“You ready to meet Mr. Joe?” Lucy asked Jacob and held her hand out for him to take. He nodded once and slipped his small fingers through hers.
Chapter 4
Joe popped a mint in his mouth and ran his hands through the thick black spikes on his head. After hanging up with Lucy, he’d gone straight home, tossed some clothes in a gym bag and hopped the next flight out. Upon arrival at Erie International Airport, he’d promptly rented a car – a 2017 candy apple red Ford Mustang GT – and hauled ass to her apartment complex. It was the longest fifteen miles of his life. He glanced down at his watch and the indigo blue digits read 5:27 a.m. Damn, he’d made good time, he thought to himself. After one last, deep, breath, he raised his hand and knocked twice.
However, he wasn’t prepared for the rush of emotions that assaulted him with she opened the door. Although a small woman to begin with, Lucy’s petite frame barely managed to hold her skin on her bones, her hollow cheekbones and dropping eyes betrayed her condition without her uttering a word. Fear tore through Joe on a level he’d never felt before. But before he opened his mouth to inquire about her health a small hand snaked around from behind her and wrapped around her thigh.
“Joe,” Lucy greeted him softly. “Thank you for getting here so quickly. I’m sorry I bothered you with this, I just don’t have anyone else to turn to,” she apologized and moved aside to allow him room to pass.
Narrowing his eyes, Joe studied the gray pallor of her once vibrant skin and pressed his lips firmly shut as he brushed past her into the small, yet cozy apartment. Mismatched furniture spread throughout the simple flow of rooms. He dropped his duffel bag on the butternut yellow sofa and let his eyes roam past the living room to the kitchen beyond. It was clean to the point of immaculate and he remembered that Lucy had been a neat freak. To his right were two bedrooms with a bathroom between them and to his left was a small nook, barely large enough to hold the tiny dining table and four chairs.
Frowning, Joe realized he could fit her entire apartment in his bathroom alone. How had she ended up like this? A straight-A student with a promising future in Journalism, Lucy was the smartest person he’d ever met. Turning back to face her, his eyes landed on a smaller person standing beside Lucy, his little fingers clinging tightly to her leg.
“And who is this big guy?” Joe asked gently, squatting so he was almost eye level with the child.
“Are you really my Uncle Chris’s best friend?” the little boy demanded suddenly, his own blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. Using a small finger, he reached up and pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.
Uncle Chris? Joe pondered. As revelation hit, his eyes went from the boy’s to Lucy’s and he raised his eyebrows in question. Lucy answered by slowly shaking her head and then smoothing her hand over the top of his spiky black hair.
“Jacob, this is Mr. Joe Landers,” she introduced gently. “Joe, this is my son, Jacob Conlay.”
“Joe Landers?” Jacob squealed in delight. “You’re the pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals,” the little boy shrieked. “Mommy, I know him,” he insisted gleefully and reached up to pull on her loose t-shirt. “This is Uncle Chris’s best friend?” he asked again as if he couldn’t wrap his little mind around the fact that his uncle was friends with a famous person.
Joe chuckled good-naturedly at the little boy and extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you, buddy, it’s always awesome to meet a fan,” he said, genuinely touched that his fan following reached a younger audience as well as adults.
Lucy smiled as her shy little son came out from behind her and started talking baseball with Joe. She knew how much Jacob loved baseball, but she hadn’t known he would recognize Joe from the games he watched on television. On more than one occasion, she caught Joe studying Jacob’s eyes and hair and hoped he didn’t put two-and-two together. She wasn’t ready to tell either of them just yet. She had to make sure they’d get along and only then Joe would have to show concrete interest in her baby before she shoved him in front of that particular bus.
“Jacob,” Lucy called her son. “Why don’t you go find your card collection for Mr. Joe while he and I have a little grown-up talk?”
Jacob nodded at his mother and then leaned closer to Joe’s ear.
“That means she doesn’t want me to hear what you talk about,” Jacob whispered conspiratorially and patted Joe on the shoulder in sympathy. “I hope you’re not in trouble,” he added and then raced off to his room, which Joe noticed was the one on the left.
