Where Azaleas Bloom (21 page)

“Have you seen Luke?” he asked Maddie’s son, Kyle Townsend, who
was about the same age and had been in school with Luke.

“He was here for a couple of minutes, but he took off,” Kyle
said. “Did something happen? He looked upset.”

“My fault,” Mitch said. “Thanks, Kyle.”

He jumped in his truck and headed for home, praying that Luke
had gone straight there rather than cruising around town. He had no business
being behind the wheel when he was hurt and probably angry.

As he turned the corner, he spotted his son’s small Mini-Cooper
in the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief. After cutting the truck’s engine,
he drew in a deep breath and tried to figure out what on earth he was going to
say to him to make this right.

He found Luke in the kitchen, an unopened beer on the counter,
as he slapped some lunch meat between two slices of bread on which he’d
slathered enough mayonnaise to make potato salad for twenty. He barely looked up
as Mitch entered, but there was no mistaking the deepening scowl on his
face.

“I’m sorry,” Mitch said succinctly.

Luke did glance up at that. “For what? Cheating on Mom?”

Mitch held his gaze until his son finally blinked, then
sighed.

“Okay, I know that was a low blow,” Luke said, his expression
miserable. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I know,” Mitch said quietly. “I should have prepared you.”

“You’d only need to prepare me if this is serious,” Luke said.
“Is it, Dad? Are you really involved with Mrs. Morrow? That’s who it was,
right?”

Mitch nodded. “Lynn and I went to school together. We’ve known
each other forever.”

“I thought she was married to that hot-shot insurance guy.”

“She was. They’re getting a divorce.”

Luke frowned. “Because of you?”

“No, the divorce was already well under way before I walked
into the picture. She lives next door to Raylene and Carter Rollins.”

“Where you were tonight,” Luke said, putting it together. “So
she was handy.”

Mitch didn’t much like the tone in his son’s voice, but he gave
him a temporary pass. “It wasn’t like that at all,” he corrected mildly. “We
reconnected, just a couple of old friends going through a tough time.”

“Dad, I may not be a genius, but I’m not exactly brain-dead.
What I saw tonight wasn’t some platonic thing between a couple of old
friends.”

Mitch nodded. “Fair enough. It is more than that, but her life
is still pretty complicated. We’re moving slowly.” He pointedly held his son’s
gaze. “Glacier-slow, in fact.”

“Given that heat I saw, the whole glacier thing must be in
danger,” Luke said.

Mitch chuckled. “Every minute I spend with her.”

“Then it is serious?” Luke repeated.

“Getting there, if I have my way,” Mitch responded
candidly.

Luke put away his unopened beer, then took his time pouring
himself a glass of iced tea, his expression thoughtful as he apparently tried to
absorb what he’d learned. Mitch waited him out.

“Why didn’t you tell Nate and me?” Luke asked eventually.

“Because I knew it might be hard for you, and I wasn’t sure
there was anything to tell,” Mitch said.

“Oh, there’s something to tell,” Luke said wryly. “And don’t
worry about Nate finding out. I’ve already called him. He’ll be home in the
morning.”

Mitch regarded him incredulously. “To do what? Lock me in my
room?”

Luke grinned. “You and Mom did that to us a time or two when
you thought we were acting crazy,” he reminded Mitch.

“You were kids. Last I checked, I’m still your parent.”

Luke shrugged. “Maybe for a minute there tonight, I
overreacted,” he said sheepishly. “I thought you might be acting like an
out-of-control teenager.”

“Thanks for having such a high opinion of my judgment,” Mitch
said, but he couldn’t help laughing. “You really called your brother home to
lecture me?”

“Pretty much.”

Mitch picked his son up in a bear hug. “Do you have even half a
clue how much I love you guys?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Luke said, breaking free. “Don’t go getting
all mushy on me.”

He finished putting his thick sandwich together, eyed it
longingly, then held the plate out to Mitch. “Want one?”

Mitch wasn’t the least bit hungry, but he accepted the peace
offering. “Thanks.”

Luke made himself another sandwich, this one twice as thick,
then regarded Mitch thoughtfully. “So when do Nate and I get a closer look at
this woman? If this is getting serious, you need our stamp of approval.”

“I don’t
need
it,” Mitch corrected.
“But I sure am hoping you’ll give it to me.”

“Then tomorrow would be good,” Luke said. “No point in letting
Nate waste a trip home.”

Mitch wanted to defer, to give Lynn time to adjust to the idea
of meeting his sons, to let them absorb the fact that he was dating, but the
unyielding look in Luke’s eye suggested that he’d be wasting his breath by
suggesting a delay.

“I’ll see what I can work out,” he said eventually.

