Rebel in a Small Town

by Kristina Knight

  “Are we getting out or are we going to sit here?” Gran asked, and Mara realized she’d been staring at the house for too long.

  “Going in. If you and Amanda can get the bags, I’ll deal with Zeke and all his stuff.”

  Amanda sighed from the back seat, where she’d been pointedly ignoring Zeke for most of the ride into town. Mara had noticed she’d fallen into Zeke’s usual game of dropsy, though, and she thought she caught the hint of a smile from her sister a time or two.

  Mara tossed the keys in the oversize tote and unbuckled Zeke from his seat while Amanda and Gran grabbed bags of chips and bottles of lemonade and soda from the cargo area. James met them at the front door, looking a little too comfortable in cargo shorts, a navy T-shirt and flip-flops. Mara didn’t think she’d ever seen him wearing anything on his feet but his department-issue boots or sneakers. She loved seeing him looking casual. And she was staring.

  Pull it together, Mara.

  She slipped past him into the living room. The dark mahogany floors gleamed. He had leather furniture facing a television in the corner and framed pictures of his family on the walls. On the fireplace mantel were pictures of him with the guys in their high school football uniforms.

  Zeke wiggled in her arms, and she put him down to explore.

  “What can we do to prep?” she asked.

  “Everything’s ready. Just waiting for the rest of the crew to get here.”

  “Rest of the crew?”

  “I figured since Savannah was coming with Collin, it made sense to invite Levi and their parents, too. And my parents stopped by Bud’s this afternoon.”

  “Oh. Your parents. Okay.” A cold feeling filled Mara’s stomach. She liked James’s mother, but his father...made her nervous. As if he was just waiting for her to make a single misstep so that he could throw her in jail. Or maybe run her out of town.

  “It’ll be fine.” James assured her, but his words only made her feel more unsteady. He put a hand at her lower back, and the unsteady feeling tripled as heat spread from the point of contact.

  Not the time, Mar. Pull it together, already.

  “Of course,” she said, pushing as much happy energy as she could into her voice.

  He reached out his free hand, and Zeke took it so that the three of them walked into the kitchen at the same time. She could see Amanda through the kitchen window, putting earbuds in her ears and settling into a reclining lawn chair. Gran grinned at them as she put bottles of soda in the fridge.

  “Don’t you three look just perfect together?”

  Mara didn’t need a mirror to know how they’d look. James was tall and tanned with brown hair. She was tall but not tanned with blond hair. Zeke was short and chunky as babies should be, with the brown hair from James but eyes that definitely came from her side of the family tree. Like the perfect combination of the two of them. Together they would look like a family. She had to remind herself that they weren’t a family in the traditional sense.

  She stepped away from James, needing the physical reminder that they would never be that family. Not having his hand at the small of her back seemed like a good first step.

  “Gran, I’ll do that. Why don’t you go relax on the deck with Amanda?”

  “Nonsense,” she said, putting the last of the soda in the fridge. “We can all go out to enjoy the afternoon.”

  With nothing else to do, Mara followed them outside.

  Chairs were set up along the deck and around a circular fire pit in the middle of the backyard, which ended at the shoreline. A couple of paddleboats and a canoe were upended on the thin ribbon of sand, and Zeke headed straight for them. Mara caught up with him just before his little feet hit the beach. He tried to wiggle away from her, but she held firm.

  “Not until we get a life jacket on you,” she said.

  “No-no-no,” he said, still struggling against her hold.

  “Hey, he said that clearly,” James said behind them. He held a neon-green life vest. “Good job, little man.” He ran his hand over Zeke’s hair, and the boy stilled.

  “No-no-no,” he repeated.

  Mara shook her head. “It figures no would be one of his first clear and repeated words.” She turned the boy so James could get the jacket on him, then set him on his feet to explore the sandy area between the yard and the lake. “You have a beautiful home,” she said.

