Dustin ran his hand down his face. They had a home game tonight, and he prayed that he’d look up in the stands and see Clover in his seats. That was the prayer he carried in his heart. The prayer that carried him through a half-hearted shower and the bitter feeling of sliding into a uniform he might not be allowed to wear much longer.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Clover scanned the parking lot, looking for a certain shiny sports car. She didn’t actually expect Dustin to be here, but Jane said his donation check cleared, so she’d hoped he’d show up for one of his annoying photo ops. The stalls were decidedly sports-car-less, and a corner of her dried-out heart crumbled away. At this rate, her heart would be completely gone by the time the Redrocks left town again.
They were playing at home tonight, and traffic to the game was backed up along I-15. She’d taken the side roads and made it to work right on time. Gathering her strength as if she were about to hike a mountain, she slipped out of the car, gathered the groceries from the back, and slouched into the building.
Jane was at the counter, helping a woman with three small children. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes darted quickly to Clover as she entered, daring Clover to judge her for being there.
Clover offered a small smile, the best one she could manage these days, and headed toward the kitchen. The door swung open, and Clover came up short at seeing someone already behind the counter chopping vegetables. “Serena?”
“Clover!” Serena dropped the knife on the cutting board and skittered around the counter to give her a hug.
“It’s so good to see you up and about.”
“You too.”
Clover set her groceries on the counter and returned the hug, feeling the delicate outline of Serena’s ribs beneath her hands. Living on the streets had been hard on Serena, and she’d bet her car Serena skipped a meal or two most days so Damarius could have more to eat.
Clover pulled back and covertly inspected Serena as she went back to work. The right side of her face had a green cast where the bruises had been purple and black before. She moved slowly and carefully with the brace around her rib cage. They’d been fractured but not shattered. Her left hand sported a splint that held her pinkie and ring fingers still. It didn’t stop her from slicing the eggplant. The cabbage might prove to be more of a challenge; Clover would do that one.
“What are you doing?” Clover asked.
“I’m making dinner.” She pointed to The Pantry logo on her apron. “I am your new coworker.”
“What?” Clover’s lips cracked when she smiled, like a book that hadn’t been off the library shelf in years. She laid out several pieces of bread and began spreading peanut butter on them.
“When Jane came to visit at the hospital, she offered me a job here.” Serena lifted one shoulder. “It’s not much, but they’re letting me stay in the guest room until I can get my feet under me, so I don’t have to pay rent yet. I’ve never worked before, so I need some experience before I can get hired somewhere else.” She slowly bobbed her head. She spoke as if she was talking herself through the process and reassuring herself that all would be well.
“That’s great. I did the same thing.”
“And you have your own place now?”
She thought of the small apartment. “I do.” She brushed some crumbs onto the floor. “It’s my first real home.”
Serena smiled and leaned across the counter. Clover marveled at the brightness in her eyes. “Jane said your boyfriend was the one who made it possible for them to hire me.” Her knife made tapping noises against the cutting board as she worked. Tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap.
“Oh—we’re not … I mean, we broke up.” She opened the jam and dropped a dollop in the middle of each piece of bread.
“I’m so sorry. Did he …?” Serena pointed to her face.
“No. Nothing like that.”
“Then what happened?”
Clover let her body sag. She felt like she’d been emotionally propping herself up for days and was exhausted. “I kept seeing myself as someone different when I was with him.”
“He was a bad influence?” Serena’s tone took on a protective mother quality.
Clover let her eyes unfocus as she thought back to the times she’d spent with Dustin. “He made me feel fascinating,” she whispered.
It took some time before she noticed the absence of tap-tap-taping. Clover slowly brought herself out of the pleasant reprieve.
Serena’s eyebrows were low. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you’re obviously in love with him.”
“Playing at?”
“Why aren’t you with him?” Serena demanded.
