Trouble in Sudden Falls: A Sudden Falls Romance (17 page)

Dear Rogan,

I’m having a wonderful time in Tibet. I feel more spiritually centered than I ever have in my life. I could see myself living here forever among the monks.

Rogan scoffed for a moment at that. He didn’t really see Becca being comfortable around the monks for too long. He was pretty sure a vow of celibacy was one that Becca would neither ever take, nor ever be able to keep.

The accommodations are a bit sparse, but we’ve weathered worse. That fourth story walk-up in Chicago comes to mind. I must return to my afternoon meditation.

Peace and love to you, my child.

Mummy

Rogan growled as he wadded the note up in a ball and shot it fast-ball style across the room. It smacked the wall before hitting the lip of the trashcan and then the carpet.

Fluffy eased back from underneath Rogan’s desk and found a safer perch at the end of the bed. He gave her a scratch under the chin before flopping back on his pillow.

What a ridiculous letter. First off, ‘Peace and Love, my child’…
Seriously?
Second, he’d never referred to Becca as “Mummy” in his life. Some of her companions in “enlightenment” must have been from England. For that matter, he rarely even referred to her as “Mom” or “Mother”. Next, nowhere in her missive had she mentioned a return address nor had she asked after his well-being.

As always, everything was about Becca’s happiness, comfort and priorities, and to hell with everyone else.

“Rogan, breakfast is on.” Eli knocked on the door as he passed without waiting for an answer. It had become Eli’s habit, and it was one that Rogan secretly liked. Eli made certain he was up, but didn’t try to pester him awake or hover. It felt…well,
adult.

Rogan slipped his feet into his black boots, noting that at some point, Eli had gotten ahold of them and given them a good polishing. He should resent like hell the interference, but because Eli didn’t make a big deal about it, it felt like Eli was taking care of him. Eli made sure his clothes were clean, never forgot to hand him a sack lunch or lunch money, always made sure there were more-or-less healthy snacks available when he came home from school, and Rogan never had to worry about whether the power would go out because it hadn’t been paid or if a pending eviction notice would be slipped under the door.

Rogan absolutely knew he shouldn’t learn to like it so much here. And he definitely shouldn’t get used to it. Sooner or later, Becca would get tired of being enlightened and would come home. Though it looked like he might actually make it into the college program before that happened. Not that he expected to be able to stay until graduation or anything. That would be way too much to hope for.

He tied his boots and shoved his wallet into the back pocket of his black Levis, before buckling his belt—the one without spikes, because he knew the spiky one irritated everyone—and picking up his backpack full of school books.

Fluffy sat up on the end of the bed. “Go outside?” She leaped to the floor and put her nose to the crack in the door. She was down the stairs before Rogan could pull the door closed behind him, Eli’s muffled sneeze from the kitchen the best indication of her progress.

When Rogan reached the kitchen, Eli was sitting at the table perusing the morning paper and sipping a mug of coffee. He had already set out a bowl, along with milk, a banana and Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch for Rogan. Rogan knew he should
not
be touched by the gesture of Eli buying his favorite cereal, or for setting up breakfast, but somehow, he couldn’t help himself.

Eli turned one corner of the paper down so that he could see Rogan over it. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yup,” Rogan said around a mouthful of cereal.

“You want a ride to school this morning?”

Rogan looked at the clock. If he walked, he’d have to hustle. No way was he going to be late to Cannifarm’s class. No reason to risk it. “Sure. If it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all.”

It was nearly the same conversation they had every morning. Occasionally, Eli commented on the weather, ”Be sure to take an umbrella today.” or some item in the paper, “Did you see what asinine thing Congress is trying to pass now?” but Eli always let him get settled before inquiring after his sleep and asking him if he wanted a ride to school.

The routine of it was somehow comforting. He was getting sucked in to this new life of his and he’d miss it when he was gone.

