Lean on Me (Serendipity Book 1)

by Kali Argent

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “I’ll come back. I promise.”

  “Cab’s on the way.” Strolling into the room, Rafe waved his phone at her. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  Cecily pushed up from the sofa and shook her head. “Stay here. We’re just going to watch old movies and eat popcorn and ice cream until we explode. You really don’t want to witness that.”

  Rafe curled his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a brief kiss. “Daniel?”

  “Yeah, I guess they broke up.”

  “I thought she was supposed to be moving in with him this weekend.”

  Cecily shrugged. “I don’t know all the details, but honestly, I’m not sorry to see the last of him.”

  “Why do you dislike him so much?”

  “Long story.” Plus, there wasn’t much to tell. Nothing concrete anyway. He just gave her a bad vibe, and he had from the moment he’d sat down next to her at the club. “I’ll tell you another time.”

  “Fair enough.” He kissed her again. “If you change your mind, just call.”

  God, he was sweet, and it would be so easy to lean on him. She needed to be strong, though, and she doubted Melissa wanted an audience for her breakdown.

  “Thank you, but we’ll be fine. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Whatever you need.”

  And she believed him. Whatever she needed. Whatever would make her happy. That was what he’d do. Standing in the living room, surrounded by Barbie dolls and stuffed animals, she realized that it wouldn’t just be easy to fall in love with him.

  She already had.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Mel, I really wish you’d reconsider.” Nearly a month had come and gone since her breakup, and while she seemed better, Cecily still worried about her. “Maybe you should take some more time to think about it.”

  To her surprise, Melissa didn’t argue. She didn’t rant about being an adult. She didn’t go on about taking chances and living her life to the fullest. Instead, she hugged Cecily tight and kissed her cheek.

  “I have thought about it, and I’ve decided you were right.” She sounded decisive and confident. “I do need to grow up. I need to learn to stand on my own.”

  There was more to Melissa’s breakup with Daniel that she wasn’t saying, but no matter how much Cecily prodded, she wouldn’t talk about it. She’d been different since that night, though, more subdued.

  If Cecily ever saw Daniel again, she was going to skin the little weasel.

  “I’m proud of you,” she said instead of pushing for more details about the breakup like she wanted to. “But…Chicago? With mom? Are you ready for that?”

  Melissa laughed, the sound carefree and musical. “She’s not that bad, and it’ll just be for a little while until I can find my own place.” Spine straight, shoulders back, she met Cecily’s gaze with determination. “This is a good thing.”

  “That’s the last box.” Stopping outside Melissa’s bedroom door, Rafe cupped his hands and blew warm air into them. “Anything else?”

  “No, that’s it.” She eased around Cecily to wrap her arms around Rafe. “Thank you.” She touched one side of his face and stretched up to place a kiss on the other cheek. “Take care of her, okay?”

  “As much as she’ll let me.” He hugged her tight again and kissed the top of her head. “You take care of yourself. If you need anything, you have my number.”

  “And you better call,” Cecily added. “I can’t believe you won’t be here for Christmas.” It was the first time since Melissa had been born that they hadn’t spent the holidays together, and she was already grieving the loss.

  “You could always come visit. Mom would like that.”

  “Yeah, maybe I will.”

  Melissa gave her a tight-lipped grin. “Don’t cry.”

  “I’m not.” Her eyes stung and watered, but the tears hadn’t spilled over, so it didn’t count. “Be careful.” She grabbed onto her sister and hugged her like she’d never see her again. “Call me as soon as you get there.”

  Twenty minutes later, she finally managed to let her baby sister walk out the front door. It would be fine. Everything would work out for the best. Melissa was smart and capable, and their mother wasn’t the same drunk she’d been when they were little.

  Strong arms encircled her waist, and a wall of solid muscle pressed against her back. “She’ll be okay,” Rafe whispered in her ear. “You did an amazing job with her, and she’s going to be just fine.”

  “She’s so young.”

