Close to Home

by Raney, Deborah;

  “She seems pretty sharp to me. You really think she’s that bad?”

  “Maybe not yet, but Grant won’t want to wait until it’s too late. It makes me sad to think of CeeCee leaving Langhorne. That’s the only house I’ve ever known her in.”

  He shook his head. “It would be hard to leave a house you’d been in for so long.”

  She sighed. “I suppose I should say something to Grant.”

  “About her not wanting to move?”

  She nodded. “You’re sure you don’t want to tell him?”

  He made a face. “I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.”

  She laughed. Voices floated up to them from the house, and Bree turned to look out the window between the bookcases. “I’d probably better go down and tell everyone good-bye.”

  “Of course. Didn’t mean to keep you so long.”

  “No, not at all. Thanks for the tour. It’s looking really good. I’m so glad you were able to help Grant. I mean—” She dipped her head. “Not that I’m glad you lost your job, but I’m just—”

  He touched her arm briefly, smiling. “I know what you mean. And thanks.”

  He pointed toward the stairs they’d come up. “I’ll get these lights and follow you down.”

  She started down the stairs, but stopped on the third step from the bottom, turning. “I can’t wait to give— Oh!”

  She hadn’t realized Drew was right behind her. He grabbed the railing with one hand and pressed the other against the stairway wall to keep from running her over.

  Bree instinctively reached to catch him. He crossed his forearms in front of him like a shield and she grabbed his wrists and held on as if he were a second railing. Disaster averted, but her heart pounded like the woodpecker they’d heard in the woods on the walk down here.

  “Whoa.” He gave a nervous laugh, his face just inches above hers. “Sorry about that. You okay?”

  “No . . . I mean yes. I’m okay.” She realized she was still hanging on to both of his arms. She let go and made herself back down another step. “That was totally my fault. I thought of something to tell you and— I can’t even remember what it was now.” She giggled, trying to catch her breath. “Grant would so kill me if I made you break your arm before this cottage is finished.”

  “I did kind of see my life pass before me for a minute there. I was just hoping I only broke one arm.”

  She laughed, relief making her a little giddy.

  Drew finished turning out the lights while she waited outside on the unfinished patio off the kitchen.

  Huckleberry bounded down the hill from the house and danced around her while she waited for Drew.

  He came out and closed the door behind him. The chocolate Lab immediately transferred his loyalties to Drew.

  “Hey, Huck! How’s it goin’ boy” Drew knelt to give the dog a good scratch behind the ears.

  It struck Bree that he was every bit as at home at the inn on Chicory Lane as she was. She started to step onto the new curvy sidewalk that led down to the main house, but remembered Grant mentioning they’d just poured the cement recently. “Can we use the walk yet? Has it set up enough?”

  “Oh sure. It’s been a couple days already. You won’t leave footprints in it or anything. Unlike Huck here.” He patted the dog’s neck.

  She gave him a questioning look.

  “Huck here decided to take a romp through the fresh cement. Grant smoothed it over—except for one paw print he let stay.”

  “Awww. That’s so sweet. Where is it?”

  He went down the walk a ways and knelt to point to a corner of one section of the walk. “It’s hard to see in the dark, but it’s there. Audrey wasn’t too happy about having to wash Huck’s feet off.”

  “I bet not. That’s what I was afraid of, getting my feet stuck in wet cement.”

  He laughed. “You’re safe. But I promise to pull you out if you get in trouble.”

  She wasn’t sure what he saw on her face, but he laughed harder. “Just kidding. Seriously, Grant’s been walking on it since the day after we poured it. I promise, you’re fine.”

  Watching him, hearing his deep voice—that smile—she wasn’t so sure she was fine at all. In fact, she wanted to tell him to pull her out already, because she suddenly realized she might be in trouble.

  Deep trouble.

  21

  So did you like that?” Aaron stabbed the air with his fork in the direction of the beef brisket Bree had just finished.

