Overheated

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE FUNERAL WAS SUNDAY. While his family attended the NASCAR race in Michigan, Larry was in Charlotte, standing in a wind-swept cemetery with a cluster of Amber’s friends and family watching Jennifer protectively clutch her little brother who was sitting on a dark, folding chair between his sister and Crystal, tears streaking his cheeks. The little girl was dry-eyed, and had been that way since she heard the terrible news.

Crystal’s face was stark white above the collar of her black dress. He knew she’d been busy with the arrangements for the past three days, but it looked like reality had now hit her with a sledgehammer.

The preacher spoke of life, death and redemption, but Larry didn’t think Crystal was hearing a word. She stared straight at the polished coffin and its simple bouquet of white roses. Her parents sat next to Jennifer, while the rest of those assembled stood in the early morning sunshine.

Larry knew there was nothing he could do or say that would ease her sorrow. The preacher finished, then the family bravely rose as the coffin was lowered into the ground. They each dropped a rose into the grave, then the other mourners filed by.

Larry said his own goodbye to the woman he’d never had the chance to get to know, then he followed Crystal, catching up to her at the line of black cars waiting at the curb.

While the kids got in, he gently touched her elbow.

She turned.

“If there’s anything I can do…”

She nodded and gave him a brave smile, patting his arm. “I’m going to keep it low-key this week.”

“Good idea.”

“I don’t…” Her voice broke. “I don’t even know if I should take them home for some of their things, or buy them new clothes. Would familiar things be good, or would the trip traumatize them?”

“Play it by ear,” he suggested. “You’ll know what to do.”

She gave a little nod of uncertainty, looking small and tired and so alone in the world.

His hands curled into fists, and he had to steel himself to keep from drawing her into his arms, lending her his strength, trying everything in his power to take away some of her burden.

But he knew he couldn’t do that. Being half in, half out of her life was the worst thing he could do. He could still see the love in her eyes. It matched the adoration he felt in his soul. If there were no complicating factors, he’d whisk her and the kids off right this minute and keep them with him forever.

But life wasn’t simple. Hell, there was nothing about life that was remotely simple.

“Thank you, Larry,” she whispered, stretching up to kiss him on the cheek.

And then she slipped away. The car door closed, and they pulled away from the curb.

When the car disappeared around the corner, he turned to walk back to his own car. He put it in gear, drove home and headed straight to his study, forcing himself to take up his research, hoping against hope he could take his mind off Crystal and the kids.

He worked relentlessly every day. But when he was forced to stop to eat, he’d think about Crystal. Several times he picked up the phone, only to slam it back down in self-disgust.

But, as the days wore on, he weakened. He started asking himself what would be so terrible about a call, or about a quick visit? At the very least, he wanted the kids to know he was there for them. And he was. He was prepared to offer anything they needed.

Then, on Friday, he remembered Crystal’s overnight bag. It was still in the backseat of his car from the night they broke up. He could return it, say hello to the kids, maybe stay for coffee.

Without giving his better nature a chance to protest, he abandoned his whiteboard and grabbed his car keys.

IT HAD BEEN A QUIET WEEK for Crystal. The first couple of days were the worst, but they were slowly settling into a routine. Amber’s will had made it clear that she wanted Crystal to raise her children, and their grandparents supported that wish. The day after the funeral, Crystal’s mother had arrived with some of the kids’ clothes from their apartment, and wisely arranged to have their beds, quilts and stuffed animals delivered to Crystal’s place.

Not for the first time, she appreciated her mother’s strength and practicality.

Jennifer and David seemed comforted by the familiar things. David was on-and-off weepy, particularly at night, but Rufus seemed to give him great comfort. Crystal was grateful for the dog. It was the need to walk him that first got her back outside. Yesterday, they’d even done a grocery shopping trip.

Jennifer hadn’t cried yet. Crystal had worried about that. But then she read that it was normal. Everyone’s grief took a different path.

There was a knock at her kitchen door.

Rufus immediately took up his post.

“Can I get it?” asked Jennifer, looking up from her book.

“Go ahead.” Crystal nodded. “But look through the window first.”

Jennifer rose and padded across the room. “It’s Uncle Larry,” she called, joy in her voice.

