Page 14 of Temptress

“I’m sorry. I should have called ahead.”

She waved me off. “Nonsense. You know very well you’re welcome here any time. It’s just had I known I could have had that sweet boy Grady run to the store to pick up some more vodka. He loves running little errands for me. I’m afraid I hosted a small get-together the other night, and, well, my liquor cabinet took quite the hit.”

I gave her an admonishing look that morphed into a grin. “Lucille, Grady is a nurse here, not your personal chauffeur.” Though it didn’t surprise me one bit that she had a member of the staff—probably more than one—wrapped around her little finger already, or that she was hosting parties with the other residents. God only knew what a bunch of octogenarians could get up to with that much booze in their systems.

She clasped my hand in both of hers, her skin warm and soft, like crepe paper. She gave it a pat and said, “Have a seat darling. I’ll make us both a cup of tea. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds perfect.” I moved over to the plush peach velvet couch, kicking off my shoes and curling my feet beneath me while she set the kettle to boil and went about making tea for both of us.

There were two things Lucille took very seriously: her martinis and her tea. When she claimed to be putting the kettle on, she meant putting together a full tea service.

A few minutes later, she came into the living room carrying a gilded silver tray complete with a fancy pot and beautiful matching delicate cups and saucers. She placed it on the coffee table and poured us each a cup, then took the tall, deep hunter green wingback chair catty-corner from me.

“Okay, sweetheart. Tell me what happened.”

“Why do you think something happened?” I asked as I poured a splash of milk into my tea and stirred in a single sugar cube.

She gave me a look that warned me not to bullshit her. I should have known better. There wasn’t much I’d been able to get away with when it came to Lucille. As sad as it made me when I really thought about it, Lucille was more of a mother to me than my own.

And just that thought brought back the cloud of sadness that had started to dissipate and those ever-present tears in my heart grew a little bigger.

“Oh, darling. You saw her today, didn’t you?”

It was uncanny how well she was able to read me, and truthfully, I didn’t know what I would do without this incredible woman. I was so lucky to have her in my life.

I cupped the delicate cup in my palms, relishing the warmth that seeped through the china into my skin. “I had to take her groceries,” I defended weakly.

Lucille placed her cup and saucer on the table and stood from her chair, moving to sit on the couch beside me and offer comfort. “Of course you did. Because you’re a kind, loyal, big-hearted person. I take it things didn’t go well?”

I let out a humorless scoff. “Of course they didn’t. This is my mom we’re talking about. If there’s ever a chance to throw a guilt trip my way or make me feel like shit, she won’t hesitate. This time I was “just like my father” for leaving her there all by herself.”

Lucille’s expression went hard, and it had nothing to do with the Botox she got on a regular basis. If there was one thing that pissed this wonderful woman off in a very big way, it was how my mother treated and spoke to me.

“The fact that she could say that to you, knowing that waste of oxygen abandoned not only her, but you as well, speaks tohercharacter—or lack thereof, darling. Not yours. You are a beautiful woman, inside and out, and if she can’t see that, it’s her loss.”

I sniffled, bringing the fine china cup to my lips and sipping the steaming liquid inside. “I know. In my mind, I know everything you’re saying is right. I try to brace for her bitterness, but she still manages to get to meevery time. It’s like I have no backbone when it comes to her.”

Her features fell, her eyes shining with sympathy. “Oh, my sweet girl, that’s not true at all. It isn’t that you lack a backbone, it’s that you’re the most loyal person I know. When you love someone, you love them wholly. That is such a wonderful quality for a person to have. But being loyal doesn’t mean you have to allow someone to hurt you over and over. One of these days you’re going to wake up and realize that relationship isn’t worth the tender heart, just because she’s your mother doesn’t give her the right to make you feel bad about yourself. And when that day comes, the only person who will be losing anything is her. Just give yourself a little grace, darling. You’ll get there.”

I wasn’t a hundred percent sold on that, but hearing the determination in her voice certainly helped. “You really think so, huh?”

She plucked her teacup up and sipped, watching me over the rim. “Oh, honey. I don’t think, I know. Because you may think you lack a backbone, but when I look at you, I see the strongest woman I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.”

This right here, her wisdom and her passion and her faith in me, were all reasons why I’d come to love this woman so whole-heartedly. Why, whenever I was in pain, she was the first person I wanted to see, because I knew she could make it better in no time at all.

“I love you, Luce. I hope you know that.”

She waved her hand. “Of course you do, I’m quite fabulous, darling.” I giggled and cozied deeper into her couch. “And I love you just the same.” She placed the teacup down and clapped her hands together, giving her brows a waggle as she demanded, “Now, tell me all about the new neighbor.”

8

SLOANE

Ifelt eyes on me as I leaned over, tilling the soil of the flowerbed next to my front porch steps, but instead of looking in that direction, I’d chosen to wait. I’d seen her come outside about ten minutes ago and plop herself down on her porch steps, her gaze tracking over into my yard every few minutes, and my gut told me she was building up the nerve to come over here.

From the corner of my eye, I caught movement and had to bite back a smile as she finally rose to her feet and slowly started to cross from her yard to mine.

A few seconds later, a hesitant voice spoke up. “Hi.”

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