Fitting The Pieces (The Riverdale Series Book 3) (13 page)

           
“Me
and Daddy got you a surprise! It’s at Grandma’s.” She said enthusiastically.

           
Cara’s
eyes moved from Ava to Luke, but he gave nothing away with his expression. He
opened the back door and deposited Ava into the seat before glancing back at
Cara.

           
“You
got me a surprise?” She asked quietly.

           
He
shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

*
 
*
 
*
 
*
 
*

           
Nick
and Sam opened the door to her parent’s home and were greeted by her parents
shouting.

           
“I
can’t believe you let that son of yours leave that demon creature in this
house!” Joe bellowed.

           
“Joe,
if I remember correctly, you were the one who begged me for years to get the
kids a dog!” Deb shouted back.

           
“Mom?
Dad?” Sam called.

           
“Do
you honestly think they can hear you?” Nick asked her as he wrapped his arms
around her waist.

           
Sam
bit down on her lip as her father started shouting again. “I’m afraid to go
inside.”

           
“Why
don’t we sneak back out, squeeze in a quickie and come back.” Nick offered.

           
“A
quickie is why we are late to begin with.” She reminded him with a smile.

           
“That’s
it! Lock it up! Throw it out! I don’t care what you do with it, but I draw the
line!!” Joe yelled.

           
“What
is it now?! You do realize he’s just a puppy.” Deb said exasperated.

           
“He
ate my salami!”

           
Nick
burst out laughing and then before Sam could say anything a cute little beagle
sniffed her feet, wearing a T-shirt that read “If you think I’m cute, you
should see my master.” Her eyes widened as she knelt down to pet the puppy.

           
“Oh
my god! Where did you come from?” She asked the puppy as she scooped him up and
the puppy showered her with kisses.

           
Nick
grunted. “Get your paws off her.”

           
Sam
laughed as she buried her nose into the puppy’s fur.

           
“Great!
Now you lost the dog, Joe!” Deb said frazzled. She started making cute noises
trying to lure the puppy back as she walked through the house trying to find
him. “Come here puppy… come to Grandma. Grandpa didn’t mean it, but you can’t
eat his salami. That’s a no-no.”

           
Nick
raised an eyebrow as he listened to Deb. “No one would believe this…”

           
Deb
walked into the entryway and sighed in relief when she saw Nick and Sam holding
the puppy. “Oh, thank god.”

           
Nick
walked over and wrapped an arm around Deb’s shoulders as he planted a kiss onto
her cheek. “Rough day, Deb?”

           
“You
have no idea! I’m glad you kids are here. Can you watch the dog so I can finish
cooking?”

           
Sam
looked over at her mom. “Sure, but care to explain why there’s a dog here in
the first place?”

           
“Luke
dropped him off this morning at the crack of dawn before he went to pick up
Cara.” She paused for a moment and looked at the puppy trying to figure him
out. “I don’t think he likes your father very much. He ate your father’s
favorite pair of loafers, two of his Patsy Cline vinyl records and now his
salami.” She frowned.

           
“Luke
got a dog?” Nick asked absurdly.

           
“He
bought it for Cara.” Deb said with a faint smile.

           
Nick’s
eyes widened as he rubbed his hand over his head. Oh shit, he thought. Luke was
far more gone than he thought.

           
“That’s
so sweet!” Sam exclaimed. Nick shook his head, if she only knew….

           
Joe
joined them carrying a shoe box. He growled at the dog. “Here put him in this
until they get here!”

           
“Dad!
I’m not putting the dog in a shoe box!” Sam exclaimed, looking at her father as
if he lost whatever sense he had left.

           
“Why
the hell not?! He likes the scent of Italian Leather. I have the proof in the
garbage.” He shouted defensively.

           
Nick
glanced out the window as Luke’s truck pulled into the driveway. “They’re
here.” He said, wondering how this would play out.

           
“Well
sound the trumpets!” Joe said sarcastically and then smiled at his little girl
and offered her the box again.

           
She
rolled her eyes and looked at Deb. “Where should we put the dog? I’m sure he
wants to give it to her.”

           
Joe
turned to Nick. “Didn’t I just offer a place to put the dog?”

           
“You
did.” Nick said and patted him on the back.

           
“Just
put him down and maybe he’ll run to her.” Deb said as she shrugged her
shoulders.

