Home to Sparrow Lake (Harlequin Heartwarming)

by Lynn Patrick

  “I can see you’ve got something distracting going on,” Gloria said, having finished with a customer. “If you need to leave, I can handle this place.”

  “Will you? I hate to leave you alone. It’s been kind of busy today.”

  “The phone calls and emails can wait. I know most of the people who come in here and they can wait, too. Go on and do what you have to do.”

  Thank goodness, Gloria didn’t seem to want to pry. “You’re wonderful.” Kristen hugged the other woman warmly. “If we can hustle up more business, I’m going to get you a raise.”

  Kristen left and drove off, wondering where she was going. She decided to drive by the second Stapleton address, not that it was going to help her if no one was home. Which proved to be the case, she found out ten minutes later. She had a bad feeling.

  Should she call Alex for help? He had indicated he was willing and, though the teenager had only been gone for perhaps twenty-four hours, she thought Brian could be classified as “missing.” Yet, she remained reluctant and drove on, turning into the convenience store where she’d once seen Brian hanging out with his pals. She also stopped by FamilyMart to check their small food court. She didn’t see any teenagers at all.

  Getting back into the car, Kristen sped out onto the highway bordering the town. Where to go? She glanced at the gas station and fast food restaurants she passed, but saw no sign of Brian or his friends. This was crazy. How could she expect to find anyone just by driving around?

  Suddenly, up ahead, she spotted the familiar black-and-white police car. Alex? She took off after it.

  As soon as Kristen got close enough, she recognized Alex in the driver’s seat. She flashed her lights until he pulled over then parked behind him.

  “Yes?” Alex stepped out, looking handsome in his black uniform and sunglasses. “Was I speeding?”

  She’d like to say yes, that she was making a citizen’s arrest but this was no time for joking.

  He put his hands on the roof and leaned in to look her in the eye through her open driver’s window.

  “Brian is missing,” she blurted out.

  “Brian? Hmm.”

  “I don’t know if he ran away or headed back to California…or what. We haven’t seen him for at least twenty-four hours.”

  Alex looked thoughtful, then said, “See that lot with the farm equipment over there? Park there and get into the cruiser with me. I may know where he is.”

  “Really?” She wanted to sigh in relief, but Alex hadn’t said whether or not Brian was safe.

  Kristen started up and waited for traffic to pass before turning into the lot Alex had indicated. She locked up and jumped into the cruiser’s passenger seat.

  She was still upset but feeling better now that she wasn’t searching alone. “I’ve been beside myself. There hasn’t been an accident, has there?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “What do you mean by ‘not exactly’?” she asked, her worry increasing.

  “We got a call. A farmer named Anderson discovered some teenage boys bothering his cows in the wee hours this morning. He thought they had gone, but just now he saw them hiding out on his property.”

  A farm? “Brian doesn’t have a car.”

  “Matt Stapleton does. An old beater. Anderson says it’s stalled out on a country road.” He looked at her. “Don’t worry. He’s physically safe. The farmer didn’t shoot him.”

  “Shoot him?” That didn’t help her nerves any. “Are there guns involved?”

  “Anderson says he fired a couple of shotgun blasts to scare them off. In the air, not at the boys.” Alex went on, “They must be plenty scared and uncomfortable by now. They’ve been there for hours.”

  “Well, at least they’re in one piece.”

  “I agree that’s a plus. Did you just notice that Brian was gone?”

  “He doesn’t check in with us, especially not with me since we had a talk about the breakin at the diner. And his bedroom is in a different wing of the house.”

  “You had another talk, huh?”

  “I had a strong feeling that he and his friends were involved. But he just got defensive again and even more sarcastic. He said you must have stolen that pie when you ran out of doughnuts.”

  Alex laughed softly. “What a mouth. I guess wisecracking runs in the family.”

  They drove on, Alex turning off the highway onto a gravel road.

