She didn’t let go. “You can’t get up the hill on one leg. Even if you do think you’re Superman.”
He almost smiled, except the pain made that impossible. She was right. He needed her help. “Okay, let’s try it. But you need to tell me if I’m too heavy.”
“You’ll know, don’t worry.”
Kate had been working on a snowman and now ran over to see what was going on. Jack could tell from her expression that she was confused.
“Jack fell in the snow and hurt his ankle,” Julie explained between their hip-hop steps up the hill. “I have to help him.”
“Oh.” Kate stared up at Jack. He tried to force a smile, but it was hard. Every time he touched his injured leg to the ground, it throbbed with pain.
“You run up ahead and open the door for us, okay?” Julie told her.
Kate’s expression brightened. She was excited to have such an important job. “Okay. I can do that.”
She dashed off, quick as a bunny hopping through the drifts. Jack paused and watched her. He glanced down at Julie. “How are you doing? Need a rest?”
“I’m fine. I think it would go faster if you just relaxed and leaned on me. I’m pretty tough, Jack. I won’t break.”
He nodded. He had been forcing himself not to lean on her completely. He was worried about hurting her. And it had been a long time since he had been this close to a woman. She probably didn’t realize that, he thought.
Her shoulder felt fragile and feminine under his arm. Her hood had fallen off and wispy curls framed her rosy cheeks. The flowery scent of her hair was another distraction.
“Okay, let’s get going again.” He stared straight ahead and shifted more weight her way. Step by step, they finally made it to the house, where Kate waited by the open door.
“Oh my. She’s letting all the heat out of the house. I’m sorry,” Julie said.
“No big deal. She’s just trying to help.”
They had reached the porch and Jack grabbed for the railing. With Julie on the other side, he hopped up the few steps and finally staggered inside. He spotted the nearest chair and quickly landed with a loud grunt.
Julie followed, her cheeks red and her eyes bright. She shrugged off her jacket and quickly smoothed her hair back.
“I’ll get you some ice. You need to elevate your foot.” She headed for the kitchen with a purposeful stride.
Jack bent to remove his boot. His clothes were soaking wet with melted snow, and he felt chilled to the bone. He even felt chunks of snow stuck in his beard and quickly swatted them away.
That was the least of his problems right now. His ankle was so tender, it hurt just to remove his shoe and sock. When he looked up, he saw Kate nearby, staring at him.
“Once I fell down the stairs,” she told him. “My arm hurt so much. The doctor took a picture of it. Then he put a cast on me.”
“Really?”
Kate nodded. “It was pink. I drew pictures on it.”
Jack stared back at her. “I don’t have to go to the hospital. I don’t need a pink cast. It’s not that bad.”
He hadn’t meant to sound sharp, but Kate shrank back, then ran to Julie as she returned to the room.
“Put your leg up on the table.” Julie took a cushion from the couch, set it on the coffee table, and Jack lifted his leg up. She settled the ice pack on his ankle. Her touch felt soft and gentle on his bare skin. “I can see where you twisted it. It’s already turning blue.”
“Great.” Jack glanced down at his foot. What a morning. He wished he was alone. Completely alone again. He hated the feeling of her standing there, staring at him.
A glass of water suddenly appeared in Julie’s outstretched palm, with some aspirin. “I found these in the medicine cabinet.”
“Thanks.” He took the pills and water without looking at her. “I’m not so sure about that car making it to town. I can’t follow you now, either. I think you need to call a tow truck.”
“Okay. How about calling a doctor? I think someone should take a look at your leg.”
“I’ll keep the ice on awhile. I’ll be fine.” He stared straight ahead.
Julie walked around him and sat on the couch. She leaned forward, facing him. She waited. He didn’t say anything more. Or even look at her. “I can’t leave you here like this,” she said finally. “What if your ankle is broken?”
“It’s not broken, I’m telling you. I’m fine.” He didn’t mean to argue with her, but he could hear the sound of his temper rising.
