She glanced at the fridge, trying to care about its lack of food. Wondering about the very essentials, she took a peek at the coffee and saw the bottom of the can. She went to get her shoes and purse, hoping the cool air outside would shrink her puffy face.
Once at the store, she wandered the aisles. Everything and nothing sounded good at the moment. The only thing in her stubby little cart was a small can of clearance sale coffee. She stared at it, breaking her trance when someone needed by her. Lunchmeat, eggs, bread, milk, tissues, and probably toilet paper. The little ache started at the back of her throat again and worked its way up to her nose. She refused to cry and refocused on what to buy. Before she reached the end of the aisle, her phone rang. It was Maxine and Alexandra schooled her voice into a casual tone instead of a tearful one. Her heart couldn’t bear saying the story aloud so soon, and she answered. “Hello, Max.”
“Hey, Ax. Is everything all right?”
“Sure, why?” She’d managed to squeak that much out before tears welled up in her eyes.
“Hayden called and said he couldn’t reach you.”
He’d made his choice and the right one too. She needed to respect that. He also needed to respect that she’d need time to care less for him. Alexandra forced down the emotional in favor of casual. “I’ve blocked him from my phone for now.”
“What? Why would you do that? He’s worried about you.”
She’d had to hold the phone away from her ear at the first screeched word and gradually bring it back in as Maxine talked. Still struggling for calm, she replied, “That’s nice of him to say, but he’s made his decision and needs to stick with it.” She glanced at her phone’s time, wondering if she had any excuse to end the call before the water works began again. Without thinking of how it sounded, she said, “He needs to stop calling me.”
“Oh man. Something bad must have gone down last night. Do you need to talk?”
The concern in her friend’s voice hit Alexandra’s gut. She needed to fake going through a tunnel or something before starting an ugly cry here in the frozen foods section. “No, not at the moment. I’m at Albertsons and about to check out. All he needs to know from you about me is whatever relationship we had has run its course and is over. Sad but true.”
“Sure, I’ll tell him, but honestly? You’re making a big mistake.”
“We’ll talk later, ok? I’ve not bought the tissues yet.”
“Aw, poor girl. Call me when you’re ready for company.”
“Will do. Bye.”
“Bye.”
She clicked the phone off and slid it into her purse. Ice cream sounded good in theory, as did everything else in the store. Her stomach grew queasy at the thought of chewing and eating anything. Ice cream, though. That would sit well. She wandered the store after leaving the frozen foods aisles. A few things found their way into her basket and tears threatened when seeing a can of cat food with a picture looking like Lily on it. She did a laugh-sob at her own foolishness. Work was going to be “fun” for a while, until the hurt eased a little.
In the checkout line, she loaded her few items onto the belt, auto responding to the clerk’s cheery questions. She found some cash and handed it over when seeing the total. While the change was being counted, rationalizing consumed her mind. Knowing how he had made the right choice, how they’d not had much of a relationship anyway, more like a one night stand, and it’s not like he died and she’d never see him again. A little flutter of hope began before the checker girl startled Alexandra from her trance.
“Ma’am, your money and receipt?”
Her face burned as she took the bundle of coins and paper. “Oh, of course, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Seeing the girl focused on the next customer, Alexandra grabbed her two grocery bags and headed for the car. One night. One single night of ice cream, sad movies, and crying before she was done with pining for Hayden Wells.
Two weeks later, Alexandra opened the last bill for Sheila’s burial. She made out the check, sealing it in and dropping it in the outgoing box. Like every time she did this task since Stan’s near confession, a heavy mantle of depression settled in around her shoulders. No one was ever perfect, but her sister in law deserved better.
“Yuck, bills.” Brenda came over to her, holding a kitten. “This little guy appreciates you paying them, though. Your trouble every month gives him something to eat.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” She swiveled in the office chair and took his paw. Shaking it like he was a business associate, she added, “You’re welcome, Henry. I work to keep you in kibble.”
Letting the kitten chew on her hair, Brenda continued to stand near her desk. “Ginny said you got a letter from Stan.”
“Really? Ginny’s a nosy busy body.”
The front receptionist’s voice floated to the front. “I heard that.”
“Good!” Alexandra said and smiled up at her assistant. “I’ve not read it just yet. Let’s see what he says.”
“Saving the best for last?”
“More like ignoring until the last possible moment.” She pulled out the page and read, paraphrasing out loud. “He says something about hey, nice to get a letter that does him no good. He’s thanking me for not wasting my gas on him by driving over.”
Ginny peeked in, saying, “That’s not passive aggressive.”
Laughing at the woman’s exaggerated sarcasm, Alexandra agreed with a grin. “No, not at all.” She scanned down the page, each sentence hurting her.
“Uh oh.”
She glanced up, knowing the other women had heard the worry. “No, it’s fine. He’s just really angry about me not seducing Mr. Wells into freeing him and my not wanting to visit so often.” She sighed. “He’ll switch back to convincing before going to using guilt. Stan says if he didn’t send me to college, I’d be hooking on the streets.”
