Olivia laughed from the next room, and his heart pinged. “I need to get to the truth. Whatever that is,” he said to Samantha. “Thank you for listening.”
“I’ll send you my bill next week,” she said dryly. “Have I properly motivated you?”
He thought about that. Yes, the day had started off badly. So what? Thanksgiving wasn’t over yet. He still had time. “Why are you helping me? She’ll kill you if she finds out.”
“Jeez, man, keep your voice down!” Sam swallowed a healthy portion of her wine. “Besides, I’m not really helping you. I gave you some advice about joint property and how you could possibly use that to your advantage. I didn’t suggest that you trick her—you had that idea before you called me. And I’ll tell her that if she ever asks.”
“Why are you helping me in any capacity, then?” It seemed to be his lot in life to deal with one confusing woman after another.
“Because she’s my family and she loves you. Because I deal with couples who don’t love each other every day of the week. Because maybe you two had something that few couples do. I hate to see that go to waste.” Sam shrugged again. “Simple as that.”
“I don’t think so.” He leaned over and tugged her hair. “You’re a romantic, Sammy-girl. I don’t think I knew that about you.”
“Yeah… Well, don’t spread it around.” She sniffed. “I have a reputation of being a coldhearted man-hater to maintain.”
“Our secret.” He laughed as he stood. “Okay, here I go. Wish me luck.”
She raised her nearly empty wineglass in a faux toast. “Go get ’em, tiger.”
Optimism somewhat returned—thanks to Sammy. He went to join his wife. His plan was working. Olivia was bonding with his family, as if no time at all had passed. And that was a big part of what he’d hoped to accomplish with date number two.
Now he had to remind her that this was, indeed, a date. He needed to get them back to where they were on Saturday, because date number three was fast approaching. And that was the big one. That was the one that would cause some damage. If he and Olivia weren’t to a certain point by then, he doubted they’d get to date number four.
Hell, if things went way south, he’d be lucky if she was even willing to talk to him again.
Olivia drew four cards and scowled at Jace, who was seated to her right. “How many of those hideous cards do you have?”
“Are the—” Jace paused and squinted at her cards “—multitudes of cards you’re holding weighing you down?” he teased. “You know what they say, if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
“You just wait. Someone will toss a reverse out there, and then you’re all mine,” she teased right back. Other than her skirmish with Grady that morning, the day had been a delight. Cody, naturally, was a constant presence in her mind and heart. In order to stay sane—and make it through the day—she’d allowed herself to settle in to the crazy rhythm of the Foster family.
Weirdly enough, it had worked.
Waving her cards in front of Jace, she said, “You think I’m only holding number cards in this hand? Hmm?”
“Oh, I see how it is—” Something behind Jace caught his attention. He nodded, shrugged and laid his cards face-down on the table. “Actually, I’m done for now. Gonna go hang out with the pretty blonde in the living room.”
“She’ll eat you alive, Jace,” Olivia said. “Proceed with caution.”
“You can’t leave! We’re in the middle of a game,” Karen interjected. John elbowed her and rolled his eyes toward Jace. A millisecond later, a mile-wide grin appeared. “Oh…are you taking Jace’s place, Grady?”
Olivia swiveled in her seat to see Grady waiting in the wings. Oh, no. This wouldn’t do.
“I am,” Grady said. “You guys are having way too much fun in here for me to miss out.”
“Grady, why don’t you take over my hand?” she asked. “That way, Jace can keep playing and I can visit with Samantha.”
Her brother-in-law scraped his chair backward. “Nah, I’m good. I could use a break.”
Grady slid his long-legged frame into the chair Jace vacated. “Thanks, bro. And I’d listen to Olly if I were you. Sammy’s a sweetheart, but she’s tough. And a fair amount smarter than you. Way out of your league.”
“My league doesn’t even begin where yours ends,” Jace fired back. And then, realizing he’d put down Olivia in the same breath as his brother, he backtracked. “Umm… I’d date you in a second, Olly. Really. I don’t know how he won you over in the first place.”
