Liz took a sip from the spoon Olivia held out to her and was pleased to find it had some kick.
Olivia watched her face closely for a reaction. “I was feeling like something with a little personality tonight. Do you think it will be too hot for Abby?”
Abby was the daughter of Olivia’s best friend, Jackie. She was only six, but Liz knew from past experience the kid would eat anything from sushi to Indian curry. “No, I think it’s just right. In fact, if I remember correctly, Tom’s chili is hotter than this, and I’ve seen her devour bowls of it.”
Olivia laughed, “I admire the way Jackie has introduced Abby to a variety of foods so young. It probably doesn’t hurt that Tom and his cooking have moved in with them.”
Liz agreed. “Am I going to be in the way if I work on this while you’re cooking in here?”
“I think it’ll be okay. Everything is nearly finished and just has to simmer for a bit longer. Thanks for taking a look at it.”
Liz nodded and began the task of unscrewing the panel on the dishwasher door. Even though this was a newer model than the one she’d learned on as a kid, she was sure the general concepts were the same. “Let’s just hope the issue isn’t anything electrical. If it is, I’ll have to grab my VOM from the shop.”
“Oh.” Olivia looked confused. “Vom?”
“Volt-ohm meter.” At her sister’s blank expression, Liz explained, “It measures volts, currents, and stuff. Let’s me know if something is getting enough juice.”
“And it’s called a volt-o-meter? Sounds like something out of a science fiction book.”
Liz laughed. “Volt- Ohm- Meter, not Volt-o-meter.” Ever since she could remember, she had liked taking all manner of machines apart and seeing how they worked. It used to drive her mom a little crazy whenever Liz would accidentally break something, but eventually she grew to appreciate having someone who could fix things around the house. Things had also gotten a lot better once her dad started bringing home small used appliances for her to dissect instead of household items.
Olivia poured herself a glass of wine and sat down at the kitchen island, watching her sister tinker. Liz glanced over at her. “So, who all is coming tonight, anyway?”
“Let’s see. Paul, Tom, Jackie, and Abby…”
“Oh right. Paul mentioned giving you a call to see if he could bring Jimmy tonight.”
“Yeah, I told him of course he should bring him.”
“That’s what I said. It’ll be good to see Tom and Jackie again. I haven’t had a chance to talk to them much since the grand re-opening of the café. How are they doing?”
“Very well! Business has been good. Everybody seems to be happy to have their favorite breakfast place available again.”
“Good. I’ll have to make a point to stop in and grab lunch from them this week.”
Her sister nodded. “I’m sure they’d appreciate that. I also invited Mason’s sister, Melody, and Brad said he might come by after he gets off shift. You know, I think he has a thing for her.”
Liz glanced up from her task. “I was wondering about that. I thought I noticed a strange vibe between those two during Thanksgiving last year.”
“Yeah. So far, she hasn’t seemed overly eager to follow up with him, but I think they’d make a cute couple.”
Liz gave it some thought as she removed the latch from the door and re-aligned it. “I could see it. But Melody seems as independent as me, if not more so. I’m guessing it won’t be easy for him to convince her to take a chance.”
“We’ll see.” Olivia wore a knowing smile. “Funny how things have a way of working out.”
Liz grunted. She understood that Olivia and Mason had found their happily-ever-after, but not everybody was lucky enough to get that. Or even want it. She sure wasn’t looking to settle down anytime soon.
“Well, including Fiona and me, it sounds like you’ll have a packed house.”
“Yeah, should be fun. Oh, and I also invited my subcontractor, Alex.”
Liz got a little flutter when Olivia mentioned that last name, but she quickly squashed it. Funny how years later, the thought of him could still elicit the same response.
It was annoying.
Liz shouldn’t have been surprised he was coming. She knew he’d been working on her sister’s new restaurant for the last few months. Of course Olivia would have befriended him and invited him over. In fact, it was more surprising that Liz hadn’t run into him before now.
Oh man, Alex Weston, she thought. Morse High’s quintessential golden boy. Football player, straight ‘A’ student, and the most popular kid in school – loved by his fellow students and teachers alike. He was the kind of guy they made high school movies about.
In essence, the exact opposite of who Liz had been.
The group of friends he used to hang out with liked to make Liz’s life a living hell. And while he didn’t usually participate in the bullying himself, he never stepped in to stop it, either. That hadn’t stopped her from mooning over him like every other lovesick high school girl.
Trying not to sound too interested, Liz turned to her sister. “Huh. I haven’t seen Alex since he moved back here. How has it been working with him on the restaurant?”
“It’s going very well. He’s been receptive to my ideas and gets what I’m trying to communicate, even if I’m having a hard time describing it. Yesterday he informed me that we should be able to open in a few weeks.”
“Oh, Olivia, that’s great news! I can’t believe it’s almost finished.” Liz took a moment to closely regard her sister, and realized Olivia was looking happier than she’d ever seen her. Apparently pursuing your dreams and finding love was good for a person.
Well, hell. If Alex helped contribute to her sister’s good mood, then maybe she could keep an open mind. At the very least, she could be civil.
