Fire and Rain

by Andrew Grey

  “I suppose you’re right. Instead of pushing for answers….” He trailed off when Isaac pulled on his sleeve.

  “My belly’s talking again,” he said, pulling up his shirt. “It says it’s hungry.”

  Jos returned to the table with some bread, and Kip buttered part of a roll for Isaac and handed it to him. “How was work?” Jos asked as he filled the water glasses.

  “It was a busy day, but it’s much better now.” Kip flashed Jos a smile and got one in return.

  “Kip here busted that ring of kids who kept messing with the car lot. It was pretty awesome,” Red said.

  “And Isaac had a great day at school. He drew a great picture that’s at home. How is it going here?”

  Jos’s serious expression gave way to a grin. “I had a large party that left just before you came in, and they gave me a hundred-dollar tip. They were celebrating something, and I think they wanted me to join in. Billy said they’re from a law firm here in town, and whenever they win a big case, they come in. He helped me with the table but said the tip was all mine.” Jos excused himself and practically floated to the next table to check in with them. Then he went back to the kitchen.

  “Like I said, you got it bad,” Red said.

  “I like that he’s happy,” Kip said absently as he watched Jos. The spring in his step was incredible to see.

  Jos returned with their orders. “The plate and chicken fingers are hot, so be sure to blow on them, okay?” he told Isaac, and Kip helped Isaac by cutting them up. He also put a few french fries on his plate, and Isaac dug right in, checking that each bite was cool enough before shoving it into his mouth.

  Kip kept an eye on Isaac as he began eating his own meal. He was doing well. Sure, there was some spillage, but Isaac didn’t let much of his food get away.

  “He has a good appetite,” the older lady at the next table said. “I have a grandson about his age, and he’s so picky about everything he eats.”

  “Isaac is an eater, there’s no way around that,” Kip told her. “He’s a great little boy.”

  “Is he your son?” she asked.

  “No,” Kip said with a stab of regret that surprised him. “He’s Jos’s brother.” Kip looked to the drink station where Jos was filling glasses. “I’m watching him while he’s working.”

  “Where’s your mother?” the lady asked Isaac. Kip was about to answer, but Isaac turned to her.

  “She’s with the angels. We had a fun-ral and everything. I cried, but it’s okay. I have an angel mama now.” He turned back to his plate and took another bite.

  Kip didn’t know what to say to that, and apparently the woman didn’t either. She nodded and turned back to her companions while Kip began eating.

  “Is everything okay?” Billy asked as he approached the table.

  “The food is great,” Kip said. He wanted to ask how Jos was doing, though that seemed a little like going behind his back. “Like it always is.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Billy said. “I understand you and Donald are responsible for our new waiter.” Billy looked to where Jos was helping a couple at another table. “He’s doing great. When you see Donald, be sure to thank him for us.” He smiled and hurried off to another table.

  While Isaac continued eating, Kip took the chance to enjoy his meal. He had found that once Isaac was done, he tended to want to be entertained.

  A crash sounded from across the dining room. All conversation stopped in the dining room, and a few people clapped like idiots. Kip tensed as he saw Jos bend down, picking up pieces of broken glass. Billy hurried over to him, and the two of them talked briefly. Jos stood, staring, and Kip followed his gaze to a woman who had just walked through the restaurant door.

  “Who is that?” Kip asked. Red turned to look and shrugged. She looked to be in her late forties, maybe early fifties. Her lips drew up in a severe expression, and when Billy approached her she motioned and said something to him and then Billy looked back to Jos.

  “She’s interested in Jos, that’s for sure,” Red said, and Kip’s blood ran cold. Not that there was anything hostile about her, though she looked grumpy and most definitely unhappy, but Jos didn’t need anything else heaped on him right now. He was just starting a new job and doing well. He smiled more now and had energy in his step. Kip caught Jos’s attention as he cleaned up the last of the broken glasses.

  He nodded and came over when he was done. Isaac’s plate was nearly empty, and Kip added a few more french fries, which Isaac scooped up with a smile. Other than being startled by the crash, the tension that filled the dining room didn’t seem to affect him.

