He winced. “Yes it was, Mom.” His father had entrusted him with Cecelia’s life, and he’d failed.
A gray haze blurred his vision, and he clutched the metal armrests as his nightmare stepped into daylight. His sister crying, his mom furious, the waves crashing around his young frame, and then Cecelia was gone, dead, not even her flesh remained to bury. Christ, he could feel sweat beading on his skin. Don’t lose it, not here, not in front of Mom. He took a deep breath in and blew a long breath out. Over and over, he repeated the exercise until the nightmare slowly disintegrated, leaving him in a shell of a room with his mother watching him tentatively.
“I should have believed your father,” she said. “He tried to tell me, but I didn’t listen.”
As his fear and nausea eased, he released his death grip on the chair. “It wasn’t easy to believe.”
She leaned forward, and a dark emotion haunted her eyes. “Promise me one thing before you go.”
“What?”
“Don’t have children with a woman who doesn’t believe in the Calling. Even if it means never being a father.”
He swallowed hard. After watching his mom lose her daughter and religion in one terrifying moment, he’d made that vow to himself a long time ago.
Her eyes narrowed, and her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing picking up pace. “Promise me, boy.”
“I promise, Mom.”
She sat back in the chair and began rocking urgently. “Go.”
“But I just got here.” Since he’d been stationed in Corpus Christi, he made the four-hour drive to Galveston twice a month to spend time with her. He always stayed at least two hours, even if they never said a word to each other.
She held her wrists out and scowled at him. “Bring me a knife next time, and I’ll ask you to stay longer.”
Justin’s stomach twisted. What a perfect life he had with a suicidal mom, the death of his sister on his conscience, and a father who hadn’t spoken to him in ten years. Jesus, he was screwed up. He mashed his lips together as he stood and headed toward the door. Though he wanted to give up on her, he never would. Somehow, he’d find a way to help her.
Before he walked outside, he turned to her. “Mom?”
“What?”
“I’ll see you in two weeks.”
With his words hanging in the air unacknowledged, he left, knowing she’d spend the rest of the day planning her suicide.
* * *
Mandy maneuvered the joystick until the claw hovered directly above the white teddy bear with the pink heart-shaped nose. She pushed the clamp button and crossed her fingers. “Please, please, please.” The claw descended and snapped shut with the teddy bear’s ear in its jaws. The metal teeth lifted the animal from the sea of plush toys.
Emma squealed. “You did it, Aunt Mandy!” No sooner had the words left her little mouth, than the bear plunged into the far corner of the glass enclosure. “It’s toooo haaard!” Emma exclaimed, her blue eyes filled with tears.
Mandy sighed. “Calm down, honey. We’ll try again.”
Emma nodded, but her mouth pulled down in a frown, and a tear streamed down her cheek. “Okay.”
Mandy snagged the last quarter from her change purse and slipped the coin into the machine. With no more dollars to exchange, she had one final chance to make Emma’s day. She steeled her nerves, positioned the claw just right, and hit Clamp.
Emma swiped away her tears, her eyes sparkling with hope.
Mandy held her breath, praying this time she’d get the prize. The metal hand came up with nothing but air.
“Ohhh, nooo,” Emma whimpered.
Mandy shook her head in defeat. “Honey, I’ve spent five dollars trying to win that bear.” She opened her empty change purse for Emma to inspect. “I’m out of quarters. How ‘bout I just buy you a bear at the store?”
Emma’s chin trembled. “I want that bear.”
Mandy wiped a tear from Emma’s cheek. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.”
“Do you need some help, ma’am?” Justin’s voice carried over the noisy din of the restaurant.
She whirled to face him, her stomach fluttering like a butterfly. “What are you doing here?”
Justin chuckled. “Don’t act too excited to see me.”
Was he kidding? Now that he was standing in front of her, she felt like a missing piece of her heart had just locked into place. Not to mention that, over the weekend, she’d thought about him nonstop, which was a blessing since it kept her from obsessing over her screening on Tuesday.
