Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1) Page 3

  His eyes narrowed on her for another heartbeat as if he wanted to say something, but then he just slapped his cap against the side of his powerful thigh a couple of times and swallowed. Was that a flush on his cheeks? “No problem. Just remember. Call if you need anything.”

  Holly watched him go. When only the retreating glow of his taillights remained, she shut the door and leaned against it, willing her heart to calm. She wasn’t sure if Jake Allred was the cause of that flutter or if it was just relief it wasn’t Spence who’d arrived. They were still safe. Her poor judgment hadn’t caught up with them yet. When she opened her eyes, Holly met her brother’s innocent expression.

  “Don’t give me that look. You have some serious explaining to do, Tyler. I sent you out for just a few things.” She eyed the bags on the table before staring at her brother. “Then you’re gone for hours longer than you should have been, and you come back with way more than I gave you money to buy. I think that calls for some explanation.”

  “Come on, Holly,” he protested. “Don’t go all big sister on me. I just wanted to help. You should be lying down. What are you doing?”

  She stared at him in exasperation. “Don’t distract me. What did you expect would happen when you disappear all day, then show up at the door with a police officer? You weren’t buying groceries all this time. How do I take that lying down?”

  He pulled on her hand, guiding her to the couch. “I had to do something. Did you think I didn’t notice how your back’s been botherin’ you? Be honest. Thanksgiving sucked. Now Christmas is comin’ and…” He flung his thin arms out. “I just wanted to help. The Tarpleys asked about you, and we started talking, so I asked them for a job.” He finished in a rush, maybe hoping she wouldn’t hear what he’d said.

  Holly sat. “Tyler! You’re too young to work.” She knew from doing the payroll for the pallet company teenagers were forbidden to work in any hazardous jobs. There were a few exceptions to the law that would allow someone as young as Tyler to work—but working at a grocery store wasn’t one of them.

  He bit his lip as he stared at his sister and began the whole story. “It’s not anything full-time….”

  “It’s not anything legal, honey,” Holly protested. “Mr. and Mrs. Tarpley could get in trouble.”

  “Well, I’m not like an employee, you know?”

  Holly shook her head. “No. I don’t know. I think you’re going to have to explain. Does that mean they’re not paying you?”

  Tyler’s gaze flicked to the groceries and understanding dawned. When he took the money she’d given him out of his pocket and put it in her hand, she swallowed.

  “I talked to them yesterday after school,” he admitted. “Mr. Tarpley said he couldn’t pay me money, but if I wanted to stop in, he would find odd jobs for me to do and we could trade. You know. I’d do some stuff for them; they’d give me groceries in return. I didn’t want to lie to you, Holly, but I was afraid you’d say no.”

  She sighed, staring at the groceries. “And I would have. You’re eleven, Tyler! I’m supposed to care for you, not the other way around.”

  He sat next to her and knotted his hands together. “I wanna help. If I can do some odd jobs, you know for Mr. and Mrs. Tarpley, maybe for some other folks, too, after school and on weekends, maybe it will help make up for you having to cut your hours.”

  Holly wasn’t sure whether to laugh, yell, or just cry. “But Tyler…a job?”

  He blinked at her, batting his thick lashes over his big chocolaty eyes. “Come on, Holly! You know we can use the help. It’s only for a couple of hours a day.”

  Holly thought about the mounting bills and the meager amount of money still in her account. The truth was it would be a help. Doc Owens mentioned she might be able to get public assistance, but Holly feared it would provide a paper trail leading Spence to them. She needed to keep as much of their finances as she could on a cash-only basis.

  She blinked back tears. After a gulp or two, she whispered in a choked voice, “Okay. You’re the best brother I could ever have, Tyler. I just worry about you trying to walk home from town so much.”

  He shrugged. “I’ll find a ride with somebody headed this way, like I did today. Will that make you feel better?”

  Yes and no. Although she knew he should be safe with most of the people around here, they were still new to the area. “Just promise you’ll get rides from people you know, okay?” At his nod she smiled. “Beans are on the stove.”

