by Molly Cannon
“What kind of problem?” Irene stood up from the table.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. It didn’t sound like anything too complicated. Just something about the location. Ian wanted to talk to you and meet with the fire marshal before they moved anything. He said he’d tried to call, but you didn’t answer your phone.”
Irene pulled her phone from her pocket and saw she’d missed several calls from Ian Morton, the man in charge of making sure the fireworks display went off without a hitch. The volume on the ringer had been turned down. She’d allowed herself to be distracted by Theo and hadn’t been taking care of her responsibilities. “Damn. I better go talk to them. Theo, I’m sorry, but I’ll call you later.”
Theo stood up. “Don’t worry. As long as we still meet up for fireworks.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” She smiled and hurried off to the parking lot.
“Oliver, Aunt Jo, would you like to join me for some chicken? There’s plenty, and I can testify it’s delicious. I’d really enjoy the company.”
“We’d like that if you don’t mind,” Oliver said.
Aunt Jo smiled and sat down. “My Irene sure can cook.”
“She sure can.” Theo’s phone rang. Jake was calling to see if he wanted to join them for the fireworks display unless he had other plans. They had a spot staked out, and Sadie was anxious to see him. Jake said Marla Jean told him to add that part as an added enticement.
He told Jake he’d love to. He said he’d be bringing Irene, and they’d see them shortly. He got off the phone and invited Oliver and Aunt Jo to join them, too. It was turning into a real party.
After her meeting with the fire marshal, Irene had stopped by her house to get ready for watching the fireworks that night. Theo called, telling her where they were meeting Jake and Marla Jean. She was so pleased that he’d invited her aunt and Oliver, too. There had been many years when Irene had watched them alone from her house up on the hill. She hadn’t felt like part of the community and had kept to herself on the holiday. But this year things were different. Today made her realize how many lives she’d touched personally. Not as an extension of Sven. This new relationship with her aunt was an added bonus. Even the change in her relationship with Charlie was a good thing. It sounded like she might have to set him straight when it came to boundaries, but for now she wasn’t worried about Charlie.
She took a look around the house Sven had built for her. They’d been married less than a year before his health issues became more serious. A few months when he’d taken her to parties where she’d served as arm decoration. A few months where he’d introduced her to the foundation and taught her the basics. She’d returned to college full-time working on her degree while he spent his days golfing.
He’d paid her aunt’s medical expenses through her employer, making certain she didn’t know where the money really came from. And except for a short kiss during the wedding ceremony, the marriage had been completely platonic. Sven never made any sexual advances. In fact, he made it clear when he’d asked for her hand that he had no such expectations. But he’d known about his heart condition. And he’d known his time was limited. He didn’t want to be alone in a hospital for his final days. Or at home with some hired nurse as his only companion. It had been a trade-off they’d both found beneficial.
Toward the end she’s spent hours reading to him. He particularly enjoyed Louis L’Amour westerns and Raymond Chandler mysteries. She discovered that she looked forward to their discussions. When it became clear he didn’t have much time left, she’d told him she was calling Charlie. He objected, but she’d told him it should be Charlie’s choice to see his father before he died. Sven finally agreed.
Father and son had spent his last days together making some amends, coming to some understandings, while Irene stayed in the background unless Sven asked for her. When he died, Irene had cried like her heart was broken, because it was. He’d been a father figure and a friend who supported her unconditionally. But he’d never been a husband or a lover. So she had cried for all she’d lost. And somewhere in those tears, she had cried for Theo, too.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Theo met her at her car and helped her carry blankets and an extra cooler to the spot they’d share with Jake and Marla Jean. She was pleased to see Oliver and her aunt already there. As an added bonus her cousins Bonnie and Carrie were there, as well. Everyone sat on folding chairs in the meadow on the east side of the park. It faced the hill Irene lived on and would be the perfect spot for watching fireworks. The night air was warm, but a nice breeze made it comfortable for sitting outside. The city orchestra tuned up, ready to play live music accompanying the display.
