Blown Away

by Muriel Jensen

  It was all he could do not to shake her. “If you hear a strange noise and suspect you’re being robbed, the correct response is to call the police, then go to a neighbor’s. You don’t arm yourself with a butter knife and try to make an arrest.”

  “Well, pardon me for being unfamiliar with proper intruder-handling etiquette! I didn’t want you to get away!”

  He knew she didn’t mean that last remark quite the way he might have liked her to, but the words struck home anyway. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, feeling his blood pressure lower.

  Apparently Kara was calmer, too. “What are you doing in my garage?” she asked.

  “I told you—I came to put up your reindeer.”

  “You could have warned me.”

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  They looked into each other’s eyes, and at the same moment realized that’s exactly what he’d done. Both of them started to laugh, until a very loud shout caught their attention.

  “Oh my God!” Kara said, running to the garage door. “Mrs. McGinley called to tell me she saw someone climbing through my garage window. I asked her to phone the police.”

  Oh, great. The guys at the department were going to love this.

  Cole helped her raise the garage door. There stood Brad between two uniformed officers, each holding one of his arms. His hair was disheveled, and there were tiny scratch marks on his face. Beside them stood a woman in black bike pants and a gold lamé shirt. Her bright red hair was tied up in a gold scarf, and she wore large-framed glasses and dangling rhinestone earrings. She pointed at Cole with a hearth broom that boasted a red-and-green bow and had been decorated with berry boughs.

  “That’s him!” she said. “Climbed in through the garage window with the help of this one.” She pointed the broom at Brad, as though she would have swept him away with the soot.

  Cole guessed the shouts and thumps he’d heard through the garage window had been Brad on the receiving end of the broom.

  The woman pointed to Cole again. “This is thieving of the worst kind. A Christmas crook!”

  “Winslow!” It was Officer George Mendez, a portly, middle-aged man Cole had ridden with a few times.

  “Cole!” Officer Miranda Charpentier said at the same time. She was blond and fulsome, the close-fitting uniform enhancing her considerable attributes. “What are you doing?”

  Miranda and Cole had dated a couple of times. She was happy with a casual relationship and assured Cole she was as determined to remain single as he was. Then she’d asked him if he’d ever thought about having children, and he’d never called her again. She’d taken the breakup in stride, though she’d teased him about being super-sensitive on the issue of marriage. Her eyes now held a familiar warmth as she waited for his answer.

  “This is Kara Abbott,” he said. “She’s a friend of mine. I promised to put up her reindeer.”

  Mrs. McGinley curled her lip at Cole as though he was the lowest of life forms. “Probably planned to steal all her possessions, then lie in wait to rape and murder her, too.”

  Brad groaned. “Yeah, that sounds like us. Mendez, we were just raising and entering.” Brad knew Mendez from the E.R. Police officers often accompanied victims of crimes and suspects.

  “Pardon me?” Mendez said.

  Cole sent Brad a quelling look. “Kara will explain. Won’t you, Kara?”

  “If this woman is a friend of yours,” Charpentier asked, giving Kara a vaguely disdainful look, “why don’t you have a key to the place?”

  “Because he’s not that kind of friend,” Kara said, returning the same look. “Everything’s fine, Officers. I’m sorry we bothered you at a time when you’re probably very busy.”

  Mendez smiled. “Not a problem. You watch yourself with these two reprobates here, Mrs. Abbott.”

  “You never put up my reindeer,” Charpentier said in an undertone to Cole, but still loud enough for Kara to hear. Even Brad and Mendez looked her way.

  “There was probably no need to,” Kara replied, her dark eyes studying Charpentier’s unconsciously seductive hazel ones. “It’s pretty clear you’re on the naughty list.”

  Charpentier reacted to the softly spoken words like a cat arching its back. Then her eyes filled with reluctant respect and she, too, smiled. “You all have a good afternoon. And we don’t want to come back here with a call that someone’s fallen off the roof.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Kara promised. She hugged her neighbor. “And thanks for looking out for me, Mrs. McGinley.”

