Everything She Never Wanted

Chapter 11

11

“What’s wrong with you?” Henry hissed. He rushed to his mother’s side, guiding her to a chair.

“What?” Ryan asked.

Henry knew his brother felt bad for making their mom cry, but dammit, he needed to learn a little tact.

“It’s fine,” Jo said through her sobs. “I’m just sad.”

“Of course you are,” Ryan said. “We all are. It sucks.”

Henry glared at his brother again, but Jo nodded.

“It does. There’s no way around that. I should be stronger for you boys.”

“f**k that, Mom. You lost your husband,” Ryan blurted, making Henry more angry with each word out of his mouth.

“Shut up, Ryan. Can’t you see you aren’t helping right now?”

Henry hated seeing his mother cry. Hated seeing any woman cry. He just wanted it to stop.

“There’s no making this better, Henry. Dad died. It sucks. Mom’s crying. She’s a mess. We’re all a mess. Are you going to tell me the robot you turned into fifteen years ago is still here? Are you seriously not going to lose it? Because I have. Leo flipped the f**k out when he came home and found me. I punched a f*****g window out and sliced my arm.” He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a bandage that stretched from just above his wrist to his elbow. “Not all of us can push it all aside. Mom can’t. I can’t. Maybe you can, but keeping this s**t bottled up isn’t good. Let her cry. Scream. Get mad. Get it out. Because holding back won’t do anyone any favors.”

Henry wanted to punch his little brother for what he said. Their mother stood back and watched them. He knew everyone was waiting for what Henry was going to say or do. Hell, he was, too. There was a part of him that wanted to walk out and just leave. Get the f**k away from Amavita and the memories of his father. Another part wanted to bury himself in Cynthia and forget about everything that had f****d with his life lately.

But the last part knew he had a responsibility. A responsibility to Amavita Estates. To his mom and brother. To himself, even. But the biggest one was to his father. Victor would lose his s**t if Henry bailed. If he left them to deal with their grief. He was the oldest. The man of the family. It was a role he didn’t want, not that way, but a role he was determined to fulfill.

Henry stepped forward and pulled Ryan into his arms. He held his brother tight, knowing he’d fight to get away. He waited until Ryan stopped fighting him, then reached for their mother. The three of them stood in the kitchen, holding each other. Henry held them while they cried. His eyes misted, but he choked back the tears. They didn’t need his pain, his grief, to heal. They needed to get rid of theirs. And he had broad shoulders, dammit.

A knock on the door broke them apart. Henry left Ryan and Jo holding on to each other and went to let Andie in. He’d almost forgotten about the food Ryan called for, and his cousin dropping by.

With Andie, the cold slap of air rushed into the house. “s**t, it’s cold out there,” Andie said, handing over one of the bags and stomping her boots clean. “Zach packed up a ton of stuff. He said you guys will be able to enjoy the leftovers.”

“Thanks,” Henry said, emotion tightening his voice. Even when they were mad at him, Andie and Zach came through for him. He was a lucky son of a b***h.

“How’s your mom?” Andie asked quietly.

Henry glanced back to the kitchen, hearing sounds of Ryan and his mom getting things ready for them to eat. “Not great.”

Andie shook her head. “Mom said she keeps trying to get Aunt Jo to move in with them, but she won’t. She’s invited her over to stay the night and she won’t even do that.”

“She’s lived here for a long time. I don’t think she’s ready to leave.”

Andie nodded. “I don’t blame her. I’m only warning you that the aunts are going to descend soon. They’re all worried about her. And holing up in here with all the lights out isn’t going to convince any of them that she’s as okay as she says she is.”

Henry looked around, noticing for the first time how dark the house was. When he arrived, sunlight was streaming through the windows, but now?

“I’ll talk to her. Ryan and I come over a lot, but she forgot about us tonight. Didn’t know what day it was.”

Andie leaned forward and hugged Henry. “We’re worried about all of you. We lost him, too.”

