The Secret Ingredient (A Place to Call Home Book 2)

by Laura Browning

  He excused himself for a minute as they waited for dinner to be delivered so he could call Becca. She answered her cell phone on the second ring.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “How’s it going, Eli?”

  “We should be finished in another couple of hours, then I’ll head back. It’s probably going to put me back in town about the time you’re scheduled to open.”

  “That will have you driving most of the night. Are you sure you want to do that, Eli?” Concern laced her voice. “Don’t get me wrong. Bash and I want nothing more than to have you back here, but we’re doing okay, and I know I’d rather have you safe and sound tomorrow than injured overnight.”

  He tugged at his ear as he listened. How different it was to have someone actually worry about him for a change. “I promise I’ll stop and take a nap if I need to, okay?”

  “Yes, but promise you’ll come straight here so we know you’re all right. You can crash with Bash while Jared and I get the morning bread inventory baked. Since we were closed today, we’re starting an hour earlier.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  He heard her sigh. “Me either. I’ve missed you. So has Bash.”

  “I’m sorry my parents couldn’t get an earlier flight back. I know he can be a handful.”

  “We’ve done fine, Eli.”

  She put Bash on the phone for a few minutes. While his son babbled about swimming at Stoner Richardson’s and playing with Jake and Holly’s twins as well as Stoner’s grandson, Eli let the ordinariness of it wash over and relax him. Everything would be all right.

  * * * *

  Becca had no trouble getting Bash to bed that night. In fact, after a day spent mostly at the community pool, she was nearly as done in as him. A good night’s sleep would hit the spot. Worrying over Eli had made her uneasy. She knew Jake had stepped up patrols around Eli’s house and both their businesses. Sam had also alerted his deputies to ride by the Mercer’s house, too, just as a precaution. Nevertheless, Becca was careful to lock up and set the security system. Although she doubted Jared would beat her downstairs in the morning, she had shown the teenager how to disarm the system in case he arrived ahead of her.

  They would have a busy morning ahead of them. Not only did they have orders to get done for Mercer’s, but a caterer doing a wedding in the next county had called asking for cake and bread samples. Becca saw it as a way to get her foot in the door. She would be meeting with the caterer later in the day and wanted to have plenty of samples ready.

  “Becca Mama?”

  She turned from where she was wiping down the counters in the apartment’s kitchenette. “What, Buddy?”

  “You don’t think my mommy will come here, do you?”

  She squatted down and tucked a damp curl behind his ear. “I don’t think so, honey. But you know, even if she does, Chief Jake and Sheriff Sam are looking out for all of us. And I’ll take extra special care of you if you promise to do the same for me.”

  “I will.” He hitched his pajama bottoms up just a notch as if he carried six shooters at his sides. “Have you seen my bear?”

  “On the couch. You had him while you were watching TV.”

  Becca grinned as she watched him claim the bear and a couple of toy cars. She hadn’t found it nearly as amusing when she awakened in the middle of the night with one of the little suckers under her hip, but it made him happy. With Eli away and his grandparents out of town, Becca was more than happy to let him have a little extra security. Holly had mentioned him staying with the twins tonight while they were all at the pool, but Bash had shaken his head. She could understand that. Right now, she was about as secure as secure got for the boy.

  “Let’s get you tucked in. I’ll read you a story.”

  “Click Clack Moo?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cool.”

  * * * *

  As soon as Eli and Sean had finished everything, he looked over at his partner. “Are we good, dude?”

  Sean nodded. “Yeah. I’ll take it from here. You just have no idea how much I appreciate you coming down.”

  “I couldn’t do anything else. You’ve been there for me through this whole mess. And to find out this is yet another chapter in Heather’s bullshit really gets in my craw. If I thought for a moment that any of it was motivated by a need to see Bash, I would find it easier to forgive. But it’s all about money. Looking back, I think it always was. She just couldn’t keep out of the booze and the drugs long enough to really hold everything together.”

