Waiting on the Rain by Claudia Connor

31

Two days later, Luke picked Ava up for dinner at his sister’s and they decided to park at the cabin and walk the new path. It was really coming together. The gravel had been delivered and spread. Soft rope served as a guide with braille plaques every so often.

Luke showed her the finished pathway with the rope and the braille. Still needed a few more. “Still needs some smoothing and maybe a warning edging of a different stone so you’d know if you were off track.”

“You could, but I think with the rope it’s enough. It’s wonderful, Luke. I feel like I could run.”

“Go ahead.” With the rope in her hand she walked faster, then picked up a light jog. When she went back to a walk and he caught up with her, she was breathing hard and wearing a bright, broad smile.

“That was fun. I don’t feel comfortable going all out like I do in the pool but I could definitely get some exercise with something like that.”

Something like that, but not that? Was it too much to hope that she could see herself here? “Glad you like it.”

When Luke stepped into Hannah’s they were assaulted with sounds and smells and movement. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. The space felt large and open, the kitchen voices blended over other voices a little farther in front of her, along with the sound of a basketball game.

Greeting them, Hannah touched her arm and took the pie from Luke.

“You can loosen that grip you’ve got on her,” Stephen said, from across the room. “Unless you’re afraid she’ll get away.”

“Maybe he is.”

Nick, Ava was pretty sure.

“Hey, Ava.” Hannah hugged her, then heard her kiss her brother’s cheek. “I love you, but get out. Boys and babies are in the other room.”

“What? You think y’all are the only ones who can cook?”

“No,” she said sweetly. “But we are the only ones who can cook without eating it all in the process. Now get out.”

“We’ve already lodged a protest,” a male voice yelled from the adjoining room.

“I’m good,” she said when Luke didn’t move. She gave his hand a squeeze. “Go.”

Ava felt the loss of his big warm hand around hers but she smiled. It was nice to have the touch of a man that you missed when it was gone. More than nice.

“Here. We can put you to work.” Hannah guided her to a bar stool at a waist high counter.

She heard someone open and close a refrigerator to her left, felt the cool air just before someone set a dish on the counter near her left hand.

“Here’s the salad. Just need to add the strawberries and the pecans.”

“I can do the strawberries,” Ava said.

“Thanks,” Hannah said.

She heard clatter of a wooden cutting board being placed in front of her, then the slide of a plastic carton and the clunk of a knife. And she went to work.

She enjoyed their company. All of them. And she’d often thought she could see herself becoming more than just friends with Hannah, but really good friends. If she was going to be here long term.

By the timethey said the blessing and got all the kids served or tied down in high chairs, Luke was starving.

He dug into the parmesan covered chicken. “Mmm. This tastes just like…”

“Mom’s?” Hannah said. “I know. I got her recipe box. I made some copies for Nick and Zach.”

“Lot of good that does us,” Mia said, grinning at her husband.

“One day we won’t be outnumbered and we’ll both be cooking up a storm. Until then?” Nick scooped up a forkful of rice covered with the creamy cheese sauce and toasted his sister.

“I can make some copies for you too if you want,” Hannah said to Luke.

“Oh. Well, sure. I guess I could try.”

“Whenever you want. No pressure.”

Luke noticed the little look his sister shot Ava. Did she think he and Ava were going to be cooking their mom’s recipes together?

It was a nice thought.

Nora unbuckled Will from his highchair and handed him off to Zach. She must have said something only he heard because he laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Luke smiled watching the two of them. Obviously in love and riding the high. Just five short weeks ago and he hadn’t been able to relate. Now, he looked at Ava and… She had him, he thought. She could wring every beat from his heart with nothing more than a look, a smile. And he didn’t even know how in the hell it had happened.

He tried to picture her working in New York. Sliding her stick side to side, as she made her way along crowded sidewalks at a clipped pace. Busy like all the other people in the city with things to do and places to be. She probably wore a suit to work. Long slim pants with a tucked in blouse or a skirt that no doubt had men taking advantage of the fact she couldn’t see them staring. He sincerely hoped there was someone there at the UN ready and able to pop the lookers on the head.

No, he’d rather be the one to do it. To walk her to work, not because she needed him to but just because he liked the feel of her hand on his arm. He’d listen to her voice rise and flow in a foreign language and it wouldn’t matter a damn that he had no idea what she was saying.

She had a gracefulness that just screamed for a suit and heels and it all fit. Her job, her look, the city. But, he thought, watching her now, she also fit here. Wearing jeans, a casual shirt and boots. Riding horses, listening to the creek, helping a child like Kylie. Spending her nights in his bed. Waking up beside him.

“Here. If you’re done eating, take him.” Before he could resist, Mia handed him his nine-month-old nephew who promptly stomped on his balls. “Dude, your shoes are too hard to be doing that.” He held the baby up, removing kicking feet from crotch range. “Is this the spitter?”

“No, that was Sam,” Nick said. “Max has a tiny birthmark near his right eye.”

“Huh.” Luke examined the kid he was holding then he stood to save the glass of water the baby was going for, and to save his balls.

“I can help clean,” Ava said, standing.

