Читать книгу A Promise Remembered - Elizabeth Mowers - Страница 12
ОглавлениеSITTING ON HER porch steps, Annie wrapped her arms around herself. Summer evenings like this one reminded her of her youth, riding her bicycle around the neighborhood and down to the lake. She hadn’t had a care in the world back then except a scolding and a cold dinner if she didn’t get home before dark.
But as she admired James tenderly coaxing a caterpillar onto his hand, she regretted that he had bigger problems at the tender age of six than she had ever had.
“Look, Betsy,” he said, carefully crouching closer to his sister, his eyes fixated on his prize. “He was on the flowers.”
“Can I hold him?” she said, examining his discovery. “We can build him a little house or bed out of these sticks.”
Annie knew they could be a happy little family if they could just get away, but the informal arrangement with Sean kept her from pressing her luck. He was content to let her have sole custody of James and she didn’t want to jeopardize that. Besides, it would be difficult to leave good friends. They were the closest thing to family she and the children had.
Although she had just glanced at the clock on her phone, she obsessively checked it again. Each minute dragged them that much closer to Sean’s arrival. His visits were better than sharing a home, but their arrangement was far from great for her and the children.
She closed her eyes briefly when she heard Sean’s BMW roll up the street. He swung wide into the driveway and sat for a minute, letting the car idle while issuing orders at someone on the other end of his cell phone. Annie was not in the mood to draw out their exchange any longer than necessary, but each second he spent on the phone was one less second he had with James.
The children, having spotted Sean’s car racing from down the block, had fled behind the shrubs along the side of the house. The tips of their visible sneakers the only giveaway of their position.
“The movie starts in a few minutes. Where is he?” Sean asked, finally emerging from the car.
“James!” Annie called. “Your father is waiting!”
Sean sneered. “Is he hiding again?”
“He doesn’t want to go,” Betsy said, stepping out from behind the shrubs, a hand propped on each hip. “He doesn’t feel good.”
“Ugh, come on! I don’t have time for this.” Sean clipped his phone to his hip and charged toward the bushes.
“Wait, Sean,” Annie said, jogging to intercept him. “Give me a second first.” Hurrying past him and around the shrubs, she knelt in front of James. His big gray eyes peered up at her, pleading to be left alone. Annie’s heart sank as she stroked a wisp of hair off his face and summoned the most pleasant voice she could muster. “Your father is going to take you to a movie, and then he’ll bring you straight home.”
“I don’t wanna go.”
“He’ll probably buy you a popcorn,” Annie reminded him, but James shook his head. “I know you want to stay here, kiddo, but your dad really wants to spend time with you. You’ll be home before you know it. We’ll stay up later than usual tonight, so we can squeeze in a few books before bed, okay?”
Betsy wrapped him in a hug and placed a white pebble in his hand.
“Here, James. This lucky stone will make you brave.”
“Don’t you want candy?” Sean yelled impatiently from the driveway.
Annie gently took James’s small hand and led him out from behind the bush.
“Are you hungry?” Sean asked, grasping James. The little boy attempted to slink away from his father’s firm grasp. “Well, are ya or aren’t ya?” Sean demanded.
“He just ate dinner, but perhaps a treat at the movie would be nice,” Annie said, kneeling to hug James and kiss him sweetly on the ear. It was all she could do to refrain from scooping him up in her arms, running into the house and locking the door behind her.
“We’re going to have to fly to make it there on time. Those dinosaurs start fighting in ten minutes.”
“Wait,” Annie said as James buckled himself into the back seat. “I thought you were going to see a cartoon.”
“Cartoons are for wussies, right, kid?”
“Nothing scary, Sean. He’s only six.”
Sean gave Annie the once-over. “Maybe I should take you out instead, huh? I kind of regret letting you get away when you still look like that.”
“Stop it, Sean,” Annie warned, clutching Betsy against her side. Sean squinted down at the little girl.
“You can’t go ’cause you’re not invited,” he taunted in singsong. Betsy scowled up at him, her fierceness impressive for a girl her age. “Nice attitude you have there, princess. You’re taking after your mother in that department, I’m sorry to see.” He strolled back to the car, flipping sunglasses down onto his face. “Rude little brats like you don’t get popcorn and candy.”
“I wouldn’t want to go even if he invited me,” Betsy told her. “But I’d go to be with James.”
“I know, baby,” Annie replied, squeezing Betsy without tearing her eyes from the top of James’s head slunk in the back seat.
Sean would never physically endanger James, but she knew how easily a mean-spirited man could wound a tender little heart.