Olivia laughed, instantly feeling more at ease about Grady being so close. Somehow, she’d missed the sibling bickering, too. She really was as crazy as her husband. “I suppose my pride should be bruised, but it isn’t. Besides, are you talking minor or major league? Sam and I are definitely in the majors. And…umm…let’s just say the few dates of yours I’ve met…not so much.”
John chuckled from his place across the table. “Yep, the girl can still hold her own.”
“I’m at a loss,” Jace admitted. “Anything I say will either compliment Grady or insult you, so I’m going to say nothing, make a graceful exit and keep your major-league friend company.”
“He really isn’t going to make a play for Samantha, is he?” she asked Grady after Jace disappeared into the next room. Softly, of course, so John and Karen wouldn’t hear. “I like your brother a lot, but Sam doesn’t need to fall for a player.”
“Actually, Jace claims he isn’t a player,” Grady said just as softly. “He’s set his sights on a lady he works with. He’s stopped dating altogether because she won’t go out with him.”
“Really? Wow. I never thought… Wow.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“You two going to play or gossip about your brother’s love life?” John asked in good-natured humor. “Leave him be. He’ll figure it out on his own.”
“Umm, right. Of course.” Olivia’s entire body flushed warm with embarrassment. “Sorry.”
“There’s a woman that Jace is interested in?” Karen sighed when John elbowed her again. Then, switching her attention to Grady, she said, “Later, I expect you’ll share with me whatever you know about this woman. Every last detail. You say he works with her?”
John winked at Olivia, as if to remind her of their conversation earlier—the one about sticking noses into other people’s business. She winked back.
“Yup. That’s what he said, anyway.” Grady picked up Jace’s discarded hand and whistled. “But now you know as much as I do, so there’s nothing left to tell you.”
“There has to be some—”
“Let’s play already, for cryin’ out loud.” John nodded to the discard pile. “It’s your turn, son. And it looks as if your mother has a few of those Draw Four cards, as well.”
They finished that game—Karen won—and were in the process of beginning another when the telephone rang. From Olivia’s vantage point, she could clearly see the full-on desperation that overtook Karen’s features. A shiver of foreboding ran down Olivia’s spine.
“Do you think?” Karen asked John, who was already up and moving toward the kitchen. “Is it possible?” Jumping up, she followed her husband out of the room.
“Jace! Get in here,” Grady hollered, rising to his feet. “Hurry.”
Dread struck Olivia fast and hard. Throughout the entire day, as much as everyone smiled and chatted, there had been an obvious absence. Seth, John and Karen’s youngest son, hadn’t been able to get home for the holiday. He was in the air force, and was currently deployed in Afghanistan.
A sick feeling churned in Olivia’s stomach. Her skin suddenly became cold. Clammy. She couldn’t bear to think…to consider what might be happening. Falling in behind Grady and Jace, she raced to the kitchen.
Her mother-in-law’s back was braced against John’s chest, his arms were wrapped around her and the phone was pressed to her ear. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Olivia’s heart thumped and nausea climbed her
throat. Karen was trying to talk, but seemed too overwhelmed to form actual words. With sadness?
Oh, God. Oh, no.
Not again. Olivia couldn’t go through this again, couldn’t see someone she loved going through this. Her gaze found Grady, but his attention was wholly centered on his mother.
“What’s going on?” Olivia whispered. “Is… Seth?”
“Yes, it’s Seth,” John said. “We hoped to hear from him today. Now, our Thanksgiving is complete.”
It took longer than it should for John’s statement to make sense in Olivia’s muddled brain. Seth was on the phone and not some anonymous person delivering horrifying news about him? A relief so great she almost keeled over rushed through her. God, for a second there, she’d thought… Well, she’d thought a mother’s worst nightmare had come true. Again.
Her knees weakened to the point she thought she was going to collapse, so she backed out of the kitchen and re-took her seat in the dining room. Her body vibrated and shivered, so hard that her muscles hurt. Fear and grief and memories pushed one sob and then another from her throat. She tried to breathe in and out slowly, but couldn’t.
