Maybe It's Fate, page 8
“My pleasure. I didn’t know what you liked and forgot to ask, so I brought cream and sugar out.”
“Black is perfect for me.”
After we sat there for a minute, drinking our coffee, I broke the silence. “Thank you for not benching Cutter. He was rather upset with me when I told him I’d spoken with you.”
“He would have to do something drastic to get benched. Not only is he one of my best players, but he’s also one of my leaders. The other players look up to him. Cutter understands the game. I depend on him a lot.”
I nodded, even though I didn’t understand any of it. All I knew was Cutter had yelled at me, telling me I had no right to tell his coach about his mom. There was no point in arguing with him. Cutter was going to be an angry teen for a very long time.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
What an open-ended question that was. I shook my head. “I don’t know whether I’m coming or going right now. Miri will start treatment next week, and then I guess I’ll figure it out from there.”
“Miri . . .” He paused after saying her nickname. “When we first met, she introduced herself as Miriam, and I’ve never heard of anyone calling her Miri. Not even her friends in town.”
“It’s my nickname for her. I had trouble saying her name when I was younger and have always called her Miri.”
“It suits her. She never mentioned that she had a sister.”
“We’re not related,” I told him. “We’ve been best friends since we were little.”
“Ah.” He nodded and took a sip of his coffee.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” I took the carrot off the tray and showed it to Weston. “Can Scout have this?”
He laughed. “I was wondering if that was for him but didn’t want to assume. Scout would love it.”
I called Scout over, and without me asking, he sat and held up his paw for me to shake. I held the vegetable out in front of him, and he took it gently from me. “He’s such a good boy.”
“That he is. I wasn’t looking for a dog until I met him. It was love at first sight.”
“Nova wants a dog,” I said for no other reason than to continue the conversation.
“Having one might help her cope with what’s going on.”
“Yeah, but everything’s so up in the air.”
“Can I ask what happens to the kids when . . .” Weston trailed off.
I sighed heavily and took a sip of my coffee. “I don’t know. Miri and I need to sit down and make a plan for them, her house . . . everything.” I wiped at my fallen tears. “She’s young. This shouldn’t be happening. Those kids are her life, and they need her. I need her.”
“I know I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
“Be there for Cutter,” I stated. “My dad and brother are in his life, but they don’t live here. He’s going to need someone close that he can confide in. Guide him.” I glanced at Weston, who met my gaze. His eyes were a warm brown and full of empathy, making me wonder if he’d gone through something like this. Had he lost someone he loved dearly? I continued to stare, which he didn’t seem to care about because he kept his eyes on me the entire time.
And then Brendan popped into my mind, as if I was doing something wrong. I turned away, heat rising to my cheeks, and I cleared my throat.
Weston did as well. “What do you do for work?”
“I find corporations that are on the brink of financial despair and offer to buy them out to save them from bankruptcy.”
“You’re a pirate.”
I looked at him sharply, and he shrugged. “Sorry, slip of the tongue.”
“No, it’s fine.” I didn’t have the energy to argue. “People either think I’m a savior or someone hell-bent on ruining others.”
“Which one are you?”
“It depends on the company.” I looked into my empty cup and sighed. “Sometimes companies need a complete overhaul. You can’t replace the CEO or CFO without replacing other members of management because their ideologies on business all align. If they failed once, they’ll fail again. In this aspect, I guess I am a pirate.”
I added, “But also, if you have a family company that’s struggling and I come in to help and they can get on board with the business plan, what’s the point in breaking them up?”
“So, you don’t go in and tear apart companies for shits and giggles?”
For whatever reason, his question made me laugh. “Definitely not. Honestly, I don’t remember the last time I laughed at work.”
Weston chuckled. “That’s a shame. I laugh all the time. It’s really the best way to lift your spirits.”
He had a point. “Do you like working with kids?”
He shrugged. “The alternative was to stay home all day and stare at the wall. I suppose there are times when I’d prefer the wall because it doesn’t talk back, but yeah, I love my job.”
“Have you always wanted to be a teacher?”
Weston laughed. “Nope, but getting my degree in physical education was the easier path in college, and it made for a nice retirement.”
Retirement?
“Wait, what?”
He chuckled again, and I found that I liked the sound of it. I wasn’t wrong when I’d said I didn’t laugh at work. No one did. Work was always so damn serious. We were always straight-faced, no nonsense. The idea of work filled me with dread. I hadn’t looked at my emails since I arrived, nor had I returned any of Brendan’s messages. He was angry with me, and rightly so; I dumped a lot on him, but he could handle it for a few days while I figured things out.
“Teaching and coaching is my retirement job,” Weston said.
“What did you do beforehand?”
Weston’s cheeks blushed. He looked at the yard and tried to hide the small smile spreading across his lips. I knew I was missing the punchline of whatever his career used to be.
“You honestly don’t know?”
I shook my head slowly.
He glanced my way, his smile still in place. For a moment I wondered if he was one of those male models who used to grace our TV with their underwear ads.
“In my other life, I was a professional baseball pitcher until I had a career-ending injury.”
