Crushed

by Amity Hope

  It had been nearly a month and Cleo and Luci had been staying with the Donovans the entire time. Paul could have gotten out on bail, Patty had told Cleo. Except that the last she had heard, he had no one willing to pay it for him.

  While they were living with the Donovans they frequently ate dinner with Beth and Reece. Beth had very firmly insisted upon it.

  She had even managed to give Cleo some much appreciated cooking tips. Often, Reece and Luci would go down to the game room and leave Beth and Cleo to the kitchen. After a few of these dinners, Cleo realized that cooking wasn’t nearly as hateful as she’d always thought. And now that she had someone to teach her, she realized that she kind of actually enjoyed it. She was fairly sure she would never love it, not the way Beth did, anyway. But she might actually learn to like it.

  It was after one of these Sunday dinners that Beth told them she had something she wanted to share with them.

  Cleo and Reece found a place on the couch but Luci had headed downstairs to play on the X-Box.

  Beth handed Reece a folder. He flipped it open, not sure at first what he was looking at. Then he started flipping through the pages, with Cleo looking over his shoulder. The first page had been a picture of a house. The next few pages were the listing details. It was downtown. It was a small one bathroom, two bedroom house.

  “It was a foreclosure,” Beth said excitedly.

  “You bought Cleo a house?” he asked. It was the first thing that had come to his mind.

  Cleo and Luci were still at the Donovans for multiple reasons. But the biggest being, they could not find anything reasonable to rent on such short notice.

  But the moment the words were out of his mouth, Cleo’s face turned white. If that was really the case, if his mom had bought this for Cleo, he already knew there was no way she would accept it.

  “No,” Beth said. She shook her head. She also gave him a look to let him know that what he had said was just preposterous. “I bought myself a house.”

  Cleo’s look turned to one of subtle relief but also confusion. Reece realized they were probably both wondering what this had to do with her. With them.”

  “Why?” Reece asked. “Aren’t houses kind of expensive?”

  “If your father can waste ten thousand dollars bribing someone,” she said pointedly, “I don’t see how it’s anyone’s business, including yours, if I decide to take advantage of an opportunity too good to pass up.”

  “So, we’re moving out of this house?” Reece asked. He was surprised. His dad had moved into a townhouse. He had just assumed he and his mom would stay where they were. But the house in the photos was nowhere near as lavish as what his mom was used to. He couldn’t quite imagine her living there. For one thing, it was tiny compared to their current home. Where would his sisters stay when they came to visit?

  “No,” Beth said.

  “So why did you buy yourself a house?” he demanded.

  “Reece!” Beth exclaimed. There was just a slight edge to her voice, as if she were becoming exasperated. “I would tell you if you would just stop interrupting.”

  “Okay,” he agreed.

  “With the economy the way it is right now, it’s a buyer’s market. Like I said, this house was a foreclosure. It was an absolute steal. But that also means I was able to close on it almost immediately. It was a bit of a mess on the inside. But I’ve already had a cleaning crew in. Now it’s good to go. It’s going to need new siding and probably a new roof in a year or two,” she explained. “Nothing too terrible but just something to think about.”

  Reece decided if his mom were telling a joke, she would’ve killed it by now, dragging out the punch line like she was. Because even still, he didn’t quite get it.

  He glanced at Cleo. She was waiting politely. It was obvious she didn’t have any idea what this was about either.

  “Well,” he said. “That’s great. I didn’t know you wanted another house.”

  She shrugged happily. “I didn’t know either.”

  Cleo glanced at Reece. They shared a puzzled look.

  “But then it hit me, what a wonderful investment this could be. With a little fixing up and in the right market, I know I can make a nice profit. And in this economy, that’s been really hard to do. Most of my investments are just fizzling right now. So you have to know what to buy…and when to buy it,” she explained. “Right now, is the time to buy houses.”

  Reece was ready to jump in with more questions but Beth held up her hand.

