I apologized, Luke grumbled. I even paid the guy, although no one ended up with the candy bar.
The guy is Mr. Jacobs, and youre going to treat him with respect when you see him next weekend. It turned out that the inked man with the gravelly voice visited the pediatric ward of the hospital once a month and gave a magic show. Lukes penance was that he would sacrifice a Saturday morning to work as the mans assistant. And paying for what you took after the fact doesnt justify what you did. You know better than to steal! Your own father was a policeman, who
My father is gone, he said flatly.
She parked the car, and turned to look at her son. I miss him, too. And I get angryat him, at the man who shot him, at the unfairness of life. But lashing out and doing dumb things wont bring your dad back. It only drives a wedge between you and me. Im still here for you, kiddo. Try to remember that?
Without responding, he climbed out of the car.
She blinked against the sting of tears, preferring to meet her grandmother with a smile. Joan Denby had lost her husband even more recently than Kate. The two women were supposed to bolster each other, not drag each other further down.
Either Gram had been watching for them, or Patch, the eight-year-old German shepherd, had barked notice of their arrival. Kate had barely removed her seatbelt before Gram hurried out onto the wraparound porch to greet them. In a pair of purple capris and a polo shirt striped with hot pink, Joan Denby was a splash of vivid color against the white wood railing. She looked much the same as she had all those summers when Kate visited as a girl, except that the cloud of once-dark hair framing Grams face was silver and her lively hazel eyes now peered at the world through a pair of bifocals. Still, few would guess that she was the great-grandmother of a teenager.
Luke! Katie! The exuberant welcome in her voice carried on the breeze, and the knot in Kates stomach unraveled.
Home. Whatever happened during the next few weeks of transition, Kate was suddenly 100 percent certain this was where she was supposed to be. Her vision blurred again, but this time with happy tears. She jumped out of the car, not even bothering to shut the door before rushing to hug her grandmother.
Ive missed you, she whispered fiercely. Even though she now stood taller than the woman whod been equal parts mom and grandmother to her, Grams embrace still made Kate feel safer, just as it had when shed woken from nightmares as a girl or been rattled by a Texas thunderstorm.
Missed you, too, Katie. So much. Gram patted her on the back, then pulled away to reach for Luke. And you! I cant believe how tall youre getting. Strong enough to help with farm chores, I reckon. But dont worry, she added with a smile, I promise to make sure youre well-compensated with your favorite desserts.
Anything but candy bars, he mumbled.
Kate suppressed a groan at the reminder of their inauspicious entry to town. We should start bringing in bags, she told her son. The cars not going to unpack itself.
Gram followed them. I expected to see you hauling a trailer of stuff.
We brought most of our personal items, but the furnitures in storage back in Houston. She didnt add that she hadnt wanted to move it all twice in case this relocation didnt work out.
Gram insisted on helping, and Kate gave her the lightest things she could find in the backseat. Kate faltered at the box of Lukes art supplies. It had been sheer optimism on her part to bring them; hed told her she could leave them in storageor throw them away.
Thered been a time when hed never been without a sketch pad of some kind. A few months before Damon was killed, Luke had started working on a comic book series about a superhero on another planet. The interstellar crime-fighter didnt have a family and hed possessed larger than life mystical powers, but the physical resemblance between Lukes fictional champion and his dad had been unmistakable.
His earlier statement echoed in her mind. My father is gone. But he hadnt only lost Damon. In the last two years, he seemed to have also lost his inspiration and his direction. Although there was no need to get the heavy box inside before dinner, she vowed to put the supplies in his room later. Maybe, with time and patience, hed find his direction again.
Shifting a large satchel against her hip, she pulled a rolling suitcase from the trunk. Am I in my usual room, Gram? Even during her trips to the farm as an adult, Kate had stayed in the bedroom where she had so many happy childhood memories.
Her grandmother nodded. Of course. And for Luke, I cleared out the room where Jim used to work on his model planes. Its not huge, but its the least girly space in the house.
Im sure it will be fine, Kate said gently, hating the thought of Gram boxing up all of her late husbands beloved planes alone. She wished her father was more reliable, that he lived close enough to regularly visit his widowed mother. Not that geography was any guarantee hed pull his head out of his textbooks long enough to remember his family. The cliché absent-minded professor aptly described James Sullivan Jr. The last time hed had dinner with Kate and Luke, hed seemed sincerely shocked that his grandson wasnt still nine years old.
