Failsafe

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  Luckily, this was her first time coming here. Though she had crisscrossed through several towns in the northern part of Virginia, she hadn’t used any kind of transportation this far south. She kept up with Jake’s easy gait, eager to buy some new clothes and change so she could blend in.

  You’re in a crowded mall with plenty of people around, she reminded herself. Act like there’s nothing to worry about, and maybe there won’t be.

  “Where do you want to start?” Jake asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Anywhere I can find some of the basics, maybe jeans and a T-shirt. I’d really like to change out of these clothes.”

  Jake grinned. “I can understand that. Let’s start over here.”

  They headed into a large department store, and he guided her to the women’s department. She tried to remember how much she had in her paycheck and budgeted how much she could stretch it in order to buy an adequate wardrobe.

  She picked up several pairs of jeans and some inexpensive T-shirts. After figuring out her size, she took a simplistic approach and chose three pairs of the same kind of jeans and a half dozen shirts in varying colors. After Jake paid for them, she chose an outfit to change into, returning a few minutes later feeling like a normal person for the first time in weeks. She had forgotten what it was like to wear jeans that really fit her.

  After rolling her old clothes up and stuffing them into her shopping bag, she left the dressing room and found Jake.

  “Wow. Those clothes look great on you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What else do you need to look for?”

  “I could use some new shoes.” She hesitated. She thought she might need a dress in case Jake took her out again, but she didn’t want to assume it would happen.

  He must have read her thoughts. “You should probably get a dress too in case we decide we want to go to the country club sometime.”

  They completed a few more purchases, and Charlotte wondered how to broach the awkward reality that she needed undergarments, items she didn’t particularly want to shop for with him. He must have figured as much out for himself.

  “Here,” Jake said, handing her a few bills. “I’m going to look over in the men’s department. Why don’t you finish up your shopping and meet me in front of the store in about twenty minutes.”

  “Sounds great. Thanks,” Charlotte said, relieved.

  Charlotte used her time well, buying those personal items she needed as well as adding a few things she found on a sale rack as she was heading to the front of the store. When she met Jake a little while later, he motioned to a restaurant a short distance away.

  “Why don’t we go get something to eat?” Jake suggested.

  “Don’t you think you’ve punished your sister enough?”

  “Not nearly.”

  “Jake, I feel bad. It’s not her fault I was wearing your mom’s clothes.”

  “No, but it was definitely her fault that she was such a brat about it. It’s not like she’s made any effort to come get any of our mom’s stuff since the funeral. And it’s not like she would wear any of it anyway. She’s never been one to wear a hand-me-down.”

  “This can’t be easy for her,” Charlotte said. “When was the last time you talked to her?”

  “Not since she left after the will was read. I’ve tried calling her once or twice, but she never answered.”

  “At least you made the effort.”

  He took her hand and changed the subject. “Come on. Let’s grab a quick bite. If you want, we can take something back for Kennedy and my grandma. Grandma loves the pecan pie at this place.”

  “Okay, but I don’t want to take too long.”

  “We won’t. I promise.”

  * * *

  Jake felt Hannah’s tension rising as they neared the house, undoubtedly matching his own. Even though he’d been cavalier about punishing Kennedy for her rudeness, he wasn’t looking forward to facing her when they returned. He half expected her car to be gone when they arrived home, but it was still there, parked right in front of the house, along with a little sports car.

  Abigail and Stella were sitting on the front porch, but Kennedy wasn’t anywhere in sight. Jake wasn’t surprised to see the knitting needles in his grandmother’s hands, her fingers working the yarn as the two women enjoyed the late-evening weather.

  “I’ll get the door for you.” Jake circled around and helped Hannah out of the car. Together they unloaded all of their purchases from the truck, then walked toward the porch.

  “Hey, Stella. Where’s Kennedy?” Jake asked.

  “She’s inside with Desiree.”

  “Desiree?” Jake repeated, annoyance quickly overshadowing his surprise. So much for Kennedy spending time with his grandmother.

  “Yeah.” The look on Stella’s face indicated she shared his sentiment. “She came over a couple hours ago.”

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect you to stay over here so long.”

  “Oh, it’s not a problem. We’ve had a nice evening, haven’t we, Abigail?”

  His grandmother looked up, a little confused. She seemed to realize that a response was expected of her, so she said, “Yes, of course.”

  “What are you making there, Miss Abigail?” Hannah asked, stepping forward.

  “A new blanket for my son.”

  A swift and piercing sense of loss swept over Jake. He swallowed hard, fighting against it. Hannah took his hand and squeezed it. She motioned to the to-go bag from the restaurant and changed the subject. “We brought you some pecan pie. Have you already eaten dinner?”

  “Yes. We heated up the leftover salmon in the fridge, and we baked the rolls you left rising. I hope that’s okay,” Stella said.

  “That’s perfect. That was my original plan for dinner tonight,” Hannah said. “Would you like to join us for some pie?”

  “It looks like you have some things to put away.” Stella waved toward the horizon. “I think we’ll enjoy the sunset for a bit longer, and then we’ll come in and join you.”