Henry nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat.

“Okay, I’ll let you eat.” She leaned to the side, peering past Henry. “Hi Aunt Jo! Hi Ryan!”

“Hey Andie,” Jo said, flipping on lights as she walked to the entry of the home. “How are you sweetie?”

“Good,” Andie said with a grin and a kiss for Jo. “A long day, but you know how that goes.”

“That I do. It’ll get easier for all of you though. It’s a wonderful place to work, and nice to work with family. How’s Cody?”

Andie’s grin widened. “He’s good. Cooking dinner for Kristen and I right now. At least, I hope he is.”

“He’s a good man. I’m glad you two found each other.”

“Me too.”

“Now, if I can get my sons to find nice girls, and the rest of the cousins, we’ll be all set.”

Andie laughed. “Plenty of time.”

“I think we need another wedding around here. Are you and Cody talking about getting married?”

Andie choked. “No. Um, not even a little bit yet.”

“Oh, well, one day. Thanks for bringing the food.”

“Any time, Aunt Jo.”

Jo took the bags and passed one to Ryan. They disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Henry alone with Andie again.

“Well, that was fun.”

Henry shrugged. “I couldn’t explain it if I tried.”

Andie laughed. “Well, she sounds like her old self. She always did want everyone around her to be as happy and in love as she is.”

Henry nodded, smiling. “You’re right.”

“Alright, I’m out of here. I’ll see you soon.”

Andie pulled her hood back up and said bye as she went back out into the cold. Henry pushed the door closed behind her and thought about what she said. His mom always wanted everyone else to find the same kind of love she had with his dad. If she was still pushing for that, she would be okay. She’d heal.

But until then, he’d be there for her whenever she needed him.

Vivian left church Sunday afternoon knowing she made the right decision not to go out with Adam again. Not that he’d asked her, but he seemed just as uncomfortable seeing her as she was seeing him.

She was almost to her car when she saw Jo Wilson walking to hers. She kept meaning to check on Jo but hadn’t gotten over to her house yet. She hurried to talk to her before she left.

“Jo!” she called.

Jo stopped and turned, a smile tilting her lips when she saw Vivian waving.

Vivian rushed to meet her friend, being careful not to slip on the icy parking lot. When she reached Jo, she gave her a hug.

“How are you?”

Jo shrugged. “I have good days and bad days. Yesterday was a bad one. Today is better.”

“I keep telling myself to stop by, but I never know if I’m going to be interrupting you.”

Jo shook her head. “My days are pretty quiet. It’s strange having no one else in the house.”

Vivian nodded. “I remember that feeling. Of course, mine was when Cynthia moved out.”

“Quiet is quiet,” Jo said with a grin.

“Very true. I don’t want to keep you in the cold, but I’ll stop by this week. I’m sure you’ve heard that Cynthia is home and spending time with Henry.”

Jo nodded, grinning. “I heard that. I’m very happy they found each other again.”

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for saying that. I know things didn’t end well between them years ago. I worried your family wouldn’t want her around.”

Jo smiled. “I can’t speak for the rest of them. Henry’s brother and cousins have been less than kind, but I always thought there was something between them.”

“I did, too,” Vivian said, surprised she wasn’t the only one. “I don’t think Cynthia was mature enough in high school, but Henry was always the first person she went to when she needed anything. I always hoped they’d get together.”

Jo nodded. “Me too. Maybe this is their second chance.”

“I hope it is,” Vivian said honestly. She wanted to see her daughter happy, but she also liked the idea of Cynthia sticking around.

“I look forward to seeing you soon, Vivian. Stop by any time. And our number is still the same if you want to call.”

“I will. Thanks, Jo.”

They said goodbye and Vivian went to where her car was parked on the other side of the lot. She drove home hoping what she and Jo saw when the kids were young would last now that many years had passed.

At home, Vivian found Cynthia at the kitchen table, working on another story. “I thought you were supposed to work at work. Not at home.”

