29. Nate
Nate
Irun a hand over my face, every muscle in my body aching as I wait for the coffee to finish brewing.
With every detail of the plan running on repeat through my brain, I tossed and turned all night.
It has to work.
The crew is all here. And with Rory’s phone call, we’re one step closer to all of the parts falling into place.
“Do I really have to be in charge of the dog?” Allie wrinkles her nose.
I’m sure it’s the same expression I had on my face when I first met Spam. He takes a while to grow on you, but he and I have bonded, especially while I’ve had him the last couple weeks.
“He’s an acquired taste.”
“Well, can someone who’s acquired a taste for him carry him, then?”
Stacey reaches over and plucks Spam out of Allie’s hands. Her neutral expression suggests this is no different for her than taking slime or a dirty tissue from one of her students. Teaching those early grades hardens you, apparently.
“Let’s go,” she says. “Does anyone need to use the bathroom before we leave?”
Lawton snickers because she’s kind of treating us like her students, but he dutifully heads to the bathroom before we climb into the cars.
My Explorer is loaded with the groceries and essentials I picked up, along with a bouquet for Rory.
Lawton has a cruiser because he’s technically working, and Dylan’s truck is parked in the driveway, too.
The department has been more than understanding.
But then, that’s what we do in HiLo. We take care of our own.
My partners have been fine with covering some of my shifts and letting me come home to take care of Spam. Today, even though Lawton is technically the one on duty, Jake has offered to cover most of the calls, freeing Lawton so he come help out.
“Can I ride in the police car?” Allie asks, bouncing on her heels.
Lawton shrugs. “I suppose, but you’d have to ride in the back.”
Allie wrinkles her nose, apparently her go-to expression when she finds an idea distasteful.
“You can ride with me.” Dylan gestures to the truck.
Allie’s gaze flicks between the two options, weighing the pros and cons of each as Dylan’s foot starts to tap with impatience.
“Just ride with me. Lawton might get called in. Let’s go.” Dylan steers Allie toward the truck with a hand on her back and opens the door.
I hold back a smile at the frown on her face. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Allie, but she never liked being told what to do.
Seems that hasn’t changed.
I look at the remaining crew as Lawton slides into his cruiser. “Okay. Stacey and Spam, you’re with me. Ollie, get in the car.”
Ollie waits for me to open the door, then when I point, he jumps in and settles on a seat.
Stacey holds Spam as she sits in the passenger seat and pulls a seat belt over her lap, maneuvering it around the dog. “Are you sure Rory is okay with us coming over?”
I understand her hesitation. Rory has been playing her cards close to the vest for the last few weeks.
I shrug. “She needs us. We’re going to be there for her.”
Stacey looks doubtful. “What did she say when she called you?”
It really was good timing that she called right before we were about to head over to their house, and it was perfect timing as far as her mindset.
“She actually asked for help. I’m proud of her. It’s hard for her to do that, but she called and asked me to help with getting a home nurse for her mom.”
I really am proud of her. You’d think that growing up in a place like High Lonesome, you’d be used to the whole it takes a village mindset, because we truly do ascribe to that up here.
But Rory’s always had trouble asking for help. She’s always willing to be there for friends, but for some reason, it’s hard for her to accept that they want to be there for her as well.
The drive to Cathy and Jim’s house is short, and when I park the Explorer on the street in front of the house, Rory’s car is in the drive.
Jim answers the door, and he takes one of the grocery bags from my hands. “Nate. Thanks for coming. Stacey, how are you? Rory will be happy to see you.” He looks over my shoulder at the police cruiser that’s pulling to a stop behind my SUV. “Who else did you bring?”
“Dylan and Allie are on their way, and that’s Lawton. You know them, right?”
Jim nods. “Yeah, I know Allie. Rory’s best friend.” He looks at Stacey. “One of her best friends? I can’t keep track. And Lawton I’ve met a couple of times around town. He seems like a good guy.”
“He is,” I confirm.
Jim moves to the side so Stacey and I can step through the door. “Rory’s upstairs. I’ll put some of this stuff in the fridge.”
But even as he says it, there’s a sharp intake of breath to our left, and I know without looking that she’s not upstairs.
“Nate?” Rory’s voice trembles. “Stacey?”
“Hey, lady,” Stacey says, heading for Rory. “I brought you a friend.”
She sets Spam on the ground, and he heads for Rory so fast he’s a blur.
“Spam!” Rory scoops the little guy into her arms, laughing as he covers her face with doggy kisses. “You guys. It’s good to see you.”
After a few more licks from Spam, she sets him on the ground and crosses the living room to embrace Stacey, then me.
“You look amazing, babe,” I murmur in her ear, holding her close. “I missed you.”
Rory sets her head against my chest. “I missed you too. Thank you for coming over.”
“I’m here for you, babe. You’re not in this alone.” I drop a kiss on the top of her head. I love how we just seem to fit together when we hug, my chin barely an inch above the crown of her head. It’s the perfect height for her to bury her face in my neck or rest against my shoulder. “We’re a team.”
Spam yips. I’m sure he feels left out, but Rory is in my arms. Spam can wait.
Ollie, for his part, is sitting nicely at the entryway, awaiting instructions.
“Do we have company?” A door opens, and Cathy walks into the living room.
She’s walking slowly, and it’s clear that every step is an effort, but the smile on her face never wavers.
“Not company. Help,” I clarify firmly. “We’re here to help.”
Rory’s eyes are bright with tears. “Thank you,” she whispers.
Cathy looks around at the gathered group and smiles. “Well, then. Thank you. Come sit. I’m tired but otherwise feeling okay today.”
I give Rory’s hand a squeeze then step away from her to offer Cathy my arm as she makes her way to the couch.
