The Comeback Girl

by Debra Salonen

  ZACH HELD the business card under the high-intensity light of his desk lamp. His father—his father—had given it to him earlier, while the woman who was his grandmother had gone to the store. For some reason, Zach couldn’t make himself call Gloria grandmother. Maybe because she was so different from Ida Jane, who felt like a gramma.

  Ida was as huggable as a teddy bear. Gloria was stiff and nervous. Her energy seemed to wear down his father, who wasn’t anything like Zach had imagined. In his dreams, his father was powerful and vital.

  Zach flipped the card over and looked at the hand-written telephone numbers. He’d refused to arrange a future meeting until he’d spoken with his mother. Would acting too friendly with his father make her sad? Even though he was angry with her, Zach hadn’t seriously considered living with his father. His mother needed him. She lost track of time; she wore her wristwatch upside down.

  He didn’t know what would happen if she married the cop. And his kid. What would that be like?

  Zach remembered begging his mother for a little brother one Christmas. He’d gotten a Nintendo, instead.

  He got into bed and turned off the light. If his mom was serious about marrying this cop, Zach would just have to lay down a few rules with the kid. Zach didn’t need a brother anymore. And after eleven years without a father, Zach finally had one. So he definitely didn’t need a stepfather.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “THIS IS Zach’s favorite cookie,” Kris told her great-aunt as she removed a pan of sumptuous-smelling cookies from the old but reliable oven. Kris had come to the bordello to bake. It was easier than trying to find utensils in her still-unpacked boxes.

  “Where is the boy this morning?” Ida Jane asked.

  Always an early riser, Ida was already awake when Kris arrived at the bordello. The sun was now shining brightly, and the kitchen smelled of warm chocolate and coffee.

  “Outside with the dogs. I was going to let him sleep in, but he was up before me.”

  Kris handed her aunt a still-warm cookie. “Taste.”

  Ida looked particularly dramatic this morning dressed in a purple velour robe; the sunlight filtering through her silvery hair resembled a crown. She took a bite then closed her eyes and made appreciative sounds as she chewed.

  “Mmm. It is good. Ralph Bascomb at the bakery used to brag about his secret recipe. Wasn’t this good, though. He died a couple of years ago, you know.”

  More like twenty. Kristin kept the thought to herself.

  Ida munched in silence while Kris scraped the last bit of dough from the bowl and added two final globs to the pan.

  She leaned over to put the sheet in the oven. The heat wafted over her and she felt a sudden sense of déjà vu.

  “Auntie, do you remember when we used to do the dishes together? I’d stand on a chair to wash while you dried? You told me that someday I would be big enough to reach the upper cupboards, but I didn’t believe you. I thought I was going to stay little forever.”

  Ida Jane turned her head to stare out the window.

  “Kristin was my helper,” Ida said a moment later. Her eyes filled with tears, and she started to cry. “My poor Kristin. She ran away from home, and it was all my fault.”

  Baffled by her aunt’s words, Kristin snagged a cotton flour-sack towel off the counter and raced to Ida Jane’s side. “Auntie, what are you talking about? You were never to blame for my going away. I went to Ireland to be a nanny, remember?”

  Ida Jane didn’t seem to hear. Her thin shoulders shook as she muttered nonsensically. “Poor little girl. Too sensitive. Like her mother. Needed more love. I was too busy to pay attention, and she ran away.”

  Kristin looped her arm around the older woman’s quivering shoulders and offered soothing words of support. “I’m right here, Auntie. I went away, but I came back. And I’m never leaving again. I’m home for good.”

  Kristin felt a current of cooler air funnel across her bare ankles and looked toward the doorway. Andi stood frozen, hair a mess, seersucker pajamas wrinkled. “What’s going on?” she mouthed.

  Kristin motioned her to enter then spoke to the elderly woman. “Auntie, everything’s going to be just fine. You’ve got your whole family together again. Here’s Andi in her pj’s. She came for milk and cookies. Right, Andi?”

  Ida Jane looked up, sniffling. A tentative smile made her lips turn up. “She always showed up when I baked. Nose like a bloodhound.”

