Saved By You (14 page)

I glanced at Haden and looked at the tattoos snaking their way around his arms. On second thought, Uncle Larry may not be the biggest fan. Everyone in the family was exceedingly nice, but when it came to certain things, they were still very conservative.

I tried to push my nerves down. Worrying wasn’t going to fix anything. I needed to focus on what was important—Mom was in the hospital, and I had run out on her yesterday. I felt miserable about it. I just got so angry with her that I couldn’t think straight.

Maybe I’m not as adult as I thought I was.

The drive was short, and before long we were pulling up to the house. It was still early in the morning, but I had no doubt that people were already up and moving around inside.

Haden brought the Beamer up to the front curb of the house.

“Should I leave you here?” Haden asked, looking uncertain.

The ball of nerves twined even tighter.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked.

His face lightened when I said it.

“Are you sure?” he asked, but he was already pulling the car forward.

I grinned, and nodded. The smile on his face widened.

“Great,” he said. “I’d love to meet your family.”

A tiny hint of relief crept into me as Haden pulled into the driveway. We climbed out and made our way to the side door. It was unlocked, and opened into the tiny den. On the far wall, an open doorway led into the kitchen.

Activity in the kitchen buzzed, and I took a breath, trying to steady myself. I hoped Sarah was around. At least she knew Haden and might be a friendly face for him. I just hoped things wouldn’t be too awkward.

The smells of cooking wafted through the tiny den, and Uncle Larry passed by the open doorway. He had a tray of something in his hands. He must have glimpsed Haden and I from the corner of his eye, because he stopped and looked at us.

“Maggie,” he said, his voice bright as ever. “You’re just in time for breakfast.”

For a moment, I was stunned. There was a complete lack of worry or concern in his voice—as thought I hadn’t been out all night. Maybe he thought I had stayed at the hospital? His eyes searched Haden for a quick second, then an embarrassed look passed over him. He wiped his hand on the apron hanging from his neck.

“I’m sorry, where are my manners,” he said. “Larry Miller.”

“Haden Cooper,” Haden said, grinning.

Uncle Larry took a few steps closer, and held out his hand to Haden. Without missing a beat, Haden stuck out his own hand and they embraced. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of awkwardness between the two men.

“Please,” Uncle Larry began, motioning us into the kitchen. “There’s enough for everyone.”

Haden shot me a reassuring smile, and we followed Uncle Larry into the kitchen. As we entered the kitchen, confusion settled over me. It looked like every cabinet and cupboard had exploded all over the counters and the island in the middle of the room. Everything from plates and silverware to seasonings and spices were strewn about.

“What’s going on here?” I said, confused.

Uncle Larry beamed at me. “You probably haven’t heard yet,” he said.

“Heard what?” I asked.

His grin widened. “Your mom is coming home today,” he said.

My jaw dropped to the floor.

“She’s coming home?” I repeated, dumbfounded. “When?”

“Today,” Uncle Larry said, his face brighter than I’d ever seen it. He marveled at me for a second.

I shook myself, disbelieving. Mom was coming home? Had the doctors figured something out, or were they just done running all of their tests? Was this a good sign, or something else?

“Please, sit, sit,” Uncle Larry said, gesturing toward the table in the breakfast nook. Haden and I both sat next to each other. I was feeling numb and stupefied.

“When did all of this happen?” I said.

“Late last night,” Uncle Larry said. “The doctors told your aunt that we’d be able to bring her home today.” He was standing over the stove, cooking something. “You know, you have perfect timing,” he said. “I was just whipping up some pancakes, and there’s plenty to go around.”

I sat there shocked, not really hearing him. My head was reeling at the thought of Mom coming back to the house already.

“Where is everyone,” I asked.

Uncle Larry gave me a sideways look, and he gestured with his hand. “Your aunt and grandmother are at the hospital, still.” He flipped some pancakes on the stove as though it were an afterthought. “Sarah’s around here somewhere. The shower, I think.”

As if on cue, Sarah emerged into the kitchen. Her hair was in a towel, and she wore a white t-shirt and gray leggings. Her eyes widened and she froze in place when she saw Haden.

