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“See you tomorrow,” Reid said to Lucy as they exited the elevator to the lobby.
She tossed him a grin. “Bright and early.”
Neilson caught her arm, stopping her short as a petite Italian woman walked purposefully toward them. Neilson stepped close beside Lucy.
“That’s Will’s stepmother.” She tugged her arm from Neilson’s grasp.
He relaxed slightly. Lucy, on the other hand, strung tighter. In no universe was this good.
“You are Lucy?” she asked.
Teresa…yes, her name was Teresa, that’s what Will had said.
“William’s girlfriend?” Teresa reached to Lucy with a perfectly manicured hand.
Word sure traveled fast in this small town. “Yes.” Lucy shook her hand. What was the protocol when one met the estranged stepmother of the man she was sleeping with? “Teresa, right?”
Teresa’s frown was nearly imperceptible. “He told you about me?”
“That morning, at the coffee shop when we saw you.” And during some games of Confessions that would be uncomfortable to mention. “It’s nice to meet you…officially.”
Teresa clasped her purse. “My husband, he told me when you are done with your work. I hoped I could buy you lunch?”
“Oh.” Lucy froze in place. Will’s father kept tabs on her, too? First Robbie. Then Will. Now Neilson. And now Will’s father. When did her life get so interesting that everyone memorized when and where she’d be?
“I’m sorry. You already have plans.” Teresa glanced uncertainly at Neilson. “Perhaps another time.”
A scheduled nap could hardly be considered plans. Yet, she could not have lunch with Teresa. Will’s family had hurt him too badly. When it came to parental problems, Lucy was an expert at avoidance.
Teresa glanced to the ground, clearly choosing her next words carefully. Whether it was a language barrier or nerves, Lucy couldn’t tell. “Next week is William’s birthday. We hoped you could convince him to celebrate with us,” she finally said.
Um…no. That would be a bad idea. Bad, bad, bad idea. Horrible. “You’ll have to ask him,” Lucy said as gently as she could.
“His father and I, we miss him. This separation, we hope to… I’m sorry, the words are hard when I get upset.” Teresa drew a deep breath. “We hope to heal. William and his father, they hurt so much when his mother died. You understand this?”
Well, kind of. That still didn’t make a birthday celebration with his estranged father a good idea.
“Teresa, I wish I could help,” Lucy said. The woman did seem kind, genuine. “But you should talk to Will about this. I can’t be in the middle.”
“You call him Will?” Teresa’s rounded eyes grew sentimental. “His mother and grandmother called him Will. He always insisted everyone else call him William. You are very special to him if he lets you call him this.”
Lucy’s belly fluttered with nervous uncertainty. You have special permission to call me Will… That’s what he’d said when they left for Twin Lakes. Never had she even considered the nickname meant anything.
“You convince him to come for his birthday.” Teresa’s hope-filled expression almost undid Lucy and her resolve. Nearly.
“No, I’m sorry. It’s not my place.” Lucy glanced to the exit.
“You care for him,” Teresa said, earnestly.
“Of course, I care for him. He’s wonderful. That’s why I can’t do something to cause him more pain. He’s hurting. A lot. I’m sorry I can’t help you.” Lucy stepped to leave, but Teresa reached for her.
Neilson cleared his throat in warning. The man didn’t need to speak to get his point across. His skill for communication without actually using words never ceased to amaze her. Teresa got the message and withdrew her hand, staring oddly at the bodyguard.
“If you care for him, really care for him, you will help me. He misunderstands. His father and I love him. We want to fix this. Please.” The pain in Teresa’s eyes eerily matched the distress Lucy had seen in Will. “Bring him back to his family. His father and I are moving away soon. I wish to heal this first.”
Damn on a donut. That was a really hard argument to fight.
“Luce, I thought you left?” Will’s words echoed in the vast lobby.
