Into the Fire

by Margaret Daley

  Kane’s hand settled on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  Maggie wanted to lean back against him just for a few precious moments of comfort. Strangely she knew he would give her the solace she needed if she dared to ask. But that would be all. Kane McDowell wasn’t looking for anything else in his life. If anything, he was running away from something that he wasn’t ready to discuss with anyone. She had enough problems facing her; she couldn’t take on his.

  She shook her head, blinking away the tears that lately were so close to the surface. “It’s nothing.”

  “I don’t buy that. I’m a good listener, Maggie, but I learned long ago not to force someone to talk until they’re ready.” Kane’s hands kneaded the stiff cords of her shoulders. “I won’t let anything happen to you while you live here. We’ll figure out what’s going on.”

  She let him assume it was about the break-in. He hadn’t known her long, and he was protective of her because he felt responsible for what was happening at Twin Oaks. Slowly the tension slipped from her body. Relishing the feel of his fingers on her, she wished she could talk about Vicky Pennington with him; but he had a bond with the family that went beyond friendship. Besides, it wasn’t really her secret to reveal. Vicky had started her secrecy twenty-eight years ago, and it would be Vicky’s place to end it.

  “You know, Kane, I’m a good listener, too.”

  The motion of his hands ceased, his tautness conveyed in the tightening of his fingers on her shoulders. Even though her back was to him, she felt him distancing himself from her as if invisible lines, transmitting his feelings to her, connected them.

  “I’m here if you need me,” she heard herself say in the stark stillness of the room. Was it his fiancée leaving him or something else?

  He leaned close to her ear. “Thanks, Maggie. That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time.”

  His whispered words caressed her heart. When he turned her around and tilted her chin so she could look him in the eye, she could hardly support herself. His gaze robbed her of any rational response.

  “Uncle Kane! C’mon,” Kenny shouted from the hallway.

  Kane sighed. “Why don’t you go into the living room, Maggie? This shouldn’t take too long—I hope.”

  Thankful for Kenny’s timely interruption, she hurried into the living room and sat, her back straight, her hands folded in her lap, as if any second she were going to break. Every time she was in Kane’s presence, she found herself drawn more and more to him against her better judgment. Where was her self-control when she needed it?

  John Pennington appeared in the doorway from the kitchen. “I’ve been sent in here to keep you company. No one’s allowed a moment of peace in this apartment.” He sat across from her. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you were around Wednesday. Everyone was pretty shaken up when I came home that night.”

  “It was Kenny’s quick thinking that really saved Ashley.” Maggie responded to John Pennington’s easygoing smile by relaxing.

  “Yeah, he’s quite a young man.”

  Maybe too much a young man. Did Kenny have a chance to be a child? Or did he always have to help take care of his younger sister? Maggie knew so little about her half brother and sister but was determined to change that even if she didn’t plan on telling anyone who she was.

  “I hear you work at Seven Oaks Hospital. That’s on my route.”

  “Route?”

  John stiffened, the smile gone. “Yeah, I drive a delivery truck and go to college at night.”

  “What are you studying?” Maggie sensed the subject of driving a van wasn’t John’s favorite.

  “I’m working on a degree in business administration.”

  “How much longer do you have?”

  “Too long. A night class here, a night class there isn’t cutting it, but there isn’t much else I can do.”

  “I can remember when I went to college. It was tough going, and I was a full-time student.”

  “This is my second degree. I was an engineer, but the jobs in my field dried up. Up until three years ago we lived in Texas. And before that Oklahoma and Louisiana.”

  “So, you all moved around quite a bit?”

  “Yeah, ever since we married. It was hard on Vicky. She hated leaving Seven Oaks. She was close to her family, and now her mother is gone and her father lives in Arizona with his sister. But she’s happy to be back home.”

  “Did I hear my name in the conversation? What’s this guy telling you about me, Maggie?” Vicky came up to John and sat on the arm of his chair, resting her hand on his shoulder.

