Home to Stay by Maryann Jordan

17

“Hey, Paula. I’m glad you got home okay.” Lucy made sure her smile was bright, and her voice gave no evidence of ire. John was at LSI for his first day, but the day before they’d talked about how she should play her interaction when she saw Paula at school. John had advised her that until he had a chance to talk to the others, it would be best to not let Paula know that she’d seen anything untoward. She’d taken a drama class in high school and figured it was time to put some of those acting skills to work.

Paula’s nerves were written in her expression and her lips trembled slightly as she smiled, her eyes darting to the side before moving back to Lucy’s.

Before giving Paula a chance to say anything, Lucy continued. “I hope you got my text. It was nice of you to offer me the hotel room but I really just wanted to get home. I promised my parents that I’d be at their place yesterday and didn’t want to disappoint them.”

“Oh… uh… yeah. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have changed plans on you.” Paula’s lips attempted to curve upward but her smile was forced. “So, you got a ride?”

“Yes, I called a friend who came to get me.”

“Wow, that was a long way for someone to come,” Paula muttered, her fingers fiddling with the strap of her school bag.

No shit…“Oh, they didn’t mind. I hung around the festival some more, ate a ton of food that probably all ended up on my hips,” she said with a laugh and a toss of her hand. “I bought a few things at the vendors, and by the time the bands were over, my friend was there. We had a good time talking on the way home, and then I was able to be with my parents yesterday.”

“Good, good.” Paula’s voice was stronger, her smile a little wider.

“So, did you and Griz have a good time? I figured when you got my message and knew I wasn’t using the room you might have gone back there.”

“Yeah, it was great. Um… I drank too much, of course. That’s why I need to apologize to you. I feel like I was such a bitch and didn’t mean to be. But… yeah, we went to the hotel. I let them know that you weren’t going to be there, so we figured we might as well use the room.”

Lucy watched as Paula continued to force a smile, unable to keep the slight tremor from her lips. The bell rang, and Lucy grabbed her items from the teacher's workroom. “My class is heading to physical education with Mrs. Farthingale, but I’ve got to head back to my room to finish some plans. I’ll talk to you later.”

Paula nodded, her head moving in jerks. Lucy turned and left the room, her anger ratcheting up with each step. While her friendship with Paula was only a couple of years old, she’d thought she knew her. Paula tended to drink more than Lucy, who never liked to lose control. Paula also had no problem with one-night stands, while Lucy, who had no problem with her sexuality, preferred sleeping with someone that she’d gotten to know. But she’d never known Paula to take drugs, have anything to do with drugs, be around drugs, and certainly not be around someone who was known to sell drugs.

Sure, Paula sometimes likes the occasional bad boy, but Griz?The Paula she’d gotten to know would’ve never put her in danger. Now, she wondered if she’d ever really known Paula or if something had happened to make her change. Rubbing her forehead as she entered her classroom, she wished she could make all the conflicting thoughts go away.

Glancing at the clock, she sighed in relief knowing she had thirty minutes to go before her students came back into the classroom. Sitting at her desk, she’d just pulled out her plan book when her phone vibrated. Grabbing it out of her purse, she smiled as John’s name appeared on the screen.

“Hey, how on earth did you know I needed to hear your voice?”

“What’s up, babe?”

“Oh, nothing. I just had my first interaction with Paula. But I don’t want to talk about her. Tell me how work is going, that is if you can talk about anything without having to kill me.”

He chuckled, and the sound of his mirth eased her frustration. “I can’t talk about specifics, but I can tell you that it’s been phenomenal. I feel like I’ve been given a second lease on life.”

His words warmed her heart and she breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, John, I’m so glad! That makes me happy. In fact, that’s been the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

“Yep. Good people. Good place. Good work.”

“Then you’ll fit right in.”

“Damn, babe, you’re good for my ego.”

She laughed, enjoying the lighthearted sound of his mirth as well.

“Okay, Lucy. Now, tell me what happened with Paula.”

“Don’t worry, it was fine. I didn’t see her this morning but ran into her in the teacher’s workroom. I did exactly as we decided. A happy smile, happy voice. I pretended that all was well, told her I had not even gone to the hotel, and I just hung around at the festival until a friend came to pick me up.”

“Think she believed you?”

“Absolutely. I think she was so nervous that I was going to get up in her face, so she was just thrilled that I acted like nothing was wrong. She did seem surprised that a friend would come that far to get me but I just said they didn’t mind.”

“Well, that part was no lie.”

His deep voice rumbled over the airwaves, moving inside of her. A smile curved her lips and she leaned back in her chair, more relaxed. “Have I told you how sweet you are, John Roster?”

“I think you have, babe. Have I told you how beautiful you are, Lucy Carrington?”

A bark of laughter erupted, and she sighed. “Thank you. I was so keyed up after talking to Paula, and in just a few minutes you’ve already made me feel so much better.”

“Well, I hope the next thing I tell you doesn’t take you out of your good mood.”

