Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley (Arcadia Valley Romance Book 0) Page 24

  The officer approached her. “April. Are you injured?”

  “No.” The woman shook her head, looking puzzled. “I just... all of a sudden, there was this pole.”

  “Are you aware that the roads are closed?”

  “They are? Why?”

  Patricia looked at Alex. “Do you think she’s had a head injury?”

  “No. I think she’s been drinking.”

  “She sounds toasted,” David said. “It’s April Hennessy,” he added as if that explained everything.

  So, a local alcoholic. “Amazing that she’s okay.”

  “The Lord looks out for kids and drunks,” Alex said. “Come on, we’ll leave the police to their business.”

  “Wait.” Patricia didn’t feel right about leaving a woman out here at the mercy of angry and impatient police officers. She made her way through knee-deep snow to where one officer stood grilling the woman while the other ran her plates. “If she needs a place to warm up — if you all have other business to attend to — she can come into the restaurant.”

  “You all can,” Alex added. “No power, but we have the fire going.”

  “Thanks, but we’re going to have to take her in. I don’t know when a crew will get out to fix your electrical.”

  “Are we gonna freeze to death?” Dani looked worried.

  “I’m real sorry to inconvenience you,” April said, and up close, Patricia could hear the slurred words and smell the alcohol. Then, the woman looked over Patricia’s shoulder and her face brightened. “Heeeyyyy, there’s my favorite star player! Why don’t you come over here and give me a ride to home plate, sugar?”

  “You’re going to have to go with the officers, April.” Alex’s voice sounded firm, but there was some sort of edge to it.

  “First base, at least?” April winked.

  Patricia felt embarrassed for the woman, and when she glanced over at Alex she noticed that his face was red.

  Patricia couldn’t help wondering how well they knew each other.

  “You’re lucky you didn’t kill someone,” one of the officers said to April. “I’ll do a sobriety test, but I doubt very seriously that you’ll pass it. And then we’ll have to take you in.”

  Dani, who’d been talking quietly with David, stepped forward. “Can you take us home, too?”

  The officer turned and squinted at the two teenagers. “What are you two doing here, in this storm?

  “Long story, sir.” David came to stand behind Dani. “But if you can get us to the police station while you’re taking her in, we’d appreciate it. I need to get Dani back home, and we can walk from there.”

  “Your father knows you’re here?” the officer asked Dani.

  “Yeah.” The girl looked downcast. “He wasn’t even supposed to be working, but with the snow... anyway, he got called out to an accident on the highway and he couldn’t take us with him.”

  “As long as we don’t get another call before we finish her paperwork, we can run you back to the station. Go get your things.”

  So the teenagers tromped back toward the restaurant with Alex and Patricia to fetch Dani’s purse. Unlike when they’d first appeared at the door, they now seemed to be in accord. Amazing what time, and cooking, and distraction could do to improve things.

  Patricia and Alex stayed outside to watch the scene in front while Dani and David went into the dining room to grab Dani’s purse. In a moment, they were back outside.

  “Thank you for taking us in. I’m really glad to have met you.” She hugged Patricia.

  “Good luck with your grandma’s party,” Dani said to Alex.

  “You’re welcome to come, if we’re able to pull it off.”

  “The cake!” Dani launched into a detailed explanation of what type of pans to use, when and if the power came back on, and how to cool and frost it. “Just channel Cakes On Command and you’ll be fine.”

  As the teenagers left with the police, snow continued to fall, blanketing their surroundings in white silence. Patricia looked up at Alex and caught him staring.

  The air between them seemed to shimmer, and Patricia’s breath caught. What was that expression on his face?

  Alex looked away. “I’d better bring in some wood.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “No. You go inside and get warm.”

  “What made you think women are weak?” She softened the words with a smile. “If we’re playing survivor here, it’ll take two of us.”

  A mournful howl sounded from inside the restaurant.