  Andi snorted delicately. “I beg your pardon. That was Jenny. I hardly ever eat sweets.”

  Kristin threw the towel at her. “Liar.”

  Andi grinned unabashedly. “What are you doing here so early, sis?” she asked, opening the refrigerator and taking out a carton of milk.

  “Most of my kitchenware is still in boxes, so I brought my mess over here. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Andi laughed. “Yeah, right, like I’d turn down fresh-baked goods. My husband was twitching in his sleep, and I figure the minute his nose deciphers this aroma, he’ll swoop down like a vulture on fresh roadkill.”

  Kristin made a face. “There’s a lovely image to help whet the appetite.” She checked the cookies in the oven then faced her sister, who was perched on her usual spot on the counter. “I forgot to ask, how’s the bordello’s historical designation coming? Are you getting anywhere with it?”

  “Yup. I’m getting nowhere fast.” Andi ran a hand through her hair. “Even with Sam’s stepfather’s help—Gordon’s been doing a bunch of online research for me—there are gaping holes in our documentation.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, according to a couple of the history books, the original house was moved to this parcel from another location. But no one’s quite sure where that was. Or when the move took place.

  “Plus, a fire destroyed part of the upstairs at some point, which necessitated remodeling. Then this part of the house—” she made an encompassing motion “—was added as late as 1908 or 1918. I can’t make out the writing.”

  She sighed. “No wonder Ida didn’t register the place before this. It’s practically a full-time job, and she was too busy raising us and keeping her business going.”

  A sudden bang made all three women start. They looked toward the doorway where a half-awake man—stubble-faced and bleary eyed—stumbled into the room. Barefoot, in a white undershirt and baggy gray sweatpants, he moved like a zombie toward the pile of cookies.

  Andi let out a loud sigh. “See what I have to put up with in the morning? Neanderthal man.” Her tone was a mixture of amusement and love. “Quick, give that man coffee.”

  Kristin filled a cup and passed it to her brother-in-law who already had crumbs bracketing his lips. “Mmm, good cookies,” he mumbled.

  “Thanks. Have a seat.”

  Jonathan kissed his wife then gave Ida a hug before sitting down in the chair across from her. “This is a pleasant surprise. I love the smell of cookies in the morning.”

  Andi toasted with her glass. “Me, too. When are you going to learn how to bake?”

  Jonathan blinked. “Me?”

  Kristin and Ida Jane looked at each other and laughed. Kristin felt a pang of regret at having missed moments like this for too long. She really was very glad to be home. No matter what happened with Donnie and Tyler.

  Jonathan opened the San Francisco Chronicle and said, “There’s an article about pan-Pacific trade. Didn’t you say Tyler just got back from Japan, Kristin?”

  “That’s what Jim Rohr told me.”

  “Hmm. Smart man. He backed the right horse. There’s money to be made in that direction.”

  Kristin refilled everyone’s cup. “Donnie mentioned something the other day that got me thinking. Ida, do you remember hearing about a proposal to build a bypass around town? Maybe ten or twelve years ago?”

  Ida seemed to concentrate. “Yes, I do,” she said, nodding. “They were going to make the highway loop around the edge of town. I was all for the plan until they said they’d have to tear down
the bordello to do it, and I told them they could go jump in a lake.”

  Jonathan looked intrigued. “You aren’t thinking that’s what Tyler has in mind now, are you, Kris? If the idea didn’t fly a decade ago, it surely wouldn’t be feasible today. The hard costs would be phenomenal.”

  “What if you owned most of the land where the new road would go?” she asked.

  Andi sat forward. “That intersection at Main and the highway has always been dangerous. I remember Ida telling me that a high-school student was killed at the crosswalk a few years ago. There’s always an ongoing debate about whether or not to install a traffic light. But I haven’t heard any talk at the chamber of commerce about a bypass.”

  As Kristin retrieved the remaining cookies from the oven, a thought struck her. If this bypass was indeed Tyler’s plan, he must have started laying the groundwork for it long before he knew about Zach. Would it matter to him that by tearing down the old bordello, he would destroy his son’s heritage?

