Almost Twilight (7 page)

The
sweet man. Candy realized this was his way of telling her he wanted to help her
forget her ex-fiancé. “But I can’t just go to The Bahamas, Fritz.” 

Let
alone hop on a plane, but she didn’t tell him that.

After
the hospital fiasco with Rafe, she was too embarrassed to tell Fritz that
airplanes caused her panic attacks, too. Something about enclosed places set
her off. It had since childhood.

Fritz
slapped his spatula hard against the frying pan. “Well, why in tarnation not? You
need some rest and relaxation. Ain’t that what vacations are for?”

“Yes,
but you bought me an airline ticket.” She flapped the ticket in the air. “This
cost lots of money.”

Fritz’s
eyes softened. “Don’t go worrying your pretty head about that. If I can’t use
my money for the people I love, then dang it, who can I give it to, the
Salvation Army? I already give them a bunch of money. And you wouldn’t let me
help with your mortgage. Besides, the ticket’s nonrefundable. I have plans this
week and don’t want to go. I bought the ticket a while ago, hoping to coax
Tanner, Hannah and Jeremy to come along. I won’t take no for an answer. It’s a
gift. Are you refusing my gift? And it is The Bahamas…”

Candy
knew he was deliberately baiting her, and it was definitely working. But she
didn’t quite believe his story about changing the name on the ticket. The man
had bought the ticket for her, pure and simple. He also made sure it was coach
and not first class, trying to make her feel less guilty. She really shouldn’t
go, yet Fritz was such a sweet man, she didn’t want to cause any friction
between them.

But
The Bahamas...

Her
heart gave a little dance at the thought of swaying palm trees and aquamarine
waters. Maybe, just maybe, she would have a real vacation after all.

She
wanted one almost as much she wanted that house. Almost, but not quite.

But
could she make ends meet and still go? Old lady Hayden had suddenly asked her
private nurse to halt her vacation for one more month, so that meant no job for
substitute Candy.

“Nonrefundable?”
she asked Fritz.

“That’s
right. If you don’t use it, it’ll go to waste. I can’t change my name back or
it will cost an arm and a leg.”

He
avoided her direct gaze, and she knew, without a doubt, he had bought the
ticket for her.

Well,
why not go?

She
chewed her lip, thinking about her options. “I called to see if they could use
me at the hospital the next two weeks, but they already have the schedule
written in stone. They did say I could work overtime when I get back. I would
still have the money for the down payment and then some.”

Fritz
waved the spatula in the air. “Now you’re talking.”

“I
don’t know what to say.” Candy blinked back tears. “But you’re the most
wonderful man I know, Fritz Clearbrook.”

Fritz
blushed and turned back to his eggs. “Don’t let Lorraine hear you say that. She
might get jealous or something.”

Candy
wiped her eyes and sniffed. “So when are you two going to tie the knot?”

Fritz
cleared his throat. “We’re working on it. Just a few more things we have to
clear up first. You just hightail it up to your room and start packing. That
plane leaves tomorrow at eight o’clock sharp. In the morning, that is.”

“Eight
o’clock?” she screeched. “You must think I’m insane, because I certainly can’t
get ready in that amount of time. That is, if I was going in the first place. This
is just too crazy.”

The
door swung open and Hannah walked into the kitchen. “Mmmm. Smells good. Lots of
butter in that, Fritz?”

Fritz
covered his hand over the butter dish. “Don’t you go telling your mother I’m
using butter instead of olive oil. She’ll have a fit.”

Candy
laughed. “Why Fritz, I thought you weren’t afraid of any woman.”

Fritz
switched off the burner and carried the pan of eggs to four plates set on the
table. “I ain’t afraid. I’m just keeping the peace, that’s all.”

Hannah
took a seat and called for Jeremy. “Our lips are sealed.”

Fritz
nodded grimly. “They better be.”

Jeremy
flew through the door and sank into the chair beside Candy. Fritz said grace
and they started eating.

Before
Candy realized what was happening, Jeremy had picked up the envelope next to
her plate and pulled out the round trip tickets.

“Hey,
are you going somewhere?” the boy asked, looking at Candy and then at the
tickets flapping in his hand.

Everyone
stopped and stared, including Fritz whose face had paled like rancid butter.

“I
don’t know,” Candy let out in a hesitant voice, regarding Fritz’s face with an
uneasiness that settled deep in her stomach. Why was he looking so pale?

“Were
you going somewhere without telling us?” Hannah asked her in a hurt voice.

Candy
stared at Fritz for help. Was she going? This was all happening so fast. Yet
she had to admit, a vacation was just what she needed right now. Besides, her
little nest egg was almost enough to use for a down payment on the house. She
would definitely work overtime when she returned from her trip.

Maybe
she should go. This was a chance in a lifetime.

Fritz
scowled as he forked up his eggs. “Let the poor gal alone. She can go to The Bahamas
if she’s a hankerin’ to. There’s no need for everybody knowing her business.”

“The
Bahamas?” Jeremy exclaimed.

Hannah
snatched the tickets from Jeremy and gave them back to Candy. “If you’re
finished with your meal, then you’re excused.”

“Not
yet.” Jeremy eyed the adults as he finished his meal in less than a minute,
stuffing the last bit of eggs into his mouth. “I’m finished now, but I was
wondering—”

Fritz’s
chair suddenly scraped against the floor. “Don’t you think it’s time you go
play that new computer game I got for you yesterday?”

Jeremy
frowned. “You didn’t get me a new computer game, Grandpa.”

Fritz
grabbed Jeremy’s elbow. “You just forgot about it.” 

With
a piece of toast in hand, Jeremy wiggled in the older man’s arms. Bending down,
Fritz whispered something in Jeremy’s ear that made the boy smile like a kid
who was getting his first puppy.