“Nope. You’re our guest. It’s not much. Stephen is the resident dishwasher loading expert.”

“Because there’s a right way to load a dishwasher,” he said.

Hannah waved her hand. “Have at it, expert.”

Luke went to Ava’s side. “Come one, you can help me with this one.” She took his arm and he led her to the couch.

Nora carried dishes to the kitchen while Zach wrangled Will into submission. Nick held two babies while Mia made bottles.

Hannah rescued Mitchell from his highchair while Stephen tackled the kitchen.

“Bottles coming,” Mia said over her shoulder.

“Here,” Luke said as soon as Ava was seated beside him and passed her the baby.

“Wait,” she said but already had her hands on the baby.

“You don’t have the same parts as me and he’s intent on kicking my balls off.”

“I don’t have much experience with babies.”

“I guarantee you’ve got as much as me.” The baby started crying and Ava lifted him higher so that he stood on her lap.

“Hi, baby,” she said, in that voice people used when they talked to babies. “Your dinner’s coming. Yes, it is. Luke, what’s he doing? Help me.”

The crying had stopped and though he still didn’t look happy, he was watching Ava intently. “He’s just looking at you. That talking thing is working. I hope none of you is thinking of having any more,” Luke said as the chorus of crying from the others reached a peak.

“We only have one,” Zach said in defense.

“And we only have one,” Hannah added, walking out of the room with Mitch.

Everyone looked at Nick.

“What? So we did ours all in one bang. One day you guys will be jealous.”

Mia handed Luke a bottle.

“What do you want me to do with this?”

“Just hand it to him. He knows what to do.” Luke was skeptical as he held the bottle to the kid’s hands but sure enough, he took the bottle, plopped down in Ava’s lap, then kicked back like he was in a lazy boy.

Mia handed out the other two bottles and in seconds there was silence.

Talk turned to the new Star Wars movie releasing soon and that led to an old debate.

“Of course Luke always insisted he got to be Luke,” Zach said, still holding a grudge.

“Well, duh,” Luke said. “That’s my name. I sure as hell wasn’t going to be Han or Chewy and call you Luke. That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It does make sense,” Zach argued, “because Dallas made a rotating schedule.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “You know you guys sound like you’re ten.”

“Thanks, babe.”

When the babies were all asleep or nearly so, Hannah got a roaring fire going. The women got into a deep discussion about an HBO mini-series, and the men took the heat of the fire as long as they could before escaping outside to a comfortable sixty degrees.

Luke stood at the wooden porch railing, trying to broach the topic of asking Stephen to do something with his money. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the guy. He did. But after punching him in the face, it was still hard to ask his brother-in-law for a favor.

“So. McKinney,” he finally said.

“Yeah?” Stephen turned his head.

“I was thinking… I’ve got this money, just kind of sitting around and…”

Zach snickered from his seat on the swing.

“What?” He asked, tossing a look at his brother. Then he noticed Nick’s matching smirk. “What? Not like I can’t figure out something. Just thought I’d get some tips from the money guru. Forget it.”

“Relax, bro. We’re not laughing at you,” Zach said. “We’re laughing with you.”

Stephen smiled, hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “These two gave me their money a long time ago.”

“Huh. Well. I’m not giving you my money. Just maybe some advice.”

Stephen shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Man knows what he’s doing,” Zach said. “Why make it harder than it has to be.”

“It’s not like I can turn it into gold or anything,” Stephen said. “But I can give you some ideas, depending on what you want to do with it.”

“Well, it’s not doing anything sitting in the bank, that’s for damn sure.”

“What? You don’t have it buried in the yard?”

“Bite me,” Luke said to Zach. “I was also thinking that maybe Hannah might need some help going forward. Even after the cabins are finished. By the time everything is finished, things are going to start needing repairs. Then there’s the horses. You’ve got your own stuff going on, plus a kid. I just figured maybe she could use someone for the heavy lifting full-time.”

“Then you’re thinking you’re going to stay around here?”

“Yeah. I guess I am. Definitely need to talk to Hannah about it. It’s not like I’m looking to move in on you guys. I’ll get a house, or apartment. Something. But there’s still ramps to be built everywhere. Basic upkeep. Just that windstorm we had last week brought down limbs and pinecones all over the area I started prepping for the wooded path.

“I don’t know. Maybe there’s not enough stuff, but anyway that’s just what I was thinking.” He took a sip of his beer. Nobody said anything and he finally got so uncomfortable he looked back over his shoulder at the other men. “What? You want to say that’s a stupid idea? Go ahead.” He shrugged. “It’s not like I’m married to it I was just throwing it out there.”

“Hannah’s been wanting to ask you for weeks,” Stephen said, slapping a hand down on Luke’s shoulder. “She was afraid to mention it. Said she didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

“No, shit?”

“And the animals. You know she was thinking about getting donkeys? Rescue donkeys?”

“Rescue donkeys?” Zach said. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

“I’ve heard about the donkeys,” Stephen said. “And the goats and the rabbits. Newest thing is chickens.”

Nick lowered his beer. “Is she building a riding camp or a petting farm?”

“Little of both, I think. She wants the kids to have a lot of experiences.”

