Stormking Road (Firefly Hollow series Book 6)

by T. L. Haddix

  “Yesterday.” Sydney grabbed a nearby dish towel and wiped her hands, holding on to the fabric to keep her hands from reaching out to him. To put a little distance between them, she casually moved into the corner opposite where he stood. It was only a couple of feet, but every little bit helped. “I hear you exchanged the badge for a trench coat. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. It’s been an interesting road.”

  Silence descended between them, and a warm flush spread across Sydney’s cheeks as he studied her.

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “I’m just trying to reconcile the two Sydneys. You went and grew up on us.”

  She laughed softly. “That does happen, you know.” Knowing that if she didn’t do something she’d embarrass herself, she moved back to the sink and started washing the first dish.

  “Seen Danny yet? I’m surprised he isn’t here today, what with you being back in town.”

  Danny was her best friend, her partner in crime. They’d been attached at the hip since sixth grade when she’d saved him from a bully.

  “He doesn’t know I’m back yet. I sneaked into town, wanted to surprise everyone. I’m planning to stop by his office tomorrow. Why? You aren’t afraid the crime rate will skyrocket now that I’m back in town, are you? You might have to bring that uniform out of storage.”

  Sawyer chuckled, the sound going through her to tickle places best left alone, at least as far as she knew he was concerned. “Nah, I’m not worried. The two of you never were hardened criminals.”

  Sydney snorted. “Tell his mother that. She thinks I’m the devil incarnate.”

  He leaned closer and lowered his voice as though imparting a secret. “Miriam thinks every female who crosses Danny’s path is the devil incarnate, determined to lead him down the path of self-destruction. Don’t take it personally.”

  “Seriously? She would have arranged for me to disappear if she could have when we were kids. Heck, probably more recently than that if she could have figured out how to do it. She hates my guts. Always has.” Sydney cast him a look over her shoulder, daring him to argue. From the way he hid his smile behind his hand, she figured he agreed with her assessment.

  “He was in the office Thursday. He’s turned out pretty well, you know.”

  She paused in rinsing the bowl she held as a familiar pang of relief winged its way through her chest. “I do know. And I know you’re part of why he did. So what did he come in for, if I may be so nosy as to ask?” She set the bowl in the dish drainer and turned toward him.

  “He has a couple of kids who need some guidance this summer. I was getting him some contact information for the guys who’ve taken that over.”

  “You didn’t keep a hand in it?” She knew, both from experience and from what Danny had told her over the years, that Sawyer had quietly helped a handful of troubled kids stay on the straight and narrow, stepping in as a role model when they didn’t have anyone to turn to. “I figured you would.”

  “You know about that?”

  She let a tiny smile out. “Of course.”

  He gave a shrug, clearly uncomfortable. “I’m on the sidelines. I can do more from there now than anything. So who told you?”

  “I have my sources. I also hear that you need an assistant to help with that new business of yours.” She couldn’t believe the words had come out of her mouth, and as soon as she said them, she wanted to call them back. As that wasn’t an option, she kept her mouth shut.

  Sawyer was eyeing her with consternation. “You’re as bad about knowing stuff as Amelia is,” he said, referring to her aunt, Emma’s youngest sister, who seemed to have a finger on the pulse of everything that happened in the family. “Yeah, I do need someone. I just can’t find anyone I can trust to run the place. Why?”

  It was Sydney’s turn to shrug. “I might know someone.”

  “Who?”

  She propped one hand on her hip, pushing her glasses up with the other. “Duh. Me.”

  When Sawyer blinked at her, speechless, she threw her hands in the air. “Surely it isn’t that odd a notion.”

  His lips twitched. “Channeling Owen, are you?”

  She had to fight to tamp down her own smile. “Hush. I’m serious. I need a job, you need help. I have experience.”

  “Yeah, stealing cars and taking them across state lines, getting caught with a concealed deadly weapon without a permit…” His voice trailed off when she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, though his mouth moved into a wide grin. “It’s a hectic job, doesn’t pay much, and it can get hairy from time to time.”

  The first thought that went through her mind was of the television detectives she’d seen on shows in reruns on late-night cable. She shook her head. “So you’re telling me you go around breaking people’s knees and camping out in your car while they have liaisons in seedy motel rooms, huh?”

  He scowled. “Not hardly. I don’t handle divorce cases, and I only break knees when it’s absolutely necessary. I just don’t think you’d be a good fit, that’s all.”

  Sydney blew out a breath to hide how much the words hurt. “Why not? Because of my criminal past?”

  Sawyer cocked an eyebrow. “No, because you’re more suited to…to an art gallery or something. Not a half-retired PI’s office.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, dear God. Sawyer, you’re a snob. How would you know what I’m suited to? You haven’t seen me since I was a kid.”

  The look he sent her told her he hadn’t forgotten their last encounter any more than she had. Just the idea almost made her run out the door. But Sydney was made of stern stuff, sterner than she had been at nineteen, and she’d be damned if she’d run again.

