Life After Perfect (19 page)

“I know.” Angie swept tears from her own cheeks. “Aren’t we just a couple of girly messes?”

“For sure.”

“Eat—before it gets cold.” Angie walked away, but then came back. “And I just want you to know that whatever it is you’ve been through, Derek is a good guy. He would never hurt you.”

“How? Why do you think—”

“When we talked about my ex, I saw your pain.” She smiled. “You have to trust again. It’s different for me. I’ve got Billy. When he’s older, then I’ll take a chance again. But you’ve got the chance now.”

Katy sat dumbfounded for a moment. She wasn’t even sure if she was looking for anything, but then isn’t that always when the biggest opportunities came your way?

Maybe that was her problem. She was looking too darn hard. Katy felt more at home in this little town every day. “Hey, Angie, when you get a second.”

Angie waved to her and then stopped to take someone’s order.

After Angie put the order in, she came back over to Katy. “What else can I get you?”

Katy bit down on her lip. “Nothing from the menu. I was kind of thinking of sticking around for a little while, but I need work. Do you know of anything locally?”

She grinned. “You’re gonna stick around a while. Really? I’m so excited. Between Derek and me, we know everyone in this town. We’ll find something for you.” She did a little wiggle dance. “It’ll be great to have you around.”

“Thanks. I appreciate anything you can do to help point me in the right direction.”

“Absolutely. We can talk about it when we go over to the farm this afternoon. You’re still up for that, right?”

“Been looking forward to it all week.”

“Me too. I don’t get to do stuff just for fun much anymore.”

Katy sucked in a deep breath. A stream of golden light cast a glow through the back of the stained-glass divider onto the table.

The color of hope and opportunity.

She left money for her bill and a tip on the table, and took the back door out of the cafe, heading for the medical center.

She walked inside, and before she even got halfway down the hall, Derek stepped into the hallway.

“Katy? I wasn’t expecting you. Everything’s okay, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.”

He looked relieved. “Good. I was just going to my office. Come with me.”

She followed him down the hall and into his office. “Nice.” Katy walked over to the certificates on the wall. “Looks like a lot of studying.”

“It was.”

She turned back toward him and then took a seat across from him, as he sat behind the desk. “I was just over talking to Angie. Naomi went to pick up Todd at the airport. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help her be more comfortable while he’s here. You know, anything she could eat or do?”

“There’s not much you can do for her. Make sure she stays hydrated. Todd will be the one who will need comfort. I’m sure anything you make will be appreciated.”

She nodded. “It’s thanks to you that he’s coming.”

“It was time. I think Kelly Jo knew it. She just needed a reason to change her mind.”

She noticed the picture on the bookshelf. Hesitating for just a moment, she picked it up. “This is Laney, isn’t it?”

He nodded.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” He walked to her side and looked at the picture with her. “She had a beautiful soul. Even when the cancer stripped her of her outer beauty, she still had that spirit. Angelic.”

“She was lucky to have you,” she said, looking up at him.

“It worked both ways.” His lips quirked.

“You miss her.”

“Every day.” He cleared his throat. “That will never change.”

She put the picture back on the shelf. Some things scarred you for life. Like tattoos. Some with better stories than others.

His voice shook just a little. “I know I have to move on. To live. I want Laney’s memory to live on and bring positive things to the world . . . somehow . . . even though she is gone.” He placed his hand on her arm. “I think the retreat could be the thing that does that and helps me move on. And you. You coming here, and all. I haven’t felt this alive in a long time. I’m really thankful that you stopped in town when you did.”

“Timing is everything.” If he only knew. “I’m sure you’ll find the right way to pay homage to her memory. I think you have more gifts to bring to the world too.”

“Maybe we all do.”

“I hope you’re right.” She stood. “I’m headed back over to the cafe. Angie and I are going to go to that farm this afternoon.”

“That’s right. I forgot. Y’all have fun.”

“We will. Thanks for your time.”

“Any time.”

She could feel him watching her as she walked down the hallway.

Katy got up from the bench outside the diner when Angie walked out. She’d been checking email while she waited. “I’ll drive. My car is just up the block.”

Angie nodded and fell in step behind Katy. “You are about to be introduced to some real live beefalo.”

They hopped in her car and Angie gave her directions as she fidgeted with the air vent. “Just keep following this road.”

Katy nodded. “I saw a picture of Laney in Derek’s office earlier. She was really pretty.” But it wasn’t how pretty Laney was that worried her. It was the history. How clear it was that she would always be his first love. Could anyone ever compete with that? And it was too early to even be thinking stuff like that, but she couldn’t help herself.

