Page 20 of A Family Affair: The Vow
* * *
“How’s everything going?Are you and Vic doing okay?”
Now there was a question, and the way Leah asked it hinted she expected there could be issues. Well, no way was Rae giving her sister one more thing to worry about. Besides, Rae and Vicweregetting along and would continue on that path as long as they kept the personal stuff out of it. No asking about “Dick” or commenting on how her sister’s jeans wouldn’t fit. No inhaling his woodsy scent or remembering the softness of his hair.Thatwas dangerous and foolish, and it was not going to happen. Rae cleared her throat, delivered the answer she hoped would reassure her sister. “Yes, we’re getting the job done and figuring out ways to improve shipments. I don’t want you to worry. Please, just concentrate on getting better. That’s all that matters.” Rae clutched the phone, blinked hard. “You’reall that matters, Leah. Concentrate on yourself.”
A gigantic sigh filled the line. “I am so tired of hearing about what I have to do and how I shouldn’t worry about anything but getting better. How do I do that when I’ve spent my whole life worrying about other people? I can’t just turn it off because I’m laid up and Mom has to wait on me. Do you know I can’t get to the bathroom by myself? I hate it, all of it. Helpless, that’s how I feel.” Her voice drifted, filled with sadness and remorse. “Maybe if I hadn’t been so distracted trying to get back to the condo to help Mom with dinner, I would have heard the car, and none of this would have happened.”
“Leah, it’s not your fault. The guy who hit you was speeding and talking on his cell phone.” Her sister wanted to take the blame for everything, even when she shouldn’t.
Another sigh, this one quieter than the last. “I know, it’s just that I feel so darned helpless.” A sniff, a throat clearing and when she spoke again, Rae didn’t miss the frustration inching through her words. “I just want to get better so I can get back to my life and you can get back to yours.”
What life did Rae have? She was out of a job and forget the career trajectory she’d obsessed over for too many years. As for the significant other she’d planned to spend her life with...gone, too. That last one was a blessing because who wanted to be with someone who bailed on you the first time there was a situation that required him to think of someone other than himself? Why hadn’t she seen that?
And why had it taken this tragic accident to realize that maybe she was heading down the wrong path and the company had done her a huge favor by letting her go? If she hadn’t been let go, would she have dropped everything when she got the call about Leah? The right answer was yes, but was it the truth? Or would she have convinced herself it was fine to get updates and remain on standby “in case” she was needed?
And Richard? They could have limped along in the pathetic arrangement they called a relationship, but then what? In the short time she’d been back in Magdalena, she’d witnessed couples in love who were meant to be together, had families and were truly happy. Would she ever have had that with Richard?
Probably not.
11
Rae believed in safety and taking precautions and that included locking doors. It didn’t matter where a person lived, in the city or a small town, the locking door part was essential. How was a person supposed to do that with a lock that didn’t work? She’d tried it five times and the threads didn’t catch. Had her parents ever changed the darn thing in all the years they’d lived in this house? No way could she think about sleeping until she had a new lock installed, but her attempts to contact the only locksmith in town went straight to voicemail.
Of course, Josh wasn’t worried about a lock that didn’t work to anoutsidedoor. “Nobody bothers anybody around here anyway, so don’t stress over it. Tommy will call you back in the morning and by noon you’ll have a new lock.”
“I’d rather Tommy call me back now so I can have a new lock tonight.” It would be worth the after-hours upcharge, but in this small town, it wasn’t even an option.
“Sorry, not happening. He’s probably at O’Reilly’s right now relaxing with a beer and working his way through two dozen wings.”
Why did she always have to be the sensible one? Could he really not understand the inherent danger of an unlocked door? “I’m not comfortable sleeping in a house where anyone can walk in, and you shouldn’t be either.”
He laughed at her comments. “Half the time I never thought about locking the door. At least I didn’t until you came and made such a big deal about it.”
She tried to remain calm but the frustration seeped into her words. “Josh, this isn’t safe.”
“Yeah, yeah. Crime’s everywhere, right?”
“Itiseverywhere, not just in the city and you should understand that.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaned against the faded siding next to the front door. “Here’s what I understand, Rae. I’m always aware of my surroundings, I don’t have my head buried in my phone if I’m out at night. I pay attention. Should I have been locking these doors? Okay, I’ll go with probably and as long as you’re here; once we get this lock fixed, I will. And when Mom comes back, I’ll definitely lock the door. If she’s alone, I’ll make sure she understands she needs to lock it, too.”
“Good. That’s reasonable.”
“Look, I’m not an idiot.” Those dark eyes studied her from beneath his baseball cap. “I know you think I’m incapable of making a half-intelligent decision, but I really do have a brain and I even know how to use it on occasion. So, since we’re talking about safety…did you notice the treads on your tires?”
“The treads on my tires? No.” And then “Why? What’s wrong with them?”
“You need new tires. The back ones are almost bald and the front ones aren’t too far behind. I can drop off your car and get them changed.” A shrug, a quiet “If you want me to…”
“Oh. Yes, thank you. I was due for a maintenance check two months ago, but I never got around to going.”
It was his turn to give her the concerned-parent stare. “It’s all about safety, Rae. Gotta get those maintenance checks. I’ll make the appointment and take it in for you. Just curious, do you know how to check your oil and add windshield washer fluid?”
“No to the oil, yes to the windshield washer fluid.”
A nod, a half-smile. “Okay then. Before you leave town, I’ll teach you how to check the oil and we’ll go through a few other maintenance checks. With a car like this, you shouldn’t have to do much more than watch for the maintenance lights to come on. If you want me to, I can take it for a spin and see how it drives. I’ve got an ear for that kind of thing. If something sounds off, I’ll mention it at the garage.”
Josh had just shown her true kindness and she appreciated that, but... “Does this garage work on foreign cars? I’ve always heard they can be tricky.”
