Cassidy Lane (19 page)

“Oh Jesus, is
she OK?”

“I don’t know.
I haven’t spoken to him. He just sent me a brief text this afternoon saying he was at the hospital. I left him a voice mail a couple of hours ago, but I haven’t heard back.”

“That’s awful.”

“I know, I
feel terrible for him, but I don’t know what to do.”

“I guess that
means no date for you tonight.”

“I guess not.
I feel like a horrible person for being a little disappointed about it, but I am.”

“Do you want
me to replace him? Roy’s still at work, but I’m expecting him any minute. He can watch the kids.”

“You’d really do
that for me?”

“Stop it. Of
course I would. Plus God knows I could use a night out.”

“You’re the best,
Patti. I mean that.”

“Tell that to
my offspring. When I picked them up at school today, Travis asked if he could go live at his little friend Timmy’s house. Apparently little Timmy’s mommy is a much better cook than I am. Ungrateful little punk. ”

Cassidy laughed. “Call
me when you’re ready to meet.”

“OK, so tell
me what you know.” Patti dipped a fry in ketchup.

Cassidy spread spicy
mustard on her chicken sandwich. “I don’t know anything. I still haven’t heard back from him.”

“Did he say
how serious it was?”

“He said
major
,
and I know that’s no joke. Danielle’s dad had a major stroke when we were in college. He was never the same after that. Actually, she was never quite the same after that either.”

“Not quite the
same how?”

“It really messed
her up for a while after it happened. If she weren’t so crazy smart, she might have flunked out of school. Maybe that’s why she lives such a carefree lifestyle now. I mean, she works hard at her job, but she rarely lets anything bother her. I’ve always admired that about her.”

“I’d like to
meet her someday. After all these years of hearing you talk about her, I sort of feel as if I already know her.”

“She’d like to
meet you too. I think you’d get along really well, even though you’re leading completely opposite lives.”

“Not
entirely
opposite.
Maybe if my family and I were living on a farm in Nebraska.” Patti looked around the crowded restaurant. “I haven’t been to Gordon Biersch in ages. Given the rapid-fire turnover in downtown Palo Alto, I’m surprised this place is still here.”

Cassidy dipped her
knife into the mustard jar. “I bet Gordon Biersch will outlive all of us. No matter what happens in the world, there will always be demand for beer and french fries.”

“I wonder if
we’ll run into anyone from Paly here.” They were seated at a high table in the bar area.

“Maybe we’ll run
into that Trent guy from the reunion. Think we can score some weed off him?”

Patti held up
her palms. “Oh my God, if he shows up, I will leave. I swear on my children’s lives, I will just up and walk right out of the restaurant without saying a word.”

Cassidy laughed and
spread more mustard on her sandwich. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”

Patti set her
hands back on the table. “I’m officially changing the subject. Have you thought about calling Brandon again?”

“You think I
should? I don’t want to push.”

Patti picked up
her beer and took a sip. “It’s hardly pushing to let a guy you care about know you’re thinking about him.”

“OK, maybe I’ll
call him again after dinner.”

“Patti Bramble, is
that you?”

Cassidy and Patti
turned their heads to see a much older woman approaching their table.

“Mrs. Stephens?” Patti
set down her beer and stood up.

“Hello, dear, how
wonderful to see you.” The woman gave her a warm embrace.

Patti hugged her
back, then gestured to Cassidy. This is my best friend, Cassidy Lane. We went to high school together. Actually, junior high too.”

“It’s nice to
meet you,” Cassidy said.

“You two probably
met at some point,” Patti said to Cassidy. “The Stephens family lived right across the street from us growing up. Their sons were several years ahead of us in school.”

Mrs. Stephens put
her hand on Patti’s shoulder and gave her a knowing squeeze. “How are your parents?”

“My mom’s remarried
and lives up in Marin. My dad moved to Florida a few years ago.” Cassidy couldn’t help but notice that Patti kept it brief and didn’t mention that she hadn’t spoken to either of her parents in ages. She couldn’t imagine what that would feel like.

“I’m glad to
hear they’re doing well. What about
you
, dear? What have you been up to since I last saw you?”

“Not much since
I got out of jail.”

Mrs. Stephens put
a hand over her heart. “You always did make me laugh.”