Brenda snorted, startling Henry. “Right, because you had no ambition of your own. He’s an idiot.” Covering her mouth, her eyes wide, she added, “I mean, not a nice guy. Sorry about that,” in a muffled voice.
Ginny nodded, her eyes big too, as if they were both in trouble with Alexandra. “He’s not nice at all, doctor. I’d feel bad for him, but he’s brought all this on himself.” The front door jingled and she disappeared.
She smiled a little at Brenda so the woman would stop feeling bad about being blunt. “Just as well we have a patient. I need to get these done, and you two need to quit telling me the truth about my brother.”
“I’ll put up this little guy and get the new arrival’s vitals.”
Alexandra nodded and went back to writing checks to go out in today’s mail. Everything else had been paid electronically. She closed out the spreadsheet, glad to have a positive balance no matter how small it was. Her phone rang before she could stand, and glancing down, she saw it was Ginny calling her. “Hello?”
“The sheriff is on the line and needs to talk with you. Do you have time, or should I take a message?”
A little curl of icy fear formed in the middle of her stomach. “Have him hold for just a minute while I tell Brenda.”
“All right.”
She went over to the exam room door and peeked in. “Brenda,” she began before pausing to greet her patient. “Hi there, Spike! Be right with you.” She turned to her assistant. “I need to answer a phone call but will be back in just a little while, all right?”
“Sure,” she said and the owner nodded too.
“Thanks, this won’t take long.” She smiled at them before remembering what waited for her at the other end of the line. At her desk, she picked up the phone and hit the hold button. “Dr. Bromley speaking. May I help you?”
“Yeah, Ms. Bromley, there’s been some trouble at your brother’s place. When was the last time you were out there?”
Not calling her doctor raised her hackles but she let it pass. She tried to think back to when she drove by and pinned down the time. “A couple of weeks ago. Wha
t sort of trouble do you mean?”
“The place burned down.”
“No,” escaped her before she gritted her teeth. Why was she surprised? This disaster had always been a possibility, with or without Stan.
“Yep. Some people living there started a fire that got out of control. Said they didn’t mean it to happen.”
“Who are these people and why were they camped out there on our property?”
“They said they knew Stan and were his friends. He’d given them permission to live there while he was gone. They were supposed to keep up the place and not hassle you.”
Alexandra put a hand to her forehead. Not hassling her meant not letting her know they were out there. “I see. Is there anything salvageable?” As soon as the question left her, she knew it was a dumb thing to ask. If there were any family belongings still in one piece, they’d carry them off.
“Afraid not, ma’am. The truck seems to be good, just missing its tires.”
“Oh? It had them on a couple of weeks ago. Maybe Stan’s friends needed them.” The angry sarcasm escaped her before she could stop it.
“Wouldn’t know about that ma’am. If you want, I can meet you out there to see if there’s anything you want, even if it’s burnt.”
“Sure, let’s meet at 6:30 this evening. Is that good?”
“Yes, ma’am, see you then.”
“Thank you for calling, officer.” She glanced down when her cell phone buzzed. A text from Max waited for her. “Is there anything I need to do?”
“Call the insurance. I’ll file a report and you can get the incident number when it’s ready.”
“Thank you again, officer.” She hung up after his click and read her text. Maxine asked if she knew about the fire. Alexandra marveled at how her friends knew things almost before they happened. Shaking her head at Maxine’s ability, she sent a quick text of yes and call you later before going in to see her patient.
An afternoon of routine exams was her favorite way to spend the rest of the day. No one needed anything more serious than a medical diet prescription. She stared at the computer, knowing the records needed updating before anyone left for the day. Her phone’s intercom buzzed, and she picked up the receiver. “Yes, Ginny?”
“You have a phone call on line one.”
Alexandra grinned. They had two lines and no one ever called to chat over the ancient fax line. Yet Ginny couldn’t break the habit. “Very well, thank you.” Clicking the nefarious line one, she said, “Hello, Dr. Bromley speaking. How may I help you?”
“Hello, doctor. That was exactly my question. How can I help you?”
Hayden. She didn’t want to talk to him, since one heartbreak was enough today. Still, she couldn’t be rude just because his career meant more to him than her. She settled for a neutral tone, wanting to shelve all this until later. “I’m fine. You don’t need to do anything for me.”
“I heard about the fire.”
“Oh.” She quelled the urge to sigh at the hurt in hearing his voice retelling the news. Determined to get through this, she said, “Thank you, but I have no idea of what it looks like out there. I’m still at work.”
“Yeah, I guessed you would be.”
“Right, of course you know my hours. Sorry, it’s been a long day. My brain has already checked out.”
“I understand. Do you want me to go out there with you, in case you need support or anything?”
He really was a decent guy. A little wash of pain went through her again, missing him. “No, it’s great of you to ask, but I’m good. This is something I both dreaded and expected.” She glanced at the computer’s time. “Speaking of good, I need to let you go and close up for the day. Otherwise, I’d procrastinate on going out there until Stan came home.”
“That might be a while.”
She smiled, enjoying the amusement she heard in his voice, and said, “Exactly.”
