One Big Happy Family

Chapter 12

12

Julie got through most of the day without having to spend much time with Dana. The house was big, and there were lots of people around. It was easy to always be in the other room or doing something. Unfortunately, avoiding her daughter didn’t make her feel any less guilty, which totally sucked.

Huxley called about ten to say Axel was out of surgery and doing well. The plan was still for him to be cut loose in a couple of days.

Once Julie knew Axel was going to be fine, she tried to forget what she knew and how Dana might or might not feel about the information. But ten minutes later, she was questioning her decision to keep the secret. Maybe Heath had been telling the truth—maybe Dana did have a right to know what had happened to Axel. Maybe she would be okay and simply nod a few times before going off to play with the kids. Or maybe she would race down to Seattle and play visiting nurse, handing over her heart yet again.

Indecision made Julie uncomfortable, so she retreated to the kitchen, where she could focus her mind on baking. She’d barely pulled out the ingredients for her favorite sugar cookie recipe when Gwen walked in.

“I’d like to talk.”

Oh, do we have to? But Julie only thought the words, instead smiling brightly. “Of course.”

She took a seat at the island and patted the stool next to her. Trying not to think about the fight Gwen had had with Blair, she said, “What’s up?”

“I’m leaving.”

Julie stared at the other woman. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m not welcome here. I’d like you to drive me home. Everyone will be happier with me gone.”

While that was absolutely, 100 percent true, Julie felt obligated to protest.

“Gwen, no. It’s Christmas. You should be with family.”

Gwen’s mouth thinned. “My only daughter has made it painfully clear that she prefers your company to mine. You’re the mother she wants, not me.”

Tears filled Gwen’s eyes, but she blinked them away. “Things have happened that can’t be undone. Words said. I’m not blaming you, exactly.”

“Hey, what does that mean?” The question came out a little more sharply than she’d intended. “How is this about me?”

“She told me that you were an example of how to be a mother.”

Julie held in a groan. Not the smartest thing for Blair to say. “She didn’t mean it in a harsh way. It’s just the two of you have been physically apart for so long and I’m right here.” She offered a fake smile. “You know me, getting in everyone’s business.”

“That’s exactly what you did,” Gwen said, her voice shaking. “You stole my daughter from me.”

Julie told herself not to overreact to the outrageous statement. “Blair isn’t an apple sitting on someone’s desk. She’s her own person and there’s no stealing.”

Gwen glared at her. “You were the mother of the bride.”

“What?”

“At the wedding. It was you, right there, doing everything. You’re the one she talked to, you’re the one she went to for advice. I was barely a guest at my own daughter’s wedding, and it’s all your fault.”

The unfair accusation had Julie wanting to throw something. Or possibly choke the other woman. She gathered her mad and prepared to give as good as she’d taken.

“Maybe the reason I was there was because you weren’t. You’re the one who walked out on your kid—maybe not physically, but in every other way that matters.” Julie threw up her hands. “Fine, you lost your son and I’m sorry. I can’t begin to understand what that would have felt like. But you still had a living child. Blair is your daughter, your only child. Where were you?”

“It’s very easy to judge me when you have no idea what I went through.”

“It’s not about you,” Julie shouted. “We’re not talking about you. That’s what you can’t seem to grasp. You’re not the center of the universe. Your grief doesn’t matter more than everything else happening. I’m sorry you were unhappy at Blair’s wedding, but whatever problems you have with her are on you. Those were your choices and now you’re living with the consequences.”

Blair heard shouting, but couldn’t make out the words. She moved into the hallway and recognized her mother’s voice, followed by Julie’s.

“Dammit, Mom,” she said as she raced downstairs to the main floor, only to find Tiffany, Dana and Paul hovering just out of sight of the two women.

“This is you helping?” Blair snapped as she pushed past them and hurried into the kitchen. She walked up to her mother.

“Stop it,” she demanded. “Just stop it. If you have a problem, you come to me. This isn’t about her or anyone else in this house. It’s between you and me. Stop dragging other people into this mess.”

She spun to face Julie. “Stop engaging. I know you’re trying to help, but getting in the middle doesn’t solve anything.”

Julie immediately relaxed her posture and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m adding to your problems. I can’t promise not to react, but I’ll do my best not to.”