“Fritz,”
Hannah said sternly. “What’s going on here?”

Fritz
shrugged as he pushed Jeremy out of the kitchen. The older man came back to his
seat, shooting Hannah an innocent look. “It’s a game the boy and I are
playing.” 

He
stared at Candy and smiled. “Now, what about you packing for that trip?”

Candy
stared at the tickets in her hand. “I don’t know. It’s all happened so quickly.
I can’t even think. Really, Fritz, I don’t even have a hotel.” 

But
the real question was, could she make the plane ride there without falling
apart? And then of course, there was the plane ride back.

“I
got a deal on the sleeping arrangements,” Fritz said, avoiding her gaze. “Knew
the owner, you would say. Didn’t cost me a thing. Food’s included. You won’t
have to spend anything, except for your shopping and what not.”

Hannah
shot Fritz a cool glare. “You got a deal for Candy? How wonderful.” 

“He’s
so wonderful, Hannah. I can’t believe it.”

Hannah
smiled at Candy. “Oh, he’s wonderful all right.”

Fritz
swallowed his eggs and kept his head down.

Candy
wondered what she should do. “Are you sure the food is included, Fritz?”

“Sure,
I’m sure,” he said, getting another cup of tea.

Candy
tried one more time to give the tickets back to Fritz, but he wouldn’t hear of
it.

“All
right,” Candy said, her expression calm, but she was bursting inside. “I’ll
go.” 

The
minute Candy left to pack for the trip, Hannah turned to her father-in-law,
only to see he was leaving out the back door that led to the garage.

“Fritz!”

He
looked over his shoulder and blinked. “Hmmm?”

“Rafe
has a set of cottages in The Bahamas somewhere, doesn’t he?”

Fritz
stared at a speck on his cowboy boots. “Uh, reckon he does.”

“Don’t
tell me you bought a ticket for Candy, and you have her staying at one of those
cottages the same time your second oldest is vacationing there, too?”

Fritz
tilted his head upward and chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds. “I ain’t
saying a thing. And if you go telling Rafe anything about this, you’re gonna be
breaking an old man’s heart, not to mention sticking yourself between two
lovebirds who need a little time alone.”

Hannah
shot from her chair, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Oh, good grief. Old man?
Now, I’ve heard everything. You’re not old! And two lovebirds? You’ve got to be
kidding? Those two can’t stand each other.”

Fritz
let out a huff. “What about you and Tanner? You didn’t like him very much from
the start either.”

“That
was different.”

“You’re
darn tootin’. It’s not Tanner this time, it’s Rafe, and I’m fixing him up with
a good woman and nobody’s gonna stop me.”

“I
didn’t say I was going to stop you.” 

Hannah
took a quick glance over her shoulder, then advanced on her father-in-law.

Fritz
stepped back and stuck out his jaw in defiance. “I ain’t wanting to be leaving
this house because we didn’t agree, Hannah. I’ve been living here since my wife
died, but if it comes to it, well then, so be it.”

Hannah
chuckled and kissed Fritz on the cheek. “You don’t understand, Fritz. I think
you’re wonderful. I want to know what I can do to help.”

Candy
drew in a deep, calming breath and faltered a bit as she stepped onto the plane.
She never would have made it to the airport on time if Hannah hadn’t helped her
with the packing.

Her
friend had even loaned her a few outfits and had curled Candy’s hair for the
flight, making her look like a different person, telling her to relax, that
everything was going to be all right.

But
relax was not in her vocabulary here.

Moving
past first class toward her seat in coach, Candy swallowed the bile that rose
in her throat and smiled at the flight attendant.
Don’t faint. Just don’t
faint.

Clasping
her purse to her side, she spied her seat number and numbly put one foot in
front of the other. A few more feet and she’d be there. If she looked straight
ahead, the walls wouldn’t close in on her so fast.

She
already decided that if things got a little shaky, she would have one drink. Alcohol
went straight to her brain, but she didn’t care. A drink was probably the only
thing that would keep her sane.

“Hello
there,” a deep, husky voice called to her just as she sat down in the middle
seat between the window and the aisle.

Candy
glanced up. Light blue eyes stared back at her. “I’m sorry. Am I in your
seat?” 

She
had to blink twice at the handsome, blond-headed man hovering over her. He wore
a green-checkered golf shirt, khaki pants and was built like a linebacker for some
professional football team.

“No
problem,” he said, flashing a brilliant set of teeth her way. “You can have the
window.” 

He
pointed to the window seat, and she moved, realizing too late that he was
taking the middle seat.

She
studied the meaty forearm resting beside her knee and gulped. She wasn’t about
to argue with this guy. “Are you sure?”

He
patted her leg and smiled. “Mind? Why should I mind? I got you all to myself,
babe.”

Candy
cringed and put his hand back on his own knee.

He
chuckled.

Great,
not only was she claustrophobic, but she was going to have a woman-eating wolf
sitting beside her the entire trip.

She
hoped the man would move to the aisle seat and leave the middle open for some
extra room, but after a few minutes, it didn’t seem like he was going to move
an inch. She even mentioned the extra seat, but he only shrugged. She hated to
cause trouble and call the flight attendant, but the man wasn’t really doing
anything terrible. Yet.

At
the roar of the engine, Candy closed her eyes, feeling her pulse quicken in
dread. Within seconds the jet rolled down the runway and eased into the air.

Okay,
I can do this.

Sweat
broke out on her brow, and she bit her lip, trying to stop her emotions from
escalating.

“Hey,
you want a drink or something? You look a bit uptight. Never flown on a plane
before?”

Candy
glanced to her side and forced a smile. She didn’t need the man’s pity or his
attention. “Just a little nervous on take-offs, that’s all. But I would like a
drink.”

He
winked at her and called the flight attendant over.