Never Too Late

by T. R. McClure

  “When is Katerina coming back?”

  Alex continued chewing.

  “Alessandro.” His grandmother plucked at his sleeve.

  “Yes, Nonna.”

  “Where is Katerina?”

  “How should I know?”

  His mother frowned at his flip response. “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  Wendy rushed into the room and settled the baby in the high chair. “Kat is staying at the Berk’s. She gave them some story about wanting to thank them for everything but it smells fishy to me.” She sat and reached for her napkin before fixing her gaze on Alex. “Did you two have a fight?”

  Alex’s entire body tensed with anger. He threw his napkin on the table. “Is this anybody’s business but mine?”

  His grandmother plucked at his sleeve.

  He turned, and with a start, noticed the elderly woman wore a colorful, flowered dress with a bright yellow sweater. When did his grandmother give up mourning?

  “This girl not exciting enough for you, eh? You want some girl with purple hair?”

  He lowered his gaze to the table and gritted his teeth. How did she know…?

  “Ha, I know everything.” He cringed as the old woman pinched his ear.

  His throat tightened. “She’s a professor, for Pete’s sake. She doesn’t want anything to do with a yokel like me.”

  Tony muttered under his breath. “Oh boy, here we go again.”

  At Tony’s words, the familiar fire erupted in the pit of his stomach and Alex’s hands clenched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You couldn’t finish college and I did. How many times do I have to apologize?” Tony threw his half-eaten bread onto the tablecloth.

  “Who’s asking?”

  Tony shot a glance at Doug. “He resents you, too, Counselor.”

  Doug threw his hands in the air and rose from his chair. “Leave me out of this.”

  “Boys.” Mila stood and clapped her hands in front of her sons to get their attention. “Sit down and finish your ribollita. You’ll feel better after you eat.”

  A piercing cry came from the baby, whose chin had begun to quiver.

  Wendy lifted her out of the high chair as she arched her back and her face got redder.

  “Thanks a lot, Alex.” Tony shot his brother a murderous look.

  “What did I do?” As Alex stood, his chair fell to the floor. He glanced at his mother. “Food’s not the answer to everything, Mom.”

  His father pounded his fist on the table. “Now just a minute here—”

  Alex sliced both hands through the air in a dismissive gesture. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving. Sorry I disturbed your meal.” He stormed through the kitchen, slamming the door. When Alex stomped into the barn, Sam trotted to the stall door, ears pricked forward and eyes alert. Alex leaned against the wall and stroked Sam’s velvet-soft nose. “Hey, buddy, we haven’t gone for a ride all week.”

  Sam nickered in reply and bumped Alex’s shoulder with his nose.

  “Sorry, fella, I forgot to grab a carrot. I was distracted.” Alex smoothed Sam’s thick, black mane.

  “You’re distracted, all right.” Tony strode into the barn with Doug on his heels. They rested their arms on the stall door on either side of Alex. “I thought Pop was about to tear off your head when you told Mom her ribollita wouldn’t fix things.”

  Doug reached up to scratch behind Sam’s ear. “Right, every good Italian boy knows food is the answer to the world’s problems.”

  Alex’s tense shoulder muscles relaxed as he tried unsuccessfully to hold back a chuckle. “I suppose if I ever want to eat again I better bring Mom some flowers.”

  “Well, you can do it tomorrow. We have places to go tonight.” Tony grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him toward the barn door.

  Alex dug in his heels. “Wait a minute. I’m not going anywhere with you two.”

  Doug grabbed his other arm. “Yes, you are. Mitch Collins has a poker game scheduled at his place tonight—” He shot Alex a look. “—and you’re going.”

  Alex looked from one younger brother to the other. For the first time, he realized that Doug had two inches on him and Tony probably outweighed him by twenty pounds of pure muscle. He shook his head as his brothers pushed him into the back of Doug’s tiny sports car. “I agree a poker game beats facing Mom right now.”

  A leisure studies professor at Almond Valley College, Mitch Collins lived in a beautiful log home in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. As they parked under the pines, Alex recognized Rob Robert’s BMW and the Berk Family Almond Grove truck next to Mitch’s jeep.

