Six weeks later
Tess stared at Dr. Tim Leone and bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry. “You’re sure?”
“We are.” The doc’s face was somber, fitting his message. “The latest X-rays reveal the second injury made your ankle a lot weaker. I believe loss of strength and stamina in your leg won’t allow you to work actively on the line again.”
“So I caused this?” Tess could barely tolerate the thought.
Leone, who was a great guy, touched her arm. “I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion. You know how uncertain I was before the accident with the ropes. I told you that your ankle might never heal properly. Or enough. Actually, Tess, I was pretty sure of that, but I didn’t want to jump the gun.”
Chief Lincoln straightened. “This isn’t the end of your career, Tess. You’re a perfect role model for women in the department. You can teach. Or work in PR, recruiting female firefighters. There are a lot jobs you can do here.”
She stared at him blindly. The words wouldn’t register. She couldn’t picture her life without actual firefighting: the camaraderie among people who faced death together, the rush of adrenaline as they entered a burning building, and okay, saving people’s lives. After Joey died, she’d withdrawn, and though she had friends, she didn’t have deep commitments. Except to Sabina and her family. Her career was her life.
“I’m so sorry, Tess.” The chief again. “Is there anything we can do on our end?”
“I… The recruit class just finished. Can I have some time off? To decide what to do? I have furlough coming.”
“Take what you need.”
Tess managed to get out of the doctor’s office, out of the Academy and into her car. Once seated, her breath hitched and then she couldn’t take in enough air. She’d had panic attacks before, when her brother died, when she first broke her ankle, so she gripped the steering wheel and forced herself to take deep breaths.
When her phone rang, she tried to ignore it, but remembered Aunt Sabina was due to call this morning. With a shaky hand, she pulled out the phone, confirmed the caller and clicked on.
“So, how is my niece this lovely morning?”
“Not good, Aunt Sabby. Not good.”
o0o
“Morning, Daddy.” Sara kissed his cheek, grabbed coffee and stood by the counter, dressed in girly pink pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt.
Jack smiled at his daughter. He was still pissed as hell at her for the pot incident, but God, she was in his heart. “Hello, young lady.” Arching a brow, he nodded for her to sit. The twins had come home for three days and gotten in too late last night to talk. “Daddy, is it? I’m not letting you off that easily. We have a lot to discuss.”
“I wish we could just have a good time this weekend.” The girl knew how to pout. Sometimes it drove him and Seth crazy.
“We will, after. Did you think about what happened in February? And my comments on it?”
Sara donned what he’d come to call her Elizabeth Look. “I only smoke pot once in a while. Everybody does. I thought about what you said.” Here she raised her chin. “I still think it’s no big deal.”
“To me it is. And you got caught. Don’t downplay that.”
“In a stupid attempt by the police to appease the town council. They had to let us off because the search and seizure was illegal. Nothing’s on my record.”
“This time.”
Silence. So, okay, Jack knew kids smoked pot. Hell, he had when he was younger. But it was frightening when your children were breaking the law.
“Last word on this. I promise. If you do something illegal again, and it gets on your record, you won’t be accepted into Cornell for grad school.”
She mumbled, “No one would get in if they kept all pot smokers out.”
Knowing when to stop with his little rebel, Jack let the griping go. They had a quiet breakfast, and Seth came ambling in when they finished. “Coffee, I need coffee.”
Sara got up, poured him a cupful and kissed him on the cheek. “There you go zombie-man. You’re addicted to caffeine.”
I’m addicted to caffeine, Tess had said weeks ago. An image hit him of what might have happened when he and Tess awoke that morning if he hadn’t had to run out, or even after that, if he’d called her. He hadn’t, for a very good reason.
