A Place to Call Home

by Sharon Sala

  So, truth hurts, he reminded himself, but it wasn’t going to kill him. He could still store up the memories of Charlotte Franklin—from the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she laughed, to the way she chewed on the lower edge of her lip when she was trying to be stern.

  As he watched her, it occurred to him that her hair looked different tonight. It was the first time he’d seen it up off her neck. It made her look younger, more vulnerable. And she was wearing a dress, instead of her usual T-shirt and jeans. It was made of something yellow that clung to her body as she moved, and he decided that yellow had become his new favorite color. The thrust of her breasts against the fabric was nothing less than a taunt, and he could have spanned her waist with his hands. Her bare arms and neck were a warm, golden tan, as were the sandals she was wearing. He knew, if he moved just the least bit closer, he would smell perfume, as well.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Wade said.

  Charlie grinned. “Like this is the first time?” He looked a little guilty, which made Charlie add, “I heard about the roadblock from the dispatcher. I’m just thankful you’re both all right.”

  She glanced at Judd then and smiled, as if finally giving herself permission to look at him, too, when, in fact, she’d been all too aware of him from the moment they’d entered the room.

  Judd knew he was staring, but he couldn’t make himself stop it.

  “Lady, you’re sure something to come home to,” he said.

  Wade looked startled, only then noticing that Charlie was wearing a dress and that her hair was different. Guilt hit him again.

  “Yeah, Charlie, you look nice. What’s the occasion?”

  Charlie could have willingly strangled her brother. “There is no occasion,” she muttered. “And I didn’t dress up. This dress is at least five years old.”

  “Maybe so,” Judd said. “But it has certainly withstood the test of time.”

  Then he glanced at Rachel and tweaked a lock of her hair.

  “Hey, punkin, I brought your surprise, just like I promised.”

  When he held out the bag of marshmallows, Rachel squealed with delight and went from Wade’s arms to Judd’s without a backward look.

  Wade arched an eyebrow as his niece abandoned him. “Just like a woman,” he drawled, and then laughed. “If my own niece will abandon me for nothing more than a bag of marshmallows, then it’s no wonder I’m not married.”

  Charlie grinned. “We have our priorities,” she said, then turned away, ignoring a spurt of jealousy for the fact that her daughter had the luxury of testing Judd Hanna’s hugs when she did not. “I kept supper warm,” she said. “I’ll have it on the table by the time you two wash up.”

  * * *

  That night, Judd slept without dreams, secure in the knowledge that for a while, he was safe within these walls in a way that he’d never been before. It wasn’t until day was breaking that he roused, and when he did, he lay for a moment, trying to figure out what had wakened him. He cocked his head, listening to the soft scraping sounds in the hallway beyond his door, then the ensuing silence that came afterward. A few seconds later, he heard a distinct thump and then another sound he couldn’t decipher. It wasn’t Charlie, that much he did know. Over the past few days, he’d learned to distinguish her movements apart from everyone else, like the lightness of her step, the methodical manner in which she prepared all their meals, even the gentleness of her reprimands as she dealt with the messes her baby often made.

  As for Wade, he couldn’t have been quiet if his life depended on it. He was big and noisy and moved through rooms the way he moved through life. So, Judd thought, that left only one other person who could be making those sounds. Unless there was a burglar in the house, Miss Rachel was up for the day.

  He smiled to himself and then rolled out of bed, curious as to what a two-year-old would be bent upon doing at this hour of the morning. He put on his jeans and then slipped into the hall, moving soundless through the house on bare feet. He peeked in the living room, thinking she might have headed for the television, because she’d only recently learned how to turn it on, but she wasn’t there. Another thump sounded, this time, accompanied by a small squeak. He spun around. The sound was coming from the kitchen, but when he got there, she was nowhere in sight. Curious as to where she had gone, he stood for a moment, listening.

  “Rachel…where are you?” he called.

  Total silence.

  “Rachel…it’s me, Judd.”

  Still nothing.

