When We Found Home

by Susan Mallery

* * *

  Santiago waited for the last quarterly presentation to be finished before wrapping up the meeting. Alberto’s Alfresco had grown 4 percent in the previous quarter, thanks to an increase in prepared dinners. Not just entrées, but curated four-course meals that required the barest of preparation and yielded something even the fussiest of mothers-in-law would appreciate. Every sector was up, except for dried soups and powdered beverages—their sales had been flat, something Santiago hadn’t expected. He was going to have to do some research.

  He left the conference room and headed to his corner office. April was still the rainy season in Seattle, but the skies had momentarily cleared, giving him a view of the city. His office faced east—not exactly the prime west, Sound-facing office that Malcolm had—but Santiago didn’t care. He could see the Sound anytime he wanted from his condo and he liked the relative quiet of his corner when he needed to number crunch.

  He sat down at his desk and paused for a second, thinking he’d come a long way from the farm worker’s kid he’d been when he’d entered the University of Washington on a football scholarship. He’d barely gotten through high school with a C average—he’d known sports were his only way out and he’d done his best to excel. Football he understood. He didn’t love it the way some of the guys did, but he respected the opportunities it provided and he’d worked the program. Academically, he’d been terrified.

  He remembered the first day he’d shown up in his dorm room. His roommate, some skinny kid with a serious expression and expensive luggage, had greeted him with even less enthusiasm than Santiago had felt. Malcolm Carlesso had been quiet, studious and about as much fun as termites. Two days later Santiago had been in the process of requesting a room change when he’d come back from practice to find a bowl of ice sitting in their small freezer. When he’d asked about it, Malcolm had said it was for Santiago’s ice pack for his knee. Malcolm had been going to the communal kitchen anyway and had brought some back.

  That simple gesture had been the beginning of a friendship that had lasted over fifteen years so far. Malcolm had helped Santiago realize he was a whole lot smarter than anyone had known. Santiago had taught Malcolm to loosen up and get rid of the stick up his ass. They’d roomed together all through college, even getting an apartment together their senior year.

  When Santiago’s mother had lost her job in Yakima, Malcolm had arranged for her to get a job at Alberto’s Alfresco, and the family had moved to Seattle. When Malcolm had wanted to expand the company, he’d hired Santiago away from the hedge fund where he’d been the finance VP. They were a team—no matter what, he had Malcolm’s back and he knew his friend would say the same about him.

  Now he sat in front of his computer and pulled up the numbers for the soup and drink division. Something was wrong and he was going to find out what.

  But before he’d gotten much past the first layer of numbers, Malcolm walked into his office.

  “What did I miss?” his boss asked, taking the visitor’s chair by his desk.

  “Nothing much. The quarterly meeting went well. We’re up 4 percent. I’ve emailed you the summary reports, just let me know if you want to get into more detail.”

  “Any surprises?”

  “Soups and drinks are down. I’m looking into it.”

  Malcolm rubbed his forehead. “Thanks. I don’t think I’d be much help right now.”

  “You have a lot going on. How’s Keira?”

  “Physically? Healing. She sees her doctor tomorrow. As for the rest of it, I have no idea.”

  Malcolm was gifted when it came to business and a hell of a good friend, but he was not equipped to deal with a twelve-year-old girl. He wasn’t relaxed around kids and he didn’t trust easily. Whatever progress had been made on that front had been undone by Rachel nearly two years ago, Santiago thought, mentally calling Malcolm’s ex-fiancée every crappy name he could think of.

  Malcolm looked at him. “There was a kitten. That’s how she got hit by a car. She saw a kitten and ran into the street. Can you believe it?”

  “Yes. It’s something Emma would do in a heartbeat. She’s a kid, Malcolm. It was a kitten. What did you expect? That she would look both ways? She reacted.”

  “She could have been killed.”

  “Yes, but she wasn’t. She’ll recover and hey, now you have a cat.”

  His friend grimaced. “Lucky me. I said she could keep it.”

  “Good move.” He leaned forward. “You have to relax around her. Pretend she’s a regular person.”

  “Thanks for nothing. She is a regular person.”

  “Not to you. You act like she’s an unwelcome life force. Kids are tough. Just let her know you care and you’re there for her.”

  “I do care about her. I’m just not sure how to make her believe that.”

  “Fake it until you make it.”

  Malcolm glared at him. “What does that mean?”

  “Pretend interest in whatever floats the boat of a twelve-year-old girl. At first you’ll feel awkward and stupid but over time it will get easier. She’s your sister.”

  “There’s another one.”

  “Another...”

  “Sister.”

  Santiago stared at him. “You’re kidding. Like Star Wars? There is another?”

  “Not funny and yes. Alberto found out about her the same time he learned about Keira, but he couldn’t locate her.” Malcolm hesitated as if he were going to say something, then seemed to change his mind. “She’s twenty-six and living in Houston. We get the DNA test back today.”

  Santiago whistled. “Two new sisters. Any others out there lurking?”

  “Not that Jerry knew about. Those were the only two mentioned in his papers.”

  “If the DNA test is a match, then what?”

  Malcolm looked at him. “Guess.”

