Worth the Risk (Pine Valley Book 1)

by Heather B. Moore

  “Sure,” Alicia said. She scrambled for something to write on in her purse and handed over a receipt with her email written on it.

  “Do you have a direct number we can reach you at?” Jeff asked, pulling out his phone.

  “Sure, but I wasn’t the arresting officer,” Leo said.

  “That’s all right,” Jeff said. “I’d rather go through you.”

  Leo rattled off his number, and Jeff put it in his phone.

  Just then, Mrs. Waters was led out by a female officer. She was wearing a coat over dark sweat pants and a purple sweater. At least she wasn’t wearing the ratty bathrobe Jeff had seen her in the other day. Her hair hung about her face as if she hadn’t washed or brushed it for weeks. The dark circles under her eyes told Jeff that Alicia’s mom was in her own personal hell.

  He watched as she approached Alicia, and said, “Did you pay the bail?”

  “Yes, Mom,” Alicia said. “Are you okay?”

  Her mom scowled. “No. I’m in jail! How do you think I am?”

  Jeff winced.

  “Let’s get you home, and you can tell us what happened,” Alicia said with a sigh.

  “I’ll tell you what happened,” her mom said, not moving. “I was going on a walk, and our idiot neighbor called the cops on me. No one would listen, they just wanted my money.”

  “Okay, Mom, let’s go,” Alicia said, grasping her mom’s arm.

  Remarkably the woman didn’t pull away. It seemed her bark was stronger than her bite.

  “You can sit in the front,” Alicia said, leading her to the SUV and opening the passenger door.

  “What’s this? Where did you get this car?” her mom asked.

  “It’s Jeff’s,” Alicia said. “He drove me.”

  Her mom looked over at Jeff, her eyes widening as if she’d just noticed him for the first time. Perhaps she had. “Why did he drive you? What’s wrong with your car? Did you forget to change the oil again?”

  “That was when I was sixteen, mom,” Alicia said. “Just get in the SUV. It’s freezing out here.”

  This time the irritation in her voice was plain, Jeff noted. But it seemed that as stubborn as Mrs. Waters was, Alicia was more stubborn. Her mom finally climbed into the SUV.

  Jeff climbed in, too, and started up the heater on full blast. He decided to let Alicia carry the conversation; Mrs. Waters had already put him in his place.

  As he drove back to their house, Mrs. Waters cast him a few glances. Jeff kept driving, not saying anything.

  “I’m getting the police report tomorrow,” Alicia said. “But I want to know why you got arrested. What were you doing?”

  Mrs. Waters threw her hands up. “Nothing. I was on a walk, that’s all.”

  “Did you go into someone’s yard?” Alicia said.

  “I was just making sure the Osbournes weren’t throwing away anything that could still be used,” her mom said. “You wouldn’t believe what people throw away.”

  “Mom, you can’t go onto someone else’s property and look through their garbage,” Alicia said. “That’s like going into their house and stealing.”

  Mrs. Waters scoffed. “That’s where you’re wrong. It’s called garbage for a reason. They don’t want it anymore.”

  “It’s illegal,” Alicia said. “Even if you did that at the gas station, you’d be cited.”

  “It’s ridiculous,” her mom said, not budging on her defense. “The cops have nothing better to do, and the Osbournes have no business throwing away a perfectly good lamp. They could have at least donated it to Goodwill.”

  Alicia sighed. “Was it worth $625? And for me and Jeff to come and pick you up in the middle of the night? Not to mention whatever court dates you have to go to now. And what about lawyer fees?”

  “I’m not paying for a lawyer,” her mom said, her chin jutting up. “If they want me in court, then they can pay for the lawyer.”

  Jeff was about to drive Mrs. Waters back to the station. He didn’t know how Alicia could be so patient with her mom. It was like arguing with a teenager. When he pulled into the driveway, Mrs. Waters unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door before he’d come to a full stop.

  “Mom,” Alicia said, exasperation in her voice.

  Her mom slammed the door and stalked to the house.

