A Reason to Love (14 page)

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Redding.”

“Apology accepted.” She stepped back to study him, her cheeks stained with tears. “But since when have you called me anything other than Mama R.?”

A lump of cold pain in the center of his chest started melting, but if anything, her easy acceptance made him feel worse. “All things considered, I wasn’t sure I still had the right. In fact, I’d feel better if you yelled at me or maybe punched me in the nose, especially after how I acted at Callie’s wedding.”

Her hazel eyes, so like her daughter’s, filled with tears again. “Aw, Spence, honey, I’m not mad at you. Coming home to find her marrying Nick had to come as a shock. They know that, too. I’m just so glad you’re back home and in one piece. Given time, I’m sure we’ll fix whatever is wrong between you, Callie, and your army buddies. Right now all that really matters is that I got my boy back. God knows, thinking we’d lost you almost killed us, too.”

Then she hugged him again. “Welcome home, Spence.”

When she released him and stepped back, he made a show of eyeing the bag in her hand. “I don’t suppose that’s for me.”

Mrs. Redding handed it over. “You know it is. I baked my chocolate chip cookies, but I also stuck in some oatmeal raisin and some snickerdoodles, too. Gotta fatten you up a bit.” He picked her up and swung her around and around. “You, lady, are a goddess among women! I’ve missed all those goodie boxes you and Callie used to send me.”

After setting her back down, he peeked into the bag and did a quick count. There had to be at least six dozen cookies, and all just for him. Well, good manners dictated that he offer to share with Mama R., but no one else was going to get any. Not even Mooch.

“Come on inside,” he said. “I’ll make a pot of coffee, and we can break out the goodies.”

She followed him into the cottage. As soon as she stepped across the threshold and got a good look around, she started laughing. “I love what you’ve done with the place, Spence. If I’d known you liked doilies this much, I would’ve mailed you some with every goodie box I sent you. Just imagine how cozy they would’ve made your barracks. I’m sure all the other guys would have loved them, too.”

“Yeah, right.” Spence grinned back at her. “Check out the poodle shower curtain in the pink bathroom. It’s so me.”

He left her to explore the small house while he ground the beans for the coffee. When he was filling the coffeemaker with water, he heard the front door open and close. Where had she gone? After hitting the
ON
button, he stepped out on the porch to see Mama R. standing by the open hatchback on her car. She was in the process of picking up a pair of cardboard boxes. From the effort she put into it, he had to guess they weren’t exactly light.

He loped across the yard to help. “Let me get those for you.”

She surrendered her burden and then closed up the car. “I brought more than cookies. Once I got started baking, I got to thinking about all your favorite things. I hope you have some freezer space. I’m afraid I went a little overboard.”

He let her lead the way back to the house so she could open the door for him. “Don’t worry about that. Home cooking never goes to waste around me. I’d tell you that you shouldn’t have, but I’m not that noble, especially when it comes to your cooking.”

Inside, she helped him unpack the two boxes, which contained a dozen different casserole dishes, all carefully labeled with what each one contained along with instructions on how to cook them. He’d be eating like a king for the foreseeable future.

“I can’t thank you enough for doing this. Nobody cooks like you do, Mama R., and I should know. I’m surprised you never asked the attorney who watched over my inheritance for regular cash donations to your food budget.”

She didn’t appreciate the humor. “Your parents were our best friends. The least I could do was make sure you got some decent hot meals. Looking back, I should’ve insisted on feeding Austin, too.”

How did that jerk enter into this conversation? Mama R. knew how he felt about his cousin. Rather than say anything, he got out a plate and put a few of the cookies on it. After pouring each of them a mug of coffee, he offered her a seat at the small kitchen table.

“Don’t think I missed your reaction to the mention of Austin’s name, Spence. Now isn’t the time to talk about him, but just know that he’s working hard to turn his life around, which is another miracle in itself. You’ll like the man he’s becoming.”

He didn’t see that happening. “I’ll have to take your word for that.”

“All I’m asking is that you give the boy a chance. You know full well how hard a time he’s had because of that awful father of his.”

