Crashing Into Tess (4 page)

Tess followed Jake out.
A cupid-faced girl with two long
reddish-brown braids was leaning a turquoise bike against
the front steps.

Small, but sturdy, she was built like a little gymnast,
and crinkled her freckled nose at Tess, flashing a lopsided
grin. “We had a half day today, Daddy. Teacher in-service
.
It was on the calendar. Mom had to take a half day from
work, and she is ‘Not Happy.'”

“Why didn’t you guys let me know?” Jake asked easily,
putting a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “I would have
gotten you from school. Cassie, this is Tess. She’s just
moving in, so I offered her help getting settled,” he
explained. “Tess, this is my daughter Cassie.”

“Hi, Cassie,” Tess said, extending her hand. “Looks like
we’re neighbors, huh?”
“Yup.” Grasping Tess’s hand, the little girl shook it
vigorously, her amber-olive eyes steady. “Nice t’meet ya,
Tess. What happened to your head?”
“Oh. I-I bumped it,” she answered, touching the
bandage self-consciously.
Cassie screwed her face up, red-brown braids swinging
against her back. “Does it hurt?”
“Well, yes it does, a little. More throbbing than hurting,
really, but I’ll be okay,” she said. “Want to see my place? I
have apple juice.”
The little girl nodded, so Tess opened the front door.
Rhiannon slipped out in a white flash, eluding her grasp.
“Hey, Rhiannon! Come here!”
Ignoring her, the dog bounded towards Cassie, leaping
up and licking her face, which the little girl took it
surprisingly well.
“Well, this is Rhiannon,” Tess said. “I hope you like
dogs?”
“Yup, I do. She needs to learn to behave herself,
though.” Cassie grabbed Rhiannon’s collar. “Sit,
Rhiannon!” Busy sniffing, the dog ignored her. “I said,
SIT!” Holding Rhiannon’s collar, the little girl neatly
scooped the dog’s bottom, and Rhiannon sat. A satisfied
Cassie met Tess’s eye. “We really should give her a treat,
now, don’t you think?”
“We definitely should,” Tess agreed. Tearing into the
dog food bag, she handed the little girl a handful of kibble.
“That’s some dog training you just did. I’m very impressed.
Will you give us lessons?”
“Oh, my dad taught me everything I know about dogs,”
Cassie answered breezily, shrugging her shoulders.
“Horses, too. I help out at the vet office.”
“At the vet office?” Tess asked, surprised and pleased.
“So we’re neighbors and colleagues?”
“Tess is here for a job at Doc Harnes’ office, Cassie,”
Jake said, touching his daughter’s shoulder. To Tess, he
explained, “Doc’s wife Bea is Vicki’s aunt. Cassie spends
some time there.”
“Vicki is my mom,” Cassie added helpfully. Tess
nodded as the little girl continued. “I help Alice file. It’s all
alphabetized; we do it by owner’s last name. At first I
messed it up. Now Alice has me organize the pile starting
with A. Then she helps me put them in the drawer.”
“I’ll bet you’re a big help,” Tess offered.
“Yup, I guess I must be, cause Doc Harnes always gives
me five dollars,” Cassie answered proudly. Scolding
Rhiannon to sit again, Cassie made her take treats politely.
Then she eyed the front door. “Want to show me your
place, now, Tess? I’m thirsty. I could use some apple juice.”

Jake brought Tess’s gear in while
Cassie took a tour and
had apple juice. When he passed through the kitchen, his
daughter was helping Tess put away groceries. They
chattered amiably as cupboard doors opened and closed.
Well, Cassie found a new friend. It never takes her long.

When he’d finished setting up Tess’s laptop and
modem, Cassie was stacking thrift store finds on the
kitchen counter, unwrapping and admiring each one, while
Tess filled the sink with hot soapy water. “How ‘bout I
make you guys some lunch?” she offered, dunking a stack
of plates in the dishpan.

