Homecoming

by Janet Wellington

  He blinked, and had no idea how long she’d been talking to him.

  “I was going to pour some sun tea. You want some?”

  “Sure.”

  She pulled two glasses from the cupboard, filled them with ice, then poured brown liquid from a big glass jar on the counter. Before she brought them to the table, she opened the refrigerator to retrieve a container and brought it to the table as well.

  “I found Tillie’s recipe for walnut fudge brownies,” she explained as she opened the container and placed it between them.

  The smell of cocoa took him back to his first summer with Tillie. They’d baked brownies together the first night he’d stayed there. She’d had him read one ingredient at a time—asking him not to hurry because she could only handle one step at a time; now he wondered if she too had known every word was a demon he had to overcome.

  Jake reached for a brownie and brushed Cory’s fingers as she reached for one too. They both froze for a second, then he recoiled, pulling his hand away. “Go ahead,” he said, watching her take a piece and bite into it, licking a crumb from her lips. He licked his own in response, remembering the sweet taste of her mouth, the feel of her tongue....

  He ripped his gaze from her mouth and took a two-inch square from the container and popped it into his mouth, his teeth sinking into the rich fudgy cake. They were as delicious as he remembered.

  Draining his glass of tea, he went after another piece of brownie. His mouth full, he asked casually, “You okay?”

  He watched her eyes darken; then she took a long draw of her tea. “Sure, why?”

  “Chicago. What happened between us.”

  She finished her tea then took both glasses to the sink. “More?” she tipped her head at the glass jar.

  He shook his head no. Not of tea...more of her, maybe.

  She dumped the ice and rinsed the glasses, keeping her back to him while she spoke. “We had a really good time together, Jake. But we had a deal. I have no expectations; you’ve made it clear you don’t want any kind of relationships in your life and I respect that.”

  She remained at the sink, busying herself wiping down the counter, then drying the glasses and putting them away.

  He watched her carefully, but without seeing her face, her eyes...he couldn’t read her. Her voice seemed strong; there was no tearfulness, no hesitation in her words. And it was true; they’d agreed to one night. I deserve this. Relieved he hadn’t revealed his own mixed emotions to her, he smiled bitterly when the thought came to him that the one woman he had grown to care about was treating him exactly the way he treated all the women in his life.

  A one night stand. Was that really all it had been to her?

  “I’m bushed,” she said over her shoulder. “I’m going to call it a night and read until I fall asleep. See you tomorrow.” She laid the dish towel over the bar at the end of the counter, then walked past Jake without giving him a glance.

  Cory marched up the stairs, holding her breath all the way. Finally she closed the bedroom door behind her and dropped her forehead against it.

  If he was going to say something, he’d had his chance. She was doing the right thing. Keep it light, keep it simple.

  Let him go.

  I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.

  Hippolyte Taine

  Chapter 14

  Cory and Jake tackled the remaining projects as though nothing had happened between them, though there were many awkward moments. She worked hard to avoid touching him; they both said “excuse me” if they bumped into each other. If things had only been different, she wondered...but they weren’t.

  Jake had grown more quiet, she decided, and there was a lot less teasing than what she had grown accustomed to. She missed the sparkle in his eyes and the wide grin she never saw anymore.

  They both sat at the kitchen table, waiting for the appraiser to ring the doorbell that Jake had finally fixed that morning.

  Cory tapped a fingernail against her glass of lemonade. “You think he’s not coming?”

  “Nah. Probably just running late. You know, Cory, the first thing any new owners are going to do is put in a damn phone line—”

  She gave him a look and he stopped. At least he reciprocated her glare with a nice smile and she drank it in like wine, sending a delicious tingle to her arms.

  Winston walked into the room and meowed. “He must be coming,” Jake said.

  The cat had become a reliable “alarm cat,” so they both stood and walked down the hall.

