Take Me Back

by Kathryn Shay

  “Want Mommy to come!”

  “You’re being rude. If you don’t go outside now, you can wait upstairs for him.”

  Tommy bounded up the front staircase to the right.

  Megan walked into the room. “What’s going on here?”

  “I’m sorry, Megan. Are we disturbing you?”

  “Of course not. I like the sound of little ones in the house.” Her daughter, Sabby, had become a teenager. She was named after Sabina Malvaso, Mitch’s mother, who was visiting her sister in Rockford.

  “What’s going on with Tommy?”

  “His father’s coming in a few minutes. Tommy wants me to wait outside with him.”

  “And you don’t want to?”

  Kate shook her head.

  “But I thought you wanted to see Rafe, as much as you could.”

  “I do. But I promised myself I wouldn’t manipulate Rafe with our son. That’s not fair.”

  “I suppose.” She examined Kate’s face and could see lines around her mouth and eyes. “You having second thoughts?”

  “Uh-huh. Maybe this is the wrong thing to do. Maybe he’ll never forgive me.”

  “He let you go willingly, you said.”

  “Because he loved me and wanted what would keep me sane. Still, he felt abandoned. He was abandoned. And then when he found out about Tommy…” Tears threated. “Meg, he was so hurt yesterday, I almost couldn’t bear it. When the anger came, I was glad.”

  “I get the picture.” Megan crossed to the front door which was open to the screen. “His SUV just pulled in.”

  Tommy came down the stairs. “Mommy! Come out, now.”

  Exhaling a resigned breath, she let him win this time. Kate followed her son through the door and onto the huge concrete porch. And was treated to watching Rafe slide out of the car and stand. He wore his captain’s white shirt and navy pants, so he must be coming right from work. She noticed a few more epaulets sewed onto the shoulders. She knew those shoulders, had cried on them. He covered the driveway with long, masculine strides. The wind picked up, tousling his dark brown hair. “Hey there, Tommy.”

  Suddenly shy, he grabbed Kate’s legs.

  Frowning, Rafe looked up at her. “You said he wanted to see me.”

  “He does. He’s been waiting for you. Kids have moods, Rafe. He’s only met you once.”

  “Want to sit on the steps with me for a while? Then we’ll go out.”

  Tommy nodded and crossed to the steps, where they both sat.

  “I’m going inside, honey. Everything will be fine.” She moved to them, bent down and kissed the top of her son’s head. Rafe made a harsh intake of breath. Kate had put on a tank top and no bra. The shirt she wore over it had gaped.

  “Did you do that on purpose?” he asked, his voice cold and accusing.

  Standing straight, she grasped the shirt together. “Of course not.” She turned and hurried into the house.

  Waiting on the couch to see if Tommy would go alone with Rafe, she could see the two of them through the open window. Dark heads bent together. Smaller shoulders leaning into a big chest. She’d wondered forever what it would be like to see them side-by-side. Now she knew.

  After about ten minutes, Rafe yelled out, “We’re going to dinner.” Man and boy, father and son, holding hands, walked down to the car.

  And Kate wanted to weep. What if she couldn’t convince Rafe to forgive her? What if he wanted only Tommy in his life? He was engaged to a beautiful woman. Would he marry her and make a new family with Tommy?

  o0o

  Rafe sat at the Hidden Cove Diner across from his son, in a big red booth that practically swallowed him up. He still couldn’t internalize that this boy was his son. Thankfully, the shock and shakiness had worn off so he could enjoy their time together. “That seat okay, Tom? Want something to raise you up.”

  Tommy smiled. “Nope, I’m a big boy now.”

  “What would you like to eat?”

  Eyes narrowed, Tommy stared at him, as if deciding something. “Can I have a vanilla milkshake, French fries and a hamburger?”

  “Sure. So will I.”

  After they ordered, Tommy looked away.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Mommy doesn’t let me eat that stuff.”

  He hid his amusement. “What do you eat?”

  “Chicken and broccoli. Tofu. Things like that.”

