Fitting The Pieces (The Riverdale Series Book 3) (33 page)

     
Deb very
rarely allowed herself to visit those early days of meeting Joe Lanza. Sure,
she loved her husband with her whole heart. She loved the life they shared and
was so grateful for all their blessings. But when she did allow herself the
trip down memory lane, she couldn’t help but remember her dear Vincent. The
first man she ever loved, the man who had been tragically ripped away from her.

     
She was
much younger than Cara when she lost Vincent, barely twenty years old, when he
had passed away. They too had been engaged to be married. Like Cara, Deb never
married her first love, she was only left to mourn him and the wedding that
never would be. Joe had been a pillar of strength for her back then. They had
forged an unlikely friendship and from that friendship a love was born. Her
love for her husband was different than the love she had for Vincent and only
grew as the years passed them by. It didn’t take away from what she felt for
Vincent, the young love of two carefree people.

     
However,
Joe was her soul mate. The man she was destined to be with, the man she made a
beautiful family with. With each year that had passed them by, their love grew,
the doubts that she had once had, had been erased. Still, when she lost her
son, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jake’s death was God’s version of Karma.
She never told her husband instead, she sought counsel with her priest. She
never wanted Joe to feel the guilt that she had when they lost their youngest
son, but still she couldn’t help but wonder if her and Joe’s union had a hand
in Jake’s destiny. A mother’s love is tricky that way, always second guessing
the decisions of the past, and how they play a hand in your children’s future.

     
“When
Luke and I went fishing, he confided in me.” He sighed. “I wanted to tell him
about my brother, but I thought that story was better left for you to tell.” He
paused for a moment. “Cara is torn between her feelings for Luke and her past
with Jake. She’s also worried about what we’re going to think. I tried to tell
Luke that isn’t an issue, but something tells me it’s not Luke, who needs the
reassurance, but instead it’s Cara.”

     
Deb
swallowed and looked back at her son and the girl she had come to love as a
daughter. She watched as Cara pushed past Luke and started to step out of the
pool. Her son hung his head in defeat. Deb looked back at her husband.

     
“Those kids
need some healing, just like you and I once did.” Joe shrugged. “Who knows?
Maybe their story will be even greater than ours.”

     
Deb found
her smile at those words and gazed lovingly at her soul mate. “I don’t know
about that, we have a pretty amazing story.”

     
“That we
do, dear. That we do.” Joe winked at his bride of thirty-five years, hoping for
another thirty-five years of their story.

* * * * *

     
Cara
fastened the towel around her and glanced back at Luke. “Well buddy, I’ll see
you around.”

     
“Where are
you going?” Luke said, not liking the distance that they shared.

     
Cara
shrugged her shoulders, wishing they weren’t in paradise anymore. She could
busy herself back home pretending that Luke didn’t just wreck any resolve she
had come to, but in
   
paradise, not so
much.

     
“Cara,
this is what you wanted isn’t it?” Luke asked because he felt like he was
gutting himself, under the impression this is what she needed. It was going to
kill him to retreat back to the casualness that seemed lost to him, but he’d suck
it up and deal if it’s what she wanted.

     
“I’ll see
you later, Luke.” She said fleetingly and forced herself to walk away. She
lifted her head and saw Deb and Joe leaning back against their lounge chairs
watching her and Luke’s entire exchange. She groaned and flipped her sunglasses
down and waved slightly before disappearing in the other direction. Paradise
sucked when your head wasn’t into it. Or maybe when your head wasn’t, but your
heart was.

     
Cara swiveled
in her chair, chewing on the cap of her pen, staring out the window into the
parking lot. It was a slow day at Riverdale Ink, but then again, Friday’s
usually didn’t pick up until the night hours anyway. They had been back from
Cabo over a week and the instant the plane’s wheels touched down on New York
soil, Cara ran from Luke and the conflicted feelings he provoked in her. The
last few days of their vacation, after Luke politely, of course, gave her the
“let’s be friends’ kiss off, had been painful to say the least. New Year’s Eve
was the worse of the trip. What she had once envisioned as a romantic night for
her and Luke, turned into both of them awkwardly kissing Ava’s cheeks at the
stroke of midnight. When she wasn’t avoiding him, they were pretending
everything was okay in front of Ava. When Deb and Joe were around they were
just buddies shooting the shit. She hated it. She hated all of it, the whole
façade they were putting on. It was beginning to dawn on her that she was the
reason for all of it too, which was even more disturbing.

     
Jake
hadn’t visited her dreams again. He was probably pissed at her too. She
snarled, at least she had Benny to keep her company. Her swiveling came to halt
when Pete’s tattooed hand grabbed the back of the chair and his other hand came
around her to present a manila envelope.

     
“You’re
making me dizzy, Cara.” He said, turning the chair around so she could face
him.

