BONNIE HAD FINALLY been able to remove Katie’s arms from around her neck and slide out of the little girl’s bed at home that evening when Greg arrived.
“We’ve got him,” were her brother’s first words.
Keith had met him at the door and the three of them stood in the kitchen.
“Thank God.” Bonnie sank into a chair.
“Who was it?” Keith asked. Bonnie could feel the tension in him as he stiffened beside her.
She hadn’t even thought to ask the question.
“The handyman, Shane Bellows.”
“No.” Bonnie’s face paled. She could feel the warmth leaving her skin. “It can’t be.”
“Culver found him outside. Bellows was exhibiting signs of intense confusion. Repeating the same thing over and over. Something about you being happy with him. Culver had him searched and found a note in his pocket that detailed today’s hit.”
“Oh, my God.”
She couldn’t believe it. All the while she’d been caring about Shane, trying to help him…
“I’m going to kill him,” Keith said through clenched teeth.
“No, you’re not,” Greg said emphatically. And then, more gently, he told Bonnie, “There’s more.”
She turned to him, waiting.
“Bellows was aiming for Katie.”
Bonnie had about two seconds to get to the guest bathroom before she lost what little lunch she’d had that day.
GREG STAYED another hour. As nearly as they could piece together from notes they’d found in Shane’s home, that first book of matches in the vent had been a random prank, just as Greg had originally surmised. But Bonnie’s reaction to the fire had apparently given Shane the idea that Bonnie wanted out of the day-care business. At the police station, waiting to be taken to a state-run mental facility where he’d be locked up, Shane had told them repeatedly that if he didn’t help Bonnie feel happy, she’d leave.
Sick with guilt, Bonnie gave her brother a brief rundown of her talks with Shane and finally, without looking at Keith, about the kiss they’d shared. Her way of handling the situation—by using Katie as a shield to spare Shane’s feelings—had almost cost their daughter her life.
They’d found notes that would convict Shane of starting all but the first fire at Little Spirits. These included pyrotechnic instructions, as well as step-by-step agendas he’d written for himself. They’d also found plans for tampering with the pipes at Little Spirits on at least two occasions. One early in the morning. One late at night. They were assuming the first had resulted in the flooded toilet and the other in the fallen ceiling panel.
The assumption was that the mishaps were Shane’s attempt to get time alone with Bonnie.
The disturbed boy-man thought himself in love with her and had become convinced that if he could make her happy, she’d return his love. Until she’d mentioned Katie. Shane had seen Katie as a permanent barrier to Bonnie’s happiness. And his own.
What she’d been trying to tell him was that Katie was the foundation of her happiness.
Shane, in all his confusion, was facing a long-term incarceration in a state mental facility.
As sick as she felt about him, about what he’d done, Bonnie knew she’d be visiting him there.
In time…
“You coming with me?” her brother asked on his way out. She and Greg had reached a truce the first night she’d spent in his home. He didn’t pretend to understand her decision to leave her husband, but he loved her and would be there for her no matter what.
“No.” Bonnie shook her head, almost woozy with fatigue. “I can’t leave Katie tonight.”
She didn’t look at Keith, didn’t want to see his reaction to the news. At the moment, their talk of divorce didn’t matter. She’d sleep in Katie’s room if she had to, but she refused to be separated from her.
Or risk her waking up frightened and not finding both parents there to offer comfort.
GREG LEFT. And she was alone with her estranged husband. In the home they’d filled with so much hope. So many dreams.
“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you about staying,” she said as the door closed behind her brother.
“It’s your house,” Keith said. “With Katie still so skittish, I would’ve been more surprised if you’d gone.”
Then he just stood there, hands in his pockets.
Bonnie couldn’t remember ever feeling so awkward with him. Not even when they were first dating. “When you called this morning, you said you wanted to talk. What about?”
“It’s late. You sure you want to get into all that now?”
No. She was pretty sure she didn’t. But she gave a noncommittal shrug. “It’s not like I’m going to be able to fall asleep any time soon.”
Nodding, Keith led the way into the family room, sinking heavily into a corner of the couch. Bonnie settled on the other end, half facing him.
“What’s up?” She pretended she was ready to handle whatever he had to say.
“Something that happened with Martha…” He stopped.
Here it came. And she wasn’t prepared.
“Anyway, it’s really made me think hard about you and me,” he went on, “opening my eyes to certain truths I’d somehow missed along the way.”
“And?” The one word took all the breath she had.
“I’ve made some decisions I’d planned to discuss with you.”
“About us?”
“Yes.”
It took her a minute. Several deep breaths. But she was finally able to say, “Okay, what are they?”
