What It Takes: A Kowalski Reunion Novel

by Shannon Stacey

  “Did we really bring this much stuff with us?” It didn’t seem possible, even though he and Russell had moved the original pile from the lawn to the RV. “It’ll be nice when Johnny’s a teenager and all he needs is a phone and a charger cord.”

  “Do those pirate ships come with outlets?”

  He laughed, and then looked over to where Johnny was playing with his trucks. He was sharing with Gabe, while Lily and Brianna pretended to sing karaoke with plastic microphones. Brian and Bobby had been assigned the task of going through all the four-wheelers and making sure no food or damp clothing had been left in the cargo boxes and bags. In the summer heat, that could lead to finding nasty surprises when they finally got around to cleaning them out at home.

  “Do you think Gram and Russell will house-sit and lend us their RV again next summer, or should we think about buying our own?” he asked.

  Emma laughed. “We haven’t even left yet and you’re thinking about next year?”

  “You know, if we made a Northern Star baby, we could have a three-month-old.” He gave up on trying to figure out where the sleeve for Johnny’s little camp chair disappeared to and pulled his wife close. “That would be an adventure.”

  “Remember when Kevin and Beth did that with Lily? I’m not Beth. If we should have an infant this time next year, Gram and I will stay home with the baby, and you and Russell can bring Johnny with you.”

  He kissed the side of her neck. “There’s no way I’m leaving you for two weeks. A long weekend, maybe. We might have to consider changing the weeks we vacation, though. Us being here for a holiday cost the family money.”

  “It would probably be easier for us all to just pay, like we did at the campground in New Hampshire. And you should talk to your brothers and Liz and see if they enjoyed this. I mean, they didn’t actually get to go on vacation for two weeks, if you know what I mean.”

  “I’ll bring it up next time we have a meeting. I don’t want today to be about business.”

  She looped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. “I found your sticky note, by the way.”

  He chuckled, sliding his hand down her back. “Did you?”

  “Terry found it, actually, when she ran into the RV to grab Johnny a banana.”

  “Oops. But you did read it, right?”

  Tonight. Our bed. Being quiet optional.

  “I did. And the sooner you get your hand off my ass and start packing up, the sooner we can leave.”

  Sean slapped her on the butt before going back to trying to find the sleeves for the camp chairs. He was ready to go home. It was always tough saying goodbye, especially to Rosie, but it would be good to be back in their routine. Dinner and dishes after work. Some quick evening chores. And then reading to Johnny before he went to bed. Snuggling on the couch with his wife in front of the television. Maybe it didn’t sound like much, but there was nothing like being away from home for two weeks to remind him it was actually everything.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Emma asked, tucking loose wisps of hair behind her ear.

  “Saying yes to your crazy plan was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him. “I think the words you used at the time were batshit crazy.”

  “If you two don’t stop fondling each other and get a move on, Josh will have to start charging you rent,” Kevin said as he walked by with a basket of pool toys.

  “Let’s get a move on,” Sean said, though he kissed her again before he let her go. “I want to take you home.”

  A few hours later, they were ready to go, and he saw Ben pull his SUV into the grass so he wouldn’t be blocking the line of campers parked in the drive. His friend couldn’t have timed it any better if he’d tried. He’d get to say goodbye to everybody, but packing up the campsites and loading the four-wheelers was done.

  The family was gathered on the porch and the front lawn, and Ben veered to where Sean was talking with the other guys.

  “Good timing,” he said, arching an eyebrow at Ben.

  “I know, right? So sorry I missed trying to fit all that stuff back in the campers.” He looked at the long line of vehicles. “And strapping down all those machines.”

  Joe shook his head. “If the women don’t stop talking and start actually saying goodbye pretty soon, you can help put everything back for another night.”

  “Hell, no,” Sean said. “Emma and I have a date with our own damn bed tonight.”

  “So we heard,” Kevin said.

  “Your sister has a big mouth. But I’m serious. I’ll get the tractor and some chains and drag you guys out from in front of us if I have to.”

  They all laughed, but he wasn’t kidding. He’d miss his brothers and Liz and the others. And he’d enjoyed the hell out of spending time with Ben again. But he was ready to take his wife and son home.

  “Thirty seconds,” he yelled, like his uncle often did on the ATV trail to make everybody scramble to get ready.

  It took another half hour for the hugging and tears to subside, plus get everybody in the RV or truck they were supposed to be in. After another round of shaking hands, he climbed up into the cab and closed the door.

  Johnny was strapped into his car seat, riding shotgun, and he smiled. “Home, Daddy!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I’m never going to get the hang of this.” Laney held up a badly misshapen square that was supposed to be a dishcloth. “And I use a sponge. Why am I knitting a dishcloth, anyway?”

  Nola laughed. “I wouldn’t exactly call that knitting. But dishcloths are fun because you can play with borders and colors, and they don’t take forever, so you don’t get bored. Plus, once you’ve done a few, you don’t need a pattern, so they’re good for knitting while watching TV at night.”

  “You told me knitting would be relaxing.”

