Long Way Home (22 page)

         Nearly
two weeks after her first sighting of Shane at Miss Nettie’s, and her
conversation with Miss Nettie, Tessa found herself at the town square gazebo
once again, entwining elaborate sunflower garlands along its columns.  Her
mother had taken over the town’s seasonal decorations a couple of years
back.  Today, they were decorating for the late summer season. 
Sunflowers were going everywhere along the town’s two main streets.  It
was a lot of work but Tessa had to admit the results were phenomenal; no one
else who’d been the town decorator prior to her mother ever put this much into
it all.  Tessa thought it was wonderful and added to the town’s charm.

         “Mary
never ceases to amaze me with the things she comes up with,” Tessa heard from
behind her.  She looked over her shoulder to see Mrs. Shelmerdine standing
at the gaze of the gazebo.

         “Hey,
there, Mrs. Shelmerdine,” Tessa greeted her, offering a soft smile.

         “Hello,
Tessa, I was just on my way to the Post Office and thought I’d come take a
look.  Your mother does such beautiful work.”

         “Yes,
ma’am, she surely does.”

         “I
heard your mother say that you were in Afghanistan when you were in the Army.”

         “Yes,
ma’am.”

         “How
exciting!  I’m sure you have lots of fascinating stories.”

         “I
was basically a glorified secretary.  Not much to tell.”

         “Really? 
A secretary?”

         “Yes,
to Mama’s fiancé, Glen.”

         “Is
that right?  I guess I didn’t realize you’d known him for that long.”

         “I
met him right after I completed basics and was assigned to my first duty
station.  I worked in his office and when his secretary retired, I took
over.  Been with him ever since.”

         “He’s
been so good for your mother.  I’ve just seen her blossom over the last
few months with him around.  Did you ever imagine one day he would end up
with your mother?”

         Tessa
laughed.  “I never imagined a scenario where they would ever meet...but
Gib was always a father-figure to me, so I suppose it’s only natural that now
it will be official.”

         “And
what about you, Miss Tessa?  Will you be settling down here? 
Staying?”

         “Hey,
Tessa, Miz Shelmerdine,” Ivy Sinclair greeted them enthusiastically, stepping
up to the gazebo.  “Tessa, this looks amazing.”

         “I
was just telling her that,” Mrs. Shelmerdine agreed.

         “Thanks. 
Mama worked hard on them.”

         “Last
Christmas was my first year back...her decorations blew me away,” Ivy
continued.  “Oh, Miz Shelmerdine, Miss Nettie was looking for you. 
She said she had something for you.”

         “Oh,
that’s right!  I got so distracted by these beautiful sunflowers I
forgot.  Tessa, you give your mother my compliments on all of this, OK?”

         “I
will.”

         “And
you come by my store.  Shopping is good for you.”

         “I’ll
do that, too.”

         Tessa
and Ivy watched Mrs. Shelmerdine rush off toward Miss Nettie’s.  Ivy began
laughing and Tessa shook her head, smiling.

         “Your
timing is impeccable,” Tessa told her.  “You saved me from having to
discuss my future plans and possibly my love life with her.  I owe you
one.”

         “Good,
because I actually had another reason for coming here, other than delivering
Miss Nettie’s message.”

         Tessa
hung the last of the garlands and began packing up her box of supplies.

         “Oh
yeah?  What would that be?”

         “I
was wondering if you would want to get together some time, drinks and girl
talk.”

         Tessa
paused in packing her box.  Of all the things she could have possibly
imagined Ivy Sinclair coming to talk to her about, that certainly wasn’t one of
them.

         “I’m
sorry?”

         “Well,
you know how it is...aren’t many single women our age around here.  Just
thought it would be nice to have someone to shop with and drink and talk about
men with.”  Both women’s heads turned when Shane’s Sheriff’s truck drove
past them and parked at the Sheriff’s Office.  “Would be a great way to
take your mind off of things.”