Rising back to his feet, Joe turned inquisitive eyes on Lucy and smiled when he noticed she squirmed nervously.
“Looks like we have some catchin’ up to do,” Joe drawled.
Lucy nodded and pulled her open hoodie more snugly around her frail body.
“Would you like some coffee?” she asked. “I have two hours before I have to be at the clinic.”
“Coffee sounds good,” Joe agreed and shoved his hands back into his pockets. For some reason, he suddenly wanted to pull her into his embrace and hold her. He also wanted to go get a truckload of food and feed her until her skin was pink and healthy again.
“You can tell me just what exactly is goin’ on in the meantime,” he suggested and didn’t miss the way her shoulders instantly stiffened.
“Yes,” she agreed reluctantly. “I need a big favor from you and I need to explain what’s going on.” With a curt nod, she turned and headed into the little kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinet above the double sink. After loading the coffee maker, she turned back to Joe and motioned for him to sit with her at the dining table.
“As you can see, I’m not in the best health,” Lucy explained. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer a little over two months ago.”
Joe’s heart lurched when Lucy said the word cancer. Like most people, when he thought about that fatal condition, fear seized him. Both his parents had died from different types of it, and he knew very well how it affected not just the patient, but their families as well.
“Why didn’t you ask a friend to help you?” Joe demanded when he realized she’d been dealing with the situation on her own all this time. “Why isn’t Chris or Amber here?”
Lucy sighed and dropped her head onto the tiny table. For a moment Joe thought she’d passed out, but before he could react, she sat back up and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her hoodie.
“I don’t have any friends,” she admitted. “Jacob is my life. Between work and my son, I don’t have time to mingle with the natives,” she snapped.
When Joe sat back in his chair and crossed his arms in defense, her angry expression fell.
“I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized. “I’m tired. I’m always so tired,” she confessed and sniffled. “Up until now, Chris has been flying in to sit with Jacob, but now that I need chemotherapy and radiation, I’ll need to stay at the hospital for a couple of weeks. Chris doesn’t have time off available and Amber just got a promotion, so she can’t leave work yet. But I promise you, just as soon as Chris is able, he’ll be here and you can go about your life.”
“Hey,” Joe said and quickly placed his hand on her shoulder when she started to get up. “I’m not complaining. Chris is like a brother to me…” His voice trailed off when his next thought was that Lucy was anything but like a little sister. How did he explain his affection and tie to her? How could he without sounding like a player or perv?
“You and I shared a connection,” he insisted and was pleased with his choice of words. “We had a great time and I’d like to think we could consider ourselves friends at this point. When my friends need me, I’m there,” he insisted.
Lucy sniffled again and mopped at the tear treks on her face; her long sleeves flapping with the motion. They were at least two inches too long for her and upon closer inspection; he realized all her clothes appeared at least two sizes too large for her.
“Thank you,” she murmured, snapping him out of his scrutinizing gaze. “You have no
idea how hard it was to call you,” she admitted and Joe felt insulted for a brief moment. But he quickly reminded himself that he hadn’t so much as called or texted her since their one-night stand, so what reason would she have to turn to him?
“Don’t worry,” Joe patted her shoulder again. “Uncle Joe is here and I’ll take care of Jacob while you get yourself better.”
Lucy smiled and nodded before rising to go pour them both a cup of coffee. Watching her as she moved away from him, Joe couldn’t help but feel like he’d finally come home. All the money, flashy cars, mansion, loose girls; none of it made him feel as complete as being with Lucy in her shabby little apartment.
But just as quickly as those thoughts occurred, he banished them to the far recesses of his mind. After losing his parents, he’d vowed to never again love anyone. If he didn’t love anyone, he wouldn’t be hurt when he lost them. He didn’t love Lucy, couldn’t love Lucy, or her son. He didn’t want that kind of life. Marriage was for poor, ordinary schmucks, not for superstars like him. And kids, the last thing he wanted was a little Joe Landers running around. Ah, hell no, he thought to himself. He was perfectly happy with his player lifestyle; the love ‘em and leave ‘em method. He didn’t need anything or anyone else.
