six
If Luke tried to turn her away, she might have to get down on all fours with the dog and beg. Hannah opened the passenger-side door of her Volkswagen Bug, grabbed the leash, and offered a gentle tug. Nothing. With a slow hand, she patted the dog’s head and scratched by his ear. He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes. Who’d have guessed that under all that dirt the dog was almost blond with a white underbelly?
Stepping back from the car, she gave the leash another gentle tug as she patted her leg. The dog inched backward until he was pressed against the far door. The air had cooled with the setting of the sun, and the dog seemed to prefer the warmth of the car. Like she didn’t.
“Wrong way, pup.” Hannah pulled with a bit more force. “Come on, doggy.” She needed to come up with a name.
The vet had said the dog was underweight, but she’d be willing to debate that at the moment. She could control a fifty-pound dog. After all, she weighed more than twice that. Although doing this in a skirt wasn’t her best choice.
She’d set another meeting with Derek, and she had just twenty minutes to get there. She was behind on laundry, so it was a skirt or her ratty jeans and a sweatshirt. If she wanted to be seen as a professional, she needed to look professional—the skirt won out. But if she’d known she was going to have to wrestle this dog into Luke’s house, she’d have opted for the jeans.
“Come here . . . Rover? Spot?”
No luck—and a dumb name for a dog with no spots.
The door behind her creaked open, causing the dog’s ears to perk. A high-pitched whistle followed by a few claps filled the air. Really, Luke? Did he think she’d brought him Lassie, who’d just come on command?
Another whistle split the silent evening.
She glared at him, ignoring the little hop her heart did at the sight of him barefoot in jeans and a white tee. “That’s not—”
A mass of fur flew past her legs, sending her tumbling into a patch of remaining gray snow. She glanced up in time to see the mutt bound up the old porch steps and into the house.
Maybe she’d call him Brutus.
Hannah stood and brushed away the grit embedded in her kneecaps. So much for looking professional at the meeting.
She grabbed the bag of supplies, slammed the car door, and followed them into the house. The dog may be staying here, but it’d still be her dog.
Hannah dropped the bag on the table with a thud. “How’d you do that? I couldn’t get him to move an inch.”
Why did she sound so angry? Maybe because he’d done something she couldn’t. Maybe because her left knee ached. Or maybe because, if she didn’t stay just a little irritated, she’d be tempted to cancel the meeting with Derek and spend the evening with Luke.
“I have the touch.” Luke rubbed the dog’s ears and held something up to the furry snout.
“You have bacon?” Maybe she’d call the dog Mooch.
Luke offered a half grin. “Yeah, bacon helps too.”
“Cheater.” Hannah dug into the bag. Where were the pills the vet had given her?
“Resourceful.” Luke paused from scratching the dog’s ears and took in the full length of her, his gaze lingering a touch longer on her legs. “Do you normally dress up for a dog drop-off?”
That look was not going to help her state of mind. Janie’s words floated back. Just admit you’re in love with him.
She broke eye contact and focused on the bag. “I have a meeting, and you aren’t supposed to feed him people food. He’ll get overweight. I bought him this food for now until I can get to a pet store for the brand the vet recommended. I also bought a few toys.”
“A house showing?” Luke peeked in the sack and pulled out a tug rope, brushing her hand in the process.
Hannah jumped away and pulled out the medicine. “Just a meeting. He needs to take this three times a day.”
He set the rope aside, then took the medicine. “All right.”
Hannah knelt to ruffle the dog’s ears. “I really appreciate this. I’m not sure what I’d have done with him if you hadn’t agreed.”
“I don’t think I technically agreed.” Luke looked at the dog sniffing around the kitchen. For more bacon, no doubt. Spoiled already.
“Well, you didn’t disagree, so that sounded like an agreement to me.”
“Sort of like I didn’t disagree about the controlled burn?” He lifted an eyebrow at her.
