by Lois Richer
“We’ll take some home with us.”
A stiff, damp breeze blew across the porch. Ty glanced at the rapidly darkening sky. “I think I have a more logical excuse.” He turned and took her arm, leading her back inside. When they reached the kitchen, Ty announced that they were leaving because of the bad storm forecast for the evening. No one questioned his decision.
After making their goodbyes and collecting enough cake to last two days, they made their escape. They rode in silence through downtown Dover, the skies growing more ugly by the moment. Ty could sense Ginger’s curious gaze watching him, trying to figure out what was bothering him. She broke the silence as they crossed the railroad tracks.
“I like your family.”
“I’m glad. They’re pretty great.” He eased the car to a stop at the traffic light. “They liked you, too.” He’d been pleased at how easily she’d fit in.
“Laura invited me to her wedding. If I’m still here, that is.”
Ty exhaled a sigh and shook his head. “Yeah.”
“You don’t approve? Adam obviously loves your sister.”
“I suppose. He seems decent enough.” He rubbed his forehead. “So much has changed since I was home last. My brother remarried, my sister is engaged to a guy who’s buying the family business and taking over and my parents are retiring and thinking about moving away. It’s a lot to adjust to.”
“You were looking for the old familiar dynamic, and it’s not there anymore.”
Ty stole a quick glance at her. She’d put into words the emotions he hadn’t been able to identify. “Yeah, I guess.” Inwardly he flinched at his tone. He sounded like a pouty child.
“Your mother offered to let Elliot and me stay at the house.”
“I’m not surprised. She loves taking care of people. What did you tell her?”
“Thank you, but no thank you.”
“Really? Why?”
“I love your parents’ home. It’s what I’ve always longed for, but I like the quiet at the cabin. I’d like to stay there.”
For some reason her words filled him with warmth. “My mom offered me the same deal. She said I could come home and stay in my old room.”
Ginger laughed lightly. “It would be more comfortable than that little shack you stay in.”
“Maybe, but I turned her down. I like the atmosphere at the lake. Always have.”
A mischievous twinkle lit Ginger’s eyes. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“Deal.”
* * *
Ginger stood at the large windows at the front of the cabin. The skies had opened up, sending drenching rain and slanting winds across the lake, and buffeting the raised cabin. She shivered and turned back to the kitchen, where Ty and EJ—she was growing fond of that nickname—were inspecting a row of toy cars.
A sudden fierce clap of thunder pulled a sharp squeal from her throat. Ty spun around to look at her. “You okay?”
“Yes. It’s a really bad storm. They just issued a tornado watch. But it’s winter.”
“Yeah, I saw that. It’s on the far side of the lake moving northeast. We’re on the southern edge here, so we should be fine. Tornados aren’t common this time of year, but they do happen. We’ll keep a close eye on it. I’ve already collected flashlights and some candles. The weather radio has fresh batteries, so you’ll be all right. If things get too bad, we’ll go back to my parents.” He looked at her. “Maybe we both should have taken Mom up on her offer.”
She looked at his easy smile, his calm demeanor and the solid mass of him. He gave her a sense of safety. “Ty, if you wouldn’t mind, could you stay here with us until the storm passes?”
A slow smiled lifted one corner of his mouth. “Hadn’t planned on leaving. I’ll stretch out on the couch later. You can lock the bedroom doors.”
She shook her head. “I trust you.” Surprisingly, she did.
The storm continued through the evening with no signs of letting up. Fortunately, they didn’t lose power, passing the time with a movie and playing a board game. Later, Ty roughhoused with Elliot, eliciting squeals of delight. Together, they fixed soup and sandwiches for supper, then served up the cake from his mother’s for dessert. Whatever had been bothering him earlier had disappeared.
When Elliot had been sent to bed, Ginger poured a fresh cup of coffee and joined Ty on the sofa. He’d tuned the television to the Weather Network to keep track of the storm, which would last several more hours.
Ginger sipped her coffee, enjoying the warmth of the fire Ty had built. With the storm raging outside, she welcomed the security and protection inside the cabin, but it also made her acutely aware of Ty’s very male presence. Knowing Ty would be spending the night with them filled her with conflicting emotions. She welcomed his company as a safety net from the storm, but having him in the cabin all night also made her uncomfortable.
He, on the other hand, seemed very comfortable here. But then, why wouldn’t he? It was his home. She was the one who should feel awkward. But she didn’t. The little cabin had quickly become her sanctuary, the first place she’d felt safe and secure in a long time. Her thoughts turned to her mother, creating an overwhelming need to hear her voice. On the excuse of wanting to check in on EJ, she rose and started from the room.
“Ginger, see if you can sneak that fish out of EJ’s room. I want to have a little fun with him.”
“All right.” Back in her room, she pulled out her cell and dialed her mother.
“Ginger. Are you okay? I’m watching the weather, and it looks really bad over there.”
“We’re fine, Mom. The cabin is strong, and we’re not alone.”
“Oh? Who’s with you?”
The question stumped her. How did she explain Ty? Landlord? Friend? Cop? The man she was strongly attracted to? “The owner is here. He’s going to hang around until the storm passes. We’ll be fine, Mom.”
