Callie got herself a glass of water from his fridge. “An advanced directive.”
“Which is...”
“Basically, a power of attorney.”
“For what?”
“So my parents can make decisions in the event that—” she tried to think of a euphemistic way to state the bald reality “—I can’t make them myself.”
When understanding dawned, he didn’t bother reading the fine print. He dropped the paper on the table, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. She’d caught him on a Saturday morning, just rolling out of bed. She’d known it was a little early to show up at his place, but Levi was only going to work half a day. She wanted to take care of this while he was busy. Now that she and Levi were sleeping together as well as living together, she had less privacy than before. He overheard her telephone conversations, went into her purse for change or a pen if he needed it and was comfortable enough in her bedroom to do as he pleased. She no longer had her own space. That meant it was harder to find a safe spot to hide her meds. She’d had to take them out of the cupboard above the refrigerator and hide them in a shoebox she kept under the porch. But she didn’t dare put this directive there. It needed to be in the hands of someone who knew what to do with it.
Baxter scowled at her. “And I’m the lucky recipient because...”
“I can’t give it to my parents. Not yet. Just hang on to it for them until I break the news or...you know.”
“If you’re planning to break the news soon, like you’ve been talking about, you can probably hang on to it yourself.”
“It’s safer this way.”
“You mean, in case you happen to wait too long.”
“That’s what I mean.”
His glasses skittered across the table as he tossed them away. “Tell me what’s happening with you and Levi. Somehow I like hearing about that more than when to pull the plug should you go on life support.”
“We’re happy,” she said. “He might be a...a vagrant, a rambler, someone who’s been driving around America on a motorcycle for almost two years, but...for me, he’s
home.
I don’t know how to describe it any better.”
Baxter crossed one leg over the other. “And yet you still don’t think you should tell him about your condition.”
She rubbed her forehead. “Yes. I
should
tell him. I should’ve told him from the beginning. But it didn’t seem necessary at first. And now...every time I try, the words get stuck in my throat.”
“So what are you going to do? Let him be surprised?”
“No.” She folded her arms to give her statement more conviction. “I’ve decided I’m going to get well so I won’t have to tell him.”
“I like that idea.”
She sat next to him and covered his hand with hers. “I’ve felt great this week, Bax. I think recovery might be possible.”
He wouldn’t quite meet her eyes, which told her he was afraid that was wishful thinking. “Why weren’t you at coffee yesterday?”
“It’s hard to be around the gang right now. I don’t like deceiving them.”
“They’re freaking out. After all the years we’ve been friends, you’re withdrawing for no apparent reason. It’s been all I can do to stop them from showing up at your place en masse.”
“Really?”
“It all started with Kyle.” He sent her a look that warned her he had something unpleasant to impart. “Callie, he blew the whistle on the friends-with-benefits thing last Sunday.”
She felt her jaw drop. “He did
what?
”
“He flat out made the announcement. We were all on the phone, trying to figure out what’s wrong with you, and...he said he thinks you’re avoiding everyone because of him. He feels like shit.”
She smacked the table. “I don’t want him to feel like shit. I’ve told him—”
“It doesn’t matter what you told him,” Baxter broke in. “Your actions are speaking so loud he can’t hear your words.”
“But
he
was the one who didn’t want to tell! Actually,
I
didn’t really want everyone to know, either.” She propped up her chin with one hand. “That’s not the legacy I want to leave behind.”
“Another reason to get well.”
She braced herself. “So...what did everyone say?”
“They were understanding, for the most part. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Why hasn’t anyone said anything to me?”
“Besides the fact that you won’t answer your damn phone?”
“Argh!” She leaned back in the chair. “I’ve got my life so screwed up.”
He frowned in sympathy. “I need to warn you about one other thing.”
“And that is...”
“My attempts to stop them from coming over have finally failed. We’ll be at the farm tomorrow. They’ve had about all they can take.”
“Wait...it’s an intervention or something?”
