Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
I an poked his head through the door. “You ready to go?”
Lucy was fastening on a pair of earrings and using her other hand to pat her hair. “Almost.”
Ian pushed the door open and stepped into their room. “You look beautiful, Luce.”
Butterflies erupted in his stomach at the sight of her in a long skirt with stockings, knee-length boots, and a soft, cream-colored sweater he’d gotten her a few Christmases ago. When she spun around to face him, a smile hovering on the edge of her lips, Ian stopped breathing altogether.
How did he get so lucky?
And how did she still take his breath away all these years later?
Lucy touched a hand to her hair. “What is it? Do I not look okay?”
Ian blinked and shook off the daze. “You look amazing. Even better than the day we first met.”
“You were the scrawniest freshman I’d ever seen.”
“Just think…if I hadn’t decided to take a few courses at the community college, we never would’ve met.”
“Unless I’d joined the police academy,” Lucy teased, pausing to toss her hair over her shoulders. “Can’t you just picture me in a uniform?”
“I think you’d look hot,” Ian offered with a grin. He held his arm out and waited for her to tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow. “And I can tell you all about it during dinner. We’re going to be late.”
Lucy allowed herself to be led out into the hallway. “You know we didn’t have to do anything, right?”
“It’s our anniversary. Of course, I was going to plan something.”
Because, for the first time in a while, they were in a good place, and Ian wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to show Lucy how much she meant to him.
Or to celebrate the day the two of them had agreed to be partners in life.
In silence, they descended the stairs and made a beeline for the door. Ian tried not to think of his mom’s case or the fact the trail had gone cold. When they got into the car, he kept his attention focused on his wife and the empty road ahead. A few blocks away, Ian pulled up into a spot overlooking the pier and the lines of people gathered outside the restaurants.
He pushed his way to the front and murmured his name.
The ma?tre d’ led them past rows and rows of wooden tables, all of them with well-dressed couples laughing and smiling. They were seated at a table next to the window, overlooking the harbor and the half-shaped moon hanging low in the sky. Lucy took a menu from the waiter and hid her face behind it.
Ian glanced around at the cream-colored walls and the picture frames hung up on either side of him. Then he swung his gaze back to Lucy, who was trying to hide the fact she was on her phone. He ignored the low thrum of disappointment, picked up his own menu, and scanned it. Lucy barely said more than a few words to him when the waiter emerged and jotted down the order.
Lobster rolls, fried clams, and wicked oysters were set down in front of them, all with accompanying sauces. Ian draped the napkin over his lap and leaned forward, catching Lucy’s gaze as he did. She looked away and pretended to be engrossed in the food.
“This is delicious.”
Lucy nodded. “It is.”
“I’m glad we’re doing this.”
Lucy offered him a distracted smile and picked up her phone again. “Me too.”
The two of them lapsed into silence again.
So much for being on the same page.
Ian ran a hand over his face and pushed his chair back with a screech. Then he offered Lucy an apologetic smile and wove in and out of the crowd of people. In the bathroom, he stared at the mirror above the sink and frowned. After examining his entire reflection, he squeezed through the hallway that spilled out into the main part of the restaurant.
Lucy was on the phone when he came up behind her, conversation rising and falling steadily around him.
“I told you I can’t talk tonight. I know you need me to sign those papers, but I haven’t decided about the power of attorney yet.”
Ian’s chest tightened.
“Send me the revised version of the will, but I’ll look at it later,” Lucy continued in a lower voice.
She glanced up, saw Ian lingering behind her, and did a double take. The phone fell out of her hand, and Ian caught it before it hit the floor with a thud. Wordlessly, he set it down on the table and moved back to his own chair.
“What’s going on, Luce? And don’t tell me it’s nothing. It’s been months of you avoiding me and acting strange. I’ve tried to be patient and give you space, but I don’t think I can do it anymore.”
Lucy took a long sip of her water.
“Why are you talking to your lawyer? Are you asking him about divorce?”
Lucy choked on her drink and used the napkin to dab. “What? No, I’m not asking him about that. Ian, I…”
Ian leaned back in his chair and motioned for her to continue.
“I’ve been sick,” Lucy said, the words tumbling out of her in a rush. “I didn’t want to say anything till I knew what it was, but it doesn’t seem like I’m going to find out anytime soon. The doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with me.”
Ian’s mouth turned dry. “Doctors? As in plural?”
Bile rose in the back of his throat.
“I’ve tried neurologists, dermatologists, cardiologists. Maggie and I have been to several doctors in Falmouth and in the neighboring towns. I’ve even gone to an oncologist and an orthopedic surgeon. None of them know what’s wrong with me.”
Ian’s ears were ringing as he leaned forward. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve gone with you.”
He should’ve noticed what was happening in front of him instead of allowing his mother’s case to consume him.
Everyone was right.
How could he have let Lucy slip through the cracks and not notice?
Lucy swallowed. “I know you would’ve, but you’ve been so busy with your mom’s case and worrying about the detective’s exam… I didn’t want to be one more thing you worried about.”