“I want you back to me safe and sound, sweetheart. It’s been so long, and I’ve missed you so much. I’ve prayed for you every day since you left.”
“I know.”
The words lodged in her heart, but instead of delivering the sting it normally did, it brought her a sense of comfort and gratitude. How could her mother pray for a daughter who had turned her back on the values she’d been raised with and the dreams her parents had for her? She thought about EJ and suddenly understood that a mother’s love didn’t change or fade if the child rebelled. “I love you, Mom. We’ll get there as soon as I can, I promise.”
“Ginny, honey, try and let go of the fear. Give the Lord a chance to help you.”
“I’m trying.”
Wiping tears from her eyes, she slipped the phone in her pocket and started back to the living area, but first she quietly opened EJ’s door and lifted the fish from the dresser. She handed it to Ty, who had moved the side chairs closer to the roaring fire, his feet propped up on the hearth. “What are you going to do with it?”
He smiled a little-boy smile. “The same thing my uncle Dale did when I used to stay here.” He stood and placed Barney on the island, then he pulled out a box of cereal and sprinkled a handful of flakes at the base of the fish. Next, he took a few cake crumbs from the plate and added them to the mix. Ginger saw what he was doing and giggled.
Ty stood back to admire his handiwork. “Barney has been a naughty little fish.”
“Did your uncle do this all the time?”
He refilled his coffee cup, then returned to the chairs in front of the fire. “Yep. I never knew where Barney would be in the morning. It was always a treat to wake up and see what he’d been up to.”
“EJ will love this. You’re good with kids, Ty. You should have some of your own.”
He fingered his cup, staring into the dark liquid. “Yeah, well, that’s not on the radar rig
ht now. How’s your mom?”
“Worried. Missing us, and anxious to meet her grandson.”
“You sure you won’t take me up on the offer of a plane ticket?”
“No. But thank you.” She sat down and propped her feet on the hearth beside Ty’s. The image created a longing in her heart. How nice it would be to have someone to curl up with each night and discuss the day’s events. She’d never had that with John. Her throat tightened. The mixture of emotions stirred up today slammed into her, leaving behind an aching loneliness. She wanted a normal life—someone to hold her, take care of her for a change. “My mom has been praying for me.” The tears threatened. She wasn’t sure why she’d told him that.
“That’s what moms do.” His deep voice was thick with compassion.
“But I disowned them. I didn’t speak to them for nearly ten years.”
“Care to tell me why?”
What would it hurt? “My parents were much older when they had me, so I grew up around adults. I always felt out of step with the kids in my class. I never understood their music or their obsession with boys and clothes and makeup. I hated being different and weird. I wanted to be like everyone else. So when I went to collage I rebelled. I didn’t call home, didn’t visit. I was free, and I intended to experience everything they’d warned me about.”
“How did that work out?”
She drew her feet up under her. “Not good. I met John. He was in a band on campus. I was studying music, so we hit it off. He was going to be this big success, and I was going to be his manager. Only I had no idea how to do that. The band eventually fell apart, but by then we were married. He managed to get enough gigs to keep food on the table, but when I got pregnant, he agreed to settle down and find a job. Only John wasn’t cut out for the nine-to-five life, and I ended up being the provider.”
“What about Elliot?”
“John loved him, but he never knew what to do with him.” She took a sip of her coffee, her tension easing. It felt good to talk to someone about things she’d kept to herself for so long. “After the shooting, John had a hard time adjusting to his situation. He became angry and bitter. We’d managed to buy a little house a few years earlier, but the medical bills kept mounting, and we finally had to sell it. He developed complications, mainly because he refused to do what the doctors told him. After he died, I tried to pay off the bills. I even took a cheap apartment to cut our expenses, but that was a mistake. Some men broke into our apartment one night.”
“Ginger.” Ty shifted in his chair to face her. “Were you hurt?”
She shook her head. “They ran out when they saw us. I guess they thought the apartment was empty. But it was just one more thing to be afraid of. The last straw was losing my job. Finally I swallowed my pride and called my mom. She told me to come home. I sold what was left, paid off the last hospital bill and started for Arizona.” Ginger kept her gaze on the crackling fire. What would Ty think of her pitiful tale? Would he think her a coward or just too weak to face her mistakes? “So now you know the whole story. I just want to get to a safe place. Away from guns and shootings and catastrophes around every corner.”
“So that’s why you were so upset to learn I was a cop?”
She nodded. “A gun destroyed my life. Everything changed. Especially John. He turned into someone I didn’t know anymore.”
Ty stood, placing one foot on the hearth, his left arm resting on the mantel. “Personality change is common after an accident. When I was a junior in high school, my dad was in a bad car accident. He suffered multiple injuries, several surgeries. He became a totally different person for a while. We didn’t understand it. He was angry and short-tempered. Sometimes he’d withdraw and not speak to anyone. It was hard.”
“Elliot didn’t understand. He was only five. It frightened him. He became shy and fearful.” She looked over at him. “I appreciate you paying attention to him—treating him like a normal little boy. He’s missed that.”