  “Only deep, dark secrets,” John said with a laugh.

  “Well, in that case, Maggie, I deny every last one of them.”

  She fought the impulse to blurt out Vicky’s deep, dark secret. How much did John know about his wife’s past? If Maggie had been a vindictive person, she would have revealed the truth in that moment, but revenge wasn’t the reason she had searched for her birth mother for several years. She would still be looking if she hadn’t received an anonymous tip six months ago pointing her to Seven Oaks. Maggie straightened, her hands laced tightly together.

  “John, you oughta see Kane in the kitchen supervising the kids making the dessert. It’s like the blind leading the blind.”

  “I’m not sure I want to know. What’s the dessert?” John asked, putting his hand on Vicky’s arm and rubbing it up and down.

  “Guess.”

  “Has to be something chocolate.”

  “You know Kane and your children well.”

  Maggie rose suddenly, startling both John and Vicky. Wide-eyed, Maggie frantically tried to think of a logical reason to stand. “I need to use your restroom.”

  “First door on the right,” Vicky said.

  Inside the bathroom with the door closed, Maggie felt safe. She turned on the water and splashed some on her face. Looking up in the mirror, she fingered the cameo. The turmoil she felt was there in the dull flatness of her brown eyes, which shone with tears. She couldn’t go through with this charade. She was going to tell her tonight and have it out. She would demand answers to her questions, then get out of here. Go back to St. Louis where she belonged. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about who killed Henry Payne.”

  But it will destroy any chance I have of getting to know my brother and sister. She remembered Ashley cowering behind Kane in the bedroom. Maggie wanted to break through her sister’s shell. She wanted to help Kenny be a boy, not a young man at the age of eleven.

  Gripping the counter, Maggie stared at herself in the mirror, fighting for that decisive determination to go back in there and continue with her original plan. She blinked, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. She swiped it away. She would get to know the Penningtons, learn about them and then leave. She wouldn’t cry any more tears for what she couldn’t have—a loving family.

  When she reentered the living room, everyone was in there, talking, laughing. When they noticed her, they stopped and stared at her, secretive smiles on their faces. A deep ache at how much an outsider she was in her own mother’s home slowed her heartbeat.

  Struggling to keep her lonely feelings under control, Maggie looked at Kane. “Did something happen that I should know about?”

  His expression was pure innocence as he shook his head. “We were discussing the quickly approaching summer and what the kids are going to do.”

  “I used to go camping with my dad. Do you two like to camp?” Memories of the time spent with her adoptive dad on those outings would always be treasured.

  “Yeah! We should go camping, Dad!” Kenny’s eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. “We could fish for our dinner.”

  Vicky held up her hand. “I draw the line at eating fish. I’ve never been able to cook them.”

  Just like me. How else are we similar? The question disturbed Maggie. “My dad was so excited to teach me to fish, but he couldn’t believe it when I caught a big one and then immediately threw it back into the l
ake. I never went fishing again. I couldn’t stand to catch them when I wasn’t going to eat them. I know they’re good for you, but I can’t stand the taste.”

  “I think you and I are gonna get along great. Kenny, there are other things to do during the summer vacation than camping and fishing. There’s an art camp at the university I was thinking of enrolling you in.”

  “I love to draw!” Kenny peered at his sister. “What about Ashley? She’ll need something to do.”

  “How about gymnastics?” Vicky asked her youngest child.

  “Yes! I wanna fly through the air.”

  Vicky laughed and said, “You might not exactly fly, but I think you’ll like it.” Glancing at her watch, she stood. “Time to eat. My lasagna at this very moment is at its peak of perfection. Wait five minutes, and I’m not responsible for its contents.”

  At the huge round oak table at one end of the living room, Maggie sat between Kane and Kenny. Vicky was directly across from her, and every time Maggie peered up, she was drawn to the older woman. I think you and I are gonna get along great. Vicky’s words kept repeating themselves in Maggie’s mind. She shored up her resolve not to get close to Vicky.