Luke grinned, apparently recognizing his discomfort. “Looking
forward to it,” he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

Mitch hesitated, then asked, “You’re really okay with
this?”

Luke’s expression turned thoughtful. “With your dating? I guess
so. Nate and I talked about it. We knew you’d eventually want someone new in
your life. As for Mrs. Morrow, I guess I’ll have to reserve judgment till we
spend more time with her.”

“You’re going to like her,” Mitch predicted.

For the first time, a flash of sorrow darted across his son’s
face. “Is she anything like Mom?” he asked.

“She’s sweet and strong like your mother,” Mitch said. “But
she’s not an exact replica, no. Nobody could replace your mom, Luke.”

He spotted the faint sheen of tears in his son’s eyes as Luke
said, “She was one of a kind, wasn’t she?”

Mitch nodded. “She was one of a kind,” he confirmed.

And she’d given him two remarkable sons. It was unlikely he’d
ever forget all she’d brought to his life.

But now there was Lynn, and a whole new phase of his life
unfolding. He’d never been more certain that there were seasons to a person’s
life, each one meant to be lived to the fullest.

20

I
t was nearly eleven when Lynn’s bedside
phone rang. “Mitch?” she asked anxiously. Ever since Mitch had left Raylene’s,
she’d been thinking about him and about his son’s reaction to seeing the two of
them together. Poor Luke! It must have come as such a shock to see his father
with someone else for the first time since his mother’s death.

“I’m sorry it’s so late,” he apologized. “This took a little
longer than I’d planned.”

“Is Luke okay?”

“He wasn’t at first,” Mitch told her. “But I’m telling you,
Lynn, sometimes even I’m amazed by his maturity.”

“Why? He is your son, after all.”

“I can’t take the credit for this. This was all Amy. Despite
his initial shock, he was able to look at this from my perspective and keep an
open mind.”

He chuckled, though Lynn thought she heard a hint of
nervousness beneath the humor. “What?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, it remains to be seen how Nate has taken the
news that I’m moving on,” he explained.

“Nate knows, too?” Lynn asked, surprised. “Did you call
him?”

“No way. We can thank Luke for spreading the word. I gather he
was on his cell phone to his brother before he ever left Raylene’s. Nate will be
home in the morning,” he added, a rueful note in his voice.

“Oh, my,” she said, joining in his amusement despite the
seriousness of the situation. “Tell me, is Dad in trouble?”

“Hard to say just yet,” he said. “A lot depends on your
willingness to step up.”

Lynn stilled. “Step up how?” she inquired cautiously.

“Luke thinks a family gathering is in order, an inspection, so
to speak.”

Lynn’s stomach fell. “You’re kidding! And you’re going along
with it?”

“I didn’t feel I had much choice. I want them to be as crazy
about you as I am.” He hesitated. “So, will you do it? I know it’s asking a lot,
but will you join us for lunch or dinner tomorrow? I’d even suggest breakfast
since it’s a lot more casual and you could win them both over with that pecan
coffee cake, but I’m not sure what time Nate’s likely to roll in.”

“Tomorrow’s a workday, remember? I’m at the boutique all
morning and early afternoon, then I have to go straight to the bar. Monty needs
me early tomorrow. It’s a chance to put in a full shift for a change.”

“Then we’ll have dinner there,” Mitch decided. “You can join us
whenever you get a break. That way it won’t be quite so formal, anyway.”

“Do you really want the first time I see your sons to be while
I’m waiting tables in a bar?” She couldn’t imagine it would be a terrific first
impression.

“As you informed me very clearly, it’s honest work,” Mitch
said. “I’ll fill them in on why you’re doing it, if you’re worried about what
they’ll think. Not that I can imagine them disapproving of you for any reason.
You’re going to win them over, Lynn. There’s not a doubt in my mind about
that.”

“Do they need to be won over?” she asked worriedly. “Was Luke
more upset than you told me just now?”

“No, I swear, he came around as soon as we talked.”

“But you’re not so sure about Nate, are you?”

“I suppose that depends on how worked up Luke got him when he
called Nate on his way home from Raylene’s,” Mitch said. “Luke wasn’t thinking
quite so rationally then. Both boys were close to Amy, but I think her death hit
Nate even harder than it did Luke. For a long time he just couldn’t accept that
she wasn’t going to make it after the accident. I swear to God, it was the
longest week of my life sitting in that hospital room, knowing things weren’t
going to change but trying to let Nate adjust to the truth.”

“How perfectly awful for all of you!” Lynn said, her heart
aching. “I hadn’t realized that she didn’t die instantly in the crash.”

Mitch sighed. “In some ways it might have been easier if she
had. At least that’s what I think now, but at the time I was grateful for that
little bit of time to get used to the idea of losing her.”

