Finding Home (Montana Born Homecoming Book 2) (15 page)

“Of, of course,” stammered Samara. She recalled the tight smiles of women who would chat with her at the park, but raise their eyebrows when she needed an emergency contact name. And somehow forget to invite her to their book club.

This straightforward scolding was a shock, but refreshing too, in a way. So much better than always wondering if the other mothers avoided her because her daughter didn’t always play well with others, or if her tragic loss had marked her in some way, made her defective.

“You’re a tough nut to crack. That’s what I meant by you being work.” Aunt Mabel took a sip of tea. “I believe in being honest. And so I confess, for some unaccountable reason, I find you less… unpleasant than our usual guests.”

Samara looked up from her tea. “What?”

“Now don’t go reading all sorts of things into it. I’ll enjoy the quiet just fine, once you’re gone. Perhaps I’ve spent too much time with Eliza, but you and Jade intrigue me.”

Mabel frowned as if annoyed at the confession.

“We intrigue you?”

“Yes. You irritate me as well and I’ll tell you why.” Mabel pursed her lips. “My family founded Marietta. Good people have come and gone. Many have stayed. Now outsiders seem to be flocking in, which is unavoidable, I suppose, but when people like you decide to settle in my town, you could have the decency to recognize how lucky you are.”

“I am lucky. I’d never have been able to purchase a home like this in the city.”

“I’m not talking about real estate!” snapped Mabel. “Marietta is full of people who’d like to be your friends if you would unbend long enough to give them a chance.”

Sam thought about Sage Carrigan and the little girl – Savannah? – that Jade had played with.

Being needy scared people away.

But being walled off was worse.

“And for heaven’s sake, would you put Logan out of his misery? The poor man is turning himself inside out for you.”

Samara’s head snapped up at that.

Aunt Mabel snorted delicately. “He’s been one of Marietta’s most eligible bachelors for too long. Ever since divorcing that useless ditz of a wife, we’ve all been watching and waiting for him to dip his toes into the dating pool again. Nothing. Then, you show up and what happens? He dives straight into the deep end, without taking off his shoes.”

An image of the two of them, twined together on her bed, flashed into Sam’s mind.

“I don’t wish to know details,” emphasized Aunt Mabel, “but I know a man in love when I see one.”

In
love.

Samara set down her cup, sloshing tea into the saucer. “We were in love once, a long time ago. Seeing each other again has brought back a lot of memories, that’s all.”

Aunt Mabel regarded her steadily across the table, but didn’t speak.

“He’s been great with Jade, and that caught me off guard,” continued Samara, feeling desperate. “I’ve seen him with his students, so I know he’s got a gift for kids. And he’s been working day and night to get my house ready because it’s his job. He’d do it for anyone, I’m sure.”

But would he follow just anyone to the hospital, hold her when she was fighting him off, support her despite her craziness, challenge her to try trusting people again? Ease past her defences and touch her with such gentle passion she couldn’t help but –

“Oh God,” she said with a gasp.

“There you go.” Aunt Mabel smiled and lifted her cup. “Now we’re cooking with gas.”

Samara was in love with Logan.

All over again.

‡

T
he persistent tinkling
of her cell phone hauled Samara from a deep sleep the next morning. It had taken a long time to settle down last night.

She grabbed it off the night table, just as it went to voice mail. The notification screen read
A-1 Movers
.

Good. She’d been trying to get a status report from them.

She clicked the recording, and rubbed her eyes while waiting for it to play.

She felt awful for Mabel’s injury, and worse for the way she’d spoken to Eliza. But Jade was fine. As self-centered as it seemed, that was the main thing.

As for Logan… knotted emotions writhed eel-like inside her. She ran a hand through her hair.

They’d crossed a line last night. Part of her was grateful that Jade had awakened when she did; part of her wanted desperately to know what it would feel like to have Logan inside her, to finally have that ache eased, to let their bodies connect the way their minds and hearts already had.

