Chapter Twenty-Eight
Two weeks later, I parked my truck behind Bruce Wayne’s beat-up Pinto in front of Mary Louise’s house. I climbed out and cinched the belt on my coat as I picked my way across the yard in heeled boots.
Bruce Wayne was in the backyard, bent over his shovel as he started to dig Mary Louise’s new garden pond. The oval shape was spray-painted in the grass and he tossed a scoop of dirt onto the canvas tarp next to it.
“How’s it goin’?” I asked.
Bruce Wayne looked up. “I thought you were going by the hospital, Miss Rose.”
“I am, but I wanted to stop and check on you first.”
He stopped digging and leaned on his shovel, giving me a sheepish grin. “I already promised I wouldn’t run off again. You don’t need to keep checking on me twice a day.”
“Yeah, well, you promised me that once before and you up and did it again.”
His gaze shifted to the dirt pile as he shuffled his feet. “I already told you that I did it for you.”
“I know. And thank you.” I spanned the distance between us and pulled him into a hug. He remained stiff for a second then his back softened a bit.
“It was nothin’,” he murmured as he pushed me away.
“Going undercover on your own to spy on Daniel Crocker to protect me? I wouldn’t call that nothin’. You put yourself in danger, Bruce Wayne.”
He looked into my eyes. It was one of the rare instances of direct eye contact I’d experienced with him. “Friends look out for each other.” He looked away and swallowed. “You taught me that.”
I planted a kiss on his cheek. “Yes, we do, Bruce Wayne,” I forced past the lump in my throat. “Yes, we do.”
He turned back to digging. “It was the only way I knew to protect you.”
When Crocker’s men planned his jail break, they made Bruce Wayne come back to Weston’s Garage to give them information about me. He’d given them some accurate information he deemed harmless while misleading and flat-out lying to them about anything important. But when Crocker had gotten angry about not finding me, Bruce Wayne had borne the brunt of his frustration. The bruises he’d sported the first week after his return were proof enough of that.
“I’m glad you’re back,” I said, wiping a tear from my cheek. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” he said, refusing to look up at me.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Have a good night. And tell Neely Kate hi.”
“I will.”
When I arrived at the hospital with a wrapped present, Neely Kate was in the waiting room on the maternity floor. She squealed with excitement when she saw me. “It’s about time! You’re late!”
“Only by five minutes. I stopped to check on Bruce Wayne.”
She grinned. “Well, if you were on time, I could have been holding her five minutes ago.”
“That baby isn’t going anywhere,” I teased.
“They grow up fast, Rose.” She looped her arm through mine. “Come on already!”
The door was already cracked open when we got to Heidi Joy’s room, and we could see both mother and baby in the bed. She must have heard us approach because she looked up with a smile. “Well, hello, you two. Come on in. I just got her to sleep.”
I pushed the door open and Neely Kate immediately rushed over to the bed. Heidi Joy was wearing a silky pink nightgown and the baby was wrapped in a soft pink receiving blanket. My friend’s face glowed with happiness.
“She’s so cute,” Neely Kate gushed. “Was your labor hard?”
Heidi Joy looked down at the little round face. “She might be my sixth child, but it was my hardest labor yet and movin’ in the middle of it didn’t help matters. Andy’s sure I went into labor just to get out of havin’ to help. Shows what he knows,” she scoffed. “What woman would willingly subject herself to twenty-five hours of labor just to get out of moving? Now Andy’s gonna put things away where I don’t want ’em while his mother spoils those boys rotten.” She glanced down at the baby’s face. “In any case, I didn’t think this baby was ever gonna come. But she came in her own sweet time.”
“What’s her name?” Neely Kate asked.
“Clementine. Clementine Joy.”
“Can I hold her?”
“Of course.” Heidi Joy handed the baby to Neely Kate, who sat in the chair next to the bed.
“She’s so sweet,” Neely Kate said, sticking her pinky finger into Clementine’s little fist.
I sat on the edge of the bed and studied Heidi Joy’s face. “How are you doing? Really?”
“I’m tired. But I’m happy.” She leaned closer and grinned. “Especially since I got my tubes tied. No more babies.”
“I’m happy for you. On both accounts.” I handed her the present. “Here, open it. Only it’s for you and Andy, not Clementine.”
She carefully unwrapped the small box and grinned when she opened it and pulled out the coupon book. “Free babysitting? I love it!”