Crystal’s stomach clenched with nerves, while David skidded out from the bedroom. “Uncle Larry?”

Jennifer opened the door, and Crystal came face-to-face with the man who’d been haunting her dreams.

“Hi, guys,” he greeted, smiling at each of the kids.

He looked to Crystal and held up her overnight bag. “I thought you might need this.”

She’d completely forgotten about leaving the bag in his car. Rising to her feet, she crossed the apartment to take it from his hands. “It was nice of you to bring it by.” She felt ridiculously formal and awkward.

“Are you flying today?” asked David.

Larry smiled. “As a matter of fact, I am.” A pause. “But not the Cessna. I was thinking about taking the jet to California. There’s a NASCAR race there this weekend.”

David’s jaw dropped open. And really, so did Crystal’s.

“You have a jet?” asked David, in a reverent tone.

“It’s not mine,” Larry warned. “It belongs to my nephew Kent. He said we could use it if we wanted to come and see him race.”

David’s and Jennifer’s eyes were wide and hopeful. They stood perfectly still, attentive to what Larry might say next.

He raised his eyebrows in Crystal’s direction.

She gave him a subtle nod. The trip would probably be good for the kids, and she knew Larry would take excellent care of them.

His face lit up with delight. “Would anyone like to come along?”

“Yes!” the children both squealed at the same time. “Can we, Auntie Crystal?”

“Sure, you can. But you have to be good for Uncle Larry.”

Three shocked, silent faces turned her way.

“But, you’re coming, too, aren’t you?” David voiced the question.

“Of course she’s coming, too,” Larry leapt in. “So is Rufus. My future daughter-in-law has set up a pet area at the track beside her mobile vet unit.”

Crystal’s heart started to pound. A weekend with Larry? How was that going to work? Could she ignore him and focus on the kids? Did she dare try to rekindle something?

“Let’s pack,” Jennifer cried, and the kids disappeared, leaving Crystal and Larry staring silently at each other.

“I hope that was okay,” said Larry, looking guilty but less than contrite.

“It’ll be good for them,” Crystal told him honestly.

“And what about you?” His meaning was clear. How would she handle spending time with him?

“They’re my priority at the moment.” Attempting to adopt her mother’s approach to adversity, she moved briskly over to the kitchen table, shutting down her laptop. “I’m going to have to bring some work along. I’m afraid I’ll be pretty busy with it.”

“I take it all’s well with the five million?”

“All is well,” she confirmed. “I’m working with a lawyer and an accountant. I decided to manage the trust myself. Pay myself a salary. Maybe buy the kids a house.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Larry said softly, his eyes conveying admiration. “Bring along all the work you want.”

CRYSTAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN working. But there was something peaceful about sitting in the early Saturday morning breeze, watching Jennifer and David play with a group of NASCAR teams kids. They appeared to be friendly and inclusive, and in no time at all, Jennifer and David were caught up in the games.

Crystal had found a bench, shaded by one of the haulers. Clouds scuttled across the blue sky, the temperature was cool, and the garage area was a pleasant hum in the distance. She took the first relaxed breath she’d allowed herself all week.

Then a figure appeared in her peripheral vision.

Steve Grosso.

She saw that he’d spotted her, hesitated, then made up his mind and marched toward her.

Her heart sank. She really wasn’t up for an argument.

His feet came to a halt next to the bench. “Hello, Crystal.”

She pretended to notice him for the first time. “Steve.”

He gestured to the bench. “Do you mind?”

Yes. “Of course not.”

He took a seat, and they were silent for a few minutes.

“I was sorry to hear about your sister.”

She nodded, keeping her vision straight ahead.

“I remember how painful it was to lose my mother.” He took a breath, watching the children play. “I promise, it gets better. Slowly. But day by day, week by week. The raw pain subsides, and you eventually find a new normal.”

“That’s what I need,” she told him in a strained voice. “A new normal.” For her and for the kids.

Silence took over again.

Then Steve cleared his throat. “I realize you weren’t after my father’s money.”

The words surprised Crystal, and she turned to look at him. There was pain and regret in his expression. “Heidi, my fiancée, told me about your animal trust. She said you told her all about it when you dropped your dog off.” He paused again. “I owe you a very big apology.”

“Thank you,” she managed.

