Hope Falls: Seasons of Change (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  Baby boy, huh?

  “Yes, dear,” he answered back as she drove away, just before I waved the moving truck to back into my driveway.

  “It was nice meeting you, but I really need to show these guys where to put everything.” Hopefully my dismissal of him was subtle enough. I was still a little confused about his intentions. At first, his carefree presence had melted my wall, then he admitted to costing me extra money and questioned who I was. By the time he’d offered help, my head had been whirling. Regardless, I didn’t need to make unnecessary enemies of my new neighbors before I’d even moved in.

  He lifted his hand. “Nice to meet you too, Tess. Don’t be a stranger.” And with that, he headed back into his house, taking with him that divine smelling cup of coffee and what little piece of sanity I was trying to protect.

  Chapter Two

  Elliott

  Stepping out of my home office, my stomach began the hunger war dance in protest as I entered the kitchen. Cass was making her annual ‘day after Thanksgiving’ dinner, and I didn’t know if I could hold back from sneaking a taste.

  “How long before it’s ready?” I tried to make my whine as manly as possible while I inhaled the incredible aroma.

  She glanced over her shoulder as she formed the bite sized stuffing pieces. “Everything’s almost done. I just have to finish rolling and frying these.” I chose to ignore the glee in her voice at making me wait.

  Experience told me that today was her gig and I knew better than to offer any help. “I’ll be out on the front porch if you need me.”

  Sneaking a peek at me as she continued to form the balls, I knew my covert plans had been exposed. There was a hint of gratification in her calling me out, as her mouth formed the words, “And I’m sure your sudden interest in what’s going on outside has nothing to do with the beautiful woman next door.”

  I walked toward the living room determined to not give her the satisfaction she so craved. “Don’t even start with that.”

  But truth be told, I did want to check on Tess. Not only was I intrigued by the one-eighty in her response to me earlier, but I knew that house like the back of my hand. If she needed anything, which I was sure she’d never admit to, I was the guy to ask.

  It had nothing to do with her looks, as Cass had suggested. Even though her mesmerizing brown eyes had made me momentarily pause before I’d been able to introduce myself. I grabbed my jacket off the coat rack and stepped outside onto the porch to escape more of Cass’s questions. The frigid air hit me as I glanced at the glistening street that had been dampened by today's drizzle. We were still at the tail end of fall, but the crisp temperature said we might be getting snow earlier than usual this year.

  Ever since I’d moved here a few years ago, I’d appreciated the smell of burning wood that filled the neighborhood during this season. Mentally noting I would need to stock extra logs for this predicted long winter, I turned just in time to see the swirls of white smoke billowing from Tess’s front window. As my imagination began to create the worst scenarios, my heart froze in fear.

  “What the hell?” Without hesitation, I dropped my jacket and took off running. With my fisted hands, I pounded on the front door. “Tess, you okay in there? Open up.”

  I was about to look through the window when the door flew open. Coughing as she rubbed her eyes, she attempted to make her way outside, but instead ran into my chest while I’d tried to rush in. We found each other’s gaze and it wasn’t until I noticed her watering eyes that I remembered why I was here.

  Peeking inside the room that was lit only by the embers in the fireplace and several candles scattered through the room, I could faintly see that the white smoke was coming from the hearth.

  “What happened?” I asked as she moved aside to let me in.

  She continued to rub her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Sighing, she answered, “I lit a fire and it smoked up the whole downstairs.” She pointed to the fireplace. “I’ve already started putting it out, but the smoke is taking too long to filter through the windows. I was upstairs in the bedroom when you knocked since the smoke hasn’t made it in there yet.”

  I made my way to investigate the source and noticed bits and pieces of old newspaper alongside a flattened mound of wood, ashes and embers. “Did you use the paper as kindling?”

  She stepped closer to the open door, acting like she needed air, but I couldn’t ignore the hint of embarrassment in her movements that indicated she needed distance between us. “Yeah. I couldn’t find anything else, and that’s what my father would use to light the barbeque out back.”