“Wow.” I shook my head. “Sorry, Cutter never said a thing. I mean, I knew he liked his baseball coach, but I didn’t know you played professionally.”
“It’s not something I talk about, but yeah. I mean, it’s not a secret. Everyone in town knows, and during the annual summer parade, the town makes a big deal about it. And there are times when the league will ask me to do appearances and other things.” He shrugged as if what he used to do wasn’t a big deal.
“I don’t know shit about sports,” I told him. “I go to Cutter’s games when he’s playing near my home, but that’s about it.”
“Where’s home?”
“Boston.”
His face fell at the mention of the city I lived in, and I wanted to ask him why, but he masked his expression quickly by looking away. Before either of us could continue, the screen door opened, and Miri stepped out. She looked like her old self. Not sick. Not someone facing the biggest battle of her life. Scout ran up to her, and sure enough, she slipped him a dog treat and then crouched down to hug him.
As much as I wanted to watch her, absorb her energy, I found myself watching Weston instead. There was something about him that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. From our brief interactions I knew he was a good guy, and I liked that about him. Especially if Cutter was going to need someone to talk to.
Chapter 10
Weston
Miriam smiled softly at me after she finished petting Scout. He loved her. But he also loved anyone who would rub his belly and feed him snacks. She walked down the stairs and into her yard, tilting her head back. I never took my eyes off her, watching and wondering what she was doing.
The sun shone down, and Miriam sighed. “It’s a gorgeous day.”
We said nothing. It was a nice day, but not something I would’ve considered gorgeous. The sun was out and melting the snow, which would make the ground soft and the roads turn to mud. I supposed in the grand scheme of life, winter turning to spring could be considered gorgeous—if spring were coming in March, like in Boston. But here, spring could arrive in June, if Mother Nature didn’t take pity on the people of Grove Hill.
Miriam came back onto the porch. Antonia and I both stood, and Miriam chuckled. “Rolling out the red carpet for the dying.”
Antonia took a quick inhale, and I pondered how to reply. Do you say yes to something like this? Meet humor with humor or let the comment go by the wayside?
Miriam shook her head and eyed her friend. “If I can’t joke, then I’m not going to make it very long, am I?”
“You dying isn’t something I care to joke about.” Antonia stepped aside and directed Miriam to sit in the rocker. “Would you like coffee? Tea?”
“Tea would be fine.”
Antonia looked at me. “Can I get you anything else? A refill?”
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
She nodded softly and then disappeared into the house. I sat back down and looked at my dog, who sat expectantly next to Miriam. She slipped her hand into her pocket and handed him a treat. She patted Scout’s head and leaned down to kiss his nose.
“You’re such a good boy,” she said to him. “Do you think he knows?”
What a loaded question. I laughed and directed my answer to be about my dog being a good boy and not sensing Miriam was sick. “Yes, I tell him every day, and I believe Antonia told him as well. He’s going to get an inflated ego if we keep complimenting him.”
Miriam huffed. “Toni.”
“Toni?”
She nodded. “Her friends call her Toni.”
“I’m not sure we’re friends, at least not yet.”
“You will be,” she said as she continued to make lovey faces at my dog. “Aside from my kids and the staff at the hospital, you’re the only one that knows.”
I swallowed hard. Was this a burden? I didn’t think it was. “I did tell Jerome. He won’t say anything, but it was important for him to know as well, since he also teaches and coaches Cutter.”
“That’s fine. It’s only a matter of time before everyone will know.” Miriam sat back and began rocking. “My son is going to need you: someone to talk to.”
Her words tore at my heart. She was going to be in the fight of her life, and she was worried about her son. “He’ll have me,” I said and then cleared my throat. “Cutter will have the whole town to lean on.”
Miriam looked down at her hands, and I saw her lips move into a fine line. I knew I shouldn’t stare but couldn’t help it. I wondered if this moment would be one I recalled in the future. Maybe when Nova was older, in ten years . . . a thought struck me then: Would I even know her in ten years? Would they go live with Antonia in Boston? Or Miriam’s parents?
They were the missing piece in all of this. I’d never seen them at a game or heard Cutter ever mention them.
The screen door opened, and Antonia returned. She handed Miriam a teacup and set the saucer down on the tray, then wiggled a bottle of water at me.
“Thanks,” I said as I stood and took it from her. I motioned for her to sit in the rocker while I leaned against the pillar. We sat in awkward silence for a minute, and I considered leaving. I supposed it was one thing to sit and talk to either of them, but both made me feel like a third wheel. Not to mention, there was an obvious worry between them.
After chugging half the bottle, I righted myself. “I’m going to head to the hardware store, and then I’ll be back to fix the loose boards.”
Miriam met my gaze. “You don’t have to do that, Wes.”
“I know, but I want to.”
I nodded to them and then took my leave, calling for Scout to follow me. I half expected him to stay back and milk the two ladies for more snacks, but he sauntered behind me.
As I walked home, I thought about what I’d need from the hardware store besides wood and realized I should’ve inspected the porch better. For all I knew, the columns needed repairing, along with the roof, the screen door, and the wood trim. The house would also fare better if it had siding instead of clapboard.
