Tessa's Teacakes

by Mary Manners

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “Hush.”

  Tessa nodded, twined her fingers with his. The knowledge that she trusted him with her life…the lives of her family…chased the chill from Colin.

  “Any word on how Jason Sloane’s doing?” Tessa asked.

  “He’s entered into counseling, and Brent found him a job delivering furniture at the rental store.”

  “That’s good.” Tessa’s breath came in small, white puffs. “It’s a start.”

  “He’s working through things with his wife and kids. I don’t know, though. I have my doubts.”

  “It’ll be fine, Colin. Brent knows what he’s doing.”

  “I hope so.” He slipped from his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders to ease her shivering. Then he brushed hair from her forehead. “Tell me…what happened to you, Tess, that makes you want to run away?”

  8

  “It was sunny day like this, but warmer—much, much warmer.” Tessa settled onto a wrought iron bench overlooking the duck pond at the center of the square. The gentle lap of the water against the shore eased the roiling in her belly as she remembered the day her parents died. “I’d spent the morning shopping for school clothes with Mattie, because I was just about to enter high school and my parents had gone into Knoxville to purchase new carpet for our house. Dad had just come off a forty-eight hour shift at the fire hall, and he was tired. But he wanted to get the job done, so he and Mom took off in his truck as soon as he got home. I don’t guess it mattered, the fact that he was tired. The accident probably would have happened, anyway.”

  Colin slipped into the seat beside her and stretched his legs, crossed his ankles, then reached for her hand again. His skin felt warm against hers...strong. “I’m sorry, Tess.”

  She tensed at the nickname, then eased when she realized how far she’d come since her dad used it…so long ago. Still, the sound on Colin’s lips stirred a wave of memories. “I was loading my bags into the trunk of Mattie’s car when we got the call. We rushed to the hospital, but it was too late.”

  Tears filled her eyes, blurring the pond and spilling over. She swiped at them with the palm of her free hand. “Mattie was devastated. She sat in the hospital chapel when Kate and Grace came to join us and just sobbed and sobbed. Kate barely spoke. I think she was in shock. And Grace, well, Kate worried about her because she was pregnant with Adam.”

  “And you?”

  “Me?” The question startled her. “Well, I guess I was just plain mad.”

  “Mad?”

  “Yeah. I felt like I was on one of those spinning rides at the fair, except the ride never stopped and I couldn’t get off. Everything was messed up, off kilter. I got mad and I stayed mad for a long time.”

  “I imagine that took a lot of energy.” He spoke like someone who understood.

  “I guess.” The pond came back into focus as a gaggle of ducks paddled by. They chattered and tossed water with their bills, as if they didn’t have a care in the world. “I never did wear the clothes Mattie bought for me that day. I tried, but every time I put them on, I started to cry. Mattie finally boxed them up and gave them away. And no one’s called me anything but Tessa—except on rare occasions when Mattie loses her cool, Contessa Marie Spencer—since my parents died. My dad…it was his pet name for me, special to only him. Until you.”

  “I had no idea, Tessa. If you want…”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I…like the way it sounds. I like when you say it.”

  “I’m glad, because I like it, too.” His lips curled into a wistful smile. “Contessa Marie?”

  She nodded, her lips curving into a whisper of a smile. “After my maternal grandmother.”

  “I see. It fits you.” He brushed a knuckle across her cheek, and his finger scalded her wind-kissed skin. “What about Kate and Grace?”

  She tucked the seam of his jacket together and dipped her chin beneath the collar to ward off the breeze. “Kate and Logan had a wedding planned for the next month, but it got canceled. He ended up in California and she stayed behind to help Mattie open Sweet Treats and to care for Grace and me. It took four years for Logan to find his way back here, but he did—finally.”

  “I’m glad it worked out. They seem happy, he and Kate.”

  “Oh, they are. Blissfully.” Tessa turned to him, thought she saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes, as well. “But can’t you see, Colin, why I have to go? I’ve been a burden on Mattie for too long, and on Kate and Grace, too. They’ve taken care of me for nearly a decade. Now it’s time for me to take care of myself. I have no choice. I have to go.”