“This is A-1 Movers,” said a chipper voice on the other end. “We’re pleased to inform you that the truck containing your belongings is scheduled to arrive at the address you provided at 1 pm today. We’re happy we were able to accommodate your adjusted date. Thank you for choosing A-1 Movers. Have a great day!”

Sam looked at the small screen in confusion.

Today?

“No, no, no,” she muttered, her fingers flying over the keys. Surely this was a mistake. She’d been crystal clear that she needed
more
time, not less time! This was even worse than the original date!

“This is A-1 Movers,” said the same chipper voice.

“This is Samara Davis,” she began.

“Your call is important to us,” interrupted the voice. And then her phone died.

“Argh!” Sam threw the device against her pillow, where it bounced harmlessly. In all the activity last night, she’d forgotten to charge it.

Activity involving Logan, in her bed, massaging her, caring for her, giving her the best-

She leaped out of bed and quickly yanked on the first outfit that came to hand. Her furniture was arriving soon, but her house wasn’t ready.

She needed Logan.

Low in her belly, something fluttered. He’d know what to do. He’d help figure it out.

Mabel and Eliza were already up, sipping tea, when Samara entered the kitchen. The fresh white cast on Aunt Mabel’s left hand beamed brightly in the morning sunshine, but there were heavy, bruised circles under her eyes. Had she stayed up late just for their talk?

“Good morning,” said Eliza quietly. “You’re just in time for French toast. Coffee’s fresh, too, if you want.”

Remembering the point of Mabel’s speech, Sam forced herself to slow down. She went directly to Eliza. “I’m so sorry for how I spoke to you yesterday, Eliza. You’ve been so wonderful with Jade. You’ve been kind and welcoming and I treated you abominably. I hope you can forgive me. And I hope we can be friends.”

Eliza’s face broke open with a smile as she pulled Samara into a hug. “It’s forgotten. And of course we can be friends. We already are.”

“I’m so glad.” Until that moment, Sam hadn’t realized how important it was to mend that bridge. “I’m so glad!”

“Perhaps,” said Mabel, “I could trouble one of you to refill my cup before I perish of dehydration.”

“Absolutely,” said Sam. “I just have to use the house phone briefly. Is that okay?”

Dull red rose in Eliza’s cheeks. “It would be, except the company is, um, doing maintenance in our area right now. A tree down or something.”

“Or you forgot to pay the bill again,” suggested Mabel, waspishly.

Eliza’s cell phone buzzed. “Excuse me, I have to take this.” She practically ran from the room, frowning at the device.

Great, thought Samara. No phone. Maybe she could borrow Eliza’s cell, once she was done.

“How are you feeling this morning, Aunt Mabel?”

“Thirsty,” said Mabel.

Samara dropped a kiss onto the old woman’s papery cheek. Mabel shrank back and pulled the knitted throw in her lap over her shoulder, padding her bad arm. Her skin felt cool and even clammy beneath Sam’s lips and she was paler than usual.

Eliza came back into the room, her phone to her ear. “I have to run. Aunt Mabel, will you be all right on your own for a few hours?”

“For heaven’s sake, I don’t need babysitting.” Mabel looked away, as if offended.

Before Sam could speak, Eliza scurried out the door.

“All secrets and mystery, that one,” said Mabel. “That’s not how Brambles behave.”

The flippancy sounded forced. Sam quickly poured a cup and set it next to Mabel. The woman’s hand trembled when she lifted it and after one sip, she abandoned it, cradling her casted arm again.

Were those lines of pain around her eyes?

Eliza wouldn’t leave if Mabel wasn’t feeling well, would she?

Sam wished she didn’t have to go. But the movers were on the way. She had to tell Logan. She’d make a quick breakfast for Jade and Bob, and then head out to the house. She’d check in with Eliza on Logan’s phone and as soon as they’d come up with a plan for the furniture, she’d return to Mabel.

Unable to sit, she went to the counter to fix Jade’s breakfast.

