The Rescue (31 page)

"What do you think they're talking about?" Denise asked, watching Taylor from the table. She saw the change in his demeanor, the sudden stiffness, as if someone had turned on a switch.

Melissa had seen it as well.

"Mitch and Taylor? Probably the fire department. Mitch is giving it up at the end of the year. He probably told Taylor to do the same thing."

"But doesn't Taylor enjoy being a fireman?"

"I don't know if he enjoys it. He does it because he has to."

"Why?"

Melissa looked at Denise, a perplexed expression on her face. "Well . . . because of his father," she said.

"His father?" Denise repeated.

"Didn't he tell you?" Melissa asked carefully.

"No." Denise shook her head, suddenly afraid of what Melissa was getting at. "He just told me that his father had died when he was a child."

Melissa nodded, her lips together.

"What is it?" Denise asked, her anxiety plain.

Melissa sighed, debating whether to continue.

"Please," Denise said, and Melissa glanced away. Finally she spoke.

"Taylor's father died in a fire."

At her words, a cold hand seemed to settle on Denise's spine.

Taylor had taken the grate to rinse it under the hose and returned to see Mitch opening the cooler for another two beers. As Mitch opened his, Taylor walked by without a word.

"She sure is pretty, Taylor."

Taylor put the grate back on the grill, over the charcoal. "I know."

"Her kid's cute, too. Nice little guy."

"I know."

"He looks like you."

"Huh?"

"Just seeing if you're paying attention," Mitch said, grinning. "You looked a little lost when you came back." He stepped closer. "Hey, listen, I'm sorry I said those things earlier. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It didn't upset me," Taylor lied.

Mitch handed Taylor the beer. "Sure it did. But someone's got to keep you on the straight and narrow."

"And you're the one to do it?"

"Of course. I'm the only one who can."

"No, Mitch, really, don't be so modest," Taylor said sarcastically.

Mitch raised his eyebrows. "You think I'm kidding? How long have I known you now? Thirty years? I think that entitles me to speak my mind once in a while without worrying what you think about it. And I was serious about what I said. Not so much about you quitting-I know you're not going to do that. You should try to be a little more cautious in the future, though. See this?"

Mitch pointed to his balding head. "I used to have a full head of hair. And I'd still have it if you weren't such a damn daredevil. Every time you do something crazy, I can feel my little hairs committing suicide by jumping right out of my head and plunging all the way to my shoulders. If you listen carefully, you can sometimes hear them screaming all the way down. You know what it's like going bald? Having to put sunscreen on top of your head when you go outside? Getting liver spots where you used to part your hair? It doesn't do much for the old ego, if you know what I mean. So you owe me."

Taylor laughed despite himself. "Gee, and here I thought it was hereditary."

"Oh no. It's you, buddy."

"I'm touched."

"You should be. It's not like I'd be willing to go bald for just anybody."

"All right." He sighed. "I'll try to be more cautious in the future."

"Good. Because in a while, I won't be there to bail you out."

"How's the charcoal coming?" Melissa called out.

Mitch and Taylor were standing by the grill, the kids already eating. Mitch had cooked the hot dogs first, and the five of them were at the table. Denise, who'd brought Kyle's dinner with him (macaroni and cheese, Ritz crackers, grapes), set his plate in front of him. After swimming for a couple of hours, he was famished.

"Another ten minutes," Mitch shouted over his shoulder.

"I want macaroni and cheese, too," Melissa's youngest whined when he saw that Kyle was eating something different from what the rest of them had.

"Eat your hot dog," Melissa answered.

"But Mom-"

"Eat your hot dog," she said again. "If you're still hungry after that, I'll make some, okay?"

She knew he wouldn't still be hungry, but it seemed to placate the child.

Once everything was under control, Denise and Melissa moved away from the table and sat down closer to the pool. Ever since Denise had learned about Taylor's father, she had been trying to piece the rest of it together in her mind. Melissa seemed to divine the direction of her thoughts.

"Taylor?" she said, and Denise smiled sheepishly, embarrassed that it was so obvious.

"Yeah."

"How are you two getting along?"

"I thought it was going pretty well. But now, I'm not so sure."

"Because he didn't tell you about his father? Well, I'll let you in on a secret: Taylor doesn't talk about it to anyone, ever. Not to me, not to anyone he works with, not to his friends. He's never even talked about it with Mitch."

Denise considered this, unsure how to respond.

"That makes me feel better." She paused, furrowing her brow. "I think."

Melissa put her iced tea aside. Like Denise, she'd stopped drinking beer after finishing her second.

"He's a charmer when he wants to be, isn't he? Cute, too."

Denise leaned back in her seat. "Yes, he is."

"How is he with Kyle?"

"Kyle adores him-lately, he likes Taylor more than me. Taylor's like a little boy when they're together."

"Taylor's always been good with kids. My kids feel the same way about him. They'll call him to see if he can come over to play."

"Does he come?"

"Sometimes. Not lately, though. You've been taking up all of his time."

"Sorry about that."

Melissa waved off the apology. "Don't be. I'm happy for him. You too. I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever meet somebody. You're the first person in years he's actually brought over."

"So there've been others?"

Melissa smiled wryly. "He hasn't talked to you about them, either?"

"Nope."

"Well, girl, it's a good thing you came over," she said conspiratorially, and Denise laughed.

"So what did you want to know?"

"What were they like?"

"Not like you, that's for sure."

"No?"

"No. You're a lot prettier than they were. And you've got a son."

