“No wonder he was a grump, he was waiting for his wife to return.” Faith sighed and closed her laptop. She wondered if she would ever find someone to share her life with. Shaking her head, she told herself to get over herself. No one would want a woman without a past.
The slam of a car door brought her back to the present, gazing out the window at the neighbor carrying a box towards his house. He looked up and stared in her direction as if he could see into her thoughts.
She stepped back and grabbed her coat and purse on her way out the door, forcing the memory of his tortured gray eyes out of her mind.
Robbie watched out the front window at her car driving away as he picked a card and moved his piece to the next yellow space on the board. Skylar clapped his hands. “My turn now, Unca Robbie?”
“Yes, Sky. Pick a card, bubba.” He helped his nephew figure out where to move his piece, his thoughts turning to “what if”. What if Madison hadn’t died that day? Would he have a child with Skylar’s blond hair playing the game with them?
“Hey, you okay, Robbie?” Ragan asked, concern showing on her face. “How are you doing living out here by yourself?”
“I’m good. It just hit me that our child would be about the same age as Skylar. I was just wondering what if.”
“You will be a great dad someday. You don’t get just one chance. Look at me, I’ve been lucky enough to love and be loved by two wonderful men. I did love Liam, and I was heartbroken when he died, and then there’s Adam.” She stared off into space with a smile on her face.
“I don’t know. It just feels like Madison was “the one” and that I missed my chance for happiness.” He ran his hand through his hair, pushed the “what if” thoughts away, and tried to concentrate on the game with his niece and nephew. “Your turn, Jenna.”
Ragan lowered herself onto the couch, sighing. “I know it’s hard, but you can move on. Just remember what your therapist said. You need to get back out into the world.”
“I know. Can we talk about something else?” He looked up at his sister, frowning at the tiredness he could see in her eyes. “Hey, you feeling okay? You seem tired. Why don’t you lie down? The kids and I can find something to do while you take a nap.”
“I am tired. It’s exhausting growing a human being,” she said with a smile as she rubbed her belly. “I quit taking new photography jobs last week. There’s only two left for me to finish up, and then I’m done until after this one is born.”
Robbie pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her, kissing the top of her head. “Just rest, sis, I’ve got this covered.” He helped Skylar put the game pieces back in the box and put it away in the closet. “Hey guys, want to help me with the memory box I’m making for your new brother or sister?”
Skylar bounced up and down in excitement. “I’ll take that as a yes from you, bubba. Jenna? You want to help too?”
“I’d rather stay in here and read my book if that’s okay.”
“Sure, sweetheart. What are you reading?”
Her eyes lit up at his interest in her book. “It’s Muse by Erin McFadden, and Aunt Cassie said the author lives over in Huntington and that she’d try and get her to come do a signing at the bookstore. Isn’t that awesome?”
He pulled her in for a hug. “Go read your book. Let me know if you or your mom need anything. Sky and I will be out in the workshop.”
Faith walked into The Book Ends Here and stopped to take it all in. A short counter to the right of the door held a cash register, shelves of books stood straight ahead with chairs and couches scattered throughout the store inviting her to grab one of the copies and start reading.
The scent of coffee tickled her nose, bringing her attention to the refreshment bar at the left side of the store. She looked over the menu and ordered her favorite Chai Tea Latte, hoping it would be as good as the coffee place near Nikki’s out in Los Angeles. The first sip confirmed it—it was even better.
Remembering her promise to herself, she found the cookbook section and frowned at all the choices. How in the world would she be able to pick one?
“Hi, I’m Cassie. You look like you could use some help.”
Faith looked up from the cookbook in her hand and smiled. “Yes, how could you tell? I’m Faith McMillan.”
“Your look familiar. Have we met before?”
“No, not that I remember.”
“Well then, it’s nice to meet you, Faith. You look just a bit overwhelmed. What kind of recipes are you interested in?”
“I want a good basic cookbook, so I can teach myself how to cook. The thought of making something more complicated than a grilled cheese sandwich terrifies me.”
Cassie plucked a book from the shelf. “This one has some simple recipes with clear directions.”
Faith flipped through the book. “Looks good, I’ll take it. Can you tell me how to get to the closest grocery store?”
Cassie gestured with her left hand as she rang up the cookbook. “Head east on Main and turn left on Maple. It’s one block down on the left.” She handed Faith the receipt and a pen along with her debit card for her signature. “Where are you staying? Karen didn’t tell me about any new renters.”
“I’m staying at a friend’s house out on Little Beaver Lake.”
“You must be staying at the Romero’s. Robbie mentioned something about it. Wait a minute. Are you the Faith McMillan who wrote The Highlander’s Lass?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Faith replied with a blush. Someone recognizing her name from her book didn’t happen often, and it was still a shock.
“We’ll have to schedule a book signing while you’re here.”
“So, is Robbie the guy in the blue two-story? I introduced myself yesterday, and he wasn’t very nice. Maybe he’ll be in a better mood now that his wife’s back.” She hurried towards the door, her anxiety ramping up. “I’ll call you next week to set up a signing.” Faith walked out the door, not seeing the look of confusion on Cassie’s face.
