“How long was he here?” asked Amy, frowning at the obvious waste of fossil fuels.
“About ten bloody minutes! Just long enough to tell me the house is unsafe to live in. I’d considered it a possibility, but I was hoping I was wrong. Damn, damn, damn. Why didn’t I put that propane tank away in the shed? My stupidity has ruined my child’s Christmas, put me and Sarah and Mrs. Harris out on the street, and...”
“Whoa, Kevin, slow down. You are not homeless. You guys can all move in with me.”
Kevin’s mouth dropped open. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m dead serious. I own a five bedroom home. Even if we all have our own room, there’s still a guest room in the basement for Aunt Amelia and Uncle Jimmy.” Amy stood hands on hips. “How can you possibly have a problem with this?”
Chapter 17
Whenever Kevin didn’t require his sedan, preferring to drive his pickup, he insisted his housekeeper use the vehicle for her turn at carpool, for grocery shopping, and for visits to her sister. Mrs. Harris drove up and parked beside Amy’s car in time to witness Kevin and Amy’s animated discussion.
Her face paled as she climbed out of the car. “Saints preserve us! What happened?” she exclaimed. “Is everyone okay? Where’s my darling girl?”
“Sarah is still at Bonnie’s house.” Kevin glanced at his watch. “Damn, they should be dropping her off any minute now. How am I going to explain...”
“Never mind explaining it to Sarah, explain it to me,” demanded Mrs. Harris.
“Most of the fire damage is confined to the kitchen where they suspect the fire started...”
Mrs. Harris gasped. “I did not leave a pot on the stove, or a burner on, or a ...”
Kevin rushed over to Mrs. Harris’ side and wrapped an arm around her. “No one is blaming you, Mrs. Harris. The thought never crossed my mind. The firemen suspect faulty wiring in the old place may have been the culprit.”
Mrs. Harris glanced heavenward and then met her employer’s eyes. “For a minute there, I thought perhaps I had left...”
Amy patted the poor woman’s arm, sympathetically. “You would never do such a thing. You’re too careful to forget a burner.”
“Well, let’s go in and see what we can salvage.” Mrs. Harris straightened her shoulders, returning to her usual tenacious self.
“My insurance agent just informed me the fire department deemed the house uninhabitable.” Kevin stood hands on hips. “I guess that means we require permission from the authorities to enter and claim any of our belongings.”
“Where will you go, Kevin?” inquired Mrs. Harris, biting her lower lip.
Amy noted the housekeeper hadn’t said ‘we’. “I’ve offered to open my home to Kevin and Sarah, and there’s plenty of room for you, too, Mrs. Harris. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to move in with your sister for the holidays?”
“I...um...,” the housekeeper stuttered, unable to meet Amy’s eyes.
“If you had a falling out with your sister last night...”
“No, no, dear, it’s nothing like that.” Mrs. Harris took a deep breath, blew it out, and sighed. “It’s just that...I don’t have a sister.”
“What?” blurted Kevin and Amy in unison.
“I’ve never had a sister. I made up the whole story.” Mrs. Harris’ face paled with her admission. “I check into a nice hotel on major holidays and let someone pamper me for a change. There are no beds to make, no meals to cook, no cleaning to do. I swim in the pool, eat in the lovely restaurant, put my feet up and watch TV, and check out the tower or a museum like a darn tourist.” Mrs. Harris stood, wringing her hands. “Okay, now you know my secret.”
Kevin and Amy exchanged glances.
“Mrs. Harris, you had me at no beds to make.” Amy burst out laughing. “What an absolutely marvelous way to spend your time off!”
“I agree!” Kevin grinned. “But why keep secrets? You can spend your holidays any place you want.”
“Didn’t want your pity, thinking poor soul has nowhere to go. What living relatives I do have are extremely unpleasant folk. I suppose that sounded mean-spirited.”
“Not if it’s the truth.” Amy reached for Mrs. Harris’ hand. “I’d be delighted to have you move in with Kevin and Sarah and me.”