“Oh, I’m fine,” she says, but I don’t miss the way she leans on me a bit.
She’s putting on a brave face for her family.
If I had any doubt about where Rory got it from, it’s long gone.
As soon as Cathy settles into the recliner, Spam hops into her lap.
“Aw, Spam! Missed you, buddy,” Cathy says, stroking his fur.
Spam yips happily.
“…like some kid,” Allie says, her voice accusing as she and Dylan walk through the door.
“Allie?” Rory’s eyes widen.
“Rory!” Allie runs toward her, apparently forgetting her annoyance with Dylan. “Oh, babe, I missed you so much. Your brother sucks and your dog is weird and I love you. So, so much.”
The two of them embrace, laughing.
“I didn’t know you were coming! When did you decide to visit?”
Allie releases Rory and gives Cathy a hug before answering the question. “Nate called me. He got me a last-minute flight.”
Rory turns to me, but I just shrug.
I have the money. I never use it, but this seemed like a good reason to splurge.
When it comes right down to it, I’ll do anything for Rory.
“Thank you,” Rory whispers, then hugs Allie again.
“You didn’t tell me we were going to be cleaning bathrooms,” Lawton mutters, spraying more Windex on the mirror.
I give the toilet one more pass with the toilet brush and then flush. “You didn’t ask. But thank you for helping out. I owe you.”
After chatting for a while, Cathy went back to bed for a nap, and Rory, Allie, and Stacey disappeared into Rory’s bedroom for some girl talk.
Dylan settled in the living room with his dad, both of them available for whatever Cathy needs when she wakes, which left me and Lawton to handle whatever needed handling.
In this case, bathroom cleaning. It’s not glamorous, but someone has to do it.
The high-pitched giggles of the women filter out to where Lawton and I are scrubbing the surfaces of the upstairs bathroom, and every time I hear the happy noise, my heart warms at the thought of her smile.
I just need Rory to be happy. That’s all I want in my life.
And I’ll do anything to make that happen.
“Just wait. I’m going to cash in that favor when you least expect it, man.” Lawton gives the mirror one final swipe.
Another burst of giggles comes from Rory’s room.
I wonder what they’re talking about that has them in stitches. Hopefully not me or any of the other guys in town, but you never know.
“How’s the dating scene?” I ask Lawton, tossing him a sponge to clean the sinks. “Have you dated anyone since Kristina?”
He shakes his head. “Nah. I was pretty salty about the whole love thing for a while, and then…” He puts some elbow grease into scrubbing the sink. “It’s not like there are many options, you know?”
“What about Allie?” She doesn’t live in HiLo, but I’m sure she’d come back.
He shrugs. “Maybe. But I don’t think long distance is in the cards for me.”
“How about Stacey?” She seems like such a sweet girl, and she and Rory have become close friends since Rory moved back to High Lonesome.
Plus, I’m sure Stacey is in a similar boat to Lawson, single and not really sure where to look for dating prospects.
“Maybe. I don’t know her that well.” Lawton wipes down the sink, then the counter, and then rinses the sponge. “Okay, I think we’re done with this project. What’s next on the list for us indentured servants?”
“You’re not an indentured servant,” I say. I’m not sure what else there is to do, but we’re here to help however the Kelleys need us. “Honestly, if you’re willing to give up the cleaning for a while, I feel like Dylan could use a break. Maybe you should take him out for a beer.”
“On duty here.” He points to the radio clipped to his jeans.
“So have a soda. Or do you want to work on dinner while I take Dylan to the bar?”
Lawton holds up his hands. “Got it. We’ll be at Church Bar.”
He heads for the stairs without looking back.
I look around the small bathroom, making sure we’ve cleaned every corner.
It actually sparkles—I thought that was a figure of speech, but it does. I tuck the cleaning supplies beneath the counter and wash my hands, feeling accomplished.
Allie’s voice filters through the hallway as I raise my hand to knock on Rory’s bedroom door. “So how’s the sex?”
“Allie!” Rory sounds mildly offended.
“What?”
“Oh, it’s just us girls. You can tell us. But if you want to keep it to yourself, that’s up to you, too.”
Good old Stacey. Always the voice of reason.
“O-kay. But don’t spread this around, okay? Nate and I are back together. We went on another date, maybe…two weeks ago? And we ended up at his place.”
“And?” Allie prompts.
I continue to stand by the door, waiting to hear Rory’s take on our afternoon.
“We, um. We…did it.”
“Yay!” Cheers erupt from someone. I assume Allie, although you never know. “A good weinering is good for your soul.”
“Um, it was not a weinering.” Rory sounds affronted.
Damn right, it wasn’t a weinering, whatever the fuck that is.
It was making love. We connected in a way I’ve never connected with anyone else.
“But yeah, he fucked me good,” Rory continues.
Okay, while I’m happy for the rave review of my performance, I’m not sure I want Allie and Stacey to be privy to all the details.
I clear my throat as I knock on the door. “You guys good in there?”
Someone gasps, and someone else giggles.
Rory pulls open the door. Her cheeks are flushed, eyes sparkling, and fuck, I’ve never seen something so beautiful. Her lips are begging to be kissed.
“We’re good,” she says. “Just, um, talking. We shouldn’t be laughing. I get it. Sorry.”
Nope, not going to let this one slide. Rory can get down on herself so easily, and she has no reason to. I’m going to put a stop to this right now.
I take a step closer to her, our bodies almost touching in the doorway, and gently grip her chin between my thumb and fingers.
“You can laugh, babe. You can cry. Whatever you need is totally valid. I’m here for all of it. We’re a team.”
And I mean it, every word.
But when I see the look in her eyes, I worry what will happen if that’s not enough.