STEP 12:
After about a half hour,
add in the sliced candied cherries, the milk chocolate chips
and the shaved dark chocolate.
What could be a better combination?
~From Mr. Koolemar’s Top Secret,
Kool Kreme Ice Kreamations Recipe Book, pg. 97
“I feel like an idiot!” Dianne pounded her fist on her living room sofa two hours later. “How could I let him put something like that passed me? I never make computation errors.”
“It’s not your fault,” Garrett said, trying to reassure her. “The way Doug played a shell game with those bags, he could’ve been a professional grifter.”
A handful of police officers were now out scouring the town for the missing board member. The one officer who remained scanned the festival grounds through the window, a serious look on his face. “I believe you’re right, Garrett. Doug Chippenak clearly had a lot of practice ripping people off, and it’s likely his little scam would’ve gone unnoticed again if not for you and Cait.”
The officer turned to address the superintendent, who’d been called in immediately. “Unfortunately, sir, we need to locate the man in order to corroborate what Garrett and Cait witnessed and, of course, to gather the remaining evidence.”
Seth stepped forward. “Isn’t it enough that you have the token bags belonging to the vendors?”
“Not quite,” the officer said. “We don’t have Mr. Chippenak’s bag. The one Cait and Garrett saw him pocket during the exchange. Nor do we have the cash he took for himself, which was inside it.”
“What did he do with the vendors’ money?” the superintendent asked, a worry line creasing his brow.
“He left all eight of the cash-filled bags, labeled with the vendors’ names, at Mr. Koolemar’s booth,” the officer said. “He told the gentleman to keep an eye on them and that he’d be back to distribute them to their owners later. Said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grab a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie before the lady running that booth ran out.”
“The Pastry Queen,” Cait whispered.
The officer squinted at her. “What?”
“It’s made by the Pastry Queen, and it’s really, really great pie,” Cait said. “Mr. Koolemar would’ve believed Doug if he said that. He would’ve thought Doug was sincere, not a lying thief.”
Garrett tried to read her expression. It was a combination of perplexed, determined and outraged. Despite the strain of the afternoon, he couldn’t help but smile a little. That was the same expression she’d worn when he’d tried to cancel her festival. That No-One-Better-Mess-With-Me look and, in the end, she’d sure gotten her way. Whether or not Doug realized it, he was toast.
“Well, at least Chippenak didn’t run off with the old men’s money sacks,” Seth said.
Dianne crossed her arms. “In a way, he did. All of the cash in the one bag he kept belonged to those elderly gentlemen.”
“That’s true,” the officer said. “When we looked in the bags and cross-checked the amounts allocated to the vendors with the amount of cash given out, we found that he’d stolen close to four hundred dollars. Almost fifty from each.”
“I’m beyond saddened,” the superintendent whispered. “I never would’ve imagined Doug capable of something like this.”
“But why’d he do it?” Seth asked. “The guy was wealthy. He had no motivation to steal, not unless he had personal cash-flow problems or unless the company was in financial trouble.”
The officer shook his head. “We still need to do a full investigation, but no. Neither of those things seems to be the case. Mr. Chippenak’s logic is mystifying to us as well.” He patted his weapon absentmindedly. “We’ll contact you when we know more. ‘Til then, if you see or hear anything, give us a call.”
“Of course,” Dianne said. The rest of them nodded.
Garrett walked the officer out to his squad car, while Seth, Dianne and Cait conversed quietly inside. The superintendent stood by a window, staring at the Harvest Hoopla booths, their vendors and the many locals still enjoying the day of revelry.
Fortunately, few participants even realized there’d been a disturbance that afternoon. New Brighton police officers were swift and discrete. Garrett felt a rush of pride in them.
After the policeman left, the older administrator pulled Garrett aside. “I finally got a call back from Ronald while I was on my way out here. He had no idea what happened to the money in the fitness account, but he admitted he’d put his trust in Doug.”