A couple of seconds passed until he added, “Very well, take care and call if I can help in any way.”
“Will do and you too.”
After placing the receiver back in its cradle, she closed her eyes. He still lured her in like little marshmallows to a hot cocoa junkie. Every part of her body cried for her to call him back, while her mind said something about work. Tasks still hung out there to do, plus she had an appointment with a deputy. Alexandra shook her head and hurried to update the last patient’s records. Her mind was right. He was a great guy, but his life didn’t include her.
Ginny peeked in. “Everything’s done up front, and the door is locked. Anything else?”
“Nope.” She leaned back in her chair. “Brenda? About done?”
“Yeah, finishing up now.” She walked around the corner. “Skippy is our only overnight and he’s good.”
“Great. You two can go. I’m almost done and there’s no need in you both hanging around until then.”
They exchanged a glance before Ginny said, “We heard about the farm and are sorry. Do you need us to go with you this evening?”
“No, that’s ok. The sheriff is meeting me out there at 6:30 which means I need to wrap this up. So stop worrying and go home already.”
“Yes, boss.” Ginny gave her a salute and Brenda nodded, both going for their purses and coats.
Alexandra turned back to the screen, finishing up her notes. By the time she powered down, she had just enough time to get out there. After locking up, she didn’t go much above the speed limit in case the sheriff was behind her. Her budget didn’t allow for a ticket.
Reaching the farm, she saw the patrol car with no one inside. She sat, staring at what was left of her childhood home, allowing the shock to crowd out sensibility. Alone, she could indulge in sorrow without pity. The familiar tickle of tears behind her eyelids began. When she left for college, Stan had declared her on her own and this wasn’t her home any more. He’d been kind enough to let her stay during semester breaks, but as a guest. Alexandra squinted at the memory of feeling like an intruder and a bother each time she slept in her childhood bed.
Turning the ignition off, she shook her head. None of this mattered. Each time she’d returned, something she wanted to keep had gone into her suitcase or duffle bag. After every visit, she looked back at the house in case it was the last time she’d ever see it. She took a deep breath and exhaled into the car’s warm air. The dreaded event had finally happened.
The home was flattened, only a brick chimney and various pipes standing. She smelled the charred remains before stepping out of her car. In the late sunlight, long shadows stretched as if reaching for the east. She walked around the ruin, careful to stay back in case of any investigation. The ever-present wind blew black and gray ash away with the western winds. She shook her head at the total damage. There were so many should haves in her mind that when Deputy Parker came over to her, the interruption was a relief. She spoke first. “I suppose it was over before any fire trucks could get here.”
“I’m afraid so, ma’am.”
“Thank you for meeting me. Is there anything I need to do or statement I need to give?”
He held out an envelope. “I have your incident report for insurance. It’s all that’s necessary since you weren’t here yourself.”
She stopped just short of flinching. He couldn’t know how guilty Alexandra felt and couldn’t mean any slight. Stan would have, a little voice sounding suspiciously like Max’s said in her mind. She smiled at the deputy. “I’m assuming the people living here told you exactly what happened?”
“Yes, ma’am. They said the fire started in the wood stove.”
A bitter laugh escaped her before she could stop it. “Well, that’s the problem. There was no wood stove in the house. They’re either lying or installed one without my knowing.”
“Would they have told your brother?”
“Possibly, if they told anyone at all.” She shook her head. “None of this matters now. Looks like everything is gone.” Squatting, Alexandra poked at a charred book, not recogn
izing it. “When did the fire happen? Seems like it’s been longer than a day or two.”
“Tuesday, ma’am. It took us time to call you after getting a hold of your brother.”
She hated being the last one to know important things like this and worked to keep her temper in check. “You talked to him? He knows about this?”
“Yes, we called him at Rawlings after talking with his friends.”
She took out her cell phone, starting the camera app. Stan would want details from her and who knew how long it’d be before she visited or called him again? She’d need something concrete for him to examine. The one remaining cottonwood tree’s leaves rustled like running water, adding to the clicks her phone made while taking photos.
He followed her to the other side of the building’s foundation. “It’s almost too dark for pictures, ma’am.”
Pausing before snapping the shutter yet again, she gave him a little smile. “You’re right, but I have to do what I can. When I visit my brother later, he’ll want to know everything and these photos will help.”
He nodded, his thumbs in his belt loops. “Most likely.”
“These pictures will help him see that I’m telling him the truth.” She walked around the house for different angles, the deputy still following her. Lining up the wide view shot, she asked, “None of his friends were hurt?”
“No, ma’am, they got out fine.”
A relieved sigh escaped her. She doubted Stan had insurance on the place since she’d not seen that bill yet. Knowing his track record, they could be dead or injured and the bill collectors would be the first to tell her about it months later. “Where are they now?”
“Who knows? I have their cell number if you need to call them.”
Did she need or want to contact Stan’s friends after this? “No, that’s fine. This is all up to Stan, anyway. He doesn’t want me making changes to the house and land.” The sun dipped below the western mountains, making photos of the blackened remnants difficult. She closed the app and pocketed her phone.
The Very Worst Man Page 13
