by T. L. Haddix
“Yeah, they could come back and decide to torch the garage, too,” Stacy muttered. “Damn it. I didn’t even think about that. Let me make a couple phone calls. I’ll get back to you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The others cleared out, leaving Stacy and Gordon alone. He waited for her to make the first move. Looking utterly defeated, she held out her hand to him. Gordon wiped his hands on his jeans, then pulled her in close.
“What should I do? Where am I going to put everything? I never have trouble making decisions like this. I usually have a plan for everything, and now I’m completely lost.”
“You know, you’re more than welcome to bring everything to the condo. You could rent a storage unit, or you could call the Hudsons and see about renting the guest house. We’re only a couple of miles from there.”
She rested her head against his shoulder. “That’s the most logical choice, I suppose. I just hate to impose on them.”
“You know they wouldn’t have made the offer if it were an imposition. They’re the kind of people who mean what they say.”
“Still…”
“Why don’t we do this? Let’s get packed up, and I’ll see if we can borrow a trailer from Dr. H. We’ll find a place to store your things, and you can stay with me until you make a decision on what to do.”
From the doorway, Jason cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt and to eavesdrop, but we can definitely borrow a trailer from Dad. And if you want to store your things there, in their garage, they have room. It’s a three-car garage, and they only have two cars.”
“I hate to ask them to do that.”
Jason scowled. “You aren’t asking. They’re offering. And if it would soothe your pride, then pay them what you’d pay a storage unit. I thought Ethan was stubborn. Geesh, you could give him a run for his money any day.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of their generosity.”
He shook his head. “Stubborn.”
She threw her hands in the air. “Fine! I give in. Make the phone call. If they’re okay with storing my things, so am I.”
When Chase hollered at him from the other room, Jason left without speaking, and Gordon helped her move the rest of the debris away from the closet door.
“On the good news front, it looks like your furniture survived relatively intact. Some of the varnish is blistered, but with some elbow grease, these pieces should be fine.” He ran a finger along the curved front of the maple dresser. “You might have to replace the back panel, though.”
“That’s an easy enough fix. I’ve refinished them once. I can do it again.” She pried open the sliding closet door and gasped with dismay. “Oh, lovely.”
Gordon whistled as he peered over her shoulder. “That’s not an easy fix.”
Most of the wall behind the closet was gone, and the contents of the small space had been incinerated. All that was left were some lumps on the floor that he assumed were shoes and the scorched bar that ran the length of the closet.
“Actually, it is an easy fix. Just replace everything, right?” She swiped tiredly at her cheek. “Let’s see how bad this is.” Reaching out, she pulled the handle of the top dresser drawer. It didn’t budge.
“Heat probably warped it.” Gordon joined her in the effort. With some wrangling, they forced open the drawer. It was full of lacy underthings. “Ooh, pretty.”
That earned him a tiny smile that quickly faded into dismay when she touched the brightly colored fabrics. “They’re all scorched. Feel.” She held up a bra, and he touched the strap. Though it looked fine, it was stiff and hard.
“The synthetic materials probably fused from the heat. I’ll bet they’re all ruined.” She quickly went through the drawer, then moved to the next, only to be met with the same results. “Damn it to hell. These weren’t that old.”
“As much as I’d be happy to see you walking around without underwear, I know this hurts. I’m sorry.”
To his surprise, she laughed, even though the sound was soggy. “Until I can get these replaced, I’ll be dangerously close to having none to wear.”
He casually looped his arms around her waist. “Darned shame that they just closed every single store in a hundred-mile radius that sells underwear. They won’t reopen for at least two weeks.” After a quick kiss, he whispered, “Hang in there. We’ll be able to save most everything from the office, including the books. That’s a huge win.”
She nodded. “I know. It’s just all catching up to me at once.”
