“What’s going on here?”
“Good thing you’re here, Uncle Peter,” Ben said. “If you want to know who to blame for this mess, it’s this guy.” He pointed to Tiago. “He pulled the alarm.”
Tiago stared at Ben, his mouth dropping open. He was soaking wet, his red T-shirt plastered to his body.
“Tiago!” Ronnie burst in, wet hair, clean clothes. She ran over to him and pulled the kid into her arms. “Are you okay?”
“Apparently, he’s the one who pulled the alarm.”
“Good job, kiddo.” She leaned away, looked at Peter. “Where’s the fire?”
Silence.
And by the expression on her face, she got it. “Oh.” She turned to her brother. “Tiago, you pulled a fake alarm? Why?” She grabbed his arm.
“No! I didn’t!” He shook his head.
“I swear, Tiago. The only thing I asked of you is to stay out of trouble and yet I keep finding you smack in the middle of it.” Her raised voice echoed off the dark walls.
Ben and the other boys smirked, not bothering to hide their amusement.
Peter stepped closer. “Hey, Ronnie, let’s just calm down and hear his side of things.” No time like the present to dive into her life and family and show her he was in this.
She looked up at him and shot him a frown.
Or not.
Hopefully her brother had a good excuse. “Uh, Tiago, why don’t you tell us what happened,” Peter said.
The kid tried to jerk away from Ronnie’s hold but couldn’t. “I didn’t do anything! I was practicing my lines.” He stopped struggling long enough to point back to Ben. “It was those guys. They were throwing the football around even though Vivien told us not to earlier. The alarm just went off. It’s their fault.”
Ben’s friends jumped to his defense. They called Tiago a liar.
Ronnie turned to Josh. “What did you see? Did Tiago do this?”
The kid looked scared. Tiago’s eyes begged his friend for confirmation.
“I…I don’t know. I didn’t see anything,” Josh said.
Tiago wrenched his arm away from Ronnie with a yell. “I hate this place! I hate all of you!”
He ran out the door as Seth walked up, a broken sprinkler head in his hand. “Not sure how this broke, but it set off the system. No fire here. Cole is trying to reset the alarm and turn off the sprinklers in that zone.”
Ronnie looked from the sprinkler head to the door. “Tiago!”
Peter reached out to stop her. “Hey, Ronnie, maybe just give him a little space right now. It was probably just an accident.”
She pulled away from him. “Accident? Yeah, right.”
“I can go talk to him. We can figure this out.”
She rounded on him. “I don’t need your help. This is my problem. Stay out of it.” She pushed him aside and ran after her brother.
Kyle led Ben and the other boys outside and left Peter alone.
Suddenly the sprinkler right above him sputtered and released a deluge, soaking him to the bone.
And with it went their one finished backdrop, wet paint dripping down it, multicolored streaks turning the cityscape into a formless, chaotic mess.
Perfect.
Her brother should be on a track team. If she decided to let him live.
He’d made it out of the school and down an entire block before she spotted him running hard for the beach. She took off after him and headed for the clutter of the tourists on shore.
“Coming through!” she shouted, hoping to avoid one of the tourist couples strolling down the sidewalk blocking her path. She barely dodged them and ignored the guy’s loud protest as she leaped off the cement walk.
Tiago was already down the beach, heading into the disappearing daylight. Her shoes sank into the pebbled shore. She kicked up rocks as she chased him through the marina and past the campground. He climbed onto the breakwater, the long line of haphazardly placed boulders stretching into the quiet bay.
Good. He couldn’t go any farther unless he jumped into the water, not something he was likely to do since he wasn’t a strong swimmer. But in his state of mind and the dark night approaching, who knew what could happen.
He scrambled over the last hunk of rock and stood there, breathing hard.
Then he sat and wrapped his arms around his skinny knees. His back convulsed as he sobbed.
She stopped before she reached his rock. Caught her breath.
