by Dorie Graham
“I’ve got it,” she said as one side of the box emerged from the wrap. Her heart seemed to skip. Surely, her present was just in a box with a picture of an espresso machine on it. Grey wouldn’t have actually bought her an espresso machine. Would he?
“Honey, what is this?” she asked.
“It’s an espresso machine.” He pointed to the picture. “Like at The Coffee Stop, only for home.”
“But I don’t drink coffee at home. We roll out every morning and grab coffee at Lucas’s shop. Why would I need one here?”
“So that maybe sometimes we won’t have to roll out so fast in the mornings. Maybe sometimes we could have a quiet breakfast at home.”
A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. “You mean sit-down breakfasts.”
“Yes.” He smiled wide. “Sit-down breakfasts for just you and me. Here, at home.”
“Honey...” She stared at him, trying to find the right words. “You know I like to roll out in the mornings. We don’t have time for breakfast at home.”
His smile faltered. “We could make time. Like we used to. Remember? You used to like that.”
Claire closed her eyes. Why did she have to be the bad guy here? How could she ever make her son understand that, for her, staying home any more than they absolutely needed to was torture?
“Grey, I’m so sorry, this is a lovely thought and I appreciate the gift, but I don’t want to have espresso at home. Don’t you like going to The Coffee Stop? That’s how we met Lucas.”
Grey heaved out a breath, his expression downcast. “He told me you wouldn’t like it. I said you would, but I guess he knows you better than I do.”
His bitter tone surprised her. “What does that mean?”
Grey narrowed his eyes. “It means I’m not a baby. I know you two like like each other.”
“What are you talking about, Grey?”
“I saw him kiss you the other day, at the park when he left with Lady. Why do you keep stuff like that from me? You know when you don’t tell someone the truth it’s the same as lying to them. You’ve been lying to me about Lucas, just like you’ve been lying to me about you.”
“I’m lying to you about me? What does that even mean?” she asked.
“It means there’s something wrong with you. You don’t act right, but you pretend like everything’s fine when it isn’t. That’s lying. Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? I can handle it. What I can’t handle is you rushing me out every morning, and then rushing me around for the rest of the day. I want normal, Mom. We used to be normal.” He gestured to the box. “That’s what this was for. It’s supposed to help you want normal again.”
Claire pressed her lips together. Her fingers tingled and the floor seemed to dip ever so slightly. She inhaled slowly, trying to calm the rapid beat of her heart. She couldn’t deal with this now.
“Back up a minute,” she said. “Lucas said I wouldn’t like the espresso machine. So he knew you were getting it for me?”
“Yes, he cut me a deal and let me pay a little at a time. That’s why I’ve been helping out with chores so much here and at Aunt Becca’s—to earn money to pay for this thing. And now you don’t even want it.” His voice cracked.
Claire tried to put her arm around him, but he slipped away, saying, “I’m going to go get ready. I know you want to leave as soon as possible and I wouldn’t want to make you late for The Coffee Stop.”
“Grey, wait,” she said, but he stormed down the hall and slammed the bathroom door.
She stared at the espresso machine, her throat burning and tears filling her eyes. How could Lucas have done this? He had to have known she wouldn’t be able to accept it, yet he’d helped Grey buy the thing. The way Grey had stormed away he might never forgive her. How could Lucas have let this happen?
* * *
“HEY, BOSS?” Ken called to Lucas from the door to the stockroom a short while later.
Lucas slid a box of coffee onto the shelf, then turned to look at his employee. “Yes, Ken?”
Ken ducked his head, his eyebrows drawn together. “That nice lady and her kid are out front. The little brunette. She wants to see you.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be right out.”
“She doesn’t look very happy,” Ken said.
Damn. It had to be the espresso machine.
Claire stood at the end of the counter when he got to the front, the espresso machine still in its box before her. Grey stood a short distance away, his arms crossed, his expression sullen. Lucas stepped around the counter to Claire.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Happy birthday,” he said.