“This isn’t Cody,” she said, her voice choked with tears. “This is Seth, and he’s okay. He’s okay. He’s okay.” Maybe if she repeated it enough, she’d be able to pull herself to the present. “Seth is on the phone. He’s okay.”
“Olivia? What’s wrong?” Samantha kneeled in front of her. “Honey, what do you need? What happened?”
“It’s Seth. Not Cody. And Seth is okay,” she blubbered. “Thank God. Seth is okay.”
“I can’t understand what you’re saying.” Samantha gently shook Olivia’s shoulders. “Look at me. What do you need?”
Olivia raised her eyes to Samantha’s. What did she need? “Grady. Get Grady.” He, after all, was the only person in this house who would understand what she was feeling. Closing her eyes, she again tried to breathe slowly. In through her nose, out through her mouth, but all she saw were the police officers’ faces at her door—how the snow had whipped in the air around them, landing on their jackets. How they’d hesitated before speaking. And then, all she heard were the words, “Your husband and son were involved in an automobile accident. Is there anyone we can call for you before we take you to the hospital?”
She’d had her freaking bathrobe on. She’d been drinking a glass of wine and reading a book, enjoying her precious time alone. When the doorbell rang, she hadn’t even been afraid to answer it.
“Sweetheart, open your eyes.” Grady’s warm tenor wrapped around her. His thumbs found her cheeks, and he wiped her tears from beneath her eyes. “I’m here, baby. That was Seth on the phone. There’s nothing to be upset about.”
“Seth is okay,” she whispered. She was cold. So cold. Her teeth started chattering as her shivers increased. “I thought…”
“I know what you thought. But he’s fine. I promise.” Grady rubbed her arms briskly. “Why did you think he wasn’t? Sweetheart, they send someone to the house with bad news. It wouldn’t come in the form of a phone call.”
Right. She knew that. Of course, she knew that. How had she forgotten?
Grady continued talking in a soft, reassuring voice. “That’s why Mom was so upset we didn’t answer the door this morning. She gets a little freaked whenever the doorbell rings.”
Okay. That made sense. Her brain understood. Why, then, couldn’t she get those policemen’s voices out of her head? “I c-can’t breathe. Can’t g-get away from that night.”
“I’m here, baby. Right here. I want you to think about something good. Anything at all that comes to mind. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes. The d-day Cody was b-born.” She shivered again and wrapped her arms around herself, but kept her eyes glued shut. “Th-that is a good memory.”
“You couldn’t have chosen a better one, baby.” Then, to someone else, Grady said, “She’s freezing. Can we get her a blanket? And maybe something warm to drink?”
“I’ll brew some tea,” Karen said. “John, run upstairs and get a blanket from the linen closet. Jace? Turn the thermostat up a few degrees. And Samantha, maybe—”
“I’ll stay with Olivia,” Samantha said, giving no room for argument.
“See, Olly? We’re all here. Everyone is okay,” Grady said quietly.
She heard the worry in his voice, and she hated that she—once again—had caused him concern. But right now, she was marveling at the memory of her infant son. And oh, that was so much better than what was in her head a second ago.
“How’s that memory going?” Grady asked. “Feeling any better yet?”
“He was so tiny and perfect. And his eyes…remember how blue they were when he was first born? I was sure they’d stay blue.” Slowly, so very slowly, the greater edge of her panic began to recede. “And how he’d turn his head toward you whenever you’d talk? All those nights of reading to my belly did the trick, Grady. He loved your voice.”
“I remember his cry. He sounded more like a baby kitten than a baby human for the first several weeks.” Grady laughed at the memory. “But it wasn’t too long before that changed. Man, he had some lungs on him.”
Finally, the pressure on her chest and the sickening swirl in her stomach lightened. Joy filled her heart instead of panic. “I remember,” she said as a blanket fell around her shoulders. “He liked to be heard.”
“Just like my boys,” Karen said from somewhere in front of Olivia. “Here’s your tea, honey.” She pushed the mug into Olivia’s hand. “Drink some. It will warm your body and soothe your soul.”
