Heart of Texas

by Mary Alfort

  “Oh Laney, you’re being a worry wart again. Don’t have a cow. We’ve done it before.”

  This piece of news commanded my full attention, and I turned to look at Selma. “What do you mean you’ve done it before?” I turned back to the road just in time to dodge a skunk as he made for the ditch.

  Selma blew a breath of smoke out the window. “I meant what I said. Now cut the lights. We’re almost there.”

  I killed the headlights while wondering when exactly my aunts had taken leave of their senses. Thanks to a sliver of moon, I managed to keep the SUV on the road and out of the pasture. Once I’d parked the vehicle, I turned to stare at the house that had given me the creeps as a girl. Even when the Switzers were alive, the place had looked as if it needed tearing down. Now I could almost swear I saw ghosts inside flitting past the window. Maybe insanity ran in our family. Suppressing a shiver, I decided to try reason again. “What do you mean you’ve done this before?” This time I looked at Aunt Thelma.

  “Oh, honey, it’s nothing really. This is only our second real breaking and entering...at this young man’s house.” She patted my shoulder comfortingly.

  “You mean there’ve been others?” My neck practically got whiplash as I turned to gape at her. “How many others? How long has this been going on, Aunt Thelma?”

  “Oh, just a few...we checked on Butchy when he went missing all those days. We were worried that he might have fallen ill or something and he does live all alone. Of course, that was before he got himself arrested. Oh, and there was the time we peeked into Evelyn DeBeers’s trash. But it was on the curb, and we were looking for evidence she’d killed her husband.”

  “Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Especially from you, Aunt Thelma. I’d almost expect this type of behavior from you, Aunt Sel—” I realized Selma had exited the vehicle and left the door standing wide open.

  I leapt from the car and ran after the glow of her cigar. “Aunt Selma, get in the car right this minute,” I said with as much control as I could muster under the circumstances.

  “If you’re coming with us, keep your mouth shut. You’re making enough noise to wake the dead, as it is.”

  I shut up, but only because I was speechless. Part of me was a little in awe of my aunts’ boldness. After all, losing one’s mind had a certain liberating effect when one thought about it. No more need to worry about what others thought of one. I caught up with Selma, who had lithely moved to the back of the house and hopped onto the deck. I followed, somewhat admiring the changes the new owner had made to the place.

  Thelma puffed up behind us. Before I could become the voice of reason once more, Selma slipped a credit card between the sliding glass door and its frame. Within seconds, she was inside and motioning for us to hurry up. The two of them began rifling through Jake Montgomery’s desk drawers.

  “What are you doing? Stop that.” I was amazed and terrified. I reached for the light switch, but Selma stopped me.

  “If you’re not helping, then stay out of the way. And for gosh sakes, don’t turn on the light,” she snapped at my ignorance.

  I stood quietly in the corner while they searched the house like an expert forensics team. They’d just finished the ground floor and were creeping up the stairs when the glare of headlights swept across the living room.

  “Uh-oh. We’re out of here.” Selma scooted for the back door with Thelma at her heels.

  Before I had managed a single step, a key slip into the lock on the front door. I froze in horror.

  The next set of events happened as if in slow motion. Very, very slow motion. The front door opened, and the lights came on.

  The man standing in the doorway looked momentarily taken aback. The second he stepped further into the room and closed the door, I recognized him. This was the man who drove the Black Beast. His startling blue eyes swept over me and a flicker of recognition showed on his face before he looked past me to the two aunts, who stood half way out the back door.

  “Selma. Nice to see you and Thelma here again. I take it you didn’t break anything this time getting in?” The fact that he knew them was almost as shocking as the fact that he was smiling—actually smiling—at them.

  “Jake.” Selma pushed Thelma inside and closed the door.

  He dropped his keys on the table near the door, and turned those startling eyes back on me. “So this must be your niece, Laney.”

  It took me another moment to catch up, mostly because my heart was still threatening to jump out of my chest. “Wait. You two know him?” I looked from Thelma to Selma.