“You call me anytime you need me.”
A sly grin spread across her face. “Will Mason come with you?”
“I don’t know.” I smiled back. “Maybe. He’s getting around better than we expected with his crutches. But he went back to work the day after his surgery. He didn’t give himself time to recuperate, so he gets really worn out.”
Neely Kate’s head popped up and she lifted a neatly trimmed eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t play a part in wearing him out?”
I looked down and blushed.
Heidi Joy grabbed my hand. “You were lucky you weren’t both killed.”
I sighed, trying to put the nightmare behind me. “I know. I don’t know how I would have made it if I didn’t have Mason with me.”
“And you saved his life too,” Neely Kate added.
“We saved each other.” In more ways than one, when I thought about it.
“So, Joe…?” Heidi Joy asked.
My mouth tipped up into a sad smile. “We’re done. My decision.”
Neely Kate stood and handed me the bundle. “Do you want to hold her?”
“Yeah.” I took Clementine, snuggling her in the crook of my arm. “She’s so precious, Heidi Joy.”
“Maybe you and Mason will get married and have babies,” Heidi Joy said.
“Maybe…”
“Well, she won’t be having them first,” Neely Kate said in a knowing voice.
I lifted my gaze to her beaming face.
“I’m pregnant! I just found out this morning.”
We squealed and the baby stirred, but I bounced her until she settled down.
“So I guess it wasn’t those hot wings making you sick after all,” I said.
She groaned. “They sure didn’t help.”
“When are you due?”
“June.”
Heidi Joy waved her hand. “Girl, you’re gonna be so hot, but it won’t be as bad as if you were due in August. Trust me. I know.”
The baby wiggled and made faces again and I bounced her and cooed, leaning over to breathe in her sweet baby smell.
“You’re a natural, Rose,” Neely Kate said.
“I get plenty of practice with my niece and my nephew.” I kissed the baby’s head and then handed her back to Heidi Joy. “Maybe someday,” I said.
I listened to my two friends talk about pregnancies and labor for ten minutes before I stood. “I need to get home and pack before Mason gets off work. He’s been overdoing it. Plus, the sooner I get everything packed, the sooner I can get out to the farm.”
Heidi Joy grabbed my wrist. “You look really happy, Rose.”
“You know what? I really am. Who would have thought?” I smiled and leaned down to kiss the baby’s head one last time. “I’ll see you guys later.”
With a last glance at my friends, I left the room and was surprised to see Violet walking toward me.
“Rose.”
I stopped in front of her, feeling awkward. We’d hardly spoken since our argument. I knew we needed to address it, but Violet changed the subject whenever I tried.
She had on a pretty green dress and was carrying a present wrapped in white paper and a pink tulle bow. “You look pretty, Vi.” It was true—she could be a model from a magazine.
Violet smoothed her skirt. “Thanks, so do you. How’s the packing going?”
“Good. Almost done. We’ll be out by the time you move in next week.”
“Can Mason help much with his leg in that brace?”
“He’s helping as much as he can, but the big shakeup in the sheriff’s department has created a lot of extra work for him.” Not to mention his sadness over his friend’s betrayal.
Violet pressed her lips together in disapproval. “He’s always working, Rose. He’s a workaholic.”
I bristled. “He has an important job.”
She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in a pointed gaze. “I just think he should be home more. Your relationship is so new and he’s obviously crazy about you. But then again, Joe was crazy about you too and look how that turned out.”
Anger burned in my chest. “What are you insinuating, Violet?”
Her eyes widened. “Nothing.”
I put my hand on my hip. “I know you’ll never approve of anyone I’m with, Vi. I don’t know why you’re so mean to me, but Jonah’s helped me realize that it’s not up to me to figure that out.” I leaned toward her and lowered my voice. “But just know that you cannot steal my joy. I do not give you that power. I want your support and approval, but I don’t need it.”
She lifted her chin and her eyes were filled with sadness when she met my gaze. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
My mouth dropped open.
“I’ve done some soul-searching myself lately.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “I haven’t told you this yet because I wasn’t sure it would come to anything, but Mike and I are seeing a marriage counselor.”
The shocks just kept coming. “That’s…great.”
