You Make Me Weak (The Blackwells of Crystal Lake 1)

“That’s the coward’s way out.”

“Maybe,” John replied, offering a small sad smile.

The door flew open again, and a petite, bubbly nurse appeared. Her scrubs matched her appearance, boasting pink piglets and purple rainbows. “Time for a few tests, Mr. Blackwell.”

Hudson took a step back. “I should go,” he said, eyes on his father. “What time do you think he’ll be discharged tomorrow?”

The nurse glanced down at the chart in her hand. “Probably before eleven. We’ll give you a call once we know for sure.” She frowned. “Doctor Thorne has your information?”

Hudson nodded.

“Good.” She bustled over to the bed.

“Okay. I’ll be here tomorrow.”

John Blackwell watched his son leave the room, and while the nurse got busy with her task, he thought ahead to his homecoming and all that it meant. After the nurse was done and he had the room to himself, he reached for the large book on his table and thumbed through it until he saw what he wanted. Next he picked up the phone.

“Hello?” The voice was clear, and the sound brought a smile to his old, lined, and tired face. He had a reprieve. A small window to fix something he should have a long time ago.

“Hello?” Rebecca’s voice sounded uncertain.

“It’s John.”

He settled back on the bed and got to work.

Chapter 26

The last Sunday of each month was designated as family day. Rebecca and Liam, along with her brother Mackenzie, his wife, and the baby, usually attended church with their mother. It was a simple gesture—one that made their mother happy—and truth be told, Rebecca loved the sense of family it evoked. It was a far cry from the household she grew up in. One ruled by fear because their father was a bullish, mean-spirited man with a fondness for whiskey and physical violence.

There was a time when Rebecca had believed none of the Draper kids would survive the darkness that existed inside the four walls of the small bungalow on Inverness Street. But they had. And while her other siblings were scattered across the United States, she and Mackenzie had found their way back to Crystal Lake. Back to their mother. And they’d managed to create a new life.

It helped that Ben was locked up, because when he was out, things weren’t the same. Rebecca would go weeks without seeing her mother, because there was no way she would allow Ben to get anywhere near her son. The sins of the father weren’t forgotten, and damned if she would let him sink his claws into Liam.

It was early afternoon, and the sun filtered in from outside to light her mother’s kitchen in a soft glow. It was forgiving, the light, and the tired paint on the walls, the chipped cupboards and worn linoleum weren’t as pronounced as usual. Mackenzie had been after their mother for the last year or so, wanting to update the place, but she would not hear of it.

Or rather, she knew Ben would hit the roof. He’d call it charity, and it would gall him to accept anything like that from a son who’d pretty much denounced him.

Rebecca watched her son playing with his cousin Hannah Rose, and her heart squeezed tightly. He was trying to get the baby to laugh and it sure as heck didn’t take much. Hannah Rose was at an age where you could do almost anything and get a giggle. Each time the little girl’s laughter and squeals filled the room, Rebecca’s heart squeezed even more.

Her mother walked into the kitchen and immediately went for the children. The older woman was looking frail these days, and her clothes hung loose. Rebecca knew it was hard for her—loving a man who didn’t deserve it. A man who never failed to disappoint. A man who, lately, spent more time in jail than out. The hard life Lila Draper had led was written across each and every line on her face. It was a constant reminder to Rebecca of all the things she didn’t want. Of why she’d left Liam’s father.

Her mother glanced up just then, and her expression of joy warmed Rebecca’s heart. There was light, even amid all the darkness in this home. That was something.

“Mackenzie and Lily will be back for dinner. I was thinking of ordering Chinese. What do you think?” Her mother scooped up the baby and set the girl on her hip.

A memory rolled through Rebecca’s mind. Hip Girl. That was what her mother used to call Rebecca when she was little.

“I… What was that?” she asked, clearing her throat as she reached for a coffee cup.

“Dinner.” Lila Draper jiggled the little girl, and another round of squeals filled the kitchen. “I was thinking Chinese. Mackenzie loves the new place in town, but I haven’t tried it yet.”

“Sorry, Mom.” Rebecca poured herself a coffee. “Liam and I can’t stay for dinner.”

“Oh?” Surprised, her mother leaned against the table, arms still firmly wrapped around Hannah Rose. “You have something else on?”

Rebecca took a sip and nodded. Okay. How to put this in a way that wasn’t going to send her mother around the bend? She took family Sunday seriously, and so did Rebecca, but how could she refuse John?

“Are you going to share it with me?”