  Kara’s genuine appreciation of the older woman’s vigilance seemed to make up for Mrs. McGinley’s disappointment at the lack of arrests.

  The two police officers got back into their cruiser, and Mrs. McGinley went home.

  Kara greeted Brad with a quick, tight smile, then focused on Cole. “I told you I could put up the reindeer myself.”

  “Sorry,” Cole said. “But I knew Taylor wanted the reindeer on the roof and I had the time to do it.”

  That seemed to annoy her, though he couldn’t imagine why. “And what have you done for Officer Charpentier?”

  “Pardon me?” The non sequitur surprised him.

  “The beautiful cop. You have a history?”

  A tricky question. He could see the potential pitfalls in his answer, but there seemed no point in lying. “Yes, we have. It was brief, but it’s a history.” He was aware of Brad heading toward the garage.

  She was silent for a moment, then drew a deep breath. “I know you’re entitled to a history,” she said, frowning at him. “I just wonder why you weren’t afraid of doing it wrong with her?”

  “It?”

  “Life. A relationship.”

  “Because the only thing we did together,” he replied significantly, “is hard to do wrong.”

  It was difficult to tell from her taut features whether she was upset by his words. Or whether she even really understood what he meant. “We were interested in creating a relationship that involved only—”

  “I understand,” she interrupted. “You used each other for sex. I’m just wondering why contact of any kind with her didn’t frighten you away. I personally think she’s very scary. And no matter what she told you, I’ll bet she had marriage in mind all along. She has that possessive look.”

  “She did have marriage in mind. That’s why we didn’t last very long.”

  “Then you’d better forget the reindeer,” she said, turning her back on him, “because that’s what I have in mind, too.”

  He followed her into the garage. Brad passed them carrying the ladder Cole had dropped.

  “I told you I was crazy about you.”

  She went through a small back door and across a patch of grass to the side door of her old farmhouse. Cole followed right behind her.

  “That wouldn’t be enough in the long run,” she argued.

  “It’s a start.”

  Once inside the house, she stopped in the middle of a large yellow-and-white kitchen. She turned on him, her eyes sparking, her body bristling. “You confuse me! You try to keep your distance, but you do very nice things for me, and you kiss me as though…”

  “As though I’m crazy about you.”

  “As though I’m important to you, which is a very different thing. Your argument for caution makes sense—sort of—but is logic really what it’s about? Danny hurt me, so I can put him behind me. Your wife hurt you, but you can’t forget her.” She shook her head, then sighed. “I’m sorry. Maybe your marriage had better moments than mine.”

  COLE TOOK KARA’S ARM and led her toward a small wicker love seat off to one side of her kitchen that formed a kind of sitting area. He encouraged her to take a seat, but she refused.

  “What few people know, other than Brad and me,” he said, his expression grim, “is that Angela was pregnant when she died.”

  That was the last thing Kara had expected to hear. She did sit down, and as she thought about what he’d said, she felt compassion for him,
and a new respect. The whole issue of a relationship between them changed with these words.

  He sat beside her. “An autopsy was conducted because there was another vehicle involved and they were trying to determine culpability. The driver was drinking…and Angela was pregnant.” He paused, leaning a hand against the back of the love seat. “At first I thought it was somebody else’s baby and that was why she was leaving me. Then I realized how far along she was, and that it was mine. She’d been home three months earlier for a few weeks, and I’d been determined to stabilize our marriage. She tried, too, I think, but it didn’t work.” He put a hand to his heart in a gesture of vulnerability that caused her as much pain as it seemed to cause him. “I lost a baby, and I feel a…a guilt, a sadness I can’t seem to shake.”

  She didn’t know what else to do. She put her arms around him to comfort him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” A year after Taylor was born, Kara had miscarried. She understood his grief. “That’s a terrible loss, and I apologize for pushing you. I didn’t understand.” She drew out of his arms, knowing the only thing she could do for this relationship right now was step back. Hadn’t she decided that yesterday anyway? Why was she arguing with him?

