Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher

by Seana Kelly

  “Did you know her?” It was none of my business, but I was curious.

  Bear nodded. “Yeah, Alice seemed nice enough.”

  “And?” That could not have been all he had to say on the subject.

  He blew out a breath. “And I never liked her. It’s easy to say that now, knowing what she did, but I didn’t like her. She was sweet to Aiden, but she seemed, I don’t know, open to the possibility of someone better. You know?”

  I nodded, understanding exactly the kind of person he was describing.

  “Aiden’s my friend.” He rolled his eyes. “Usually. Anyway, she kept touching me. You know, I’d make a joke and she’d laugh, grabbing my arm or running her hand down my back. Sure, she could just be a touchy person, but I noticed she didn’t do it with everyone. Aiden? All the time. Me? Most of the time. Women or random dorky guys, not at all. When he learned that she’d dumped him for another guy, it crushed him. So, maybe I gave Aiden a little more leeway than I would someone else busting into my dinner date.” He shrugged. “He’s still an asshole, though.”

  I laughed and glanced over at Bear. He was gorgeous and sweet. What was he doing here with me? “Bear, why aren’t you married?”

  “Aunt Sarah?” He looked around in the back seat and then smirked. “Sorry, that’s how most of my conversations with my aunt begin.” He shifted in his seat. “Damn, I was supposed to sit in the back. I forgot.” He looked longingly at the big bench seat Chaucer was stretched over. “The usual reasons. Haven’t met, or convinced, the right one. Not yet, anyway.”

  When we arrived back at Gran’s, Bear walked me to the door, stopping two steps down from the porch. I kept walking, pulling out my key before I realized he’d stopped. I turned to find him watching me.

  “C’mere, Red.”

  When I stepped back toward him, I understood why he’d stopped. Two steps down put us at almost the same height. He grinned, holding out his arms, and I stepped right into them. A Bear hug was an amazing experience. It was just the right combination of warm affection, comfort and protection, without a skeezy side of cop-a-feel.

  When he loosened his hold, I moved back. “Hmm, that was nice. You give a good hug, Bear.”

  “So I’m told. Would a good-night kiss be out of the question?”

  Bear made me feel good about myself, about life in general—which was on my list—so I didn’t think twice about leaning into him for a kiss. He framed my face with his massive hands. I felt the heat down to my bones. His kiss was soft and sweet. I enjoyed it, but it gave me no sexy-time tingles.

  He broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine. “Damn,” he breathed.

  “Right?”

  “Maybe we should try one more time, hit each other with the hottest kiss in our arsenals.”

  I couldn’t help grinning. “Let’s do this.”

  We flew into a passionate embrace, hands roamed, tongues met, but after a few short moments, we both started laughing.

  Bear shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face. “Well, this is disappointing.” He turned and dropped heavily to the porch.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s you, not me.” I sat next to him, bumping his shoulder with my own.

  He studied me and shook his head again. “Someone up there hates me. The hottest, most beautiful woman I’ve met in far too long and it’s like kissing my sister. If I had one.”

  I shrugged, apologetically. “Maybe you’re just not that good of a kisser?”

  He put one of his huge hands on my knee and squeezed. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  I giggled, squirming away from him.

  “Okay, that’s it. There’s only one thing to do.” He stood, grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift. “We need to have sex and make sure.”

  I laughed like a loon as he bounced me up and down. He grabbed my ass, steadying me. “Careful, don’t fall.”

  I pounded on his back, trying to speak through the laughter. Chaucer barked once and then sat himself in front of the door, blocking Bear.

  Bear lifted me easily and placed me back on my feet. “Saved by the dog. All right. I’ll accept defeat, but I reserve the right to kiss you at will in the hopes that we eventually spark.”

  I wiped away tears, my stomach hurting from laughing so hard. “I accept those terms but reserve the right to slap you if I find myself annoyed by the intrusion.”

  He nodded. “And I accept those terms.”