Settling her sunglasses on her face she breathed in the crisp winter air as she strolled to her car. The snow was beautiful but she was not a fan of the cold temperatures. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she was surprised to find that the car was still relatively warm. After turning the heat on full blast, she motored out of her parking space and onto the road.
If she hadn’t had a death grip on the steering wheel, the car would have shot across the road into the other lane. She had just turned up the volume on the radio when her favorite Adam Bricklin song started playing. “Dreaming of you,” she sang, her eyes riveted on the snow-covered road in front of her. Driving in snow was new to Faith, and she drove cautiously. The thump of the flat tire jogged something in her memory, and she was transported to another time and place. Staring out the windshield, she saw a different landscape than the deserted road she was on.
“Dreaming of you,” Faith sang as she drove along the highway. The thump of a flat tire made her think how lucky it was that she was at an exit. She pulled off the freeway…”
Her mind cleared, and she was stopped on the side of the road, the car tilted slightly to the right. The memory was just a flash of a moment in time, but it was something. Maybe after three years, she was finally beginning to remember. Uncurling her fingers from around the steering wheel, she got out of the car to change the flat.
Faith stared at the reason for her unexpected stop as pain hit behind her left eye, piercing and sharp. “Great,” she muttered as she pulled the keys out of the ignition. I’m on the lake road, maybe I can get this tire changed and make it home before it gets too bad. Usually, I have time to take my meds and block most of the pain. The stabbing feeling increased as she walked towards the back of the car and the nausea hit as she tried to unlock the trunk. Wow, the pain is getting bad quickly this time. Could it be because of the memory?
The sun glinted off the chrome of the bumper into her eyes, blinding her. She felt her way to the side of the car and dropped to her knee
s, everything she had eaten that day coming up. Crawling around the steaming mess, she found the shade from the car and collapsed onto the gravel, her head resting on her knees. The cold seeped through her jeans as the agony she was experiencing blocked out everything else.
The sun glaring off the rear window caught his attention long before he could make out the car. He jogged closer, wondering who was out on the lake road this time of year. He crossed the street and noticed the car was tilted toward to the right, wondering whose car it was and where they were—it was highly unlikely that anyone had stopped and picked them up.
The pile of vomit turned his stomach, reminding him of his destructive days when he would drink until he was sick and then drink some more. He turned the key in the lock on the trunk, opening the lid to see if the spare was gone. It was still tucked into its spot, ratcheting up his anxiety. Who would leave their car out here in the middle of nowhere with the door open and the keys hanging off the trunk?
Gravel shifted, and he then heard the sound of retching.
“Hey, you okay?” Robbie asked as he walked around the back of the car avoiding the discarded stomach contents.
Faith looked up, her hand shakily wiping at her mouth. “Yeah, leave me alone. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” Robbie took her hand and pulled her up, frowning when she swayed drunkenly. He wondered why she thought she needed to drink at two in the afternoon. “Go lay down in the back seat. I’ll get the tire changed and drive you home.”
He opened the door and waited for her to crawl in, the pallor of her skin making him wonder how much she had ingested. A trip to the emergency room may be the next order of business.
After stowing the flat and the jack in the trunk, he drove her home. He handed her the keys, noticing that her color was slightly better.
“Thank you. I’m sorry you had to go to so much trouble,” she said as she turned toward the house, the quick movement throwing her off balance.
Robbie caught her as she swayed. Bending at the waist, his arm went behind her knees, and he lifted her into his arms.
“Put me down. I can make it into my house on my own,” she mumbled, her words slurred. “Why did it have to be the grumpy guy from next door?”
Ignoring her protests, he took the keys from her hand and let them into the house, striding across the living room to the bedrooms. “Which room are you using? The master?”
At her mumble, he turned into the master bedroom and set her down on the bed. “Do you have a nightgown or something? I’m sure you don’t want to sleep in your smelly clothes.”
She fell back onto the pillow, her breathing even and steady. “Thanks,” she whispered as sleep took over.
“Dammit, I can’t leave her like this.” He rummaged in the dresser drawers until he found a pair of flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Shaking her shoulder, he tried to wake her enough to help him get her changed. No luck. She was completely out, and it looked like nothing short of a nuclear blast was going to wake her. Starting with her shoes, he undressed her and poured her into the pajamas.
Knowing from experience how she would feel when she woke up, he set a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin on the nightstand and a plastic wastebasket next to the bed just in case. Feeling like a creeper, he dug her phone out of her purse and sent himself a text so he would have her number. Brushing her bangs off her face, he hoped that she would find the strength to admit she had a problem and get some help.
Going a step further, he took her dirty clothes down to the washer and started a load of laundry. Satisfied that there was nothing else he could do, he walked back to his house, locking the door behind him. As he strode across the driveway, he wondered what had driven her to drink.
Faith rolled over and opened one eye just enough to look at the clock. The pain spiked briefly at the slight movement, settling back to a constant dull ache when she lowered her head back onto the pillow. How did I get here? The last thing she remembered was crawling into the shade of the car after the pain had made her sick. The faint smell of vomit wafted to her nose from her hair. Gross.