           
“This
isn’t a Budweiser commercial, woman!” Joe said as he threw the shoebox on the
floor, giving up. He shook his head. “What are you all going to do? Stand here,
like a bunch of clowns when they walk in?” He mumbled as he walked into the
living room.

           
“I
can’t believe I’m saying this… but he’s right. We should pretend to be doing
something.” Deb said.

           
Sam
turned and looked at Nick with a frown. “I think it’s finally happened.”

           
“What’s
that baby?” Nick said as he leaned against the banister, wondering if that was
sufficient enough in the pretending to do something category.

           
“They’ve
finally lost their minds.” Sam said sadly as she watched her mother pull out
the vacuum from the hall closet.

           
Sam
and Nick followed Deb into the living room and Sam bent down and let the puppy
run free as Deb plugged in the vacuum. Nick sat down on the sofa beside Joe and
glanced over at the front door as the doorbell rang.

           
“I
hate to point this out. But if we’re all pretending to do something who is
going to answer the door?” Nick asked pointedly.

           
“Come
in!!” Joe shouted into Nick’s ear drum.

           
“How’s
that?” Joe asked his future son-in-law.

*
 
*
 
*
 
*
 
*

           
Luke
sighed and rang the doorbell again just as Ava started to knock on the front
door.

           
“What’s
taking them so long?”
 
He asked in
wonderment.

           
“Why
don’t you try the doorknob? They never lock it.” Ava said, looking up at him.
Luke shrugged his shoulders and did just that. Of course it wasn’t locked and
he pushed open the door, Ava ran underneath his arm inside.

           
“We’re
here!!!” She called out.

           
Luke
held open the door for Cara, and stepped inside behind her. “Where is
everybody?”
 
He asked as he closed the
door. Ava took her jacket off in a hurry and handed it to Luke.

           
“We’re
in here!” Deb called from the living room and Ava ran inside.

           
Cara
stood in the entryway frozen. The people she loved most were just a few feet
away from her and she hadn’t seen them since they sat beside her hospital bed,
begging her to get the help she needed. She felt Luke’s hand on her shoulder
and she looked up at him.

           
“You
okay?” He asked softly searching her eyes.

           
She
looked into his eyes and wished he could read her thoughts, and understand her
fears. She had avoided them for months because she was afraid of the reminders
of Jake and what they would do to her. She accepted that being around the
Lanza’s would cause her to think of Jake and she was okay with that. She
learned she could embrace the happy memories as a great part of her life and
let go of the sadness. It would be a struggle but she was prepared to do just
that. She was afraid she would be the reminder to the Lanza’s and that she’d
cause them pain by being there.

           
“Cara!!
Look!” Ava said, causing Cara to break eye contact with Luke and look down at
Ava. Her eyes widened when she saw Ava cuddling a little puppy in her arms that
were extended to Cara. “Surprise!!” She exclaimed happily.

           
Cara’s eyes grew wide and she stepped closer to Ava,
bending down to her level.
 
She reached
out carefully to pet the top of the puppy’s head, he leaped out of Ava’s arms
and into Cara’s.
 
She couldn’t hold back
the giggle that escaped her when the puppy started licking her face, showering
her with kisses.

           
Ava looked up at her dad with a big smile. “I think she
likes him Daddy!”

           
Luke watched as Cara rocked back and sat on her legs that
were now tucked underneath her as she continued to caress the puppy.
  
A big smile adorning her beautiful face. He
shifted his eyes towards his daughter and winked.

           
Cara looked between the father and daughter, settling her
eyes back on Ava, she exclaimed “I love him! Does he have a name?”

           
“Nope!”
 
Ava said
as she began to pet the puppy too.

           
“Name the damn thing Demon, that’s what he is anyway.”
Joe said from the entryway of the living room, causing Cara to lift her head.
Joe winked at her when their eyes met.
 
She heard Deb’s breath hitch as she took a good long look at her. Cara
placed a small kiss to the puppy’s head and handed him back to Ava before
standing to her full height. “We’re going to have to work on a name for this
little guy.” She said to the little girl and then turned back to Joe. “Demon
just won’t work.” She said softly with a small smile.

           
“Wait, you just wait until he eats your finest pair of
shoes.” He said and then smiled. Deb came up beside him and went to take a step
towards Cara, wanting desperately to pull her into an embrace, but she stopped
herself. She took a retreating step back and smiled at Cara.

           
“It’s so good to see you sweetheart.” Deb said, hoping
she sounded nonchalant.

