by Brynne Asher
“Tony always sits at the kid table,” eight-year-old Madelyn informs me.
“You have pretty hair!” Chloe yells, even though I’m sitting right next to her.
“Thanks. You have pretty hair, too.” I turn to Tony. “You always sit at the kid table?”
He nods, wipes his mouth and while picking up his wine. “Well, it’s more fun than the adult table, don’t you think? And I am their favorite uncle.” He shrugs, arrogantly.
“Okay … why am I here?” I ask the table as a whole, hoping to finally get an answer.
Six-year-old Noah finally gives up the information I’m looking for. “Uncle Tony paid us five dollars each to put you here.”
“Can I try on your shoes?” Chloe pushes her chair back to look under the table at my feet.
Not having the headspace to deal with Chloe, my shocked face turns to Tony. “Why would you do that?”
“Gem.” He takes his arm out that’s pressed in between us and curls it around my shoulders. As he pulls me tight against him, I feel Chloe pulling off my shoes. “I would pay triple if it meant I got to sit here and see you relax while talking to a bunch of kids about nothing. It’s the most relaxed I’ve seen you in years. I got to see you smile—repeatedly. You even laughed three times. I counted. That’s what I get to be thankful for today, even if I had to pay for it.”
“I knew he would have paid more,” Emily mutters. “Five dollars is lame. You can’t buy anything with five dollars.”
I cannot believe him.
Now what do I do? I turn to face the kids as Tony’s thumb brushes my far bicep since he still has his arm around me while Chloe is under the table messing with my shoes. All of a sudden, I see my wine glass and Tony says, “Happy Thanksgiving.”
I turn to him, give him a glare and grab my drink. I’m taking a big gulp as I hear my name yelled from the adult table.
“Leigh?” I wedge myself around in my little space as well as I can with my cast, not to mention being pressed up next to Tony, and see Gabby’s Aunt Lizzie turned in hers. “I’ll be here tomorrow at two to take you to your doctor appointment. Will that give us enough time?”
Tomorrow is the day I get my cast off and I can’t wait. It’s been a long six weeks. I feel like this is the first step toward getting me back to me. I even have some interviews set up next week at the hospital. It’s been three years since I’ve worked. I loved nursing and being able to concentrate on other people. I hope it will allow me to get my mind off of everything.
But Gabby and Jude are flying to Colorado tomorrow to spend some time with his family. Jude has a cabin in the mountains where they will celebrate Thanksgiving again with his side. I’ll be here by myself for the first time since I moved in. I’m not worried, but all the Carpinos are making a big deal about it. Gabby’s Aunt Emma even wanted me to stay with them for the weekend but I insisted I’d be fine.
I try one more time to convince them I don’t need the help. “I hate to burden you, Lizzie. I can go by myself.”
“What do you have tomorrow?” Tony interrupts.
“It’s not a problem, Leigh. I’ll be up early to shop Black Friday. I’ll swing by to get you. I’m sure you can’t wait to get that cast off,” Lizzie continues.
“You get the cast off tomorrow?” Tony butts in again.
Before I say anything else I hear Tony, but he’s speaking to his mother this time. “I’m off tomorrow. I’ll take her. That way you can shop all day.”
“Maybe we can hit some of the Black Friday sales when we get to Denver tomorrow,” I hear Gabby join in.
Jude frowns at Gabby. “No,”
“But I need to start my Christmas shopping,” she adds.
Jude pulls her in for a kiss to soften the blow. “Babe. No.”
Lizzy ignores them all. “Thanks, Tony. I don’t want her to go by herself.”
I look back to Tony. “I don’t need you to take me. I’ll be fine.”
Tony leans in and puts his lips to my ear. “Your almost ex-husband is out on bail. He’s proved how many ways he’s willing to be an asshole. You’re not going by yourself. You think after what happened to Gabby and what’s already happened to you, anyone here is going to let that happen? Be ready at two. After your appointment, I’ll take you to dinner. We’ll have something to celebrate.”