She reached out and touched Blair’s arm, then left. Seconds later, Blair heard her say, “Don’t stand around listening. We’re all going downstairs and shutting the door so they can have some privacy. Is Nick still out with the kids? We should check on them.”

Blair returned her attention to her mother, who was wiping away tears.

“What do you want?” Blair asked sharply, her voice rising as she spoke. “I don’t get it. You’re not communicating with me. We’re going over and over the same material. I know there’s something, but you won’t tell me what. If you’re waiting for me to guess, then nothing will ever be fixed, because I won’t ever get it right. Just tell me!”

They stared at each other. Blair was breathing hard and wishing she was anywhere but here. She knew it was wrong, but honest to God, she really hated her mother. Why did she have to be here, ruining what otherwise would be a great holiday?

“I want you back.”

The softly spoken words were so at odds with what Blair was thinking that she couldn’t process them at first.

Gwen drew in a ragged breath. “I want my daughter back.”

“What back? There’s no back. That implies we had a relationship and we didn’t. We never did anything together or hung out. We spoke maybe twice a year.”

Blair retreated a few steps, putting space between them. “Do you know how I longed for you to notice me? How many times I came to your room and asked if you wanted to play a game or have me read to you? Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep, missing my mother, who couldn’t get past what she was feeling to notice one of her children was still alive? There’s no back.”

Tears poured down Gwen’s cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said through her sobs. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to be there for you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Gwen stared at her. “That’s not true.”

“It is. You didn’t care. I wasn’t important to you in any way. So why now? Is it because Dad’s gone and you’ve finally realized you don’t have any other family?”

“It was the wedding.” Gwen twisted her hands together. “I saw you with Julie and the rest of her family, and I finally recognized what I’d lost. You’re supposed to be my daughter, and you’re not anymore. I wasn’t your mother. I was an unwelcome guest.”

Blair ignored the guilt that immediately made her want to apologize. She wasn’t going to take responsibility for something she hadn’t done.

“That moment made me see the truth,” her mother continued. “I’d been so wrong. I wanted things to be different.” She wiped her face. “I want things to be different, but I don’t know how to make that happen.”

Blair had no idea if her mother was telling the truth or not. Maybe more significant, she wasn’t sure if the truth mattered. It had been too many years, too much pain and rejection. She couldn’t escape her sense of duty to the woman, but wasn’t sure anything else was possible.

“Why would I bother?” she asked. “Why would I ever trust you with another chance?”

She walked out of the kitchen and went upstairs. Once she was in her room, she closed and locked the door, then sat on the bed and gave in to tears. She wasn’t sure what she was crying for or about, but knew the pain inside wasn’t close to being healed. Until that process started, she simply didn’t have any forgiveness in her.

Julie sat on the sofa in the living room, trying to get enthused about starting lunch. Christmas was still a few days away, but she was already tired of cooking for the large group. Or maybe the real problem was she’d never been a fan of drama and there was simply too much happening around her.

Some of it was self-inflicted. The whole Dana-Axel getting shot thing was bugging her. The problem was she’d waited too long to tell (or not tell) her daughter what had happened, and saying something now was going to be a problem. Plus, she was getting less and less brave by the second, which was, again, her issue.

The ongoing conflict between Gwen and Blair was also weighing on her. Gwen had stayed in her room the previous evening, not joining them for dinner, but she’d shown up at breakfast, acting as if nothing had happened. Blair, on the other hand, had spent much of the night in the bathroom—her IBS reacting to the situation. This morning she’d been pale and shaky, with Nick hovering protectively and Julie wishing she knew more about electrolytes and how to get Blair hydrated.

Paul, seated on the love seat, put down his book. “I can hear you thinking from here. Why are you worried? Everything will be fine.”

Julie sighed. “Do you actually know that or are you assuming?”

“Most things work out.”

Julie raised her eyebrows. “Really? The Gwen-Blair problem has been going on for decades.” She smiled as Heath joined her.

“That one stumps me.” Paul paused. “Actually, I’ve never understood Gwen, but my brother loved her, so there we are.”

Nick and Blair joined them, taking the club chairs opposite the sofa. Julie studied her daughter-in-law.