* * *
WILLIAM PERKED UP at the sound of voices. Because the diner closed early on Friday nights, he thought he’d have the place to himself to scavenge the fridge after spending the afternoon working on Old Red. Poking his head through the swinging doors, he discovered Annie and a pint-size replica in the dining room.
Annie’s head shot up as he drifted toward their table. He knew he was a sight, still covered in motor oil and grime, but Annie’s frown appeared more intense than usual as she crossed her arms over her chest and glowered. The little girl sitting across from her shoveled a large forkful of chocolate cake into her mouth and stuck her hand out when William introduced himself. He instantly decided he liked Betsy, chocolatey grin and all.
“What are you doing here tonight?” he asked, sliding into the booth next to Betsy as Annie had made no effort to accommodate him.
“Why?” Annie asked suspiciously.
“I didn’t expect to see you here. The place is closed, and I didn’t know you had a key.”
“Of course I have a key,” she said. “Who do you think has been opening and closing around here for the past few years?” William leaned back defensively. He knew his reaction registered when Annie paused, took a deep breath and started again. “We had a craving for cake.”
“We needed to get out of the house for a little while,” Betsy clarified, grinning up at him.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. Annie nodded before pressing a glass of milk to her lips and taking a sip, but she was far from convincing.
“Mom says we need to drown our sorrows in chocolate cake.”
“Cake is good for that,” he said without breaking his gaze from Annie. Something big was weighing on her, and although he knew he wasn’t her favorite person, he felt inclined to help.
“For my birthday I want a giant pink cake with hearts all over it. What’s your favorite kind of cake, William?” Betsy scooted onto her knees to peer up at him. Her chocolatey breath and puppy-dog eyes were so endearing, and so innocently invading his personal space, William couldn’t help but grin before answering.
“Chocolate, I suppose.”
“With icing?”
“Yes.”
“And sprinkles?”
“Sure.”
“And candy?”
“Betsy...” Annie said, her voice low and strained. Betsy sat back on her heels and eyed her mother for any indication she was in trouble. When Annie winked at her, she immediately relaxed and returned to her chocolate cake. “If you’ll excuse me a minute, William,” Annie said.
William nodded as Annie quickly slid out of the booth, her eyes already reddened with tears. She ducked into the ladies’ restroom, and he turned his attention to his chatty companion. She was a lively child. The joy she drew from a single slice of chocolate cake, her eyes goggling with excitement with each sugary lick, made him hard-pressed to recall the last time he had enjoyed one of life’s simple pleasures with such gusto.
“Betsy, how are you doing?”
She considered this. “Happy and sad,” she said.
“Why?”
“Happy I get to eat cake, but sad James isn’t here.”
“Is James your brother?”
She nodded solemnly. “We get sad when James has to go with his dad.”
“Oh.”
“We want him to stay with us all the time.”
“How old is James?”
“He’s six, and I’m eight.”
“So you’re the big sister, huh?”
Betsy beamed with pride. “I protect him when mom argues with Sean. She says I’m going to be a good mommy one day.”
“I’ll bet you will be.” The stress in Annie’s home became clear. Sending your child off with the likes of Sean Butler would put anyone in a bad mood. “What’s up, kid?” he asked as Betsy had hesitated. She had all but finished a couple bites of cake.
“Maybe mom wants the last of it,” she said, hovering her fork over the shared plate.
“Nah. I think you should finish it off, and we’ll get her a fresh piece.”
Betsy’s eyes brightened with delight. “Good idea, William!”
William stood and lingered near the table, waiting for the little girl to lick the plate clean.
“We’re getting you a fresh slice,” he told Annie, who’d marched out of the bathroom.
“No, thank you,” she replied, motioning for Betsy to join her. The little girl hustled out of the booth to stand beside her mother.
“Okay,” William redirected. “How about a drive down to the lake, then? I thought I’d cruise around the peninsula if you’d like to join me.”
Annie vigorously shook her head and put her hand on Betsy’s shoulder to silence the little girl’s enthusiastic squeal of approval.
“We have to get back.”
“But mom, couldn’t we, please?” Her mother shot her a stern look as a final warning.
“Another time.” William winked at Betsy, escorting them to the entrance. As he exited ahead of them and held open the door, he could feel Annie hesitate.
“Thank you,” she said, briskly scooting by him.
“Thank you,” Betsy echoed cheerfully.
“Annie,” William called. She turned as Betsy bounded ahead of her to the car. “Is there anything I can do for you? For the both of you?”
Annie seemed to scrutinize his words.
“Why?”
“You seem like you’ve got the world on your shoulders.”