  She smiled up at him. “Please don’t worry about the reindeer and just do what you need to do for Christmas.”

  “I need to help you get the reindeer up,” he said, his gaze holding hers as though he read her mind. “And I need you to be part of my life. So don’t look as though you’re going to back away, because I won’t let you.”

  She didn’t know if she was strong enough to be part of his life. A warm, snugly holiday would be hard to live down in the light of a cold new year.

  Cole stood abruptly. “Brad volunteered to help me and he goes on duty in about an hour. We wasted a lot of time, thanks to your neighbor.”

  She had to smile at that. Then she heard the tap of a horn outside and realized that Jared’s mom was back. For a few minutes there, she’d almost forgotten that she had a life aside from the one that existed in the depths of Cole’s eyes.

  “I have to go,” she said, gathering up the purse and jacket and the change of clothes she’d collected. “You sure you two are going to be all right up there?”

  “I’m sure.” He followed her to the door. She made a point of leaving it unlocked. “Just help yourselves if you need a cup of coffee or the bathroom.” She smiled again. “I’ll tell Mrs. McGinley it’s okay.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” he said with a grin.

  In front of the house, they looked up at the roof. Brad was positioning Rudolph near the chimney.

  “Thank you!” Kara shouted up at him.

  He blew her a kiss, then pointed to the grass where the other reindeer lay. “Cole, send up another one!”

  “Better get to work,” Cole said, leaning down to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek. “You getting your Christmas shopping done this Saturday?”

  “Yes.” She waved at Cassie, Jared’s mom, who watched with interest from inside the idling car.

  “I’ll come along and carry for you, but I have to work the Grannies’ booth at the fair in the afternoon.”

  She was about to tell him that she was going to dinner and the ball with Loren that night, but something held her back.

  Instead she said, “You don’t have to…”

  “I’d like to,” he insisted.

  “Okay. We’re moving the wrapping booth from the mall to the fair in the afternoon.”

  “I’ll pick you and Taylor up for breakfast?”

  “Taylor, Finlay and Blaine are going to the Kiwanis Kids Christmas party at eight in the morning, then Cindy’s making cookies with them in the afternoon.”

  “Who’s Finlay?”

  “Our neighbor. A very smart, very twenty-first-century young lady.”

  “Just you and me, then. Around eight o’clock?”

  “Sure.”

  “Good. Go back to school. We’ll have these reindeer ready to light up when you come home.”

  “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  As Kara climbed into Cassie’s car, she knew her face reflected her dismay. Now that Cole had explained about his lost baby, she understood why he was so hesitant about trusting himself to fall in love again. The thought of spending an evening with Loren had suddenly become even less appealing.

  CHAPTER TEN

  KARA AND HER CHORUS caroled for days. They had a series of back-to-back gigs, several office Christmas parties and an invitation to sing at City Hall. She worked the gift-wrap booth at the mall every evening, where she was overwhelmed by the Christmas spirit.

  Taylor was so alive with it he could hardly contain his energy. He and Blaine were together constantly now that school was out for the holidays. They usually stayed at Kara’s, since she could be home with them. When she had to be away with the chorus, Cindy paid for both boys to attend a Christmas gifts workshop sponsored by one of the churches over the Christmas break.

  This holiday warmth was what she’d always wanted as a child but never had. Her mother had been convinced that without money to buy gifts there was no point celebrating Christmas, and she made sure everyone was as miserable as she was.

  When Kara was married to Danny, he always overspent at Christmas, leaving her to struggle with all the bills in January. It had been difficult to be excited about the holidays under those circumstances.

  This year, though, nothing seemed to suppress her pleasure in the season. Cole’s aunt Shirley brought her a dozen stained glass cookie ornaments, the Hobsons sent her a Christmas floral arrangement contained in a colorful sleigh with a card that thanked Kara for allowing Blaine to take so much of her time, and her students pitched in and bought her a black cardigan embroidered with snowflakes and stars. Life had never been so good.

