Where Azaleas Bloom (12 page)

Lynn stood just inside and smiled at the sound of Mitch’s
laughter swirling in the air with her son’s and daughter’s. She hadn’t heard
such happy sounds around here in a long time.

“How are those steaks coming along?” she called out as she
joined them.

“If anyone wants them rare, they’re done,” Mitch said.

“Medium,” Lynn declared.

“Mine, too,” Lexie added.

Jeremy looked to Mitch, who’d already taken his off the flames
and set it on the platter. “Rare, like Mitch’s!” he chimed in.

Mitch smiled down at him. “You sure about that, buddy?”

“That’s what you’re having, right?” Jeremy asked.

“I sure am.”

“Then it’s the way I want mine,” her son insisted.

As touched as she was by the scene, Lynn couldn’t help worrying
that her son was rapidly developing a case of hero worship. But looking at the
smile on his face and the adoration in his eyes, somehow she couldn’t make
herself regret bringing Mitch into their lives.

* * *

After dinner, Lexie and Jeremy cleaned up, leaving Mitch
alone on the deck with Lynn. He couldn’t recall when he’d had a nicer evening,
he thought as the sun disappeared below the horizon. He’d known all night,
though, that something was on Lynn’s mind. He had his own concerns to share, as
well. It wasn’t a conversation he was much looking forward to.

“You first,” he suggested eventually.

She gave him a startled look, as if she’d forgotten that she’d
told him earlier that she wanted to discuss something with him.

“Is this about Ed’s visit this morning?” he prompted.

She sighed. “Yes. To be honest, for a little while tonight, I’d
pushed that completely out of my head.”

“How worked up was he when he left here? I tried to keep an ear
out in case things got too heated.”

“Oh, he didn’t yell, but he did try to make something out of
your being here.”

“Is that why Helen came rushing over right after he left?” he
asked, knowing that he was giving away his attentiveness to everything going on
in her life.

She lifted a brow at the revelation, then nodded. “You saw
that?”

“Hard to miss when she squealed into the driveway like she was
making a turn on the track at Daytona.”

“She overreacted just a little when I called her,” Lynn
said.

Mitch frowned. “Since when does Helen overreact? Exactly how
badly did Ed upset you?”

“He didn’t. I mean I’m not worried for me. It’s you I’m
concerned about. I’m afraid he might try to drag you into the middle of our
problems. You don’t deserve to get caught up in my drama.”

“There’s nothing Ed can do to me,” Mitch assured her.

She gave him a world-weary look. “If you believe that, then you
don’t know him very well.”

“I know enough,” Mitch insisted.

“He can make your life uncomfortable in a lot of different
ways,” Lynn countered. “It’s an easy thing to spread gossip in this town. You
know that, Mitch. I don’t want your reputation hurt because he’s looking to make
trouble for you.”

Mitch stood up, then hunkered down in front of her, forcing her
to look into his eyes. “Lynn, you do know we haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I know that.”

“And I like spending time with you. I think you feel the same
way.”

“I do, but—”

“No buts,” he said flatly. He thought then of Terry’s earlier
warning. “Unless you’d rather I stay away. Is that what you want? Will it make
it easier for you if people aren’t talking and keeping Ed all stirred up?”

She looked away. “Maybe,” she conceded, but then her gaze met
his. “But that’s not what I want, Mitch. I enjoy spending time with you. It’s
been…” She looked as if she were searching for the right word. “Restful, I
guess, though that may not sound terribly flattering. Until the past couple of
weeks, I’d forgotten what it was like not to be tense and on edge all the time.
I’d come close to forgetting how to laugh. So had the kids.”

He nodded, pleased, even though she hadn’t mentioned the sparks
that kept him up nights. “Good to know,” he said. “Then here’s what I’m
thinking. We’ll get together when we want to, but we won’t go parading around
town. I don’t like the idea of hiding out, but for now, maybe it’s for the best.
The last thing I want is for Ed to have some kind of ammunition he thinks he can
use against you.” He paused, then said, “Or would you rather take a break?
You’re in charge here, Lynnie. Whatever you need, we’ll make it work.”

She suddenly blinked back tears. “You’re so blasted
considerate.”

He smiled, even though her tears were almost the undoing of
him. “And that’s a bad thing?”

“No, it just makes me wonder all the more why I didn’t choose
you all those years ago.”

