Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mary didn’t want to go to work. She wanted to call in sick…or just quit. But she knew she’d need the unemployment payments to survive once she was laid off, and she wouldn’t get them if she quit. So she reluctantly got dressed and ready to leave.
She thought about what she wanted to do with her life. She’d thought about it a lot already, and finally decided that she wanted to help women like her. Women who had, or had survived, breast cancer. She didn’t know how, but that was what she wanted.
When she’d been sick, there had been a lot of offers from complete strangers to bring her food, sit with her while she was getting chemo, and even offers to pick her up to do errands.
She hadn’t really needed any help once Truck had insinuated himself into her life, but without him, she would’ve been in big trouble, and those offers of help would’ve been extremely important.
She wanted to do that. Wanted to help others. Tell them that she knew what they were going through because she’d been there, done that. Wanted to be a shoulder for people to cry on, to be the one they could let down the facade of strength with.
Mary still had no idea what her decision was going to be about the reconstruction of her breasts, but she didn’t need to decide right that minute. Even though she’d been mean, again, to Truck the night before, she’d taken his words to heart.
He loved her exactly how she was. She wasn’t looking forward to letting him see her naked, but she knew without a second’s doubt that he wouldn’t like her any less because she had no boobs.
If she decided to get the reconstruction, she’d do it for her. Not because she wanted to be prettier for Truck. Not because she wanted others to look at her and like what they saw.
Feeling better about that part of her breast cancer journey, Mary headed out of her apartment to her car. Still feeling guilty about the way she’d treated Truck the night before, she pulled out her phone. Before she chickened out, she sent him a text.
Mary: I’m sorry about last night. I was a bitch. Again. Want to have lunch today? Talk?
She got in the car and turned it on. She was about to pull out of her parking spot when her phone vibrated. Surprised that Truck had returned her text so quickly, she smiled as she read what he wrote.
Truck: Good morning, beautiful. Yes, I’d love to talk. There’s a lot we have to discuss.
Mary didn’t know what Truck meant, but at least he wasn’t ignoring her.
Mary: I’ve only got thirty minutes for lunch today.
Truck: I’ll bring you something, if that’s all right.
Mary: Perfect.
Truck: What time?
Mary: 11:30?
Truck: I’ll be there. Love you.
Mary stared down at the phone in her hand. She couldn’t believe he’d just typed that. Well, maybe she could.
Mary: Later.
Smiling, she put her phone away and headed for the bank in a much better mood than she’d been in five minutes ago.
For the first time in a really long time, she thought that things with Truck just might work out.
Of course, she had to tell him at some point that they were married, but that could wait.
Halfway through the morning, a woman came into the bank.
Mary only noticed her because she stood by the front doors for quite a while.
She looked like she was either going to get sick or pass out.
When there was a break in customers, Mary left her station behind the counter and walked up to the woman.
She was around Mary’s height, and had long brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt that said, “People. Not a fan.” It made Mary want to laugh, but the closer she got to the woman, the more she could tell something was wrong.
“Are you all right?” Mary asked quietly when she got close.
The woman jerked, as if she hadn’t seen Mary coming toward her at all. She blinked twice, her face pale. “I’m okay,” she said quietly.
“Do you need to sit down?” Mary asked, looking around. “I can grab a chair, it’s no problem.”
“I’m nervous,” the woman blurted. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wrapped her arms around herself and Mary could see that she was pinching the skin on both of her biceps. “I came to see you,” the woman said after a moment.
“Me?”
“My name is Macie Laughlin. Ford Laughlin is my brother. You’re married to him, right?”
Mary could only stare at her. This was Truck’s sister? But the longer she looked, the more she recognized the family resemblance. She had no idea where she’d come from or how she knew where Mary worked, or even who she was. But none of that mattered at the moment. “Oh my God, you’re really Macie?”
The other woman nodded.
Mary beamed. “He’s going to be so happy!”
It was Macie’s turn to stare. “He is?”
“Yes! He asked his commander to see if he could find out where you were, so he could talk to you. Catch up. He’s hated that he hasn’t talked to you in so long. He feels guilty about it.”
“It’s not his fault. It’s mine. I’m pretty sure it’s all my fault,” Macie whispered.