  “It’s only relaxing if you actually relax.”

  “I came over the first time the week the Kowalski family left, so it’s been almost a month now.” Laney sighed. “I’m not getting any better.”

  “That’s because you worry too much about the fact you’re not getting any better. When you’re tense, your stitches are too tight and whatever that is happens.”

  “I love you, but I hate knitting.” She set the sorry excuse for half a dishcloth on the coffee table and picked up her iced tea. “I don’t enjoy it, so I’ll visit and watch you knit.”

  “I guess not everybody likes it.” Nola chuckled. “At least your conversation will consist of more than muttering bad words under your breath now.”

  “Your knitting lessons have definitely expanded my vocabulary.”

  “Your mom was asking about you again. I guess she and my mom talked on the phone yesterday, because my mom called me after.”

  Laney bit back the urge to show off some of that new vocabulary. “I talked to her a few days ago. I told her everything’s great and, to be honest, it was one of the better conversations we’ve had in recent years.”

  “I don’t think she believed you when you told her you’re happy and enjoying your job and, you know, living in a camper. She thinks you’re suffering and lying about it just to spite her.”

  Laney laughed, but it was mostly due to her cousin’s theatrical eye roll. The fact her own mother was so resistant to the idea her daughter could be happier living alone in a camper than she’d been in a big, expensive house with a husband wasn’t as funny.

  * * *

  “Have you told your mom about Ben yet?” Nola asked. “I’m guessing you haven’t because my mom hasn’t mentioned it and that’s prime gossip, if you know what I mean.”

  “I haven’t said anything about him yet.”

  “You’re going to soon, though, right? Aren’
t things getting serious between you two?”

  She mentally shied away from the word serious. It was a word that made her anxious on some level because she couldn’t deny they spent a lot of time together. In the weeks since the Kowalski family left, Laney had gotten in the habit of hanging out with Nola and knitting—or trying to, anyway—since the town hall closed early on Tuesdays and it was a slow day at the lodge. And she’d also gotten in the habit of leaving Nola’s and going to Ben’s, where she’d spend the evening. They’d cook together and watch some television until the cuddling and the touching got heated, and then they’d end up in his bed.

  And despite not having the convenient excuse of being a friend of the guests for spending time at the Northern Star, Ben was still a frequent visitor. When he could get there early enough, he’d often walk with her, holding her hand. Or they’d sit in her chairs and talk about the day. And they’d made love in her bed a few times, too, though she preferred his place. Campers weren’t the best at soundproofing.

  They enjoyed each other’s company, but they didn’t put a label on it. He didn’t push her for more than the easy companionship between them and she didn’t overthink it. She was happy and Ben seemed to be, so she didn’t feel a need to define what they had for anybody else.

  “I’d prefer to keep my mother out of it for now. You know how she can be.”

  Nola made a sympathetic noise, nodding. “I don’t blame you. My mom’s not quite as bad as yours, but you can definitely tell they’re sisters.”

  “Enough about moms,” Laney said, since it would also change the subject away from Ben. “When are we going to make the drive to see a movie in an actual theater?”

  “Oh, I need to see what’s coming up so we can plan a trip. But you also have to come to the next movie night. They’re usually the first Saturday of every month, though it gets messed up a lot in the summer. All the women get together at somebody’s house and watch a movie. There’s food and drinks and no men or kids.”

  She listened to Nola talk about some of the movies they’d watched in the past, and then she shared some funny stories about the women who attended, but Laney’s attention kept wandering to the clock. Ben would probably be home soon, and it had been a few days since she’d seen him. Texting and phone calls were nice, but definitely not the same.

  “I should probably go,” she said when Nola’s conversation had run its course. She knew her cousin liked to spend some time in her garden before starting dinner, and this was about the time she usually left.

  “Going to see Ben?”

  “Probably. He hasn’t sent me a message saying he’s busy, so he’ll probably be home by the time I get there.” Last-minute cancellations were part of being in Ben’s life, but she didn’t mind. As much as she missed seeing him when he was busy, she knew what he was doing was more important than throwing together dinner with her.

  But when she pulled into his driveway, Ben’s SUV wasn’t there. And his mother was.

  May was watering the petunias that draped out of boxes lining the windowsills on the front of the house. She was using an old-fashioned metal watering can, which made Laney smile since she knew there was a hose coiled up and hanging on a bracket on the side of the garage.

  “Hi, Laney,” she called when Laney got out of her car. “How are you today?”

  “I’m good, thanks. Your flowers look beautiful. The colors are so cheerful.” The bright pinks and purples would match her chairs, she thought.

  “Thank you. I don’t have the patience for big flower beds, but I do like a little pop of color around the house.” She set the watering can down and pinched a dying blossom off the plant. “I haven’t seen Ben yet.”

  “I don’t know if he’s just running late or if he’s out on a call and hasn’t had a chance to text yet.”