Patch met them at the front door with baritone yowls and a tail wagging wildly enough to generate a windstorm. It took a few minutes to get past the excited shepherd and into the living room. Kate took in the familiar surroundings, recalling her grandfathers good-natured complaints about the pink curtains and throw pillows on the sofa. Gram had told him that, if it made him feel better, the color was technically country rose. Hed also pretended to be annoyed by her collection of carousel-horse figurines, but hed built her the gorgeous display cabinet that housed them.
The room had barely changed in the last decade. Even the warm, inviting scent was the same. Grams house always smelled like a combination of the lemony cleaner she used on the hardwood floors and pecan pie.
Luke raised his head, sniffing appreciatively, but it wasnt floor cleaner and nostalgia that captured his interest. Food!
Gram laughed. I have beef stew in the slow-cooker and made a batch of corn bread muffins.
He immediately dropped the large duffel bags, as if preparing to bolt for the kitchen.
Were not just leaving our stuff all over Grams house, Kate chided, familiar with his habits. Their home in Houston had often been an obstacle course of discarded tennis shoes, an unzipped backpack with class binders spilling out of it and dirty glasses that should have been carried to the sink. Once youve got the bags in your room and washed your hands, well see about dinner. He must have been genuinely hungry because, rather than flashing one of his mutinous scowls, he dashed down the hallway.
Its gratifying to cook for someone other than just myself, Gram said, a trace of sadness beneath her smile.
Kates heart squeezed, but she kept her tone light. As much food as Luke puts away, you may get tired of it pretty quickly. I insist you let me help with meals. And everything elsecleaning, gardening, whatever needs to be done. I know how seriously you take hospitality, but Luke and I are roommates, not guests who have to be waited on hand and foot.
Grams eyes twinkled. Well...now that you mention it, I suppose I could use your help with a welcome party Im hosting. Tomorrow.
Grams eyes twinkled. Well...now that you mention it, I suppose I could use your help with a welcome party Im hosting. Tomorrow.
You planned a party tomorrow? So much for settling in slowly. Kate had hoped to sleep late, then spend the day unpacking.
Party is probably too grandiose a term. Its just a neighborhood cookout. I invited some friends, like the Rosses, who live down the road. You remember they used to let you ride their horses? And I figured youd want to see Crystal Tucker. Waitshes Crystal Walsh now, isnt she? Gram shook her head. Seems like just yesterday the two of you were sharing cotton candy at the Watermelon Festival, a couple of kids with pigtails and sticky hands. Now youre all grown up with kids of your own!
Kate and Crystal had bonded quickly after meeting at the community pool and renewed their friendship every summer. An only child, Kate had loved having a playmate in town. Crystal, the middle kid between two sisters, relished the comparative peace and quiet at the Denby farm. The last time theyd seen each other was Jim Denbys funeral, but Crystal, heavily pregnant with twin boys, hadnt been able to stay long. It would be nice to catch up with her. Kate tried to recall the age of Crystals oldest son, hoping the boy could be a potential friend for Luke. He needed a wholesome peer groupthe sooner, the better.
With that goal in mind, she gave her grandmother a grateful smile. I hate for you to go to trouble on our account, but Im really glad youre throwing the welcome party. Im sure it will be exactly what we need.
* * *
KATEWASGLADher son had the good sense not to show up at the dinner table wearing earbudsa mandate shed had to repeat at least once a week back in Houstonbut he wasnt the most effusive dinner companion. He wolfed down two servings of stew while barely looking up from his plate, then asked to be excused.
She sighed, wishing he showed more curiosity about their new surroundings and learning about Cupids Bow. Let him go. It had been a long day, and no doubt tomorrow would bring fresh battles. Youre excused, but make sure you rinse your dishes.
He did as asked, then paused in the doorway that led to the hall. Dinner was awesome, he mumbled in Grams general direction, the words all strung together. Then he disappeared around the corner.
Kate shook her head. Well, that was a start, I guess. Well work on eye contact later.
Gram smiled. Hes had a tough time of it. You both have.