Cynthia looked up with a smile. “I’m trying to come up with other story ideas. Things I can pitch. Plus, I have some freelance clients that want new things from me.”

“You work too hard.”

Cynthia shook her head. “I need to keep my name out there. If I fall off the internet, I’ll never get a new job.”

“I thought you enjoyed the one you have.”

Cynthia sighed. “I do, but we both know I’m not going to stay here forever.”

“I thought things were going well with Henry.”

Cynthia nodded, but there was something in her eyes that made Vivian wonder what was going on. “They are. But it’s Henry.”

“What does that mean?”

Cynthia shrugged. “I don’t know. There are times when it’s weird because I know him so well, but other times when he feels like a completely different person. I went over there yesterday and he barely even kissed me.”

“What did you want him to do?”

She shrugged again. “I don’t know. We fooled around a little last weekend and I guess I thought we were going to have a fling or something.”

“Does Henry seem like the kind of guy who would have a fling?”

Cynthia snorted. “That’s one of those parts of Henry that’s a complete mystery. I have no idea. He’s dated but not seriously. It sounds like he might be a fling sort of guy.”

“Well, you know how I feel about flings.”

“Yes, I do. And you know how I feel about them. And we’re talking about me. Should we switch and talk about you?”

“What about me? The date wasn’t any good.”

“You agreed to five dates, Mom. Don’t think you’re getting out of it that easily.”

Vivian groaned. She was not looking forward to more dates. She was too old to date. And too set in her ways. She was never going to find someone who fit with her.

“I already have a new guy in mind for you. He’s cute and friendly. He’s a little younger than you, but I don’t think that’s an issue. And I’m pretty sure he already likes you.”

“What are you talking about? Who is this?”

“Tim.”

“Tim who?”

Tim. The honey guy?”

“Tim Courtney? No.” Vivian moved to make a pot of coffee. Her morning cup was fading. Especially if she was going to have this conversation.

“Why not? He’s cute. And you guys were totally flirting.”

“We were not flirting. We were talking.”

“You’re out of practice, Mom. That was flirting.”

Vivian sat down at the table with a thud. There was no way Tim was flirting with her. He always talked to her the same way. He was friendly. And he always gave her a kiss on the cheek when she left.

It didn’t mean anything.

“I think he likes you, Mom. And I’m pretty sure you like him also. He’s your next date.”

“I-“

Vivian stopped. If she was honest, she did like Tim. He was easy to talk to and always went above and beyond to help her. She couldn’t count the number of times he’d dropped something off at the library because he was out of stock when she went to the store. He always asked about Cynthia, and she knew about his three boys and his divorce.

He was definitely easy on the eyes too, but that didn’t really matter.

Okay, it mattered some.

“You like him, Mom. I’m not saying you’re in love with him, but I think you like him.”

“What if it doesn’t go well? What if we try it and then it’s awkward between us.”

Cynthia shrugged. “Sometimes that happens. But sometimes it’s even better.”

“I’ve never known the better.”

Cynthia gave her a sympathetic look. She knew it was pathetic to have spent so much of her life single and alone, but she was more focused on her daughter than herself for so long that it never mattered. When she had the time, she no longer had the desire.

The only reason she was going through it all now was because she wanted to see her daughter smile again. And for some reason, setting her up seemed to be making Cynthia happy.

“Better makes the bad ones worthwhile. Better makes it possible to get up some mornings. Better makes you want to try again.”

Vivian sat back, a mix of astonishment and pride as she looked at her daughter. She’d done well. She raised a strong woman. A smart woman. A woman that schooled her when she needed it.

A woman who was right.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

Vivian nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it. I think he’s a good man and I like him.”

Cynthia cheered. “Excellent. Okay, so when do you want to go over there?”

“Oh, no,” Vivian said, shaking her head. “I’ll do this alone.”

“But Mom!” Cynthia argued in a perfect teenager voice.