“They want to assure you that no matter what’s going on, they’re still your friends and will support you through it. Whether it’s sleeping with your best friend or...or suffering from liver disease,” he added more softly, “but, of course, they can’t say that.”
“I don’t want to deal with this while Levi’s here!”
“Sorry. Like I said, I’ve put them off as long as I can. They were going to come last Monday, but that was the night I supposedly took you to San Francisco.”
“When I was in the hospital.”
“After that, I was afraid having them show up might upset you and cause a relapse. So I told them you were fine. That we had a blast. That you’re just busy. I said to give you some time to get over the embarrassment of getting too close to Kyle. I almost had them convinced to let you be. If only you’d come to coffee yesterday....”
“You couldn’t have given me a heads-up that coffee was so important?” she asked glumly.
“I didn’t know! That was just when everyone started talking about you and got so worked up they wouldn’t listen to me.”
At least he’d done all he could.
She considered what having her army of friends show up tomorrow morning might mean—to her and to Levi. “Do they know how I feel about Levi?”
“I’m sure
Kyle’
s guessed,” he said with a wink.
She flinched. She’d basically cut off all association with Kyle, which wasn’t right. They’d been friends for so long, had promised each other they’d be friends for life. “I can’t believe he confessed the truth. He definitely didn’t want anyone to find out. I think, after marrying Noelle and getting divorced so soon after, he’s embarrassed enough.”
He got up to pour himself a glass of orange juice. “What he went through wasn’t easy. I can see why he wouldn’t want to tell anyone about this latest...whatever. But that’s how worried he is about you,” he said, raising his voice to be heard from the kitchen. “He’s afraid you two doing the deed is at the root of the problem. He wanted us to know in case there’s something we could do to assure you that we won’t hate you because of it.”
“Oh, dear, I need to talk to him.”
“You need to talk to everyone,” Bax said, returning. “And, like I just mentioned, you’re going to have the chance to do that very soon.”
“Tomorrow.”
“That’s right.”
She took another sip of her water.
“Who’s coming?”
He took his place at the table. “Eve, Riley, Cheyenne, Dylan, me, Noah, Kyle. The whole gang. Except Gail, of course, because she’s in L.A. And Ted. He’s on a tight deadline.”
The mention of Ted reminded Callie of his comment about Scott from last week’s coffee date. “You didn’t mention Sophia.”
“She wasn’t on the call.”
“She didn’t say anything at coffee yesterday?”
The ice in his glass clinked as he took a sip. “She wasn’t there.”
“But she always comes.”
“Not if Skip’s in town.”
“He’s never in town on a Friday morning. If he comes home, it’s usually late.”
He shrugged. “Then I don’t know.”
She turned her glass, wiping the condensation. “I think it’s what Ted said last week, don’t you?”
“Could be. She’s been trying to be friends with us for so long. Maybe she’s given up.”
“How did Ted react to her absence?”
Baxter finished his juice. “It definitely seemed to bother him. He’s been acting like he hates having her crash the party every week, but his eyes went to the door every time someone opened it as if he was hoping to see her walk in. And he got sullen and quiet about halfway through when she didn’t show.”
“He shouldn’t have been such a jerk to her,” she said.
“It’s complicated with them, as you know.”
“Everything’s complicated right now.” She put her glass in the sink and dug her keys out of her purse. “What am I going to tell Levi when my friends come over and demand to know what’s wrong with me?”
He drummed his fingers on the table as though the answer was obvious.
“What?”
“At some point, you might consider the truth.”
But then Levi would not only leave, he’d hate her for lying to him. What if she could beat her disease instead? What if she could get a transplant and live?
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll consider that next time I want the man I love to walk out on me.”
* * *
Levi found a motorcycle helmet at a garage sale as he passed through town on his way home. He thought it might be a little big for Callie, but he was willing to risk the twenty-five dollars. It didn’t have to fit perfectly to protect her. At least he’d be able to take her for a ride.
After paying the ten-year-old who was collecting the money, he strapped the helmet on behind him and took off. But he didn’t get far. Before he reached the outskirts of town, he saw police lights flashing in the small mirror attached to his handlebars.