“He’s a great kid. I like his enthusiasm. I think he’ll...”
An ear-piercing crack exploded outside. Ginger froze. “What was that?”
Ty hurried to the window. “Lightning strike and it was close.” He moved to the door, grabbed his hooded sweatshirt and went outside to the deck, returning quickly with his cell in his hand. “Looks like a cabin down the way has been hit. I’m going to check it out.”
Ty had placed a call to the fire department before it registered in her mind what he was going to do. “No, you should stay here. It’s dangerous out there in the storm,” Ginger warned.
“I’ve got to go, Ginger. Someone might need help.”
The old, gnawing fear spiraled up from her core. “You’ve called the fire department. I’m sure they’ll be here quickly.”
“We’re ten miles from town. It might be too late. I’ll come back as soon as they get here. It’ll be fine.”
She was unable to look at him. That’s what John had said to her each time he’d left for work in that stupid uniform. She turned back in time to see the door close behind him, his shadowed form passing in front of the windows before disappearing.
Unable to move, she stared at the window. Rain poured down the panes and pounded on the roof. Thunder boomed. She moved to the chair, casting her gaze toward the television. The sound was muted, but the information displayed on the screen told her all she needed to know. Severe storm warning. Dangerous lighting. Hurricane force winds. Possible hail. The tornado may have bypassed them, but the storm was still a threat.
What if Ty got injured trying to help someone in the fire? Why did men always have to be the hero? Superheroes, that’s what he’d told EJ they were. That’s what he was. To her. He’d stepped in and held out a lifeline. But what if he died?
An icy chill surged through her veins. She could never do this again—the waiting, the worrying, the uncertainty. She was already feeling a connection with Ty, but that was a mistake. She needed safety, and he wasn’t a safe kind of guy.
She had to stop this. It was pointless. And absurd. Ty was only an acquaintance. Nothing more. Wasn’t he?
She paced to the door and looked out. The rain was coming down sideways, so hard she couldn’t see a thing. Overhead the thunder rumbled continuously, shaking the raised cabin. A quick check on Elliot found him sound asleep. In the living area, she tried to calm down by looking at the fire. No sooner had she propped her feet up on the hearth than the power went out. A new fear crawled up her spine.
Spying the LED lantern Ty had placed on the hearth earlier, she lifted it and found the switch, the light chasing away some of her tension. Her gaze traveled to the clock on the mantel. Ty had only been gone twenty minutes. She hadn’t heard a siren, which meant the fire department hadn’t arrived yet.
Pulling her knees up to her chest, she lowered her head and prayed.
* * *
The rain refused to slacken as Ty trudged up the stairs of his cabin and crossed to the door. He inhaled, but the acrid smoke from the burning cabin still stung his nostrils and made him cough. He should have taken Ginger’s advice and stayed with her. He’d been little use at his neighbors’. He’d charged in like he always did, ready to help and handle the situation, but when he’d arrived, the fear had slammed into him, bringing with it the guilt and the doubt.
The owners had made it out on their own, safe and sound, and the fire department had been notified. The cabin was burning rapidly, even with the pouring rain. The boom and roll of thunder had triggered memories of the shooting, so instead of taking charge, he’d pulled back, battling his inner doubts.
He hesitated, with his hand on the doorknob, as a new thought filled his mind. Maybe his reaction tonight was God’s way of telling him he wasn’t cut out for the job anymore. Time to turn in the badge and walk away. But if it was, why did his heart ache at the thought?
He stepped inside the cabin, pulling off the rain poncho he’d grabbed from his car on the way out. Even with it, he’d ended up soaked through.
“Ty!”
Ginger flew toward him, her deep green eyes wide with worry. She stopped only inches away, her gaze raking him up and down.
“Are you all right?”
Words stuck in his throat. How did he answer that? “Yeah. I’m fine.”
Suddenly she was wrapped around him, her arms hugging his neck, her body pressed against him. He slid his hands to her back, holding on. Somewhere deep inside he felt a seismic shift, a tilting of his once solid and level foundation.
“I was so worried.”
“Nothing to worry about. Everyone was out before I got there, but the cabin is probably a total loss.” He expected her to release him, but she clung to him tightly. He realized there was more to her welcome than simple relief. A finger of concern traced along his spine. “Ginger. It’s okay. Really.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.”
He thought about what she’d told him about her husband. He knew well the knee-jerk reaction to old fear. Now, holding Ginger in his arms, he wished he could tell her about his scars, about the guilt. Maybe she would understand. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
She pulled back then, her gaze locking with his. “But you’re my only friend here in town. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
His heart beat erratically for a moment. “Are we friends?” He realized with a jolt that he wanted her as a friend, and maybe more. The thought scared him.
Ginger’s expression suddenly changed, and she slipped her hands from his shoulders where they had been resting. “Of course we’re friends.”
She smiled, but Ty saw the wariness behind her pretty eyes. She took another step back and examined him. “Ty, you’re soaking wet. You need to get out of those clothes. I don’t have anything to give you.”