  “Sounds good,” Hannah agreed.

  Jake gave Hannah’s hand a squeeze and opened the door. He gestured her inside, but she hesitated. “Maybe you should go first,” she said quietly.

  “It’ll be fine,” Jake promised.

  Warily, Hannah stepped inside and immediately heard laughter in the living room.

  It died down the moment Kennedy saw Jake. “It’s about time you got home.” She stood up from where she and Desiree had been sitting in the living room, an old yearbook open on the coffee table.

  Jake checked the curt response burning on his tongue and instead held up the bag from the restaurant. “I brought a pie home. Would you two like to join us?”

  “That’s what you’ve been doing this whole time? You went out to dinner while I was babysitting?”

  Jake started to comment and was surprised when Hannah stepped forward. “Miss Abigail doesn’t need to be babysat. She just needs company.”

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” Kennedy shot back.

  “Knock it off, Kennedy. Hannah’s right,” Jake said, suddenly grateful his parents had named him the trustee for his grandmother’s care instead of his sister. He slid his arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “I certainly don’t ever want to make you feel unwelcome here, but if you’re going to act this way, you know where the door is.”

  “You said I could come and take a look at our mother’s things. I certainly didn’t expect to come home and find her clothes on another woman.”

  “You didn’t even tell me you were coming,” Jake countered. “Like I told you, Hannah needed something to wear. We both know that if Mom was still alive, she would have been the first to offer Hannah something out of her closet. Besides, if you were so concerned about Mom’s things, you could have come over weeks ago.”

  “This is the first chance I’ve had. I was in the Bahamas for a few weeks.”

  “Again, your choice.” Jake stopped making an effort to keep his
temper in check. “I can’t believe you’re mad about spending a few hours with Grandma when you’ve spent the past few weeks vacationing. This is unbelievable. I’ve been here this whole time, trying to work and spending at least a little time every day with Grandma. And Hannah has done nothing but try to keep our grandmother safe and happy.”

  Up until then, Desiree hadn’t said anything. Now she stood up, sending an appraising look at Hannah. “Kennedy, I suppose I should get going. Let me know if you want to swing by later.”

  “I will. Thanks.” Kennedy gave Desiree a quick hug.

  Desiree headed for the door, stopping short of where Jake and Hannah stood. “It’s good to see you, Jake.”

  Jake simply nodded, relieved when Desiree showed herself out and he heard the door close behind her.

  “I’d better put this stuff upstairs.” Hannah held up her shopping bags. She took the other ones Jake held and left Jake and Kennedy alone.

  As soon as she left, Kennedy crossed her arms over her chest. Silence stretched out between them for several long seconds. Slowly her defensive posture relaxed slightly, and her voice took on a softer tone. “Jake, this is really hard, okay? I wasn’t expecting to see another woman here, especially not one wearing our mom’s favorite shirt.”

  “Kennedy, I can understand that, but it’s time you stop thinking everything is all about you.”

  Kennedy ignored the jibe and waved a hand toward the stairwell. “So you said this girl has been helping take care of Grandma?”

  “That’s right. She was between jobs and agreed to stay here and help me out.”

  “I have to admit, I was surprised when Desiree said you had a girlfriend living here. You’ve always been so particular about protecting that proper reputation of yours.”

  “Which is why Hannah lives in the house with Grandma, and I live in my apartment.” Jake heard Hannah coming back down the stairs, and he didn’t miss the way her footsteps slowed as she reached the bottom landing. He waited for her to reappear before continuing. “Maybe we should try this again.” He reached out his hand to Hannah and drew her back into the living room. “Hannah, this is my sister, Kennedy Goodwin. Kennedy, this is my girlfriend, Hannah Thomas.”

  Kennedy hesitated briefly before offering a curt nod of greeting.

  Jake was amazed to see Hannah make the first real attempt to bridge the gap between them. “I know this has been a tough time for your family. I never meant to make it worse.”

  Some of the rigidness in Kennedy’s posture eased.

  The front door opened, and Stella and Abigail walked inside. “Is it time for pie?”

  Jake nodded. “I think it is.”

  Chapter 31

  Jake watched Hannah lead his grandmother out of the kitchen and toward her room to make sure she took all of her medications.

  “So what’s the deal with you two?” Kennedy asked as soon as they were alone.

  “Just because I used to date your best friend doesn’t mean you can dictate my social life. There hasn’t been anything serious between Desiree and me in years.”

  Her voice became wistful. “I just always thought the two of you would end up together.”

  “I think it’s time you get over that idea. It’s never going to happen.” Jake motioned to the doorway. “Do you want to go look through Mom and Dad’s things?”

  He noticed the way Kennedy braced against the thought. She’s hurting too, Jake reminded himself. In fact, had it not been for Hannah’s need for clothing, he doubted he would have gone into his parents’ bedroom yet either. His voice gentled. “We have to do it eventually. I promise I’ll be right there with you.”

  They walked upstairs in silence, both of them inherently slowing their steps as they approached their parents’ bedroom. When they reached the doorway, Kennedy stopped and turned to face him. “It feels like if we go through their things, we’re admitting they’re really gone.”