What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t want him so badly when her life was upside down, but she couldn’t control her emotions any more than she could control her diagnosis. Oh, well. At least the obsession made her feel alive.
She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and tried to play it cool, though he looked dang sexy in his flight gear. “Sorry, you just surprised me.”
He pointed over his shoulder at the buffet. “Me and the boys had training all day and came in for pizza and beer.”
She glanced around him and immediately caught sight of Ty. He glowered in their direction as he filled his plate with breadsticks. “Ty’s staring at us.”
Justin shrugged. “So?” He leaned down to Mandy’s ear. “What happened to you Friday morning? I woke up, and you were gone.”
The closer Justin inched, the brighter Ty’s cheeks flushed. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was jealous. Focus. Justin had just asked her a question.
“You could have called,” she replied, attempting to appease his inquisitive eyes without actually answering.
“I’m trying not to crowd you.” He tilted his head, and his gaze darkened. “Now, answer my question, please.”
Ty’s eyes boring a hole in her were making it impossible to concentrate. Mandy lined up with Justin so she couldn’t see Ty anymore and searched for a plausible excuse that didn’t involve mammogram results. Nothing came to mind. She guessed she’d have to tell him the truth.
“What about my bear?” Emma demanded.
Mandy patted her niece’s blond head appreciatively. She’d have to thank her for interrupting later with a lollypop. Relieved for the change of subject, she tilted her head toward the game. “I’ve spent more than that stuffed animal’s worth trying to retrieve it.”
Justin threw Emma a crooked grin. “Mind if I try? I’ve even got a quarter.”
Mandy cocked an eyebrow. Fat chance. “It’s gonna take more than a quarter.”
“We’ll see.”
He fumbled around in his pocket and brought out a coin. He moseyed up to the game as if he owned the thing, popped the quarter in, and went straight for a white bunny. He hit the clamp button, picked up a bunny, and dumped it into the deposit bin.
With a cocky grin, he turned around. “Admit it, you’re impressed.” He reached down and grabbed the toy out of the chute. When he held it out to Emma, she crossed her arms over her little chest and pouted. Justin scratched his head. “You change your mind?”
Emma shook her head, her long blond pigtails bouncing from side to side. “I wanted the bear.”
Mandy narrowed her eyes at Emma. “You tell Mr. Seward thank you, right this instant.”
Emma grabbed the bunny, stared at the floor, and mumbled, “Thank you.”
Justin’s brow furrowed. “That’s not a bear?”
“It’s a bunny,” Mandy said, though she had to admit, without the long ears, it did resemble a bear. “She wanted that one.” She pointed to the toy in the corner.
“Wait right here,” he said.
Mandy watched him head to the change machine, pull out a dollar, and exchanged it for quarters, then hurry back to the game. By the time he finished feeding money to the machine, Emma had the first bunny, the white bear she wanted, a plastic shark, and a mouse that looked more like a rat. With her arms full of toys and wearing a grin the size of Texas, Emma waddled back to her mom.
“I’m finally going to admit it; I’m i
mpressed,” Mandy said. “I spent five bucks and didn’t get a darn thing.”
Justin raised his chin high and puffed out his chest. “What can I say? I’ve got skills. And I wasted way too much time at the arcade as a kid.”
She chuckled. “You should be so proud.”
“I am.” He squinted at her, his mind obviously not on arcade games. “You never answered my question. Why were you gone Friday morning?”
She sighed. The correct answer would have been that she couldn’t handle being around anybody when she broke down and cried, but if she told him that, he’d just be upset that she hadn’t cried on his shoulder. Thanks to Emma’s distraction, she’d had time to come up with another excuse. “You had a nightmare. In the morning, you looked so peaceful, I didn’t have the heart to wake you.” That wasn’t a total lie. He had been sleeping soundly.