His breath makes me shiver so I lean back to create some space between us. Of course, the Carpinos are freaked after what happened to Gabby. Jude is a Special Agent with the FBI and she met him during a Federal Raid where Jude was the case agent. Gabby was at a client’s house whose husband turned out to be a gun smuggler. Later, that gun smuggler beat her up as a warning and Gabby ended up in the hospital.
“Fine.” I give in on a sigh.
I push back from the kid table as Tony’s arm falls away and I stand to pick up plates as best I can with only one arm. I’m not going to think about tomorrow until tomorrow. But I probably do need to think about where my shoes are.
Chapter Three
Another Step
Tony
Leigh is sitting on the paper covered patient bed in the doctor’s office staring down at her bare arm for the first time in six weeks. She turns her arm back and forth, runs her fingers over her wrist, all the while looking a million miles away. She’s been quiet and contemplative again since I’ve picked her up for her appointment. I knew the kids would loosen her up at dinner yesterday, that’s why I finagled a way for her to sit with me, not to mention I’d find any reason to be near her. But today I’ve allowed her to keep to her thoughts, hoping to give her the space she seems to need this afternoon.
I can’t imagine what’s going through her head—all the memories being dredged up. Reading the police reports was horrific enough, I can’t imagine what she’s thinking having experienced it first-hand and losing a child in the process. That doesn’t begin to describe what she endured her entire marriage to that fuckwad. It makes me want to find her husband and kill him with my own two hands. It was all I could do not to jump across the table at him that day in the conference room. I so badly wanted to have her sign the divorce papers that day so she would be severed from him for good, but I couldn’t let her walk away with nothing. Even though she won’t need that rat bastard’s money since I’ll be taking care of her, she needs to take him for everything she can. I don’t care if she donates it the minute the divorce is final, going after him financially is her only way to bring him low. He’s got his legal issues, but I bet he’ll make a plea. I had to do everything I could to make him pay for what he did to her.
When we got here, she wanted me to sit in the waiting room while they worked on her arm. Since there was no fucking way I was going to sit in the waiting room, I told her I was pretty sure they weren’t going to strip her naked to cut her cast off. That won me a short-lived flare of her emerald eyes that I got a hint of yesterday during the cookie incident. But she quickly shut it down with a resigned “fine”. But that flare reminded me of her blazing personality that used to be Leigh. She always had a quick temper, but not the kind that turned her into a bitch. No, it was the kind you could sit back and enjoy because it was fucking cute as hell to see her get pissed about something.
I’ve known Leigh since elementary school where she and Gabby were thick as thieves, but they were a year behind me in school. Leigh didn’t have much of a home life so my aunt and uncle, Gabby’s parents, all but adopted her. They took Leigh on vacations, helped her with homework and even assisted her in navigating college applications, financial aid, and scholarships since she was the first in her family to go to college. Leigh’s mom never gave a shit and I’m not sure her dad was ever a part of her life.
Now, Gabby might be my cousin but I’m not blind to the fact the two of them together in high school were the subjects of many teenage boys’ wet dreams. I made sure every male in that school knew Gabby was off limits and I bundled Leigh into that as well. Although at the time, I told myself it was just because she was Gabby’s best
friend, but I think it would have made me crazy to have anyone touch her. I was a teenage boy, too, and certainly no angel. I knew exactly what I was protecting them from.
I never allowed myself to go there with Leigh because of Gabby. By the time I came back after law school she’d tied herself to her asshole husband and I was too late. She might not be ready yet, but this is my opportunity and I’m taking it. I plan to help her work through her shit and hope it will go faster than her going at it on her own. But I’m sure as hell not missing another shot at Leigh.