  “I know what you mean.” Jake put a comforting hand on her arm.

  “This feels so weird.”

  A random thought struck Jake. “Were you in the Bahamas to get away from life in general or to hide from the memories?”

  “A little of both, I think.” Kennedy walked inside the bedroom, undoubtedly noticing, as Jake had, how little had changed. She stood rooted just inside the door, her voice surprisingly sincere when she said, “I’m sorry about how I acted with Hannah.”

  “It’s okay. She knows how hard the past few weeks have been.” Jake crossed to his mother’s bedside table and picked up her packing list, tucking it into her top drawer. The last thing he needed right now when they were finally trying to bridge their relationship was to remind his sister where his parents had been heading when they’d been killed. “Do you want any of Mom’s clothes? I don’t know if any of them will fit you . . .” Jake trailed off and opened the closet door. He felt tears sting his eyes and fought against the sensation.

  Kennedy walked into the closet, zeroing in on the formal gowns. When she turned back to face him, her eyes were moist too. “Do you remember this one? That was the last one she wore to the country club.”

  “For Jim’s wedding, right?”

  “Yeah. It was just a few weeks before the accident.”

  She stepped farther into the closet, running her hand along the length of silk as though touching the garment might bring back some piece of what she’d lost. “I don’t know if I’m ready to start giving stuff away yet.”

  “There’s no real reason we have to rush. Is there anything you want to take home with you now though?”

  She turned in a full circle, looking at the various clothing articles hanging in the closet.

  “You’re right. None of this is likely to fit me anyway.” She fingered the formal gown again.

  “Why don’t you take that one with you? You can always give it away later if you want.”

  “That’s true.” Kennedy removed it from the rack, along with two others. She moved to the bed and laid them down before crossing to look in the jewelry box on their mother’s dresser. Most of the expensive pieces had been willed to Kennedy, the only exception being their mother’s engagement ring, which had been left to Jake with the intent that he would someday give it to the woman he chose to marry.

  Over the next hour, Jake and Kennedy sorted through some of their parents’ things, each of them selecting certain items they wanted to keep for themselves. It wasn’t until Kennedy asked if she could stay the night that Jake realized it was the first time in years he had spent time with his sister without some kind of conflict.

  When Kennedy started to leave the bedroom, Jake reached out and put his hand on her arm. “I’m glad you came home.”

  His words had clearly surprised her. “I am too.”

  * * *

  Charlotte had nearly finished cleaning the kitchen when Jake walked in by himself. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah. We went through some of Mom and Dad’s things, shed a few tears.” Jake shrugged self-consciously. “It was something we needed to do.”

  “Where is your sister now?”

  “She’s up in her room. She said she wanted to call Scott before it gets too late.”

  “Her husband?”

  “Yeah.”

  Charlotte finished drying one of the cookie sheets she had used earlier. After she slid it into the cabinet where it belonged, she turned to face him. “How are you doing?”

  “It still hurts,” Jake admitted.

  “I know.” Charlotte stepped toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood there in silence, both giving and receiving comfort.

  Jake shifted so he could look down at her, his hands sliding to rest on the small of her back. “In all of the confusion today, I forgot to tell you I found the birth certificate for the little girl from your newspaper article.”

  Excitement and hope took flight. “You did?”

  “Yeah. The parents’ names were just as they were listed in the obituaries, b
ut I did get the mother’s maiden name. It was Tomov. The older woman in the car was probably the girl’s grandmother.”

  “Did it say where they were from?”

  “No. It only gave their names.” Jake took a step back and leaned against the counter. “I tried looking for them here in Virginia but came up empty.”

  “Thanks for trying.” A touch of disappointment crept into her voice.

  “Don’t give up yet. We can still search in other states.”

  “With a last name like Tomov, it’s possible I may have to look in other countries.”

  “One step at a time. We’ll get there.”

  “I don’t know if I have time.” Now regret sounded in her words. “My meeting in Raleigh is in four days.”

  “Even if you can’t keep working here, that doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again.” He must have sensed her hesitation because the expression on his face instantly became wary. “I will see you again, won’t I?”

  “I hope so,” she said, her voice low.

  Jake shifted and slid his hands to her shoulders. “Hannah, no matter what, I want to see you again.”

  “I want that too.” Charlotte reached up and kissed him, refusing to think about when this would have to end.

  Chapter 32

  Charlotte walked into the house with a stack of mail in her hand, Abigail keeping pace beside her. As they often did, the two women had followed the long path from the house to the mailbox after finishing lunch. Keeping with their routine, as soon as they arrived in the living room, Abigail sat down and took the mail from Charlotte to sort it. The task was simple, but Charlotte recognized that it was likely one Abigail had been doing for many years.

  She adeptly stacked the various bills together in one pile and personal correspondence in another. Charlotte was a bit surprised at the amount of mail Abigail received, but her love of genealogy had resulted in a number of pen pals who still appreciated the dying art of writing letters that required stamps. Abigail stopped her sorting and held up an official-looking white envelope. “This one is for you.”