“Shit,” he muttered. What now? He hadn’t been speeding. There was too much traffic for that.
He pulled to the side of the road, put down the kickstand and waited for the officer to approach him.
“In a hurry?”
It was Chief Stacy. Levi removed his helmet and met the steely gaze of Whiskey Creek’s head of police. “Not particularly.” He motioned to the road. “Are you saying I was speeding despite these stop-and-go tourists puttering through town?”
Stacy seemed to realize that would be too unbelievable. “No. You might not be aware of it, but you ran a red light back there.”
Levi scowled at him. “I’m not aware of it because I didn’t do it.”
“Sorry. Saw you with my own eyes.”
“Must’ve been someone else, Chief. There’re only two stoplights in this town, and I’m well aware of both of them.”
“You can say what you want.” His lips curved into an arrogant smile. “But it’s your word against mine.”
When Levi swung his leg over his bike, Stacy’s hand hovered above the gun at his hip. “Just stay where you are.”
“Or what?”
Levi said. “You’ll shoot me? For getting off my bike?”
“That’s no small temptation.”
“
Why?
What have I ever done to you?”
“If I remember right, I asked you to move on.”
“You mean you asked me to leave town.”
His hand remained poised to grab his sidearm. “Now you’re splitting hairs.”
“I guess I’m not overly susceptible to suggestions you have no business making. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m not leaving, not until I know Callie is safe.”
“You don’t have to worry about Callie.
I
can protect her.”
Levi felt like dropping Stacy right where he stood. He knew he could do it before Stacy could draw that damn gun. But he also knew he had enough problems. In the past, he’d been far more reckless than he was now, because back then he hadn’t cared if he lived or died. “The way you protected her from the fire?”
“That won’t happen again. Denny and Powell are gone.” He puffed out his chest. “Problem solved.”
Levi couldn’t believe it. “They’re
what?
”
“You heard me.”
But they’d been around just a few days ago. And they were supposed to be in Whiskey Creek for the entire summer. “Where did they go?”
“Let’s just say...they suddenly found it in their best interest to rent elsewhere.”
So that was it. “You mean you invited
them
to move on, too.”
“They were better at taking a hint. No way did they want to be run up on charges for that fire.”
“There was no physical proof linking them to the fire. All you had on them was motive,” Levi pointed out.
“That was enough. No one else around here would do something like that.”
Now he was a mind reader? Levi had no love for Denny and Powell, but he liked Stacy even less. “I’m pretty sure duress falls outside the scope of legitimate police work.”
Stacy’s eyes narrowed. “Who the hell are
you
to tell me that? Anyway, I’m thinking we’ve been too friendly, made you too comfortable here.” He pulled out his citation book. “So maybe it needs to start getting a little
un
comfortable.”
Levi clenched his teeth in an effort to control his temper. “That’s why I’m getting a ticket? Because you don’t want me here?”
Stacy didn’t answer. “License and registration, please.”
“You know my ID got burned in the fire.”
“Your registration, too?”
“Destroyed with my wallet.”
He made a
tsking
sound. “That’s unfortunate,” he said as he shoved the citation book back in his pocket. “I guess that gives me—well,
you
—two choices.”
“And those are...”
“You can agree to leave Whiskey Creek by tomorrow. Or we can head over to the station, where I can fingerprint you to get proper ID.”
Levi didn’t bother hiding his disgust as he shook his head. “Neither one will get you what you really want.”
Stacy seemed taken aback by this statement. “How would you know?”
“Because Callie’s not interested in you.”
“You think you’ve got more to offer her than I do?” He chuckled. “Get in the car.”
Before Levi could move, the sound of tires crunching on the gravel shoulder to their left drew his attention. It was Joe.
“Hey, Chief,” Joe said as he climbed out of the cab. “Something wrong here?”
Stacy pointed to the logo on Levi’s shirt. “Your new grease monkey ran a red light.”
Joe’s eyebrows knitted. “Sucks for him. Which one?”