Count on Me (Bayview Heights Trilogy) (10 page)

“Fine. What’s the date?”

“The third weekend in October,” she told him and he wrote it down on his desk calendar.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“No. Not now.” God, she just wanted to get out of here. “You?”

“Nothing about the volunteering.”

“What, then?”

“I’m helping Cassie and Mitch move at the end of next week.”

Her throat clogged. “So am I.”

“I know.”

She stood. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t it?” he said tightly.

Looking down at his strained features, her temper flared. “You seem angry at me. I don’t understand why.”

He threw the chair back and stood, too. “I’m angry at myself, Zoe. Every time I see you, I realize what I’ve lost, and it eats away inside me.” He shot a quick glance at the phone. “When I hear you chatting cozily with another man, I want to tear something apart.”

Turning her back on him, she blocked out the sight of his face. “I don’t want to hear this.”

She felt him come up behind her. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Fearful he’d touch her, she straightened and moved away. “Maybe you need to get some help if you can’t control your emotions around me. I don’t want to deal with them.”

Without looking back, she left the office and Kurt behind.

CHAPTER FIVE

“IT’S GORGEOUS.” Zoe stood in front of the Lansings’ new house and marveled at the wood-and-stone exterior. The three-story structure nestled on a two-acre lot next door to the Taylors’ home just outside of town.

“We like it.” Cassie’s comment was restrained, though Zoe could see her friend’s eyes glow with excitement. Mitch had been the one to push for a new house, and Cassie hadn’t paid much attention to the details; but once it was under way, she’d become fully involved. Zoe had helped her pick out colors, wallpaper and flooring.

“Come on, girl, let’s go inside and start unpacking those boxes.” Zoe slid her arm through Cassie’s and they went into the house. The movers had come during the week and delivered the furniture and crates to the appropriate rooms, but there was the huge task of unpacking and settling in to be done on this beautiful Saturday morning. Zoe had dressed for the job—baggy jeans, sneakers and a denim shirt over a red Bayview Heights T-shirt that teachers and kids wore every Friday.

Pulling open one of the double front doors, they stepped directly into the two-story foyer. The scent of new carpet and wood permeated the house.

Cassie frowned at the long winding staircase. “Oh, God, every time I see this, I panic. I can just picture the two little devils sliding down that banister.”

“Not until they’re older. For now, the gates Mitch built will prevent that.” Zoe looked around in admiration.

The foyer was beautiful, with its polished wood and skylights, inviting the Columbus Day-weekend sun to pour in. Off to the left sprawled a huge great room with a fieldstone fireplace. The ceiling was vaulted with three more skylights. To the right was an oversize den with desks and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Voices filtered out from the rear of the house. As she headed there with Cassie, Zoe braced herself.
I can handle this
. She’d had the meeting with Kurt about the Down to Earth program yesterday, and it had gone without a hitch. She could do this, too.

The back of the house was even more spectacular. The kitchen sparkled with gleaming white appliances, white-oak cupboards and hardwood floors, windows and skylights everywhere. Mitch and Cassie’s bedroom suite took up a whole wing, and down a few steps were Johnny Battaglia’s rooms. The girls’ rooms were upstairs, as was the spacious guest area.

Around a big butcher-block table sat the rest of the crew. Seth, in an old track sweatshirt and jeans, looked tired. Mitch, wearing a golf shirt and jeans, brimmed with suppressed energy.

And Kurt stole her breath away. He’d donned indecently fitting worn-to-white denims and a navy polo shirt. Arms corded with muscle reminded her of things she’d rather forget. Sipping coffee, he was staring out the window to the wooded backyard in thoughtful silence.

“Here you are.” Mitch crossed to Cassie and hugged her. “Thought maybe you’d chickened out on me, love.”

“Never, big guy.” She kissed his cheek. “The house is beautiful. You were right.”

“Well, record that,” Seth said mischievously. “It’s rare to hear Cassie Lansing admit she was wrong.”

Cassie socked his arm. “I’ve mellowed in my old age. Where’s Lace?”

“Still next door. Josh is cranky this morning.” Seth yawned. “He was up during the night, too.”

“Josh, the angel child? That’s rare. It’s usually the twins who keep her up.”

Seth scowled. “I know. Philip’s trying to shoo her out.” Philip and some of his friends had volunteered to watch the four Taylor children today, along with the two Lansing girls.