Her face fell. She studied him for a few moments, her wide brown eyes drawing him further in with each slow blink. She was guarded from what he assumed was a direct result of years spent with Sean. And while he knew he shouldn’t care, seeing her again made him feel like a hint of the man he’d been in high school. A man he had long forgotten.
As he moved closer, she shook her head and turned to her car. Her quick dismissal reminded him that a lot of time had passed and that she’d most likely forgotten the man he once was, too. Still, before he left Chinoodin Falls, he’d need some assurance that she was going to be okay.
* * *
ANNIE JOGGED THROUGH the back door of the diner and snatched her apron just as Mia, a fellow waitress with a spirited disposition, handed her a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, M,” she breathed between gulps. “I feel like I’m always running from one thing to the next.”
“How’s the little guy?” Mia asked, her clumpy mascara-coated lashes batting with concern.
“I can’t tell if he really has a tummy ache or if it’s anxiety.”
“Girl, your ex-husband gives me a tummy ache. I covered your tables.”
Annie softened in appreciation as she caught her breath. She’d taken James to the doctor for the first appointment of the day before dropping him at school. His temperature was a little above normal, but the doctor believed he was fine. It was nearly summer, and not wanting him to miss end-of-the-year festivities, she’d said goodbye to him with an extra hug and kiss.
She and Sean had argued the night before, as per usual, and she knew James internalized it. He had zero control in a stressful relationship with his father, so a sudden tummy ache probably had more to do with his emotional health than physical. She couldn’t blame him. She felt like she couldn’t fix things either, and she was an adult.
“How’s my favorite lady?” Miles called from the kitchen.
“I can hear you, you know!” Mia said, her bottom lip turning down in a pout.
“Mia,” Miles said, poking his head around the corner. “You know I have nothing but love for you, but my heart will always belong to Annie. What can I make you?”
“I’ll stick with coffee.”
Mia pointed at Annie’s waist. “You need some sustenance, A. Miles, scramble her some eggs.”
“Coming right up!”
Annie scrunched up her face. “I can’t eat right now, Mia.”
“You have to eat something good. I can’t have you skinnier than me on my wedding day.”
“What I need is to drop two hundred pounds of ex-husband.”
“Maybe he’ll get amnesia.”
Annie laughed. “A girl can dream,” she said, but her face fell once she spotted William sitting at the end of the counter. She had mulled over his comment from the other night, trying to decipher what it meant. Is there anything I can do for you? He’d had some nerve telling her he loved her, running out on her without any explanation and then showing up more than a decade later as if she hadn’t meant anything to him in the first place. Now he wanted to know if there was anything he could do for her? He was too late.
She greeted the Old Timers, a name she’d coined for a group of retired men who were her favorite regular customers. All born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, their friendly banter was as charming as their thick, Fargo-sounding accents. Heavily reminiscent of the Finnish and German influence on the area, some native speakers sounded like they were conversing in another language once they really got going. But Annie had lived in the Upper Peninsula since she was a child, so deciphering was old hat.
“Dare she is!” Joe declared, slapping the table. “How ya doin’ now, Annie?” With his sparkling blue eyes and puffy red nose, he could have walked straight out of a quaint, small-town pub.
Danny winked at her, fluffy white eyebrows fluttering above large, thick glasses. “Mia had to bring us our coffee, and she don’t pour it right, dontcha know.”
Annie smiled and pulled out her order pad. “Are you eating this morning or just shooting the breeze and holding my tables hostage?”
Joe pointed a calloused finger at her. “Now don’t start! I need a refill on my coffee first.”
Annie tapped her pen on the table in feigned anger. “I’m never gonna retire if you only order coffee, Joe.”
He took a sip and peered at her over the top of his cup. “But it’s such good coffee.”
“I brew it myself.” She winked before turning to the others. “How about you, Earl? Do you want the Early Riser breakfast, like usual?”
Earl flipped the corner of his newspaper down to contemplate her suggestion. He’d ordered the same breakfast every day for three years. He purchased The Chinoodin Chronicle newspaper and read it cover to cover at the table every morning. And even if the temperature reached eighty degrees, he’d worn the same red Kromer hat with fleece-lined flannel and earflaps. His eyes darted around the room before he flipped the corner of his paper back up, shielding his face. “Yah,” he answered in his usual gruff way.
The Old Timers had been coming into the diner occasionally long before Annie had started working there. But when Dennis passed away and Annie began full-time, as Karrin told it, the Old Timers quickly took notice. They had begun arriving every morning since like clockwork.
Annie hustled to grab the coffeepot, aware that William’s eyes were following her.