  “She’s twenty-two, almost twenty-three. Older than you were when you decided to take her in and raise her.”

  “I know. I just…” Sighing, she turned and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. “Never mind. So, what do you have going on today?”

  “Another delivery at the club. Want to come?”

  “Will there be cheese?”

  “Obviously.” Crowding closer, he dipped his head for a kiss, but paused when his cell phone rang from his pocket. “Hold that thought.”

  “Is it work?” she asked when he frowned down at the screen.

  He shook his head. “Hey, Nettie. Can I call you back in…Angie?” Turning, he fisted his free hand in his hair and began pacing the length of her living room. “Angie, Angie, slow down. What happened?”

  “Is everything okay?” Cecily started toward him but stopped when he threw his hand up to keep her back.

  “No, that’s okay. You did the right thing. I’m on my way.” He bobbed his head. “Good girl. Stay on the phone with me, okay?”

  “Rafe?” Cecily asked, trying again to get close to him. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Nettie. I have to go.” His entire demeanor had changed from only seconds before, and a completely different person stared back at her from the front door.

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No.”

  His harsh tone gave her pause, but she recovered quickly, pulled her jacket on, and zipped it halfway. “I’m coming with you.” There was nothing more she could do for Melissa just then, but she could be there for Rafe. “Let’s go.”

  By the time she had slipped on her tennis shoes, grabbed some money from her emergency stash, and hurried down the stairs, Rafe had already hailed a cab. He looked up when she jogged toward him, but he didn’t say anything until they were both in the backseat. Then, it was only to rattle off his sister’s address to the driver and tell him to hurry.

  Sitting rigidly, he stared straight ahead, unmoving, barely blinking, as the driver wove in and out of traffic at speeds far exceeding the limit. By the time they’d cleared downtown, Cecily couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

  “Rafe, what’s going on?”

  He held his hand up, index finger extended. “Angie, are you still there? Good, okay, where are your sisters?” He nodded slowly. “That’s good. You’re doing great. Just a few more minutes, okay?”

  “Rafe, you’re really starting to freak me out.” Her heart raced, and she had to ball her hands on her thighs to stop them from shaking. “What happened to Nettie?”

  He kept the phone to his ear but lifted his other hand to cover the mouthpiece. “She passed out, and the girls can’t wake her up.”

  “Oh, my god. Did someone call the paramedics?” She instinctively reached into her coat pocket for her phone.

  “Angie called 9-1-1.” He grinned a little. “The operator told her to stay on the line, but she hung up to call me. She’s afraid she’ll be in trouble.”

  “She did the right thing.”

  Rafe nodded. “That’s what I told her.” His eyes darted to the front of the cab and the road beyond the windshield. “Okay, let the paramedics in, but stay on the phone with me. I’m almost there. Are you going? Good girl.”

  Not two minutes later, the cab rolled to a stop in front of the duplex. “Go,” Cecily urged as she tilted her head toward the driver. “I’ve got this.”

  “Everything ok
ay, ma’am?”

  Cecily passed the driver a couple of crumpled twenties, then threw open the back door. “I hope so.”

  An ambulance idled next to the curb, its lights flashing red and blue. A few neighbors stood on their porches, pointing and shaking their heads as they spoke in hushed voices. No one seemed inclined to come closer or offer to help, though.

  Running up the walkway, she paused on the porch, unsure if she should just walk in or not. The decision was taken out of her hands when the screen door swung open, and Angie came rushing out of the house. She didn’t pause as she ran right into Cecily, throwing her arms around her and squeezing her hard. Her little shoulders shook, and when she spoke, the words were barely intelligible through her sobs.

  “Is my mom going to die like my dad did?”

  “Oh, honey.” Cecily didn’t even know what had caused Annette to collapse, and she wouldn’t make a promise she couldn’t keep. “The EMTs are going to do everything they can.” She held the girl to her and kissed the top of her head. “You were so brave, Angie, and so smart. I know your Uncle Rafe is very proud of you.”

