Last Call (A Place to Call Home Book 3)

by Laura Browning

  Jonah stuck his thumb in his mouth and silently stared at the older woman, his green eyes as round as saucers. His only experience with adults other than Leah was with her parents, and those exchanges were rarely loving conversations, or doctors and—well enough said on that. Treating a kid fighting for breath didn't leave him wanting to be best buds with his doctor, no matter how great she might be.

  Leah rushed forward and forced a shaky smile as she took Jonah's hand. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Richardson. This is my son, Jonah. My sitter canceled at the last minute, so I had to bring him along. I hope you don't mind."

  Catherine Richardson, her still-blond hair perfectly coiffed, smiled graciously. "Oh not at all. He's a lovely little boy."

  Leah tried to maneuver Jonah behind her, but he peeked around, his curiosity obviously aroused. Of course it would be. He had never seen an older woman who looked put together and pleasant rather than dowdy and worn down like his grandma.

  Catherine glanced from him to Leah quizzically. "He's such a darling little boy. I guess he must take after his father. Your coloring is so different."

  "Yes, ma'am." Leah said without encouraging any more conversation.

  "He looks so familiar, but I believe I heard your husband was from out of state?"

  "Yes, ma'am. That's correct." The beach might as well be out of state, maybe even out of this world. Giving up on keeping Jonah behind her, Leah leaned down and scooped him up. Man, he was getting heavy. "I promise, I will keep him out from underfoot today."

  Catherine, still looking at Jonah curiously, nodded. "Oh don't worry about it. There will be plenty of children around. He's more than welcome to play with them."

  Leah smiled. "Thank you."

  But of course, there was no way she would take advantage of that. Chances were good that quite a few of those little children would be Allreds or Richardsons. Leah had seen Holly and the twins often enough to realize that Jonah could blend in with the two boys without people giving a thought to them not being siblings. Brothers they weren't, but their daddies were.

  She was beginning to see how impossible it was going to be for her to stay in Mountain Meadow unless she made another attempt to ask Caleb to live up to his responsibilities. He acted as if she'd never gotten in touch with him at all. She understood not recognizing her face. Leah had done a thorough job of making sure no one would recognize her when she finally decided to break loose for that one night, but how could he not recall her letters?

  Chapter 4

  "Chill, Eli." Caleb whispered as he stood next to his best friend at the front of the church. The music was playing and the bridesmaids were walking down the aisle on the arms of the groomsmen.

  "There she is," Eli said and broke into a smile. Caleb had almost missed his sister, Becca, who looked beautiful on their dad's arm, because he was watching Noah's progress so carefully. His twin was escorting Tabitha Taylor, the pastor's wife, who was as kind as she was stunning.

  Noah's scowl had relaxed a bit, so Caleb knew his brother was actually trying to put a good face on things. As soon as his twin took his place next to him, Caleb whispered. "You okay?"

  "Yeah. I just want it over."

  Caleb was on board with that idea. He glanced around the sanctuary. It appeared almost all Mountain Meadow was in attendance. Hardly a surprise, he guessed. The Mercer family had been running what had been the only restaurant in the area for decades. While there was a lot more competition now, they were still a fixture on the square.

  The Allreds were well-known too. Their eldest brother, Luke, now owned and ran the biggest veterinary practice in the area. Jake, the second oldest was the town's police chief, and Becca had returned and opened a popular bakery business that was becoming even more well-known for its catering and commitment to the local artisans and craftsmen.

  Only he and Noah were the unknown quantities. Their only claims to fame in the eyes of most of these folks harked back to their high school days when they played together on the football team. Caleb had left town and bounced around the coast before buying into a beachside bar, and Noah had gone off to seek fame and fortune as a photographer.

  Now they were back and life was in flux.

  On cue, he handed the ring to Eli, briefly meeting his friend's bemused gaze. He couldn't be happier for Becca and him. The two were great together. They finished their vows and Pastor Joe invited Eli to kiss the bride. As soon as that was done, a boy with golden curls bounced off the pew in front and ran up to wrap his arms around both of them.