  She swallowed, dabbing barbecue sauce from the corners of her mouth before she answered. “It was delicious.”

  “I still can’t believe you’ve never eaten here. How could you live in this corner of Missouri all this time and never have eaten at Dexter’s? It boggles the mind.”

  She laughed. “Well, I may have had it catered at a Wilkes event before, but if I did, I don’t remember it. I’m trying to figure out when you would find time to eat here. It seems like half the time we’re eating banquet food in a green room or wolfing down a salad at a working lunch.”

  “That’s why weekends are for trying out restaurants.”

  She took a sip of her sweet tea. “And why do you not weigh three thousand pounds? If I ate like that I’d be a house.”

  “It wouldn’t kill you to put a little meat on your bones,” he said over his last bite of pulled pork.

  She gave him a dirty look. But decided she’d take that as a compliment because she was pretty sure he wasn’t accusing her of being too skinny.

  They’d arrived later in the evening, hoping to miss the dinner crowd. Now they were the only ones left in the dining room, and the servers were cleaning off tables and preparing for the restaurant’s nine o’clock closing.

  “We’d probably better go.” Bree wadded her napkin and placed it on her empty plate.

  “Don’t you want some ice cream?”

  “Oh, thanks, but I don’t need—”

  “It’s free.” He grinned knowingly.

  “Well, in that case, of course.”

  “This way.” He pushed his chair back and rose, motioning to a soft-serve ice cream machine near the buffet. “Oh, they have cones. We can take them to go.”

  “Sounds good.” She hitched her purse over her shoulder and followed him to make cones piled as high as they could get them.

  Fortunately the late August evening had cooled off so their cones didn’t turn into puddles before they could finish them. They sat in the car in front of the barbecue place and finished eating the cones.

  She attempted to wipe the sticky from her fingers with a tissue that only stuck to her fingers. She finally gave up and rummaged in her purse for some hand sanitizer. “Want some?” She held the little travel size bottle up.

  “Yeah, I could use some of that. Hit me.” She squeezed, but nothing came out. She squeezed again and half the bottle went into his cupped hands. “Whoa!”

  She giggled. “Sorry! That ought to do it, huh?”

  He rubbed his hands together. “Here, give me your hands.”

  She held them out, and he slathered the excess sanitizer on her hands. He held her hands between his long after the liquid had evaporated.

  Bree could sense Aaron was feeling . . . brave in the darkness. Even before, while they were waiting for their meals to be served, he’d talked her into posting the profile photo of them together on Facebook and updating their statuses to “in a relationship.” It seemed a little juvenile to her, but he’d been pestering her about it for days, and now that Tim’s family knew, she really didn’t have an excuse.

  But right now, she didn’t want Aaron to try to kiss her again. She didn’t want to talk about them. She pulled her hands from his, under the guise of putting the container back in her purse. She scooted almost imperceptibly closer to the passenger door.

  But she couldn’t fool him.

  “Hey, come back here, you.” Aaron took her hands and pulled her closer. He put his hand on the back of her neck, cradling he
r head.

  “Aaron . . .”

  “What?” There was an edge of frustration in his voice.

  “I think I’d better go home.”

  “What’d I do now?”

  “I didn’t say you did anything.”

  “Bree, what is the deal? I am doing everything in my power to take it slow and not scare you off. But it seems like you are doing everything in your power to make sure I never get close enough to touch you, let alone kiss you.”

  She gave an uncomfortable laugh. “You just held my hands for ten minutes.”

  He apparently didn’t find that humorous. He straightened in his seat and took the steering wheel of the parked car in both hands, staring straight ahead as if he were driving in a downpour.

  After a few minutes of awkward silence, he started to turn the key in the ignition, but then he turned abruptly to face her again. “You know, I think I’ve been plenty patient with you. I’m starting to think you aren’t really that interested in making things work with me.”