  “He was always a good kid, at least when I lived at home,” Kristen told him. She had been ten years older, however, and left for college when he was still pretty small. “I don’t understand what’s happened to him. Resenting a stepfather is one thing but acting like a twelve-year-old is another.” She shook her head sadly. “He’s smart, too. He took accelerated classes and graduated from high school a year early.”

  “Maybe he was less mature emotionally than his classmates, though.”

  “I’m beginning to think so. But no matter the reasons, this has got to stop.”

  “I agree. We’ll see what we can do.”

  She only hoped things would turn out all right.

  *

  TIRED, SORE AND hungry, Brian sat on a tree stump and scowled at his friends. “This sucks!”

  “Anderson is still around,” Matt said, sounding defeated. “I saw him drive down the road in his pickup a few minutes ago and stare over here. He knows where we are.”

  “I told you this was a stupid idea.” When Brian had argued against the plan last night, both Matt and Andy had countered that he never did anything they wanted. “We’re going to be arrested for vandalism and trespassing. All because you thought it would be fun to spray-paint some cows.”

  Neither of the other young men responded. Matt hung his head, his hands in his pockets. Andy just sat on the ground and picked at a string in the tattered jeans he wore.

  “And we can’t even get away,” Brian went on. His cell phone had run out of juice. Not that there was anyone he wanted to call for help.

  Fearful of the farmer’s shotgun blasts, they’d run to the car through the semidarkness of dawn, crawling over fences and tripping over rocks. When Matt’s car had proven to be dead, they’d ended up taking cover in a wooded area of pasture.

  “The cops are going to arrive any minute, I bet,” said Brian.

  Matt nodded glumly.

  “We’re sitting ducks.” Brian slapped the tree stump and was rewarded with a splinter in his hand. “Oww!”

  Andy spoke up, “We could try traveling across country. Circle around back to town.”

  “Why bother?” said Brian. “They’ll know who did it when they identify Matt’s car.”

  “Think we’ll go to jail?” asked Matt.

  “I don’t know. What age is considered juvenile in Wisconsin?” Brian had never thought much about it before, since he never intended to be caught.

  “You’re a juvenile if you’re under eighteen,” said Andy, rising from the ground. He glanced around. “You two can do what you want. I’m taking off.”

  Brian felt concerned. “Hey, don’t make it worse, Andy. They’ll just track you down.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “If they take us into custody, they’ll have to give us food,” Brian said, hoping that might influence Andy.

  But the boy had started walking away. “I can live off the land.”

  “What about your family?” said Brian.

  “They’ll be better off without me,” Andy muttered, sounding defeated. “Less to share.”

  *

  ONE HOLSTEIN COW had three crude-looking purple stars decorating her black-and-white hide. Another cow displayed splats of fuchsia. The animals didn’t seem upset, though their owner said the ordeal was sure to affect their milk production.

  A short white-haired man, Ralph Anderson wore striped overalls and sounded tired and put-out. “Who knows how long it will take to clean this mess off? You can’t use turpentine on animals.”

  Alex examined the cow with the stars, running h
is finger over the purple lines. “Maybe there’s some other kind of product. I’ll ask around.”

  “Where are the boys?” asked Kristen, no doubt still worried about her brother.

  “They’re over in that patch of timber in the west pasture,” Anderson said, pointing.

  “One of them is my little brother,” Kristen told Anderson. “I’m so sorry. We’re going to make sure he doesn’t do it again. He’ll make it up to you somehow.”

  Alex liked her sense of responsibility. “Can I take the cruiser over there?”

  “Go down the dirt road.”

  Alex nodded. “I’ll take the boys back to town, and you can meet us there to press charges.”

  “What kind of charges? I don’t want to send kids to jail,” Anderson said. “They just need to be taught a lesson.”

  “We’ll work something out,” said Alex, heading back to his car. Kristen followed.