The morning after he’d been with Tess, Jack had brought Sara home. While she took a nap, he’d gone into the office to check his messages, intending to call Tess and tell her why he’d left so suddenly. That he planned to return to Rockland in two days to finish out his time in the class. That they could be together again. Before he left her house, he’d gotten her number off her cell phone. He’d just punched in a few digits when Mitch knocked on the open door. Jack never finished the call…
Mitch had come through the doorway, so Jack disconnected. “You’re back early. I saw you on my way in for a battalion chiefs’ meeting.”
“It’s a long story.”
“Anything serious?”
“Yeah, we can talk about it later.”
“Anytime.” He cocked his head. “Was Lincoln helpful up there?”
“Uh-huh. Thanks for paving the way for me.” He was anxious to make his call. “Do you need anything from me?”
“No, I just stopped to say hi.” He started to leave but turned back around. “There is one thing. Did you meet my cousin at the Academy?”
“Your cousin?”
“Yeah, remember when I said I had family in the Rockland Fire Department and asked if you wanted to connect with them?”
“You didn’t say your cousin taught at the Academy.”
“No?”
“In any case, I wanted to be anonymous to everybody except the chief.”
“I know. But you’re done now.”
Jack wasn’t, but he didn’t correct Mitch.
“So, did you meet Tess?”
Stunned, Jack stared at Mitch.
Mitch stepped farther into the room. “Jack, are you okay? You just went white.”
“I’m okay. I, um, Tess?”
“Righetti.”
“She’s your cousin?” He barely got the words out.
“Uh-huh. My mother’s sister’s daughter. But she’s like another sibling. Her parents died, so she and her younger brother came to live with us for six years.” He snorted. “She was fourteen then but gained three older brothers who still watch out for her.”
Jack swallowed hard. “W-watch out for her?”
“Yeah. Monitor boyfriends. Set them straight. Make sure nobody takes advantage of her. What we did with Jenn and Connie.”
Holy hell!
“So, did you meet Tess?”
“Yes, I did.” And more. Much more. He’d done things with Mitch’s cousin that would make his friend’s toes curl.
“What’d you think? She’s a spitfire.”
“I agree. But, if I can be frank, I also thought she was too rigid with the recruits.”
He hadn’t expected the light to go out in Mitch’s face.
“Mitch?”
“Her brother was killed in a skiing accident. He was being reckless and went off course. He hit his head hard and never woke up.” Mitch sighed. “We were all devastated, but Tess was inconsolable. In some ways, she never got over it.”
Oh dear God in heaven! “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“At the time, Tess told us her parents had coddled Joey too much. The only boy in an Italian family. I happen to agree with her. He was ten when we got him, but he already had that sense of entitlement. We tried to straighten him out, but nothing worked. It got worse when Tess took over raising him and Joey badgered her into moving back to Rockland. When that recklessness caused his death, she was leveled.”
Jack wanted to weep for her. He remembered asking her, Would you like to talk about that? Maybe there’s a root cause for your rigidity. He’d been on the money.
“But she’s a good girl at heart, if you got to know her, which you didn’t…”
“Dad?” Sara’s voice intruded on his memory. Looking around, he saw the kids had finished cleaning up. “Where’d you go?”
“Nowhere. What’s on for today with you guys?”
“We’re seeing our friends, then tonight we’re cooking dinner.”
“Great. I might go into work for a little while.”
Happy his children were in town, in his house again, he put negative feelings about Tess, and Sara, aside and drove to the Academy. Not long after, Mitch Malvaso came into the office—again—to talk about the new recruit class starting in two weeks. “Hey, Jack. You ready for me?”
“Yep.” Jack pulled out a folder from his bottom drawer. Before they could begin, Mitch’s phone rang.
He checked the ID and grinned. “My little girl. Sorry, I have to take this.” He clicked on, said, “Hi, Trish” and walked out of the office.
Jack called up his email, but he stared blindly at the screen. Mitch had reminded him again of his earlier thoughts about Tess and why he’d left her alone after lovemaking that had blown his mind. Life certainly had a way of biting you in the ass when you least expected it.
