Page 19 of Caught in the Axe
But I was here to get the business sold and nothing else. After a good night’s sleep and a gallon of coffee, my self-control would certainly return, and I’d stop thinking about her.
But I reached for another beer just in case.
Chapter 7
Lila
Irooted around in the fridge for a hard seltzer, pulling my fluffy cardigan around my shoulders. Magnolia had given it to me a few years ago. Her gifts were always over-the-top.
But it was so soft and so warm. And the house was chilly. Mom and I kept the thermostat at a balmy sixty-six. Oil to heat the house was pricey, and this winter had been tight. So I was bundled up for my Friday night cocktail hour with the girls.
I took the bag of microwave popcorn out and divided it into two plastic bowls. Then I shuffled over to the couch where my mother was absorbed in a Hallmark movie.
She was still dressed in her scrubs, and though her hair and makeup were pristine, there was no hiding the dark circles under her eyes. I wasn’t the only one who’d been working hard lately. She’d fought hard to keep this house when she divorced husband number three last summer.
After one failed marriage and one successful nightschool program to become a home health care aide, she’d purchased the tiny Cape Cod in town. I was in middle school then, and the night we moved in, we’d brought everything we owned in a few boxes and suitcases. We had no furniture, so we camped on the living room floor in sleeping bags and ate a celebratory blueberry pie Aunt Louise had brought over straight from the tin.
No matter who came into our lives and who left, this house, a tiny Cape painted blue with white trim, was our sanctuary. It was cozy and well-loved and within walking distance of everything we needed, with a rose hedge my mother meticulously maintained.
“Thanks, sweets. Come watch with me.” She took the bowl I offered and patted the worn floral couch next to her. “This one is about a florist who is trying to save a beloved community garden from an evil property developer.”
“Hm. Lemme guess. He’s actually a cinnamon roll in a thousand-dollar suit and will fall madly in love with her and give up his life in the big city to grow flowers in the small town.”
With a teasing scowl, Mom threw a piece of popcorn at me. “We can hate watch. Sit down.”
“Can’t. I’ve got cocktails with the girls in a few minutes.”
She propped her bare feet up on the battered coffee table, her pink toenails sparkling—Mom never neglected her nails, even when times were tough—and reclined further, snuggling into the couch. “Give my love to Willa and Magnolia.”
“Enjoy the blandly handsome man who can barely act.” I turned and headed for my room, popcorn bowl in hand.
It was small and hadn’t changed much since high school.The twin bed was covered with a purple quilt, and the shelves were stuffed with books and pageant trophies. The desk, a Goodwill find, had been painted purple one sunny weekend afternoon.
While most adults would probably be embarrassed about sleeping in their childhood bedrooms, all I felt was comfort. This house was the only home I’d ever known—a place where I felt safe and secure. And after years of bouncing around with Cole, I didn’t take for granted the familiarity and feeling of peace that washed over me when I was inside these four purple walls.
This situation was mutually beneficial too. Mom was getting back onto her feet post-divorce, and I had the ability to help out with the bills while she did. I’d never get her to quit Hallmark movies, but at least she seemed disinclined enough to not jump right into another quickie marriage.
I fluffed my pillows and perched my laptop on the edge of the dresser while I waited for the video call to load.
I’d just settled back when the smiling faces of my two best friends appeared on screen.
Magnolia was waving excitedly, cuddling one of her cats in her lap. She was six feet tall, had the kind of asymmetrical haircut very few people could pull off, and collected tattoos and rescue cats.
“Missed you bitches!” she cheered.
“I’ve been up for thirty-one hours, so there’s a good chance I’ll fall asleep mid-convo tonight,” Willa warned, rubbing her eyes. “This is your warning.”
“Fucking residency,” Magnolia quipped. She was wearing a colorful kimono and sipping what looked like a professionally crafted martini. “Aren’t you a real doctor yet?”
“Soon,” Willa replied. “So freaking soon. I can almost taste the freedom.” She pushed her blonde hair behind her ears. “A few more months and then I’ll be living the dream, soaking up days off and showers and watching TV. Heck, maybe I’ll even date.”
“Tell me you’re at least getting busy with the hot doctors.” Magnolia waggled her brows. “Make sure to sample Baltimore’s finest before you come to New York.”
Willa scoffed. “I’m not sure you understand what hospitals are actually like.”
Magnolia gasped and clutched at a string of imaginary pearls. “Are you sayingGrey’s Anatomylied to me?”
Willa shook her head gently, her expression one of exaggerated sympathy. “Ladies, this may be difficult to hear, but yes. Shonda lied to us all. The attendings are all married, jerks, or both, and the other residents and interns are my competition. Not to mention that they’re more like annoying siblings I can’t escape than anything else. Hospitals arethe leastsexy places ever.”