“Hmm, what do you have?” Cassie asked, eyeing Tess
curiously.
“We’ll stop for pizza, Cassie,” Jake interrupted,
shooting his daughter a quelling stare. “Thanks, anyway,
Tess.”
Her hands in sudsy yellow gloves, Tess turned off the
water and hit him with her killer smile. “But you both
really helped me out here. I want to feed you.” Leaning
slim hips against the counter, she looked at his daughter,
her clear eyes wide. “What do you like for lunch, Cass?”
“Um, well, I like pizza. You really need to try Mamma
Boccini’s pizza. Even Aunt Olivia thinks it’s good, and
she’s not really a pizza person. But at home I like apples,
and tuna sometimes, and . . .”
Jake set his jaw. “Cass, Tess just got here. She’s got a
lot to do. It’s time for us to leave.”
Ignoring him, Tess asked Cassie, “Do you like root beer
floats?” narrowing her eyes with a smile.
Cassie’s eyes got round. “Oh yeah, I really, really like
root beer floats. Do you have the stuff to make them? Can
we have some root beer floats, Dad?”
“I need to get you over to your mom’s, kiddo. She has
no idea where you are,” he said, tugging one of his
daughter’s braids. “Let’s ask Tess what kind of pizza she
likes, and bring some back.”
“There’s all kinds of pizza at Mamma Boccini’s. What
do you like, Tess? Mostly I get regular with pepperoni, but
sometimes I like the broccoli and cheese, and once Trudie
and I split a piece of ham and pineapple,” Cassie gushed.
“It was good. I think you’d like it, if you’re feeling
adventurous.”
“Mmm, regular with pepperoni sounds great. Thank
you.” Tess followed them to the porch, Rhiannon padding
behind. He lifted Cassie’s bike into the back of his truck.
“I’ll have root beer floats next time, I promise,” Tess
called, waving as Cassie climbed in.
After they left pepperoni slices and iced tea with Tess,
Jake parked the truck at the curb near Vicki’s apartment and
waited while Cassie packed for her weekend at the ranch.
To kill some time, he dialed Alice at the veterinary office.
“So you trashed Tess’s rental car, picked her up from
the hospital and gave her the Green Junction Welcome
Tour? Then Cassie showed up, and you both helped her
move in? You’re quite a guy, Jake,” Alice cackled.
“Hey, it was okay until Cassie tried to weasel lunch out
of her. That was a bit much,” he laughed, feeling guilty
about what he’d been doing with Tess when his daughter
showed up.
“So, what’s she like?” Alice drawled. “She seemed real
sweet on the phone, very smart and together. Is she cute?”
“She’s a pleasant enough person,” Jake answered in the
most neutral voice he could manage.
If I say anything
more, Alice will see right through me
.
Cassie had spoken of nothing but from Tess from the
time she climbed into his truck, and he couldn’t stop
thinking of her either, all saucy and upbeat, with her teasing
lips and eyes. The thought of the silky skin on her waist
and back made him hard all over again.
“I feel a little guilty for asking you to stick around last
night,” Alice was confessing. “If you’d left earlier, you’d
have missed Tess and Officer Ron and his breathalyzer
test.”
“How do you know about the breathalyzer test?”
“Sergeant Fuller called, wanting to know what you
drank last night. I told him ginger ale and water and you
left stone sober, don’t worry. Geez, that Ron Karachek’s got
it in for you! Be careful, Jake.” He said nothing. Alice took
a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll fill Beatrice and Doc in on Tess’s
situation, call her later to check in, and have Lotts put
feelers out at the bar for a truck?”
“That would be great, Alice. Four-wheel drive,
probably new-ish, I’d say, real clean. Look, this is my
weekend with Cass, so I’m off duty as far as Tess is
concerned. Can you look out for her?”
“Like one of my own. I’ll see you during the week,
okay?”
“Sure. Bye, Alice.”