  Alex smiled. “Now you have to go inside. You need to take care of your dog.”

  “He’s not exactly mine.” Patricia followed him to the woodpile, her happy mood wavering. She would never forget seeing Carl kick the dog away as he walked out the door of his parents’ house on that awful, final night. She’d never liked the way he’d treated his dog, a gift from an old girlfriend, but the heartless kick was the last straw. When she’d decided to leave, there was no way she wasn’t taking Bear with her.

  But the truth was, she barely knew how to take care of a dog. “Here, give me an armload and you bring one too. We’ll go in and see what’s what.”

  But when they went inside, Patricia felt something slippery underfoot.

  “What’s on the floor?” Alex turned on the flashlight from his phone.

  Disaster. Gnawed-up pieces of the frozen ground beef Alex had put out to thaw covered the dining room and kitchen floor. Bear sat, wagging his tail and panting, his doggy face stretched into what looked like a smile.

  “The meat! Is there more?” Patricia squatted in front of Bear. “Bad, bad boy.”

  “I don’t think so,” Alex said, “and that’s a crucial ingredient in the soup.”

  “Vegan Mexican?” She tried for a joke to lighten the atmosphere, but Alex looked upset. “I’m really, really sorry.”

  “You didn’t know.” Just like that, Alex smiled and shrugged. “I should’ve made sure the meat was out of the dog’s reach.”

  That was pretty amazing. He didn’t get furious and blame everything on her.

  Oh, if things were different she could care for this man. But she wasn’t thin enough or sophisticated enough to keep someone like Alex’s interest. She’d better guard her heart.

  “I’ll get my sister on the phone,” he offered. “Maybe you can explain what we need and you can figure out together if she can bring some replacement meat tomorrow. She’s not very domestic, but she does our buying and knows all the local suppliers. She’ll know whether anyone’s been able to get through.”

  So Patricia got into a discussion of soup meat with Alex’s friendly, inquisitive sister while Alex cleaned up the mess on the floor, located a couple of gas lanterns and lit them, and built up the fire. Then he disappeared into the storeroom and came back with a stack of colorful blankets.

  “Our idea of sleeping in separate rooms is out,” he said after she’d ended the call. “I think we’re both going to want to bed down right here by the fire.”

  “All three of us, you mean,” she said, indicating the dog. “If you’re still speaking to Bear, that is.”

  “Just as well. He can sleep in between us. Be a chaperone.”

  “Exactly!” She laughed, her face heating.

  As he moved tables to make an open area in front of the fire, Patricia leaned forward, propping her elbows on a chair back and staring into the fire. Waiting out a snowstorm with a handsome man would seem romantic, if she didn’t know better.

  Alex pulled out a chair and sat down. “This party is doomed.”

  “Well... not necessarily, but do you want to call it off? I’m sure a lot of things will be cancelled or postponed because of the storm.”

  “Maybe. But I don’t want to cancel. I want to do it right.”

  He sounded so discouraged. “She’s pretty important to you, huh?”

  “Really important. She was always there, and when Mom died... well, she was always like a mother, only more so now.” />
  Sympathy twisted Patricia’s heart. She knew the pain of losing your parents too young. “Do you have parties for your grandma every year?”

  He shook his head. “The last one was the seventy-fifth, and I came home from training...” He stopped abruptly.

  “Are you in the military?” That would explain why he was in such good shape.

  “No. Anyway, we had a great party for her then, planned by my sister. I felt like it was my turn, but you can see how well that’s turning out.”

  Bear padded over to Alex and rested his large, shaggy head on Alex’s knee, and Alex unconsciously began stroking the dog.

  “I’m sure the police called the power company, right? And if it doesn’t get fixed soon... maybe we could make something using the fire.”

  “Worth a try, I guess,” Alex said. “And Patricia.”

  Something in his tone made her turn to look at him. “Yeah?”

  “We’ve talked about my family. Sometime tonight, I’d like to hear a little more about you.”