  After the first short ring of the bell, Cory opened the door to greet the appraiser. He was a short, balding man, with thick glasses; he wore a white short-sleeved shirt and a red tie decorated with colorful cartoons of hand tools. A measuring tape was hooked on one side of his belt, a Maglight on the other side, a clipboard in his hand.

  “You’ve done wonders with this old house,” he said as he shook both their hands. “The paint job, especially.”

  “Cory picked out the colors; she’s done a great job keeping most of the furnishings period, finding reproductions, that sort of thing” Jake said. Though it had indeed been a royal pain to make the paint job perfect enough to pass her inspection, the results had definitely made Tillie’s house stand out on the block even more. It was now a showcase of Victorian charm.

  “You might check into whether or not the structure could be listed as an historic building, you know,” the man added as he started making checkmarks on the paper on the clipboard.

  Jake said, “You want company or would you rather take a look on your own?”

  The man smiled as though Jake had read his mind. “You know, I work a lot faster on my own.”

  “Oh, sure,” Cory said, “We can wait for you outside on the porch.”

  “There’s an attic, right?” The man looked up the stairs.

  “You’ll see the steps on the second floor,” Cory offered, “just beyond the bathroom.”

  “I’ll start at the top and work my way down.” As the appraiser marched up the stairs he ran his hand along the banister, giving it a firm shake halfway up, checking its stability.

  Cory felt Jake’s hand on her elbow and she allowed him to lead her out the front door. They sat in wicker chairs she’d painted a lighter shade of the first trim color.

  “You’re like a chicken worrying about her chicks,” Jake teased.

  She examined his face; all confidence, so ready to schmooze the man who held their future in his hands. “We worked hard. I just want him to get it right.”

  “I know.”

  Did he really know? Half the value of the house was going to be her salvation, the only way she could afford to stay in Faythe. The more the house appraised for, the easier it would be for her to afford to stay.

  “You really going to live here in Faythe?” he asked, brushing imaginary lint off his jeans, then looking away from her and out to the street.

  “If I can.”

  “What about your work—won’t you miss it?”

  “I honestly don’t know. I’ve always done nursing, but I think I’m ready for a change. I guess there’s a chance some private duty might materialize close by, but right now I’m just hopeful the house will sell for enough that I can take my half and buy a little place.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out.”

  “Not really. I’m just hoping...it will all work out. Tillie always said things usually do.” She smiled. Tillie would have been pleased, and a warmth spread through her knowing she’d completed Tillie’s last wish...they’d completed her wish.

  “Cory!”

  She looked up to see Ted pushing Molly’s stroller up the sidewalk, a diaper bag over one shoulder, a soft-sided cooler over the other. On top of the stroller was a green and yellow Packers duffel bag, and beside him, firmly attached to his free hand was a boy who looked all of six or seven.

  “Ted—something wrong?” Cory got up from her chair to meet him
as he turned and pushed the stroller up the driveway.

  “Sara’s got a bad case of the flu. I’ve been home taking care of her, but I’m supposed to go into Chicago tomorrow and she’s terrified she’s going to expose Molly.” The baby started to fuss as the stroller came to a halt.

  Cory scooped Molly into her arms before she had a chance to work herself up. “Come here, sweetie.” She cradled the baby and bounced her as she swung her own body back and forth to create a soothing movement.

  “And this is my sister’s boy, Mitch,” Ted said, raising an eyebrow and nodding toward the boy who clutched his hand and kept his head down as though he was fascinated with his own red tennis shoes. “He’s here for a few days to visit while his mom’s getting an operation.”

  Cory nodded, remembering the boy from the library when she’d visited Sara. Her heart swelled. Mitch kept his chin to his chest and played with the gravel of the driveway with the toe of one shoe.

  “Hey, Mitch. You like cats?” She watched his head lift a little, then enough so his big blue eyes could find hers. He evaluated her, but still no smile appeared. He looked scared. “Go ahead...guess how many cats live here.”

  His lips pursed as he considered her challenge, finally saying in a soft voice, “Two?”

  “Nah, there’s nine. Can you believe it?” Jake had joined them and he squatted in front of the boy.