That afternoon, the mattress guys delivered
a brand new,
top-of-the-line, queen sized CertaRest, compliments of
Tess’s mom and dad. She put her new tea kettle on to boil
and dug through her bags. Pulling out lavender and white
polka dot flannel sheets, she made up the bed, topping it
with the patchwork quilt her grandmother had made for her
college graduation.

She set out towels and soap and shampoo in the
bathroom, found slippers and hung her robe, made herself a
cup of chamomile tea, and stood back to admire her new
room. Quarter sawn honey-gold oak gleamed in the late day
sun, the carved designs around the knobs etched in shadow.

The antique chest and dresser were her first ever
furniture purchase, and she could still see Jake’s broad
flannel-clad shoulders, setting them in place.

Better make the apartment comfy now, before the snow
flies. Sounds like I’ll be spending plenty of time here this
winter.
She added
“head board” and “bed frame
” to her
furniture list, then,
“nightstands, lamps, dining set, sofa,
coffee table, Jake.”

He better show up again. Not much goes on here, and
I’m too young to start collecting cats. Plus, he’s really nice
to kiss.

Tess put her teacup in the sink, grabbed dog treats and
a tennis ball, stuck her cell in her pocket, and snapped the
leash on Rhiannon. She explored town from the sidewalk,
walking the stiffness out of her hip, inhaling crisp autumn
air.