“It was sad that it ended the way it did. They’d wanted children, but they’d waited until he was out of medical school, and then he had to intern, and then the research kept him so busy . . . it was when they’d finally decided to start a family that she found out she was sick.”

“Waiting to have children.” Sounded a little too familiar. “I guess waiting for the perfect time isn’t always easy to predict.”

“Yeah. Talk about a surprise.” Angie dug in her purse, took out some gum, and offered a piece to Katy.

“No thanks.”

“Laney was the picture of health. Her getting sick was a shock to everyone. When he lost Laney, it was bad enough that he was losing his wife, but he was losing everything he believed in. All those years in school, the internship, practicing medicine had been turned upside down.”

Katy’s heart weighed heavy at the thought of all he’d been through. Why did it always seem worse when it happened to good people?

“I have to admit though, now taking care of Billy on my own, that I’m kind of glad Derek is not trying to raise a child while finding his way through all of this.”

Katy drove the car through the big gates at Criss Cross Farm.

“Or focusing on their child might have been,” Katy reasoned, “the one thing he could still believe in.” She clung to the steering wheel, her hands sweating. She felt on the verge of tears. Life was so fragile. Laney. Kelly Jo. And then all of those marriages that got tossed aside like they meant nothing. A tough pill to swallow.

Chapter Seventeen

Katy and Angie spent three hours at Criss Cross Farm, and when they walked back into Lonesome Pines Inn just after five o’clock, with their arms full of grocery bags, they felt like they’d been friends forever.

Naomi pulled her hands up on her hips, looking a bit like a miniature soldier—probably more like a mom catching her daughters up to no good.

“We’re cooking beefalo tonight,” Katy explained.

“Katy’s never had it, and we thought with Todd just getting into town, we’d bake up a big double batch of comfort food to help out.”

“You girls are too sweet. I know Todd will appreciate the thought. I’m not sure he’ll ever come back out of that room though.” Naomi gulped air and pulled her arms around herself. “Both of them just collapsed into tears when he walked in her room. He crawled right into that bed with her and held her.” She placed her hand to her heart, her voice quivering as she tried to speak again. “I swear, I can’t even say it without crying.” She swept at the tears that streamed down her face. “Thank you, God, for bringing those two back together.”

Angie walked over and hugged Naomi. “It needed to happen. He needed to be here.”

“She needs him too,” Naomi said. She sniffed back the tears and shook her head like she was pushing away the sorrow. “Beefalo? I guess those guys over at Criss Cross Farm have turned into quite the salesmen.”

Angie nodded. “I wouldn’t know. They gave it to us for free.”

Katy interjected, “Plus Angie has a date with the best-looking cowboy on the ranch.”

Angie blushed. “It’s true, Naomi. Can you believe it? I’m going out with Jackson. Thanks to Katy.”

“I’m one heck of a wing woman. Besides it’s about time you gave yourself a second chance at love. All men are not like your ex,” Katy said breezing past them and heading to the kitchen.

Naomi raised a brow and fell in step behind Angie. “Now, who the heck is Jackson, and is that a first or a last name? I always did like a man with two last names for a name.”

Angie put her bag on the kitchen counter and then pointed an accusing finger toward Katy. “I was just showing this one around and she gets to talking to the guys about their marketing and supply and demand—all kinds of business stuff. I swear, after a few minutes every single guy working that farm was over there talking to us.”

Katy felt a blush rise in her cheeks. “It was not like that.”

“Was too. Looked like a danged parade of cowboys.”

Katy shook her head. “She’s exaggerating, but they did invite us in for some sweet tea, and I accepted. It was totally innocent.” But it wasn’t really completely innocent. Katy had been plotting to hook Angie up the moment she laid eyes on that group of men, and it had been fun.

Angie pursed her lips. “Then she played matchmaker.”

“Oh, don’t act like you weren’t happy about it,” Katy teased, pulling things out of the paper sack and placing them on the center island in the kitchen.

Angie laughed. “No. I can’t lie. Actually, I am thrilled. Do you know when the last time I had a real date was?”

Naomi piped up. “Probably too long. Well, good for you two. This is what living is all about. Laughing and sharing the good times.”

Naomi pulled down an apron and put it on. “Let me at least help.”

“Of course. This will be so fun,” Angie said, and then winced. “Only I need to pick up Billy at the bus stop. Naomi, would having a kid around here for a couple hours make you half nuts?”

“No. I love that little boy of yours. Are you kidding? Go get him.”

