Taking Their Second Chance Read online

  That's what had started her on this journey. After Jake had left, her grandmother had entered hospice care, Letti's parents having abandoned Letti and her brother to their grandmother's care long ago. Letti never knew what happened to her parents.

  Letti had visited her grandmother as often as she could, her shift at the grocery store an interruption until she could go back and see her grandmother. While she was there, Letti had visited with many of the patients, learning about their lives, the good times and the bad. In the end, it had been her grandmother and several of the nurses in the facility that had convinced Letti to earn her certification as a nursing assistant.

  And here she was, years later, with a job more rewarding than she could have ever imagined. When her brother had returned home from Iraq, injured but alive, Letti had been with him through every step of the way, helping learn how to walk again, how to live again.

  Letti pulled into the parking lot of the hospice building and nearly skipped to the entrance.

  "You got the job?" Becca called from the front desk.

  "Yup!"

  A chorus of cheers came from the back, behind the main doors. Becca buzzed her through and Letti was enveloped with hugs.

  Her shift at the hospice building went by quickly, Letti visiting with as many people as she could. When she yawned one time too many, one of the nurses took pity on her and told her she should head on home and take a nap before her new job tonight.

  With a round of farewells, Letti headed home. Her brother would be awake now, but he was pretty good about keeping quiet so Letti could sleep during the day.

  After Daniel had come back home, the easiest thing had been that he move in with Letti. In truth, Dan had been Letti's first home-care patient, though she didn't think of him in that way at all. She had wanted to help her brother.

  "I'm home," she called as she stepped into the small, two bedroom rambler she had inherited from her grandmother. Luckily, they didn't have to share a bathroom, Letti's room having a tiny en-suite. But she did petition to use the bathtub in Dan's bathroom every so often.

  They had painted the house a light sage green just last summer when Dan felt strong enough to be able to do some work around the house. They had had a long talk, and Dan knew he didn't need to do anything in return for what Letti had done for him, that Letti didn't expect that of him, but it still made him feel better about everything. So Letti allowed it.

  "Back here," Dan called. His voice sounded faint, like it was coming from the beneath the house.

  Walking through the living room, Letti placed her purse on the small entryway table before walking around the corner and into the kitchen. Dan wasn't there, so she kept walking back, passed the pantry and into the mudroom.

  "What's this?" she asked, watching Dan wrestle a dryer hose. Gone were the washer and dryer that were old when their grandmother used them. In their place stood two, very tall, cherry red machines. "Dan?" she prodded when he didn't answer.

  "Washer broke again," he said.

  "Did it break on its own or did you break it?" Letti asked.

  Dan have her a quick, mischievous smile. "Such faith you have in me," he teased.

  "Dan," she said, a hint of warning in her voice.

  Dan sighed. "It really did break. And I was tired of fixing it. Besides, your birthday is coming up."

  "In August. It's March."

  "It's coming up," Dan repeated. He finished attaching the dryer hose and straightened, turning to face Letti. "A thank you wouldn't go unappreciated."

  Letti let out a frustrated sigh, closing her eyes and counting to ten. It helped a little. "Thank you," she gritted out.

  "Feeling it," Dan said, brushing past her and into the kitchen-dining room combo.

  "Dan," Letti called and rushed after him, already feeling like a heel. "Really. Thank you. I just..." She took another breath. "I was going to take care of it."

  "And now you don't have to."

  "It's too much!" Letti nearly shouted. Then lowered her voice. "I can take care of these things myself, you know."

  Dan turned. "I know you can. You can do anything when you set your mind to it. Even get your stubborn brother walking again. Just let me do this. Okay?"

  Letti stared at her brother. The argument was an old one. Why couldn't she just let it go?

  It was pride. Her own pride at being independent, and making a life for herself. A need to prove that she never needed her parents. Never needed anybody.

  Letti deflated and nodded her head. "I'm sorry. You're right. Thank you, really." Letti glanced back toward the machines, then grinned at her brother. "They're gorgeous. I actually can't wait to do laundry now."

  "Good, 'cause I got a pile for you in my room," Dan said with a slight upturn of his lips.

  Letti shook her head at him, but laughed.

  "I'm heading to bed," she said, walking down the short, narrow hallway to her bedroom. "I got the job. I start tonight."

  "Wait a minute!" Dan followed her down the hallway. "The job with Jake's mom?"

  Letti nodded, putting down her work backpack, filled with an extra pair of scrubs and her lunch box, and shrugging off her jacket. She laid it over the arm of the small chair next to her tall, white dresser.

  "It'll be fine," she said, turning to face Dan. "We're adults. His mother needs help and clearly she wants me to be the one to help her. And it'll look great on my résumé. And let's face it. I need the income right now."

  "You're working yourself too much," Dan protested. "Volunteering at the hospice, the hospital, the grocery store on weekends. Too much."