  “You should talk to them, Tess.”

  “I can’t. I just have to do this.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She gnawed her lip, nodded stiffly as the breeze tufted her hair and whispered down her neck. “Yes.”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and brushed a tear from her cheek, then leaned in to press his lips where his fingers had warmed her skin. “Will you promise me something, then?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Be careful. Don’t make a choice that can’t be undone.” He lifted her chin and speared her with his gaze. His breath was warm on her neck, and her senses reeled. “Pray about it, Tess. Pray hard before you make a final decision.”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in God anymore, Colin.” Suddenly Tessa couldn’t breathe. She blinked hard and willed her lungs to expand. “Has something changed?”

  “I don’t know.” His hand slipped from her chin to her cheek, and he stroked gently. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking…about a lot of things, the past couple of days.”

  Tessa wondered if that thinking included her…them. She pressed a hand to his face, felt the bristle of beard that had taken root since his pre-dawn shave. He sucked in a breath beneath her touch. “Tell you what…I promise to pray if you do, too.” Her pulse quickened as she twined her fingers with his.

  He nodded slightly. “It’s a deal.”

  She turned from him to lean forward on the bench and close her eyes. Optic stars danced, lingering remnants of sunlight. “Let’s start now.”

  “Here?” His tone was startled. “But—”

  “Why not?” She bowed her head. “I’ll do the talking this time, OK?”

  He nestled against her, shoulder to shoulder, and followed her lead. “OK.”

  ****

  Tessa’s words stayed with Colin as he finished his meeting with Sergeant Becker and made his way across town to the small house he rented.

  Can’t you see, Colin, why I have to go?

  Hadn’t he said the same thing to his folks when they questioned his motives for leaving Atlanta? Except he’d traded crime-ridden streets for the quaint town of Mount Ridge, not the other way around. And, with the exception of the incident at the crisis center, things had been fairly uneventful.

  Which was just fine, as far as Colin was concerned. Mount Ridge was a nice place to raise a family, a place where a person could lay his head at night and feel like he belonged.

  He remembered Tessa’s simple prayer, the lilt of her voice as the breeze carried the words. Guide us, Lord. Show us the way we should go.

  Colin sure hoped God was listening. Doubts still riddled him, though. He kicked off his boots and settled into the recliner. The house was quiet—too quiet. Maybe he should look into adopting a dog from the animal shelter. He reached for the remote, but spied a leather-bound Bible on the bookshelf instead. He took it, dusted it off, and opened the cover to read the inscription Bailey had penned to him for his twenty-sixth birthday, just two days before she was murdered.

  Colin,

  Happy Birthday, big brother! I know you’re not a big fan of reading, but here’s one book you shouldn’t miss. Thanks for watching over me when we were kids, and don’t worry about me now. Whatever happens, I’ll be fine. Nothing can touch me, Colin, not really, because I have Him. I want you to have Him, too. Promise me, no matter what, you’ll
never stop believing.

  Love you,

  Bailey

  Colin ran his fingers over the print and gulped back tears. It was almost as if she knew what was going to happen, and he imagined then what her final thoughts were on that fateful day…selfless thoughts for him and his well-being.

  Oh, it hurt.

  He turned a few pages and began to skim the words. Soon, he heard the murmur of Bailey’s lilting voice as the passages spoke to him. He devoured the words, a man hungry to make sense of the loss, and to find peace in a simple message.

  9

  “When are you leaving?” Kate asked as she jostled Micayla to her shoulder and gently patted the baby’s back. Her efforts were rewarded with a healthy belch.

  “Friday.” Tessa ran a finger around the rim of her empty coffee cup.

  “This Friday?” Kate’s brows narrowed. “That’s awfully soon.”