"Whatever happened to them?"

"Now, unfortunately, that I can't tell you. Taylor doesn't talk about that, either. All I know is that one day they seemed to be doing fine and the next thing you knew, it was over. I never did understand why."

"That's a comforting thought."

"Oh, I'm not saying it's going to happen with you. He likes you more than he liked them, a lot more. I can see it in the way he looks at you."

Denise hoped that Melissa was telling the truth.

"Sometimes . . . ," Denise began, then trailed off, not knowing exactly how to say it.

"Sometimes you're scared about what he's thinking?"

She looked at Melissa, startled by the acuity of her observation. Melissa went on.

"Even though Mitch and I have been together for a long time, I still don't understand everything that makes him tick. He's sort of like Taylor sometimes, in that regard. But in the end, it's worked out because we both want it to. As long as you two have that, you'll be able to make it through anything."

A beach ball came flying from the table where the kids were sitting, bonking Melissa on the head. A series of loud giggles broke out.

Melissa rolled her eyes but otherwise paid no attention as the beach ball rolled away. "You might even be able to put up with having four boys, like we do."

"I don't know if I could do that."

"Sure you could. It's easy. All you have to do is wake up early, get the paper, and read it leisurely while drinking tequila shooters."

Denise giggled.

"Seriously, do you ever think about having more kids?" Melissa asked.

"Not too often."

"Because of Kyle?" They'd talked a little about his problem earlier.

"No, not just that. But it's not something I can do alone, is it?"

"But if you were married?"

After a moment Denise smiled. "Probably."

Melissa nodded. "Do you think Taylor would be a good dad?"

"I know he would."

"So do I," Melissa agreed. "Have you two ever talked about it?"

"Marriage? No. He hasn't brought it up at all."

"Mmm," Melissa said. "I'll try to find out what he's thinking, all right?"

"You don't have to do that," Denise protested, flushing.

"Oh, I want to. I'm as curious as you are. But don't worry, I'll be subtle. He won't even know what I'm getting at."

"So, Taylor, are you gonna marry this wonderful girl or what?"

Denise almost dropped her fork onto her plate. Taylor was in the middle of taking a drink and he inhaled a bit of it, causing him to cough three times as he expelled it from the wrong pipe. He brought his napkin to his face, his eyes watering.

"Excuse me?"

The four of them were eating their meal-steaks, green salad, Cheddar cheese potatoes, and garlic bread. They'd been laughing and joking, having a good time, and were halfway done when Melissa dropped her bombshell. Denise felt the blood rush to her cheeks as Melissa went on matter-of-factly.

"I mean, she's a babe, Taylor. Smart, too. Girls like her don't come along every day."

Though obviously said in jest, Taylor stiffened slightly.

"I haven't really thought about it," he said almost defensively, and Melissa leaned forward, patting his arm as she laughed out loud.

"I don't expect an answer, Taylor-I was kidding. I just wanted to see your expression. Your eyes got big as saucers."

"That's because I was choking," Taylor answered.

She leaned toward him. "I'm sorry. But I just couldn't resist. You're easy to pick on. Just like Bozo over here."

"Are you talking about me, darling?" Mitch broke in, trying to offset Taylor's obvious discomfort.

"Who else calls you Bozo?"

"With the exception of you-and my three other wives, of course-no one really."

"Mmm," she said, "that's good. Otherwise I might get jealous."

Melissa leaned over and gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Are they always like this?" Denise whispered to Taylor, praying he wouldn't think she'd put Melissa up to the question.

"Ever since I've known them," Taylor said, but it was obvious his mind was elsewhere.

"Hey, no talking behind our backs," Melissa said. Turning toward Denise, she moved the conversation back to safer ground. "So tell me about Atlanta. I've never been there. . . ."

Denise took a deep breath as Melissa looked right at her, an almost imperceptible smirk on her face. Her wink was so inconspicuous that neither Mitch nor Taylor caught it.

And though Melissa and Denise chatted for the next hour, Mitch joining in whenever appropriate, Taylor, Denise noticed, didn't say much at all.

"I'm gonna get you!" Mitch shouted as he ran through the yard, chasing Jud, who was screaming as well, the high-pitched shrieks alternating between delight and fear.

"You're almost on base! Run!" Taylor yelled. Jud lowered his head, charging, as Mitch slowed down behind him, the cause lost. Jud reached base, joining the others.

It was an hour after dinner-the sun had finally set, and Mitch and Taylor were playing tag with the boys in the yard out front. Mitch, his hands on his hips, looked around the yard at the five kids, his chest heaving. They were all within a few feet of each other.

"You can't get me, Daddy!" Cameron taunted, his thumbs by his ears, fingers wagging.

"Try to get me, Daddy!" Will added, his voice joining his brother's.

"Then you've got to get off base," Mitch said, bending over and putting his hands on his knees. Cameron and Will, sensing weakness, suddenly darted in opposite directions.

"C'mon, Daddy!" Will shouted gleefully.

"Okay, now you asked for it!" Mitch said, doing his best to rise to the challenge. Mitch began trudging toward Will, heading past Taylor and Kyle, who remained safely on base.

"Run, Daddy, run!" Will teased, knowing he was agile enough to stay well away from his father.

Mitch chased one son after the other, veering course as he needed to for the next few minutes. Kyle, who had taken a little while to pick up on the game, finally understood it well enough to run with the other kids, and soon his screams were joining with the others as Mitch made his way around the yard. After one too many near misses, Mitch surged toward Taylor.