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I took his frail hand between mine and settled back in the chair. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Earl gave a soft snort. “Wish I could say the same, but I’m not upset about seeing my Lucy again.”
I smiled as I imagined my grandmother preparing his place beside her. “She’ll be happy to see you too.”
A smile stretched across his face. “That she will, my boy.” He cackled a little, but it made him cough, so I gave him another drink of water. “I suspect she might have a few complaints for me also. I tried to keep her rose bushes going but failed miserably.”
“I managed to salvage a few bushes, and they’re thriving at the cabin.”
“You were always such a good boy, and I love you, Abe.” Earl swallowed hard, and I couldn’t tell if it was difficult for him to talk or if his emotions were getting the best of him. A tear slid down Earl’s face, causing moisture to gather in my own eyes. I opened my mouth to tell him how much I loved him, but he shook his head. “I know, my boy. You don’t need to say the words, and I have a lot of wisdom to impart before I meet my maker.” He laid his other hand on top of mine and took a deep breath. “Boy, you’re a damn idiot.” There wasn’t an ounce of hostility in his tone, only the patient indulgence he’d always shown me, but the shock of his words made me choke on my next breath. He rolled his eyes a little as I sputtered and righted myself.
“Hey now,” I said gently. “What kind of medication did the staff give you to make you so mean?”
“I speak the truth,” Earl countered. “I want to know why you haven’t married Emilio yet. What the hell are you waiting for?”
I laughed despite the gravity of the situation. “I’m not the problem, Pop. Lio is the one who’s holding out.”
“And why is that?” Before I could reply, Earl narrowed his eyes like a gunslinger at high noon. “I know love when I see it, Abraham Michael Beecham, so don’t you try to pull a fast one on me.” Earl inhaled deeply. The breath rattled in his chest, and he exhaled on a wheeze. I knew he should be saving his energy but silently acknowledged I’d be better off holding my breath than wasting it on a suggestion he had no intention of taking. “You tend to run scared when someone gets too close, my boy.” Earl tightened his grip on my hand before I could pull away. “See? You were about to do it with me just now.” His crooked grin dared me to deny it.
“Cantankerous old coot,” I grumbled.
“Be that as it may, I’m right, and you know it.” Earl sucked in a breath, which turned into a body-racking cough. Alarm raced through me, and panic squeezed my heart like a vise.
“Maybe I should call for a nurse,” I said. “They’ll probably have a shot to help you stay calm.”
“You wish they’d knock me out.” Earl wheezed, then pointed to the glass of water.
I held the straw to Earl’s lips and waited for him to relax against the bed. He closed his eyes, and I thought he’d drifted off to sleep until his eyelids popped open.
“Am I still alive?” he asked.
Despite my breaking heart, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah,” I said drolly. “I suspect you have another reel to run.”
Earl responded with a hybrid variation of a rattling cough and deep chuckle. It sounded painful, but once again, determination tightened his features. “Where was I?” he asked.
“You threatened to haunt me if I changed the décor at the cabin.” Earl had signed over the property to me nearly a decade ago but had continued to live there as long as his health had allowed. He’d moved into Twin Oaks three years ago, but I hadn’t changed a single detail in the old lake house. Lio called it rustic-cabin chic, but I just called it comfortable.
“The hell I did,” Earl said, his lips twisting into a wry smile. “Nice try, though.” His eyes widened, and I knew he’d found his abandoned train of thought. “Everyone you’ve ever loved has left you in one way or another. Your mother abandoned you to the wolves when you were a little boy, your father left you in favor of chasing skirts before going to prison, and even your grandma left you when she died.”
“Gram didn’t leave on her own,” I pointed out.
“True, but your heart and battered soul don’t recognize the difference. They just see abandonment.” Earl swallowed hard, and more tears filled his milky blue eyes. “And now I’m going to leave you too. I’d stay if I could, my boy. You have to know it.”
“Yes, sir.” My voice sounded as thick as molasses, and the words flowed just as slowly.
“Then you should know Lio would never leave you by choice either. Loving someone is scary and risky, but it’s worth it. I need you to promise me something, Abraham.”
“Yes, sir. Anything.”
“Don’t punish Lio for other people’s mistakes. Let his love in.”
“Sounds like two promises, Earl,” I teased.
“I’m being serious now, boy. I don’t think I have a lot of time left.”
I swallowed hard as my mind fought against the inevitability of his passing. Earl still had a lot of fight left in him. Another awful cough racked his body as soon as the thought flitted across my mind, and I had to accept that this would be the last time we spoke. Instead of fighting Earl and my foolish self, I gave him—us—what we needed.
“I’ll get my shit sorted and make things right with Lio. I promise.”