Wait. She hadn’t had her coffee yet. If ever she needed caffeine, it was this morning. She sloshed some into a mug and added a dollop of low-fat milk.

“Sit, Samara. Your jitterbugging is giving me a headache.”

“Oh.” Sam grabbed a paper towel to clean up the coffee drips she’d left behind. “Sorry.”

Mabel lifted her cup, then she set it down again without taking a sip. The china clattered against the saucer.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Mabel?” asked Samara, sliding into a chair.

“You’re the fidgety one,” she complained. “Now, what’s wrong? You’re exhausting me.”

Mabel didn’t need any more trouble, but she wasn’t going to rest until Sam explained.

She sighed.

“The moving company screwed up. My furniture is arriving today. Not next Wednesday. Today. We don’t even have an occupancy permit yet.”

In her mind, she replayed her conversations with the moving company but could find nothing to explain it other than simple human error. Hers or theirs, it didn’t much matter; if she couldn’t fix this in a hurry, her entire life was about to be delivered onto the Collier Avenue sidewalk.

Breathe,
Sam reminded herself.

“Use the garage.” Mabel sounded like Jade when she had a fever.

“The garage is full of tools.”

“Storage then. Logan will be happy to arrange it, I’m sure.”

Sam’s cheeks warmed. “I’m sure he would, but I have to tell him first and there seems to be an epidemic of dead phones around here.”

“Well, fretting won’t help.”

Little footsteps and the unmistakable click of claws sounded on the steps.

“Mama?” said Jade, rubbing her eyes. “Are you mad?”

“Of course not.” Samara took another deep breath and forced herself to smile. She squatted next to her rumpled little girl and gave her a hug. “You sleep okay?”

Jade nodded, as if she’d forgotten her earlier nightmare. “Is that French toast, Auntie M?”

“It is.” Aunt Mabel attempted a smile. “But you’ve got to sit beside me to eat it. Can you do that?”

“Yeah!” said Jade, clapping her hands. Before Sam could object, she hopped over to the table, inadvertently brushing Mabel’s left elbow, just above the cast.

The woman sucked in a breath, squeezed her eyes shut, holding the arm tightly against her ribs, her face wracked with pain.

Jade dragged the chair out with both hands and scrambled up, oblivious to the tiny contact.

Samara, however, had seen it. “Should you still be that painful?”

Mabel swallowed. “I haven’t read the rules on fractures.”

“Let me see.” Samara sat down next to her, taking the casted arm very gently in her hands.

The tips of her fingers were mottled, grey, and when Sam touched them, they were cold.

“Can you wiggle them?”

“I could yesterday,” said Aunt Mabel. Tiny beads of perspiration had sprung out along her silver hairline.

Samara didn’t need her first-aid training to see that the hand was not healing as it should. Maybe the cast had been put on too tight; maybe the tissue beneath had swelled far more than expected. Maybe there was something else entirely going on. Whatever the cause, she needed medical care.

“Who’s your doctor?” she asked. “That arm should be examined. As soon as I’ve got some juice in my phone, I’ll call the office.”

The fact that Mabel did not argue only increased Sam’s anxiety. She ran to her room and plugged in her cell.

Logan’s scent still lingered on the bedding. She’d call him too, as soon as she could. She had to let him know about the movers.

She wanted to tell him… what?

Now in the light of day, her conversation with Mabel seemed ridiculous. Surely Mabel hadn’t suggested she and Logan were in love with each other? Sam couldn’t think of a less likely romantic than her crusty hostess. But she could hardly ask, especially now that Mabel was feeling the full effect of her injury.

“Mama!”

As always, the word brought her crashing back to earth.

Samara dashed back to the dining room just in time to see the older woman slip sideways in her chair, gently, as if drifting off to sleep.

“Auntie M!” cried Jade.

Sam leaped forward just in time and immediately, Mabel returned to consciousness.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She frowned in confusion.

Samara half-carried her over to the couch. “You’re the farthest thing from fine. I’m calling an ambulance.”

But her phone wasn’t charged yet.