Erica hoped her friends weren’t expecting any snacks. The last week, she’d been living off hospital food, both from the cafeteria and the vending machines. Before that, she’d spent almost two weeks at Linc’s parents’ house. Erica could not remember the last time she’d gone grocery shopping.
The doorbell rang, and Erica closed the pantry with a sigh before going to answer the door. Cory and Veronica stood on the other side. Both held grocery bags in their hands.
“What’s going on?” Erica asked.
“What do you mean what’s going on? I told you we were coming over,” Cory reminded her.
“I know that,” Erica said as she stepped aside to let them in. “I mean, what’s with the grocery bags?”
Rolling her eyes, Cory turned to Veronica. “How did she get straight A’s in school if she doesn’t even know what grocery bags are for?”
Smiling, Veronica shrugged. “You got me.”
It was Erica’s turn to roll her eyes. “I know what grocery bags are for. I’m wondering why you guys are here with them.”
“Again, I thought the answer was obvious,” Cory said.
“We figured you probably haven’t had time to go shopping in a while,” Veronica added.
“And since we didn’t want your skinny ass to starve, we thought we’d help you out,” Cory finished.
“You guys are the best, but you didn’t have to do that,” Erica said.
Cory pulled open the fridge and gestured toward its mostly empty shelves. “Um, yes we did.”
The doorbell rang a second time, and Erica frowned. The only people she was expecting already stood in her kitchen.
While her friends started unpacking the groceries, Erica went to answer the door. Her eyes widened when she saw her mom and Kristy standing there smiling at her. There were more grocery bags in her mom’s hands while Kristy held a stack of filled Tupperware containers.
“What are you guys doing here?” Erica asked.
Carolyn laughed. “Well, hello to you too.”
“Sorry, I just didn’t know you were coming over.”
“Cory called us and said there was a party at your place tonight and the cover charge was food.”
That did not surprise Erica. That sounded like something Cory would say.
Kristy held up her tower of Tupperware. “I brought homemade goodies.”
“Are you going to let us in now?” Carolyn asked.
“Sorry,” Erica said again and moved aside. “You can take that that stuff to the kitchen, I guess.”
Her mother and Kristy stepped inside, heading straight for the kitchen.
“Did you bake all of this?” Veronica asked when Kristy deposited her offering on the counter.
Kristy shook her head. “No, the girls in my office helped.”
Cory’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re kidding me?”
“Nope, and I didn’t even have to ask,” Kristy said. “When I told them what I was doing and why, they all offered to pitch in and bake something.”
“This is a lot of stuff though. What if it gets stale before they eat it all?” Veronica asked.
“Whatever Erica and Linc don’t want, they can share with the other patients in the hospital.” Kristy smiled as she looked over at Erica. “And if I were you, I’d start by giving away those brownies your brother baked.”
Erica frowned. “Aaron made brownies?”
“Yes, and I love your brother, but the man cannot bake,” Kristy answered. “I’m pretty sure he either left out the salt or mixed up the baking soda and baking powder.”
When the doorbell rang a third time, Erica looked up at Cory. “Who else did you call?”
“Answer the door and find out,” Cory suggested.
Pulling open the door, Erica was confronted with Mary and Sarah and Meredith, all three holding grocery bags in each arm.
“Sorry we’re late,” Mary said. “It was Sarah’s fault.”
“Sure, blame me like always,” Sarah said, but she smiled.
“You were the one who spent ten minutes trying to decide between Fudgesicles and Firecrackers,” Mary pointed out.
“What did you decide?” Cory asked.
Sarah grinned. “Both of course.”
“Good choice,” Veronica said.
As her family and friends crowded into the kitchen, laughing together as they filled the refrigerator and cupboards, Erica said a silent prayer of thanks. Their love and kindness had always been there, but until that moment, she didn’t realize how much she needed it.
“What’s that?” Linc asked, and Erica smiled.
Before heading out the door that morning, Erica had snagged one of Kristy’s cookie filled containers from the counter. As much as she appreciated the goodies, and Lord knows she did with her major sweet tooth, there was no way she could eat all of this before it grew stale. Besides, she had a plan, and it looked like her instincts were right on.
Erica knew Linc was nervous about starting his first phase of rehab that would include using some sort of contraption on his knees that made him feel confined. After what he’d been through, she didn’t blame him, which was where the cookies came in.
“Just some cookies Kristy and her friends made.”
Linc eyed the plastic container. “What kind of cookies?”
Erica popped the lid and inhaled deeply. Damn, they really did smell good. “White chocolate chip with macadamia nuts.”
Linc’s eyes lit up, and Erica cheered her brilliance. Just as he reached for the container, Erica snapped it shut and took a step back.
Linc frowned. “You’re not going to share?”
“Oh, I’m going to share.”
“What are you waiting for then?”
“For you to finish your physical therapy.”
“What?”
“You heard me. As soon as you finish your PT, you can have as many cookies as you want.”
Linc gaped at her. “You can’t be serious.”
“Of course I’m serious, but it’s a little more complicated than that.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“If you want these cookies, you have to cooperate with your therapist and do everything he says without complaint.” Erica gave him a sweet smile. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t cooperate?”
“Good point. Guess you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Exactly, so why not hand over the cookies?”
“Now, Todd, where is the fun in that?”
“So, let me get this straight,” Linc said. “I let this guy do whatever he wants to me—”
“Without complaining.”
“I let this guy do whatever he wants to me without complaining, and I do whatever he tells me to—”
“Without complaining.”
“Right, I do both of those things without complaining and I can have the cookies?” Linc finished, and Erica nodded. “And if I don’t?”
Lifting the lid of the Tupperware, Erica picked up one of the cookies. Taking a large bite, she followed it with an exaggerated moan.