“Yeah.” She glanced up. “My attorney insisted I go to help my divorce case, so we started about a month ago as part of mediation, but then when the sheriff sent the kids and me to Aunt Bessie and Uncle Earl’s farm, they had Mike go with us. And while we were out there…we started working some things out.”
“What about Brody?”
“He broke up with me a couple of weeks ago.” Her face reddened. “He’s planning to go back to his wife.”
“Oh.” I knew she loved Brody and I thought he loved her. “So if you and Mike are trying to work things out, are you still moving into Momma’s house?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, Mike and I aren’t rushing things. We’re gonna date. Can you imagine that?” She flashed me a smile like old times, and then it fell. “Anyway, we’re just seeing each other and I can’t pay the mortgage on the house by myself, so this is good. This will work.”
But I knew how much she liked her house in her cookie-cutter neighborhood. I knew how hard it was for her to give it up.
“I’m really sorry about your house, Violet.”
Tears filled her eyes and she nodded, looking at her gift.
“I don’t like fighting with you.”
Her face lifted to mine. “Me, neither. I’m trying to be a better sister, Rose, believe it or not. Don’t give up on me.”
I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. “I could never give up on you. You were there for me before anyone else. I would have never survived growing up without you.” And for all our recent troubles, I could never forget the love and support she’d given me when I had felt so unloved and alone. Mason had said it was all about intent, and when we were scared little girls, huddled in the dark, her intent had been pure, unconditional love. She could have sided with Momma and she never did. “I love you, Violet.”
Her chin quivered. “I love you too.” Then she brushed past me. “Tell Mason that I said hello.”
I drove home, marveling over our conversation. The possibility of Violet and Mike getting back together made me happy. They had been a couple so long it was hard to think of them with other people. I suddenly wondered if people had felt the same way about Joe and me.
When I pulled onto my street, I was surprised to see Mason’s car parked in front of my house. We’d had lunch together and he told me he would have to work late. Happiness bubbling in my chest, I burst through the side door. He stood next to the kitchen table, putting a newspaper-wrapped item in a cardboard box. His crutches were leaned against the table and his leg was propped on a chair.
“Mason! What are you doing home?”
He reached for me, pulling me against his chest, his mouth finding mine. He kissed me for a good minute before he lifted his head. “This is why I’m home. I’ve missed your lips.”
“My lips visited you for lunch.”
He laughed. “That was hours ago.” Then he kissed me again to show me how much he missed me.
Muffy came running around the corner, jumping up on my legs. I squatted to pet her. “I missed you too, girl.” She had stuck close to me ever since Deputy Miller had returned her.
While Bruce Wayne had performed his undercover mission without supervision, Deputy Miller had been undercover in a more official capacity. Crocker’s men had approached him about joining the group a couple of months earlier ago. He had immediately notified the state police and, at their request, joined the group as an informant. But since he was low level, with little information, he hadn’t known about Chief Deputy Dimler’s connection. That morning at the farm when he’d acted so strangely, Deputy Miller had been trying to warn us that Crocker was coming. He was worried the house was bugged, which was why he hadn’t been more direct.
I stood after giving Muffy one last rub behind the ears. “You don’t have to pack up my things, Mason. And you shouldn’t be on your feet.”
“I’ve had my foot propped up all day, which you saw when we had lunch in my office earlier. And as far as helping you pack, the sooner it’s done, the sooner you can get out there. I know how excited you are about the move.”
I placed a gentle kiss on his mouth. “Thank you.” I put my hands on my hips and looked around the room. “I’m almost done, and then we can make another run out to the farm.”
“Have you decided what to do with the furniture?”
“Not yet. Since there’s already furniture out at the farm, I don’t need everything, but I like my living room furniture, so I want to take it. I may see if Bruce Wayne and David want some of it. Theirs is pretty worn. In any case, I need to move it somewhere. Violet has her own stuff.”
“Then I guess you have a week or so to figure it out. She’s still moving in next week, right?”
“Yeah.”
Mason hobbled into the kitchen and looked out the window over the sink. “Heidi Joy and Andy got moved out okay yesterday?”
“Andy had to finish up after she had the baby. Miss Mildred says the new renter is moving in tomorrow.”
“Any word on who it is?”
“None.”
Mason laughed. “How is that possible? That woman knows everything.”
“I know, and I can tell that the not knowing is eating her alive.”
I lifted the box and headed for the side door. “I’m going to start loading the truck.”
