A Chance of a Lifetime (27 page)

“Sounds like a deal.” When there was something to tell. Hopefully soon.

There was nothing like extra hands and lots of laughter to make work easy. Following Lucy's recipes, Bennie made more miniature cupcakes than she could keep track of—chocolate, yellow, carrot cake, and butter pecan—and batches of butter cream frosting to go with them. Ilena, seated on a tall stool at one end of the counter, was in charge of icing them, piping tall swirls of frosting that were as big as the two-bite cakes themselves. Therese was focused on cookies, Patricia on tarts, and Jessy—a self-admitted stranger to the ways of baking—kept busy measuring ingredients and tracking timers for them.

By two o'clock, Bennie was worn out. Her back ached, her feet protested, and her stomach was growling for something that didn't contain massive amounts of butter or sugar. The kitchen was clean, everything was packaged up in adorable boxes or bags, and she was contemplating an afternoon nap when conversation was interrupted by a small voice squealing with delight.

It was Therese's soon-to-be-daughter, Mariah, dashing across the floor as fast as her chubby legs could carry her. “Trace, Trace!” she shrieked as she jumped into her arms. “Look what we found! His name is Calbin, and he—” The flow of words stopped, and Mariah's nose twitched before her gaze darted around the room. “I smell cookies! Where are they? Can I have one?”

Patricia silently checked with Therese, waiting for her nod before handing over a paper sleeve with a chocolate chip cookie in it. Bennie watched pure pleasure spread across Mariah's face before shifting her gaze to the doorway where Mariah's father, Keegan, stood with Calvin, and the same pleasure spread all the way down to her toes.

He wore khaki shorts and a T-shirt advertising Eskimo Joe's, Stillwater's world-famous bar, and he looked…aw, man, better than all the fabulous baked goods she'd been handling. His smile as he returned the girls' greetings came more easily than it had in his first weeks back, but it didn't quite dislodge the solemnity in his eyes. It twinged a bit around her heart. The boy she'd loved who didn't have a care in the world had a whole world of cares now.

She rubbed a dollop of vanilla-scented lotion into her hands as she slipped past Jessy and Ilena to get to the door. She said hello to Keegan, then bumped shoulders with Calvin. “Hey, Calbin. What are you doing wandering the streets and charming little curly-haired girls?”

“Actually, Mariah found me in the parking lot out front looking for a grown curly-haired girl.”

“And what do you want with our grown curly-haired girl?” Ilena asked primly, arms folded across her chest, doing her best stern-mother look.

“Since it's such a nice day, I came to tempt her into a picnic.”

Around a mouthful of cookie, Mariah announced, “Calbin's got a dog and Daddy's gonna get me a dog. Maybe five. All girls.” She grinned ear to ear, bearing a striking resemblance to her half sister, Abby, and punched one fist in the air. “Girl power!”

In concert with Therese's groan, Bennie arched her brows. “You've got a dog?”

“Nita's not mine. She's a shelter dog, and I'm just giving her some time away. Kind of a doggy day out.” He glanced at Jessy, then back at Bennie. “I help out there sometimes.”

She was surprised, not because he would volunteer but because he'd never been much of a pet person. Raising money for a charity with a 5K run or building something—that seemed more his style.

Then something registered that had floated past: the dog's name. She gave Jessy a narrow-eyed look. “Nita? Like Be
nita
? You just happen to have a dog named Nita?”

“I wondered when you'd catch that.” Jessy's smile was her biggest and brightest. “I didn't name her.” While declaring her innocence, she jabbed an accusing finger in Calvin's direction.

Though his ebony skin hid the signs of a flush, Bennie knew him well enough to know his face was hot. She decided to give him a break, retrieving a sleeve of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies to reward him. “You named your beautiful, intelligent dog—or the shelter's beautiful, intelligent dog—after me. That's sweet.”

“Wait till you meet her. You might change your mind,” Calvin joked.

“Where is she?”

“Probably tearing up my car.”

Bennie rolled her eyes. “What damage could an innocent dog do to your POS car?”

From across the room, Mariah piped up again. “What is that? Do we have a POS car, Trace? Can we get one?”

Keegan gave Bennie a faux chastising look. “Thank you. We have a long trip back to Fort Polk tomorrow, and she'll probably ask if every car we see is a POS car.”

