“Are you done here? Let’s go home, and I’ll pamper you.”
“You’re not working tonight?”
“Nope. I’m down to just Saturday nights at the Beachcomber now that I have a day job.”
“How’s that going? You haven’t said much about that, or anything, for that matter.”
“It’s been good. I like working with Mac and his cousins. Did you know your brother is working for him, too?”
“Yes, that’s what he’s doing instead of going to Tampa.”
“Yep, and he’s very good at construction.”
“He did that for a lot of years in high school and college. I never imagined he’d go back to it after getting his degree. He must really be into Kelsey.”
“From what he says about her, it seems like he is.”
Relieved to be back on a somewhat normal footing with Jace, Cindy gathered her things, picked up the flowers and followed Jace out the door, turning to lock up.
He put his arm around her for the walk home. “We need a car.”
“Do we?”
“Shane has been picking me up the last few days, but I need to get my own wheels. I saw a truck for sale out on the east side, but I haven’t had a chance to go look at it.”
“We can do that on Sunday if you want.”
“Sure.”
“You don’t want to?”
“I feel like I shouldn’t make any big decisions.”
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t know. It’s just this feeling that it would be a mistake to get too comfortable in my new life here.”
Cindy’s heart sank when he said that. How could she help him to see that he was safe to get comfortable? She wanted him to be more comfortable with her than he’d ever been with anyone, but how could she help get him to that point?
She was no closer to an answer when they got home. Under the sink, she found a vase Kevin had left when he moved out, added water and arranged the flowers, placing them on the kitchen table. She was staring at them, still thinking about what he’d said, when he came into the kitchen and put his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“What’re you thinking about?” he asked.
“What you said about not being comfortable here.”
“I’m preconditioned to expect everything to go to shit. The thing with the boys was a reminder not to get complacent.”
Cindy turned so she could see him. “What do you think is going to happen?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, but something always happens.”
“That was before, when you were strung out on drugs and doing whatever it took to get more of them. That’s not who you are anymore, so why do you still assume things won’t work out?”
“Because it always goes to shit.”
“Not anymore it doesn’t. A well-respected business owner gave you a job, knowing your background. You’re a hardworking guy who’s been clean for years. You work hard on your sobriety every day. You show up to work on time, ready to give it your all. You care about your sons and your friends. You need to learn how to appreciate the good things.”
“The bad has always outweighed the good for me.”