  Making herself look away from her birth mother, Maggie glanced at Kane. His expression was guarded as his gaze narrowed on her and probed beneath her own reserved look. A smile touched his eyes, as though he sensed her discomfort and he felt it was his job to put her at ease. She responded with a slow uplifting of the corners of her mouth. She forced herself to concentrate on the conversation flowing around her.

  “I’m hoping that Maggie will come to my classes on Wednesday night,” Vicky said, passing the basket of freshly baked rolls to John.

  “I want to come, Mommy. I like to watch you cook.” Ashley stuffed a forkful into her mouth.

  “Not this time, sweetheart. Class doesn’t get over until ten o’clock. Way past your bedtime.”

  Ashley stuck out her lower lip, disappointment clear in her expression.

  “I promise we’ll cook something next Saturday after we clean house.”

  “Really?”

  Vicky nodded, lavishing butter all over her roll. “I was about your age when my mother started teaching me how to cook. It’s about time I begin passing all my family recipes along to you, Ashley. After all, us women folk have to keep the family traditions going.”

  Tension whipped down Maggie’s length. She clenched her napkin, twisting the cotton fabric into a tight ball. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything she would regret. Her hand trembled as she reached for her iced tea. She drank half the glass of cold liquid, amazed that she didn’t drop it.

  When she placed it back on the table, she caught Kane staring at her. She hoped her pain wasn’t reflected in her eyes, but she wasn’t good at hiding her innermost thoughts long from people. She lowered her gaze and concentrated on finishing her meal even though the delicious food suddenly tasted like cardboard and settled like a rock in her stomach.

  As she took her last bite of lasagna, she noticed Kane slip from his chair and head into the kitchen. A moment later he reappeared with a covered platter. He lifted the top to reveal a plate full of chocolate cupcakes.

  Kenny thrust out his chest. “I made them, and Uncle Kane helped with the icing. They’re for you.”

  Maggie swallowed the lump rising in her throat. “They are?”

  “Yep. I wanted to welcome you to the building. Mom didn’t have to help me at all. The icing is Uncle Kane’s special recipe.”

  Maggie swung her regard to Kane. “It is? You cook?”

  “It was that or starve.”

  “Well, I’m honored.” Maggie picked up the nearest cupcake and peeled off the paper.

  “I licked the bowl,” Ashley piped in, snatching one from the plate as she passed it.

  “That’s the most important job,” Maggie said, taking a bite of the cupcake, sweet icing melting in her mouth. “Mmm. This is delicious. The whole meal was. I have to confess that I’m not a good cook, so it’s nice to get a home-cooked meal every once and a while.”

  “You should take Vicky up on her offer. You couldn’t learn from a better teacher.” Kane popped the last of his dessert into his mouth. “She’s who I learned from. In fact, I’m still learning.”

  “I think Kane has been responsible for sending me half my students.” Vicky scooted back her chair. “Time to clean up this mess. Kenny, Ashley, clear the table please.”

  “I’d like to help with the dishes,” Maggie said before she realized she was committing herself to being alone with Vicky.

  “You don’t have to. You’re our guest.” Vicky gathered up several plates from the table.

  Guest, not family. Maggie forced a smile to her lips. “I want to help.” The quicker she discovered what she had come to Seven Oaks for the quicker she could get on with her life somewhere else.

  “Then sure.”

  “Kane, that’s our cue to retire to the living room before my wife ropes us into helping, too.” John pushed back his chair and rose.

  * * *

  “I won’t argue with that.” Kane watched Maggie disappear into the kitchen with the children and Vicky. At odd times he’d felt Maggie’s tension as though it were a palpable force emanating from her. She was wound tighter than a coil. He got the feeling it went beyond Henry’s murder.

  In the living room John sat in his lounge chair while Kane took a seat on the couch.