“I’d like to think that’s only because I took myself out of the
running way back when I was thirteen. Who knows what might have happened if I’d
been brave enough to stand my ground.” He grinned. “My bad.”

“Or maybe the timing now is exactly right,” she said.

He smiled at the hint of wistfulness in her voice. “Maybe
so.”

He, for one, could hardly wait to find out.

* * *

Flo felt as if she’d been holding her breath for the
entire two hours she and Donnie had been sitting in Rosalina’s with Helen and
Erik. Erik and Donnie had done their best to keep the conversation flowing, but
Helen looked as if she’d been sucking on lemons.

“Helen, did you know Donnie has just about every episode of
Law and Order
on tape?” Flo asked, hoping to
spark a common interest between the two.

“Really?” Helen said, though without much enthusiasm.

“I’m a big fan of Sam Waterston,” Donnie said. “I started
watching the series from day one. It seems real authentic to me.”

“Helen thinks so, too, don’t you?” Flo said, giving her
daughter a sharp look that commanded that she at least try.

“Actually it is one of the best legal shows I’ve seen,” Helen
said. She hesitated, then asked, “Are you and my mother serious about each
other?”

“Helen!” Flo protested, even as Erik nudged his wife and gave
her a warning look.

“What?” Helen demanded. “It’s a reasonable question.”

“It is,” Donnie said, not showing any hint that he was losing
his composure. “I’ve had more fun since I started seeing your mother than I’d
had since I lost my wife. I’m one of those people who believes you can’t have
enough laughter in your life.” He held Helen’s gaze. “Your mother keeps me
laughing. She has something to say about just about everything and it usually
strikes a chord with me.” He winked at Flo. “Not that we don’t disagree about a
few things.”

“Such as?” Helen asked, seizing on that.

“Whether or not we should get married,” Donnie said with
annoying candor.

“Donald Leighton!” Flo protested. “This is not the time.”

Helen’s eyes had lit up, though. “Tell me more,” she encouraged
Donnie.

“I think when two people care about each other the way we do
and are as well-suited as we are, it makes sense to get married. Why be alone at
this stage of our lives?”

“An interesting point of view,” Helen said. “Mom? You don’t
agree?”

“I do not,” Flo said irritably.

Despite the sudden tension, Donnie looked thoroughly amused.
“And there you have it. So far, she’s winning, but I hold out high hopes I can
change her mind one of these days.”

“You’re losing ground right this second,” Flo grumbled.

Thankfully, Erik stepped in. “How about dessert at our place? I
brought home an apple pie I baked today. You’ll be able to say goodnight to
Sarah Beth, Flo.”

She regarded her son-in-law fondly. “You know I can’t say no to
that.” She gave Donnie and her daughter a warning look, “but if the subject of
marriage comes up again, don’t rule out my stuffing some of that pie down
someone’s throat.”

Erik choked back a laugh at her threat, so Flo gave him a
scowl. “I mean it.”

“I know you do,” Erik said. “I’m just trying to imagine the
likelihood of Helen listening to you.”

“I can take a hint,” Helen protested.

“That was no hint,” Flo retorted. “It was a direct
warning.”

Helen looked from Erik to her, then back again to her husband.
“Okay, I’ll behave. I promise.”

“Now why would you want to go and do that,” Donnie asked,
clearly willing to stir the pot, either for the sake of some excitement or
because he sensed he finally had an ally who could win this battle for him.

Flo frowned at him. “What is wrong with you? I just neutralized
her.”

“Hey, she’s on my side,” he said. “I may not want her
neutralized.”

For the first time all evening, Helen seemed visibly impressed
with Donnie. “I like you, Donnie Leighton.”

He sat up a little straighter and shot a triumphant look at
Flo. “There you go. You wanted a stamp of approval. Now you’ve got it.”

Helen looked surprised by his comment. “You wanted my
approval?” she asked Flo.

“Well, of course I did,” Flo replied impatiently. “What did you
think this uncomfortable meal was supposed to be about?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe your getting on my last nerve,” Helen
said.

Flo looked at her, then laughed. “No, sweetie, that was just a
perk.”

12

M
itch was just wrapping up for the day at
Raylene’s when he looked up and saw Carter stepping into the new addition.

“Come to see how the work’s progressing?” Mitch asked, joining
him.

“Nah, Raylene and I sneak in here just about every night to see
what you’ve accomplished. It’s looking real good, Mitch. You do incredible
work.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you’re pleased.” He studied the police chief,
who was wearing his uniform tonight. That must mean he was working the streets,
something he still insisted on doing, rotating shifts with his men. “Something
on your mind?”

