Entangled Moments (Moments in Time) (2 page)

Chapter Two

The Coffee Dash was his café of choice.

I breathed in the aroma of coffee and chocolate as we walked
past the cash register, positioned next to a display case filled with brownies,
cupcakes, and cookies on one side and sandwiches on the other. The handsome
stranger caught the eye of just about every woman in the café. In a way, it
made me feel special to be the woman by his side. Even if I had no idea who he
was.

“Table at the back, please,” he said to a bulbous-nosed
waitress who wouldn’t stop gawking at him. How rude. If I were his girlfriend,
I’d have been offended.

The waitress ignored a couple beckoning for her at another
table and led us to a booth in the back. She handed me a menu, but her gaze
stayed fixed on my companion’s face. When she went to give him his own menu,
she dropped it. Her hands were actually shaking.

The man picked up the laminated menu and handed it back to
her. “I don’t need this, thank you. Bring me a strong coffee with milk. No
sugar.”

“I’ll have the same.” I said. I had just about enough money
in my purse for coffee.

The waitress nodded at him. I’d be surprised if she
remembered my order.

As soon as the waitress left, he asked me, “So, why do you
look so sad?”

I swallowed hard and forced myself to remain calm. Normally,
simple questions called for simple answers. Not in this case. I rarely talked
about this to anyone, except Lynnette and Melisa, and of course the therapist
who volunteered at the shelter once a week. “Who were you lighting a candle
for?” I asked, to give myself time to think.

“I asked you a question first. But okay, let’s start with
me.” A trace of humor laced his voice, but his expression darkened. “I was
lighting a candle for my brother. He died a few years ago. The memorial was
held at Grace Chapel.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Your turn.”

“Well.” I reached for a napkin and twisted it between my
fingers. “It’s hard to...”

“Confide in a stranger?”

“Yes,” I admitted. It was hard confiding in anyone.

He slid forward in his chair, and his knee brushed mine
under the table. “I’m Nick, if that makes me seem less like a stranger.”

“I’m Carlene.” An involuntary smile curled my lips. “And
yes, it does help to know your name.” I paused, trying to find the right words.
“A few years ago, my boyfriend passed away. The memorial was also held at Grace
Chapel.”

“Please accept my condolences.” Tenderness filled his green
eyes.

At that moment, the waitress appeared with two cups and
placed them in front of us.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t order tea,” I said. “I wanted a
coffee.”

“Really? I’m pretty sure you ordered—”

“Excuse me,” Nick looked up at the waitress. “Sally, is it?”

She glanced at the name tag on the lapel of her shirt, as
though confirming her own name. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, Lauren. My friend did order coffee. Would you mind
getting it for her, please?”

“Of course, sir.”

A moment later, she came back with the coffee. “I’m sorry
about the confusion, ma’am.”

“No problem,” I said, and she left.

“Death is not an easy thing to come to terms with.” Nick
said, picking up where we’d left off. “Especially if you lose someone close. It’s
so final.” He lifted his coffee to his lips and drank, despite the steam curling
up from the cup.

Especially if you watch someone die before your eyes, I
thought. “I’d never experienced anything so painful before.”

Nick lowered his cup to the table and reached out, paused,
then squeezed my hand. He released it almost immediately, but I wished he had
lingered for just a moment longer.

“Do you visit Grace Chapel often?” I asked.

“No, it brings back too many painful memories...regrets. I
was on my way to work when I spotted the chapel and decided to light a candle
for my brother.” For an instant, Nick’s features hardened. He raked a hand
through his chestnut hair and furrowed his brow.

“It can’t be easy, losing a brother.”

“I wish I’d had more time with him. I guess you and I were
meant to meet, to comfort each other. It helps to talk to someone who’s lost a
person close to them.”

“Maybe.” I blew on my coffee and sipped. Still too hot. How
did Nick manage to drink his?

“How did he die, your boyfriend?”

His question snapped me back to reality. “I’d rather not
talk about that.” My voice wavered. What was wrong with me, talking to a
stranger about this? Even if I never saw him again, he would still know what I’d
done.

I extracted my purse from the grocery bag and scrambled for
coins to pay for my coffee.

“Allow me.” Nick drained his coffee and dug in his pocket.
Discreetly, he produced a wad of notes wrapped around each other. His hands
half hidden under the table, he peeled off a hundred-dollar bill and placed it
on the table between our cups. The coffee wouldn’t even cost ten dollars. For a
moment, I wished I were Sally the waitress.