  “Maggie seems like a nice lady.” When Kane didn’t say anything, John slid him a glance. “Not a bad-looking woman either, wouldn’t you say?”

  A vision of her beauty flashed into Kane’s mind. Not bad looking was putting it mildly, he thought as he pictured Maggie, her chocolate-colored eyes, her full lips curved in a smile. He knew she was trouble, that she would shatter any peace of mind he had finally found, but he was having the hardest time staying away from her.

  “Kane?”

  He blinked, pushing her image from his thoughts. “I’m not saying anything. I know how you like to twist things around.”

  “Who? Me?”

  “What about that lady in one of your classes that you tried to fix me up with?”

  John held up his hand. “Okay, so that was a disaster. You’re a good friend. I want you to be happy. You need to move on. Ruth wasn’t the right woman for you. There’s one out there for you.”

  “Don’t.” The breath in Kane’s lungs expanded, causing his chest to constrict. Happy? The bomb blast that took his leg was a constant reminder of how quickly his life could change. No matter how hard he tried, he didn’t have control of that life. And Ruth’s desertion only confirmed that.

  “Kane—”

  “Look, John, I’m happy with the way things are going right now.”

  John’s eyebrows came together in a deep frown. “I’m glad one of us is. That scare with Ashley really frightened Vicky. She never liked working, and now every morning when she leaves, I see a look on her face that makes me feel I’ve let her down. But we don’t have the money for her to be home with the children. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  “That accident with Ashley could happen anywhere, anytime. Besides, you don’t have to pay me the rent. I don’t need it.”

  “No, if I can’t feed and take care of my family, what kind of man am I? As it is, you only charge me half what the other tenants pay. I can’t accept any more charity—even from you.”

  “You saved my life.”

  “I did what anyone in the situation we faced in combat would have done. You don’t owe me anything.”

  Kane started to say something else when Kenny and Ashley came bounding into the room. John turned his attention to his children. Kane wished John would let him help more, but when John had lost his job four years ago then ended up going to Middle East, it had devastated him. He and Vicky had almost divorced but somehow had pulled things together enough to move back to Seven Oaks when he returned to the United States and begin a new life. />
  Kane remembered returning to his old life after he’d healed from his injury in the war. He’d had to let go of the plans he’d had with Ruth to marry and have a family.

  “Uncle Kane.” Grinning, Ashley pulled on his hand. “Please read me a bedtime story.”

  “Do I have to read that same story about the princess?”

  “It’s my favorite. Please.” She stared up at him while wrapping her arms about his leg.

  Kane laughed as he swung Ashley up onto his shoulders. “The only thing I can say to that is yes. Let’s go see how Princess Alexa gets out of trouble this time.”

  * * *

  In the kitchen, Maggie heard Ashley giggling and smiled.

  “It’s good to hear Ashley so happy,” Vicky said, sighing. “Ever since I’ve had to work longer hours, she’s been more withdrawn than usual. She’s even started sucking her thumb again.”

  Another burst of laughter wafted to Maggie.

  “Kane sure has a way with those two,” Vicky said as she handed Maggie a plate to dry.

  “Kane?”

  “I can tell that giggle. He’s riding her around on his shoulders. She loves it. He’s quite a guy.” Vicky slanted a look toward Maggie as though waiting for her to make some kind of comment about Kane. “Too bad he doesn’t have children of his own. He would make a great father.”

  Maggie concentrated on making sure the plate was bone dry.

  “He’s been alone too long.”

  Maggie’s curiosity got the better of her. This was her chance to pump Vicky for information about Kane. “I understand he was engaged once.”

  “I’m glad he didn’t marry Ruth. She wasn’t good for him, but he couldn’t see that.” Vicky stopped washing and faced Maggie. “Kane doesn’t talk much about Ruth. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I think it’s about time he got on with his life. Meet some nice woman, settle down, have kids.”

  “Why tell me?” Maggie felt Vicky’s gaze on her as she stared out the window over the sink.