Yesterday's Embers

by Deborah Raney

  He was glad Kayeleigh had talked him into coming. It was good to not be sitting home alone. Good to be among friends, laughing, celebrating life. The winter had seemed like an eternity, but tonight he could finally believe there might be a spring to come.

  The dance ended and he kissed Kayeleigh on top of the head and guided her over to the chairs where they’d left their punch cups. Mickey’s cup was gone, and Tom Bengstrom had plopped his ample backside in the seat where Doug had left his wedding program, hoping to save a place for Mickey. He looked around for her, but she’d disappeared in the mash of dancers.

  They were breaking all kinds of fire codes here this evening. As a former volunteer firefighter, he probably should do something about it, but Blaine Deaver, the fire chief, and Sheriff Hayford were both standing by the refreshment table and obviously turning a blind eye, so he let the thought go.

  With Kayeleigh tagging behind him, he worked his way through the crowd to the front door. He put a hand to the window and shaded his eyes. The afternoon’s clouds had grown heavy and now spilled out rain. The gutters on Main Street ran swift with it. Thunder rumbled in the distance. He made his way over to where Blaine and the sheriff were standing. “We’re not in a storm watch, are we?”

  Blaine waved a beefy hand. “Nah. They’ve got some weather over in Ellsworth County, but nothing too severe on our radar.”

  Doug looked around again for Mickey. Not seeing her, he gave Kayeleigh a sidewise glance. “Maybe we ought to get going. You know Grandma. She’ll be worried.”

  “Daddy…no! We just got here. I only got to dance with you one time.”

  He had a feeling he wasn’t the one Kayeleigh wanted to dance with. Seth Berger prowled at the edge of the dance floor, eyeing Kayeleigh like a hungry cat. All the more reason to leave. But across the room he spotted Mickey leaning against the wall talking to the man she’d been dancing with. Now he didn’t want to leave, either.

  He sighed and slipped his cell phone out of his pocket. “Okay, just a while longer. Let me call Grandma, though.” Harriet was watching the kids at her house tonight, since there was a show on cable she wanted to watch. Kaye had never wanted cable in their house.

  Kaye. He’d hardly thought of her tonight.

  He looked up from punching in Harriet’s number to see Mickey coming toward them, her purse clutched under one arm. She gave a little wave and reached for the door. He waved back and started to ask if she was going home already, but Harriet answered the phone just then. He heard Harley crying in the background.

  “Harriet? Is she okay?”

  “Harley? Oh, she’s fine,” Harriet said quickly. “Landon accidentally knocked her down. Nobody’s bleeding. How’s the wedding?”

  Harriet must not be able to hear the thunder over the kids’ noise. “It’s all right. I just wanted to make sure things are going okay for you. We should be home before long.”

  He tousled Kayeleigh’s hair and turned to look out the window. Mickey was standing under the narrow awning outside Latte-dah. Like she was waiting for the rain to let up long enough for her to make a dash for her car. It didn’t appear that was going to happen anytime soon.

  “I need to hang up, Harriet. Call my cell if you need me.” He closed the phone without waiting for a response.

  “Stay here, Kayeleigh. I’ll be right back.” He opened the door and told Mickey the same thing—“Stay here.”

  He dashed to the back room that tonight was serving as a coat check, grabbed his suit jacket from the rack, and ran back to the door.

  Mickey was right where he’d left her, but Kayeleigh wasn’t there. He panned the room, looking for her. His breath caught when he saw her dancing with Seth Berger at the edge of the dance floor. He had her wrapped in his clumsy paws like prey.

  Doug didn’t know the kid that well, but the older Berger boy was trouble, and judging by the attitude Seth had sported that morning at the print shop, he was a tiger of the same stripe. Doug wasn’t a fan of the boy, and he for sure didn’t like the way the guy was clutching his daughter right now.

  He pushed his way through to where Seth and Kayeleigh were. When she saw him, she wriggled out of Seth’s arms. The look she gave Doug said, “Please don’t embarrass me.”