  “No . . . I am, Aaron. I—” She sighed. “I don’t know what you want. I’m trying. I really am. But I don’t exactly think seven weeks constitutes being ‘plenty patient.’ And I’ll understand if you just want to forget the whole thing.”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  She hated his snarky tone. No, that wasn’t exactly right. What she hated was the way she was toying with him. And she didn’t know how she could answer him truthfully because the truth was, that was exactly what she hoped—that he would just forget the whole thing.

  She’d led him on. Not on purpose. She did like him. And she’d thought she was ready to date again. But when she was with him, something wasn’t quite right. And she wasn’t being fair to him. Not at all.

  But maybe this was how it would always be. No matter who she was with. Maybe it wasn’t possible to find love again when you’d already loved—and lost—your first true love. “I’m just so confused, Aaron.” Her voice broke.

  “What is there to be confused about? Either you like me and want to be with me. Or you don’t.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “I think it is. But it doesn’t seem fair that everything has to be on your terms. I’ve been patient.”

  “Aaron, I know you have. And I appreciate that. But I can’t just make myself be all in. I’m still . . . finding my way.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you what. You let me know when you figure it out.”

  He started the car and revved the engine harder than necessary before pulling onto the road.

  They drove home in silence, and when Aaron pulled into her drive, she started to try to explain herself again, but she couldn’t explain what she couldn’t understand. “I’m sorry, Aaron. I really am. I’m trying to figure things out, but I can’t just make it magically happen.”

  “Okay. Whatever. Goodnight.” He was obviously fuming. “I guess I’ll see you Monday.”

  She cringed. She hated to imagine what work would be like Monday morning if they didn’t talk this out tonight. They had an open house event at the hospital on Monday afternoon, and Sallie wanted them both there.

  He revved the motor, not looking at her.

  Near tears, she opened her door and climbed out slowly. “Thank you. For dinner.”

  He bobbed his chin in reply.

  She closed the car door and walked up to the house. He didn’t even wait to make sure she was safely inside.

  * * *

  Drew jogged beside his brother on the scenic Cape LaCroix trail that connected several of the parks in Cape Girardeau. Though they might not have admitted it, he and his brother were still competitive when it came to anything athletic. Dallas was kicking his butt today. They’d gone three miles, and he was about ready to call it a day.

  “You know, you’re supposed to be the out-of-shape old guy. What’s the deal? You been working out behind my back?”

  Dallas laughed—and upped the pace. “Whatsa matter little brother? Can’t keep up?”

  Drew stopped and bent at the waist with hands on his knees, breathing hard. “Not even gonna try,” he yelled after his brother.

  Dallas jogged in a U-turn and came back, jogging in place in front of Drew. “You feeling okay? Everything all right?”

  “I’m fine. Apparently construction work isn’t keeping me in shape like I thought. Or maybe I’m just so muscle-bound I’m ruined for running. Look at these guns.” He flexed his biceps in a comical pose.

  “Yeah right.” Grinning, Dallas gave him a brotherly shove. “Ready to call it a day?”

  Drew checked the clock on his phone. “I think I’d better. I’m supposed to set up a second interview with that guy in St. Louis.”

  “On Sunday?”

  “Maybe. I’m just in waiting mode.”

  “Well, hey, that’s great.” Dallas looked down briefly. “Except for the St. Louis part. Not too buzzed about that.”

  “I know. I’m a little bummed too. I was really hoping I’d get something around here.”

  “No other bites?”

  “Not really. Nothing that pays like this one would.” He felt a little sick at the thought of moving away. Starting all over far from Dallas’s family, which was his only family. And far from someone else too—someone who’d become far too important to him given that she was attached. He pushed the thought aside, worried his brother could read his mind. “I think the thing that bothers me most about this one is they’d want me to start right away. I hate to let Grant down, you know.”

  “He’ll understand, man. He knew that might happen when he hired you.”

  “I know. But I was kind of hoping to be there to see the project to the end.”

  “You doing okay money-wise?”

