Almost Home

by Caroline Clemmons

"Aw, it'll probably be easier once you get the first round of repairs taken care of." Eddy stood up and pushed his chair up to the desk. His lean frame made him appear taller than his six feet. "Well, that was the last of my paperwork. I'm out of here. Maybe we'll get some rain to cool off the weather and tempers."

  "Hope so. Take it easy, Eddy."

  Link watched Eddy place his paperwork in the file basket and leave the room. Too bad Travis and Evans hinted at a leak in the sheriff’s office. Link could use a friend and the younger man seemed like a nice sort. But how could he trust anyone now?

  Chapter Eight

  Anna Zimmermann stood at the curb admiring a narrow building on Cartersville's town square. Sunlight glistened off the front window of the refurbished building that now belonged to her brother. Sparkling gold letters outlined in black proclaimed Vince Bertolli, Jr., Attorney At Law.

  A hot breeze swirled around the cars in the street, carried dust twirling around her, and tossed strands of her hair across her eyes. Three blocks away, the bells of St. Stephens Presbyterian Church pealed the hour.

  She smoothed her hair from her face. "Your name looks very nice, Counselor."

  "I agree. In fact, I’m feeling pretty important about now.” He puffed out his chest and made a muscle with his arm. “Maybe even invincible."

  She punched his arm playfully. “Still think I was wrong about gutting the building?”

  “Okay, you want blood, I’ll admit it. You were right, a patch job would have been a big mistake. Looks great, doesn’t it?”

  "Lucky would be so proud of you." She wondered again how different their lives would have been if her stepfather had not died at such a young age.

  "It's what Dad wanted for me. Heck, it's what he wanted for himself. I like to think he knows and is pleased." He took her elbow and guided her into the office. "But it's pretty scary when I think I’ve left a prosperous firm in Dallas to go out on my own."

  “You’d have been a partner soon if you’d stayed at Roberts and Schneider. Still—“

  “Still, this is what we’ve planned since we were kids. But sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and think I must be crazy to have given up the security of a lucrative job to come here and start over.”

  Anna stopped. “Are you sorry you came?”

  He smiled. “Not a bit. The feeling soon passes, and I know this is the right thing for me.”

  "That's not how I felt at all when I took the position at the university here. I loved it at once. I’d worried I wouldn’t fit in, but I've already made friends."

  He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, this Kathy person you're always raving about seems to be your favorite." He perched a hip on the desk and regarded her with that expression she labeled one of amused indulgence.

  She sat in the Queen Anne chair nearby and leaned forward. “Oh, Vince, I wish you'd let me introduce you to Kathy. She'd be perfect for you."

  He shook his head and held up a hand to stay her enthusiasm, his indulgence apparently at an end. "Oh, no, thank you very much. Don't want 'perfect for me' right now. Building my client list and scoring a few big courtroom wins come first."

  She had every confidence in his ability. Hadn’t she seen him in action in the courtroom and in the boardroom? “Hmm, maybe you should stock up on crossword puzzles and magazines just in case.”

  “You don’t mean that?”

  She grinned. “Had you going, didn’t I?”

  “Not for a minute. Besides, in addition to the clients who followed me, I’ll have some court appointed cases. It’ll be gradual, but I’ll be fine.”

  "You’ll be a success here, there’s no doubt. But you need companionship, too. Kathy is such fun. You know how I hate cops, but her brother's a cop and I still like her."

  He slid off the desk and sat across from her, then took her hand. He turned serious and she braced herself for his words.

  “I hated Dad’s death as much as you did, Anna. But you have to get over this thing of blaming all policemen.”

  She sensed her face heat with anger. “How can you say that? Lucky was your father, and they gunned him down as if he were a rabid skunk. Worse, we were forced to watch.”

  “But keeping that pain alive doesn’t bring him back. Anna, you have to put it behind you.”