  James looked around as if seeing it for the first time. “I like it,” he said. “It beats living in an apartment or, worse, the trailer park on the other side of town.”

  “You could always live with your parents,” she suggested, keeping her eyes focused on Zeke.

  “No, thank you. As much as I love them, I like having my own place.” He stood beside her, his shoulder nearly touching hers. The noncontact made the hair on her arms stand on end. It was weird. “You ever wish you had a place of your own?”

  Sometimes. Not that she wanted to get into that. “I like moving around.” It wasn’t a lie, not exactly.

  James nodded but didn’t say anything else. “You mind if I take the kid out in a paddleboat?”

  “Guard him with your life.”

  She watched as James flipped over the paddle boat and pushed it out into the water. Then he returned to the sand and held his hands out for Zeke. The little boy went willingly into his arms, and Mara wasn’t sure if she should feel glad that Zeke was so accepting of James or scared because he was going to be in the middle of the lake and she wouldn’t be with him. Or jealous because, until this trip, she’d been the center of Zeke’s life, and now he had her, a father, an uncle, an aunt and a great-grandmother.

  “Nice image,” Collin said beside her, startling her.

  Mara put her hand to her heart. “Don’t do that,” she said, slapping at his arm. “I swear, for a guy as large as you are, you walk like you’re a mouse.” She spotted Savannah on the deck with Gran and Amanda. Levi exited the house, followed by his parents, Bennett and Mama Hazel. The two men made Collin look positively small, even from this distance. Gran hugged Mama Hazel, and the two of them sat at the table under an umbrella.

  “The whole gang’s here.”

  “Not all of us. Adam isn’t coming, and Aiden hasn’t been back to Slippery Rock for almost as long as you.”

  “I just saw Adam at The Good Cuppa the other day.”

  Collin shrugged. “Jenny called earlier, said they were spending the holiday at home.”

  That was odd. Adam always liked a party, at least from what Mara could remember. But then, a lot had changed in Slippery Rock since she’d been gone, not the least of which were the injuries that had put him temporarily in a wheelchair.

  Giggling sounded from the lake, and she turned her attention to the paddleboat and the man and boy in it. Zeke dragged his fingers through the water as James worked the bicycle-like pedals. The boat seemed to be going in circles rather than a straight line, probably because James was the only one pedaling.

  “I meant to tell you, Savannah reintroduced herself to me the other day. She’s a good fit for you.”

  “Yeah?” Collin had that goofy grin on his face again, the one he usually had whenever Savannah was mentioned.

  “Yeah. Are you two considering...?” She watched Zeke try to get one of his legs over the side of the paddleboat. James had a hold on the life jacket strap, keeping him in the boat and, God, that really shouldn’t have sent a stab of longing through her. It really shouldn’t. He was just a man. A solidly built, handsome man, but just a man.

  “Marriage?” Collin shrugged. “Maybe. Someday. We’re not in a hurry. You and James?”

  “We already have a kid, thanks.”

  Collin was quiet for a long moment, as if considering his next words. Not good. He had a tendency to say things that made her think too hard when he chose his words this carefu
lly.

  “I meant considering the future. Like what happens when your job with Mallard’s finishes up.”

  Exactly what she had been trying not to consider. Mara didn’t know what happened when the job was over. Normally she would pack her things and head for the next town, the next job. Nothing about this situation was normal, though. For the first time since she’d brought Zeke home from the hospital, she had no other jobs lined up. Didn’t have a nanny to care for him while she worked. Didn’t have the slightest semblance of a plan.

  She needed a plan—one that didn’t involve these messy feelings she was having for James.

  “Like staying together for the kid?” She wanted to pull those words back as soon as she said them, but they were out, and there was nothing she could do about that. “We aren’t staying together because of Zeke. He deserves better than that.” For the first time, she wasn’t sure if the he in the sentence was Zeke or James. Either way, it sent a swarm of bees jostling into her belly. “I think I’ll go check on Gran. James seems to have the paddleboat trip under control.”