  After Bear left, I dragged myself upstairs to change into my warmest sweats. I wished I’d felt something when we kissed. He was kind and funny, sexy and sweet. Why couldn’t I be attracted to him? And why did Aiden bringing me a hat to keep me warm give me the squishy feels? Gah! Officer Grumpy cleans out animal traps and I’m smitten. Bear kisses me and nothing. Sometimes, life truly sucked ass.

  * * *

  I AWOKE WITH a start, the phone echoing through the empty house. Chaucer put his nose against my forehead. “Dude, I hear it. Keep your cold, wet body parts to yourself!” I’d slept in the one chair left in the living room. Neck throbbing, I straightened, shaking out the hand currently being attacked by pins and needles, and ran to get the phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Katherine.”

  I froze. My skin crawled.

  “Katherine, are you there?”

  “What do you want, Justin?”

  “Many things. Fortunately, none of them involve you. First, though, I want my car. Before it starts to rust.”

  Of course. The car. “How am I supposed to do that? You closed my banking accounts.”

  “My banking accounts. I’m the one who makes the money. You’re the one who spends it.”

  “No-fault state. And I worked my ass—”

  “Your considerable ass.”

  “—off, cooking, cleaning, organizing your social calendar, hosting dinner parties and charity events.”

  “True. You made a better personal assistant than a wife. I’m rather enjoying not having you always silently moping in the background.”

  Was that true? Did I act like that? I thought about our ten years together, but couldn’t pinpoint a time or event that caused a shift. He’d always relished complaining that something I’d done or said could have been executed better, corrected me to show me how I should have done it. After a while, it was easier to not say anything. He only ever listened to find fault, anyway. “Why are you really calling me?”

  “I told you. I want my car back. If you were hoping for alimony or a settlement, you’ve got a wake-up call coming. So, here it is. You’re getting nothing from me. Nothing. I’m very good at what I do, Katherine. Your lawyer will never find my money, and it is mine. I want my car and then I’ll wash my hands of you. Well, almost. I have another gift coming your way soon.” Click.

  My head throbbed. Justin. Threats. Infestations. Starvation. Unemployment. Gran. At the thought of Gran, a band seemed to squeeze my chest. I couldn’t handle it coming at me from every direction all at once. Chaucer leaned into me and then plopped his butt down on my foot. The band began to release. “You’re right. One thing at a time. We need to get you fed.”

  I moved to the pantry and opened the door. Movement made me squeal and slam it shut. Chaucer barked, sniffing in the crack under the door.

  Glancing at the phone, I wondered if this fell into the category of a 911 call. It totally should, but I doubted the cops would see it that way. Frick! Chaucer started clawing at the floor, trying to dig under to get at whatever was in the pantry.

  I’d put a trap in there yesterday after I fed him, worried Chaucer’s food would attract critters. If a trapped animal was the price of being right, I’d rather be wrong. Chaucer barked and whined.

  “I know!” I stamped a socked foot. Now what? I forgot to bring my hazmat suit an
d industrial-grade gloves with me.

  Buy a hazmat suit! Lead lined.

  I slowly opened the door again, body blocking Chaucer who desperately wanted in. “Sit.” He sat, but his body strained around me, trying to see the predator stealing his food. Two angry eyes glared at me.

  I may or may not have screamed. Those eyes had to have been a foot off the floor. I slammed the door. Pounding on the door caused me to jump, falling over Chaucer. My head cracked on the floor, but still I scrambled to get farther away from whatever was in the pantry that could pound on doors. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I stood up and stalked back to the pantry. I smacked the flat of my hand against the door over and over. “No more! Get out and stay out!”

  When the pounding started again, I realized it was the front door, not the pantry. Oh.

  “Katie? Are you all right? Open up!”

  Sure. Why not be Aiden? He’s clearly what the situation was lacking. I needed another man who thought I was a worthless idiot.

  Chaucer ran to the door, giving a happy bark. I stumbled behind him, my head pounding while my brains leaked out. I wiped at the tears on my face and took a deep breath.

