by Judi Lynn
Radley ladled out a large helping for each of them. They pulled chunks of bread off the crusty round to dip in the soup. Ansel passed out drinks.
Once they’d settled at the table, Ansel asked, “How’s your cat, Bain?”
Radley’s brows practically flew up to his hairline. “You have a cat?”
“I had to rescue it from a coyote. The poor thing was starving.”
Radley stared. “You never worried about that on the farm.”
Bain made a face. “Shows what you know. I kept feeding the barn cats dry food after you left. They’d grown to depend on it.”
Radley smiled. “Your growl is worse than your bite.”
“It just made sense,” Bain argued. “We need all those cats or the barn would be overrun with mice.”
“That’s true.” Ansel went for a second bowl of soup. “Will your cats accept Stubs?”
“Stubs?” Radley’s lips curled as Bain explained about his cat losing its tail.
Jazzi had taken a bag of cookies out of the freezer before they started cooking. She poured cups of coffee and passed the tray around. Radley gave a contented sigh. “You’re so nice to me, Jaz. I don’t suppose you’d like to do me another favor.”
She pursed her lips. She’d learned the hard way to never say an automatic yes. “What is it?”
He grimaced. “Donovan’s mom called me last night. She asked me to clean out Donovan’s apartment for them. She can’t bring herself to do it. She said I could keep anything I wanted and then give the rest to Mustard Seed.”
Jazzi liked Mustard Seed. The warehouse stored used furniture for people whose houses had burned or been damaged. “They only take furniture. You know that, right?”
Radley nodded. “She said to give the rest to the Salvation Army.”
“Fair enough. Sure, I’ll help you. When are you doing it?”
“Tomorrow, if that works for you.”
“The house can go another week without dusting,” Ansel told her. “You got pretty thorough last weekend. I’ll clean the floors while you’re gone.”
“Thanks.” She was a lucky girl. Her hunk didn’t mind pitching in on housework.
Radley’s shoulders relaxed. “I appreciate your going with me. I didn’t want to do it by myself. Every time I look at something, I think of Donovan.”
“You’d have to. He was a good friend.” Radley had spent a lot of time with him and Thane, and Donovan had been patient when he was training him.
They all worked together cleaning up, so it went fast. Then they found comfortable spots to watch TV and rented a movie. Even Bain stayed to watch it with them. Jazzi looked around during a lull and George was snuggled beside Ansel, Inky and Marmalade were with her, and Stubs was curled next to Bain. Happiness swelled inside her. She never thought she’d grow fond of Bain, but she was beginning to like Ansel’s brother. His parents hadn’t made his life all that great either.
Chapter 16
A big tree limb had fallen near their garage during the night, so the three men went out to saw and stack it, since Ansel was playing with the idea of building a firepit in their backyard. Luckily, the limb had missed Radley and Bain’s vans. While the guys worked in the yard, Jazzi made two nine by thirteen shepherd’s pies. Jerod’s kids loved anything with hamburger, even if it held vegetables and especially if it had mashed potatoes on top. She figured they’d like the casserole.
By the time the men came in for lunch, she let them dig into the one she’d made for them. Then she and Radley loaded Jerod’s food into her pickup, and Radley grabbed his soups in plastic containers. They drove separately to his apartment. The snow plows and salt and sand trucks had been busy last night. The roads were messy but safe. When she finished helping Radley, she’d drive the food to Jerod’s and then go home.
Radley gladly stored his soups in his refrigerator before they walked down the steps to Donovan’s. Radley had a key. It felt odd to walk into a dead man’s apartment. They both looked around nervously, trying to shake off the feeling that they should call out to let him know they were there. They were stripping the bed and tossing used towels and dirty laundry in a bag when someone called from the living room. Frowning, Radley went to see who was there.
“Who are you?” she heard him ask.
Jazzi’s heart lurched. Had the burglar returned? She hurried to stand beside him.