  A niggle of concern pulled him farther into the room. That was when he noticed that the pantry door was ajar. He turned on the lights, then moved toward it.

  She was sitting in the corner of the pantry with her blanket around her neck and the bag of marshmallows in her lap. Already a rim of powdered sugar encircled her lips, and her little chipmunk cheeks were full to overflowing with the mouthful she was trying to chew. She looked up at him and smiled, and as she did, one small syrupy-looking drool slipped out of the corner of her mouth.

  For the second time in less than a week, Judd Hanna found himself falling in love. He grinned as he walked inside, then surprised himself, as well as her, by sitting down right beside her.

  “Whatcha got, baby girl?”

  “’Mallows,” Rachel said, talking around the ones already in her mouth.

  “Can I have one?” Judd asked.

  Pleased that she had an excuse to dig into the sack for more, Rachel crammed her hand into the sack, then poked the tiny marshmallow she pulled out into his mouth.

  “Mmm-hmm,” Judd said, making a big pretense of smacking his lips and licking her fingers.

  As she ducked her head and giggled, another dribble of syrup oozed out of her mouth.

  He swiped at it with his thumb, then winked. “Better swallow that bite you’ve got in there,” he said, poking gently on the sides of her cheeks.

  She quickly obliged, then before he could stop her, she filled her mouth back up again. It was all he could do not to laugh.

  Then to his surprise, Rachel crawled onto his lap, her blanket still around her neck, and continued to dig through the sack, every now and then bestowing him with another bite. Humbled by her trust, he became so focused on watching her that he didn’t realize they were no longer alone.

  * * *

  With the instinct of a natural-born mother, Charlie knew without looking that something was amiss with her daughter. Dressing quickly, she slipped out of her room without making a noise, but when she got to Rachel’s room, both she and her blanket were gone. Charlie sighed. This new spurt of independence was to be expected, but it was worrisome, just the same. As she started up the hall in search of her daughter, she noticed Judd’s door ajar. When she peeked in, she saw that his bed was empty, as well. A bit of her tension eased and she was all the way into the living room before it dawned on her that she was beginning to trust the man—even enough to know that if he and her daughter were together, then that would mean Rachel was safe.

  Longing hit her square in the belly, then straight up to her heart. This was getting scary. She didn’t know whether to be glad Judd Hanna had awakened her emotions, or worry about what would come next. Either way, it was too late to fret. Awake they were.

  A sound came from the vicinity of the kitchen—a soft giggle. Rachel’s—she would know it anywhere.

  Then an answering chuckle, deep and rumbling. Judd’s—she had heard it before, even in her sleep.

  She frowned. But what were they doing?

  As she stopped at the doorway, she saw them almost immediately, sitting in the shadowy corner of the deep walk-in pantry. She felt like a voyeur. The camaraderie between the pair was impossible to miss. Judd’s head was bent to Rachel’s tousled curls. His pleasure was obvious, but not nearly as apparent as the joy on her little girl’s face.

  My baby…she’s crossed her first threshold and given her heart to a man.

  The moment she stepped into the room, Judd seemed to sense her presen
ce and looked up.

  “Uh-oh. Mommy’s up. Looks like we’ve been made.”

  Rachel fisted the loose edges of the bag as Charlie came toward them.

  “Pease?” Rachel said.

  Charlie tried to look stern. “Rachel Ann, aren’t you asking permission just a little bit late?”

  Judd looked almost as nervous as Rachel was acting. “Uh…I heard her and I…then we—”

  “Save the excuses for someone who’ll believe them,” Charlie drawled.

  Judd started to get up, when Charlie put her hand on his shoulder.

  “Is there room for one more at this table?”

  The surprise on Judd’s face was impossible to miss, but it was soon followed by a gleam in his eye that made her a little bit nervous.

  “Darlin’, for you, there’ll always be room.”

  Having set her heart atwitter, he moved his long legs to one side, giving her a place to sit down. To his everlasting delight, she did.

  The intimacy of sitting side by side and facing each other in the shadowy closet set a mood neither would have dared to suggest. Even with the baby between them, there was an energy impossible to miss.

