Take Me Back

by Kathryn Shay

  Ryan focused on Kate. “I’m not prepared to rule you out. Anything else happen to you lately that’s suspicious?”

  “Suspicious? I don’t think so. I’ve had some bad luck lately.”

  “Like what?”

  “I was in a car accident.”

  “Caused by?”

  “A truck ran a light. I tried to stop but couldn’t in time.”

  “Huh. Where’s the car?

  “You can’t really think…. Someone might have done something to my car? To hurt me?”

  Ryan’s expression softened. “We don’t know that for sure. Where’s the car?”

  “A truck towed it. The whole thing was totaled.”

  “I’ll have the vehicle checked out. We’ll need more details after this meeting.”

  “I know of something else,” Rafe said. “I was at Kate’s the other night. There was a thud on the side of the house. We heard it from the living room, went out to check, and the flowers were depressed in the area the noise came from.”

  “What time was this?”

  “Late, around one a.m.”

  No one asked what he was doing at her house in the early morning hours.

  Kate shrugged. “We decided teenagers were probably playing a prank. There are lots of them in the community.”

  “I hope so, Kate.” Ryan eyes narrowed. “You just got back to town, right?”

  “Yeah, I can’t have that many enemies already.”

  Except maybe Melanie. But she’d have to talk to Rafe about bringing her into this.

  Olive cleared her throat. “Some of the recruits don’t like that Kate’s in the class. I’ve let her handle it—which she’s done well. However, I’m stepping in now.”

  But Kate wasn’t listening. She was thrown by the knowledge that someone might be trying to hurt her.

  o0o

  “This isn’t necessary,” Kate said, following Rafe upstairs to his bedroom. He’d driven right to his house after they left the academy.

  “Yes, it is. I’m staying at your place and driving you to work every day. You don’t have a new car, so you need some help anyway. When I can’t pick you up, Mitch will. It’s all arranged. You won’t be alone.”

  She sat down on his bed as he got clothes out of his dressers, several starched and ironed shirts from the closet. “Much as I want to be with you, Rafe, I won’t accept you two making decisions for me.”

  Hell! He stopped with a couple of pairs of jeans in his hands. He was being autocratic. And she hated that. “You’re right. We should have let you in on this discussion.” He set the clothes on the bed and dropped down next to her. “So, let’s start over. Mitch, Ryan and I talked when you went to get your things and thought it would be best for you if I stayed at your place, and you didn’t drive again until we found out what happened to your car. Will you please agree to that? For all our sakes, including Tommy’s.”

  “Before I answer that, how do you feel about being in my constant company? Emotionally?”

  “That doesn’t matter right now. Your welfare is at stake.”

  “All right. I’ll let you do this. You can finish packing.”

  They drove into her garage an hour later, entered through the side door near the laundry room, and walked down the small corridor to the kitchen. “Hello,” Kate called out.

  “Hey. We’re back here in Tommy’s room.” Kyle had agreed to stay late today. It was seven p.m.

  They made their way to the rear of the house and found a tent in the corner of her son’s room, put together with Mad Mortimer sheets. They heard pings and crashes. Must be Kyle let him use a game on his phone. Soon, Tommy poked his head out. “Mom, we made a tent.” Then, a huge smile spread across his face. “Dad, you’re back!”

  “I am.” Rafe knelt down and poked his head inside.

  Kyle sat cross-legged in the corner. “We had fun with this.”

  “We put my globe inside and turned it on. It’s cool. Close the door and see.”

  Rafe maneuvered himself fully into the tent. “Sure is, buddy.”

  “Thanks for staying late,” Rafe told Kyle, as if he was the man of the house.

  “No problem. I had time off when Kate had the accident.” They all crawled out.

  Kate sat on Tommy’s bed. “You need a bath before bedtime.”

  “Can Dad do it?”

  “I’d love to.”

  Rafe was caught off guard as he ran water, helped Tommy get undressed and into the water. He’d never given his five-year-old son a bath! Anger and sadness competed for his primary emotion.