“Why? What did they do together?” Garrett said.
“Ronald was getting ready to deposit the funds in the account when Doug convinced him to go with a ‘better investment strategy.’ Doug said he’d ‘take care of everything’ and get the money to gain interest faster. He promised to give Ronald the credit for making the investment, and Ronald had no reason not to believe him.”
“So, where did Doug put the money for the fitness equipment?”
“I don’t know, Garrett. But I told another officer about it, and he took notes, so the police have it on record.”
He thought back to the day the board members raided the office. Doug’s behavior made no sense whatsoever. “But why the pretense of looking for Ronald this week? He and Shelley searched the school for him together. Doug would’ve known the principal didn’t have anything to do with the disappearing funds.”
The older man rubbed his temples and sighed. “Don’t know the reason for that, either, but the whole day’s given me a migraine.”
Garrett could understand that. His head ached, too. Once the superintendent went home, Garrett rejoined the three Walshs.
“Are Marlene and Loni still manning the token-exchange booth?” he asked them.
“Yes,” Cait said. “And I asked Jenna to fill in for Dianne while we talked with the police.”
“I’ll go back and help again in few minutes,” Dianne said. “But I’m still fuming at the man’s behavior. What a slime!”
Seth grinned. “I’ve heard board members can be slippery.” He began rubbing his wife’s shoulders to relieve her of the built-up tension. It made Garrett want to do the same thing for Cait.
“Speaking of which,” Cait asked Garrett, an undeniable gleam of curiosity in her eye, “I meant to ask earlier—what happened to your conversation with Shelley McAllister? Did she ever find you?”
“Oh, yeah.” And, just to tease her a bit, he added, “She had an irresistible proposition for me.”
“What was that?” She stared at him, brows pushed together.
“Why, she wanted me to help convert the fitness offenders of Ridgewood Grove to a life of health consciousness.”
He got his reward when Cait suddenly laughed. “What?”
“Yep. It’s fitness evangelism, let me tell you. I may even get a muscle T-shirt out of it if I’m real good.”
Seth and Dianne chuckled at this.
“What do you have to do? Make the staff do wind sprints during their prep time?” Dianne said.
“That’s a start. But I’m supposed to choose a few teachers to ‘take under my wing.’ Teach them to swing golf clubs or throw balls or do…something aerobic.”
“Oh, boy. I’m not touching that comment,” Seth said, his body shaking with laughter. “You be careful with my kid sister.”
Before Garrett could reply, Cait broke in. “You’re saying, all this time, that’s what she wanted from you? Nothing illegal, immoral—”
“Or even fattening,” Dianne completed, and the two ladies dissolved into a fit of giggles.
He shook his head, his spirits rising at the sight of Cait laughing like that again. He’d missed her smiles. Then, deciding to be bold, he turned to face her. “Forget Shelley. What do you want from me?” He puffed out his chest and added a winning grin.
“Ooooh, now that sounds like an irresistible proposition,” Dianne said, nudging Cait and winking. She eyed the staircase suggestively. “Lots of room to explore your options upstairs.”
“Dianne!” Cait cried.
But Seth gave him and Cait a long, thoughtful look. “You know, despite Chippenak slipping away, the Harvest Hoopla turned out to be quite a success.” He gestured toward the window. “Look at all those happy people out there. And the goblins—my God, Cait. They were a riot. I’ve never seen kids have so much fun.”
“Seth’s right,” Dianne said. “Not only did everyone who showed up have a great time, but I haven’t seen your mother so delighted with anything in months. When she wasn’t painting dolphins on children’s cheeks, she was flitting about like her old social-butterfly self. You brought so much pleasure to so many people by organizing the festival.”
“And so did you,” Cait said, “by letting us host it here.” She gave her sister-in-law and her brother a warm look. “Thanks for everything you did. It was just—well, kind of an odd day.”
“Which is why you should take a half hour to relax,” Seth said. “You need a break.”
