Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,7
wiped away a tear angrily. She hadn’t cried in years. This was ridiculous.
A knock on the apartment door startled her, but then she heard Mackenzie’s loud whisper.
“Do you think she’s here, Daddy? She might be taking a break.”
Oh God, help. The prayer slipped before Clarissa could stop it. Even though she knew the truth. God couldn’t or wouldn’t help this. Mackenzie’s mom had bailed. And nothing God did was going to make it better. She could, though. No way was she going to let the little girl think she was on a “break.”
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Hey, you guys. Surprise.” Making her voice sound as normal as possible, she opened the door wider, invited them in to the dark little space. “Sorry about taking off so fast. I’m going to run go get ready for work. You go ahead make yourselves at home. I’ll be out in a minute.”
She escaped into the bathroom and heard Jed call through the door. “We were just worried about you. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
Just peachy. Powering through and powering on. That was her motto. “I’m good. Just in a hurry.”
She stuffed her shirt in her pants, grabbed her apron and wished she’d left Jed and Mackenzie outside the apartment while she was getting ready. She’d already let the little girl in her heart. Her space needed to be off limits.
Slipping her Crocs on, she walked into the living room where Jed and Mackenzie were sitting on the ugly green couch, still in the dark because she hadn’t flipped on the one light.
She reached over, turned the knob and practically groaned when it didn’t work. Light bulbs were on her list to pick up next payday.
“I should’ve said goodbye at the diner. Mackenzie and I had a lot of fun, didn’t we?” She turned to the little girl, and tried not to worry about how dizzy she suddenly felt. “Did you show your dad what all we did?” she asked even though she knew the answer. They must’ve practically followed her out of the restaurant.
“I told him about it. Hey, Clarissa, where’s your pictures and stuff?”
No pictures, no stuff. Not in a long time. She shrugged. “Don’t have any yet because I’m new in town.” No sense saying it wasn’t worth getting stuff since she wouldn’t be in Stearns long.
Mack frowned. “I’m gonna color you a picture tonight. An’ tomorrow you can put it up in that place by your door with the hole in the wall.
Terrific. The ache in her throat grew ten times larger.
“You do that, Mackenzie. I’ll put it right there,” she pointed to the shadowed place on the wall where someone had obviously had a photo hanging in the past at the same time she tried to ignore the worry in Jed’s eyes.
Finally, she decided to just face that look head on. “It’s fine, I’m fine, it’ll all be okay.” Then she slapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. “Thank you for checking on me. But now, I’ve got to get to work.”
If things had gone as planned, she would’ve been fine.
Instead, when she stood up, the world around Clarissa started spinning and then went dark.
Jed moved as quickly as he ever had when Clarissa’s body started to crumple. He’d known something was wrong, but he’d ignored all good sense and let her convince him everything was okay.
Her pulse was strong under his fingertips, but man, her face was white. Obviously, something was very wrong here.
“Mack, grab my phone and call Bev now.”
Mack pulled the phone out of his shirt pocket and hit the numbers then held the phone to him when Bev answered.
A few seconds later Bev was barreling her way up the creaky stairs. It wouldn’t take long and Clarissa’s little apartment was going to be full to overflowing.
Before Bev made it in the door, Clarissa’s eyes fluttered open and she looked at him and Mack with a combination of horror and embarrassment.
“What on earth?” the words started, but something different flickered in her blue eyes before she closed them with a muttered, “oh great.” Then they snapped open and she started trying to push herself up.
“I’m fine, I’m fine, just…” Sitting up too quickly, she blinked then blew out a deep breath. “Really, I’ll be okay.”
And then Bev was there and Mack was crying, and he stepped back even though he didn’t want to because right now he had to be the dad and not the concerned friend.
“It’s okay, sweetie.