“Speak of the devil,” Uncle Larry said. He whisked a few plates over to the table and set them in front of us. “Come and eat.”

Pancakes were heaped on each of the plates. Uncle Larry’s idea of a short stack looked more like the Leaning Tower of Pancake. Sarah hesitated for a second, then padded over and slumped into a seat next to me. Her eyes darted between the two of us, nervously. I could almost see the questions forming in her mind. I gave her a nervous smile before Uncle Larry dropped a plate of pancakes in front of her, too.

“Eat up,” he ordered.

Haden didn’t need to be told twice. A bottle of syrup sat in the center of the table, and he upended it on his pancakes until they were near the point of drowning. He swirled it around in tiny circles, and made sure every inch of the stack was oozing and dripping with sugary goodness. Sarah and I gave each other a nervous look, and then took our turns. Before long, Uncle Larry sat down next to Haden with nothing but a cup of coffee and a smile on his face.

“So, Haden,” he began. “What is it that you do?” His bright smile was fixed on Haden, and if I didn’t know him any better, I would have been sure he resembled a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The nerves I’d felt earlier curled themselves inside me, again.

Sarah and I nearly choked on our food at the same time. But Haden didn’t appear phased in the slightest.

“I’m a musician,” he said, not missing a beat.

Uncle Larry’s eyes widened, and he sipped from his coffee. “Oh, wow. What do you play?”

“Guitar,” he said.

Uncle Larry nodded again. “Well that
is
interesting. I fancy myself a bit of a guitar player, too.”

“Dad,” Sarah said—threatening. Neither of them paid her any attention.

“We should get together sometime and jam,” Haden said.

I almost groaned when Uncle Larry agreed with him. Uncle Larry was a good guy, but there was no way that he would be able to keep up with Haden. Not on the guitar. When it came to the guitar, I wondered if
anyone
could keep up with Haden.

“That sounds like a great time,” Uncle Larry said.

I suppressed another groan.

“I kind of have some bad news,” I said, trying to change the subject away from Haden.

Uncle Larry gave me a concerned look, but said nothing. Sarah’s face flattened as she regarded me.

“My mom’s Beater broke down,” I said. “It’s stuck at the Lodge right now—that’s why Haden gave me a ride over.”

A small grin tugged at the corner of Uncle Larry’s mouth.

“Is that all?” he asked. He waved a hand. “I’ll call a tow truck. We’ll have it brought to the house so we can check it out. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “And, you can use the ‘Vette in the mean time if you need to. Your aunt’s been using the Tahoe since she’s been shuttling everyone around.”

I gave him a tight smile, and wanted to throw my arms around him right then and there. But, he didn’t give me a chance to as he flipped his phone open and called a towing service. I smiled at Sarah, and hoped she realized how amazing her father was.

We ate the rest of our breakfast in relative silence. After we’d finished, Haden jumped to help Uncle Larry clear the dishes and begin cleaning them. I watched him for a second, marveling at how he managed to get along with everyone. He and Uncle Larry talked about guitars while they cleaned. They could have been confused for the best of friends if I didn’t know any better.

I gave Sarah a look. She studied me for a second, and I nodded toward the den.

“Can I talk to you?” I said.

Her eyes lolled over to the den, too, and her mouth quirked as she considered it. She nodded, tightly.

The den was dark, and having Sarah there with me, felt more cramped than ever before. But, I knew what I had to do. I swallowed, determinedly, and straightened my back.

“Sarah,” I began, my words coming slow and deliberate. “I’m not sure how to say this. I’m so sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I never should have treated you like that, and I feel awful for it.”

Her face crinkled and, in a flash, she threw her arms around me. She squeezed me tight, and we clung to each other for a long time.

“You don’t have to apologize,” she said, finally pulling away. “I know you’re going through a lot. There’s no way that I can even begin to understand everything that you’re feeling.”

I gave her a soft look, unable to convey the gratitude washing through me. She really was the best cousin… no, the best
friend
… a girl could have. She was always there for me, no matter what, and I could always rely on her to come through for me, even when I gave her no reason to do so.