“But the vendors—” Cait began.
“Shh.” Seth patted his sister’s head as he might a child’s. “I didn’t say run off to Tahiti. But go upstairs, sit down, take a few deep breaths before you return. Nothing’s going to happen in the next thirty minutes that we can’t handle. The police are searching for Doug, so there isn’t anything you can do but wait.”
“They’ll probably get him tonight,” Dianne said.
Seth nodded. “And the vendors are only just beginning to pack up, but lots of people are still nibbling on treats outside. It’s okay to give yourselves a little time to…regroup…or whatever.” His grin broadened. He turned to Garrett and jabbed his thumb in the direction of the stairs. “Get her out of here. Please. I want to spend a few minutes alone with my wife.”
Cait blushed but Garrett didn’t need to be asked twice. He wanted Doug Chippenak caught but—as Seth said—the police were on it and, anyway, he wanted Cait more. He didn’t give her a chance to suggest a counterproposal.
He held out his hand to her, watched as she put her small fingers in his palm, then he tugged her away from the others.
“C’mon,” he whispered as he led her upstairs. “I haven’t seen any of the rooms up here yet. I think I’ve been missing out…”
***
As much as she loved the Harvest Hoopla, Cait had to admit it didn’t hold a candle to giving Garrett a “tour” of the bedrooms.
“This is Seth and Dianne’s room,” she told him, as they peeked through the door.
He scanned the master bedroom approvingly and skimmed his fingers over her shoulder blades until she shivered. “Very nice. Let’s move on.”
Walking across the hall, she popped open another door. “And this is Mia’s room.”
He laughed. “Does it double as Santa’s workshop? Dolls, stuffed animals, fake food… This kid has everything.”
She shrugged. “Only child. Only niece. Only granddaughter.”
He kissed the top of her head. “One very loved little girl. Just like her auntie.”
Cait’s heart skipped a few beats…and then a few more. What did he mean? That she was loved by her family, like Mia? Or that he loved her?
He didn’t give her a chance to ask. “Next room, please.”
“Um,” she said, “this is the guest bedroom.” The white frilly lace curtains ruffled as the wind blew another gust inside. She watched Garrett appraise the open windows and, then, the firm mattress of the double bed. The structure sat prominently in the center of the room, covered with a matching white frilly lace bedspread. His eyes narrowed and his lips pursed.
He marched over to the windows and shut them with one swift stroke. Then he turned to stand beside the bed, shaking his head and motioning for her to join him. “Close the door.”
She did.
“We’re not sleeping on this,” he informed her.
“We’re in my brother’s house, Garrett. We’re not sleeping on anything.”
He glanced around the room, amused. “You’re absolutely right.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her to his side. “What’s in that closet?”
“Nothing. They keep it empty for guests to—”
“Perfect.”
And before she knew it, that’s where they were. Closet door shut tight, the two of them—not on anything—but up against the smooth wall, with his mouth on hers, her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands…touching everywhere. Ohhh, good heavens.
She’d never think of storage space the same way again.
***
At about five o’clock, they heard some loud pounding on the guest room door. Seth called out, “I’ve gotta talk to you two.”
“Okay, um, just a second.” Cait’s pulse raced, not only from her passionate interlude with Garrett, but from the worried tone of Seth’s voice. They managed to slip their clothes back on and emerge from the closet. She swung open the bedroom door. Her brother’s face looked ghostly white. “What’s wrong?” she said.
“Hey, Cait, Garrett, sorry to interrupt you like this, but we have a big problem. Mom’s missing.”
“What?” she cried.
Garrett was already racing down the hall and to the staircase, she and Seth at his heels. Jenna, breathless from running in from outside, met them at the bottom.
“We’ll find her, Cait,” Jenna said, but she looked panicked.
Dianne had a cell phone to her ear and, for the second time in three hours, the New Brighton police were on their way over. Her sister-in-law was ashen. “I feel horrible when I think—” She paused. “The last time I saw your mom, she was talking to Doug Chippenak, of all people.”
