Spring Fling Kitty: The Hart Family (Have A Hart Book 3)

by Rachelle Ayala

  “Maybe.” Nadine held no hope. The official investigation for the fire had determined that the fire started from oily rags left in a pile outside of the waste containers. They were of the opinion she wasn’t accustomed to using the metal bins and had forgotten to use them when she wiped up a spill right before closing the garage door.

  The bus stopped near Cait and Brian’s house. Nadine followed her mother like a little lamb, not caring where she was going. She and Connor had lost everything, including his truck and all her clothes and paintings.

  Only Connor believed arson was involved, and since he was holed up in the hospital, he couldn’t investigate. Not that it mattered. He was already paying for it. Some of the second degree burns were deep, and while the doctors didn’t believe he needed skin grafts, his recovery was going to be painful and long, especially in certain areas of his body.

  He could be disfigured, scarred, and maybe things wouldn’t function, but she would still love him. In fact, she would love him more, because of the sacrifice he’d made for her. If only he’d let her.

  She pictured herself holding Connor and kissing him, and her heart swelled with love. No matter what happened, whether he could ever do certain things or not, she loved him, and she would always cherish him and stay at his side.

  “Get ready for a golden retriever welcome.” Her mother tapped her as they walked up the brick steps of a mint green colored row house. Wrought iron curled like spiral shamrocks on the railing, and unlike the neighbors on either side, there was no metal security door—an impediment to firefighters getting in or residents escaping out.

  Nadine took a deep breath and nodded. The Harts were as lively as a pack of hyperactive puppies, whereas she and her mother were like silent cats. The thought of Greyheart still hurt, but after what had happened to Connor, no other grief compared.

  Her mother rang the bell. Immediately, several sets of footsteps scrabbled inside, and the door swung open with a whoosh. Cait and Mrs. Hart sprang at them, dragging them into the house and smothering them with hugs.

  “Come in, come in.”

  “We’re so glad you’re here.”

  “Oh, Nadine, you look so beautiful, but tired. You need to eat more.”

  “Dolly Lee, welcome to my home. Would you like coffee, tea, or juice?”

  “Pete, they’re here. Connor’s darling wife and her mother,” Connor’s mother hollered.

  “Yes, Kimberly, I’m manning the grill.” A loud voice called from the back deck.

  Only Brian stood aside and grinned, as he helped put their purses and jackets into the closet. He and Cait were polar opposites in behavior, but well-matched as a couple. Both redheads, his hair was carroty-orange while hers was a darker auburn.

  “Oh, Nadine, come sit out back with me,” Cait said, patting her shoulder. “Since Mom and Dad are living here, Brian finally pulled out the porch swing and cleaned the dusty pads.”

  “It’s still a bit smoky out there with Dad’s cooking,” Brian reminded them.

  “Oh, my! Sorry.” Cait clapped a hand over her mouth. “Does the smoke bother you? I mean, with your close call?”

  “Smoke from steaks is fine,” Nadine said as she followed Cait to the back. “Connor grilled firehouse steaks that night.”

  “Were they as thick and juicy as mine?” Connor’s father, Pete Hart, wiped his hand on his chef’s apron. “There’s a special prep that goes into it. I teach it to all my boys, and let me tell you, if they prepare it for a girl, I know she’s a keeper.”

  “Are you saying Connor’s never made that steak for anyone else?” Cait interjected. She pulled Nadine onto the swing and kicked it back and forth.

  “He hasn’t. He only asked me to show it to him after he married you, Nadine. He was never interested before, said steak was steak.”

  “Well, that’s good to know.” Nadine felt all sorts of heat and cold warring inside of her. She knew she was special to Connor, but that was before the fire. Now? Not so.

  “How’s my boy doing?” Pete slid the question in casually as he flipped the steaks.

  The entire ensemble waited for Nadine to answer. For a minute, the only sounds were the sizzling on the grill and the porch swing creaking.

  “I saw him this morning.” She couldn’t say he was fine. He was anything but fine. Her lips trembled and she dabbed at the corner of her eye. “He’s adjusting.”