  Later, Rafe read Tommy two stories, then the boy drifted off. He went to the kitchen and found Kate staring out the window. “You okay?”

  Her back to him she said, “Yeah, but I have to ask you something, and I hope you don’t get mad.”

  He walked over and slid his arms around her waist. She leaned into him. He felt so solid, so safe. “I won’t, I promise.”

  “Do you think…Melanie might wish me harm?”

  “It crossed my mind. But I’ve never known her to get down and dirty in anything.”

  Kate pivoted. “She could have hired all of it done.” She sighed. “And I’d be pissed if she breezed into town and ruined our relationship.”

  “Let’s wait. If your car was sabotaged, then I’ll bring her up.”

  “All right.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah. We didn’t eat. Kyle said there was leftover pizza and wings.”

  “That’ll do. Got any beer?”

  The pizza was cheesy, the wings hot and the beer cold. After they’d eaten and cleaned up, he put his hands on her arms. “You look exhausted.”

  “I’m drained from the day.”

  “Then let’s get you to bed.”

  She leaned on the island counter. “Am I sleeping alone tonight, Rafe?”

  He scowled. “Hell, no!”

  o0o

  On their way to work the next day, Kate’s cell phone rang.

  “Kate Cassidy.”

  “Kate, this is Ryan O’Malley.”

  “Let me put you on speaker, Ryan.” She pushed the button. “Rafe’s with me.”

  “I wanted you to know we brought your car into our garage and had a mechanic check it over thoroughly.”

  She gripped the phone tighter.

  “There doesn’t seem to be any tampering. No cut brake lines or obvious slashing the tires. No signs of sabotage at all.”

  Relief came swiftly. “Thank God, Ryan. I appreciate you letting us know.”

  When she disconnected, she turned to Rafe.

  “Whew! That’s a big deal.”

  “Ryan says the thud against the house is probably nothing, but we have physical evidence that somebody tried to scare me with talcum powder.”

  “Somebody was trying to scare the recruits, at least.” He pointed out. “But don’t let down your guard. We have to be careful until that matter’s settled.”

  “What if it isn’t ever settled? There’s a chance we might never know what happened.”

  “Then we’ll go from there. But I’m staying with you, Katie, until we know you’re safe.”

  Chapter 12

  “Quality of Response is our biggest concern.” Battalion Chief Peter Baker spoke to the entire consolidation committee in a grave tone. He gestured to the screen up front where he’d displayed his outline. “As you can see in this research summary, consolidation brings slower response times. If a Hidden Cove Rescue Squad is assigned to cover some of Jacksonville, the concern is that a truck won’t get there in an acceptable time frame. And might miss a vital call.”

  His partner, Captain John Beck, added, “Along with more miles to cover, we’d have to do it with less apparatus.”

  “Why the hell would they cut trucks?” Joe Kingston, a five-year veteran who was temporarily subbing for Brick on Rescue 2, asked the question.

  “The cities we researched noted that “little trucks,” which carry less equipment, ar
en’t needed. And if a rig is cut, another one is expected to cover for it. This goes back to quality of service.”

  “One more point,” Baker put in “is that discontent in fire departments rose to record levels in every single consolidated fire department we investigated. For five years at least. But in more than one place, the demoralization that occurred when towns joined never went away. And when you’ve got unhappy firefighters, or workers in any profession, who don’t feel appreciated, it seeps into everything.”

  The discussion was lively for two hours. Finally, someone asked Baker, “Bottom line, Chief. Do you think all these negative things will happen to us if we consolidate with the others?”

  Gianni stood and looked at the group with angry eyes. “Why would we be an exception?”

  “Does it matter?” Grady wanted to know. “Will the council listen to us?”

  “They used to listen to us, at least in the past. And Mayor Daniels has had our backs so far.”

  “This is her first real test, I guess.” Grady again.

  Mitch stepped in. Today, he had lines around his eyes and mouth. “I don’t want to bad mouth anybody in these meetings. Our task is to come up with a recommendation and reasons for it based in research.”

