Read Online Never Too Late by Robyn Carr - Free Book Online Page A

herself a glass of wine and joined them.
    Sarah was wearing paint-stained overalls. Underneath was a lime-green sweater, the sleeves so baggy that when she pushed them up to her elbows, they just slid down again. Maggie noticed that she had a piece of duct tape holding her glasses together. “You didn’t have to dress up for us,” Maggie said.
    â€œThe paint doesn’t care what I wear,” she said, pushing her glasses up on her nose. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œJust dropping by.”
    â€œGood,” she said. “I’ll be glad when we can get back to our regular happy hours.”
    â€œIt’s going to be a while, I’m afraid,” Clare said.
    â€œSooner than you think,” Sarah said, giving Clare’s hand an affectionate pat.
    â€œTell her about Roger, Maggie,” Clare said. “She’ll get a kick out of it.”
    â€œRoger’s falling apart,” Maggie said.
    â€œReally?” Sarah asked, leaning forward.
    â€œI went to see him about getting Clare back in her house and caught him drinking in the early afternoon. He’s miserable. He’s greasy and wrinkled and pathetic.”
    Sarah grinned. “What’s he pathetic about? Can’t he get a date?”
    â€œHe wants to take care of Clare,” Maggie said.
    Sarah sipped her wine and leaned back on the sofa.“Tell him to stick it up his ass. We can take care of Clare.”
    â€œSarah!” Maggie said, laughing.
    This, Clare thought, was why she loved her sisters so. Because they were dedicated, irreverent and sometimes hilarious. What more could a crippled, almost-forty-year-old, almost divorcée need?
    When Maggie had gone and Sarah was busy in the kitchen, Clare crutched her way to Jason’s room and tapped on the door.
    â€œYeah?” he answered.
    â€œCan I come in?”
    â€œYeah,” he said.
    She found him lying on the bed with a Game Boy hovering over his face.
    â€œI need to talk to you,” she said.
    â€œAs long as it’s not about him,” he returned, his eyes glued to the game.
    Clare entered slowly, careful not to get a crutch snagged on something left on the floor—clothes, shoes, books. She could get around pretty well now and was using the crutches only to give herself assistance, to keep the pressure off her pelvis. Walking no longer caused horrid pain but the ache crept back in as the day wore on.
    She slowly lowered herself to his bed and he moved his long legs over to accommodate her, but he stayed focused on his game. She gently pulled it out of his hands. He released it and sat up, leaning against the headboard. “It’s about him. I need a favor.”
    â€œAww.”
    â€œJason, the accident—it not only shook up my body, it shook up my mind. I can see that I need to makechanges in my life, big changes. I have to heal my body, and also I have to heal my spirit. I have to get a life. And I need you to lighten up. I know you’re mad. I’m not going to try to talk you out of it—you can work out those issues with your counselor. But I can’t get better while I’m constantly faced with your rage. I can’t move on. Understand?”
    â€œBut don’t you hate him?”
    â€œActually, I don’t,” she said. She didn’t even have to reach for the answer. “I’m really mad at him. Who wouldn’t be? But Jason—he’s the one who’s losing out here. He had his last chance with me and it’s over. He lost a good wife. And, I fear, a wonderful son. You have no idea how much hurt this is causing him. You have to trust me.”
    Remarkably, tears gathered in Jason’s eyes. “You should hate him,” he said, but he didn’t say it in rage, he said it with pain.
    â€œThere was a time I did,” she said, reaching out and threading some of that thick, floppy blond hair across his brow. “But I’m just too busy now.