     
“Sorry.”
She offered and looked at the envelope before cocking one perfectly sculpted
eyebrow at him. “What’s this?”

     
“The
bills for the week and the invoices, Luke said this is your job now.” He said
as he dropped the envelope into her lap and crossed his arms against his chest.

     
“Oh, did
he? When did you speak to Luke?” She asked curiously.

     
“He called
to cancel our weekly meeting. Apparently you’re not just a pretty face at
Riverdale Ink.” He said, holding back the smirk when her eyes narrowed at him.
“Big boss Man, says you’ll be taking care of all the paperwork, making you Big
Boss Lady.”

     
She wouldn’t
be getting her weekly phone call from Luke, telling her that he deposited the
profits in her checking account anymore. The calls she once dreaded had become
something she looked forward to each week. She stopped ignoring the calls once
she came back home from Lakeview, looking forward to the light banter they
would share.

     
“Hello?
Earth to Big Boss Lady. Is it the name? Would you rather be called just Cara?”
Pete asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

     
Cara
shook her head clear and looked back at the envelope in her lap before glancing
back up at Pete. “Big Boss Lady works.” She said flatly. Pete laughed and
turned to walk back to his station.
 
“Pete?”

     
“Yeah?”
He asked, glancing over his shoulder at her.

     
“Did Luke
happen to say anything else?” Cara chewed on her lip the minute the words left
her mouth.

     
He raised
an eyebrow amused at her question. “No Boss Lady, sorry.”

     
Cara
shrugged. “No biggie.” She blew out a breath and lifted the envelope. “I’ll get
to work on this.”

     
Pete
started for his station, but stopped mid-stride and turned around. “If it’s any
consolation, he sounded just as miserable as you look.” Cara didn’t turn around
so he turned back around and continued to his station. Pete’s statement
should’ve made her feel a little better, but it didn’t. She heard the soft
chime of her phone signaling she had received a text message. She sighed as she
reached for her phone.

Sam:
See you tonight. Nick is going out so it will be just us girls.

     
Cara
smiled slightly and busied her fingers typing out her reply. She wasn’t sure
how much Sam knew about her and Luke, but Cara could guarantee after tonight
she’d know everything, Cara very much needed a friend she could confide in.

Cara:
Can’t wait. I’ll bring the Chinese food and lots of it.

* * * * *

 
    
Luke pushed open the door to his house and
stepped aside, letting Ava storm passed him. She dropped her book bag on the
floor and stomped into the house. Luke looked after her as he walked inside,
bending down to pick up the discarded book bag.

     
“Ava, can
you please get back here and bring your book bag upstairs.” He said with his
patience holding on by a thread. Since they had been home from Mexico, Ava had
picked up a bit of an attitude. He tried to talk to her, he tried to get her to
admit to him what was bothering her, but she brushed him off. He couldn’t wait
for the teenage years. He watched her snatch her book bag and roll her eyes.
What the hell did he do to piss her off, too? He shook his head, concurring
that he’d never figure it out.

     
“I’ll
order the pizza.”

     
“I’m not
hungry.” She bit back.

     
“Well,
you have to eat dinner.” His voice became firmer. “Go wash up and when you come
down, do yourself a favor and lose the attitude.”

     
Ava kept
her back to him and stomped back up the stairs. She didn’t have to be facing
him to know that his little girl was giving him another dramatic roll of her
eyes. Luke sighed heavily and walked further into his house, flipping through
the stack of mail as he did so. Not really giving a damn about the bills he threw
them onto the counter and reached for the phone to order the pizza when the
doorbell rang. He ran his fingers through his hair as he made his way back to
the front door. The doorbell rang obnoxiously as if a child was ringing it.
Maybe it was the paper boy, did he even get the paper? Hell, if he knew. His
head was up his ass these days struggling with his decision to make things
between him and Cara casual. He wondered how casual had become nonexistent.
After their plane had landed, they had shared a taxi and Cara insisted the cab
driver drop her off first at her apartment. He had offered to carry her
suitcase up for her, but she wanted no part of him. She gave a sleeping Ava a
kiss and scurried away from Luke, as if nothing had ever happened between them.
That was the last time he had spoken to her.

     
He pulled
open the door and came face to face with the obnoxious doorbell ringer, also
known as his brother-in-law. He fought the urge to slam the door in his smiling
face. Damn the bastard for being happy, and then he damned himself for being a
jealous prick.

     
“What’re
you doing here?” Luke asked.

     
“Still
have your panties in a twist, do you?” Nick asked, his smile never faltering.
Luke knew he was being a jerk. He also knew that Nick had taken the brunt of it
since he had been back from his honeymoon. He was surprised the poor schmuck
even showed up at Lanza Automotive, today, especially after the lashing he had
given him yesterday for no apparent reason. The fact that he was at his
doorstep with a six pack of beer was a mere miracle.