Seth’s eyes bulged out. “Oh, God, honey. When was this?”
Dianne brushed away a few tears. “Around lunchtime. Maybe twelve-thirty, one o’clock.”
“That was before Cait and I started tailing him,” Garrett said. “When was the last time you saw her, Jenna?”
Her friend blinked. “It was after that. During the time the police were searching the grounds. Two-thirty, I think.”
“Thank God,” Seth said.
Garrett exhaled deeply. “Doug was long gone by then. But all this means is that their disappearances are unrelated.”
Cait held her breath and fought off the guilt she didn’t want to acknowledge. “Did any of us see her after two-thirty?”
No one had.
“How about mom’s friend Eleanor?” Cait asked.
Jenna shook her head. “She saw her just before I did, and that was her last time, too.”
Cait swallowed. “Then we shouldn’t waste another minute.”
***
“You need to stop blaming yourself,” Garrett said in his gentlest voice, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on Cait’s knee. Gone was the passion from the late afternoon. Now, after an hour of unfocused driving, he thought she looked ready to crumple from stress. He reached out and squeezed her fingers. She squeezed back, but he could tell it was a halfhearted gesture.
“Seth and Dianne got on top of things immediately,” he said. “They notified the police. Men were put on the job within minutes. You couldn’t have done it any faster.”
“If only I’d gone out to check on her instead of going upstairs. If only I hadn’t been so preoccupied with Doug Chippenak before that. I should’ve been more responsible. God, I haven’t done a single responsible thing in hours.”
The sting of her words hurt worse than a smack across his face. His body recoiled from the blow. He jerked his hand away.
Then she noticed him, for the first time, he figured, since Seth’s words jolted them out of the closet. Distress, terror and remorse filled her eyes.
“Garrett, I’m sorry. I—I didn’t mean—”
“Forget it,” he said quickly, hoping he could do the same, but he had to admit to there being an angry, selfish side in him. A side that felt his joy in their coupling had already been tainted.
They rode in silence.
“Look,” he said after another fifteen minutes of pointless meandering. “Do you have a list of places you want to check out that the police might not think of? Are there spots she enjoys wandering around in sometimes? Parks, maybe? Friends she might visit? Restaurants or coffee places or that bakery?”
Tears slipped down Cait’s cheeks. She shook her head. “Mom’s memory…it’s vanishing. She no longer follows any of the routines we’d gotten used to for the past four or five years, and I’ve got no idea.” She brushed at the tears, missing a few. They slid onto her blouse and left wet splotches on the front.
“What about before then? About her more distant past? What would she do on a Saturday evening when you and Seth were kids?”
“Go strolling in town. Stop for a piece of pie or an ice cream sundae. Play bridge or bingo with the church group. She and Dad would go together almost weekly when he was still alive. They went to St. Christopher’s on County Highway K-Z. But it’s way on the other side of town, much too far for her to walk. Even before we took the car keys away from her, Seth and Dianne would usually pick her up and take her to St. Luke’s for senior activities or church services. It’s where Mia was christened, where Dad was buried and much nearer to her house.”
“How many miles would you say it is from Seth’s house to St. Christopher’s?”
She looked at him like he was as nutty as a pecan. “Seven, maybe eight. Garrett, there’s no way she could’ve walked—”
“Your mother is really healthy, physically at least. I know she’s got the blood pressure thing, but she’s also got stronger legs than a lot of women her age.” He swung the car around for a not-exactly-legal U-turn. “Plus, she’s got determination in her favor, a four-hour head start on us and a very clear memory of her favorite times in her life.” He looked at Cait, fear and hopefulness battling it out on her face. “It’s not impossible.”
***
They found her wandering in the back corner of St. Christopher’s cemetery, the day’s last sunlight bathing her hair, her sweater wrapped tight and a wistful smile playing on her lips.
