Broken Pieces (Riverdale #2) (26 page)

      Cara sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “Anyone ever tell you, you’re hard guy to say no to?”

      “No, but could you do me a favor? Maybe mention that to Sam?” He cocked one eyebrow at her and she smiled faintly.

      “You promise you’ll take me home if I start to lose it?” She said as she went to untie her apron, her hands pausing as if to wait for his word.

      “I promise.” He said sincerely and pushed himself off of the bar and took a step backward, shoving his hands into his pockets as he waited for her to get her belongings. She nodded and untied her apron, folding it and placing it underneath the bar. She made a quick beeline towards the back office and told Rudy she needed to leave. It took a few moments for her to return and find Nick exactly where she had left him.

      She took a deep breath, walked up beside him, without another word spoken between them; they left the bar to go to their family dinner.

* * * * * *

      Luke sat down beside Sam, who was sprawled out upon a lounge chair. They were both watching Ava
as she played in their parents' in ground pool. Sam turned around and looked at her brother.

      “Well, this is depressing.” He stated as his shoulders slumped.

      “Don’t let mom hear you say that. She’s too busy pretending everything is normal.” Sam said as she sat up in the lounge chair. She stole a glance at her mother vigorously cleaning the grill with a wire brush.  There were seldom times when Deb opted to barbecue over actually tearing up her kitchen.

      “If things were normal she would be inside setting the dining room table. Instead, it’s blocked off; I’m surprised she didn’t have Dad put up barricades.” Luke said and looked over his shoulder at their father sitting under an umbrella. He had on his usual dress slacks and shoes only he chose to pair it with a short sleeve polo shirt. He was tweaking the rabbit ears of an old portable
television, that he refused to part with, determined to watch the Yankee game.

     
Sam followed Luke’s gaze and smiled somewhat, a weakness for her father’s shenanigans tugging at the corners of her heart, she looked back at Luke. “Any luck with Cara?”

      “No.” Luke said flatly and looked towards the water where Ava was splashing around by herself. “I don’t know what to do with her. Have you spoken to her?” He asked abruptly turning back around to face his sister.

      “I called her a few times, but she never answered. She texted me back once, that she was sorry she missed my call. But that was that.” Sam shrugged. “I can’t say I blame her.”

      Luke looked at her as if she was absurd. “What?”

       “I don’t know Luke, do you think being around all of us is easy for her? Especially mom and dad, we all lost Jake. We’re probably just a reminder to her.”

      Luke processed her words. “Maybe….” He paused and then shook his head. “Even so, it’s not like she has a family to help her through this. We’re her family.”

      Sam smiled softly. “You sounded just like Jake, for a moment.”

      “Don’t say that.” Luke said stiffly. “I’m nothing like Jake, and don’t deserve the comparison.”

      Sam’s eyes widened at the sharp tone in Luke’s voice. She watched him put his hands on his knees and stand to his full height. Before Sam could question where that had come from, he softened his voice and ruffled her hair.

      “I’m going to try and convince mom to let me man the grill.” Luke said before sauntering over to Deb.

      Sam let out a breath before bringing down her sunglasses. The direct sun was way too
hot, so she made her way towards her father and reached for the pitcher of iced tea behind him.

      “Still can’t get it to work?” She asked her father nodding towards the ancient television.

      “No, this is ridiculous. I have a perfectly functioning television inside, but your mother is banning me from being
in my own damn house!” ” He growled as he scratched his head trying to figure out why he couldn’t get a picture and only sound.

      “Cut her some slack, dad.” Sam said, placing a reassuring hand on her father’s shoulder.

      Joe sighed and looked at his daughter. “All I’m saying is that she obviously isn’t ready to do these dinners like she used to. No one is begging her to either, so I don’t understand why the urgency.”

      Sam looked over at her mother who had allowed Luke to help her with the grill. She didn’t know what to say, it was obvious her mother wasn’t herself. She looked back towards her dad and offered him a small smile. “At least you got the sound to work.”

      Joe rolled his eyes. “This is the last year Jeter is playing; I can’t afford to miss any magical moments.”

      Sam laughed and made a mental note to take her father to a game before the season ended. She glanced up and her heart stopped, or at least she thought it did. Nick was striding in through the gate with Cara alongside him. “He got her to come.” She whispered unaware that she had even spoken the words.

      Joe lifted his head and looked in the same direction Sam was. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He shook his head in amazement. “That Nick, is a good guy.” He said completely certain that his words were true.

      Nick winked at Sam as he and Cara walked over to where Deb was. She hadn’t even noticed they had entered the yard. Her back was towards them and so was Luke’s as they began to load the grill.

      “Put the chicken on one side, and lower the flame or it will burn,” Deb instructed her son.

      “Ma, I know how to barbeque.” He said patiently and did as he was told.

      “Yeah, but to be fair everything you learned about barbeque you learned from the master.” Nick said as he leaned over Deb’s shoulder pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t let him forget that Deb.”

      Deb set the platter of marinated chicken on the side of the barbeque before she turned around to embrace Nick. She stopped short when she saw Cara standing beside him, tears immediately welling in her eyes.

      “Cara.” She said softly, not being able to hold
all her emotions back. “I didn’t think you would come.” She admitted honestly as she took hold of her late son’s great love. She held her hands as she stared into her hazel eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here sweetheart.”

     
Cara glanced at Nick than back to Deb. “I’m sorry, I guess I needed someone to remind me where I belong.” She said hoarsely before she wrapped her arms around Deb, embracing her as if she was afraid to lose her too.

      Luke watched on as Cara and his mother embraced, before looking over them to Nick. His eyes questioned him silently, trying to figure how he had managed to get her to show up for Sunday dinner. Nick shrugged his shoulders telling him in that silent code they had, not to worry about it.