         Tessa
regarded Ivy for a moment.  Although four years her junior, Ivy was usually
around her group of friends when she was in high school.  Tessa’s senior
year, Ivy worked as an equipment manager for the Flag Corps, laying out flags
during changes for their halftime shows.  Her older brother, Steve, was
Shane’s best friend growing up and usually Ivy was tagging along behind
them.  She didn’t recall that Ivy ever acted as if she had a crush on
Shane, but then again, her mother said that Ivy and Shane had grown really
close after he returned to Indian Springs.

         “There
are those around town who have said that you and Shane had something going for
a while,” she hedged.

         Ivy
smiled.  “Shane is a sweetheart.  He’s always been good to me. 
When he came back, he and I were in a similar state.  He was reeling from
you.  I was the same over Reese.  We leaned heavily on each
other...as friends.  I love Shane, but only as a brother.  Believe
me, it would have simplified both our lives if we could have been attracted to
each other.  We had a good laugh about that over pizza and beer one day...but
my heart has always belonged to Reese...and his...well, you know.”

         “I
appreciate your honesty,” Tessa said.

         “Look...it’s
been a while for you, but you remember what life is like here.  Any
budding romance becomes the center of attention for the likes of Mrs. Shelmerdine
and Miss Nettie and their crew.  We live in a fish bowl here.  So, I
figure right now, with Reese and I butting heads and you and Shane dancing
around each other, we’re in that fish bowl together.  Might be better if
we stuck together, don’t you think?”

         Tessa
smiled and shook her head.  “Princess Ivy and Tornado Tess...is this town
ready for us?”

         Ivy
again returned her smile.  “Why not?”

         At
that, Tessa laughed.  “OK, sure,

         “Awesome. 
Oh, my brother is having a cookout tonight.  Wanna come?”

         “Oh...wow...um...yeah,
I’m not so sure I’m quite that ready to jump back in the whole social -”

         Ivy
cut her off.  “Why not?  Best way to get a bandage off is to just rip
it off fast.  Don’t over-analyze, just close your eyes and jump.”

         “Easier
said than done.”

         Ivy
nodded in understanding.  “I know.  You’ll never know until you try,
though, right?”

         Tessa
sighed and closed her eyes a moment.  Coming home to Indian Springs meant
that she was trying to pick up the pieces of her life, and part of that was getting
involved with people again, rather than shutting them out.  In that sense,
she knew Ivy was right.

         She
took a deep breath. “OK, sure.”

         “Great. 
Be there at 6:00.”

         Tessa
watched Ivy walk off, not sure exactly what she’d just gotten herself
into.  Ivy was the town darling; she definitely was not...and if word got
out that she was the reason behind Shane’s obvious weight loss and other
issues, she’d be even less of a favorite.

         She
sighed as she headed back to the shop.  A cookout at Steve Sinclair’s
house was a guarantee to run into Shane.  Avoiding him wasn’t an option
and she figured it was time to try to find out if there was anything left
between them...and if she could handle having a close relationship again.

         Ivy
took a roundabout way to loop around town and go back toward Shane’s office so
Tessa wouldn’t see her heading directly there after leaving her.  She
wasn’t sure how he would react to her interfering but at this point, she didn’t
really care; she was tired of seeing him suffer.

         He
was standing at the office door when she walked up, a look of wariness on his
face.

         “Hey,
how’s it going?” she asked as she walked in.

         “Save
it,” he snapped, taking her upper arm and walking her back to his office. 
“You wanna tell me what you were doing out there with Tessa?”

         “I
asked her if she’d like to meet me for drinks and girl talk sometime.”

         “Really?”

         “Yes,
really. Most women my age in town are married.  Would be nice to have
someone single to hang out with.”

         He
nodded but she could tell he wasn’t convinced. 

         “What? 
You don’t agree?”

