7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Roxie
Main Street is everything I expect from the central hub of Bluebell Falls. Our first stop is to the very busy coffee shop, where our breakfast came from this morning.
“Good afternoon,” a very large gentleman behind the counter says with a smile.
“Hi!” I’m overly cheery; it happens every time I’m anxious around new people.
“What can I get ya?”
“Oh, um, I haven’t even looked. I’ll just…” I shift to the side, looking behind me as I pull Ivy gently toward me.
“Take your time. Have a seat, and Willow or I will come around and take your order. I’m Oakley, by the way.” He holds out his hand with a soft smile on his face. It’s welcoming, and I feel at ease immediately.
“Roxie, and this is Ivy. It’s nice to meet you. I had your breakfast and coffee this morning, and it was phenomenal.”
“Roxie?” The woman who was working on the other end of the counter pops up so fast, I didn’t even see her move.
“That’s me.” I chuckle awkwardly.
“You’re Lennox’s PT! I’m Willow, his sister. It’s great to meet you!” Her excitement fills the whole café.
“You too.” I won’t lie, I’m a little overwhelmed, although the warm welcome is surprising. Small town life is new for me and clearly not what I’m used to.
“Go ahead and grab a table; just flag us down when you’re ready to order,” Oakley jumps in, and I’m glad for the save. Willow looks like she’s two seconds away from asking about my entire life history, and that is not something anyone here will know.
Ivy takes Oakley at his word and skips to a table right in front of the windows facing Main Street. As much uncertainty as there is inside me at the moment, I’ve never seen Ivy adapt this quickly to a new town. She’s happy, and that makes everything worth it so far.
“Alright, Bug, what sounds good for lunch?” I sit down and peer up at the menu board. I see they also sell paninis on top of the delicious pastries from this morning, and I’m practically drooling. “They have grilled cheese,” I offer as I narrow down my own choices.
“Hmm, if I has the grilled cheese, can I have bessert?” Her tone is sweet, but her mischievous eyes tell me I won’t win this battle—not that I want to. Yesterday was a long-ass day, and if she wants a little dessert after lunch, she can have it.
“Hmm, I think I can handle that.”
“What was his name again?” she asks, pointing to Oakley.
“Oak-ley,” I annunciate.
“OAKLEEE!” She throws her hand up in a wave, and I duck my head to stop the laughter.
Oakley’s chuckle reaches my ears as I watch him squat next to Ivy. “Yes, Miss Ivy, what can I get for you?”
“Mommy said if I has a grilled cheese, I can has bessert. What do you have for bessert? Chocolick? ”
“Oh my gosh, Ivy, that is not how we ask,” I admonish.
“Can I please has a grilled cheese? And chocolick if you has it?”
“I can definitely make that happen for you, little lady. And for you?” He turns his attention to me with mirth in his eyes. Yeah, Ivy can wrap anyone around her finger, and it looks like Oakley’s already a lost cause.
“I’ll do the chicken pesto please, and two waters.” I reach to pull my wallet out of my purse when Oakley’s hand stops me.
“On the house. Consider it a ‘welcome to Bluebell Falls’ gift.” He pushes up off his knees with a small grunt, and Willow’s laughter sounds from behind the counter. “Shut it, Trouble,” he grumbles.
I look around at the few people in the café, and they’re all looking at Oakley and Willow with happiness on their faces before they turn their attention back to us with curiosity.
“So, what do you think so far, Ives?” I ask instead of focusing on the onlookers.
“It’s not like the other places we has lived. It’s small. I like it.” She grins as Willow delivers our water. “Thank you!” Ivy says.
“You are very welcome. Your sandwiches will be up shortly.”
I look around at our new home, and even though we’ve only been here a day, I think I could really love it here.
Now, I have to keep my job and hope my family doesn’t find me. And stay professional around Lennox.
Simple.
We’re finally heading back to Lennox’s cabin. After exchanging numbers with Oakley and Willow, with the promise I would call them if I needed anything, we went to the small market down the street from Grind Time and picked up things for spaghetti. The drive, along with meeting new people today, has worn me out, so I went with something low effort but no less delicious.
Walking up to the front door, I realize Lennox and I never talked about keys or anything past the rooms Ivy and I will have.
Unsure of how to handle this, I check the front door first and find it locked. It was a long shot anyway, so I start walking around the cabin to see if any windows or the back door are open. What I do know is that I don’t want Lennox to get up. He’s not that far out from surgery, and I’m not risking it. Any sudden tweaks or rushed actions with his leg can cause a lot of damage. If all else fails, I can call Ledger.
We round the corner of the cabin and come up to a window. I peek in and see it’s the kitchen window. I test it as much as I can with the screen in the way when Lennox pops up in front of me.
“Holy shit!” I step back with my hand on my heart, not even realizing I dropped all the groceries.
“See, I told you she curses all the time!” Ivy yells from her spot behind me as she starts picking up the dropped groceries.
I roll my eyes at being called out by my five-year-old while also being scared half to death with Lennox being at the window.
“What are you doing?” he says loudly so I can hear him as he opens the window.
