“So, in spite of Paul almost killing you, would you consider teaming up with me permanently?”
“Yes I accept your graceful proposal again.”
With one hand on the wheel he kissed her longingly and she hated to break that embrace but she had a condition. “There’s just one thing.”
“What?”
“You have to apologize to my mom.”
“I deserve to have her beat me up as well. I don’t know what I was thinking, blaming her for rolling the Jeep.”
“Women are supposed to be so emotional, but I think that’s another shared trait. You’ve been having some rough times. A sincere apology will be accepted. The penance could go on for awhile.”
He laughed and locked hands with her until he stopped the car at her house. Then he helped her out of the tailgate and waited ’til she got inside before he drove off.
Ten minutes later a hot shower completed her happiness. She was still alive and damn glad she had made a will. Paul was in jail but Brenda was still out there.
Most important of all, she had thought to call Quinn, and he had come to her rescue. What a hero.
Chapter Seventeen
“Rule 17: When a man is able to say these three magic words, ‘I was wrong,’ you know he is a real man.” — SMFA.
Quinn took Kelly to the police station, which took most of the morning. Fortunately he hadn’t gotten the Suburban totally fixed yet. Hell, what did he care? He could take the bus to the campus if he had to.
Funny how he had come to this town in such despair and somehow Kelly had healed every single thing that was wrong with his life. But she hadn’t messed with him. She left any work that needed to be done to his mind or soul up to him. He’d never met anyone like her. And she said she’d be willing to wait forever. He felt unworthy of her and racked his brain to figure out how to become that white knight she talked about.
After that, Quinn took Kelly to lunch at the fancy restaurant where he’d taken Brenda. He wanted Kelly to know how much he thought of her and figured this would be a treat.
Kelly did not feel out of place since she knew the owner, whom she had done work for. She and Quinn had a great time making plans for the future in the hopes they would actually have one together. Then he dropped her off so she could mind Bea and went to the house, their house, and worked on the lecture the dean had asked him to prepare on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Of course he couldn’t give it until after the trial, but he was actually looking forward to a discussion on financial forensics.
Jason was polishing the parquet floor with a buffer he had rented and all seemed to be right with the world except that Brenda was still out there somewhere.
And they were all invited to Kelly’s house for dinner. He had apologized to Bea, who had forgiven him but not profusely. Then he’d sent her a care basket full of gift certificates to local shops. He didn’t want to do flowers because their yard was full of them.
When he finished writing for the day, he backed everything up to a removable hard drive and put it in his briefcase. Quinn felt they were being given a breather but they were not really safe yet.
Kelly’s house was redolent of fried chicken and mashed potatoes by the time Earl got there. Kelly had even picked flowers from the garden for the table. It was a good meal over which they shared some of Bea’s escapades, but none of them seemed as bad as they had at the time. Besides her cleaning business, Kelly had started working part-time at sixteen to help out with expenses, but that now seemed like an advantage, learning to value work and manage money early.
After the dishes were in the washer, Kelly said, “Are you guarding the house tonight, or is Jason?”
“He said he had a date.” Quinn looked skeptical.
“That’s wonderful.” Kelly wanted to know more but didn’t press.
“If it’s true.” Quinn took the cup of coffee Bea handed him. “I’m not sure where he would have found the time to meet anyone since he’s been here.”
“Now, let the boy alone,” Bea said. “He deserves his privacy, as you two do. But with his face he could have any clerk in any store he’s been in.”
Quinn almost choked on a sip.
Kelly shook her head. “Not that Jason would pick girls up in shops.”
“Why not?” Bea asked. “Better than a bar or that scary mall.”
Kelly had to agree with her there. Earl was laughing inside. Kelly could tell by the way he shook.
Quinn cleared his throat. “I have a meeting tonight, but that shouldn’t last too long. I’ll be back at the house by ten.”
Kelly’s mother sent her a piercing look. “What haven’t you all told me?”
Kelly jumped and was surprised into saying, “Someone tried to run me down last night.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, he wasn’t very good at it.”
Earl laughed. “Why don’t I guard the house?”
“Because it’s our house, our problem. You don’t do that for other citizens.”
Earl pursed his lips as he tried to think of a comeback.
“Besides, Mom means more to me than either house and I think you can guard her better than I can. At the slightest sign of trouble, Quinn, call the fire department.”
“Why the fire department?” Bea asked.
Kelly almost stuttered until Quinn jumped in. “Because it’s Earl’s night off. He shouldn’t have to respond to any more pleas for help from us.”
“Quinn, take my Jeep to the meeting. It doesn’t look wonderful but at least you won’t have to crawl out the hatch.”
* * * * *
Earl stayed until nine and she could hear him and Bea talking quietly in the living room while she worked in her office. She should have gone to the summer house so they could have some privacy but that might seem pushy.
Earl poked his head in as he was about to leave. “Everything cleared up for Quinn?”
“Tennant was a lifesaver. He dug up some financials on Brenda that will expedite the divorce.”