You’re getting ahead of yourself. It wasn’t my house, and I didn’t have a vested interest in it. Nor had Miriam asked me to fix anything. Still, I wanted to. It was one less thing she or Antonia would need to worry about.
I opened the truck door, and Scout hopped in. He sat in the passenger seat and liked to stick his head out the window, which meant I had to keep the heat cranked this time of year, or I’d freeze.
He wagged his tail in excitement when we drove past Miriam’s, and he continued to watch her house until it was out of sight.
“Don’t worry, we’ll go back so you can get more treats.”
At the mention of treats, Scout’s ears perked up, but since I didn’t hand him anything, he went back to looking out the window, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
When we came to the first stoplight, someone called his name. He was like the town mayor, only everyone loved Scout. He would happily accept any pets if people were willing to stop and give him some.
Luck was on my side when the Rusty Nail hardware store came into view: I found a spot out front that didn’t require me to parallel park. Scout was allowed inside, but I left him in the truck since I wouldn’t be gone terribly long.
The door chimed as I walked in, and I followed the voices toward the register. Rusty, the owner and a friend of mine, waved when he saw me and went back to talking with the lady at the counter. I made my way to the back, where he kept his lumber, and began gathering the necessary pieces.
“Whatcha making?” Rusty asked moments later.
“Fixing the Vaughns’ porch,” I told him as I held a two-by-four out, checking to see if the piece of wood was warped.
“Ah, I’ve talked to Miriam about replacing the wood with Trex, but I’m not sure she can afford it.”
Trex decking was a high-performance material engineered to resist fading. It didn’t splinter and shouldn’t warp if installed correctly. It was also pricey upfront but would last at least twenty years, if not up to fifty.
The thought crossed my mind to buy a handful of boards and slowly replace each one, but I quickly dismissed it. “Enticing,” I said to Rusty and shook my head. “As is, she’ll be mad I’m even doing this much.”
“Ain’t that the truth. I swear every time she’s in here, she’s talking about some project she found on Pinterest. I never think to ask if she’s actually done any of the jobs she’s told me about.”
I laughed. Cutter had mentioned the same thing a time or two. “Yeah, I’m not sure. I’ve never been past the porch. I was over there this morning and noticed the boards needed to be replaced. I figured I could at least get that started for her, especially since it’s nice out.”
I wasn’t about to tell him what was going on with her or how she wouldn’t fight me on helping her out now. How sad was it that it took her dying to accept help? I shook my head and added another board to my flatbed cart.
Where I failed in this project was not measuring the deck beforehand or inspecting each piece of board. Right now, I had to guesstimate the size since, at some point, I’d decided to replace the entire front portion.
“You taking the whole thing down?” Rusty asked.
I shook my head. “I think it might be best if I go board by board. I hadn’t planned on replacing any joists or jacking the roof up. Might just piecemeal it for right now.”
He slapped me on the shoulder. “Holler if you need some equipment.”
“Will do.” After I finished loading the wood, I stopped by the nail section and picked out what I thought I’d need. It didn’t escape me that I was doing all of this in haste, and I knew why.
Antonia.
As much as I didn’t want to think about her, I was. Her standing there on the porch, with the sun shining down on her. She glowed and took my breath away.
If this had been any other morning, one not marred by the news of a friend and parent being terminally ill, I would’ve been thrilled about Scout running up to her. I’d be the first to admit I would totally use my dog to flirt with someone, especially if that someone was Antonia.
My heart may have skipped a beat or two when she invited me to stay for coffee. Sitting there and watching the day come to life was peaceful, despite the heaviness that surrounded her. I’d lost people in my life, but never like this. I’d never had to be someone’s caretaker.
I took my supplies to the counter, where Rusty stood chatting to another local. The name of the fellow escaped me, but we greeted each other like long-lost friends anyway. More people knew me than I did them because of my former career and my current one as a coach.
When I’d first moved to Grove Hill, I was treated like a celebrity. It didn’t matter where I went; someone was asking for my autograph or a picture. This lasted for about a year and now only happened when a tourist came to town and I just happened to show up where they were, or when I was asked to make an appearance. I didn’t mind any of the fanfare. It made me feel loved and appreciated.
Rusty rang up my purchase and helped me load everything into the back of my truck. After he’d showered Scout with some attention, he reminded me about our standing trivia game at the local pub. Rusty, Jerome, me, and whoever we could rope in as our fourth usually dominated trivia night. Rusty had a knack for knowing the most obscure things, while I tended to get most of the sports questions correct, and Jerome rocked geography. We made the best team.
I drove straight to Miriam’s. She and Antonia weren’t sitting in the rockers anymore when I pulled in. I sat there for a moment and imagined what it would be like to have someone sitting on my porch and waiting for me to come home again. I had that once with my high school sweetheart, turned wife, turned ex-wife. There had been a time when we couldn’t get enough of each other, and then I got hurt.
It wasn’t my injury that drove her away or the fact that I wanted to retire instead of being demoted from a starting pitcher to someone who came in to relieve the starter or the reliever. It was that we didn’t see eye to eye on life, on living in a small mountain town, or having children.
