I’ma few minutes early to Huck’s and when Cathryn Cross walks in, there is no mistaking her. She’s a mixture of elegance and the kind of rugged that comes from living in the Sierras, even though she resides in the city now. She greets me with a hug, perfumed with lavender. Her blue eyes are warm. The hazel must’ve come from Patton’s father.
She sits and says, “I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” I slide back into the booth across from her, trying not to fidget.
“I wanted to meet the woman making my son happy.” Her eyes twinkle. “Also, I heard about the Fireman’s Ball … and the bet.”
My face flames. “About that?—”
She smiles. “Relax, dear. I’m not here to interrogate you. But I know you won the bet.”
“I—what?”
“You’re the reason he’s been smiling.”
I think about Patton at the Ball, his guard finally down, laughing with his crew. “Yes. I suppose I am, but—” I’mabout to explain that it’s not really about that when Peggy, the waitress, comes over.
Coincidentally, Cathryn and I both order grilled cheese sandwiches.
After Peggy leaves, she grips her tea mug and leans in. “Can I tell you something about my son?”
“Please.”
“When Forbes died—that’s Patton’s father—I checked out. Not just physically, but emotionally. I was so consumed by my grief that I didn’t see how much Patton was struggling.” Her voice tightens. “He was twelve years old and he became the man of the house because I couldn’t function. That was too big a burden for him.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Learn from my mistake.” She meets my eyes. “When things get hard—and they will from time to time—don’t check out. Don’t run. Stay in the fight. Get back up. For yourself, for him, for the life you’re building together.”
“But what if—?” I stop myself, hearing Grandma and Mindy’s voices in my head. Then what Patton said about Captain Kendrick’s saying about when life crushes you … “What if I’m not strong enough?”
“You are. You moved to a new town, took on a leadership role, tried to single handedly save your family’s business, and fell in love with the most stubborn man in Nevada.” She smiles.
“How do you know all that?”
She gently taps my hand and says, “I’ll start at the beginning. I thought I was protecting Patton by not talking about Forbes. I was wrong. When he turned eighteen, I moved to Carson City, thinking getting away from Huckleberry Hill would help. New place, new start.”
“Did it?”
She looks fondly out the window at the mountains. “My address changed. Nothing else did.”
I think about how close I came to driving away.
After taking a sip of tea, Cathryn continues, “Judy Waples calls me every Sunday. Has for years. Keeps me updated on everything—the gossip, the town, Patton.”
“And the Great Brownie Battle?”
She laughs. “That too.”
“And us, Patton and me, I assume?”
She laughs. “Absolutely.”
I kind of want to hide under the table.
She continues, “It took me over twenty years, but I’m finally seeing a therapist and dealing with losing Forbes. And you know what I realized? I miss this place and my son. The future he’s creating. I thought coming back would be unbearable.” She meets my eyes. “Turns out, this town is home. Always was.”
Our lunch arrives and I take a bite of my sandwich as Cathryn continues. “I think this is your home too.”