He didn’t answer immediately, and every second threatened the flimsy hold she had on her composure. Because she, too, had learned a lot these past few weeks. And one of the things she knew for sure was that his happiness, and Katie’s, meant more to her than her own.
She’d get through this for them.
And then hope that Beth and Greg, and the new business, and Katie and Shelter Valley would allow her to pick up the pieces.
“I’ve realized that if you want a relationship to work,” he finally said, “you have to be willing to give up control of your own happiness, but take control of your spouse’s.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was so busy hanging on to what I needed to be happy—trying to control my happiness and giving up control of yours, making you find it on your own—that I didn’t understand the answer was there all along. If I’m thinking about your happiness, doing whatever I can to see that your needs are met, my happiness is going to follow.”
“Unless I’m a selfish jerk who’s busy seeing to my own happiness and not worrying about yours.”
“Granted, but if you were a selfish jerk, I wouldn’t be in this relationship.”
She forced back the first wave of tears.
“The idea is, Bon, that if you’re looking out for me and I’m looking out for you, we’ll be able to find whatever compromise exists to take care of us.”
“Because to compromise you have to understand both sides and we’re naturally going to understand our own.” She didn’t know how she got the sentence past the constriction in her chest. She really wanted to maintain composure. This was important stuff.
“Something like that.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m not sure.” His grin was sad, self-deprecating and sexy at the same time. “I just know that everything I thought was so important to me—this house, Shelter Valley, my job—mean nothing without you. So if you need to leave all of this behind, I’m ready to go.”
All thoughts of composure fled as Bonnie scrambled across the couch and into her husband’s arms. She’d intended to tell him how she felt, about her own discoveries, about the new business she’d committed herself to. But she couldn’t stop crying long enough to say a word.
“We’ll call a real-estate agent tomorrow, Bon, sell the house. You can accept that job offer or any—”
“No!” She finally joined the conversation. “Y
ou love it here. We made plans for our lives.”
“You aren’t the same woman who made those plans. People change and grow, and when you love someone, you have to be prepared to change and grow along with that person.”
Pulling back, Bonnie looked up at him, grinning. “You really have given this some pretty intense thought.”
“Yeah, leave a guy alone long enough and you’d be surprised at what he can do.”
“Well, a girl can do some pretty amazing things, too,” she told him, sitting up. She described her plans for the new day care, Grandma’s involvement, the ideas they wanted to pursue.
Keith finally broke in. “We can do a piece on MUTV to help raise awareness and funding.” Then he asked, “What are you planning to do about Diamond?”
“Move,” Bonnie said. That, too, was suddenly an easy answer. “We need to get away from the aftermath of Shane Bellows,” she said. “And if we’re going to have a dual facility, we’ll need a lot more space.”
“Maybe we can find a place tomorrow,” he said, rattling off business details about insurances and zoning, obviously trying to ensure as little downtime for The Spirits as possible.
“And what about Gentile?” The hesitancy in his voice was a vivid reminder that they had some rebuilding to do.
“I called him ten days ago and told him he’d have to find someone else.”
Keith sat back, removing his hand back from where it had been lying against her leg. “You’ve known for ten days that you weren’t leaving town?”
“I knew I couldn’t be far from Katie.” Bonnie grabbed his hand, held on to it. “Or from her father.”
With one gentle tug, she was back in Keith’s arms, kissing him for the first time in too many weeks.
“I thought I’d never have the right to do this again,” he said against her lips.
“Always,” Bonnie told him, blinking away the tears in her eyes so she could see him more clearly. “I’m yours, Keith. You have every right there is.”
He kissed her again. Long and gently. Searchingly. There would be time for strength and passion later. Right now they traveled a different path, one that revealed vulnerability and need—and complete safety for both of them.
Eventually she laid her head against his chest, content to listen to his heartbeat.
“There’ll be no more talk of babies until you’re ready.” He broke the silence, reverting to the subject of their marriage. Bonnie had an idea there’d be many conversations like that in the next days and weeks.
“Give me a chance to get the day care started and I’ll be ready. At least for one more.”
“You’re sure?”
“Completely.” Funny how easy it all was when there was clear understanding between them—and unconditional love.
She started to ask what had “happened” with Martha to prompt Keith’s new understanding, but decided the answer didn’t matter. Just as Keith had trusted her with his happiness, she trusted him.
She had to remember to call the woman with a Sunday-dinner invitation—and make sure she came this time.
Keith fell silent, holding her tightly, and Bonnie settled back against him. They should probably go to bed.
But she didn’t want to give in to sleep just yet.
After so much heartache, she needed more time just to lie there in her husband’s arms and savor the moments, to be fully conscious of the miracle of life.
And of a love that didn’t die.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6259-5
BORN IN THE VALLEY
Copyright © 2003 by Tara Lee Reames.
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