Chapter 19
nineteen
. . .
Rachel
"That table is so clean, I think I could see myself," Nora quipped. She followed the comment with a loud clatter as she loudly set down a tray of salt and pepper shakers.
I was flustered enough by her comment that I spilled the bowl with the sugar packets. Nora chuckled as she walked over to help me pick up the sugar. She glanced out the window, the same window I'd been staring out. "Yep, I see what caught your attention."
Ronan was unloading cinder blocks from the back of a truck.
It was a cool day, but the heavy labor had caused him to strip down to just a T-shirt.
Sweat made the thin cotton material to stick to his skin.
Everything about him made my body pulse with electricity.
We'd both been working a lot, but we'd managed in our few week relationship to find short spurts of time to be together.
"I seem to remember my good friend Rachel insisting that she had no interest in the very fine-looking construction worker because she was no longer dating." Nora handed me a few packets of sugar.
"Did I say that?" I asked teasingly. "I should have prefaced that by saying unless someone truly amazing happens to walk into my life."
Nora held up her hand. "Stop. I'm already so jealous I want to chew a hole through my tongue.
" She sighed. "Is he as amazing in all aspects of life?
" she asked with a suggestive head tilt.
Her hand shot up again. "Nope. Never mind.
Of course, he is, or you would have already told him to pack up his hammer and nails and move on.
" She reached over and squeezed my hand.
"I'm happy for you, my friend. You deserve nothing but the best. How is he with Jack?
If he's not good with him then I say use him for his hot body for a few months and send him packing. Preferably my direction."
Before I could answer she sighed and frowned. "Oh, he's great with Jack too, isn't he?"
"Jack wakes up asking about his best friend Ronan."
Nora hugged me. "I'm so happy for you."
"If only the rest of my life were going as smoothly as my love life," I said.
"The increase in rent is taking anything extra I had.
That pittance was going into a savings account for a small house somewhere on the edge of town.
Instead, the extra is going to stay inside that same little apartment, and next year we'll have to move for sure. "
"Nothing ever seems to get easier in life, does it?" She patted the pocket on her apron. "I bought a few lottery tickets this morning. And if I become a multimillionaire, I promise to buy you and Jack that house." Nora started placing refilled salt and pepper shakers on the tables. I helped her.
Carol walked through with her purse. "I'm off to get this rotten tooth taken care of. Thanks again for closing up, Rachel."
"Good luck with the tooth," I called back to her.
"She's been so grumpy this week because of that tooth," Nora noted.
"Well, a toothache sucks. But yeah, she has been. Well, I'm going to have a glass of tea and take a break. I can finish up here if you want to head out."
"You sure?" Nora was already untying her apron.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Love ya." She hurried to the back to change.
I walked to the kitchen to pour myself some iced tea.
I returned to the window to watch Ronan finish his task of moving bricks.
He paused as he felt me watching him. He turned back.
We stared at each other for a second, then a white smile flashed across his face, and he held up his gloved hand. I waved back and blew him a kiss.
"Your phone was ringing," Nora said as she scurried through to the exit.
"Thanks. See you tomorrow."
I hurried to the locker room. My phone was no longer ringing. It was a missed call from Mom, and she hadn't left a message. I called her right back. She answered with a sniffle.
"Mom? What's wrong? Is it your chest?"
"Yes," she sniffled. "I mean no," she said abruptly. "It's fine. I'm fine, but the medical bill came." She sniffled again. "Oh, Ray, what are we going to do? The insurance barely covered anything. We owe sixteen thousand dollars."
I froze, hoping I'd heard her wrong. "Sixteen thousand? Are you sure it's not sixteen hundred?"
"The ambulance ride alone was three grand. No, I'm sure about the zeroes. It's sixteen thousand."
I backed up blindly until the bench hit me on the back of my knees, then I plunked down hard. "Shit."
"Yeah, shit. I'm sorry. This was all my fault. I thought I was having a heart attack. It was so stupid of me."
"Nonna said the 'S' word," Jack said in the background.
"You're right, Jackie. That's not a nice word."
"Imbecile," Mom said quietly into the phone. "That's far more accurate, and it doesn't start with 'S'. I'll figure something out. Maybe I can get a loan at the bank. If only Misty had a spot for me at the fabric store. I'll find another job. I promise."