“We’ll be right back, then,” Katy said. “Come on, Angie.”

They left the bags right on the counter and started for the door. The phone rang, distracting Naomi from their departure.

Katy headed for her car. “I’ll drive.”

“Okay.” Angie hopped into the front seat and gave Katy directions to Billy’s bus stop.

They pulled up just as the school bus did.

Angie got out of Katy’s car and walked over to where the kids were hopping down to the street one at a time. When Billy got off of the bus, he gave his mom a hug. Even if he hadn’t, Katy would have known the boy was Billy. He looked just like his mom with that dark, thick head of hair. Katy watched as they spoke. Billy grinned and nodded, then he took his mother’s hand and they headed to the car.

She thought of her little niece, Chloe. That last hug they’d shared and Chloe asking her if she was running away. That tugged at her heart. She yearned to have that in her life. There should be more to life than keeping up with the neighbors and climbing the corporate ladder. There had to be a bigger payoff . . . and not a monetary one like Ron had been chasing after, but rather an emotional one.

“Hi, Billy,” Katy said when he climbed into the car. “I’m Katy.”

“Hello, Miss Katy.”

Katy held her hand to her heart and gave Angie an approving look. “So sweet,” she mouthed.

“I like your car,” he said. “Red is my favorite color.”

“Mine too,” Katy said.

When they got back to the house, Naomi had all of the groceries unpacked and was waiting for them. She had pulled out a pudding cup and a glass of milk for Billy.

“Hey, Sport. I got you a little after-school snack. Figure everyone loves pudding.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered as he jumped up on the stool at the end of the island and dug right in.

“So what is it you girls want to create tonight? I was going to start slicing or dicing or something, but with all these ingredients I wasn’t sure what you had up your sleeves.”

“We’re going to make a shepherd’s pie with the beefalo,” Angie said. “It’s my specialty and Katy here says she’s never had it.”

“You’re in for a treat, dear,” Naomi said.

Billy chimed in. “My mom is an awesome cook. She cooks as good as Mr. Johnson at the cafe. He even said so.”

“I’m not
that
good a cook, but I do enjoy it.”

“Do you ever help your mom in the kitchen?” Katy asked Billy.

“Sometimes I do.”

Angie gave everyone something to do, even Billy, who was in charge of smashing the potatoes that would go on top of the pies, and it made short work of the preparation.

Naomi held the oven door open as Angie set one of the heavy ceramic pie plates of shepherd’s pie on the rack to bake, and Katy followed with the other.

“Now all we have to do is set the timer.”

“And this place is going to smell so good,” Billy added. “Just wait.”

“He’s not biased,” Angie teased.

They were sitting around the island in the kitchen when Todd walked in. He was tall and athletic, and looked as though his heart had been tugged from his chest. His sandy hair curled over his shirt collar, like he’d missed a few haircuts, probably a lot of sleep after all he’d been through, too. He held an empty pitcher. “Can I get some water?”

Naomi motioned toward the refrigerator. “Of course, Todd. Make yourself completely at home. Anything at all.”

“Hi,” he said with a nod to Katy. “Angie. It’s great to see you, girl.”

Angie walked over to him and gave him a hug. “I’m so glad she let you come.”

“It’s been so hard to be apart. I love her more than anything. She agreed to let me call in hospice to help with the pain too.”

“Thank goodness,” Naomi said, glancing to heaven with a little silent thank-you.

Todd nodded. “They said they’ll be out this evening. I just got off the phone.”

There wasn’t one word any of them could say that seemed right . . . or enough.

Todd refilled the pitcher and Naomi walked out of the room for a moment. When she came back, her eyes were suspiciously redder, but her face was composed. “We’re making some shepherd’s pie—Angie’s famous recipe. You promise me you’ll eat something, Todd. I’ll bring it to you in her room if you like, but son, you have to keep your strength.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thanks for taking care of her all this time. It’s the only thing that’s kept me the least bit sane the last few months . . . knowing she was with you.” He took the pitcher and headed back to Kelly Jo’s room.

“We’re here if you need anything.” Naomi didn’t take her eyes off of him until he turned to go back down the hall. “I’ll say this. There is not a stronger love than what he has for Kelly Jo. I can’t even imagine what it took for him to honor her wishes, but boy am I thankful he’s here and he was able to talk her into help from hospice.”

A pang of regret hit Katy. Life wasn’t about bomber jacket leather desk sets or scrawling trashy comments across the side of cars. It wasn’t even about getting her fair share of a big savings account. That was stuff. Stuff could be replaced.