  “So…what’s on the menu?” Charlie asked, a little surprised at her own audacity and trying to make light of what she’d done.

  Judd peered over Rachel’s shoulder into the bag, and then frowned.

  “Well, looks like we have ‘mallows. Green ‘mallows, pink ‘mallows, even white ‘mallows.” Then he added, “But no dry ‘mallows. Today, all our ‘mallows are being served with a sauce.”

  Charlie took one look at the mess on her daughter’s face and hands and then threw back her head and laughed. It was a hearty, from-the-belly-first laugh that echoed through the house.

  Judd listened to the sound coming out of her mouth as his gaze raked the tender curve of her neck. She looked as if she’d combed her hair with her fingers, and her T-shirt and shorts were quite old, but at that moment, he was certain he’d never seen a more beautiful or sexy woman in his life.

  “Hey, what’s going on in here?”

  They looked up, laughter still on their faces. Wade was standing at the pantry door, staring down in disbelief.

  Charlie patted the floor and scooted a little closer to Judd, making room for her brother to come in.

  “Breakfast is being served,” she said. “This morning, Rachel has chosen ‘mallows as the menu of choice. Will you have pink ones or green ones, or are you going to be a purist and stay with the white?”

  Wade arched an eyebrow, then grinned. “You’re all crazy,” he said, then lifted Rachel out of Judd’s lap. “Sorry, baby girl, but Uncle Wade needs caffeine, not sugar, to get him awake, and you need a bath. However, we’ll settle for a good wash at the sink, okay?”

  When the weight of her little body left Judd’s lap, he felt oddly bereft, even though it was past time to put an end to their snack. He stood, then reached down and offered Charlie a helping hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she took it, trying not to concentrate on the way his fingers curled around her hand and wrist, or the breadth of his bare torso.

  At the sink, Wade was chuckling beneath his breath as he tried to wrench the sack of marshmallows from Rachel’s grasp, but inside the pantry, another sort of war was in progress.

  Charlie was standing now, but Judd refused to let go of her hand. Charlie bit the edge of her lower lip and then looked up. There was a faint smudge of sugar on the side of his cheek, probably from one of Rachel’s indiscreet caresses. Without thinking, she reached up to wipe it away when Judd grabbed her hand. For a heart-stopping moment, she was caught. She saw his nostrils flare as he took a deep breath, and instinctively, she closed her eyes for the kiss she knew was coming.

  It was brief but tender and Charlie stifled a groan. Even though it was only a kiss, she’d given away more than she should.

  All too aware of Wade only a short distance away, Charlie glanced nervously in his direction. To her relief, he hadn’t seen a thing.

  “Why did you do that?” she whispered.

  Judd dropped her hands and then cupped the side of her face. “Just to see if your kisses were as sweet as Rachel’s.”

  Her heart fluttered. “And?”

  He leaned forward until his breath was just a whisper against her face. “Lady, I’m going to be on a sugar high all day.”

  “Hey, what are you two doing in there?” Wade yelled.

  “I’m kissing your sister,” Judd said. “Do you mind?”

  Charlie gasped, her eyes wide with shock. She didn’t want Wade to know—not yet. Not when she wasn’t even ready to face what she’d done.

  Then Judd turned around, tore a length of paper towel from a roll on the shelf and began methodically picking up the marshmallow remnants on the floor.

  Charlie stared at the back of his head in disbelief. How could he be so calm? If he knew Wade like she knew Wade, he should be running out the door about now. She stalked out of the pantry, her head held high, and marched straight past Wade to the refrigerator.

  “Scrambled or fried?” she asked, yanking a bowl of eggs from the shelf.

  Wade gave her a long, considering look, then dried Rachel’s face and hands and set her down on the floor.

  “How about scrambled?” he asked. “Sort of fits the mood of the moment, wouldn’t you say?”

  She ripped a wire whisk from a nearby rack and pointed it at Wade.

  “Don’t say it!” she muttered. “Just don’t say a word.”