  “Oh, you poor thing.” Connor’s mother, Kimberly, plopped herself onto the swing and encircled Nadine’s shaking shoulders. “It’s the nightmare every firefighting wife dreads. I’m so sorry you have to live through it as a newlywed.”

  “I’m sorry about your house, too.” Nadine bit her lip to hold back the tears. “But most of all, I wish Connor hadn’t been hurt. It’s not fair. He was burned protecting me.”

  “That’s his job, as a fireman and a husband.” Pete helped his wife up from the swing, and she disappeared back to the kitchen. “When my boy signed up to be a firefighter, he signed up for the risk of bodily harm and injury."

  “But this was so unnecessary. I know you think I’m careless, but I checked all the bins before I closed the garage door. They were shut tight, and I’m sure I didn’t leave any rags on the floor.”

  “We believe you.” Cait was quick to swoop in. “Brian says Connor told him you thought you saw a cat. Do you think maybe he knocked something down?”

  “That’s the thing.” Nadine glanced from one face to the next. “Connor says he doesn’t remember the cat, but when he opened the door leading to the garage, a cat ran in from the garage. But then in the panic, I couldn’t find him, and Connor’s forgotten.”

  Cait pressed her hand. “I hope the cat made it out okay. How would it have gotten into the house?”

  “I had the garage door open while I was unpacking. Maybe he was a stray?” Nadine blinked back tears. “Just like my little Greyheart.”

  “How large was the cat?” Cait asked. She was the first person who seemed to believe Nadine.

  “As tiny as Greyheart. He was in a panic, and he disappeared like a blaze of lightning. The other thing was, when we finally made it to the kitchen, the door was unlocked. We didn’t have to fumble with the deadbolt and chain. It might have saved our lives, because we opened it quickly and rolled out onto the grass.”

  “Connor’s always so careful to lock up,” Cait said.

  “Besides, he was done with the grill, so he must have cleaned up, too,” Pete added.

  “I can see the cat getting in from the open garage door, but no way is the cat going to unlatch the deadbolt,” Cait said, and everyone nodded.

  “That means someone else was in the house that night,” Brian said. “They waited until you guys fell asleep.”

  “That’s awful.” Nadine dragged her hands down both sides of her face. An intruder could have been lurking below while she and Connor made love, not that they’d been noisy, but still, it gave her the chills.

  “How long does it take a linseed oil soaked rag to ignite spontaneously?” Cait asked. “Maybe the timing’s off.”

  “It could be a few hours or longer. Hard to tell,” Brian said. “It depends on the amount of oil and the ambient temperature. From the investigator’s report, it seems that once the fire started, there was a chain reaction of explosions from the solvents Nadine had—turpentine and thinners.”

  “They weren’t anywhere close to the disposal bucket,” Nadine said. “I put them on the shelves Connor cleared out for me.”

  “That’s where the cat comes in.” Brian rubbed his chin. “Could he have knocked them down?”

  “Not likely.” Nadine looked from one family member to the next. “If it was Greyheart, he’s too small, and even then, everything is in metal containers with screw top lids.”

  “So, it seems someone deliberately spilled the solvents near the rags,” Cait said. “Maybe they even lit a match and helped it along. After all, if you say the oil soaked rags could take several hours or even days to combust, th
e perp couldn’t know for sure a fire was going to start while you two were still there.”

  “But why did they stick a cat into the mix? Especially if it was Greyheart?” Nadine’s ribs ached and her heart was sick. “How did he get back from Reno?”

  Brian and Cait looked at each other a moment too long, and Nadine felt a chill run up her spine. Hadn’t they been the ones who were supposed to look for Greyheart?

  “Yoohoo! Time for supper,” Kimberly called from the kitchen door. “Sounds like you’re all getting along good here.”

  “Steaks are done, kiddos,” Pete bellowed in a hearty voice. “They’re playing fire investigator, but we can continue over dinner.”

  Nadine clutched her stomach as a shooting pain shot through it. “What if someone found Greyheart and brought him back to San Francisco? Then they planted him in the garage to die?”