  “But these things take time,” she said. “Remodeling a house I mean. Which is fine. I figure I have a few years until the market rebounds. In the meantime, I’ll fix it up so it’s in prime condition for resale. That way I’ll be sure to make a great return on this investment. But I hate to have it sitting empty while I’m doing that. That would be such a waste.”

  And there it was.

  The explanation they had really been waiting for.

  Cleo’s eyebrows shot up but she didn’t look at Reece. She was staring wide-eyed at his mom.

  “It would give me peace of mind to know that it’s being put to use. It would also help me out to have someone there. That way, if something goes wrong, they can let me know. I don’t think it’s good for a house to just sit empty.”

  Was that true? Reece had no idea.

  Cleo still hadn’t said anything. Though Reece was sure she had to have known where his mom was going with this.

  “So, Cleo,” Beth finally said. “Would you care to do me a favor?”

  “I think you should,” Reece immediately blurted out. “Help my mom out, I mean.”

  Cleo was already shaking her head. No matter how Beth twisted the words around, or how she twisted the explanation around, Cleo knew exactly what she was doing.

  “I couldn’t do that,” she said.

  “Actually,” Beth said, “I think you can. And I think you should. Now, we can either argue about it all day. Or,” she said with an encouraging smile, “you can just agree. The way I see it, we both come out ahead. This truly is a fabulous investment for me. And no, I won’t lie. I did have you in mind, obviously. But it makes no sense to turn around and try to sell it now. The whole point of buying now is to sell later when the market is better. I have a house that I don’t want sitting empty. You need a place to live. It’s perfect for both of us.”

  “Okay,” Cleo said, deciding that she could be just as stubborn as Beth, “if I stay there, I should pay rent.” Before Beth could say anything, Cleo was talking again. “It’s only fair,” she said innocently.

  Beth had not foreseen this possibility. She immediately protested but after a lengthy debate, she finally agreed. Cleo knew the amount that Beth insisted on was insanely low. She had argued excessively until Reece had stepped in and told her she needed to just accept the offer. For Luci. So that Luci would have a nice place to live. Because not having a home of their own was still the biggest hindrance to her guardianship.

  That, Cleo knew, was not playing fair.

  But because of it, Reece did win the argument.

  “So, can we go see it now?” Reece asked.

  Beth shook her head. “Give me until the weekend.”

  ***

  The house was small. Cleo decided she loved small. Small meant easier to keep clean. She had flipped through the papers in the folder, just as Reece had. Now that they had walked in the front door, the house was so much better than what the pictures depicted.

  As for the outside, Beth had told them it needed new siding and a new roof. Cleo thought they looked just fine to her. But what did she know? The location was perfect. She could walk to school if she chose to. It would be a long walk, but the option was there. Though Reece insisted that was irrelevant because he would be picking her up every day.

  But the inside of the house…Cleo loved it. The living room had been painted a warm, chocolate brown. It was open to the dining room and kitchen which had been painted a cozy beige.

  “I thought you just
hired a cleaning crew?” Reece asked. He had also realized that the photos did not match the house they had just walked into.

  “Oh,” Beth said looking startled, “I didn’t say I just hired a cleaning crew. Although I did hire one, I hired a few other people, too.” She looked around, smiling at the finished product.

  In addition to each room being freshly painted, she’d had a security system installed. She insisted it was for her own peace of mind as well as for the safety of the girls’. She told Cleo she just wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if she knew the girls were there without one. Last of all, the carpeting was new.

  “I asked Luci about colors,” Beth admitted. “She told me she would love a hot pink bedroom.” Cleo cringed, not at all surprised but wondering if Beth would be okay with that. Beth continued to smile. “And for you she said—”

  “Turquoise,” Reece interjected.

  “I picked purple for the bathroom, Cleo! Come and see!” Luci cried as she skipped through the house.

  Cleo followed Luci. The bathroom was very, very purple.

