Love, Exes, and Ohs (Cactus Creek #4)(35)

“Thanks, Xo. I just can’t believe—” Her voice broke again. “They say there’s spinal damage.”

Xoey’s heart leapt up to her throat. But she kept her voice fiercely modulated. “Just stay positive, Viv. Darcy’s a fighter, always has been. You just try and get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”

The second she hung up, Xoey started throwing things in an overnight bag, keeping busy so she wouldn’t have to think of her friend lying on a surgery table somewhere possibly paralyzed. Looking up, she saw Isaac was already dressed as well. “A really good friend of mine was in a car accident. Her son is home with the sitter, but she can’t stay overnight so I’m going to stay with him and take him to see his mom at the hospital tomorrow.”

Her hands flew up to try to keep her brain from exploding out of her head. “I have two hours to get there. Should I bring him dinner? Do I even have enough gas to make it that far?”

People brought casseroles for this sort of thing, right? Dammit, why didn’t she know how to make casserole?

Two strong arms wrapped around her like steel bands and instantly she felt a wave of bone-deep comfort. “Calm down, sweetie. I’ll come with you so I can run out and get dinner or whatever else you need.”

“But don’t you have to head into work?”

“Nope. The only thing I have to do today is be by your side.”

Grateful, she turned and clung to him for another minute, knowing without a doubt that she wouldn’t want anyone else at her side right now.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN


“XOEY!”

Isaac couldn’t do anything but grin when he saw the owner of that boisterous little voice come flying across the living room to the front door.

Understandably, the ride over had been a somber one. He and Xoey had been prepared to do whatever it took to keep the little guy’s spirits up tonight, but as it turned out, just the sight of the excited eight-year old running toward them was enough to cut through the gloom and bring a big genuine smile to both their faces.

“Hey B.W., what’s shaking?” called out Xoey as she knelt down to catch his flying hug. “Holy moly, you’ve gotten even taller since I saw you last.”

“And I lost more teeth, too!”

Of course with said missing teeth, it came out, ‘teef.’

Xoey chuckled. “That’s a good look for you, bud.” She hung up her jacket and stepped aside to do introductions. “Isaac this is Blake. I call him B.W. for short, or sometimes Bubba when he’s being a goofball. But most folks just call him Blake.”

Isaac leaned down to give him a fist bump while Xoey went to go chat with the babysitter. “Hey Blake. Cool shirt.”

“You like transformers too?”

“Sure do. When I was a kid, I think I owned every Autobot and Decepticon ever made.”

“Cool! Do you still have ‘em? Can I see them sometime? I’ll show you all the ones I have! I don’t have too many Decepticons though because mom and Aunt Vivvy think they look too mean.”

Isaac tilted his head and ran through his childhood memory banks. “Isn’t the one you’re wearing a Decepticon?”

“Xoey got this for me!”

Of course.

“To be fair, I didn’t know about the ‘too mean’ thing,” defended Xoey. “I just liked his bling.”

The poor kid. “I’ll play Transformers with you, buddy.”

Blake bounced up and down in excitement. “Do you know how to play football too? You have big muscles; you look like a professional football player.”

Xoey ruffled his hair. “B.W. just finished up playing his first year of Pop Warner football.”

“Good man.” Isaac nodded approvingly. “I played in Junior Pee Wee when I was your age too.”

“No way! Can you help me practice for next season? Coach said he thinks I might make a good quarterback if I practice some more. Xoey throws with me sometimes but she throws…uh, kind of um…short. Yeah, that’s it. She throws a little short.”

The kid was just too cute. Great manners for an eight year old.

Xoey feigned mock outrage. “Did you just accuse me of throwing like a girl?”

Isaac leaned down and stage whispered, “It’s actually not because she’s a girl, but because that’s how she thinks it’s supposed to be done…you know, because she’s a Chicago Bears fan and all.”

Now Xoey’s outrage was real. And absolute. “Blasphemous!” She looked at Blake and grinned evilly, “Hey Blake. What’s the worst team you can be?”

“The Packers!” he called out immediately with a big smile and two thumbs-down hand gestures.

Isaac slapped both hands to his chest, feeling true and physical pain. “What are you teaching this boy?

Xoey snickered.



*



AFTER AN AMAZING dinner of tamales and a Mexican casserole they’d all devoured, Xoey was in the living room with Isaac setting up their sleeping quarters while Blake was sound asleep in his room. Luckily, Darcy had a futon sofa which expanded out to a full size bed—and if memory served, it was pretty darn comfortable.

“Man, Blake’s mom can cook.” Isaac looked back at the counter with the cooling leftovers almost wistfully.