  “I’m so sorry,” Alicia told Jeff, her voice trembling. “She drives me crazy, and now I’ve dragged you into this. I mean, I just bailed her out of jail, and she’s angry at me.”

  Jeff reached back and grabbed her hand. “Let me help. I’ll talk to her.” He didn’t know why he was offering, but maybe having a different person than Alicia try to talk sense into her would help.

  Alicia hesitated. “I don’t know. She can be pretty cruel.”

  “If she gets too upset, I can leave,” Jeff said. “But I want to tell her what little I know about the court system and maybe even talk to her about getting a lawyer. I’m hoping this will be a wake-up call for her.”

  “Me too,” Alicia said, squeezing his hand, then letting go. “She won’t be happy that I’m letting you inside the house.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “It’s pretty awful in there,” Alicia continued. “Just know that my room is immaculate.”

  “Of course it is,” Jeff said. Although his tone was light, he didn’t want her to think that he was going to judge Alicia by her mom’s actions. Besides, how bad could a few piles of junk be?

  They both climbed out of the SUV, and as they approached the house, it looked like Mrs. Waters had turned on every single light.

  “She likes the lights on,” Alicia said. “At first, I thought it was because she hated the dark, but the therapist told me it’s because the visual sight of all of her stuff reduces her anxiety levels.”

  Alicia opened the door and stepped inside the house. Jeff walked in behind her, thinking he’d face a familiar sight. He’d been inside the Waters house plenty when he was a kid. At first, he thought he’d stepped into a warehouse, but there was carpet, a couch, and a rocking chair. He’d heard of hoarding, of course, but had never actually witnessed it.

  One wall was lined with bookcases, stuffed with books and other odds and ends. On the side of the front door and running toward what must be the kitchen were stacked boxes, two or three deep. The hallway that led to the bedrooms was shrunk down to a narrow passageway because of the number of boxes. It looked as if someone had just moved in or was getting ready to move.

  Since the light in the kitchen was on as well, he could see that the counters were stacked with dishes, towels, and kitchen gadgets. On the kitchen table sat a wooden crate that was filled with picture frames; on top of the frames were two toasters that looked like they’d seen better days.

  “What’s he doing here?” Mrs. Waters asked.

  Jeff swung his gaze toward the gas fireplace where she stood. He hadn’t even noticed her there at first. She was holding her hands out to the flames. Next to her was a coffee table with stacks of magazines and catalogs that would rival any library’s collection.

  Mrs. Waters didn’t look happy with his presence, and he could only hope that she’d listen to him. She had to listen to someone.

  Alicia held her breath as Jeff and her mom gazed at each other. Not only was Alicia cringing over the fact that Jeff was actually in her house and a front-row witness to the disaster that was their home, but her mom looked ready to pounce.

  “I have a lawyer friend who can help you with whatever the cops are going to charge you with,” Jeff said. “Can I have him call you tomorrow?”

  Alicia looked to her mom, surprised that she wasn’t immediately turning Jeff down. “All right. He can call me at 11:00 tomorrow morning. I like to sleep in a little.”

  Jeff nodded, and relief swept through Alicia. She couldn’t guess what was going through his mind right now, and she wouldn’t blame him if he left and never knocked on her door again.

  “Great. His name is Dawson Harris,” Jeff said. “He helped me wi
th some important legal matters recently, so I highly recommend him.”

  Her mom narrowed her eyes. “Alicia said you’d been to court. How much does this lawyer cost?”

  “Turns out he owes me a couple of favors,” Jeff said with a smile that Alicia was sure he didn’t truly feel. “So there won’t be any charge for him to help you.”

  At this, her mom seemed to be impressed. “All right, then. Eleven o’ clock, but no earlier.”

  “Great,” Jeff said. “Also, I wondered if you’ve ever made jewelry. Each week, my mom does orders for an Etsy company. She makes earrings and bracelets, and she’s always looking for help.”

  Alicia stared at Jeff, but he was focused on her mom.

  “Jewelry?” her mom said.

  “Yeah, it pays pretty well, too,” Jeff said. “You can do it at home, and then my mom can pick up the finished pieces and mail them for you. Or Alicia can mail them. What do you think?”