How did I get into my pajamas? Reaching toward the nightstand, she felt around and grabbed her phone, frowning when she couldn’t find her sunglasses. Squinting, she turned on the power, hissing when the light hit her eyes. The text message icon glowed, letting her know that she’d missed a message.
Got u home and into bed. Clothes in washer. When you’re ready there are AA meetings. Robbie aka Grumpy Guy From Next Door.
AA meetings? Oh God, he thinks I was drunk. Still squinting, she sent a text back.
Thanks. Faith.
The light from the phone’s screen felt like it was searing her retinas. She turned it off and dropped it on the nightstand before closing her eyes and surrendering to sleep once again.
Chapter 4
The Monday before Thanksgiving dawned cold and crisp, the sun shining brightly. By eleven, the clouds had rolled in, bringing the threat of freezing rain. Robbie cursed under his breath as he worked to get the lug nuts loosened on the front tires of his car. After almost running his vehicle through the front window of Cassie’s bookstore the day before when the brakes slipped, he knew he needed to replace them. His favorite radio station blared out of the speakers as he pulled the calipers off the car.
Humming along with the song on the radio, he thought about Ragan and the imminent arrival of his niece or nephew. Ragan had said everything was fine when she visited on Friday, but he still worried. An odd feeling came over him as he opened the box containing the new brake pads. Quit being a worry wart, she’s fine. Ragan’s the one that knows when things happen, not you.
The first brake pad was installed, but he couldn’t ignore the worry any longer. Searching the work bench for his phone, he remembered he’d left it in the house on the charger. Forgoing his coat, Robbie sprinted across the driveway to the door, shivering at the cold wind blowing in from the north.
His phone buzzed with a notification as he walked over to the counter. Ten texts and six missed calls over two hours? Shit, this can’t be good.
Listening to the voice mails, he grinned at Adam’s message: “You’re going to be an uncle today. We’re headed for the hospital. Meet you there!” Realizing it had been two hours since that first call, he grabbed his keys before he remembered that his car was in the garage with the brakes disassembled.
“Shit.” Dialing Adam’s phone, he hoped he could talk someone into coming out to get him.
Adam answered, “Where the hell are you? Ragan is freaking out that you’re not here. This baby is coming fast. You better be on your way.”
“I’m leaving right now. Tell Ragan I’m on my way.”
Robbie grabbed the key to his motorcycle off the rack by the door. “Not ideal, but it’ll have to do,” Adam grumbled.
Rolling the bike out of the garage, he wished he had gotten around to installing the electric starter. He jumped on the kickstart lever with no luck. This bike better turn over, or Ragan is going to be pissed. Hell, I’ll be pissed. I couldn’t be there for Sky’s birth; I don’t want to miss this one.
Standing at the kitchen sink drinking her tea, Faith looked out over the lake and smiled. Peace and quiet were helping her get the story in her head out onto her laptop.
She had surpassed her word count goal for the morning, so she decided it was a great time to take a break and go check the mailbox. Nikki had told her that she should be receiving a package within the next couple of days.
Deciding to skip putting on her coat, she hurried out the door, shivering when the wind cut through her clothes. Not stopping for my jacket wasn’t such a bright idea. Pulling the mail out of the mailbox, she was pleased to see the box from Nikki had arrived.
A string of curse words brought her attention from the mail in her hand to Robbie trying to start the bike. Not even her surly neighbor could put her in a bad mood today. She watched as he kicked his helmet, smiling at the inventiveness of
his cursing.
“Hey, neighbor. Need some help?” She decided that since he had helped her get home last week, she could attempt to be friendly. She did owe him one.
Robbie looked up, a smile appearing on his face. “Actually, yes. I need to get to town like five minutes ago. Ragan’s in labor, my car is torn apart, and I can’t get my bike to start. Can I bother you for a ride?”
Thinking about how good-looking he was when he smiled, his mention of labor brought home the fact that he was off limits. Pushing the lustful thoughts out of her mind, she smiled. “Sure. Let me grab my keys and my coat.”
Pulling her car out of the garage, she jumped at the knock on her window. “I’m really in a hurry. Do you mind if I drive?”
“That might be best. I’m not even sure how to get to the hospital.” Sliding over, she looked over at Robbie as he folded himself into her car, surprised at the butterfly feelings in her stomach. Get a grip, he’s married.
“Thanks for this. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
“I owe you for making sure I got home safely last week and washing my clothes.”
Turning his attention to the road, he stepped on the gas and turned left toward town.
Unsure of herself, Faith stared out the window and thought about the storyline of the book she was writing. As she plotted out the next chapter, she began to imagine Robbie as the main character; his looks seemed to fit. Lost in the world inside her head, she didn’t notice the time flying by as they sped toward Fairfield Corners.
Careening into the hospital parking lot with a squeal of the tires, Robbie pulled into a parking place and shoved the shifter into park. Sprinting up the sidewalk, he dropped the keys in his pocket and held open the door. “You coming?”
“I thought I would just head home. I don’t want to intrude, and I’m sure you can find a ride home later.”
Where There's Faith Page 2
