Authors: Dawn Atkins
“Far as I know there’s no DVD player in that trailer.”
Cara gave a nervous laugh.
“Just take care of each other,” Rosie said in an
uncharacteristically tender voice. “That’s all I’ll say on that.”
When Jonah looked at Cara, it hit him like a punch. He was in
love with her. He’d fallen for the sprite who’d danced into his diner over a
month ago to dazzle him and bring him back to life. So much for keeping it
simple.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
T
AKE
CARE
OF
each other.
Rosie’s words caught Cara totally off guard. She sounded so
sincere, so tender, so not like Rosie that Cara almost blurted,
Yes, of course.
That’s what people in love do.
But she couldn’t say that and it made her ache, turned her joy
bittersweet. They told Rosie good-night and headed for Jonah’s place, where he
had her birthday gift.
“Thank you for the party,” she said, as they set off.
“Rosie did most of it. She’s gone soft on us, thanks to
you.”
“I’m so glad she decided to get treated.”
“Me, too. You worked your magic on her—you and Beth Ann.”
“What she said meant a lot to me.” She’d been so touched by
Rosie’s praise she’d had to dig her nails into her palms to hold back the
tears.
The feeling kept coming:
You belong here,
with these people. This is home.
It couldn’t be.
You can’t stay. You’re not
safe. Barrett’s after you.
She made herself repeat the mantra, but it
sounded weaker and weaker.
“It was all true.” Jonah put his arm around her.
Cara made sure no one could see.
“The secret’s out,” he said. “No use pretending.”
“I guess not.”
Jonah kissed her hair and held her close as they climbed the
steps to his deck. He bent to pick up a box lying on the bench and handed it to
her.
She read the label. “Nails? A do-it-yourself gift?”
“That’s just the box. Open it.”
She shook the box over her hand, and out fell a keychain with a
wooden bear attached. It stood upright, its fur, snout and eyes so precise it
seemed alive. “You carved your spirit animal. It’s beautiful.”
“To keep you safe wherever you go.” His dark eyes held her
close. He was preparing them for when she had to leave.
“I’ll cherish this forever.” She rose to kiss him in
thanks.
“Hang on. That’s not all. Close your eyes.”
She did and he led her into the trailer. “Now open them.”
Cara saw the rocking chair, gleaming in the lamplight. He’d
folded back the table to make room for it.
“It’s yours,” he said.
She looked up at him. “But you made this for…” Cara couldn’t
finish. “This is too personal. You must have…memories.”
“You showed me I’d pushed past the worst of them. You gave me
back the beauty of the piece. I want to think of you and Beth Ann using it.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Sit.” He picked up a camera from the bench. “I need a photo to
hang.”
Cara sat and he snapped a picture. “Got it,” he said, putting
down the camera.
She leaned back and pushed off, floating on air. “This is an
amazing chair.” The seat hugged her bottom, the slats her back, the armrests her
arms. “I can feel the love you put into it.”
Sadness flashed in his eyes.
“Was that the wrong thing to say?”
“No.” He sat on the bench and motioned for her to give him her
foot, so he could rub it as he did most nights. She kicked off her sandal and
put her foot in his hand.
“Rosie told you about the miscarriage.” He shot her a look.
“She mentioned it, yes.”
He nodded, using his thumbs to stretch her instep. Warmth
poured through her. “I was finishing the chair when Suzanne started bleeding.”
He kept his head down as he talked. “Seven months. We were so close.” He
swallowed, shook his head. “They induced labor. The birth was hell. I’ve never
seen anyone suffer like that.”
“You don’t have to tell me, if it’s too hard.”
Jonah raised his eyes, a determined expression there. “It’s the
story of the chair. I want you to know.” He shifted his grip to her heel. The
pleasant sensation contrasted with the sadness of his story.
“Suzanne was devastated. I held her and told her it would be
all right, but it wouldn’t and we both knew it. They were empty words.”
“It’s hard to know what to say.”
“After a while I stopped trying. I took care of the practical
stuff—the bills, the burial arrangements, the sympathy calls. I fixed meals
neither of us ate, washed clothes when we ran out of clean ones, went to
work.”
He looked at her again, his dark eyes anguished. “I escaped in
my shop. I told myself I was giving her space, but I was running from her pain.”