  Climbing the steps to the deck, Alex glanced around at the secluded property. “Quiet out here.” He shrugged to relieve the tightness in his shoulders and got a tiny reprieve.

  “Mitch likes his privacy.” Tony slid open patio doors leading into the kitchen. With one leg in the kitchen, he whispered to his brother. “If you look up bachelor in the dictionary, you see this guy’s picture. Matt said he came close to marriage one time and got burned. He won’t even look at a woman over thirty.” He continued into the kitchen. “Hey, fellas, what are we drinkin’?”

  In the kitchen, Mitch Collins, Matt Berk, and Rob Roberts leaned against the kitchen counters, each with a drink in his hand. Matt and Rob, married to Wendy’s sisters Colleen and Bobbi, held up tinted bottles.

  “We got a case at the new microbrewery downtown.” Matt opened the refrigerator door. Bottles and cans of beer lined the shelves.

  Alex glanced at Mitch. “Don’t you eat?”

  Mitch rattled the ice cubes in his whisky glass. “I get all the food I need at the dining hall or the Mexican place on the way out of town.” He patted his stomach. “Do I look undernourished?”

  Matt pulled a bottle out of the fridge and twisted off the cap. “No, but at your age you should be drinking nutritional supplements instead of bourbon.”

  Mitch patted his gray hair, tied back with a leather strip. “My teaching assistant tells me I have plenty of stamina.”

  The men groaned at his words, grabbed the chips and pretzels, and went into the dining room.

  Matt’s words floated in from the next room. “She was referring to your poor students who have to sit through an hour and a half of your life story day after day.”

  Alex laughed and followed Mitch into the dining area. For the first time in a week, the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach seemed a little less hollow. Maybe his brothers had the right idea and he snuck a glance at the two men busy gathering chips and cards. He was proud of them. Suddenly, he realized Kat was right—he could return to school if he wanted.

  As he settled into a chair at the poker table, he scrutinized the room. In the six months since he had last played, Mitch had added a pool table at the other end of the large dining room. Through a wide archway, a large stone fireplace covered one wall of the living room. A huge television hung on the opposite wall and a recliner sat in the middle of the room. Alex didn’t figure Mitch got much company other than the group of guys currently at the table. He picked up his cards.

  Rob threw a handful of fat cigars in the middle of the table. “Help yourselves, guys, courtesy of my last client. Just don’t ask me where he got ‘em.”

  “Five card draw, jacks or better to open.” Mitch dealt the cards around the table, the cigar clenched firmly in his teeth.

  Soon aromatic smoke circled the six men as they threw down and retrieved their cards.

  Soon a substantial pile of chips lay in front of Alex. He rubbed his neck, trying in vain to ease the tension accumulated during the week.

  “Want another beer, Alex?” Matt gathered up empty bottles and started for the kitchen.

  Mitch, the cigar hanging out of one corner of his mouth, squinted at Alex through the smoke. “That’s the same beer you started with. It’s warm. Nothing worse than warm beer.” He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and shouted toward the ceiling. “Bring Alex ano
ther beer.”

  Matt’s voice wafted in from behind the refrigerator door. “Got it.”

  Annoyed at the assumption, Alex threw up his hands. “No, really, I’m good.”

  Tony chuckled as he eyed his hand and glanced at Doug. “He’s far from good. He’s a mess.”

  Alex glared at his brother. “Hey, I can hear you.”

  Tony shrugged. “I know. I’m just stating a fact. You are a mess, big brother.”

  Matt entered the room and set the bottles in the middle of the table. “Why is Alex a mess?”

  “Would you guys stop talking like I’m not here?” Alex clenched his teeth and slammed a pair of cards on the table. “I’m not a mess.” His temporary calm dissipated, replaced by the familiar irritation.

  Tony continued. “He and Kat had some kind of a disagreement. He’s been a bear.”