She wanted to shake some sense into him or tell him to get with the plan and settle into this town because it was growing on her. He was ruining everything.
And crying didn’t change anything.
But she sort of wanted to cry too. Because she’d just blown the best thing to ever happen to her.
Peter.
So what if she’d freaked a little about Tiago getting into trouble again? How could she be so cruel to the guy who had shown nothing but kindness to her? She hated that he’d seen her in that weak moment. Panicked. Scared.
And yeah, maybe he wasn’t wrong in his words about listening to Tiago’s side of the story. Ben Zimmerman wasn’t exactly a model citizen, as evidenced by his behavior at the pit fire. How could she have listened to that punk over her own brother?
Ronnie took a couple of slow breaths and pushed back inside the drive to demand and conquer. If she was ever going to get Tiago to like it here, she had to go easy. What was it Megan had said at the pit party? Don’t forget to listen… He needs to know you still care even when you don’t approve of his behavior.
So much easier said than done.
She approached slowly. “T, be careful.”
His head snapped up. “Leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that.”
He shook his head. “I hate it here.”
She sat down on the boulder next to him.
“Look, T, I should’ve listened to you. I’m sorry. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“Like you care!”
“I do.” She scooched closer. “I’m ready to hear you out.”
He glanced up, scowling, but then his lower lip trembled slightly. “I didn’t do it.”
So many years she’d spent on the other side of the world. Did she even know her brother? Her gut said he was right. But more than anything, he needed her to believe in him. He needed her to see him.
“I believe you.” She spoke softly.
He lifted his head off his knees, looked at her. His face was tear stained. “You’re not just saying that?”
“Not just saying it. I really believe you. And I’m sorry I didn’t listen earlier. I just…I just really want you to like it here. It’s a cool little town, and there are some great people.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re delusional.”
“No, really. Peter is a good guy. You like him, right?”
“Maybe.”
“And Josh? You guys were getting along—”
“Until he stabbed me in the back.”
“T, that’s not fair. He didn’t see what happened.”
“But those other guys lied for Ben. If Josh was a real friend, he would’ve lied for me too.”
“That’s not being a good friend. It took a lot of guts for Josh to tell the truth. I know he really wanted to help you. But lying isn’t the answer.”
“Whatever.” The scowl returned and Tiago turned his back to her.
She was losing him.
A memory pierced clear and bright. Ronnie caught her breath and closed her eyelids against the sting of tears.
She couldn’t go there. She didn’t want to go there.
But it might be the only way to help Tiago.
“Did you know for all the birthdays I could remember when I was a little girl, I wished for a baby brother?”
Tiago didn’t respond.
“When I was five years old, Papa asked me what my wish was when I blew out my candles, and I told him. He said, ‘Veronica, wishes are fine, but if it’s truly the desire of your heart
, you should ask God. He’s the One who can do anything. And He’s your Heavenly Papa.’ So from then on, instead of wishing, I prayed for a little brother. Every night for a long time. Years.”
Tiago’s voice carried over his shoulder, small, unbelieving. “You prayed for me?”
Yes. And how she remembered the fierce love pulsing through her the minute the nurse placed the newborn wrapped in a blue blanket in her arms. Remembered her promise to him, that she would take care of her baby brother no matter what.
Guess even when she’d stopped believing, God still had answered her prayer.
“Yes, Tiago, I really wanted you. I still do.”
His silence echoed inside her.
Yes, she got it. She too wanted to matter to someone.
To her mother. To Tiago.
Maybe even to Peter.
Tiago turned, then took her completely by surprise and lunged into her arms. There was still a lot of little kid in him, a child who desperately wanted to be loved. She squeezed him tight and planted a kiss on his forehead, like her father used to do to her. “I know I’m not your mom or dad, T, but I do love you. And I’m trying. I screw up. A lot. But please know that I love you. ’Kay?”
“Okay.”