  She wanted to scream at him that he wasn’t the one that had opened the door to the murderous dogs who killed her beloved stepfather. Instead, she closed her eyes against the pain. The hateful scene sprang to her mind as real and vivid as if it had happened only minutes ago instead of when she was twelve.

  Vince sat near the fireplace. Her mom, Claudia, curled on the white sofa, looking as young as she wanted people to believe she really was. Beside Claudia, Lucky sat relaxed and smiling.

  The bell peeled and Anna, always eager to please her family, rushed to open the door. Two Dallas policemen pushed in, making her stumble backward. She wondered how they could be so rude? She turned to her stepfather for guidance.

  He rose to greet the men. She saw the look on Lucky’s face when he realized these men had come to kill him. She glanced back in time to see the policemen draw their guns and fire as Lucky pushed her out of harm’s way. Facing certain death, Lucky fought to save her life.

  Banish that horrid night from the past? No way. Often as she had fought against the pain, it remained, simmering just below the façade of calm she forced for others.

  Anna took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “Maybe the memory won’t bring Lucky back. Perhaps remembering how happy we were until then won’t help, but it reminds me not to trust anyone in law enforcement. Not ever.”

  He raised a brow and tilted his head. “Does that include me?”

  Embarrassed now, she snapped, “Of course not. You know very well what I mean. You may be an officer of the court, but you’re not a policeman. You don’t have the power to invade people’s homes and hold them at your mercy—or lack of it.”

  Sorrow softened his dark eyes. “Anna, no one has that power, at least not legally. You know those were two rotten apples in a very big barrel. Not all cops are on the take.”

  “I know.” And she knew what had happened to the two who killed Lucky. Knowing those men were also dead didn’t help bring Lucky back.

  “And Dad wasn’t blameless. I loved him as much as you did, but we have to face what he did.”

  “But he was trying to get out of the business, to go legit.”

  “He was a criminal, Anna. For fifteen years.”

  “I know now the chances he took to try and change his life, and why he dared try. To be a good husband and father, for you and mom and me. Because he loved us.”

  Vince said, “Yeah, well everyone has heard those Mafia boys don’t have a pension plan. He knew that and took the risk.”

  “How can you be so callous about your own father?”

  He scrubbed a hand across his face and stood. “Look, we’ve been all through this before. I miss him, too, but we have to go forward.”

  She nodded, unable to speak calmly.

  He continued, “Coming here is what we planned, what we’ve worked toward all these years while we took care of Grandma Bertolli.”

  Shrugging, she said, “Like I don’t know this?”

  “Apparently you need reminding. We uprooted ourselves from Dallas to move to Hometown USA and build a wholesome future. What’s the point unless we put the past behind us and really start over?”

  She looked away, hating that she’d spoiled this nice day for him with her old hatreds. “Yeah, well, I’m trying, Vince.”

  “Anna?” he yelled.

  “Okay!” She met his gaze. “I promise. I’m working hard on my attitude and it’s . . . it’s better.” And she’d keep trying.

  He crossed his arms. “How often do you have that nightmare now?”

  He probably meant the one where she saw Lucky’s death again and awoke screaming, not the one about the death of the two policemen. “N--not as often.”

  Hoping t
o change the topic before he asked more, she said, “Anyway, as I was saying, I like Kathy Dixon even though her brother is a cop. No, actually, I think he’s a deputy sheriff.

  "Dixon? Link Dixon?"

  “You know him?”

  "From Dallas. Good man. Heard he'd moved back here but hadn't run across him yet. What with setting up things here I haven’t had a chance to look him up."

  "Kathy said he lives in that big house on the hill sort of across the street from me—I mean from Professor Bennett's house—so I’ll probably meet him."

  He grinned and his dark eyes sparkled. "Maybe I should warn him.”

  She gave him her most fearful glare, but it didn’t faze him.

  “Sorry,” he said and laughed to prove the opposite. “You're lucky to live in the Bennett's house.”