  “I think she’d understand if you have fast food this once.” The boy watched him with owl eyes. They were the exact color of Rafe’s. Hell, he knew this kid was his. But then, he saw a strand of hair on Tom’s shirt, and he took that as a sign from fate.

  “Come over here a second, will you?”

  Tommy slid off the bench and walked the few steps to Rafe’s side.

  “You got hair on your shirt.”

  “Mom says mine’s so thick it sheds sometimes.”

  Rafe plucked the single piece off. As Tommy walked back around, he bent over to tie his shoe. Rafe took out a plastic bag he’d stowed in his pocket for this purpose, deposited the hair and stuffed it back in.

  When Tommy was reseated, Rafe asked, “So, what do you like to do?”

  “Um, play baseball.”

  “Yeah? I play softball now, but I played baseball a long time ago with my brothers and sister.”

  “You got brothers and sisters? I wish I had some.” His brows made a vee. “I know what cousins are. Mommy explained them to me. I got any of those?”

  “Yeah, you do. Aunt Ali has Petey, Mikey and Mattie, who you met, and Uncle Gideon has Cory, Carina and Cassie.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “My uncle Albert had three kids, too, so they’re my cousins. We used to play with them all of the time, until…well, something happened. Then they didn’t want to see us anymore.” Though they had all come to his father’s funeral and Rafe and his siblings had gone to Albert’s two years later. “Maybe you and I can play catch some time.”

  “If Mommy says I can.” He waited. “Does Mommy like you?”

  I love you, Rafe. I’ll never love anybody else this much.

  “Yeah, I think Mommy likes me. I just haven’t seen her in a long time.” His boy averted his gaze. “Tommy, you don’t have to like me yet.”

  “I don’t?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay.”

  “I want to get to know you.”

  The boy bit his lip. “I still take my teddy bear to bed. Mommy says I can and it doesn’t mean I’m a baby.”

  “Your mommy used to sleep with a teddy bear when I knew her.”

  “She did?”

  “Uh-huh, and she was a big girl then…”

  He’d followed her into her bedroom. They’d only been dating a few months, but they agreed to take their relationship to the next level. She grabbed for the bear and hid it under a pillow. “Hey, what’s that?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Come on, babe, show me.”

  “You might as well know what you’re getting into.” She pulled the stuffed animal out, looking like she was showing him a bag of heroin.

  “Aw. But he’s pretty ragged.”

  “I know. He went with me to every foster home. The kids made fun of me.”

  “I think he’s adorable.” The import of what she said hit him. “Wait a sec, foster homes?”

  She tossed back her hair, down to the middle of her back then, and said, “Yes. I was raised in the system.”

  “Tell me.”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I never talk about it.” She turned and started to unbutton her blouse.

  He moved in close. Kissed her head. “It’s okay, Katie. When you’re ready, you can tell me everything.”

  She took in a deep breath. Then he started kissing her neck, and soon they were lost in each other…”

  “I like Mad Mortimer on TV…I like tie sneakers…” He realized that Tommy was recounting what he liked so Rafe could get to know him better.


  He pushed Kate, and memories of her, from his mind and reveled in the sound of his son’s voice.

  o0o

  “Mom, there’s swings out back.”

  Kate crossed to the tall, wide windows that faced the lawn of the model patio home they were touring. She couldn’t stay with the Malvasos forever so she’d decided to look for a new house and find a caregiver for Tommy. “I see, baby. Nobody lived here before so that must be a nice touch by the builder.”

  From behind she heard, “He wanted to make the model welcoming to families.” Suzanne Collins, a real estate agent, spoke softly. Impeccably dressed in a light spring suit, her reddish hair up in a sweep, she reminded Kate of Katherine Hepburn in her heyday. Thankfully, she wasn’t pushy. “This is the last one for sale in the complex.”

  The model home was a decorator’s delight, sporting the best of everything: granite counter tops, hard wood floors, upgrades to the carpet. Even better, the furnishings were unique and comfortable, and came with this unit. “I can see that. Do you have any offers?”