Yeah, he did, but he didn’t want to hear about it. The kid could’ve made different choices. Rather than argue, Spence nodded, letting her think he was conceding the point.

When they were settled at the table, she accepted one of the cookies but set it down without even taking a bite. “So, Spence, tell me what you’ve been up to since you came back to town. I’m guessing you’re probably not ready to share what happened over in Afghanistan after the explosion and may never be. I’d just like to know how you came to be living here among the doilies and poodle prints, and what your long-term plans are if you have any.”

He sipped his coffee and considered how much to share. Maybe she wouldn’t notice him dancing around the tougher issues if he gave her enough detail on the easy stuff. He started off with running into Melanie that first night at the cemetery and kept going right up to working last night with Will Cosgrove. He stopped short of telling her about his late-night adventures with Mel.

But Mama R. had always had an uncanny knack for knowing when he was being evasive. She studied him over the rim of her cup several seconds. “Okay, I knew about Melanie following you to that awful bar, which really came as a surprise to all of us. I wouldn’t have expected her to do something so impulsive, but I’m grateful that someone was watching over you that night. I also appreciate why you wouldn’t have felt comfortable moving back into your family home under the circumstances, and it was nice of Melanie to offer you this place instead.”

She set the cup down and leaned closer. “I do want to point out that you could have stayed with us. Although I also understand why that might have been awkward for you, too. Having said that, I’d like you to come to dinner soon. It would be just me and Mr. R. Bring Melanie with you if that would make it easier for you. I haven’t had a chance to spend much time with her since she’s moved back home. It would be nice to get caught up with her.”

Sneaky woman. She had him cornered and she knew it. There was no way he could turn down her invitation without hurting her more than he already had done. It probably wasn’t fair to Melanie to drag her along as a buffer, but he wasn’t sure he could face the Reddings alone, not for an entire evening. What if Callie and Nick decided to drop by, even though they weren’t invited? He wouldn’t put it past them.

He swallowed hard. “I’ll ask Melanie what her schedule looks like and give you a call to set a date.”

She beamed at him, her relief obvious. “That’s really great, Spence. Make it soon, though. The longer you put it off, the harder it will be for you. It’s just one little step back toward reconnecting with more of your past.”

She was right. “I’ll try to make it in the next couple of weeks. I’m working a lot of evenings right now at the millworks, so it will have to be on a Saturday or Sunday.”

“That will be fine. Just let me know. My calendar is clear for the foreseeable future. Even if it wasn’t, I’d change my plans to be able to spend time with my boy again.”

She finally ate her cookie and then finished off her coffee. “Well, I’d better get going. You probably have things you need to be doing.”

He walked outside with her. Mama R. slipped Mooch another treat from her pocket before giving Spence another rib-crunching hug. “I thank God every night for sending you back home to us, Spence. Find some way to make peace with your friends soon. You’ll all feel better.”

Then she patted him on the cheek and gave him a soft smile. “I suspect you’d always thought when it was time for you to come back home to live that Callie would be part of it. She is, just not in the way you were thinking. I would have been proud to have you as a son-in-law, Spence, but you two were always more like brother and sister than anything else or something would have happened between you years ago. I think in your heart, you probably know that’s true.”

While he struggled to come up with something to say, she got in her car and closed the door. After starting the engine, she rolled down the window. “One more thing, Spence. Judging from what you didn’t say, I suspect that you’re feeling anything but brotherly toward Melanie Wolfe. If so, I approve. The two of you have so much in common.”

She pulled away from the curb, leaving Spence stunned and staring after her. She waved one last time before making the turn at the corner and disappearing from sight. How was he supposed to react to that last bombshell? What could he and Melanie possibly have in common other than that they were both back in Snowberry Creek and weren’t particularly happy about it? As he walked back inside, he shook his head and grinned. Mama R. always had been able to read him like a book, so maybe she was right. And speaking of Melanie, it was time to get ready for work.