  Mitch’s face broke into a grin and slowly he dropped Ted’s hand. “Can I see ‘em?”

  “Sure. Let’s check in the back yard. Some are in the house, some go outside.” He stood and the boy fell into step beside him. “I bet you like to climb trees, too. There’s a great one back there. I was thinking about building a little tree house, and I’d like to get your opinion.”

  How easily Jake distracted the boy and made him feel special, Cory thought as she stared at them for a moment, then turned back to Ted.

  “I know this is way out of line, Cory, but is there any way you could keep them both for a few days?”

  “Is his mom’s condition serious?”

  Ted nodded. “I need to go to the hospital and be there in case....”

  She watched as Ted ran his fingers through his hair, then shake his head. His face looked drawn, now that the boy had left, and she suspected by the dark circles under his eyes that he’d been functioning on way too little sleep.

  “We have the same weird blood type,” he continued, “and she might need a transfusion.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “They’re not sure; have to open her up to see. God, I hate hospitals. No offense.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Northwestern.”

  “It’s a good place, Ted. And of course we’ll take Molly and Mitch.

  His face filled with relief and he blew out a long breath. “Our neighbor, Mrs. Porter, said she’d check on Sara three times a day and make sure she’s drinking enough fluids, take her some soup and check her temperature. Sara will mostly likely have Mrs. Porter check with you too—see how Molly’s doing. The doctor said Sara will be fine and it’s just going to have to run its course. She expressed enough milk, I think, so you should be okay. There’s some formula here too, though.”

  Cory nodded. “We’ll be fine, Ted. I’ve had plenty of experience at the hospital’s neonatal nursery, and looks like Jake will keep Mitch occupied.”

  “He seems like a natural,” Ted added. “Mitch is really lonely for a father figure. His dad’s been gone for a year. Decided he hadn’t sowed his wild oats and got a girl pregnant. I think he might have been abusive with Mitch, too. It’s a mess. My sister never told us anything until the jerk moved out. He divorced my sister and married the girl and moved to the east coast. Creep didn’t even call on Mitch’s birthday last month.”

  Jake and Mitch had a lot in common. She’d have to give him a heads up on the boy’s situation.

  “Cory, you’re a life saver.” Ted lifted the stroller and followed Cory up the porch steps and into the house. He put the bags on the floor and wrapped his arms around her and the baby in a quick hug, then placed a soft kiss on Molly’s head.

  “We’ll see you when we see you,” she said, “and don’t worry about a thing.” She watched him run down the stairs, and sprint down the sidewalk.

  “Molly, maybe you and Mitch are just what we need,” she whispered.

  The appraiser appeared in the hallway outside the kitchen, scribbling on his clipboard as he walked toward her. “Just about finished; I’m done with the basement and I just have the outside left.”

  “Okay.” She smiled and patted Molly’s back as she shifted her to her shoulder.

  “Oh, isn’t she a little angel?” He came closer, and Cory turned so he could see Molly. He brought a fingertip to the baby’s cheek and made a funny face, eliciting a happy gurgle from her. “Saw the boy out the window playing with your husband—you’ve got a nice little family.”

  “Oh, they’re just visiting,” she said, perhaps a little too quickly, not even trying to explain Jake’s presence.

  “Shame,” he said. “This place seems perfect for kids; lots of bedrooms, nice yard. And it’d be easy to convert that attic into a master suite; plumbing’s in just the right spot to add a bathroom above the one on the second floor.”

  Cory’s cheeks warmed as he created a picture that she couldn’t deny—in the recesses of her mind—she’d been fantasizing about. A family. Turning the house into a real home.

  “Well, I’ll leave you two ladies and finish up. Should I mail everything to you here?”

  “Sure. Will you send a copy to Sandy at Peninsula Real Estate in Sturgeon Bay, and one to the attorney—do you know Mr. Weismann?”

  He nodded, then made goo-goo eyes at Molly one more time before he walked past Cory and out the front door.