He motioned for Cara to lift her other foot. He cupped his hand around it.
“You were grieving, too.”
“I was her
husband.
For better or worse,
remember? When life was easy, I
managed to fake it. But when it got bad, I failed her.”
“I’m so sorry.” Cara wanted to ease his guilt, but he’d built a
wall against her words.
“Eventually, Suzanne found the comfort she needed.” He gave a
brief, bitter smile. “The problem was she got it from my best friend and
business partner.”
“How awful.” Talk about a betrayal.
“It started out innocent. Suzanne did our books and answered
phones, so they were around each other. Jared’s like Evan—good with people, easy
with small talk.” His voice was so rough it seemed the words hurt his
throat.
“I was relieved to see her happy, so I didn’t question it.
Until the morning they met me in the office to tell me they were in love.”
“What did you say?”
“I didn’t
say
anything. What I did
was punch Jared in the face.”
Cara sucked in a breath, picturing Jonah raising a fist. It was
a terrible image, reminding her of Barrett so much she felt ill.
“The worst was Suzanne. She cowered like she expected me to hit
her next. The look on her face will stay with me until the day I die.”
She’d experienced what Suzanne had. She’d faced a violent man.
She knew that helpless terror.
Jonah’s not Barrett.
Cara tried to say something reassuring, but the words wouldn’t come.
“The minute my arm cocked back I felt it—my father’s rage. I
was acting the way he would have. It scared the hell out of me. I knew I was
like him, but I’d never hit anyone before.”
It scared her, too. That’s how she’d felt when Jonah yelled at
her at the bowling alley. She pushed back that thought. “You didn’t hit
her.”
“I didn’t have to. The damage was done. And being sorry didn’t
fix it.”
Barrett had been sorry, too, when he lost his temper, grabbed
her, threatened her.
I would never hurt you. You’re my
life. I’ll do better.
And Cara had believed him too many times. He’d almost killed
her.
This is different. Jonah’s not Barrett.
He’s a good man.
“I’m sorry to frighten you,” Jonah said, “but you should know
who I am and what my limits are.” He put down her foot and took her hands,
pressing them between his own. “I need the reminder. When I’m with you, I
forget.” He paused. “Especially lately. I’m in love with you, Cara.”
Her heart leaped in her chest.
They were
in love.
That didn’t happen every day. Couldn’t they find a way to be
together? Didn’t love conquer all?
In movies and books. Not here, not in her life. The part of her
that had kept her and Beth Ann safe so far told her that. “I love you, too. I
do.” She took a deep breath. “That only makes this harder. I have to leave.”
“I know.” He looked sad, but resigned.
She gripped the chair arms. “But I’ll always have the bear you
carved and this chair to remind me of you, of how happy I was. Will you help me
strap it to the roof of the car?”
“I can do better than that. I’ve got a small trailer you can
take.”
“That’d be great. Maybe we can take the bike Rosie gave Beth
Ann. Something for her to remember, too.”
“Happy birthday, Cara,” he said, pulling her up and into his
arms.
She did feel happy. But sadness had leaked in through the
cracks and when they made love, Cara memorized every touch and feeling, as if it
were the last time they’d be together. They had two more months, but they were
already saying goodbye.
* * *
“T
ELL
CJ
to slap on some lipstick and fluff up her hair,” Evan said to
Jonah on the phone. He’d called in the middle of breakfast service.
“What are you talking about?”
“A TV crew from Tucson’s doing a story on the good-luck buns.
They’re coming here first to talk to me, then out there. Noon or so.”
“How’d this happen?” He looked out at Cara who was darting
booth to booth with a plate of apple crumb cake she was trying out.
“From the
E!
segment. You saw it,
right?”
“Not yet. Rosie recorded it. We haven’t sat down to watch
yet.”
“Jesus, Jonah, keep up.
Devil’s Anvil
Reborn
told the
E!
host that the buns
gave them the luck that got their record deal.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I’ve been pitching the story ever since. TV 6 is the
first nibble. It’s local, but it’s a start. The publicity should be great for
the café.”
“I’ll tell CJ. She’ll be thrilled.”
But when Jonah told her, she nearly dropped her tray. “Are you
crazy? I can’t be on TV. I have to stay invisible.”