“Well, there’ll be upkeep for sure,” Stephen said. “And it’s a lot of land. Lots to do and plenty of room. From what Hannah said, you’ve pretty much paid for the cabin you’re in now. Plus the labor to build four more— and you know four is going to turn into eight.”

Luke nearly groaned at the thought of building seven more cabins. He was going to have to bring in some help to get all that done. He knew some guys who didn’t mind physical labor. A few of them might even benefit from it as he had. That was an idea.

“Ava’s always giving me these ideas, and they’re good ideas. Ways to make things more tactile, as she says.”

And he was starting to see the world as Ava did. Thinking through things like people who had different needs than he did. He’d noticed the path debris walking here with Ava. Things he would have stepped over or around, or simply kicked out of his way, were a hazard. Stepping on a pinecone you didn’t expect was like stepping on a rolling log. Not to mention making it impossible for kids in wheelchairs.

“I think it sounds like a solid plan,” Stephen said. “Talk to Hannah. She’s the boss.”

“Yeah.”

“Also sounds like Hannah might not be the only reason you’re thinking to stick around.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“He means a woman, dumbass,” Zach said. “The one in there right now who I guarantee is fielding questions from our wives about you.”

* * *

An hour later,they said their goodbyes and started the walk back to the cabin.

“Thanks for going,” Luke said, taking her hand as they walked back.

“You’re welcome. It was fun.”

“And now look at you. City girl walking in the woods.”

“I’m getting used to the change of pace. Kind of liking it.”

“You were good with them. The babies. Their faces lit up every time you held them. It’s the eyes. I’m telling you.”

She smiled, tilted her head up to the sky as they walked. The smooth rope slid through her left hand and she was confident Luke wouldn’t let her fall. It was nice. So nice that she knew she needed to deal with these feelings she had for Luke instead of trying to ignore them. Especially since ignoring them wasn’t working.

“I never did much babysitting, or any, obviously. But I used to think I might have children, then I was with Blake, but two blind parents…” She shrugged.

“We decided that wouldn’t have been fair even if it had been feasible. Then when he got his sight back, I thought maybe, but… It wasn’t meant to be. He called me not long ago, to tell me he was getting married. To the woman he’d starting seeing while we were still together. Wanted me to hear it from him. And that she’s pregnant.”

“Asshole.” Luke pictured how Ava had looked, stroking Sam’s head. Running her finger over his small hand, over each finger. It was a beautiful sight and at the same time he tensed with anger at a faceless man who’d dared to hurt her.

She shrugged again and he was sure she didn’t know how much pain was written so clearly on her face.

“I’m not bitter. Not anymore. He showed his true colors and I wouldn’t want to be with him, have children with him or anything else. What about you?”

“I don’t know. Don’t know that I’ve ever thought about it, but…” He let out a short laugh. “It’s hard to be around them for more than five minutes and not think about it.”

“Your family’s great, you know. Feeling better about coming back?”

“Yeah. I am,” he said, letting her shift away from that topic. They walked on a bit farther along the wooded path under a canopy of new tree growth. “I’m starting to think, to realize that all that friction when we were younger was more my fault than I ever admitted. And at the same time that they blamed me a lot less than I assumed they did. Hell, I’m not even sure they’ve been as concerned about me going over the edge as I thought they were.”

“Maybe you were concerned about you going over the edge.”

“Maybe so.”

“I’ve been thinking also. That maybe my parents don’t worry about me so much because I’m blind, but just because they worry.”

“Sounds like we’re making progress.”

“It does.”

“Maybe we should—” She froze. Cocked her head.

“What?”

“Shh. Listen. Do you hear that?”

It was a high, pitiful, mewling. Ava was already moving toward it, off the path using her cane.

“Wait.”

The mewling got louder. Ava tripped but he was there to catch her. Then she was kneeling next to the cabin porch.

Luke dragged out his phone from his pocket and hit the flashlight feature. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Is it kittens?”

“It is. Kittens and Mama Tom. She must have thought this would be a good safe place.” Luke reached in, pulled out one of the kittens. It squirmed and mewled. “This one seems strong. Here.” He held it out to her.

Ava took the tiny body of fur, holding it close to her chest just under her chin. “She carried them all here? One by one? But it’s so far.” She continued to cuddle the baby while Luke reached in to check the others.

“Here.” Ava held out the kitten. “Better put her back with mama. You think it’s too cold?”

“It’s a little chilly, but no.” He reached in slowly, rubbed his hand over Tom’s head. “They feel toasty warm in here. I’ll bring out some blankets just in case.”

It hit her. The mother cat who’d lost her babies and the little kittens violently killed in the chain of nature. And then for another reason she couldn’t name, maybe Luke. Maybe talk of babies, but she felt tears gathering, hot and stinging in her eyes. “How did she know this would be safer?”

“I don’t know that she did,” Luke said. “But she took the chance.”

Ava could tell by his voice, he was looking at her, not the kittens. “If I knew I could have something real, something really real, with you, of course it would be worth the risk, worth anything. But how would I ever know that?”

“I don’t know, Ava. How do you ever really know?”

I know, she thought, because I’ve been there. And I know even more because I never loved him like I love you.