  “Mmmm.” That absolutely wasn’t going to happen if Patricia could help it. She wanted to keep this one night, this magic bubble, free of the ugliness of the past and the uncertainty of the future.

  Chapter 5

  Alex poked at the fire again, stoking it to a mix of sparks and heat. Then he pulled two soft chairs from the entryway to the warm area in front of the fire.

  As soon as Patricia came in from walking the dog, he would entice her in here with comfort and warmth. He wanted to hear her story. Really wanted to hear it. He was getting more curious about her by the minute.

  Which wasn’t good, he reminded himself as he went to get bottles of soda. It was too much like his celebrity days, when he’d eagerly latched onto the women who flocked around the team, only to discover that they knew little about him and cared even less. They only wanted to be seen on the arm of a major league baseball player and to partake in the wealth that came along with the sport.

  And that went twice for Tiffany.

  Patricia came in with the dog, who proceeded to shake himself thoroughly, spraying snow throughout the entryway. Patricia looked up at Alex quickly, her face apologetic. “I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up.”

  “Don’t give it a thought. Come sit down.”

  “Umm.. shouldn’t we clean up the kitchen?”

  “Not until we have light. I called the power company, and they’re out working on it already. For now, let’s talk.” He would’ve put some music on from his phone, except he didn’t want to wear down the battery. So the sound of the crackling fire would have to do.

  He nodded toward the can on the table beside her. “I wanted to make tea, but since we don’t have power, we’ll have to settle for soda.”

  She sat down, looking nervous, and took a sip of the cool drink. Then she slid out of her chair and knelt beside the dog, checking on his paw.

  He had the feeling she was using the dog as a barrier... but that was okay. He understood. “How’s it look?”

  “He seems okay. He’s favoring it when he walks, you probably saw that, but I don’t think there’ll be any permanent damage.” Her voice was breathy.

  “So,” he said, “tell me what sends a beautiful woman on a mad cross-country road trip to who knows where.”

  She looked up from her spot on the floor, her hands buried in the dog’s wet fur. “It’s not that unusual of a story. I’m sure it happens to hundreds of women every day of the week, given what guys tend to be like.” She looked up at him as if daring him to disagree.

  “A breakup?”

  She nodded. Her hair shone in the firelight,

  He was torn between hating that she’d recently been with someone else, and being glad she’d left the other guy. Which was completely ridiculous. “Who ended it?”

  “Him, although...” She frowned. “I guess things weren’t right for a while.”

  “So it was mutual?”

  “Kind of.” She paused, looking down at the dog. “There was definitely one defining moment. But he’d been asking me to do something I didn’t like for awhile. Now, I realize he didn’t really care about me.”

  “Guys can be jerks.”

  Her eyes flashed up to his, as if to see whether he was making fun. “They sure can.”

  “Not all of us are like that, if it’s any comfort.” Something about the quiet night made him feel like going deeper. “I was raised to respect women. My sister, my grandma, my mom... all of them are strong, and they kind of beat it into me that women were equal to men.”

  “Nice for you.” She looked away.

  He struggled on. “I get it, how awful that is when someone turns out not to care about you. It’s pretty painful.”

  She nodded, staring into the fire, her arms wrapped around her knees. “I wish I didn’t care so much what other people think, you know? We’re supposed to live to please God. But I get caught up in worrying that people will judge me.”

  “Easy to do.” He paused. “What was he like?”

  “Carl?” She smiled a little. “Very, very handsome. And very wealthy. A big deal in the community.”

  His heart seemed to deflate. “That’s what you like in a guy?” Of course it was. It was what all women liked, or almost all. If you had that, you had women flocking around you. Without it, you were back to being a nobody.

  She shrugged. “I was just so surprised when Carl wanted to go out with me. He could’ve had any woman in the Bay Area, and he chose me. With the way I grew up...” She broke off. “I’m talking too much.”