“Okay, no. You really disagreed with that. But I believed—believe it is a good idea, and I’ll convince the town council I’m right. I’ll show them the figures and the plan for the space. I also have testimonies of three other small towns that handled the old vet houses in a similar way. Of course, they burned them over twenty years ago. But a fire is a fire.”
His hand tightened on a chair as he leaned on the back of it. “That’s where you’re wrong. Fires aren’t all the same, and they can be dangerous. And I don’t like the idea of starting one in the middle of town.”
“Fire is the best method since it’s free and—”
“It’s only free as long as it burns just what you’re planning on burning.” He shook his head. “And what about the asbestos removal?”
“That is a cost, but I found a company that will do it for about a thousand dollars—give or take, depending on how much is there. But it’s a small investment for cleaning up the center of town. It’s something that’s needed to happen for a long time. This is the perfect way to do it. Trust me.”
Luke’s intense gaze burned into hers as he reached for the ball she’d bought for the dog. “I trust you.”
Hannah broke eye contact and reached into the bag again, but it was empty. “Don’t forget the pills. They’re very important. And the follow-up instructions on the bottle.”
“Pills. Got it.”
Luke bounced the ball a few times and the dog came to attention. Luke tossed the ball through the doorway to the living room. Nails scraped across the wood floor as the animal scrambled after it. A few thuds followed by a loud crash. The dog bolted back into the room and squeezed between the chairs under the table. A yellow-tinted puddle spread across the floor.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Luke’s voice shook as he flexed his hand.
Hannah’s gaze darted from the dog to Luke. If he kicked them both out, where would they go? She couldn’t take him to her apartment or they’d both be homeless.
The muscle in Luke’s jaw twitched as he drew a calming breath. “I guess potty training is first on the list.”
“So, he can stay?”
“For now. But I’m still not convinced this is the great idea you think it is.” Luke gestured to the floor. “Case in point.”
Hannah stepped over the puddle to the counter and pulled off a hefty amount of paper towels. She’d have to add that to her next shopping list. She pulled out the chairs and did her best to contain the mess.
“At least you haven’t redone the floors yet.” She offered Luke a half smile. His blank stare didn’t change.
Luke would see she was right about the dog. And eventually he’d see she was right about burning the houses too.
Thomas stretched his neck and sighed as the long hand touched the twelve. Nine o’clock. Kitchen was closed. He flipped off the grill and scraped the spatula across the surface, taking care to leave no stray bits. He grabbed a clean, wet rag and ran it over the smooth metal. Steam billowed and moistened his face.
After hanging his apron on the hook, he ran his hands under hot water and added a fair amount of soap. Overall, it had been another successful day, but he still couldn’t forget the hurt that had flashed in Janie’s eyes when Madison stopped to see him.
Thomas chalked it all up to one more reason it’d be good to get out of Heritage. The more he let the idea sink in, the more he found himself longing for it. Starting fresh where no one knew his past failures or had their own personal expectations for his future. Hannah hated the idea, but she’d see in time it was best for him, Madison . . . and Janie.
He stepped over to the soda fountain and filled a cup with Mountain Dew. A few of the regular late-night stragglers remained. Wait. And a couple not so regular. Hannah and Derek? Together?
Derek patted her hand across the table, offered her a playful wink, and stood to leave. She laughed at something he said before looking back at the papers in front of her.
That was . . . interesting. Thomas waited until Derek was gone before moving in. “What’re you doing with Derek?”
Hannah slid out of the booth and shoved the files in her bag. “You of all people are going to lecture me about who I’m spending time with?”
He grabbed a box she was trying to balance. “Give me that.”
She surrendered the box but marched out ahead of him.
Thomas nodded to one of the waitresses walking by. Noel, was it? “I’ll be right back. Janie is here if you need her.”
The cool evening air hit him in the face as he pushed out of the diner. Hannah paused at her car, which was parallel parked in front of the diner, to unlock the door. A scowl still pinched her face.
He leaned against the door to keep her from pulling it open. “I’m just looking out for you. You know Derek is the love-’em-and-leave-’em type, right?”