  As they pulled out of the farmyard, Alex told her, “I’m glad you came along. I think Anderson was impressed that one of the teenagers has family looking for him. You didn’t offer to pay off Anderson, either. Some families try that or deny that their precious loved ones have done anything wrong.”

  “That wouldn’t be right. Brian has to face the consequences of his actions.”

  “Good for you. Tough love.”

  They passed the old car parked on the dirt road and pulled over near the fence bordering the woods. Alex hoped he wouldn’t have to climb over the fence and drag the kids out.

  “Hey, Brian! Matt! Andy!” he yelled. “Come out. You’re busted!”

  Kristen stood beside him. “Brian, come out here!”

  Rustling noises could be heard from the brush as two young men made their way out to the road through the trees. Matt looked scared but Brian’s expression was sullen. However, he climbed over the fence and Matt followed.

  “Where’s Andy?” asked Alex.

  Brian kept his gaze aloof, not looking at Alex or Kristen. “There’s just the two of us.”

  “There were three of you guys last night,” Alex told him, wondering why he was trying to protect the third kid. “Ralph Anderson saw you.”

  “Arrest us already,” said Brian. “That’s what you’re here for.”

  “I’m not leaving until I have everybody.”

  Matt put in, “Andy left. Honest, there’s nobody but me and Brian.”

  “Andy left how?”

  “He took off on foot,” Matt said. “We don’t know where he went.”

  Alex stared at Brian, who finally nodded. “Yeah, he’s gone. Maybe you should form a posse and ride out to look for him.”

  “If I were you, I would tone down the smart remarks,” Alex told him, “and come up with the truth.”

  “Yes, please tell the truth, Brian.”

  Kristen sounded sad, not angry, but Alex noted that her brother gave her a wide berth when he walked past her toward the cruiser saying nothing.

  Alex put the two boys in the back of the police car and closed the doors.

  On the drive back to Sparrow Lake, Kristen noticed that her brother’s hand was bleeding. She stuck a Kleenex through the steel mesh and Brian actually took it from her.

  “It’s just a splinter,” he said.

  “But it could get infected,” Kristen told him. “You should put something on it when we get back to town.”

  “Do you really care?” Brian asked. “I’m a criminal.”

  “I still care about you no matter what. You’re my brother.”

  Her tone was warm but she didn’t say anything else. Instead, she turned back to look at the road ahead. Alex thought the gesture was just about right. No doubt upset, despite his bravado, Brian might get even more defensive and angry if Kristen scolded him now.

  Matt asked worriedly, “Are we going to jail?”

  “I don’t know,” said Alex, though he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to have to lock them up. “We’ll see what Mr. Anderson wants to do.”

  “The farmer?” Matt asked. “We didn’t hurt those cows.”

  “No, but you probably scared them. And they’re someone else’s property, expensive property. You can’t just waltz onto private land and do whatever you want. You were trespassing.”

  Matt slid down in the seat. “I’ll have to call my parents.”

  “Yeah, you will.”

  Remaining cool and impassive, Brian just stared out the window. As the cruiser headed for town, neither kid said anything else.

  Hoping to relieve Kristen’s worries, Alex lowered his voice. “They’ll probably get off with community service and some counseling.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “Neither of these guys has a record and Anderson didn’t sound like he wants throw the book at them.”

  She looked relieved. “I just hope Brian will straighten out.”

  He hoped so, too. Dealing with her wayward brother may have helped get him together with Kristen in the first place, but it could just as easily put an obstacle between them. Not to mention he would hate to see problems with the law mess up another young kid’s future.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ALEX KNEW KRISTEN was still concerned about her brother, but he hoped an outing on Saturday might take her mind off things. He’d promised her a dinner at an establishment so exclusive you couldn’t even make reservations unless you knew the chef. He’d also told her he was going to take her to a show that was more fabulous than anything offered in Hollywood or New York.

  The weather turned out to be beautiful on Saturday, if a little cooler than average for June. As he’d planned, Alex left the Jaguar’s top down when he picked up Kristen in the early evening.