After that, the recovery efforts went smoothly. Stacy was surprised by how many boxes they needed to get everything packed. With so many hands helping, the cleanup didn’t take nearly as long as she expected it would. All in all, she wasn’t walking away with nothing, and seeing that helped lighten her spirits. They even saved the bear Gordon had sent her after her wreck, though he would need to be cleaned.
Once everything was out, Jason and Chase went to get their dad’s trailer, and everyone else took a break, sitting on boxes and folding chairs in the shade in front of the garage. Gordon noticed Stacy shooting concerned looks in Maria’s direction.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head without taking her eyes from her friend. “Not sure. She looks funny. Maria, are you okay?”
“I think so,” Maria answered, perplexed. “I feel… fluttery. It’s the weirdest thing. It’s like I’m being tickled, but from the inside.” Her hand was on her abdomen, and her expression was intense as she concentrated. She turned sharply to look at Lauren. “Quickening?”
“Could be. How far along are you?”
“Twenty weeks.”
Gordon must have looked confused, because Stacy explained. “Quickening’s the first time the baby moves and Mom feels it.”
“No kidding? You mean right now?”
Maria laughed. “I think so. It’s so weird. I can feel it on the inside, but not on the outside.” Keeping one hand over the baby, she fumbled for her phone with the other. “I need to call Wyatt.”
The guys returned then with the trailer, and everyone except Maria stood. “We’ll go help them load up and give you some privacy,” Stacy told her.
“Thanks.”
Loading the trailer went quickly, and within the hour, everything that they could get out of the house was out.
“How else can we help?” Charlie asked as Wyatt’s SUV pulled in the driveway. “Talk about timing,” he teased the sheriff as he got out. “We just finished all the hard work.”
“I figured as much.” Wyatt made a beeline for Maria and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Hi, there.”
She smiled up at him. “Hello.” Completely unselfconscious, she placed his hand over her baby bump.
A pang that felt uncomfortably like envy sped through Gordon’s heart. When he turned to say something to Chase, the other man was watching him with a knowing look. Chase clapped his hand on Gordon’s shoulder, but didn’t say anything about what he’d seen.
“To answer your question from earlier, Charlie,” Jason interjected. “You all can come to Ethan and Beth’s for dinner. Boss, you and Maria are welcome, too. Beth feels like she’s not helped at all, and if you don’t come, she’s going to feel guilty. That’s a direct quote, by the way.”
“We can’t have that,” Lauren said. “I’ll call the folks and make sure the kids are okay.”
“You feel up to going?” Wyatt asked Maria, who nodded.
“I’m fine.”
“Then why don’t we all head over to the farm and drop this stuff off?” Jason suggested.
“Sounds good,” Stacy said. “Boss, why don’t the two of you go ahead? We’ve got enough hands here to handle things, I think.”
Wyatt and Maria didn’t protest too much. Gordon figured they probably needed a little privacy to share what Maria had experienced.
In short order, the convoy made it to the older Hudsons’ farm and parked the trailer in the garage.
“See?” Jason stood beside Stacy
and Gordon. “Plenty room. We didn’t even have to unload.”
“What if they need the trailer?”
“The last time it was used was when we did the add-on for Beth. I don’t think there’s an imminent need for it. If there is, we’ll unload it then. Have you ever been in the guest house?” He changed the subject.
“No. Why?”
“Mom wanted us to show it to you, so you could see what they’re offering.”
“If you don’t mind, we’re going to head on over to Beth and Ethan’s,” Lauren said. “That way, we’re not all showing up at the same time.”
“We’ll see you there. Thanks.” Gordon shook Charlie’s hand and gave Lauren a quick hug.
Stacy followed suit. “You didn’t have to come out here today, and I really appreciate that you did.”
“We’re glad we were able to help.” Lauren murmured something that was too low for Gordon to hear, but judging from Stacy’s flushed cheeks and smile, the remark was personal.
Chase and Jason led Gordon and Stacy around the pool to the guest house about a hundred feet from the main house. The house’s quaint architectural style reminded Gordon of a beach house. That impression was strengthened when they went in and he saw the loft overlooking the living room and eat-in kitchen.