  “I know.” Tessa let go of the cup and gnawed her fingernail. Kate’s questions caused a wave of doubt to rise in her belly. Friday was just a few days away, and now, with her departure looming, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. “But they want me there for the holiday rush, and leaving Friday will give me the weekend to settle in so I can hit the ground running on Monday.”

  “Hard to believe Thanksgiving’s just a few weeks away.” Kate dabbed Micayla’s tiny pucker of a mouth with the corner of a cloth diaper. “You want to hold her?”

  “Oh, do I!” Tessa took the baby, whose eyes drooped with sleep, and nestled her close. The soft scents of baby shampoo and powder soothed. “She’s growing so fast.”

  “Her first Thanksgiving…first Christmas, too, are right around the corner.” Kate covered the baby with a receiving blanket and she squirmed and cooed, bringing a smile to Tessa’s lips. “Will you make it home for them?”

  “I don’t know.” The admission tugged at Tessa’s heart. Again, doubts flowed. She struggled to brush them aside as she nuzzled Micayla. “You know how busy Sweet Treats gets during the holidays, and I imagine it’s even more so in a big city like New York.”

  “Yes, I imagine so.” Kate sipped her coffee. “But it won’t be the same around here without you. We’ll sure miss you.”

  A lump welled in Tessa’s throat. She swallowed it back and nodded stiffly. “I’ll miss you, too.”

  The bell above the entrance door jangled, drawing their attention. Tessa turned to find Colin, dressed in his police-issue uniform, cheeks bright from the cold, staring at her. His eyes grew wide, as if he didn’t quite comprehend what he was seeing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He backpedaled, shook his head and removed his hat to run a hand through his hair. “Nothing. It’s just…the baby in your arms.” The statement jolted Tessa, and she hugged Micayla tighter. The expression in Colin’s gaze was so…tender. For the first time she realized that in a few days she’d be leaving him…possibly forever. The lump in her throat grew from a pebble to a boulder. Can I do it? Should I do it?

  “Looks good on her, Colin,” Kate chimed in, lifting her coffee cup. “Doesn’t it?”

  ****

  Good didn’t put a dent in it. Colin knew in that moment he was done for, all in, no turning back.

  But Tessa wasn’t. She’d made that perfectly clear. A one-way plane ticket to New York City spoke volumes. And she was leaving Friday—day after tomorrow. He diverted his gaze and sidestepped the bistro table, going straight to the pastry display case. He cleared his throat, trying to banish the disappointment from his voice. “What’s on the menu today?” he quipped.

  “Lemon teacakes,” Tessa offered, and the stiff tone of her voice made Colin turn back to her. Her face was suddenly pale, her eyes a bit damp. She swallowed in rapid succession, as if trying to work a chicken bone from her throat. Her voice was tight, strained. “I made them this morning. Try some. You might like them more than the strawberry.”

  Colin shook his head. “No, thanks.” He couldn’t imagine liking anything Tessa baked more than he liked her strawberry teacakes. And suddenly his gut felt full, as if he’d just devoured a huge meal. And that meal rocked and roiled with the thought of letting her go. “Maybe just some coffee—black.”

  “You on break?” Mattie reached for the largest foam cup and filled it with steaming brew. The aroma of hazelnut, mingled with lemon and vanilla, added a homey feel to the warmth of the bakery. But somehow Colin knew that feeling would change once Tessa left.

  “Yeah.” He took the cup and nodded when Mattie gave him a knowing smile. He turned from the counter, back to Tessa. She hummed softly to the baby, coaxing Micayla to sleep. The lilt of her voice stirred a longing in him he was powerless to control. Like a freight train out of nowhere, the feeling barreled down the tracks. He gulped hard, tried his best to sound matter-of-fact. “I came by to see if you need a ride to the airport Friday, Tess.”

  She paused her humming. “Grace offered to take me.”

  “Oh, about that…” Mattie busied herself straightening the coffee supplies. “She has an appointment with the obstetrician, so she won’t be able to take you after all, Tessa.”

  Tessa frowned, tucked her index finger into Micayla’s tiny palm and sighed with delight when the baby gripped and held tight. “Oh. She didn’t mention anything to me.”