“Rose, I wish you would have let me hire someone to move you. I hate that you’re doing all this work and I can’t help carry things.”
I leaned over to kiss him. “No. It’s my stuff, so you’re not paying for it. And I need every spare penny I have to fix up the farm house. Now push the door open for me.”
He opened it and shook his head. “You’re bossy.”
My eyebrows rose and I lowered my voice. “And you know you like me that way.”
A wicked grin lit up his face. “Yeah, especially late last night.”
I bumped his hip, gasping in mock surprise. “Mr. Deveraux. You have a reputation to maintain.”
“Then it’s a good thing Mildred wasn’t looking through the window with her binoculars.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her.” Laughing, I took the box out to the truck and slid it into the truck bed. I was heading back into the house when a familiar car pulled into the driveway next to mine. My breath caught in my throat.
Joe got out of his car and circled toward me, grinning ear to ear. “Hi, Rose. How are you recovering?”
I absently touched the faded bruises on my face. I was wearing makeup and they weren’t visible, but I knew they were there. “I’m fine. How about you? You were injured worse than I was.”
He kicked a patch of gravel. “You can’t keep me down.”
The way he said it made me wonder if there was some hidden meaning behind his words. “I was sorry to hear you lost the election.”
Determination filled his eyes. “I wasn’t. I told you I was going to quit the race, but I was so far behind in the polls, I figured I’d just let it run its course. My father hates losing, so it was a bonus.”
“What are you doing here? You could have called me on the phone to catch up.”
He rested his butt against the hood of his car. “I heard Heidi Joy moved out. Have any idea who’s moving in?”
“Unbelievably, not even Miss Mildred knows.”
Grinning, he jingled his keys. “Hi, neighbor.”
My mouth dropped open. “You? You’re the one who rented this house?”
“I couldn’t believe my good luck when I heard it was available. I figured it was serendipity. I guess we’ll be next-door neighbors again.”
I shook my head. “But…how? I don’t understand.”
“After the chief deputy sheriff got arrested and the sheriff lost several other men in the Crocker mess, he offered me a job. You’re looking at the new Chief Deputy Sheriff of Fenton County.”
My heart sank, although I didn’t know why. Joe and I were broken up, so what did I care? Maybe because the fact that he was going to take a sheriff’s position before he broke up with me was bittersweet. “That’s great, Joe. Congratulations.”
“After I lost the election, I told my dad I was taking this job. He didn’t like it, but he gave me his approval.” His voice lowered. “So you’re safe.”
“For now.”
Worry flashed in his eyes for a moment. “Hopefully forever.”
We both knew that his father was saving the leverage for when he needed Joe to toe the line next time.
“So Hilary’s not moving in with you?” I couldn’t see her willingly moving into the tiny house. After discovering Joe’s financial situation, I found it hard to believe he would live there.
“No.” His voice was hard. “She’s gone.”
I didn’t say anything.
“I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true.” He stood and moved closer to me, his hands lifting slightly as though to reach for me before falling to his sides. “I’m here to prove to you that I can be the man you need me to be.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Joe.”
“I know you say we’re over, but I refuse to accept that. You taught me to fight for what I want and not to let it go. What I want is you.”
I looked up into his face. “What about what I want, Joe?”
Before he could answer, the side door of my house opened and Mason hobbled toward us on his crutches. “Well, hello, Joe. What a surprise to see you here.” He stopped next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“I’m moving into my old house,” Joe said with a grin, his gaze landing on Mason’s hand at my waist then rising. “Rose and I are neighbors again.” The challenge in his voice was clear.
“Well then, your timing is perfect,” Mason said, his friendly tone not matching the look in his eyes. “Seeing as how Rose is moving out to her mother’s farm.”
Joe’s smile fell. “Is that true?”
I nodded. “Violet’s moving in here next week.”
“But I’m sure Violet will appreciate having you for a neighbor.” Mason leaned down and kissed my temple, his lips lingering for several seconds. “I’ll go finish packing your bathroom.”
As Mason walked away, Joe’s eyes narrowed in determination. “We’ll be working together quite a bit now, Mason. Seeing as how I’m the new chief deputy sheriff.”
Holding onto the door, Mason paused for a second and then turned at the waist, flashing Joe a firm smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”
And just like that, my life got even more complicated.
*****
Thirty-Two and a Half Complications coming June 26, 2014