  “Your Becca sounds like the complete opposite.”

  Eli smiled. “She is. I’ve been okay knowing Bash is with her, but even so...”

  “You want to get back to the two of them.”

  “Yeah...I do.”

  “Then go on, man, and drive safe. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Eli hit a traffic jam on the interstate outside of Richmond and decided to get off and find a place to take a nap rather than sit in traffic, but the going was still slower than he’d hoped. As he turned off the interstate onto the highway that would take him into Mountain Meadow, he rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the sensation he had sand under his eyelids. The only thing keeping him going was the idea that pretty soon, he’d be able to hold Becca and Bash in his arms.

  He would feel so much safer with them in sight because he just had a gut feeling he hadn’t seen or heard the last from Heather. If there was one thing he would have to give her credit for...she was persistent. But this time around, Eli would be more persistent. He wouldn’t give in and he would make sure she ended up behind bars where maybe, finally, she would get some help.

  * * * *

  It seemed like she’d just gone to sleep when the alarm went off. Hoping to avoid waking Bash, Becca clicked the button to silence it. Tuesday mornings were always long because of the extra baking involved. She slipped from the bed, gathered her clothes in the dim light of the bathroom nightlight, then slipped inside to take a quick shower and get dressed. After braiding her hair, she tucked it inside a colorful bandana and headed quietly down the hall. She’d make coffee downstairs because Jared liked to have a cup as well.

  He was just walking up to the door when Becca got to the bottom of the steps. She disarmed the security system, let him in, and re-engaged it. While they worked in the kitchen and couldn’t see out front, she liked to keep the system on. Once it was time for the prep cook from Mercer’s to get there for the bread order, she’d come back out and disengage it.

  “Good morning, Aunt Becca,” Jared greeted her as he slipped through the door. As soon as he’d turned the deadbolt, she rearmed the alarm. “Bash still asleep?”

  “Like a log. Playing at the pool yesterday must have really worn him out. Why don’t you get started setting up the ingredients and I’ll put coffee on.”

  “No problem. Can I help with the cake samples for your meeting later?”

  She grinned at him. “I was hoping you would.”

  He whistled as he ducked under the walkthrough and into the kitchen. Becca shook her head and filled the coffeemaker. As she measured the grounds, she thought how lucky her whole family was to have such great kids. Luke and his kids had gone through some really tough times, so tough it had begun to look as though Jared was really headed in the wrong direction. But there was no doubt the teenager had straightened out. It just blew Becca’s mind how focused he was already, not only on the baking, but also the cake decorating. She just hoped the ribbing he would probably take at school over it wouldn’t deter him from considering it as a career choice. Jared was good.

  Five minutes later, she was backing through the kitchen door with a plate full of croissants, a couple of cups of coffee and some jam and cheese to go with the bread. It was their morning ritual before they really got cranked.

  Once the first loaves were rising in the proofing cabinet, Becca and Jared started on the specialty breads.

  “Go ahead and preheat the oven, Jared. We should be ready to get the
first loaves out of the proofer in just a few minutes.”

  Jared stopped on his way over to the oven, a confused expression on his face. “Aunt Becca, do you smell smoke?”

  She paused. They had the proofer going and...her thoughts stopped as she heard the sound of glass breaking. “What the...”

  Smoke poured in through one of the windows high up in the back of the kitchen.

  “Fire!” Jared’s voice broke.

  “We’ll go out front. Come with me.” She was speaking over her shoulder as they pushed through the door, and came to an abrupt halt. Flames licked all across the front of the building, blocking their exit. Oh my God! Bash was upstairs! A sick feeling churned in the pit of Becca’s stomach. As she looked through the flames, she saw someone standing just beyond the licking flames doing nothing.

  She grabbed Jared by the shoulders. “Check the back door. Feel it. Don’t open it. If it’s hot, get in the freezer.” She started to pull away.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to get Bash, Jared. Do what I say. You’ll be safe in the freezer. It’s fireproof. If you do get out, be sure to tell the firefighters where we are. I’ll be back with Bash in just a few minutes.”