  “She just found out this morning, and Kate and I will have to stay behind to keep things running here at Sweet Treats. So I guess Colin can take you after all.”

  “OK.” She glanced at Colin. “If you don’t mind, I mean.”

  “I just offered, didn’t I?” His voice was gruff, and he chomped the piece of gum he’d slipped into his mouth. He should leave before he said something he’d regret. Tessa had implored him to pray, and he had. But, from the gaping crevasse in his heart, he was convinced no one listened. “I guess I’d better get back to work. Thanks for the coffee, Mattie.”

  ****

  “What’s wrong with him?” Tessa turned her attention back to Micayla. The baby gurgled through a dream, and Tessa rocked her gently. “He sounded mad.”

  “Oh, he’s not mad.” Kate danced over to the coffeemaker to refill their cups. “I gather it’s more than that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kate and Mattie exchanged glances. “Have you two discussed your move to New York?”

  “What’s there to discuss? I have to go, and he’s staying here.” Tessa’s words were flippant, yet she wondered why a sudden pang of regret stabbed her. “Are you saying I shouldn’t go?”

  “Of course not.” Kate filled a plate with three oversized cranberry-apple muffins while Mattie slipped into a chair at the table. “I’m just saying to think it through carefully.”

  “I have thought it through. And I’ve prayed about it, too.”

  “You have?” Mattie frowned.

  “And I think I should go. I have to know…what it’s like somewhere else.” She reached for a muffin, split it in half before taking a bite. “Besides, the management job is a great opportunity. I’ve worked hard for it, and I’ll learn a lot working there.”

  “Then maybe, eventually, you’ll come home?” Mattie let the question linger.

  “Maybe.” Tessa shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, look.” Kate knelt to gather something from the floor. “Colin dropped one of his gloves.” She handed it to Tessa. “Maybe you can take it to him later.”

  Tessa pressed the glove to her nose and the scent of Colin—soap and aftershave and a bit of coffee—clung to the leather. The muffin bite stuck like a stone in her throat, and she washed it down with a sip of coffee. Suddenly she missed Colin, and she hadn’t even left Mount Ridge, yet.

  10

  Tessa rounded the back of the house to find Colin sitting on the screened-in back porch, nursing a cup of coffee. A storm brewed on the horizon, mirroring the tempest she saw building in the set of his jaw, the stab of his gaze as it swept over her when she climbed the stairs and stood to face him.

  “Hey.”
She rocked from heel to heel and pulled the seam of her jacket tight against the wind.

  “Hey.” His voice was low and rough as he closed the Bible he was reading and set it on the little glass table beside his chair. She was amazed he didn’t feel the bite of the north wind. As cool, damp air nipped her neck she shivered, even beneath the protection of a wool-lined denim jacket. “What do you have there?”

  “Your glove.” She handed it to him. “You dropped it on the floor of Sweet Treats.”

  “Oh, thanks.” He smoothed the crumpled leather. “So that’s what happened to it.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Can you stay?” He patted the cushioned Adirondack chair beside him. “Sit with me a while?”

  “I don’t want to intrude.” She hesitated. “I know you’re busy.”

  “Just reading a little, trying to keep up my end of the prayer deal we made.” He motioned to the Bible. “It’s nothing that can’t wait.”

  She ran her fingers across the soft leather cover, engraved with his name. He must have received the book from someone who loved him dearly. “Anything good?”

  “A bit of Romans.”

  “Hmmm…” She nodded and slipped into the chair, crossing her legs. “How far have you gotten?”

  “Chapter eight.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “’If we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.’ ”

  Tessa fingered a button on her jacket as she watched angry gray clouds roll across the horizon. A veil of rain marred the sky to the west. “What do you hope for, Colin?”

  He opened his eyes and stretched his long, powerful legs. “I just want to know…what I’m supposed to do.”

  She turned to look at him. His eyes were the color of shale she’d seen when hiking Alum Cave in the Smoky Mountains. “About what?”