  I stared a little closer and noticed one of the unlit logs had vapor bubbling between the bark fibers. “Where did you get the logs?” I asked carefully.

  “From the pile in the backyard.” Her voice was low, unsure.

  As if on cue, my shoulders began to sag and my head leaned forward. I knew I would need to measure my reaction and try my damndest not to come off as condescending. “You’ve never lit a fire before, have you?”

  Even in the dimly lit room, I could feel her annoyed glare cut through me.

  I placed my hands up as a peace offering. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that as an insult. What I meant was, it’s been raining all week and that pile is soaked. Wet wood tends to smoke a lot if it manages to catch on fire. Add the newspaper to that and you have a smoky room fit for a rock concert,” I chuckled, but she didn’t follow suit.

  The low lighting made it difficult, but I could see her shoulders slowly showing the signs of defeat. “Yeah, I figured that out when I googled how to put it out.”

  I squinted and looked around the room that was now fully furnished. “Hey, why are all the lights out?”

  Staring at her as she rubbed her eyes, I toyed with the idea of waiting her out, forcing her to admit she needed help. I just couldn’t do it, though. There was something about her that drew me in and I was overwhelmed with the need to protect her from any discomfort.

  Letting her off the hook, I took a guess. “The breaker switch tripped, didn’t it? I can show you how to turn it back on.”

  The smoke had thinned a bit so she stepped further into the room with her shoulders drawn back, trying to pass off a confident attitude which I was sure she didn’t actually feel in the moment. “It’s fine. I was told it’s a fire hazard and I don’t want to take any chances.” Her pride was short-lived as she looked at the fireplace and faced the obvious, that she’d already taken a chance on one hazard tonight. “I can manage for a couple of days.”

  Frustrated, I wanted to ask why she was so resistant to accept help, but before I had a chance, the sound of sirens approaching called our attention.

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Just great,” she muttered. “Did you call the fire department?”

  I frowned. “No. I ran over here to check on you before I had a chance to call them.” Frustration consumed me as I found I was having to defend myself now. Even if I had called them, it was the right thing to do. “You do know where you moved to, right? Small town folks tend to look out for each other’s wellbeing.”

  “In other words, they’re in each other’s business?” she said resentfully.

  I laughed to myself and made my way toward the front door, spotting several of our well-wishing neighbors standing on the other side of the street as the fire truck pulled up. “Uh, that too.”

  “Yeah, the welcome to the neighborhood pies started arriving earlier today, as well as lots of questions.” Hearing her snicker for the first time since we’d met confirmed my greatest suspicion—inside of that beautiful exterior was a fun-loving woman begging to be freed. And that might have to be my new mission.

  Eli Bishop, one of Hope Falls resident fireman came rushing in, asking, “Is everyone alright?”

  Eli’s cousin, Deanna, stood in her gear close behind, ready to react.

  I turned to address them. “Yeah. Just a little misunderstanding on burning wet wood.”

  They both look
ed at the fireplace, then surveyed the room. Thankfully they kept their comments between them, but I would bet money that they were going to have a great laugh at Tess’s expense once they went back to the station.

  Deanna asked, “Do you have any box fans? We can stick them in your windows to help suck the smoke out. That’s not healthy for you to be breathing.”

  “Yeah I have fans, but—” Defeat painted a painful expression on Tess’s face, and I was yet again responding to my need to soften the blow.

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I have a few really long extension cords. We can hook them up to my house.”

  Eli was frowning. “They haven't turned on your electricity yet?”

  “No it’s that damn breaker box,” I answered for her.

  I knew what Eli was going to say before the words came out of his mouth. “I thought you changed it out already.”

  Trying to keep the focus on me, I accepted responsibility. “Naw. Didn’t have a chance before Gus ended up in the hospital, but I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.” I didn’t dare look at Tess after I made that comment, but I was pretty sure she was not a damsel in distress who wanted me to rescue her and anyone within visual distance would know that from her glare.