I stood, my eyes still glued to the money on the table. “Thanks
for the talk.” I looked briefly at him and then stepped away. Then I slipped on
something and went flying. I let out a squeal, anticipating the back of my head
hitting the ceramic tiles. Instead, I fell into Nick’s arms.

His firm muscles contracted as he lifted me up to a standing
position. “Careful.” His breath warmed my neck, awakening butterflies in the
pit of my stomach. A smile tipped the corners of his full lips, and dimples
appeared on both cheeks. No wonder I had found him attractive. I had always
been a dimples and gorgeous eyes kind of girl.

I should have gotten out of the cradle of his arms
immediately, but my body wouldn’t cooperate with my head. It had been a long
time since I’d felt so safe in someone’s arms.

When Nick lowered his lips to mine and kissed me, I didn’t
flinch. His kiss was a whisper at first, as if he was testing me to see if I’d
fight him. When I didn’t, he gently nibbled my lips and probed my tongue with
his.

My stomach swirled and somewhere inside my head, a tiny
voice reprimanded me. I pretended not to hear. My body felt as if it had been
plugged into an electrical outlet. I returned his kiss fervently. Nothing about
this felt wrong. In fact, nothing had ever felt so right.

From a distance, people talked, someone slurped a drink,
coins jingled, and a love song played in the background.

I wound my arms around Nick’s neck, and he buried his hands
in my hair, unraveling it from its ponytail.

Suddenly, he pulled away, still gazing at me. His arms were
still around my waist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s... It’s okay.” I bit my lip, relishing the remains of
our coffee kiss.

His arms dropped to his sides, and he pushed his hands into
his pockets, as if to restrain them. “I never do things like that. You are
so...beautiful.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. That should never have
happened.”

Words were lodged in my throat. I wanted to say that I didn’t
regret what happened. That he’d made me feel alive again, if just for a moment.

Though the kiss invigorated me, the shame of kissing a total
stranger washed over me. I felt like a teenager who couldn’t keep her emotions
in check.

It was just that he’d caught me from more than falling to
the floor. He’d also caught me from crashing down into depression, as I usually
did on this day every year.

“I should go.” He lifted his suit jacket from the back of a
chair and shrugged it on. “It was nice meeting you.” He strode out of the café,
leaving me standing there with one hand clutching the edge of the table for
balance.

The gears in my head clicked forward again and I remembered
Oasis, breakfast, the residents. The clock above the jukebox confirmed that I
had been away for at least an hour.

I grabbed my belongings and hurried past the banana peel
that had caused my fall, and past Sally, who stood at the cash register, mouth
open. She had obviously witnessed what had just happened between Nick and me.

Why did she look so shocked? Things like this happened all
the time. Maybe not to me, but to a lot of other people.

When it came to dating and relationships, I had always been
the type to take things slow. Chris and I had gone on three dates before I
allowed him to kiss me on the lips. In fact, he was the only man I’d been with,
in every way. The love of my life. But although I’d found him extremely
attractive the first time we’d met in the parking lot of Shop ‘n’ Carry, the
attraction hadn’t been a bolt of lightning.

He hadn’t made me feel the way Nick just had.

Chapter Three

As I helped with breakfast, I couldn’t stop thinking about
Nick and the most amazing kiss I’d ever had, hands down. Nick had awakened
feelings inside of me I thought would remain dormant forever.

Not that I hadn’t met men interested in me. I did,
especially at Joe’s Steaks, where I waitressed in the evenings for spending
money, since I volunteered for free at Oasis. I just never showed interest in
any of them. I was responsible for the death of the man I’d intended on
spending the rest of my life with. Did I deserve to find love with another?

Or so I’d thought. Meeting Nick was starting to make me
question the decision I made to distance myself from happiness.

I smeared bread slices with peanut butter and handed them to
Lynnette, who smeared them with jam and served the hungry people lined up in
front of us.

When all the residents had been served, Lynnette left to
retrieve their bags, which were kept in lockers behind the front desk, and to
wish each of them a nice day. As if she were sending her children off to
school. In a way, they were her children. Her infertility had been the reason
her husband had left her ten years ago. Instead of pining after what she couldn’t
have, she used the money she’d inherited from her father and opened the
shelter, to which she dedicated her life.