“Actually, my life’s
been pretty vanilla since college, to be honest. I worked in software sales for a few years, then got married, and now I’m a full-time mom to three kids who never listen to me. I’m Patti Baker now. My husband, Roy, and I live in San Carlos.”

Mrs. Stephens smiled.
“I’m so
glad to hear you have a family of your own. Is Roy a good man?”

Patti sat back
down with a shrug. “I think I’ll keep him. Maybe.”

Cassidy reached across
the table and gently pushed Patti’s shoulder. “Give me a break. Don’t listen to her, Mrs. Stephens. Roy’s a
great
man.”

“I’m glad to
hear it.” Mrs. Stephens looked at Cassidy. “What about you, dear? Are you married?”

“Me? No, not
yet. Maybe someday.”

“Do you have
a special someone?”

“Oh, um, not
really.”

Mrs. Stephens patted
her on the arm. “That’s too bad. But you’re still young. You’ll find him if you look hard enough.”

“Cassidy’s too busy
to date,” Patti said. “She’s an author, and I’m the proud president of her fan club.”

Mrs. Stephens clasped
her hands in front of her. “Is that so? Have you written anything I might know?”

Cassidy gave Patti
a grateful glance before listing her novels:
Gretel Court
,
Nisqually Drive
,
Montague Terrace
,
Cambridge Avenue
, a
nd
Hanover Square.

Mrs. Stephens shook
her head. “I’m afraid none of them ring a bell, though I do like those titles. Are they all street names?”

Cassidy nodded. “I’m
not sure why I started that, but now it’s become a bit of a tradition.”

Mrs. Stephens pointed
toward the far side of the restaurant. “I’ll be sure to look them up. I see Harry just parked the car. Patti, it was
delightful
running into you. Cassidy, it was lovely to meet you, and don’t give up on finding love yet. I’m sure the right man will come along soon.” She gave Patti a quick hug, and then she was gone.

Cassidy picked up
her beer. “Did you see her face when she found out I’m not married? Sheer pity.”

“Stop it. She’s
just from a different generation.”

“I know, but
as you mentioned only a few minutes ago, this is Silicon Valley, not Nebraska. Women are supposed to be different here. It shouldn’t be such a big deal to be single at our age.”

Patti shrugged. “She’s
old-school. Always has been, always will be. But she’s a great lady. I remember running across the street to her house many times when my parents were fighting, or drinking, or both. I’m sure it was inconvenient for her when I’d just show up out of the blue at dinnertime—which happened way too often—but she always invited me in with a smile. I think she just wants everyone to have a happy family, but she doesn’t realize that you don’t
have
to have a family to be happy. Besides, the family you have right now is pretty damn cool.”

Cassidy smiled. “OK,
now I feel better. Thanks.”

“Just doing my
job as president of your fan club.” She pointed to Cassidy’s plate. “Now can you please get a move on with that sandwich? I need to get going soon.”

After dinner they
parted ways at the restaurant entrance. As Cassidy walked toward her car, she dug her phone out of her purse to call Brandon again. There was a new text message from him.

My mom’s not doing well. I’m still at the hospital.

She stopped walking
and decided to call him right there from the sidewalk. She didn’t expect to reach him, but she wanted him to know how much she was thinking about him.

Surprisingly, he answered
on the third ring

“Hey.” He sounded
tired.

“Oh my gosh,
Brandon, how are you?”

“I’ve been better.
I just got home from the hospital, but I plan to head back after I take a shower.”

“How is she?”

“The same. Pretty
unresponsive.”

“I…
I don’t know what to say, Brandon. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you. My
brother’s with her now; he flew down from Portland this afternoon.”

“I’m so sorry.”
She reached for something to say other than
I’m sorry
. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No, but thanks
for asking.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“OK.” She stared
at a crack in the sidewalk and felt a tiny one forming somewhere else.

“Listen, I’ll probably
be at the hospital all day tomorrow, but maybe we could meet up for coffee at some point? I’d really like to see you,” he said.

“You would?” She
felt the corners of her mouth turn up.

“Of course I
would. Why wouldn’t I? Listen, that’s my brother calling on the other line. I’ll be in touch tomorrow, OK?”

