Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
His smile was grim and didn’t meet his eyes. I waited until my door slid up and opened then climbed out to join him in the heat of the relentless summer sun. I fell in step beside him as we made our way to the solid red door that had Vern’s painted on it in black.
Saul went to open the door then looked at me. “I’ll go in first. Just stay right behind me.”
I nodded, although I didn’t see what kind of danger could come from a bar with only three vehicles outside. The dim lighting made it hard to see after coming from the bright sunlight. I squinted and hoped I didn’t run into Saul or someone else while my eyes adjusted.
“My boy!” Lily’s voice called out loudly over the country music playing on the speakers.
I followed the shadow of Saul’s body as he moved toward the sound of his mother’s voice. Even though I was struggling to see clearly, it was obvious Saul was tense, as if he was preparing for a battle. I did a quick glance around the room, but there was nothing threatening as the place was almost empty.
“Is that Henley?” She asked with a high-pitched slur. “You brought Henley!”
Finally able to see clearly, we came to a stop at the bar and Lily. Her glamorous appearance was gone and her cheeks appeared sunken in. The dark circles under her eyes were joined with bags, making her appear much older. The stench of stale cigarettes and whiskey wafted from her or maybe that was just the bar itself.
“Yeah, she’s here to come bring you home. She came to visit and you weren’t there,” Saul told his mother in a gentle tone.
Lily sat her glass down and looked at me. “I wasn’t there and you came,” she said. “I’m so sorry.” Tears began to well in her eyes and she shifted her gaze to Saul. “I should have been there. Honey would be so disappointed in me.”
Saul put several large bills down on the bar and slid an arm around his mother’s back. “Yeah, she would,” he agreed.
That response caused Lily to break down sobbing and then she started repeating the words, “I’m sorry,” over and over again. I wanted to assure her it was okay, but Saul ignored her and looked at me. “Lead the way,” he said.
I did as he instructed and opened the door so he could walk her out.
“I just wanted a cocktail,” she said to him and leaned heavy against him.
“That’s all you ever want,” he replied, “but you can’t have one. You can’t stop at just one.”
“I didn’t take anything,” she said with a hopeful voice. “I didn’t go looking for any.”
“Good. One less thing to deal with,” he replied.
When we got to the car, I studied the door, wishing I had paid closer attention when he opened it for me.
“Stand back,” he said to me and then he reached forward to open it. He put Lily in the back seat then stepped back, so I could get in the front. Lily lay over in the seat until she was curled up on her side. She closed her eyes and didn’t say anything more.
When Saul was in the driver’s seat and driving back on to the main road, Lily began to lightly snore. “That was easy thanks to you,” he said.
“I didn’t do anything,” I replied, not sure how my opening a few doors helped make it easy.
“You have no idea how ugly that can get. She saw you and she didn’t turn on me. She didn’t want to let you down. You aren’t Honey, but she sees you and remembers.”
I felt tears sting my eyes again. When Gran died, it had hurt. I’d felt completely alone in the world. She had been my rock in this life. What I hadn’t realized was she had been other people’s rock too. Her death had not only been hard on me, but it had been just as hard on others. Especially Lily… and Saul.
“How often does she do this?” I asked him.
“Longest she has gone clean and sober is ten months, three weeks, and a day,” he said. “When I let my guard down and don’t check on her daily, things can get bad. If left without someone to watch over her, she can end up on things worse than liquor. It takes three months or more in rehab when she starts with the pills or worse.”
My chest was tight again with emotion I couldn’t express. I sat there silently until Saul pulled into the parking deck at the Hendrix. After he parked her car, he turned to look at me. “I’ve got it from here. Thanks for your help,” he said, before opening his door and getting out.
I waited until he had mine open and I got out wanting to do something more. Help him get her to the penthouse at least. It felt wrong just leaving him here like this.