“Good morning, Annie,” he said, his voice soft and easy like a swaying oak. She nodded curtly before returning to the Old Timers. The ones without coffee flipped over their cups, but kept right on talking about the newcomer.
“What’s his story?” Joe asked. Annie caught William’s eye. His look deepened from over the top of his coffee mug, making her nerves tingle.
“I couldn’t tell you,” she said, turning back to Joe. “He’s Joyce’s son.”
“Is he single?”
“Why, Joe? Are you interested?”
“You’re really in a mood today, ain’t ya, Annie?” Joe said. “He’s a good-lookin’ kid is all.”
“Kid? He’s my age.” She scoffed.
“You’re still a kid, you know.”
“Joe, I haven’t been a kid in ages.”
“Bah, I’d snap you up if I were forty years younger.”
Danny piped up. “If only I were thirty years younger, Annie. Do you like older men?”
She huffed. “Men are more trouble than they’re worth.”
“I take offense to that,” Joe added playfully.
“You would!” Annie didn’t feel young enough to even consider dating again. She had had her fair share of worries over recent years to zap her youthful glow and energy for any kind of social life. Maybe someday, when she was older and wiser, she’d meet someone sweet like Danny or Joe. They were good guys, although she’d had three years of daily interaction to vet them.
“So, like I said,” Joe continued. “He’s a good-lookin’ kid, Annie.”
“He’s not my type.”
Danny howled. “Ya? You go for the ugly fellows, eh?”
She grinned. “Really ugly is more like it.”
William was still handsome, though she’d never admit it to anyone other than herself. He’d traded his boyish looks for the mature face of a man. His voice had deepened to a husky bravado, except for the other night, when it had drawn her in with its warm gentleness. But it was his gaze that sent her heart skipping. Those eyes had remained unchanged. They’d studied her the other night in the parking lot, admired her with such a fierceness, her knees had nearly buckled. She’d forgotten what it felt like to have a man see her, truly see her, and want to know her. She’d had no choice but to hurry off. It took every ounce of her being to glue herself together every day and get by for the sake of her children. But the way he had looked at her that night and the way his eyes followed her now...
Annie took down an order for another pair of customers before whisking behind the counter to fill two sodas. She angled her chin, aware William had been waiting for her to make eye contact.
“How’s Betsy?” he asked.
“Fine.”
“She’s a great kid. You should be really proud.”
“I am.”
William searched her face. “I got a kick out of talking to her. She’s spunky.”
“Spunky?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“She is. She reminds me of you when we were in high school.”
Annie paused, waiting for more explanation. “Is that how you remember me, William? Spunky?”
“I remember a lot, actually,” William said, stifling a grin as he sipped his coffee.
“Well, I don’t.” She turned for the kitchen. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was flirting with her. She slapped the bell at the pass-through window and rattled off an order for Miles.
“Cluck and grunt and a dry stack! Times two!”
Mia bustled in behind her. “Scrape two, burn the British, Miles!” Miles nodded, cracking eggs in a fury. “Karrin and I are going out tonight if you want to join, Annie?”
“Thanks, sweetie, but I can’t.”
“You need some fun, girl. I know you’ve got your troubles, but if you don’t blow off a little steam, you’re gonna lose it.”
“I can’t afford to lose it, Mia. I have Betsy and James to think about.”
“I know, I know. You’re a good mama, but an hour of gossiping can’t hurt.”
Annie knew she was right, but when she got off work all she wanted to do was get home to James and Betsy. Perhaps she just wasn’t as spunky as she used to be.
As she faced the dining room, she noticed Joyce and realized she wasn’t the only one who’d spotted her boss.
“Mornin’, Joyce,” Earl said gruffly, tucking away his newspaper and tipping his Kromer hat. Joyce fluttered her fingers in a delicate wave. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Earl asked.
“Yes, it certainly is. How’s your coffee today, Earl?”
“Very good, very good,” he said as Danny and Joe nodded in agreement. “Yous have the best coffee in town, Joyce.”
“Do we now?”
“Didn’t ya know that, Joyce?”
Her peachy cheeks rounded with amusement. “Yes, Earl, you tell me all the time.”
After seating new customers, Annie slipped behind the counter to collect the coffeepot and William’s sour disapproval.
“Who’s that?” William said, motioning with a thumb toward Earl.
“He’s been coming in for a while.”
“All of them?”
“Yep.”
“Anything to do with my mom?”
“Probably. She’s a good-looking woman, you know.”
“Annie, that’s my mom you’re talking about.” William eyed Earl.
“So?”
“She’s too old to flirt like that.”
“She’s talking to her friends.”