As soon as he finished his breakfast, he rinsed out his bowl and dropped it into the dishwasher—exactly as Eli had done moments earlier with his coffee cup—and grabbed his bag. He let Fluffy in from the backyard and he and Eli were in the truck with minutes to spare before he’d be late.

Maddie waved as she left her house, balancing a thermal travel mug and a couple of slices of toast on a paper towel, the strap of a soft-sided canvas bag slung around her neck and shoulder. Eli waved back as she turned onto the sidewalk. “Want a ride to the store?”

She grinned at him. “Nope. I’ll walk. It’s a beautiful morning.”

Rogan watched Eli watch Maddie step down the street with more than a casual interest. “So is Maddie your girlfriend?” The question had been burning a hole in his curiosity for some time.

Eli’s eyes left Maddie’s form with great haste. “Er, no.” He wrinkled his brow. “At least, I don’t think so…” Eli trailed off then looked up at the roof of the car. “That is… well—”

“You don’t
think
so? In other words, you
want
her to be, but she isn’t?”

“No…maybe…It’s complicated.”

Rogan couldn’t help grinning at how out-of-sorts Eli suddenly seemed.

“So when does that grade card come out?” As changes of subject went, it wasn’t particularly subtle.

“Don’t remind me.”

“I thought school was going well,” Eli said, turning the concern on, full-blast.

“It’s complicated,” Rogan said, using Eli’s phrase.

Eli raised an eyebrow and except for occasional glances at the road in front of them, refused to look away.

Rogan’s neck felt prickly. His first instinct was to tell Eli to butt out, but after a long moment, he answered truthfully. “I have A’s in everything except Calculus which is a B+. The first quiz was a little rough, but I got up to speed after that. Unless I totally blow the test on Friday, it’ll be an A. The only grade I don’t know is English Lit. I swear that woman has it in for me.”

“Who’s the teacher?”

“Cannifarm.”

Eli nodded. “Oh. She was teaching when I was in school. Would you like me to talk to her for you?”

Oh, that’s exactly what he needed. “That’s not necessary. If I can’t get a good grade in her class on my own, then I probably don’t deserve one.” His tone was a little sharper than he’d intended.

“If that’s what you want,” Eli said quietly as he pulled up to the curb in front of the school. He almost sounded hurt.

Rogan thought about apologizing for snarling but didn’t know how to say it. Finally, he got out of the truck and after snapping a quick salute, he turned and went into the school.

“Sorry I’m late,” Emma said later that week, wincing inwardly, wondering if Maddie would fire her. Fourth day on the job and she was already showing up late.

Maddie was already hard at work at the store when Emma rushed in. Several pieces that Maddie had bought at an auction had been delivered and Emma set her purse behind the counter and immediately leaped in to help Maddie.

Maddie looked absently at the grandfather clock by the front door. “Five minutes? Please. Don’t worry about it.”

Emma began to relax.

“Did you notice that this one is scratched?” Emma ran her finger over a small ding in the top of a dresser.

Maddie looked at it and frowned. “No, I hadn’t noticed that when I bought it. Is it fixable?”

Emma surveyed the scratch. “Yeah. It’s tiny. It won’t take much to effectively hide it. Shall we drag it back to the work room?” She was itching to get started on a woodworking project. Rob had threatened her with death or dismemberment if she brought even one more piece of furniture home, so she hadn’t had the opportunity to do any woodworking in more than a year. She would admit, Rob had a point. They actually did have too much furniture in a couple of rooms in their house. However, at the same time, she missed the feel of wood and sandpaper in her hands and the satisfaction she felt at re-finishing a beautiful piece of furniture.

“Let’s get the rest of this stuff situated first,” Maddie answered. She stepped to a glass-fronted bookcase. “Where should we put this one?”

Emma ran her hands over the crackly surface of the finish. “This is a beautiful piece. Where did you find it?”

“Estate auction. And I got it for a song. Not many mission-style lovers there, I’m guessing. It’s a great reproduction piece.”