      Deb pulled back and smiled, wiping at her eyes as she noticed her husband and daughter had made their way towards them. “Joe, look who made it!” She said proudly, not letting go of Cara’s hand.

      Cara turned around to face Joe. He graced her with a genuine smile. “Good to see you, again.” He said and she smiled at him releasing Deb’s hand to embrace the man who acted as a father to her for most of her life. He kissed the top of her head, just as he would do to his own daughter.

      Sam pulled Cara out of her father’s arms and took her into her own. “I swear to God you better never ignore me again!” She hugged her friend tightly. In the last year the two of them had become so close, and when Jake passed, she felt the loss of Cara too.

      Cara laughed and pulled back slightly to look at Sam. “I’m sorry.” She bit her bottom lip and held herself together.

      “Nothing you need to be sorry for girl.” 
Sam smiled and then narrowed her eyes. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”

      Deb smiled giddily as she looked over her kids. “Why don’t you all go sit down and make yourselves some drinks? You to Luke, I want to do the cooking.” She said taking the tongs from his hand.

       “I have a better idea.” Joe said as he wiggled his eyebrows towards the younger generation. “Why don’t you all take
a chance a piece at fixing my TV?” He nodded with his eyes wide as if he had the most spectacular idea of his life. “How’s that sound? Then you can all watch the game with me!”

       Nick wrapped his arm around Joe’s shoulders.  “Come
on, old man, show me that TV of yours.”

      
“Watch who you’re calling old boy…” Joe said before he decided that Nick may be the one handy enough to fix his problem. “Did I ever mention you’re my favorite?” He said, hoping to butter him up to get his TV going.

       Nick chuckled and shook his head as he let Joe lead him over to the table the archaic
television was propped on top of.

       Sam laced her arm around Cara’s and followed Nick and Joe. “C’mon, this should be entertaining.” She said as she eyed Nick’s ass that filled his shorts oh too well.

       Cara raised an eyebrow at Sam as she caught her wandering eye. “Please tell me you’re not still sitting on that.”

     
Sam chewed on her lip to suppress her grin. “I haven’t sat on it in a while.” She said and pouted. Cara’s eyes widened at her admission and she covered her mouth.

       “Sam!”

       She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her innocently. “What?”

       Nick looked over his shoulder at Sam, and smiled devilishly at her. “We could fix that, just say the word.” He said gruffly through the smile he planted on his lips.

       “Before you go
fixing her stuff, how about my TV set?” Joe said completely unaware of what he was condoning Nick to fix for his daughter. He patted the top of his it, “Come on now let’s get to it. The game is starting in fifteen minutes.” Cara and Sam giggled as they sat in the shade.

        Luke walked over to the edge of the swimming pool to check on Ava, before he went to see if she wanted to get out for a while. She splashed him and told him to come in the pool with her. He promised he would in a little while before he walked over to where everyone was sitting.  It didn’t go unnoticed to him that Cara had completely ignored him, which left him to wonder if she had remembered anything that had transpired between them the night Nick left him at Rudy’s. He shook his head, damning himself straight to hell, for letting things escalate the way they had. He wished he too didn’t remember, but the memories haunted him. He sat as far away from the girls as possible, his eyes glued to the pool as he took a pull of his beer.

      Cara brought her sunglasses down from the tip of her head to shield her eyes. She stared at Ava splashing around in the pool and for some reason she burst out laughing. Sam turned around and looked at her curiously. “Do you know what just popped into my head?” She turned to Sam, but spoke loud enough for all of them to hear her. “The day of Luke’s graduation party.”

      Luke groaned and took another sip of beer, refusing to look at her. Nick chuckled as he smacked the top of the
television with all his might, running out of ideas on how to get a picture on the damn thing.

      Joe’s eyes widened as a black and white picture formed on the screen. “You did it! That was genius!” He said as he patted Nick on the back. “You should be a handyman.” He made himself comfortable in front of the
television, grinning like a banshee.

Nick looked at Joe, holding back his laugh. “Enjoy.” He said as he reached into a cooler and pulled out a beer, he twisted off the cap and tipped the bottle towards the ladies. “I remember that day like it was yesterday.” He said as he took the first sip of the beer and then turned to Luke. “You remember that, man?” He asked, trying to include him in the conversation. He had no idea what his friend's problem was, but he had been acting all kinds of strange lately.

    “Yeah, I remember.” Luke said as he sighed.

    “Me and Jake beat your ass in beer pong.” Cara said to his back that faced her.

      Slowly, Luke turned around and looked at her for a moment, wishing she wasn’t wearing her sunglasses so he could see the look in those hauntingly beautiful eyes of hers. Christ, did he really just think that?

“Come on Cara, you got this!” Jake said as he rubbed his Cara’s shoulders, encouraging her. “Just aim, shoot and score!” Jake cheered and Cara glanced over her shoulder, winking at him, before she stared down her opponent across the folding table, now dubbed as a beer pong pavilion.

“Jake you’re coaching this poor girl, like she’s in the NBA finals.” Luke laughed.

“Shut up, Lanza. It’s our collective duty to get you wrecked.” Cara said as she threw the ping pong ball across the table right into a red solo cup filled with beer. She smiled up at him and blew him a kiss. “Drink up.”

“That’s my girl. You heard her bro. Drink up.” Jake told his brother as he kneaded Cara’s shoulders. He leaned over her shoulder, whispering into her ear. “Good shot.”

Luke grinned as he gulped the beer until the cup was empty. He pointed to Cara, then to his brother.   “Game’s on, kids.”