Out at Home (9 page)

What an idiot she’d been. She’d actually believed him when he’d said he loved her. She’d trusted him. But worst of all, she let herself love him.

She vaguely registered someone shuffling down the hall to the bathroom. She heard the toilet seat bang down followed by a low moan. She sat up quickly, straining to hear any other sounds. The eerie quiet unnerved her so she scooted off the bed and opened her bedroom door. Giving her face a quick wipe, she crossed to the bathroom to investigate. She opened the door as quietly as possible but a scream escaped her lips almost immediately.

“
Daddy!”

Chapter Seven

Ignoring both her cell and her landline, Taylor lounged around the house in old shorts and a raggedy t-shirt on Sunday. She had no desire to talk to Brady yet, although she had decided she would after his road trip. The problem was getting him to agree to it.

She camped out on her sofa with chips and a soft drink to watch the Racers game, her heart only turning once or twice when the camera caught sight of Brady. When the game ended with a Racers victory, she decided to hop in the shower and go see her dad.

Once she dressed, she checked her cell messages, hoping to hear from her brother. She sighed as she received not one message from Teddy. Or from Brady, which was surprising. Maybe he’d given up on her after all. She ignored the disappointment that suddenly hit her, chalking it up to exhaustion.

She hit the road and headed for the hospital, hoping by some chance her father would be sitting up in his chair, his blank eyes focused on the television. Worry ate at her heart, although she did the best she could to not let it totally possess her. She had confidence in the doctors and nurses - but if her father didn’t want to get better, there wasn’t much anyone could do.

Her cell phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Reaching across the seat to get it, she checked the screen, contemplating just letting it go to voice mail but answered it anyway.

“
What do you want, Brady?” she asked, her teeth grinding.

“
You,” he answered, his tone smug.

“
Sorry, not going happen. Try again.”

“
What time can I pick you up tonight?”

She sighed. “You can’t. I’m on my way to have dinner with my dad.”

“
He can join us,” he replied cheerfully.

“
No, he can’t.”

“
Taylor, quit avoiding me. I’m not going to go away,” he whined like a petulant child.

“
All right,” she conceded. “I know we need to talk. Can you please just wait until after your road trip?”

“
You’re not going think up another excuse then, are you?”

“
No, I won’t. I promise.” She bit her lip. “Will you please just give me a little time?”

“
Okay, fine,” he relented. “But I’m going to call you while I’m gone.”

“
Not every day.”

“
Every other day.”

She caught herself smiling and quickly put an end to it. “Don’t be overbearing.”

He laughed. “I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t. Bye Taylor. Take care, love.”

She ended the call just as she pulled into the hospital.

***

Finishing up her story, she closed her lap top, grinning in satisfaction. Luther had let her cover a story on a local debate that had the whole town in an uproar. Some big corporation was eyeing a large plot of farmland to build a huge shopping center. Most of the town opposed the idea. They loved their little farm community and insisted it remained as is. The townsfolk countered that if they wanted to shop, they could make the short commute to Indy.

It’d been nearly two weeks since Brady had left for his road trip and he'd kept to his word; he only called her every other day. They were polite over the phone; she more than he. But the underlying tension hovered over them like a black cloud. She knew they’d have to talk soon if she ever hoped to move forward with her life.

Teddy called frequently also. He hadn’t been able to break away from his summer semester so he kept in constant contact with her to keep up-to-date on their father’s condition. Taylor only wished she’d had better news to give him.

Her father’s conditioned worsened nearly every day. They’d inserted a feeding tube but he kept trying to remove it. He constantly ripped his IV’s out until the nurses had to restrain him. Taylor, not able to bear seeing her father strapped down to the bed, finally broke down and told them to stop. Defeated, she told them to just leave him be; it’s what he wanted anyway.

In order to keep her mind busy, she took Luther’s advice and tentatively started working on a book. The idea came to her as she was driving home after an afternoon visit with her father. As soon as she’d walked in the door, she sat on the couch; feet tucked under her, and opened her laptop. After a few moments of indecision, the words had started flowing through her fingertips and onto the monitor.

After she emailed her mall story to Luther, she settled in and started working on her new project. She’d been typing furiously for over an hour when her land line rang. She answered the phone, listening carefully, asking only a few questions, before hanging up without a goodbye. She saved her work on her laptop, closed it, and picked up her cell to call her brother.

***

Brushing at imaginary lint on her black skirt, she absently listened to the minister’s words. Teddy, sitting stoically next to her, took her hand and squeezed it gently. She looked up into his hazel eyes, so like her own, and smiled. He’d seemingly grown taller in the months since she’d seen him last and his messy dark hair longer.

Josh and his wife, Lacy, sat on her other side. Josh casually draped his arm behind Taylor on the pew and every now and then he would give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

The minister’s words didn’t seem to penetrate her ears as she kept her mind blank and her eyes firmly on the lighted cross just over his shoulder. Exhaustion from the last three days crept up on her, but she held it at bay. Only a few more hours and she could succumb totally to it and collapse on her bed.

Teddy had taken the news harder than she’d imagined. She’d done her best to keep him informed, but the death of their father shook him to the core. He’d driven home the morning after she’d called and when he’d reached her house, he held her tightly as he sobbed on her shoulder. She’d comforted him the best she could before feeding him and insisting he use her bedroom to take a nap. There had still been decisions to make and as much as she wanted to shield him from them, she knew he’d want to have some kind of say in the matter.

So she had allowed him to accompany her to the funeral home to make arrangements for their father’s cremation and to the church to plan a memorial service. They both decided things should be done in Somersville, because even though they weren’t originally from the little town, it had been their home for the past seven years.

