was ladling green chile sauce over a plate of chile rellenos.

  “Nope, it’s pretty much all about you.” Carlos deftly wiped the edge of the plate and set it on the shelf.

  This was not the response Kaitlyn was expecting. “Hey, you’re supposed to be my friend.”

  “I am your friend, chica.” He reached for another plate. “Look, I’ve lived here in Last Chance all my life, so I’ve never been the outsider, but I’ve seen a few trying to make their way here. And they wind up falling into one of three groups. They make the effort to fit in, or they stay an outsider, or they leave. Come to think of it, there’s only two groups—those that make an effort and those who leave. It wasn’t easy for your brother when he first got here, but he’s part of Last Chance now. So what are you going to do?”

  Kaitlyn swallowed. She had gone to Carlos for some sympathy, not a lecture. “I guess I don’t know.”

  He shrugged and went back to his stove. “Well, it’s up to you, but I don’t think you’ll find folks more willing to meet you halfway than the folks here in Last Chance.”

  “Here’s your stuff.” Chris came back through the kitchen door. “And don’t worry about anything. Just enjoy your afternoon and we’ll talk when I get home.”

  Kaitlyn could still smell the spicy aroma of chile and corn when she let herself out the back door, but the sights and sounds of the Dip ’n’ Dine were replaced by the gold and gray and distant blue of the desert. A sudden gust of wind caught her as she walked around the building to the parking lot in front, causing her to pull her coat closer around her. Carlos made a good point, even if she couldn’t agree that she was the source of all the drama. But leaving Juanita aside, what was she going to do? If it were just her, it would be a no-brainer. Last Chance would be so far behind her she’d never be able to find it again. But it wasn’t just her. There was Olivia. And for the first time in her young life, Olivia seemed at peace, and at home, and happy.

  Kaitlyn shook her head as she buckled herself into the front seat of the Jeep. Funny how just a few months ago, thinking about Olivia safe and happy in Last Chance had cleared her conscience to stay away. Now it was the only thing that kept her anchored to this forsaken place.

  Elizabeth looked up when Kaitlyn tapped lightly at her door, and the pain lines between her eyes and around her mouth disappeared into a warm smile.

  “Well, look who’s here!” She switched off the TV with a punch at her remote. “Come in here and sit down.”

  “It’s so nice to see you looking so well.” Kaitlyn bent over to kiss her cheek. “You sure had us worried.”

  “Well, I am just so sorry I caused such a fuss. I never will get over getting all tangled up and falling down my own front steps. And then that ambulance! I suppose everybody in town heard it. And now they all have something new to talk about, I guess.”

  Kaitlyn smiled. “Well, everyone’s worried about you, that’s for sure. How are you feeling?”

  “I have felt better. I’ll be honest about that. This leg hurts like the very dickens. They keep trying to push painkillers on me, but I have no intention of becoming a drug addict at this stage of the game.”

  “Elizabeth, you are the least likely person I’ve ever met to become an addict. Just take them as they’re prescribed and you’ll be fine. And your leg will feel better too.”

  “Maybe.” Elizabeth brushed the subject away with her hand like it was a pesky fly. “Now tell me about that precious daughter of yours. Oh, how I miss Livvy. Did Steven tell her how much I love her drawings? You can see how they’ve brightened up the room.”

  “Well, I brought you some more. And your crocheting—that was Livvy’s idea too. And I brought some pictures to show you of her taking care of Sam and sitting in your recliner crocheting. I hope you don’t mind that we go over there for a little while every afternoon to take care of Sam. It makes her feel a little better.”

  “Honey, that pleases me to no end. The first thing I thought of when I could finally do some thinking was that Sam was home wondering where I was. Let me see those pictures.” She held out her hand for the phone Kaitlyn had dug out of her purse.

  Kaitlyn smiled as she watched her scroll through the photos. Elizabeth saw no reason to own her own cell phone, but this clearly wasn’t the first one she had held. “You know, I’m going to have to take some more of you to show Livvy. She’ll be waiting.”

  Elizabeth’s delighted smile faded as she handed the phone back. “Oh, no, darlin’. I am such a mess. My hair is as straight and flat in the back as a tile and I don’t have a speck of makeup on. A picture would just scare that poor child
to death.”

  “Just seeing you smile into the camera would be enough for Livvy, but as a woman, I know how you feel. Do you have any makeup here?”

  “Just a lipstick that Nancy Jo brought me. She doesn’t worry much about makeup herself and didn’t think to bring much when she brought me my things.”

  “Well, let me run down to the gift shop and see what they have there. I’ll give you a little makeover. It’ll make you feel better.” Kaitlyn picked up her purse and stood up.

  “Oh, honey, don’t . . .” Clearly, Elizabeth was used to being the servant, not the served, and her protest was almost automatic, but right in the middle, she stopped and smiled. “You know, I would just love that. They tell me I had a close call, but every time I look in the mirror, I think I didn’t make it after all.”

  16

  Elizabeth held the hand mirror and looked into it as Kaitlyn picked up the brush and began pulling it through the white hair with long strokes. “You know, I feel like I should go dancing. I just look like a movie star. You are so gifted.”

  “It’s what I do, remember?” Kaitlyn smiled and continued brushing. “Or, it’s what I used to do. Now I serve green chile stew and pour iced tea.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes, which had been drifting shut, opened again and she adjusted her mirror so she could meet Kaitlyn’s eyes. “And is all that serving and pouring what you like doing?”

  Kaitlyn made a face without answering.

  “Then why do you do it?” Elizabeth let the mirror drop to her lap and closed her eyes as Kaitlyn put the brush down and began massaging her scalp with her fingertips.

  “Because it’s a job. And I don’t really have a lot of options.” Kaitlyn gently kneaded the muscles of Elizabeth’s neck and shoulders. “There, does that feel good?”

  “Kaitlyn.” Elizabeth reached up for Kaitlyn’s hand and pulled her around so she could look in her face. “I know that when you’re as young as you are, you look at an old woman like me and think you have a hundred long years stretching out to try every last thing you want to do. But let me tell you, when you look at life from my view, you are just astounded at how fast it all went by, and at the number of things you always thought you’d do that are never going to get done. So promise me this.” She gave Kaitlyn’s hand a little shake. “Promise me you’ll never again say you don’t have any options. Because you do. No matter what you think now, life is just way too short to waste a minute of it.”