  “Of course,” Selma shot back, as if I were an imbecile.

  “But why...?” If I wanted to get any real answers, I’d need to get them from Jake Montgomery.

  “Have we met before?” He eyed me suspiciously from my hair to my toes.

  “I don’t think so.” I’d begun to blush, and I needed to get his attention off me before he figured it out and asked for his money back. “How do you know my aunts?”

  “Honey, Jake comes into the diner all the time,” said Aunt Thelma.

  He does? I haven’t seen him yet. I tried to put the pieces together. “Then why are we breaking into his house?”

  “That’s a good question. Why are you breaking into my place? You know, if you wanted to know something all you had to do was ask,” Jake politely told the twins.

  “But where’s the fun in that?” Selma answered matter-of-factly.

  “What?” Both Jake Montgomery and I chimed in at the same time.

  “Aunt Selma, what on earth’s going on here?” I croaked.

  Instead of looking even the least bit guilty for her crimes, Selma stepped up to Jake and squinted one eye at him. “Boy, you’re hiding something and I intend to find out what.”

  “Oh, no,” I groaned aloud, and then grabbed Selma’s arm. “Mr. Montgomery, I’m really, really sorry about these two. I don’t know what’s gotten into them anymore.” I tugged a reluctant Selma along with me while addressing Thelma. “Come on, we’re leaving.” As I left the house with Selma in tow and Thelma scrambling to catch up, I could almost swear I heard Jake Montgomery laughing.

  7

  Sometimes what you really need has been right there in front of you all along.

  My first experience at finding a new doctor didn’t go quite the way I’d pictured it.

  In Down, the small medical center was located on the street that someone had long ago jokingly dubbed “Malpractice Row.”

  I wandered into the center, trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing. So far, only the aunts knew I was pregnant. The curious old woman at the information desk directed me to the women’s wellness wing down the hallway where I’d be seeing one of their two OBs, depending on whose schedule cleared first.

  “Shouldn’t take more than half an hour. You can wait there. There’s a little section set up there for expectant mothers.”

  I decided instead to check out the rest of the center because I hadn’t been inside the place since it had been completed. I’d wandered quite a ways from the wellness offices when I caught sight of the time. I’d have to hurry to make my appointment.

  I turned in a panic and almost ran into some poor man walking down the hallway. But this was my not just any knight-in-shining armor. This was my aunts’ latest victim—and my next-door neighbor, Jake Montgomery.

  When he recovered enough to look at me, much to my regret, he recognized me as well. “Laney? What are you doing here? Is something wrong with Thelma?”

  “You’re a doctor?” I blurted when I spotted his white lab coat and nametag. “Wait...no, nothing’s wrong with Aunt Thelma. Why would you ask that?” His question brought back all the fear and concern I had for my strangely-acting aunt.

  “No particular reason. And yes, I’m guilty as charged. I am a doctor. Are you OK?”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to plow you over like that, Mr. Montgom−Dr. Montgomery. Do my aunts know you’re a doctor?”

>   He grinned down at me as if I’d said the funniest thing. “It has come up in our conversations a time or two, but Selma prefers to believe I’m up to no good.”

  I clapped my hand over my eyes. “Geez. I’m sorry about that, Dr.−”

  “Please, it’s Jake. And don’t apologize. I actually enjoy Selma’s little game.”

  I glanced at my watch. “Well, it was good to see you again, but I’m afraid I have to go. I’m sorry, but I’m late.”

  “For what?”

  Suddenly all sorts of strange thoughts ran through my head, like why hadn’t I realized how attractive the good doctor was during one of my previous run-ins with him? Maybe it was because I was so busy trying to control the world crumbling down around me. Not that it would have mattered. Jake Montgomery was still a man, and I didn’t much like men anymore. “Huh?” This boneheaded response slipped out as I was still staring at him forgetting what he’d asked.

  “You’re late for what?”

