Chapter 5
Chapter Five
I an tapped his earpiece, and the music played. He placed his arms on either side of him and set off at a brusque pace, winding through the half-empty streets of Falmouth. A few people called out to him in greeting, and he smiled in return.
Sweat formed on the back of his neck and his forehead.
Halfway through his run, his mind was still racing and spinning, and his shirt was plastered to his back. He peeled it away, paused to stretch his arms, and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass window of Decadent Treats. He frowned at the tufts of hair on top of his head and the sickly sheen of perspiration on his skin. Then he spotted his cousin, Emily, who stood behind the glass counter in an apron and a bandana around her forehead.
She glanced over and waved when she saw him.
He had his arms twisted over his back when Emily came out, red-faced and carrying a paper bag in her hand. “I thought that was you. Why don’t you come in for a bit?”
Ian shook his head. “Can’t. I’ve got to keep running. Thanks, Em.”
Emily grinned. “I had a feeling you’d say that, so I added a few of your favorite treats in there. There’s something for Lucy and Dean too.”
Ian paused and sniffed, the smell of cinnamon and apples wafting through the air. “You’re making it hard for me to resist right now. I’m trying to cut back on sugar.”
Emily waved the bag in front of his face. “One muffin won’t hurt.”
Ian’s stomach grumbled in response. “Remind me to take another route during my run. The next time you see Lucy, you’ll be the one to tell her you’re the reason I’ve got sugar cravings.”
Emily laughed and shoved the paper bag against Ian’s chest. “Deal. Now, take the bags and go. I’ve got to get back inside.”
“Thanks, Em.”
Ian waited till she was gone before opening the bag and inhaling. Then he tucked it underneath his arm and continued on his run, each step harder than the last.
But Lily was right; he needed something to clear his head in the mornings.
He didn’t like feeling unmoored and aimless.
Ian was settling into an even pace and circling the block where Wilson Realty was located when the music stopped, and Kelli’s name flashed across the screen.
He skidded to a halt, tapped his earpiece, and used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat away from his face. “Hey, honey. Is everything okay?”
“Dad, hey. Thank God you picked up. I thought you’d be asleep.”
“I’m on a run. What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine, but my car broke down on the way to work. I’m right outside of Falmouth.”
“Did you get it looked at like I told you?”
Kelli sighed. “Dad, can we not do the lecture now, please? You know how busy I get.”
“I’m on my way back to the house, and I’ll be there soon. Stay inside the car and send me your location.”
Without waiting for her response, Ian hung up and tore through the streets like a bullet. By the time he made it back to their house, he was panting and sweating profusely. He stumbled through the front door, only pausing to remove his shoes and shirt. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement and turned, seeing Lucy and her best friend, Maggie, standing on the back porch, facing each other and gesturing wildly.
Abruptly, he stopped the music and made a beeline for them.
Both of them turned to him with their eyebrows drawn together and a tight set of their shoulders. Slowly, Maggie unclenched her hands and released a deep breath. Lucy, on the other hand, held herself very still, a shadow settling over her face.
Lucy cleared her throat and folded her arms over her chest. “You’re back early from your run. Everything okay?”
“Hi, Maggie.” Ian offered her a quick smile and turned his attention back to his wife. “I made breakfast this morning. It’s in the oven.”
“Hi, Ian.” Maggie wouldn’t look at him and instead stared at an unmarked spot in the distance. She pursed her lips and cleared her throat. “Your egg casserole was delicious, by the way.”
“Thanks, Mag. So, Kelli called, and her car broke down outside of town. I’m headed over there right now. Everything okay here?”
Lucy stood up straighter. “Yes, it’s fine. Do you need me to come with you?”
Ian shook his head and retreated into the house. “No, it’s okay. I’ll call you in a bit.”
With that, he hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time. In their room, he splashed cold water on his face and pulled on a clean shirt and a pair of shorts. He shoved his feet into a pair of sneakers and raced out the door. Ian couldn’t stop replaying the scene between Lucy and Maggie in his head.
The two had been friends since high school, and in all the years he’d known them, he’d only ever seen them fight a handful of times, and nothing as intense as what he’d walked in on.
What was Lucy so upset about that she was fighting with Maggie?
And why was she pushing away the people she loved?
Ian continued to think it over as the streets of Falmouth blurred past him in either direction. As he approached the town limits, he eased his foot off the gas and leaned forward to peer through the dashboard. After a long moment, he spotted Kelli’s car parked near the side of the road. Slowly, he brought his car to a stop and pushed the door open.
Kelli greeted him halfway and threw her arms around him. “I was beginning to worry.”
Ian patted her back. “Sorry, sweetheart. I ran into your mom and Maggie on the way home.”
Kelli drew back, and her eyes moved over his face. “Is everything okay? You look a little worried.”
Ian kept an arm around Kelli’s shoulders and steered her toward the flattening tire. “Nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Do you have any other way to get to work?”