  "Are we finally married?" he asked and the entire congregation broke into laughter and applause.

  Becca squatted down and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Absolutely, Bash. Grab hold of my other hand and you can walk with your dad and me down the aisle."

  Everyone was all smiles as the bridal party left the sanctuary. The photographer was busy snapping pictures before they headed over to Richardson Homestead. Caleb kept a close eye on Noah as they grabbed everyone's gear and headed out in Caleb's SUV. It was just the two of them since Jake and Luke were riding with their families.

  Caleb glanced at Noah, who was staring out the passenger window while he cradled his right forearm in its pinned sleeve.

  "You in pain?"

  "Not physical. This feels like absolute mental torture, though, I have to tell you."

  "I'm sure it can't be easy. It's Becca's day, though, so we got to play nice."

  Noah mumbled under his breath.

  "So something's obviously stuck in your craw. Why don't you let it out now while it's just the two of us?"

  "I don't like being stared at."

  "And who's staring, Noah?"

  "That damned reporter from the Messenger. I feel like every time I move, she's following me with that sorry excuse of a camera she has hanging around her neck."

  "Amanda Brown?" Caleb snorted. "I've never had a problem with her. Honestly, she's a whole lot smarter and on the ball than the editor."

  "What the hell is the big deal that she's all over this wedding like ducks on a June bug? You'd think it was the freaking president's daughter tying the knot."

  Caleb laughed. He couldn't help it. "This is Mountain Meadow, bro. Becca and Eli are news around here."

  "Well, I don't want any part of it. The only reason I came back here to begin with was so I could lie low."

  Caleb eased the car over to the shoulder of the highway that led out to the Homestead. "Noah, this isn't about you. Don't make it out to be. Amanda's story today is on this wedding, not you, but if you keep scowling and drawing attention to yourself, she is a curious enough reporter that she'll shift her focus to you. Leave it. Put a smile on your face and enjoy the day. With Becca and Eli planning the menu, and your nephew baking the wedding cake, I can assure you the food will be top notch."

  "So who handled the liquor?"

  Caleb grinned. "Me, or rather Last Call. Excellent publicity, you know."

  He waited for Noah's nod before putting the SUV back in gear. Almost everyone else was at the Homestead by the time they arrived. That was all right with Caleb. He was going to do his best to keep Noah on a tight leash.

  As they made their way through the house, he spotted Leah, the florist. She stood in the doorway of a small room, keeping one eye on what was going on inside while observing the pool deck where the reception was taking place. Man that had to be boring, standing around watching other people party.

  Of course, she hadn't really struck him as the partying type, although something about her had been familiar. Maybe it was those dove gray eyes. His mouth twisted. Leah and Lee might have similar names and eye color, but he couldn't imagine much resemblance beyond that. Where Lee had been dark-haired and heavily made up, Leah reminded him of that blond elf-queen from Tolkien. She was like a shaft of silvery moonlight.

  Caleb chuckled to himself as he stepped out onto the pool deck. Man, he was getting way too poetic about a woman who dressed like she was fifty. The baggy jeans and man's shirt from the ot
her day had given way to a black skirt and white shirt that looked like they were hand-me-downs from someone's maiden aunt or the bookworm librarian from high school.

  Luke's wife, Rachel, approached them and dragged Noah and him toward the front table. "Come on you two. Everyone's starving."

  The next couple of hours were a round of eating, drinking, and dancing. Every once in a while, Caleb caught a glimpse of Leah, adjusting a flower arrangement or fixing someone's bouquet. He had to give her credit. When it came to knowing her stuff with flowers, she was spot on.

  "Caleb," Noah muttered as he stepped close, "I need some help."

  He glanced sideways at his twin. "What's up?"

  The frown between his brother's eyes deepened. "I've got to take a leak, man, and I'm not sure I can get everything adjusted back the way it's supposed to be. It's not exactly like having on sweats."

  A faint flush darkened Noah's face. All at once, it hit Caleb how humiliating the injury had made some aspects of his twin's life.