  She took Molly into the parlor and paced the floor, rubbing circles on her back in the hope that she might get sleepy. She wanted to put her down and check the contents of the bags, then figure out where she was going to put her and Mitch for the duration.

  She walked over to the long mantel, swinging Molly back and forth as she looked at all the photos. Tillie’s years of matchmaking in Faythe had produced more wedding pictures than the mantel could even hold. She hadn’t had the heart to get rid of them. They represented Tillie’s life, too important to just toss or give away.

  Eyes stared back at her from the photos; women who were in wedding dresses wore every style from the fifties to present day. She’d never taken the time to count them, but she guessed there were more than fifty. Couples Tillie had put together, helping to create wedded bliss for so many. How many were still together? Or were they like typical American couples—had half divorced by now? How many broken homes had been left behind, she wondered.

  She had awfully big shoes to fill. Would she be anywhere near as successful as Faythe’s new matchmaker? Sure, she’d succeeded with Sara and Ted, but that was the extent of her matchmaking past. Doubts crept in, and she pushed them away to consider later...after the house was sold and she had her own place. Then she would be able to make her own fresh start and have the time to start noticing Faythe’s lonely hearts. Until then, she needed to concentrate on getting through the next two weeks.

  She turned to see Jake come into the room, his eyebrows raised.

  “The appraiser’s finishing up outside,” she said.

  “Yeah, I talked to him. I need to add a railing to the back steps and do some retro-fitting in the basement, stabilize the hot water heater and get the furnace inspected. He’s a good guy. He’s going to finalize the appraisal as soon as I let him know everything’s done. I’d forgotten how trusting everyone is in a small town.”

  “You and Mitch seemed to hit it off.”

  “He seems like a good kid. Thought we’d hammer together a bird house later. Right now he’s playing with Petunia and Dolly. Are we keeping them for the day?”

  “Actually, I’m afraid I said it would be all right if they stayed here fo
r a few days until Sara recovers from the flu. Ted’s on his way to be with his sister at the hospital—she’s having exploratory surgery at Northwestern. Could be serious by the sound of it. Mitch’s father is out of the picture and Ted had nowhere else to take him.”

  Jake’s hands found his pockets as his brow furrowed and the corners of his lips turned down. “I’d planned on heading back to the city for a meeting tomorrow—”

  “I can handle things on my own if you—”

  Jake held up his hand, stopping her words. The tilt of her chin told him she was dead serious about dismissing him. But he had no intention of leaving her. Molly would be a handful and surely he could keep the boy busy while he finished up the short list of tasks the appraiser had mentioned. “I can stay, Cory. All you needed to do was ask me.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Was it too difficult for her to ask for his help now? God, she was so stubborn. Almost as stubborn as he was. He saw her arms wrap a little tighter around the baby, in a motherly, protective way. She looked beautiful. A strand of hair had slipped out of her pony tail and he stepped closer to her, then reached up and tucked it behind her ear.

  He felt her warm breath on his cheek, and he inhaled her wonderful fragrance. He wanted to linger, so touched his lips to the top of Molly’s head, replacing the aroma of lilacs with sweet baby-smell. He met Cory’s stare; she looked like she could easily fight off the world with one hand while the other held the infant out of harm’s way.

  His gaze moved to Cory’s lips, which had parted slightly when he’d approached. They looked so kissable, so inviting.

  “Ja-ake!” He heard Mitch’s voice call him from the backyard.

  “I’d better go,” he said, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. Molly nuzzled her face into Cory’s neck, a place he knew too well. Before he gave in to his desire to kiss the other side of Cory’s neck, he turned away and walked down the hall. In the kitchen, he grabbed a handful of cookies from the cookie jar before heading out the backdoor.

  Mitch had climbed to the lowest limb of the willow tree, and his face was beaming from his accomplishment. “Good job,” Jake said, then held up the cookies. “Look what I snuck out of the kitchen when Cory wasn’t looking.” He grinned at the boy and watched as he shimmied down the trunk.