by Barbara Lohr
“High school.” His arms cinched tighter. Like they had a right. “Chemistry class?”
Her mind bounced back through the years like a beach ball. “Sure. Right. Finn.” Only the gawky teenager with that name had worn dark-rimmed glasses, framed by huge ears. He’d been skinny as a golf tee.
Finn set her down, where she wobbled on one foot. Her whole world felt lopsided. The dog gave her another lick. “How’re you doing...Finn?”
“Terrific, except an old friend is in trouble.”
You have no idea. She sniffled.
“I can take care of that.”
Her heart stopped when he wrenched the shoe from the tar and handed it over. “Red soles, huh?”
“Yes. Thank you.” She closed her fingers around the gooey mess.
The dogs were nuzzling the pastries scattered on the ground. Finn snapped his fingers. “Sit.” They obeyed.
Mercedes watched him tuck the cheese crowns into the box. She’d always had a thing about a man’s eyes and hands. They said it all. Was he kind? Callous? Finn knew how to treat a cheese crown with respect. Elvis and Wiggy panted but they stayed put.
Mercedes wanted to pant too, but she was losing her balance and reached for his back. Very slowly Finn straightened, a steadying hand on her arm. “You need more help?”
“I think I can stand on my own two feet.”
“You always could, Mercedes.”
“Right.” She planted her bare foot on the blazing hot street.
“Where you headed?”
Gritting her teeth, she pointed to Michiana Thyme.
Handing her the box, Finn Wheeler swept her back into his arms. “Just a stone’s throw. Elvis, Wiggy? Come.” The dogs clicking along behind him, Finn marched down Whittaker Street. Mercedes hooked one arm around his broad shoulders, enjoying the view. At the stoplight, he pressed a button and she swallowed a chuckle while they waited. After all, not a car was in sight. When the light changed green, he took off toward Michiana Thyme. Kate would never believe this.
“So, you in town for long, Mercedes?”
“I don’t really know. Could you take me to the back door?”
“No problem.” His strides lengthened. The dogs picked up their pace, little tails waving briskly.
“So, you don’t believe in a leash for your dogs?”
“No need. They obey me.” Finn grinned. “So, you don’t believe in stoplights?”
Point taken. She’d forgotten the dry humor shot from the corner of his mouth. This was the boy who coached her through chemistry. Now Finn’s chest felt comforting, as if she hadn’t slept in months and he was a soft bed. Her head jerked up. But her wandering right hand crept back to his chest, tucked under the box so he wouldn’t see. Apparently he could feel. His eyes slid to hers with a naughty crinkle. A chill skittered down her spine.
“When did you get back?”
“Last week.” Since when did she have a breathy voice?
The back door of the building stuck from layers of green paint. No problem for this boy. Finn rammed it open with a shoulder and took the four stairs in two lunges. The dogs kept pace.
Did Finn have strong thighs that matched his chest and arms? Her mind wandered, and she squeezed her eyes shut. How ridiculous.
After all, there was Stephan in New York.
Not answering her calls.
Her sister’s handwriting was scrawled across a sign taped to the door. “Gull Harbor Public Relations Office.”
He pushed the door open. “Hey, Kate. Look what I found.” Elvis trotted in ahead of them as if he owned the place. Wiggy followed, sniffing as she went.
The scent of crisp summer linens and body creams still lingered in the empty shop. Hangers hung haphazardly from rods along the walls. The PR department didn’t look ready for prime time but at least Kate had a job. That was saying something.
Reaching to pet Elvis, Kate turned from a desk set among the old wooden counters that needed dusting. “What happened?”
“Jaywalking.” Finn set Mercedes on her feet.
“I got stuck in the tar.” Mercedes kicked off the shoe still in decent condition. Now she could stand, but her toes curled on the carpet that needed cleaning.
Finn studied her feet. “All women should paint their toenails pink in the summer.”
Kate’s laugh echoed in the empty room. If Mercedes had been uncomfortable before, now she was in full-fledged blush. Finn set the bakery box on Kate’s desk and the two dogs continued exploring.