She blinked, her mouth a tight line. If she’d had any friendly feelings for him at all, he could see he was now making a very bad impression. His true colors showing, he thought glumly.
“I feel responsible for your fall, Jack. I’m not going until I know you’re taken care of. Do you want to tell me where to find your doctor’s phone number? Or should I just look in a phone book and pick one out?”
Man, she was one stubborn woman. You’d never guess it to look at her. He glared at her, his jaw set. But she didn’t back down.
Of course he didn’t blame her for his fall. He should have been ready for the car to pull away. He hadn’t been paying attention. No use in arguing about that now, though. Maybe if he called the doctor, she would leave.
“There’s a list of numbers on the wall, near the key rack. It’s Dr. Harding. I can speak to him,” he added.
“Fine.” She marched past him, Kate following like a little puppy.
He had agreed to the call just to get her moving. He knew what Harding would say. Ice on and off for a few hours. Keep it elevated. Wear an Ace bandage. He’d had enough of doctors when Claire was sick. He avoided them now as much as possible.
Julie came back with the phone and the number written on a small scrap of paper. He dialed and the receptionist connected him to Dr. Harding.
He looked over at Julie while he waited for the doctor to come on the line. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, listening to every word. She wore jeans and a dark blue green sweater today that zipped up the front and had a hood. He tried not to notice how the color complemented her fair complexion and reddish-brown hair.
“Hello, Jack. What can I do for you?” Matt Harding asked.
Jack described his accident. “I’d rather not come in. No need. Just wanted a few pointers on home care,” he said casually.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jack. If you have a fracture or a bad sprain, you’ll need a cast so the ankle will heal correctly. From what you’ve told me, sounds like it could be a real injury.”
For goodness sake! Just what he didn’t want to happen. He glared at Julie then back at the receiver. “It doesn’t hurt that bad, honest.”
Dr. Harding ignored his reply. “I can see you this morning. Come in any time before noon. I have an X-ray machine right in the office. You won’t have to drive around unless you need a cast, then I’ll have to send you to a specialist. There’s a good one in Essex.”
Jack let out a long, exasperated breath. “I guess I’ll come in then. If you think it’s necessary.”
“I do. Do you need help getting here?”
Jack hesitated a moment then said, “That’s okay. I think I can get someone to drive me.” He glanced at Julie and she nodded, finally looking satisfied.
He looked away quickly. Just what he didn’t want to happen. Again he wished he had been alone. He would have managed fine without all this . . . fuss. Over nothing.
He ended the call and put the phone on the table. “He can see me this morning. I guess we’d better get it over with.”
“Yes, let’s.” Julie rose from the couch. She picked up his boot and sock. “This sock is soaking wet. I’ll get you a dry pair. Where do you keep them?”
“That’s all right.” He snatched the wet sock from her hand, tired of being fussed over. “Let’s just get going.”
Julie didn’t say anything. She took the phone and went back into the kitchen. He tried to pull the sock on, but it was too wet
and it hurt his ankle to struggle with it. He stuck his bare foot into his boot, trying hard not to groan aloud again. He hadn’t taken off his coat, so putting it back on was not an issue. He put his right foot on the floor and tested his ankle.
It hurt something fierce. He would need Julie’s help to get outside and into his truck. He turned as she walked into the room with Kate at her side, both bundled for the outdoors again.
He pulled himself up, balanced on the chair, then reached into his pocket for his keys and handed them to her. “Ever drive a truck?”
She shook her head, a small smile tilting up the corners of her mouth. “Don’t worry. I’m sure I can manage. They say trucks these days drive just like cars.”
“This one is ancient. It drives like a tank.”
He had reached the door, stumbling along, supporting himself on the furniture.
“It will be an adventure, I guess.” She pulled open the door and offered him her shoulder for support.
He paused and peered sideways at her. He had no choice and she knew it. He put his arm around her shoulders and they hobbled out of the house, side by side, Kate following close by.
Jack grabbed the railing while Julie locked the door. He squinted at the brilliant sun and clear blue sky.