“He’s a good man and he works cheap. He’s doing some surveillance for me. Paul may be in jail but Brenda is still at the motel.”
“Good point. She has plenty of reason to hate both of us.”
Earl turned to go but hesitated. “Your mom seems different.”
“Like I said, we settled a few things.”
“You okay with me…dating her?”
“If you think you can survive dating Bea.”
He laughed and went out, rapping on the kitchen window to remind her to shoot the deadbolt.
It was quiet then. Too quiet. If Quinn and Jason were both out for the night, that left the house a sitting duck for anything Brenda could think of. Kelly left a note for her mom, picked up the kitchen fire extinguisher and locked up behind her. She’d just stand guard outside until they got home. When she got to Deeds street, Quinn’s vehicle was there but hers was not, so the house might be empty.
When she got close she could smell the reek of gasoline coming from the porch. If someone lit that, her little fire extinguisher would be no use. She used her key to go in through the kitchen, dragging the garden hose with her. Kelly connected the hose to the kitchen tap, turned it on and dragged the nozzle to the front porch. She threw open a window which set off the alarm, then began to hose down the porch while she called 9-1-1. Kelly left the hose running and gathered all the fire extinguishers in the middle of the front hall while she speed dialed Quinn and left a message. Of course he couldn’t leave his phone on during the meeting.
She figured the person was circling the house dropping fuel as they went, so they should come back to the front. She might have to open more windows if she was going to fight this thing. She saw a flash and heard a whoosh on the side porch. A figure was silhouetted staggering backward.
Kelly unlocked and threw open that window, then blasted the arsonist with the garden hose because frankly they were on fire. The person, she assumed Brenda, fell over the railing into the yard. Quinn
should be home soon. Had the Beast broken down on him?
The side porch erupted in flames and she did what she could with the fire extinguisher, then used up the ones Quinn had bought, but they only knocked the fire down temporarily and the flames spread around the outside of the house. The gasoline must have soaked the new wood and it lit again. This was nothing to fight with a garden hose but she had no choice.
Too late she realized from the horrendous beeping of the detectors that smoke was pouring into the house through the windows she’d opened. The fire truck should be here soon. She could hear the claxon blaring.
Then she heard something—coughing. And it wasn’t her. Had Brenda gotten in? Or—yikes, was Jason upstairs? She dropped the hose, jumped through the window and took the steps two at a time. Sure enough, he was in his bedroom, which was full of smoke. Kelly was having trouble breathing, but she dragged him in his sleeping bag into the hallway. She got his upper body pointed down the stairs and slid him down the steps. But even Kelly Barr, master construction worker, could not carry him out and the smoke was too much. She heard thudding at the front door and realized only the back door was open.
“Jason! Kelly!” Quinn yelled.
“Quinn, we’re in the hallway.”
He wasn’t alone vaulting through the window. Earl grabbed Kelly and helped her to the back door while Quinn picked up Jason and carried him out.
She thought she would cough her brains out. “What about Jason?”
“Breathing. He’s going to the hospital. So are you,” Earl said. “I’ll let your mom know.”
“Kelly, I’m so sorry,” Quinn said. “I didn’t think she’d be capable of this without Paul.”
“She may still be here, Quinn. She fell off the street side porch. Brenda may need an ambulance as well.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Rule 18: Both Men and women make mistakes. Forgive him as you would wish to be forgiven, but make sure he knows what he did wrong and that you will never forget.” — SMFA
The hospital kept Jason and Brenda but released Kelly. As soon as Brenda’s leg was cast she’d be arrested. Quinn wanted to stay with his son but the night nurse persuaded him to go get some sleep since Jason was on oxygen and asleep. Quinn hugged Kelly in the cab on the way home but told the driver Deeds and Hill Street instead of Kelly’s address.
She hugged him with a sigh.
They walked through the house to assess the damages. The fire had not gotten past the porch and most of the interior damage was from smoke. Quinn was surprised the damage was so light. He was glad but it was just a house.
“We could have lost Jason if you hadn’t come,” Kelly said.
She and Quinn sat on the damp window seat in the dining room. He looked at her. “If you hadn’t been here, Jason would probably be dead.”
“I should have checked to see if he was in the house. I’m usually not so stupid.”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind. I should have told them I couldn’t take the meeting and been here myself.”
“Just because you’ve always faced everything alone doesn’t means you will always have to.”
“That sounds like good advice for me and for Kelly Barr.”
He took her in his arms and kissed away some of the smudges before he got to her lips. That’s when he knew they’d be okay together. There was still a lot to get through, but none of it was unfixable now that they were whole again. They just had to wait for the divorce to be final and then they could get on with their lives.
* * * * *
The next morning, she and Quinn brought Jason home to her house. He sat at the kitchen table at Kelly’s house, still a little pale but definitely on the mend. She still shivered when she thought about how close they had come to losing Jason.
Earl arrived to give them a blow-by-blow of charges. “Of course Brenda’s lawyer is trying to cut a deal already with the prosecutor.”
“I’m sure she wants me to drop the charges,” Quinn said.