“Oops. I think I'll make my escape before I put my other foot in my mouth. Are we all done here?”

Everyone looked to Patricia, who nodded. She hugged Bennie's neck. “Thanks for coming. It means a lot to Lucy.”

“Being asked means a lot to me. Give her my love.” Bennie located her purse on a storeroom shelf, slung the strap over her shoulder, and said, “All right, Calvin. Show me this incredibly smart gorgeous dog who shares my name with me.”

C
alvin had been restless when he got up this morning. Bennie had texted that she was helping out at her friend's, and his parents had taken Gran and Diez to Tulsa for shopping and a movie. Since it was likely one of the last mild days they would see for a while, Calvin had wanted out of the apartment, and after breakfast, it had just seemed normal to head to the animal shelter. When he'd mentioned the idea of a picnic to Angela, she'd asked if he'd be willing to take Nita along. The more exposure she got to people and to different aspects of life, hopefully the sooner she'd be ready for adoption.

She'd said the last with a hopeful look at him.
I can't have a pet,
he'd warned, and she'd acknowledged him with a bob of her head before helpfully pointing out,
But you're not going to be there a whole lot longer.

He wasn't. Once his team declared him fit to resume life, his medical board would be completed and his final transition from the Army would take place. Two months ago, even a month ago, the idea had scared him spitless. What would he be if he was no longer a soldier?

Truthfully, he wouldn't be much worse off than a lot of people his age who'd never been soldiers. He had a college degree he could use, only he'd gotten his without going eyeball-deep in debt. The Veterans Administration would pay most of the cost of getting another one if he wanted. He could go to work in his father's tile business.

He could be a husband, a father, a son, a grandson, a sorta brother.

He could do or be anything—almost—because he was a survivor.

Could he survive the next few hours with Bennie?

They walked around the building in silence. When he'd arrived, there'd been no sign to indicate he was at the right place, but finding the employee lot of an apparently abandoned building full of cars, he'd guessed he was, then Mariah had confirmed that this was
the place cakes are born
.

Bennie stopped short, a startled laugh coming from her. “She's definitely an improvement to your clunker.”

Nita stood in the driver's seat, her front paws on the steering wheel, staring at them, her tail up and quivering. In the time Calvin had been spending with her, she'd made some big strides, but her confidence came and went. As long as it was just the two of them, she was fine, but when anyone else came around, she took cover behind Calvin.

“Why don't you wait here? I'll get her out so she can meet you in the open.”

Bennie stopped, lowering herself to the curb. Calvin opened the driver's door, scooping up the leash as Nita jumped to the ground. At first she ignored Bennie, sniffing a trail across the lot to the sidewalk that ran the length of the bakery, then with an air of nonchalance, she walked back to circle Bennie cautiously.

“If I'd known I would have to charm a dog, I would have sneaked a cupcake out in my pocket,” she said dryly.

Nita completed her circle, tail wagging, and propped her front feet on Bennie's knees, then stretched out to give her a thorough check. After a moment, she pulled Calvin back to the car, jumped inside, and planted herself firmly in the passenger seat. He closed the door, then returned to offer Bennie a hand. “No signs of aggression,” he said.

Bennie bared her teeth at him. “Am I going to have to wrestle that dog over the right to sit in the front seat?”

“I don't know. But I think you could win.”

“When we get those T-shirts, Nita, we need to get you one that says, ‘QBit. Queen Bitch-in-Training,'” Bennie murmured as she let him pull her up. Her fingers tightened around his for an instant, and her gaze, all soft and sweet, met his.

“Are you saying bad things about your namesake?”

“Of course not. I can see we share things in common. We're smart, pretty, and we both like being the alpha.” Still holding his hand, she tugged him to the passenger door. “Where are we going for this picnic?”

“I've got a place in mind.”

When he opened the door, Bennie shooed Nita away. The dog stood her ground for a moment, eyeing Bennie with a challenge, before hopping into the backseat and stretching out as if she preferred having the large space. As he pulled out of the parking lot, Bennie talked about how well Lucy's bakery was doing, given that there hadn't been a formal opening yet, and she discussed all the incredible food they'd made that day. One whiff of the air around her confirmed that if the food tasted half as good as it smelled, it would be outstanding.

