Page 136 of Keep My Heart
I hurry down the hall so Mom doesn’t see me when she leaves his room.
‘What’s the rush?’ Uncle Mitch says, smiling at me, a cup of coffee in his hand.
‘I just walk fast,’ I say, slowing down. ‘It’s a New York thing. Everyone’s in a hurry.’
‘It’s the same way in Chicago.’ He looks behind me. ‘How’s your mom doing?’
‘She’s worried.’ I turn back and see her going into the restroom.
‘Let’s go sit down.’ Uncle Mitch motions me to follow him to the waiting area. ‘Your brothers are in the cafeteria with my boys.’
We take a seat. I still feel sick about my dad selling the orchard. I can’t imagine coming back here and having it belong to someone else, having strangers living in our house and running the place. What if a corporation bought it, one of those big ag companies that buy up small farms and turn them into production facilities? My dad would hate that. So would I. The whole town would.
‘Nash tells me you got a new girl,’ Uncle Mitch says.
‘Lyndsay. We just started dating. I’m not sure it’s going to work out.’
‘Love isn’t easy, is it?’ He leans back and sips his coffee. ‘When Nash’s mom took off, I didn’t think I could ever trust a woman again.’
Nash’s birth mother had Nash, then disappeared. Uncle Mitch was left to raise Nash on his own, until he married Barb, Nash’s stepmom.
‘What did Aunt Barb do to make you change your mind?’
‘She gave me time to work through it. It was my problem, not hers. I had to learn to trust that she’d stick around. I think what made me really fall for Barb is that she never judged me for it. She never told me to just get over it or that I was stupid for feeling that way.’ He pauses. ‘She was a good woman. I miss her every day.’
‘I miss her too. And I know Mom does, especially during times like this.’
He nods. ‘Those two were quite a pair, cackling away in the kitchen all hours of the night. I miss that, all of us getting together as a family. The boys and I need to get up here more. Nash was just mentioning he was thinking of having his wedding up here. I hadn’t thought about having it at the orchard, but it’s a good idea. It’s such a beautiful place.’
‘Yeah, it is.’ But it may not be ours for much longer. I turn to Uncle Mitch. ‘Can I ask you something about your company?’
‘Go ahead.’
‘What would you do with it if your sons had decided to do something else? If they didn’t want to work construction?’
‘I’d let them do what they want. I couldn’t force them into it. Nash fought it for years, doing all kinds of jobs that didn’t suit him. I think he was just trying to prove that he was different than me. He didn’t want to be a version of his old man. The thing he didn’t get is that construction is what we do, not who we are. He can do construction and be nothing like me.’ He chuckles. ‘He actually is a lot like me, but I don’t point it out.’
‘If none of your boys wanted the company, would you sell it?’
‘Probably. I can’t do this forever. My body’s already showing wear and tear from years of working construction.’
Mom walks up to us, talking to Uncle Mitch. ‘Where are your boys?’
‘In the cafeteria.’ He gets up and puts his arm around her. ‘Let’s go down there and join them. I’ll buy you some lunch.’
‘I’m really not hungry.’
‘Then your big brother will buy you a cup of coffee.’ He forces her to walk with him. ‘You coming, Nick?’
‘No, I think I’ll stay here.’
They continue down the hall to the elevator. I remain in the waiting area and think about what I should do, weighing the pros and cons, calculating the risks. Then I think about what Lyndsay said, about how I think too much and how I should listen to what my heart is telling me.
‘Why am I making this so hard?’ I mutter to myself as I get up.
It’s not hard. This is the easiest decision I’ve ever made.
As I walk into Dad’s room, he hears me and opens his eyes. ‘What are you doing back?’
