Home Fires (23 page)

Mike halted as they reached his truck. He opened the driver’s door and leaned against it, squinting at her through the brilliant morning sunshine.

“I’m headed home. Terry goes back to the city tomorrow and I need to spend a little time with him.”

“Tell him I said good-bye.” Her heart ached as she spoke the words. So much left unsaid. So much to be determined.

“I’ll do that.” He lifted her chin to meet his gaze. His eyes filled with tenderness and longing.

“Remember what I told you,” he reminded her. “Your heart will never steer you wrong. When the time comes, you’ll know what to do. You’re a strong woman, Rosie.”

He had such faith in her. If only she could be as sure about things as he was. She waited for the inevitable kiss but it did not come. She watched with growing disappointment as he climbed into his truck.

“Mike?” She held on to the driver’s door and peered through the open window.
Tell him how you feel. Tell him you’re in love with him.
She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.

He buckled his seat belt.

“I want to tell you… I mean, I…” God, she couldn’t say it. She couldn’t tell him.

His eyes softened in understanding. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Give it some time.” The truck’s engine caught with a soft purr as he turned the key.

Rose watched as the truck backed out the driveway. What now? She was beyond help. Mike had set her heart on fire and even 911 couldn’t rescue her now. Slowly she turned and headed back toward the house. Mike was right. Figuring out what she wanted was an inside job. Only if she searched for the answers within would she find serenity.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

TOWNIE TIDBITS

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The James Bay Journal

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Average temperature for the month of July: 89°

Average rainfall for the month of July: Trace amount

Days without significant rainfall: 78

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The kitchen door cracked open just as Rose reached out to let herself in. George flashed her a quick smile. “Your mom is on the sun porch.”

Rose backed up against the railing, out of arm’s reach. She didn’t trust him, not after the way he’d acted earlier. “How did today’s session go? Is she making progress?”

“I wish all my patients were doing as well. Your mother is one determined lady. That attitude will carry her into a full recovery.” He gave a brief nod. “Nice meeting you.” He bounded down the porch steps and to his car.

Smiling, Rose shook her head as she stepped inside the house. The brash young therapist from earlier was gone, replaced by a consummate professional. His flirting and amorous exuberance must merely be an act, designed to get his patients moving and back up on their feet. The joke was definitely on her.

She found her mother on the sun porch, metal walker close at hand and Charles Kendall settled in a nearby chair.

“Oh, good, you’re back. Look who came to visit us.” Irene’s face beamed with pleasure. “I never expected so much company this morning. First George and now Charles.”

Rose remained in the doorway. She wasn’t exactly pleased to see him again. Charles had set off a string of verbal fireworks on their front porch the night of the Fourth of July. He’d insulted Mike, irritated the Judge, and upset Tommy Gilbert. Until that night, she’d pegged him for nothing more than a blowhard, but she was no longer certain Charles could be trusted. The sooner he was out of this house, the better.

A sudden realization flashed to mind. “Is that your car out on the street?”

The smug smile on his face confirmed her suspicions. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she? I picked her up yesterday. She’s fully loaded. And the best part is, the insurance company picked up the tab. Turns out our fire department is good for something after all. Since they didn’t manage to save my car, I got a brand new one out of the deal.”

Rose choked down a stinging retort. She didn’t want to upset her mother, but Charles and that condescending attitude had no place in their house. His old car had been parked in its usual spot behind the newspaper office. By the time the blaze was spotted, the car had been beyond salvaging.

“You should take Cecilia Rose for a ride,” Irene urged. “She doesn’t get out much, now she’s home with me.”

“That’s a great idea.” Charles leaped to his feet. “How about it, Cecilia? Want to take a spin?”

She didn’t want to go for a ride in his new car. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him.

“I don’t think so,” Rose replied. “I shouldn’t leave Mom here alone.”

“I’ll be fine, sweetheart,” Irene said with a sweet smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’m all worn out from those exercises with George. I plan on sitting here and reading my new gardening magazine.”