  “Come on, Chief,” Gianni said. “You can’t think we’ll ever bounce back if consolidation happens.”

  Mitch waited a long time before he said, “Honestly, we won’t be able to be as effective as we are.”

  Rafe could feel the spirits in the room plummet. Rightfully so. Merging six services would change the Hidden Cove Fire Department forever.

  o0o

  When Rafe pulled into the driveway of his family home and turned off the engine, Kate stayed his arm. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, Rafe. Last time I was here didn’t go so well.”

  “You’ve had good contact with Alessia and Mama and Seth. I’ll make Gideon behave.” He took her hand and tugged her closer. The scent that was uniquely him filled her head, made her feel safer. “You’re a part of the Casella family. So, yes, this is a good idea.” The expression in his eyes was so sincere, it made her stronger.

  “How do we answer questions about us?”

  “Let me handle them.” He hooked his arm over the seat and looked behind him. “Tommy fell asleep.”

  “He was up late last night. Let’s carry him in and put him down in a bedroom.”

  He kissed her nose. “Everything will be fine.”

  After easing their son out of the car seat—the boy clung to Rafe’s neck even in sleep—he walked ahead of her and went in through the garage door. He climbed the back staircase off the mud room.

  Kate was left to fend on her own. Buck up, girl. You told him you wanted to be fully back in his life.

  So, she made her way into the kitchen and found Mama and Alessia sitting at the table. The smells of marina sauce and baked dough filled the space, bringing Kate back to all the years she’d helped cook in this home.

  Mama reached out for her hand. “Welcome, Katie. I’m so glad you came for the picnic.” She studied her. “You look beautiful in that gauzy, yellow sundress.”

  “Thanks. Rafe took Tommy upstairs. He fell asleep in the car.”

  Alessia stood. “Can I get you something? The guys are setting up outside so the barbeque will be a while.”

  Kate noticed the crispats on the table, a deep-fried dough with powdered sugar, similar to funnel cakes at an amusement park. “I’ll have coffee with one of those. Wow, it’s been a long time since I tasted them.”

  Rafe’s sister served her coffee then reseated herself. Kate bit into the heavenly sweet confection, which literally melted on her tongue.

  Mama smiled. “Alessia was telling me that she’s going to go back to school in the fall.”

  “That’s news. When did you decide?”

  She and Mama exchanged looks. Ali shrugged. “When you came back and were brave enough to re-enter the fire department again. I thought, hell, I’m going to start finishing my degree when the kids go back to school in September.”

  Kate flushed with pleasure. “Sweetie, I’m honored. Will you go back to New Paltz?”

  “No, City College in lower Manhattan has a program designed for people like me who only have two years of education. You do their program part online, part in class. And they’ll transfer most of my credits.”

  “Listen, if I can help out, let me know. I can pick up the boys when I’m off shift.”

  “Help with what?” Rafe asked when he entered the kitchen. He seemed younger today with khaki shorts and a yellow golf shirt. He put his hand on Kate’s shoulder, an intimate, spontaneous gesture. She wondered if he even knew what he did.

  “I’m going back to school. I want a career.” Ali had sought out his approval since she was young.

  “Good for you, kiddo. How can I help?”

  Ali grinned. “This is why I love our family.”

  “Me, too,” Kate blurted out.

  They heard the front door open and close, then noise came from the living room. Gideon appeared in the entryway from the living room. “Hey.”

  He seemed subdued for the birthday boy but Kate could never figure out this guy. In the past, he’d run hot and cold with her. This time, she knew Rafe had talked to him, told him he would have to be kind to her and his son, so maybe that accounted for his mood.

  “Hi, buddy.” Rafe stood and clapped him on the back. “Happy Birthday.”

  The others joined in. Gideon glanced at Kate and nodded. The recognition was enough for her.

  “Are the kids here?” Mama asked.

  “Yeah. They were anxious to meet Tommy. Especially my little one.” He had a child who was five. “Where is he?”