“You look like you feel better.”

“I do.” She glanced around. “So where’s everyone else?”

Julie assumed she meant Gwen most of all. “Your mother, Dana and Tiffany took the kids for a walk. They’ll be back in time for lunch. I’m really not in the mood to cook. Maybe we should go get burgers or something.”

“Or I can make lunch,” Blair offered. “I’m sorry—I should be helping more. You’re doing all the work.”

Julie waved away the comment. “You know I get bossy in the kitchen. I’m not comfortable letting other people do things.”

Paul chuckled. “I’ve noticed that. It’s an unfortunate trait because you’re always busy. I’m very comfortable letting others do their thing.”

“I can delegate at work,” Julie told him. “But in the kitchen, I just can’t let it go.”

“It’s not just in the kitchen, Mom,” Nick said, his voice teasing.

She grinned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She turned to Paul. “Your business is retail, right? That’s got to be tough but satisfying.”

“I like it. I enjoy meeting the customers and talking about how I can help.”

“It’s not like the towing business,” Nick added. “Paul only stocks parts for muscle cars built before 1972.”

Julie was about to point out she got that from the name Nothing After ’72, but Nick kept talking.

“The customers all love their cars and they mostly know about them, so it’s a real meeting of the minds, you know? And even the ones just starting on restoration want to learn as much as they can. It’s the only place where you can have an hour-long conversation about dual quads and no one thinks you’re strange.”

His enthusiasm was a little surprising, she thought. And unsettling.

“You’ve spent time with Paul at the store?” she asked, careful to keep her tone neutral.

“Sure. Once Blair told me what he did, I wanted to meet him. I’ve hung out there on my days off a few times.” He leaned forward. “There are suppliers who basically go through junkyards, looking for old parts that can be reused. Some have to be repaired, but others are just fine as they are. Some companies are starting to reproduce the parts. The market’s growing for sure, especially as the cars get harder and harder to find. Paul has a couple of lifts out back he rents out so guys can work on their cars right there. It’s a community.”

Julie had always prided herself on knowing her children. When they’d been little, she’d been the one who could tell when they wanted something but couldn’t bring themselves to ask for it. She’d also had radar for when they were lying. Now all her mom-senses were tingling and not in a happy way. Nick had never talked about Parker Towing with the same energy he was displaying now.

Which meant what? He was interested in the company? She swung her attention to Paul. He was a few years older—maybe close to sixty. Was he looking to sell the business?

She stood and stared at her son. Did Nick want to buy it?

“Mom? You okay?”

She thought about all the times she’d tried to talk about Nick’s future and how over the last year he’d become less and less willing to have the conversation. He never wanted to spend time in the office and learn about the logistics of handling a tow yard with fifty trucks and nearly double that number of drivers. He kept putting off committing to becoming her partner.

She took a step back, telling herself she was making something of nothing. There had to be—

“Mom!”

She looked at Nick. “What?”

“What just happened? You look like you’re going to be sick or pass out.”

“I’m fine.” The words were automatic as her brain continued to process. “You want to buy his business.”

“What? No. I mean, we’ve talked about it and—”

“You’ve talked about it? You’ve talked about it?” She took another step back. “You won’t talk to me about your future at the tow yard, which I’ve been after you to do for months now, but you’re talking to Paul about what? Buying him out? When were you going to tell me? When you got new business cards?”

She was processing as she spoke, finally understanding things that hadn’t made sense in a while.

Nick seemed to shrink in his seat. “Nothing’s decided.”

Blair shot Nick a glare while Paul only shook his head.

“Not fully,” Nick added. “Mom, you have to understand.”

“Why? You won’t tell me about any of this. How long have you known you didn’t want to join me in the business?” She struggled to keep the hurt out of her voice. It was always supposed to be Nick. Dana had never been interested in Parker Towing, but Nick had.

“From the time you knew what I did, you wanted a part of it. You said it would be the two of us, that we’d make an empire.”

“I was five.”

“You said it three years ago!” she shouted. “You should have come to me and told me you were having second thoughts.”

He rose. “Why? So you could tell me I was wrong?”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Since when? You always know what’s right.”

“Maybe,” she admitted. “At first, but then I listen.”