Chapter Three
“I realize that, Dad. Just because you’ve hired a property manager doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check on them once in a while.” Alex gripped the phone a little tighter.
“You already have so much going on, son. Let the girl do her job. She’s been nothing but helpful to me.”
Alex turned into a quiet neighborhood. “You know, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation if you would just consider selling some of these properties. What do you need with this much real estate, anyway?”
“I will sell when I’m good and ready. Neither you, or anybody else, is going to force me to do it a moment sooner!” Alex winced. Even in anger, he could hear the weakness in his father’s voice.
The last thing he needed was for his dad’s blood pressure to spike. “Fine. We can talk about this later, but I have to go for now. I’ll be by the house tomorrow.” Alex hung up and let out a deep breath.
It was late afternoon by the time he pulled up to the modest white ranch house. Shadows were just beginning to stretch across the street. The afternoon held a kind of contented silence, filled by the sound of crickets and birds. Off in the distance a dog barked, and Alex could hear cars passing a few blocks over.
As a contractor, his mornings typically started early, and it had already been a long day. He knew coming back to Bath to care for his ailing father was the right move. He just hadn’t realized how hard it would be to juggle that and a full-time job, let alone check in on the various properties his dad owned.
On the other hand, this was the main reason he’d moved back to the small town. His father’s health left him unable to move around and it was up to Alex to look after his assets. He hoped to convince his dad to downsize his holdings, but Alex was finding it difficult to broach the subject. Until then, there was nothing to be done but make sure the properties stayed in good repair so the houses could be rented out easily.
As if in defiance, the path leading to the front door was overshadowed by weeds. The yard was starting to look ragged. The drought affecting the region was making itself known. As he let himself in, he made a mental note to stop by that weekend and
mow the grass. It was just one more thing to add to his growing list.
The stench of urine and feces confronting him was so overwhelming that Alex stepped back in revulsion. He gaped at the room in disgust and dismay. Littering the front room were fast food wrappers, beer cans, chip bags, juice bottles, tiny plastic pill bags, and used syringes.
He made his way down the hallway, poking his head into the various rooms as he went. There was a pile of dingy blankets and an old sleeping bag in the back room. The offending toilet in one of the bathrooms was clogged. There was a half-melted candle and scorch marks in another room. They were lucky the whole place hadn’t burned to the ground.
Irate, he pulled his phone from his pocket and called the police. After discussing his findings, they agreed to have an officer meet him to take a report. He watched the cruiser pull up to the curb ten minutes later. “Well, hey, Alex! How have you been?”
“Josh? Josh Carver? I didn’t know you’d become a cop.”
“Yup. Can you believe it? I was such a delinquent back then, it’s kind of surprising even for me.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I’d heard you were back in town. Sorry I haven’t tried to get ahold of you.”
Alex shrugged, looking at his old high school buddy. Well, maybe buddy was stretching it. Josh had been a damn good defensive linebacker, but Alex had never liked the way his former teammate used his status as an excuse to bully other students. On the other hand, since he’d never been the target, he hadn’t exactly intervened, either.
Maybe he wasn’t being very fair. After all, Alex had changed quite a bit over the years, and besides, Josh was a cop now. “No problem. I’ve been so busy since getting back, I haven’t been able to hang out much, anyway.” He ran a hand through his hair, then gestured towards the house. “And now it looks like I’m going to have to deal with this, too.”
Taking his cue, Josh pulled out a pad and pen before getting down to business. “You told dispatch someone was trespassing?”
“It’s more than just trespassing. The place has been completely trashed. Let me show you.” Alex led the way up the steps and gave him a tour of the damage he’d discovered. As the two men walked through the house, Josh noted any obvious damage and took photos with his phone.
Alex had to admit, he was impressed and a little relieved at the professional way he was handling the situation. “So, law enforcement, huh? When did that happen?”
Josh took another shot of the bathroom then took a step back, his nose wrinkling in disgust. “I got out of the academy a few years ago.”
“That’s great, man. How do you like it?”
“Oh, you know…” he waved his hand towards the ruined bathroom, “it’s so glamorous.” He shot Alex a grin. “Actually, it’s not bad. Eventually I’d like to make detective, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe in the next year or so.”
“Sounds good. My client’s boyfriend is a detective. In fact, he just moved here from Boston. You probably know him – Mason Clark?”
A dark shadow passed over Josh’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that Alex wasn’t sure whether he’d seen it or not. “Oh yeah, I know him.”
He wondered if Josh resented Mason coming in and taking over the department, or if there was some other bad blood between them. Either way, he wasn’t going to pursue the topic. Josh’s terse answer reminded him of the cold ruthlessness that he’d displayed back in high school and he wasn’t someone Alex wanted to rekindle a friendship with.
It took another thirty minutes for the two of them to walk through the house. Afterwards, Josh assured him he had everything he needed to file the report and would keep him informed of any progress.
As the other man pulled away, Alex contemplated the dark and neglected house in the twilight that had stolen across the sky. It sat like the last wallflower that hadn’t been asked to dance. It was sadly different from the homes surrounding it with their warm, glowing windows. They were filled with young families eating their evening meals or older couples sitting in the blue light of their televisions. Realizing he’d done everything he could for the time being, Alex decided to lock up and go home.