  “Upstairs sleeping. It’s great, Gid, that your kids want to meet him,” Rafe said casually, as if this wasn’t a big deal.

  Kate reveled in the warm feeling of acceptance.

  The barbeque was ready at two. When everyone was seated around the mammoth picnic table, Rafe stood with a glass of beer in his hand. “I’d like to raise a toast to my little brother, Gideon. Happy thirty-seventh.”

  “Thanks.”

  Discussion was lively as they devoured their spicy, saucy ribs, potato salad and cornbread. Kate kept glancing around, awe-struck that she was back in this family.

  When they finished the meal, Mama stood. “Cory and Carina, Gideon’s two older kids said they’d clean up. So come on ladies, let’s get coffee and find somewhere to sit out here.”

  Kate picked up her plate. “I should help.”

  “No dear. You’re coming with us.”

  The afternoon passed smoothly, but at about four, Tommy came running out of the house to the adults who were in lawn chairs under a tree. “Mommy!” He threw himself at Kate. “Petey said Daddy isn’t living with us. But he is!”

  “Oh, baby,” Mama put in. “That’s wishful thinking.”

  Tommy stomped his foot. “He is.” Tears fell down his face. “Tell them, Mommy.”

  Kate looked to Rafe.

  Rafe turned to his son. “Go tell Petey I’ll be down to talk to him.” When Tommy left, he faced his family. “I am living with them now. But only because some things have happened to Kate.”

  Mama looked bewildered. “Rafe, this is so fast. Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”

  Gideon put in, “Boy, it didn’t take her long to suck you in.” So much for acceptance.

  “There are extenuating circumstances. Before you fly off the handle, Gid, let me explain. The situation with Kate isn’t what it seems.”

  Kate froze.

  “Kate and I are not back together. She’s been threatened, and I’m staying at her house to protect her and my son.”

  Earlier declarations came to her…

  “You know how much I care about you?”

  “This weekend has meant a lot to me.”

  “I still love you, Katie.”

  Kate couldn’t listen to any more of his defensive explana
tion so she stood. “Excuse me.” She walked around the house and down the street. What on earth had she been thinking? She was an idiot. Drinking her own Kool-Aid. She thought he loved her. Why wouldn’t she? He told her so.

  Upset now, Rafe left his siblings and mother to go talk with Tommy and Petey. He’d assured both boys he was going to be a constant presence in Tommy’s life and was now staying with Tommy for a variety of adult reasons he wasn’t going to share.

  He came back upstairs. Ali and Seth were alone in the kitchen. “Man, what next?” Rafe asked.

  Ali sighed. “Kate didn’t come back, Rafe.”

  “Where’d she go?” He’d realized she left the picnic but he thought she’d come inside.

  “She must have taken a walk. I checked up and down the street but didn’t see her.”

  “She wouldn’t leave without Tommy. I’m going to find her.”

  First, he checked the house. No Kate. Then he drove off in his car because there were a lot of intersecting streets in his mother’s neighborhood. It took him ten minutes to find her, in a park, sitting on a bench shaded from the still hot mid-day May sun. He was all wound up so he bolted out of the car and strode to her. He didn’t sit but loomed before her. “What’s going on, Kate?”

  She looked up at him with bruised eyes. He hadn’t seen that expression in a while. “Apparently, nothing.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You didn’t tell your family you had feelings for me. Instead you denied anything of substance was going on between us.”

  Pissed off, he jammed his hands in his shorts pocket. “I didn’t lie.”

  “Not to them. You omitted something because you were afraid to tell your family you have feelings for me, or you lied to me. Not okay either way.”

  “Fuck it, Kate. I’m not going to share what’s happening with us. Everything is too tenuous.”

  She averted her gaze.

  “I can’t win with you, you know? I’m knocking myself out to meet your needs—both in and out of bed—and all I get is criticism.”

  When she stood, her eyes burned. “Wow! You’re meeting my needs in the bedroom? Here I thought we were making love. My mistake, I guess.”