“Hmm? I’m not sure that’s...”
Annie scowled. “You’re impossible. What are you doing here anyway?”
William leaned back on his stool. “Aren’t I allowed to visit my mom?”
“It’s been twelve years, so yeah, I’d say she was due a visit.”
“What’s the matter with you, Annie? You’ve been on my case since I showed up.”
Annie grumbled something under her breath as she reached for the coffeepot. William jostled his cup on the counter toward her with a playful tinkering.
“I’ll take a refill while you’ve got it.”
She paused in front of him as his eyes scanned hers.
“You’re not in my section,” she said before strutting away.
* * *
WILLIAM STEPPED OUT onto the curb in front of Pop’s Place and raised his arms above his head in a deep stretch. As he released a breath, he imagined what life would be like locked away from the simple pleasures nature had to offer: the late-morning sun warming his face, the cool lake air filling his lungs, a tasty sausage casserole expanding his gut. He knew the lumberjack special wasn’t one of nature’s finest breakfast offerings, but it satisfied him all the same.
The forecast called for sunny, mild days ahead, which was perfect weather for the first leg of a long road trip. If he wanted to be gone by then, he needed to get the bike running by the end of the day and tell his mother he was leaving.
As he was about to cross the street, he noticed a little boy sitting alone on a bench alongside Pop’s Place. A sweet, timid-looking child with sandy-brown hair and gray eyes slumped his shoulders heavily as he stared at dangling feet. William scanned the area, but without an adult in sight, he strolled over to the little guy and eased down beside him.
“Hey, buddy. Are you okay?”
The little boy hugged himself tightly and shook his head in a resounding no.
“Are you waiting for someone?”
“I got sick in the car.”
“Where’s your mom?”
“Inside.”
“Do you want me to take you in there?”
The little boy nodded, still clutching his side.
“What’s wrong with your stomach?”
“It hurts really bad,” he peeped.
William gently held his hand to the little boy’s side. “Right here?” he asked, inspecting the boy intently. Just as the child’s face screwed up in a hearty cry, William scooped the boy up into the crook of his arm and carried him into Pop’s Place.
He knew it was generally a bad idea to have a stranger pick up a child, but leaving the boy seemed like a worse idea. William searched the diner for any woman fitting the mother description. As it turned out, he didn’t have to search for long.
“James!” Annie called, racing from around the counter. She stroked James’s hair back from his face with frantic concern. “How on earth did you get here?”
“I found him outside,” William explained. “I think he has appendicitis, Annie. We need to get him to the hospital immediately.”
“Does it hurt, sweetie? This is all my fault.” Her voice trembled as she gingerly put her hands on James. “I didn’t think he was really that sick.”
“James!” a voice boomed. Sean was on the threshold, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled to his elbows, tie loosened around his neck. “I told you to sit your butt on that bench!”
“We have to get him to a hospital, Sean,” Annie explained as Joyce brought her her purse. She tore off her apron before accepting James from William’s arms, struggling with all her might to hold the clinging child.
“Hospital?” Sean scoffed. “He just yakked in my luxury sedan. If you had answered your cell phone, the school wouldn’t have had to call me. I had to leave a deposition early. Do you know how that makes me look?”
“He’s sick, Sean,” she said in a quavering voice.
“I’ll drive you,” William offered, shuffling Annie and James past Sean and out the front door. “My truck is right here. We can put James in the middle. Hang in there, buddy.”
Out on the sidewalk, Annie’s eyes pleaded with him in a way that made him ready to charge into battle. “He’s so hot, William. He’s so hot.”
“We’ll get you fixed up in no time, James. It’ll be okay, Annie. We’ll get him there in no time. Do you think—”
“Who the heck do you think you are?” Sean said, racing up behind them and shoving William aside. Sean steered Annie and James toward his BMW that was parked on the curb. William straightened his shoulders and aligned his jaw at the sight.
He knew it wasn’t the time or place to remind Sean of proper etiquette. All that mattered was getting James to the hospital as quickly as possible. But he certainly wouldn’t be forgetting Sean’s shove anytime soon. “Get in the car, Annie,” Sean directed, beeping the doors unlocked.
Annie carefully eased James into the back seat and snuggled in beside him, guiding his head to rest against her chest. William kept watch from the sidewalk, a twinge of helplessness tightening in his gut. As Sean flipped his sunglasses on, threw the car into gear and peeled away, Annie mouthed something through the window to him. He couldn’t be sure, as the late-morning sun had cleared the rooftops, making him squint to see. But as the car disappeared in a flash, he would have sworn it was thank you.