  There it was—the question. The one I didn’t want to talk about, and certainly had no intention of discussing with this guy. “Oh, for an appointment down the hall.”

  “Do you need me to show you to the office?”

  What does he think I am? An idiot? “Uh, no, thank you. That’s very kind, but think I can find it on my own.” I turned and started walking away.

  “Maybe I can convince you to have coffee with me once you’ve finished. I have patients scheduled for another hour, but then I’m free.”

  The good doctor had started walking beside me.

  I stopped and looked at him. “Why?”

  “Well, if you have the time, I’d like to talk to you about your aunt.”

  About my aunt? Not my aunts? Please don’t let him tell me that he plans to prosecute Aunt Selma. “OK, where?” I readily agreed because I needed to know what his intentions were.

  “There’s a coffee shop around the corner. Can you meet me there in an hour?”

  “Yes. Good, that’s fine.” I started walking again with him right there beside me. “OK, you really don’t have to keep doing that. I’m sure I can find my own way.”

  He stopped and smiled. “Actually, this is my office.”

  Silently I prayed. Please don’t let him be my obstetrician.

  “What?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

  Before I could think of an answer, a pretty blonde nurse stopped next to us.

  “Are you Laney Winters?”

  I nodded, with dread.

  “Dr. Kraemer can see you now.”

  “You’re pregnant?” Jake was clearly shocked by this piece of news.

  “Guilty as charged,” I said.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. Your aunts never mentioned it.”

  “That’s because they didn’t know until recently.”

  Jake recovered his smile, and then said in what had to be his best bedside manner, “I see. Well, you’ll like Jennifer Kraemer. She’s great.”

  “Right this way, Mrs. Winters.” I turned to follow the nurse, but not before seeing Jake’s second bout of surprise. Apparently, the aunts hadn’t mentioned my marital status either.

  “Don’t forget our coffee date, Laney,” he called after me as I disappeared into Dr. Kraemer’s office.

  ****

  Dr. Jennifer Kraemer went to the same school as me. Back then, she was still Jennifer Cartwright. Although she was several grades ahead of me, I remembered she’d excelled in just about everything she’d done. Jen was one of those cheerleading types, all full of positive energy.

  “So what have you been up to since you left Down, Laney?” she asked while poking and prodding on me.

  I contemplated how much to reveal to her. “Not much, really. Got married. Getting divorced. You know the story.”

  “Oh, Laney, I’m sorry. I had no idea. So you’ve moved back home to stay?”

  Was it just my imagination, or was that pity in her cheery tone?

  “For the time being. I’m helping my aunts with the diner.” I glanced up in time to see—oh, yeah—what most assuredly was pity on her face.

  “Well, that’s nice. I’m sure they’re thrilled to have you back home. I know they’ve missed you terribly. It looks as if everything’s in order. You eating right?”

  I nodded.

  “Taking your prenatal vitamins?”

  Another nod.

  “Good. I’ll have Davina schedule your next appointment in about a month. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, just give our office a call. The gals here can reach me anytime.” She patted my hand in a sympathetic way that made me want to punch her lights out, and then she left me to get dressed.

  By the time I left the office, I wasn’t much in the mood for coffee or anything else. I wanted to run home to my roommate, Buster, and hide for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do either. I had to find out if Jake would be sending my aunts to jail before the Feds got to them. I was out the office door and headed down the hall in the wrong direction when Doctor Handsome caught up to me.

  “You’re going the wrong way. It’s this way.”

  I smiled, in spite of my crankiness, and followed him outside into the perfect fall morning.

  I didn’t have coffee, although it took everything inside me to resist the rich smell of it. Instead, I opted for juice and a donut. We found a couple of empty seats at a table by the window. After a few awkward moments, Jake broke the silence.

  “I guess you’re wondering why I asked you here.”

  I shook my head. No, I had a good idea why he’d wanted to speak to me. “Actually−”

  “Have you noticed anything different about Thelma’s behavior since you’ve returned?”