Hannah pushed him out of her way and yanked the door open. “It was a business meeting, nothing else.”
Thomas eyed her yellow skirt as he handed her the box. “Oh really? Is this your normal business attire?”
She tossed it in and slammed the door. “It’s laundry day and I wanted to look professional.”
“Just be careful. Derek is used to getting his way.”
“We’re only meeting one more time tomorrow night and then I think I’ll be ready.”
Thomas leaned against her car again. “What’s Luke think of you spending time with Derek?”
“Why is everyone asking about Luke lately?”
He lifted one eyebrow. “Everyone?”
“You, Janie, Aunt Lucy . . . you.”
“You can’t count me twice.”
“I can if you’re bugging me about it twice as much.” A series of unidentifiable emotions crossed Hannah’s face as she leaned on the car next to him. She focused on the sidewalk and toed a two-inch crack with her foot. “Do we stink at relationships?”
Thomas’s gaze flashed back to the diner where Janie stood in the window talking to a customer. She never smiled like that for him anymore and probably never would. Not that it mattered. “Nah, we’ve just had a few bumps. But you can find someone. I found Madison.”
“And that’s really what you want? I mean, my opinions about the girl aside, I have the feeling you haven’t gotten over someone else.”
Thomas shoved his hand in his pocket, shook his head, and focused on his shoes. “I’m trying. I love Madison. I do. She needs me. But with Janie back . . . it’s much harder than I anticipated. I’ve heard it said that you never forget your first love. I have a feeling for some, that’s true.”
“Why did you break up with her? Tell me.”
He kicked at a piece of broken sidewalk. “It didn’t work out.”
Hannah jabbed her finger in his shoulder. “I want a real answer this time. According to Janie, things were perfect, then you started acting weird and within a week you’d just ended it. Did . . . you cheat on her?”
“No.” How could she think that? He rubbed at the spot on his shoulder.
“Did you stop being attracted to her?”
“She’s beautiful.” The last word came out in a whisper and he cleared his throat.
Hannah paced away from the car. “Then what? Were you weirded out that she bears a strange resemblance to that photo of Grandma Ethel?”
Why couldn’t she let it go? He clenched his fist then stretched his fingers. “Seriously? Hannah—”
“If she was related to Grandma Ethel, you could be concerned that your kids could come out all—”
“I’m infertile.” Ugh. Why did he say it? He hated that word. Even if she was just his sister, it was humiliating.
He pushed away from the car and crossed the sidewalk to Otis. Dropping down on the brass back, he leaned forward on his elbows, burying his head in his hands before he looked at his sister.
Hannah stared at him wide-eyed, mouth opening and closing but no sound emerging.
“Stop that.”
“How . . . why do you know that? I know it happens, but don’t people usually find out after they try to have kids?” Her eyes bugged out. “You two weren’t—”
“No! Stop. You’re seriously bad at guessing.” Thomas shoved his hands through his hair. This was why he hadn’t wanted to talk about it in the first place. “Do you remember when I had that cancer as a kid? Well, one thing they warned Mom and Dad about was that the treatment could make me . . . ya know.”
“Infertile?”
Thomas cringed. That word again. “Yes.”
“Wow, that’s tough.” She stared into space before looking back at him. “So, why did you break up with Janie?”
“Janie wants kids. Lots of them.”
“Have you talked to her about this?”
“No, and you can’t either.” He darted a glance at the diner. The idea of her hearing through the window sent a chill through him.
Hannah dropped next to him on the hippo. “Thomas, she may say that given the option, she’d choose you. Trust me.”
He shook his head. “Exactly. Choose me and give up what she wants. You accused me of making the same mistakes as Mom, but I’m not. Dad married Mom knowing she never wanted to live in a small town, thinking he could change her mind. I won’t make that same mistake. I know what Janie wants and I can’t give it to her. I refuse to strap her to a life she doesn’t want.”
“So, adopt.”