  She agreed. Though she refused to admit her superstitions aloud, she believed Cartersville was their destiny. How else could she explain landing an assistant professor’s position in a university in which there was almost no turnover? Or being contacted by a professor who wanted a house sitter while he accepted a year’s grant position at the Smithsonian? It had to be ordained, nothing else explained it.

  Vince walked away, paced the room, then stopped to stare out the front window. “I can’t tell you how much I hate living in an apartment."

  Anna rose and went to stand beside him. With him an inch less than six feet, her three-inch heels boosted her to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

  Of course, they looked nothing alike. His olive complexion and solid, stocky build contrasted with her pale skin, red hair and lanky body. Vince's dad, Lucky, had married her mom, Claudia Claiborne Zimmermann, twenty-three years ago. For three years their lives had been perfect, but in her memory it was the favorite period of her life.

  Almost immediately Anna and Vince had bonded as closely as if they'd been born fraternal twins. They considered themselves related and she defied anyone to say otherwise, no matter what their dirty minds implied because of Vince’s and her closeness. She and Vince were family in heart, if not blood. Together they'd been through happy times and terrible times.

  Really terrible times.

  Now they had started over, determined to plant roots in a community where each could meet the right person, marry, and start a family. Someday their children would go to school together in this town. Maybe their grandchildren. If things worked out, that is.

  A big if.

  A smile tugged at her mouth. Right now Vince looked like a pouting little boy instead of a darned good attorney of thirty-four. This man really hated apartment living.

  "Vince, when we were kids watching reruns of old sitcoms, did you ever believe we'd really pull it off?"

  Those programs—usually shown late at night when they should have been sound asleep—had meant the world to them. They represented all they didn't have in their lives--stability and a solid home where any problem could be solved in thirty minutes.

  “Of course.” He turned to her. "Didn't you?" His expression turned incredulous. "Damn. All this time, you had no faith?"

  She shook her head. "I wanted to believe, but we had so much against us. I was never sure we could do it."

  "I hope you're properly ashamed of yourself now. If I ever hear you talk like that again, I’ll send cousin Knuckles over to reason with you."

  “Ha. Knuckles Bertolli, my eye. That Mama’s boy Jamie is no match for me, no matter what he calls himself. I can whip his ass and yours.”

  “What’s so scary is that’s probably the truth. Just the same,”—he gestured around them—“we’re here and this is reality.”

  "Don't get cocky on me. We haven't made it all happen yet."

  "Maybe not, but we're closer every day. I think being a business owner, member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Optimist’s Club makes me damn near a pillar of the community."

  She hugged her shoulders and a prickly chill slid over her. Goose walked over my grave, they’d said as children.

  "I do love it here, but I guess I'm still not secure. I worry something bad will happen to destroy everything, or I'll wake up and it will all have been a dream."

  "Does this look like a dream?" He looked around the room.

  "For two amateurs, it turned out well, didn't it?” She let her finger trace the rim of her favorite table. “This place fairly reeks of stability and dependability."

  He took a seat behind the receptionist's desk. "I hope so. That’s the image I need to project.”

  “Try to look overworked. People love doing business with someone who doesn’t need their business.”

  “Receptionist starts Monday. Eventually there'll even be something for her to do besides pose at the ribbon cutting that afternoon."

  She stood judging the massive dried floral arrangement on the table. Something looked wrong there. With a triumphant smile she coaxed a branch of dried eucalyptus back into place and adjusted a feathery stalk of dried grass.

  "Anna, I could never have done this without your help. I know you hate me mentioning all you've done, but I can't thank you enough--"

  She waved away his thanks. Money was the one area in which she had no problems, never had thanks to her parents’ wealth and her banker father’s shrewd investment of her share. "I wanted to do it. What's the point of a trust fund if the money just molders in that Swiss bank?"

  "You’ve helped me, and a lot of people in our family."

  A surge of gratitude almost overwhelmed her. He always included her in the Bertolli family. And his family always made her feel a part of them. "I just want you to be happy. And successful. Then you can build your dream house”—she stuck her face near his and grinned—“and marry a nice woman, like Kathy."