“Are there many stairs to climb? These knees aren’t what they used to be. Kevin’s townhouse is relatively small, but I’ve heard about your huge home.” Mrs. Harris grimaced. “Truth is, the doctor is harping about a knee replacement. Even booked me a surgery date in mid-January. But I can’t afford to take the time off. Who would look after my family? I mean my employers...”
“You were right the first time, Mrs. Harris. We consider you family, too.” Kevin wrapped his arm around his housekeeper’s shoulder and squeezed. “Amy’s house is large with four bedrooms upstairs and one off the games room in the basement. So, let me put you up at a hotel.”
“Absolutely not,” interjected Amy, disconcerted that Kevin would suggest putting her up in a hotel. And during the holidays no less. “Mrs. Harris is staying with us.”
“Us?” inquired Kevin. “I haven’t agreed to move in with you either. Call me old-fashioned, but it wouldn’t be right having me and my daughter move in and both of us still single.”
“Well, then I guess we’ll have to marry Sarah off, if you two are still single,” teased Amy.
“Okay, that didn’t come out right.”
“Misplaced modifier.” Amy grinned. “Writers pay attention to that sort of thing.”
“You know what I meant.”
“I would chaperone, but my bad knee will never handle a lot of stairs. Having everything on two floors at your place has been such a blessing, Kevin.” Mrs. Harris shook her head. “But you aren’t paying for a hotel indefinitely either.”
“I’ve got it! Why didn’t I remember this sooner?” Amy smacked her forehead. “There’s a Murphy bed in my office off the kitchen. Mrs. Harris can use that room, and there’s a small bathroom with a single-sized shower off the mudroom. It would work perfectly for you.” Amy intended to insist Mrs. Harris have the surgery in the New Year when she and Kevin would be around to help with her recovery. After so many years of dedicated service to him and Sarah, Mrs. Harris deserved nothing less. Amy knew she’d be in for an argument, but it was one argument she intended to win.
“What would you use for an office, dear?” Mrs. Harris’ expression suggested she wasn’t convinced.
“Usually, I snuggle up with my laptop in front of the living room fireplace to write in winter. Except for faxing or photocopying, I’m seldom in there.” Amy smiled at Mrs. Harris and then looked over at Kevin. “Come on, you guys. This will be fun. You have no idea how lonely the holidays were for me last year. My God, I can’t tell you how excited I am about this.”
“I don’t know....” Kevin shook his head.
“Come on. Please?” Amy dragged the question out.
“Okay, you’ve worn me down. I’ll do it for Sarah’s sake. She’s all but claimed one of your spare rooms anyway. Calls it the yellow room and tells me it’s ‘her room’.” Kevin grinned.
Amy chuckled. “And she’s right. She sleeps there every time she stays overnight.”
“Well, I’m taking the downstairs bedroom. You and Sarah can inhabit the upstairs with your Aunt and Uncle when they arrive.”
Mrs. Harris gasped. “You’re expecting company for the holidays? Oh, dear, I shouldn’t intrude...”
“No, no, no, you’re not changing your mind now. Besides, my Aunt Amelia is going to love you. And she’ll beg you to prepare those cabbage rolls for Christmas dinner.” Amy linked arms with Mrs. Harris and peppered her with questions. “Do you play bridge by any chance? How about cribbage? Do you drink wine or prefer something a little stiffer? Maybe brandy? My aunt loves hot tea with a splash of brandy before bed...”
Just then a blue Dodge Caravan pulled up across the street from Kevin’s townhouse. A dark-haired woman stepped out of
the passenger side and helped Sarah out of the back.
“Bye, Bonnie,” Sarah called as she hoisted her Disney backpack over her shoulder.
“What on earth happened?” Bonnie’s mother marched across the street, holding Sarah’s hand.
Sarah slipped out of the woman’s grip and raced to her father’s side. She stopped in her tracks, gaped at the soot-stained house with the huge gaping hole in the roof. “Daddy, what happened to our house?” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
“There was a fire last night, honey.” Kevin’s voice cracked with emotion.
“Good heavens,” exclaimed Bonnie’s mother. “Was anyone home at the time?”
“No. Everyone was out for the night, thankfully. But the fire department won’t let us inside yet to see what’s salvageable or what’s gone.”
“Let us know if there’s any way we can help.” The woman headed back to her car.