  “Oh my. That’s awful.” Cait clapped her hand over Nadine’s shoulder. “It had to be one of the Woos. Brian and I looked everywhere and we didn’t turn up a trace of him.”

  “But I saw Elaine and Michael at the hospital with their father,” Pete said.

  “What about that girlfriend, Emmeline?” Nadine said. “Where was she?”

  During the discussion, they’d gathered around the table. Connor’s mother served the salad and his father passed out steaks.

  “Why would she steal a cat?” Cait asked. “Was she at the hospital, too?”

  “I think so,” Pete said. “Brian, do you remember who else was around?”

  “The police officers, the minister, of course, us, and the Woos,” Brian answered. He cut a chunk of steak and chewed on it. “There were the musicians, those two wearing overalls …”

  “It has to be Elaine,” Cait said. “Instead of sitting here, let’s ask the neighbors if they have surveillance videos. We can see if there was an intruder. But to put a poor little cat into the garage and wait for it to burn? That’s evil.”

  “And to think Connor and Nadine were upstairs, too.” Kimberly pressed her hand to her chest. “How horrible. I mean, we don’t like Elaine, but to do something like this? Just because Connor married Nadine instead?”

  “Hell has no fury like a scorned woman,” Pete said with a snort. “This should be easily investigated. I’ll call my buddy the police chief and get them on this. I’m also going to light a fire under the investigators. They’re obviously not doing their job. There has to be something else they overlooked.”

  “Did Elaine ever have a key to our house?” Kimberly wondered. “You think Connor could have given her one?”

  “Anything’s possible,” Pete said. “She could have taken the spare from the hook when she was there that night looking for Nadine.”

  “Wow. Just wow.” Nadine held her head in her hands. “Poor Connor. How could she hate him so much?”

  She hadn’t eaten a bite, and her mother was sitting next to her cutting her steak into tiny bite-sized pieces and trying to feed it to her.

  “It might be you she hates,” Cait said, pointing at her with a fork speared with lettuce. “Or all of us, since our house burned down.”

  Nadine felt like someone had doused her with flames. Of course, it was her fault. She’d ruined Elaine’s life, stolen her fiancé, reneged on the baby contract, and now the Harts were paying for it. She lowered her face and wished a hole would open up and swallow her.

  “That’s enough,” Kimberly said. “Enough speculation. We have a plan of action. Let’s enjoy the rest of the evening as a family. Nadine, Dolly, we’re so pleased to have you two here for dinner, and hopefully, soon, Connor will be out of the hospital and we’ll have a celebration in honor of our newest lovebirds.”

  “Hear, hear,” Pete said.

  “My newest sister.” Cait hugged Nadine like they were best friends. “I can’t wait to give you a belated bridal shower.”

  “Connor’s a lucky man,” Brian said, giving her a wink.

  During this entire time, Nadine’s mother hadn’t said much, but she nudged Nadine, letting her know she had to respond to the Hart’s generosity, no matter how much Cait’s offhand comment about Elaine had hurt.

  “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Nadine’s voice was small, but she was overwhelmed by their love and acceptance. “I’m the lucky one. I can’t believe you’re all so kind to me. Thank you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “Can I take a walk with you now that we’re done with the dishes?” Cait asked Nadine after they’d finished loading the dishwasher.

  “Sure.” She glanced at her mother and Kimberly who were looking through photos Cait had managed to save throughout the years. Now that they’d lost their house, the only mementos were the ones their children had kept.

  Again, Nadine felt a twinge of guilt. “I caused you all to lose so much.”

  “Hey, it’s only stuff,” Cait said, looping her hand around Nadine’s arm. “Put on your jacket and let’s take a walk in the park.”

  The sun set late in San Francisco due to it being at the western end of the time zone, so they still had a half hour before it got dark. Cait and Nadine walked briskly down the hill toward the park.

  Each house on the block was stuck to the one next to it, wall to wall, but their rooflines zigzagged down the incline of the street.

  “I love this neighborhood,” Cait said. “Brian and I were lucky his parents left the house to us with enough money to pay estate taxes. No way could we afford to buy it.”

