In Search of Lucy (17 page)

It was all planned out. Saturday would be a day of fun, shopping and going out to dinner, courtesy of George. Sunday would be spent relaxing in anticipation of the arduous day that was in store for both Katie and Lucy on Monday. They would have to check in Monday morning for a day of final tests and preparations for the double surgery tentatively scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

It was unusually quiet in the Moore household, especially for a Saturday morning. Rick decided to let everyone sleep in and took Carly to the bakery. Lucy was the first one up and took the opportunity to wander around the house alone. She couldn’t help but feel jealous looking at all the little knickknacks, photos, and pieces of their life experiences that were scattered around the house. In the hallway there was an enclosed cupboard that was probably used for blankets or some other kind of storage. It was covered, end to end, with photos in varying unmatched frames. One picture that wasn’t in a frame, but was just leaning against a frame, was one of those amusement park ride photos. Carly and Katie were in front sporting open-mouthed smiles, with two men slightly visible behind them. She could tell one was Rick, but she couldn’t make out the other. She had zoomed her head down in closer for a better look when she suddenly sensed that she wasn’t alone. Assuming it was Anne or Katie, she almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the gruff-sounding voice behind her.

“That’s me…sitting behind Carly.”

Lucy straightened up and whipped around in one swift motion, and she came almost nose to chest with the tall gentlemen.

“Sorry, Lucy. Didn’t mean to scare you.” He was wearing jeans and cowboy boots and sported a nice thick mustache. “I’m George, Rick’s dad.”

“Oh…right…hi.” What she really wanted to say was,
What the hell are you doing sneaking up behind me?
She hadn’t known he was going to be there that early and wondered if he’d let himself in. George must have read her mind, or her expression, because he jumped right in with his explanation.

“I have a key; I usually let myself in. I need to be here from time to time for Carly.” He turned to walk toward the living room, but gestured with his arm for her to go first. “I was pulling up when Rick and Carly were takin’ off to go to Dotty’s.”

“Who’s Dotty?”

“That’s the gal who owns the bakery down the street.”

George sat down at one of the three barstools that lined the counter like a rancher at a fence rail. He watched Lucy as she sat on the couch, and they engaged in a bit of small talk. George asked about their trip, and they spoke a little about plans for the day. Lucy felt instantly comfortable talking with him, maybe because she sensed that he already seemed to like her. She thought George had that Tom Selleck look—an attractive older man who seemed like he’d stepped out of the Old West.

“Ya know, Lucy, I wanted to say thank you since we have a moment. What you’re doin’ for Katie and for Rick…it’s…well it’s just a really great thing.”

Lucy could hear the love in his voice, the love of a father. She was aware that George had taken them in when Katie got pregnant, but she could see clearly now that he was a big part of their lives. It was strange that she was almost starting to envy her sister. How could she want to trade places with someone who’d had such hardships, someone who was now very ill and faced an uncertain future? It was obvious that no matter what Katie had to deal with in life, she would never do it alone. She was surrounded by people who loved her and wanted to take care of her.

“I’m sure you would have done the same thing.”

“You got that right, missy. I’d do anything for Katie.” Smiling, he ran his thumb and index finger around and down his mustache.

“She’s very lucky to have all of you.”

Just then the door opened and Carly came running in followed by Rick. Carly was still in her pajamas with a jacket over the top. “Hi, Papa! Guess what I got you?” She hurled herself into a lock around George’s leg as he stood up from the stool.

“Let me guess,” he said, looking up at the ceiling. “Uh…a taco?”

“No, silly!”

“Uh…a new car?”

“Papa! We got you a blueberry muffin.” She went over and sat down at the table as if waiting to be served.

“My favorite. Thank you, darlin’.”