“Grab a chair,” Marla Jean said in welcome. Jake stood and took the cooler and blankets from Theo. Sadie barked and pranced around, happy to see them.
Her cousins had come down from Dallas to spend the rest of the weekend with their mother. They stood up as she approached and hugged her. “Thanks for inviting us, Irene. Mom said she had a great time riding in the parade this morning.”
“Did she tell you we won third place?” Irene couldn’t believe they were actually there. She’d invited them on different occasions, but they always had an excuse. “Bonnie, Carrie, you know you are always welcome. Have you met everyone?”
“Everyone except this guy. You must be Theo.” Bonnie wasn’t shy.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, grinning as they arranged chairs.
“Aunt Jo. I see you came prepared.”
The quilt spread out in front of her aunt was covered with a cooler of drinks and snacks. In her lap she held mosquito spray, an umbrella, an ice pack, and Chap Stick for her lips. “I like to be ready for anything. I brought lots of food since you missed lunch.”
Irene sat. “Thanks, I am hungry.”
“And I made cookies. Your favorite, peanut butter bars.”
Irene realized she was starving. “Yum, I haven’t had those in forever.”
“Well, help yourself. Eat something before someone else needs your help with something.”
Irene got a ham sandwich out of her aunt’s basket. “I don’t plan to move from this spot for the rest of the night.” She smiled at Theo and settled in.
The band started playing a medley of movie musical songs. Irene smiled as her aunt hummed along. Bonnie and Carrie filled her in on what had been going on in their lives. Irene relaxed and let their voices wash over her. She remembered a few times like this in years past when they’d sat around her aunt’s kitchen talking and laughing. In those moments she’d almost felt like a true part of the family. She reached for Theo’s hand and he squeezed it. Marla Jean leaned her head against Jake’s shoulder and hummed along with the music. It all felt so perfect that Irene was afraid to breathe.
The orchestra moved into “God Bless America,” and the crowd stood as one and sang along. It was almost dark. Before long the pyrotechnic display would begin. Sadie woofed at Theo, and he got out of his chair so he could wrestle around with her on the grass.
Charlie wandered up to the quilt and stopped with his hands in his pockets. “Good evening, Irene. Everyone.”
Irene felt bad that she hadn’t thought to invite him to join them earlier. He didn’t know many people in town yet. “Hello, Charlie. You’ve met my aunt Jo, haven’t you? And these are my cousins Bonnie and Carrie.”
He said hello.
“And have you met Jake and Marla Jean? Theo’s brother and his wife.”
Aunt Jo invited him to join them, and he found an empty place on the blanket. Sitting cross-legged he turned to Irene. “Except for that mess of a parade, this has been a nice celebration, Irene. Dad would be proud.”
Irene heard her aunt make a sniffing noise at the mention of Charlie’s father. She hoped she wouldn’t say anything about her feelings for Sven. Her aunt felt strongly about good manners, so Irene hoped that would save the day.
“Who is your dad, Charlie?” Carrie asked.
Oh, dear, Irene
realized too late her cousins didn’t know Charlie was Sven’s son.
Charlie turned toward Carrie with a big smile. “I’m sorry. I should have introduced myself more thoroughly. My father was Sven Cornwell, Irene’s late husband.”
Silence fell over the group as the two women examined him like he’d crawled out of a test tube. Charlie tried to revive the conversation. “I was saying he would have been proud of the job Irene did with today’s celebration.”
“You mean her float? Irene just said they won the third-place ribbon,” Bonnie said.
“And Mom said Theo made a great Elvis, too.” Carrie smiled at Theo.
Charlie shook his head. “Yes, her float was great, but that’s not all your cousin does for this celebration.”
Irene tried to shush him. “Charlie, really. We don’t need to go into all that.”
“Don’t be modest. Your cousin’s foundation helps fund this whole shebang, including the fireworks we are about to watch.”