Ian leaned forward and took both of her hands in his. “Luce, nothing else matters, okay? Whatever this is, we’re going to figure it out, and we’re going to get through it together.”
Lucy sniffed. “I hope so.”
Ian got up, pulled Lucy to her feet, and drew her in for a hug. A moment later, he gestured to the waiter, paid the bill, and took their take-out containers to the car. Using his free hand, he laced his fingers through Lucy’s and squeezed.
Her warm hand felt strong and soft beneath his fingertips.
Hard knots formed in the center of his stomach as he drove them both home.
Why was she looking at her will?
And why hadn’t she talked to him about it?
Ian was overcome with the urge to pull up by the side of the road and refuse to go anywhere until Lucy told him everything. He began to sweat, and his mind raced as he went through one bad scenario after the next.
As soon as they stepped in through the front door, Lucy made a beeline for the stairs. He was scrolling through his phone, debating whether or not to call Sophia or Lily. His chest was still tight, and his fingers were trembling as he raked them through his hair. Then he heard Lucy call out to him, and he stopped breathing altogether. He took the stairs, two at a time, and found her on the floor of their room with her knees drawn up to her chest and tears streaming down her face.
Wordlessly, Ian scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed.
He paused to draw back the covers and tuck her in. The bed dipped beneath his weight as he got onto it and pulled Lucy into his side. She threw an arm over him, snuggled against his neck, and exhaled. His eyes filled with tears as he caught the floral scent of her perfume.
Ian held his breath for a long time after.
It wasn’t until Lucy’s breathing turned even that he released the breath he’d been holding. Slowly, he rolled her onto her side, adjusted the covers around her, and stood up. Barefoot and anxious, he tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs. In the kitchen, he stopped to lean against the counter and exhaled.
All he could see was Lucy’s frail form, and all he could hear was the deafening silence settling around him.
Before he knew what he was doing, Ian kicked one of the chairs over. Red-hot anger pumped through him as he hurried into the backyard and picked up the garden shears. He was halfway through cutting the hedge when he realized what a mess he’d made. Making a low, frustrated sound in the back of his throat, he dropped the shears and took his phone out of his pocket.
Sophia answered on the second ring. “What are you doing calling me? It’s your anniversary. Shouldn’t you be romancing your wife right now?”
Ian swallowed and turned his back on the house. “I was trying to, but Soph…Luce’s is… She’s sick, and the doctor doesn’t know what’s wrong with her.”
Ian heard a door open and close.
When Sophia’s voice came back on, she sounded close to tears. “Okay, it’s going to be okay. Can we get Lily on the line? Maybe she knows someone who can take a look at Lucy.”
Ian blew out a breath. “Okay.”
The line clicked, and Ian was left alone with his own thoughts and his heavy breathing. He twisted to face the house and studied their bedroom window, outlined in the pale glow of the moon. Moments later, Sophia and Lily were both on the phone with him, sounding anxious and concerned.
Lily exhaled. “It’s late now, but I’m going to send a few messages and make some calls in the morning. Can you tell me her symptoms?”
Ian sat down on the steps. “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me anything. I barely got her to admit that anything was wrong.”
“Okay, that’s all right. I know a general surgeon. I’ll get in touch with him tomorrow. He should be able to point us in the right direction once you tell me the symptoms.”
Ian ran a hand over his face. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how I’m supposed to help.”
And he had no idea if he was equipped to handle this sort of thing.
Ian was more comfortable in the world of criminals and thieves than he was dealing with his wife’s undiagnosed illness.
Shame and guilt rose within him, threatening to drag him under.
He didn’t think he’d unclenched his jaw in hours, and his shoulders felt tight and stiff no matter how often he rolled them.
“You need to focus on keeping her spirits up,” Sophia advised with a sniff. “Don’t make her feel like you’re dwelling on any of this, even if you are.”
“Yes, and try to give her as much normalcy as you can,” Lily added, her voice catching toward the end. “Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.”
Ian froze. “What about the kids? How am I supposed to tell them? She was on the phone with her lawyer, for heaven’s sake, and talking about her will…”
Ian felt sick to his stomach, and the world kept spinning around him.
“E, you can’t tell them anything right now,” Sophia murmured, her voice growing thick with emotion. “Not until you know what’s wrong with her; otherwise, they won’t be able to focus on anything else.”
“Soph is right,” Lily added in a quieter voice. “Give them a little bit more time before you turn their world upside down.”
A lump rose in the back of Ian’s throat. “And in the meantime?”
“You do what you can, whenever you can,” Sophia said in a clearer voice. “You’re not alone in this, E. We’re all here for you, Lucy, and the kids. We’re not going anywhere.”
Ian’s eyes burned as he blinked back the tears. “Okay.”
But he had no idea if anything was going to work out or if things were quickly spiraling out of control.
All he knew was he wanted to put his fist through a wall and scream about the unfairness of it all.
All at once, solving his mom’s case was the furthest thing from his mind.