Rick let them know that Katie would probably sleep a while longer. She was struggling to get up, so he insisted she stay in bed and sleep until she felt stronger. Anne eventually waddled into the kitchen, sleepy-eyed and sluggish like she was waking from a night of partying. But as to be expected, Carly’s energy knew no bounds. She was, of course, ready to pick right up where she’d left off last night. She started by telling Lucy and Anne all about every one of her “best friends” and how she wanted to invite the ones from her neighborhood over to meet them. Then she asked if they could all have a painting party later in the afternoon. Fortunately, Rick put a quick halt to Carly’s itinerary and explained that Lucy and Anne were guests and not her personal entertainment. Although she was overwhelmed at the thought of fulfilling all of Carly’s requests, Lucy was also incredibly proud of what a creative and driven little girl her niece was. She couldn’t help thinking there were probably so many other wonderful things like that she had missed out on.

After breakfast, it was time for Rick and George to let the ladies go off on their own while they took care of a few work-related details. Or, the girls guessed, maybe they just didn’t want to be around for a day that was obviously focused on the female persuasion.

Lucy was pleasantly surprised to be out shopping, and Anne was just plain excited to grab some Texas souvenirs. Anne bought herself one of those “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” T-shirts, not really realizing how some would take that. She also bought Chad and Benny Texas Rangers hats. Why, Lucy had no idea. A handmade coin purse caught Carly’s eye, and Lucy ended up buying one for both Carly and for herself. Lucy put the change from the sale in Carly’s coin purse, which filled her with excitement. “Thanks, Aunt Lucy. Now we’re twins!”

The one thing Lucy hadn’t counted on that day, and was not pleasantly surprised about, was where they ended up last. Just before going home, they stopped at Painted Pink nail salon. It was to be a surprise for Lucy and Anne, a thank-you for coming. Obviously it was a nice gesture, and of course what Lucy was doing could never be measured. But Rick and Katie just wanted to pamper the girls after their trip and before the stress of everything began.

Walking into the salon, they were immediately hit with the scent of acrylic, which in turn brought Lucy right back to Amy’s Nails. Painted Pink was bigger, but the setup was pretty much the same. At the front counter, Carly went over and grabbed Lucy’s hand.

“I’m getting a manicure and pedicure just like the grownups.” Her smile was so bright, and her eyes lit up looking up at Lucy.

“Really, well I guess you are a big girl, huh?” Lucy was not going to ruin this time for Carly, and actually, she hadn’t had a manicure or pedicure since she’d starting working at Amy’s. It wasn’t just the money, though. There was no way she was letting any of those hags touch her. So Lucy made a conscious decision to relax and have a good time and not think about her job. And once they were all settled, it wasn’t that difficult. She had forgotten how nice it was to have someone rub your feet. Even a total stranger.

The girls kept the conversation light, and Katie was interested to hear from Anne about nursing. All the time she’d spent in and out of hospitals, nurses were the ones who had helped her through everything the most. She praised Anne for picking such a wonderful line of work and told her how great she thought Anne would be.

The women laughed at the fact that they could actually have a conversation because Carly was so busy talking with the lady doing her nails.

“I have to admit,” Katie said, “I do feel a little guilty letting Carly loose on her. Listen to how many questions she’s asking.”

“We can give her a big tip at the end,” Anne offered.

“I’ll bet it’s a nice change from listening to all those women complain about their husbands or boyfriends,” Lucy said.

That’s when the color drained from Katie’s face. “Oh my gosh, Lucy. I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think…about your job. You probably don’t want to be here, do you?”

“Actually, it’s really nice to be on the other end for once.”

“Really, or are you just saying that?”

“No, really. And here at least I can understand everyone!” she said sarcastically.

One dozen long-stemmed roses greeted the women as they walked through the door that afternoon, high on indulgence. Katie was the first one in and immediately noticed them on the dining room table. They were in a beautifully thick, beveled crystal vase that looked like it cost a fortune. Anne instantly ruled herself out as a possible recipient, but Katie and Lucy both had the typical thoughts that battled it out in a woman’s brain whenever they saw flowers.
How nice for someone, but I hope that someone is me. Could it be me? I hope it is.

Katie went full throttle and headed straight to the table, while Lucy hung back. She plucked the card out of its holder, hoping her name would be on the mini envelope. “Well,” she said with a sly smile, “looks like Lucy has a boyfriend?” Her voice made it sound like a question.