“MOM!” Cait cried, rushing up to her and throwing her arms around her mother’s shivering body. “We were so worried about you. How did you get here? Did you get lost? Are you hurt?”
To the flurry of questions, her mom squinted, appearing surprised. “It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it? A bit chilly, but I think Hank will remember to bring my thicker cardigan when he comes. We like to meet back here before the bingo game, you know. I wanted to show him these pretty pink roses.” She pointed to a tangled mass of baby roses in a colorful vase, brought by someone paying tribute to a loved one long departed.
Cait’s heart jumped to her throat. Daddy. Didn’t Mom remember he was gone? And buried at St. Luke’s, not here… Four years and Cait still missed him. Would Dad have been disappointed in her? In the choices she made in his absence? In the things she did and failed to do?
“Did you see him?” her mother asked, feverishly bright. “He didn’t go into the church already, did he, darling?”
“Oh, Mom.” It came out like a sob. “Garrett?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Please…get Seth on the cell phone. Now.”
***
Cait, Seth and Dianne spent the next week taking turns with Mom, staying with her, arranging days off from work and beginning to pack up her most necessary belongings from the house.
Though Cait knew they’d never know the whole story of what happened the evening of the Harvest Hoopla, an extensive medical exam proved there’d been no physical harm done, and her mother had remembered enough to assure them she’d enjoyed her walk to church. She even remembered conversing with Doug Chippenak. “Oh, yes, the nice man with the gray sideburns, just like Hank’s,” she’d said when questioned. And Cait couldn’t deny that, though she would hardly call Doug “nice,” he did have graying hair that looked similar to her father’s. Which was what Mom would notice.
Still, she and Seth weren’t about to take any more chances. Their mother may have been unfazed by the whole experience, but Cait had been shaken to the core.
She stared out her mother’s kitchen window, floundering in silence. The shrill ring of the phone broke the deadened air.
“Hiya, Cait. How’s she doing?” Seth said.
“Okay. I made tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and got her to go up for a nap about ten minutes ago. Some moments she seems totally lucid, others are like a return to life in the early nineties. I’m reliving my childhood, not just in packing up the boxes, but in the way she treats me. It’s like I’m six again.”
“Just hang tight, okay? The movers will be there this weekend, and we’ve nearly got her room here ready. The most important thing is to keep an eye on her. We’ll deal with all the other garbage later. We can talk about selling the house and all that after she’s safely transitioned in here.” He sighed.
“What else, Seth?”
“Ah, I’m bummed, too. I thought, you know, it’d take longer before we reached this stage. I guess we were in denial about her symptoms for a while.” There was a long pause. She sensed her brother was struggling with his own emotional juggernaut.
“Dianne’s gonna sort through Mom’s clothes tomorrow, to keep out the winter stuff and label everything she won’t be able to wear ‘til spring,” he said. “So, you won’t need to bother with the closet or dresser today.”
“All right. I’ll stick to all the knickknacks, photo albums and things in the living room. Most of it can probably be boxed.”
“Sounds good. Any chance Garrett might be able to swing by to help us out on Saturday? There are a few things, like that glass breakfront and the inlaid mahogany coffee table, I’d rather not trust to the movers, even if those pieces are only going to be stored in our basement.”
A cold hand gripped her heart, squeezing it tight for a second. Garrett. She’d barely spoken to him since the weekend, though it wasn’t for lack of effort on his part. Throughout the ordeal of her mom’s search, he’d pulled her aside repeatedly and whispered how everything would be okay. He’d called eight times at least in the past three days. And he’d stopped by her classroom for as long as she’d let him stay yesterday as she muddled through school, praised the kids on their work at the festival and tried to keep from having a nervous breakdown.
To call him would only remind her of her own irresponsibility toward her mother. To not call him would mean to hurt the man she’d fallen in love with. Even if his feelings were in no way similar to her own.