  “No, none. The price is high. But if you’re really interested, the builder’s reducing it on Sunday by a few thousand.”

  “Did you tell all the clients that, Suzanne?”

  “No, just you.” She shrugged a delicate shoulder. “I love your little boy.”

  “You do?”

  “He reminds me of my son.”

  “Does your son live in the area?”

  “He’s at State Teachers College in New York, so not too far away. He’s graduating and coming home at the end of the month. He loves little kids, so he majored in elementary education. He wants to teach.”

  “Does he have a job yet?”

  “No, he’s applied in Hidden Cove and the surrounding areas, and he’s hoping for interviews soon.”

  “Ah.” She cocked her head. “I know this is a longshot, but do you think he’d be interested in child care until he gets a teaching job?”

  “I don’t know. I can ask.”

  “I’d have to interview him. He has to have references.”

  “He already got them from his teachers so he could apply for jobs.”

  “Ask him before I put out any other feelers.” Before she asked Rafe for his input.

  “I will.”

  Kate smiled. “Can we go through the place one more time? I think I’m interested, if you can hold the place for the price reduction.”

  “I’m sure I can.”

  They went back to the state-of-the-art kitchen, while Tommy traveled outside to check the swing, which was visible from the windows over the sink. “Notice the roll out shelves in the large pantry and cupboards…” Suzanne said. “The double oven and microwave…the bar on the island…”

  When Tommy came back, they went to the rear of the house to see the bedrooms. The master suite was down at the end of a corridor on the left. In the right hall, two more bedrooms and a bath. One of them was a little boy’s dream.

  “Holy cow, Mommy. A Mad Mortimer bed!” The cartoon character who was a crime fighter. The same one his Casella cousins turned on at Rafe’s. The bed was shaped like his very modern car and was fashioned after the cartoon.

  “And the bedspread!”

  She smiled. Even the cubbies had Mad Mortimer stuffed toys and aluminum models.

  “Did they build this place just for us, Mom?”

  “It sure seems as if they did.” The master bath even sported a jacuzzi, which would feel fantastic after grueling days at the academy and when she finally got to a firehouse.

  “What do you think?” Suzanne asked her when they came back to the kitchen.

  “I’m sold.”

  “Good. Let’s draw up a contract at the reduced price.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I promise, it’ll be fine.”

  “All right. And ask your son about the job…we’ll call it a manny position.”

  When the details were hammered out, Kate got on the road. She drove to the Malvaso house, thinking about the lovely patio home, how she and Tommy would be happy there. What Rafe would say when he found out she’d bought the place.

  An unfamiliar car sat in the driveway, but Megan had a lot of friends. Kate parked her Civic on the side of the snazzy Camaro and headed inside.

  Tommy burst into the living room with enthusiasm. “Megan, we found a house!”

  She captured the boy as he hugged her. “Wow, already?”

  “Yeah. It has a swing and everything.”

  Kate came inside. “Hi. We’ll get out of…” she glanced at the visitor and did a double take. Oh, shit, she wasn’t up for this. On the chair sat the man Kate had dated during the only time she and Rafe split up, for three months.

  Stephan Klimek stood. He was still tall and lean, with a runner’s body. And blond, blond hair. “Hello, Kate. I heard you were back in town.”

  What would Rafe think of this visit after that incident years ago…

  There was a pounding on the door at one in the morning. Dragging herself out of bed, Kate went to a small foyer in the corner of the old Victorian in downtown Hidden Cove where she lived. She opened the door. “What the hell?” she said when she saw Rafe. “You’re going to wake the whole house.”

  “Is he here?” Rafe’s hair was a mess, his eyes red and his face taut.

  “Who?”

  “You know goddamn well who. Klimek.” He pushed past her. “Never mind, I’ll check for myself.” He stormed to the bedroom. And leaned heavy against the jamb of the door while closing his eyes. “He’s not.” His voice was hoarse.

  “No, Stephan isn’t here.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Not tonight.”