“OK. Hang in
there. If you need anything at all, just let me know.”

“I will, thanks.”

“I wish…
I wish I could give you a hug right now.”

“I’d love that.
I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to go now. Good night, Cassidy.”

“Good night.” She
hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment, then was struck by an idea. She did a quick Internet search and dialed the number of a local business she’d read about that offered what it called Emergency Care Packages to be delivered around the clock. It was designed with college students in mind, but who said she couldn’t give it a try?

She put in
an order for a small cooler of rocky road ice cream to be delivered ASAP to Mrs. Forrester’s room at the hospital.

Chapter Twelve

THE NEXT AFTERNOON
Cassidy ordered a large coffee and took a seat at a table by the window, watching the cars drive by on Ramona Street. She glanced at the clock on the wall to check the time, then looked around the bustling café. She’d spent several days there over the summer, working on the earliest pages of her current novel, drinking coffee and debating whether to set the story in San Francisco or New York. That had only been a few months ago, but it seemed like much longer, given how much had happened since then—in both the novel and her personal life. She found it interesting how some Palo Alto locations triggered memories of her adult life, while others brought her back to her teenage years, or even earlier. She peered out the window again. Coupa Café inevitably took her for a stroll down the adult version of memory lane, but the Stanford Theatre, barely a block away, brought her all the way back to age sixteen.

“Hi there, pretty
girl. I made it.”

She turned and
saw Brandon standing there, looking a bit haggard yet still undeniably handsome. His stubble from the other night was much thicker now, and there were crinkles at the corners of his eyes that she hadn’t previously noticed. He’d texted her earlier, suggesting they get together for coffee, but hadn’t been sure he’d be able to swing it.

Before she realized
what she was doing, she jumped up and threw her arms around him. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered into his chest. “I’m so, so sorry.”

He held her
tight, then released the embrace and pointed toward the counter with a weary smile. “I’m going to grab a cappuccino. Can I get you anything?”

She picked up
her coffee. “I’m good, thanks.”

“OK, I’ll be
right back. And hey, thanks for the ice cream last night. That was really thoughtful of you.”

She gave him
a sympathetic smile. “You’re welcome. Fitting that your favorite flavor is
rocky road
, don’t you think?”

“You’re not kidding.
My life is anything but smooth right now.”

As he turned
and walked toward the counter to place his order, she tried to imagine how she would feel if
her
mother were lying comatose in a hospital bed right now. Her sweet, kind mother, who was always there for her, who believed in her more than she believed in herself, who had never shown her anything but love.

Just the thought
made her want to cry.

“What happens now?”
Cassidy asked.

Brandon took a
sip of his cappuccino. “We just wait and hope she wakes up.”

“Do they know
if there’s been any brain damage?”

“They’re hopeful that
there hasn’t been, but it’s too early to tell right now.”

“Have you talked
to your dad?”

“I called him
yesterday. He and my mom aren’t too close, though. They split up a long time ago.”

She reached across
the table for his hand. “This must be so hard on you, and on your brother too.”

He gave her
hand a squeeze, then began to rub his thumb over her fingers. “He hasn’t slept a wink since he got here.”

“Have
you
slept
a wink?”

“Barely. Can’t you
tell by the bags under my eyes?”

She smiled. “I
think they’re handsome.”

They sat there
in silence for a few moments, holding hands across the table.

Finally, Brandon pulled
his hand away. “I’d better get moving. I don’t want to be away for too long.”

Cassidy nodded and
reached for her purse. “Of course. I’m glad you were able to come by at all.”

As they walked
toward the exit, Brandon put his arm around her. “Pretty horrible timing for your visit.”

She leaned her
head against him and sighed. “Ya think?”

He gave her
shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll be in touch about rescheduling our dinner before you head back to New York. I wish I could tell you more than that, but I just have no idea what’s going to happen. Plus I’ve got to coordinate the boys’ schedule with Juliette, which now includes speech therapy twice a week for Jack’s lisp…” She could see the strain on his face as his thoughts began to drift.

She adjusted her
purse strap over her free shoulder and turned to face him as they stood on the sidewalk. “I understand, really. Don’t worry.”

“When do you
leave town again?”

“Tuesday afternoon. My
keynote is Monday morning.”