“Oh, this is adorable,” Stacy said, her eyes taking in everything.
“It’s two bedrooms, bath and a half. Small washer and dryer back here and screened-in back porch on down the hall,” Chase said. “All utilities are included, except cable, phone, and Internet, and you’d have access to the pool when they open it in a couple of weeks.” He named a figure that was more than reasonable, but enough that Stacy wouldn’t feel like the offer was charity.
“Go on up, check out the loft,” Jason suggested. “It has the bigger bed. Beth stayed here after she was shot, and Annie after the fire. This place is turning into a refuge, and I think Mom and Dad are thrilled to have that ability to help.”
The men stayed behind as Stacy went upstairs. Chase was studying Gordon closely. “Have you told her yet? What to expect when you get to your house, I mean?”
“No. I’m afraid to.”
Chase shook his head. “You’d better tell her before you get there.”
“If I do, she won’t go. She needs to get out of here. I’d rather have her angry at me and away from Olman County for a few days than to have her here, in danger.”
“What, exactly, have you not told her?” Jason asked.
“That he’s wealthy,” Chase answered in an undertone before Gordon could.
“How wealthy?”
Gordon told him, and Jason swore. “How the hell—never mind. I don’t want to know. But I agree with Chase. You need to tell her. Come on, big brother. Let’s take advantage of the parental house and get cleaned up.”
“There are fresh towels and stuff upstairs, if the two of you want to use the bathroom here,” Chase said as Stacy came back downstairs. “You have your clothes in the car, right?”
“We do. Are you sure that’d be okay?”
Chase smiled. “Absolutely. Mom said to tell you to make yourself at home, try things out.”
When Jason snickered, Chase grabbed him in a headlock and rubbed his scalp with hard knuckles. “God, I’ve been wanting to do that all day. You’d better be nice, or I won’t give you the gift we brought you back from Florida.”
Jason told him what he could do with the gift and neatly turned things so that he had Chase’s arm pinned behind his back. “See you soon, kids. We’ll head out after we’re clean. Take your time, and just lock the door behind you.”
They bickered their way out the door, exchanging brotherly insults the whole way to the main house. Gordon and Stacy watched them go, and when she wrapped her arms around his waist, Gordon gave a quiet sigh of relief.
“You know, if you rent this house, you’ll have to see them at least every Sunday. Knowing Jackie, you’ll be required to attend Sunday dinners. My house would be much quieter.”
Stacy laughed. “There are worse things than having to spend time with people who care about each other.”
“True. But there’s nothing better than spending time with someone who cares about you.”
She groaned. “Even if I rent this house, which I am leaning toward doing, I’ll still spend time with you.”
“Yeah, a few nights here and there. Maybe a weekend,” he grumbled, only half joking. “I’m greedy. I want more.”
She sent him a quelling look, and he relented. “I’ll get our bag out of the car. You want the shower first?”
“If you don’t mind.”
As he grabbed the bag, he replayed Chase’s warning in his head. Not telling Stacy about his wealth until they were at least on the road tomorrow was a gamble, but Gordon didn’t think telling her before then was the right thing to do. He hoped he could talk his way out of whatever trouble keeping silent got him in.
CHAPTER 23
WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT BETH and Ethan’s thirty minutes later, Stacy was feeling much closer to human. The driveway was crowded with vehicles, and the large deck was abuzz with activity.
As she came around the front of Gordon’s car, she held her hand out to him. The pleased surprise that flashed across his face made her realize how much it meant to him when she made the first move.
On the porch, they were greeted by a happy chorus of hellos.
“Come on up, grab a chair while you can,” Beth called from the lounge chair where she was seated, feet propped up. “The coolers with drinks are on your left at the head of the stairs.”
Gordon stopped to grab two drinks, and Stacy waited for him. Still holding hands, they settled down next to Beth.
“How are you feeling?” Stacy was concerned by how tired Beth looked.
