Scarlet Fever - Hill Country 2 (6 page)

“I bought everything for Shrimp Creole and Rum Raisin Bread Pudding.”

“Lead the way to the kitchen.”

The time that Scarlet had spent with her sister had not been wasted.
 
She had used it to calm her nerves and firm her resolve not to react to Alex’s teasing.
 
There was no way that he could really be serious about being attracted to her.
 
So the best thing that she could do was steel herself against his charm and just be casually friendly.
 
After all, he would soon be her brother, almost.
 
They would be practically family.
 
Of course, she would probably never see him again after this trip.
 
She might not ever see Annalise, again, either.
 
It had taken her months to save up for this vacation, and she knew that soon, she wouldn’t feel up to traveling.
 
A wave of sadness washed over her.
 

Alex and Ethan were sitting at the table.
 
Scarlet’s eyes immediately met Alex’s.
 
So much for
her
resolve.
 
She could almost feel the touch of his gaze; he wasn’t even trying to hide his interest – if that was what it was.
 

“Before you leave, you’ve just got to make me a few batches of cookies.
 
Please.”
 
Annalise unashamedly begged.
  

“Girl, do I have a surprise for you.”
 
Scarlet was glad for the distraction.
 
Those gift jars were going to make her sister smile.
 
Running out to the car she retrieved a heavy bag.
 
Before she could extract it from the car, strong arms reached around her and picked it up.

“What have you got in here, bricks?”
 
Alex smiled at her.

“Cookie mixes in a jar.
 
From scratch.
 
I brought enough so Annalise can satisfy her sweet tooth for a long time.”
 
As he walked, he rummaged through the bag.
 

“Brownies, M&M cookies, Cowboy Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin. . . .damn girl, Annalise won’t be eating these by herself.”
 

Reentering the kitchen, she let Alex put up the jars as Annalise closely examined each one.
 
She watched Alex out of the corner of her eye.
 
He was a bigger distraction than the cookies.
 

“My baby sister is going to fix us a fabulous home cooked meal.”
 
Annalise announced, happily as she bounded into the room.
                 

“Great.
 
I’m starving.”
 
Ethan pulled Annalise into his lap and greeted her with a passionate kiss.
 
“For you.”
 

Scarlet turned away, embarrassed.
 
She began to rummage in the refrigerator, pulling out items needed for the flavorful Creole stew.
 

“Let me help.
 
I make a great sous-chef.”
 
Before, she could turn him down; Alex had begun to gather knives, skillets and pots.
 
It was obvious he knew his way around the kitchen.
 

“This is your kitchen isn’t it?” she observed as the obvious truth dawned on her.
 
“I should have asked before I began pilfering through your things.”

“Nonsense.
 
Make yourself at home,” he handed her a shrimp deveining tool, making sure that their fingers brushed.
 
“Can I chop the vegetables for you?”

“Sure.”
 
She smiled at him.
 
“I think that a man who can cook is very sexy.”
 
Where did that come from?
 
The conversation behind them lulled, Scarlet blushed at her unusual candor.

Alex smiled at her, a bone-melting smile.
 
“Remind me to pick up on this conversation later.”

Scarlet made quick work of the shrimp then placed them in cold water until she was ready for them.
 
“Do you have a cast iron skillet?”
 
Alex knew right where to look, pulling one out and placing it on the stove for her.
 
“I make my roux in the oven, how about you?”

“I’ve always stood and stirred.”
 
He watched her combine the oil and flour, and then he set it in the oven to brown.
 
“I like your way better.”

“Scarlet,” Ethan interrupted them.
 
“Tell me about your work at the library and the church.
 
How did you happen to combine the two?”
 

Scarlet finished putting the spices into the tomato mixture.
 

“I’ll finish adding the vegetables, love.”
 
Alex took the spoon from her, as she turned to answer his brother.

“The retiring librarian was a member of my church.
 
She knew me well, and thought I would do a good job at the library.
 
As for the church; one summer the church secretary ran off to get married.
 
I filled in as emergency relief, and gradually it became permanent.
 
I’m fortunate that they are so close in proximity.”

“She does everything at the church except preach.”
 
Annalise was on a roll.
 
“She’s the pianist; she takes care of the food pantry, runs the church office and best of all she conducts an after school program for children.
 
They all call her Miss Scarlet.”

“Miss Scarlet, huh?”
 
Ethan asked.
 
“So you must be very religious.”
 
At his question, both Scarlet and Annalise fidgeted.
 
The soon-to-be newlyweds had not discussed religion in depth, so Scarlet’s answer would come as a surprise.

