Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1)

by Laura Browning

  “Who’re you?”

  “Evan. Who’re you?”

  “Tyler. Whatcha doin’ here?”

  “Helping Jake. What are you doing here?”

  “I live here.”

  Evan stuck his hand out. “Nice to meet you. ’Bout time Jake got some company.”

  Jake moved forward as Tyler’s gaze traveled over Evan from head to toe before he grasped the outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you, too. You’re real tall, but I s’pose you know that.”

  Jake halted next to them. “Hi, guys. Why don’t you go on in? I called Holly from the station and let her know I was on the way so she could get Noelle ready.”

  “God, Allred,” Evan’s voice dripped disgust, “you sound like you enjoy all this domesticity. Got the ring through your nose already?”

  Jake cocked a brow at his friend as they stepped inside. “You might try it yourself sometime.”

  Evan shuddered, his gray eyes wary as Holly descended the wide staircase with Noelle in her arms and a diaper bag on her shoulder. He examined the wrapped bundle she held. “Is there something alive inside?”

  “Evan,” Jake snapped. He took the baby from Holly and peeked under the blanket before he rocked her back and forth.

  Evan arched one brow, smiled at Holly, and stuck his hand out. “Hi. I’m Evan Richardson. I live next door. Jake and I have been friends since kindergarten, and I try very hard to have nothing to do with babies.”

  Holly laughed. “Wow. After that introduction, what’s left to say? I’m Holly Morgan. I’m guessing you’ve met my brother Tyler…”

  “Indeed.” Evan glanced over his shoulder before turning back to Holly. “And after a very thorough inspection, I received tentative approval to be allowed into your presence without making a blood sacrifice, although I believe it was touch and go there for a while.”

  Holly smiled. “He’s a little protective. The wad of blankets is Noelle. You’re in luck right now because she sleeps almost all the time, but I understand that will change.”

  Evan eyed the baby again. “Hmm. Just don’t expect me to do anything for it.”

  Jake shook his head. Since it looked like Sam had accurately predicted their future, he just hoped Evan ended in the same boat. His glance strayed to Holly. Correct that. He hoped Evan ended just as lucky. Jake took a deep, steadying breath. “Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  They bounced their way down Mistletoe Lane while Evan muttered about how a road could have such an idyllic-sounding name yet be suited only for mountain goats.

  Holly enjoyed Evan’s sarcastic sense of humor and wondered why such an attractive man was just as single as Jake. Were the women in this part of Virginia blind? At least Jake had been overseas for years and had just come home. However, the way Jake talked, Evan had left only for college and law school. So why hadn’t someone snapped him up? He was good-looking, just a little intimidating. She knew from reading the paper he served as commonwealth’s attorney for the county. So he must be one of the area’s most eligible bachelors.

  When they parked in front of the house, light glowed from the small windows and smoke curled from the chimney. Holly smiled. “Great. Doc made it. She said she was a half mile as the crow flies and she would try to get the woodstove going.”

  “Jenny can build a fire?” Evan remarked. “How unexpectedly domestic.”

  Holly’s eyes narrowed at his tense expression in the glow of the dashboard lights. Something in his tone warned her that Evan and the doc together might not be the best idea, but it was too late now.

  Jenny hurried off the porch, but her step faltered and her smile faded as she saw Evan unfold from the passenger side. Ignoring him, she spoke to Holly. “It’s warming…at least enough you can bring Noelle in. I packed your dishes while I waited. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Holly laughed. “How could I? Thanks, Doc.”

  Jenny’s gaze skittered to Evan. “Just call me Jenny, okay?”

  Holly glanced over her shoulder at his glowering expression. “Okay, Jenny. Here. Would you take Noelle while I unhook the baby carrier?”

  “Sure.” Jenny cradled the baby in her arms, cooing to her as she rocked her back and forth. “Aren’t you just the most beautiful baby?” She glanced at Evan again, her expression almost stricken before she hurried into the dilapidated house. Evan had definitely put a chink in her polished, professional exterior.