  Pound. Pound. Pound. “Katie?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” I mumbled. I opened the door to find tall, dark and dickish with his hands on his hips, apparently pissed off I hadn’t moved faster.

  “Why did you scream? And what took you so long to answer the door?”

  See? “I’m having a prob—wait! Yes.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. I circled behind and pushed him toward the kitchen. He didn’t move. I kept pushing, but had no traction on the slick wooden floors. My feet slid out from under me. I was not going down twice inside three minutes. I grabbed his waist and held on, finally able to right myself.

  “Can you please take your hands off me, Katie?”

  Pointing around him toward the kitchen, I said, “Protect and serve. Get in the kitchen and protect us from whatever huge snarling beast is in there, and then serve us by getting rid of it.”

  I had no idea what he was thinking. His large back was better at looming than conveying thoughts. Tentatively, I reached a hand out and tried one more shove. His hand whipped back and grabbed mine, pulling me around to stand in front of him.

  “Hey! You’re the cop. You have the gun.” I scampered around behind him again and shoved with both hands. Nothing.

  “Woman, if you push me one more time, I’m arresting you.”

  “If you’d just move, I wouldn’t have to push.”

  Chaucer scratched at the pantry door again.

  “Please, can you help us?” I whined. I kind of hated him for making me whine.

  He moved forward. “Was that so difficult?” He stopped by Chaucer, patting the dog’s head and then pushing him aside.

  I stood in the kitchen doorway, ready to make a break for it. “So, I have to beg before you’ll do the decent thing? You’re all the same,” I mumbled.

  He shook his head and pulled his flashlight from his belt.

  “Don’t forget your gun! Whatever’s in there is huge.”

  He opened the door a crack, his foot braced against it, opening farther. He shone the light through the divide, turned back to me, rolled his eyes and flung the door open.

  “Careful!” I half hid around the doorsill.

  Aiden crouched down. “Hey,” he murmured. “You’re okay. I’ll get you out of there.”

  I leaned forward, trying to see around him.

  He stood, carrying something toward the back door. “You want to open the door, so I can let the vicious beast out?”

  I ran forward to do as he’d asked and looked in his arms. A baby raccoon. It looked at me and hissed as he carried it past.

  I closed the door and leaned against it. The band was back, squeezing my chest. Damn. The door opened, smacking into the back of my already-throbbing head. I stood a moment, absorbing the pain.

  “You need to take two steps forward, so I can open the door enough to enter.”

  I ignored the sarcasm, shuffling forward to sit, dropping my head to the table. I’d hurt a baby raccoon. My husband, the man who pledged to love me forever, thought I was a sad piece of crap, one he couldn’t scrape off the bottom of his shoe fast enough. The house was infested. My body hurt from sleeping in that chair. I couldn’t afford an exterminator, let alone a bed. And Gran was dead.

  I flinched when a big, warm hand settled on the back of my head. “Ouch. Did I do that with the door?”

  The heat from his hand felt nice. “No. I bounced it off the floor when I saw the raccoon’s eyes glowing in the dark.” I put my arms up on the table, cushioning my head. “It was all me.” I looked up at him. “Is the raccoon okay? The trap didn’t hurt him, did it?”

  He pulled out a chair and sat next to me. “He’ll be fine. His limp looks minor. It sure didn’t slow him down any. For now it makes him look like a tough guy.”

  I dropped my head back to my arms. “At least I’ve helped his street cred.”

  I should write a letter of apology to the raccoon family. Maybe leave my trash uncovered for them. Wait, would that bring bears?

  “Does Maine have bears?”

  Silence.

  I lifted my head, waiting for an answer.

  Confusion and concern lined his face. “I feel like you should come with subtitles.”

  “You’re the one withholding local wildlife facts.” I put my head back down.

  “Black bears, yes.” At my gasp, he continued, “But none around here. Acadia National Park sometimes has bears or moose, but they don’t wander down this close to town.” He paused. “Can I get you some aspirin?” His voice was a gentle rumble.

