Melissa looked over at Barlow, who was laughing and horsing around with Sammy and Tommy.
“He’s doing all right,” Melissa said. “Come and eat supper with me. You don’t have to stay long, but I want you to come.”
“You’re swaying me,” he said.
“If you get scared I’ll hold your hand,” she said.
“That’s certainly the best incentive,” he said. “Just please don’t expect me to remember anyone’s name.”
“Just mine,” she said.
“That, I’m not likely to forget,” he said.
“Tell me something,” she said. “Don’t you miss people, living out there in the woods like you do?”
“Up until now I haven’t,” he said. “But I have a feeling I might start.”
He grinned at Melissa, his big smile framed by his woolly beard and mustache.
Melissa smiled back at him, and a warmth spread throughout her body that, rather than scaring her, made her feel happy and safe. She used to get that feeling when she stood next to Patrick, but that seemed like a long time ago.
Johnny locked up the little house and called to Barlow. Tommy and Sammy followed him over, and they all got in the Goldman’s SUV. Tommy was crushed in next to Johnny.
“Nice house,” Tommy said.
“Thank you,” Johnny said.
“I’d like to do a story on your work for my school paper,” he said.
“I would be glad to accommodate you,” Johnny said. “I am a bit hard to get hold of, however, on account of I don’t have a computer, a phone, or mail delivery.”
“Are you Amish?” Tommy asked.
Johnny chuckled.
“No, just shy.”
Patrick was not at the bakery, and Melissa was relieved. She spent that time listening to Tommy interview Johnny and pushing more food on Barlow. Sammy asked Barlow about his tattoos and was treated to a spoken word tour of the most visible ones.
“That’s the most I’ve heard him talk since I’ve known him,” Johnny whispered to Melissa.
“He just needs to get out more,” Melissa said.
“Do you have this effect on everyone you meet?” Johnny asked.
“What effect?”
“Drawing people out, making them feel welcome and at home.”
“I’m just nice, I guess,” Melissa said. “I like people, mostly.”
Melissa looked up as Patrick walked in and made a beeline to her table. A hush fell over the assembled.
“I need to talk to you,” Patrick said.
“I’m busy,” Melissa said.
“It’s urgent,” Patrick said.
“Not now, Patrick,” Melissa said.
Johnny Johnson stood up to his full height and held out his hand. He was a little taller than Patrick, but they were matched for size.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said to Patrick. “The name’s Johnny Johnson.”
Patrick looked irritated, but he shook Johnny’s hand.
The handshake lasted a little longer than it should have, and when Johnny released Patrick’s hand, Patrick winced.
“I’ve been enjoying the company of your friends and family,” Johnny said. “Won’t you join us?”
“Look, pal,” Patrick started, but his mother intervened.
“Son, you are not using the manners I raised you to have,” she said. “Now, go get yourself a plate of food, sit down, and eat.”
Patrick did as he was told, and Bonnie looked at Johnny with a raised eyebrow.
“I apologize for my son, Mr. Johnson,” she said. “He wasn’t raised to act like that.”
“No offense taken,” Johnny said and bowed to Bonnie. “I have to tell you I have never eaten as good of food as that of which I have partaken this evening. This has definitely spoiled me for my own cooking.”
Bonnie smiled, but her eyes were still narrowed.
“I’m glad you could join us,” she said.
She looked at Melissa, who felt a little scorched by her gaze.
Dee and Levi were ready to call it an evening, so Johnny said goodbye and thanked everyone, while Patrick glowered in a corner. Melissa walked them outside and thanked him again.
“It was my pleasure,” Johnny said.
“Sorry about that business,” Melissa said and gestured to the bakery.
“It’s always good to size up the competition,” Johnny said. “Proximity is on his side, of course, but you’re going to go to sleep each night in a house I built for you.”
Melissa laughed.
“Come back and see us,” she said.
She hugged Barlow, and he blushed bright red. Tommy shook his hand and said, “I’ll send you my playlist.”
As she watched them drive away, Tommy put his arm around her.
“You did good,” she said to him. “You’re a good boy.”
“Only because you were such a good mom,” he said and kissed her on top of her head.
“Tommy, we’ve got to go if you’re going to make your flight,” Sean said.
Melissa grabbed her son tighter.
“It wasn’t near long enough!” she said. “But I know you got to go.”
“I almost forgot,” he said, and took something out of his pocket. “I found this.”
It was a tiny green plastic soldier from a set Ian had given Tommy when he was little.
“It’s only a little melted,” he said. “I’m going to take it with me.”
She tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. She waved as they drove away in Sean’s car. Hannah came up and put an arm around her.
“I can’t believe he’s in college already,” Hannah said.
“It won’t be long before you’re crying about Sammy going off to school,” Melissa said.
“This kid?” Hannah said and grabbed Sammy to pull him into a hug while he squirmed to get away.
“Mom!” Sammy said. “Stop it.”
“Oh, but I love you,” Hannah said, and tried to kiss him. “Let your mama cuddle you a little, why don’t ya?”
“Yuck,” Sammy said, and pulled away.