When his buddy returned, Jack asked, “Everything okay?”
“Couldn’t be better. Trish is pregnant and she calls to relate all the details.”
“Sounds great to me.”
“Me, too.” He got a goofy smile on his face. “Especially after all the trouble we had with her. Remember?”
“I do. But she turned out fine.” He smiled. “Sara will, too, I guess.”
“How is she after her escapade in February?”
“Sassy about it.”
“Ah, a teenager’s second-best weapon after silence. Luckily, Sara dodged a bullet.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair. “I know, but what happens the next time?”
“You hold your breath and hope she comes through it.” He took a bead on Jack. “As a matter of fact, I think you gave me that exact advice about Trish and Bobby.”
“Probably. Physician heal thyself.”
They exchanged a knowing smile, reminding Jack that Mitch was pretty much his only friend, the one person he could share his personal life with. Losing Tess because of that friendship was worth it. Wasn’t it?
And did it even matter now? She probably hated him for running out on her without a word and, worse, never calling.
o0o
Tess wandered around her apartment for a day and a half. Her female friends had come over last night, bearing wine and snacks, and talked endlessly to her about the vagaries of life and why she should stay in the department, even after the devastating news. But their visit hadn’t clarified anything for her.
She didn’t want her life upended like this. She’d already had a close call with John Mason just six weeks ago. After a night of mind-boggling sex, he’d left her in the early hours of the morning, without waiting for her to wake. Worse, he’d never contacted her, never called. Her disappointment had been grave and she’d had trouble getting back to herself. She’d enjoyed him, liked him, hoped to see him more than that once. But it wasn’t in the cards and she’d managed to put the whole experience behind her. Most of the time, anyway. Now she had more bad news to deal with.
The front bell rang. She hadn’t showered or even combed her hair or brushed her teeth this morning. Who cared? She pulled the door open.
And found her cousin, Zach Malvaso, standing on the porch stoop. His rakish hair and arrogant stance were familiar. And his blue eyes were filled with understanding. “Hey, baby. I heard you’re not doing so good.”
Of course he had. Sabina had sent in the cavalry. “Your mother shouldn’t have called you.”
“She’s worried about you.” He nodded to her coffee. “Got any more of that?”
“Yeah, come on in. I’m a mess, though.”
“You’re beautiful to me.” He kissed her cheek. “And it’s been too long.”
“I know.” She felt her voice crack. “I meant to come to Hidden Cove sooner.”
She poured him coffee and they sat in the sunny breakfast nook, which overlooked her small back yard. A rabbit raced across the grass, and it made her think of the fact that she wouldn’t ever be racing into any fires again.
“I’m sorry, Tess. I know the final diagnosis must be hard.”
“Fuck!” She felt her eyes mist. A few tears trickled down her cheeks. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now. Being a firefighter was all I had.”
“But it’s not all you are. And anyway, you don’t have to leave the department.”
“How can I stay, when every day I’ll be faced with the one thing I want and can’t do?”
Leaning back in his chair, Zach watched her. “I ever tell you about Ian Woodward?”
“The name sounds familiar.”
“He’s the firefighter who lost the use of his legs in 9/11. He said almost the same words at a support group for PTSD survivors several years ago.”
“What happened to him?”
“He teaches response-to-terrorism tactics at the Anderson County Fire Academy. He’s the most in-demand teacher there.”
She sighed. She knew this was a good lesson, and she should listen to it, but it was too soon. She told Zach so.
“That’s what I figured. So you’re coming home with me.”
“What?”
“Mama sent me up here to fetch you. Pack up for a few weeks and take some time in Hidden Cove to decide what to do.”
It sounded like heaven, being surrounded by family. But…
“I can’t Zach. I’ll be terrible company. I don’t want to impose that on your mother. She’s been wonderful to me all my life.”
“As if all of us haven’t been basket cases one time or another. Mama works her magic on that, too. She did it with Casey when we broke up.”