  “It’s great here with the park so close,” Nadine agreed. “I grew up south of the park. My dad bought the apartment building a long time ago.”

  “If he owns the building, why’s he kicking you out?” Cait pressed the pedestrian button on the light post when they reached the Fulton Street intersection.

  “He doesn’t owe us a place to stay. He never married my mother.” He only used her for the love and affection he wasn’t getting from his high-achieving perfect family. Nadine couldn’t help the bitterness seeping from her mouth. “But, I’m sure you didn’t bring me out here to talk about them.”

  “Actually, you’re right.” Cait swept her reddish-brown hair back where the wind had blown it in her face.

  They crossed the street and walked toward Spreckels Lake, a man-made reservoir built in the early part of the twentieth century. The evening was not too chilly, and the fog hadn’t rolled in yet. Passers-by walked their dogs and children floated model sailboats out onto the placid water. There was enough of a westerly breeze to keep the sails full.

  “It’s peaceful out here, isn’t it?” Nadine said, staring at the white sails fluttering over the lake. “Did you want to talk about Connor?”

  “Yes. I’m his sister so I have some insights on what’s going on.” Cait set their course on a counterclockwise walk around the lake. “No one in our family blames you, least of all Connor. He’s been telling Brian that you’re the last person to be careless.”

  “I know that, but still, if I hadn’t had any art supplies in the first place …”

  “Stop right there.” Cait laid her hand on Nadine’s arm. “You might as well go back to say if you hadn’t met Connor at all, or if you hadn’t picked up that stray cat, or if you hadn’t been born. That’s all ridiculous, isn’t it?”

  “It’s what I keep feeling. If I hadn’t met him.”

  “Then he would be a hopeless man to miss out on your love, because let me tell you, I was with him that day in the coffee shop.”

  “I know you were,” Nadine blurted. “I thought you were the girlfriend.”

  “I was questioning him on why he was stepping out on Elaine, not that I like her, but you know the history.”

  “Yeah, I wondered about it too after I found out.” A thick layer of guilt slathered itself over Nadine’s shoulders. “Maybe this is payback for stealing him from my sister.”

  “Excuse me?” Cait stopped in the middle of the pathway, causing a jogger with his dog to sidestep them. “You didn’t steal him because he did
n’t belong to Elaine. That relationship was so forced. Connor was confused most of the time he was with her. She kept him guessing, pulled his strings, and he didn’t know up or down. When I saw the two of you at The Love Bean, I knew then and there that he’d fallen for you. I even told him he was twitterpated, utterly and completely head over heels and he denied it, of course. You know how thickheaded men are.”

  “Yeah, I know now.” Nadine lengthened her stride and walked faster, not knowing what to say.

  “Hey.” Cait was only a few inches shorter than Nadine so she caught up with her easily. “I can sense things aren’t going well at the hospital. You seemed so down when we asked you how he was doing.”

  “He’s doing as well as he can.” Nadine shrugged. “I can’t expect more.”

  “I see you’re not going to tell me.” Cait swung her arms, powerwalking to keep up with Nadine. “But let me tell you about my brother. He’s got an ego as big as the Great Pyramid, and he can build walls as high as Mt. Everest.”

  “That’s good to know, I guess.” Nadine wondered what else she didn’t know about her impulse-married husband.

  “It’s good when he’s tackling other people’s problems, because he will never, ever give up until he’s solved them. That’s what makes him an awesome fire chief. He’s focused. He’s determined, and he batters down walls. But if he’s hurt, he pushes everyone away. He doesn’t want anyone’s help.”

  “So, you heard?” Nadine slackened her pace and gave her sister-in-law an inquiring glance.

  “Not in so many words, but when we went to visit during lunch time and you weren’t there, Mom figured it out. Not that Connor would admit a thing. He just grunted and pouted and did all these growly bear man things.”

  “Growly bear man things?”

  “Yeah, huff and puff and maybe you’ll shut up and leave him alone. Brian does that too, which is why I don’t bother him much. I know he needs his man cave and his man buddies at the firehouse. Now that Mom and Dad are living with us, he’ll probably hibernate even more.”