Bolstering her courage, she said, “I’ll ask him,” knowing, since she’d promised Seth, she’d have to do it.
“All right. Try not to get too stressed.” He gave a light, forced laugh. “And I’ll try to follow my own advice.”
***
Garrett had a mental list of all the things that were pissing him off at work, and it was growing:
1) For the first time since he met Sonja weeks ago, her on-top-of-things manner got on his nerves instead of impressed him.
2) Despite everyone’s optimism that Doug would be immediately apprehended, the guy was still at large. He’d left a voicemail claiming to be visiting his sister in Memphis. But one call to Doug’s uncle confirmed that Doug’s only sister had moved to Aspen three years ago. Lying, stealing bastard.
3) If Ronald handed him one more school improvement folder, his fury might make it spontaneously combust.
4) Mike Firenzi left him three messages—and Shelley had come in personally—to offer him a place on the new “Fit-4-Ever” committee. As if he didn’t have enough responsibilities.
5) The superintendent wanted to get together at lunch tomorrow to discuss the Chippenak scandal, so he needed to rearrange his schedule for that.
6) His mother called at noon with her same story, followed by another one of Marianne’s Friends and Family lectures. Jacob, not to be outdone, was still harping about Halloween in Connecticut.
7) And then there was Cait, of course.
Cripes! Colleagues. Family. Women. All of them. They were so damned self-centered. They wanted this, they wanted that, they wanted him to do whatever they wanted…whenever they wanted it…and to hell with what he might’ve wanted.
He tried to help. Tried to be a good guy. No matter what, there were complications. With Cait, when he was standing next to her, he was too close. When he gave her space, he was ignoring her. Women were demanding and crazy-making and illogical and—
He heard a knock at the door.
“Hi, Garrett. Am I disturbing you?”
Cait’s eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep. While she looked presentable enough, the tension radiated from her skin’s surface like a low-voltage bulb. Another woman wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But, even with all the worry churning around inside her, Cait managed to glow. Man, if Jacob could read his thoughts, he’d say his kid brother was out of his freakin’ mind.
“No,” he said, setting down a folder with one hand and clenching his other fist under the desk, out of her sight. “What’s up, Cait?”
“I-I’m sorry for not being in touch with you much this week.”
Not much? Not at all. But he said, “Yeah, okay.”
Every physical overture rejected. Every phone call scaled down to one-syllable responses. Every visit shrugged off with a chill that’d freeze fire. Why was she stepping in now? What’d she want? “Is there something you need?” he said.
“Um, well, Seth asked me if you might be willing to help us move our mom into his place on Saturday. Of course, I know you must be very busy with everything here, especially after last weekend… I know you spent a lot of time with all of us then, so maybe you’ve got other plans and other things you need to take care of. I’d understand if you didn’t want to commit to—”
“That’s fine. I’ll be there. What time?”
“Are—are you sure? I mean, you don’t have to—”
“Didn’t I just say I’d be there, Cait?” He was mad. He knew he looked mad. He saw her take a few steps backward, her forehead creased in concern or anxiety, but he was tired of pussyfooting around each and every emotion.
She shook her head a little, those gorgeous golden strands swinging around her petite face. He remembered running his fingers through them when they’d made love. He remembered holding her, being above her, next to her, inside her. He remembered how their passion spiraled together, bonding them. But it must not have been strong enough to hold them for longer than a moment. It shouldn’t hurt. Easy come, easy go. But it did.
She took a labored breath. “Seth said nine or ten would be good. The movers are planning to show up around noon, and Seth hoped we could get a head start with the more delicate items.”
“No problem.” He clenched his fist again.
“Thanks, Garrett. Look, I’m really sorry about everything. It just hasn’t been the best time and—”
“Yeah, whatever. I’ll see you Saturday morning, but I should probably finish this stuff now.” He pointed to a pile of papers on his desk that contained work he’d already completed, but she didn’t know that, and he needed her the hell out of his office.