“Is this what I think it is?” Her sister inhaled as if she were breathing in hallowed incense.
Mercedes plopped down in a chair that tilted under her. “Sarah says they’re your favorite. Cheese crowns. Probably six hundred calories per bite.”
“You can help Kate with those, right?” When Finn put a hand on Mercedes’ shoulder, a crazy tickle raced down her spine. “You could use a pound or two, pretty lady.”
She bristled. Staying a size two required painful vigilance.
“Funny you should run into Finn right now…” Kate began, glancing down at the wires snaking across the worn carpet.
But he raised a hand and backed toward the door. “Elvis, Wiggy? Come. See you later, Kate. You too, Mercedes. Later.”
Would there be a later? The man didn’t know she was a walking train wreck. “Thanks so much, Finn. You’re really very h–helpful.” Good grief, she’d almost said hot. Was Kate giggling?
The door closed behind him. “What the heck was that?” Kate’s eyes circled between Mercedes and the door.
“My knight in shining armor, right?”
“Finn Wheeler is all of that, and he definitely seemed interested.” Her baby sister was laughing at her.
“Don’t be silly.”
She was relieved when Kate’s attention dropped to her feet. “Do you think nail polish remover will take care of that tar?”
“My feet? Probably. The shoes? Not so sure.”
“We’ll work on that in a minute.” Kate’s attention shifted to the box on her desk.
“Sure. Just a half for me, okay?” She was starving.
Grabbing a plastic spoon from her desk, Kate hacked at the pastry and handed her a chunk. “Mom will know what to do. Those shoes cost a bundle, right?”
“Louboutins? Of course.” Mercedes bit in. Layers of sweetness dazzled her taste buds. She chewed slowly, managing to croak out, “I never knew these were so good.”
“You bought six, huh?”
“I thought your staff might want some.”
She thought Kate mumbled, “What staff?” Hard to tell when her sister had so much in her mouth. “If you don’t slow down, I might have to give you the Heimlich, Kate.”
“What? So we’re back in grade school?” Her sister’s tongue darted out to capture the last crumbs.
Mercedes eyed the empty room. “You’re in this all alone?”
“Gull Harbor isn’t that big.”
“I know.” That was becoming clear. “I thought maybe you might need some help.”
Kate peered into the open box. “You looking for something to do?”
“Just willing to, you know, help out.” After all, this wasn’t fair. It wasn’t Kate’s fault that Mercedes was unemployed.
“I appreciate that, Mercedes. And I’d be glad for any ideas. But Gull Harbor can barely afford my part-time salary.” Kate glanced around the shop she called an office. Mercedes saw her point. “At least this is a step up from the flower stall I ran this summer in front of Ignacio’s and Chili’s vegetable store.”
“Mom told me about that. You sold flowers?”
“Kate’s Blooms. That’s what Cole called it. He helped me.” Her sister got all fidgety and flushed. “We were in Debate Club together, remember?”
“Vaguely. Anyway, I’m glad it worked out for you. Barry, well...”
“Over and done. I’m past Barry Bankoff and my ruined marriage. In a weird way, selling flowers felt healing.” A silly smile tilted her
lips.
“And Cole helped you.”
“Yep, yep he did.” Kate twirled a curl around one finger.
Time to change the subject. “Actually, I wanted to offer my help in planning the wedding. Neiman Marcus is having a fabulous sale on wedding gowns right now. Designers like Vera Wang or Givenchy are going for a song.”
“Wang?” Kate’s forehead wrinkled.
“The designer. Vera Wang.”
Her sister considered the remaining pastries. “Not to worry. Great resale shop up the road. Second Hand Rose. You’ll love the dress I found there last weekend with Chili and Sarah.”
“You’re going to wear some other woman’s wedding gown?” This wasn’t what they’d planned as little girls, whispering under the covers at night.
“Sure. You’ll love it.” Kate shoved her chair back. “Let’s hit the ladies room and get that tar off your foot.” The little sister who’d hung on Mercedes’ every word had just kicked her to the curb.
Stunned, Mercedes followed Kate around counters left like abandoned ships.