“Do you know what I remember?” Samantha asked, gripping Olivia’s free hand. “How he’d startle whenever a loud truck passed outside your house, Olivia. Just like—”
“He did when I was still pregnant,” Olivia filled in. Now, she laughed. “That’s right. I’d forgotten all about that!”
John coughed as if to clear his throat. “Personally, I enjoyed how I was able to get him to fall asleep easier than anyone else. That little guy would curl up on my shoulder and in no time at all he’d be out. Made me feel good.”
“And how his tiny fist would grab on to anything and tug,” Jace said wistfully. “He used to pull my hair, my nose…”
Olivia opened her eyes. Grady was kneeling in front of her, watching her intently with a sweet smile on his face and concern in his eyes. Samantha was sitting in the chair to the right of her, Jace to the left. John and Karen were standing behind Grady.
They’d surrounded her. All of them. With love. With compassion. And they’d happily joined in to share memories of the child they’d all loved…had all lost. The child they all missed.
Letting go of Samantha’s hand, Olivia reached hers out to Karen. Her mother-in-law grasped it instantly. “How are you feeling, honey?” Karen asked.
“I’m so very glad that Seth is okay,” Olivia said, her voice thick with emotion. “And I am so sorry if my emotional craziness hurt the wonder of that phone call in any way. Please forgive me. I don’t know what happened. I just…was so afraid you were hearing bad news. I couldn’t bear it. And that, I guess—”
“You thought I was in pain and that brought you back to your pain. I know, dear.” Karen’s eyes shimmered with tears. “I understand, and I love you all the more for it.”
“I’m glad Seth is okay,” Olivia repeated. “That’s what is important here. Not my meltdown.”
“We’re all important,” Karen said sternly. But her gaze held warmth and love. Kindness and acceptance. “We’re family. And this family sticks together. No matter what.”
“Amen to that,” John said. “Now, you’re not going home tonight. You’ll stay here, where we can look after you.”
Her initial instinct was to politely say no, that it would be better for her to go home. The words were on the tip of her tongue when her heart stopped her. This Thanksgiving was nothing like the last one she’d spent in this house. It hadn’t been a perfect day. Cody’s boistero
us laugh hadn’t echoed through the rooms. The hours hadn’t passed in easy comfort with her husband by her side. But she couldn’t deny that one thing remained the same. One thing she couldn’t have predicted. These people were her family. Despite everything that had happened. Despite everything she had done to try to prove otherwise.
Olivia drew in a deep breath and looked at Grady. He was a rock, steady and sure, and had stood by her side for so long. Was she ready to consider that maybe he had been right about them all along? She didn’t know. But maybe she was finally willing to find out.
“Yes,” she said quickly, before her fears rendered her speechless. “Being with my family is exactly what I need.”
Chapter Eight
Olivia stared at the four large storage boxes of Christmas decorations she’d dragged up from the basement that morning. She’d yet to find the courage to actually open one of them, but they were cluttering up her living room all the same. And the dust! She should have wiped the boxes down before bringing them upstairs. Unfortunately, she hadn’t exactly thought this out.
Her nose tickled with the beginnings of a sneeze. She pressed the bridge of her nose until the sensation disappeared. “So, are you going to decorate, or ogle the dang boxes?” she said into the empty room. Even her cat was avoiding her. Jasper, in his feline wisdom, had hidden himself somewhere the second he’d heard the commotion on the basement stairs.
Backing up, she sat on the edge of the sofa. “Quit mocking me,” she said to the container nearest her. “I can do this. I got through Thanksgiving, didn’t I? I can decorate.”
Except… Well, maybe she couldn’t. Dumb. So dumb to think she could. In addition to stockings and lights, Santa figurines and angels, those boxes held handmade ornaments from Cody. Some were made of paper and glitter, others of popsicle sticks and paint, there were even a few foam balls with sparkly sequins glued in haphazard patterns. She remembered every one they’d ever made together, and those he’d made at preschool and—that last year—in kindergarten.
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