intents and purposes, he and Lucy Ann were just a regular family on vacation.
Why had he never thought to bring her to places like this before? He’d convinced himself he was taking care of her by offering her a job and a life following him around the world. But somehow he’d missed out on giving her so much more. He’d let her down when they were teenagers and he’d gotten arrested, leaving her alone to deal with her family. Now to find out he’d been selfish as an adult too. That didn’t sit well with him.
So he had more to fix. He and Lucy Ann were bound by their child for life, but he didn’t intend to take that part for granted. He would work his tail off to be more for her this time.
He set the brake on the stroller by a looming marble angel. “You’re quiet. Anything I can get for you?”
She glanced away from her camera, looking back over her shoulder at him. “Everything’s perfect. Thank you. I’m enjoying the peace. And the frescoes as well as the ornately bound books. This was a wonderful idea for how to spend the afternoon.”
Yet all day long she’d kept that camera between them, snapping photos. For work? For pleasure?
Or to keep from looking at him?
Tired of the awkward silence, he pushed on, “If you’re having fun, then why aren’t you smiling?”
She lowered the camera slowly, pivoting to face him. Her eyes were wary. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Lucy Ann, it’s me here. Elliot. Can we pretend it’s fifteen years ago and just be honest with each other?”
She nibbled her bottom lip for a moment before blurting out, “I appreciate what you’re doing, that you’re trying, but I keep waiting for the explosion.”
He scratched over his closely shorn hair, which brought memories of sprinting away from a burning car. “I thought we cleared that up in the limo. I’m not going to wreck tomorrow.”
“And I’m not talking about that now.” She tucked the camera away slowly, pausing as an older couple meandered past looking at a brochure map of the museum. Once they cleared the small chapel area, she turned back to him and said softly, “I’m talking about an explosion of anger. You have to be mad at me for not telling you about Eli sooner. I accept that it was wrong of me not to try harder. I just keep wondering when the argument will happen.”
God, was she really expecting him to go ballistic on her? He would never, never be like his father. He used his racing as an outlet for those aggressive feelings. He did what he needed to do to stay in control. Always.
Maybe he wasn’t as focused as he claimed to be, because if he’d been thinking straight he would have realized that Lucy Ann would misunderstand. She’d spent her life on shaky ground growing up, her mother hooking up with a different boyfriend or husband every week. Beyond that, she’d always stepped in for others, a quiet warrior in her own right.
“You always did take the blame for things.”
“What does that have to do with today?”
He gestured for her to sit on a pew, then joined her. “When we were kids, you took the blame for things I did—like breaking the aquarium and letting the snake loose in the school.”
She smiled nostalgically. “And cutting off Sharilynn’s braid. Not a nice thing to do at all, by the way.”
“She was mean to you. She deserved it.” He and Lucy Ann had been each other’s champions in those days. “But you shouldn’t have told the teacher you did it. You ended up cleaning the erasers for a week.”
“I enjoyed staying after school. And my mom didn’t do anything except laugh, then make me write an apology and do some extra chores.” She looked down at her hands twisted in her lap. “Your father wouldn’t have laughed if the school called him.”
“You’re right there.” He scooped up her hand and held on. It was getting easier and easier for them to be together again. As much as he hated revisiting the past, if it worked to bring her back into
Why had he never thought to bring her to places like this before? He’d convinced himself he was taking care of her by offering her a job and a life following him around the world. But somehow he’d missed out on giving her so much more. He’d let her down when they were teenagers and he’d gotten arrested, leaving her alone to deal with her family. Now to find out he’d been selfish as an adult too. That didn’t sit well with him.
So he had more to fix. He and Lucy Ann were bound by their child for life, but he didn’t intend to take that part for granted. He would work his tail off to be more for her this time.
He set the brake on the stroller by a looming marble angel. “You’re quiet. Anything I can get for you?”
She glanced away from her camera, looking back over her shoulder at him. “Everything’s perfect. Thank you. I’m enjoying the peace. And the frescoes as well as the ornately bound books. This was a wonderful idea for how to spend the afternoon.”
Yet all day long she’d kept that camera between them, snapping photos. For work? For pleasure?
Or to keep from looking at him?
Tired of the awkward silence, he pushed on, “If you’re having fun, then why aren’t you smiling?”
She lowered the camera slowly, pivoting to face him. Her eyes were wary. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Lucy Ann, it’s me here. Elliot. Can we pretend it’s fifteen years ago and just be honest with each other?”
She nibbled her bottom lip for a moment before blurting out, “I appreciate what you’re doing, that you’re trying, but I keep waiting for the explosion.”
He scratched over his closely shorn hair, which brought memories of sprinting away from a burning car. “I thought we cleared that up in the limo. I’m not going to wreck tomorrow.”
“And I’m not talking about that now.” She tucked the camera away slowly, pausing as an older couple meandered past looking at a brochure map of the museum. Once they cleared the small chapel area, she turned back to him and said softly, “I’m talking about an explosion of anger. You have to be mad at me for not telling you about Eli sooner. I accept that it was wrong of me not to try harder. I just keep wondering when the argument will happen.”
God, was she really expecting him to go ballistic on her? He would never, never be like his father. He used his racing as an outlet for those aggressive feelings. He did what he needed to do to stay in control. Always.
Maybe he wasn’t as focused as he claimed to be, because if he’d been thinking straight he would have realized that Lucy Ann would misunderstand. She’d spent her life on shaky ground growing up, her mother hooking up with a different boyfriend or husband every week. Beyond that, she’d always stepped in for others, a quiet warrior in her own right.
“You always did take the blame for things.”
“What does that have to do with today?”
He gestured for her to sit on a pew, then joined her. “When we were kids, you took the blame for things I did—like breaking the aquarium and letting the snake loose in the school.”
She smiled nostalgically. “And cutting off Sharilynn’s braid. Not a nice thing to do at all, by the way.”
“She was mean to you. She deserved it.” He and Lucy Ann had been each other’s champions in those days. “But you shouldn’t have told the teacher you did it. You ended up cleaning the erasers for a week.”
“I enjoyed staying after school. And my mom didn’t do anything except laugh, then make me write an apology and do some extra chores.” She looked down at her hands twisted in her lap. “Your father wouldn’t have laughed if the school called him.”
“You’re right there.” He scooped up her hand and held on. It was getting easier and easier for them to be together again. As much as he hated revisiting the past, if it worked to bring her back into
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