Charles’s face wreathed in a satisfied smile as he took Rose by the arm. She didn’t pull away but reluctantly allowed him the small liberty. Good thing for him her mother was in the room.

“I’ll have her back by lunchtime, Mrs. Gallagher.”

“You two enjoy yourselves.”

Rose gritted her teeth as he led her from the sun porch, but their foray came to an abrupt halt the minute her foot hit the back porch. “You can stop right here.” She yanked away from his touch. “I have no intention of going for a ride with you.”

“What’s wrong, Rose?”

“You figure it out,” she retorted. “I should think it would be obvious.”

His smile dissolved in an uneasy frown. “All right, forget about the car ride. Have dinner tonight with me instead.”

“You can forget that idea, too.” Rose shook her head hard, feeling the hair from her ponytail tumble loose.

His face flushed an ugly red. “What’s going on, Rose?”

Years of sparring with attorneys had sharpened her adversarial skills. She planted her sandals on the porch and stood her ground. “I don’t owe you an explanation. I am not going for a ride in your car, and I have no desire to have dinner with you. That includes tonight, next week, and forever.”

“This is about him, isn’t it? That fireman.” His eyes narrowed. “I know he was here this morning, so no use you trying to deny it. I saw his truck in the driveway.”

“So what if he was?” Rose shrugged. “It’s none of your business.”

“What you see in that guy is beyond me.” He spit out the words, more statement than question, with righteous indignation.

Rose felt like spitting right back in his face. Who did he think he was, telling her whom she could or couldn’t date? Charles had been obnoxious and arrogant even when they were in high school, but his behavior this morning left a bitter taste in her mouth that no mouthwash would rinse away.

“You’ve sunk pretty low, dating someone like him. I’m surprised your mother hasn’t said anything. I’m sure she expects more from you.”

Rose felt her cheeks blazing. She’d tolerated Charles’s boorish behavior throughout the years, but not anymore. They were through, as of right now. “Get out of this house.”

“My pleasure.” He started off the porch, then abruptly turned and gave her a hard stare. “Be careful, Cecilia. He’s got you fooled. You might think you know that guy, but you don’t know everything about him. Not by a long shot. Seems pretty strange, if you ask me, him showing up out of nowhere like he did… and suddenly he’s the big hero, putting out fires, rescuing people. Well, I don’t think he’s doing such a great job. Last time I checked, we still had an arsonist in town.”

Rose clenched her hands tightly at her sides. It took every bit of willpower she possessed to keep from slapping him across the face. Charles had no idea what he was talking about. How dare he make those kinds of accusations against Mike?

“Wait and watch. You’ll be sorry, Cecilia. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Charles squared his shoulders and stomped down the porch steps.

Her heart pounded as she watched him drive off in the direction of downtown. She’d made an enemy this morning but she didn’t care. After all these years, she was glad finally to be rid of him.

“Where’s Charles?” Irene’s forehead wrinkled in a slight frown as Rose wandered back into the sunroom. “I thought the two of you were going for a ride.”

“I don’t think we’ll be seeing Charles around here again.” She sank into the cushioned wicker chair with a heavy sigh.

Irene laid aside her gardening magazine. “Did the two of you have a little spat?”

Rose struggled to keep her irritation from boiling over. Charles was excellent at manipulating people and Irene had always been subject to his charms. Even after all these years, her mother hadn’t the slightest clue what Charles was really like.

“Don’t judge him too harshly, sweetheart. He’s very frustrated. The two of us had a little talk before you came home. Things aren’t going well down at the
Journal
. These arsons are constantly on his mind. He would like nothing more than for them to be solved.”

“So would the whole town,” Rose mumbled. “Especially Mike.”

“Your Michael seems like a smart young man. I’m sure he’ll catch whoever is responsible.”

“
My
Michael?” She shot her mother a wary look. “Who said anything about him being
my
Michael?”