  Matt settled into his chair and picked up his cigar. Taking a few short puffs, he contemplated the glowing tip. “Speaking of Kat, Colleen’s driving her to the airport as we speak. She’s catching the red-eye.”

  The cold beer halfway to his lips, Alex set the bottle carefully on the table and fixed Matt with a stare. “Kat’s going home tonight? I thought she was waiting till the end of the month.”

  Matt shrugged as he picked up his cards. “Who dealt?”

  Skin crawling with dread, Alex glared at Matt. “Are you sure? What happened to make her go home early?”

  “Only you know the answer to that, Alex.” Tony made a face as he scanned his cards.

  “Give me your keys.” Alex stood, dread churning in his stomach, and leaned across the table, scowling at his brother.

  “I didn’t drive, Alex. We brought Doug’s car. I doubt he’ll let you drive in your state.”

  Alex slid his gaze to Doug, who so far had said no more than ten words the entire evening.

  “No.” Doug set his cigar carefully in the ashtray next to his elbow and returned Alex’s glare.

  “Give…me…your…keys.”

  “No.” Doug’s gaze slanted toward the kitchen before snapping back.

  Alex suddenly remembered Doug tossing the keys on the counter as they came in earlier. He shoved back his chair and ran into the kitchen. The keys to the sports car lay under a bag of tortilla chips. He grabbed them and pushed through the patio door into the darkness.

  “Alex, no.” Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Doug run into the kitchen and upend the open bag of chips.

  “Hey, you’re messin’ up my kitchen.” Mitch’s voice roared through the open patio door.

  Alex took the stairs three at a time. He was backing down the wooded lane, lights off, when Doug ran down the steps. When he reached the highway, he searched for the light switch while looking out the window for his brother. Just as Doug appeared, Alex found the lights, flipped them on, and shifted into second. With a spray of gravel, he left his brother cursing in Mitch’s driveway.

  Sixty minutes later, he saw her checking her bag at security in the San Jose International airport. “Kat,” he shouted. He ran through the terminal, watching as she took off her sandals and set them in the bin. “Kat, wait.”

  Finally, she turned, her head swiveling and looking for the source. When she saw him running down the hall, she motioned to the people behind her to go ahead.

  “Kat.” Alex reached her and put one hand on the counter, trying to catch his breath. “Kat…” He looked into her eyes, trying to read them, but her gaze was distant, cool.

  “Alex, what are you doing here?”

  With renewed determination, Alex reached out and grasped her arm, despite the fact under his fingers her muscles stiffened. “Are you kidding, Katerina?” He gulped for air. “I couldn’t let you go without…”

  Kat pulled away. “It’s for the best, Alex,” she said softly and turned to go.

  In slow motion, his arm dropped to his side. “Wait.” Alex straightened, looking at Kat’s stiff back. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  “Alex, there is nothing more to say. We’re crossing the proverbial bridge.”

  “I love you, Kat.” Alex gripped her arms and stared into her eyes.

  Overhead, a woman’s voice intoned boarding information for Kat’s flight.

  “I’ve got to go, Alex. I’ll miss my plane.” Kat ducked her head and looked toward the other side of the security gates where her bin and shoes waited.

  Alex stared at the calm woman standing before him. Any other woman would be thrilled to hear the magic three little words. But Kat acted as if she hadn’t even heard him. Maybe during their time apart, she had concluded his lack of education was a good point. If so, then now he had to convince her otherwise. “Don’t go, Kat. Stay. I know I don’t fit into your world but we can make a relationship work…somehow. I won’t come to your office. I’ll go back to school. Whatever you want.”

  “Oh, Alex. If you go back to school, you have to do it for yourself, not me. And as far as not fitting in…I admire you so much. You are in the real world and we academicians—” She glanced around at the people rushing past them. “You know more about your grapes and wine and marketing than any professor who teaches.”

  Alex pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her body. Looking down, he kissed her lips. “Then don’t go,” he whispered.

  Kat’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I told you at the beginning, Alex. I have a responsibility to my family. I promised my father I would come back. They need me, Alex, really, they do. You don’t understand. You have this huge extended family. You don’t understand what losing a vital part of your family is like.”