“Things with Haden look like they’re going pretty well,” she said, a devious little smile curling at the corner of her lip.

I grinned. “Yeah, I think we’re going to be alright,” I said.

“That’s good,” she said.

I nodded.

“Sounds like I missed out on a lot when I took off,” I said.

Sarah’s eyes widened. “I just found out myself, I was about to call you when I heard you in the kitchen.”

I gave her a sideways look, nervous. “Do you know what it’s all about?” I asked. “I mean—why they’re letting her come home?”

She rolled a shoulder. “I have no idea. I know about as much as you do.”

I nodded, considering it for a second.

“We better get back in there before the two of them decide to run off together.”

She laughed. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”

Uncle Larry and Haden were finishing up the dishes as we came back in. They were laughing about something, still talking about guitars.

“You can’t believe how many times I’ve had a string try to attack me when it broke,” Uncle Larry said.

Haden laughed, and gave him a knowing nod. “Yeah, you’ve got to change those things regularly. We change them every day when we’re on tour.”

Uncle Larry’s eyes widened at this. “
Every
day?” he said, disbelieving.

Haden laughed. “You gotta keep them sounding bright.”

They finished the last of the dishes, and sat at the table with Sarah and I.

“So when are they bringing her home?” I asked.

“Later this morning,” Uncle Larry said. “Your aunt said they were doing a few last tests to see how she did, and, if everything still looked good, they’d release her.”

I shook my head, still not sure what to make of it. Haden put his hand on my leg, snapping me out of the thoughts.

“I should get going,” he said, softly.

“Oh, right—your practice,” I said. He nodded. “I’ll walk you out.”

“It was nice meeting you,” Haden said to Uncle Larry. The two shook hands again, and Haden gave a tilt of the head to Sarah. She beamed.

We walked to the car in silence, and I realized that I was sad he had to leave. Things were so much easier with him around, and it would have been nice to have him there for Mom’s homecoming.

“When does your practice end?” I asked.

We stopped at the car, and he gave me a long look.

“It could run a little late. We have a lot to go over,” he said.

I nodded, slowly. “I guess it’s for the best,” I said. “I wont’ be around tonight, anyway, with Mom coming home.”

Haden nodded. “Sounds like you’re going to be pretty busy around here,” he said.

I nodded. “It’ll be nice to have her back at home, though.”

“I’m sure it’ll be easier on everyone,” he agreed.

We looked at each other for a long, nervous second. “We’re still on for tomorrow, right?” he asked.

A grin spread across my face, and I nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

A smile, mirroring my own, spread across his face. “Good,” he said. “Don’t forget the bathing suit.”

“I won’t.”

He leaned in, and pressed his lips against mine. They were soft and wonderful. We lingered for a long second, and when he pulled away, I felt an emptiness where he had been.

“I’ll talk to you later, then,” he said.

I stood outside, watching him, until his car disappeared down the tiny hill. I wished, again, that he didn’t have to go, but I knew there was no way around it. I would be with him again, soon. But it was going to feel like an eternity before that time came.

Uncle Larry was on the phone with Aunt Denise when I got back inside. Things were sounding positive, and he had an excited smile on his face. Sarah and I waited in silence, curious about what was going on.

“Okay, that sounds great,” he said. “Okay, we’ll get everything ready and see you then.”

He clicked the phone off and turned to the two of us, his smile turning wry. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.

Sarah and I looked at each other, nervous.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“That was your aunt,” he said. “They’re releasing your mom and she’ll be here in about a little over an hour.”

A smile spread across my face. “That’s great,” I said.

He nodded. “We need to clear out some space in the guesthouse. She’ll be staying in there.”

“She already has her stuff setup in one of the rooms,” I said, confused.

Uncle Larry shook his head. “We’re getting one of those big hospital beds from Hospice, and it’s going in the living room.”

I frowned and considered it. “That shouldn’t be too much work,” I said.

“That’s the easy part,” he said. Sarah shot me a nervous look. “We’re going to have a little get together this afternoon. Your aunt felt it was necessary to let
everyone
know that your mom is coming home today. Now they all want to come visit.”