She excused herself and went back to her room. Closing the door, she crawled onto the bed and let the tears she’d been trying so carefully to control go.

Being worried about the money and Ron playing dirty didn’t even seem important now. Even without the cashier’s check she had other options. She was healthy and able. She had transferable skills. A good project manager could manage just about any kind of business. She’d always be able to take care of herself, and with that high-dollar car of hers paid off, she could sell it and live just fine the rest of the year. She would find a way to help make a difference.

Freshening up
before leaving the room, she paused. Why should it matter if the others knew she’d been crying? They were all feeling fragile today.

She went back out to the living area where Billy sat on the floor in front of the coffee table playing Old Maid with his mom and Naomi.

“Got room for one more?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Billy said. His crooked smile looked cute now, but Katy knew orthodontia would be another thing Angie would have to worry about in a few years.

One more hand of Old Maid and the buzzer in the kitchen sounded. The house smelled of fresh herbs and home cooking.

Todd joined them at the table in the dining room while Kelly Jo slept.

“May I say grace?” he asked.

Naomi patted his hand. “Of course.”

“Heavenly Father, we are grateful as we pause before this meal, for all the blessings of life that You give to us. Daily, we are fed, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding. And so mindful of Your continuous care, we pause to be grateful for the blessings of this table this evening. For the love and family and friendship You’ve given us, bringing us strength through times we don’t always understand.

“And Lord, please bring comfort to Kelly Jo. We are thankful for these precious moments You are giving us no matter how short the time might be. Let all of us be grateful and live as You would have us. In the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.”

The conversation was quiet and thoughtful. Todd’s exhaustion was apparent and Katy wondered if he’d get any sleep at all.

After dinner, Angie had to get Billy home so they could get through his homework before bed, and Todd was retreating back to Kelly Jo’s room.

Katy gave Billy and Angie a ride home.

Billy tumbled out of the car like the Energizer bunny, and came around to her side of the car and opened her door. He reached in and clung to her neck. “I had fun, Miss Katy. Come over on Tuesday. Mom lets me make homemade pizza for us on Tuesday. I’ll share mine with you.”

Katy turned and flashed a “no fair, he is so darn adorable” glance at Angie. “I’d love that, Billy.”

Then she drove back to the inn. Rather than going inside right away, she chose to sit under the moonlight near the creek’s edge.

There, she tried to empty her mind of everything and just enjoy the sounds of nature. She reminded herself of the affirmations she’d practiced as a young girl, even in college. When had she stopped doing that?

Had Ron been the one to take her off track, or had she just been too quick to follow rather than lead? She couldn’t place blame on someone else. She had options. Choices. It was time she take back that control.

Tomorrow would be a new day. With a new focus. Seeing Kelly Jo, the same age as her, limited now to a very small window of life made her want to make the most of her own.

When she walked inside, Naomi was standing at the desk near the door. “You okay, Katy?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I know there’s a lot to take in around here right now. You won’t hurt my feelings if you feel you can’t stay. I completely understand.”

“Would you rather I left? I mean, I know this is personal, and I—”

“No.” Naomi came around and glanced down the hall. “I love what you bring to this house. I don’t want you to leave and you are welcome here as long as you like. I just didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

Katy’s heart fluttered. “Naomi, I want to help. More than anything, in any little way, I want to be here.”

“I was so hoping you felt that way.”

“Thank you.”

“Hospice will be here shortly. They’ll be setting up equipment and stuff. I don’t know how long they’ll be or how much of a ruckus they’ll make.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to be in my room. Let me know if you need my help.”

“I will.”

Katy walked down the hall feeling a part of something that seemed bigger than her own life. She should call and check on Peggy, and see how Bertie was doing too. Now that the funeral was in the past, people would start fading away. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose a husband after so many years of marriage.

Before Katy could dial Peggy, her phone rang. It was Shaleigh calling.

“How are things going?” she asked.

“I’m doing fine.” Katy glanced around at the beautiful room, and thought about the new friends she’d made in the short time since she’d been in Boot Creek. “Things are good here.”

“
Well
, good, because I’m getting ready to throw a wrench in your relaxation.”

“Great. Should have known it was too good to last. I tried to cash that cashier’s check from the savings account this morning. They won’t cash it since I don’t bank with them.”

“Well, then maybe this won’t be as inconvenient as it sounds.”

“What?”

“Ron is insisting you come and talk to him. You can cash that check while you’re here in Atlanta.”

“Can he do that?”

“He can ask for it. You can say no, but it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to come and we’ll meet with him and his lawyer. I’ll do all the talking.”