“We’ll be okay. But thanks for offering,” called Kevin. He waved at the woman’s husband, sitting in the driver’s seat, and he waved back.
Sarah hugged her father’s waist. “It’s all right, Daddy. You’re here and Mrs. Harris. And Buster’s in my backpack. Everybody is okay.”
Amy stuck her hand in her mouth to stifle the rising sob that threatened to escape. This precious little girl’s whole life had been turned upside down by a devastating fire. The home and pretty bedroom she loved so much were damaged, permanently ruined. All of her toys could be lost. All of her clothes gone up in flames. And Sarah was comforting her father, assuring him everyone was okay.
Even if the relationship with Kevin didn’t work out in the end, Amy knew she would love Sarah for the rest of her life.
Chapter 18
Yesterday, after it was decided everyone would move in with Amy, Kevin received permission to enter his home at two o’clock with a representative from the fire department present.
Kevin loaded up his half ton truck with Sarah’s clothes and toys and the items Mrs. Harris requested, brought it all over to Amy’s house, and stuffed it in her double car garage. While Kevin returned for a second load of his own things, Mrs. Harris and Amy sorted through the first load. Some clothes were beyond salvaging, but most of it headed to the drycleaners or into the washing machine.
While she scrubbed Sarah’s toys just outside the garage, Amy noticed an older model blue sedan drive slowly past the front of her house. A few minutes later, it drove by again from the other direction.
“That’s strange,” she observed aloud. “Must be someone visiting relatives or friends for the holidays, and they’re lost.”
Mrs. Harris waved a dismissive hand. “No explaining some people. Why wouldn’t they stop and ask for directions? We’re standing right here.”
They aired out Sarah’s toys and several other articles in the brisk December breeze on tables set up on the deck. Just before nightfall, Amy and Kevin moved the tables into the garage. By morning, everything smelled fresh and was brought into the house and put away.
“Thank goodness, that’s the last of it,” puffed Mrs. Harris, closing the door to her new room beside the kitchen. “I don’t know how I’ve survived this.”
“Sit down and I’ll put on a fresh pot of coffee.” Amy filled the coffeemaker with water and measured the coffee, flipped the switch to ON. “Considering your bad knee, I don’t know how you managed either. You possess a remarkable work ethic.”
“Just doing what needs doing.” Mrs. Harris collapsed onto a kitchen chair and Rover flopped down beside her. Amy noticed the dog had developed a special rapport with the older woman, and Mrs. Harris bent down to scratch behind his ears. “That’s how I was brought up.”
“Where did you grow up?” Amy turned and met her eyes. “If you don’t mind me asking?”
“On a dairy farm a few miles outside of Vegreville.”
“Well, that explains those delicious cabbage rolls.”
“You’re right. My adopted parents were Ukrainian. They wanted a daughter, but mother only birthed sons. My brothers never considered me real family, and my folks passed on long ago. Kenneth Harris and I were married forty-two years until he was diagnosed with cancer and died within six months. After he passed on, I found myself at loose ends. Working for Kevin was the perfect job for me and I haven’t looked back since.”
Amy smiled. “If you share your cabbage roll recipe, I’ll help you make them.”
“You’ve got a deal, my dear.” Mrs. Harris rubbed her knees with slightly arthritic-knurled hands. “But we’ll keep that little project for another day.”
“Definitely.” Amy hopped up to pour the coffee. “I’m heading to the mall with Kevin this afternoon to buy Sarah’s Christmas presents since most of the others were ruined. I suggest you take the opportunity to catch an afternoon nap. Goodness knows you’ve earned it the past couple of days.”
“That sounds heavenly. What day is it anyway? The twenty second?”
“Yes. Just three more sleeps until Santa arrives,” sang Amy, grinning.
Mrs. Harris chuckled. “You’re as excited as Sarah. Are you anticipating something that sparkles in your stocking?”
“Shh. The engagement ring gods will hear you.” Amy pressed her index finger against her lips.
“With the church fundraiser over, our salvageable belongings cleaned and put away, and Christmas preparations complete, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself for three more days.” Mrs. Harris sipped her coffee.
