Page 281 of Love in Riverbend
Moving back to my chair, I reach out and cover her hand with mine. “What you need is to know everything will be all right. And it sounds like Ricky and Dax have the farm covered. Justin will improve as he is able to move around more, and as for you, my friend, you need to take care of yourself.”
“It will be good to go home more. I hate being there without Justin.”
“He’ll be home soon.” I look down at what’s left of our lunches. “Will he mind if I visit him? I need to go back home. The joys of tax season are all around.”
“My least favorite holiday,” Devan says.
“Mine too. I’m spending hours reading about ways to save my clients money.”
“Don’t you have to be rich to have a wealth manager?”
“That’s subjective.”
“I know, but shouldn’t people who don’t make as much money be able to find the loopholes?”
“You’re being too rational,” I say as we carry our trays to the conveyor belt.
A few minutes later, Devan pushes the door to Justin’s room open and stops in her tracks. “Ricky, I didn’t realize you would be here.”
I suck in a breath, seeing him over Devan’s shoulder. His brown eyes are on me for longer than I want. My heart is beating in double time as I push past my friend and turn to Justin. “Hey, I wanted to say hi, before I head back north.”
Justin looks between me and Ricky in a way that tells me Ricky’s been as forthcoming with his friends as I have.
Ricky clears his throat. “I was going to leave. You can stay.”
Pressing my lips together and keeping my vision on Justin, I say, “Don’t go out of your way for me, and I won’t go out of my way for you.”
“Marilyn…” Ricky’s tone makes me want to turn, but I don’t.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Justin, doing my best to ignore the other man in the room.
“Confused,” Justin replies. “What the hell is happening?”
“Absolutely nothing,” I say before anyone else can answer. I walk forward and squeeze Justin’s hand. “Get better soon.” I want to say something about the baby, but from what Devan said, Ricky doesn’t know. I’m not going to be the one to spill the beans. “I need to head home. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks, Marilyn,” Justin says.
I spin as I hear my name again from Ricky, but I don’t stop until I’m at the elevators. Devan is close on my heels.
“Talk to me,” she says.
I know I can’t talk, not to Devan or anyone. If I so much as open my lips, I’ll cry again. Instead, I shake my head and push the button again. The doors open, and I hurry in, turning to wave goodbye to my friend.
Chapter 32
Ricky
Two weeks later
My office doesn’t have a window, not even one the size of a porthole. Nevertheless, it is a room with a door, not a cubicle. With my suit coat hanging on the back of my chair, I stare at the information on my desk, completely in awe that I am sitting where I am. This is almost everything I want in life.
The missing piece is no doubt on the third floor. I can’t blame her for not speaking to me two weeks ago in Justin’s hospital room. I haven’t tried to call or text her. That doesn’t mean I haven’t written at least a hundred different messages, only to delete each one. I said things to Marilyn that no one deserves to hear. If I were into therapy, I might learn my reasons for pushing her away.
It doesn’t take a psychology degree to know that I was freaked out about putting my career on hold while simultaneously worried about the future of my sister, my best friend, and my family farm. Marilyn told me not to make any rash decisions.
I’ve lain awake at night, thinking about how she was right. If only I’d taken the time to talk to Dax, Dad, and Randy Sheers. For some reason, in my mind, I was the only one who could save the Sheers farm. I was so focused on the fucking trees, I didn’t see the forest.
Maybe my desire to move beyond Riverbend wouldn’t allow me to see the positives it has to offer, friendships and family.