Zoe chuckled. “No easy feat.”

At her comment Kurt pivoted. Every time she saw him, he looked a little healthier. Today he appeared rested and relaxed. She was glad.

“Morning,” he said over his cup.

She smiled. “Hi, Kurt.”

Cassie nodded. Then her eyes zeroed in on his coffee cup and Mitch’s. “You guys eat anything?”

“Doughnuts. They were great,” Mitch quipped.

“You need good breakfast food.”

“We need to start unpacking.” Mitch exchanged a meaningful look with his wife. “I thought the guys could arrange the furniture the way we want it and set up the beds and do the other heavy stuff, and you ladies could start with the boxes.”

“Fine with me,” Cassie said easily.

 They’re trying to keep us apart.

Which was good.

A half hour later, the “ladies” were knee-deep in Shakespeare and John Grisham, shelving books in the den, when Lacey hurried in. Her long plaid shirt and tan jeans were wrinkled, her blond hair tied back in a ponytail. Her pretty blue eyes were worried. “Sorry I’m late. What can I do?”

From her position on the floor, Cassie scowled. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Josh is coming down with something, though.” She blew her bangs out of her face. “I’m worried the rest of them will get it.” She gave Cassie a frown. “Including yours, though Grandpa’s keeping Josh in his room.”

Cassie shrugged. “He and Alexandra had a tea party yesterday and drank from the same cup. If he’s got something, she already has his germs.”

Lacey smiled weakly. “I guess.”

“Lace, if you want to stay with him, go ahead. This stuff can wait.”

“Are you kidding? And risk a senior citizens’ revolt? They hustled me out of there so they could have the kids all to themselves.”

Cassie pushed hair that had escaped her braid out of her face. “What could they be thinking of?”

Unexpectedly Zoe felt a fist squeeze her heart. She turned away from the two mothers and their loving concerns to focus on the books. “Lots of neat stuff here, Cass. I can’t believe you’ve replaced most of what you lost.”

A few years ago the gang Johnny had belonged to had broken into Cassie’s house and destroyed a lot of her possessions.

Cassie’s face shone with an intensity that took Zoe’s breath away. “Mitch did it. He systematically found almost every single book I lost, or something similar. I still can’t believe he did that for me.”

Lacey and Zoe exchanged a smile. Sometimes their friend was in awe of her husband’s devotion. “He’d do anything for you, Cass,” Zoe said.

“He’s even trying to hunt down the yearbooks I lost. He’ll do it, too, with his cop’s skills.”

They worked and chatted for two hours about school, the newspaper and the kids; Lacey called home before noon to check on Josh. Philip reported that he was sleeping.

“He must be sick. He never naps in the morning,” she told Zoe and Cass.

“Why don’t you go home?” Cassie suggested again.

“No, Grandpa threatened to turn Seth on me. They conspire constantly to get me away from the kids.”

By noon the house was taking shape. The Lansings ordered subs for lunch and set them out in the dining room. Zoe had been touring Johnny’s rooms, so she was the last to help herself to the food.

Kurt was still there, again staring somberly out the window, a plate in his hand. He looked over his shoulder when she entered. Green eyes glowed at seeing her, and he gave her a half smile. “Nice house, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” She searched the contents of the table.

“Yours is right there,” he said pointing to the meatball sub in front of him.

She glanced up at him, surprised.

He shrugged. “I haven’t forgotten anything, Zoe.”

Placing a piece of the sandwich on her plate, she scooped up a handful of chips. “I know.” She shook her head as she found a napkin. “Me, neither. I thought I had, until you came back.”

He sighed.

She sank onto a chair, aware of the buzz of the others who’d gone into the kitchen to eat. Kurt leaned against the wall and munched on his ham-and-cheese.

“Are you all settled at the clinic?” she asked.

“Pretty much. Your little vigilante, Erica, is a nurturer at heart. She unpacked all my books one afternoon and put my degrees up on the wall.”

“Sounds like her.”

“I guess she doesn’t hate me so much anymore, though she’s far from friendly.”

“Give her time.” Zoe frowned. “I worry about her choice of careers, given that nurturing streak. Her father’s set on her going into business.”

A frown knitted his brow. “I’m a little worried about her, too.”

“Because of that?”

“Because she does too much. Have you talked to her about it?”

