After All These Years (4 page)

Lia opened the car door, leaned inside out of the rain, and unbuckled Chloe's seat belt. “Can you wake up, sweetpea?”

Chloe's groan answered in the negative.

The girl was really too heavy for Lia to carry, but she didn't exactly have another choice. She smiled wryly to herself. No other choice. That philosophy pretty much summed up her life. Her backside was sopping. “Honey, wrap your arms and legs around me.” Chloe obeyed. With an “oomph,” Lia straightened and pushed the door shut with her hip.

Suddenly a car swung into the alley, its headlights and a spotlight reflecting through the rain and nearly blinding her.
It lurched to a stop in front of her car and a large man emerged. “Is there a problem?” he called.

Heart pounding in her throat, Lia quickly backed away, throwing herself off balance. She cried out just as the man caught her.

“Whoa, steady there, ma'am.” The bass voice materialized from somewhere above her. “Here, let me help.”

She struggled against what felt like a brick wall with arms. “No!”

“Ma'am, I'm the deputy sheriff. Sorry if I startled you.”

A policeman? Relief flowed through her, turning her arms to rubber. Chloe's legs slipped.

“Here, let me take him. Her?”

The weight evaporated. Lia hurried inside behind him and closed the door. “Her. Thank you!”

In the bright light she recognized him, though they had never met. He was the local deputy she noticed sometimes cruising the small town's streets or sitting in his car beside the highway that ran along the edge of Valley Oaks.

His wide-brimmed hat and long dark brown slicker dripped. He scanned the room. “Where—”

“Upstairs. But wait a sec.” She stepped over to the laundry corner and pulled towels from a stack on the dryer.

Chloe's arms were around his neck, her legs dangling. She briskly rubbed down the girl's back.

He took off his hat. “Mind taking that?” He spoke softly as if not to waken the little girl in his arms.

“I'll hang it on the hook here.”

“Thanks. It's a frog strangler out there tonight. You're the new pharmacist, right? Eliana Neuman?”

She laughed and draped a towel about her shoulders. “I hope so or else you'd better arrest me for trespassing. Do you mind carrying her upstairs, Deputy?”

“No problem. And the name's Cal. Cal Huntington.”

“Nice to meet you. I go by Lia. And that's Chloe you're carrying.” She led him up the enclosed stairway. Behind her he jangled, no doubt with the police paraphernalia beneath the raincoat. At the landing's turn, she saw that he filled the tight space, but his step was light. He reminded her of an incredibly large brown teddy bear.

Heart still madly pumping adrenaline, Lia babbled. “What good timing that you came when you did! I didn't know how I was going to manage.”

“Just doing my rounds when I noticed some activity in the alley. Do you live here?” His tone expressed disbelief until she opened the door at the top of the stairs and flipped the light switch. “Whew,” he approved, “I guess you do! Man, the last time I saw this place, it was a pit. Unlivable and chock-full of junk. Fifty years' worth of trash collection.”

“That trash collection turned into a gold mine for the Bentleys in the form of a yard sale. I'm sure you know the former owners.” Lia surveyed the cozy apartment she had spent the last two months renovating. The old wooden floors shone beneath scattered braid rugs. The kitchen and living room ran together with two side windows facing Walnut Street. Soft yellow paint, white lace curtains, and used furniture from home had worked wonders.

“Chloe's room is right through here.” She led him down the short hall past the bathroom to one of two bedrooms at the front of the building. It didn't matter that the rooms were tiny. Each had a window facing the lovely town square across Fourth Avenue.

Lia turned on a low-watt bulb and smiled to herself as she pulled back the comforter. She had splurged on this room, buying a white canopy bed Chloe had admired once and accent pieces in the girl's favorite shade of cardinal red.

Cal carefully set Chloe down, and Lia pulled off her sandals. They left her snuggling into the pillow.

“Deputy, would you like a cup of tea?”

His smile was nice. It crinkled his eyes. “Cal. And, uh, no thanks.”

“Oh, you probably don't even drink tea! How about some coffee?”

The smile widened into a grin, transforming the intimidating shoulders and square jaw into an approachable neighborhood cop. “Now coffee I'd consider, but I need to get going. I'll take a rain check, though.”

“You got it.” She followed him down the stairs. “Stop by again sometime so Chloe can meet you. She won't remember a thing.”

“Will do. Goodnight, now.”

“Thanks again. Goodnight.”

Lia shut the door behind him, flipped off the light, raced back up to the bathroom, and turned the shower's hot water handle on full force. Her wet clothes had chilled her to the bone. She clipped her long hair atop her head and jumped into the spray.

“Thank you, Jesus, for bringing Cal at just the right moment. Bless him. Keep him safe in his work tonight.” She broke into a praise chorus.

“Mrs. Neuman!” There was a pounding on the open bathroom door.

Lia screamed.

“It's me! Cal.”

“Oh!” She gulped a breath. Her heart was certainly getting a workout tonight. She peeked around the edge of the opaque shower curtain, grateful not to see his face and yet still embarrassed at his apparent proximity. She turned off the water and called out, “Yes?”

“You left your keys in the door.”

“Just a sec! I'll be right out!” She held the curtain before her as she stepped out of the tub and pushed the door shut.
Eyeing her heap of wet clothes, she quickly toweled off. What was the proper thing to do here? Mom had never discussed this scenario. When a police officer enters your apartment and— Her long terry cloth robe hung on the back of the door. It would suffice.

He stood in the kitchen beside the sink, which was a good distance around the corner from the bathroom. His face was apple red as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I, uh, knocked,” he said, averting his eyes. “You need a doorbell and a new alarm system.”