  Evan’s jaw twitched, his expression bordering on furious. “Let’s get this done. I’ve got some briefs to go over tonight.”

  He stomped to the back of the truck and dropped the tailgate. His actions were rough and choppy, not the smooth, graceful man she’d seen up until this point. Holly looked at Jake. “I—I guess I shouldn’t have asked Jenny to help.”

  Jake squeezed her shoulder. She’d really needed that silent reassurance. “It’s not your fault. It’s a long story. I don’t even know all of it, and I’ve known them both my whole life.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get to it. Let me know if you get too tired.”

  Holly smiled. “I will. Thanks again for all of this.”

  His hazel eyes softened and his lips curved into a smile. Friends, she reminded herself. They were just friends. Too many other things were on both their plates right now.

  True to her word, Jenny had already packed most of the kitchen. While she continued to keep an eye on Noelle, Holly sent Evan in to help Tyler get his belongings packed while she and Jake went to work on her bedroom. Once all the personal items were out, Evan and Jake loaded furniture in the back of the truck. With some clever maneuvering, they fit everything into the truck’s long bed. As Jake locked the house and pocketed the keys, Holly spoke to Jenny. She couldn’t bear to see two such close friends of Jake’s at war—even if it was only a verbal one.

  “Why don’t you ride back with us? We’ll unload this stuff, get some dinner, and then Jake can run you home.”

  Jenny’s eyes swiveled to Evan and back to Holly. “I should get home. It’s not far, and the moon’s out.”

  “Running away?” Evan taunted.

  Jenny glared. “No. There’s nothing around here worth running from.”

  The hostility was out in the open, the air nearly crackling with animosity.

  Holly put her hand on Jenny’s arm. “Please join us.”

  Jenny’s eyes strayed to Evan as he slammed the tailgate. “Okay. Just for a little while.”

  In the end, Tyler rode in front with Evan and Jake while Holly, Jenny, and the baby sat in the backseat. When they reached Jake’s house, he let Holly and Jenny off near the front door, waiting while they released Noelle from her car seat before he pulled around back.

  Holly led the way inside. “If you could help me, I would appreciate it. I have homemade spaghetti sauce that just needs to be heated, and there’s a salad in the fridge. I need to nurse Noelle, but I can come back to the kitchen and tell you where everything is while I do.”

  Jenny grinned at Holly. “You’re a fast worker. You’ve only been here since noon and you already know your way around Jake’s kitchen?”

  Holly laughed. “Jake doesn’t know it yet, but I rearranged his kitchen to suit me since I’ll be the one cooking in it.”

  Now Jenny truly laughed, her tawny eyes alight. The shadows Holly saw earlier were gone. “That’s priceless, but take it easy. You just gave birth.”

  “I took plenty of breaks. I mean, it’s not like Jake has a ton of stuff anyway.”

  While Holly nursed the baby, Jenny bustled around the kitchen. In no time at all, the spaghetti sauce bubbled, the pasta boiled, garlic bread heated in the oven, and the salad sat on the table, which she had set, ready for them to eat. By the time the men came in, Jenny had drained the pasta and put it in a large bowl. Bread and sauce sat to either side.

  Jake’s eyes rounded as he stepped inside. His gaze took in the nearly completed meal. “How did you…?”

 
; Jenny laughed. “I just followed orders. Holly already had most of this done.”

  “Of course,” Evan sniped from just behind her, “you wouldn’t want to be caught doing anything domestic. It might not fit with the image of the mighty doctor.”

  Jenny stiffened, and the light in her eyes dimmed. Her voice was cool and clipped. “Well, sit. Let’s eat. The sooner we finish, the sooner Evan can spend the evening examining his briefs.”

  Evan’s eyes narrowed to icy shards, but before he could say anything in return, Jake tapped his fork on his tea glass. “Time out! It’s my dinner table, and I’d like to eat without verbal sniper fire ricocheting off the walls.”

  Holly took a deep breath, only now realizing she’d been holding it as Jenny and Evan threw their verbal knives.