“It’s a local station, what’s the big deal? It’ll bring in more
customers.”
“What if it gets picked up by other affiliates?”
“That seems like a long shot to me.”
“I can’t risk it. Rosie has to do the interview. Darlene can
cover my tables.”
“I think you’re overreacting,” he said.
“You have no idea what my husband is capable of.” She was pale
and trembling. She looked like a hunted animal. Cara ran off to tell Rosie,
leaving Jonah holding her tray.
What the hell had her ex done to her? He wanted to erase that
look forever. He wanted to make her feel safe, to protect her. He wanted her to
stay and be with him
.
That was the truth of it.
So you can fail her, too? Hurt
her?
He knew better. So did she since he’d told her he’d hit Jared
and made Suzanne cower. The look on Cara’s face afterward…
It was the same one she’d just showed him. She’d been as afraid
of him as she’d been of her ex. That truth crushed any hope of a future with her
he dared have.
* * *
“T
HIS
IS
it. That’s the café!” Rosie stabbed a finger at the
TV screen. Cara sat with Rosie and Jonah to watch the news story about the
good-luck buns.
Please let it be okay,
Cara prayed.
Please, please.
She felt Jonah’s eyes on her. He
thought she was being paranoid, but he was wrong. She knew that for sure. All
her instincts told her so.
They started with footage from
E!
where
Devil’s Anvil Reborn
declared the good-luck buns had won them their contract. Next, Evan
told the reporter he’d had calls from bands all over the country wanting to play
at the bowling alley and buy the lucky buns. That sounded like an exaggeration,
but it made for good publicity for him.
Then they shifted to the café to interview Rosie, who stood
stiffly in front of the counter wearing a ruffled dress and too much makeup.
“God, I look like a hooker. And in that dress…make that a
fat
hooker. Why didn’t you tell me, Jonah?”
“I was in the kitchen,” Jonah said. “You look fine.”
“Shh,” Cara said, leaning in.
The reporter said, “I’m here at the New Hope Café talking
to—”
Rosie yanked the microphone from her hand. “You mean
Comfort
Café
.
New Hope’s
the town.” The reporter seemed taken aback.
“She kept calling it that,” Rosie said now. “Where do they get
these idiots? Airhead Academy?”
Rosie told the reporter the baker preferred to remain
anonymous, as Cara had asked her, then talked about how popular the buns were.
Whew. Cara relaxed a little.
The scene changed to the patio. “Even kids love the special
rolls,” the reporter said. She thrust the microphone in front of a girl. Amanda,
one of Beth Ann’s camp friends.
“They’re awesome,” Amanda said. “Bunny’s mom invented them.”
The shot widened to include
Beth Ann,
who smiled
shyly.
“You let her be interviewed?” she demanded of Jonah.
“I didn’t know. I was at the grill.”
“So how do you feel about your mom’s baking?” the reporter
asked.
“Good.” Beth Ann ducked her head.
Amanda pushed into the shot. “The rolls were good luck for
Bunny ’cuz she got me as a new friend.”
The reporter finished with directions to the café and the phone
number.
Cara froze. If Barrett saw this, he’d know where they were down
to the highway marker and hours of operation.
The phone rang from the kitchen. “Here we go with the orders,”
Rosie crowed, going to answer it. Beth Ann came from the hallway. “You missed
it, young lady,” Rosie said to her. “You were on the news talking about your
mom’s lucky buns.” Rosie turned the corner and picked up the phone.
“I was?” Beth Ann turned frightened eyes toward Cara.
“Why did you do that?” Cara said. “You know we have to be
careful.” Her ears were ringing and her brain buzzed with static. She couldn’t
think straight.
“Amanda made me.” Beth Ann sucked in a breath. “Will he find us
now? Do we have to leave?”
“I don’t know. I have to—”
Jonah cut her off. “Of course not, Squirt. There’s nothing to
worry about.”
Cara stared at him.
“It’s true,” he said. “It was ten seconds.”
Cara forced herself to speak calmly to her daughter. “Go back
to your room for now. I’ll decide what we need to do and come talk to you.”
“I want to stay here,” she said.
“I know you do. But if we have to leave, we will.”