The bathroom was spacious and hadn’t changed a bit. In grade school, they’d all crowd in front of the wide mirror and experiment with lipsticks from Dressel’s Drugstore. Summer Tan and Peach Blush. Cotton Candy Pink and Sandy Beige. Then they’d stroll down Whittaker to the Swirly Top, their glistening lips smiling at the boys sprawled around picnic tables. But that was when Michiana Thyme was crowded with shoppers who smelled like coconut oil. Remembering how she used to jump up on this counter, Mercedes felt every one of her thirty years when she heaved herself up.
After dampening some toweling, Kate got to work on her foot. “This stuff is stubborn.” Dabbing turned to scrubbing. Mercedes smiled, remembering Finn’s comment about her pink toes. “Probably will come off with nail polish remover. That’s all right, Kate. I’ll try it when I get home.”
Drawing back, her sister nodded. “Just give it to Mom.” She tossed the toweling in the trash can.
“What’s the deal with her anyway, Kate?”
Propping her hip against the counter, her sister turned thoughtful. Foreboding swept Mercedes’ stomach. “From what Dr. Kumar says, she’s had a series of small strokes, resulting in some memory loss. He called it cardiac dementia. She’s a little scrambled, Mercedes.”
“Permanently?”
“Time will tell. Does it really matter? She’s still Mom.”
Someday, Mercedes wanted to live in Kate’s world, simple and satisfying––at least from what she could see. Growing up, she’d smoothed the way for her younger sister. Explained the facts of life. Now she longed to rip one page from Kate’s book and fold it into her pocket for reference. “Kate, I saw you take the frozen peas out of the oven after Mom put them there yesterday.”
“She gets confused, Mercedes.”
“Aren’t there tests just so we’d know what we’re dealing with?”
Crossing her arms, Kate gave her a level look. Suddenly they were back in high school, arguing over who would mow the grass. “Look, I don’t want to upset Mom with a bunch of medical tests. It’s not like she has a job to go to every day. She’s at Breezy Point for as long as she can safely be there.”
Her sister had issued a warning. Blushing, Mercedes couldn’t meet Kate’s eyes. “I’m sorry I suggested selling Breezy Point last spring.”
“Suggested? You practically had a For Sale sign out at the road.”
She ran a shaky hand across her forehead. “I was just in a bad place.”
“I know that now. Don’t worry about it.”
The pity in Kate’s voice made Mercedes uncomfortable. “I’m fine. Really. You’ve got things wrong.”
But she couldn’t fool Kate, who took a deep breath while Mercedes’ own chest tightened. “Any idea how long you plan to stay?”
“Don’t really know.” Sliding off the counter, Mercedes checked herself in the full-length mirror. Finn had seen her like this? She dabbed at her smeared eye makeup and finger-combed the tangled blonde hair. Did it matter? Her lightheadedness said maybe it did.
“What kind of work are you interested in?” Kate gave her an assessing glance. “This is a small community. Not much work around here.”
“I know that. I’ll do anything.” Mercedes had to stay in motion.
Kate’s brows knit together. “Is everything all right? You still have your condo in New York?”
“I, ah, divested it.” Word choice made all the difference. She’d learned that in PR. “Divested” sounded a lot better than foreclosure. Better than bankruptcy.
Kate whistled. “Whoa. Bet that went for a pretty price.”
Swallowing hard, Mercedes shook her head. “Not really. I’d taken out a second mortgage to keep the company afloat.”
“Right, you told me you’d lost clients.”
“The recession. You know. My accounts dried up.” She didn’t know who made her feel worse...the clients who had to close their doors or her own employees who lost their jobs.
“I’m so sorry, Merc.” Her sister’s hug surprised her. They’d never been an emotional family.
“I’ll get through it,” she mumbled against Kate’s shoulder.
“I know you will.” Her sister’s faith in her made Mercedes’ throat swell.
She pulled away. “Anyway, I’m here and I hope to pull something together to get back in the game.”
“The game?” Kate blinked.
“You know. New York. I need a stake to start a new agency. I’ll get it somehow.”
“I see. Right.”