  She saw his hesitation. “This isn’t the time to question or try to be a hero. You have your cell phone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Call 911 and your Uncle Jake. Now go!”

  She couldn’t wait to watch him do what she’d instructed. As it was, she would be getting too close for comfort to the fire at the front of the building in order to get to the stairs. Just as she’d put her foot on the first riser, the glass in front blew out. Something stung her shoulder, but Becca ignored it as she raced up the steps two at a time. Smoke was already choking the air up here.

  “Bash!”

  She raced down the hallway, nearly running into him, only his sudden cough stopping her so she could put her hands on him in the darkness. Becca grabbed the blanket he trailed and threw it over him as she scooped him into her arms.

  “Mama!” he cried. “I’m scared.”

  “Sh.” She coughed. “Come on, Buddy. Hold on tight. I’m getting you down. You’re safe with me, okay? Just hang on and keep your face against me.”

  Becca looked down the hallway to the back door, but that was a lost cause. The glow of flames was already shining on that side of the building, and the stairs descended near the back door.

  Going down the front was much slower. Smoke rolled toward her through the orange mist of the flames. She fought back a feeling of claustrophobia and ignored the stinging in her eyes and nose as she carefully moved from one step to the next.

  As Becca reached the bottom, the flames parted for a moment and she found herself staring at Heather through them. For an instant, both women remained motionless, and Becca saw the look of horrified recognition on Heather’s face as she realized Becca held Bash. Heather started to scream.

  There was no way to get through the front and out of the building. Becca knew her only shot was to get them to the freezer. She spun and ran for the kitchen. An instant before she grabbed the metal handle with her bare hand, she paused long enough to grab the edge of Bash’s blanket like a hot pad and twist the handle.

  “Aunt Becca?”

  The power was already out, but in the dimness, she could make out Jared huddled in the back.

  “It’s us. I’ve got Bash. Shut the door behind us.”

  “Are you sure this is safe?” Just a trace of a tremor was in Jared’s voice.

  “As safe as they can make them. Did you reach 911?”

  “Yes. And Uncle Jake, but there’s no signal inside here. I’m scared shitless.”

  In the dark, she reached for Jared’s hand, found it, and squeezed. When she felt him move closer, Becca slung an arm around his shoulders. Together they cradled Bash in their laps as the little boy hiccupped in fright.

  “I wish I’d thought to grab a flashlight, guys, so we’d have some light.”

  “I have a flashlight app on my phone, but—no offense—I’d just as soon be in the dark so you can’t see how petrified I am.” Jared’s voice shook.

  Becca could relate. She’d told Jared they’d be okay inside the walk-in, but honestly, all she had to go on was the manufacturer’s word. She supposed if they made it, she could give them a testimonial and would be overjoyed to do so.

  “I know we’re scared guys, but let’s keep it together. With fire crews on the way, they’ll get to us. We’ll be okay, I promise. And the first thing I’ll do when we’re out is kiss Stoner Richardson for making me spend the extra money for a top of the line freezer.”

  The darkness was so thick she couldn’t have seen her hand in front of her face, but she could feel the arms Bash wound around her neck, and the one Jared wrapped across her and Bash. God, please get us out of here. I don’t want to leave this earth without seeing Eli and my family again.

  Chapter 19

  Hang on. Not much farther now. It was the mantra that had been playing over and over in Eli’s head for the last hour. He was jittery from the caffeine he’d consumed in an effort to stay awake. He had just passed the town limits sign when he noticed a glow against the lightening sky of predawn, and his phone rang.

  “It’s Eli,” he answered.

  There was a pause in which he heard engines running and people shouting. “Eli? Jake. Where are you?”

  “Just a few miles out of town.”

  “I need you in the square ASAP.”