“Of course,” she said, backing out of the room, looking all hurt. Looking like he felt. “I won’t keep you.”
No. And that was the problem, wasn’t it? She wouldn’t keep him.
***
There were so many holidays on the fall calendar. On Saturday at her mother’s house, Cait couldn’t believe it was already Columbus Day weekend, although it wouldn’t be officially observed until Monday when they’d get the day off. Suddenly, days off seemed very important to her.
She idly flipped though one of her mother’s photo albums, not really looking at the images, just needing to do something with her hands. She’d spend the week dreaming up exercises to keep her fingers busy. Yesterday, she and her class made cute Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria sailing-boat replicas to commemorate the holiday.
Still, she’d felt a traitorous sense of relief when the final Friday bell rang, releasing her students into the charge of their parents…and letting her concentrate on her own family matters.
It had never been like this before. Though she’d always appreciated the little holidays sprinkled throughout the school year, she’d never counted on them to sustain her until now.
She glanced out the window. Maybe she wasn’t as dedicated a teacher as she’d thought. Maybe she shouldn’t be around impressionable children at all. Or people of any age. She was clearly more irresponsible than a grown woman should be.
Last weekend had proven that.
Maybe living in an underground cavern, somewhere unpopulated, wouldn’t be a bad idea. No one would have to know how miserable she felt. And she wouldn’t have to pretend not to feel miserable. Because love was kind of torturous. Being in love turned her into a passion-crazed, irresponsible person that she hardly recognized.
Something in the basement shattered.
“Dammit!” Seth bellowed.
“Need some help?” Cait called down to him.
“No!” There was another crash. “God—”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! Hey, where the hell is your boyfriend? It’s ten minutes after nine.”
She inhaled sharply. Her boyfriend? Was he really? Or was he just someone she’d had secret sex with in various places? With occasional toppings? Did it indicate any real commitment to—
“Well?”
“Look, Seth, I don’t know.” She peered out the window for the three-hundredth time that morning. “When are Mom and Dianne returning?”
“I told Dianne to keep Mom out of our hair until after two. Brunch, shopping, some stylist appointment crap, I think. Mia’s staying with Dianne’s sister for the day.”
A flash of red caught her eye as Garrett pulled into the driveway. She set down the photo album near a packing box and raced into the foyer. She swung open the front door. His finger was poised to ring the bell.
“That was fast,” he said. The words were light, but his expression wasn’t remotely amused.
“I—um, hi, Garrett. Good morning.”
“Morning.” He strode into the living room and glanced around. “Where’s Seth?”
Before she could answer, she heard a clank. Then a bang.
“Christ almighty!” shouted a voice from the basement.
The corners of Garrett’s lips lifted slightly. “Need some help?” he called to her brother.
“Hell, yes. How’re you doing, buddy?”
Garrett let out a warm laugh. “Okay, I guess,” he said. “I’m coming down.”
He walked passed her to the stairs, granting only the briefest nod in her direction and taking his warmth with him. It wasn’t for her anyway. It was for Seth. The envy she felt in that instant stunned her.
She heard the deep timbre of their laughter, so male, as they carted up her mother’s wedding china—minus a piece or two that didn’t survive Seth’s butterfingers. She felt superfluous.
And it only got worse.
Every twenty minutes another man arrived. A neighbor friend showed up. His son came a little later. Three of Seth’s colleagues. All this help and the movers hadn’t even gotten there yet. It was like being the only girl in the guy’s locker room.
Shortly after the moving van pulled up, Cait fixed sloppy joes for lunch, setting out chips, salad, sodas and thick chocolate chip cookies on the kitchen counter for the men to help themselves. She melted into the other room, accustomed by this time to being ignored.
One of Seth’s closest work buddies, Todd Brayden, sought her out, his easy manner a welcome change from Garrett’s coldness.
