Falling Like Snowflakes (23 page)

The Bangor airport was busy, the short-term parking lot nearly filled. They made their way to the door along the short walkway, Beau beside his aunt, ready to steady her. People bustled by in their L.L.Bean coats and boots, their luggage rolling behind them, the wheels crunching over the salted pavement.

They waited while Riley checked in. Security was a short walk from there.

Riley faced his family, wearing a thin smile. “Guess this is it.”

Zac was the first to embrace Riley. “Keep your chin up, bro.”

“Always.”

“We're proud of you.”

Aunt Trudy came next. She hugged with one arm, balanced on her crutches. Riley patted her back.

When her blue eyes turned glassy, it was about Beau's undoing. It was only boot camp. Riley wasn't being shipped out to the Middle East.

Yet.

Beau's eyes stung at the thought. A huge knot had hardened in his throat. He couldn't believe his baby brother was headed to the military. He was torn between pride and dismay.

You'll keep him safe, right, God? 'Cause I'm trusting him to You.
What other choice did he have? He wasn't used to letting go, and he didn't like it one bit.

“You'd better write,” Aunt Trudy said from Riley's arms.

“I will.”

“And call.”

“It's only a few months, guys. Then I'll be back for ten days. Long enough for you to see my shaved head and feed me some good home-cooked food before I leave again.”

Aunt Trudy stepped away, inconspicuously dabbing at the corner of her eyes as Beau moved forward.

A shadow flickered over Riley's jaw as he met Beau's eyes.

Beau wished this week had gone differently. Wished there wasn't this ugly thing between them. He reached out a hand and his brother clasped it, pulling him in for a hug.

Beau slapped his back a couple times. “Take care of yourself, little bro.”

“I will.”

“I'll be praying for you.”

Riley drew back, wearing a crooked grin. “I'll need it. Don't
forget you promised to run Lola when it warms up.” Riley lived on his motorcycle in the summer.

“I won't.”

The smile fell from Riley's mouth as he looked at Beau for a long moment.

There was so much Beau wanted to say, but the words jammed in his throat.

“You're my brother,” Riley said. “You always will be, and I love you, man.”

Beau swallowed against the knot in his throat. “I love you too. I'm sorry about—”

Riley waved him off. “We're cool.” With a final smile he grabbed his duffel bag, his gaze swinging over their family. “Take care, you guys.”

As he made his way toward the security officer, he gave a final wave. A few moments later they watched him advance down the cordoned lane.

Beau put his arm around Aunt Trudy, blinking against the tears. “He'll be all right,” he said, but he wasn't sure which one of them he was reassuring.

Chapter 25

E
den joined Miss Trudy in the living room. A cartoon flickered on the TV, and her son had fallen asleep in the recliner, his head tilted at an awkward angle. His black lashes fanned across his beautiful olive skin. She wished he could always be at peace like this.

“Looks like someone ran out of steam.” Miss Trudy's knitting needles clacked together. She was making something red and fuzzy.

“I guess we'll save his bath for the morning.” It would make things rushed getting ready for church, but Eden didn't have the heart to wake him.

“It's too quiet without Riley.”

“I know you'll miss him.”

The family had seen him off to the airport this morning. Beau had gone straight to work afterward and hadn't come home until after supper. He'd gone upstairs for a shower awhile ago. Probably trying to warm up. It had turned brittle cold today, and another dusting of snow had already begun.

Miss Trudy nodded toward the TV. “I was thinking of watching
It's a Wonderful Life.
You want to watch it with me? The DVD's on the bookshelf.”

“Sure. I haven't seen it in years. Let me just get Jack to bed, and I'll put it on.” She leaned down to pick up Micah, feeling every ache from the fall.

“I'll get him,” Beau said as he came down the steps.

“That's all right.”

He nudged her out of the way. “You're still hurting from your fall.”

He scooped up her son, shifting him in his arms as he headed up the stairs, Eden following. The yummy smell of Beau's cologne wafted behind him, and she pulled in a deep breath.

She couldn't help but admire his physique. He didn't need to exercise at a health club as Antonio had. His work kept him active and strong. It was obvious in the broad line of his shoulders, in the way they tapered down to his lean waist.

“You know you have him all twisted up inside.”
Riley's words had been heavily on her mind today. Was it true? And what would happen now that Beau had broken up with Paige?

Nothing. Nothing will happen, Eden, because you're leaving soon and because you're not looking for a relationship.

In the bedroom, she pulled down the covers, and Beau eased Micah onto his air mattress. His flexed muscles released, shifting, as he let go of his burden.

Eden moved closer to tuck Micah in. The scene reminded her of a real family. A real mom and dad. She pushed the image from her mind. They'd never had that, not even with Antonio. She'd parented Micah, and he'd done the same—none of it together.

She pulled the covers over her son, and he turned toward the wall, heaving a soft sigh. She planted a kiss on his cheek and turned out the light as they left the room.

Downstairs, Miss Trudy had already found the DVD and put it in the player. She was hobbling back to her chair as they entered the room.

“Come sit, Beau. We're watching
It's a Wonderful Life.”

“Don't mind if I do.”

Miss Trudy started the movie and flipped off the lamp as Beau and Eden settled on opposite ends of the sofa. The white lights twinkled on the mantel garland and on the tree, giving the room a soft glow. The fire Eden had set earlier still wavered in the fireplace, crackling and popping softly.

