Page 124 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

“Remind me to thank him.” She wound her arms around his neck and said, “I’ll thank you properly later tonight.”

As he lowered his lips toward hers, he said, “I’m holding you to that promise, darlin’.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

JULIETTE HAD A grueling day taking care of one veterinary emergency after another, running from Weston to Allure to Trusty and back, only to be called to Trusty again. She hadn’t minded all the running around when she’d first taken the job working for Jade, but lately everything was taking a toll.

She’d thought getting the good news that Lucas’s cancer was Stage IA would take their worries away. Stage IA meant it was found in only one lymph node, he had no other symptoms, and it had a cure rate of ninety percent. But while they all felt a surge of relief and hope, it didn’t quell their worries. Lucas was having a port put into his chest next Friday and then starting treatment a week from Monday. He would undergo two to four cycles of chemotherapy. Each cycle lasted four weeks and included two infusions. He’d have one day of chemotherapy, followed by two weeks of rest for his body to recover before having the second infusion.

It was overwhelming to think about, and even though the doctor said some people don’t experience harsh side effects, there was a looming laundry list of them. Juliette knew from the things Lucas had said in the doctor’s office that he was stressing out about possibly losing his hair, getting sick from treatments, and being exhausted. On top of that, he hated that he’d have to take a break from motocross and riding practice. The fact that competition season was over was no conciliation for a kid who’d planned on practicing throughout the year.

Not that Lucas was talking about any of that. He avoided talking as much as he could these days. Although he did ask if he could be homeschooled during chemotherapy. The doctor had suggested he try to maintain as normal a routine as possible. They’d agreed to take it one day at a time and see how he felt after his treatments before making that decision.

At least it was Friday. Juliette could make an early dinner and turn off her brain.

She opened the fridge and scanned the shelves, searching for the chicken she’d taken out to defrost. She rummaged through the shelves and drawers. “Where is—” Shit. She’d forgotten she didn’t have chicken in the freezer, and she’d planned on stopping at the grocery store on the way home.

Wasn’t that the icing on her frustrating cake of a day?

She’d wanted to make chicken Parmesan, one of Lucas’s favorite dinners. He’d been so down lately. The only time his mood lightened was at bull riding or motocross practice or when he and Seeley worked on their woodworking project. Even going driving didn’t excite him like it had a few weeks ago. Riding practice was canceled today because Buck had to go out of town, which pretty much guaranteed that Lucas would be in a shitty mood. Seeley was still going to swing by to take him driving, which might lighten his mood a little. She realized that would be the perfect time for her to run to the grocery store.

Boring dinner thwarted.

She heard Lucas come through the front door and the familiar thud of his backpack hitting the floor. She held her breath, waiting to see what kind of mood he was in.

He headed straight for the pantry.

“Hi, honey. How was school?”

He snagged a bag of chips and shrugged as he plunked down in a chair and tore open the bag. “What’s for dinner?”

She closed the refrigerator, happily announcing, “Chicken Parmesan.”

“Okay,” he said flatly.

His phone must have vibrated, because he pulled it out of his back pocket, read a text, and set it on the table without responding to the message. She’d noticed he’d disregarded several texts lately, and that was worrying her, too. “Do you want a drink with your chips?”

“No thanks.” His phone vibrated again, and he turned it face down on the table.

“Is that Layla?”

“Yeah.” He shoved a chip into his mouth.

“Don’t you want to respond to her?”

“Not right now.”

She wanted to ask if something had happened between them, but she thought better of it and said, “Halloween is next weekend. Do you know when her mom is taking you shopping for costumes?”

“We’re not doing that anymore.”

Her heart sank. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a big deal. She’s going to a party, and I don’t want to go.”

“Why not? You had so much fun at the last one.”

“It’s just not my thing.”