  “Tell you what, I’ll swing by one day next week after I’ve had a chance to catch up with everyone and find a place to live, and we’ll talk. You can show me how ‘hairy’ this job of yours is. I’ll even bring a few razors, just in case.”

  He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Amelia came in. Rachel was close behind her, and the opportunity was lost. Sydney smiled at him with satisfaction, knowing he was stuck. She was glad as her heart was pounding. She’d only barely managed to stop short of throwing herself at his feet and begging for the job. If there was a surefire way not to get it, that would be it.

  As her aunts joined the conversation, Sawyer excused himself. Sydney turned back to the sink and the dishes, sighing with relief. She didn’t see the look Amelia sent Rachel, or the speculative gazes they studied her with as the three of them talked about books they’d read recently. If she had, she really might have made a run for it.

  “What do you think that was about?” Rachel asked Amelia as soon as they were alone. It was late in the day, almost early evening, and she’d been itching to get her baby sister by herself so she could ask Amelia whether she’d imagined the heat in the kitchen between Sawyer and Sydney or not. “Did you see how they were looking at each other?”

  “When the other one wasn’t looking? Yeah, I saw it. And I felt it,” Amelia said, rubbing her hands over her arms. A natural Cupid, she could pick up on a couple’s attraction to and suitability for one another in ways most people could not. “They just about sparked me out of the kitchen. Damn!”

  “Sawyer and Sydney? Really?” Rachel was stunned.

  “Really. It’s been a while since I’ve been around a couple that hummed like that. Probably since Archer and Emma. What should we do?”

  “I don’t know. Should we do anything? He’s a good man.”

  Amelia frowned. “I know he’s a good man. I also know he’s determined to remain unmarried the rest of his life and why.”

  Rachel blew out a breath. The warm breeze blowing across the meadow lifted her long hair, whipping it gently around her face. They’d walked out to
the barn for privacy.

  “I’d like to see Sydney happy,” Rachel hedged. “And Sawyer, for that matter. He really is a good man, a kind man. Too kind to spend the rest of his life alone.”

  “She’s young enough to be his daughter. What? It had to be said,” Amelia protested when Rachel shot her a dirty look. “And no, I don’t think it matters in the least. Not to me, it doesn’t. It will matter to him. And I don’t even want to think about how it will matter to Archer if it comes to that.”

  “Yeah, that could get… interesting. They really sparked?”

  Amelia nodded. “And hummed.”

  “Good or bad?”

  Her baby sister’s smile was soft. “They have a very nice resonance. That aspect of things reminds me of Mom and Daddy.” She sighed. “I think we have to keep our mouths shut and our eyes open. He’s a good man. And she deserves a good man.”

  “He is and she does,” Rachel agreed. “But he’s got pretty deep scars, too. Shoot, we’ve known him for twenty years, and I’ve been what I’d consider close friends with him nearly that long. There’s still a lot about the man I don’t know. I have my doubts that he could let her in even if he wanted to.”

  Amelia linked their arms. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see, then. But I’m not planning to say anything to Em or Archer. No use starting trouble if there’s not any to start. And that could put a stop to things before they get off the ground.”

  Rachel laughed. “This is true. So we’ll watch and wait and keep our fingers crossed. Sound like a plan?”

  “Yes, ma’am, it does.”

  Chapter Four

  Sydney pulled her car into the parking lot of the picturesque church a little after ten the next morning. For a couple of minutes, she sat there looking at the building and its surroundings. It wasn’t the largest church in Perry County, but anyone with eyes in their head could see it was well loved. The building itself was in good repair, with tidy black shutters against the white clapboard siding and a cheerful bed of petunias and marigolds around the perimeter of the building.

  A few times in her youth, she had attended the church with Danny and his family. While it hadn’t been neglected by any means back then, the small touches of hominess, like the baskets of ferns and discreet little statues of woodland creatures peeking out from behind the greenery that flanked the wide front steps, made it clear that whoever was in charge of the congregation now wanted to make it feel welcoming. Sydney had a good idea who was behind that change.

  She detoured past the front door, instead going to the small building that sat beside the church, separated from the main church by a covered concrete pad. The door was open to let in the June breeze, and she stopped in the doorway, pecking softly on the doorframe.

  “Can I help… oh, my God.” The tall blond-haired man seated behind the desk laughed incredulously, coming to his feet without taking his eyes off her. “I’ll be hanged.”

  Sydney’s smile was as wide as Danny’s as she met him midway across the room for a tight hug. “I was in the neighborhood, thought I’d stop by and see what kind of trouble you’re up to this morning.”

  “Just the usual quarterbacking of yesterday’s sermon.” He squeezed her extra tight, then pulled back to look at her, shaking his head. “In the neighborhood. I’ll be hanged.”

  “I’ve missed you.” Her eyes searched his face, taking in the changes. He’d gained a little weight, but it looked good on him. Danny had always been a little gaunt, the stereotypical ninety-eight-pound weakling, even after he’d hit a growth spurt as a teenager. The wheat-blond hair and hazel eyes were the same, though. “It’s so good to see you, Dan.”

  He cupped her face in his hands, examining her just as thoroughly. “Are you in trouble or are you just in for a visit?” He asked the question with a wink.