  “Sure. Do you have any?” I sat up and stiffened my spine. “I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

  He watched me for a moment, nodding thoughtfully. “Are there other traps you need me to check while I’m here?”

  Blinking, I thought of the other traps and having to do all of this again. “Please.” I stood and swayed a moment, grabbing the chair for balance.

  He reached out but didn’t touch me. “Do you have someplace you can lie down?”

  “Sure.” The back seat of the car as soon as you leave.

  He sighed. “Where are the other traps?”

  Chaucer sniffed all around the pantry, paying close attention to his bag of food.

  I gestured to the other side of the kitchen. “Under the sink, downstairs bath, closet under the stairs, upstairs bedrooms, bathroom and linen closet.”

  He lifted his eyebrows, staring at me.

  “What?” Chaucer wandered back to me and leaned against my leg. “There are strange animals living all over the place in here.” I put one hand on Chaucer’s head. “I need them gone. They have the whole forest to live in. They don’t need Gran’s house, too.”

  After he went to clean out the other traps, I grabbed Chaucer’s bowls to fill them. I hesitated to open the back door for his visit to the newly appointed little boys’ room by the tree line—what if that raccoon ran back in? I looked out the window in the door, searching for any shady woodland creatures looking to storm the joint.

  Chaucer whined, wanting to get out. I put my hand on his head, scanning the yard one more time before I opened the door.

  “Anything out there?”

  I jumped at Aiden’s voice. When I turned, I found him grinning. “What the bleep? Will you not be happy until I seize?”

  He shouldered me out of the way and opened the back door. Chaucer ran past us. “It’s not my fault you’re jumpy—” he grinned wider “—and apparently frightened of trees and bushes.”

  I almost tripped him. Almost. I was afraid he’d drop whatever animal was squirming in the bag he was holding. “It’s not the bushes and th
e trees, you dillhole! It’s all the freaking animals that live in them!” I stepped out onto the porch and glared at the yard. “Listen up! This is my house. Not yours! I’ll stay in here, if you stay out there. You can have the whole yard. That forest over there. The gard—wait, no. Not Gran’s garden. Stay out of that. Otherwise, the world is yours. Just stay the frick out of my house!” I turned back to the door, and then remembered. “Oh, and if you have relatives currently staying in my house, can you pass on the word to get out?” I took another step. “Without actually entering my house, of course. Just, you know, use your predator alarm systems. I watch nature shows. I know you guys can do that stuff. Thump your tails on a log or something. Just get ’em out!” I paused, waiting for a squirrel to give me the high sign that my message was received. Nothing. Furry little bastards.

  Aiden came around the side of the house. “Communing with nature?”

  I side-eyed the yard as I followed him in. “Something like that.”

  After he cleared out the critters, reset the traps and left, I sat at the kitchen table and stared at Chaucer. He blinked at me. “You’re right. That was weird. Why was Aiden here in the first place?” I shook it off, hoping whatever it was might bring him back to clean out more traps soon.

  The quickest that Mom’s check would get here was a few days. I had four dollars to my name. I needed a job. First, though, I needed a shower.

  I cautiously made my way through the house, stopping frequently, checking for sounds. When I made it to the upstairs master bedroom, I ducked my head in quickly, not wanting to be too easy of a target. Nothing. I eased into the room and looked around. Aiden seemed to have been carrying out some bigger animals from the second floor, but I wasn’t positive. It was kind of a don’t-ask-don’t-tell arrangement. There could be a family of marmosets up here for all I knew. Or skunks. Maybe bobcats. Do they have bobcats in Maine? Not the point. Fricking marmosets were probably laughing their asses off, watching me tiptoe through the house.

  No more!

  I stomped across the bedroom and into the bathroom before slamming the door. I leaned my ear silently against the door, listening for marmoset chatter. I heard a whine and hopped back from the door. Had I hurt their feelings? A scratch at the door made me take another step back.