  She walked slowly toward the deck and said hello to the Walters family but didn’t stay. Instead she went inside. The picture on the mantel was from the state football championship. Levi, James, Collin, Adam and Aiden stood in a semicircle, sweat on their faces, grinning like fools. They’d just won. Levi, Collin and the twins had cemented their scholarship offers, and a day or so later James would sign to play for a college in the northern part of the state. The five of them looked so young in the picture, so excited about the future.

  Now Adam was in a wheelchair and Aiden was in California. An injury had ended Levi’s career early. Collin had eventually turned down the scholarship to the larger school that could have landed him in the NFL with Levi in favor of a smaller school where he was able to come home on the weekends to work with Granddad.

  And James...

  He’d taken the big scholarship, gotten his law enforcement degree and come back to Slippery Rock. The way he’d always said he would. He had a pretty little house on the lake, and in another few weeks he would begin his run for sheriff. Just as he’d always dreamed.

  She’d thrown a wrench into his plans; she knew that despite the happy look on his face while paddleboating with their son. The question now was, how big a wrench?

  * * *

  HIS YARD WAS filled with people. James watched Savannah and Collin walk along the shore. His parents sat with Bennett, Mama Hazel and Gladys on the deck. Mara and Amanda were playing in the sand with Zeke.

  “You put on a nice party,” Levi said from behind him.

  “How are the kabobs holding up?”

  “My dad just finished the last of them. You’re out of luck if you were thinking about having another.”

  James patted his stomach. “Nothing is going to fit in here except a beer. You want?” He grabbed two longnecks from the cooler on the corner of the deck, then sat in a free chair. Levi joined him. It was nearly eight, and the sun still hung above the trees, but soon the lightning bugs would be out, flitting around the backyard. He shut down the grill; everyone had had their fill of food, and sat in groups, either on the deck or closer to the beach. Then the fireworks would begin lighting up the night sky.

  “So, you and Mara.”

  The question caught him off guard. Which was silly, considering this was Levi. He’d never been one to beat around the bush. When he wanted to know something, he asked.

  “I should’ve caught on at darts that night when you wouldn’t shut up about her staying at the B and B instead of the orchard.”

  “She’s at the orchard now, if you’re keeping score.”

  “Surprised she isn’t staying here.” Levi took a long drink, his Adam’s apple sliding up and down his throat. “So you and the kid can get better acquainted.”

  The idea of Mara moving into his home sent a funny feeling ping-ponging through his belly. Seeing her every morning, every night...it was almost too familiar. Like all those weekends they’d met up in one city or another. Only then there hadn’t been a child involved. A child he was quickly falling in love with. A child she would take with her when she left. And there was no question that she would leave.

  There was nothing to hold her in Slippery Rock.

  He wanted to find something that would hold her here, but if her family hadn’t been enough pre-Zeke, then they wouldn’t be enough now.

  “We’re taking it slow,” he said finally.

  “Smart move. Less trauma for the kid. He’s cute.”

  James couldn’t hold back the grin. “Yeah, he is.”

  “Looks like her, which is good for you.”

  “Ass.”

  Levi shrugged, but his brown eyes danced with laughter. “We could use a hand getting the last of the debris from the old church off the lot, if you’ve got the time. The day care that rented the building has plans to rebuild in the same location.”

  “I could take a day away from the sheriff’s office.” He’d been putting in so much double duty, the commissioners would probably like him to take a day off. “It’d be nice to have more of the town functional for Founder’s Weekend at the end of the month. A lot of people come to town.”

  Levi nodded. “Parade and food trucks tend to bring them in. Once the debris is cleared, the construction crew can start on a foundation and the actual building.”

  “I’ll be there by ten.”

  “What do you think about making tomorrow night a darts night?”

  “It’d put a nice cap on the day, shooting darts with the three of you after all that sweaty work.”