The black-and-white movie began slowly, but soon Eden was caught up in George Bailey's financial problems. When the movie was well under way, she noticed that Miss Trudy's chair was empty, her knitting basket tucked nearby.

“Where'd she go?”

“To bed, I guess.”

The rest of the movie was just as she remembered. At the end Eden gave a sigh as the credits rolled and the music played. Sometimes it was nice to believe in happy endings, just for a little while.

Beau flipped off the DVD and switched to a local TV channel where the news was playing. A seafood shack in Folly Shoals was closing after almost fifty years in business. There was a two-vehicle accident on Pond Road due to the slick road conditions. The Schoodic Baptist Choir would be performing their annual Christmas cantata tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.

The news broke for a commercial. She should go to bed, but for some reason she wasn't tired yet.

“I like what you've done with the house.” Beau's voice was a low rumble that she felt deep inside.

“The Christmas decorations growing on you?”

He gave her a little smile. “It's not just that. It feels . . . homier? Can I say that without sounding like a girl?”

“It must be my superb cooking skills.”

His smile was a traffic stopper. “You've come a long way, no doubt about that.”

She chuckled. “I had nowhere to go but up.”

Beau knew better than to respond to that comment. “How's my aunt's therapy coming along?”

“It's painful, but she's fighting through it. She's a strong woman. The doctor said she'd get her brace off next week. Maybe before Christmas.”

It was only a week away, and they hadn't really talked about when Kate would leave. “You're welcome to stay beyond that if you'd like. I could use some help getting the farm cleaned up after it closes. You could make a little extra money.”

“Thanks. I'll . . . have to see how it goes.”

A silence settled over the room. She was watching the TV as it flickered to a local commercial for used cars.

The thought of her leaving soon put a pit in his gut. He'd gotten used to having her around. She was a good listener and a caring woman. Her love for her son was a sight to behold. When it came to protecting him, she was tenacious and strong. But he sensed an underlying vulnerability that made the man in him want to take care of her. He wasn't sure she'd appreciate that sentiment.

“I'm sorry about Paige,” she said.

Their gazes connected, and he read the questions there. “How'd you know?”

“You're home on a Saturday night.”

He hiked a brow.

She gave a sheepish look. “And Riley may have said something.”

He gave a tight smile. “I'm sure he did.”

“It's been pretty tense around here. I hope you were able to make up before he left.”

Beau nodded slowly. “We're brothers, above all else. It's not the first argument we've had, believe me.”

Beau had checked in with Paige this morning via text. She'd answered short and sweet. He'd let her know she was still welcome to spend Christmas with them. He was worried she'd have no place else to go.

“I wonder if Riley's there yet,” she said.

Beau perused her face, looking for signs of interest. “He was supposed to land at five, so I'm sure he is. It'll be a grueling few months.”

“He's up for it, I think. He's a tough guy.”

A worm of jealousy niggled through him, and he didn't like it. He didn't want her thinking about Riley.

What was going on? How had he developed feelings for this woman so quickly? It was as if she'd cast a spell over him. He wanted her thinking about him, he wanted her dreaming of him, he wanted her in his arms.

Come on, Callahan
.

He'd just broken up with Paige, and hello . . . Kate was leaving soon. She was in some unspoken danger, and he had more questions about her than answers. The last time he'd come near her she'd pushed him off like he was Satan's spawn.

He angled his body toward her, only a throw pillow between them. He studied her in the faint light. Who had hurt her? Was it Lucca Fattore or someone else? Her father? Her husband? He had a million questions, but she was a closed book.

She caught him staring. “What?”

“Just wondering about you.”

“Wondering what?”

“Everything. What were you like as a child?”

“I don't know. I guess I was quiet. I always had my nose in a book. There wasn't much else to do.”

“What about friends?”

She shrugged. “There was April, a girl who lived in the trailer next to us. Her mom, Karen, was really nice and kind of took me under her wing. I would've lived over there if I could've.”

“Didn't you like your house?”

“I told you about my mom passing. Things were good until then. But my dad had agoraphobia—he was afraid of going out in public. He was also afraid of being alone. So after my mom died, I wasn't allowed out of the trailer much. He sent me to the grocery because he was too afraid to go himself and sometimes to the library. He liked to read.”

“What about school?”

“Dad homeschooled me after Mom died.”

He tried to imagine being trapped in a trailer with a fearful father. It must have been very lonely.

“If he was afraid to leave the house, how did he make a living?” “He mowed lawns. He could handle being outside okay. That's how I was able to spend time with April and her mom. I kind of lived vicariously through them.”

A dreamy look washed over her face. “They'd take this trip
every summer to their cabin and come back with pictures and stories. I used to dream about that little cabin. I'd get books at the library and read about where they went and pretend I went too.

“Karen would tell us Bible stories—she knew them all. She helped my faith grow. She was loving and patient and always inviting me to go places with them, even though I always had to say no.

“When I was fifteen they got a new computer, and she gave me her old one. I spent a lot of time on that thing. I'd always loved art in school, so I developed an interest in designing websites. Karen let me design one for her business—she made snow globes, all different kinds. I loved the ones with angels especially. She loved Christmas, and their trailer had snow globes everywhere all year round. I know it sounds kind of strange, but I thought it was wonderful. We used to wind them all up and dance ourselves silly.”

Beau pictured a young Kate shaking those globes, watching the snow fall. Dreaming of being someplace else. Spinning until she was dizzy. He was glad she'd had a place to go. A place where she felt loved and cared for. It sounded like she'd been the one doing the caring in her own home.