  Deanna left the house, telling a few other firemen outside to pack it up since it was a false alarm.

  Eli removed his helmet and took a few steps closer to the door. “Okay well, make sure you don’t turn that old thing on, it’s been around since this house was built.”

  “Not to worry. It’s getting switched out tomorrow,” Tess said, giving me a victorious gleam. I wasn’t sure if she meant that I was switching it out, or she had someone scheduled to do it.

  I cleared my throat. “Hey, why don't I take care of those fans and you come over for dinner while the place airs out.” I glanced at the meat and cheese basket on her coffee table that looked like it had just been opened. That was not a proper dinner. “C’mon, Cass has been cooking for hours now and I’m sure she’d love for you to join us.”

  She seemed reluctant, so I looked to Eli for help.

  He encouraged, “I say you go on over and enjoy the evening. Cass is a great cook. Plus, like Deanna said, it isn’t healthy for you to be breathing this air. Give it a few hours with the windows open and the fans blowing, then you can come back.”

  I quickly added before she had a chance to find an excuse to say no, “This is Cass’s favorite day of the year. She gets so focused on making sure every dish is perfect, I’m sure that’s why she isn’t out here, joining the street circus when the sirens showed up.”

  This woman was so expressive. I watched as she mentally picked out excuse after excuse, examining which one would work, then tossing the flawed ones aside. I kept my excitement silent when I could see she’d given up and was willing to accept my invitation. “Yes, thank you for the kind offer.”

  Eli turned to walk out. “Okay, if you guys won’t be needing us anymore, we’re going to get back to our Walking Dead marathon.” He rubbed his chin and gave us a comical grin. “And uh, if you find that you have some leftovers, your local Hope Falls fire department wouldn’t mind taking them off your hands.”

  Cass had already set aside dishes to take over to them later, so I just nodded. “You’ve got it. Night, guys. Thanks.”

  I spied a few more people lined up across the street, whispering to each other as they tried to see what had happened.

  Tess noticed the crowd as well. “So do I just go tell them what happened?” I felt the closeness of her body as she leaned toward me and peeked outside.

  I chuckled. “And where would the fun be in that?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

  “Let them tell their own stories. It’s quite entertaining to see what comes through the rumor mill within a few days.” I’d heard some crazy stuff over the years, but I had to give it to people in this town, they were pretty spot on most of the time.

  “But I don’t want to be part of a rumor mill.” The innocence painted on her face and in her voice made me realize just how vulnerable she felt.

  I turned her to face me, clutching her shoulders. “It’s part of the hazards of living here, but don’t worry. I’ve got your back. Besides, it’s a blast keeping the gossip hounds wondering what’s really going on.”

  “If you say so.” I couldn’t tell if she was more concerned about the false information from the gossip, or if she was afraid people would see that she actually had flaws.

  I grinned. “Oh, believe me, in time you’ll see how entertaining it can be. You could be a criminal, trying to burn the evidence against you. I bet some will believe you’re recently divorced and looking for husband number five, using some new-age ritual that involves sending smoke signals into the universe.” The look of horror on her face urged me on. “Or they could believe you’re part of a royal family, here to escape the paparazzi, so you turned your official papers into ashes and will now assume the identity of a commoner.” Which would explain her determination to not accept help, but things were good with her right now; no need to stir the pot. “Yeah, that’s the one they’re going to run with.” I was relieved to see her try and hide her giggle.

  I nudged her forward. “Come on, let’s go get the fans set up and then dive into that feast. More than likely, by the time we’re done eating, your house will be ventilated enough for you to sleep here.”

  In a whisper, she said, “Elliott, thank you for everything.”

  It was good to see her guard down. I smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  Progress.