M
elanie made it to lunchtime without falling asleep at her desk, but it was a close call. She’d make it through the day if it killed her, and right now she was afraid it just might. On the other hand, she couldn’t bring herself to regret a single second of the time she’d spent with Spence: sitting on his porch and talking, her first ride on a motorcycle, and, well, the kiss that had come afterward. What an amazing night!

Too bad she didn’t have anyone to confide the details in right now. Talking to Callie was clearly out of the question, and she couldn’t involve Bridey without putting her in the awkward position of having to keep secrets from Callie.

A knock on her office door snapped her attention back to the present. “Come in.”

Mrs. Cuthbert stepped into the room, clenching a file folder in her hand, her expression grim. “I’m sorry, Ms. Wolfe, but there’s a problem with the paperwork we sent to the bank.”

Melanie frowned. “Did I make a mistake when I filled it all out? I double-checked all the figures before I gave it to you to fax back to them.”

“No, that’s not the problem. They say they never got the paperwork at all, and now we’ve missed the deadline.”

Being tired didn’t stop Melanie’s temper from flaring hot. “But we sent it over in plenty of time. Get me the confirmation from the fax, and I’ll call the loan officer myself.”

If anything, Mrs. Cuthbert looked even more upset. “I don’t have a confirmation.”

“Why not? If you didn’t get one, you should’ve just resent the whole package to the bank. Better that they get duplicate copies than none at all.”

The older woman was already shaking her head. “I couldn’t get the fax machine to work even though I tried. Since the mail carrier was due in a few minutes, I stuck the paperwork in an envelope and sent it to the bank that way. It should’ve gotten there the next day.”

Okay, they’d deal with the fax problem later. Right now Melanie needed to find some way to salvage the situation. “Did you asking for tracking on the envelope so that we can prove when the paperwork reached the bank?”

She knew the answer before the woman even opened her mouth, but she let her speak. “I’m sorry, but we’ve never had trouble with the mail before. There was no reason to spend the extra money for special handling.”

Melanie fought the urge to throw something. “It costs less than a dollar to include tracking, Mrs. Cuthbert. Considering the importance of getting that paperwork to the bank on time, I think we could’ve sprung for that much. If I’d been told there was a problem, I would have faxed the paperwork myself or even driven the damn things to the bank. At the very least, you sure as hell should’ve said something at the time.”

Mrs. Cuthbert gasped. “Melanie Wolfe, you should be ashamed of yourself! Your father never uttered one curse word in all the years I worked for him.”

Enough was enough. “And I’m not my father, Mrs. Cuthbert! I know you’d rather he was sitting in this chair. To be honest, so would I. However, he’s also the one who left this mess for me to clean up. Believe it or not, I’m doing the best I can, and the paperwork that didn’t reach the bank was a big part of the plan to save this company.”

Clearly the woman wasn’t willing to believe anything Melanie told her. “Your father never said that the company was on shaky ground. He had no trouble making payroll, and I know for a fact he never had to borrow money from the bank to do so.”

The last thing Melanie wanted to do was get in a shouting match with an employee, but maybe it was time they all did a reality check. “That’s because he borrowed the money against our family home, not the company. Without the new financing, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep this place running for even another six months. I’d be glad to let you look at the spreadsheet yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Mrs. Cuthbert flushed red and then went pale. “I won’t stand here and let you bad-mouth your father, Ms. Wolfe. He was a good man and a great boss. Everyone loved him.”

From the odd note in the other woman’s voice, Melanie was beginning to suspect that the feeling Mrs. Cuthbert had harbored for Melanie’s father had gone far beyond that of an employee for a boss. But she so didn’t want to go there.

It was time to play hardball. “Mrs. Cuthbert, if you can’t deal with the new circumstances around here, you might want to consider tendering your resignation.”

“Maybe I will.”

Melanie didn’t hesitate. “I’m sure you know what paperwork needs to be filled out to make that happen. Leave it on my desk, and I’ll sign it. I would appreciate two weeks’ notice.”