  "It's temporary," Letti said, reminding both her brother and herself. "Gotta work hard to play hard, right? And besides, I'm going to shift my volunteer hours and grocery hours to take better care of Esther. It'll all work out."

  Dan sighed. "Fine. Just, watch out for yourself, alright? A sick nurse is a useless nurse." He turned and walked back down the hall.

  "I'm not a nurse yet. And I don't get sick!" she called after him. Shutting her door, Letti got ready for bed, slipping into a pair of flannel pajamas and washing her face.

  She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Letti pulled into the driveway at the same time as Jake later that evening. She knew he was working longer hours to prep for calving season, and wondered just how tired he would be.

  Maybe she should offer to cook. After all, he was paying her to be here.

  "Good evening," she greeted, lifting a hand. "How was your day?"

  Jake's eyes narrowed at her. "It was fine," he said, tone hard. Defensive.

  Letti nearly stepped back before she decided that this kind of behavior from either of them wasn't going to help Esther.

  "Before we go any further," Letti snapped, taking a couple of steps and stopping right in front of him, "we need to talk."

  Jake's eyebrows lifted, but her position forced his attention all on her and that's what she wanted. Then he crossed his arms over his chest.

  "I know that our past might make this situation a bit... awkward," she said. Jake snorted and she narrowed her eyes at him. "But this isn't about us, is it?"

  At that, Jake's demeanor changed. He lowered his arms and met her eyes without reservation, all trace of surliness gone. The change was so drastic, Letti's jaw nearly dropped in surprise. Instead, she counted it as a win and continued.

  "Your mom needs both of our help. And we can't really do that until we bury the hatchet. So," Letti stuck out her hand. "Hatchet buried. How about you?"

  Jake hesitated, giving Letti a considering look. Then he stuck out his own hand and shook hers. "Hatchet buried."

  "Good. Let's go inside. It's freezing." Letti paused at the door, shooting Jake a look over her shoulder. "You build a fire, I make dinner." Her tone left no room for discussion.

  They entered the house, Esther beaming at the two of them as though Christmas had come early. Letti realized she might have heard their little co
nversation outside.

  "Hi, Esther," Letti said, shrugging off her jacket. When the weight of it disappeared, Letti looked back, surprised to see Jake taking it from her and hanging it up on the tiny coat rack near the front door.

  Esther waved when Letti turned back. The couch she sat on was an old, overstuffed thing with a garish pattern that had been in the family for years. Crocheted blankets were draped across the back of it and over Esther's lap, a kaleidoscope of different colors. Maybe Letti would finally get the chance to learn how to crochet. Esther had tried to teach her the entire time Letti and Jake had been together.

  "Jake's going to build the fire and I'll get started on dinner," Letti said. When Esther began to frown and shake her head, Letti just smiled. "It's alright. Jake's had a long day and I just woke up from a nap."

  Esther didn't have a choice but to give a reluctant nod, shooting her son a disgruntled look. Letti bit her lower lip to keep the laughter to herself.

  Turning to Jake, she asked, "What's for dinner?"

  "Chicken Parmesan," Jake said before he turned on his heel and walked toward the back. No doubt to gather firewood.

  Cautious delight filled her. There was no way that Jake remembered that was her favorite.

  A little while later, a fire roared in the hearth and Letti slid the pan of chicken into the oven. With one look from Esther, Jake made his way into the kitchen to grab plates and silverware. Letti grabbed glasses from the cupboard and filled them with water before following him into the dining room.

  "How's the ranch treating you?" she asked, hoping Jake wouldn't give her the silent treatment all evening. They had agreed to leave their past behind them, but they hadn't agreed to be friendly with one another.

  "It's fine," Jake said. After a pause, he seemed to steal himself and added, "Morris is doing a good job with the place. We're getting ready for the auction at the Fair and calving season. Some of the heavies look like they might drop any day now."

  "Are you going to be riding in the rodeo this year?" she asked. She always loved to watch him when they were younger, though some of his antics had been designed to scare her, she was sure of it.

  "Yeah, I was planning on it. If I win anything, that would help go toward some of these medical bills," he said with a shrug.

  "I'm sure you will," Letti said.

  The egg timer rang and Letti realized she had done nothing but watch Jake set the table. Feeling a flush steal its way up her neck, Letti rushed back into the kitchen and took the chicken out of the oven.

  The three of them settled down to dinner after that, with Jake dishing up everybody's plates. She had also taken the time to chop up a fresh salad, though she knew it might be hard for Esther to swallow. Esther needed all the vitamins she could get.

  "Tell you what," Letti said to Esther. "I know some really good green smoothie recipes. I'll swing by the store and make sure we have everything on hand for you to try some of them. That sound good?"

  Esther gave Letti a smile and a nod before taking a small bite of chicken, coated liberally with marinara sauce.