  Ignoring her comment, he looked at his watch. "Say, that reminds me. This afternoon, I have an appointment with a realtor I met at the Chamber meeting yesterday. I'll feed you lunch if you want to tag along and see what he's come up with."

  "Sounds great. I had nothing in mind for the afternoon but weeding the roses and looking over endless student compositions.”

  He raised his eyebrows in question. "The new Mexican food place okay?"

  "Wonderful, I'm ravenous.” She placed a hand to her stomach and thought she felt the rumble of hunger pangs. “Guess I should have eaten a larger breakfast. I hope you have lots of money in your wallet."

  He pretended a groan. "Lord, how do you stay so thin? You eat like a longshoreman, yet you're always starving. I’d better stop off at the bank.”

  Chapter Nine

  They ate at Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant. Pleasure shot through Anna each time other diners waved or spoke to them. Maybe they were becoming a part of the community, making friends, fitting in.

  After their meal, they drove to Baxter Realty. A tall, sandy-haired man in his mid-forties completed a phone call and rose to greet them.

  Jeff Baxter said, "I'm very happy to meet you, Anna. It's great you two have chosen Spencer County."

  His voice filled with excitement and lights danced in his eyes. "Vince, I heard of a great new listing that sounds exactly like the property you described to me. That phone call was to get complete directions so you can see it before someone else snaps it up.”

  “That great, huh?” Vince asked.

  “Unless I miss my guess, it’s perfect. I have three other sites to look at on the way, but I think you're going to love this new place as soon as you see it."

  Anna watched the realtor's excitement infect Vince, who put his hand on the doorknob. "What are we waiting for?"

  They left in Jeff's Suburban, the two men in front and Anna in the back feeling like a third wheel or the squaw. Wouldn’t you know men would pack her in back?

  After stopping at the first three prospective locations, she said, "Jeff, I don’t think you understand what my brother wants. These have been nice, but he wants spectacular."

  Jeff smiled knowingly. "Wait until you see this next place. I'd be willing to bet it's the one."r />
  By this time, winding around from one back road to another had completely disoriented Anna. She and Vince were city people. Unless things looked a lot different from the front seat, she suspected her brother was just as lost.

  Soon they turned off the farm to market road onto a narrow, paved road. A green pipe fence ran along beside them. Jeff pointed out the fence as the boundary line of the next property on their tour. They crossed a cattle guard onto a one-lane graveled road.

  Anna leaned forward and pointed to a small body of water on the right up ahead. "Oh, look, Vince, there's a little lake."

  Jeff corrected her. "That's called a tank in this part of the country, and this is a good one."

  Jeff stopped the vehicle to give them a good view of the water. "This tank is fortunate to have a small spring that flows most of the year so that it never goes dry, even in droughts like we've had this summer."

  Vince said hesitantly, “The view of the rolling grassland is pretty much like those others except for the tank with trees at the edge of the property.”

  Undaunted, Jeff said, “Isn’t it great? But I know what you’re thinking. A tank in this part of the country is not spectacular or unusual.”

  Sounded to her like Vince was being polite, but uninterested. “Maybe Spencer County’s too far West for a place that fits your dreams, Vince.”

  “Well—“ Vince started before Jeff’s laugh cut him off.

  Jeff continued, "Now, don’t think I’ve steered you wrong. Wait until you see the best part."

  He remained silent as he drove into a small grove of trees and parked the Suburban. "If you don't mind, let's walk the rest of the way. It's not far."

  Anna slid out of the vehicle and her pencil-thin heels sank into the soil, anchoring her in place. "Darn, Vince, I told you we should have gone by the house so I could change shoes."

  “Stop griping. Why do you women wear those shoes anyway?”

  “Because you men like the way our legs look in them.”

  Vince took her arm and they trailed along beside the realtor, who kept up a nonstop monologue on the property’s good points. They walked a few feet past the trees.