  Judd came out of the pantry, tossed the paper towels and marshmallows into the trash, then went to the sink to wash his hands.

  Wade gave him a cool, considering look.

  “You are a nervy son of a bitch, aren’t you, Hanna?”

  Judd looked at them then, judging the embarrassment on Charlie’s face against a hint of anger on Wade’s.

  “Yes, I guess I am,” he finally said. “But I learned it the hard way. When I was a kid, no matter what I did, I used to get the hell beat out of me on a regular basis, even though I tried to do everything right. I stayed in school. I didn’t complain—not even when there was no food in the house, not even when there was no heat or light. When blood was running out of my ears and nose, I lied to my old man and said it didn’t hurt. When he didn’t come home for days on end, I pretended I didn’t care. But no matter what I did, it wasn’t enough. And one day, I realized that the only way I was going to survive was to quit worrying about making him happy and take care of myself.”

  The revelation had come out of nowhere, and Charlie wondered how long this had been festering inside of him. Her embarrassment gone, she reached for his arm. When he smiled coldly, she stepped away.

  “Sorry, Charlotte. I’ll take almost anything from a woman but sympathy.”

  She winced but wouldn’t back down. “It’s called empathy, Judd Hanna, and do you want your eggs scrambled, too?”

  Startled by her gutsy change of subject, he blinked, then took a deep breath, making himself relax.

  “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from.”

  Wade shook his head. “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not okay,” Judd said. “It’s called abusing your hospitality, and I can promise you it won’t happen again.”

  He started out of the room when Charlie called him back.

  “Judd!”

  He stopped, then turned.

  “Yeah?”

  “Your father…did he ever change?”

  A dark look came and went in Judd’s eyes. “Don’t know. Haven’t seen him since the night I threatened to kill him.”

  Charlie paled. Wade gritted his teeth.

  “Damn, Hanna, when was that?”

  “When I was ten.” Then he glanced at Charlie and made himself smile. “Don’t fix any eggs for me. I’m too full of ‘mallows.”

  She bit her lip to keep from crying as he walked out of the room.

  “Oh, Wade…”

  Wade sighed, then put hi
s arms around Charlie’s shoulders.

  “We were lucky, weren’t we, sis?”

  Then they both looked at Rachel, who was playing in a puddle of sunlight on the bare kitchen floor. Suddenly, tears sprang to Charlie’s eyes and she picked her daughter up from the floor and hugged her fiercely.

  “Mommy loves you s-o-o-o-o much,” she said softly, kissing the little freckle below Rachel’s left ear.

  Rachel giggled.

  After Judd’s revelation, it was a bittersweet sound.

  Chapter 7

  Nothing more was said about what had happened in the kitchen, but the truth of it rode between the two men all the way into town. Judd Hanna was a man with baggage, who had obvious designs on a woman with baggage of her own. And while Wade never said it, Judd sensed his judgment just the same. Basically, it came down to one fact. If Judd was any kind of a man at all, he would resolve his own mess instead of adding to Charlie’s.

  As they neared the outskirts of Call City, Judd finally spoke.

  “If you’d drop me off at the garage, I can pick up my Jeep. As soon as I settle up with the mechanic, I’ll come to the office. You can tell me where you want me to go from there.”

  Wade gave him a considering look. “I appreciate the fact that you’ve agreed to stay on, even though Shuler turned up.”

  Judd shrugged. “It’s no big deal,” he said softly. “I had no destination in mind when I got here. I still don’t. One place is as good as another. Besides, you still don’t know who snatched Shuler, or if it will happen again.”

  “Don’t even say that,” Wade muttered, and then he shifted the topic of conversation to something else Judd had just said. “What did you mean by having no destination? Aren’t you planning to go back to Tulsa?”

  Judd shrugged. “I doubt it. Once something’s over, I don’t ever go back.”

  Wade’s hands tightened around the steering wheel as he thought of Charlie.

  “Don’t hurt her,” he said as he pulled up to the garage and parked.