  "Come on. We'll go inside the main house. There's a bath off a family room in there that should be deserted."

  Caleb led the way through the French doors at the back of the huge brick house. They stepped straight into a cozy family room with a large, flat screen television situated on a bookshelf at one end. On the floor were two boys—Eli's son, Bash, and another dark-haired boy Caleb had never seen before. The two were totally engrossed in playing with the cars in front of them while cartoons played on the television.

  Bash glanced up from where he was squatting and grinned at them. "Hey Uncle Caleb an' Uncle Noah. This is Jonah. You wanna pway wif us?"

  The dark-haired kid barely glanced up. There was something familiar about him.

  "Whose are you?" Caleb tilted his head. The kid stuck his thumb in his mouth, watching him warily.

  "Caleb," Noah growled in a tense voice. "Come on, man. You can do the twenty questions later."

  He caught his brother's meaningful head jerk toward the bathroom. "Right. Okay, little dudes, we'll catch you later."

  Noah nearly pushed him through the bathroom door and shoved it closed. When they were ready to go back out, Caleb had a new and intense dislike of male formal attire. There was too much to be tucked and snapped and buttoned and zipped. How the hell Noah managed on a daily basis was beyond Caleb.

  He was sure he must've still been scowling as they stepped back into the small family room. Caleb hesitated when he spied Leah crouched down next to the boys.

  "Do your florist's duties include babysitting?" He was trying to be funny, but the reaction he got was far from what he expected.

  Leah's eyes widened until they filled her thin face. If possible, she lost even more color. She began hurriedly shoving the cars into a small bag without answering him, a controlled anger to her actions as if she were pissed at him, but Caleb couldn't figure that one out. He hadn't done anything.

  "Mama?" the little boy took his thumb out of his mouth long enough to mutter.

  "Come on, Jonah. We need to start getting things packed up."

  Caleb took a step forward. "He's yours? I didn't realize you were married."

  She stared at him. "I'm not."

  "Come on, Caleb," Noah dragged at his arm. "Leave her be. She's got work today and a kid to look after. That's got to make life complicated."

  He allowed himself to be dragged to the French doors, but couldn't help a quick glance back as he passed through the doorway. Leah and the boy were watching him. The kid might look spooked, but she was definitely channeling some anger. Caleb frowned, but before he could formulate another thought, Noah had dragged him back out to where the guests were beginning to trickle away.

  Caleb put Leah out of his mind. Noah was hitting the bar pretty heavy; a glass that was at least half full of bourbon always in his hand. By the time Becca and Eli got ready to leave for their honeymoon, Noah was leaning morosely against the wall to the guest house.

  Their mother stopped at Caleb's side. "He's having a hard time, Caleb."

  "I know, Mom. I've thought about asking him to help out at the bar this week while we get stuff stocked and set up. You think that might help?"

  She sighed. "You can try. If he would give it a chance, I'm sure he might begin to see how much he can still do, and maybe how much going ahead with a prosthesis could help."

  He gave her a hug. "I'll work on it, but I can't promise any miracles."

  "I'm not expecting any. I just don't want to lose him."

  "Not going to happen, Mom. Not on my watch." He meant every word he said to his mother, but in his heart of hearts, he wondered if Noah hadn't already made up his mind that there wasn't much left for him.

  And life without his twin was something Caleb couldn't support.

  Chapter 5

  After Caleb had disappeared from the room, Leah took a deep breath. How could he not see? How could it not smack him right in the face that Jonah was a carbon copy of Noah and him? Noah she excused. He had so much mixed up stuff going on in his head, he couldn't see anything beyond the loss of his hand. But Caleb? No excuse. And the more he seemed not to have any recollection of her, her letters, or their son, the more Leah wanted to hit him.

  She took a deep, calming breath. Wanting to hit out at something when she got mad would make her way too much like her father, the last person in the universe she ever wanted to emulate.

