Summer Fling (Players of Marycliff University Book 1) (9 page)

"No problem." Lance walked around the car, slid into his seat and started the engine. "So, where to?"

CHAPTER EIGHT

The ride to Abby's mom's house passed in silence. Lance would glance over at her every so often, but Abby kept her face directed at her window.
 

He tried to engage her in conversation, but everything he tried was met with the shortest answer possible. She had shut down, not projecting any emotion. He'd seen Abby nervous before, but never completely withdrawn.

"What's your mom's name?"

"Diane." She said it evenly, still staring out the window.

"What does she need help with?"

"I don't know."

"She didn't say?"

Abby just shook her head, still not looking at him.

Lance drove in silence for another ten minutes. "How was work today?"

Abby turned her head slightly in his direction, but still didn't face him. "Fine."

He left her alone with her thoughts after that. He didn't know what was going on, but figured she'd tell him when she decided that he needed to know.

When they got off the freeway, she seemed to shake herself back to awareness of her surroundings. She faced forward, looking out the windshield and giving him directions.
 

She took him to the outskirts of town onto a dirt road. There were pine trees all around and every so often they came to a driveway leading to a run down mobile home. Eventually she indicated an opening in the trees on the right and told him to turn there.

"Driveway" was a generous term for what was little more than two rutted tracks nearly overgrown with knapweed, clover, and dandelions. The weeds made hollow sounds as they scraped along the bottom of his car. The track led to a double-wide mobile home on a concrete slab. It was a dirty gray color and the ends of the siding were starting to crumble.

Lance stopped where the track ended near the concrete steps leading to the front door. When he killed the engine, Abby finally turned and looked at him for the first time since she had answered her door.

"So, my mom has some issues. Mostly anxiety and she doesn't really like meeting new people. I'm not sure what she needs help with today or how long it will take. I'm hoping it won't take long. I don't want to ruin your evening." She hesitated and looked toward the front door. "Do you mind waiting in the car?"

"You want me to wait in the car?" Lance tried to keep his voice as even as possible, but couldn't help letting his disbelief seep in.

Abby nodded. "Please?" Her voice held a note of pleading. It was the only crack he'd seen in her emotionless facade.

He let out a breath. It was going to be a hot, boring wait, but he couldn't tell her no. At least the trees around meant that he was parked in the shade. "Yeah, sure. I'll be here."

"Thank you." He watched Abby get out of his car and go to the front door. She tried the handle first, then knocked before pulling out her keys and opening the door.
 

"Mom, it's me." Her voice carried through his open window as she walked in the door. The door shut firmly behind her and Lance was left alone in his car in front of a strange house.
 

He had not expected this. If he had, he would've brought a book or something. He picked up his phone and tried to check his email to pass the time. It took forever to load since they were apparently on the edge of civilization. No surfing for funny YouTube videos to pass the time. He started trying to read something he'd downloaded in the e-reader app on his phone, but that didn't hold his attention. He played a game for a few minutes before that got boring, too.

Abby had been inside for twenty minutes now, and he hadn't heard anything. He wiped away a drip of sweat running down the side of his face. His tongue felt sticky and he was going to need to pee soon. But apparently Abby's mom wouldn't welcome his presence inside her house. How much longer was Abby going to take?

Sighing with irritation, he tried another game. Another ten minutes went by without a sign from Abby. At least his white shirt wouldn't show obvious sweat stains in his armpits. He really had to pee now. There were lots of trees in the yard. Tempting, but what if Abby came out before he finished? He did not want her to catch him peeing in her mom's yard.

He tried to ignore the growing pressure, but with nothing holding his attention very long it became increasingly difficult. Even his irritation was giving way to the growing demands of his bladder. He got out of the car and stood up to see if that would help.
 

Nope.

Lance laced his fingers behind his head, trying to wait as long as possible. This wasn't working.
 

He walked up the bare concrete front steps. This place was more utilitarian than even his own house. Three concrete steps with just enough room at the top for one person to stand in front of the door. No porch, no overhang, no awning.
 

Not even comparing this place to his house was distracting enough. He lifted his hand to knock and hesitated. Abby had been pretty clear that she wanted him to wait outside. But, damn it, he needed to pee. Now.

He knocked firmly three times.
 

"Calm down, Mom." Abby's voice came through the door, slightly muffled but definitely her. She opened the door just enough to look out and talk to him. "Hey. What's up?"

Seriously? That's all she was going to say? "I need to use the bathroom."

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. Of course you do." Abby pulled the door open all the way and pointed to his right. "It's over there, first door on the left."

Lance went straight for the door she indicated, relieved to make it to a bathroom. It was clean, which was nice. He wouldn't have cared much if it were dirty and covered in wet towels at that point as long as it had a working toilet. The linoleum had started to peel up around the back of the toilet next to the bathtub, like water had splashed out of the shower there too many times. He almost groaned in relief.

He could hear voices through the door. It sounded like Abby was arguing with her mom, but was trying to keep it down so he couldn't make out the words, just the tone. The flush of the toilet and the water running in the sink drowned out even that. When he opened the door he caught Abby saying, "No, Mom," and then they both went quiet.
 

Lance came out of the hallway and stood by the wall, feeling awkward. He'd come through the living room, but hadn't noticed much on his way to the bathroom.
 

The dark brown carpet appeared worn through in spots, like the entryway and where it met the linoleum in the kitchen. A sofa and loveseat sat in front of an older TV on a cheap entertainment center that you can get at any big box store. The furniture, too, showed signs of wear at the edges and in the seats that were sat in the most. It was clean, though, and uncluttered.
 