“Tommy used to do that, too,” Melissa said. “Everything changes, you’ll see.”
Melissa stood outside until everyone left and Patrick was alone in the bakery dining room. Then she went back in and sat down across from him in the booth.
“Who the hell was that guy?” he asked her.
“He’s making tiny houses I’m gonna sell at the trailer park,” she said.
“I don’t like the way he looks at you,” Patrick said.
“That ain’t none of your business anymore,” Melissa said.
“I still care about you,” Patrick said. “That will never change, no matter what happens.”
“Then why did you cheat on me all that time?” she asked. “And don’t bother to deny it, everyone’s done told me about it.”
“Look,” Patrick said. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry. I know I’m the bad guy, and everybody hates me for it, but I can’t change the past, nobody can. What matters is the future. All I care about is if you love me enough to forgive me and let me come home.”
“I’m still too mad about it,” Melissa said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it. It’s bad enough you lied to me and messed around with Ava all that time, but you also made me look like a fool, and that stings something awful. The worst part is it turns out you weren’t the good friend I thought you were. I didn’t really know you at all. I was just a fool for your good looks and what we did in bed. I thought we had some great love, but it turns out it wasn’t that great, and it probably wasn’t love.”
“You miss me,” he said. “You can’t say you don’t.”
“Course I do,” she said. “But why would I lay down with someone who stuck a knife in my back? Love doesn't work like that. Leastways not for me.”
“No one will ever love you like I do.”
“Maybe not,” Melissa said. “But right now having no man at all is stil
l better than you.”
When Melissa arrived at Delia’s house, she was surprised to find Timmy and Joshie playing a card game with the older two of Claire’s girls.
“I could hug you to bits!” Melissa said to Timmy but settled for ruffling his hair and kissing the top of his head.
She looked around. Pixie and Olivia were playing with Claire’s old Barbies, Ernie and Sammy were building a blanket fort, and Hannah’s mother Alice was reclining on the couch with an ice pack on her head.
“What’s wrong with her?” Melissa asked Hannah.
Hannah rolled her eyes.
“What’s ever wrong with her?” she replied. “She’s allergic to fun, for one thing. Happiness gives her a headache.”
“Where’s Delia?” Melissa asked the kids in the kitchen.
“She’s out back talking to some lady,” Timmy said.
Melissa looked out the kitchen window and saw Delia sitting at the picnic table in what seemed like a serious conversation with the woman, Terese, who had come to see Sean the other day.
Hannah walked up beside her.
“Who is that?” Hannah asked. “She looks familiar to me.”
“I don’t know,” Melissa said. “But she was in our office the other day, talking to Sean.”
“Probably somebody Ian knew,” Hannah said. “I’ll ask her later.”
They turned back to look at the kids playing cards.
“Does Ava know Timmy’s home?” Melissa asked.
“Delia made me call Will,” Hannah said. “Ava and Will are in Canada, of all places. Will said they’re combining a weekend getaway with some work he needs to do up there this week, something to do with his father’s business. They asked Delia to keep the kids.”
“Doesn’t the sudden trip seem fishy to you?” Melissa asked. “Or are we just suspicious?”
“No, it’s ten kinds of shady,” Hannah said. “According to the housekeeper, Gail, Ava and the nanny had a knock down drag out fight last night, and this morning the nanny flew the coop; left a note saying she was going home and by the way, she quit. So what does Will do? Spirits Ava out of the country. Maybe he knows more than we think he does.”
“Did you talk to Ava?”
“No, he said she was napping. When have you ever known that she-devil to take a nap?”
“I wish we could talk to the nanny,” Melissa said. “What did Will say about Timmy?”
“I told him how depressed he was, that I was afraid if they made him go back he might do something terrible to himself,” Hannah said. “Will said Timmy was always overly dramatic; they would let him have this week as a vacation and then deal with it when they got home. He was going to call the school.”
“Poor little fella,” Melissa said.
“I can tell you one thing,” Hannah said. “That boy’s not leaving Rose Hill again while Bonnie Fitzpatrick draws breath. Sean’s already working on it.”
Delia came in the back door.
“It’s getting colder,” she said.
“Who was that woman?” Hannah asked her.
“Just an old friend,” Delia said. “She stopped by to tell me how sorry she was to hear about Ian.”
“How was Timmy today?”
“Subdued until Joshie got here,” Delia said. “He’s back to his old self now.”
“Are you staying in your new house tonight?” Hannah asked Melissa.
“I guess I’d be chicken not to,” Melissa said.
“If it would help, I could stay with you,” Hannah said. “We could have a slumber party.”
“I could use your help here, with the kids,” Delia said to Melissa. “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Melissa said.
“Claire’s coming to get hers, but that still leaves Olivia and Ernie.”
“I’ll take Timmy and Sammy home with me,” Hannah said. “Hatch is letting us have Joshie.”
Ed arrived to pick up his brood, and the party broke up. Delia gave Olivia a bath while Melissa played checkers with Ernie, who was pouting about not getting to go to Hannah’s with Timmy.
“It’s not fair,” he said.
