Chapter Twenty-One
I woke up to several texts from Billy, none of which I wanted to look at. For some reason, not hearing from him for the first week of his trip didn’t bother me. But hearing from him only when he knew I was out with someone else did.
What did concern me was the email I got from Lucky’s parents.
They weren’t coming home.
They weren’t coming home?
I reread the email and couldn’t believe the words floating in front of me.
What did they mean they weren’t coming home? I groaned and fell back on the bed. This was crazy. Who goes on a three-month cruise and decides not to come home? I glanced at Lucky, who was sprawled out next to me on the bed, and petted his ear.
I scanned the email again, completely confused, and finally understood why they’d been ignoring me. They’d known this from the beginning.
I looked over at Lucky and couldn’t imagine how someone could leave their little fur baby so easily… and what did they expect me to do with him?
“Oh, Lucky.” I pulled him into me. “This is nuts.”
My mind was racing with what I was supposed to do. I reread the last sentence. They’d bought a place in Belize and a real estate agent would be coming by in two days to put this one up on the market. They’d already prepaid me so that wasn’t an issue, but what about Lucky? How could they just act like he didn’t exist? Why wouldn’t they bring him down there?
I stared at the ceiling and wondered what I was going to do. If I kept him, I couldn’t bring him to my pet sitting jobs. You don’t show up with a dog of your own to someone’s house, but I couldn’t bear to let him go.
Not to mention the fact that where I rent my room, my friend is deathly allergic to dogs.
I let out a groan just as I heard the front door open and shut, and my parents’ happy voices ringing through the house.
“You up yet?” my mom called up the stairs.
“I am, but you won’t believe what I just got from Lucky’s parents.”
My mom and dad made their way into the bedroom.
“What? Are they okay?” My mom asked, knowing I’d been concerned about not hearing from them. “They didn’t get kidnapped, did they?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, but they might as well have.”
My dad covered Lucky’s ears and I chuckled some more.
“They’re not coming back.” I scooted up in bed.
“You’re kidding. Who does that?” My mom was in as much disbelief as I was.
“Beats me. They bought a house in Belize and they aren’t coming back. Plain and simple. They aren’t sending for Lucky. They’re just done.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him. I can’t take him home and when I go on jobs, I can’t take him with me.”
My dad paced the room, staring out the window. “This is the most bizarre pet sitting job I’ve ever heard of.”
“Tell me about it,” I moaned. “The thing is that I absolutely love Lucky, and word on the street about him is that he has quite the reputation for being a scamp. He’d been brought back to the shelter three times. I can’t let there be a fourth.”
My father agreed. “No, you really can’t.”
“I think I’m going to have to find a different place to rent in between my jobs and then just take it one step at a time.” I sighed.
“I think that’s all you can do.” My mom nodded. “He’s too good of a boy to go back up for adoption. I can tell the way he looks at you that he really, really likes you.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I teased and my mom chuckled.
“Well, I’d be willing to bet I’m right both times.”
Billy’s text flashed into my mind, and I realized I should look at those too. I might as well top off my morning.
“Well, come on Lucky,” my dad said, patting his knees.
Lucky reluctantly crawled out of bed to follow my parents out of my room to let him potty. I couldn’t believe I needed to find a place to live with Lucky so quickly, broken leg and all.
I let out an exhausted sigh at the thought of it and grabbed my phone. I scrolled through Billy’s texts, and my heartache grew into complete perplexity. I was never very good at being a bitch and that text last night kind of qualified, but he didn’t come back at me with any attitude. Instead, his messages made me like him even more.
Text one
I deserve it
Text two
I shouldn’t have waited until I heard you were out with someone to reach out to you. That was a prick move on my part.
I doubted Billy could ever be a prick, but it did touch a sore spot.
Text three
The truth is I miss you. This isn’t nearly as fun as I thought it would be.
Text Four
But I have a lot of things I still need to tell you. It’s the only fair thing to do.
And Text Number Five
I don’t blame you if you never want to see me again. Just say the word, and I’ll follow our initial plan.
My heart was caught in my throat. What was he saying? Did he want to try something real? Did he want to come back? Or was this going to lead back around to the same problems.
I thought about what I wanted to say very carefully. I liked him. There wasn’t a hesitant thought rattling around in my mind when it came to him. He made me laugh. He was thoughtful. He was extremely loyal. He loved dogs. My parents liked him. He was hot as hell, and I couldn’t ever get him out of my head.