“How could you have gone behind my back and helped Grey do this? Surely you knew it was an...inappropriate gift.” She kept her voice low, though her anger came through loud and clear.
“Claire—”
“He wants to have breakfasts at home.” She glanced away for a moment, toward the light streaming through the window. “He wants normal. I thought you of all people understood my...shortcomings, understood how difficult this would be for me. I feel like you deliberately set me up for failure.”
“Honey, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know how to make this right with my son, Lucas. I can’t believe you put me in this situation.”
“It’s just an espresso machine.”
She flinched as if he’d struck her. “He wants us to have normal, Lucas. You know I can’t do that.”
“You could, though. You could have whatever life you wanted. All you have to do is get help. Look, I’m sorry you’re angry, but he meant well and I couldn’t crush the kid’s hopes. I really care about you, about both of you. Please, Claire, let me help you. We’ll find someone for you to talk to and I’ll go with you if you want. We can fix this, together.”
Moisture gathered in her eyes. “There is no we, Lucas. I’m not angry so much as I’m hurt,” she said. “I thought you understood me better. I thought you accepted me the way I am. I’m sorry—I get that I’m no prize, but I come as is. I thought you were okay with that. I thought you got me.”
His throat tightened. “I do, sweetheart, but I can take it better than Grey can. He needs his old mom back.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she touched the box. “Well, she doesn’t exist anymore. I can’t do this, Lucas—this thing with you and me. I can’t be with someone who wants to change me.”
“I don’t want to change you. I want to help you. If not for your sake, then for Grey’s.”
“I think you’ve done enough already. I’m sorry, Lucas, but I’m one project you can’t fix.” She turned and headed toward the door.
Grey stared at him for a minute before asking, “Where’s Lady?”
Oh, God, not that, too. He crouched to Grey’s level. “I’m sorry, Grey, she wasn’t doing well. I had to take her back to the vet’s. Apparently she started bleeding again inside. He’s keeping her for a while to see if he can make her better.”
Grey nodded. “I hope she’ll be all right.”
“Me, too.” As the boy turned to catch up with his mother, Lucas stopped him. “Grey, wait.”
Lucas opened the register and counted out the money Grey had given him for the espresso machine. He handed it to the boy. “I’m so sorry the espresso machine didn’t work out.”
“It’s okay. You told me she wouldn’t like it. I should have listened to you.” His gaze met Lucas’s. “Am I going to see you and Lady anymore?”
Lucas swallowed past his burning throat. “I don’t know, buddy. I hope so.”
“Me, too.” Grey paused. “I’d better go. Guess we’re headed for another coffee place. She has to have her espresso.”
“Okay, you take care.”
Grey nodded, and then threw his arms around Lucas’s neck. “I’m sorry I messed up. I should have listened to you.”
Lucas pulled back to look at the boy, his chest tight. “It isn’t your fault, Grey. You didn’t do anything wrong, okay?”
The
boy nodded, tears spilling down his cheeks. “Who’s going to fix my mom now?”
“She’s going to have to fix herself.”
“Grey, we need to go,” Claire called from the door.
Lucas pressed Grey close one last time. “If you ever need me, I’m always here for you.”
Nodding, Grey slipped away and hurried to his mom. Without a glance in Lucas’s direction, Claire turned and left with her son.
How had he screwed everything up so completely? He’d lost Claire and upset Grey. Even the dog probably wouldn’t make it. Some Mr. Fix-It he’d turned out to be.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LUCAS HAD TO see Lady, to make sure she was okay, to reassure himself not everything he’d touched had been destroyed.
He pushed through the animal clinic door, where his friend, Dr. Danny Brenner, had operated on Lady that morning. Lucas stopped at the front counter, where Danny’s young receptionist greeted him.
“Good morning, Mr. Williams, I think Dr. Brenner is done with the surgery. If you’ll have a seat, I’ll see if you can go back.”