  “I know it’s a bit much,” Beth whispered. “But when I asked her what color she thought a bathroom should be, she was pretty insistent on purple.” She shrugged good-naturedly. “It’s just paint. It’s easy to change.”

  Cleo just smiled because while maybe it was a bit much for Beth, it was perfect for her and Luci.

  Luci’s bedroom had hot pink walls. The bedding was a lighter pink with bright pink polka-dots.

  “Oh my gosh!” she squealed. “I love it! I love it! I love it! Thank you so much!” she told Beth as she threw her arms around her waist. Luci had grown fond of Beth over the past few weeks. Cleo was happy that the feeling seemed to be mutual.

  “You’re welcome,” Beth said as she hugged Luci back. “Now, Cleo’s room?”

  Reece grabbed Cleo’s hand and pulled her down the short hallway.

  Beth had their bedroom furniture moved in, along with the rest of their belongings. The items that Cleo had not been able to pack. The bedroom that was hers had a fluffy, white comforter on the bed. It helped to mellow out the room and while it might be too bright for most, it was absolutely perfect for Cleo.

  “Do you love it?” Luci asked.

  “I do!” Cleo agreed as she grinned back at her sister. She couldn’t wait to unpack the rest of her things. She was anxious to get her pictures out and make the house truly their own.

  Beth had also purchased furniture for the living room and dining room. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t explain that away. She had done that for Cleo and Luci. There was no other way around it, she had to admit it.

  “Consider it an early Christmas present,” she said as they moved back out to the living room.

  Luci stayed behind in her bedroom. She had already tackled the box that held her books. She was anxious to get them on her shelves.

  “So do you like the house okay?” Reece asked as he tossed an arm around her shoulder.

  “I more than like it,” Cleo told him. “I even more than love it! But I can’t think of a word for that,” she said with a laugh.

  “I’m so glad!” Beth said as she beamed at them.

  She knew that she had probably overstepped some boundaries. And she had been so worried that Cleo would refuse her offer. But she truly did see the house as a lovely investment. Furthermore, she had been brought up to believe that if you were in the position to help someone, then you should help them. It was really that simple.

  At first she had promised Reece that she would help the girls because she knew it was important to him. After seeing Cleo in her bathroom that day, her face bloodied and tears streaming down yet still worried about her sister, it had broken Beth’s heart. She wanted nothing more than to make both girls happy. And as she had gotten to know Cleo and Luci over the last few weeks, she had fallen in love with them, too. It had been an incredibly easy thing to do. And now that Cleo was comfortable in their home, she was, for the first time, really able to see Reece and Cleo together. She had no doubt that the two of them would be together for a very long time.

  As for the house, it didn’t matter to Cleo that Beth had the money for it. Or that she really did, in some way, see it as a business opportunity. Cleo was perfectly aware that she had done this for her and Luci. It was beyond generous and no matter how many times she thanked her—and she had done so often—she just felt like it would never be enough.

  “I don’t even know what to say. I just…I think I might cry,” she admitted to Beth.

  “Well, go ahead and cry,” Beth encouraged. “As long as they’re happy tears.”

  Cleo nodded as Reece pulled her in for a tight hug. “They are,” she assured them both.

  Epilogue

  9 months later

  “Awww, Reece!” Emma cried. “You have great taste. That thing is enormous!”

  “And sparkly!” Luci said with a giggle.

  “I told him it was too much,” Cleo pointed out. She still wore a semi-stunned expression as Emma let go of her hand. She flopped herself back onto the couch, into Reece’s arms. “It’s way too big.” She held out the glittery princess cut diamond again. She couldn’t seem to stop looking at it. Reece had picked it out on his own, completely surprising her. Emma was right. He had fabulous taste.

  Even if it was too big.

  “There’s no such thing as a too big when it comes to diamonds,” Emma disagreed.