“Ready to be done with being pregnant. These two haven’t let me sleep in more than hour-long spurts for the last two days.” She rested the hand holding her drink on her belly. “I don’t think I can do this very much longer.”
“Annie said the test came back with good results? That their lungs are developed?”
“Yes. We saw the doctor Monday. I’m officially at term now, just over thirty-seven weeks. So whenever I go into labor, we’re going.”
“You’re ready. Is Ethan?” Gordon asked.
“No, I’m not,” Ethan responded from behind them. He sat on the end of Beth’s lounger. “But everyone else is, so I have firm instructions to get with the program.”
Beth ran a foot up his back. “We’ll all be fine. You just have to have faith.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Working on that.”
Looking like he had something on his mind, Jason pulled up a chair. “We didn’t find your gun. That bothers me.”
Stacy agreed. “I could have sworn I remember putting it in my briefcase. I thought I might have left it in my nightstand, possibly, but it should have been in one of the two places.”
“Do you think someone could have sneaked in last night and taken it out of the bedroom?” Ethan frowned, momentarily distracted from his concern over Beth.
“No. I think Pam took it. I haven’t told Wyatt yet. He’s going to be pissed.” Stacy sighed, thinking about the implications of Pam having her gun. “What a mess.”
Before Ethan could respond, Chase came up the stairs with a large bag in hand.
“What’s in the bag?” Beth asked.
“Goodies. Ethan, what size are you? Large or extra large?”
When Gordon choked on his soft drink, Stacy didn’t dare look at him. She struggled to keep a straight face, but she couldn’t. Beth rolled with laughter, and her amusement triggered Stacy’s. A loud snort escaped, and she clamped her hand over her mouth.
“Extra large,” Gordon helpfully answered when Ethan couldn’t.
Ethan’s face was beet red. He turned to Beth with an embarrassed scowl. “See what you’ve done?” The words made her laugh harder.
Chase, utterly confused, shook his head. “
Okay. Jason? Medium, right?”
Jason sent a sly look from Gordon and Stacy to Beth and Ethan. “Nah, extra large here, too. I could make do with large, but it’s uncomfortable.”
“Oh, dear God. I didn’t need that information.” Stacy swiped at her eyes.
“What am I missing?” Chase looked around at everyone watching and shrugged. “Why is that so funny? Asking Ethan what shirt size he wears? Never mind. It’s extra large. Has been since you got out of high school.” The words sent a ripple of laughter across the group that was exacerbated when Chase dropped a bright-pink T-shirt over Ethan’s head.
“Here. Got you one, too.” He tossed Gordon a shirt.
“Extra large, right?”
The look on Chase’s face when he put it together was priceless. “You people are perverts! Seriously? And how the hell did you know the answer to that?” he asked Gordon.
Gordon grinned at him. “What happens in Leroy stays in Leroy.”
“And Beth gave Stacy condoms,” Ethan added with an apologetic grin for her. “You were very chatty that morning after the vandalism.”
Stacy stared at him, horrified. “Apparently I was. What else did I say?” She smacked Gordon’s arm hard. “You didn’t tell me that!”
He winced and rubbed at the spot she’d hit. “I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
She glared. “How’s that working for you?”
Clearing his throat, he grimaced. “Not very well.”
“Honesty is always the best policy,” Chase chimed in. The pointed look he sent Gordon made Stacy wonder what else he wasn’t telling her.
“Was there anything else I said that morning you would like to tell me? What else did I say?”
“You were very complimentary to Gordon and very silly, but that’s all. If anyone should be embarrassed, it’s him.” Ethan nudged Gordon’s foot with his own. “You should have told her.”
“I’m sorry,” Gordon said, looking directly at her. “What with everything that’s happened, it just didn’t come up. I didn’t expect it to come up in public like this, or I would have tried harder to tell you. I’m sorry.”
Even though she was angry, Stacy believed him. When Beth touched her hand, she pulled her gaze away from his.