“
Taylor, are you okay?” Teddy asked. She looked up to find the minister standing before her, offering his hand. Smiling, she stood, accepting his condolences. Teddy draped his arm around her shoulders and turned her to face the many mourners who’d come to express their sympathies. Taylor forced a smile upon her face as she greeted each person, surprised at the number of people who’d come. She listened carefully as nearly everyone had some story or anecdote to share with her.

She was genuinely touched when Tabby Hays and Zoey Martin appeared in front of her.

Tabby’s eyes watered as hugged Taylor. “I’m so sorry about your dad.”

She smiled and thanked her as Zoey embraced her next. “Um, how did you two find out?”

“
I ran into Tia yesterday downtown. She told me what happened,” Zoey explained. “I called Tabby last night.”

Tabby nodded in agreement, taking hold of Taylor’s hands. “I was able to catch an early flight this morning, but the guys had an important team meeting that their manager wouldn’t let them miss. Brady was extremely mad but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Anyway, their plane should have landed already and they want to come by to see you.”

Taylor nodded numbly. “The church is having a luncheon in the basement. We’re not going to the cemetery. Dad wanted to be cremated.”

Zoey and Tabby quickly glanced at each other, garnering Taylor’s curiosity. Maybe they’d expected her to fall to pieces or something as dramatic. They didn’t understand that Taylor couldn’t afford to do that. There were still so many things to do. Besides, Teddy was grief-stricken and needed her to be strong.

At that moment, Teddy walked up to take her hand, smiling at the other two women. Taylor quickly introduced her brother before leading them all downstairs.

Taylor found a table and quickly claimed a chair, Teddy dropping in a seat next to her.

“
You need to eat something, T,” he informed her.

“
I know. I will. I just want to sit for a second.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache sneaking up on her.

He watched her with concern brimming in his eyes. “You’ve been holding up really well. Too well. I’m worried.”

Sighing, she smiled. “Teddy, stop. I’m fine. Just tired.”

“
Well you took care of me for a long time and I think it’s time someone takes care of you.”

She patted his cheek before placing a soft kiss on it. She allowed her eyes to rake in his tall, lean frame. He had stubble erupting on his chin and above his lip. He was no longer the emotional teenager she had taken charge of years ago. She smiled fondly at him, proud of the man he was becoming.

“
Taylor?”

She tore her eyes away from Teddy's face to meet Alex Miyerson’s. She stood and accepted his, Mark’s, and Kyle’s embrace.

“
Thanks for coming.”

“
Sorry we couldn’t be here sooner,” Alex said, giving her hand a tiny squeeze.

“
I understand,” she said, noticing Brady hanging back, glancing around as if unsure that he should be there. Catching her gaze, he moved forward.

He took her hand and pulled her to his chest. “I’m so sorry, love,” he whispered in her ear. “I didn’t realize he was ill.”

She shoved off his chest and offered a weak smile. “Um, thanks for, um, coming. I know today is your off day.” She looked over her shoulder at Teddy, motioning for him.

Teddy shook Brady’s hand. “Hey, Brady. Good to see you again.”

Brady smiled and offered condolences to him as well. Brady’s eyes darted around the room, nodding to people he recognized from his childhood as well as former neighbors. His eyes widened when they landed on a familiar figure standing near the buffet line, conversing with Tia.

“
Taylor,” he said softly.

“
Yes?” she asked.

He pointed at the buffet. “Is that Josh Parker?”

She lifted a brow. “It is. Want me to call him over?”

He barked out a laugh. “Not really. He’d probably punch me again.”

Kyle leaned close to Brady.

“
You couldn’t take him? You let him punch you?” he asked in disbelief after sizing up Josh’s lean, much smaller, frame.

Brady looked at Taylor, his cheeks a little pink. “Maybe, but I had it coming.”

***

“
What are you doing here?” Taylor asked that night as she opened her door.

“
Why didn’t you tell me about your dad?” Brady demanded as he pushed his way past her.

“
By all means, come in,” she replied, a bite in her tone.

“
I could’ve helped, Taylor.”

“
How?” she asked as she plopped down on the sofa. “He wanted to die and he did.”

He ran his hands through his hair, a wild helplessness in his eyes. “When did he get sick?”

A bitter laugh crept up her throat and through her lips. “He’d been losing his grip on reality ever since my mom was killed in a car wreck the winter of my junior year. That’s why we moved here. He thought we all could use a fresh start.”

He stared at her incredulously. “You never told me that.”

“
Well you never asked,” she snapped. “You were too busy trying to win your bet.”

“
Taylor, I wish you’d let me explain,” he started.

She stood quickly. “No! I don’t want to hear it!”

“
You don’t know how much you frustrate me!” He paced the room, his hands still molesting his hair.

She rolled her eyes. “I do know the feeling well. Trust me.”

Stopping near the TV, he eyed her for a long moment before releasing a sigh. “How long was he in the hospital?”

“
The nut house you mean? Well, let’s see. He nearly overdosed on his anti-depressants, along with the other meds he was taking, the day after Prom. Nice timing, huh?” she asked, her eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to respond but she continued. “A week later, they sent him to the state hospital where he’s been ever since, wasting away, waiting to die.”

“
Why didn’t you call me?” he asked, eyes full of remorse. “I was worried about you.”

Shaking her head, she laughed. “Worried that you and your friends couldn’t have a laugh at my stupidity? Worried I wasn’t there to confirm that you had indeed won that bet?”