  “Do you know her?” Kip asked.

  “Yeah. She’s my mother’s sister. Aunt Kathy. I haven’t seen her in years, and I….” He shook a little. “What could she want?”

  “I don’t know. We’re almost done. Why don’t you talk to her and try to find out. You can ask her to meet you at the house once you’re done here, if you like. Maybe she wants to try to help you somehow.” Her disapproving expression left him doubting his words, but Jos nodded slightly. Kip patted Jos’s hand softly. Jos moved away from the table and approached the woman. They talked briefly, and then she looked over at them and stood a little straighter, without so much as a smile or a nod.

  Jos didn’t move for a few seconds, and Billy hurried over, lightly touching his shoulder and guiding him into the back room.

  “It’ll be okay,” Red said, most likely sensing Kip’s agitation. “Dude, you really do have it bad. Not that it’s bad, but Billy has him, and he’ll take care of things. After all, he is working.” Red took his last bite and put down his fork. “If you weren’t here, Billy would take care of things,” Red added after he swallowed.

  “I guess I want to be the one to take care of him,” Kip said before he realized exactly what had crossed his lips.

  “You can’t. Not always.” Red picked up his water and made funny faces at Isaac, who giggled and then reached for more french fries. Kip put what was left on his plate, and Isaac continued eating.

  “He must have a hollow leg,” Red said, and Kip took a second to realize he was talking about Isaac. His mind was definitely elsewhere. “Take a deep breath.”

  Kip did and turned his attention to the woman who stood near the door, looking around. She seemed to be debating about something, and then to Kip’s surprise she walked over to their table. Kip stood and met her before she could reach Isaac.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I saw you speaking to Josten, and since he disappeared…. Is this Isaac? My nephew.” She put a weird emphasis on the word my.

  “Jos said you were his aunt, and yes, this is Isaac.” Because of Jos’s reaction, he wasn’t sure how to behave, but he figured friendly but cautious was best. “Can you say hello to your aunt?” Kip asked. Isaac looked up and smiled, then he said hello and ate the last of his food. “I’m Kip, a friend of Jos’s.”

  She looked around and then back at him. “Interesting place for a homeless person to be eating.”

  “Excuse me?” Kip said.

  “I know my nephew is homeless and was kicked out of his apartment a few weeks ago. The detective I hired found them a week ago and reported that Jos and Isaac were living on the streets. I assumed that he was doing that because he didn’t have friends who would put him up, so I assumed that as a friend, you were homeless as well.”

  “No. As I said, I’m a friend, and Jos is living with me at the moment. He has a good job here and is working to get his life back together.” He wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to explain and then decided that none of this was her business and sat back down. “Did Jos invite you back to the house?” Kip asked as he picked up his water glass. As snooty and full of herself as she seemed, he didn’t intend to invite her to sit down.

  “He did ask me, but I’m afraid of the kind of hovel I might find.” He half expected her to pull out hand sanitizer. “If it’s all the same, I’m staying at the Carlisle House Bed and Brea
kfast. Since you’re a friend….” Her tone was enough, but Kip was surprised she didn’t make air quotes. “He said he could meet me at nine, so if you would be good enough to ask him to come there, I’d appreciate it.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell him,” Kip said, and she turned and left the restaurant without another word.

  “She’s a piece of work,” Red said.

  “I wonder what she wants and what she said to upset Jos so much.” He turned toward the kitchen and saw Jos come out. He tended to his tables, but the spring in his step was gone. He still had a smile, but it was plastered on and held none of the warmth or excitement from a few minutes earlier.

  “Your aunt left a message for you,” Kip said when Jos came to their table. “She said to meet her at the Carlisle House.” He left out the part about not wanting to visit a hovel.

  “Okay,” Jos said. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” Jos set the check on the table when Kip shook his head. “I really need to meet her. Would you put Isaac to bed for me?”

  “No,” Kip said. “But I will meet you at the Carlisle House at nine.” He wasn’t going to let Jos face that viper alone. “Did she say what she wanted?”

  Jos shook his head. “Only that she wanted to talk to me about some of my mother’s ridiculous decisions.” Jos’s hand shook a little as he refilled the glasses. “I have a pretty good idea what that means.”