Scarlet began to talk, ladling the shrimp into sauce.
 
“Our parents were; overly so.
 
In fact, they made our childhood miserable.
 
They talked about religion, but they rarely ever did anything for anybody.
 
I don’t talk it, I’m not even sure I actually agree with everything the church believes.
 
But I try to do for other people, especially children.”

“Scarlet tries to practice what our parents preached.”
 
Annalise started to say something else, but stopped.
 
Then, she started again.
 
“Our Dad’s dead now, but he was harsh.
 
Especially to Scarlet.”
 
Alex went on alert at Annalise’s words.

“How so?” Ethan asked, curious.

Scarlet sent her a warning glance, but Annalise ignored it.
 

“Scarlet was born with a club foot.”

“That’s easily corrected,” Alex inserted, anxious to say something that would change the stricken look on Scarlet’s face.

“Except he refused to let the doctors fix it.”
 
Annalise’s voice became bitter.

“He
what
?”
 
Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
 
He looked down at Scarlet’s little foot, so perfect now.

Scarlet saw him examine her foot.
 
She held it up, and showed him the scar.
 
“When I was sixteen, I was referred to the Shiners’ hospital.
 
I was old enough then to make my own decision.”

“Why in the world would your father refuse to have your foot corrected?”
 
A harsh note had come into Alex’s voice.

“He was crazy,” Annalise interjected.
 
“He told Scarlet that God had created her with a club foot, so that must be the way he wanted her to live.
 
He looked upon the deformity as a judgment for her sins.”

Alex bristled at the revelation of Scarlet’s abuse at the hand of her father.
 
Because that was what it was: abuse.
 
What sins could the bully have thought this gentle girl could be paying for?

Annalise turned to her future husband, continuing to explain.
 
“We had gone to Houston for a consultation on Scarlet’s foot the weekend that I was raped.”
 
Ethan shook his head against the horrible memory.
 
That was the event that had caused their six year separation.
 
Misunderstandings and miscommunications had almost cost them their love.

“I always regretted not having had the surgery sooner, if I had, Lise wouldn’t have been alone on the street that night.”
 
Scarlet spoke softly and sadly.

“You couldn’t have stopped it.
 
They would just have hurt you, too.”
 
Painful memories clouded their faces.
 
“Anyway, Scarlet had to live and go to school all of her life with that stupid clubfoot.
 
The kids were cruel and even after she had the operation, they still treated her like a pariah.”

Alex understood a little more now.
 
This went a long way in explaining Rick Lebeau’s stupid behavior.
 
“I’m so sorry, Scarlet.”
 
He placed a hand over hers.
 
Carefully slipping her hand from under his, Scarlet added rum to some raisins for the bread pudding.

“It’s over and done with, now.”

“Yes.
 
My beautiful sister is as good as new.”
 
Scarlet didn’t look up at Annalise.
 
She wasn’t as good as new.
 
The operation had corrected her foot, but handed her a death sentence when her kidneys were ruined by her bad reaction to the anesthesia.
 
Her parents had decided not to share that bit of news with their oldest daughter.
 
Annalise had soon returned to college, thereby, distancing her from Scarlet and her problems.
  

Ethan tried to change the subject.
 
“So you have a degree in library science?”

Scarlet laughed, “No, my degree is in environmental studies.”

“What?”
 
Alex was amazed.
 
“I own and operate a conservation consulting firm.”

They looked at one another with different eyes.
 
“I bet we have a lot we could talk about.”
 
Scarlet thought for a moment.
 
“I knew you were involved in wildlife conservation, Annalise had mentioned your work with the whooping crane.”

“Did you bring it?”
 
Annalise asked mysteriously.

At her question, the doubts came back.
 
She remembered Alex’s voice as he quoted her nemesis, Rick LeBeau.
 
‘She’s always making things for people, thinking it will make them like her better’.
 

“I’m sure that Alex doesn’t want my silly sewing project.”

“Yes, he does.”
 
Annalise looked at Alex for encouragement.

It dawned on Alex that Scarlet had made him a gift, and because of his big mouth, she was hesitant to give it to him.
 
“Scarlet, I would love anything you gave me.
 
Especially, if you made it with your own hands.”

A noise in the front room heralded the arrival of another brother.
 
“Hey, Bobby!
 
Come meet Scarlet!”
 
Ethan announced loudly.

Annalise rolled her eyes at Scarlet, “Boys!” was her one word explanation for her future husband’s behavior.
 

“Go get both of their gifts, Scarlet,” her sister urged.
 
“And, uh, if you have anything else.
 
Hint.
 
Hint.
 
You can bring that, too.”