Like it was that simple. Thomas shrugged. “Maybe. But Janie wants it all. Remember when we went to her big Memorial Day family reunion? She went crazy over her cousin who was pregnant. ‘What’s it feel like? I can’t wait. I want a daughter who looks like me, a son who looks like you . . .’ I made an appointment with a specialist the day we got back from the reunion. I knew from my records it was a possibility, but it’s not like I’d ever been tested.”
Hannah laid a hand on his arm. “You’ve got to tell her.”
He shook off her pity. “No, I don’t. This is best.”
“Where does Madison fit in?” Hannah’s lips twisted. “Are you just using her?”
“No.” Thomas stood and paced a few feet away. “I told you, I love Madison. I really do. It may look different than it did with Janie, but not all love looks the same.”
“You told Madison then?”
Thomas sighed and shook his head. “No. But she doesn’t want kids. She’s been clear about that.”
“So you’ll never have kids?” Hannah’s eyebrows arched.
He didn’t blame her. The concept had been hard for him to take at first too. He shrugged again. “She might change her mind, and there’s always adoption, but we’ll see.”
“You should definitely have that conversation before you get married.”
“We will.” He dropped back to the seat next to her. “And you be careful with Derek.”
“Oh my word.” Hannah punched him in the arm. “Drop it already.”
“Fine.” He laughed and rubbed his arm. “You punch like a girl.”
“Good, because girls are tough.” Hannah lifted her fist, threatening another hit, but she couldn’t hide her smile.
He grabbed her wrist with his hand. “Just try.”
Hannah leaned her whole 130 pounds into him, but he just pushed her away, almost sending her sliding off Otis. She laughed and pulled back. “Fine, I yield.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this alone, and I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you. I can see you’re trying to do the right thing for Janie. But you need to talk to her. I won’t tell her. I promise.”
“Thank you.” Thomas’s throat pinched as he spoke. He could see Hannah’s point, but she was wrong. Janie deserved the best guy, and he couldn’t be that man.
With the way his mind was spinning, there was no point in attempting to sleep in. Luke kicked aside his blue comforter and rubbed the sleep from his face. The morning chill drifted into the room from between the windowpanes. He needed to find time to install the new windows he’d purchased, but his renovation list already took up two notebook pages. And was that a new crack on the ceiling? Perfect.
He pushed up to a sitting position and reached for the manila folder that had plagued his thoughts and restless dreams. He flipped it open and stared at the pitiful contents. He’d done a basic internet search for both Sarah Johnson and Ann Johnson, but that proved fruitless. Who knew that Johnson was the second most common name in the country, only behind Smith? Sarah and Ann? Might as well be named Jane Doe.
The birth certificate provided a little more information on Sarah, but unless he knew where to search it didn’t matter. And really, his investigation skills didn’t exceed that of Google. He could hire someone, but letting a stranger or even a friend dig into the void of his past was more than he could take.
He ripped off a piece of yellow lined paper from the legal pad and scrawled in caps across the top, Who was my mother? Who am I? He underlined it several times and drew a line dividing the page left from right. He wrote Ann at the top of the first column and Sarah at the top of the second. Under Ann he wrote memory. Under Sarah he wrote birth certificate.
He paused and scanned the paper. That was all he had. A memory and a piece of paper. Why was he even fighting this? The paper had to be right. It was his birth certificate, for goodness’ sake.
Then why couldn’t he let go of Ann?
He ran his finger along a photo of him and his father that he’d unearthed among his belongings in his search. He must have been about four. Was it so terrible to want the memory to be right? Because if the memory was wrong, then he didn’t even have that little bit of his mother. He had nothing.
He forced down the lump in his throat, slammed the file shut, and tossed it on his nightstand. Maybe he’d go for a jog before he started on the construction this morning. He might just be able to get the bathroom tile down before his evening shift at the lumberyard if he hurried.
A wet nose nudged at his hand with a whimper.
The dog had attached to him quicker than he’d expected. He had to have been someone’s pet before, but all the searches he’d done for missing pets had come up void as well.