From the shocked look Mrs. Cuthbert gave Melanie, she hadn’t expected her to accept her resignation. Well, she wasn’t going to beg her to stay, not when she wasn’t willing to meet Melanie halfway on the changes that needed to be made to drag the company into the modern age.

“For your father’s sake, I’ll stay that long.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cuthbert. Now, I assume that file in your hands is the paperwork for the bank. Give it to me, and I’ll see what I can do.”

The secretary dropped the manila folder in the center of Melanie’s desk and disappeared back out to her own office. Chances were news would spread through the plant like wildfire that Melanie had ordered Mrs. Cuthbert to retire. In the long run, they’d both be happier, but it was clear who was going to be the villain in this farce.

Rather than dwell on it, she reached for the phone to call the man at the bank she’d been dealing with and sent a prayer skyward that he’d have some suggestions on what she should do next. If not, her trust fund was going to take another hit, one that would leave it nearly depleted. If she couldn’t pull off a miracle this time, Mrs. Cuthbert wouldn’t be the only one retiring or looking for a new job.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to hold off the headache that felt imminent, as she waited for the banker to come on the line. Hoping she sounded cheerier than she felt, she said, “Hello, Mr. Lunt. This is Melanie Wolfe calling, and I understand we have a little problem with our paperwork.”

•   •   •

When Spence got back from making his final delivery, the usually talkative foreman barely said more than the absolute minimum to give Spence his orders for the next day. “That’s it for today. Tomorrow should be a full day, though. The regular driver will be back after that.”

Then he settled back in his chair and went back to studying the paper he had spread out on top of his desk. Spence noticed he was reading the Help Wanted ads. “Looking for work?”

He’d meant it as a joke. Like most of the employees at the millworks, the foreman had started working there right out of high school and only had a few years left until he could retire. The thought of him moving on to another company seemed unlikely. However, from his reaction, Spence was obviously wrong about that.

“All things considered, I might not have any choice. Ms. Wolfe started laying people off today.”

What? That couldn’t be right. If things had gotten that bad around there, surely Melanie would’ve said something last night. He’d known there were problems, but he’d thought she was making good strides toward pulling the company back from the edge. He glanced up at the second floor of the factory, wishing he knew what to do. His first impulse was to go running up the stairs to see what he could do to help.

On the other hand, he had been making a real effort to avoid anyone getting the idea that he and Melanie were anything other than old acquaintances who had gone to high school together. With things going to hell around her, the last thing she needed right now was to have her name linked to his. He didn’t know for sure, but he suspected that many of her employees still thought of him as that wild Lang boy even though he’d left that kid behind years ago.

He knew it would be better to wait until everyone had gone home before he approached her directly. At least he could text her without anyone being the wiser. “I’m going to grab a quick bite in the lunchroom. Will you let Mr. Cosgrove know that’s where I am if he comes in looking for me?”

“Sure.”

Luckily, Spence had the small lunchroom to himself. He bought a pop from the machine and sat down to text Melanie.

R U OK?

She answered within seconds.
I’ll survive. :-}

Anything I can do?

No. Well, unless you happen to stumble across a pile of $$ lying around somewhere.

He smiled and texted back,
I’ll keep an eye out.

After a slight hesitation, he added,
What happened today?

This time it took longer for her to respond.
Nothing I can explain in a text. Can you stop by the house after you get done tonight?

I’ll be there. I’ll even bring some of Mama R.’s fresh-baked cookies to share.

She sent back a happy face followed by
You are my hero. Thank you.

You’re welcome. Now I’d better get back to work before the boss finds out I’ve been flirting on company time.

Good idea. I hear she’s on a real tear today.

She doesn’t scare me. I’m a trained combat soldier. I’ll bust out some of my best moves if I have to.

If they’re anything like the moves I saw last night, I’m all for it.

**blush**

Yeah, right. It would take more than that to embarrass a big, tough guy like you. Now we’d both better get back to work. See you later.

Yes, ma’am.

“Boy, what’s on that fancy phone that has you looking like a kid in a candy shop with ten dollars to spend?”