“Oh my gosh!” Anne speed-walked over. “Are they from Kyle?”

“Kyle? I guess we have some more catching up to do, huh, sis?” Katie held up the card and waited for Lucy to come retrieve it.

Lucy tried to play it cool, but as she glided over, her smile busted out of her face. “He’s just a guy I met right before we came.” And then she remembered: “Actually…he used to go to our high school.”

“Yeah, and he’s not
just
a guy,” Anne blurted.

Lucy snagged the card and opened the envelope. She chose not to read aloud so they could hear:
Lucy, I miss you and am thinking of you often.
Lucy excused herself to her room, hearing Anne filling in Katie as she walked away. Anne must have assumed that the cat was out of the bag now anyway. Lucy trusted Anne would leave out the part where she’d passed out. Anne knew her well enough by now to figure that she would probably appreciate being spared from having to share all the details.

Lucy stood looking out her bedroom window and dialed Kyle’s number. She thought about what she would say while she listened to the phone ring. She called his cell phone as he’d instructed and after three rings wondered if he would come through like he guaranteed so confidently.

“Hi, beautiful.”

“So you were expecting someone else?” She wondered if he could detect the smile she masked with her joke.

“Hey, you know I think you’re beautiful.” He spoke softly as if they were together, next to a fire sipping wine.

“Thank you for the flowers—
they’re
beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like them…and I’m glad you called.”

“Oh, so this was your insurance policy?”

“No way,” he protested. “I knew you’d call.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”

“Actually, yes.”

Lucy could picture how cute he must look saying that with his little confident smile.

“Why do you say that?” She was very curious to hear his response to that.

“I’ve got you all figured out, Lucy Lang.” He paused for effect, which actually worked and sent a chill through her. “You really like me.”

Lucy shot out a laugh. “Ha! That sounds so junior high.”

“Well it’s true.”

“How can you be so sure?” Lucy tried to sound diplomatic, as if she were interrogating a witness.

“You wouldn’t bother wasting your time with me if you didn’t really care.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking you would have just told me to take a hike that day in the parking lot.”

Playing along, Lucy said, “Maybe I just felt bad about what happened.”

“Naw, you wanted to see me again. And that night…on the beach. Something happened that night, Lucy. You know it did.”

“What about you?” Lucy’s excitement was starting to head towards worry. These kinds of games could be dangerous. The odds were already against them, being three states away and having almost nothing in common.

“What
about
me? I think I’ve already made it pretty clear how
I
feel.”

Lucy didn’t say anything this time.

“Haven’t I?” he asked.

“Yes…you have. And I’m sorry if I’ve made things difficult for you.”

“Hey, I know you’re going through a lot of stuff right now—”

She cut him off and said, “Exactly, and you shouldn’t have to deal with any of it.” Suddenly her mood darkened.

“I’m a big boy, Lucy. I can take care of myself. Besides, I don’t feel like I’m
dealing
with anything. Especially since you don’t share most of those things with me. I know it’s hard for you…but you
can
talk to me.”

“I know, and I appreciate that.”

“I don’t want your appreciation…I want much more than that.” Kyle paused like that last statement was a mistake. He’d said before that he didn’t want to push her away with too much pressure.

“Kyle…I honestly don’t know what I can give right now.”

“I can understand that. Just please tell me one thing.”

“What?”

“Just tell me I was right…about what I said before. If you tell me that, then that’s all I need—
for now.
”

Lucy paused. Not for suspense, or to make him wait. It didn’t come easy, but she knew he was right, and she knew he needed to hear it. “You were right.”

The restaurant was loud and jammed to capacity. Every corner of the room seemed to have something going on. There was no mistake that it was a Mexican restaurant. That was made clear with the completely overboard Mexican-themed decorations that covered the walls and hung from the ceiling. Waitresses carried trays with Coronas, Dos Equis, and giant margaritas that instantly caught Lucy’s eye. She could tell one group in the back looked like they’d just come from the office and were having a work-related dinner. That made her think of the first time she met Kyle. On the way to their table, they went by three mariachis singing “Happy Birthday, Dear Panchito” to a middle-aged man wearing a huge sombrero and looking pretty damn buzzed. He gave them a thumbs-up and a wink as they walked by, causing Anne and Lucy to exchange laughter. Carly pointed out that they did that for George on his birthday. “My mommy has a picture on her phone.”