“Yes, and Barb Sherman, the school psychologist, has seen her, too, at my request. It’s fairly common among the bright kids to be overachievers, though I have to say Erica and Shondra are right up there as the worst—or best—I’ve ever had.”

“They’re a lot like you were, aren’t they?”

She smiled and bit into her sub. “Yes. And like you were, too.” It was just one of the zillion things they had in common “Are you still working long hours?” she asked after a quiet moment.

“Not much else to do with my time.”

His time was something Zoe had begun to covet again, particularly when she was alone with him like this. She stood abruptly. “I’m going to find the others.”

His bleak look told her he understood. She strode out into the kitchen to see Seth and Lacey coming in through the glass sliding doors. Mitch and Cassie sat adjacent to each other, sharing a beer, their shoulders touching.

“How is he?” Mitch asked Lacey.

“Listless. He says his tummy hurts.”

From behind Zoe, Kurt asked, “What did he eat today, Lace?”

“Not much. Celia got him to take some juice and crackers.” She scowled. “Yesterday he had apples, though. They never agree with him, but he sneaked them when I wasn’t looking.”

“That’s probably it.” Kurt circled around Zoe and crossed to the door. “I can go over, if you like.”

“Let’s wait a bit. Philip insists I’m being overprotective.” She leaned into Seth. “But Josh is so little.”

“He’s six, honey. We got three littler ones.”

She shrugged.

“Let’s tackle hooking up the washer and dryer, then,” Mitch suggested to Kurt. “Seth, you want to help?”

“No. I’m not good with machines. I’ll set up the crib in Camille’s room. I’m an expert at that!” He laughed.

Zoe headed back to the den, struggling to stay cheerful. She was happy that the Lansings and Taylors had settled into ordinary family life. Both couples had endured hardships and deserved some joy in simple things like home and kids.

So did she.

As she watched Kurt disappear through the doorway, she wished…

But stopped herself. It was time to move on.

o0o

AT ONE O’CLOCK the dryer was working. Kurt dropped the wrench into a toolbox and stood. “I’m going next door.”

“Why?” Mitch asked.

“Just a feeling. I want to check on Josh.”

“You gonna tell Lacey?”

“No, let me see him first. No need to worry her further.”

Forgoing a jacket, Kurt left by the side entrance and jogged across the lawn from the Lansings’ new house to the Taylors. The sun beat down on his head, refreshing him. He knocked at the garage door and Celia opened it.

“Hi, Kurt. Lacey send you to check on Josh?”

“No, I just had a minute and came over. Where is he?”

“Upstairs with Philip. We’ve taken turns sitting with him. He’s not sleeping well.”

Alarm tingled along Kurt’s spine. “I know the way.” Hurrying down the hall to the stairs, he mounted the steps two at a time and found Josh’s room. “Philip?”

Philip turned. A look of relief washed over his weathered face. He shook his head. “I was just going to call Mitch’s. Josh isn’t any better. Maybe worse. Celia said I should have called sooner. I’m sorry.”

Kurt stared down at the bed. Josh was in a fetal position, hugging his knees. “How long has he had his legs up like that?”

“About fifteen minutes. And he’s hot now.”

Quickly Kurt crossed to Josh. Felt his forehead. It was sweaty. He soothed the boy’s blond hair. Though not her natural child, Josh looked amazingly like Lacey. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Kurt gently turned Josh from his side. He moaned and opened his eyes. When Kurt tried to pull down his legs, he stiffened. “Got a tummyache, Josh?” Kurt asked.

Big blue eyes rounded on him. “I want my daddy.”

“Call Seth and Lacey,” Kurt said to Philip. “Tell them to come over.”

Philip swallowed hard and left the room.

Insinuating his hand between the boy’s torso and knees, Kurt prodded his stomach. Josh cried out. Kurt checked Josh’s pulse and examined his eyes.

When Philip came back, Kurt asked, “Has he vomited?”

“No.” Philip looked worriedly at Josh.

“Get me a damp cloth, would you? Lukewarm water.”

Philip returned with the wet washcloth just as Lacey and Seth appeared at the doorway. The Lansings and Zoe were lined up behind them. By this time, Josh was moaning loudly.

“What is it?” Lacey asked, rushing into the room, her face white.

Kurt mopped Josh’s brow and said calmly, “He has symptoms of appendicitis, Lace.”

“
What?
”