“Yea, just keep tellin’ yourself that bud,” he murmured out loud to himself.
Chapter 5
Lucy tried to pour two cups of coffee without spilling it all over the place. Her hands trembled so bad, she feared she’d drop the carafe. So far, so good. She’d managed to stick to the basics. No extended excuses or explanations. She didn’t want to outright lie to him, but should he prove to be undependable or unsuitable for Jacob, she’d take this secret to the grave. She just hoped Chris came soon. Taking a tray, she placed both cups on it, along with the sugar and cream bowls. She wasn’t sure if he’d eaten or not, so she grabbed a bag of chocolate chip cookies from the pantry. She headed back into the dining area with the loaded tray and jumped when Joe leapt from his seat to take it from her.
“Let me get that,” he murmured and Lucy thought she saw a faint blush creep up his neck. The action touched her deeply but she firmly reminded herself that he hadn’t wanted the kind of lifestyle she lived. No family for him.
“Thank you,” Lucy said and reclaimed her chair. Joe grabbed a cup and began sipping the black liquid straight. Cringing at the thought of that bitter, vile flavor, Lucy set to loading hers with sugar and cream. Taking a cookie, she nibbled at it and sipped at her delicious drink.
“So,” Joe broke the silence after a few awkward moments of sipping and nibbling. “What have they done so far in the form of treatment?” he asked. “You mentioned goin’ in for chemo and radiation.”
Lucy sat her cup back on the table and brushed some stray crumbs from her lap, “After the mammogram detected the cyst, they surgically removed it and when the biopsy came back malignant, now I need to have the surrounding tissue removed,” she explained, “and then I will start chemo.”
Her hand immediately went to her ponytail. She hated the thought of losing her long, thick hair but given the choice between death and being bald, she’d be bald any day.
She’d already bought a wig in anticipation. Her doctor had assured her that they’d caught it early enough that she’d pull through, but warned that the chemo and radiation would drastically weaken her. She’d already lost close to forty pounds out of pure stress. She’d been warned that she’d lose much more before it all ended. She released her ponytail and reclaimed her cup, using the warmth emanating from the ceramic receptacle as comfort. She hadn’t gone into much detail with Chris and she refused to with Joe. She’d already had a Last Will drawn up, declaring Chris and Amber as Jacob’s guardians.
“What are my marchin’ orders then Commander?” Joe asked and Lucy laughed, allowing some of the tension to leave her body with the expression.
She rose from the table and went to retrieve the folder she’d put together after getting off the phone with Joe last night. Walking back into the living room, she stopped when she saw that Jacob had found his baseball cards and was currently showing them to Joe. Her breath hitched when she watched her little boy crawl into Joe’s lap and settle himself before engaging in a conversation as old as time. Heading over to them, she gently placed the folder on the table and froze when two identical sets of blue eyes rose to meet hers. Lord help me, she thought to herself.
Nodding toward the folder, she filled Joe in on everything he needed to know in order to take care of Jacob. She hated leaving her son in the hands of a virtual stranger, but knew she had no choice. She rattled off Jacob’s food allergies, reiterated his bedtime – much to the little boy’s aggravation – and stressed that they were not, under any circumstances, to leave town, throw a party, make long distance phone calls or invite hookers over.
Jacob laughed, and asked what was a hooker? But she saw a gleam of resentment in Joe’s eyes. She’d evidently hit a nerve with him but ignored his reaction in lieu of pulling her son into her arms for one last cuddle.
“I love you little bit,” she murmured and placed him back on his feet beside Joe’s chair. “Be good for Uncle Joe and he’ll bring you to see me soon.” Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his forehead and ruffled his hair playfully.
“Do I get a kiss too?” Joe inquired and Lucy merely laughed and shook her head.
“No kisses for the babysitter,” she informed him with a smile. “Take care of my son,” she challenged gently. “This is a big job and I’ve never trusted him with anyone but my brother, his wife and daycare.”