  “So, Kris, when’s the wedding?” Andi asked, changing the subject.

  Kristin’s grip on the pan tightened, and she yelped when the heat soaked through to her thumb. She underhanded the pan to the counter and spun around. “Donnie and I are meeting with the boys today. There’s still a lot to work out.”

  “Like what? You love him, don’t you?”

  Kristin’s face turned as hot as the oven mitt. “We’re…friends.”

  Her sister didn’t look convinced. “You’ve been in love with him since you were kids. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have been on the next flight home if Zach had been Donnie’s.”

  Kristin yanked open a drawer to find a spatula. Tears made her grope blindly until her fingers closed around a plastic handle. Instead of a spatula, she pulled out a potato ricer. She stared at it blankly, then let go of both the cookie sheet and the useless utensil and slowly melted to the floor.

  Andi was at her side a second later. “I’m sorry, sis. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Kristin hadn’t cried in Andi’s arms for too long to remember. Usually, Jenny was Kristin’s source of comfort, but Jenny wasn’t here.

  “It’s gonna be okay, Kris.”

  “I did love him, Andi. So much I thought I’d die when he broke up with me. Tyler was a shoulder to cry on and when he kissed me, I told myself, why not? I’ll never love anybody the way I loved Donnie and he’s not interested in me, so why the heck not?”

  “I know, honey. I know. Often our worst mistakes don’t feel like mistakes at the time. We do what feels right, then pay for it later.”

  The honesty in her tone got through to Kristin. They looked at each, and Kris felt a deep love for her sister.

  “Well, if that’s the way it works, then I definitely should marry Donnie. Since it feels like a mistake, maybe everything will turn out okay.” She was striving for lightness, but the tremble in her voice betrayed her.

  Ida Jane rose—with a little help from Jonathan. “If there’s going to be a wedding, I need a new dress. Which one of you is taking me shopping?”

  She didn’t wait for an answer but shuffled toward the hallway. Her cane had become her faithful companion; its rubber tip made a squeaky sound against the wood floor.

  Jonathan refilled his cup, grabbed a handful of cookies then followed her. “Thanks for the cookies, Kris. By the way, I just want you to know that I owe Donnie more than I can ever repay. He stuck with my case when that worthless sheriff, Magnus Brown, was content to let me rot in jail for a crime I didn’t commit. So I plan to do my best to see that Donnie wins this election.” He looked at his wife and grinned. “I’d marry him myself if I thought it would help.”

  Andi tossed a dish towel at him. “Go away.”

  Once the kitchen was clean and the cookies were bagged, Kris started to leave, but Andi stopped her. “Can we talk a minute?”

  Kris checked out the window to make sure Zach was still occupied, then she walked to the table and sat down across from her sister.

  Andi nibbled the edge of her cookie for a minute, then said, “You know, Jen and I just want what’s best for you. And Donnie.” She looked at Kris. “You do love him, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know,” Kris answered truthfully. “He told me he still loves me. That he never stopped loving me.”

  Andi brightened. “That’s good. Isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know.” How can he love me? He doesn’t even know me.

  “You don’t believe him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Andi let out a familiar snarl. “If you say that again, I’m going to hit you.”

  Kris stood up suddenly. “That’s just it, Andi, I don’t know anything. I never did. I thought I loved Donnie and he loved me, but look what happened.”

  “That was a long time ago, Kris.”

  “But I’m still me, Andi. I make mistakes. I can’t balance my checkbook. I lose track of time and I’m always late. My eleven-year-old son is smarter than me. I’m…dumb.”

  Andi shot to her feet and grabbed Kristin by the shoulders. “No, you’re not. Don’t say that.”

  Kris couldn’t meet her eyes. “I’ve always known it. Everyone’s known it. Remember when Ida took me for special testing?”

  Andi dropped her hands and stepped back. “That didn’t prove anything. You learn differently. You passed all your classes.”