“I’m not going to leave you here on your own.” Kelli folded her arms over her chest, looking so much like her mother in that moment that it made Ian freeze. “I already told them I’m having car problems, and they said it’s fine.”
Ian handed Kelli his phone and circled the car. “Don’t they work you to the bone over there? I’m surprised they’re not demanding you walk to work.”
“It’s not that bad.”
Ian popped the trunk open and paused to wipe the sweat off his brow. “Sweetheart, I’m not going to tell you how they should treat you at your job, but it seems to me you’re underappreciated.”
And overworked.
Kelli had been working at the fashion company for three years, and as far as Ian was concerned, she’d more than proven herself. Over the past three years, he’d seen her exhausted, half-asleep, and in the throes of one cold after the other, and she was never without her laptop or phone.
Her entire life revolved around that company, and he worried about whether or not she was living up to her potential.
Or if they were just taking advantage of his daughter, who was young, eager, and idealistic, still believing that hard work and dedication were going to get her to where she wanted to go. While the last thing he wanted was to trample all over his daughter’s hopes and dreams, he still wanted her to be smart about the plan she had for her life.
When he took out the spare tire, Kelli was by his side, helping him roll it out the front. She handed him the wrench and watched as he undid the screws that held the old tire in place.
“How’s it going with that new boss of yours? She still a slave driver?”
Kelli rolled her eyes. “Dad, you can’t say stuff like that. It’s offensive.”
Using the jack, Ian lifted the car up off the ground. Then he removed the flat tire and rolled it to the car’s trunk. There, he paused to lift it up and set it down in the center. When Ian came back around, Kelli was on the phone, her eyebrows knitted together. Absentmindedly, she helped him install the spare tire, never once looking up from her phone.
“Not as understanding as you hoped they were, huh? It looks like this spare won't get very far. It has a slow leak. Kel, when was the last time you took your car in to be checked, and when was the last time you did an oil change?”
Kelli shrugged. “I don’t know. When was the last time you checked on the car?”
“Months ago.” Ian wiped his hands on the back of his jeans and gripped the jack with both hands. He rotated it counterclockwise till the car was back down on the ground. “You really need to keep better track of these things.”
Kelli waved his comment away. “It’s fine, Dad. It’s not a big deal. Dana is on the way to pick me up right now.”
“I called the tow truck when I pulled over. If you want to wait for me to make sure the car’s been dropped off, I can take you to work.”
Kelli snorted and glanced up at him. “And watch you judge everyone who goes in and out of the building?”
“What if I promise only to judge them in my head?”
Kelli choked back a laugh and looked over his shoulder. “It’s okay. There’s Dana now.”
Dana’s blue hatchback pulled over to the side of the road, and she got out with her shirt on backward, in a pair of sweatpants with questionable stains. “I came as soon as you called.”
Kelli grimaced. “I can see that. Did you happen to look in the mirror before you left the house?”
Dana held the key over her head, and the car beeped shut. “No, why would I? I’m not headed to an event or anything.”
“You’re dropping me off at work at a fashion company.”
Dana glanced down at her clothes and back up at her sister. “I won’t get out of the car.”
Ian chuckled. “Still think my offer isn’t good?”
Kelli shot her dad an exasperated look. “Not helping, Dad.”
Dana offered him a quick hug before drawing back. “You look good, Dad. Aunt Lily really got inside your head with the running thing, huh?”
“Your aunt Lily can be very persuasive. How’s that case going—with the little boy who had Down syndrome? Any luck finding him a home yet?”
“Getting close.” Dana brought her head to rest against his shoulder and sighed. “I hope this home works out.”
Ian draped his arms around each of them and squeezed. “I’m proud of you, girls. Now, why don’t you ladies go, and I’ll wait for the tow truck?”
After some protests, he ushered them into Dana’s car, and they drove off.
Later that day, he was getting ready for dinner with Lucy when the mechanic called. He spent the ride to the restaurant debating prices until they parked outside. As soon as he stepped in through the double doors, he hung up and shoved the phone into his pocket. Lucy started sipping on her water as soon as they sat down.
“Dr. Singh was right. It’s nice that we’re getting to go out, just the two of us. We don’t get to do that often.”
Lucy nodded and gestured to the uniformed waiter. “Uh-huh.”
Ian picked up the menu and scanned it. “I heard the salmon is good.”
Lucy was toying with the scarf around her neck. “Okay.”
Ian glanced up at Lucy, whose face was half obscured by the menu. Then he glanced around the half-empty restaurant, which had rows of tables on either side, uniformed waiters rushing past in either direction, and quiet music playing through the overhead speakers.
“How’s the assignment going?”
Lucy eyed him over her wine glass. “The therapy assignment? Yeah, it’s fine.”
“I’m looking forward to our session tomorrow.” Ian gave her a bright smile and touched his glass to hers. “Here’s to us.”
Lucy didn’t say anything as she set her glass down and picked up her menu.
For the rest of the night, she barely said more than a few sentences to him.
By the end of their date, Ian was left wondering if taking Lucy out to dinner was a bad idea after all.