She thought about Cassie, then Jake, kissing her.
Stop
that!
The sky, an incredible, piercing blue, was punctuated by
jagged, white-capped mountain peaks. Below the
mountains, rolling foothills were doused with yellow and
orange foliage, splashes of russet and brilliant red amongst
tall stands of evergreen.
Cattle and horses and sheep and pigs must be grazing
in the fields up there, on the ranches I’ll visit soon for
work.
Smiling with anticipation, she arrived on Main
Street.
Town Hall was on the circle, a grand old brick structure
with a domed tower, next to the court house. Turning left,
she walked past the library to the park. Kids shrieked on the
playground, laughing and running, their mothers nearby.
Crossing the soccer fields, Tess let Rhiannon off her
lead. She tossed a ball, which the dog grabbed in midair,
racing to the far end of the park. Her cell buzzed and she
looked at the ID.
First local call, other than the mattress
guys..
..“Hello?”
“Hi, Tess? This is Alice,” said a familiar, peppy voice.
“From Doc Harnes office?”
“Oh, hi, Alice. I got into town this morning. It’s great so
far.”
No need mention the smashing impression I made at
the intersection last night.
Alice had set up her phone interviews. Doc had gone to
great lengths to assure himself of Tess’s suitability for large
animal work in general, and rough, ranch work in
particular, asking complex questions that required detailed
technical answers, but he had provided only cursory
information about town and the practice. Alice filled in all
the necessary details, answering questions patiently and
thoroughly.
“I heard. I guess you’ve met Jake?” Alice asked
brightly.
“Oh. Yes, I have,” Tess winced, thinking of his warm
kisses.
Stop that!
She focused on Rhiannon, who was still
tearing around, tongue lolling, stretching her legs.
“I’m so sorry you got hurt. Everyone in town knows
how treacherous that intersection at is.”
“Thanks.” Tess felt her face burn with embarrassment.
“Doc and Bea don’t want you to feel pressured about
starting work right away, so just plan on taking it easy the
next week or so, okay?”
“That’s nice, Alice, but I’m really looking forward to
getting started,” she countered enthusiastically. “Besides, I
won’t have anything else to do.”
“Okay, but I have to tell you, Bea’s already heard about
the accident. She made an appointment for you with Doc
Estes here in town early next week, and she asked if you’d
call them tomorrow to check in. Bea’s like that. I think you
already have Doc’s cell and home phone, but I don’t want
you to feel overwhelmed. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s very kind that you’re all so concerned. I’m
genuinely touched,” she answered.
“Can I bring you dinner? I’m solo, my husband Lotts is
working tonight. Mamma Boccini’s, the Italian place on
Main Street, has chicken parmesan on special tonight, and
they have a great lasagna.”
“Dinner would be great, Alice. I love lasagna.”
“I just need to finish here at the office and feed the dogs
at home. I’ll grab dinner and swing over to your place
afterward, okay?”
“That’s perfect, I’ll look forward to it, thank you.”
“See you in a bit, Tess.”
Tess switched off her cell with a rush of gratitude.
Snapping Rhiannon on her lead, she smiled walking back to
her new apartment.
I might just have spoken to my new best
friend. . . My hip feels better, and there’s time to take a
bubble bath in my claw-foot tub!
At six-fifteen, it was dark outside. Towel-drying her
hair, Tess switched the porch light on for Alice, and turned
up the heat. Fifteen minutes later, a blue Subaru wagon
pulled to the curb, and a petite, curvy woman, with short,
spiky red hair got out, waving.
“Alice?” she called from the porch, feeling shy.
“Yeah, it’s me. Hi!” the woman chirped, popping open
her hatchback and pulling out a pair of folding chairs. “I
brought along a bistro set I use on the patio in the
summertime. Can you use it?”
“I don’t have a kitchen table yet, so that will be great!”
Tess felt like hugging Alice. But that seemed too familiar,
and shaking hands was too formal.
Anyway, she has chairs
in her hands.
She grabbed the chairs, while Rhiannon tore
around her yard. “Meet Rhiannon. I rescued her on my way
out here. She’s a bit hyper, getting settled in and all.”
“Hi Rhiannon, aren’t you a lovely girl?”Alice’s voice
was high-pitched and chipper, even as Rhiannon thumped
against her knees.
In the small, bright kitchen, she set the table up while
Tess opened chairs. “Perfect size. Thank you again, Alice.”
“My pleasure. And it does look nice,” Alice agreed,
surveying the little kitchen, her green eyes sparkling.
“Welcome to Green Junction, Tess. How are you feeling?”
“A little stiff and sore, but really happy to be here. And
I’m thrilled to finally to meet you.”
“We’ll have fun together. Do you like the place?”
“It’s awesome!” Tess raved.
“Bea was determined to find you something right in
town, since winters are so long around here. Both Bea and
Doc are really tickled that you came all the way from
Philadelphia for a job in Green Junction. Bea keeps calling
you ‘Our Philadelphia Girl’.”
“Oh, golly, how will the locals feel about that?”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think she’ll say it to anyone
outside the office. I’ve been here for over six years, and she
still calls me their ‘Louisiana Girl’.”
“So you are an import, too. That helps,” Tess smiled,
digging through her bags for a linen table cloth, tossing it
on the bistro table.
“Not only am I an import, I’m a Southerner to boot. I
dropped the drawl, though, as best I could.”
Tess set out the napkins her grandmother had given
her, arranging new glasses, plates, and silverware, while
Alice brought dinner in. “I got cheesecake for dessert. It’s
homemade on Fridays. And I brought a split of champagne
for a housewarming toast, and some beer and wine coolers
to stock your fridge.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Tess said, pleased all the
same. “Is everyone around here so thoughtful, or did I just
strike gold with you and Jake?”
“Well, I promised to keep a look out for you, kiddo.
You’re new in town and I know how that can be,” Alice
said cheerfully. “But Jake is one of a kind. He’s a complete
sweetheart, and he’s just been through a killer divorce. It’s
too bad you guys met under such stressful circumstances.”
Tess couldn’t help blushing.
“Ah, so that’s how it is. Well, Jake is the best catch in
Green Junction, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think you
could do any better here.”
“He does seem like a great guy.”
Feeling her face flame, Tess popped the champagne
cork, pouring bubbly into two glass Denver Broncos mugs
from the thrift store. Handing Alice a mug, she said, “Salut.
It’s so great to have company my first night here.”
“To your total and complete success in Green Junction,
fabulous times ahead, and a winning season for the
Broncos,” Alice grinned. They clanked mugs and drank.
Champagne was one of Tess’s weaknesses, and from
the smell of dinner, Momma Boccini’s would soon be
another.