Spence nearly jumped out of his skin. How had he not heard Will come in? He looked around to make sure no one else had slipped into the room when he wasn’t looking. What if they’d looked over his shoulder and learned that he’d been flirting with their boss? Meanwhile, Will was still waiting for an answer.

“A friend sent me a link to a joke. It was pretty funny.”

“All that texting crap is a waste of time, if you ask me. If you’re done fooling around, those machines out there could use our attention, and I’d like to get home before eleven o’clock for once.”

Considering his plans to meet up with Melanie, Spence clapped his old friend on the shoulder. “Let’s aim for ten.”

•   •   •

The phone call with the banker hadn’t gone as well as Melanie had hoped it would, but it hadn’t been a total disaster, either. They wouldn’t have to start over from scratch to restructure the company’s debt load, but there was no guarantee what the interest rate would be when they finished the process. Under the circumstances she supposed she should be grateful for even that much. She’d spent the rest of the afternoon updating the paperwork. It might have been cowardly of her, but she’d waited until Mrs. Cuthbert had left for the day to fax the paperwork to the bank herself. Afterward, she’d gathered up the other files that needed her immediate attention and headed home.

That had been four hours ago, three of which she’d spent poring over reports at the kitchen table. The only concession she’d made to working at home was to exchange the suit she’d worn to the office for a pair of flannel pj bottoms and a tank top. When all the numbers started to blur, she decided that enough was enough. She set it all aside and fixed herself something to eat and started to top off her wineglass but then stopped herself. She was already tired, and her head was foggy enough without adding more alcohol. Besides, Spence had promised to stop by. The last thing she wanted was to be passed out on the couch when he got there.

The poor guy had enough problems of his own without having to deal with hers, but he was the only one she could be totally honest with about everything. At work, she had to pretend she knew what she was doing even when she didn’t. Dealing with the bankers was even worse. Numbers didn’t lie, but she still had to try to put a positive spin on the millworks’ bottom line. Nobody was that good a liar.

She was considering diving back into the files when she heard a low rumble coming from outside. A single headlight lit up the front window as a motorcycle turned into her driveway. Spence! It wasn’t even nine thirty, far earlier than she’d expected him, not that she was complaining. Just that quickly, her depressing exhaustion disappeared.

She practically skipped to the kitchen to open the back door for him. He’d already parked the Harley and was headed up the steps, taking them two at a time.

“You finished work early.” That came out wrong. “Sorry, Spence. That came out sounding like a boss. What I meant to convey was how happy I am to see you.”

“Will and I got an early start on the two machines we wanted to do tonight.” When he reached the top step, he gave her a worried look and brushed a lock of her hair back from her face. “I heard about Mrs. Cuthbert, but I’m guessing your version of what happened will be closer to the truth. Are you all right?”

“I’m better now that you’re here. We can talk about what happened if you want to, but I’d really rather wait until after you’ve had a chance to catch your breath.”

“It’s a deal as long as you remember I’m willing to listen.” Then he held up a quart-sized plastic bag crammed full of cookies. “Cookies as promised. I brought both chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. I had snickerdoodles, too, but I couldn’t bring myself to share those. Call me greedy.”

She couldn’t even pretend to be disappointed. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t see me offering to share my secret stash of dark chocolate, do you? Come on inside. Have you eaten? I have sandwich makings if you’re hungry.”

“Nope, I’m good. I grabbed a burger on the way home.” Inside the kitchen, he added, “However, I wouldn’t turn down some ice cream to go with the cookies if you have any.”

“I do.”

She started for the freezer to get it, but Spence caught her arm and spun her back to face him. “There’s something else I want first, though.”

The greedy gleam in his eyes made it clear exactly what he wanted: her. Her whole body came alive as he gathered her into his arms for a hard, full-body press even as his lips settled against hers. The slide of his tongue across hers immediately sparked a fire deep inside her, leaving her breasts feeling full and heavy and a hungry ache throbbing at her core. She felt the hard evidence of Spence’s own response to the embrace pressed against her stomach. Clearly they were picking up right where they’d left off the night before.