Chapter 12Frankie
It’s day number two since Zeke kissed me. Since his dad was rushed to the hospital. Since he told me to leave and never come back.
Yesterday Zeke showed up to work, but after a couple of hours he was gone again.
I tried to avoid him. Tried to keep my distance, and I managed as far as he knew, but that still didn’t keep me from watching him from my bedroom window. Unlike all the other times I stared down at him, yesterday he didn’t once bother to look up at me. I never caught his eyes drifting in my direction. He had a singular focus, get the work done and get out of here. I can’t fault him for it. His dad is sick. He shouldn’t be thinking or worrying about me. His focus is right where it needs to be, on his family.
The other night at his house, I thought things were going to change between us. While sitting on that coffee table across from me, his eyes held an emotion I had obviously mistaken for need. It didn’t seem to be a sexual need, or a need to draw me in only to cut me down once again. He seemed like he needed a friend, someone to rely on or confide in, but I was wrong.
It was another way for him to manipulate me into feeling something for him, so it made the reward of hurting me that much sweeter. I offered him friendship, knowing he’d never take it, but that was the high road for me.
“Such a fool,” I mutter as I scrub the dishes from breakfast.
“What was that, dear?” Nan asks from her pile of cookbooks on the dining room table.
She was asleep when I got home from his house the other night, and even after the pep talk I gave myself on the porch about telling her the truth about Zeke, it didn’t feel right after the emergency with his dad.
“Nothing, Nan.”
I double my focus on the dishes, counting swipes of the sponge in order to avoid thinking about Zeke. After a phone conversation with Piper yesterday, I realized I wasn’t the only girl who recently got kissed, but unlike my situation, it doesn’t seem like Dalton has split personalities. Yeah, he was a jerk to both of us for years, more so to my best friend than anyone else, but he isn’t kissing her one minute and then insulting her the next. I’m the lucky one that’s stuck with the jerk that looks at me like I’m beautiful one minute and then sneers at me the next.
The phone on the wall rings, but since I’m elbow deep in suds, I know Nan will get it. It’s not for me, anyway. My parents, even though they haven’t bothered since I left Colorado, would call my cell if they wanted to speak with me.
“Oh, hi, Eden. How’s Daniel?”
My ears perk up at the mention of Zeke’s dad. As much as I’ve told myself I’m not going to worry with anything to do with that boy, I can’t help my curiosity.
“Oh my,” Nan whispers, and the distress in her voice forces cold chills to run down my arms.
“Of course. I completely understand.” She pauses, and I hold my breath. “How long?”
Nan takes a deep breath, and even without looking over my shoulder at her, I know she’s trying to keep her emotions in check for the woman on the other end of the line. This is bad, so very bad.
“We’re praying for you,” Nan whispers. “If there’s anything you need—”
Another long pause.
“Of course, Eden. We’ll keep an eye on him. Okay, dear. Goodbye.”
I watch as Nan makes her way back to the dining room table on shaky legs.
“Nan?” I forget the dishes left in the sink, picking up a hand towel as I make my way across the room to my grandmother.
Her face is ashen and tears threaten to fall from her tired eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
A sense of knowing settles inside of me, and as much as I want to find out everything from Nan, my muscles burn to head outside right to Zeke.
“It’s cancer,” she murmurs as if lost in her own thoughts. “Daniel has cancer.”
“What kind?” I ask because some cancers are worse than others, right? All cancer is bad, but some types can be cured.
“The doctors think it started in his stomach.”
“Started?” This is just getting worse.
“It’s everywhere.” A tear rolls down her cheek as she looks up at me. “His insides are eaten up with it.”
“But it’s treatable, rig—?”
Her head shakes before I finish my sentence. “They’re sending him home on hospice.”
“Oh, Nan. No.” My own tears only threaten for a second before they’re rolling down my face.
I haven’t spent much time with Daniel, but he seems like a nice man. Nan trusts him with her entire ranch and that means something, considering she’s quite the control freak at times.