Emma circled the cabinet and looked at the back. “I think it’s original, not reproduction. If I’m right and you find the right buyer, you could easily sell it for eight to ten thousand.”

Maddie sputtered. “Dollars? You think it’s worth that much?”

Emma searched the back. “Got a flashlight?”

Maddie stepped to the counter, reached behind it and returned with a small penlight. “This work?”

Emma nodded and knelt down to get in closer. “Yup. That’s what I thought. See this red upside down horseshoe-looking symbol with the signature? This is an original Stickley.”

“No way.” Maddie grinned. “I have really good taste.”

Emma laughed. “I would agree.”

“Did you catch the episode of the Antiques Roadshow where someone refinished one of these? She thought the crackly finish was ugly.” Maddie rolled her eyes.

“I’ll bet she was kicking herself. It probably lost three quarters of its value.”

“More, I think.”

“Ouch.” The idea made Emma’s stomach knot up.

“So how did the mayor take the news of your new job?”

Speaking of things that upset her stomach. “Umm…”

Maddie’s eyes widened. “You haven’t told him,” she guessed.

“Well… no.”

They each lifted one side of the scratched dresser and began carrying it toward the back of the store.

“So he hasn’t noticed?”

Of course he hadn’t. She’d dropped about six clues while they were getting ready that morning, but he didn’t pick up on any one of them.

He’d simply said, “You’re up and around awfully early,” as he grabbed the electric razor next to his side of the double sink in the master bath.

Emma returned with an innocuous comment about running errands all the while avoiding sounding defensive. Fortunately—or unfortunately—as usual, Rob wasn’t paying much attention and nodded absently as he sheared off his morning’s growth of beard.

Emma felt torn between being grateful and resentful. A few years ago, he’d have been in touch with her enough that a tone like that would have sent him into red-alert. As it was, she could come into the bedroom dressed in a clown costume and as long as she didn’t get between him and whatever work he’d brought home with him, he wouldn’t even notice.

How sad was it that she’d been working for almost a week now and he hadn’t so much as noticed. Fortunately, she’d been able to leave Maddie’s antique store in time to get home to make dinner. And he hadn’t detected—
big surprise
—that dinner-fare around here had gotten a lot simpler of late. She’d actually resorted to Hamburger Helper last night rather than her home-cooked meals of the past. Since everyone seemed to like it, she refused to feel bad about it at all.

Of course, sooner or later, she’d have to tell him that she’d gotten a job. If she didn’t, someone else was sure to. In a town the size of Sudden Falls, everyone knew everyone else’s business and secrets were impossible to keep. In the meantime, she rather enjoyed getting away with something she wasn’t supposed to. But it was still irritating that Rob hadn’t noticed.

“Nope. Rob hasn’t been paying much attention,” Emma answered in response to Maddie’s question. Part of Emma really enjoyed having the secret. It had been so long since she’d been anyone other than The Mayor’s Wife or Judy, Jeff and Jack’s Mother. Part of her was afraid that Rob would try to talk her out of the job and that she wouldn’t have the backbone to stand up to him.

“Be careful. I don’t want you to get into trouble,” Maddie said.

Emma grinned and winked over the top of the dresser. “Maybe I’ve been looking for some trouble.” She adjusted her handholds as she maneuvered around a display of quilts. “So what’s going on between you and your neighbor?”

Taking care not to smash the dresser into the doorframe, they maneuvered it into the workroom.

“Eli?” Maddie asked with an expended breath, as they lowered the furniture onto the floor. “Nothing. Why?”

“I’m wondering why you keep trying to talk him up to every woman in town when he clearly has the hots for you?” Emma had witnessed Maddie trying to entice a couple different women into pursuing Eli. It wasn’t what Emma would do with a guy she liked, and it was obvious to even the most casual observer that Maddie’s feelings were more than friendly toward Eli.

Maddie tried to explain. “First, I think he’s intrigued by the fact that he found someone who’s finally said no, rather than having an actual interest in me.” Emma didn’t buy it. Her boss’s blush gave her away.