“I remember that. You were stupid.”
“Yep. But I’m wiser now and I’m not taking no for an answer. Mama would kill me. So go take a shower, get your things together, and I’ll take care of anything in the house that needs to be done before we head back.”
“I want to say yes.”
He stood. “Then, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a fait accompli. We love you Tess and want to help.”
She was too weak to resist. “I love you, too. Okay, I’ll come.”
He dragged her up. And hugged her. “Great. Now scoot so we don’t hit too much traffic on the drive back.”
o0o
Two nights after Tess got into town, the Malvaso sisters and brothers insisted they take her out to dinner. They’d invited Sabina to come along, but she had a meeting for an upcoming church bazaar. Megan and Grady were working.
“This is a pretty place,” Tess said when they entered the Hidden Cove Inn.
“Yeah. It’s quiet, too, so we can talk some sense into you about staying in the fire department.” This from Zach. “Later, we’ll go to Taylor’s and let off some steam.”
Jenny, on one side of her, and Connie on the other, both nudged her. “Don’t let him bully you. Even in his forties, he’s a brat.”
“I am not.” Zach lifted his chin. “I’m a fine, upstanding man, now that I’m married and settled.”
Mitch gestured for the waiter. “Let’s get some drinks before we start fighting.”
“We’re not going to fight.” Paulie, the second oldest brother, was more soft-spoken than the others. “We’re going to enjoy having our cousin with us.”
Tess gave a him genuine smile.
After they ordered drinks and a pitcher of beer, Mitch turned to her. “Honey, I’m sorry about what happened to you. But this is a chance to have you back with us again—for good. Why don’t you move down here?”
“What?” She hadn’t considered the idea of living permanently in this town.
“Move to Hidden Cove. You can live at our house with Mama, Megan, Sabby and me until you want your own place.”
“I’d never impose on you like that. Besides, I have roots in Rockland.”
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Connie said, “We talk to you enough to know your job is your life.”
“I have friends there.”
“And no family.” This from Mitch. “When things are tough, you need family.”
She glanced at Jenn, who was often more reasonable than the guys. Jenn held up her hands, arrest-style. “I’m with them. You could live with us, too, if you want. Get to know Angel, Bella and Ben.”
All of the family reiterated invitations.
Tess looked around, realizing how much she missed them: Mitch had taught her how to ride a two-wheeler; Jenn and Connie had told her about boys; Zach had been her partner in childhood crime; Paulie had been the first one there when her parents died. When Joey died, she’d already moved back to Rockland. Now, the longing to be with these people for more than just a few weeks poleaxed her.
“She’s weakening.” Zach grinned. “I can tell. I always could.”
Tess raised her chin. “This is too big a decision to make spur-of-the-moment.”
Mitch nodded. “If you need help figuring things out, you should talk to somebody. A professional.”
“You mean a shrink?” She thought immediately of John Mason, who was a psychologist. But she shouldn’t be wary of all therapists just because he turned out to be…so shallow.
“Don’t knock it.” Zach emphasized the statement as he poked her in the side. “Me, Grady and Mitch saw one routinely when our lives were underwater.”
“I didn’t know whether to go back to the line again when I had kids,” Jenn added. “I saw the department psychologist a few times. He really helped.”
“I usually deal with my problems alone.”
“Not this time. Get some help.” Mitch reached across Jenny and covered her hand with his. “And stay.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Which, getting help or staying?”
“Both.”
Mitch’s gaze strayed over her shoulder. “Hmm, here’s a sign from the Almighty.” He stood and motioned to whomever was in back of her. “Good to see you, Jack. We have somebody here you know.”
Pasting on a smile, despite the pressure they’d put on her, Tess looked over her shoulder.
The world blurred.
She couldn’t speak.
She could barely breathe.