“Oh, you have no choice in the matter. She was caught committing arson and there are plenty of witnesses, so it’s pointless for her to use that as a lever. Not to mention her car and scorched clothes reek of gasoline.”
“So I can’t get her off even if it means she’ll give me a divorce?”
“Trust me, it’ll be a lot easier for you to divorce her once she’s in jail.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
Kelly looked at Jason and said, “Are you okay with this?” After repeated assurances that he no longer cared about his mother, Kelly wanted to check one last time.
“Hey, my own mom almost killed me. I’d say jail is a good place for her. There is something else I found out yesterday.”
“What?” Quinn asked.
“I decided to go see Dr. Ellis, to reason with him, ask why he was giving you such a hard time, Dad. I know I should have asked you, but I thought it was something I could do that might help, and he only lives a mile away.”
Quinn looked surprised but smiled. “What did he say?”
“I didn’t get past the door. When I walked up the drive I saw a big grey car behind the house, and the damage looked consistent with the one who crashed into me.”
“Oh really?” Earl said. “Thanks for the tip, Jason.”
“Do you see, Dad? He must have known what your SUV looked like and was angry enough to force you off the road. It never occurred to him someone else might be driving.”
Quinn was speechless and laid an arm across his son’s back.
“It’s going to occur to him very soon,” Earl said.
Bea plunked a heated up pot of beans and potatoes on the table. “You’d better stay for lunch or you won’t get any.”
“Wow, that was so good yesterday, I think I will stay for lunch. Ham too. I’ll call Bernie and tell him to check out Ellis’ car.”
“Pull up a chair if everyone else is eating now.”
A contented silence fell over the table as people loaded their plates. After seconds were passed around, Jason turned to his father.
“So, Dad, when I said I had a date I meant with my textbooks for the fall term.”
“That’s why you were home?” Quinn stared at him in disbelief.
“I was also still stewing over Ellis and thought maybe I should consult with you before snitching on him. After last night I’m feeling a need for justice.”
Quinn shook his head. “We have got to make the world a little safer for you and get you a social life.”
Bea patted Jason on the arm. “I’ll get him fixed up in no time. I know all the girls who work in the shops.”
Jason flushed but grinned.
Kelly smiled at him. “Don’t worry. You’ll meet lots of young women.” She brought the coffeepot and a tray of mugs and creamer to the table.
“I’m looking forward to a normal life. I want to be with you, both of you. Well, maybe not that underfoot. Bea has offered to rent me the summer house when she moves into your house.” Jason nodded toward the kitchen where Bea was slapping Earl’s hands away from a coconut cream pie.
“What? She isn’t even planning on paying me rent. Hmm, of course that would give her an income. Could actually be a good plan.”
“Since I’ll be teaching I won’t have as much time to help you, Kelly.” Quinn looked at her lovingly.
“I sure will miss having you as a partner.”
“Well, there are always the weekends. We might just have to go a little slower. And I won’t need the money now for Jason. You can use it to invest in your next project.”
“Or the next kid’s education,” Jason said.
“What next kid?” she asked. Was there someone Kelly hadn’t heard about?
Quinn laughed. “I thought you wanted to start a family.”
“I told you up front I wanted a baby, but I do not go out with married men.” She took a gulp of coffee and wondered if she was crazy. What did it matter if they waited or not?
“This di
vorce could drag on a long time.” Quinn reached his arm around her waist.
Jason smiled. “Oh, I think Mom will settle. She only likes to be on the society page, not the police blotter.”
Quinn turned to her finally with a glint of humor in his eyes. “I was wrong about you, Kelly, and I admit it. Will you marry me at the first possible moment? I promise never to do any of the awful things in your dating book.”
“Yes, Quinn, I will marry you and I’m not worried about the dating rules anymore. You never did any of those things anyway.” She hugged him and he reciprocated.
“Except keep things from you.”
“You thought you were protecting me.”
“No, I was being macho. I wanted to make it on my own.”
“Like Jason said, marriage needs to be a partnership.”
Just as she was about to kiss him, Jason cleared his throat.
“Well I had planned on lounging around here for sympathy, but this is getting a little nauseating. Could you two take it out to the swing or else I’ll leave.”
“Good idea.” Quinn picked up Kelly and carried her out the back door to deposit her on the swing.
“That‘s the reverse of the tradition, isn’t it?” She thought about the staid old wedding clichés, none of which seemed right for her. But it was nice to be whisked away by someone strong and surefooted.
“We’ve had it all backwards from the start. You have to agree we are not your typical couple.”
“Yes I can agree on that. In some ways we’re too much alike.”
“You still going to publish that book?”
“Only if you write a second one about women. I think we’re in a position to give good advice.”
He kissed her then in broad daylight in almost a public place, but she found herself not worrying about anyone who might be passing by or even staring out the kitchen window and yelling, “Score!”
Chapter Nineteen
“Rule 19: When you can finish each other’s sentences, when you know what each other is thinking you have a meeting of minds that is a rare and annoying thing. Make sure you don’t lose the magic of the relationship.”— SMFA
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