It had been a long time since he’d had an adventure. He wasn’t sure he was ready for one.
CHAPTER THREE
WHEN JESSICA WOKE UP SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS IN HER BEDROOM. Why did the bed feel so lumpy? she wondered. Her eyes felt dry and irritated, as if she had been out on the beach on a windy day. Then she smelled smoke, in her hair. On her skin. She sat up quickly and nearly cried out loud.
It all came back to her in a horrifying rush. The sight of their house burning. The billows of black smoke rising into the night sky. The sounds of the firefighters, their hoses and axes, as they fought the fire. Unable to control it.
She was lying on the foldout bed in her sister Emily’s house. The mattress was thin and uncomfortable.
Sam lay next to her, deep in sleep. His face was scrubbed clean but his fingernails were black, she noticed. He was fully dressed and she didn’t recognize the clothes—baggy jeans and a hooded sweatshirt with the name and insignia of some boat club across the front. Her brother-in-law Dan’s clothes. Jessica was wearing Emily’s blue terry cloth bathrobe and a borrowed nightgown underneath.
She glanced at the clock. Eleven in the morning. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept this late, but she still felt exhausted and foggy-headed. They had stayed up for hours last night. No one could sleep. The boys had been terrified and Tyler had finally dropped off in her arms. Sam had sat up with Darrell, who waited to hear progress reports on Reilly from the clinic.
Emily and Dan had stayed up with them, keeping them company. Though there wasn’t too much to talk about. They had been lucky to get out of there alive. So lucky, they kept telling each other.
Now Jessica sat on the edge of the bed and felt the cold floor under her bare feet. I could have been dead this morning, she thought. We all could have been. A headline for the Cape Light Messenger: “Local Family Perishes in House Fire.” The realization was chilling.
She squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her hands together, saying a quick, silent prayer. Thank you, God, for saving my family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul for keeping all of us safe from the fire. Especially my children.
“Jess . . . what are you doing?” Sam stroked her back, mumbling his words.
“I’m thanking God we’re alive this morning. And our children are safe and no one was hurt last night.”
“Yes, thank God.” Sam sighed. “Come here a second. Don’t rush off.”
She turned to him and he gently pulled her down. She rested next to him, her head on his chest, and he stroked her hair. “I still can’t believe it,” she whispered.
“I know. Neither can I.”
“I keep thinking we’re going to get the boys up, go home, and it will still be there. As if nothing happened.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s hard to get your mind around it. Even though we saw it happen. We watched the whole thing.”
Jessica didn’t answer for a long time, her mind filled with the image of the house, the yellow and orange flames flaring up against the dark sky. The charred and blackened wood.
“Do you think there’s anything left?” she asked.
“Sure there is. People rebuild after fires all the time. I practically built that house from the ground up when I bought it. I can do it again, don’t worry.”
His words reassured her a bit. “What about our things? All of our . . . everything. We ought to be able to find some of it that isn’t ruined, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know, Jess. It’s not just the fire. It’s the water. And the smoke.”
“But I’m sure there are a few good things that didn’t get ruined completely. I mean, there has to be. A few things we could clean off? Dry out?” The thin, desperate edge in her voice surprised her.
Sam patted her shoulder. “Sure, honey. We’ll find things. I’m not sure when we can go back though. I’ll ask the fire department. I have to call this morning, first thing.”
Jessica closed her eyes. “Sam . . . this is such a nightmare. I can’t believe it.”
“I can’t believe it either. We just have to be thankful that no one was hurt. Or worse. What if we woke up this morning and—” He turned and looked at her. “I don’t even want to say it.”
She knew what he meant. He didn’t have to say it. What if something had happened to one of their children? Or Sam, himself? Their belongings, even their beautiful old house, it was all just stuff. She had to keep some perspective, Jessica reminded herself. Things could have been so much worse.
She nodded quickly and sat up. She wiped her eyes with a tissue. “I’m going to see how the boys are doing. They must be up by now.”