Because there, dressed in a taupe sports coat and a brown shirt beneath it, was the man she’d shared more of her body with than any other lover. Unfortunately, the same had obviously not been true for him. He’d left her without looking back, and now on top of everything else, she was going to have to deal with him.
o0o
Jack’s jaw dropped, and his heartbeat began to thrum in his chest. All he could see was Teresa Righetti standing before him—and superimposed over her were images of her, in a towel when she came out of the bathroom. Her, kneeling between his legs while he sat on the bed. Her, looking up from under him. It took him a few seconds to get his vision under control. He was in a restaurant, with his kids, for God’s sake.
She recovered first. “Hello, John.” Her tone was neutral, as if she was meeting a stranger.
“No, honey,” Zach said, unaware of what was between them. “It’s Jack. Jack Harrison.”
“They already met upstate,” Mitch told his brother. “But Jack was incognito. Right, Tess?”
“Yeah, we met.”
“Dad?”
“Oh, sorry, honey. Tess, this is my daughter, Sara, and my son, Seth. Guys, Tess Righetti, a woman I worked with in Rockland when I went upstate.”
Mention of upstate made Sara blush. As it should. She’d been responsible for a lot more than she knew. Had he stayed at Tess’s apartment six weeks ago, who knew where the two of them would be today.
Mitch circled around the table to the kids. “Hey there, you two.”
“Chief Malvaso.” Seth extended his hand. “Good to see you again.”
Sara hugged Mitch, then in typical Sara-mode blurted out, “We had fun at your house last time we were home. Maybe we can do it again?”
“Mama would love to cook for you two. You were so appreciative.”
“That’d be cool.” Sara grinned. “How about on Sunday before we go back to school?”
Jack touched his daughter’s arm. “Baby, don’t invite yourself to someone’s house. Besides, I have some things I already set up for us.”
Pivoting, she frowned. “No, not for Sunday.”
Mitch grinned. “Why don’t you plan on it? We always have Sunday dinner together unless one of us is working. And Meg and I are both off this weekend.”
Jack caught Tess’s gaze. Her arms wrapped around her waist in a classic self-protective gesture, but he couldn’t read her expression. Then she turned away. “Excuse me, please. I need to use the ladies’ room.” With that she stood and took off.
“Is she okay, Daddy?” Sara asked. “She looked pale.”
“I’m not sure.” He faced Mitch. “We should let you get back to your party.” He told the kids, “Go to the table.” Then to his friend, “Mitch, a word.”
They stepped off to the side. “Look, Tess and I… We didn’t exactly hit it off at the Academy.” They had in bed but not at work. “I never told her who I was. And I imagine she’s royally pissed about how I criticized her treatment of the recruits.”
“No big deal. She’ll get over it.”
He glanced to the restrooms. “I’m not so sure. Maybe we should wait on dinner at your house.”
“I’ll smooth things over with Tess. See you Sunday.”
Torn about what to do, Jack made his way to the kids. They were seated and reading the menu. “I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.” He couldn’t let this go. He just couldn’t.
When he arrived at the ladies’ room, Tess had just come out. He blocked her way and eased her back inside, then closed and locked the door. When he turned around, those eyes were blank again. “What are you doing in here?”
“I’ve got to talk to you. Now, Teresa.”
“Don’t call me that. We’re not those people.” He couldn’t tell from her tone if she was sad or angry. Maybe a little of both. “That night was all smoke and mirrors.”
“You have every right to be upset with me.”
“I got over being upset with you. And wanting a relationship with you. The fact that you snuck off in the middle of the night told me everything I needed to know.”
“I—”
She didn’t let him finish. In the same tone she added, “Besides, you never contacted me. Since you didn’t give me your number, I couldn’t get in touch with you. I didn’t even know John wasn’t your real name.” The last was said with disgust.
Nothing short of the truth was going to work here, so he said simply, “In the middle of that night we were together, Seth called. Sara had been arrested.”
Her whole face fell. He remembered Mitch’s words.
Her brother was killed in a skiing accident. She never got over it.