  “What’s going on, Jake?” Eli demanded, a sick feeling boiling in the pit of his stomach. Another pause, but now he identified the noise as his eyes narrowed on the glow in the sky ahead of him. “Is it Mercer’s? Did the bitch set fire to it, too?”

  “It’s Becca’s...”

  Eli’s foot went down hard on the accelerator. “But they’re out, right? They’re out?”

  The pause was just long enough. “The fire was set to block the exits.”

  “No. Not Becca. Not Bash. Her own son!” Eli had to take a deep breath and blink to clear his vision.

  “We’ve just about got it under control...”

  “But they’re inside!”

  “In the walk-in, Jake. Jared told us it was where they were going.”

  His mind raced. He knew that would give them some protection. “Where’s Heather? She had to have done this...”

  “Just get here.”

  Jake ended the connection, and Eli concentrated on his driving. As he approached the town square, fire trucks were everywhere. As soon as one of Sam’s deputies realized it was Eli driving, he waved him on through. Barely sparing time to jam the car into park, Eli leaped from it and raced toward the fire. He could see they had the worst of it under control.

  Everything inside him cried to push through, push inside so he could find Bash and Becca. It was Luke Allred who caught his arm.

  “You can’t do anything right now, Eli.”

  He turned, started to snap something, and then saw the haunted look on Luke’s face, saw Rachel right behind him, her heart-shaped face pale even in the flashing emergency lights.

  “Jared?”

  “He’s in there too.”

  Eli closed his eyes, swallowed. “I’m so sorry.”

  Rachel stepped forward and put her hand on his arm. “We’re all family here, Eli. All we can do right now is pray. Jared told Jake they were getting inside the walk-in.”

  “Then let’s hope they get this put out fast before they run out of air.” His gut churned with worry.

  Eli glanced over his shoulder as Jake approached. “We’ve caught your ex, Eli. She wrecked her car in the curve out near Sam’s place. Troopers there said she’s got minor injuries, but they found a couple of empty gas cans and some other paraphernalia in the trunk. They’ve cuffed her and will be bringing her back to the jail.”

  Eli shook his head. “Make sure she’s locked up tight, Jake, because I don’t know what I’ll do if either of our kids or Becca are
hurt.”

  Jake squeezed his shoulder.

  It should have been some comfort to know Heather was in custody, but until he could hold Bash and Becca, there was no comfort. He stood with Luke and Rachel, watching and waiting. It seemed like only a few minutes before Caleb was there too, giving him a hard hug, minus the usual backslap greeting that went along with it.

  “You okay?” Caleb asked.

  Eli shook his head. “Damn, bro. I’m scared shitless, pissed beyond belief. I don’t even know what I feel. I just need to hold ‘em. If I didn’t know it was sheer suicide, I’d run through that hell to get to them.”

  “Becca’s smart, man, and level-headed. And you can bet your bottom dollar she’d have walked through that damn fire to make sure your son’s safe.”

  “I know.” When his response ended with him choking up, Eli’s mouth tightened. He jammed his hands in his jeans. “What the fuck’s taking so long?”

  “There’s a lot of old wood in there, Eli,” Jake told him. “They’re getting ready to go in. See?”

  Smoke still poured from the windows, but apparently they’d made the determination that everything was sound enough they could go in. He supposed that was another advantage to the oversized beams and joists in the building. As three firefighters shrugged into full breathing apparatuses, Eli pushed closer to the front. He had to see, had to know. And then the firefighters disappeared into the smoke.

  * * * *

  “Becca Mama? It’s hot in here, and I don’ like the dark.”

  “I know, Baby. Me neither. It won’t be much longer. I swear.” She hoped she sounded a whole lot more convincing than she felt. As they’d waited in the dark, Becca had become more aware of the stinging pain in her back. She’d wondered once or twice if she was hurt and just hadn’t realized it because of the adrenalin. But if she was aware enough to think that, then wasn’t she aware enough to feel a real injury?