  They were having pintos for supper…again. Tyler didn’t say anything, and Holly appreciated that. She knew he was tired of them, but until her next paycheck they had few options. Now, thanks to Tyler, they had milk and cereal they could eat for breakfast. There also would be some variety to lunch and dinner.

  His dark head was bent over the bowl of beans. He was a nice kid, just like Lieutenant Allred said. Plenty of cornbread and sweet tea rounded out the meal, and Tyler ate like a horse. He must be hitting another growth spurt. Halfway through his bowl, he stopped in midscoop.

  “You not hungry?” he asked around a mouthful of beans.

  She grimaced. “My appetite’s been off. There just isn’t much room inside anymore for anything but the baby.”

  “Holly?”

  She glanced up, exhaustion dragging at her. He looked so grown with his serious dark eyes, so like their mother’s. He’d tucked his longish brown hair, darker than her own, behind his ears.

  “What are you going to do if the baby comes while I’m not here?”

  “I’ll call 911, or your cop friend,” she joked.

  “I’m serious, Holly,” Tyler said, his brows drawing together.

  She smiled to reassure him. He’d gotten so protective of her. It had been that way ever since the accident that had killed Mom and Dad. Holly understood. They had only each other now.

  “That’s a long way off, Ty, so don’t worry. We’ve got the phone. It’s not like we’re cut off.”

  * * * *

  The scarred wooden doors of the cramped brick building housing Mountain Meadow’s police force banged shut behind Jake. He frowned as he snatched off his baseball-style cap and raked his fingers through his thick hair to get rid of the hat-head look. He glanced at his aging boss. Chief Ernie Jones was just turning away from the ancient Bunn coffeemaker, stirring a spoon in a mug stating World’s Best Grandpa in big childish lettering.

  “What’s got you riled, Jake?” Ernie grinned as if he already had a damn good idea.

  “Someone toilet papered the nativity scene at the Baptist church. In her official capacity as head of the ladies worship committee, Betty Gatewood assures me it’s some of those folks from the Presbyterian church. She wants a full-scale investigation and seemed pissed I didn’t dust for prints. ’Course, Joe hasn’t said a word.”

  The chief stirred his coffee and failed at smothering a grin. Jake narrowed his eyes. The feud between the Baptist ladies and the Presbyterian ladies was legendary. It heated up every holiday season, most often with some help from the town’s teenagers. Jake had just never expected to land smack-dab in the middle of it. But thanks to covering for one of their vacationing officers, he’d been the one to answer the call. Now embroiled in the middle of the ongoing feud, he found it hard to appreciate Ernie’s good humor.

  “Come on, Jake, you grew up around here. You know they’re always feuding over something…or it’s kids burning off a little pre-Christmas excitement.”

  “That’s what I tried to tell her,” Jake said.

  “Well how’d you leave it?”

  “Joe and I removed all the toilet paper before I assured her I’d make some inquiries.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Jones sipped his coffee, sighed with pleasure and ambled toward the door to his office. “Jenny stopped by a little while ago looking for you. She mumbled something about a patient she was worried about. Wanted to see if you’d go check on her.”

  “One of her elderly shut-ins?�
�� Jake asked as he shrugged off his leather bomber jacket. Jenny was always going the extra mile for patients, but he supposed they all did in their own way—just part of life in Castle County. People had always watched out for neighbors, like that kid and his sister the other night.

  Ernie’s thick brows furrowed as he drawled, “Nope. Didn’t get that impression from her. Sounded like a younger person.”

  He thought of Holly Morgan. He wouldn’t mind checking on her, but he doubted she was who Jenny had in mind. Too bad.

  “Well, I’ll try to give her a call before I leave. If not, I can ask while I’m at her place.”

  Ernie raised his brows. “Something going on there?”

  “No. Just friends. Jenny and I know too much about each other to be a couple. Besides, despite what Evan wants people to believe about he and Jenny being past history, no way would I tread on that territory. It’s the guy code. No, tonight’s a holiday party, not a date.”