“She got caught smoking pot at school.”
“I…I’m sorry.” Tess gestured to the restaurant. “She seemed all right out there.”
“Yeah, a little too all right. They had to drop the charges because of some technicalities. I’m afraid she got off scot-free.”
Tess watched him. “I’m sorry your daughter had problems. But you could’ve come back after you took care of her.”
“I brought Sara to Hidden Cove for few days.”
“Still, at least a phone call was in order.” She ran a hand through her hair, messing it. “You know what, though? It’s water under the bridge. Let’s forget anything ever happened between us.”
He went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “I was going to call you as soon as I got Sara settled, but I, um…”
At his pause, she asked, “You got cold feet?”
“No, I had a visit from Mitch.”
She frowned.
“He asked if I’d met his cousin.”
“So what?”
Raking a hand through his hair, he shifted his stance. “Hell, Tess, I had a hot one-night stand with a woman who’s like his baby sister. He’d kill me if he found out what I did.”
“Why? We’re both adults.”
“You don’t know these guys as well as you think you do, if you believe that. Zach decked Grady, his best friend, when he found out Jenn was pregnant. And they knew each other all their lives.”
Her face flushed, and now, fire lit her eyes. This time, he could definitely read what she was feeling. “Let me get this straight. You cut me out of your life because you were afraid of Mitch?”
“You’ve never been out of my life. I’ve thought of you every day since then.”
Closing her eyes she shook her head—in disbelief?
There was a loud knock on the door. “Hello, is somebody in there?”
Man, Jack had really blown this. “We have to go.”
“Good.” She backed away from him. “Don’t worry, Jack. I’ll keep our secret. Just stay away from me.”
“I didn’t say I wanted that.”
“Yes, you did, when you called what happened between us a hot one-night stand.” Opening the door, she walked out, leaving him chagrined at facing an angry woman in the doorway.
And about how badly he’d handled seeing Tess again.
o0o
Zach convinced Tess to go with him to karaoke night at Taylor's. Mitch went home to Megan. Paulie had an early trial the next morning, but Jenn and Connie decided singing would be fun, so they agreed to tag along. As the group was heading out of the Hidden Cove Inn, they passed Jack’s table. Tess was hoping to avoid him. But Zach stopped, so Jenn and Connie, ahead of her, did, too. Tess was trapped.
Zach put his hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Hey, you two. Want to come with us to Taylor’s? Tonight’s karaoke.”
“Sorry,” Jack said sternly. “They’re not twenty-one.”
“On karaoke nights, underage kids can get in. They wear a bracelet that shows they can’t drink.” Zach socked Jack in the arm. “You come, too, old man, so you can watch them.”
Old man, she thought, remembering how she used to call him that. But that was before…
Tess ground her teeth so tight they hurt.
“You’re right. I’m too old for Taylor’s.”
Sara slipped her arm through his. “We won’t go without you, Dad. We came home to spend time with you.”
Seth agreed.
“But you wanna go, right?” Again, Zach wouldn’t give in. Tess wished he’d let this one go.
“Yeah, I do.”
“It’d be fun.”
Jack looked to Tess—for approval—but she turned her face away. And heard, “We’ll talk about it.”
Finally, Zach led them away.
The four Malvaso relatives arrived at Taylor’s, a popular place for the over-thirty crowd. Off to the side was the karaoke room. The place was filling up with people, but Zach managed to snag a table for seven. Tess inserted herself between Connie and Jenn so if the Harrisons did show up, she wouldn’t have to spend the night next to Jack.
The three of them arrived a half hour later.
“We talked Daddy into coming,” Sara said.
Seth shot his sister a sideways glance. “You can talk him into anything.”
Just like Joey, who could charm a stone.
A waiter approached the table. Tess, Zach and Connie and Jenn were nursing beers. Jack ordered a pitcher of soda for him and the kids.