And the biggest plus was that his name wasn’t Stewart. A shudder ran down my spine, and I laughed at that awful turn of events.
Okay, I could do this. I didn’t want to say much in text. I wanted to tell him in person, but I was dying to let him know about Lucky’s parents.
I heard my dad outside my window playing with Lucky and my heart warmed. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have my parents, and the thought of having to deal with what Billy did growing up was literally unimaginable to me. I didn’t quite see why that would make him so hesitant with commitment, but I was sure there was more I didn’t know or maybe because I’d never been through it, I just wouldn’t know.
I looked at my blank screen and decided to go for it. My mom was right. Why let a silly road trip come between two people who might actually have a bond?
Sorry for being bitchy. It’s not usually my style. But I was hurt. Not that I think that’s an excuse, but I really like you. I tried not to, but it just doesn’t seem to work that way. Anyway, whenever you’re next in town, I’d love to get together for coffee or something, and maybe, we can start over.
I hit send and waited.
And waited.
When I got tired of waiting, I grabbed my crutches and very carefully made my way down the stairs, step by step. Lucky and my dad came inside as I’d hit the bottom to see my mom bringing me a giant cup of steaming coffee.
“I have to say Stacy never brought me coffee in the morning,” I teased.
“Well, I’m your mother.” She grinned and I took a sip. She’d even remembered a splash of nonfat milk.
“Thanks, mom.”
She took the cup back while I made it to the recliner and set it beside me as I got situated.
“Your dad and I were discussing things and since you won’t be needing to stay here, you can always come home with us for the next couple of months. Lucky can roam the house and you’ll always have people to help out.”
My parents were so sweet.
“Well, I only have a few more weeks before I get a walking cast and then dealing with Lucky should be easy breezy.” I heard a rumble outside and craned my neck to see out the window, but didn’t see anything.
“Then come for a few weeks,” my mom offered.
I nodded, noticing the rumble was only getting louder.
“I might take you up on that offer.” I grinned and Lucky circled in front of the fireplace and plopped down. “I can’t believe his parents would do that.”
“They aren’t parents. They’re owners at that point and bad ones.” My dad shook his head.
“Do you guys hear that?” I asked.
“Sounds like a truck or something,” my mom said, glancing over her shoulder.
“Or one of those big RVs,” my dad said a little too casually.
“What do you mean?” I narrowed my eyes on my dad. He wasn’t great at hiding things and this time was no different.
“Well, you just asked what the noise could be and we’re throwing out options.” He smiled wryly and my mom chuckled.
“It’s not a particular RV, is it?” I asked, staring down at my old grey pajama bottoms and top.
“Beats me.” My dad’s eyes glinted with mischief and I quickly reached for my crutches.
“What have you been up to?” I muttered, pushing myself off the chair.
“I just thought a little outside influence couldn’t hurt,” my dad confessed.
As I stood up, I saw a monstrous RV pulling in front of the house. Lucky sprang up from his comfortable spot in front of the fireplace and ran to the door while I followed.
With each step closer to the front door, my heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn’t believe that Billy had come back. I flung open the door and wobbled my way down the steps and driveway just as Billy and Lady opened the side door.
He looked like hell but still sinfully sexy as he slowly walked down the steps that magically appeared.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
He slowly walked over to me as Lucky circled around him and Lady.
“You said when I was next in town, we could have coffee. Well, I’m here.” He smiled and put Lady on the ground next to Lucky.
“Yes, you are,” I said, looking at him through my lashes, feeling every single emotion I’d been trying to push aside for weeks come flooding through me all at once.
“And I could really use some coffee. I drove all night to get here.” He circled his arms around my waist and slowly brought me into him.
“You kind of look like that’s what happened,” I teased.
“I love hearing your voice in the morning,” he murmured, bringing his lips down to mine.
My entire body melted into the strength of his. Billy’s kisses started slow and steady, but within seconds we both wanted more, but I wasn’t going to jump right in. Not until we had our talk. He slowly broke his lips from mine, his eyes locked on mine.
“So I heard you and Lucky are kind of homeless right now.” He glanced at Lucky and Lady who had curled up on the front steps.
“It seems that way.” I looped my arm around his neck. “Word really has a way of traveling around this island.”
He laughed and nodded. “Especially when your father’s on it.”
“Tell me this.” I glanced over his shoulder to see my parents watching us. “You’ve talked to my parents off and on since I’ve broken my leg, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Was that all you talked about?”
“Not always.” He smiled. “But there are some things I want to talk to you about.”