“What do you think? Can you give Deep Haven another chance?”
He blew out a deep sigh. “I don’t know.”
“Remember our deal?” She almost hated to remind him, but he needed to know he came first. “Let’s get through this summer, and if you still hate it, we’ll…we’ll leave.”
“You would still do that?”
She looked him in the eye, seeing only him, and said, “I give you my word.”
“But you like it here. I can tell.”
“We left everything behind before. We can do it again. But you have to give it a fair shot.”
He thought for a moment. “Fine. I’ll try. But I’m telling you now, nobody wants us here.” He started the climb back toward shore. Ronnie turned to follow.
A towering shadow of a man stood halfway down the breakwater.
Peter.
Shoot. How much had he heard?
His deep voice carried over the water as Tiago approached him. “Hey, little man, you okay?”
Tiago shrugged but gave him a fist bump when Peter offered it and then continued to shore.
Ronnie took a different route, jumping from rock to rock along the edge of the water. She stopped on a smaller boulder, looking for the next step. She hadn’t realized that Peter had angled to meet her until he offered his hand to pull her up to his rock, a much bigger and steadier boulder than the wobbly one she was standing on.
Yes, she could make the jump to the next rock from her precarious position. Or she could take the guy’s hand and follow the easier path he used down the spine of the breakwater. Part of her longed to prove she didn’t need any help. But another part, the weaker part, wanted nothing more than to touch him again, to hold that big, capable hand and never let go.
And that was the danger.
If she couldn’t get Tiago to fit into this town, she would keep her promise and they would leave. So it really wasn’t fair to Peter to give him the wrong impression, was it?
Still, she couldn’t stop herself from taking his hand. The warmth of his grip spread inside as they climbed the rest of the way to the edge of the water.
“Can I walk you guys home?” Peter asked as they joined Tiago.
He still held her hand as she looked out at the dying sunlight glowing and bouncing off the gentle ripples of the bay. “Yes.”
The block and a half walk to the apartment was quiet. And frankly, over too soon.
Tiago said good night to Peter and went inside. Ronnie lingered by the garage.
Peter squeezed her hand and let go, giving her space like the thoughtful guy he was. “Just so you know, you are wanted here. I’m glad you and Tiago are here.”
So he had heard them. He gazed down at her, strong and so sweet, his desire evident.
She didn’t deserve him. Not one bit. “Look, Peter, I’m sorry. I didn’t handle things very well back at the theater. I shouldn’t have pushed you away. I know you were only trying to help. I just…I’ve just been on my own so long I don’t know how to do this.”
“Ronnie, you know I’m here for you, right? All I want is to help.”
“I know.” But her words to Tiago echoed inside her. Maybe she should end this now before it burned out of control. Before everyone got hurt.
Before she found herself needing him and he was ripped out of her life like every other person she’d loved.
“Peter, Tiago is my first priority. If Deep Haven doesn’t work out for him, I need to go. We need to find a place he belongs, where he’s safe.” She swallowed hard and lifted her chin. He had to understand. “Maybe it’s not the best idea for us to get involved.”
She waited for his reaction. A flinch in his eyes. A flash of anger.
But instead he moved closer. “Maybe you should take your own advice.”
“Huh?”
He leaned, whispered in her ear. “Give Deep Haven a chance. Give us a chance.” His lips hovered over her cheek, landed a soft kiss, and glided away. “Sweet dreams.”
He walked away into the night—his long hair lifting in the breeze, broad shoulders pulled back, hands in his pockets as he headed uphill.
Shoot. Because maybe it was too late.
The man was already walking away with her heart.
Chapter 11
Peter knew how to put fires out. He’d never thought about starting one—or keeping it going. But he liked Ronnie—really liked her.
The thought of her leaving put a knot in his gut.
With another swing of his ax, he split the pine log, releasing the scent of fresh-cut wood in the air. A woodpecker knocked on a tree trunk nearby. Young morning light filtered through spruce, birch, and pine trees. The faint sound of Nick’s dogs barking carried on the wind.