  Kip pulled out a credit card and placed it on the bill. “Just relax and take a deep breath. I’ll go with you, and you can hear her out, and then if you don’t like what she has to say, tell her to take a hike. When was the last time you saw her?”

  “Maybe ten years ago. She and Mom didn’t get along, so I don’t know her well.”

  “She reminds me of Cruella De Vil,” Red said, and Jos smiled genuinely for the first time since she’d made an appearance.

  “That’s how Mom referred to her. She said that Glenn Close must have met her at some point, because the portrayal in the movie was spot-on.”

  “Like I said, we’ll meet her, and then we can see where to go from there. Don’t jump to any conclusions.”

  Jos nodded and took the check folder. Red opened his wallet and put some bills on the table as a tip, and Kip signed the slip when Jos brought it back. Then he cleaned up Isaac and got him out of his seat. “I’ll see you there,” Jos said. “And Kip… thanks.”

  He smiled and wanted to kiss Jos hard to let him know there was nothing to thank him for. Kip touched Jos’s arm instead and then left the restaurant with Isaac in his arms.

  “Terry should be about done with his training, and I should get home, but call if you need anything,” Red said. “You know everyone on the force will help if you need it.”

  “I do.” Kip didn’t think it would come to that, but he appreciated his friend’s support.

  “Call Donald if she starts giving Jos trouble about Isaac. He has a lot of say in what happens, and his support could mean a lot if things start to get nasty.”

  “You know that’s what Jos is afraid of,” Kip said.

  “Of course he is. People think that homelessness means that you’re a failure and a criminal. Neither of which is true. Jos did the best he could and is now getting the help he and Isaac need. That says a lot, and having a job means a great deal too.”

  “We’re getting ahead of things. She might want to help Jos,” Kip suggested, even though he didn’t believe it. “You need to go, and I promise to call.” Kip shook hands with Red and got Isaac to the car. “You up for ice cream?”

  Isaac shook his head. “I’m full.”

  “Then how about we stop at the store and get some ice cream to take home. That way we can have some for when Jos comes home. You’ll be hungry again by then.”

  “Yay,” Isaac said. Once he was buckled into his seat, Kip gave him Pistachio, and they went to the store for ice cream and the other things Kip needed. Then he drove home and let Isaac play until it was almost nine.

  The Carlisle House was only a few blocks from home. Isaac asked to walk, so Kip got him ready, and with Pistachio under Isaac’s arm, they left the house and walked. It was indeed a glorious night. A little cool, but dry. Isaac had a coat on, and he was excited to stop and pick up some of the pretty leaves that were just starting to turn and fall to the ground. It was dark, but the streets were well lit, and Isaac seemed more than happy to look around and watch the cars as they went by.

  As they approached the B&B, Isaac started to tire, so Kip picked him up, and Isaac settled right against him, head on his shoulder. This, the closeness to Isaac, as well as the amazing intimacy he felt with Jos, were going to be hard to give up once Jos eventually moved out.

  He pulled open the front door and was met by Fred and Mary Braithwaite.

  “Kip, we weren’t expecting you,” Fred said.

  “A friend was meeting with one of your guests, and….”

  Mary pulled a face and rolled her eyes. “They’re in the morning room.” She motioned to the door. “Go right on in. If your friend is the young man who arrived a few minutes ago, I think he’ll need the support. She’s a barracuda.” Mary was one of those ladies who never had an unkind word to say about anyone, so that was like a damnation to hell from her.

  “Thanks for the warning,” Kip said and opened the door. He put Isaac down, and Isaac ran over to Jos and jumped at him, still holding Pistachio.

  “You bringed me a good dinner,” Isaac said and rubbed his little belly. “Spistachio is hungry, though. He wants ice cream.”

  Kip smiled. “We have some at home,” he reminded him.

  “This is a private meeting with my nephew,” Jos’s Aunt Kathy said.

  “I asked him to be here,” Jos said.

  “I am not going to sit in a room with some homeless stranger—” She turned away from Kip and glared at Jos. “—who you consider an appropriate babysitter for my nephew.”