“I’m sorry, partner,” Melissa said. “Your mommy left Delia in charge of you, and you have to be where your mama says.”
“Mommy hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you.”
“She does,” he said. “I heard them talking about me. They’re gonna take Livvie when they move to London and send me away.”
“You’re all going on vacation to London, to see Charlotte,” Melissa said. “At Christmas time.”
“No, we’re not,” Ernie said. “Will bought a house in England, and they’re moving there. Except they’re leaving Timmy at sleep-away school and they’re looking for a sleep-away school for me, too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Nanny Siobhan and Mommy had a big fight about it, and Mommy made Nanny Siobhan cry. ‘They’re not your children!’ Mommy said. ‘It’s none of your business!’ Then Nanny Siobhan packed her suitcase and Karl took her to the airport.”
“How terrible for you to see that,” Melissa said. “I’m so sorry.”
“They didn’t know I was there,” he said. “I was hiding behind the curtains.”
“Maybe you misheard,” Melissa said. “Sometimes when grownups are angry they say things they don’t mean.”
“I’m not lying!” Ernie said and flipped up the checkerboard so that all the checkers fell onto the floor. “I’m not lying! She made Nanny Siobhan cry and then she left us. They’re going to send me away like they did Timmy. Mommy and Will hate me!”
“What’s going on in here?” Delia said from the doorway, where she held Olivia wrapped up in a towel.
“Ernie bad,” Olivia said. “Ernie bad, bad, bad!”
“Ernie is not bad,” Delia said and handed Olivia to Melissa so she could get down on her knees and hug the crying boy.
“You stinky,” Olivia said to Melissa, and then laughed. “Stinky, stinky, stinky.”
Melissa looked into Olivia’s blue eyes, the mirror image of Patrick’s. The child’s dark hair and facial features were all Ava, except for the eyes. Melissa held out Olivia’s little hand and looked at her pointer finger, which was longer than the middle finger.
“Bunny!” Olivia demanded, and Melissa retrieved her bunny from the living room floor.
Olivia tucked the bunny under her chin, stuck her thumb in her mouth, closed her eyes, and rested her head on Melissa’s shoulder.
Ernie was sobbing in Delia’s arms, crying so hard he couldn’t talk. Melissa wondered if he would throw up, he was so upset.
“What happened?” Delia asked Melissa.
“Nanny Siobhan went back to Ireland. Ernie says Ava and Will are moving to London and taking Olivia with them. He heard them say they were looking for a sleep-away school for him.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Delia said and embraced the little boy that much closer. “I hope that’s not true.”
‘Where’s their wonderful mother now?’ Melissa thought to herself.
It took a while to get Ernie calmed down enough to get his bath and go to bed. Delia and Melissa stayed with the children until they both were asleep, and then they reconvened in the kitchen.
“Thank you for staying,” Delia said. “I don’t know what I would have done.”
“The truth is I’m afraid to stay in the little house,” Melissa said.
“But Ava’s in Canada,” Delia said.
“So who sabotaged my car last night?” Melissa asked.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Delia said. “Who in the world would have done that?”
“I can’t think of anyone else,” Melissa said. “But I’m glad my car’s locked up at the gas station, and you have an alarm system.”
“This is all so crazy,” Delia said. “I wish Ian were still alive; well, the Ian that once was. He’d know what to do.”
“You said he never liked Ava,” Melissa said.
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“He didn’t,” Delia said. “He knew way before the rest of us.”
“Since Brian is dead, and Will hasn’t adopted Timmy and Ernie, what happens to them if Ava goes to jail?”
“Bonnie and Fitz are their next of kin, being Brian’s mother and father. Charlotte’s not old enough to take them; at least I can’t imagine the court allowing that.”
“I was worried about what would happen to them if she was arrested,” Melissa said. “Now I think they might all be better off.”
“Except Olivia.”
“Yes, there’s Olivia,” Melissa said. “She’s Patrick’s; there’s no doubt in my mind.”
“Ava’s got a heart made of ice,” Delia said. “But I used to believe she made an exception where her children were concerned.”
“I wonder what she would do,” Melissa said, “if she had to choose between them and herself.”
“I don’t know,” Delia said. “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”
Chapter Nine - Monday
H annah woke up as Sam came to bed.
“What time is it?” she asked him.
He paused, seated on the edge of the bed, in the process of removing his lower leg prosthesis.
“It’s two a.m.,” he said. “Are you awake or talking in your sleep?”
Hannah sat up.
“Why? What’s going on?”
He turned and looked at her.
“I’ve got some homework for you to do tomorrow.”
“Really?” she asked. “You’re gonna let me help?”
“I want you to find out which businesses or houses in town have security video cameras anywhere near the scene of the crime, and see if they’ll let you look at the footage.”
“On the night of the wreck?”
He nodded.
“Also the night Melissa’s trailer was burned, the night she was almost run over, and the night her car was sabotaged.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Hannah asked.
“You would have,” Sam said. “I have faith in your nosy nature.”
“The bank for sure,” she said. “Amy’s husband is the security guard, so that’s a cinch.”
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