21. Lucy
lucy
. . .
The next morning, I was up before the sun, which said something because I was not a morning person. Still, I wanted everything to be perfect for my mom. I took a shower and got dressed, quickly making some pancakes that I could later reheat for my mom, too. Hospital food has never been much, and that woman always had the appetite of a lion, so I figured she’d be hungry once she got home.
Around eight in the morning, Ed pulled up and helped my mom get out of the car. She had crutches with her but could not fully support her body, so he carried her bridal style. I couldn’t help but smile.
“I bet you never imagined this was why Ed would carry you like this,” I said teasingly, enjoying how my mom’s cheeks reddened at my words. She quickly looked away, and Ed didn’t stop grinning for a second.
“Let’s get you settled in,” Ed said as he headed into the guest room. I followed behind them.
“I tried to make everything as accessible as possible. The guys have even brought your TV here, so you don’t need to move around much.”
“Thank you,” my mom said. “I couldn’t stay in that damn hospital for a moment longer.”
“That’s true,” Ed confirmed. “She drove them insane to the point where they released her early.”
“Sounds like my mom…” I gave a small chuckle. “Anyway, are you guys hungry? I made some pancakes.”
“I’d love to stay, and I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got to get back to work,” Ed said. I nodded.
“Of course. Thank you for everything; I got it from here.” I gave his arm a small pat. I couldn’t thank him enough for everything he had done for my mom. He hesitated momentarily before leaning down, kissing my mom for a second—if that. Ed quickly pulled back, as if he had been caught doing something illegal, and then left. I didn’t stop smiling as I stared at my mom.
“Is there anything you want to tell me?” I arched my brow.
“Well…”
“Relax, Mom. I know you two have been dating. I suspected it since I first came here. Now…how about I bring you some breakfast?” My mom nodded eagerly, and I returned to the kitchen to retrieve everything I had prepared. Pancakes, fresh fruit, orange juice. Just the way she liked it. I brought everything in on a tray.
“I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck,” my mom groaned, “but this is going to help.” My nerves were still shot from her accident, but I was glad to have her home and I was going to do everything I could to make her comfortable.
I smiled sympathetically.
“I figured we should get some food into you, and then I’ll give you some of your pain meds.” Mom nodded, digging into her food. With how happily she ate it, one would think she hadn’t eaten in ages. The doorbell rang when I was about to steal a strawberry from her plate.
“Saved by the bell.” I smirked as I opened the door, only to find Luke holding a tray of coffees in one hand and flowers in the other. My brows furrowed.
“Where did you get the flowers?” I asked him. “My mom’s store is shut…”
“Morning, Luce,” Luke said, holding one of the coffees out to me. “And a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, sweetheart, unless you want to kiss me.”
My cheeks burned, but I tried to redirect my focus. “Thank you. I could use another boost of coffee this morning.” I took it eagerly. No matter how much I searched for the perfect coffee in Seattle, nothing could ever compare to Brew Haha. “I’m going to be lost without Brew Haha when I return to Seattle at the end of the summer.”
Luke eyed me momentarily before he shook his head and cleared his throat. Only then did the situation I put him in dawn upon me. A part of me wondered if he also shared the dirty thoughts I occasionally caught myself thinking about him.
“How’s your mom doing today?” He swiftly changed the topic.
“She’s eating breakfast right now. She said she feels like she’s been run over by a
truck. Once she’s done eating, I’ll give her more pain meds. Do you want to say hi? I’m sure she would like the company.”
“Sure, I also brought her coffee, but I wasn’t sure if she could have it.”
“Well, the doctors didn’t mention any dietary restrictions, so I’m sure it’s fine.” I led the way into the guest room, where my mom was nearly done with her breakfast. Her expression brightened when she saw Luke in the doorway.
“Lukey, you brought coffee. Thank God! I wasn’t about to say anything, but Lucy forgot about my morning coffee.” As Luke approached, he handed over her coffee. How did he even know what she got? “You were always my favorite boyfriend of Lucy’s.”
“Mom!” I scolded, and Luke grinned with a shrug.