Linc’s eyes widened for a moment before he scowled at her. “Fine, but those better be some damn good cookies.”
“Did someone say something about cookies?”
Erica and Linc both turned. There was no question that the woman who’d come into the room was Linc’s physical therapist. Besides the fact that she was dressed in scrubs with an ID badge hanging from neck showing her name was Dawn Olson, Physical Therapist, the cart at her side was stacked with some scary looking stuff.
Dawn herself wasn’t scary looking. Her brown eyes twinkled with amusement and she had a nice smile. She was tall with hands so big they were almost masculine. Made sense considering she probably had to lift injured soldiers all day long.
“Yep, there are cookies, but only if Linc is a good boy for you,” Erica said, winking at her husband.
Dawn laughed. “Now that’s an interesting tactic.”
Erica opened the Tupperware and held it toward Dawn. “Would you care for one? They’re white chocolate chip with macadamia nut.”
“Thanks.” Dawn smiled as she lifted a cookie from the plastic container and took a bite.
“Hey, how come she gets a cookie before me?” Linc protested.
“Wow, these are really good,” Dawn said. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Private.”
“You can call me Linc, and the woman holding my cookies for ransom is my wife, Erica.”
Finishing off her cookie, Dawn laughed. “I can see this is going to be a fun session. So, what do you say we get started?”
Linc slid his gaze toward Erica who smiled as she patted the lid of the Tupperware. “Whatever you say,” he agreed, and Erica did an internal victory dance.
Erica hadn’t been certain that distracting him from the fear of his PT was going to work or that the promise of homemade cookies was enough of an incentive, but she was glad she’d gone with her instincts. It may not have been much, but she would do whatever it took to help him get through this.
“Hey, Little Miss Muffett. How’s Daddy’s princess?”
Erica smiled at her father’s greeting, followed by a kiss pressed to her forehead. She couldn’t remember the last time her father used the nickname.
Though Erica didn’t recall it happening, her father said the nickname started when she was two. She’d gone to use the potty one day and a daddy long-legs spider had skittered across the floor in front of her.
According to Earl, Erica screamed bloody murder and jumped off the potty chair and ran through the house screaming ‘spider’. While her father had laughed out loud, her mother had supposedly been furious because it set her potty training back several weeks.
“I’m good, Dad.” Erica hugged her father before taking her seat across from him.
“That’s good. How’s Linc doing?”
“He started physical therapy today.”
“How did it go?”
Before Erica could answer, the server came to take their drink orders. After Erica ordered her usual iced tea and her father ordered a beer, Erica answered his question.
“It went well, especially since I bribed him to cooperate.”
Earl’s eyebrows lifted. “You bribed him?”
While they waited for the server to return with their drinks, Erica told her father all about bribing Linc with cookies. Cookies which much to her relief Linc had decided were definitely worth cooperating with PT for. Erica made a mental note to be sure she not only thanked Kristy for the cookies but roped her in to making more of them.
Erica had been so proud of Linc and the way he’d powered through his first PT session. There had been a flicker of fear in his eyes when Dawn had removed the brace and secured the first Continuous Passive Motion device around his knee. Instead of giving in to it, he’d looked at Erica and then grimaced his way through it.
Returning to their table, the server set their drinks in front of them. “Here we are. Are you ready to order?”
Both Erica and her father were ready to order. While Erica opted for a turkey sandwich stuffed with bacon and avocado, her father chose the one pound sirloin burger. Erica had no idea how her dad could eat a pound of meat in one sitting, but he always joked that thanks to her mother’s awful cooking, he’d developed an iron stomach.
“I want you to know I’m really proud of you,” Earl said and then took a long drink of his beer. “I know this isn’t easy on you.”
“It’s harder for Linc.”
“I’m sure it is, and it’s good that he has you to help him through it.”
“I just wish he’d let the rest of his family help too.”
“I take it he’s still refusing to see them.”
“Everyone except his parents.”
“I can’t say I understand it, but at this point it’s probably best not to push him.”
Erica nodded, but she wished there was something she could say that would convince Linc that his family’s love was probably just what he needed.
“You know, speaking of being a proud papa, I have to say I’m impressed with your brother’s new love interest. That is one smart cookie.”
Erica laughed. “Except for the fact that she’s dating Aaron.”
“There’s no accounting for taste,” Earl said, laughing along with her. “Just look at that Jarhead your mom’s got herself involved with.”
Erica’s smile fell away. “Hank’s a nice guy.”
Earl stroked his chin. “I don’t know about that, but he’s a damn sight better than the last guy she went out with. What was that guy’s name? Artie, Arnie?”
“Archie.”
“Yeah, Archie, that guy makes Hank look like a prince.”
Erica shook her head. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard her father insult a man her mother was dating. Her mother did it too. Every time her father went on a date with a woman more than once, Carolyn always referred to the woman as her father’s new plaything.
It had been going on since Erica was a teenager. Considering how both of her parents seemed to take exception to the other one dating, she didn’t understand why they would have divorced in the first place.
Once, when her mother had a few too many glasses of wine, Erica asked her mom why they had divorced. Carolyn had given her a sad smile and said they were more miserable together than they were apart. Then she’d proceeded to gross Erica out by heaving a wistful sigh and saying that she hoped to God she could find a man half as talented in bed as Earl. Erica still shivered over that piece of TMI.
“Are you cold?” Earl asked.
“No, I’m fine.” Erica smiled at him. “You know, Dad. Instead of worrying about who mom’s going out with, you should find someone of your own.”
“I have you and your brother, and sooner or later one of you is bound to give me a grandchild to spoil.”
Erica nearly choked on the sip of tea she’d just taken. Maybe someday she and Linc would have children. Right now, she couldn’t think about that. Right now, she needed to focus on getting Linc through his recovery, one day at a time.