  “I’m home. Out of a job, no roof over my head…”

  Danny settled down on the edge of his desk, a mock frown crossing his face. “Are you pregnant?”

  Sydney smacked his shoulder lightly, then took the spot beside him. “Not unless it was an immaculate conception. Speaking of religious occurrences and the like… The church is beautiful. You’ve done an amazing job from what little I’ve seen. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you. It’s been a lot of hard work but oh, so worth it.”

  Danny had been appointed pastor of the small congregation close to two years earlier, after having served as associate pastor for a couple of years before that.

  “Do you have time to show me around?” she asked.

  “I’ll not only show you around, but I’ll buy you lunch if you’re interested.”

  Sydney grinned at him, feeling ridiculously happy to see him again. “Lead the way.”

  After he’d shown her the church, they drove the short distance to town to a popular diner. Once they were seated, he leveled a look on her. “So are you in trouble? Or did you just decide it was time to come home? And why in the world didn’t you tell me you were coming? Don’t think I’m not happy to see you, because I’m thrilled. But I’m wondering whether I should be concerned, as well.”

  “I’m not in trouble. You know Uncle Charles was retiring, and I was contemplating traveling. I just decided to travel here. I packed up my things, put them in storage, and when I got in the car to figure out where to go… something said ‘home.’ It was that simple. I didn’t say anything because I wanted to surprise you.”

  “You really are planning to stay?” he asked as the waitress brought them their drinks.

  “I am. Someone has to be around here to keep you in line,” she said as she wadded up the paper from her straw and tossed it at him. “I may even have a job lined up already. I just have to convince Sawyer to give it to me.”

  Danny nearly choked on his soft drink. “Sawyer? Sawyer Evans?”

  Sydney scowled at him. “Why is that so surprising?”

  The waitress returned with their salads then, saving Danny from having to answer immediately. Sydney gave him a minute after she left to answer, and when he didn’t, she asked again. “Is it so incredible, the idea that I might end up working for him?”

  Danny paused, cracker in hand, clearly trying to figure out how to answer. “Not incredible, no. Just… knowing your history with the man, it’s a little unexpected. That’s all.”

  “Damn. You don’t think I should do it, then.”

  “I didn’t say that,” he protested. “God knows Sawyer needs someone to help him out. I’m just not sure you two would be a good fit, that’s all.”

  “He said you’d been in to see him last week.” When Danny quirked an eyebrow, she shrugged. “He was at the farm yesterday for dinner. We spoke briefly. And as to us fitting, he’s not convinced, either. Said I’d be better suited to working in an art gallery or some such.”

  Danny grinned across the table at her. “I can see that. Until you had to open your mouth and sell something.”

  Sydney grunted as she chomped on a cherry tomato, enjoying the blast of flavor that hit her mouth as it exploded. “Amen to that, Pastor. A salesman I’m not. I don’t have the patience to schmooze people. Either buy it or don’t.”

  There was something very comforting about being able to spend time with someone who knew your flaws and yet didn’t judge you for them. Danny was that person for Sydney. He always had been. As far as that went, she played the same role for him. They didn’t have secrets from one another, and if Danny hadn’t been gay, they probably would have ended up married.

  “You ever think that we could have had a couple of kids by now?” she asked softly.

  His smile was quick and just a bit sad. “I do think about that. Usually during christenings or Mother’s lectures. We’d have made some cute kids, wouldn’t we?”

  “Hellions. They’d be hellions and you know it. And I love yo
u dearly, but I don’t think I could handle your mother on a regular, marriage-induced basis.”

  “I can barely handle my mother on a regular basis. I’d never subject someone else to her.” He winked, letting her know he was joking, though Sydney also knew there was some measure of truth to the words. “I’m still on the fence as to whether or not to come out.”

  Sydney studied him. “What does your church mentor say?”

  The decision to stay in the closet was one he’d battled for years now, at first because he wasn’t strong enough emotionally to face his family’s reaction, and then because he simply didn’t want the bother of dealing with his mother’s histrionics.

  “He says I should come clean, at least to the family. As long as I stay in, I’m not being honest with them. He’s right. I just have to muster up the courage to do it. Mother still isn’t sold a hundred percent on my vow of celibacy. I just worry that if I come out, she’ll try to institute an exorcism.”

  Sydney reached across the table, clasping his hand with hers. “You know I’ll be here for you whatever you decide.”

  Truthfully, knowing he was close to a decision was one of the reasons Sydney had wanted to come home. She was too aware that things could go very badly for him with the family and if they did, she wanted to be close by so he would have a support system if he needed it.

  “I do know that. And I love you for it.”

  Sydney winked at him, even as she misted up. “Back at you.”

  “Now, let’s get back to that subject you seem to want to avoid. Are you seriously going to try to work for Sawyer?”

  She sighed and sat back. “That depends on him. The job sounds interesting enough. I could probably do most of it in my sleep, and it would be familiar. Daddy said he needed an assistant. It’s investigations. I’m guessing there’s probably a lot of interaction with law enforcement and colorful characters.”