“No. Not gonna happen. Last time I felt like we were in a bad movie and you were whispering in my ear. That was awkward.”

“But-”

Vivian gave her a look that said it was not up for discussion. Cynthia huffed.

“Fine. But I get to pick out what you’re going to wear.”

Vivian glared at her. “That’s fine. I know how to hide clothes in my bag just like you used to do in high school.”

“You knew about that?” Cynthia asked with a grin.

Vivian snickered. “I knew about a lot of things you tried to keep from me.”

Cynthia shrugged. “Oh, well. It’s all over now.”

“Let’s hope.”

“Okay, so I can pick out your clothes, right?”

Vivian groaned. “Fine. But stay away from Tim’s when I go talk to him tomorrow.”

“Deal.”

Cynthia was a lot happier about that deal than Vivian was.

Henry walked into the business meeting Monday morning determined. He barely saw Zach all weekend and was getting pissed off on his behalf. He knew Zach would never complain, but Zach didn’t need to work as many hours as he was.

He got his coffee and nodded to Zach. His cousin had already been there for hours, fixing breakfast for the guests. On Mondays, the family also ate breakfast, so Zach had even more work. And then a full day. The only saving grace was the restaurant was closed Monday night. But Zach still worked almost a full day.

Henry fixed himself a plate of food then sat at a table near the front. He knew Zach would sneak back in before the meeting started and sit in the back.

“Hey, Henry,” Dillon said. “How’s it going?”

“Good. I want to ask about getting some help for Zach. I’m not sure if that’s something you want me to bring up at the meeting or if we should talk about it after.”

Dillon shifted to focus on Henry and said, “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Zach works ridiculous hours. He’s here constantly. I know you know this.” Dillon nodded. “He needs some help. Someone to take a few shifts. Work early and he can work late or the other way around. He won’t ever say anything, but he needs some time off.”

Dillon nodded. “Okay. I didn’t realize it was that bad. Let’s talk after the meeting. You and me. We’ll pull Zach in also. I know he won’t want anything aired out during the meeting, but we’ve got plenty of money in the budget to hire someone else.”

“That sounds good, Dillon. Thanks.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

“I know this is a lot, but you’re looking at managers to help Andie too, right?”

Dillon nodded. “Yep. We’re working out the logistics and will be posting soon.”

“Thanks Dillon.”

He grinned. “We’re all in this together.”

Dillon clapped Henry on the back and stood up to start the meeting, drawing the attention of the entire room. He talked about how things were going and the little bit that was going on. Andie was finishing up the main hallways. Alyssa was changing a few more things in the gift shop. All was going as close to normal as possible for a winter.

“We need to start getting ready for summer,” Dillon said, meeting all their eyes. “This will be the first full summer we’re in charge. Last summer we did well, but I know we were all still getting used to things. Adjusting. This summer, I have no doubt, we’ll be even more on our own. Our guests have been asking for more and more activities. I’d like to start looking into more options. More things for people to do.”

“Like what?” Kristen asked.

“Anything and everything. I want you managing this, Kristen. You talk to people all the time. You’re good with people. I want you to be a sort of concierge. Not that you’ll book tours or anything, but reach out to the local community. Create some partnerships. Go on their tours or visit their organizations. Ask them to offer any guests of ours a discount. Locals helping locals.”

Kristen scribbled a few notes on a sheet of paper Andie passed her, with Andie’s pen. “I can do that. I have a few I can reach out to now.”

“Good. Anyone who has ideas, get with Kristen. I know there’s a lot to do out there, let’s make sure our guests know where to go, and keep coming back here when they’re done.”

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement. Dillon wrapped up the meeting quickly, letting everyone go to their own work. Henry waited while Dillon said something to Aunt Marie. When she smiled and walked toward the kitchen, Dillon called out to Zach.

Zach approached, looking twitchy. He didn’t like being out of the kitchen for long. Henry stepped up with Zach and waited for Dillon to say something. He eyed both of them and nodded. “We need to talk.”