Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
GRAY
T he door closes behind her, and I blow out a long breath. Jesus, what did I just do? How did I manage to fuck it up again?
She says that I don’t get it. But I think I understand just fine. She’s mad that I did something without asking her first. I apologized. Now we move on, and she can still sue all the assholes who hurt her.
She deserves to recoup her money from that bitch.
In my opinion, it’s Stella who doesn’t understand.
Just as I reach out to pull the door open and run after her, my phone rings. When I check it, I see it’s my dad.
“Hey, Dad, this isn’t a great time. I’m at a wedding.”
“Sorry, I wanted to let you know that your mom fell again this evening.”
“What?” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Tell me she didn’t break anything.”
“No breaks,” he replies. “But she was disoriented. I think she’s having a bad reaction to her Alzheimer’s medication. She’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days.”
“I’m coming home.”
“You can’t keep going back and forth, Gray. Nothing about this situation is urgent, I just wanted you to be aware of what’s going on.”
“I’m on my way,” I insist. “I’ll be there by morning.”
“Keep me posted on the drive. And for God’s sake, be careful, Gray.”
I hurry out to the reception and see that Brandon is about to leave with Danny. I catch his eye and flag him down.
“Hey, man, I have to go. My mom fell again, so I’m headed back to Idaho.”
“Shit, I’m sorry. Need me to let the office know?”
“Hell, no, you just got married.”
He grins and then shrugs a shoulder. “Yeah, well, I’m going into the office on Monday, so it’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it, and let me know how she is, yeah?”
“Yeah, I will. Thanks. And congratulations, B. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.” He smiles as Danny joins him. “We’re sneaking out of here, too. Drive safely.”
I nod and, without another thought, hurry out to my car and take off my jacket and tie, loosening the buttons around my neck as I get into the driver’s seat.
Before I take off, I dial Willie’s number.
“Wassup, bro?”
“Why does it sound like you’re at a party?”
“Maybe because I’m at a party? Don’t worry, Grams knows. You okay?”
He may be a typical teenager, but he’s a good-hearted one.
“I wanted to let you know that I have to go back to Idaho tonight, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Probably just a few days.”
“You’re gonna drive all that way alone? Want me to ride with you?”
I grin. “Nah, I’m good this time. But maybe keep an eye on my place in case someone tries to squat there or something?”
I hear him smirk. “Right. There will be a line of squatters just waiting to get in. Sure, I’ll keep an eye out. Any food you want to get eaten so it doesn’t go bad? I’m a good friend like that.”
“You can go raid the fridge, sure. Thanks, man.”
“You bet. See ya on the flip side.”
I toss my phone onto the passenger seat and don’t bother to even go home and pack before I get on I-90, headed east. I have some clothes that fit me at my parents’ house, and I can always buy anything else I need.
Getting there is my only focus.
I have to stop in Ritzville for gas, and just three hours later, I pull into my parents’ driveway.
The house is dark except for the porch light and the light in my bedroom upstairs.
Someone left the house ready for me.
Probably my dad.
I lock the door behind me and shuffle upstairs to my bedroom, where I strip out of my clothes and get in the shower.
It’s almost six in the morning. The others will be waking up soon.
And I’d like to get a couple of hours of sleep.
After the long, hot shower, I dry off and sling the towel low around my hips, then walk into the hallway and to my bedroom. I lift an eyebrow when I see Maya sitting on the bed, waiting for me.
“You’re lucky I’m wearing a towel.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
“Yeah, I did.” I walk into my closet to pull on some old sweats and a T-shirt, then return to the bed and climb under the covers. “Now, leave me alone for two hours so I can feel human again before I go to the hospital.”
“It was my fault,” she says in a whisper and lies under the covers, facing me. Her eyes are so sad.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I whisper.
“It is. She was in the shower, holding onto the bars that Dad had installed. I turned away for just a few seconds to grab a towel because I forgot to grab one before I started the water, and she let go of the bar and fell.”
Her lower lip quivers.
“Have you slept at all tonight?” I ask her.
“No. I was waiting for you. Because even though you didn’t have to come, I’m really glad you did.”
“It’s not your fault,” I say again and boop her on the nose. “Now, go to sleep so we’re both human later.”
“I’m not very good at this,” she says.
“I think you’re wrong. Seriously, Maya. Sleep. You’ll feel better for it.”
She closes her eyes, and I immediately drift off.
I wake to the smell of coffee.
“Gimme,” I say without opening my eyes.
“You have to come downstairs,” Maya says. “I made eggs, too. Come on.”
I crack an eye as she disappears out the door.
When the hell did she wake up?
I check the time and swear.
I slept until eleven.
I peel back the covers and sit on the side of the bed, rubbing my hands down my face before changing into an old pair of jeans and a clean T-shirt and walking down to the kitchen where both Maya and my dad are waiting.
“Sorry I slept so long,” I say as I fill a mug with coffee. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I’ve only been up for about thirty minutes,” Maya says.
“How’s Mom today?” I take a bite of eggs and frown. “What’s in these?”
“Spinach. It’s good for you,” Maya replies.
“Your mom’s okay,” Dad says. He looks exhausted. “I told her we’d all be up in a little bit to visit. I didn’t tell her that you’re here, Gray. I thought you could surprise her.”
I nod and eat the disgusting eggs. “She didn’t reinjure the hip?”
“She landed on the other side,” Maya says, staring down into her mug.
“It was not your fault,” Dad says to her. “Your sister is stubborn and won’t listen to me when I tell her that your mom falling was not on her.”
“I was with her,” Maya says. “And I should have prevented it.”
“You’re not a nurse,” I remind her. “And I know that you’re doing the best you can.”