  "Green smoothie?" Jake said, skeptical even as he took a large bite of salad.

  "They're good. And an easy way to get all your vitamins. I'll make you one." Letti smiled at him in challenge.

  Jake remained silent at that, shoveling food in as though he believed somebody would come out of nowhere and take his plate away from him.

  They ate in silence for a while, focused on the food. Letti kept an eye on Esther, making sure she was able to get the food down past her damaged throat. She also tried to keep her eyes off of Jake, though that proved to be harder to do.

  He had filled out over the years. His shoulders had become broader, muscles piling on top of one another. She was sure he had grown another inch or two, though she couldn't ask something so personal. His rich, dark hair was cropped close enough to stay out of his eyes, which were still a beautiful hazel. She remembered getting lost in all the different colors she could find in them.

  It was Esther's tap on the table that brought Letti out of her thoughts. When she turned to Esther, she noticed the pad of paper and a pen set in the space between them.

  How's your brother?

  Letti smiled. "Dan is doing just fine," she said. "He bought me the most beautiful washer and dryer set today. He's determined to fix up the place though he really doesn't have to."

  Jake's head snapped up at that, eyes narrowed, though he didn't say anything.

  "He was honorably discharged not too long ago," she said, more for Jake's benefit. "His recovery is going well. His leg is doing much better now," she said to Esther.

  Esther smiled and nodded.

  "What happened to his leg?" Jake asked, sitting back now that his plate was clear. Not even a drop of sauce remained.

  "IED. Shrapnel tore it up. Lots of scar tissue and he needed a plate along the femur to help it heal. But he hardly limps anymore."

  Jake looked as though he had just swallowed a lemon.

  "Sorry," Letti added. "That's not exactly polite dinner conversation. And I'm sure Dan would be mortified if he knew I was discussing his leg with you both."

  "No, it's fine," Jake said, just as his mother shook her head. "I'll have to meet him again. What does he do now?"

  "He's working in construction. Refurbishing old houses and the like. Really, anything he can get his hands on."

  "Seems smart," Jake said with a nod. "Lots of places around here need it."

  The conversation waned back into silence. Once Esther finished, Letti stood and gathered the plates, taking them to the sink. She filled the sink with hot, soapy water, grateful for a minute to just breathe.

  "You're not doing the dishes."

  Startled, Letti turned back to Jake. "I'm just getting them in to soak. The marinara doesn't come off easy if you let it dry."

  Jake nodded. "When you're ready, let's go over what you'll be responsible for."

  "Of course," she said, switching off the water and drying her hands on a nearby dish towel.

  Jake took her on a tour of the house, showing her his mother's room and bathroom, as well as where he kept extra linens. "Mom knows where everything is, of course. This is just in case she's at an appointment or asleep."

  "Got it."

  "I'd like it if you could stay with her during her appointments," Jake added, as though an afterthought. "Sometimes they run long, but I know she would appreciate the company."

  "That's the plan," Letti said. She couldn't imagine leaving Esther to her treatment all by herself. "I'll bring cards."

  "She likes Gin Rummy," he said with a quick smile. Letti's heart jumped.

  Letti backed up a few steps, bumping right up against the wall of the narrow hallway. A picture crashed to the floor.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," Letti said, kneeling down to pick it up. The glass had shattered. Letti began to pick up some of the bigger pieces, ignoring the sharp sting to one of her fingers that let her know she cut herself. "I'll replace it, I promise. Vacuum?"

  "Uh, yeah." Jake rushed to the end of the hallway and pulled a vacuum out of the closet.

  The picture had been one of Jake and his parents, a formal style portrait done when Jake must have been around five years old. He looked adorable in his little pressed pantsuit, though his disgruntled look begged to differ.

  The two of them cleaned the mess up, Jake vacuuming while Letti dumped the glass shards in the garbage. She placed the picture on the counter, as she went to rinse her cut in the sink.

  "I'm sorry about your picture frame," Letti said to Esther, wrapping her finger with a paper towel to stop the bleeding. "I'll get you a new one tomorrow, I promise." Dipping down below the sink, Letti searched for a first-aid kit. When she didn't find one, she frowned and stood back up. "Esther, do you have a first-aid--"

  "You cut yourself," Jake interrupted.

  "Just a little," she said. Before she could move, Jake had reached out and grabbed her hand, carefully removing the paper tow
el. As soon as he did, blood welled in the small cut on the pad of her finger. He wrapped it again, meeting Letti's eyes. "I'll get a Band-Aid."

  Letti stood in the kitchen, holding her finger, too stunned to move. It was a cut finger, nothing more. Why did she feel as though the world had shifted on its axis?

  Jake returned a moment later with the Band-Aid and some ointment. He dressed the wound, ignoring Letti's protests. She stood there, hot and cold chills racing up the arm that Jake held.