“Mitch, don’t you think maybe it’s too soon to be introducing
me to your sons?” she asked, wanting to postpone an encounter that was likely to
be hard for all of them.

“Sorry, sweetheart, that ship has sailed. Luke wants this to
happen and, to be honest, so do I.”

Lynn resigned herself to a few awkward moments, maybe more if
Nate proved to be difficult. “If this is what you want, then,” she said. “Mitch,
I know on some level you’re envisioning a big, happy family gathering, but I
don’t want Lexie and Jeremy involved in this. There’s bound to be a lot of
tension, at least at first.”

“I agree,” he said readily. “I think they can skip this.”

Lynn still thought the whole thing was a lousy idea. “Mitch,
isn’t there some way we could put this off?” she asked one more time. “Shouldn’t
you and I know where we’re headed before you introduce me to your sons?”

“I know where we’re headed,” he said confidently. “I think you
do, too. You’re just having a little more trouble accepting the idea than I
am.”

“You know it’s not that simple,” she said.

“Simple never entered into it, Lynnie. As for postponing,
believe me, the thought crossed my mind, too. But with Nate already planning to
come home in the morning and Luke gung-ho for getting together, I don’t see how
we can wait, not without making this more complicated than it should be. I don’t
want either one of them getting the idea that we have anything to hide.”

“Okay, then, but I’m trusting you to lay the groundwork for
this so I don’t come off like some low-class barmaid who’s out to trap their
successful daddy.”

Mitch had the audacity to laugh at that. “Lynnie, you couldn’t
come across as low-class in a million years. I think you can cross that worry
right off your list. We’ll see you tomorrow around seven, how’s that? You
usually get a break around seven-thirty, right?”

“I’ll make it work,” she agreed reluctantly. “If I didn’t like
you so much, Mitch Franklin, I think I could hate you right now for putting me
in this position.”

“Sweetheart, hormones put us in this position. If I hadn’t been
longing to be close to you and holding on so tight when we were dancing, Luke
wouldn’t have freaked out in the first place, and we wouldn’t be having to
explain ourselves like a couple of horny teenagers.”

She laughed at the image, relaxing for the first time since
he’d called. “Too bad you couldn’t stick around long enough to make out in the
shadows,” she said daringly.

He sucked in a sharp breath at the taunt. “Definitely too bad,”
he said. “But that day will come, Lynnie. I’m counting on it.”

Truthfully, most of the time, so was she.

* * *

In movie parlance, it had to be some sort of
Freaky Friday
take on
Meet the
Parents,
Mitch thought as he walked into the bar with his sons in
tow. Rather than either Nate or Luke bringing home a girl, he and Lynn were the
ones on display, seeking approval. Judging from Nate’s negative attitude all
afternoon, it wasn’t going to come easily.

Just inside the door, Mitch latched onto his older son’s arm.
“Behave,” he ordered. “Do not embarrass me or yourself. Understood? Your mother
raised you better than that.”

His reference to Amy drew a glare.

“Don’t drag Mom into this,” Nate said. “This is all on
you.”

“Chill,” Luke ordered his big brother. “If I’d known you were
going to go nuts, I’d never have called you.”

“
You
were nuts when you called me,”
Nate reminded him.

“But I actually listened to what Dad said. All you’ve done is
overreact and keep throwing Mom in his face as if he’s betraying her.”

“Well, he is,” Nate insisted.

“Okay, that’s it,” Mitch declared, ready to drag the two of
them right back out the door. “Let’s go.”

Nate’s scowl deepened. “We’re already here. We might as well
eat.”

“And you’ll keep a civil tongue in your head?” Mitch asked.

“I’ll see to it, Dad,” Luke promised, shooting a warning look
at his brother.

“Okay, then,” Mitch agreed, reluctantly leading the way to a
booth toward the back. At least if there were fireworks, they wouldn’t be in
plain view of the other customers.

To his surprise, it was Betty Lou who came over to wait on
them. She winked at Mitch. “Thought this might be best,” she said, her voice low
as she leaned in close. “She’ll be over on her break.”

She straightened up and smiled. “What can I bring you gentlemen
to drink?”

When Nate ordered a beer, Mitch regretted that he couldn’t join
him. Instead, he, like Luke, settled for a Coke.

“I’ll have those for you in a sec,” she promised.

“So where is she?” Nate asked, looking around. “Hiding out in
the kitchen, I’ll bet.”

Just then, Lynn did emerge from the kitchen, laden down with a
heavy tray filled with plates. She kept her gaze averted as she passed by.

“That’s her,” Luke said, nudging Nate, obviously recognizing
her from the glimpse he’d caught at Raylene’s.

Mitch saw the surprise in Nate’s eyes. “Not the floozy you were
envisioning, is she?” he asked quietly.