Abby's mom stood in the kitchen on the other side of the living room, leaning against the breakfast bar. Her oversized shirt hung off her shoulders, her collarbones visible beneath her skin. She wore her dirty blonde hair in a ponytail, accentuating the lines and angles of her face that were pulled tight in a scowl directed at him.
 

Lance gave an awkward wave. "Hi."

Abby still stood near the front door. "Mom, this is my friend Lance that I was telling you about. He gave me a ride today when my car wouldn't start. Lance, this is my mom, Diane."

Lance tried to give Diane a friendly smile, but the scowl on her face didn't budge. He shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling awkward when she didn't say anything or do anything other than glare at him.

Abby came over and put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Lance. I didn't realize how long we'd been here already. It'll probably take a little longer. Are you thirsty or anything?"
 

He nodded.

"Let me get you a glass of water. Have a seat." She gestured toward the living room furniture.
 

Lance settled himself on the loveseat, purposefully avoiding the sofa that Diane obviously preferred. He heard the water running while Abby filled a glass for him, and when he looked toward the kitchen Diane was gone. The sound of a door closing in the hallway told him she'd snuck past while he was sitting down.

Abby handed him the glass of water. "I'm sorry about that. Like I said, she doesn't like meeting new people. I need to finish talking to her. Will you be okay here for a few minutes?"

"Sure. Take your time." Lance took a long drink of water. Abby gave him the same tight smile from earlier and followed her mom to her bedroom.

He sat on the loveseat feeling out of place and uncomfortable. He drank down the glass of water, thankful for the cool wetness, and set the empty glass on the side table next to him. He could hear low voices coming from the direction of the bedroom. He couldn't make out words again, but it sounded like another argument conducted at just above a whisper.
 

Abby came out a few minutes later and sat down on the end of the sofa nearest to the loveseat. She rested her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Lance watched her, noticing the tight set of her mouth and the furrow between her brows. His remaining irritation dissolved at seeing how upset she was. He kept his mouth shut. He didn't know what to say, and he felt like he was intruding by being there.
 

After a moment she took a deep breath and let it out. She opened her eyes and turned toward him, sitting forward on the couch. She focused on a point over his left shoulder so that she was facing his direction but wouldn't have to look him in the eye.
 

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Finally, "My mom needs me to run a few errands for her. I hate to ask this after you've already–"

Lance cut her off. "Just tell me where we need to go. It's not a problem."

She looked at him, then, letting her eyes roam over his face. She nodded once and stood up. "Okay. Let's go, then."

* * *

Abby led the way to Lance's car and waited for Lance to open her door. It had just become so expected that she didn't even try to beat him to it, and he didn't have to jog a few steps to get ahead of her or block her access to the handle with his body. She just stopped and waited for him to catch up and open it for her. She realized she'd done it as she was sliding into the car. But she was too tired and distracted with her mom to care.

Lance slid into the driver's seat and started the car. "So, where to?"

"She needs me to pick up a prescription for her from the pharmacy and then get some groceries."

"Okay." Lance turned the car around in the overgrown grass and weeds that made up the lawn and pulled into the street heading back towards town.
 

Abby directed him to the pharmacy where she'd called in her mom's prescription. It was a small local chain. Her mom liked using it because they knew her and it was rarely crowded.
 

"It should be ready by now. I'll just run in and grab it." Abby let her seatbelt retract with a slap against the side of the car and was out the door before Lance could respond.
 

When Abby got back out to the car a few minutes later, Lance had the car running again. She buckled her seatbelt and looked at Lance, checking to see if he was annoyed. His face didn't give much away, but he didn't look angry or irritated.
 

He pulled out of the parking spot. "I saw a grocery store not too far from here on the way. Is that where you want to go?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Abby played with her lower lip while Lance drove. Dealing with her mom always made her crazy, and she felt bad dragging Lance into all of this. He must have a million questions.
 

She could feel his eyes on her at the stop light and occasional glances while he was driving. She didn't acknowledge it, though. She appreciated that he wasn't trying to pry past his initial attempts at conversation on the way to her mom's. He'd picked up on her cues that she didn't want to talk and left her alone. He was still leaving her alone, but he was becoming more watchful the longer they were together. Abby didn't know how much longer Lance would be able to contain his curiosity, but she hoped he'd last until she got home.
 

"You don't have to go in the grocery store with me if you'd rather wait in the car." Lance had just parked and was unbuckling his seatbelt. Abby had stopped playing with her lip long enough to get that out, and resumed as soon as she'd finished talking.

Lance stared at her for a moment like she'd spoken a foreign language. "Abby, waiting in the car is really not that exciting. I don't mind going grocery shopping for your mom with you."

"Right. Of course."
 

Lance grabbed a shopping cart once they got inside. Abby pulled the detailed shopping list out of her pocket. Her mom needed groceries. She couldn't manage to get out of the house to get them herself, and she only wanted specific brands of specific foods. Nothing else would do. Going shopping with her mom had always been difficult, but doing her shopping for her made Abby feel almost as anxious as her mom.
 

Lance trailed along after her. He didn't complain or say much of anything. He just watched her. Abby could feel his eyes on her back. Occasionally she would turn toward him and he was looking at her, not trying to hide it. He was just there, pushing the cart for her. Not demanding to know what was going on, not trying to distract her with jokes, and not hitting on her. He hadn't even pushed her about the fact that she'd called him.
 

Abby knew it couldn't last. She could feel his curiosity along with his gaze. It was just a matter of time before he started asking questions that she didn't want to answer. Questions about her mom and her family and what was wrong. That's why she'd deliberately steered all of the conversations away from her, away from her history, and away from her family.

But he didn't. Not yet, at least. He waited patiently and silently while she selected all the perfect items. He helped her load them into the car. He drove her back to her mom's house and helped her bring everything inside. Then he went back outside without being asked, leaving her to put her mom's groceries away.