Blair stood up. “I’m sorry, Julie. You have every right to be pissed. We should have said something sooner.”

“You’re not the one I’m mad at.” She stared at her son. “You lied to me.”

“Mom, don’t.” He sounded more resigned than angry. “Just don’t. I don’t want the business and I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m excited about what Paul does. Plus, I don’t want to have to carry a gun for the rest of my life. Blair and I want to start a family. I want regular hours and a business that closes on holidays.”

She knew he was making sense, but it was hard to get past how hurt and betrayed she felt. “You could always talk to me. I don’t know when that changed.”

“It didn’t.”

“All evidence to the contrary.” She half turned away, took another step back, then faced him. “If you want to go, then go. I get what you’re saying, but I don’t understand why you couldn’t have told me the truth when this all started.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not ready to hear that. I’m too hurt.”

She shifted her weight, ready to walk away, but something wasn’t right. The top step wasn’t there anymore. Even as she realized there was no more floor beneath her, Blair screamed for her to stop. Julie tried, but it was too late because she was falling and falling. There was just enough time for her to realize the landing was going to be bad. Then she hit the stairs and pain shot through her body. Her last thought before the world went dark was she’d just screwed up everyone’s Christmas.

Dana rushed inside when she heard a scream. She saw her brother and Heath huddled around her mother, who was lying awkwardly on the stairs. Panic seized her, making it hard to breathe or move.

“What happened?” she demanded, her voice shrill. “Mom? Mom!”

“She fell.” Paul was pulling out his phone. “I’m calling 911.”

Nick stood there, ashen. “Mom,” he whispered, sounding as if he were going to cry.

Julie stirred slightly. “I’m fine,” she said, trying to sit up. She groaned and collapsed back on the stairs.

Heath put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Don’t move. You might have hurt your back.”

“My back doesn’t hurt. It’s my side and hip.” She shifted, then winced. “And my arm. Oh, my head!” Her eyes fluttered but didn’t close.

Dana hovered awkwardly, not sure what to do. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Tears filled her eyes. “Mom? You need to be okay.”

“It’s nothing.” The words were great, but Julie’s voice was weak.

Heath pointed at Paul. “Call.”

“Is she okay?” Wyatt asked, sounding scared.

“She’ll be all right.” Gwen’s tone was firm. “She’s banged up, and we’re going to get her to the hospital. Let’s go to my room so we won’t be in the way.”

Gwen ushered the kids upstairs. Dana told herself to stay calm, that throwing up wouldn’t help anyone. She pushed Nick away, knelt down and took her mother’s hand, ignoring her terror.

“Mom, be honest. How are you?”

“You’re making a fuss over nothing,” she said, but her voice was laced with pain and she didn’t try to move again.

“You were unconscious for almost thirty seconds.”

Heath sounded worried. Dana told herself to be calm. The ambulance would be here soon. She looked at her brother, hoping for reassurance, but Nick was staring at their mom, his expression worried, his skin gray.

Julie’s eyes sank closed and her skin got even more pale.

“Mom?” Dana tried to keep the fear out of her voice.

“I’m fine.” Julie’s voice was breathy. “If it would just stop hurting so much.”

Nick shook his head. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

There was no response. Dana ignored the fear bubbling up inside. She reached for her mother’s wrist and felt for a pulse. The beat was strong and steady.

“She’s okay,” she said, then swallowed a sob. “I mean, she’s not...”

From outside they heard a siren. Thank God! Blair raced to the front door.

“I’ll wave them in,” she said, darting outside.

The next few minutes passed in a blur. Everyone got out of the way while the EMT team stabilized Julie’s neck and back. She came to and told them she didn’t need to go anywhere. They didn’t listen, instead carrying her out to the ambulance.

Dana watched, feeling helpless and scared. Her mother was the force that kept the world turning. If something had happened to her...

“I’m going with her,” Heath said.

“Me, too.” Dana started to get her bag.

“I want to go.” Nick looked at Blair. “I have to.”

Heath shook his head. “No. I’ll go and be in touch. You two stay here and take care of things. If it’s bad, you can come to the hospital, but there’s no point in being there until we have more information.”

“I’m going.” Nick’s voice was firm.

