Down the Hidden Path (7 page)

A black turtleneck and True Religion jeans. She could add her tall black leather boots. “Really?” she asked him.

“Sure. You look great in that.”

Oh. Huh. She hadn’t thought about wearing jeans. They did fit her nicely and made her feel sort of svelte and powerful. Like the perfect cross between a big-city girl and the hillbilly she really was. She closed one eye and pointed at him. “Good choice.”

Gray shooed him out and changed quickly. She was just tugging on her boots when the doorbell rang. Oh no. “I’ll get it.”

But it was too late. David had run to the front door and threw it open. Angie stood on the other side and pushed her way in as David stepped aside. “It’s about time I see this place.” She gave him a quick hug.

“I’ll get my stuff.” David tromped off to the far bedroom and Gray watched from the safety of her room as Angie’s eyes scanned the space. First the cracked walls, the spot of missing ceiling tiles, the peeling wallpaper. Her face said it all. Disgusted. But probably too sweet to say so.

Gray emerged from her room, hoping Angie would also notice the lovely fire in the fireplace, the pictures of David, sitting on the mantel, the warm quilts and how she’d tried to make it feel like a home. “It’s a work in progress.”

Angie blinked. “Yes, I can see that. It is safe, though, right? You’ve had the wiring checked?”

“Oh yes. Of course. That’s the first thing I did. The whole house has been rewired. It was built in 1903. Sort of historical.” Stop it. Stop trying to justify the mess that it was. She’d had no idea how much work would be involved in renovating.

Angie moved to take a step and the floor creaked. “Is this—” She shifted her weight from side to side.

“Unlevel, yes. Eventually, they’ll have to jack up the floor.”

Angie nodded, hands folded in front of her. “Are you still thinking of moving back to Laver?”

Gray chewed on her cheek. She didn’t know why the image of Jeremiah skated across her mind at the question. “Yes. I really wanted to finish the place and try to make it a home, but I’m not getting many hours at the hospital and this is—” she waved her hands around the room, “—a huge undertaking.”

“Well, Bill checked with his friend who owns the apartment complex downtown in Laver. He has a cute studio apartment he can let you have. You could save some money. Get back on at the community hospital.”

A studio. Meant no room for David. Also, no outside space. Not that it was her job to provide those things, it certainly wasn’t, but she’d just hoped . . . she’d hoped . . . well, as her nana used to say, “Spit in one hand and hope in the other and see which one fills up fastest.” Plus, she’d left the Laver Community Hospital a few months ago. It was a nice enough facility but only offered nights. Of course, work was work, and right now she barely had enough to make ends meet.

Angie dusted imaginary lint from her coat. “Gray, I was wondering if the two of us could get together for coffee soon.”

Something about the way Angie said that caused a thread of apprehension to skitter over Gray. “Yes. Is everything okay?”

She brushed a hand through the air. “Yes. Just . . . well, with Bill expanding the business, we’ve taken a bit of a monetary hit.”

When Gray frowned, Angie painted on a bright smile. “It will be worth it. Just growing pains. But . . . I just need to talk to you.”

“Anything I can do to help.”

Maybe Angie was worried about David’s college fund. Maybe they were thinking of borrowing from it. Not that that was any of Gray’s business, but still. She’d been involved with the plans from the beginning. Or maybe Angie just needed a shoulder to lean on. Gray could do that. Angie and Bill had done so much for her, she’d be honored to return even a tiny bit of their kindness.

David popped his head out of his room. “Gray, you can’t sell this place. It’s too awesome. Mom, there’s a graveyard just a few blocks down. A
graveyard
. We went for a walk there the other night. It’s totally creepy and cool.”

A wide-eyed smile was frozen on Angie’s face but her eyes skittered to Gray.

“I was telling him about the history of the town.”

This brought a sharp frown to Angie’s brow. And Gray realized the error of her words. Her heart raced to undo the damage. “Just boring dates and events. Anyway, the graveyard has become somewhat iconic.”
Don’t worry
, she wanted to say,
no mention of David’s biological father or his family’s history.