  It was a week after graduation and Reece had finally determined what he wanted to spend his savings on. With the help of Luci, he had proposed the night before. Now they were all gathered at the house.

  Reece had moved in the day after they graduated. Beth had set that as her one rule. She owned the house. She wanted Reece at home until they had both finished school. It was a logical, reasonable request. He had, however, spent almost every minute of his free time there during the past school year. Or at least, he had when Cleo and Luci weren’t at his house.

  Now, for the most part, his belongings were already unpacked. Occasionally, Beth was still dropping off things he’d forgotten. Or frequently dropping off items she thought they could use—items she’d simply had fun shopping for. They were still busy sorting through a few new boxes. However, Emma had stopped by when Cleo called her to say she had something exciting to share.

  “I’m so lucky,” Cleo said as she glanced at Reece and then Luci. “A year ago, I never would’ve thought my life could turn out this way.”

  She was now officially Luci’s guardian and Paul was serving time for what he had done. He was no longer employed at the mill. That was a decision immediately made by Beth. Cleo hoped that once he was out, he would decide not to stay in Sheridan.

  “We’re both lucky,” Luci said with a grin.

  “No, all of us are,” Reece corrected.

  “So did you pick a date yet?” Emma demanded as she settled into a chair. Her smile was huge as her eyes darted back and forth from Reece to Cleo.

  “The last weekend in August,” Cleo told her.

  “They want to be married before classes start,” Luci said. She was proud that she knew something that Emma did not. They would both be attending the local university in the fall. “Because after that, they’ll both be really busy.”

  Emma’s eyes became huge. “That leaves almost no time to plan!”

  “Sure it does,” Cleo said. “I only want a small wedding.”

  “At my parents’ house. So there, one thing taken care of,” Reece said with a grin. “I thought it would be nice to have the ceremony overlooking the lake.”

  “Awww!” Emma said again.

  To Reece’s complete surprise, his parents were together. Kind of. They had been separated for over half a year this time. Landon had not moved back in yet. But they were spending an awful lot of time together. They were still attending counseling sessions weekly.

  Finally, Landon seemed to truly realize what he was about to lose. Reece had refused to talk to him for months on
end. He had been furious at his dad for interfering in his life like he had. He had even refused to see him over the Christmas holiday when Landon had Reece’s sisters over.

  That, more than anything, had hit Landon hard. Reece had refused to leave his mom’s house, where Cleo and Luci had been spending a whole lot of time.

  Reece didn’t speak to his dad until he—seemingly of his own accord—went to Cleo to apologize. Landon had admitted to Beth that it was actually at the urging of the counselor she had insisted he continue to see. But he did realize it was something that needed to be done. Cleo had insisted to Reece that the apology was heartfelt. She urged him to try to repair their relationship.

  It had taken a few more weeks, but Reece had finally agreed to speak with Landon. That had been just in time for Easter. The whole family, along with Cleo and Luci, had spent the holiday together. Luci adored Amanda’s daughters. She enjoyed being the big kid for a change.

  After a few more months, Landon and Beth agreed that they wanted to try to reconcile. Things were still a little shaky but it was obvious to everyone how hard Landon was trying. And he always went out of his way to be kind to Cleo and Luci.

  To Beth’s dismay, Reece and Landon had come to an agreement. Reece had agreed to work for his dad for the summer. If he still had no interest in the family business in the fall, when he and Cleo would begin their classes at Sheridan U, he wouldn’t press Reece on the issue anymore. He promised to fully support him in whatever field he chose.

  And if Reece did decide to take over the business, Landon would be satisfied with a business degree from their local university.

  “Isn’t this so exciting!?” Luci asked as she bounced on the couch next to her sister. “And I even get to be in the wedding!” she told Emma.

  “And you too, Emma?” Cleo wondered. “Will you please be a bridesmaid? I still need to talk to Lauren and Melanie. But I wanted to ask you first.”

  After the truth had come out, Lauren and Melanie had been completely supportive of Cleo.