“I’d like that.” I nodded, hoping that this was only the beginning, not the end.
“Shall we?” He nodded toward the RV.
“Only talking, right?”
He laughed and called Lady and Lucky over. “Our insurance policy.”
They both climbed up into the motor coach, and I followed behind with Billy helping me gingerly up the steps. When I got inside, I was speechless. This RV was fancier than ninety-five percent of the homes I’d ever been in and it wasn’t even expanded. I couldn’t imagine how luxurious it was once he flipped a button and the sides popped out.
I carefully set my crutches next to the door and hopped to the first available chair. I just didn’t expect it to spin around like it did.
“Whoa.” I laughed as Billy helped it come to a stop. Lucky and Lady curled in a giant ball in front of the couch that looked like it would become an expanded sectional.
Billy took a seat in the chair next to mine.
“I know I kind of laid some stuff out there about my parents and then took off without much of an explanation.” He reached out for my hand.
“I was honored that you told us about your parents.” I shook my head and pressed my lips together. “I can’t even imagine what that was like growing up.”
“Seeing how happy your family is really cements that it wasn’t me or my brother. We’d grown up in a messed-up situation and it wasn’t our fault.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“But what I began to tell you about feeling guilty about not saving my parents...” He drew a breath in and my heart rate steadily climbed. “They weren’t the only people I loved who I felt like I let down.”
“You didn’t let them down. They let you down.” I squeezed his hand. “Their addiction isn’t your fault.”
He let out a long breath. “I know, but in the moment you go over everything and play out what could have been done differently.”
“I can understand that.”
His grip tightened.
“Like I told you the other night, I blamed myself for being too preoccupied with my own life to notice what was going on with theirs…” He sucked his bottom lip as if he was debating whether or not to go on.
“You can tell me.” I didn’t even realize I’d been holding my breath.
“In culinary school, I’d met a girl. She was the light I always went to after my parents’ death.”
My heart stammered. I didn’t know where this was going, but I saw the deep pain filter through his gaze.
“She was so full of life.” He nodded. “Really perceptive, sensitive, and kind. As I got busier with my classes and began interning in some of the top restaurants in Portland, I missed signs I should have seen.”
“Like what?” I was afraid to hear what he was about to say.
“It’s like I get so involved in whatever I’m doing whether it’s school or building my restaurant or now all the franchises.” He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a slow breath. “I was in school during the day and not getting home until after one or two in the morning. She was working in kitchens too.” He smiled and his eyes connected with mine. I saw dampness along his lashes.
“If it’s too hard…”
“I have to tell you.”
I nodded and sat quietly, his pain wrapping around me as I waited.
“The chef scene for up-and-coming chefs can be one big party scene. After finishing their shifts, some chefs get into the habit of going and drinking or whatever else until the morning comes. She’d fallen into a bad crowd, and I didn’t even know it. I was too busy trying to prove myself to people who didn’t matter.” He shook his head and his eyes darkened. “She started using opiates. She hid it from me, but it probably wasn’t that hard to do considering how distracted I was.”
“Was that what your parents overdosed on?”
He nodded. “They started with pills and went to heroin. She did the same thing.”
“What was her name?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“Sabrina.” The name brought a smile to his lips and my heart hurt for this man.
“It wasn’t your fault she died.”
His shoulder slumped. “It taught me that I get too wrapped up in things.”
“But having passion for something is good. You can’t blame yourself because they made choices that were different than yours. You could have followed the same path, but instead of partying with everyone, you worked harder.”
“I might have partied a little.” A twinge of a smile scampered across his lips.
“So because you’re in the middle of this franchise deal, you didn’t want to get involved again.”
“I feel like I’m not cut out for relationships of any kind.” He cleared his throat. “Or at least I felt that way until I met you.”
I looked over at Lady. “It looks like she’s doing fine.”
He laughed. “She’s a fighter.”
I moved my hand to his knee.
“So, did what I tell you scare you off?”
“Why would it, Billy? It just makes me that much more fond of you. I knew there was a reason you never called any of those numbers you collected.”
“I might have called one or two.”
I stuck my fingers in my ears. “Don’t need to hear it.” I laughed.
“But I knew with them, there would never be anything more. I knew with you it was different. I wouldn’t want to lose you because I didn’t pay attention to you.”
I stood and hopped my way to his lap, looping my arm around his neck.
“You should know by now, there’s no ignoring me. I’m demanding and so is Lucky.”
“Demanding I can handle.” He smiled. “In fact, I think it’s what I need.”