When he turned into Gran's driveway, a smile stretched across Bennie's face. “Aw, I haven't been to the pond in ages. It's a perfect day for it.”

“That's what I thought.”

Calvin shut off the engine, took Nita's leash in one hand, then went to the trunk to get the food and a quilt. Bennie came alongside him. “Want me to take QBit?”

“Nita,” he corrected. He handed the leash to her, balanced the basket of food and the quilt, and closed the trunk. It popped back up, requiring another forceful slam before the latch caught. A great burst of laughter came from Bennie, but she didn't say anything, just laughed and shook her head.

The path to the pond entered the woods behind Gran's cabin and meandered through thick growth of blackjack oaks, red cedars, and sumac bushes. It came out on the other side into a clearing, the pond in the center and wide swaths of neatly mowed grass all around. The dock that had been platform to their dives and bellybusters, home base for games of water tag and baseball, and generally a safe spot to rest had been replaced over the years, rickety boards gone, now wide planks sealed to prevent warping and fading.

Two Adirondack chairs sat on the dock, a recent coat of white paint spiffying them up, and neat beds of flowers extended from the dock on both sides.

“When it was just us kids coming out here, the only place to sit was the ground,” Bennie commented, “and we were always getting splinters from the dock. Now that Miss Elizabeth comes out every pretty morning to read her Bible, it's got comfy chairs and flowers and looks like a picture from a book.”

“What can I say? My dad is way more interested in providing creature comforts for my mom than for us wild kids.”

“As he should be.” Keeping an eye on Nita, Bennie walked onto the dock, gave one chair seat a halfhearted swipe, then sat down, tilted her face to the sun, and closed her eyes. “What a wonderful place for Bible study. So peaceful and beautiful.”

Peaceful and beautiful.
The words applied to Bennie even more than their location. Her face was softened, her curls gently framing it. She didn't mind pointing out that she was round, but any weight she'd gained since high school had gone to all the right places. She didn't seem aware that she was gorgeous enough to take men's breath away. She didn't seem to think of herself much at all. She was too busy with life and appreciation and the people she loved who loved her back.

Nita ventured to the edge of the dock, feet spread wide apart, and looked over into the water, her nose twitching. After a moment, she retreated, curled up on the sun-warmed boards near Bennie but not too close, and closed her eyes.

Calvin set down his load, stepped past them, settled in the second chair, and cleared the emotion from his throat. “I thought Mom still did her Bible study at the kitchen table.” How many thousands of mornings had he gotten up sleepy-eyed and stumbled into the kitchen in his pajamas to find her there with a cup of coffee, her worn old Bible, and her prayer list?

“She does when it's cold or rainy. The rest of the time, she likes to read and say her prayers amidst the beauty God provided.”

That sounded like his mom. And God knew, Calvin had given her plenty to pray about in his lifetime. He wished he'd asked her to say an extra prayer for him today. The way his insides were knotted, he would need it just to get the words out. He was trying to think of a way to start when Bennie unexpectedly gave him another of her dazzling smiles.

“Let's spread that quilt out, sit on the ground as proper picnic etiquette requires, and eat. All I've had today is carbs, and my body is demanding protein like a whiny child three hours past her naptime.”

Relief went through him. It was a temporary reprieve; he knew that. But right now, he would take what he could get.

 Lucy's house was quiet. Wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt, she lay on her side on the sofa, face pressed into the pillow, throw pulled to her chin, breathing evenly. She hadn't tried faking sleep with her mother in years and had never been very good at it, but this time it seemed to be working.

“I'm going to run some errands,” her mother murmured to Joe in the kitchen doorway. “Walmart, the drugstore, Whole Foods, oh, and Java Dave's. If I go home without their coffee beans, Lucy's dad will pout for a week.”

Lucy imagined that conversation:
Our only daughter's had a heart attack.
And her dad:
Would you bring back some Java Dave's coffee?
The grin almost ruined her sleep pretense.

“She had a good lunch, and there's nothing she should be doing but rest.” Her mother paused, and Lucy peered just enough to see her hug Joe. “I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're here with her. It's such a relief to the whole family.” She dabbed her eyes and stepped back. “I'll have my cell, so if you need anything at all, call me. I can be back in five minutes.”