"Mom, your main job is taking care of Jack. That helps me immensely. I've got to finish closing up, then I'll be home. We can talk about it before I go to Tommy's."
"That's right. You work tonight. You work too much." Mom said the same thing often but I had no idea how to get out of my work schedule. As it was, we were barely making it.
"There are a few chocolate cupcakes left in the bakery case. Tell Jack I'm bringing home a treat. See you soon." I hung up, and my head dropped into my hands. The medical bill felt like the final blow, and this one was so big I saw no way out of it.
A knock on the front door swept me out of my dreary thoughts.
The front door was locked, but I hadn't had a chance to flip the sign yet.
I put away my phone and walked out to the front of the diner.
Ronan was standing at the door. He had streaks of dirt on his face, and he was wearing a smile that temporarily lightened my mood.
I hurried to the door and opened it. "Excuse me, sir, but we're closed."
He glanced back behind him and pushed inside. "Yes, well, I didn't come here for the food." He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. He paused. "I ate a mint on the way over. Did it do the trick?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm so dizzy from the kiss I can't think straight." I wriggled my nose. "You do, however, smell less soap-y and a little more manly than usual. And I don't necessarily mean that in a sexy way."
Ronan released me, but I jumped back into his arms. "Not that I've ever minded the smell of a hardworking man." We kissed again, but I cut it off before we started ripping each other's clothes off. "I can't. We can't," I reminded him.
"Well damn, there goes my fantasy of ravaging a beautiful woman in a cute diner uniform." He leaned back. "Maybe you should wear this on our next date." He reached for the hem of my uniform and lifted it. "You can skip the panties."
I laughed and pushed his hand away. "Should I wear the one with the bacon grease stains or the one where the ketchup bottle exploded and sprayed my sleeve?"
Ronan sighed. "Way to spoil a fantasy." He took hold of my hand. "There is something sad in those cocoa brown eyes. What's wrong?"
I cocked my head in surprise. "You could tell? I thought I was putting on a good poker face."
He reached over and pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Is it something I can help with?"
"Only if you happen to have an extra sixteen grand floating around."
Ronan patted his pocket enthusiastically. "Nope, left my big cash back home. Seriously? Sixteen grand?"
"Mom got her medical bill. She's got a lousy insurance policy. Our portion is sixteen grand."
"Holy smokes. You could buy a new car with that. Well, not a new one but a mildly used one. I'm so sorry, Ray. I'd help if I could. Let's go out for a burger tonight. Jack can come, too. My treat. That I can afford."
"I've got to work."
Ronan's shoulders dropped. "Damn. I really wanted to see you. You still never told me where you're working. If it's a restaurant maybe I could drop in—"
I shook my head vigorously. "No!" I said it abruptly enough that he was taken aback.
"Uh, my boss gets mad if my friends drop by.
" I wanted to make up for my curtness. I walked closer to him and touched his arm.
"I'm working the next three nights, and I need the hours more than ever.
I'll see you later in the week." My softer tone wasn't helping.
He looked hurt. "I'm sorry, Ronan, but my life is really in a hole right now. You make me so happy, but—"
Ronan gazed down at me. "But, I never like where 'buts' are going.
Before you say anything else, Ray. I love being with you.
I don't think I've ever said those words to anyone.
Most people, I can take 'em or leave 'em, but you are something else.
I'm here for whatever you need, even if it's just a hug or kiss or, well, you know.
I'm here if you need me, but please don't push me out of your life because you're struggling.
I know struggling well. Struggles is my middle name. "
I pressed myself against him. I had no idea where I was going with my earlier comment, but I knew one thing for certain, I wanted this man in my life.
I just wished my life were in better shape so I could enjoy the relationship more.
"Thank you." I lifted my face, and he kissed me. I smiled. "So … Ronan Struggles Wilde?"
"Okay, my middle name is Joseph. I've got to get back to work." He kissed me once more. "I'm going to miss those lips tonight while you're at work at the …" He squinted an eye at me. "… at the county morgue?"
I laughed. "No, it's not the morgue, but I wish it were. I'll bet the benefits are great. See you later, Ro."
He walked out, and I locked the door and flipped the sign to closed. I allowed myself the pleasure of watching him walk back across the street. "Oh wow, Ray, there's one big bright spot in all this shit."