The calm surroundings of his cousin’s cabin in the woods did nothing to calm the storm inside.
“What are you doing here this early?” Nick yawned as he walked down the mulched trail between the trees with two steaming mugs. He still wore Superman pajama pants and a University of Minnesota Duluth T-shirt. Bed head had his dark hair flat on one side of his head and sticking out over his ear on the other.
Thwack. Two more pieces fell. “Aren’t you the one always grumbling about having to chop wood for the winter? You should be thanking me.” Peter sank the ax into the chopping block and took the mug from his cousin.
“Sheesh, how long have you been here? Looks like you cut enough for two winters.”
The scalding hot brew burned Peter’s tongue. He said nothing.
“Okay, what’s on your mind?” Nick sat down on a log.
“Nothing. Just had some energy to burn.”
“You really gotta work on that face if you want people to believe you when you’re lying through your teeth.”
“You sound like Vivien.”
Nick shook his head. “Uh-uh. Not gonna work this time. Bringing her up won’t deter me. Spit it out.”
“Why don’t you show me the latest batch of puppies? I’m thinking of getting one.”
Nick never needed much encouragement to show off his animals. He rolled his eyes but stood up and moved toward his state-of-the-art eighteen-foot Quonset kennel. During the summer months, the dogs slept outside—well, they did also in winter, which begged the question as to why Nick had built the kennel. But he used the facility to breed his beautiful Alaskan huskies and board dogs as a side business. “Since when do you want a dog? You don’t sled.”
“You’re always telling me dogs are more reliable than people. Maybe I just want a dog for companionship.”
The barks of Nick’s pack grew louder as soon as he opened the gate to the kennel.
“Well, I did have a runt in this litter. She’s too small to mush. And Alaskan huskies do make good pets. You sure you’re
ready for the commitment?”
“Let’s see her.”
Nick led the way through the outdoor fenced area to the large shed. The bigger pups all came up and sniffed, barked their hellos and followed Peter and Nick to another enclosed area where Nick kept his youngest puppies. With one hand he picked up a dark gray and white little furball with big blue eyes. “Here she is.” He set her in Peter’s arms. “This one needs a home.”
Peter set his mug down and sat in the straw. He soon had puppies climbing all over him. The one in his arms licked his face.
Nick slurped his coffee. “She likes you.”
She was pretty cute. Peter set her down and watched her with the litter. The other pups jumped and wrestled with each other, rolled around in the straw, but the runt sniffed Peter’s boots and whined, pawing at his leg to be picked up again.
He obliged.
“Dude, how are you single? I swear I could take one picture of you right now surrounded by puppies, you in all your brawny flannel and long hair, and you’d have to go into hiding from the women wanting to marry you.”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Nick shrugged. “For one, I don’t have the hair. I’ll probably go bald early like my dad. And besides, who wants to live in a dinky cabin in the middle of the woods where it’s winter half the year?”
“Please. What is your follower count now on your Instagram? Sixty thousand? And it’s ninety percent women. Not to mention your vlog. How many subscribers do you have?”
“A hundred twenty-four thousand, but they love the dogs, not me. Besides, we’re talking about you. What’s holding you back?”
Peter shrugged. “Just never found the right girl.”
“Uh, I think you found the right girl.”
Guess there was no use pretending he didn’t understand. “So, you heard about Ronnie.”
“Who hasn’t? I might live in the middle of the woods, but this is Deep Haven. Word gets around. And word is, she’s hanging out with you quite a bit. That’s a good start.”
“Yeah, but Ronnie…she’s got her brother to take care of. They don’t think they belong here. And, well, to be honest, they come with a lot of baggage.” The puppy curled up in his lap, her soft fur brushing against his arm. “And then this vote on the Westerman place… It’s a lot.”
Crazy for You Page 15