“Hey there, Cait, thanks for the lunch,” he said, using a potato chip to scoop up some of the hot barbeque on his plate that had managed to escape the bun. He slipped it into his mouth and grinned. “I love this stuff.”
“I’m glad,” she said. She slid over on the sofa to make room for him. He plopped down next to her, stretching out his long legs in front of him and balancing his plate on his lap. Cait couldn’t help but feel her spirits lighten. Ever since she first met Todd at one of Seth’s company picnics a few years back, he’d treated her like Seth did. Like she was his “favorite and only” kid sister, too.
His deep blue eyes darted around the living room. “You’ve done a lot of work here already, haven’t you? With it packed up, it doesn’t look like the same room we played Scrabble in this spring.”
She shook her head, remembering those nights fondly. “Not only that, I feel as though I have to let go of so many childhood memories. I lived most of my life here. Now the things that made this room—this house—our home will be stashed in Seth’s basement.” She shrugged. “But the worst part is knowing that even if the room remained the same, Mom isn’t the same anymore.”
“Letting go is hard.” Todd put a brotherly arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “It sucks, I know. But you’ll be okay, kid.” With the light streaming into the room, his blond hair took on a sun-god kind of glow, his handsome face compassionate.
Garrett entered the room just then…and froze.
“Thanks for lunch, Cait,” the financial director—heck, the man she’d fallen in love with—said stiffly. His eyes turned to coal as he gazed at the union of Todd’s arm and her shoulder.
“You’re welcome,” she said automatically. The muscles in her back and neck tightened, and she expected some further comment from the glowering man blocking the doorway.
Nothing came.
Garrett remained rooted to his spot, his half-empty plate nearly levitating on his fingertips in front of him. Todd glanced between the two of them and, a few seconds later, removed his arm without a word.
Todd cleared his throat and a goofy smile graced his lips. “So, what do you think, Garrett? Can the Pack take it all the way this year or are you hoping the Patriots’ll come from behind and surprise us all?”
A strange expression crossed Garrett’s face as he eyed the guy sitting next to her. “New England might not have gotten off to a great start, but they’ve got determination. Green Bay, well—” He twisted his lips into something that couldn’t quite be called a smile. “They’re often a lot of show, not a lot of substance.”
Todd’s laugh sounded forced. “Now, I’m guessing that’s not a belief you share too often around these parts.”
“No,” Garrett said coolly, narrowing his eyes at Todd. “But that doesn’t make it any less true.”
“Huh. But the New England defense…not real sharp this year.” Todd popped another chip into his mouth and stretched out his legs even further, taking up as much territory as his six-foot-one, twenty-eight-year-old body could manage.
“But the Packer offense…inexperienced,” Garrett countered. He stepped forward three paces and struck an imposing stance.
Cait, not sure the conversation was at all about football any longer, stood up. “Well, guys, as stimulating as your sports talk has been, I’ll have to leave you to it.” She smiled at them as graciously as she could fake. “I’ve got some things to finish up. Glad you both liked the sandwiches.”
She walked toward the kitchen, feeling two sets of eyes boring into her spine. Todd looked at her with concern, but Garrett’s gaze was like a switchblade. She glanced back at him and his expression changed from cold fury to shuttered indifference in an instant.
Well, he could be that way if he wanted, but it was unjustified. Unlike Shelley McAllister’s overtly flirtatious manner toward Garrett, Todd treated Cait like a sibling, which Garrett should be able to see if he paid any real attention. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might be upset by her friendship with Todd, but if he could get jealous that quickly, maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as he’d been trying to appear. Maybe, she had to admit to herself, she and Garrett both just had a tendency to overreact and feel threatened too easily. And, maybe, that meant there might be hope for them yet…if they could just get over that knee-jerk defensiveness.
She was about to leave the room to think about this further when Seth walked in and blocked her path.
“Uh, guys,” he said to them, holding up his cell phone. “It’s Dianne. She says she and Mom just spotted Doug Chippenak.”