  Ernie laughed. “Too bad. ’Bout time you found someone to settle down with, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t hold your breath.” Jake grinned and moved to the short hallway leading to his office, but as he went through the door he thought about Ernie’s comment. Jake did want a wife and family. And he guessed Sam and Evan weren’t far from the mark when they accused him of showing the signs. Problem was there didn’t seem to be a lot of candidates, and he wasn’t into the whole dating and small-talk scene. He never seemed to think of anything to talk about, and those long silences sure got awkward. Then it would turn into twenty questions with him answering yes or no. Women always wanted to talk things to death. ESPN and a beer to go with it were a whole lot less awkward.

  He tilted his ancient wooden desk chair back, listening to its familiar squeak of protest. He’d put a couple of noses out of joint when he’d applied for, and gotten, the job as lieutenant after his return from Afghanistan. A chill chased down his spine. He still experienced nightmares about those last two years. That’s what had driven him back to Virginia. He needed home, roots. His parents and his brothers and sister might have left Mountain Meadow, but he knew the people here, and it gave him a place to belong. Knowledge of the area, combined with his military experience had helped him land the job. He didn’t regret it. Most of the time. Hadn’t helped the dreams much, though.

  There were a few negatives. Most of his high school friends had homes and families. Except for Jenny…and Evan. He didn’t like to think about their past. Then there was him, rattling around in the huge house he’d bought. What the hell had he been thinking? The perfect woman would just drop into his lap? Even if she did, how long would she stick around with his nightmares?

  Jake straightened his chair, pulling the unfinished reports toward him. He was busy, that was what mattered. Family would come. He just had to be patient. A vision of a pale face with vivid green eyes popped into his mind.

  Holly. She was just as thorny as her namesake. She was an attractive woman, even if it did look like pregnancy was draining her. What was she doing on her own? Where was the baby’s father? He’d like to ask her, but how the hell did you do that? Hey, Holly, I don’t see a ring on your finger. Are you divorced, or did you just walk out on the father-to-be? Worse still. What if she was a widow? Jake shuddered. Way too awkward. Besides, a ready-made family was hardly what he’d had in mind when he pictured kids running around his house, filling the bedrooms on the second and third floors.

  No use even going there. She’d made it plain she wanted nothing to do with him. Even as polite as she’d forced herself to be, he knew when he was being hustled out a door. It might be the uniform, but he doubted her wariness was all due to it. A world of hurt had lurked in those eyes.

  * * * *

  How could you end up on hold just trying to check your bank balance? Holly sighed as she switched the phone receiver to her other ear. She hadn’t even talked to a real person yet. Was the computer that busy? When the automated voice spit out her balance, she saw it matched the pittance recorded in her checkbook and disconnected.

  Where was the Holly who normally cheered people? She blamed it on the pregnancy hormones, but more factored into it. The insurance money her parents left behind was never intended to cover the costs of her pregnancy. After she’d paid funeral expenses, Tyler’s medical bills, and settled her parents’ debts, there wasn’t much left anyway. What remained disappeared between leaving Lynchburg and getting set in Mountain Meadow. Without selling the house or finding a renter, she was in a bind.

  Renting this place had drained her money even more. She had always lived at home until she and Tyler left Lynchburg, so she never had to deal with deposits for utilities and a house. All of those extras had eaten into her meager reserves.

  She stared out the window next to the kitchen table. Damn you, Spence. He had burst her fairy-tale bubble of what a romance should be. Then his drinking and rambling threats had forced her to pick up and run. Nothing was more important than making sure Tyler and her baby were safe.

  Could Spence have done anything? Probably not. But she couldn’t take the chance with her baby or her brother. She’d already proven her judgment was way off base when it came to men. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Now she was confined to the house, working part-time—thanks only to Mr. Crawford’s generosity. He’d set her up with a satellite Internet link and a laptop so she could keep doing his books and get paid. But with so little left, remaining upbeat was harder and harder.