  He admired the length of leg she flashed when she got into the car. “You look gorgeous.”

  “Thanks,” she said, smiling.

  She wore a blue-printed dress with fluttery sleeves and strappy high-heeled red sandals. The soles of the shoes were red, too, so they were probably the fancy, pricey type she favored. Alex had read about red soles somewhere.

  Brian was out on the lawn watering some flowers with a hose as they pulled away. The teenager’s back was as straight as a steel pole, and he didn’t look in their direction.

  Kristen sighed. “I’m not sure how Brian’s feeling on the inside. Outside, he’s polite and is doing everything he’s supposed to. He’s minimal in communicating with me but I heard him telling Aunt Margaret he was sorry for causing problems.” She paused. “At least there’s that.”

  “You’ll need to give him time to come around as far as you’re concerned. You were there when we caught him. He’s embarrassed.”

  After Anderson had come in and said he wasn’t going to press serious charges, Alex had put Matt and Brian to work at Sparrow Lake Community House. Both young men had also made appointments at the local counseling center. On Monday, Owen was driving them out to the Anderson farm for cow clean-up.

  “Has Andy shown up yet?” Kristen asked.

  “No sign of him. The police department notified state troopers to keep an eye out for the kid, but we didn’t issue an official arrest warrant. The crimes the boys committed, after all, were minor.”

  “I hope he’ll be okay.”

  “We talked to his mother at the motel.” One of the few things Brian said at the police station was that Andy was next to homeless. “She hasn’t heard from Andy and is worried. I also told her that her whole family is now on the meal schedule from the Soup Kitchen. They might not be elderly, but they sure can use some food.”

  “Brian actually seems concerned. I’m glad he has a good heart, at least.”

  “The family could have gotten some help before now. Maybe they didn’t know it was available.” Stopping at a light before entering the highway bordering the town, he switched subjects. “But enough about problems. Are you ready for the best meal of your life?”

  “Where are we going?”

  He chuckled. “I told you it’s a place that’s extremely exclusive.
It’s a surprise.”

  He wondered what she was going to think.

  A couple of miles down, when he turned off the highway onto a street leading into town again, she did a double take. “Are you trying to get me turned around?”

  “I’m trying to turn your head.”

  “This place must be local.”

  “Very local. You’ll see.”

  Slowing on a shady street, he pulled into the driveway of a small two-bedroom house with a neat lawn and minimal landscaping.

  “Who lives here?”

  “Me. And Spike. He guards the place.”

  “You’re fixing me dinner?”

  He parked, got out and opened her door with a flourish. “Welcome to Chez Alex, mademoiselle.”

  “How delightful.” She beamed.

  He took her hand to help her out, enjoying the warmth and texture of her skin. Grinning at her, he said, “I’m hoping that the way to your heart is through your stomach.”

  *

  KRISTEN TOOK IN the details as they entered Alex’s house. The front door had a transom in which hung the stained glass they’d picked up in Lake Geneva. A small entryway led into a living room with a bay window, where another piece of stained glass was displayed. A matching brown tweed couch and chair, along with a leather recliner, faced each other. On a stand sat a large black flat-screen television, a single man’s favorite possession, Kristen had heard. The house was orderly and clean, meaning Alex either was a good housekeeper or he hired someone to straighten up.

  They crossed a short hallway to the kitchen, which featured an adjoining sun porch facing the shady backyard. All the windows on the porch were open, and in the center of the room was a small table covered with a white tablecloth, folded napkins, two place settings, a candle and a vase holding a bouquet of fresh flowers.

  “Lovely,” said Kristen, meaning it. He had obviously gone to a lot of trouble.

  Alex plucked a yellow rose from the vase and handed it to her. “For you, mademoiselle.”

  “Merci, monsieur.” She held the flower beneath her nose to inhale its delicate scent.