Nate winced. “Sorry. When you said she worked here, I didn’t
know what to think. Monty’s isn’t exactly a dive, but it’s a long way from
Sullivan’s.” He shrugged. “Besides, I couldn’t remember her all that clearly
from before. Even now, I don’t recognize her. Doesn’t seem as if I ever saw her
around town.”

“Maybe not,” Mitch told him. “She and I are the same age, but
her kids are younger than you two. We don’t go to the same church or live in the
same neighborhood. I doubt she and your mom were in any of the same
activities.”

“She doesn’t look like Mom,” Nate observed as Lynn hurried
past, heading back into the kitchen.

“Not a bit,” Mitch agreed.

“But she is pretty,” Luke said, trying to intercede. “She looks
a little tired, though.”

“Three jobs,” Mitch said succinctly.

Even Nate’s skeptical expression changed then. Looked to Mitch
as if she might have climbed a notch in his son’s estimation.

“She’s really working three jobs?” Nate asked.

“Long story,” Mitch said. “Her divorce isn’t going
smoothly.”

“But she’s married to Ed Morrow,” Nate said. “Isn’t he
loaded?”

“I honestly don’t know the details of what’s gone wrong, but I
do know he hasn’t been doing right by her,” Mitch said, heat in his voice.
“Enough said about that. I’m not going to spread gossip or share my opinion.
Besides, here she comes.” He gave each of them a pointed look. “Be nice.”

“Hi,” Lynn said, sliding into the booth in the space Mitch had
left for her next to him. She managed a wan smile. “I can’t stay but a second
right now. For some reason we’re swamped tonight. I thought everyone would be
staying home after the holiday, but obviously not.”

“Lynn, these are my sons, Luke over there and that’s Nate next
to him.”

“I’m so glad to meet you both,” she said, her well-honed
Southern manners not quite enough to cover her nervousness. “Your dad has told
me so much about you and about your mom. I wish I’d had the chance to know
her.”

Mitch bit back a smile at the look on Nate’s face when she
brought Amy openly into the conversation.

“Mom was incredible,” Luke said.

“And from everything your dad has said, she’s the one
responsible for you both being amazing young men. I hope I do half as well with
my kids.”

“How many do you have?” Nate asked.

His tone was stiffly polite, but at least he was making an
effort, Mitch thought, proud of him for trying.

“A boy, Jeremy, who’s ten, and a daughter. Lexie’s
fourteen.”

“I can vouch for them being pretty incredible,” Mitch said. “I
think Jeremy’s destined to be a contractor or an architect. I’ve never had a kid
ask me so many questions.”

Luke looked startled. “That’s the kid Terry’s been talking
about, isn’t it? The one who was following you around over at Carter and
Raylene’s place?”

Mitch laughed. “That’s the one.”

“Your dad has been very patient with him,” Lynn said, slipping
out of the booth. “Sorry. I need to check on my tables. I’ll be back when I
can.”

After she’d gone, Mitch glanced at Nate. “Well?”

“She’s not at all what I expected,” he admitted.

“She seems nice,” Luke added. “I liked that she talked about
Mom. Not everybody does. They avoid mentioning her. I know they do it so we
won’t be sad, but we are sad. And not talking about her makes it feel as if she
never existed or something.”

Nate nodded. “I liked that, too. I liked that she acknowledged
how important Mom was to us.”

“Because there’s no denying that,” Mitch told him. “None of us
are ever going to forget your mother, Nate. Lynn gets that. She’s never going to
try to compete with our memories of her. That’s not the kind of woman she is.
She has a warm, generous heart, just like your mom did.”

Luke glanced in her direction as she went past with another
order and shook his head. “Every time I see her with one of those trays, I want
to rush over and take it from her. Those things must weigh a ton.”

“Yeah, she brings out the protective instincts in me, too,”
Mitch said, “but trust me, she’d slap you silly if you tried.”

“I know you said you didn’t need my blessing, Dad, but you’ve
got it,” Luke said.

“Thanks, Luke.” Mitch looked at Nate. “How about you?”

Nate looked uncomfortable. “I’m not quite ready to jump on the
bandwagon, especially if you’re going to rush into something. I think it’s way
too soon.” He held Mitch’s gaze. “But I will reserve judgment, Dad. If she makes
you happy, I promise to give her a chance.”

Mitch nodded. “That’s all I ask, son.”

And, after the way Nate had reacted earlier in the day, it was
a lot more than he’d had any reason to hope for.

* * *

By the time Lynn was finally able to take a real break,
Mitch and his sons had finished their meal. In a way it was a relief not to have
to sit there and try to swallow food around the knot that had formed in her
throat as she’d endured their frank scrutiny. She’d been able to tell that Nate
wasn’t even remotely resigned to having her in his father’s life.