“She does? You do?” They looked impressed.
“Why didn’t we know that?” Bonnie asked.
Her aunt spoke up, saying, “It’s not really her money.”
Charlie looked taken off guard. “Of course it’s her money.”
“She didn’t earn it. Not like the money from her wedding planning business.” Her aunt sounded like the entire subject was offensive. “Now that’s something she can hold her head up about.”
Charlie stood up, brushing off his pants. “I’d think you’d be more appreciative since that money she didn’t earn paid for your medical bills.”
Bonnie gasped. “What? Irene, is that true?”
“Charlie, hush. Aunt Jo, I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out.” She glanced at Theo. He was looking at her with concern.
Her aunt’s face paled, and she announced quietly, “Bonnie, I’d like to go home, now.” They rose, helping their mother to gather her belongings. Oliver stood up and offered to help carry things, too.
“Please don’t leave. I’d like to explain.” Irene wanted to run after her and make her understand.
“We’ll talk tomorrow, Irene. It seems I owe you and Mr. Cornwell my life, but I need some time to process things.”
Carrie shot Irene an apologetic look and said, “Come on, Mama.” They walked across the meadow toward the parking lot.
Charlie seemed genuinely upset. Once they were gone he said, “She didn’t know? I’m sorry, Irene. I just thought she seemed ungrateful, and it bothered me.”
Irene buried her face in her hands as the fireworks started exploding in the night sky high above them. She didn’t want to talk to Charlie about this. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. “Just watch the fireworks, Charlie.”
“That’s okay. I’ve made a mess of things, and I’m sorry. I’ll get out of here so you folks can enjoy the evening.”
They all sat in silence as he left.
Theo leaned over and whispered, “I’m sorry, Ree. Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I guess you’d like an explanation, too.”
“Don’t worry about me right now.” His smile was sincere.
“Thanks, Theo.”
Another explosion lit up the dark sky. They sat in their chairs and listened to the crowd ooh and ah. It was one of the best displays yet, but Irene thought the day couldn’t end soon enough. It built to a crescendo as the music accompanied each explosion. Then finally the display came to an end with an extended succession of loud booms, kapows, and bright crackling lights. The crowd applauded and another Fourth of July celebration was over.
Irene stood up and started gathering her things. “Theo, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home now. I’m sorry, but I won’t be very good company until I sort this out with my aunt.”
He stood up, too. “That’s okay. It’s been a really long day already. Don’t worry about the cooler. I’ll get it to you later.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for understanding.”
Theo stood watching her walk away.
The rest of the group was going to sit and wait for the crowds to thin out before trying to leave. The orchestra kept playing for another hour just to entertain the lingerers. Marla Jean broke out lemonade and poured each of them a glass. “Is she okay?” Marla Jean asked, handing him his lemonade.
Theo sat back down. “I hope so. Her aunt means a lot to her.”
Marla Jean patted him on the back. “I hope so, too. I’ve really come to like her.”
Jake was throwing a ball with Sadie. “That sounded like some heavy stuff.”
Theo sighed. “Yeah. Stuff she’s carried by herself for a long time now.”
“Let us know if we can help,” Marla Jean said.
“Hey, Theo. Once the traffic clears, Marla Jean is going to take Sadie home, but I’m on park cleaning duty. I could use your help.”
“Might as well. I never thought about who cleaned up after the crowd leaves.”
“In a small town like Everson, we all have to chip in to help. Most people clean up after themselves, but there is always plenty of trash to pick up.”
“Then I’m happy to help, bro.”
They got Marla Jean and Sadie into the car and met the other volunteers at the bandstand where Bertie Harcourt was handing out trash bags and trash sticker poles. “All right, folks, let’s get this place cleaned up so we can go home. It’s been a long day.”
Theo couldn’t stop worrying about Irene as he worked alongside Jake. They each had a bag for trash and a bag for lost and found. They made good progress when he noticed a rumbling moving through the workers.