  “Let’s see. Alberto will fly her out here and move her into the house.”

  “Bingo.”

  “You’re awash in sisters. That’s nice. I would have liked a sister.”

  “Take one of mine.”

  Santiago chuckled. “I do great with kids.”

  “Yes, you do. It’s annoying.”

  “I’m a people person.”

  “That you are.”

  “You’re better-looking but no one notices because you’re such a tight ass.”

  Instead of laughing, Malcolm turned away. “Do you know how Keira had me listed in her phone?”

  “What do you mean? She had your name wrong?”

  “No.” Malcolm looked at him. “On her contact list, I’m her asshole brother.”

  Santiago winced. “I’m sorry, Malcolm. She’s having a tough time making the transition. It’s still all new to her.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He rose. “You’re in her contacts, too. Under your real name. Hell of a thing.”

  “It’ll get better.”

  “You sure?” Malcolm shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll figure it out. Thanks for covering the meetings for me.”

  “No problem.”

  He watched his friend walk away and wished he knew how to fix the problem, or at least mitigate it. Maybe if he talked to Keira or...

  No, he told himself. Malcolm had to figure out Keira in his own way. Santiago stepping in to play hero wouldn’t help anyone, or so his brothers had told him about five thousand times.

  chapter six

  Delaney had lived in Seattle all her life and still wasn’t the least bit familiar with the area where Keira and Malcolm lived—probably because if the world were separated into haves and have-nots, she would definitely find herself on the side of the latter.

  The closer she got to Lake Washington, the larger the homes and lots got until she was pretty sure they were called estates rather than something as pedestrian as houses.

  She checked s
treet numbers on mostly closed security gates and was surprised to find herself turning onto a gate-free driveway. The house in front of her was huge—massively tall and wide, with dozens of windows and double front doors that were suited for a modern castle. As she drove along the curved driveway to park in front of the house, she caught sight of the lake beyond.

  Lake Washington was a long narrow lake only a couple of miles wide but over twenty miles long. It was beautiful, offered plenty of lakefront living but created a traffic nightmare for the east side of the metropolitan area. Finding one’s way around traffic jams could be challenging when there was a giant lake in the middle of the commute corridors.

  Delaney parked by the front door and looked at the carrier in the passenger seat. “You, young lady, have hit the jackpot. This house is going to be quite the kitty playground. You could get lost for days and I mean that in a good way.”

  The kitten meowed in response.

  Delaney got out of her car. Before she could circle to the trunk and start unloading supplies, the front door opened and an attractive brown-haired woman walked out. She was maybe in her fifties, wearing jeans and a dark green twinset on the cool, cloudy April day.

  “You must be Delaney,” the woman said, holding out her hand. “I’m Carmen. I’m Mr. Carlesso’s housekeeper.” Carmen smiled. “That would be the senior Mr. Carlesso. You might have heard Keira called him Grandfather Alberto.”

  “Yes, that is what she calls him. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve brought Keira’s kitten. How’s she doing?”

  “Much better. She’s still stiff and sore, but she’s moving around and eating.” Carmen’s mouth twisted. “When Malcolm called and told me there’d been an accident, I didn’t know what to think. We were all so frightened. She’s still a little girl and she hasn’t been here very long. I didn’t want anything to happen to her.”

  At the mention of Malcolm’s name, Delaney felt her stomach tighten. She was still trying to reconcile the sexy, teasing man who bought coffee from her with the cold-eyed brother who knew next to nothing about his own sister. She told herself not to judge, but it was hard not to.

  At least she didn’t have to worry about running into him—it was just after three in the afternoon. Malcolm would be at the office. He didn’t strike her as the type to work from home.

  “I’m glad she’s better,” Delaney said. “I’m hoping her kitten will cheer her up.”

  Carmen laughed. “Lizzy is all she’s talked about. Come on. Let’s get her upstairs.”

  Delaney had gone a little crazy at the pet store. In addition to a litter box and some food, she’d bought a bed and plenty of toys.

  Delaney stacked the bags of cat litter onto a small, collapsible hand truck Carmen got for her, then put the case of cat food on top of the bags. She slung her tote over her shoulder and grabbed the bed and the bag of toys while Carmen collected the carrier and they went inside.

  The foyer was large, soaring up two stories. If she had to guess, she would say the house had been built around the turn of the last century. There was beautifully carved wood everywhere, high ceilings and comfortable furniture. Delaney had a brief impression of a huge living room, a formal dining room and a long hallway before they went into the kitchen. Behind the pantry was an old-fashioned dumbwaiter.

  “I don’t use it much,” Carmen said as she opened the door and they loaded the cat litter and food inside. “But it has its moments.”

  After she pushed a button, the doors closed and the motor kicked in. Carmen led the way back to the main, curved staircase and they went up to the second floor.

  The upstairs dumbwaiter access was in a large linen closet. They stacked the litter bags and cat food on the hand truck before Carmen led the way down a hallway to two sets of double doors. They went to the far set and Carmen knocked once before opening a door and stepping inside.

  “Guess who?” she called, her tone cheerful.