There was no way Kate could understand, and Mercedes wasn’t going to spell it out. The past year had been total humiliation. Giving her staff the news that they were now unemployed had felt worse than a public flogging in Times Square. “I’ll figure it out, Kate.”
Flipping off the light, her sister followed her back into the office. “I know you will Mercedes, but remember I’m here to help.” When she reached her desk, she picked up a magazine. “Here’s the latest copy of The Beacher. There might be some jobs listed. Would you consider working in a shop or something like that?”
Mercedes took the white tabloid that had been around since she could remember. Just then the door opened behind her and Kate looked up. “Did you forget something, Finn?”
Not again. Turning, Mercedes clutched her jacket around her. “Where are your dogs?”
“With friends.” Finn exchanged a look with Kate. “I’m here to set up your computer system.” An old dinosaur of a computer sat on the desk. It matched the room perfectly.
Kate met Mercedes’ eyes. “Did I mention that Finn is our...”
“Gull Harbor’s computer expert,” Finn said.
Kate’s eyes widened.
“Of course,” Mercedes said. “You used to live in the computer lab. I remember how you took care of presentations for assemblies, including pep rallies before the games.” He’d been their go-to guy.
Finn nodded to The Beacher clutched in her hand. “Going to catch up on all the local news?”
“She’s looking for a job,” Kate said before Mercedes could get a word in.
“What do you have in mind?”
She rolled the crisp pages of The Beacher into a tighter cylinder. “Anything. I’ll do anything.” This was no time to be proud.
“My sister might have something for you. She mentioned recently she needed some help.” Mercedes didn’t miss the shock on Kate’s face.
“What does she do?” Not that she could be choosy.
“Lindsay cleans the summer homes. A few grades behind us in school so you wouldn’t know her.”
“Okay, well...” Mercedes tapped The Beacher against her palm. So it had come to this. What other options did she have?
“Just think about it.” Finn whipped out a card and handed it to her. “Give me a call if you think you’d be interested.”
“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” Touch? The thought of touching Finn Wheeler took her breath away. Defin
itely time to leave. “I’m going to take off, Kate. Looks like you’ve got work to do.”
“Nice seeing you, Mercedes.” Finn’s eyes twinkled.
“Thanks for your help.” Trying to salvage some dignity, she swept up her shoes and padded barefoot to the door. She looked back over her shoulder. “See you later, Kate.”
“Later.” Kate gave her a thumbs up.
Turning toward the door, Mercedes hoped the back slit hadn’t ripped indecently high. Were they both staring in horrified silence? She closed the door behind her and exhaled. As she picked her way down the grimy stairs, she thought about the elevator in the high-rise building where she had her PR firm. Classical elevator music. Gleaming mahogany walls. The uniformed doorman.
Bursting into the bright sunshine outside, she laughed.
~.~
Finn enjoyed the back view of Mercedes’ upper thighs. She’d always had great legs. He’d lived for the moments her little blue skirt flipped up when she cheered at the games.
“Thanks for coming to her rescue,” Kate said as the door closed. “It’s not often that Mercedes needs help.”
“Happy to oblige.” Finn had a serious crush on Mercedes Kennedy all through high school, not that it had mattered. Back then she was a cheerleader and way out of his league. Now? Game on. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
“And you say Lindsay c-cleans summer homes?” Kate sputtered.
“Mercedes said she’d do anything, right? It’s not like Lindsay runs a strip joint.” If Mercedes worked for his sister, he might see her more.
Staring him down, Kate shook her head. “Now, Finn. Can you really see that?”
“Don’t sell your sister short. Mercedes always had a lot of spirit.” He hesitated for a moment, thinking about her bare left hand. Time for a reality check. “So, her husband is back in New York?”
Kate’s lips tilted. “Mercedes isn’t married, Finn. And the word is your last Chicago woman didn’t work out.”
“Chicago woman,” he sputtered, cheeks burning. “You make me sound like a heartbreaker.”
“Ah, huh. Why did you tell her you were our computer man? That’s not really true.”
He squirmed. “I’m not a tell-all kind of guy.”
“I know but still.” She threw him a side glance. “You’re too modest.”