Bolting upright in her chair, she said, “Oh, no. Tell me what?”

“I went over everything with my coworkers. They have things they’re working on which I won’t go into with you, but they also feel like it would be prudent for us to have some eyes on your house.”

Scrunching her nose, she shook her head slightly. “Eyes on my house. What does that mean?”

“Security, babe. A couple of cameras on your front and back entrances, just to make sure that no one is trying to get to you.”

She said nothing as she nibbled on her bottom lip, her mind racing. “Okay. That doesn’t sound too obtrusive. I’m assuming you agree?”

“Yes, absolutely. To be honest, I’m so new to what LSI does that I’d be willing to put my trust in any decision they came up with. In this case, I agree that it’s the right thing to do.”

Sighing heavily, she said, “Okay, then they can do whatever they need to do. Although, let me just go on the record as saying that I prefer you being there as my up close, personal security.”

“Damn, girl, you’ve got to cut that out. I’m just finishing up my day here, and I don’t want to walk back into the room with a hard-on.”

Laughter rang out again, but before she had a chance to say anything else, he jumped in with another surprise.

“I’ve barely seen Gramps in the past two days but I gave him a quick rundown of what was going on. I need to have dinner with him tonight, and he wants to meet you. So, I’m going to pick you up as soon as I get off and bring you back to his house so we can all have dinner together.”

“Whoa, seriously? Are you sure? I mean, if you just want to have dinner with your Gramps, that’s fine.”

“Of course, I’m sure. We decided to see where we're going in this relationship, and part of being together is going to be involved with each other’s families. And believe me, when Gramps gets his mind set on something, it’s best to go along with it. He wants you at the dinner table tonight.”

“Well, alrighty then. Looks like I’ll be having dinner with the Roster men. And by the way, I had already planned on inviting you and your Gramps to my family’s Memorial Day picnic. You just happened to jump the gun on meeting the families, but I call dibs on getting everyone together.”

“Sounds good, babe. Be careful and avoid Paula if you can. I’ll pick you up at your place as soon as I get off work.”

Disconnecting, she leaned back in her chair again, her heart much lighter with thoughts of John filling her mind. Then, due to the idea that she was going to have to have cameras on her house because of her former friend’s stupidity, she almost lost her good mood again. Pushing that to the side, she decided to spend her next few minutes planning what to take to dinner as she waited for her class to return.

* * *

Lucy waited on the front porch, her hands full. She’d baked a strawberry crumble pie, glad that she had fresh strawberries from the farmer’s market and a frozen pie crust in her freezer. Her gaze stayed on the drive, anxious for John to arrive. She’d only said goodbye to him yesterday, but it would be the first time they would be around someone else since they had become a couple.

She shifted the pie to one hand so she could smooth her skirt with the other. Deciding what to wear had taken almost as long as deciding what to bake. Meeting his only relative, the man who’d helped raise him, was a big deal. Too dressy would seem like overkill considering John had described his grandfather as a practical man, but then jeans would feel like she didn’t care to make a good impression. She’d finally decided on a casual skirt that fell to her calves, a T-shirt with lace at the top and little cap sleeves, and sandals.

The rumble of a large vehicle had her gaze jump back to the lane, and seeing his smile through the windshield of the SUV eased her nerves. She hurried down her front steps, tripping at the bottom on a loose nail then righting herself quickly before she lost control of the pie. He jumped down from behind the wheel, hustling toward her.

“Are you okay?” He took the pie plate from her hands, his gaze glancing back at the steps.

“Oh, yes. Just a loose nail I keep forgetting to hammer in all the way.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the passenger side where he assisted her up into the seat, handing her the pie once she was buckled. “The boards in the steps should be screwed in. That would make them more secure.”

She scrunched her nose and sighed. “Oh. Well, I’ve just replaced a few of the boards, but I need to work on the whole thing. I suppose I need to add that to my list of things to get done.”

His deep chuckle filled the air. “How long is that list now?”

“Hmph.” Grousing, she play-slapped him on the arm.

It only took fifteen minutes to drive to Gramps’ house, and he spent most of that time warning her about his grandfather. “I don’t want you to be put off by him, but he’s a bit of a curmudgeon.” Sliding his hand around the back of his neck, he squeezed. “Actually, he’s a lot of a curmudgeon.”

“It’ll be fine,” she assured.

“I just don’t want you to be offended by anything he says. He’s pretty blunt but harmless. He takes care of himself but his arthritis makes it a little more difficult.”

She twisted and placed her hand on his leg. “John, stop worrying. It’ll be fine.” She leaned forward in her seat as they turned off the main road, driving through thick trees. At the end was a clearing, a grey-clapboard house coming into sight. “Oh, I love it,” she enthused.

He swung his head to the side as he parked next to the house. “Only you would see an old house that needs more repairs—and that’s after I’ve spent a couple of weeks doing lots of repairs—and say that you love it.”

“Are you determined to get on my bad side before we go inside?”