“I’m sure you’ll
crush it.” He smiled, but she could tell he wasn’t thinking about her speech. Or about their date. Or about the two of them at all. In a way it was as if he weren’t even there anymore.

He was already
back at the hospital.

Or making arrangements
with his ex-wife.

Or being Daddy.

No matter how
predestined their encounter at the reunion may have seemed, how magical their long-distance communication had been, at that moment it became crystal clear to Cassidy that dating a grown-up was nothing like high school. In adulthood, romance had to fight for time with real concerns and responsibilities: work and exes and caring for children—and sick parents.

He gave her
a quick kiss on the lips before heading to his car. She watched him for a few moments, then turned and looked across the street at the Old Pro sports bar. Through the window she could see the mechanical bull in a back corner, the one he’d ridden the night of the tequila shots. She remembered how much he’d made her laugh while recounting the drunken evening over the phone, not to mention the flirtatious text messages he’d sent her while still under the influence. Just thinking about those texts still made her feel warm inside.

She glanced back
at him, his broad shoulders slumping slightly as he walked along the sidewalk.

He was like
a different person now, and her heart hurt for him.

And loathe though
she was to admit it, it hurt for her a little bit as well.

The next morning
Cassidy laced up her running shoes and went for a run in the direction of Jordan Middle School, where she’d once been a proud Jaguar. When she reached the main entrance she put her hands on her waist and slowed to a walk, her neck suddenly on a swivel. As she set out to explore the outdoor areas of campus, memories from those two years of budding adolescence began to hit her from every direction.

There’s where my
locker was in seventh grade.

There’s the water
fountain where Kevin Tyson once said hi to me.

There’s the patch
of grass where the popular kids used to eat lunch.

There’s the bench
where Patti and I used to eat lunch.

There’s where they
sold coffee cake and buttered French bread at the midmorning “brunch” break. I wonder if other schools called it brunch?

There’s where I
had Spanish class both years. I wonder what happened to Mr. Bernal?

There’s where I
tripped running to math and cut my lip. And no one stopped to help me.

It’s all so
familiar, yet unfamiliar.

It was a
shapeless blur of random recollections, but when she reached the science buildings, one specific memory from seventh grade catapulted itself high above the others:

The frog.

It was in
Mr. Faulder’s science class that she’d first met Patti. The first week of school they were paired up to dissect a frog, but the moment the jars were unscrewed, Cassidy nearly passed out from the pungent odor of formaldehyde that quickly invaded her olfactory system. Patti had skillfully completed the dissection while Cassidy spent the entire class period with her nose covered by a napkin, trying not to gag, embarrassed by her weak constitution and hoping no one would notice she wasn’t doing any actual work. Patti never let on to Mr. Faulder what had happened, and a lifelong friendship was born.

When she’d had
enough of adolescence alley, she headed back toward her parents’ house. Once she reached the busy intersection of Middlefield and Embarcadero, she trotted in place, waiting for the light to change. Red finally gave way to green, and as it did so the honk of an impatient driver’s horn startled her. She jumped high off the sidewalk into the crosswalk, and as she landed she felt a slight sting in the lower part of her left leg.

She kept up
her pace, but the sting slowly grew into a sharp pain, and soon she was practically walking. She knew what the problem was, but she didn’t want to accept it because she’d had this injury before: Achilles tendinitis. For a runner it could be debilitating. Ice and ibuprofen could help, but the only surefire way to make it go away was to do the one thing a runner hates to do: stop running.

Damn it.

Cassidy’s parents were
reading the newspaper at the kitchen table when she opened the front door. Her dad took off his reading glasses and set them down. “Why, good morning. How was your run? You were gone quite a while.”

She frowned and
pointed to her lower leg, then opened up the freezer to get an ice pack. “It was good until I strained my Achilles.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Her
mother gave her a sympathetic look. She knew how much Cassidy hated being injured. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll live.” Cassidy
pulled an ACE bandage from a drawer, then sat down at the table and wrapped the ice pack around her leg. “I just need to give up running for a few weeks.”

“Can I make
you some pancakes?” Her mother also knew how much Cassidy loved pancakes.

Cassidy smiled at
her. “Of course. I will never say no to your pancakes. And could you get me a glass of water, please?”