Mary shook her head, thrilled that she was face-to-face with Truck’s sister. “How did you find me? I need to call him!”
Macie shook her head frantically. “No! Don’t do that. I mean…I want to talk to him, but not today. It took everything I had to come talk to you. I couldn’t possibly meet him today.”
Mary took a long look at the woman in front of her.
Now that she was paying attention, she could tell that Macie was on the verge of having a panic attack.
Was very possibly having a panic attack.
She was breathing hard and squinting, a sure sign she had a headache or a migraine.
“Okay,” she said, trying to calm Macie down. “I won’t call him.”
“I live near here. In Lampasas. I know someone who’s good with computers, and he’s kept me up to date on Ford.
He’s a hacker, really. I know that’s illegal, but I’ve missed my brother so much and felt guilty for losing touch with him.
My friend found your marriage certificate online, and I decided that now was the time to try to make contact.
I know I shouldn’t have pried, but I love him.
He’s my big brother and I was such an idiot for so long. ”
Macie’s words were quick and rushed, as if she was trying to hurry up and get them out before her body refused to let her say anything at all.
“I…I moved to Texas about two years ago, and I’ve wanted to come see him ever since, but I didn’t think he’d want anything to do with me.
But after he got hurt…again…I decided I needed to suck it up and do it.
But I didn’t know if he remembered me or not, with his amnesia and all.
So I thought I’d come and talk to you and see if you thought he might be willing to hear me out. To let me apologize. So…here I am.”
“Macie,” Mary said gently, wanting to reach out and hug the other woman, but holding back, “your brother will be over the moon to be able to talk to you. I told you, he’s had his boss looking for you too.
He’ll be so happy to know you live close.
And to answer your question, yes, he remembers you. He’ll definitely want to talk to you.”
Macie relaxed a fraction, but she was still way too tense. “That’s good,” she finally said.
“It is,” Mary said with a smile. “Can I tell him you were here? Let me give you my number, so you can call and we’ll set something up, okay?” She had a hundred more questions, but it was more than obvious Truck’s sister was ready to bolt.
Macie nodded. “I’d like that.”
Mary turned and grabbed a business card off a nearby desk and scribbled her cell phone number on the back. She handed it to Macie. “Seriously, Truck has told me so many stories about you two. He loves you, Macie.”
“Truck?” she asked with a small frown.
“Sorry, Ford. Truck is his nickname…for obvious reasons.”
Macie smiled then. It was a small quirk of her lips, but Mary blinked at the transformation that came over her face.
The other woman was beautiful. She had too many worry lines and it was obvious that life had been hard on her, but Mary wanted to do everything she could to keep that smile on her face.
“If he’s Truck, I guess I’m Car,” Macie said with a smile.
Mary chuckled. “I’m thinking Truck fits your brother better than Car fits you.”
“No doubt. Thank you for talking to me,” Macie whispered.
“Truck’s coming here for lunch,” Mary told her. “If you wanted to stay, I’m sure—”
“I can’t,” Macie interrupted. “I’ll get in touch and we can work something out. Somewhere to meet. Just tell my brother I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Just tell him, okay?”
“I will,” Mary said quickly, seeing that Macie was getting agitated again.
And with that, the other woman nodded, ducked her head, and turned around and left the bank without a backward glance.
Mary wanted to immediately text Truck and tell him that she’d just met his sister, but she decided to wait and tell him in person. She couldn’t wait to give him the good news.
Truck pulled into the parking lot of the bank and closed his eyes.
His head was killing him. He really needed to call the doctor and let him know that he’d begun to remember more and more.
Mostly things that had to do with Mary, but even driving around town was starting to make him remember things suddenly.
Seeing the grocery store made him remember shopping there for something Mary might be able to keep down.
He’d driven by Fletch’s old house, and he’d had a flash of a memory of a wedding in the backyard—and taking down assholes who’d thought it would be cool to rob it.
Even seeing the JCPenney store at the mall made him abruptly remember that was where Kassie worked.
It was as if his mind was one of those old films that spun round and round on the reel. It had been stopped, but now it was slowly starting up again in fits and spurts. It was confusing and jarring, but oh so welcome.