  “The lady told me I had to stay on the phone with her.” After a long while, she released Cecily and took a step back, wiping roughly at her eyes. “But Mom said that I’m supposed to call Uncle Rafe if anything happens to her.”

  Cecily understood why the dispatcher would want the child to stay on the line, but Angie didn’t need to feel guilty about it. “Don’t worry about that lady. You absolutely did the right thing.” She wiped away a stray tear on Angie’s cheek with the pad of her thumb. “If that lady has a problem with it, she can come talk to me, and I’m really scary. Just ask Rafe.”

  Angie didn’t laugh, but the tears stopped, and she gave Cecily a tiny smile. “Can I see my mom?”

  “We don’t want to get in the way while they’re helping her, but we can go in and check.” Schooling her features to hide her shock, she kept a perfectly neutral expression when Angie took her hand. “Where are your sisters?”

  “In our room. I gave them some snacks and told them to go color.”

  “That was smart.” The kid reminded her a lot of herself when she’d been that age. “You’re a good big sister.”

  Entering the living room, Cecily was so relieved to see Annette awake and talking to one of the paramedics, she actually sighed out loud.

  “Mom!” Angie released Cecily’s hand and sprinted over to the sofa. “Are you okay? I called the 9-1-1 lady, just like you said.”

  Cecily stood off to the side, taking slow, deep breaths as she battled back tears. Oh, it had been a hell of a day.

  Rafe caught her eye from across the room, his expression filled with the same relief she felt. He pressed a kiss to his sister’s temple, said a few words to the EMT, then crossed the room to stand beside her.

  “I see Angie has come around.”

  “She was upset and scared.” In the moment, Cecily—as an adult—had represented safety and comfort. She had no delusions that she and Angie would suddenly become best friends, but she felt like they were a step closer to finding a middle ground. “We’re getting there.” Leaning against Rafe, she rested her head on his shoulder. “How’s Annette?”

  “Okay, I think.” He blew out a breath that puffed his cheeks as he gathered her into his arms. “She’s a diabetic. I guess she’s been skipping insulin injections…and meals.”

  “Let me guess. She took an injection today but didn’t eat enough.” Cecily wasn’t an expert on the condition, but she’d once had a client who was diabetic, so she knew how quickly things could turn dangerous.

  “That’s what she told the EMT.”

  “She can’t afford it, can she?”

  Since meeting Annette and the girls, Cecily had slowly been putting the pieces together. They’d moved into the unit right around the same time Rafe had sold his pickup and started working extra shifts at the club. The fact that he’d sold his old Chevy had sort of slipped out one night over dinner, and he’d tried to cover by saying he’d sold the vehicle because he hardly ever drove it.

  Cecily had just smiled politely and changed the subject, but even then, she’d seen it for the lie it was. Only now did she understand that he had sold the pickup because he’d needed the money to help his sister.

  His arms tightened around her. “I didn’t know. Why didn’t she say anything?”

  “Hey.” Leaning back, she reached up to caress the side of his face. “This isn’t your fault. She probably didn’t tell you because she was embarrassed.”

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  Cecily knew that, but she also knew how hard it could be to reach out and ask for help when she needed it. She’d only known Annette for a short time, but she recognized the drive to be independent and self-reliant.

  “Look, you know now, and you’ll take care of it.” She would offer him the money in a heartbeat, but he’d never take it. Instead, she made a mental note to plan more nights in and insist on picking up the tab when they did go out together. “The important thing is that she’s going to be okay.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” He didn’t sound mollified, but at least some of the tension in his shoulders eased.

  “Are they taking her to the hospital?”

  “They want to, but she’s refusing.”

  If she couldn’t afford the insulin she needed, she definitely couldn’t afford an ambulance ride or a hospital stay. “Okay, then, we’ll hang out for a little while to keep an eye on her.”

  “Thank you for being here, but you don’t have to stay. You should get home before it gets dark.”