  When they were all seated, Jake said, “Tyler, would you say grace?”

  To Holly’s surprise, the boy nodded and bowed his head. He paused just a moment and murmured, “Thank you Lord for this wonderful meal. Thank you for the wonderful friends you sent to help Holly and me. And thank you most of all for Noelle, the best Christmas gift ever. Amen.”

  Out of her little brother’s mouth, the truth. All of the adults echoed Tyler’s amen, and when Evan and Jenny lifted their heads, Holly saw shame on their faces. She smiled encouragement. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m starving. Dig in.”

  She did her best to keep the conversation light. She asked Tyler how his odd jobs with the Tarpleys were going, and he launched into stories of some of the tourists who stopped in to take a break from driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

  “Do you enjoy helping out in the store?” Evan asked.

  “Yeah.” Tyler grinned. “All sorts of interesting people come in there. Besides, you know Mr. Tarpley has a bad back and he was havin’ a real tough time stocking shelves, so I help with that. Mrs. Tarpley says when I get old enough to really work for them, she’ll show me how to run the cash register and wait on customers.”

  “That’s great, Tyler,” Jenny said. “Holly must be very proud to have a brother like you.”

  Holly ruffled Tyler’s hair. So many times recently, she would have been in big trouble without his help. “I am. How many people have little brothers who pitch in to help make ends meet and then turn right around and coach you through labor?”

  “And if I hadn’t decided to walk along the road to get home that first night, you might not have met Jake either.”

  Holly smiled. “You’re right. I couldn’t forget meeting Lieutenant Allred.” She finished in a deep-throated imitation. Everyone laughed, including Jenny and Evan. But then the two of them halted, staring at their plates. Holly sipped her tea and wondered what kept them apart. Something still burned there. It had just become twisted into an awful parody.

  When everyone finished, Holly asked, “Anyone up for homemade chocolate chip cookies?”

  “You made cookies, too?” Jake grinned.

  Evan went one step further. “Will you marry me and move in with me tonight?”

  Holly arched her brows. “I come with the squirming thing in the blankets, remember?”

  Evan leveled a look of mock horror on her. “Never mind. Jake can handle the baby thing.”

  Jenny’s chair scraped back. “I’ll get the dishes.”

  Holly started stacking plates. Every time the subject of the baby came up in some way, you could almost see the frost coming from Evan and Jenny the coldness between them was so great.

  Jake cleared his throat. “Evan, Tyler. Why don’t you give me a hand and we’ll move Holly and Tyler’s personal belongings in? That way maybe there’ll be some coffee to go with those cookies.”

  Holly smiled. “We can do that.”

  All three men disappeared from the kitchen. Holly studied Jenny. She stood at the sink with her back to the room, her hands clutching the counter in a death grip.

  “I should have just walked on home,” Jenny whispered. “Coming here was a mistake.”

  Holly laid a hand on her arm. “I take it you and Evan share some history.”

  Jenny’s laugh was bitter. “We dated all through high school. We were the couple voted most likely to marry first, but as you can see, that didn’t happen.”

  “Was there a reason?”

  Jenny dashed away a tear on her cheek and raised her chin. “We wanted different things.”

  “Not so different,” Holly whispered. “You’re both still here in Mountain Meadow.”

  Jenny stopped, her lips parted, and raised her eyes to meet Holly’s. “I never thought of it that way.” For just a moment, a wild kind of hope flitted across her face, then disappeared. “No. There are too many other issues. Too many misunderstandings. I’ve learned from experience, Holly. The only thing that really kills a relationship is lies.” She grimaced. “So many separate Evan and me it’s as if we stand on opposite sides of a river with no bridge across.”

  The cool, calm doctor was back, and Holly knew Jenny was through baring her emotions.

  By the time Jake, Evan, and Tyler trooped into the kitchen again, the cookies were on the table and the dishwasher hummed in the background. Jake and Evan looked like they had died and gone to heaven as they helped Tyler munch his way through most of the plate. Jenny ate a couple, but Holly just sipped a glass of milk.