  Keira raced toward them. “You’re here! Did you bring Lizzy? Is she all right? Does she know I’m going to take good care of her?”

  Delaney had only ever seen Keira in her school uniform. Out of the plaid skirt and white shirt, the preteen looked happier and younger. The healing bruise on the side of her face was the only reminder of the accident.

  Impulsively Delaney set down her tote and packages and held out her arms. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  Keira hesitated only a second before flinging herself at Delaney and hanging on so tight, it was difficult to breathe.

  “You scared me,” Delaney whispered. “I was so afraid you were really hurt. You can never do that again!”

  “I promise.”

  “Good.” Delaney released her and smoothed her hair off her forehead. “You look good. A little battered, but otherwise healthy. Are you feeling all right?”

  “I’m fine. Where’s Lizzy?”

  Carmen handed over the carrier. “Here you go, little one. I’ll bring up some hot chocolate and cookies.”

  “Thank you,” Keira said as she dropped to her knees and carefully opened the carrier. Her breath caught. “Lizzy, you’re real. I wondered if I dreamed you.”

  She picked up the kitten who stretched and yawned before settling in Keira’s arms and meeting her gaze. Delaney sat on the floor next to them.

  “She’s pretty friendly. A little skittish, but she’s warmed up over the past couple of days. I don’t think she was feral, but I’m not sure she had a lot of contact with people.”

  “Thank you for taking care of her for me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m going to be a really good pet mom. I’ve been looking up stuff online.” She looked at Delaney, her expression serious. “Cats should only have canned food. They don’t have a strong instinct to drink water and dry food gives them kidney problems.” She gently petted Lizzy. “I’m going to clean the litter box twice a day. That’s what the articles say cats like.” Her voice lowered. “I know what it’s like to get used to a strange place, so I’m going to be with her all the time through the weekend. I’m not going back to school until Monday.”

  There was so much information in those few sentences that Delaney didn’t know where to begin.

  “Why don’t you show me where you want things set up?” she asked. “Have you decided where to put the litter box?”

  “In the other room.”

  Delaney stood, finally taking her attention from the girl and looking around at her bedroom. It was large, with plenty of windows and lots of light. She pointed to the built-in window seat with a comfortable cushion and lots of pillows.

  “Lizzy’s going to love sitting there and watching birds.”

  “I know. She can also climb around on my desk if she wants.”

  The walls were a pale gray color, the trim was white. The furniture all looked new, which made sense. From what she’d been able to piece together, Keira had been a bit of a surprise.

  They carried everything into the adjoining room. It had been decorated as a teen girl haven with two bright pink club chairs, a deep blue sofa and a multicolored upholstered ottoman that acted as a soft coffee table in between. There was an under-counter refrigerator, a big wall-mounted television and plenty of storage. A fun white shag rug sat on top of the more elegant Berber carpet.

  Keira pointed to a small alcove near the corner. “There was a dresser here that got moved out. I’ll feed Lizzy on the other side of the room. You’re not supposed to have food and the litter box close together.” She wrinkled her nose. “No one wants to eat in the bathroom.”

  It took only a few minutes to get everything set up. Once the litter box was filled and the water bowl put out, Keira set the kitten on the floor, then sat next to her while Lizzy began to sniff and explore.

  Delaney split her attention between the girl and the cat. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

 
; “Better. My headache is gone and it doesn’t hurt to read.” She held out her fingers for Lizzy to sniff. The black-and-white kitten rubbed against them and began to purr. “My teachers put my assignments online, so I’ve been keeping up.”

  “I have homework, too,” Delaney said. “Biology is hard.”

  “Have you done your dissection yet?”

  “No. It got postponed. I didn’t ask why because I don’t want to know.”

  Keira grinned. “Maybe it’s an inventory issue.”

  “Don’t go there. Talk about gross.”

  “How are you going to be a doctor if you can’t dissect something that’s been dead like forever?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m still working on that problem.”

  Leaving the world of finance to become a naturopath had made sense three months ago, but she was starting to have her doubts. She wasn’t sure she was passionate enough to dedicate the next four years of her life to full-time study.

  Keira reached for one of the feather-on-a-stick toys and waved it in front of Lizzy. The kitten immediately attacked.

  “Have any of your friends been by?” Delaney asked.

  Keira looked at her. “No, but we’ve texted. They wanted to know I was okay. I didn’t feel very good until yesterday and now I have Lizzy. I’m fine.”

  “I worry about you.”

  “I know.” Keira ducked her head.

  Delaney wished she could be more sure about her friend. Keira’s home situation was unconventional at best. Not awful, but maybe not as nurturing as it could have been.

  “Carmen seems nice.”

  “She’s great. She’s fussing over me even more than usual and she’s really excited about Lizzy.”

  At least Keira had someone watching over her.

  “Okay, I’m going to let you and Lizzy get to know each other,” she said as she stood. “You have my number. Text me if you need anything. Even if it’s just more cat toys. I’m happy to bring them by.”

  “I will.”

  Keira carefully closed the door behind them so Lizzy wouldn’t get out. Carmen met them on the landing.

  “Malcolm would like to speak with you,” she told Delaney. “If you have a minute.”