During my time at Oasis, I learned homelessness had many
faces. Some of the people we served weren’t what you’d expect; they had jobs,
some of which even required wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk. The
problem was, their wages were minimal and they couldn’t afford a place to stay
or were saving up for one. Lynnette allowed each resident to stay for six
months, to sort out their lives, before moving on to make space for someone
else.

Oasis offered food and a bed, but also advice. Therapists,
career advisors, and even doctors volunteered at the shelter several times a
week. Those who received career advice were required, on a weekly basis, to
inform the advisors of their progress toward changing their lives.

I helped Melisa serve the leftover coffee. Then we collected
the pails filled with dirty mugs and carried them to the kitchen for washing.
Melisa left to clean the tables in the cafeteria, and I stayed behind to load
the dishwasher.

“Carlene?” A raspy male voice called from the door.

“Donny, I haven’t seen you in ages. Where have you been?”

Donny was a burly fifty-year-old man with a bushy beard and
long hair he kept tied back with a black ribbon. He was one of my favorite
residents; I was the one who found him on the streets and brought him to Oasis.
A simple gesture from him never failed to lift my spirits—a thank you, a smile,
a bar of chocolate bought with money he didn’t have. I suppose it was his way
of thanking me.

Hidden behind his ready smiles, Donny was a recovering drug
addict who’d lost everything to the addiction—his job as a manager at The Roll
& Dice, his family, his friends. It took overdosing and a near-death
experience to shake him awake.

“I was away for a while, making plans,” Donny answered.

I raised one eyebrow. “Plans?”

“And they were successful. I’m leaving Oasis.” A row of
white teeth appeared between his beard and moustache. “I wanted to say goodbye.”

I wiped my hands on a dishcloth. “That’s right. Your six
months are up. I can’t believe how time flies.” Despite being happy that he was
moving on, I’d miss having him around.

“I got my old job back, and I signed up for an addiction
recovery program. It’s held at Annie’s Dance Hall once a week.”

I was thrilled he was taking control of his life, although a
job in a casino seemed questionable for a recovering addict. But he looked so
happy and determined. Hopefully he’d be strong enough to resist temptation. “I’m
sure you’ll do great. I’m so proud of you.”

“I’ll be better than fine. My daughter, Hope, is allowing me
to stay with her until I get back on my feet.”

“I’m so glad.” I walked over and embraced him. A tear
dripped onto my cheek.

When I’d found Donny sleeping on the sidewalk, between The
Roll & Dice and Maggy’s Hair Salon, he’d reeked of booze, sweat, and urine.
Now he smelled only of soap and optimism.

“Have a good life.”

“Thank you, Carlene. I hope you find your happiness again.”

I broke the embrace. I’d never told him much about my life,
but I guess sadness, like joy, is hard to hide. “Thank you. Goodbye, Donny.”

“Hang on a second, I’ve something for you.” He disappeared
from the kitchen and returned a moment later with a lush, white rose. “This is
as pure as your heart.”

“I appreciate it,” I said, squeezing his shoulder.

“Have fun spreading those petals at the festival.”

I gave him a bittersweet smile. “I won’t be going.” The Rose
Petal Festival wasn’t the best place to be if you were single.

“Well, then, dry it and take it along next year. You can
throw both fresh and dried petals into the lake. Has the same magic.”

“I will.”

***

By nine, only a handful of people were left in the Resident
Hall. Some of the residents were reading, praying, meditating, or just staring
into space.

I went to my bed and sank down on it. The springs sighed in
response to my weight. Melisa and I both started out as residents. We’d arrived
the same morning and were friends by nightfall. She had been my rock through my
worst depression ever—during my first week at Oasis—the one that almost drove
me to give up on life altogether. In fact, I’d gone as far as swallowing
sleeping pills and going to bed as usual. But Melisa noticed something was
wrong with my breathing and called for help in time to save my life.

After six months of therapy, the scars still hadn’t healed,
but I found a way to trudge on. But when the six months were up and we were
required to leave, I had nowhere to go. I pleaded with Lynnette to let me and
Melisa stay on as helpers.

I drew my knees to my chest and hugged them, rocking back
and forth.

Melisa walked into the room and sat next to me. “Talk.”

“I’ve nothing to say.”

“Bullshit. Today is the day. Of course you have something to
say.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Tell me what you told me last year at this time.”