  A disconnection notice from the power company stared her in the face. If she paid their minimum, she wasn’t sure they would have enough for food, but if she didn’t pay, the power would be cut off and then not only could she not afford to reconnect it, she would also not be able to get her bookkeeping done. She could ask Mr. Crawford, but she hated to do so if there was some other way to work it. He was already being kind enough. If a solution was out there, she sure would like to know. She glanced up, hoping for a little divine intervention, or at the very least inspiration, but of late even faith—in God or man—was in short supply.

  Holly pressed a hand to her back and stood, hoping it would relieve the ache. She just couldn’t seem to find any comfortable position. And the bed-rest part? Forget it. Every time she lay down she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Between working on the computer and a lack of sleep, Holly’s eyes were gritty. She was sure they must be bloodshot. Doc Owens had warned her the last month would be uncomfortable, but it seemed to her the bed rest made it worse, not better. She was so inactive, the last thing her body wanted to do at night was sleep.

  The baby rolled and shifted. Holly rubbed her belly. The muscles across the top of her stomach tightened, then relaxed. Doc told her these practice contractions weren’t anything to worry about, but they happened more and more often. She smiled as she stroked her abdomen again. Wish me luck, baby, because Ty and I are going to need it.

  She called the power company. She tried to time her bill-negotiating calls for when Tyler was out of the house. He didn’t need to hear her working deals for partial payments on their phone and electricity. She would pay the minimum and just hope the money she had left combined with what she could still earn would get them through. At least if Ty brought groceries one worry was off her mind.

  * * * *

  Jake locked his office and grabbed his cap and coat from the peg next to the door, realizing he didn’t have time to run home before he was supposed to be at Jenny’s house. He grimaced at the idea of going to her party in his uniform, but hell they all knew who and what he was anyway. Wasn’t like jeans and a shirt would make them any more comfortable.

  “Get in the car, Jake.”

  “Evan?” Jake started. “What are you doing here?”

  Evan straightened from where he’d been leaning against the side of his car and grabbed Jake’s elbow. “You forget. I know you too well. You were getting ready to go to Jenny’s in your uniform, weren’t you?”

  “Well
…” Jake slid in the passenger side.

  “Fuck well,” Evan said as he buckled his seat belt. “I’m running you back to your house so you can change. Then we’ll go.”

  Jake glanced at Evan’s profile as his friend drove the few short blocks to where their homes stood side by side. “I still don’t get why you want to go.”

  “I’m a masochist.” Evan pulled into the drive. “Hurry up. I can’t wait for Dr. Owens to give me an eat-my-assectomy.”

  Jake sighed. Evan was right. They did know each other too well, and he knew Evan was up to something. He’d dropped hints all week until Jake invited him along. Jenny had said he could bring a friend, but Jake knew Evan was not who she’d had in mind. So why was he going along with it? Because he was a sucker. That was why. They might not remember, but Jake did. Evan and Jenny were supposed to be together.

  In just minutes, Jake climbed back into Evan’s car, uniform gone and jeans and a sweater in their place. Christmas music blared from the radio as Evan flicked his wrist to turn on the ignition.

  “I figure we can both use a little mood music.”

  Jake laughed. “Doesn’t feel like the holiday spirit’s infected anybody this year.”

  As they passed the road leading to the old Crawley place where he’d dropped off Tyler and met Holly, he frowned. He’d given Sam a heads-up about the Morgans so maybe he and his deputies could keep an eye on her. What would she do if she went into labor and couldn’t drive? Mistletoe Lane was little more than interconnected potholes. He doubted either of the county’s two ambulances could even negotiate the road.

  One thing was for sure, Mountain Meadow was small enough chances were good he’d see Holly and Tyler again. He grinned as he realized he wouldn’t mind at all. He’d liked the kid a lot, and if he could get past some of Holly’s wariness… Jake wasn’t quite sure how to finish that thought. Anyone could see she loved her brother and the baby she carried. He had to respect that kind of commitment.