  He worked to keep his voice even. “Hey, kiddo. We need to get going.”

  “Da-ad…”

  He put a hand on her shoulder and gave Seth a dismissing nod. “Sorry, but we need to go. Come on, Kayeleigh.” He herded her toward the door.

  “I don’t have my stuff, Dad.” She shrugged out from under his arm and started back toward the row of chairs.

  “Well, run and get it quick, then meet me outside. And hurry up.”

  She turned and gave a little growl, but she must have seen the determination on his face because she quickly wove her way back to the chair where her jacket was.

  He sighed and went out to the sidewalk in front of Latte-dah. Mickey stood a ways down under the awning, looking out at the storm. “Mickey!” He had to shout over the rain hammering the awning.

  She smiled when she saw him. She was already soaked, her hair forming soggy ringlets around her pretty face.

  Slipping off his coat, he jogged toward her. He held the coat up over her head. “Where are you parked? I’ll walk you to the car.”

  Her expression turned sheepish. “Actually I…I walked.”

  “Good grief, you weren’t going to walk home, surely?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll wait till it lets up a little.”

  “Here.” He stepped from under the tent of his coat, transferring it to her. She raised goose-bumped arms and accepted his offering, and they walked back toward the door together.

  Just then Kayeleigh stepped from the coffee shop, wearing a scowl she made no effort to hide. Seeming not to notice, Mickey swooped in to take her under her wing, holding the makeshift umbrella over both their heads.

  Doug pretended not to see the disappointment in Kayeleigh’s eyes. “You two stay here. I’ll bring the truck around.”

  He’d have to do damage control with his daughter later, but she’d thank him in the long run, and he was not going to let Mickey Valdez walk home in this downpour. It would soon be dark.

  Jogging around the side of the building to where his truck was parked, he somehow managed to hit every puddle in the uneven sidewalk. His socks squished inside too-tight dress shoes. Climbing behind the wheel, he caught a glimpse of his reflection. A drowned rat in a dress shirt and tie. He raked his fingers through his thinning hair, but it remained plastered to his scalp.

  But in spite of the rain shower and his wet clothes clinging to him in the March chill, he felt elated. Truly alive for the first time in so long. And just a little guilty for having so much fun.

  For the first time it hit him that maybe he hadn’t behaved tonight in a way that honored Kaye. It had barely been four months. Maybe it was too soon for him to be smiling and laughing and dancing with other women—another woman.

  But he was sick to death of crying himself to sleep. Sick to death of being a single parent, of being alone everywhere he went. Tonight had been nice. And Kayeleigh enjoyed it. He’d mostly done it for her anyway. She was the one who’d talked him into going to the wedding in the first place. He winced inwardly, remembering the disappointment on her face when she realized they were leaving the dance. He’d only danced one dance with her.

  He pulled the truck around in front of Latte-dah and parked as close to the curb as he could. Mickey helped Kayeleigh over the running gutter and clambered in after her, laughing.

  She laid his suit jacket neatly over her knees and pushed the damp curls off her face. “I don’t know that I could have gotten much wetter walking home. And now I’ve made you get out in the rain and probably ruined your suit.”

  He flipped the heater on high. “Don’t worry about it. At least you won’t freeze to death.” He pulled away from the curb. “Let’s see…you live over on Pickering, right?”

  She nodded
. “Last house on the left. Thanks. I really appreciate it. You didn’t have to leave early on my account.”

  “We—” He gave Kayeleigh a sidewise glance. She sat with her arms folded over her chest. His daughter was not a happy camper. “I needed to get home anyway. Kaye’s mom has the kids.”

  “Oh. I heard she was back from Florida. It’s nice she can be here.”

  “It is. I’m hoping she can move back here permanently—to help out with the kids. But we’ll see. She can’t seem to let go of her condo.” He knew Kayeleigh wasn’t missing a syllable they were saying, but he lowered his voice as though he could protect her from the pain in his words. “Kansas winters are tough on Harriet’s arthritis, and it’s not easy for her to be here. There are a lot of…reminders.”