“Fire!” a panicked voice shouted. He noticed people were pointing, and he followed their outstretched fingers to see what they were yelling about.
“Where is it?” another voice asked loudly.
“Fire, there’s a fire up on the hill.”
Theo heart jumped to his throat as his eyes scanned the hill. “Jake, that’s Irene’s house.” He threw down his bags and started running. He could hear his brother’s footsteps right on his heels. Jake caught him and said, “Give me the keys. I’ll drive.”
Theo didn’t argue. He threw Jake the keys, and they climbed into the Jeep. Theo had his phone out and called 911 reporting the blaze even as they climbed the hill toward it. Then he was dialing Irene’s number, praying she’d answer.
Irene left the fireworks with Charlie’s apologies ringing in her ears. It wasn’t his fault. She’d been so full of secrets that she’d known one of them would eventually bite her in the butt. And today was that day. She should have stayed and helped with cleanup, but this was one time she was going to play the privilege card and go home. She drove her Shelby up the hill, planning on going to bed right away.
Tonight she’d bury her head in her pillows because tomorrow she would have to deal with her aunt. She knew her pride would be wounded, and Irene admitted she’d handled it badly. She parked in the rear driveway and let herself in the back door. Without turning on the lights, she dropped her keys in her purse and left it on the kitchen counter before walking down the hallway to her bedroom. She took a quick shower to wash away the day’s grime, put on a T-shirt and loose shorts, and fell into bed without drying her hair.
Even though her mind was churning in all sorts of directions, she fell asleep and dreamed she was running, trying to lift Theo’s airplane into the air by a rope like a kite but it stubbornly wouldn’t budge from the ground.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Irene’s eyes felt glued shut, but the sound of sirens grew louder and closer. She finally sat up in bed, deciding she wasn’t dreaming. The air burned her lungs, and she coughed as she climbed off the bed and stumbled to the door. It wasn’t hot to the touch, but she could smell smoke and the acrid odor filled her nose and throat.
She ran to the bathroom and wet a towel, placing it over her head before making her way down the hallway and to the kitchen. She stopped long enough to grab her purse from the counter despite all th
e warnings not to gather valuables in case of a house fire. The nightmare she’d face replacing everything in her purse was too much to consider, and it was sitting right in front of her. Then she opened the door leading out to the back patio and was horrified to see flames leaping from her roof. Oh, God. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn’t get a deep breath. She heard the sirens, but she couldn’t think straight. Were they coming here? Did she need to call for help?
Panicked, she ran around to the front of the house, her bare feet sliding on the thick grass. Then she remembered Charlie. Was he inside? She’d gone to straight to bed when she got home and hadn’t heard him come in.
“Charlie!” she screamed. She ran around to his bedroom and tried to get close to the window, but a hedge of large bushes blocked the way. She found a rock and hurled it against the window pane. It bounced ineffectively off the double-paned glass and fell to the ground. “Charlie. Are you in there? Answer me, Charlie.” She could hear the fire truck getting closer, but she didn’t know if she could wait. The whole roof was in flames now.
She could see the flashing lights moving up the hill and ran to meet them at the front driveway. Theo and Jake pulled up behind them, and they raced toward her from the Jeep. She hurled herself at Theo, collapsing in his arms.
“Charlie,” she sobbed. “I don’t know if he’s inside.”
Theo fell to the ground holding her, his voice soothing and filled with dangerous emotion. “Thank God, you’re okay, Ree. Thank God.”
She clutched his shirt at first, but then let her arms snake around his neck, and she let his strength carry her through the moment. She didn’t even try to pretend Theo wasn’t the person she needed right then.
Jake squatted beside them. “I’ll let the firemen know about Charlie. If he’s inside, they’ll get him out. Hang on, Irene.”
The firemen got the water trained on the house, while Theo and Irene sat huddled together in the front yard. A team of men did an inside sweep of the house and didn’t find anyone else inside.