“Me, too,” Dana repeated, thinking there was nothing that would keep her from being at her mother’s side.

“Fine. I’ll take my truck. You two can take another. That way we can easily go back and forth.”

There wasn’t much traffic, and it didn’t take long to get to the small hospital. By the time they’d parked and gone in through the emergency entrance, Julie had been whisked away. Dana and Nick identified themselves.

“We need to know about my mom. Julie Parker,” Nick said.

The woman at the desk sighed. “You know she was brought in ten minutes ago. We won’t know anything for a while.”

“What happened?” Dana asked. “How did she fall?”

Heath looked at Nick. “It’s your story to tell.”

The words were fine, but he sounded pissed. Dana turned to her brother. “Nick?”

“She found out about me wanting to buy Paul’s business. She was backing out of the room, didn’t look where she was going and fell down the stairs.”

Dana’s breath caught as she tried to take it all in. Nick hung his head. She reached over and took his hand, squeezing tightly.

The three of them sat together in silence. After maybe twenty or thirty minutes, Nick said, “If something happens to her, it’s on me.”

Heath gave him a look that was more dismissive than annoyed. “Save the drama until we know what’s wrong.”

“Drama?” Nick came to his feet. “My mother’s in the emergency room because of me. I’m worried about her.”

“You should have thought of that before you decided not to bother telling her the truth. This was a hell of a way for her to find out. How long have you known you weren’t going into the family business? Six months? A year?” Heath rose and faced Nick. “She’s not one of those crazy women with unrealistic expectations. She can be reasoned with. If you’d gone to her and told her you’d found an opportunity that made more sense for you and Blair, she would have listened. Yeah, she would have been hurt and possibly pissed, but in the end, she would have understood because she always understands the people she cares about.”

Nick looked away. “I didn’t want to break her heart.”

“Too late for that. Next time, grow a pair and tell her what’s going on. After all she’s done for you, she deserves that.”

Dana watched carefully, prepared to throw herself between the two men if necessary. But Nick didn’t seem to be getting mad.

“How do you know what she’s done for me?” he asked.

“I know her and she’s your mom. Julie never backs down. She’s determined, she’s strong and she has an unwavering sense of right and wrong. She would walk through fire for either of you.”

Nick unexpectedly collapsed back in his chair and covered his face. “What did I do?”

Dana put her arm around him. “She’s going to be okay.”

“We don’t know that.”

“We have to believe it,” she told him, then looked at Heath. “You’re right about Mom. She was always there for us. No matter what we’d done, she showed up. She might be furious, but we knew we could count on her.”

She rested her head on her brother’s shoulder. “It’s on me, too. I knew what you and Blair wanted. I should have pushed you to tell Mom.”

Nick dropped his hands to his lap. “No, it’s not. I created the problem. It’s my responsibility. If anything happens to her, I did it.”

Heath took his seat. “Like I said, let’s not assume the worst. Julie’s tough. She’ll get through this.”

“You’re right,” Dana said. “We should think positive.”

Heath stared straight ahead. “I’m not being positive. I can’t deal with the idea of her not being okay. Telling myself she’ll be fine is the only way to keep breathing.”

That revelation made Dana’s chest tight. There was something in Heath’s voice that was as powerful as his words.

“I didn’t know,” she whispered.

“That I’m in love with her? She doesn’t know, either.”

“I won’t say anything.”

Heath closed his eyes. “Keep the secret or not. Right now she’s all that matters.”

They sat in the waiting area for nearly two hours. Finally one of the nurses came out and found them.

“You can go back and see your mom. She’s doing okay, considering. The doctor will be by to explain what’s going on.” She paused and glanced between the three of them. “It’s family only,” she began.

Dana smiled at her as she pointed at Nick. “We’re her kids. This is our stepdad.”

“Oh, okay. Then follow me.”

As they were led down a long hallway with rooms on either side, Heath stepped close.

“Thanks.”

“She’ll want you with her.”

They found Julie in a hospital bed, her upper body elevated, her left arm in a sling. She was awake and smiled when she saw them.

“I told you I was all right.”

They all rushed to her. Heath ducked around to the other side of the bed.

“We weren’t worried,” he told her with an easy smile.