  He whirled on her. “Not tonight? But you’ve slept with him?”

  Had his tone been accusatory, she would have slapped him across the face and ordered him to leave. But it wasn’t. It was fraught with hurt. Deep hurt.

  “Rafe, you slept with Sandy. Of course I slept with Stephan. It’s been three months since you and I broke up.”

  “We didn’t break up. We took a time out.”

  “You haven’t even called to see how I was.”

  “For the record, you haven’t called me either. But I heard you were doing just fine. All around the firehouse.”

  “I heard about you and Sandy, too.”

  He threw up his hands in frustration.

  “Will you stay for a bit? Talk to me about what brought all this on?”

  “I’ll stay for as a long as you want. But the only thing that brought this on was that I love you, I’m miserable, I can’t sleep or eat.” He crossed to her then and grasped her by the arms. “Let’s get engaged and plan our wedding…”

  And today, Stephan was here. She wondered what gossip would go through the firehouses now.

  Chapter 3

  Sweat soaked the shirt of Rafe’s uniform inside his turnout coat as he crawled along the duplex’s first floor. Burning timbers fell on each side of him and his group and sparks flew up randomly. “Everybody okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Doesn’t feel right in here, Cap,” Brick quipped.

  “I think so, too,” Ernst, the paramedic on his group, put in.

  Rafe agreed. The call was routine when it came in at two p.m. but he wouldn’t take anything for granted in a fire. The Red Devil was a sneaky bastard.

  “There’s the stairs,” Rafe told them after seeing a brief outline of them through the thermal camera. “Fire’s out up there. I’ll take Brick and Lane with me and head to the back to search the first floor. The rest of you check upstairs. Lieutenant, you’re in charge. And take the camera. More smoke will be up there.”

  Beth Bronson said, “Yes, sir.”

  The roar of the blaze accompanied them. Truck 1 had initiated an exterior attack and they could see better. They reached their destination, the first-floor bedroom in the back. “There’s not time to quiz you, Lane. Let’s get to the beds.”

  Black smoke curled around them like fog as they continued
their creep, feeling along the wall. Rafe, first in line, put his hands on one side of the bed. “A body.”

  Brick had gone to the opposite side. “Another one here.”

  “Can you get him alone?” Rafe asked.

  “Does a bear shit in the woods?” His friend sounded offended.

  Rafe hefted up a woman. She was slight and he considered letting Lane carry her out, but the bad feeling seized him again. And he trusted his gut.

  “Follow me out, Brick. Lane, you take up the rear.” The people carrying victims were the first out.

  Crashing timbers and the stink of burned wood was all around them. Rafe cleared his throat. Conditions seemed worse. Had the fire ignited somewhere else? They’d reached the exit from the bedroom when they heard five repeated short blasts of a horn above the internal noise.

  Into the radio, BC Peter Baker barked, “Evacuate now. Evacuate immediately.”

  “Everybody hear?” Rafe asked on their internal channel. His office calm had taken over.

  Bronson, Ruggero and Murray checked in with yeses. “We’re on our way down. No one’s up here.”

  In seconds, the heat got worse. “We need to move!”

  Picking up his pace as much as he could with the woman over his shoulder, they barely made it outside and ten feet away, when the building behind him exploded.

  A paramedic relieved him of his burden, and Rafe turned to see the others had gotten out. He let out a sigh. They’d beaten the fire. This time.

  o0o

  Megan left to go to Hale’s Haven, and Kate sat with Stephan on the porch sipping a beer. The late afternoon sun was warm, birds chipped in the trees, and Kate laughed at the story he was telling her about a new battalion chief. She’d forgotten what an interesting conversationalist he was. And how easy on the eyes. He reminded her of Gideon, Rafe’s brother.

  “I can picture Ellen when the hose squirted all over her.” The guys at the academy had rigged it when she demonstrated the use of foam for recruits.

  “It was a sight to see. She was good about it, though.”

  “Yeah, but you know women. They never forget. She’ll get you guys back when you least expect it.”