  “I’m interested. And it’s not like we have anything else to do.”

  She laughed a little. “True enough.”

  “So how did you grow up?” Why was he asking these questions? It wasn’t like they were headed for a relationship or even a friendship. When the snow melted, she’d be on her way.

  “Just your average home. Nothing fancy. And your average public school.”

  “So when old Carl singled you out...”

  “I felt special, sure.” She shrugged, scooted up off the floor and sat in the chair next to him, tucking her legs beneath her. “Plus, I lost both of my parents, and I’m an only child. I haven’t really had a home since their car accident.”

  His heart twisted. How anyone could survive without a family was beyond him; he realized the importance of his own extended clan more and more every year. “You were alone in the world. No wonder you needed to be with someone.”

  She nodded. “I have friends, good friends. But it’s hard when you don’t have a home to go back to, you know?”

  He nodded. “So why didn’t it work with Carl? Did you know what he was like before your conflict?”

  She shrugged. “I thought I knew him, but I was maybe blinded by the gifts and the fancy dates and the way dating him wowed everyone I knew.”

  “Did you, you know, care about him apart from the money and fame?” That was what he wondered about the women who’d thrown themselves at him.

  “It was hard,” she admitted. “Hard to separate out the two things. If he hadn’t had money and fame, he would have been a different person, I guess.”

  Alex swallowed. So she didn’t see a man apart from his things. Probably no one did.

  That was what left him feeling so empty.

  “When Carl started to put the pressure on, at first, I tried to do what he wanted. I mean, it was what I wanted too, kind of. But then I realized I could never please him.”

  The way she said it made him think he’d missed something, but he didn’t want to pry. He waved a hand. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry, it’s not my business.”

  “No, it’s okay. I need to be able to talk about it.”

  Whatever the guy hadn’t liked about Patricia, Alex felt like beating him up. Despite her admission that she’d liked the jerk for his fame and money, she was a gorgeous, sweet woman. And from the way she was facing up to this situation, the courage it must have taken to head out across the coun
try, he knew she had true grit.

  “He wanted me to lose weight.”

  Alex blinked. “What?”

  “To lose weight. He didn’t like how heavy I was. Am.” She gestured down at her body, frowning.

  “What was he, crazy?” Alex was genuinely puzzled. Patricia was curvy in all the right places, with the type of lush, womanly figure most men adored.

  At least, he adored it, but he shouldn’t be thinking about her that way.

  “He wasn’t crazy. That’s just how guys think.”

  He couldn’t let her keep thinking in this mistaken way. He scooted his chair just a little closer. “Look, Patricia. You should never be ashamed of how you look. You’re obviously kind and thoughtful, and you have so much to offer.”

  She crossed her arms and legs, turning a little away. “That’s nice of you to say.”

  He leaned forward and looked in her eyes, wanting her to know he was sincere. “I think you’re gorgeous. I thought so the moment you walked into the restaurant, and when you took off your coat and I saw more of you... I thought you were even more beautiful.”

  She looked back at him, blushing, and something sparked in the air between them. Involuntarily, he reached out to squeeze her forearm.

  She drew in a sharp breath and her cheeks went pink. And Alex wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

  Chapter 6

  Looking into Alex’s warm brown eyes, feeling his hand engulf her smaller one, Patricia felt like she was floating.

  What would it be like to have a boyfriend who liked how she looked, how she was inside, rather than measuring all the ways she didn’t live up to his expectations? What would it be like to feel confident in herself? To feel loved?

  Alex cleared his throat and let go of her hand, but held her gaze with the warmth in his eyes. “What did you do for work before? And what do you want to do with your life, now, since you seem like you’re starting over?”

  He was asking about what was inside her, rather than boasting about what he had and who he knew. Who was this man? “I’ve worked off and on in child care and food service. Now, I guess I want to do something meaningful.” She waited to see if he’d laugh or ridicule her.