     
“I picked
up some beer for us and a six pack of Capri Sun for the coolest kid I know.”
Nick glanced over Luke’s shoulder. “Where is she anyway?”

     
“She’s
upstairs avoiding me at all costs.”

     
“You
really have a way with the female population.” Nick said sarcastically as he
pushed through the door and made himself at home, walking into the living room.
“I brought you something that will hopefully put you in a better mood.”

     
“I doubt
it.” Luke said, knowing the only thing that would fix his mood would be seeing
Cara.

     
Nick
pulled a DVD out of the plastic bag and waved it in front of Luke. The bastard
was waving a copy of Dirty Dancing in his face, with a shit-eating grin to
boot.

     
“I don’t
like you very much anymore.” Luke said as a matter of fact. “In fact, you’re
becoming one of my least favorite people.”

     
“I love
you too schnookums!” Nick said, unfazed by Luke. “I like peppers and onions on
my pizza, and a little crumbled sausage.” He shoved the drinks into Luke’s
arms. “Put these in the fridge will you? Thanks you’re a gem! I’m gonna get the
movie started.”

     
“I’m not
watching Dirty Dancing.” Luke said with his arms full. After all, a man had to
draw the line somewhere, didn’t he?

     
“Too many
memories?” Nick patted him on the shoulder. “Poor guy, you miss her don’t you?”

     
Luke’s
eyebrows drew together as he peered at Nick trying to figure whether or not he
was serious or busting his balls as usual. “I already told you this morning at
the garage I don’t want to talk about it.” With that being said, he turned
around and left Nick in the living room.

     
Nick
watched him until he was out of sight before he pulled out his phone and
quickly typed a text to his wife.

Nick:
I’m in! Operation Your Brother Is A Jerk in full effect!

     
He waited
for Sam’s response while keeping one eye on the kitchen where Luke was.

Sam:
Cara just got here. Good luck, eye on the prize.

Nick:
Remind me of the prize again.

Sam:
Me… naked.

Nick:
Visuals would help. Just saying a picture would probably keep me focused.

     
Nick
looked up from his phone when he heard the sound of footsteps bounding down the
stairs. Ava looked up at him, surprised, her face softening when his eyes met
hers.

     
“Uncle
Nick, what are you doing here?” She asked as she sat down on the couch, her big
blue eyes happy to see him. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and
grinned at her.

     
“Hey,
Pipsqueak. I missed you.” He sat down beside her and tousled her hair.

     
“I missed
you too. Thank you for my souvenir, Aunt Sam gave it to me today when she took
me home from school.”

     
“You’re
welcome. Aunt Sam told me you were upset today. That’s really why I’m here.
Want to talk about it?” Nick asked, remembering how Operation Your Brother Is A
Jerk came about. When Nick arrived home from a grueling day of dealing with
Luke at the garage, he found his wife pushing him back out the door, demanding
he go talk to Luke. He had no desire to spend any more quality time with the
grumpy bastard. He fought the good fight too, and told his wife that Luke was a
self-declared master of women. He had them figured out what possibly could Nick
say to remedy the situation? And then the little vixen he married, started to
undress right before his very eyes. She pouted and told him she was worried
about Ava, that, their niece seemed mad at the world since things with Luke and
Cara had gone south.

     
Ava
looked towards the hallway to see if her dad was anywhere in sight before she
turned back to Nick. “My dad and Cara aren’t talking anymore.” She looked down
at her hands. “It’s different than when Leah went away. I love Cara.” She
whispered. “I thought she loved me too.”

     
“Did you
tell your dad how you’re feeling?” Nick asked.

     
“No.” She
sniffled. Christ up above, she was crying. Nick wasn’t prepared for this.

     
He blew
out a breath and tried to formulate a plan to help a child understand that
well, adults, are sometimes their own worst enemy. “Cara loves you Ava. Don’t
you doubt that for one second. We all love you, more than you’ll ever know.”

     
“Then how
come she doesn’t come around anymore? I haven’t seen Benny since Christmas.”
She choked out.

     
“What if
I told you that Cara and your dad are not the brightest crayons in the box?”
That should work right? Crayons? Kids? They go hand in hand.

     
“I think
my dad loves her, you know?” Ava whispered. “He was always smiling when she was
around.
 
And you know, she didn’t look so
sad anymore, like she did when Uncle Jake went to heaven.”

     
Nick
nodded. “They both smiled a lot more than usual around each other.”

     
“So what
happened?” Ava asked as her shoulders slumped.

     
“I’m not
sure, baby. But sometimes adults need a push in the right direction.”

     
“Will you
help me push them?” Ava asked hopefully.