Lia bit her lip to keep from bursting into laughter at his discomfort.

“I noticed your purse in the unlocked car, so I brought that up, too. Do you need anything else?” He made eye contact somewhere above her head.

“No, but thanks.”

“Okay. I'll lock the door and your car. I thought I heard you were from Chicago.”

“I am.”

“Then you know you should keep doors and cars locked.”

“But this is Valley Oaks! I feel so safe here.”

“People are still people, Mrs. Neuman. They take advantage of the unsuspecting. You need a deadbolt, too.”

“By the way, it's
Miss
Neuman. And my friends call me Lia. I think I'd consider you and me friends, given the fact that you were in my apartment after midnight while I was in the shower. Hmm?”

A small smile played at his lips as he turned and strode to the stairwell. “Yes, ma'am.”

The giggle she had been holding in bubbled out. “Goodnight, Cal.”

“Goodnight. Lia.”

Cal chewed himself out as he punched the doorknob's lock and pulled the door securely shut behind him. He vocalized his lunacy while opening the driver's door of Lia's old model Volvo and jabbing the automatic lock button, rain still spattering off his hat and slicker.

“Huntington, this is exactly what happened to Patterson. Get yourself into a dubious situation and allegations start flying.” He strode to the squad car and kicked a tire before yanking open the door. “You could've thrown the keys in on the floor and simply locked up. No, you've got to play Mr. Considerate and hike all the way back upstairs. You hear her singing in the shower and you still don't duck out.”

He climbed in and drove out of the alley.

At least she didn't
seem
like the complaint-filing type.

Yeah, that's what Patterson thought.

Cal shook his head. She was nice. He had recognized her shower song from church. And most of what he had heard about her indicated that she was an asset to the community. She had even lowered some prices on pharmaceuticals. Townsfolk appreciated that in a big way. Her business should grow.

Tammy's mother worked for her and wasn't too keen on the woman. He couldn't put much stock in her opinion, though. Dot Cassidy wasn't too keen on anybody.

He cruised down Main Street and headed for the all-night Gas Mart. Maybe he should make his whereabouts known… just in case.

So it was “miss,” huh? Interesting. The daughter appeared to be nine or ten. Lia must have been a teenager, probably too young to marry. Said something about her, sticking things out like that, becoming a pharmacist and now buying her own shop. Probably family money. She was cute with her long swinging ponytail, little nose and a mouth that kind of curved up at the corners like a bow tie. There was a vague
hint of Asian heritage in the shape of her dark eyes and matching dark hair, but not much of one. The only accent was Chicago style, big city and borderline aggressive. Confident might be a better word. Her black hair hung to her waist. Except when it was pinned up for a shower.

He laughed at himself and pulled into the gas station. Tomorrow he'd pick up a deadbolt and install it for her. Make amends.

Of course if Dot found out then Tammy would find out, and then he'd have amends to make with her…
Women!

Isabel rapped her knuckles on the glass window on the upper half of the pharmacy's front door. A moment later she saw Lia hurrying down the aisle, shrugging into her white lab coat.

Lia unlocked the door and opened it, the small attached bell tinging. “Isabel! You didn't have to come this early. Goodness, you didn't even have to come in today. You just got home.”

“Yes, I did have to come.”

Her friend drew her inside.

Isabel set down the cardboard box, Nutmeg's undignified traveling case, and accepted Lia's hug.

“Isabel, I am so, so sorry about your grandmother.”

“Thank you.” She wiped away a tear. This was why she had come early. She wanted to get this over with, this seeing everyone for the first time after her
abuela
's death…this pain hitting afresh, like a paper cut that couldn't heal because she kept touching it.

They clasped hands in silence. In a subtle way, the moment intensified Christ's comfort more than words could. They sniffed and then smiled through tears. Isabel sensed this was another reason she came today. After her grandmother, Lia was the most joyful woman she had ever met. Such women knew the depths of sorrow firsthand.

Isabel hadn't heard the entire story. Lia had arrived in Valley Oaks only that summer. When she came to church and met Britte Olafsson and Isabel, an instant rapport sprang
up between the three of them. Since that time, she and Britte had pitched in at the shop and the upstairs apartment, helping their new friend get her feet on the ground.

“Isabel, your box is
moving
.”

“Look.” She lifted out the kitten. “Her name is Nutmeg. Gina gave her to me. I thought Chloe would enjoy playing with her today.”

“Oh, how sweet! She'll want one.”

“Well,” Isabel cleared her throat, “Gina happens to have this mama cat out at Brady's, and Brady is not exactly a kitten kind of guy. I thought it'd be a great ‘welcome to Valley Oaks' gift, so I called Gina. There's a kitty earmarked for Chloe if you give the okay.”

Lia's eyes were wet again. “Thank you, Isabel. You've all been so thoughtful.”

“Hey, we're just grateful to have you here. You kept the pharmacy in town. I can't wait to get you singing in the choir and to a book club meeting. Now, when do I get to meet Chloe?”

“We snuggled a bit this morning, and then I told her to go back to sleep. We didn't get home until midnight. It was such an unbelievable day! Speaking of the choir, you'll have to ask Cal Huntington what he thinks about my singing.”

“Cal?”

Lia relayed the story, ending with her rendition of a hulking teddy bear avoiding eye contact.

When their giggles finally subsided, Isabel said, “He's my neighbor. And he goes with Dot's daughter, Tammy.”

Lia shook her head. “I will never get the hang of all the interrelationships in this town.”

“Oh, just give yourself six months. It took me a year, but you're smarter than I am. All right, put me to work.”