“I don’t know what I can-”

“It’s over,” Crystal put in. “Your dad’s made up his mind.”

“But-”

“It wasn’t you, or your opinion. He wants me to find a man my own age, to have children.” She gave a cold laugh at the absurdity of Larry’s fantasy.

“I accused him of having a midlife crisis.”

“Maybe he was,” Crystal allowed. Larry had claimed he was breaking up for her own good. But who could guess the real reason? Maybe he’d fulfilled whatever twenty-something-year-itch had hit him, and he was done with her. She’d never know for sure.

“That’s absurd,” said Steve.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know my father. I’m going to-”

“Don’t,” she told him sharply. “Please. Walk away from it.” Her gaze went back to the kids. “I have enough to deal with at the moment.”

“Right,” he agreed, rising to his feet. “Once again, I’m very sorry. I made a very big mistake.”

“Thank you.”

“WELL, THAT WAS PROBABLY the stupidest thing you’ve ever done,” said Milo. The family’s racing patriarch was holding court outside Dean’s motor home while race cars qualified on the track in front of them.

Larry didn’t bother disagreeing with his grandfather’s assessment of his actions with Crystal.

“Juliana’s fifteen years younger than me,” Milo continued. “That ever cause us any problems?”

Larry looked to his brother Dean, who had also been raised by Milo and Juliana. “Not that I could see,” Larry allowed, and Dean nodded.

Just then, Juliana came out of the motor home.

“My age a problem for you?” Milo demanded.

“Only that you won’t grow up,” Juliana put in smoothly. “Am I to understand we’re talking about the Larry and Crystal situation?”

Larry wasn’t wild about being described as a “situation,” but he wouldn’t be rude to the woman who’d been both mother and grandmother to him. “What about children of her own?” he had to ask, knowing Juliana had never had her own children.

“You’ll have to ask her that question,” Juliana answered softly. “When we finally met her this morning, she seemed like a lovely girl. Smart enough, maybe, to know that life doesn’t come in a neat little package. A person is lucky to find love at all, never mind find love in the perfect circumstance.

“I never gave birth, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have children. It seems to me the young lady we’re talking about has children. Maybe she wants more, maybe she doesn’t. But she could probably use a hand with the two she’s got.”

Understanding suddenly slammed into Larry.

Crystal needed him here and now. She was living her real life, not some fantasy he’d conjured up for her. He loved her. He had to support her, make her happy and help her with whatever burdens life threw her way.

What he should do and what he wanted to do, were exactly the same thing. For a genius, he sure was slow on the uptake sometimes.

“Dad,” came Steve’s breathless voice, as he raced to the circle of lawn chairs. “I was wrong.”

“About what?” asked Kent.

“About Crystal,” said Steve.

“No kidding,” said Larry.

“You need to make up with her. You need to…marry her and help her with those kids. If you don’t march over there right now and offer to share her life, you’re not the father I thought you were.”

“You want me to propose to her?”

“Yes!” came a chorus from those assembled.

“In the infield?” Larry was up for the proposal part, but he didn’t think it needed to happen in the next five minutes. Or maybe it did. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait.

“She’s over by the play area,” Steve offered, his breathing back to normal.

Larry hesitated.

But then Juliana came forward, pressing something into the palm of his hand.

He looked down to see her gold, solitaire engagement ring.

“No,” he protested, vehemently shaking his head.

But she closed his hand around the ring. “What, are they going to bury me with it?”

“Nobody’s burying you anytime soon,” said Larry.

Juliana just smiled, with perfect contentment. “I’ll keep the wedding band. But there’s something about this young woman that reminds me of me.” She winked at Larry, while Milo pulled her back into his lap.

“Do as my young wife tells you,” groused Milo.

Larry tightened his hand around the ring, butterflies forming in his stomach. What if she wasn’t ready to forgive him? What if she said no? Worse, what if she’d decided he was right and she should hold out for somebody younger?

He hesitated, but Steve pointed him in the direction of the play area and gave him a gentle shove.

STILL WATCHING THE KIDS PLAY, Crystal caught another figure in her peripheral vision.

Larry, this time.

She steeled her emotions for his arrival, something she’d practiced a lot, but pretty much sucked at.

Her heart rate increased as he sat down on the bench beside her.