  A husky, uniformed guard stepped forward. “Hey, buddy, let the lady go. You wanta go along, then buy a ticket. Otherwise step back. We’ve got a plane to board.”

  Alex’s fingers itched to punch the guy but instead, he pulled Kat into his arms. Putting his lips to her ear, he whispered, “Please don’t go.”

  She quickly brushed his lips with hers and walked through the scanner with nary a beep. As she retrieved her shoes on the other side of security, she turned and gave a small wave.

  His heart plummeting to his feet, Alex watched until Katerina disappeared in the crowd. Somehow he had thought when they got to the bridge—they’d find a simple answer, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But there was no simple answer and no pot of gold. Kat was gone.

  Chapter Ten

  At Frankfurt International Airport, Kat spotted her paisley suitcase tumbling onto the baggage claim carrousel and wended her way through the crowd to intersect the bag. As she reached for it, a slim hand stretched in front of her and pulled the case onto the carpet.

  An arm went around her shoulders and a familiar voice whispered in her ear, “Welcome, home, Sis.”

  Jumping up and down with joy and surprise, Kat threw her arms around her sister. “I can’t believe it. I haven’t seen you in ages. Eliza, what are you doing here?” Although certainly the last person she expected to see, the surprise appearance of her younger sister brightened her day. Memories of her last moments with Alex had plagued her for the entire flight, making sleep impossible. “I planned to take the train home. I thought you couldn’t leave.”

  Laughing, Eliza held up her hands. “Slow down, big sister.”

  “Excuse me.” A burly man frowned at Kat and her sister as he reached for a duffle bag. Kat caught a whiff of cigarette smoke from his jacket and noticed the nearby smoking area. Another difference from the States, where smoking was increasingly confined.

  “Pardon me.” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her other bag and lunged. With both bags retrieved, they walked toward the doors. “I didn’t expect to see anyone, Eliza.”

  “I’m driving you home and staying for dinner. But I must return tonight. Let’s get out of here; we can talk in the car.” Eliza pulled up the handle on Kat’s suitcase and started out the automatic doors, dragging the suitcase behind her.

  Anticipation over lugging her belongin
gs to the bus stop and enduring the long ride home fled. Kat let loose a deep sigh of relief, hiked her purse onto her shoulder, and followed her sister the nun to her car.

  “You look so…normal.” Kat couldn’t take her gaze off her beautiful, younger sister. Although her hair was the exact same pale shade as Kat’s, Eliza wore it cut short, giving her a tight cap of light blond curls.

  Eliza laughed. “I don’t wear the habit all the time.” She turned and glanced at Kat. “You look good, Kat. I’ve never seen you with so much color in your face. You actually have a tan. I believe your six months in the States was good for you.”

  Images of her adventures with Alex flitted through Kat’s mind. She wondered if she would miss the horseback and motorcycle rides. “California people are very athletic.” After her sister popped the trunk, Kat loaded her luggage into the deep recess and smiled as she pictured herself falling into the trunk of the rental car her first day at the Marino’s.

  “And your hair…” Across the top of the small, red car, Eliza studied her sister. “Your hair looks very American.”

  Kat had clipped her long hair for the trip. She reached back and pulled the tail over her shoulder, running her hand down its length. “I wanted to be comfortable. California to Germany is a long trip.” She looked down at her dark jeans which she had bought on a shopping trip with the McLachlan sisters. “I suppose I have been influenced during my stay.”

  The loud click of heels drew her attention to a smartly dressed woman dragging a suitcase behind her. Just six short months ago she was that woman. Catching her sister’s eye, she shrugged. “Who would have guessed?” She settled into the passenger side of the car and fastened her seat belt.

  “You’re home in time for the Fair on the Rhine.” Eliza paid for parking and pulled onto the street. “Would you like to go?”

  Thinking of the fair in Düsseldorf with its food booths and activities, Kat’s mood lifted a tiny bit at the thought of sharing the festivities with her sister. “I would love to if you’re sure you can go, I mean, get away.”