  Chapter Three

  Tess

  I felt like such an idiot. I’d lived on my own for years and had no problems taking care of everything in my life before I moved. Now, on my first night in this town, I already had the fire department showing up at my front door. Why had I been so careless? Was I already too comfortable in my home? I knew I could be uptight at times, but I’d have to figure out the balance of being responsible and finding the easy going, spontaneous girl I once was.

  I begrudgingly walked with Elliott into his and Cass’s home, and was hit with the most delicious mixture of aromas. The hints of different herbs filled the air around me. I couldn’t help myself when I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. This was going to be better than a hundred Thanksgiving meals combined and definitely better than the one I’d had yesterday at the truck stop along highway 10.

  Elliott’s face lit up with pride as I opened my eyes. “Smells incredible, huh?”

  I nodded. He was right, I needed this.

  He pointed toward the other room. “I’ve been tortured by it for hours now.”

  My mouth watered. “Mmmm, smells delicious.”

  Before we made it to the kitchen, an adorable black and white Great Dane puppy came wobbling up to us, and sniffed my feet and calves before laying on his back to show me his belly.

  Squatting down, I rubbed his exposed tummy. “Well hello, little guy, what’s your name?”

  Elliott chuckled. “His official name is Duke, but Cass calls him Baby Boy.”

  I grinned and a strange sense of relief filled me as I continued to scratch his soft fur. Why was I relieved that he was a dog and not Elliott and Cass’s child? I loved kids and it wouldn’t have been terrible to live next door to one. Except on Sunday mornings when I wanted to sleep in. “Baby Boy, huh? So you’re the guy who ate too much Thanksgiving food?”

  As if he knew what I’d just said, Duke let out a squeaky fart, jumped up, and stared at me like I’d been the one who cut loose.

  Neither Elliot nor I could hold back our laughter as Duke trotted away like we’d just offended him.

  Elliot shook his head. “Yeah, that would be the one.”

  “What’s so funny out there?” Cass called from the kitchen.

  Elliot grabbed my hand and helped me stand up. “Oh, just your gassy dog making a memorable first impression.”

  “He can’t help it, and
you’re one to talk—” she yelled back as a red-faced Elliott tried to interrupt her.

  “We have a guest for dinner tonight.” He walked me into the kitchen.

  Not only had I been impressed with the incredible aroma Cass had created, but I was blown away seeing everything in order in the kitchen. From what Elliott had said, she’d been working all day. I had a thing or two to learn from her if I wanted to find that kind of balance.

  Cass pulled a ladle out of a drawer, welcoming me. “Come on in and make yourself at home.” She pointed to the cupboard. “Would you set the table for us, Dad?”

  Whoa! Dad?

  “Sure, sweetie.” Elliott pulled three plates and glasses out and, as he passed me, said, “Cass has been making different variations of this meal since she was sixteen. While her friends, sisters and mom were hitting the malls on black Friday, she was slaving away in the kitchen.”

  I watched with my mouth slightly open as Cassandra answered back, “Oh, come on. You and mom did enough on Thanksgiving. I didn’t mind taking over the next day.”

  I still felt like I was going to faint. Elliott was actually her father. They couldn’t be more than fifteen years apart in age. Something wasn’t adding up here.

  “Don’t think we didn’t appreciate it, but I still feel like you got the short end of the stick at times.” Placing the last item on the table, he turned back toward the kitchen when he noticed the shocked expression on my face. He shrugged sheepishly. “Cass is the oldest of three and always got stuck babysitting or cooking meals when we needed help.”

  “You know I never minded,” she said. “I actually learned a lot of things that Sierra and Lizbeth missed out on. Those two can’t even toast bread without burning it.”

  Sounds like me.

  I looked down at his naked ring finger and noticed a slight tan line. He and Cass had spoken fondly about her mother and sisters, reflecting happy times, yet they weren't here and he showed no signs of being married. Damn, did I have questions, but I didn’t know these two well enough yet to ask any of them.