He winced. “How did you know I was having a bad dream?”
Her heart sank. Did he not realize he’d held her all night? She hadn’t slept on a man's chest since Ty, and the idea of him not remembering stung. He tilted his head, waiting for an answer.
“You yelled someone’s name,” she said quietly.
His face tensed. “Cecelia?”
She nodded, wondering if Cecelia was a past girlfriend who still haunted him. The thought made her chest tighten. Dang jealousy.
He must have read her mind, because he said, “She was my sister.”
The tension in her chest eased until she realized he’d never spoken of a sister before and that he’d referred to her in the past tense. “Was?” She cringed at her insensitivity. If his sister had died, a pizza joint wasn’t the place to discuss it.
The creases around his eyes deepened. “I’ll tell you about her later.”
A heavy silence filled the space between them. She wasn’t sure what to say, but a movement caught her attention, distracting her. Over Justin’s shoulder, she saw her sister pointing toward the front door.
“I think my ride’s leaving,” she said, suddenly terrified she wouldn’t see him for a long time. Now that she had Justin back in her life, she didn’t want to lose him, but she didn’t think she could be forward enough to ask him when they’d get together again.
He wrapped his fingers around her forearm as if he were afraid she’d bolt. “Are you off Tuesday?”
Thank, God! The tightness in her chest released. “Yep,” she said, with a little too much enthusiasm.
“Beach or movie and dinner?”
She looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and smiled. “As in a date?”
Justin looked at her, his expression appalled. “Of course, it’s not a date. We’re just two friends hanging out.”
Mandy smirked, not sure she believed him, and glad for the doubt. She leaned against a pinball machine and peered up at him beneath lowered lids. Teasing him was too much fun to pass up. “If we did go to a movie and dinner, who’s paying?”
“I would, of course. I can’t let anyone treat my woman badly, not even me.”
She opened her eyes wide, trying to look innocent. “Then it’s a date.”
“Well, okay. If you insist.” He took her wrists in his large hands and gently pulled her close to him. With his lips only inches from hers, he said, “I need to get my clothes back anyway.”
He smelled of the ocean, and the scent, mixed with his close proximity, made her feel woozy. “Uh, Justin?”
“Yeah?”
His sweet breath brushed her cheek. For a moment, she forgot what she wanted, lost in his heady spices. She cleared her throat. “Do you want to meet at my place or yours?”
“Yours.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “Has anyone ever told you that your hair smells like strawberries?”
She laughed quietly. He was standing inches from her in a pizza arcade, sniffing her hair. If her sister was watching, she’d have a lot of explaining to do. She took a step back, stood on her tiptoes, and glanced over his shoulder.
Instead of meeting Cynthia’s assessing gaze, she locked eyes with Ty. He sat at a table with his work buddies, his fists clenched tight and a vein on the side of his neck threatening to explode. “Ty looks ready for a brawl.”
Justin peered over his shoulder, then back at Mandy. “He’s just jealous.”
Yeah, right. “I seriously doubt that.”
Justin’s gaze raked over her, his eyes lingering on her lips before returning to her eyes. “You’re the best-looking gal in Corpus. Trust me when I say, he’s jealous.”
Then, why did he dump her? She gazed at the floor, her body heated from Justin’s stare, but her mind chilled by thoughts of Ty. Her ex-fiancé tainted everything. He was as much an obstacle to her living a normal life as the cancer.
Justin tipped her chin up with his finger. “He was an idiot for leaving you.”
The comfort in his words warmed her. “Thanks.”
Justin wrapped her in his arms and gave a squeeze before releasing her. “You better get outta here before your sister sends Emma after you. She might want me to empty the toy game.”
“Good idea.”
He winked. “I’ll see you Tuesday.”
“Call me before you head over,” she said.
“Will do.”