  “Since he’s not here yet, would you mind helping me in the backyard for a few minutes? I’m trying to convince Alan we need to enlarge the patio and put in a hot tub, but he says we don’t have room. I found a hundred-foot tape measure in the garage and some dimensions on the internet, and now I need help proving him wrong.”

  Laney laughed. “That sounds like fun. I’d be happy to help.”

  * * *

  Ben had about had his fill of four-wheelers, idiots and his cell phone ringing. The first call of the day had been a couple of local kids playing in a sand pit they knew was off-limits. Rolling his ATV over on himself had scared the crap out of one of the teenagers, but he was lucky enough to escape with a broken leg.

  The second call had been a couple of guys from Connecticut up for the week who’d gotten lost. They didn’t have any food or water with them, and they didn’t want to spend all day waiting, so they’d faked a suspected head injury to get a faster response. They’d gotten a faster response. They were also going to get a hefty bill if Matt Barnett had his way, since Maine allowed billing for rescues if the rescue was caused by the victims being idiots.

  So Ben wasn’t thrilled to get a third call. He hadn’t yet had a day he regretted taking the job, but riding through the woods for no good reason got old fast. Especially on a Tuesday, when it was supposed to be slow and he’d get to see Laney. He’d put together a homemade pizza earlier so they could just pop it in the oven and have some extra time on the couch. As much as he enjoyed cooking with her, he enjoyed her being in his arms a lot more.

  If he lost out on that extra time because some dumbass did something stupid, he’d be pissed.

  But until he knew exactly what he was dealing with, every minute could mean the difference between life and death, so he tore through the woods until he spotted a rider standing in the middle of the trail, waving his arms.

  It wasn’t a nuisance. The rider and his wife had been riding double on a two-up machine, with no helmets, and he’d hit a water bar badly. Sometimes shallow trenches were dug across trails for drainage, since the alternative was water washing out the trail itself. This particular water bar was marked, but the rider either hadn’t seen the sign or hadn’t taken it seriously. The front end of the machine had hit the ditch, the ass end had come up, and his wife had been thrown off the back, straight into a tree.

  She was unconscious with an obvious head injury and probably trauma to her neck and spine. Ben immobilized her the best he could and had his hands full just keeping her breathing until the rest of the guys showed up.

  Thanks to the shortcuts he and Josh had managed to finagle, they only had to get her three miles to a nearby house, where an ambulance would take her to the closest hospital. The medical helicopter was already en route to pick her up there and take her either to Maine Med or to Boston because she needed a top-notch trauma team.

  He rode beside the rescue sled secured in the side-by-side, monitoring her vitals and ready with the defibrillator, while Dave kneeled backwards, leaning over the front seat to squeeze the bag and keep her breathing as regular as possible.

  Due to the seriousness of her condition, he chose to ride in the ambulance with the EMT, leaving the fire department guys to deal with her husband. There was no sense in Drew or one of the game wardens driving him to the local hospital, so they’d get him back to town and calm him down while they waited for the chopper’s final destination.

  And even though it was the nature of his job and something he’d been doing for many years, Ben had a hard time letting this patient go when the medical flight’s paramedic took over. They knew each other from the job, but other than a brief hello, it was just a recitation of facts and stats on Ben’s part and a confirmation on the other guy’s. Then they were gone and Ben was left standing in a hallway, the adrenaline fading.

  And no way back to Whitford.

  Dammit. He took out his phone and wasn’t surprised there were no text messages from Laney. She’d told him once she assumed he was dealing with an emergency and didn’t want to distract him, tru
sting him to reach out to her when he had a chance. While he appreciated that, since he’d dated women in the past who weren’t so patient, he could have used the boost.

  There was a bad one, he typed into a message for her. I’m at the hospital and have to get a ride back. Don’t know how long I’ll be. Sorry.

  It’s okay. Do you want me to come get you?

  As exhausted as he was, that made him smile. I’ll see who’s around, but probably not. If I do, I’ll let you know.

  If you get a ride, let me know when you’ll be home. I found the pizza in the fridge and I’ll put it in the oven so it’ll be ready when you get here.

  She was at his place. She was waiting for him, and ready to put dinner in the oven so he’d have a hot meal when he got there. Ben closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the feeling of having the thing he’d come to want more than anything—not only a woman at home who cared, but Laney.

  Until the afterglow wore off and she got dressed and went back to her place.

  But he’d take what she was willing to give him, just as he’d told her he would. Thanks. I’ll let you know.

  Before he could start making calls, looking for a state trooper or a game warden out patrolling the region who could extend that patrol to Whitford with him riding shotgun, his phone rang and Drew’s number came up.

  “Hey,” Drew said. “I heard on the radio the patient’s on her way to Boston. Just wanted to give you a heads-up that Butch is on his way in the tow truck. He was listening to his scanner and left shortly after the ambulance to give you a ride back. He’s probably about twenty minutes behind you.”

  Ben laughed, feeling his good spirits being restored with every passing minute. First Laney, and now Butch, coming to get him in the tow truck. “That’s good news. I didn’t have much hope of finding a ride in a hurry on a Tuesday evening. How’s the victim’s husband?”