Lucas thanked her and sat in the quiet waiting room. A woman spoke softly to a fur ball of a cat across from him. Classical music drifted from a hidden speaker. The roll of tires sounded along the street outside.
Lucas shook his head. Claire wouldn’t have been able to sit still here. The door beside the reception counter opened and Danny Brenner waved him in.
Danny offered his hand, his expression grim. Lucas gripped his friend’s hand. “How did it go, Danny?”
“Not as well as I would have liked. Her vitals are low. I’ve done all I can for her, but she may not be strong enough to pull through.”
Lucas’s throat tightened. He hardly knew this dog, but her survival seemed crucial to him. A memory of Grey hugging Lady flashed through his mind. Since he couldn’t fix Claire, he would will Lady back to health if need be. She just had to be okay.
“Can I see her?” he asked.
“Of course.” Danny walked him back to the sterile room, where a nurse tended to the dog. A dressing covered Lady’s abdomen.
Lucas stroked the animal’s matted fur, his anger rising again over the abuse she’d suffered. Lady whimpered softly and licked Lucas’s hand. “You’re going to be all right, girl.”
He turned to his friend. “Can I take her home?”
“Sure.” Danny lifted a sheet of paper from a nearby counter. “Here are her home care instructions. There’s really nothing you can do other than to make her comfortable and wait. I’m sorry, Lucas, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”
Lucas nodded. “I understand. Thanks for all you’ve done for her, Danny. I really appreciate it.”
“Not a problem. I wish I could have done more.” His friend walked him to the front as Lucas followed, carrying Lady.
He thanked Danny again as he helped him load the dog in the backseat. Before he turned to leave, Danny said, “Call me if you need anything.”
Lucas nodded, then buckled himself into the driver’s seat. “Ready to go home, girl?” he asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
The drive home was quiet, with the exception of the soft tones of Dave Matthews on the satellite radio. Lucas stopped at a light, saying, “We’re almost there. It’s too warm for a fire, but we’ll just hang out, okay?”
Lady lay still, unmoving. Lucas’s heart thudded. He reached back and pressed his hand to her side, feeling for the slow movement of her breath. Only after a couple of moments of frantically searching did he find what he sought.
When he arrived home, he settled her on the big pillow in the living room and sat beside her to wait.
* * *
GREY STARED OUT of his grandmother’s window at the damp, overcast day. At least he didn’t have to play soccer in this mess. The other kids would be covered in mud for sure.
“It’s dreary out there,” his grandmother said as she lowered herself into the seat beside him, mug in hand. “Are you sure you don’t want some tea?”
Grey straightened. “No, thanks. I drink espresso now, like my mom.”
“I see.” Gram eyed him with her eyebrows raised. “I take it you drink decaf espresso?”
“Of course.” His mom might be a little nuts, but she still took good care of him and she’d never let him drink the real stuff.
“I can brew you some decaf coffee, if you’d like.”
“No, thanks. I’m fine.” He settled back into the soft cushions of Gram’s sofa as she clicked through the TV stations. She stopped on a boring news show.
“Can I call someone?” he asked during a commercial.
“Sure, hon, who do you want to call?”
“Lucas Williams.”
“Who’s that? Is he a friend of yours?”
“Yes, he’s a friend of mine and my mom’s at The Coffee Stop. He’s taking care of a dog we found that was hurt and I want to see how she is. Can I use the computer to look up the number?” he asked.
“It’ll be faster to use my phone to find it,” she said as she reached for her phone. She paused and handed it to him. “Would you like to look it up yourself? You can call him directly, too, that way.”
“Cool,” Grey said and took the phone. Mom never let him play with her phone. He clicked on Gram’s browser and searched for The Coffee Stop. He turned the screen toward his grandmother.
“This one?” he asked as he pointed to one of the links.
“That’s it. Touch it and let’s see what you get.”
Another page popped up and this one had Lucas’s name. “I found it. It’s right here.”