“I might have a bad knee, but there’s nothing wrong with my eyes,” Irene said. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other, especially when you think no one’s looking. That young man is
definitely
your Michael. Don’t try and deny it. And I’ll tell you another thing. That young man is in love with you.” Her eyes softened. “Do you feel the same?”

Rose squirmed in her chair, feeling like a teenager with something to hide. But what was the use in pretending? Patience had always been one of her mother’s most valued attributes. She would never back down until she had some answers.

“I don’t know how I feel about him, Mom. I don’t know much about anything anymore. Lately my life seems very confused.” Her conversation with Mike was too fresh, the pain in her heart still raw enough that she didn’t dare talk about it. She didn’t even want to think about it. Rose drew back her head and rested it against the pillows. Her gaze wandered the room, then traveled up along the ceiling. Paint peeled from the corner moldings. Maybe she would give Tommy a call this afternoon. Homes like this required constant maintenance. She didn’t have the time or expertise, but she could afford to hire the work done. Tommy probably would be interested in a part-time job.

“I’m worried about you, Cecilia Rose.”

Rose blew out a long sigh. “I’m fine.”

“You try too hard, sweetheart. Always trying to do too much. You take care of me, you take care of everything. And just look at how thin you are. You need to rest more. I think after lunch, you should go upstairs and have a little nap.”

“I don’t need a nap. What I need is…” She felt the flush blazing on her cheeks. “Oh, never mind. I don’t know what I need.” Her conversation with Mike this morning had taken more out of her than she’d realized. And this sun porch was so hot. The noonday heat flooding the glass-enclosed room was stifling. The house was in desperate need of central air. Maybe while she had the place painted, she’d have air conditioning installed as well.

“I think you need some lunch,” Irene replied. “Have we still got some of that roast beef left over from last night?”

Rose swallowed down her frustration. Fussing over food was the answer to everything in Irene’s world. There were more important things in life than a roast beef sandwich.

“Are you happy. Mom?” The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“Happy? Why, of course, I am, sweetheart.” A soft, puzzled look flitted across Irene’s face. “Why shouldn’t I be? My knee is on the mend, and soon I’ll be up and moving around without this walker. I’ll be happy about that.”

“Have you ever thought about moving to Florida?” Rose said in a rush. “Maybe a little condo with an ocean view?”

Irene’s eyes opened wide. “Why on earth would I want to move to Florida?”

“You’re always complaining about the winters up here. How it gets so cold and there’s so much snow. Just think of it, Mom. You could have green grass, blue skies, and fresh air all year round. I could set you up in a little place near the water. Let me do this, Mom. I can afford it.”

Irene gave her head a firm shake. “I can’t move to Florida. It wouldn’t be home.”

“You could make it home.”

“But this is home. I grew up in James Bay. People knew my parents and my grandparents, too. They knew your daddy, and they know you. Don’t forget that, sweetheart. My roots are here, and so are yours.”

Rose purposely ignored the geography lesson. “I only want to make things easier for you. You’ve been stuck in this little town all your life.”

Her mother sucked on her bottom lip. “You think I’m stuck?” she finally asked.

She backed off slightly. “Perhaps
stuck
wasn’t the best choice of words. What I meant to say was…”

“Yes?” Irene’s gaze centered on her, cool and steady.

God, what a mess she’d made of things. Why had she ever opened her mouth? This was all Charles’s fault, setting her up for an argument in the first place.

“Cecilia Rose, I asked you a question. What exactly did you mean by me being stuck?”

She took a deep breath. So much for lunch and a nap. If that I-expect-an-answer-and-I-want-it-now look on her mother’s face was any indication, neither of them was leaving the room until Irene was satisfied.

“I suppose I meant regrets. You’ve lived in James Bay all your life. You never left. Do you have any regrets?”

The pinched look between Irene’s eyebrows softened after a moment. “One or two, I suppose,” she finally admitted. “Everyone does, you know. I might be your mother, but I’m just as human as anyone else.”

Rose straightened in her chair. She hadn’t expected such candid honesty from her mother.