  She snuggled against his chest and sighed. It wasn’t the time to start an argument, but she had no intentions of going anywhere.

  ~

  “We gave her glucose tablets, and her levels are stable now, but she really should be seen by a doctor.”

  Rafe bobbed his head as he shook the paramedic’s hand. “I can’t force her to go to the hospital any more than you can, but I’ll make sure she’s seen at the clinic tomorrow.”

  They exchanged a few more words, and Rafe promised once again to have Annette seen by a doctor the next day. Eventually, the ambulance drove away, the neighbors retreated back into their own homes, and even Cecily had disappeared. He’d told her to leave, of course, but there was still a slight twinge of disappointment that she’d actually listened for once.

  “How are you feeling?” Moving behind the couch, he fluffed Annette’s pillow, then tucked her favorite fleece blanket with little snowflakes up around her shoulders. “Do you need anything? I can make some tea.”

  “Rafe, stop.” She placed one hand over his where it rested on her shoulder and patted the cushion beside her with the other. “Come sit down.”

  He did as he was told, but he couldn’t stop fussing over her. “Are you sure you don’t need anything? Are you hungry?”

  Threading her fingers through her hair, she pushed the dark locks back from her face and sighed. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “That’s what Cecily said.” Too bad he didn’t believe either of them. He should have checked on his sister more often. He should have made sure she was taking care of herself.

  “She’s a smart girl.”

  Sighing, he pulled his sister to him and settled her against his side. “I’d do anything for you and the girls. Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was?”

  It wasn’t always easy. He made decent money bartending, but it didn’t leave much left over after he’d covered his own bills. Still, he’d find a way to make it work, even if he had to pick up a second job.

  “I didn’t tell you because it’s not your responsibility.” Pulling away, Annette narrowed her eyes at him, the same way he’d seen her do with the girls when they’d pushed her too far. “I love you, Rafe, but it doesn’t fall to you to take care of us.”

  “You’re my family. Of course, I’m going to take care of you.”

  “And I can’t tell y
ou how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for us since Brian died.” She patted his cheek a little too hard to be truly considered affectionate. “You need to live your own life, though.”

  “Nettie, I can live my life and still be here when you need me. I don’t have to choose.”

  “You don’t have to save the world, either.” She scooted away from him and settled back into the corner of the sofa. “I talked to Mom and Dad last night.” Chewing the corner of her lip, she looked up at him and sighed. “We’re going to go stay with them for a little while, just until I can save some money to get us back on our feet.”

  “Florida?” He’d teased Cecily when she’d been upset about her sister moving away. This was obviously karma coming around to bite him in the ass. “That’s ridiculous. Look, I know my apartment is small, and it’s not in the best neighborhood. Maybe I could move in here, though, split the bills with you.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.”

  It stung his pride that she’d rather move across the country than accept his help, but he didn’t say that. “Nettie—”

  “No,” she interrupted. “Mom and Dad are excited. The girls are excited. Mom even thinks she might be able to help me find a job right away.”

  Rafe didn’t argue. Not because he didn’t have anything further to say on the matter, but because Cecily chose that moment to stroll through the front door. “Hey, guys, who’s hungry?” She held up multiple plastic bags overflowing with cardboard containers. “Where are the girls?”

  “In their room.” Annette tossed back her blanket and stood. “I’ll go get them cleaned up for dinner. Thank you, Cecily.”

  “No problem. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired, but better.” Even her smile looked like it took more energy than she really had. “I’ll get the girls.”

  Rafe watched his sister until she’d cleared the room, then followed Cecily into the kitchen. “What’s all this?” His mouth hung open as he watched her pull container after container out of the bags and place them on the kitchen counter. “Cecily?”

  “Well, I was hungry, and I think I read somewhere you’re supposed to feed kids at least three times a day.” She plucked a fry from one of the boxes and held it up to his mouth. “See?” She wiggled her eyebrows when he bit into the potato. “It’s good.”