“I still feel guilty, Melisa. I don’t think I’ll ever get
over it.”

“Did you go to the chapel?”

“Yes.” I rubbed my temples.

“It didn’t help, did it?”

“Not really.”

“Well, then I’ll tell you the same thing I always tell you.”
She grasped my hand. “You are a good person. You’re carrying guilt that’s not
yours to carry. What happened was not your fault. If it were, you’d be in jail
right now.”

“I know that. But it doesn’t change the facts.”

“I’m not saying it does. Just stop wasting your life. You’re
only twenty-nine. You can start over, create a great life for yourself.”

“Time spent helping others is not wasted.”

“It is if you’re doing it to punish yourself. You’re
beautiful and smart, and you deserve way more than this.”

I leaned against her. “So do you. You’re wasting your life
as well.”

“I had a good life and lost it. There’s nothing out there
for me. Not anymore.”

“I think you’re wrong. But you’ll never know unless you try.”

“Did you light a candle for my husband and baby?”

“No, I’m so sorry. Someone distracted me.”

Five years ago, Melisa’s husband, a fireman, had died
rescuing an old woman from a burning building. At the time, they’d been married
for three years and were awaiting their first child. After losing her high
school sweetheart, she suffered a miscarriage that shattered the remains of her
heart. Apparently, before it all happened, she’d been a devoted Christian and
went to church every Sunday. After, she turned her back on God and turned
instead to drink and gambling.

Not long after, Melisa lost everything she owned and turned
to stealing as a way to feed her addictions. With help from Oasis, she had
stopped gambling, but still had an occasional drink.

“Didn’t you say the church is usually isolated during the
week?”

“Well, not today.”

Melisa rose and went to lie on her own bed, hands clasped at
her chest. “So, what happened?”

“He heard me crying and asked if I was okay. I told him I
was, then I walked out.”

Melisa propped herself up on an elbow, facing me. “So, it
was a him? Was he handsome?”

I bit my lip and nodded.

“And you still ran away. How many men are you going to run
from?”

Averting my gaze, I fluffed my pillow, even though it didn’t
need it.

“Carlene,” Melisa said slowly. “This man you met was
different, wasn’t he?”

“What do you mean?” An involuntary smile spread across my
face.

She tossed her pillow at me, and I giggled. “You like him.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He made your day a little easier. This time last year, as
soon as your tasks were completed, you locked yourself in the bathroom. Your eyes
were so swollen they looked like golf balls. He comforted you.”

I tossed the pillow back at her and laughed. “I don’t know
what you’re talking about.”

“I can read you from a mile away. Stop denying it. You’re
smitten, you little kitten.”

“What if I am? It doesn’t change anything.”

“Yes, it does. For as long as I’ve known you, I haven’t seen
you smile like this. This man changed something inside of you.”

I concealed a grin with my hand. “He kissed me.” I couldn’t
help it—I had to tell someone before I burst.

Melisa clapped her hands. “He liked you too. How romantic.
How did he kiss you? Did he just come up and smooch you?”

“He invited me for a coffee. We talked for a while, and when
I was leaving, I slipped on a banana peel. He caught me and we kissed.”

“Like in the movies.” Melisa’s eyes lit up. “Love at first
sight. I’m sure he can’t wait to see you again. Please tell me you gave him
your number.”

“I didn’t get the chance to give it to him. We parted so
suddenly. Anyway, maybe he just felt like kissing a random girl.”

“Find out. Go to the chapel every day if you have to, at the
same time. See if he shows up again. If he wants to see you again, he might.”

Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach. “I’m not going to
force anything. If we’re meant to meet again, we will.” After all, we lived in
a town called Serendipity, and with no more than two thousand residents, it was
more than likely.

“Sometimes in life you have to make things happen yourself.
To hell with fate and all that nonsense.”

“I’m not going to look for him, Melisa.”

“Then do something else for me.” Melisa’s face turned
serious. “See this as a sign to move on. Go out there. Get a proper job and a
place to stay. Start over. Don’t let it be too late for you, too.”

“It isn’t too late for you, Melisa. We can start over
together.”

Melisa shook her head. “No, we can’t. I can’t. Now, come on,
do this for me. Try living a normal life for six months. If you don’t like it,
you can come back. I’m sure Lynnette will always welcome you back with open
arms.”

Defeated, I threw my hands in the air. “Fine. Six months.
Just to get you off my back.”