She’s tall but thin, I usually go for women with more tits and ass. Even though hers are small, she has enough to make her feminine in a way that makes her delicate, even tiny despite her height. Her long legs and lean body always carry her in a graceful way. A way that makes you watch her as she moves through a room, soaking up the sight of her so it’s burned on your brain until the next time you’re granted the opportunity. Her light blonde hair is long and sexy the way it falls around her face, shoulders, and back. Her milky skin only enhances how bright her emerald eyes shine. It’s the way she moves and those eyes that I’ve allowed myself to think about for the first time in a long time. Adding to that all that is Leigh—loving, kind, selfless, loyal. Any man would want that in his bed for a lifetime and be willing to put in the effort and patience to get it, which is exactly what I’m going to do. Nevertheless, I plan on giving her a good nudge along the way.
I’m not a patient person. I’m not even a gentle guy by nature. And I’m sure as hell not a soft-spoken man. Am I a nice guy? Sure. But these new and unwarranted tendencies are all pouring out of me in spades with her over the last few weeks. Maybe it’s because I read the police reports and medical records. Maybe it’s because I’ve known her for so long and even wanted to protect her when we were young. But I think it’s because I want to be the exact opposite of what she’s known. I want to be whatever she needs right now and give her everything she wants down the road. Whatever it is, it’s shocked even me because it’s coming easy and natural. Yesterday she gave me the first hint it might be working when I saw her laugh with the kids at Thanksgiving dinner. It was a sight to behold—a sight I damn well want more of in the future.
Leigh is still a million miles away contemplating her arm. I push myself off the wall I’m leaning against across the room and go to her. She gives me her contemplative emerald eyes as I take her newly healed arm and run my fingers down to her hand. I look down at our hands, turning hers in mine. “Another step.”
“What?” she asks quietly.
“Another step, Leigh. Your eye is healed, you smiled a lot yesterday, you laughed three times, and your cast is a gone. I know some things will never heal, but this is another step to getting you back to you. I’m just glad I get to be a part of it.”
“I don’t know.” She looks away. “I don’t know if I’ll ever remember who I was. I’m trying, but I can’t seem to get past the last few years to remember anything.”
I lean forward to kiss her forehead only to feel her turn to stone at my touch but keep on. “You will. I’ll make sure of it.” Because I still have her hand in mine, I take a chance and entwine our fingers while giving her a little tug. “Come on. Time to go.”
Surprised I’ve kept a good grip on her hand, she tries to back out of our plans. “It’s really early for dinner and I’m not hungry. You can take me back to Gabby’s. I appreciate you coming with me.”
I give her another tug and pull her toward the door. “I’m not taking you back to Gabby’s. And we aren’t going to dinner yet, but we will later. We’re going somewhere else.”
“Where are we going?”
I open the door with my free hand and hold it high so I can push her under without letting go of her other. “You’ll see.”
I hear her sigh. Smiling to myself, I lead her out of the doctor’s office to my car.
Leigh
“I can’t believe you brought me here.” I look at the mass of people scurrying around, rushing, bumping into each other. I mean, today of all days.
Honestly.
“What?” Tony asks as he’s stuffing his mouth with caramel popcorn.
“Well, I’m pretty sure you’re a guy and I’m pretty sure all guys are allergic to shopping. Especially the day after Thanksgiving.”
“Sweetheart, we aren’t shopping. We’re people watching. And eating.” He dips his tortilla chip into fake cheese.
“I can tell we’re eating.” I juggle my diet and a cinnamon raisin soft pretzel with icing for dipping. Next to me, I have my own box of cheese popcorn, a small bag of Sweet Tarts, and a Ring Pop. Along with Tony’s caramel popcorn, drink, and fake cheese nachos, he’s got his own bag of Hot Tamales with his own Ring Pop.
We left the doctor’s office and Tony drove straight to the mall. Yes, the mall, on the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year. After driving around forever, he found a parking spot and then we walked forever to get to the mall since it’s the busiest shopping day of the year.