  Her mom shrugged.

  Jeff pulled out his phone, then walked over to her mom. “Here’s a picture of some of the jewelry my mom made.”

  Her mom peered at the picture that Jeff showed her. “Those are pretty. How much do the materials cost?”

  Alicia couldn’t believe her mom was interested in this. She would have never guessed.

  “No cost to you,” Jeff said. “My mom would just bring over the materials, you make them, and then you get paid as soon as they are shipped. It’s all automatic and comes into whichever account you want it to.”

  Her mom glanced at Alicia, and she recognized the calculating look on her mom’s face. She was probably trying to figure out if she could make decent money.

  “It’s up to you,” Jeff continued. “My mom loves it, and she can make as much or as little money as she wants. She can do it at home while she watches TV or listens to an audio book. Should I have her call you?”

  Her mom shrugged. “Your mom was always nice to me. I remember those cinnamon rolls she used to make.”

  Jeff laughed. “Yeah, she still makes them. I’m sure she’d love your help. Should I tell her to call you?”

  Her mom paused. “She can call me tomorrow at 11:30 because I’m talking to that lawyer of yours at 11:00.”

  “Okay, great,” Jeff said. “I will let them know.” He met Alicia’s stunned gaze. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Wait,” Alicia said, glancing at her mom, who’d turned back to the fire. “I’ll walk you out.” She followed Jeff out of the house, and before he could step off the porch, she grabbed his arm.

  He turned to face her, his eyebrows raised, as if he was surprised she’d followed him.

  “You don’t have to do all of this,” she said. “I mean, you’re going way above and beyond this friendship thing. Even I know that Dawson would never work for free, and does your mom really need help with her jewelry business?”

  He grinned.

  “Jeff.” She moved closer and lowered her voice. “My mom is a really difficult person. I feel bad that you’re in the middle of this.”

  Jeff placed his hands on her shoulders. “I want to help your mom. I want to help you. You’re just going to have to live with that.”

  Alicia exhaled. He was really close, and she strangely felt like either kissing him or crying. So she should probably go back into the house before she did either. “I just don’t know if I can ever thank you.”

  “I’m not looking for thanks,” he said. Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  Alicia was so startled, she didn’t move for a moment. Before she could come up with any sort of response, he said, “See you tomorrow. Call me when you get the police report, and we can conference Dawson in. It would be good to have a strategy before he calls your mom.”

  He moved away, and Alicia nodded numbly. She remained on the porch as she watched him climb into his SUV and drive away. She might have waved goodbye, or she might have just stared at him blankly. She wasn’t entirely sure.

  By the time she went back inside, her mom was curled up on the couch under a pile of dusty afghans, sound asleep. Alicia locked the front door and turned off a couple of lights, leaving the living room one on for her mom. Then she changed from her hostess dress and climbed into her bed.

  When she closed her eyes, she saw Jeff’s blue eyes watching her. She saw him leaning toward her. She felt his lips on her cheek.

  No, she told herself. He’s just being a friend. Nothing more. But her heart wasn’t listening to her brain. Her heart was imagining what it might be like to kiss Jeff. To be pulled into his arms, and to have his lips on hers . . .

  Alicia burrowed under her covers and wished she could just get this night over with—all of it. From her mom’s arrest to the spinning thoughts in her head over Jeff. She couldn’t think of him as anything more than a friend. She couldn’t survive another heartbreak over him. She still hadn’t recovered from the last one.

  It was a long time before she fell asleep.

  When she awoke to the morning sun, Alicia’s first thought was that it was a new day. Her mom was safely at home. Jeff was going to help them.

  Alicia checked on her mom, who was still sleeping on the couch, before she got into the shower. She knew she had to make a phone call to her dad, and although she dreaded it, she hoped that her dad would help her find a solution. The more she thought about her mom wandering in the neighborhood at night, the more worried she became about going to work that night. But if she didn’t go to work, or if she quit her job, then she might go crazy herself. Not to mention completely broke.