He leaned over the console, his hand on the back of her head, and pulled her gently toward him, landing a kiss on her lips. She immediately melted, and it hit her that she might never stay irritated at him as long as he kissed her that way. But that was a secret she was willing to keep this early in their relationship.

Separating the barest inch, he held her gaze. “I never want to get on your bad side, and to be honest, I love that you love old houses.”

Her smile widened as he let her go. He rounded the vehicle and assisted her down as she carefully maintained hold of the pie. Stepping inside the kitchen, she sniffed in appreciation at the scents coming from the stove. An older man turned, his gaze taking her in before the creases deepened as he smiled. His hair was white, the top sparse but the sides combed neatly. His pants were a little baggy but clean and his white shirt was pressed. After everything John had told her, she could tell he’d made an effort, and she was glad she’d chosen to wear a skirt. She smiled as he walked toward her.

“You must be Lucy.” His voice was gravelly but warm.

“Yes, Mr. Roster. Thank you for having me.”

“Call me Gramps. Nobody’s formal around here.”

“Okay, I will. And I brought a strawberry crumble pie for dessert. I hope that’s okay.”

“Never knew a man to turn down a pretty girl with dessert in her hands.” He winked, and she caught sight of John rolling his eyes.

“Gramps, are you flirting with my girl?”

“Never knew an old man to not flirt with a pretty girl with dessert in her hands.”

Lucy laughed as she set the pie on the counter. She looked around at the kitchen; clean, but it hadn’t been updated in years, and she wondered how different it would have been when John’s grandmother was alive.

“Lucy commented on how much she loved the house when we drove up,” John said.

“It’s old. ‘Bout the best you can say for it.” Gramps moved slowly back to the stove. “John, take the fish pie out of the oven.”

John moved to handle the hot dish, placing it on a worn potholder sitting in the middle of the table. Three places were already set, and she glanced over to see a pitcher of iced tea on the counter. “Would you like me to pour?”

“Be fine, Lucy,” Gramps said. “Then sit yourself down, and we’ll eat. No ceremony here, so make yourself at home.”

Soon, they were at the table and she moaned in appreciation at her first bite. “It’s been a while since I’ve had fish pie, and this is delicious.”

Gramps grinned. “My wife’s recipe. I don’t do fancy cooking, but she was a good cook. Whenever we had company, she’d make her Maine Haddock Pie. Figured John bringing home a girl was reason enough to celebrate.”

“Well, I’m honored.”

The conversation was easy as Gramps asked her about teaching and then asked John about his first day at work. She could tell John was fluffing his answers, but Gramps didn’t seem to care that John had to keep most of what he’d be doing a secret.

She served the pie and was thrilled when Gramps pulled vanilla ice cream from the freezer. Making a pot of coffee which they took to the living room, Gramps settled into an old recliner while she and John sat together on the sofa.

“I hear you’re working on your house,” Gramps said.

“Yes. I bought an old house that needed a lot of love. My parents despaired since I knew nothing about repairs. But I’ve learned as I go. I contracted out the electrical work and larger plumbing work, but I’ve updated the kitchen and the master bathroom, doing a lot of the work myself.”

“What’s this youbie tubie thing John said you were learning from?”

Her eyes widened, not understanding, and she shot John a questioning look.

John laughed, saying, “He means YouTube.”

“Oh,” she laughed as well, blushing. “It’s a… um… well, it’s a place on the internet where people can post all kinds of videos. And some of them show you how to do things. So, I just search for whatever I’m working on, like how to tile a kitchen backsplash and a bunch of videos will pop up on my computer to show me how to do it. Some are better than others, so I look for the ones for beginners.”

Gramps’ fork had halted on its way to his mouth, his bushy eyebrows raised. “Hmph. In my day, we learned by what our dads or granddads taught us.”

“I’m sure my dad would show me, but then he has a penchant for taking over. But on my own, I’ve done a lot, including replacing some boards in the porch, which I now know from John that I needed to have used screws instead of nails, so I’ll do those over.”

“Seems to me if John thinks there’s a better way to do something, he should offer to do it himself.”

She blinked in surprise, ready to defend John, but he burst out laughing next to her. “Gramps, I planned on helping her out but needed to have a chance to offer in a way that didn’t make it seem like I was taking over. Lucy is determined to take care of her house herself. You’ve jumped the gun on me.”

She smiled at John as his arm around her shoulder pulled her closer. “You don’t have to offer to help—”

“Honey, I was going to but knew I needed to find a way to do it so you’d accept my help.”

Biting her lip, she crinkled her nose. “I promise I won’t get prickly. At least working with you will be fun. When my brother helps, he gets annoying. I always have to remind him that it’s my house!”

Gramps cackled as he sat back in his seat. “I like you, Lucy. You’ve got spunk. And anytime you get bored at your house, you come on over here and can tell John what to do with this old heap.”

Turning her smile toward him, she nodded her agreement. “Thank you, Gramps. I might just do that!”