  “With help. Jenny wrote half my papers. You tutored me in math.” Kristin paced to the sink and looked into the backyard where her son was playing tug-of-war with Harley. “Ask anyone, Andi, and they’ll tell you. Kristin Sullivan is sweet, but not too bright. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to come back.”

  She turned around. “When I lived in other places, it took a while for people to catch on. I’m pretty good at faking it.”

  Andi looked close to tears. “Oh, God, is that true? You really think you’re not smart? Is that why you were willing to marry Donnie when it was just a temporary arrangement, but now you’re not?”

  Kris sighed. She felt overwhelmed and so far out of her league she wanted to run away. But she knew that wasn’t going to work this time. “I could be his housekeeper and care for his child; I’m a good mother, Andi. But Donnie deserves so much more than…me.”

  Andi took in a deep breath and slowly marched toward Kristin. Kris knew that look. She swallowed as her sister began to speak. “Let’s get something straight. I’m no Rhodes scholar, but I know this much. You and Donnie have loved each other since you were kids. You’ve both made mistakes. So what? You’re human. Get over it.”

  Kris bit down on her inner cheek to keep from smiling.

  “This town is facing some big changes. That bypass you mentioned is just the tip of the iceburg. People are moving out of the valley and Gold Creek is right in their path. We need enlightened leadership. Magnus Brown is old-school. He’s entrenched power. He won’t give up easily, and Donnie doesn’t stand a chance unless he has all his ducks in a row.”

  Kris shifted uneasily. She’d heard some of this last night, but hadn’t been paying attention. “I know it won’t be easy, Andi, but you’re dreaming if you think I’ll be any help to him. My reputation…”

  Andi cut her off. “You’re a Sullivan triplet, Kristin. The town loves you. And you love Donnie. I know you do.”

  “We haven’t even kissed, Andi.” Kris ducked her head to hide her embarrassment. “The other night, he wouldn’t even let me give him a massage.”

  Her sister chortled. “Good Lord, the man is slipping. So, go seduce him. See if the spark is still there. You definitely don’t want to marry a man with no sparks.”

  Kristin had always admired her sister’s ability to cut to the chase, but she couldn’t picture herself seducing Donnie to see if they were still compatible in bed. “His house? My house? Children present?”

  Andi heaved a weighty sigh. “Where is Rosemarie when we need her?”

  The two looked at each other and broke into laughter. They fell into a
hug, laughing, and suddenly Kristin felt a glimmer of hope.

  DONNIE HAD JUST FINISHED putting new strings on his old guitar when a wraith dressed like the Grim Reaper on a scooter appeared in the driveway.

  “Hi, Donnie, how’s it going?” Bethany Murdock hailed, pushing her silver Razor up to his workbench in the garage.

  “Not bad. How are you?” She’d been absent from the office the last two days that he’d worked.

  “My annual bout of strep throat. My folks want me to have my tonsils out, but I kinda like ’em.” She made a comical face. “Gets me out of school.”

  Donnie snickered. “Interesting strategy. What’s up?” Although she didn’t live far from him, she’d never stopped by before today.

  “The engagement, of course.”

  Donnie’s stomach tightened. “Pardon?” He tried to remain cool.

  Her eyes opened wide. “You haven’t heard? Cory’s getting married.”

  The way she said it—with just a hint of a sigh—told him she still had a crush on the handsome young officer. He hoped her misplaced affection would blow over.

  “I’d gathered things were getting serious with his girlfriend. Have they set a date?”

  Beth nodded, her lips compressed in a frown. “June. I overheard him talking to Ed and Margie. He said she already has the whole thing planned.”

  Donnie bit down on the smile that wanted to form. He walked over to her and gave her a light hug with one arm. “He wasn’t good enough for you, Beth. Besides, in another year you’ll be at college and you’ll find someone who wants a June wedding, too.”

  She made a snuffling sound and looked toward his house. “Is your son home?” she asked.

  Donnie turned and saw the unmistakable sway of blinds being closed. “Yes. Lucas was with his mom for a few days visiting his grandmother in Redding. He’s a little antisocial this morning.” Every morning.

  She nodded at the guitar in his hands. “Do you play?”

  “I used to. In high school.”