  “Aunt Thelma?” How should I answer that? I’d noticed so many changes in her and Selma that I didn’t know where to begin. “What kind of behavior are you talking about?”

  “Well, Thelma and I have gotten to know each other pretty well over the past few months. For the most part, she’s very lucid, and yet there are times when she seems to revert to an earlier time in her life.”

  While I considered this carefully, imagining all sorts of possibilities, he added, “I’m a geriatric specialist at the center. I’d like to have her come in for an appointment, but I haven’t been able to convince her to do so. I think she’s embarrassed to have me examine her.”

  “I see. That doesn’t surprise me, she’s very modest, but now that you mention it, she mentioned something about my father being mad at her the other day. My dad’s been dead since I was a little girl. And she’s started smoking. Oh, only on bridge night, as she was quick to point out, but still, Aunt Thelma never once smoked before. I’d expect as much from Aunt Selma, but not from her sister. It’s just odd.” I watched his expression grow solemn. Suddenly I had a terrifying thought. “You don’t think it’s Alzheimer’s, do you?”

  “No,” he quickly reassured me. “Not at all. Alzheimer’s usually manifests itself much sooner. I’m thinking it’s a form of dementia. Your aunts are in their eighties and it usually happens around that time.”

  “Oh, no.” In the months prior to returning to Down, I hadn’t noticed anything odd, but since I’d moved home, I’d seen plenty to be concerned about. “I’ll talk to her. Somehow I’ll get her to come in,” I promised.

  “Great. I’d suggest speaking to Selma as well, but I think we’d both be wasting our breath.” He chuckled.

  “Yes, you’re right about that. Aunt Selma has always been eccentric, and she does not like doctors. But I think breaking and entering is a new one, even for her.”

  “I can imagine. Not that I mind. I kinda find her eccentricities refreshing. In case you haven’t noticed, Down can be a bit stodgy at times.”

  I laughed. That was putting it mildly. “Trust me, you have no idea. It hasn’t changed a bit since I left at seventeen.” I finished the last of my doughnut and wiped my fingers on my napkin. “So what brings you to Down anyway? We’re not exactly
known for our culture, and if I’m not mistaken I’d say you’re from...New England?” I made a shot-in-the-dark guess and was rewarded by his surprised expression and a confirming nod.

  “I’m impressed. How’d you guess?”

  “It’s your accent.”

  “Accent? I don’t have an accent. You, on the other hand...” He grinned back at me.

  “Oh, trust me, you have an accent.”

  Doctor Handsome merely smiled that award-winning smile.

  “So why the Switzer place? And how’d you manage to get it out of litigation?” I had to ask. I owed it to Millie.

  “Ah, you’ve asked the question I bet the entire town’s been dying to know the answer to.” He took a sip of coffee and contemplated his answer. “It wasn’t that hard, really. You see the Switzers are−were‒my aunt and uncle. As their only living relative, the place came to me naturally.”

  This surprised me. Growing up, everyone knew the Switzers were childless, but never once, through all the years of living next to them, had I seen a single visitor arrive on their doorstep.

  “My family lived in Boston. My dad was Loraine’s brother. As you’ve probably guessed, they weren’t close. In fact, I only saw my aunt and uncle once, at my parents’ funeral.”

  I silently wondered about his parents’ death, but couldn’t ask the question. “So, you just decided to pull up roots one day and move to the sticks?”

  He laughed at my choice of words. “Not exactly. I guess I just needed a change after my wife passed away. After inheriting the house, living in it seemed like the perfect solution.”

  Oh, geez, he was a widower—and an orphan. And yet, he always seemed to be smiling. Suddenly my troubles felt very small in comparison.

  “What about you? What brings you back to Down?”

  “History. Bad judgment. Ignorance. Failure. All of the above. Take your pick.”

  “In other words, you don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I don’t want to even think about it, but unfortunately, I can’t really ignore it, can I?”