David came out of the room with his coat on and a backpack across his shoulders. “Gray has a date with a cat doctor.”

Really, did he have to tell everything? “He’s a veterinarian. We went to school together.”

Angie clasped her hands in front of her. “You look very nice, Gray. Classy and comfortable. Perfect for a first date.”

Angie was trying to be nice, but comfortable? Like an old flannel shirt? Or comfortable like a worn-out recliner?

“I told her what to wear.” David beamed. “She was going to dress like a bat.”

“That would be unfortunate.” Angie’s brows rose. “Good thing you were here.”

Gray nodded. “Yes, he rescued me from myself.” If he’d only rescued her when she’d run into Vince Evers at the hardware store. Why had she accepted his dinner invitation? He asked, and stupid Miah McKinley ricocheted through her mind, and her mouth opened and said yes before she could even think about it.

“Have a fabulous date, Gray.” Angie crossed the room to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You deserve it. Bill and I are still planning to be gone for a week at the end of the month. Can you stay at the house with David?”

“Been planning to.”

David hooked his thumbs on his backpack straps. “I told them I was old enough to stay alone.”

Angie turned a sharp stare on him. “I don’t think so.”

“When can I then?”

“When you’re thirty.”

David raised his hands and dropped them. “That’s ancient.”

Gray gave him a mock-glare. “Watch it, bud.”

“
Ancient.
Dinosaur old.”

Gray rolled her eyes. “Come here, you.” She pulled him into a hug. “Don’t neglect your math. We just got through those equations. You need to practice them or we’ll have to start over.”

He groaned.

Angie slipped her gloves on. “I’m just glad you can help him with it. They lost me when they added letters.”

David looked up at her. He was almost as tall as Gray, but Angie was another three or four inches taller. “I could teach you algebra, Mom. It’s not that hard.”

From a few steps away, Gray smiled, but it was bittersweet. He was growing up. Now there was hair on his legs and his voice was deepening. David was going from boy to young man right before her eyes.

He turned to face her. “Have a good date, Gray. See you next week.”

They left. She listened as they backed out of her driveway. Already, the house felt emptier, colder. Lonely.

Gray huffed. “Cat doctor.” She grabbed her coat and headed to the Neon Moon, where she’d meet her date. But the only guy who really mattered had just driven away. With his mom.

“You sure you’re up to this?” Jeremiah asked Caleb as he threw the truck into park. It had only been a day since Caleb had arrived and a week since Gray had turned down the job offer. The Neon Moon’s new LED sign flashed like a beacon behind them, lighting the side of Caleb’s face. His hair had grown and practically covered the scar that ran along one side.

Sometimes it took Caleb a few extra seconds to answer, as if the words had gone in jumbled and were having to be sorted. He nodded. “Charlee’s with us. I’m hungry.” From the time they’d spent at the rehab center in Tampa, Miah had learned that sometimes with brain injuries, details were left out. What Caleb probably meant was, “We’ve had this planned all day. I don’t want to disappoint Charlee”—who was in the Jeep parked beside them—“and I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, me too,” Miah answered and wished the Neon Moon wasn’t quite so busy. It was a hopping Friday night and Caleb’s first real outing.

Caleb fumbled with the door handle, his right hand working to clamp down. They’d taught him to try using his right hand and not letting his left do all the work. It was his right side that had been affected. His right side and his mind—which sometimes had lapses.

Jeremiah waited patiently, busying himself by knocking the dirt off his boot.

Caleb stepped out. “Ready.” He fell into step beside Charlee, who instantly threaded her arm through Caleb’s.

Ian and Miah walked behind them. “How’s he seem?” Ian whispered.

Miah tilted his head back and forth. “If you just looked at him, you’d never know what he’s been through. Other than walking a little slower and the limp.”

Ian nodded. “Charlee’s so stoked he’s home. She floats around the house like a fairy.”

Miah’s grinned. “Driving you nuts yet?”

“Nah. I’m just thankful Caleb is okay.”

Miah stopped. “He’s not okay, Ian. There’s still a long road ahead.”