  “Sure. The severance pay is still coming. I’m socking it away and living on the money Grant pays me.” Drew smiled to himself. That would make his budget-minded brother happy.

  “So don’t take the St. Louis job. Something will turn up here.”

  He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know that.”

  “It might not be something in your field, but you can find something to pay the bills.”

  “Troyfield doesn’t have anything?”

  “Sorry, man. And I don’t look for us to for a while. We’re kind of battening down the hatches until at least next spring.”

  “I understand.” Drew cleared his throat. “I’m a little surprised to hear you say I should turn the job down.”

  Dallas shrugged. “You forget I have a dog in this hunt. Not exactly thrilled to see my brother move away. I was kind of liking the idea of my boys getting to know you better.”

  “Likewise.”

  “Another role model, you know?”

  “St. Louis is only two and a half hours . . .” The lump in his throat wouldn’t let him say more. But the fact that his brother felt that way made him want desperately to live up to everything Dallas believed he was. He was pretty sure he fell short, but hanging out with Grant, Drew saw why Dallas admired his father-in-law. Between those two, he had a lot to live up to.

  “You’re right,” Dallas said. “It’s not that far.”

  “I know. And I really think”—he kicked at a stone on the jogging path—“if I get offered the job, I need to take it.”

  “You do what you have to do.” Dallas squeezed his shoulder. “I know you’ll make the right decision.”

  He wasn’t sure he could talk to his brother—or anyone—about it yet, but there was one pretty big reason he thought taking the St. Louis job might be a good idea. As with most of the “trouble” in his life, it involved a woman. And now, suddenly, it also felt like it involved losing his new best friend.

  How ironic that the reason he hadn’t pursued Bree was that he’d been jobless. Now that he likely had a good job, it would take him far away from her.

  But maybe that was for the best. Because more and more, it killed him to think of her with Aaron Jakes.

  22
/>   Bree knocked on the door, praying Landyn was home even as she hoped she wasn’t. She desperately needed to talk to someone. She wasn’t sure any of Tim’s sisters could be objective, but no one else knew her, knew her situation like they did. And she felt closest to Landyn.

  The door creaked open and a tiny blonde head appeared near the bottom of the opening.

  “Hi there, sweetie.” It was one of the twins, but she couldn’t guess which.

  Hurried footsteps came from inside—and Landyn’s shrill voice. “Emma! Did you open that door?”

  The door swung wide and Tim’s sister sagged with relief. “Bree! I’m so glad it’s you and not an axe murderer.” She scooped the little girl into her arms.

  Grace toddled around the corner. “Bwee! Bwee!” She ran into Bree’s arms while her twin got lectured about not opening the door to strangers.

  But Emma put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her mother. “Mommy, you don’t talk at me that way!”

  “Emma—” Landyn took the toddler firmly by the shoulders and knelt to her eye level. “Do you need to sit in time out, missy?”

  “No, I don’t fink I want to.”

  Bree muffled a giggle.

  Even Landyn was having trouble keeping a straight face. “Well, you’d better ‘fink’ again, young lady.” She swept the little girl into her arms, despite Emma’s bucking and kicking.

  “Bwee! Help!” Emma shrieked, reaching out for Bree.

  Bree’s grin turned to a grimace and she shrugged at Landyn, longing to embrace her niece, but not wanting to interfere with the discipline.

  Landyn had a few more stern words with Emma before freeing her to Bree’s waiting arms. Stumbling over a sea of pink and lavender toys to the sofa, Bree plopped there with a twin on each knee.

  She’d only been here five minutes and was worn out. How did Landyn do it?

  The twins wriggled down from her lap after a few minutes, and Bree and Landyn made small talk while they tried to corral the twins. Finally, Landyn blew a curl off her forehead and grabbed a toddler under each arm. She headed over to the once architecturally stunning open staircase that was now barricaded with a baby gate and a makeshift two-by-four railing. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with these little escape artists. Emma figured out a way to unlock the front door—and then she taught Grace how!”