         “No...I
mean, it’s not that...it’s...”  His voice trailed off and he began to
pace.  “Tessa has been through so much in the last year.  I mean...a
lot.  Traumatic stuff.”

         “I
know that, Shane.  Even more reason to get her involved in something, get
her mind off things.”

         “Maybe,”
he said absently.

         “She’s
coming to Steve’s tonight.”

         He
cursed under his breath and shook his head.  “You just couldn’t resist,
could you?”

         She
flashed a huge smile at him.  “Misery loves company.  If I have to
suffer with all the agony Reese is putting me through then you have to suffer
through all your crap with Tessa.”

         He
scowled at her.  “I used to think you were smart.  Now I just think
you’re yet another meddling female in my life.”

         “Yes,
but you love me.”

         “That’s
up for debate right now.”

         “Shane...you
sent Wendy on her way.  You need to have a conversation with Tessa and you
know it.”

         He
rubbed the back of his neck.  “Yeah, I do...but...”

         “But
nothing.  Just be there tonight, OK?”

         “You
women are going to be the death of me,” he swore.

         Ivy
laughed and quickly kissed his cheek.  “See you in a bit.”

         Tessa
tried to push out of her mind the surprised and pleased looks on her mother and
Gib’s faces when she told them she was going to attend Steve Sinclair’s
cookout.  She knew getting back into the swing of things socially was a
big step and that they were proud and happy for her.  As she pulled up
into Steve’s drive, she knew they were right.  This was a big step. 
She just hoped she wouldn’t blow it.

         She
saw Ivy approach as she got out and returned her welcoming smile.  She
heard music and voices coming from the back of the house, as well as plenty of
laughter and it warmed her heart.

         “You
made it!”  Ivy greeted her.

         “Said
I would.”

         “Yeah,
I know, but I wasn’t sure.  Fair warning...Wendy is here.  She and
Shane have cooled things off since you’ve been back but she’s become good
friends with Steve and his wife Carrie.”

         Tessa
nodded.  She didn’t have to ask if Shane was there; she’d seen his truck
parked toward the back and side of the drive where he could get out easily
should he be called to duty.  She followed Ivy around the side of the
house and accepted welcoming hugs from people she’d grown up with.  It
wasn’t easy for her and by the time the fourth guy embraced her she was
extremely on edge.  That was when she looked up and made eye contact with
Shane from across the deck.  As always, he seemed to know what she was
feeling and the calm and steady look on his face helped her make it through the
rest of the greetings.

         She
saw Wendy approach him and by speaking, turned his attention to her.  She
watched him turn to face her fully, his head dropping as she spoke to
him.  He looked so tired, she thought.  Looking at them from a
distance, though, she had to admit they made an attractive couple.

         “Ivy?”

         “Yeah?”

         “Shane
and Wendy...how serious were they?”

         Ivy
shrugged.  “More on her end than on his, but neither of them were 100% in
it.  She’s recently divorced.”

         “Whatever
she’s saying to him, it’s not going well for him.”

         Ivy
nodded.  “You know Shane.  Carries the weight of the world on his
shoulders.”

         “Mmm,
that he does,” she mused.

         “Ivy,
could you give me a hand here,” Steve called.

         “Yeah,
yeah, keep your shirt on!” she called back to him.  “Make yourself
comfortable, Tess.  Drinks in the coolers, food everywhere, take your
pick.”

         “Yeah,
sure,” she murmured to Ivy’s retreating back.  She settled into a chair at
the far corner of the deck and unashamedly watched Shane and Wendy.  She
spoke with him for several more moments, embraced him and placed a lingering
kiss on his cheek and then walked away.  Shane stood for a moment, head
down, shoulders hunched.  He turned back toward the party, made eye
contact with Tessa, and then walked down the steps of the deck toward the
lake.  She watched him a few more minutes as he stood staring out at the
sunset.  Unable to stand it any longer, she grabbed two bottles of beer
from the nearest cooler and made her way down to him.