“You’re lying.”

“Naw. You’re tough.” He lightly kissed her. “Want to tell us what’s going on?”

Just then, the doctor walked in. She was a petite brunette with a confident air.

“I can probably do that.” She smiled at all of them. “I’m Dr. LaTour.”

“Tell them I’m fine,” Julie said. “They’ve been worried.”

“Your mother...” Dr. LaTour paused, her gaze lingering on Heath as if trying to place his relationship. “And, um—”

“He’s our stepfather, so she’s his wife,” Dana said easily.

Julie’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

“Ah, yes. Well, your mother and wife is going to recover from the fall. Julie was very lucky. She has a fractured left arm and—”

“You broke your arm?” Nick’s voice was loud and disbelieving. “Mom, I’m sorry. I should have said something before.”

“Not now,” Dana told him. “Let the doctor talk.”

Nick nodded. “You’re right. Sorry.”

Dr. LaTour smiled. “Not a problem. As I said, she has a fractured left arm. We’re going to wait a few days for the swelling to go down. Then we’ll put on a cast. Until then, she has to be careful with her arm. She has some bumps and bruises that are going to hurt for a few days, but they’ll heal. As long as she takes it easy.”

“You need to tell her that last part more than once,” Heath said, his hand tightly clasped with her right one. “She likes to do everything herself.”

“That’s not true,” her mom said. “It’s no big deal.”

“What about her head?” Dana asked. “She hit it when she fell.”

“I didn’t!”

“Mom, you had to. You passed out a couple of times.”

Dr. LaTour glanced at Julie, then looked at Dana. “We don’t think she has a concussion, but we want to keep her overnight for observation. Just as a precaution.”

Nick swore under his breath. “Mom,” he began.

“No.” Julie’s voice was firm. “This isn’t your fault and nothing bad happened. Like the doctor said, I have a few bumps and bruises, so I’m going to be sore, but that’s all.”

“And a broken arm,” Dana muttered.

“Fractured,” her mom corrected. “That sounds better. No one should worry. Dr. LaTour has given me some lovely drugs to deal with the pain. I feel great. Just ask me.”

Nick looked at Dana. “Mom was always a lightweight when it came to prescription pain medication. Remember when that guy rear-ended us?” He looked at the doctor. “She had some whiplash, so she had some pain meds. The first night she took them, we couldn’t get her to stop singing all the songs from Mulan . It kind of freaked us out.”

Dr. LaTour smiled. “I’ll warn the staff.” She glanced at her tablet. “That’s my report. Julie will be released in the morning. You can visit with her for a few minutes. Then she needs to get some rest. Once she’s in her room, regular visiting hours apply.” Her tone softened. “She was lucky. It was a bad fall, but she should have a full recovery. She’s healthy and strong. I don’t expect there to be any problems.”

She excused herself. When it was just the four of them, Julie pulled her hand free of Heath’s and pointed at Dana and Nick.

“See? I’m good. There’s nothing to worry about. I want you to go home and tell everyone to get on with their lives. I’ll be back in the morning.”

Dana looked at Nick, who didn’t seem convinced.

“I should stay.”

“The doctor made it clear she didn’t want us hanging around,” Dana said. “We’ll go to the house, but we’ll come see you later.”

“Don’t.” Julie’s voice was firm. “Have a nice afternoon and evening. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Heath said quietly. “I’ll wait here until she’s in her room, then stay until they throw me out at the end of visiting hours.”

Julie sighed, but her gaze was warm as she looked at him. “I knew you’d be difficult.”

He leaned over and lightly kissed her. “Then none of this is a surprise.” He straightened. “I’ll report in every couple of hours.”

Dana glanced at her watch. It was nearly three. “You’ve been checking in with Blair, haven’t you?” she asked her brother.

“We’ve been texting. She’s kept everyone updated.”

Not that there’d been much to tell, Dana thought. “Let her know Mom’s okay and we’re on our way back.”

She leaned in and kissed Julie’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re going to be all right. We’ll come see you tonight. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, baby girl.”

“I was so scared.”

“I’m not ready to leave you.” Julie smiled. “Want me to sing?”

“Not really.”

Her mom laughed. “Then take your brother and get out of here.”