“I just want to drink,” she finished.
“A honky-tonk.” Ralph smiled as he pulled into the dusty parking lot of a rundown building.
“Oh gross,” she groaned. “I don’t feel like dancing.”
“They have something better here than dancing. And it’ll help.”
“Like what?”
“Ribs. The best ribs you’ve ever eaten in your life. And apple fritters. They soak the sad right out of you.”
“Fine,” Jessica shrugged, starving after a long day of work. “And you’re just hanging out with me all night, Ralph?”
“Yes. Until you’re home safe.”
“So you’re saying you’re going to feed me, give me my space, and then get me home safely? You might be the best date I’ve have in a long time.”
“My wife seems to think I’m a good guy.”
“Great. I’ve ruined things with Mathew, and now I don’t even have a shot with you, Ralph. I’m making a mess of everything.”
“Don’t worry too much about it tonight, sweetheart. My wife and I broke up nine times before we got married. Now we’re about to celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary.”
“What did you fight about that made you break up nine times?” Jessica asked as Ralph came around to open her door.
“Didn’t you know?” he asked with a playful grin. “All men are complete idiots.”
Chapter 6
“Message received,” Mathew said coolly into the phone. “Really no need to talk it through now, so is there another reason you’ve called my phone ten times in the last hour?”
“I need help,” she breathed out in a frightened pant.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, sitting up straighter in his chair. The annoyed reaction he had to her incessant calling washed away quickly. He’d been floored by the fact she left last night, but judging by her tone that’s not why she was calling.
“It’s Libby’s mom. She’s freaking out. I need to get to the facility where she lives like right now, but my car is still at work since Ralph picked me up there last night. I called a cab but they said it would be forty-five minutes because of the basketball game downtown today.”
“All right. Don’t worry. I can come pick you up and take you there. Be out front in fifteen minutes.” He hung up the phone before she could ask for a car service or any other solution that would keep him from seeing her. Maybe it was the petty act of bruising his ego but something about her rejecting his attempt yesterday had thrown his desire for her into overdrive.
When he pulled up in front of her apartment he was relieved to see her there, wiggling into her coat and wiping the mascara out from under her eyes.
“I know I look like shit,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat.
“You look great,” he offered reluctantly. She did look amazing. It was a natural, just rolled out of bed essence that had him wanting her to roll back into his.
“I’m a terrible person. I ruin everything. She depended on me, and I blew it. I’m hungover and don’t have my car. How could she leave me in charge when I can’t even take care of myself?” she rambled on as she flipped down the visor and glanced at herself.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. You’ve been visiting her all this time. Libby knows you can care for her mom.”
She keyed the address into his dash GPS and slammed herself back into the seat, covering her face in sheer overload.
“About last night,” she croaked, but he waved her off.
“One thing at a time. What’s wrong with Libby’s mom?”
“She has early onset dementia. She doesn’t normally get upset, but they just called me and said she’s freaking out over some record or music or something. I could barely even understand because, if you remember, I’m hungover and the worst friend in the world.”
“You called someone you didn’t want to see in order to get there. I’d say that’s being a good friend.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to see you,” she protested, and then clutched her head that must have been pounding.
“Is this it?” he asked, letting her off the hook as he pulled up in front of the facility.
“Yes. Thank you so much for the ride. You can’t imagine how important this is to me.”
“I’ll come in,” he said, putting the car in park. “Maybe there’s something I can do to help.”
“You don’t have to,” she said, hopping out of the car and hustling toward the door.
He followed, knowing she wasn’t completely on her game. “I have unique skills. You never know when they might come in handy.”
“If she needs her taxes done I’m sure you’ll be right there,” she teased, and his heart jolted, happy to see her relaxed enough to joke around even if only for a moment.
“Oh thank goodness,” a woman in scrubs said as she waved for them to follow her back. “She’s so upset. We may need to sedate her, but we’d really like to avoid it if you can calm her down.”
“Oh, Jessy girl,” the woman sobbed and half rose from the ball she was curled up in, but then quickly collapsed again.
“Theresa, what’s the matter? What can I do?” Jessica asked, crouching down and taking her hands in hers.
“It’s broken,” Theresa answered, staring down at a pile of black plastic. “I need it. I listen to it at one o clock. Then I sleep. That’s what I do.”
“Her record broke,” the nurse explained. “I guess it’s an old one. I called the library, but they didn’t have it. I even tried to download some of the songs but they weren’t online. I don’t know where else to look.”
Mathew bent down and picked up the pieces with the paper label and read it quickly. “Patty Williams,” he said, trying to remember where he knew the name. “My mother has this record. Hang on.” The cries grew louder as Mathew stepped out of the room. He’d made a few strange calls home before, but this was going to be hard to explain.
“Just please, Mom, put the volume all the way up,” he demanded as he stepped back into the tiny over-decorated room. And a moment later, through the speaker on his phone, he heard the music start. Like an upset baby soothed by a lullaby, Theresa Saint-Jane’s cries melted to whimpers.
“Oh Patty,” she bellowed as Jessica helped her to her feet. “Patty, I knew you’d come visit. I knew you’d sing for me.”
Mathew held up his phone but averted his eyes out the window as Jessica helped her into bed. “It’s okay, Theresa. Everything is all right now.”
The nurse came with a small paper cup, and Theresa gulped back the pill inside. “That will help you relax. Just sit back and listen to the music.”
“Thank you,” Jessica mouthed, with tear-soaked cheeks. He nodded his head but again his eyes cut away.
When the second song ended Theresa’s heavy eyes finally closed, and Jessica gently inched away.
“I’ll have a replacement record here in the morning,” Mathew assured the nurse whose color was finally returning to her face.