Ian nodded. “I know. That’s not what I meant. The guys in my unit, we all talked about this. So many of us going home with missing limbs or brain injuries. Real scary stuff you’re dealing with, Jeremiah. Whatever I can do to help . . .”

Miah nodded. “Charlee needs you. I’m really glad Dad sent you to her.”

Ian’s smile faded at the mention of the man who Miah knew had been more of a dad to Ian than his own father. “We don’t want you to feel like you’re alone in this, Miah.”

Oh, but he was alone. His one chance of having someone . . . someone he could really count on to be there with him, had been Gray. And she’d walked right out of his lodge and his life with nothing but a smile and weak apology.

They stepped inside to find the place throbbing with people, country music, and all the sounds of a busy restaurant. Glasses and plates clanged as tables were served and cleared, noise from a din of voices and the scent of fresh, hot food made Miah’s mouth water.

Caleb half turned to get Miah’s attention then pointed to a booth on the far right. Miah nodded and together they made their way to the only empty table.

Just before Miah could sit down, two guys slid past Caleb and Charlee and dropped into the booth. Charlee turned and shrugged. Miah’s gaze moved to Ian. He knew Ian didn’t much like Charlee being dissed and the last thing he needed was an indignant Ian on his hands.

Miah watched as his brother-in-law swallowed the insult—out of character for the aggressive soldier—and turned to scope out another spot to sit.

But it was Caleb’s hand smacking the tabletop that drew Miah’s attention. “This is our table.” His words were level, filled with anger, but controlled.

Miah took Caleb’s arm. Shock registered on both guys’ faces and Miah knew this could spiral out of control quickly. “It’s all good, Caleb. We’ll find another one.”

Caleb jerked free. “No. This is ours and they knew we were headed to it.” He leaned his weight on the Formica tabletop, planting his palms and looking the guys in the face. “Get up.”

One swallowed, obviously nervous. “You should have gotten here faster.”

Miah’s hands fisted. Outrage shot a trail into his stomach, but beating the crap out of a couple of idiots probably wasn’t the best prescription for a first outing. “You’re a real piece of work, jerk.” He took Caleb’s arm, this time gently.

Again, Caleb pulled free. “I’m not leaving.”

The other guy leaned back in the seat. “Fine, stand there. We’re not going anywhere.”

Caleb hit the table again, this time drawing attention from half the restaurant. From the corner of his eye, Miah watched someone leave the bar and make his or her way over.

He turned when he heard a husky female voice say, “Do we have a problem here?”

One of the guys at the table pointed at Caleb. “This reject says it’s his table, but we were obviously here first.”

Raina Hayes turned to face Caleb. Dark eyes and dark hair a perfect contrast for the Neon Moon white apron she wore. Her gaze trailed to Miah, then Charlee, then back to Caleb.

She turned and placed her hands flat on the table in the same manner Caleb had. “Get up.”

Indignation landed on both faces. One mumbled, “What?”

Raina leaned forward and took ahold of one of them by the collar. “I said get up.”

They were both too stunned to move.

She straightened, folding her hands over her chest. “If Caleb McKinley says it’s his table, then it’s his table. And I don’t care if you’ve been sitting at it for an hour. Understand?”

The two men slid out, cursing under their breath. They headed straight for the front door. “Better burgers down the road at Carol’s.”

“Good,” Raina hollered after them. “You should have no trouble getting a booth there.”

When she turned, there were tears in her eyes. “Caleb!” She opened her arms and he moved into the hug she offered, his left arm squeezing tightly, his right doing the best it could do.

Raina was a big fan of the McKinley boys. Especially Gabriel and Caleb. She was a good six years older than Gabe, but the two of them used to sing together on the Neon Moon’s stage on Friday and Saturday nights when the boys were in high school. Although Miah didn’t pay much attention to romance-y-type things, there’d been a powerful connection between Raina and Gabe at that time. Especially when they sang together. Caleb had always been the hang-around little brother, sitting on a barstool and eating giant bowls of ice cream.