“I’m okay, boy. Feel like a run?” He reached for his shoes and made his way to the kitchen. “But first, coffee for me and bathroom for you.”
Luke let the dog out and then hit Start on the coffeepot. Probably not the healthiest choice before a run, but the caffeine was required this early.
The scanner blared to life as a high-pitched squeal filled the kitchen. “Attention, Heritage Fire Department. We have a reported structure fire at 523 McCain Road. All available units, please respond.”
He dropped his shoes by the kitchen table and grabbed the boots he kept by the door. Then he turned off the coffee maker and held the door long enough for the dog to run in as he rushed out, snatching his coat off the hook as he went. “Sorry, boy. When I get back.”
He took a deep breath and slid into the driver’s seat. The truck’s engine roared to life before he’d even shut his door.
He headed south down Henderson Road then took a right on Richard Street. Jimmy waved at him from the sidewalk as he sped past. Luke made a quick left on Chapel Road and then pulled into the station.
He arrived first at the firehouse and ran toward his gear. Most of the guys would meet them at the fire. It was his job to pick up the truck, but he had to wait for another rider first.
Luke stepped into his gear and then slid into the cab. He started the engine and slid on a headset as Derek pulled into the parking lot. Luke refrained from rolling his eyes. Awesome.
“Not quite how I wanted to spend my Thursday morning, how about you?” Derek jumped in the cab and grabbed his own headset. “I had a pretty late night.”
Luke ignored him as he pulled out on the road. He flipped the siren and waited for an update from dispatch.
“More reports of the structure fire have been—”
“Did Hannah tell you we had a date last night?” Derek cut off the report. “It was our second date, actually.”
“You wish, Kensington. Now be quiet, I’m trying to listen.” Luke bore down on a car and blared his horn. The car pulled to the shoulder.
“Closest structure is fifty feet, but woods are located to the south. The draft tank—”
“I take that as a no.” Derek let out a snicker.
Warmth seeped through him as the image of Hannah dropping off the dog last night assaulted him. She’d said she had a meeting but refused to say more. The memory of her in that yellow skirt flooded his mind. He shook the distraction away. He had to focus on the fire right now, not Hannah’s legs.
“Engine One, I want you to set up—”
“You should want what’s best for her. That best is me.”
Luke darted a glare at Derek. “How would you know what’s best for Hannah? She’s your choice of the month and now you talk like you know her. Just shut up. We missed our orders.” He pressed the button to the repeater. “This is Engine One. Could you repeat that?”
Derek took advantage of the three-second delay. “We got to know each other pretty well last night.”
“Engine One, approach from the south. Luke, run the pump, and Derek, pull a line. Nate has already done a 360. There’s a cutoff road just past the tree line—take it and follow the second left.”
Luke gazed to the left at the first break in the trees. Smoke billowed into the air from a field. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the wheel and turned onto a private dirt road. Please let it be the one the chief had been talking about.
“Face it. You can’t offer Hannah what I can.”
He pulled the engine to a stop and stared down Derek. “Stay away from her.”
Derek just smirked. “We have another date tonight.”
Luke flung his door open and jumped to the ground. He marched over and started pulling the line.
“Luke, what’re you doing?” Chief Grandy came around the side of the truck. His brown beard covered most of his face, but the part that Luke could see didn’t look happy. “I said to run the pump. Derek’s got that covered. And why did you park your truck there? I said the south side, man.”
“Sorry, I’ll move it.”
“Leave it.” The words were clear even over the roar of activity. Chief Grandy’s voice seemed set on double volume at all times. “Ed already grabbed the pump, so get on tools and get your head in the game, man.” He strode away, shaking his head and shouting into his radio.
Luke retraced his steps toward the cab and accepted the ax that Thomas held out.
He had known better than to get into it with Derek, but he’d let the guy get to him. Now he was left looking like the idiot who couldn’t follow instructions. He marched toward the truck and gave silent thanks he was on tools. If there had ever been a time he wanted to bust a few things up, it was now.