Holding my old good hand tight not letting me shake him off, he led me straight to the food court and asked me what I wanted to eat. I reminded him I wasn’t hungry, but he said we were at the mall, we had to eat mall food. I told him to help himself, I was fine. He stood there staring at me before making a decision. He took my hand, a-gain, dragging me to Auntie Anne’s and ordered a pretzel with drinks. He then dragged me to the popcorn store where he ordered us both popcorn and him nachos. Balancing all of this junk food in our arms, he dragged me one more time to the candy store where he scooped our candy out of the candy bins and, while at the register, he threw in two Ring Pops. At that time, like a professional bench spotter, he spotted us a place to sit by the fountains. Dragging me to our current destination, he sat me down and arranged our junk food before plopping down next to me. He did all this without uttering a word through his strange junk-food shopping spree.
“Do you really like mall food?” I ask.
He turns to me as much as he can without disrupting the delicate balancing act of junk food. My eyes go straight to his hair—dark brown with those unruly, wavy locks dipping into his forehead again. It looks soft and perfectly-imperfect.
He pulls my attention away from his lush hair. “When you’re at the mall, you have to eat mall food. It’s a rule. You weren’t going to tell me what you wanted, so I had to take the liberty and make some choices for you. Next time you should speak up—there’s good stuff here. Remember, I have three sisters, a mother, not to mention Gabby. She’s such the queen of shopping, she created a profession out of it. I was basically raised at the mall until I was old enough to stay home by myself. But we’re here to people watch. There are stories to be told, Leigh. You just need to loosen up, sit back, relax, and let the mall food inspire you.”
I stare back at him as he digs into his Hot Tamales. He can’t be serious. “I don’t understand.”
“Pay attention. Look around. Pick someone and tell a story about them,” he explains.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
I look around as I dunk my pretzel into icing. There are some really crazy people at the mall. I guess I should make an effort. He’s been really nice and he did buy me all these snacks. Although, I don’t like cheese popcorn because it makes my fingers yellow, so I’m thinking about asking him to trade because I love caramel popcorn.
“Okay,” I start. “See that old lady over there? Her name is Edith and she’s shopping for her five grandchildren.”
Tony looks to me as he raises a brow while kind of frowning at the same time.
“What?” I ask, now frustrated with him.
“That’s the most boring mall story I’ve ever heard. You’re not trying very hard.”
I frown. “Did they teach you this in law school? Maybe you go since you’re the expert.”
“All right, I’ll show you how it’s done.” He looks around for inspiration and I can tell by the look on his face he’s fou
nd his target. “You see that middle-aged couple over there? That’s Bernie and Louise McShickelton. Louise is a hoarder, to such an extent that Bernie has sent in multiple applications to those hoarder reality shows but they’ve always been turned down. Not only that, but she shops so she can hoard. She’s such a hoarder, he can’t support her hoarding habits any longer as a golf pro, so he built a meth lab in the cart barn at the country club where he works. He cooks meth when he’s not running the junior golf program. He calls his new business McShickelton Meth, but his double-life is stressing him out. That’s why he’s losing his hair.” He looks back to me as he dips another chip into his fake cheese. “That’s how you people watch at the mall.”
A giggle erupts from my chest and I can’t stop smiling. His eyes immediately go soft as they sweep my face. He brought me to the mall to make me think of something else today and I can tell he’s feeling success. He smiles back while I bite my lip because I can’t stop grinning from thinking about the meth lab cooking golf pro.
“I think I get it,” I say.
“Good, gem,” he answers. “Give it another go.”
“Okay.” I sit back to take a deep breath. But first I reach over Tony to grab a handful of caramel popcorn. As I munch on my popcorn smiling, I look for my target and try my best. I don’t want to suck at people watching.
“I think you won. The newlywed couple who had sex in the Gap dressing room, got caught, and had to be escorted out by the mall cop but snuck back in was pretty funny. I think that might have really happened, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other,” I say as we walk back to Tony’s car.
“You weren’t so bad yourself.” He opens my door for me. “The woman who was a past national ping pong champion that went crazy from years of ping pong training and snuck out of the insane asylum just to play ping pong in the sporting goods store was pretty realistic. She looked like she had a long day. I’m pretty sure she was strung out on sales for real.”