           
Luke accessed his mother’s mannerisms and leaned into
Cara’s ear and whispered. “She’s afraid to hug you.”

           
Cara looked over at him and saw the smile on his mouth as
he looked at his mother, daring her to tell him he was wrong.

           
“Don’t be silly, Luke. I just don’t want to bombard her.”

           
Cara looked at Deb and cocked her head to the side for a
moment.
 
Deb was clearly trying to
struggle to keep her cool, but her glistening eyes told her that Luke was
right. She walked towards her and wrapped her arms around the woman who was the
closest thing she had to a mother.

           
“I was waiting for you to hug me.” She whispered softly
and closed her eyes as Deb held back a sob and hugged her with vigor.

           
“Oh, sweetheart, we missed you.” Deb whispered hoarsely
into her ear. Cara knew the hidden meaning behind the words Deb spoke.
 
They had missed the real Cara, not the
damaged one they had last seen.
  

           
They broke their embrace and Cara turned around and her
eyes met Sam’s. She smiled at her friend as she walked over to her placing her
palm against her belly. “I heard all about the great debate as to whether or
not you’re showing.” She glanced up at Sam, seeking permission to see for
herself. Sam smoothed her loose shirt over her slightly rounding tummy and
Cara’s eyes lit up, noticing the tiniest bump. She grinned and found Sam’s
eyes. “Oh my God, Sam!”

           
Sam smiled and then looked away from Cara, not wanting to
cry, but it was no use. She turned around and wiped away at her tears. “I’m so
glad you’re okay.” Sam admitted.

           
“Me too.” Cara said softly and wiped the rest of Sam’s
tears as they rolled down her cheeks.
 
“I’m so happy for you.” She looked over at Nick, who was standing behind
Sam. “You too, Nick. You guys are going to be great parents.”

           
“Thanks Cara.” Nick said and leaned over to kiss her
cheek. “Glad you’re home.”

           
She winked at Nick knowing very well that this house has
been just as much Nick and Cara’s home as it was the rest of theirs.

           
“Touching, truly it melts my heart to see this, but can
we eat now?” Joe said, clasping his hands together and rubbing them anticipating
the meal he had been smelling cook for the last few hours.

           
Deb rolled her eyes. “You always know how to ruin the
moment!”

           
“What moment? I waited for everyone to profess their
love.” He said innocently and began to make his was into the dining room.

           
“Wait! You can’t go in there!” Deb exclaimed in a hurry.

           
“Don’t you think it’s better if we eat in the kitchen?”
Sam said, eyeing her father with a warning glance.

 
          
“Yeah,
it’s so much more comfortable in the kitchen.” Nick said when Sam nudged him to
play along.

           
“We don’t all fit in the kitchen.” Luke said, trying
desperately to figure out what his family was up to. Joe rolled his eyes and
stepped into the dining room, flicking the chandelier on as he did so.

           
“Joe Lanza I am warning you…”Deb shouted desperately as
they all hurried after him, stopping short when he glanced at the empty dining
room table. The table the family had avoided for the last three and a half
months.

           
“Why isn’t the table set?” Joe asked, turning around and
facing his family. They all remained still, no one able to admit the sad truth.
“Oh for the love of God, I can’t go on like this anymore.”

           
“Dad…” Luke started.

           
“No, it’s enough Luke. I am not eating dinner in the
kitchen on a stool or outside again for that matter. Five minutes before the
two of you walked in this house we all had to pretend to be doing something
because no one knows how to act normally anymore.” He walked around the table
and pulled out the seat Jake would sit in at family dinners. “Now all of you
pick a goddamn seat and sit the hell down.” He sat down in his son’s chair and
looked up at their wide-eyed faces. “Yeah, I did it. Who’s with me?”

           
Cara stared at Joe for a moment and then across at the
chair she used to sit in. She walked over and took the seat beside Joe and sat
in it instead.

           
“I never liked sitting on that end.” She nudged Joe with
an elbow.

           
“I hated sitting in front of that damn china closet. I
was always afraid I’d break something.” Joe admitted as he draped an arm around
Cara’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “You’re the only normal one.”

           
“Can I sit next to Cara?” Ava asked. Luke looked over at
Cara as she patted the seat next to her signaling for Ava to sit.

           
“Go ahead.” Luke said and took the seat on the end near
his daughter, placing him at the head of the table.

           
Joe looked up at Nick and Sam. “Are you two going to join
us?”