“How’re they doing?” he asked, with a nod toward the children.

As always, his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.

“Better,” she told him.

He stretched his arm along the length of the back, brushing against her hair, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

“I never meant to make things hard for you,” he said.

She nodded. “I know. It was nice of you to invite the kids. I think it’s been good for them.”

“Crystal?”

“Yes?”

“Look at me.”

She gathered her defenses and turned her head.

His eyes were clear and honest in the sunlight. “That’s not what I meant.”

She waited.

“Tell me something,” he said.

“What?”

“If it was up to you, where would our relationship go?”

Her stomach hollowed out. What was his game?

“Seriously,” he prompted.

“Don’t do this,” she hissed.

His eyes darkened further, and he inched a little closer. “I need to know,” he intoned.

“I haven’t changed my mind,” she said.

“And that means?”

“That means-” she glared at him defiantly “-if it was up to me, if nobody else got a vote, you, me, Jennifer and David would live happily ever after.”

“I was kind of hoping you’d say that.”

“Why?” she spat out, seriously considering getting up to leave.

“Because, I love you.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Fat lot of good that’s ever done me.”

“And,” Larry drew a deep breath, apparently choosing to ignore her mood. “I want you to marry me.”

She opened her mouth to retaliate, but then the words registered, and her jaw dropped.

He opened his hand, and she saw a small ring nestled in his palm.

Her eyes flew to his, her mouth forming into an O.

“Marry me, Crystal. I love you, and I don’t care what anyone thinks or says. If you’ll take me without babies, I’m yours for the rest of my life.”

“Auntie Crystal,” David called in a happy voice, and she could see the two children running toward her.

“What do you say?” asked Larry.

Her heart sang, and tears of joy formed in her eyes. “I say yes. I say you’re stuck with me. And I say we’ve already got two beautiful children.”

“Auntie Crystal?” David repeated, and she turned to look at him.

He took in her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” said Larry. “I just asked Auntie Crystal to marry me.” He paused. “And she said yes.”

“You’re getting married?” asked Jennifer, coming to a halt, her expression wary.

Larry nodded, but Crystal paused, watching the girl closely.

“So,” said David, his lips pursing as he moved toward Larry. His little chest expanded with a slow breath. “It’ll be like you’re my dad, but with a plane?”

“Yes,” said Larry soberly. “It’ll be exactly like that.”

David whooped and threw himself into Larry’s arms.

Larry’s eyes closed, and he held David’s little body tight against his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around him.

Jennifer had stayed silent, and Crystal glanced her way again.

The young girl’s shoulders were shaking.

“Sweetheart,” Crystal asked, leaning toward her, frightened.

Jennifer stared at David in Larry’s arms. Relief flooded her expression, and she choked on a sob.

Suddenly Crystal got it.

Jennifer had been holding it together for her little brother. She’d been protecting him for so long, she didn’t know how to stop. She couldn’t grieve herself, because she didn’t know if David was going to need her.

Crystal pulled the shaking girl into her arms, holding her tight while Jennifer buried her face in Crystal’s neck.

“Larry’s going to be there for David,” she whispered. “And I’m going to be there. And Grandma and Grandpa, and Larry’s entire family. We’re all going to make sure David’s okay.”

Jennifer nodded against her shoulder, the tears and sobs flowing freely.

For long minutes, Crystal simply held her.

Larry’s and David’s voices were low murmurs next to them on the bench.

Finally, the girl’s grief seemed to ebb.

“Is Mommy in Heaven?” Jennifer’s small, watery voice asked against Crystal’s damp shoulder.

“Mommy,” Crystal managed, “is most certainly in Heaven.”

“And my dad is going to stay in jail?”

“Yes.”

Jennifer reached a small, shaking hand inside the pocket of her shorts and retrieved the little black cell phone. “Then I don’t need this anymore?”

Crystal’s hand closed around the phone, her chest squeezing with pain. “No, honey. You don’t need it anymore.”

Crystal’s gaze caught Larry’s as a deep, shuddering breath of relief whooshed out of Jennifer’s lungs.

The little girl still had some crying to do. And they would grieve together for a long while to come. But there was a bright new future waiting for all four of them.

Crystal reached for Larry’s hand, and it joined solidly with her own.