I know. Lord, did she know. But that doesnt give him a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card. Losing his dad cant become a habitual excuse for bad choices. She ran a hand through her hair, recalling the incident at the gas station. Shed meant get-out-of-jail in a figurative sense, but if her son didnt get off his current path...
Katie? Grams tone was thick with concern.
Glancing toward the empty doorway, Kate lowered her voice. We had a mishap on the way to the farm...and by mishap, I mean petty larceny. He stole from Rick Jacobs, got caught shoplifting a candy bar at the gas station. Luke didnt even want it. Wed been arguing in the car and I cant help feeling like this was another act of rebellion because hes mad at me. He took the candy bar for a little girl.
Kate covered her eyes, her face heating at the mortifying memory. He got busted stealing candy for one of Cole Trents daughters.
He stole something for the sheriffs kid? Gram made an odd noise that Kate belatedly identified as a snort of amusement.
Gram! Its not funny.
It sort of is. Cupids Bow is small, granted, but there are a couple thousand residents. Of all the people... She tried unsuccessfully to smother another laugh. The sheriff! Seriously?
Trust me, I wouldnt joke about this. When we met him inside, we didnt know he was a cop. Then he chased us out in the parking lot, understandably furious. I was so embarrassed. And that was after shed already enjoyed the super-fun humiliation of dumping her drink on him. Frankly, Im hoping to avoid Sheriff Trent for the next three or four...ever.
Grams eyes widened. Oh, butsurely your paths will cross again. Like I said, this is a small town. So, perhaps it would be best to get it over with sooner rather than later. Right?
Definitely not. But since it seemed rude to argue, Kate smiled weakly. I suppose thats one way of looking at it. Another way to view it was that Kate had enough on her plate already without worrying about alienating a blue-eyed pillar of the community.
* * *
CRAP. LUKE SULLIVAN scowled at the prolonged quiet on the other side of the bedroom door. Theyre talking about me. He couldnt make out any of his moms or great-grandmothers words, but he knew the tense, muffled tone. His mother had used it with his therapist whenever she sent Luke out of the room so the two adults could confer privately. Shed used it a lot on the phone with her friends when she was complaining about Lukes screw-ups.
Suddenly needing noise and lots of it, Luke shoved in his earbuds and cranked up the volume on a hip-hop song. It was enough to drown out the low drone of conversation in the kitchen, but it didnt mute the thoughts bouncing around his brain. He didnt want to be here, in this shoebox of a room that smelled faintly of paint fumes. He liked his great-grandmother, but this was her house, not his. He missed home.
And he missed his friends.
He knew his mom didnt like them, had specifically heard her describe Bobby as a hoodlum, but she didnt get it. When he hung out with Bobby and the other eighth graders, kids looked at him with respect. Bobby was a known badass. He wasnt universally liked, but even being regarded with contempt was better than pity. Luke hated students and teachers and neighbors eyeing him like he was a pathetic baby bird whod fallen out of its nest and effed up its wing.
He was sick of people asking if he was okay, like his fathers murder was something to get over, equal to bombing a math quiz. He was tired of his moms stubborn attempts to get him to hang out with his old friends. And her attempts to get him to draw again. What did she care? Comic books were dumb stories that had nothing to do with real life.
In the stories Luke used to doodle, his cyborg-enhanced alien helped people by stopping natural disasters and chasing off enemies. In real life, Luke couldnt even help cheer up a little girl. Stealing the candy had been stupid, and he certainly hadnt meant to get her in trouble. He hated seeing girls cry.
He knew his mom cried. After his dad got shot, shed cried a lot. They both had. But then shed pretended to stop. He wasnt stupid, though. He noticed when her face was blotchy. Some nights when he couldnt sleep, he could hear the muffled noise. He hated those nights. He hated that his dad had picked such a dangerous job. He hated that hed had to leave the only place hed ever lived. But there wasnt anything Luke could do about those problems.
Frustration flooded him, and he clenched his fists.
Yeah, stealing the candy bar had been a dumbass thing to do but it had seemed like such a simple solution, an easy way to make that little girl stop crying. Finally, thered been a problem that seemed fixable! But he hadnt been able even to fix that. So how was he going to fix the rest of his life?