  “No cookies?” Evan teased between bites.

  Holly shook her head. “I just make them. I don’t eat them.”

  “She doesn’t like sweet stuff,” Tyler clarified. “But put some popcorn or some fries within reach and you could lose a finger if you get in the way.”

  Holly pulled a face at him. “Thanks, Tyler.”

  He grinned and finished his glass of milk. “What are brothers for?”

  “’Bout time for you to hop in the shower, kid,” Jake said. Holly’s jaw dropped when Tyler told everyone good night and headed out of the room. She stared after her brother and then back at Jake.

  “What have you done to my kid brother?” Holly narrowed her eyes.

  Jake grinned. “We made a deal. I told him he could have the attic room if he could show me he was man enough to follow the house rules and not whine.”

  She just shook her head. Jake was just the positive, male role model Tyler needed. Tyler seemed to agree.

  “I should get home, Jake,” Jenny interjected. “I have rounds to make in the morning.”

  Evan cleared his throat, eyes focused on the far wall. “I’ll take you, so Jake can get Holly settled for her first night.”

  Jenny’s brow furrowed, worry clouding her features. Before she could refuse, Holly jumped in. “Great, Evan. That’s so thoughtful.”

  He grimaced and said self-deprecatingly, “I manage it every once in a while. I’ll get my car.”

  After he’d left, Jake asked Jenny, “Will you be okay?”

  She nodded, but her brows were still drawn together. “We’ve sidestepped each other for almost two years. It was bound to come to a head. I guess tonight’s the night.” Jenny pulled on her coat and gave them a wan smile as Evan honked out in the driveway.

  Jake touched her arm. “You have our number if you need it.”

  “Thanks.” She hurried from the room and a moment later the sound of the door shutting drifted down the hall.

  Our number…like they were a family. No. Holly shouldn’t think that way. She’d said she wanted to be friends, and that’s how it needed to stay. Depending on Jake was too easy.

  Noelle chose that moment to cry, and Holly hurried to get her. Practicalities were what she should concentrate on.

  * * * *

  Evan didn’t open the car door, Jenny noticed. Just another sign of how their relationship had deteriorated. Evan had always stood apart. He’d had class. His family counted themselves among the area’s original settlers, but they had always been just a bit different, a little more refined than most families. The Richardsons traveled to New York and Washington. His father
had served two terms in the United States Senate before he abruptly retired from the political scene.

  His parents had been appalled when Evan chose to date Jenny Owens, whose mother had long since taken off for parts unknown and whose father everyone knew made the best moonshine around. Of course nobody said that out loud, but they still lined up to buy it. The funny thing was her daddy was just as upset she was dating “one o’ them snooty Richardsons” and she’d never understood why.

  Her father had wanted her to get out of the Blue Ridge, to be a doctor in some big city, anywhere besides Mountain Meadow. Jenny wanted to come home. They both got their wish. And so had Evan’s parents. They’d wanted whatever would keep Jenny Owens away from their golden boy. For more than a decade, she and Evan had stayed as far away from each other as possible.

  Jenny buckled her seat belt and sat in the passenger seat. After a brief glance, Evan put the car in gear and headed out of town. Animosity filled the silence between them.

  “You surprise me.” Evan’s lip curled as he maneuvered over the twisty roads. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d allow any competition for Jake.”

  “Competition? Jake and I are friends,” she snapped as Evan turned onto the long road leading to her house.

  “Would that be friends like you were with half the basketball team?” Evan’s tone changed from just biting to as cutting as a hunter gutting his kill. While she was still reeling from that, he stopped in front of her house and added, “I guess it’s a good thing you got rid of your baby, huh. It might have been a little difficult to ask half the senior class to take paternity tests.”

  Dead silence reigned for just a fraction of a second as she struggled through the pain drowning her. Her hands shook so much she fumbled with the seat belt. Jenny sobbed in frustration before it loosened so she could rip open the door. As the overhead light blazed, Evan sucked in his breath, but Jenny barely spared him a glance before she ran for her house. She had to get away from him, away from the pain.