Once seated and everyone began devouring the chips and salsa, Rick made a few suggestions of their family favorites. Throughout the evening various conversations started and stopped. George told them all about his real estate business and how he’d been staying afloat with the poor economy. Of course, Texas was in better shape than California, but like George told them, every trail has puddles.

When the conversation turned to Rick and how much of a house-husband he’d become, Lucy began to zone out. The situation seemed so surreal. She would have never thought in a million years that she’d be sitting in a Mexican restaurant in Texas about ready to serve up one of her kidneys to her sister. She started watching each person around the table, examining their words, their gestures, wondering if they were feeling anything that she was feeling.

To Lucy, they all looked as if they were simply enjoying the moment. They were all either listening, responding, or smiling and laughing, until she got to Katie. She finally noticed that Katie hadn’t said a word since they sat down. She nodded, smiled, and hugged Rick’s arm when he said how much he enjoyed the opportunity to take care of Katie. “We’ve become a great team,” he said, looking at her. When she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, Lucy joined her.

“Are you feeling alright?” Lucy asked on the way to the bathroom.

“I’ll be fine.”

In the bathroom Katie wet a paper towel and wiped her face. “I just felt a little hot out there.” Her voice sounded weary.

“Are you sure?” Lucy thought about whether this was just something Katie had to deal with on a regular basis, or if it was a sign of her worsening condition.

Katie smiled at Lucy in the mirror. “I guess I’m a little tired too.”

“Katie, we did too much today. I didn’t want you to do all this for me and wear yourself out.” Lucy felt a hint of déjà vu coming on. Even though her sister was now a grown woman, she was still vulnerable. But that wasn’t Lucy’s job anymore—it was Rick’s. “Should I go get Rick?”

“No, I don’t want him to worry. Really, I’ll be okay. And today was for all of us. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve spent a day like that?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Listen, I’m going to the bathroom, and then we’re going back. I’m sure I just need to eat.”

Walking out of the bathroom, Katie stopped suddenly. “Oh my God!” Her face looked pained.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked urgently yet was still able to keep her voice down.

“Look.” She gestured toward the bar with her head.

George was standing there talking with a woman. She had slick black hair that just touched her shoulders and dark brown lipstick. She was talking and gesturing as if she was telling George the most interesting story in the world, but his face showed the complete opposite.

“Who is that?” Lucy asked.

“Jen Thurgood. She bought a small rental property from George about a year ago and always says she’s going to be in the market again soon.”

“Looks like she’s in the market for George.”

“Exactly. We all know she’s full of it. And she is completely annoying to have a conversation with.”

When George glanced over and noticed them watching, he shot them a
help me
look.

“Let me handle this,” Lucy said with surprising confidence. Her instant fondness for George coupled with her desire to help those she cared about propelled her into a spontaneous plan. Katie walked back to the table while keeping an eye on Lucy, who was heading straight for the bar. George had turned back around, so he didn’t notice Lucy approaching.

“Geo-orge,” she said in a singsong voice and then put a hand on his shoulder.

George turned around with a smile that told Lucy he was pleasantly surprised.

“The second I leave for the ladies’ room you take off for the bar.” This caught the bartender’s attention, causing him to scrub an imaginary spot on the counter so he could keep his current position at the bar.

“Sorry,” George said, playing along. “I was just on my way back from the men’s room when I ran into Jen here.”

“Oh…well now we can go back together.” Lucy hooked her arm in his and gave a little tug. “Let’s go, George…bye,” she said, smiling at Jen.

George shrugged as he let himself get pulled away. “The young ones are so bossy,” he said, trying not to laugh. Then to Lucy he said, “Thanks.”

“No problem.”