“What? I never did like Jason, and see how that turned out?” My mom took a sip of her coffee. “I told you that boy was trouble, but you didn’t believe me!”
I covered my face. I couldn’t believe Mom had said that. On second thought, I could
believe it. It sounded exactly like my mom. Instead of focusing on the burning embarrassment in my cheeks, I switched my attention to the coffee Luke brought over and how it awoke my taste buds.
“Oh, don’t feel bad, Luce.” Luke rubbed my back. Again, every cell in my body reacted. I wasn’t sure if it was just everything we had been through together recently, or if I never fully got over him, but the more these innocent touches he gave me, the more I craved. A part of me even regretted pulling back from that kiss at his place.
“Okay, I’m leaving you to handle your visit alone,” I said, pointing to Luke before I looked at my mom. “Mom, let me know when you’re done and if you need help getting to the bathroom.”
I walked out of the room, ready to tackle the dishes from this morning. While I knew they were joking around, Luke’s presence increased the burning in my body, and I just needed a moment away from him.
“Hey,” Luke said only a few minutes later, bringing Mom’s breakfast dishes. I jumped at the sudden tone, nearly dropping my coffee into the sink.
“Shit.” I placed the coffee on the counter beside me, trying to recollect my composure. Why was it suddenly so hard to keep my cool around him?
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Luke plopped the dishes into the sink, offering a small smile. I returned it.
“You didn’t, I mean, you did—but I was so zoned out that I didn’t hear you walk in.”
“Is everything okay?” Concern etched his face.
“Yeah, I just…I didn’t sleep well. I had a few nightmares, and then I was overthinking how I’m going to help mom at her flower store. It will be a lot of work, but I want her to rest as much as possible,” I admitted. “You know her. She’ll want to be on her feet constantly, which will definitely delay her recovery.” I returned to washing the dishes. Luke stood behind me, and then his hands found my shoulders. He moved slowly, circularly, hitting all the right spots and sending tingles through my whole body.
“God,” I moaned, relaxing my entire body under his firm touch. “That feels good. You’re really good at this.”
“Thanks, I dated a woman who was a masseuse.” He grinned behind me.
“Can you give me her number? I’ll date her if I can get massages like this.” I groaned again, sinking further into the massage. Luke chuckled, but it was deeper this time, as was the intensity of his touch. He found a few knots in my back that desperately needed to be released.
“I should go into my mom, but I don’t want this to stop. Can you follow me around
today?” I asked.
“That wouldn’t be weird at all.” Luke laughed, sweeping over my back once more in a strong, circular motion. His body was closer to mine, too. I could practically feel him brush up against me, just as I could feel the hardened bulge in his pants. I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but I found myself pushing back against him before fully comprehending what was happening. His hands were on my back, his hips against me, and his lips dangerously close to my neck. We were playing with fire, and neither of us was strong enough to pull back, even if we got burned. Until…
“Lucy!” my mom called out, and we moved away from each other quickly.
“Coming in a second!” I responded. My gaze locked on Luke as I turned around to face him. He swallowed.
“Hey…I know the flower shop isn’t open today, but maybe I could come help you out tomorrow. I mean…an extra pair of hands doesn’t hurt, does it?”
“You’re right,” I said, even if I couldn’t fully grasp his words right now. I would’ve agreed to anything he said. “I’ve got to go check on my mom, but I’ll…see you tomorrow, then?”
Luke nodded, lingering in his spot for a moment longer before he headed out, and I went to check up on my mom. The hospital had given her crutches to use, which had made it easier for her to get around. The trick was not to put them close to her, or she would be up and moving around even though the doctor had said she needed to take it easy and not put any weight on her leg.
After helping her to the bathroom, I got her back to the bed.
“Would it be okay to keep the shop closed tomorrow, too? So that I can get a hang of everything. And Luke will come to help me, too.”
My mom smiled knowingly. “Sure, sweetheart. That’s more than fine.”
The doorbell rang again, and I knew the day would be full of visitors.
And I was right. By the end of the day, I was pretty sure that everyone in Port-Cartier had come to visit her.