“We didn’t talk about keys, or anything really, so I can’t get inside. I didn’t want to knock and make you stand up because of your leg, and yet here you are, standing.” The realization that he’s standing in the kitchen has my annoyance spiked. He’s pushing himself when I told him to do the exact opposite. “You’re supposed to be resting, not walking all over kingdom come and straining your leg more than it already is,” I scold him.
“I’m fine. I can let you in the front door,” he says, equally annoyed if his tone is anything to go by.
“No! Geez, what kind of PT would I be letting you do that?” I groan, trying to think of a solution.
“Okay, what if you send Ivy through the window? I’ll brace myself, and you can send her through without hurting my leg. She can go open the door for you.” He raises an eyebrow, irritation evident.
“No.” It’s reactionary.
“Okay, what better idea do you have?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
I chew on my lips, trying to think of any solution that isn’t sending Ivy through a window to a man who can barely stand on his own.
“I can do it, Mommy. It’s just like climbing at the park.” Ivy’s sweet voice sounds from behind me.
I tip my head back on a sigh. Logically, this is the easiest option. It’s not that high, and Ivy can easily slide down from the kitchen counter, but damn, it feels like a piss-poor representation of myself overall. I already feel like a mess of a human, and I’m trying so hard to be ultra professional since we’re living here. Clearly, I’m failing miserably.
“Okay.” I look back at him, conceding so we can move on and he can sit down.
He pushes on the screen between us, causing it to pop off. I grab it, setting it down before turning to Ivy .
“I’m going to pick you up, and you’re going to sit on the counter when you’re through the window, okay? Please do not stand,” I beg. She can be a daredevil, and with Lennox out of commission, I need her to curb her wild-child ways for five minutes, so no one gets injured more than they already are. “When you climb down, go to the front door and unlock it for me, please. I’ll fix the window and close everything up once I’m inside. Does that sound like a plan?” I ask her.
She nods, full of excitement. It doesn’t lessen my worry, though. The mischievousness in her eyes increases it tenfold.
I turn to Lennox. “I need you to be in a position that puts zero pressure on your leg but leaves your hands available to catch her if she falls. Please.” I have as much responsibility to him as I do my daughter right now, and drilling it into both of their heads is the only thing I can really do.
“Yes, Boss Lady.” The hint of a smirk graces his lips, and I’m momentarily distracted.
He really is so gorgeous, even with the overgrown facial hair.
“Okay, here we go,” I tell myself more than either of them.
As I hold my hands out for Ivy, she readily jumps up. Boosting her up to the window is easy thanks to her being tiny, and once she’s through and onto the counter, I lean forward as much as I can to make sure Lennox isn’t using his leg. He holds his hand out to her, but she spins onto her stomach and slides over the edge until her feet touch the ground.
“That was so much fun,” she breathes out. “I want to do it again.”
“No!” Lennox and I both shout at the same time. I meet his eyes with a smile, but he quickly looks away.
“I’m going to the door, Mommy!” Ivy yells, already halfway there .
“Thank you,” I tell him quietly. “I’ll handle clean-up. If you just stay there, I’ll help you to a chair or the couch before I start cooking.”
“I can make it there perfectly fine, Roxie.” His words hold no animosity despite his stubborn nature, and I’m grateful.
“Please, just stay there.” I bend down to grab the groceries, hurrying to the front door to meet Ivy. “Good job, Bug, you were the best helper,” I say as she holds the door open.
She smiles bright and shrugs. “Can I go play in my room until dinner?”
I have to grin at her attention span. “You can. I’ll call you when it’s ready, okay?”
She nods but is already bounding away, singing some made-up song about saving the prince by climbing through a window. Her version of events brings a smile to my face.
I walk to the kitchen and come to an abrupt stop when I see Lennox leaning awkwardly over the sink, trying to close the window.
“Nope. Not happening,” I chide as he grips the counter, shifting back.
“I was only trying to help. I was fine, I promise,” he tries to console what, I’m assuming, is my very pissed-off face.
“Nope. Learn now: when it comes to your leg, you listen to me. I need to know that you’ll actually hear me and do as I ask. I’m not trying to control you; I’m just trying to help you back to your healthy self as fast as possible. If you don’t listen and follow my directions, you hinder that progress.” I reach for his crutches and hand them to him. “Do you think you have enough strength to head to the couch on your own, or do you want me to assist you? ”
“I got it, Boss Lady. I promise to be a good little boy and follow all of your directions.” There’s that hint of a smirk again. He’s the furthest thing from a boy. He’s all man, and that’s becoming increasingly obvious by the minute. The strength in his arms as he grips the crutches has me momentarily preoccupied. He wears a long-sleeve shirt, but it’s tight around his biceps, making it very clear he has muscles underneath.
I watch him carefully as he moves to the couch. I tell myself it’s because I’m making sure he doesn’t mess up his leg, but, if I’m honest, his ass in those black joggers is distracting as hell as I watch his gait.
Slouching against the sink once he’s finally seated on the couch, I let the stress of the last fifteen minutes seep into my shoulders.
Lennox Hutton is a client.
Lennox Hutton has demons.
And I can’t afford to think I can fix anyone with demons. Not with Ivy in the mix.
If I repeat that to myself, maybe I’ll believe it and come out of this unscathed.