Joe nodded. “I swear on my pitching’ arm that he is in good hands,” he boasted and pulled the child back into his lap, tickling his ribs gently.
Lucy smiled, retrieved her rolling suitcase and left the two of them alone, wrestling and laughing. She thanked God she left to the sounds of laughter and happiness instead of wails of fear and a child’s tantrum.
Chapter 6
Two days later…
“C’mon buddy, we have to get goin’ before we miss visitin’ hours,” Joe called from the kitchen where he was busy rinsing his coffee mug. He’d enjoyed two fun-filled days with a walking question-machine. He’d been asked everything from how he’d learned to throw a ball so fast, to where babies came from?
The first was easy to explain, the second; not so much. With a hasty “they come from Target,” he’d managed to appease the little guy’s curiosity long enough to get him interested in something else.
Bathtime and bedtime had been tricky, but together they’d muddled through it. Joe hadn’t had much success getting the kid to brush his teeth properly, but hey, they were just baby teeth and he’d lose them anyway, so did it really matter in the long run?
They’d gorged on pizza, chips and cola to the point that Joe feared the kid would develop diabetes or high blood pressure, but at the end of the day – after bath time – he’d found great pleasure in relaxing on the worn sofa and watching cartoons with the little guy. They’d also played so many games on the PlayStation Wii that’d he soon found himself having more fun than he’d ever thought possible; especially considering he’d been the responsible one at the party. Jacob was the smartest, bravest and most interesting kid Joe had ever met.
He marveled at how Lucy had managed to raise such a perfect child. He’d had so much fun, that he’d soon found himself wondering if he’d be a good father.
“I’m ready,” a small voice declared from the kitchen doorway. Joe turned and nearly doubled over in laughter.
“You sure you wanna wear that?” he asked after pulling himself together.
Jacob looked down at his blue sweat-suit, red cape and boots and then back at Jacob.
“Why not?” Jacob challenged with a familiar gleam in his eye. Joe knew the look well; he’d used it often in his own youth. It hadn’t taken many instances to realize the method didn’t work for him, he decided to let the kid have this one.
“Looks good to me,” Joe agreed. �
�Grab your coat,” he insisted and grabbing the apartment keys Lucy left for him, they headed for the hospital.
Joe pulled his rental car into the hospital visitor’s parking lot and cursed his choice to go with the flashy sports car. Of course, he’d thought to impress his former lover with a hot car before he’d known the circumstances of her request for help. He tilted the rearview mirror and studied the kid in the back seat. He’d had hell getting the booster seat strapped into the crowded area and knew Jacob wasn’t exactly comfortable as the seat raised him enough so that his head touched the headliner of the car.
“Sorry bud,” Joe murmured. “I guess I should have gotten a minivan huh?”
Jacob smiled and shoved his glasses back onto his nose. Joe had figured out the kid had the habit of doing that when he was nervous.
“Don’t worry,” Joe reassured him and turned the car off. “I know your mom is excited to see you,” he said and got out of the car, heading around to the passenger side so he could get Jacob from the back.
“I know,” Jacob replied after he’d gotten out and reached for Joe’s hand. “I just hope she’s feeling better.”
Suddenly inspiration struck like a bolt of lightning. As they headed through the automatic double doors of the front entrance, Joe spotted the gift shop.
“How about we stop at the flower shop and get your mom some flowers?” Joe suggested and laughed when Jacob grinned up at him.
They stopped long enough for Jacob to pick out some yellow daisies, which he claimed was his mom’s favorite flower and they rode the elevator to the fifth floor. Joe made sure to keep a firm grip on Jacob’s tiny hand lest they get separated; he feared Lucy’s wrath should that happen.
Stepping off the elevator, Jacob clad in his superman outfit and gripping the slender vase of flowers, Joe tucked his finger in the neckline of Jacob’s red cape and turned him toward the nurse’s station when his little red boots veered off to the left.
Cowboy's Barmaid: A Small Town Military Romance (Lucky Flats Ranchers Book 2) Page 47