“Okay.” Sam nodded and sat up.
When she reached the door, she glanced back at him. He sat on the side of the bed, rubbing his hand over his messy hair. He was so precious to her. He was part of her heart and soul. What if he and Darrell had never come back out of the house last night? She couldn’t imagine what she would feel right now. Jessica thought she wouldn’t be able to go on living.
As she had guessed, the boys had both gotten up before her. She saw Darrell in the family room, staring blankly at the TV, and found Tyler in the kitchen with Emily and Dan. Tyler ran to her. He hugged her around the waist, squeezing tight and burying his face in her side. She’d managed to put a clean T-shirt on him last night but he was still wearing his dirty pajama bottoms. There had been no way to get him into a bathtub last night. Jessica had barely been able to wash his face and hands.
“It’s all right, honey,” she soothed him. “Everything’s going to be okay.” She crouched down next to him. “Did you have any breakfast?”
He shook his head. “Aunt Emily is making pancakes.”
“Uncle Dan is making them,” Emily corrected. The large wooden table was set with six places, and Emily added a big jug of pure maple syrup and a butter dish. “Aunt Emily is just supervising.”
“Your aunt has a talent for that.” Dan turned and smiled at Jessica. She tried to smile back but it was difficult. She blinked and looked away.
“Mom.” Tyler tugged on her sleeve. “Jane went to preschool,” he reported, talking about his younger cousin. “Do we have to go to school today, too?”
School? Jessica had forgotten all about that. She shook her head. “No, honey. You aren’t going to school today.”
For one thing, the boys had no clothes to wear. And any school books that had been in the house . . . She tried not to think about the house. She poured herself a mug of coffee and left the room to look in on Darrell.
He sat in a rigid position, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the TV. He had been too upset to sleep last night. He camped out by the kitchen phone and called the emergency vet clinic ev
ery hour. Jessica had coaxed him into the shower at one point and, finally, wearing some more of Dan’s borrowed clothes, which floated on him ten sizes too big, he had fallen asleep in the living room.
Jessica moved aside a pillow and blanket and sat down next to him. “Darrell? Want some breakfast?”
He shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
When was the last time she had heard him say that? Since Darrell had hit adolescence, she couldn’t keep enough food in the house. “Have you heard anything more about Reilly, honey?” she asked quietly.
He shook his head. “The doctor said he’s still the same. He’s not doing too good, Mom.”
Darrell didn’t look at her when he spoke, his eyes glassy and bright. She put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. He was getting so big. Where had the time gone?
She remembered when he had first arrived in their life. Sam had been volunteering at the New Horizons Center and Darrell had come for a stay there. He had latched on to Sam, following him around like a puppy. Sam had loved him from the start and seen only good in the boy. Only the beautiful potential.
But Darrell had been in lots of trouble back in Boston, which was how kids ended up at New Horizons. He had been truant from school and picked up for shoplifting. His mother had a drug problem and had left him in the care of his grandmother while she went into a rehab program. But Darrell’s grandmother was up in years and had a heart condition. She was in no shape to watch over a nine-year-old boy who was hurting so badly from his mother’s abandonment.
Jessica had been hurting back then, too. She and Sam were trying to start a family and she had experienced a miscarriage.
She could hardly believe it now, but at first, she hadn’t wanted to adopt Darrell. She didn’t want a half-grown, troubled, mischievous boy. She had wanted a tiny baby. Of her own. Sam had tried to understand, but the conflict had been a great stress on their marriage. She had actually thought it was best to send Darrell back to his mother.
At one point, it seemed as if Darrell was gone from their lives forever. Jessica found out she was pregnant but still felt a horrible ache inside. She quickly realized what had happened. She missed Darrell. She loved him, as much as if not more than Sam did, and wanted to raise him as their own. His natural mother did not give him up for adoption that easily. But finally it had all worked out and Darrell came to live with them forever, on a beautiful Christmas morning five years ago.
A Christmas Star Page 5