  Mickey nodded soberly. “I can understand.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do if she goes back.” He hadn’t let himself think about it. There were too many other things to worry about. But now panic moved into his chest. He had roughly ten days to find somebody…or change Harriet’s mind. And he hadn’t changed the woman’s mind once in the twenty years he’d known her. He turned onto Pickering Street and flipped the wipers on high.

  Mickey pointed through the windshield. “A couple more blocks. There…it’s that one right up there with the garden cart in the front.”

  The house was set back from the street. A high picket fence enclosed the backyard and the lawn in front was tidy as a pin. Already the grass was greening up with the day’s rain.

  Mickey unfastened her seatbelt and opened the pickup’s heavy door. “Thanks for the ride.” She laid his jacket on the seat between her and Kayeleigh and gave a little wave in the girl’s direction. “See you two later.”

  She started to climb out, but Doug motioned for her to wait. He grabbed the jacket, jumped out of the truck, and came around to help her out.

  “You don’t have to do that. Seriously, I’m fine.”

  “I don’t mind.” He spread the sodden jacket over their heads again, and they huddled under it, making a run for the house.

  Under the cover of the front porch, she dug through her purse. “I know my keys are in here somewhere. You really don’t need to stay.” She gestured toward his truck. “Kayeleigh’s waiting. You go on.”

  He felt himself grasping for a way to prolong their time together. An idea sparked. A thin warning followed, but he quickly dismissed it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Doug folded his jacket over his arm. He felt a strange sense of panic that his time with this woman was about to end. He glanced toward the pickup idling at the curb. “Kayeleigh will be fine. I’ll wait to make sure you get in.”

  Mickey squatted with her purse in her lap, searching deeper in the small bag.

  “Can I hold something for you?”

  She looked up at him, cheeks pink. “I know they’re in here.” She searched for another minute, finally turning her purse upside down into the waiting apron of her skirt. Her knees wobbled as she tried to balance and sift through the jumble.

  “Do you have another key somewhere?”

  “I can’t believe this.” She stuffed everything back in and stood to meet his eyes. “I must have left them in my other bag, when I changed purses.”

  “You’re one of the rare ducks in this town who actually lock their houses.”

  “I know. By order of the Valdez brothers.”

  “Wise men all,” he said. “You don’t have an extra key hidden somewhere?”

  She looked sheepish. “Sure. Two of them—in the house.”

  “Maybe the back door is unlocked?”

  “No. But I might be able to pry a window open in the back.” She stepped off the porch into the rain.

  “Well, I hope not.” He quickly unfolded his jacket again and tented it over her head, following her around the side of the house.

  She looked askance at him over her shoulder, rain dripping off her eyelashes and sliding down the bridge of her nose.

  “Listen, if you can pry a window open, think what some boogeyman could do. If that’s the case, you don’t need to bother locking your doors anymore.”

  She grinned. “Good point. Don’t worry. I’ll get in somehow. You go on now. You’ve wasted enough time. Kayeleigh’s going to think you’ve abandoned her.”

  He waved her off and opened the gate to the backyard. “You don’t have a dog or anything, do you?”

  “Nope. A pussycat. She’s in the house, though.” She raised his jacket higher over her head. “You want back under here?”

  He turned his face to the sky. The rain had let up a little—or else he was so wet already he just didn’t feel it as much. “I’m fine.”

  She led the way around to the back of the house. “You might be able to get in a basement window if I didn’t—” Her words were cut off by a yelp, and before Doug could reach her, she went down hard in a flooded patch of grass.

  She scrambled to her knees, and he offered her a hand up. “Are you okay?”

  She brushed at two muddy spots on the front of her skirt, her cheeks flaming again. “I’m such a klutz.”

  “You didn’t look like a klutz out on the dance floor tonight. Of course, you weren’t trying to dance on wet grass.” He tried too late to edit what had come out sounding like a pathetic pickup line. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

  She covered her eyes with one hand. “Only my pride. You really don’t have to do this. I can call one of my brothers to help. You’ve gone way beyond the call of duty.”