“My best allowed her to fall,” she insists. “If she’d hit her head or?—”
“She didn’t,” Dad interrupts, his voice hard enough to get Maya’s attention. “She’s only in the hospital because of the disorientation, not because she was injured. The medication for this kind of thing can either help or make things worse, and it’s just a process of elimination to find the one that works for each patient.”
“Well, that’s frustrating as hell,” I say and push my empty plate aside, reaching for my coffee to take a sip. “I’ll be ready to go in about fifteen minutes. I just need a little more caffeine.”
“Me, too,” Maya says. “Want us to take a separate car in case you get called into work?”
“Probably a good idea.” Dad takes the last sip of coffee and sets his mug in the sink. “I’ll see you there.”
He pats me on the shoulder before walking out of the kitchen.
“I don’t want to go,” Maya says softly, and I frown over at her.
“What?”
“To the hospital,” she continues. “I really don’t want to go. I feel so guilty, and I’m not ready to see her and fall apart yet. I need a little time. Just a few hours.”
“Maya. Literally, not one person blames you for this.”
“ I blame me,” she replies. “So just give me a couple of hours, okay?”
“Fine.” I hold up my hands in surrender. “What do I know about women these days anyway?”
“Yeah, I heard about what you did.” She shakes her head. “You were kind of a jerk. And I love you, but still.”
“How was helping her being a jerk?”
Maya wrinkles her forehead. “Let me put it this way. If a guy I’d been dating for only a few weeks decided to swoop in and try to take care of me the way you did with Stella, wouldn’t that piss you off? Sidney and I are too independent for that crap, and so is Stella. She didn’t ask for help, Gray. She really only needed you to be there for her. To listen to her. Support her.”
“I thought that’s what I was doing.”
“I know you thought your heart was in the right place. It was in the right place. But you went about it in the wrong way.”
“I want to protect her,” I admit.
“That wasn’t the way to do it.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“I talk to her all the time,” she says with a laugh. “We’re friends . I think she’s awesome, and I hope that you two can work it out because she’s the best damn thing that ever happened to you. She’s so much better than that girl you dated in college.”
“You were in grade school then. How do you even remember that?”
“She was mean,” she says simply, shrugging one shoulder.
“Mean how?”
“She used to glare at me whenever you turned your head because she didn’t like kids. And she called Sidney fat.”
I choke on my coffee, and Maya rushes around to pound me on the back.
“She did not.”
“Oh, she totally did,” Maya says. “But it didn’t last long, so that was good. We actually like Stella.”
“Yeah, well, it may not matter. If things don’t get a lot better here, I’m thinking about selling my partnership in the law firm and moving back to Idaho.”
Her eyes go wide. “You don’t want to do that.”
“Don’t I?” I stand and pace to the back door, looking out over the lake. “Stella’s made it pretty damn clear that she doesn’t want any part of me anymore. My family needs me here. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Don’t rush into that kind of decision without giving it a lot of thought and talking it over with your colleagues. And, hell, even Stella. Because I’m not convinced that you two are done for good.”
“I don’t share your optimism. Besides, don’t you want to see more of your favorite brother?”
“Are you kidding? Absolutely, not.”
We grin at each other, and then I reach for my keys.
“I’m gonna go see Mom. Talk it over with her and see what she says.”
“Kiss her for me.”
“Come with me and kiss her yourself.”
She bites her lip, seems to think it over, and then shakes her head. “Later.”
“Wait, you drew up papers ?” Mom asks with a frown. “Without getting Stella’s express consent to do so?”
“I thought that once she had some rest and was thinking clearly, she’d want that to be the next step. Apparently, I was wrong.”
“But then you apologized, admitted to the mistake, and you’re doing better now, right?”
Mom and I are alone in her hospital room. We’ve been chatting about all kinds of things, but when she asked if Stella came with me this time, I knew I couldn’t avoid this conversation.
“Not exactly.”
“Grayson.”
My lips twitch. “You sound like you did when I was fifteen and got caught cow tipping.”
“I raised you better than that,” she says but then smiles. “Why in the world haven’t you apologized?”
“I didn’t think I did anything wrong, and whenever I’ve tried to talk to her since, she avoids me. I think she’s just done, Mom.”
Mom sighs. “Well, I’m sorry about that. I liked her a lot. Are you okay?”
“I will be. I’ve been tossing around the idea of moving home.”
“I know that Maya moved home to keep an eye on me. I’m not stupid,” she says when I start to shake my head. “I get confused, and I have accidents like the one last night. I appreciate that she’s with me. I love spending time with all my children. But you don’t have to come back to Idaho just for me, Gray.”
“I’m not,” I say. “Really. I mean, it’s part of it, but I also miss being closer to the family. Maybe being with Stella showed me how important it is to maintain a relationship with my family.”
“I don’t think that you and Maya want to live under the same roof.”
“Probably not.” I grin at her. “I’d buy something not too far away.”
“As much as I’d love to have you closer, I don’t want you rushing into anything. There’s no need to rush, honey. If this is where you want to be, then we’ll welcome you home with open arms. If Seattle is a better fit for you, that’s okay, too. I know you’ll come visit me more often.”
“I think that was a tiny bit of a guilt trip to make me feel bad about not coming home more often.”
“I have no idea what you mean.” But her smile is smug, and I know she understands very well. “If Stella is the woman you want, fight for her.”
“I can fight all day long, but if she doesn’t fight with me, it won’t ever work, Mom.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She sighs and reaches for my hand. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. And I need you to feel better so you can go home and harass Maya and Dad. Keep us all on our toes. I don’t like seeing you in here.”
“I don’t love it, either, but everything’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
I don’t know what it is about a mother’s reassurance that always makes it sound true.
Maybe this is why I needed to come right home.
I needed to hear her say that everything would be okay.
Because, as of right this minute, I’m not sure of anything at all.