As Mandy strode toward her family, she saw Ty’s eyes narrow in on Justin with a glare promising an interrogation. Could he be jealous like Justin had said? She nipped the notion from her mind because if Ty was jealous, then he still had feelings for her and that just wasn’t possible after the way he’d ruthlessly trampled her heart. As she headed into the warm July night, she realized that, for the first time since she’d met Ty, she didn’t care if he held a flame for her or not.
Chapter 6
Mandy slipped into a parking spot in front of her apartment building, thankful her mammogram was over. Now, all she had to do was wait a few more days to either breathe the biggest sigh of relief in her entire life, or start preparations for her second battle with cancer. God, her life felt like a nightmarish circle. The worry, the waiting, the fear, the relief. And just when she thought it was over, she had the joy of doing it all over again.
“No self-pity.” Today was a gift because she had a date with Justin, and nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to get in the way of her enjoying the evening.
As she stepped out of her car and shut the door, a tingle of anticipation spread through her arms and down legs. A date. With Justin. What on earth would she wear?
She giggled, wishing all her woes were so easy to solve. Somewhere in the back of her closet hung the little black dress she always slipped on when she wanted to make a good impression. As she climbed her apartment stairs, she wondered if it’d be too big. Maybe she could pin it.
Halfway up, her mind gleefully distracted by possible clothing accessory choices, a white truck caught her eye. She stopped to stare at the surf-or-die license plate. Why was Ty at her complex? Oh, God, had he come to see her?
Her eyes darted from his car to her landing. Wearing khaki cargo pants and a navy-blue T-shirt, Ty leaned against the brick exterior by her door. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, his biceps bulging against the hem of his short sleeves.
Her heart fluttered, then stopped beating altogether. For a second, she knew what it felt like to need a defibrillator. Breathe, damn it. She sucked in a desperate gulp of air, and her eyes wearily moved from her ex to her door and back. He hadn’t stepped foot over the threshold of her apartment in almost a year. Why now?
The question had barely entered her mind when the answer rang like a bell in her ears. Justin. Ty was territorial, an alpha dog so to speak, and it figured he’d show up to pee on her door the second Justin showed an interest. The prick.
Ty smiled, the skin framing his gray eyes crinkling at the edges, and he shifted from one foot to the other, over and over again. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was nervous, but nerves weren’t something Ty felt, along with love, compassion, and selflessness.
“Too
k you long enough to get home,” he said, his voice tight enough to pluck.
She strode to the door and inserted the key. “What do you want, Ty?”
“Always straight to the point.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers lingering on the edge of his sandy blond hair, smoothing the strands down agitatedly. “I want to talk.”
She walked inside and blocked the entrance with her body. “About what?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “May I come in?”
“No.”
“Please?”
She flicked the edge of the steel lock with her forefinger and refused to meet his gaze. “Whatever you need to say, you can say on the porch.”
“Just give me five minutes.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Please, Mandy?”
She’d never heard that thickness to his voice before, almost as if he were defeated. Surprised, she looked up. The hand that continued smoothing down his hair seemed to tremble and, when he noticed her staring, he shoved both hands in his pockets. He was utterly terrified. She could see it as plain as day in the tightness of his face, his hunched shoulders, and the side-to-side shuffle of his feet.
Her jaw nearly hit the floor, but she closed her mouth quickly. He’d officially piqued her curiosity. She sighed and moved aside. “Five minutes.”
Ty walked inside and paused in front of the wall that used to be covered with pictures of them—their engagement, an embrace on the beach, her sitting among his family in Florida. The shrine to their relationship no longer existed, replaced with Monet’s painting of water lilies. She could read the disappointment on his face as if he expected her still to be pining for him. It felt good to let him know she’d moved on, even if it had taken her months to purge those photos.
She closed the door and threw her keys and purse on the kitchen counter with a loud clink and thud.
Ty crossed the small living room and sat rigidly on the couch with his spine a foot from the backrest. “What’ve you been up to today?”
The Calling Page 7
