Page 113 of Take My Heart
‘She went to the hospital Friday, but she didn’t have the baby until last night. Now get up. We’re leaving. Go change clothes and do something with your hair. You’re a mess.’
‘I didn’t sleep well last night. And I’m not going to see the baby. Send me pictures.’
‘Mom wants all of us down there. Didn’t you see my text?’
‘No. I haven’t checked my phone.’
‘Lyndsay and I are going in my truck and Sawyer’s takingyou and Jason in his car. Unless you want to drive yourself to Chicago.’ He pauses. ‘Maybe stop and see someone while you’re there?’
‘It’s over with her,’ I say, gazing at the rug in front of the couch. Kate picked it out, along with the wooden bowl on the coffee table, the candles, the frame she got for the picture of my family that I used to have taped to the wall. She made this place look like an actual home.
‘You can still go and see her,’ Nick says.
‘We talked about it and decided to cut off all contact. No texts. No calls. We thought it’d be easier than staying in touch.’
Nick sits down beside me. ‘And how’s that working out?’
‘It sucks, but it’ll get better with time. I just need to stay busy. Work on my business. Sell the house.’
‘Do you love her?’
‘No,’ I say with a laugh. ‘I’ve only known her a few weeks.’
‘Sometimes that’s all it takes, especially after all the time you two spent together. Living together, you get to know someone a lot better than if you just went on a few dates.’
‘It doesn’t matter how I feel about her. We’re not good together.’
‘And why is that?’
‘She’s smart. She went to college. I barely made it through high school. She’s got some fancy job in Chicago and I plow snow and mow grass for a living. It would never work.’
‘Do you hear yourself?’ Nick leans back on the couch, smiling at me.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘You just described Lyndsay and me. Lyndsay felt the same way you did, like we’d never work because I have a law degreeand she struggled to get through high school. She and I are just as much opposites as you and Kate.’
‘I guess I hadn’t thought about that. But it doesn’t matter. We still live in different states.’
‘Lyndsay and I lived on different coasts.’ Nick turns to me. ‘I almost lost Lyndsay because I kept coming up with reasons why we couldn’t be together instead of trying to find ways that we could. Don’t be stupid like me. If you think you might love this girl, don’t be giving her up without at least trying to make it work.’ His phone rings. ‘It’s Mom.’ Nick answers it. ‘Hey, Mom.’ He gets up. ‘Yeah, we’re heading down in a few minutes.’ Nick glances at me. ‘He says he’s not going.’ Nick hands me his phone.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Mom wants to talk to you.’
I take the phone. ‘Mom, I can’t drive down there. I’ve got a lot to do.’
‘What do you have to do that’s more important than being with family?’ she says in her guilt-inducing mom tone. ‘This little baby is your uncle’s first grandchild and we’re all going to be here to celebrate.’
‘Mom, I—’
‘We’re doing this for Callie, too. You know how difficult this has been on her with her family gone. We’re going to show her we love her and that we’re here to support her. Now get yourself ready and start driving.’
I sigh. ‘Yeah, fine, I’ll be there.’ I give the phone back to Nick.
‘See you soon, Mom.’ Nick ends the call and looks at me. ‘You want me to tell Sawyer to stop by and get you?’
‘No, I’ll drive myself.’