He touched the phone number in the entry and the phone indicated it was calling Lucas’s shop. Grey smiled at his grandmother. “It’s ringing.”
“Good afternoon, The Coffee Stop,” a man answered, but it wasn’t Lucas. It sounded like that older guy, but Grey didn’t know his name.
“Is Lucas there?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, Lucas isn’t in this afternoon. Would you like to leave a message for him?”
Grey frowned. How was he supposed to find out how Lady was? “When will he be back?”
“I’m not sure, but he’s usually here in the mornings. Can I tell him who called?” the man asked.
“Sure. Can you please tell him Grey called and ask him to call me? Tell him on the house phone tomorrow night. We won’t be home until late, but he can leave a message. Just tell him I’m checking on Lady.”
After thanking the man, Grey hung up and handed the phone to his grandmother. “Thanks. Mom doesn’t let me do stuff like that on my own. She still treats me like a baby.”
“Anytime, Grey,” she said. “I promise you, I won’t treat you like a baby. Maybe I could even teach you to cook. Would you like that?”
“Sure, that would be cool.” He grinned. Maybe it wasn’t so bad at Gram’s, after all.
“Your mother should be here soon,” she said, checking her watch.
The earlier argument rolled back over Grey, weighing him down. He nodded, his gaze on the carpet. Another miserable night at home, only this would be worse, because of the espresso-machine fiasco.
Why hadn’t he listened to Lucas? And now Mom was mad at Lucas, which was totally stupid. What had Lucas done to make her so upset? And why would she get so bent out of shape over Grey wanting to eat breakfast at home? He felt a bit bad about telling her she wasn’t normal, but how could she not know that?
“What’s wrong, hon?” Gram asked. “You don’t look happy.”
“I’m fine.”
“Grey.” Gram put down her mug. “Tell me what’s going on at home. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s...fine. Why?”
“You don’t seem happy. You’re always tired. I don’t know how you stand it with your mom’s insane schedule.”
“I’m okay, Gram.”
She frowned. “I wish your mother would slow down.”
“Why is she like that, Gram? She wasn’t always. D
id something happen?”
Gram blinked. “I think she’s just tired, too.” She stood. “I have to get dinner started.”
“Do you want me to help?” he asked.
“No, dear, I’ve got it covered.”
So much for teaching him how to cook. As she headed into the kitchen Grey stared out the window at the night. The wind rustled the trees outside. Gram was right, Mom would be there soon. And whatever was wrong with her, no one was talking about it.
* * *
CLAIRE’S STOMACH TIGHTENED as she turned the corner onto their street the evening after her birthday. Wasn’t coming home supposed to make a person happy? At least she was exhausted enough that she might actually sleep tonight. She hadn’t had a decent rest since that night with Lucas.
“Mom, hurry up,” Grey said, impatience punctuating his words.
“I’m not going to speed, honey, it’s a residential zone. What’s the hurry?”
“Lucas is going to call to tell me how Lady is. He had to take her back for the vet to fix her. She was bleeding inside again.”
“Oh, Grey, that doesn’t sound good,” Claire said, casting a glance at her son. Tension radiated from him. How had he gotten so invested in the dog?
“You’re really worried about her, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Of course I am. She might die.”
“What did Lucas say?”
“Just that he had to take her back to the vet.”
“And he’s calling you tonight with more information?” she asked.
“He should be. I left him a message at The Coffee Stop.”
Claire didn’t respond. Grey had called Lucas at his shop. Not seeing Lucas was going to be hard on him. She pulled into the garage. Not seeing Lucas was hard on her.
Grey raced from the car into the house. She followed him more slowly. Her son wouldn’t take the dog’s death well if it happened. And if Lady recovered, Grey would want to see the dog regularly. Maybe she could work something out with Lucas as far as visitations with the dog.
She sighed. She was too tired to think about dealing with Lucas right now. The quiet of the house pressed in around her. As she moved through the living room she turned on the TV and computer.