  “He’s my brother,” Jos said. “And Mom left instructions for me to care for him in her will.”

  Kip sat down on the sofa next to Jos in time to hear his aunt scoff lightly under her breath. “Your mother couldn’t make a rational decision if her life depended upon it, and as it turned out, it did.” To his surprise, she turned her cat eyes at him. “My sister was an alcoholic. Actually, she was a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings. So whatever she put in that will of hers will be easy enough to contest.” She opened her purse and pulled out a tissue. She dabbed the corners of her eyes and then put the tissue back. “And it will be easy enough to convince the authorities that I could give Isaac a better home.”

  “I don’t think so,” Kip broke in. “Jos has a job and is providing a good home for Isaac.”

  “Where? Some hovel he’s sharing with you?” she said as she looked down her nose.

  “Kip is—” Jos began but stopped when Kip shook his head.

  “Do you know either of your nephews at all?” Kip asked.

  “My sister and I hadn’t spoken much in the last few years, so I didn’t have the chance to get to know Isaac or Josten. But I’m hoping to change that.”

  “By contesting their mother’s wishes and fighting to break them apart?” Kip argued. “Sounds to me like you’re the one who’s a little off.”

  “And you are? I mean, really?”

  “Kip Rogers,” he said extending his hand. “I’m an officer with the Carlisle Police Department. Jos and Isaac have been staying with me. He’s been working with someone from child services already. Jos has gotten a job and is getting his life put back together for himself and for Isaac. He has plenty of people who are helping him.” Kip saw her expression soften for just a few seconds.

  “So you aren’t homeless?” she asked.

  “No. I’m a police officer,” Kip said firmly. “So if you wish to cause trouble, I suggest you think twice about it. A good percentage of the police force knows Jos and Isaac. The man we were having dinner with tonight is also a police officer, so more than one of us has seen you do your i
ce-queen routine….”

  “Josten, are you going to allow this… this… person to speak to me that way?”

  Jos stared at her. “I barely know you,” he said gently to his aunt. “Kip has done a lot for Isaac and me. I had a run of bad luck, and Kip was there for both of us.” The defeat in his voice rang through loud and clear.

  Jos’s aunt stood. “I appreciate you getting my nephews off the street. I can’t do much for Josten—he’s grown and old enough to make his own decisions and his own way. But I can help Isaac, and I intend to.”

  “I’d appreciate your help,” Jos said.

  “I can help by ensuring that Isaac has a proper home and is taken care of in the best way possible. I will be hiring a lawyer to explore what my options are in this situation.”

  Jos lifted Isaac onto his lap, and Kip could see him retreating into himself. If their aunt understood anything or had the ability to see past her own immediate wants and needs, she’d see how badly she was hurting Jos. Kip saw it instantly and put his arm around Jos’s shoulders. He had to let him know that he was there for him.

  “Let’s go,” Kip said gently.

  “I’d like to be able to spend some time with Isaac,” she said as they reached the door.

  Kip turned to Jos, who seemed confused, and his eyes a little glazed over. Most likely in fear. “You don’t owe her anything,” Kip said.

  “I know. But she is my mother’s sister,” Jos told him and then turned to her. “I’ll think about it.” Jos took a step out of the room, holding Isaac’s hand.

  Isaac stopped in the doorway and turned back to his aunt, waving once, then took Jos’s hand once again. Kip thanked Mary, who let them out, and then he lifted Isaac into his arms and took Jos’s hand.

  “Did you eat at work?” Kip asked as they started the walk home.

  “Yeah. Darryl tried out some new recipes on us before we started our shifts. It was pretty good but a little weird. Sometimes he gets these ideas for things like brains—offal and stuff. At least that’s what Billy told me.” Jos stuck out his tongue. Kip figured Jos didn’t want to talk about his aunt and what had just happened, and he decided not to force it. “He tried out a liver dish, and it wasn’t bad, but it stank up the entire restaurant. Billy and I ran around trying to get the smell out before we opened. Darryl agreed that he wasn’t going to put that on the menu.” Jos grew quiet as they walked.