  "Mama? I play?" Jonah and Bash both looked at her beseechingly. Leah smiled at them a little shakily. Jonah was reaching that age where he wanted to play with other kids. In that, he took after his father far more than her.

  "For a few more minutes. Pick one car each to play with while I take the rest of this stuff out to the van. You can play here while I start getting some of the potted plants loaded."

  Leah had to steady herself on a nearby chair as she stood. That had happened way too much lately. Maybe she needed to visit Doc Jenny. Until she'd had to sell her car, Leah had tried to avoid taking Jonah to the local doctor out of fear she would see right off the bat that Jonah looked a whole lot like the Allreds.

  As soon as her equilibrium settled, Leah hurried out to back the van up to the far side of the pool to begin loading the rented greenery to take it back to Mountain Plants on Sunday. That was going to make her parents angry. Her father was old-fashioned about doing any kind of work on a Sunday, but Leah had to be more pragmatic. She had a living to earn, so taking time off was a rare day indeed.

  While she worked, Leah kept one eye on the remaining guests, now mostly family. Eli and Becca had come out of the guest house dressed in more casual clothes for the drive to the airport. Leah watched from the shadows. The couple appeared so happy. She was getting lost in her observations when she noticed two little heads, one blond and one dark skirting the edge of the pool.

  Oh lord! Why hadn't she thought about that? Of course Bash was going to say goodbye to his dad and new mom, and of course, Jonah was trailing behind his new friend. Leah darted between the gap in the wall around the pool and snagged Jonah's hand as he was about to step into the circle of light surrounding the soon to be departing couple. The last thing she needed was for him to be surrounded by Allreds with all their dark hair and greenish eyes.

  "Jonah." Her heart pounded. "I have the van back here while I load everything. Let's tuck you into your car seat. I'm about done, and we need to go home."

  He cast one last longing glance at Bash, but reluctantly nodded his head. As Leah buckled him in, she saw the weariness in his eyes and the paleness of his cheeks. It was hard to tell from the van's interior light if his lips were a little blue. God, she hoped not. She was so close to finally getting him out of her parents' house, she was keeping her fingers crossed he would not have another asthma attack. Any medical bills now could set them back again so leaving was next to impossible.

  "Jonah? You feel all right, baby?"

  "Sleepy."

  She pressed a car into his chubby hand and stroked the dark hair off his forehead. "
I'm almost done. Then we'll go home and get you a bath. Okay?"

  Leah stepped up her pace. She was struggling with one larger ornamental evergreen when it was lifted up and away from her. Caleb's face appeared around the edge.

  "Let me give you a hand."

  "I'm fine. I don't need your help," she said, but she turned over the heavy planter with a feeling of relief.

  "I want to. Is this the last of it?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. Then you and your boy will be able to get home and rest." After he set the pot in the back of the van, Caleb faced her. "Do you have to take all this back to Mountain Plants tonight?"

  Leah shut the van's doors. "No. I'm taking it back to my folks. I'll unload tomorrow."

  "So you still live with your mom and dad?"

  She ducked her head to hide her expression. "Yes. It was easier."

  He crooked a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. "You don't owe me an explanation, but I would like to know what I've done to make you angry."

  There it was, her chance to let everything out in the open. After four years, though, what would he do? She had tried to explain in her letters that Lee Jones was actually Leah Scott, but it was obvious he'd blown her off—if he'd even bothered to read them in the first place. In a way she hoped he hadn't because the alternative meant he'd deliberately turned his back on Jonah.

  "You haven't made me angry. I'm tired. That's all." Also all the explanation he was going to receive tonight. "I should go. Thanks for the help."

  "No problem, Leah. I'm sure I'll see you around." He walked away. Wasn't that just the story of her life?

  "Right." She climbed into the van and buckled up. One glance at Jonah showed her he had drifted off to sleep. She turned the ignition and the van's engine rattled and hissed to life. As she put the van in gear, Leah glanced in the rearview mirror. Caleb still stood there. The glare of the brake lights revealed a thoughtful, narrow-eyed expression on his face. Her hands shook as she wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel.