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Saturday morning, I was up at six. I was to meet Jack for surgery by seven, so I headed downstairs to eat breakfast first. Ben was in the kitchen already, sitting at the table, eating cereal and toast.
“You’re up early,” he noted.
“So are you. Going somewhere?”
“Nope. I’m always up at this time.”
“Really? I usually don’t see you until after ten. I just assume you’re still sleeping.”
“Nope, I get up when you’re still sleeping.”
“Hmm.” I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with cereal, and then I proceeded to mix some strawberry milk.
“I can’t believe you eat all that garbage for breakfast,” Ben said.
“Garbage? Cereal and a glass of milk?”
I sat down at the table across from him, and he chuckled at my feigned innocence. “Golden Grahams and Nesquik. How long does that sugar high last for you?”
“Mm, usually most of the day.” I smiled. “And who are you, the sugar police?”
“Yes, and you should cut back.”
“Thanks for the concern, but I only eat this once a week.”
“True, because you usually just have the strawberry milk every morning.”
“I’m not much of a breakfast person.”
“So what’s the occasion?”
“Surgery.”
“For your pancreas?”
I laughed. “Not for me, you dick. For Zorro.”
“Ah, I see. And then what?”
“Another surgery for Wizard.”
“So, are you busy for the entire day or can you go to town with me to pick up some things for Jack’s party?”
I frowned because I wasn’t planning to be at Jack’s party. “Sorry, but I’m flying out this afternoon.”
He raised an eyebrow. “To where?”
“Texas.”
He just stared at me, and then took a bite of cereal. “Hm, not surprising, I guess.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said. It’s not a surprise.”
“But you said it like it was a big disappointment or something.”
“It is.” He paused. “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but I think it’s a mistake to run to him every time he tells you to.”
“I want to see him, too.”
“Maybe so. But maybe you should make him wait it out a little longer. Give him something to think about.”
“What, that I don’t want to be with him anymore?” I chuckled sarcastically. “I don’t want to give him the wrong idea.”
“I think he already knows you’re committed to him, Nova. But maybe you need to make him feel like he’s committed to you, too. Make him miss you a little bit more. Make him rethink his decision.”
“I’m not going to play those kinds of games, Ben.”
“It’s not part of any game. It’s a tiny decision that could make a world of difference. I know you want to see him, but if you could just be patient, I think you’ll get better results in the long run. You should go as long as it takes for him to realize he needs you full time, not part time.”
I could see his point, but I was trying not to think about the fact that Austin could become content with this type of routine in the coming months. I didn’t want to be his once-a-month girlfriend, but I had to have confidence that what he and I had was going to prevail over whatever it was he was thinking these days.
“The arrangements are already made,” was all I said.
After Ben drank the last bit of milk in his bowl, he shrugged his shoulders, put his dish in the sink, and left the kitchen.
I forced myself to eat the rest of my cereal, and met Jack in his office at six forty-five.
“How long have you been out here?” I asked. Zorro was lain out in one of the surgical rooms, already put under.
“I’ve been up since four. Couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d have him ready for you to cut right at seven.”
I smiled as I washed up in the sink, and while I dried my hands and put on a pair of gloves I said, “No wonder you feel old. You don’t get enough sleep. Happy birthday, by the way.”
“Thanks,” he replied. “And happy birthday to me from Wizard. She’s not ready for surgery today, so we’ll hold off until Monday.”
I slightly frowned. “I’ll still be gone on Monday. I get back late that night.”
“I know, but I figured you’d like the day off.”
“I’d really like to remove the tumor, Jack. What about Tuesday?”
“Don’t you have school?”
“It’s just a classroom day. I can miss it.”
“Now, now, we mustn’t skip school,” he scolded playfully. “What time are you done?”
“Noon.”
“Well if you want to make an extra trip up here that afternoon, you can do it on Tuesday. But don’t miss school. I’ll have her ready to go at two.”
So that was the plan, and I was pleased. However, I felt awful for forcing Jack to make special arrangements just because I was heading out of town last minute.
When Zorro’s surgery was finished, it was only nine-thirty. I was expecting to be done around noon, so I decided to spend some extra time on myself before I headed to the airport. Jack had left for the day to spend the afternoon with some of his family and friends in Santa Monica, so when it was time for me to leave, I left his gift on his bed, knowing he’d be back that night for his party at the ranch.
I was coming down the stairs with my bag when Ben came through the front door. I thought maybe he was still mad at me from our earlier conversation, but he smiled and asked, “Need a lift? I’m heading into town for my mom, so I can probably dump you off at the airport.”
“Actually, that would work out pretty well. Marlo was going to take me, but I know she’s been busy today.”
“Yeah, she and my mom have been fighting over who’s doing Jack’s cake.”
“Oh?” I smiled. “Who prevailed?”
“I think Marlo since she’s over there whipping it up as we speak.”
“Oh, then I’ll take you up on your offer. Let me just tell her I’m leaving and then we can go.”
He took my bag and asked, “Is this all you’re taking?”
“I don’t need much.”
“You mean you don’t require a different pair of shoes for each outfit?”
“I’ve got two extra pairs of shoes in there. So technically, if you count the pair I have on, I have a pair of shoes for each outfit. I’m only going to be gone until Monday.”
“Hmm. Okay, go talk to Marlo, and I’ll be in the Jeep waiting.”
Marlo was thrilled I was going to see Austin for the weekend. She supported anything that meant getting us back together, even though I tried to warn her that Austin probably wasn’t ready yet.
“I know, sweetie. Austin is very independent. He practically raised himself,” she added with a smile. “The kid was so smart, and very driven. He’d get an idea and go for it. He got in a lot of trouble that way, too. Having a self-reliant child is good in many ways, but it’s also made him obstinate. It works great for him in the business world, but he has a few lessons to learn from the rest of life.”
Marlo seemed to know that no one could change Austin’s mind except Austin, and although I was getting tired of hearing that, I still wanted to hear everyone’s opinions.
“Jack told me that Austin doesn’t plan on getting married until he’s twenty-eight,” I asked. “Does that sound right?”
She hesitated. “It used to be thirty. Maybe you’re gradually breaking him down.”
She’d said it with a smile, but I wished I didn’t have to “break him down.”
Marlo sighed, seeming to read my thoughts. “Nova, I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just mean Austin has always been used to his own little independent world. I’m sure when he met you, he wasn’t expecting so much to change. I’ve never seen him love someone like he loves you, and I know it took him by surprise. When he first told me about you, he was so excited. He said, ‘Mom, I met the girl of my dreams today.’”
I smiled, just imagining his voice speaking those words.
“I asked him why he would think that, and you know what he answered? He said, ‘We hardly even talked to each other, so I’ll get back to you on that.’”
I assumed it must have been one of the first times he came into the diner.
“But Nova, do you understand where I’m going with this? He was drawn to you before he even knew why. He fell for you hard, we could all tell. But sweetie, Austin doesn’t know what it’s like to be a quitter. He gets his mind set on accomplishing something, and he goes for it. His racing goals are pretty much set in stone.”
“And I got in the way of that,” I stated matter-of-factly. Marlo looked like she wanted to disagree, but I shrugged with a sigh and added, “I guess I’ll take it a day at a time. For now, I’m off to see what Texas has in store for me.”
She smiled and held out her arms for a hug. “Have fun, sweetheart. Give Austin a hug for me, too.”