“We'll be fine, Robbie. Just go, enjoy the weather, and take your time.”

It took a few moments for Mom to get out the door. Once the car door slammed, then the engine revved to life, Lucy let her muscles relax. She was waiting for the motor noise to fade completely when Joe said, “Okay, possum, she's gone.”

Chagrined, she pushed the throw aside and gave him a crooked grin. “I love her dearly.”

“But she's driving you nuts.”

Sitting up, she propped her feet on the coffee table and combed her hair with her fingers. “She makes me shower with the bathroom door open while she hovers just outside. My second day home, I had to beg to go pee by myself, and she insisted on putting my shoes on for me until this morning.”

Joe slid over the back of the couch, bouncing Lucy a bit as he settled in beside her. “You're her baby.”

“I know.”

“And you had a heart attack.”

Lifting her hand, she held her thumb and forefinger a half-inch apart. “A baby heart attack.” The cardiologist had said it was an uncommon event. Everyone at the hospital called it
an event
, as if it were somehow a milestone she'd marked or something to celebrate, though a tear in the plaque in the left anterior descending aorta was neither a milestone nor a celebration, even if it had already begun to resolve itself by the time they took her to the cath lab.

Before she'd managed a huge sigh of relief that it was just a fluke, the doctor had added the fact that she'd had this uncommon event meant she was susceptible to it. They'd be trying to prevent a recurrence the rest of her life.

Thank God she
had
a “rest of her life.”

“It was a small one because you were smart enough to tell us before it became a big one. You scared her, Luce.” He slid his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. “You scared all of us.”

Her head rested against his shoulder, sending pure satisfaction through her. There was no other place she wanted to be right now, no other person she wanted to be with. As long as Joe was there, she was okay. He would always make her okay.

After a moment, she asked, “How long do you think she'll be gone?”

“Walmart? On a Saturday? Almost the first of the month? At least a couple hours.” His blue eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Take me for a walk. Walking's good—the cardiologist said so—but Mom only lets me walk in the house. Please, I just want to go around the block a time or two. I want to feel the sun and smell the fresh air.” She gave him her best pout. “Please don't make me whine and beg like Norton.”

“She'll be pissed if she finds out.”

“But I'll be unhappy if you don't.”

“Yeah, but you don't scare me. Your mom does.”

She frowned. “Then I must be doing something wrong. Mike was always afraid of me when my eyes turned red and my hair caught fire.”

“Aw, I've never seen you even mildly ticked off.” He grinned. “It gives me something to look forward to.”

He leaned forward, and Lucy thought for a moment that he was getting up to leave her on the couch. Instead, he handed her first one shoe, then the other. “Lace those up and let's get going so the flush in your cheeks and the fresh-air scent have time to fade before your mom comes back.”

She shoved her feet into the shoes and tied quick, sloppy bows before wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Joe.” The romantic aspect of their relationship was still new enough that in the instant he took to hug her back, insecurity bubbled in her stomach. With his arms holding her close, his scent fragrant and comforting, the bubble burst and the nerves slunk away, leaving a tingly, giddy, girly sensation in their place.

As they headed for the door, Norton looked up from his snoozy spot beneath the coffee table, a yawn crinkling his eyes into narrow slits. He moved as if he was thinking about joining them, but Sebastian, curled against him, protested, and Norton sank back down.

“Lazy dog,” Lucy muttered, walking out the door ahead of Joe.

“I take him for two runs a day,” Joe protested. “Besides, he keeps Sebastian so happy that it's not really like you have a second pet.”

Joe was right about that. The two of them were Norton's humans; Norton was Sebastian's. If the dog could learn to operate the can opener, the kitten would have no use for anyone else.

At the top of the steps, Lucy stretched her arms to the sky, breathing deeply. She'd been a prisoner for the last week, first of the hospital, then of her mom. Like she'd said, she loved her mother dearly and appreciated that she'd dropped everything, including Thanksgiving with the family, to come and be with Lucy, but Robbie was
so
cautious, and Joe hadn't been much help reining her in. He'd spent all his free time at the house, helping Robbie, taking care of the animals, and pampering Lucy way beyond reasonable.