Amy insisted on doing all the cooking and most everything else since her new housemates moved in. Even helping revitalize everyone’s belongings had tired out Mrs. Harris. “Oh, there will be lots to do. Aunt Amelia and Uncle Jimmy arrive tomorrow. Prepare yourself. You’re going to be thumped in cribbage.”
****
Kevin stood in Amy’s small downstairs guest room shower and waited for the hot, pelting water to penetrate his aching muscles. He hadn’t endured a day on the job that drained him like this one had in ages.
“What was the darn kid thinking?” he asked himself, aloud. “And on Christmas Eve Day yet.”
He stepped out of the stall into the steam-filled bathroom. The humidity from the shower competed with his memories of the scene in the kid’s bedroom in playing havoc with his breathing. You’re on days off now. Just banish what happened from your mind and enjoy the holidays, he coached himself.
Easier said than done.
He toweled off, pulled on his favorite Calgary Flames pajama bottoms, and slipped a white t-shirt over his head. He swiped a hand towel across the mirror above the sink, his blurry image clearing. He combed his hands through his hair and called it done.
He wandered into the games room, grabbed a beer out of Amy’s mini fridge, and slumped onto the black leather sofa. He clicked the remote and stared unseeing at the TV screen where some Hollywood cop was arresting a drug dealer. Who wrote this stuff, he wondered? Neither of the two female partners he’d worked with ever wore red lipstick and three inch heels on the job.
He polished off half the beer, relaxed against the sofa back and closed his eyes. The image of the kid and her mother popped into his mind. An image he’d not soon forget. He opened his eyes, blinked, and took another sip.
Kevin heard the familiar clicking sound of the dog’s nails on the tiled games room floor. Suddenly, seventy pounds of Irish setter leapt onto the sofa, settled at his side, and rested his head on his leg.
“Hi, Rover. Sounds like you require a nail clipping soon.”
The dog peered up at him with sorrowful brown eyes, his expression indicating his concern.
“You can sense my mood, can’t you?” Kevin ruffled the dog’s ears. “Yeah, it hasn’t been the best day. Mind you, my boss’ day was worse. His oldest daughter attempted suicide. I was the first on the scene. Not good. She’s in the hospital, but she’s not breathing on her own. I don’t know if she’ll make it or not. Sure screwed up her family’s Christmas. What are these kids thinking, Rover? Long term solution
to a short term problem.”
Kevin shook his head but smiled in spite of his inner turmoil. It felt good talking over his day with the dog. More police officers should have a canine friend, someone to talk to. They couldn’t discuss work with family or friends. Not even their wives. “Rover, you realize you’re sworn to secrecy, right? You can’t repeat a word of this.”
Rover whined and wagged his tail.
“Good. I’m glad we’ve got that established.” Kevin finished his beer and headed to the fridge for another. He called over his shoulder, “Hey, Rover, buddy, can I get you something to drink while I’m up?”
*
Amy heard Rover crossing the floor and heading out the door a few minutes ago. She wondered where he went. Usually if he required a late night romp in the backyard, he’d whine at the bedroom door signaling his need. Tonight, he’d just crawled off his bed and left.
She buried her nose back in Nora Roberts’ latest novel. A few minutes later when she reached the end of the chapter, she closed the book and peeked over at Rover’s bed. He hadn’t returned.
“Okay, big guy, what are you up to?” An image of presents dragged from under the tree, lying opened on the floor, wrapping tracked throughout the entire family room flashed across her mind. She crawled out of her warm bed to investigate.
Amy slipped down the back stairs to the kitchen on bare feet. The only sound she heard in the darkness was the faint ticking of the clock on the far wall. Where was Rover? She checked the living room and dining room next, moving easily through each moonlit room. Nothing.
She climbed the stairs and checked Sarah’s room, but the precious angel in her life slept soundly in her bed, alone. Amy backed out of the room into the hallway. Her aunt and uncle’s door was closed. Rover couldn’t have entered.
Amy returned to the kitchen.
Kevin.
Amy jogged downstairs to the games room and discovered Kevin standing with his back to her popping the tab on a can of beer. Rover was stretched out on the leather sofa. “So there you are.”
Love To The Rescue Page 18