Connie addressed Seth and Sara. “You know, Jenn and I are twins, too. We don’t look as much alike as you guys do, but we are womb sisters.”
Her face bright, Sara bestowed an affectionate look on her brother. “We love being twins.”
“Speak for yourself, sis.”
She ignored the comment. “So, who’s singing?”
“We’ll surprise you.” The mischief in Zach’s eyes reminded Tess of how much trouble they’d gotten into when she lived with them. Nothing as serious as being arrested, though. They’d had the fun kind of trouble, like hopping the fence at the public pool and swimming late at night. Jack didn’t seem to have much control over his children. Once again, the notion brought memories of Joey. It was vitally important for adults to protect kids. Tess knew that only too well.
Unable to prevent herself, Tess took surreptitious glances at Jack. He was seated across from her; his hair was a little longer, she noticed now, his gaze still direct and intense. She remembered vividly having all that intensity focused on her.
The karaoke DJ announced, “Next up is Martin, and on deck are Zach, Tess, Jenn and Connie.”
“Hey, I never said I’d sing.” Tess had been okay with the idea that Zach would force her up on stage, until Jack had arrived.
Literally, her cousin dragged her out of the chair. Scrambling for a way to get out of this, and finding none, she followed him to the front. While they waited, out of the corner of her eye, Tess saw Sara perusing the list and elbowing Seth.
When the Malvaso cousins finally took the spotlight, Zach stood in the middle of the girls as they belted out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Though she was self-conscious, Tess could sing, and sure enough, she got into the moment. She took a solo part, and the guys at one table stood and cheered. She sashayed over to them and bent down with the mic so they could sing into it. Laughing, she flirted. They flirted back.
When they finished and returned to the table, the kids were laughing.
“You guys are good,” Sara said with awe. “I’m afraid to go up there now.”
“I’ll sing with you.” Though Seth teased her, they seemed genuinely close. Had Joey lived, would he and Tess have shared this kind of bond? They were four years apart, but the Malvaso siblings had a wide age range and that didn’t keep them from being tight.
When Seth and Sara left the group to submit their songs, Jack, who’d been quiet, braced his arms on the table. “You know, there’s a whole psychology to which tune people pick for karaoke. I read an article about it in the Journal of Psychiatric Medicine.”
Zach elbowed Tess. “I know. That’s why I picked Journey for all of us to sing.”
“What’s the significance of the song?”
“We’re trying to talk Tess into moving to Hidden Cove.”
His eyebrows skyrocketed. “Why would she do that?”
“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know.” Zach’s voice was somber.
“I’d prefer not to spread my woes around to everybody,” Tess told Zach with more curtness than she intended.
Like a lot of things, the objection simply rolled off Zach’s back. “He’ll know eventually, when you stay.” Zach looked at Jack. “She can’t go back on the line in Rockland. When we found out, I went up and got her.”
“Was it from your fall, Tess?” Jack asked.
A quick vision filled her mind of him tending to her ankle in her office, then it switched like a camera to him rubbing lotion on her calf. When she started to think about what happened that night, her body reacted the same as it had then. She had to clear her throat to speak. “Yes, it was from the fall. But I haven’t given up on my ankle yet. Mitch arranged for me to see your department doctor in a few days.”
Reaching across the table, he grabbed her hand before she could pull it away. And squeezed. The gesture sent sparks up her arm and simultaneously made tears prickle behind her lids.
“I’m so sorry, Tess.”
Thank God Zach interrupted the moment. She’d had the absurd urge to throw herself into Jack’s arms. “We want her to transfer to the HCFD, and I just had a brilliant idea. She could work at the Academy here, with you guys. There’s usually openings.”
Jack looked as if he was about to swallow his tongue. He wouldn’t like having her in Hidden Cove because of their past. But there was more. Her teaching at the Academy would bring back his objections to her methods. Tess ignored the hollow feeling in her stomach at the notion that he wouldn’t want to work with her.