  He ignored her and took in the lay of the yard. For the first time he noticed the landscaping and shrubs. “Wow! You’ve got your own secret garden back here.”

  His comment seemed to please her. Even this early in the year, before anything was in bloom, it was obvious the garden would soon be an oasis. A narrow rock garden snaked along the border the fence created, and near the house a flagstone patio was flanked by a low waterfall and an elaborate hedge made up of rose arbors. He could imagine the transformation that would take place over the next few weeks as spring came to Clayburn. Kaye would have loved it. She’d been after him for two years to replace their rotting deck with flagstone.

  He let a wave of guilt roll off him and went to rattle a basement window near Mickey’s garage. He could break the glass, but that would be a last resort. Too bad he’d taken the toolbox out of his truck to make room for the kids’ bikes last time they stayed at Harriet’s.

  He went to inspect the back garage door. Maybe he could jimmy it. He checked the doorknob. It turned half a turn and the door swung open.

  Behind him, Mickey let out a little gasp. “How did you do that?”

  “Um…it wasn’t locked.”

  She put a hand to her mouth. “Oh good grief. I must have forgotten to lock it after I put Sasha in this morning. My cat…”

  She was saying something about her cat and he was listening, but all he could think about was how nice it had been to laugh and talk with her at the dance. How carefree and normal he’d felt being with her. He didn’t want to go home to the solitude that had been his constant companion in recent days.

  He felt himself grasping for a way to prolong their time together. An idea sparked. A thin warning followed, but he quickly dismissed it.

  Mickey pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit garage. He followed her inside. She turned to hand him his jacket, but instead of taking it, he grabbed her other hand. “Do you want to go to a movie with me? Tomorrow afternoon?”

  A hesitant smile painted her face. “Are you asking me on a date?”

  He grinned self-consciously. “I…guess I am. That’s sure what it sounds like, doesn’t it?”

  “Doug, are you sure…” Her smile faded and she pulled her hand away from his, thrusting his jacket at him. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

  Did he dare tell her that he hadn’t really thought through the invitation he’d rattled off so easily? But no…he wasn’t s
orry. He was glad he hadn’t had time to talk himself out of it. He wanted to see her again. “I had a good time tonight. And that’s not something I’ve been able to say very often lately. I…I’d like to see you again.”

  She bit her bottom lip and tossed her damp curls. She looked down, and he followed her line of vision to his hands, clutching his jacket. He could almost read her thoughts as she eyed his left hand—where his wedding band caught a glint from the single lightbulb overhead. But he ignored his better judgment that told him to back off and give her an out.

  She eyed him for a minute, then exhaled. “That new Disney movie is playing in Salina. We could take the kids.”

  He could have kissed her. But his better judgment won out. He backed toward the door. “We’ll pick you up at noon. Fine dining at Mickey D’s okay?”

  “Hey!” She tossed him a mock glare. “Don’t denigrate my name.”

  He held up both hands in defense. “Oh. I didn’t think about that. No insult intended, though. It’s more like honoring your name…. At least my kids would think so.”

  “As long as you don’t mean Mickey V’s.”

  “Huh?”

  “V…Valdez…Mickey V. Get it? I am not cooking on our first date.”

  It felt so good to laugh again that he wanted to cry.

  She’d had an absolute blast. And Doug DeVore was mostly the reason why. Scratch that. No mostly about it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mickey changed out of her wet clothes and dried her hair. Belting a fluffy white bathrobe around her, she padded out to the kitchen and loaded the few coffee mugs and silverware that had collected in the sink into the dishwasher. She wiped off the counters in her cozy kitchen and watered the plants in the bay window behind the sink.

  Sasha jumped up on the counter beside her, purring in anticipation of Mickey’s touch. She stroked the silky calico’s fur. “You know you’re not supposed to be up on the counter, little princess.” She scooped the cat into her arms and carried her to the sofa. “What did you do all day, huh?”