           
Nick shrugged his shoulders and sat on the other side of
Luke, patting the seat next to him for Sam. She followed Nick’s lead and sat
down. All eyes turned towards Deb and she stood with her mouth gaping open in
shock.

           
“If you can’t beat them join them.” She muttered and took
a seat beside her daughter.

           
“Now that that’s settled, who else is starving?” Joe said
quite proud of himself.

 
          
“I’ll
set the table.” Sam offered.

           
“I’ll help.” Cara said and rose to help Sam as Deb went
into the kitchen to bring the food to the table. Joe watched the women scurry
into the kitchen and then turned to the two men.

           
“And that boy’s is how it’s done.” He said making his way
towards the liquor cabinet and pouring himself a glass of wine.

 
          
Luke
shook his head and watched his daughter run off chasing the dog. He felt Nick
staring at him.

           
“What?” He exclaimed.

           
“You bought Cara a dog.”

           
“So?” He said shrugging his shoulders, refusing to make a
big deal out of it.

           
“You’re playing with fire.” Nick whispered, making sure
Joe didn’t hear them.

           
“It was Ava’s idea. You’re reading too much into it.”

           
“Somehow I don’t think I am. You forget I know you better
than you know yourself sometimes.”

           
“Leave it alone, Nick.” He said warningly and decided at
that moment he was better off helping the ladies serve dinner than sit at a
table and get lectured by his best friend.

*
 
*
 
*
 
*
 
*

           
“Dinner was delicious.” Cara said, walking back into the
dining room with two freshly brewed espressos. She placed one in front of Joe
and took the other for herself.

           
Joe took the first sip and then grinned up at Cara.
“You’ve got the magic touch.”

           
She laughed and sat down beside him and looked over at
Sam. “Okay, so where were we?”

           
Sam bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. “We were
talking about the wedding.”

Cara
nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “You’re not going to make me wear a
dreadful frilly satin dress with bows are you?” She shuddered at the idea of
bows.

           
“I actually had some dresses picked out that I wanted to
show you. I’ve been making a scrapbook of things that I like.”

           
“Do you have it with you?” Cara asked.

           
“Yeah… are you sure?” Sam asked, knowing it was a touchy
subject.

           
Cara smiled at her. “It’s okay. I want to see.” She said
genuinely. Sam smiled and hurried to grab her scrapbook in the living room.
Cara turned around and looked over at Ava and Luke, who were playing with the
dog. Luke lifted his eyes towards her.

           
“I still can’t believe you bought me a puppy.” She said
thoughtfully, realizing she really hadn’t had a moment to process the idea.

           
Luke smiled as he petted the little guy.

           
“Why don’t we call him Benny?” Ava said, looking back at
Cara.

           
“Benny.” She repeated and then smiled at her. “I like
it.”

           
“Ok so here is what I was thinking…” Sam said, returning
with a fat binder full of all her ideas for her wedding. Cara put Benny on hold
for a little while longer and gave her friend her undivided attention. The
excitement that radiated off of Sam was amazing. Cara felt guilty that she
hadn’t been around the last month to be a part of all her plans, but marveled
how much Sam had thought of. They decided that Cara would wear a short blue
dress that reminded them of the ocean. Cara learned that Sam’s friends Mallory
and Phillip would also be a part of the wedding party. They planned to go
looking at dresses the following day and Cara would get a sneak peak of the
dress Sam had already chosen for herself. By the end of the night Cara’s
anxieties of being around the ones she loved left her and she was excited for
all the wedding preparations that lay ahead of them. After saying goodbye to
everyone, Luke drove her home. Ava had fallen asleep in the back seat and the
drive back to her apartment was quiet. Even Benny had fallen asleep on her lap.
She looked over at Luke as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the
other cupping the back of his neck as he worked out the kinks.

           
“It just crossed my mind, that, I have no idea where my
car is.” She said softly.

           
“I had it towed to the shop after the accident. I fixed
it all up and it’s running like new.”
 
He
said as he turned onto her block. “I’ll drop it off to you in the morning.”

           
“Thank you.” She whispered and then looked down at Benny.
“For everything.” He parked the truck in front of her apartment and turned to
face her.

           
“You’re welcome.” He leaned over to pet Benny between the
ears. “I can’t really take the credit for Benny though, that was all Ava.” He
smiled and looked over at his sleeping daughter and then back to Cara.