  With the money she’d saved from her job as a hang-gliding instructor, she bought Taylor a simple computer setup, and a computer game that involved building a trucking empire. For Mel she purchased a long mesh stocking filled with dog treats, and she made Cole a coupon book of catered meals. She’d racked her brain to think of the right thing for him, then remembered that he’d teased her about his being willing to do almost anything for her food.

  She sighed as she used her best calligraphy to create a certificate promising a pot of country ribs, sauerkraut and potatoes. What she’d give if he hadn’t been kidding about doing anything.

  COLE WALKED THE FLOOR with his screaming nephew, singing an off-key rendition of “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Little Brad was not at all impressed by Cole’s attempts to quiet him.

  “Look, I’m doing my best here, pal. Making babies is a clear concept in my mind, but dealing with them once they’ve arrived is something else again. But you’re here now and there’s no going back, okay? And the best thing you can do for yourself is resist any temptation to act like your father. It just won’t fly with me. He carried on a lot, too, when we were kids, but I just ignored him.”

  Cole shifted the still-screaming baby to his other shoulder and kept pacing. “But you’re a cute little kid. I could make an exception and get you that bottle of juice your mom left for you, but I want a guarantee that it’s going to make you stop screaming. The milk didn’t do it, and the rocking didn’t do it. I’m out of ideas. Help me out, kid.”

  Cole went to the kitchen for the juice, ran the bottle under the hot water the way Emily had showed him, then put it to Brad’s lips. The baby took two pulls on the bottle, then screwed up his little face again and screamed bloody murder.

  Emily had left a number where she and Brad could be reached, but Cole was determined not to ruin their night out together. Mel had gone to hide in the bedroom, and Cole suspected everyone within a mile radius was wearing ear protectors.

  He went to the desk to dial his aunt Shirley. He had the phone to his ear and was stabbing out the number when he stopped. He could hear again! Little Brad had stopped screaming.

  Cole put down the phone an
d held the baby up in front of him, expecting to see him turning blue.

  Actually, his wide dark eyes were focused somewhere over Cole’s shoulder, his little mouth was pursed, and two chubby arms flapped in excitement.

  Cole turned to see what had captured the baby’s attention.

  The tree!

  The baby was as fascinated by Cole’s Christmas tree as everyone else. Cole wouldn’t have been surprised if the baby said, “You never put up a tree!”

  But the only sound coming out of his pursed lips was a high-pitched cooing.

  Cole carried the baby closer to the tree. He pointed out the cookie decorations his aunt had made, showed Brad the ornament that looked like Mel, the garland Kara had admired, the angel for the top. The angel still stood on the desk because Cole wouldn’t put it up until Taylor could do it, and Cole’s schedule had been out of sync with Kara’s all week.

  The baby’s eyelids closed sleepily once, and he began to whine again. Cole put the juice bottle to his lips and he sucked. With the rocker just a few steps away, Cole wrapped the blanket a little more snugly around the baby and began to hum another carol. Sinking farther into the rocker, he prayed that this time his efforts would combine to send his charming but noisy nephew to Dreamland.

  Mel wandered out of the bedroom, sniffed the baby in Cole’s arms, then curled up on the floor beside the chair.

  In that moment of quiet, little Brad snuggling into him and making greedy, contented noises, Cole experienced an extraordinary sense of accomplishment unmatched by any of his achievements as a police officer. He’d comforted a crying baby. Wow.

  Then his thoughts turned to his own baby. For a moment he was overwhelmed by a sense of loss. It continued to amaze him that he could feel so much for a life that was never realized, but he did. And then all the other questions piled on top. Angela must have known, or at least suspected, she was pregnant. How could she not have told him? How could she simply have made plans to leave when a life they’d created together was unfurling inside her?

  His practical brain gave him the same reply it had been giving him for three years. Angela and the baby were both gone, making answers to those questions unnecessary.