Once again, he made his way through the house towards the back door. He debated cancelling his plan to attend Olivia’s dinner party. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have. But he’d enjoyed getting to know her and Mason the past few months and was looking forward to becoming better friends with them. It would be nice to spend an evening in good company, away from all the responsibilities that had taken over his life.
He’d just flipped the deadbolt on the backdoor when someone came through the front entrance. The soft pad of footsteps was barely audible on the carpet. Alex froze as a rustling sound came from the living room. Acting purely on instinct, he stormed across the kitchen with more speed than caution.
He burst out the front door, just catching sight of the fleeing figure of a man dashing across the front yard. He cursed his lack of stealth for giving the unwelcome visitor a head start.
At 6’2” Alex easily had a few inches on the guy and was still physically fit from his years spent as a football player. Working in construction, he had managed to retain an athletic physique. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to compensate for the other guy’s fear driven speed. Rounding the corner of the house, he watched as the man drove off in a beat-up sedan.
“Dammit!”
He took a good look at the car. Knowing Bath wasn’t that big, if the intruder was from around this area, there was a good chance he’d see it again or was known by the cops. With a growl of frustration, he glanced at his watch and knew he had to get going if he didn’t want to be rude. Not wanting to waste any more time, he decided he’d call Josh about the car on the way home.
Alex locked up the house and headed back towards his truck. A terrible grinding sound filled the air before the truck reluctantly started. He clenched his fists on the steering wheel, barely restraining himself from pounding on it.
Why couldn’t he catch a break lately? He’d known the starter was on its way out for the last week. Couldn’t it have lasted just a little bit longer? Was that too much to ask? Now he’d have to find the time to take it in and get it looked at. By the sound of it, he wasn’t going to be able to put it off much longer. The last thing he wanted was to get stranded somewhere because his damn truck wouldn’t start.
Before Alex pulled away from the curb he called Josh and left a message about the car and intruder. He was going to go back to the house, take a quick shower, and set everything else aside for the night. As he drove, he realized part of the reason he was so stressed was he hadn’t been able to relax since moving back to Bath.
Sure, his childhood home was full of good memories, but ever since he’d arrived, he couldn’t help feeling his life was moving backwards. Working on Olivia’s restaurant was a worthy way to pass the time while he took care of his ailing father, but he knew his dad wasn’t going to recover. The realization that this was a temporary living arrangement made it hard to fully commit to living in the small town.
His uncomfortable thoughts were interrupted as he approached the other side of the town’s limits. There, sitting in the back alley behind a mechanic’s garage, was the car he’d seen the intruder flee in. He probably wouldn’t have even noticed it if he wasn’t familiar with the business owner.
What on earth could Eliza Harper have in common with a man who broke into vacant houses and left drug paraphernalia lying around? This complicated matters. Josh Carver may be a police officer now, but he remembered the level of animosity Josh had shown towards Liz back when they were in school together.
Alex wondered if she was still the outcast he remembered from high school. She’d been an enigma back then, so unlike the other girls who threw themselves at him. He’d been intrigued and a little intimidated by the fact that she hadn’t simpered or giggled the way the other girls had. Maybe that’s why he’d never gotten the courage to show his interest.
He put off callin
g the police with an update on where the car was located. Instead, he’d go to the dinner party tonight and see if there was a good way to broach the subject with Liz. There had to be some other reason why that car was behind her shop. He hoped she wasn’t associated with that sleazebag from earlier. As he pulled the truck into his driveway, Alex resolved to find out what the connection could be.
*
Nearly an hour later, Alex checked to make sure he was at the correct address, then parked the car across the street. He grabbed the bottle of wine sitting on the seat beside him. The sound of laughter drifted out into the air to greet him and he couldn’t help but smile as he pushed the doorbell.
Mason let him in and gave him a friendly slap on the back. “Alex, glad you could join us.” It was a much different response than the one Alex had received the first time he’d met the man.
Of course, Mason had mistakenly thought Alex was Olivia’s new love interest at the time. Funny how much can change in the span of a few months. It had been a pleasant surprise to find himself becoming friends with the couple.
“I appreciate the invitation. I have to admit, I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in forever.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat. Olivia’s made shrimp gumbo tonight, with some fancy cornbread she calls johnnycakes.”
“Johnnycakes, huh? What’s the difference?”
Mason cast him a grin. “Your guess is as good as mine, but I have a feeling we’re going to find out.”
The two men walked into the kitchen, and Alex immediately fell in love with the room. It was obvious that whoever had designed it had been a cook because the floorplan was logically arranged for the greatest efficiency and flow. However, beyond the utilitarian aspects, it was readily apparent it was also created to be the heart of the home.
He glanced around the room and noted how all the finishes were sophisticated without being stuffy. While there were accents of chrome in the pendant lights and brushed cabinet handles, there was also the warmth of the wooden floors. Since he’d been working with Olivia on the design and feel of the restaurant, he recognized her sense of style and approved. It made him even more excited to finish the project.
Secret Need (The Harper Sisters Book 2) Page 2