  “I was thinking Savannah and Jenny and Mara, too. Might make things easier for Adam.”

  It might. And if it gave him more time with Mara, James was all for it. “You have a girl you’re going to drop on us?”

  “No,” he said, and the word was hard. Levi finished his beer and stood. “I’m going to head out before the fireworks. See you in the morning.”

  James picked up the empty beer bottles. Levi strode across the lawn and disappeared around the side of the house. Collin and Savannah met James at the deck.

  “We’re going to head out before the fireworks,” Collin said. It was as if there was an echo in the yard. “Early morning tomorrow.”

  Yeah, James would just bet the two of them were leaving to go to sleep. “I’ll see you at the day care—Levi said you could use another pair of hands.”

  “Always can.”

  “He also said darts are on, with the ladies, for tomorrow night. We need to get Adam back into the swing of things.”

  “I’m in.”

  “Girls at darts? Interrupting such a manly pastime,” Savannah teased. “Thanks for dinner, James.” Savannah pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “You guys sure Adam will be okay with all of us at guys’ night?”

  James wasn’t sure about that at all, but he also knew that Savannah wouldn’t want to hurt Adam’s feelings or make him uncomfortable.

  “Are you coming to play?” he asked.

  Savannah shook her head, and her long braids swung against her shoulders. “I don’t dart, but I’ll happily cheer you guys on.”

  “Then Adam won’t mind.”

  Collin and Savannah said their goodbyes, and as the sun began to sink below the trees along the shore, James realized the older guests were clearing the deck table and putting away chairs.

  “Thanks for dinner, James,” Bennett said, raising his hand in a wave. “We’re going to watch the fireworks from the marina.”

  “You can see them just fine from here.”

  “Bud’s making homemade ice cream,” his mother said. “Thank you for inviting us. The baby is—” she paused “—just perfect.”

  “We’ll save you some seats,” Mama Hazel said, and waved before she
and Bennett walked away.

  James had no reply to that. Mara and Amanda brought Zeke to the deck. The little boy laid his head on Mara’s shoulder and, with his index finger, twirled a long strand of her hair.

  “Let me get this sweet boy home,” Gladys said, taking him from Mara. “Amanda, would you grab his diaper bag for me?”

  “The fireworks haven’t even started,” the girl protested.

  Gladys shot her a look, and Amanda picked up the bag beside the sliding glass door. “We’ll take the SUV,” she said, and when Mara started to say something, she talked right over her. “You’ll bring Mara out after the big show, James. Zeke will be fast asleep before we hit the city limits sign, and there’s no need for all of us to miss the fun.”

  “Exactly,” James’s father joined in, and James shook his head to make sure he was hearing everything correctly. “It was a nice evening, but I’m sure there are things the two of you need to talk about without a toddler interrupting.”

  James looked at Mara, who seemed just as confused as he. James’s parents hurried around the side of the house, following Bennett and Mama Hazel’s path from a few moments before. Only he and Mara, Gladys, Amanda and Zeke were left on the deck.

  “Gran, I’ll drive,” Mara began, and Gladys shook her head.

  “I know how to drive, and you haven’t had a fun night out since you came to town. Stay. Watch the fireworks. As much sun and sand and food as Zeke’s had today, he’ll sleep the night through.”

  James didn’t say anything at the obvious manipulation. The idea of spending some time with Mara alone was appealing. They did have things to talk about, and it would be simpler to talk without Zeke or his parents or her family around to overhear.

  Mara looked at him, and James shrugged. She blew out a breath. Gran patted her cheek with her free hand.

  “We’ll see you in the morning. Good night, James,” she said, and started around the corner of the house. Amanda slung the diaper bag over her shoulder and mumbled something James couldn’t hear. When Mara hurried after them, he did, feeling a little silly that they were all making the trek to the front yard. Gladys was capable of driving, and so was Amanda. And Zeke was obviously nearly out for the night.