A girl with dyed black hair with bright blue streaks stood in the center of the room. Her eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner and she wore black lipstick. She might be pretty without the sneer. She raised her chin. “I’m Brianne. I lived with Donovan for a year. I heard about what happened to him and came to get a few things I left here before they changed the locks on the apartment.”
Radley stood so that she couldn’t pass him. “There’s nothing here for you. Donovan boxed it all up and sent it to you, like you asked him to.”
Jazzi stared. She’d never heard Radley use such a harsh tone of voice.
Brianne narrowed her eyes. “I might have forgotten a couple of things.”
“You might have, but Donovan made sure there was nothing of yours left here. He didn’t want anything that reminded him of you.”
The girl’s brows rose in amusement. “Some men can’t handle rejection.”
Radley snorted. “You did him a favor. He wanted you gone but was too nice to toss you out. He said you were a lesson learned. No more taking in riffraff.”
Her eyes shot fire. “He begged me to stay.”
“No, he didn’t. I was here when you came with Jarrett’s luggage to pack your things, remember? We went out to celebrate once you left the parking lot.”
Whoa! That was purposely mean. Radley wanted to put this girl in her place. Come to think of it, Ansel didn’t mince words when he didn’t like someone.
Brianne jammed her hands on her hips, visibly angry. “He was jealous I was going back to Jarrett.”
“Funny, he told me you’d found your proper level. That you and a prison thug should have a lot in common.”
Jazzi couldn’t believe he’d just said that. Radley was Ansel’s funny brother, the one who made her smile. She’d never heard him insult anyone.
Brianne moved to slide past him, but he sidestepped her. “You’re not welcome here. You don’t respect Donovan’s memory. You’re probably just trying to nab some of his things to sell. It’s not going to happen. Leave.”
“You have no right . . . “
He cut her off. “Leave or I call the building super.”
“Go ahead.” She crossed her arms, smirking, calling his bluff.
He took out his cell phone and started punching numbers.
She turned on her heel and stomped out of the building.
Jazzi went to Radley when his body started to shake. She slid her arm around him. “Are you okay?”
“That girl did everything she could to play games with Donovan and milk him for more money. When her hoodlum boyfriend got set free, she couldn’t ditch Donovan fast enough.”
“Did it bother him?”
“Not that she left, but he told me he felt dumb as a box of rocks for falling for her sad story in the first place. He figured he’d give her a small break and then she’d move on, just like she did.”
“He was a nice man.”
“Too nice for her.” Radley let out a deep breath, visibly worked to calm himself, then started back toward the bedroom. “Let’s finish this up.”
It took all afternoon to empty drawers and pack belongings in boxes to drive to the Salvation Army. Then Radley called Mustard Seed and two men came to collect the furniture. Jazzi helped him bag the food in Donovan’s cupboards to take to the soup kitchen. When they finished emptying the last kitchen drawer, the apartment was empty. Radley’s shoulders slumped and he heaved a sad sigh. Then he locked the door as they left and gave the
superintendent the key.
He hugged Jazzi as she got ready to leave. “Thanks for being here.”
“No big deal. Want to come for supper tonight? Need some company?”
“Not tonight. I’m not in the best mood.”
“Will you be at the Sunday meal tomorrow?”
“What are you making?”
She laughed. It was always about the food. “I bought everything for chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, a Waldorf salad, and coconut cream pies.”
“A feast. I’ll be there. I love anything with noodles.”
So did she. She could probably eat pasta every other night and be happy. Ansel—not so much.
When she left Radley’s, she headed to Jerod’s house.
Her cousin met her at the door. He was still wearing his pajamas. So was Franny. He saw the tote bag, and his eyes lit up.
“Did I come at a bad time?” she asked.
“Nah, but if we get a chance for a quick nap, we take it,” he told her, carrying the tote straight to their big dining room table. Dirty pans filled the sink. “Haven’t gotten to those yet. Pete hasn’t been a happy boy.” He pulled the foil off the shepherd’s pie and Gunther and Lizzie came running.
“I smell food!” Gunther cried.
Jerod tossed two paper plates on the table and dished the food up for them. The kids dug in.
“We ate a late breakfast and haven’t started supper yet. You saved us from more hot dogs.”
Franny came to eat, too. “Peter kept us up all night. Had a touch of colic. Thank you so much for the food. I couldn’t work up the energy to cook.”
Jerod nodded. “Our little boy’s kicking our fannies.”
The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. “What if I take Gunther and Lizzie to our place and they spend the night? That way, if Peter sleeps, you can, too.”
Jerod stared at her. “Do you mean that?”
“You always thought they were too young before. They’re old enough now.”
“Please, Daddy! Please.” Lizzie jumped up and down.
Jerod squeezed Jazzi to him. “You’re the best, cuz. Thank you. You do enough for us all the time, I didn’t want to inflict babysitting on you, too.” He turned to the kids. “Get your pajamas and toothbrushes. Your mom and I will see you at the Sunday meal, then bring you home.”
Both kids raced upstairs and returned in a few minutes. Franny tossed their things in a grocery bag and hugged them goodbye. She looked like she was ready to drop. The kids never shut up all the way home. Jazzi decided to take the easy way out and stopped to buy a bucket of fried chicken and all of the sides for supper. By the time Jazzi led Gunther and Lizzie into the house, her ears hurt. Her head throbbed. What had she been thinking?
Ansel took one look at them and grinned. “I smell children.”
He knew they watched Hocus Pocus every Halloween. They giggled and ran to him. Even Bain got into the act, dropping down on his hands and knees so that he and Ansel could be in a “horsey race.” Jazzi watched them, shaking her head. Who knew? The Herstad boys both had a thing for kids.
Chapter 17
She told Ansel and Bain about meeting Brianne while they ate their chicken. The kids surprised her by each eating a leg and a biscuit. They’d just eaten before they came here, but she got the idea they were really hungry. Either that or they had a thing for fried chicken.
While Ansel and Bain watched The Incredibles with Gunther and Lizzie, Jazzi roasted two chickens, one for each soup pot in the morning. While those cooked, she sautéed sliced mushrooms, diced carrots, celery, and sweet onions with minced garlic and seasonings to add to the base. It would make life easier tomorrow.
When she started on the pie dough, Bain wandered out to see what she was doing. “I always wanted to learn how to make pies.”
She told him how much flour to add to the food processor and when they’d added the salt, diced butter, and cold water, he stared in disbelief.
“That’s it?” he asked.
“We have to let it rest for half an hour before we roll them out.”
Bain went back to the movie, and she started on the fillings. He returned to roll out four bottom crusts, then disappeared again. By the time the movie was over, the pies were cooling.
“We can do the rest tomorrow,” she decided. It had been a long day.
Bain went upstairs to call his dad, and Jazzi went to sag on the sofa in front of the TV. No luck. Gunther was sprawled on it, sound asleep. Lizzie was asleep in the recliner. Ansel met her gaze and smiled.
“Cute, aren’t they?”
“An aunt couldn’t do much better.” She went upstairs and returned with two pillows and two blankets. “They can sleep down here. We’ll leave the light on over the kitchen window. If they wake up, they shouldn’t be scared.”
They got the kids tucked in, then she and Ansel went upstairs to bed. He carried George, and Jazzi led Inky and Marmalade. Stubs watched and rushed after them. He found Bain’s bedroom, and everyone got settled in their own spots. Jazzi read for half an hour to relax, and then she snuggled next to Ansel and drifted off.
* * * *
Kids’ running and playing woke her in the morning. She opened one eye and glared at the alarm. Seven o’clock. Ansel sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“When do kids start sleeping in?” he asked.
“When they’re teenagers?” She had no idea.
Bain couldn’t sleep through them either. Except for him, seven o’clock was sleeping in. Dairy cows demanded early attention. They all padded downstairs to find Gunther and Lizzie playing tag in the kitchen.
Ansel groaned. “Maybe your idea of waiting for a while to enjoy being a couple isn’t such a bad one.”
Ha! Kids always looked better when they weren’t yours. She went to turn on the coffee pot, and Lizzie came to cling to her.
“I’m hungry.”
Jazzi opened the pantry and pointed to the row of cereals. Ansel ate them as snacks late at night. Each kid wanted a different one, which was fine with her. Once she had them settled at the kitchen island, the coffee was done, and she and the guys carried their mugs to the living room coffee table.
Peace ruled for another half hour, and then Gunther said, “Let’s play a game.”
Ansel was awake now. His blond hair was mussed and his chin was scruffy. He looked more delicious than her pies. “I get to pick. Yahtzee.”
They bickered for a few minutes, but Gunther caved when he figured out it was Yahtzee or Monopoly. Jazzi vetoed that game. “Everyone will be here before you’re finished.”
Jazzi cooked while the guys entertained the kids. She hadn’t planned it that way, but it gave her time to start the Sunday meal. She was finishing the Waldorf salad when the phone buzzed. When she heard Gaff’s voice, she braced herself.
“I know your family will be there soon, but I wanted to give you the bad news to get it over with.”
“What bad news?”
Ansel jerked his head up to listen.
“Ronnie never came home from work last night. His grandmother called to report him missing this morning.”
“Could he have gone home with someone else and didn’t want to wake her in the middle of the night?”
“Maybe. He left work at one in the morning after washing all the dishes. Two cooks saw him get in his car and drive away, and no one’s seen him since.”
Jazzi’s good mood tanked. “You think he’s dead, don’t you?”
“Either that, or we rattled him when we stopped at his house to question him. He’d been smoking pot. I could smell it—a violation of his parole. I talked to the officer he’s assigned to, and he stopped at the restaurant Ronnie was working at and saw him outside on his break, drinking from a brown paper bag—another violation. Maybe he ran. His grandma told
me he never wanted to go back to prison.”
“Would you send him back for that?”
“I doubt it, but he didn’t know that.”
Jazzi bit her bottom lip. She didn’t care much for Ronnie, but she really liked his grandma. “When you learn something, tell me, will you?”
“Sure will. Have fun with your family.”
She squared her shoulders and told Ansel the news, then she put Ronnie out of her mind. Gran had told her once not to worry until you knew you had to. “It will save you a lot of gray hairs.” After careful thought, she’d decided Gran was right. There wasn’t anything she could do about Ronnie, so she’d concentrate on having a good time.
As usual, Jerod and Franny were the first to arrive, carting a baby carrier with them. They both looked more rested than they had yesterday. Gunther grabbed Ansel’s hand and dragged him to his dad. “I beat Uncle Ansel in Yahtzee. I got two Yahtzees and he only got one.”
“Good for you!” Jerod bent down to whisper, “Ansel didn’t turn you upside down and shake you for beating him, did he?”
Gunther whirled on Ansel. “Would you? Please! Please?”
In answer, her Norseman grabbed both of the boy’s ankles and flipped him into the air. Bain was doing the same to Lizzie when Radley walked through the door. “Is this an interrogation? I’ll admit I did it, whatever it was. Just don’t hang me by my toes.”
When they flipped the kids upright again, Gunther was giggling so hard, he fell on his fanny. Mom and Dad came at the same time as Olivia and Thane.
Jazzi stared at her sister. “You’re always late. Are you okay?”
Olivia laughed. “We’re hungry. We wanted to get here before Jerod ate everything.”
Gran and Samantha came next, followed by Walker, Didi, and River. Jerod’s parents were the last to arrive, and Eleanore went straight to see the baby.
Jazzi and Ansel loaded all the food on the kitchen island. After people lined up to fill their plates, they settled at the long tables. The meal took longer than usual since everyone was in a chatty mood. At three thirty, they were gathering dirty dishes to serve dessert when Gaff knocked and peeked inside.