  She dressed, then blow-dried her hair. By the time she came out of her bathroom, her mom was up and eating some scrambled eggs. Alicia knew better than to ask if her mom had made enough for two, so she searched through the pantry for a box of cereal.

  She moved aside two herb pots that contained dried dirt and dead plants to make room for her cereal bowl at the table. All the while her mom eyed her, making sure Alicia didn’t somehow damage the herb pots.

  When her mom apparently deemed the dead herbs safe, she left the kitchen and turned on the TV in the front room. This was a good sign. Her mom hadn’t nagged Alicia or tried to start an argument. She also wasn’t searching through boxes, frantic to find something. Watching TV usually meant that her mood was mellow.

  Alicia’s phone dinged. An email had come through from Officer Leo Russo. She thought of the gangly dark-haired kid who’d always been playing pranks in school. He’d grown into a well-built police officer who was all business. She opened the attachment and read through the police report while the TV droned in the next room.

  Her mother was being charged with trespassing on private property, petty theft, and obstruction of justice. Alicia scanned the account written up by the arresting officer. It sounded like her mother didn’t cooperate much; the officers had asked her plenty of questions, which she’d refused to answer.

  Alicia exhaled. She was debating about whether to call her dad before or after her mom talked to Dawson Harris. She hated to keep relying on Jeff, but she had zero experience with this kind of stuff, so she saved the PDF on her phone, then texted it to Jeff. Call me when you have a chance to look over this.

  When he called her about twenty minutes later, Alicia was in her room, the door locked.

  “Thanks for calling,” she said, trying not to think about his innocent kiss on her cheek last night.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  Of course he would ask that. “I slept in.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “I think I’ve given up on ever getting a full night’s sleep again.”

  Alicia sighed. “I’m sorry about that. If I hadn’t called—”

  “That not it at all. I’m glad you called.” He lowered his voice. “I want you to call.”

  Something about the tone of his voice made her already fast pulse quicken.

  “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done,” Alicia said. “I mean, I’d make you cookies or brownies, but I rea
lly don’t trust my mom’s kitchen. You saw how unsanitary and dangerous it is.”

  He chuckled.

  “What’s funny?”

  “I don’t think a kitchen can be dangerous—just maybe a person in it.”

  “That too,” Alicia said. “My mom doesn’t like me to move things around. She’s pretty territorial.”

  “Yeah, I can see that.”

  “About that . . . I’m sorry you had to see the house last night. It’s pretty terrible.”

  “Stop apologizing,” Jeff said. “Your mom’s ill. You don’t have to apologize for that. You’ve been amazing with her.”

  Alicia exhaled. “I just don’t know what else to do, you know. How do I keep her out of trouble? Lock her in the house? I don’t even know if I should go to work tonight.”

  “We can figure something out,” Jeff said. “It’s not good for you to be stuck in that house either.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She stood from her bed and crossed to the window to look out at the snowy backyard. “Remember when we used to have wars on the swings? See who could swing higher, and then we’d try to make each other fall off.”

  Jeff chuckled. “Until that time when I broke my hand. Our parents were so mad, they grounded me for a week.”

  “You got lucky,” Alicia said. “I was grounded for two weeks.”

  “But you didn’t have to wear a cast.”

  “True.” Alicia was smiling, but then she sobered. “That was the summer before my parents split up. It seems like everything sort of changed after that.”

  “We were both fourteen,” Jeff said. “Everyone goes through changes at that age.”

  Alicia nodded, even though Jeff couldn’t see her. The silence between them stretched.

  “Hey,” Jeff said. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s sort of . . . well, it’s sort of awkward.”

  She stiffened. “Okay, what is it?”

  “In person,” Jeff said. “I’ll come over with my mom later, if your mom gives the all-clear on the jewelry thing.”

  Now Alicia was really curious.

  “In the meantime, I texted that police report over to Dawson, and he’ll call your mom at 11:00 like she asked.” He paused. “It looks like they’re throwing everything at her that they can. But that’s normal for a police report. A lot can change between now and the court appearance.”