“You haven’t been at dinner for a few nights now,” Carter said,
looking oddly uncomfortable for a man wearing a holstered gun at his hip.

“I figured you’d seen enough of me at your dinner table.”

Carter winced. “I was afraid you were going to say something
like that. Mitch, I hope I didn’t plant that idea in your head. You’re always
welcome here. I want you to know that, and if I said something to make you think
otherwise, I’m sorry.”

“For a man who’s supposed to keep his eyes and ears on
everything going on in this town, I’m astonished you haven’t heard.”

“Heard what?”

“I’ve been going over to Lynn’s for dinner for the past week or
so.”

Carter blinked. “Lynn’s? Right next door?”

“Yep.”

His gaze narrowed. “And my wife knows that?”

“Your wife’s among those who practically pushed me into Lynn’s
arms. Not that I’ve been in her arms,” he added hurriedly. “I’m just
saying…”

“I get it, Mitch. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’m
not like Raylene. I’m perfectly comfortable without details.”

“I just didn’t want you getting the wrong idea.”

“Because of Ed,” Carter guessed. He shook his head. “How did it
come to be that so many people in this town trust that man? He’s hiding
something. I have no idea what it is, but when a man won’t look me in the eye
the way you’re doing right now, I get suspicious.”

“As a comparative newcomer to town, you don’t have the same
perspective other folks do,” Mitch suggested. “I imagine you see a lot of things
the rest of us have turned a blind eye to. Because Ed’s daddy ran that business
honestly and with genuine concern for the best interests of his clients, I think
everyone just assumed Ed would do the same. To some extent, I suppose he has,
but he’s definitely not his father.”

“I’ve only run across Jack once or twice, but he seems like a
stand-up guy.”

“He is,” Mitch confirmed. “As for the business continuing to do
well, a good measure of that success is because nobody came along to open up a
competing insurance agency. People in Serenity don’t like going to outsiders in
neighboring towns with their personal business. They like their doctors, lawyers
and their insurance agents to be people they know. They feel more comfortable
when they know not only them, but their whole family history.”

“And no one yet has noticed that this particular emperor, so to
speak, has no clothes, just like the one in the fairy tale?” Carter asked.

“Lately there’s been some talk,” Mitch said. “A few people
don’t like the way Ed’s treated Lynn and his kids. I actually think a few have
even wondered why Jack didn’t step in. If the bank had foreclosed on their house
the way it was rumored, I think Ed would have been doomed.”

Carter looked startled. “Lynn’s situation had gotten that
bad?”

Mitch nodded. “She never admitted it to me, but I think so,
yes. And I know for a fact that she was having trouble putting food on the
table.”

“Raylene picked up on that much, too. What about now?” Carter
asked, clearly concerned. “Is it better over there? Anything I can do?”

“Lynn says things are okay, but I doubt her pride would allow
her to say otherwise,” Mitch said. “Whatever was going on, though, she does seem
to have a little cash again. Of course, she’s working for both Raylene and me,
so maybe that’s been enough to help her get by. For all I know, Ed could still
be a deadbeat. There’s a part of me that wishes that were true so the court
could come down on him and nail his sorry hide to a wall.”

“Not that you care, right?” Carter said, clearly amused by his
vehemence.

“The guy’s been a thorn in my side for years,” Mitch said.

“How so?”

“Old story,” Mitch confided with a shrug. “He got the
girl.”

Carter’s eyes widened. “Really? You and Lynn had a thing?
When?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it a thing,” Mitch said, wishing he
hadn’t brought it up. “I was thirteen and thought she was about the best thing
since the invention of baseball. She never gave me a second look because of Ed
Morrow.” He shrugged. “I thought I got over it. Seems like I didn’t.”

“Then this thing now, it could be serious?”

“Way too soon to know something like that,” Mitch insisted. “I
enjoy her company. I like her kids. We’ll see where that leads us. First,
though, she needs to have her divorce finalized and to be free of that man once
and for all. She needs to be steady on her own two feet, so she can make a
decision that’s really right for her, rather than turning to me out of necessity
or misguided gratitude.”

Carter nodded. “But you already know what you want, don’t
you?”

Mitch shrugged. “I can’t deny it. I had a soft spot for her all
those years ago. Apparently, I still do.”

“Good luck, then. I’d offer to put in a good word for you, but
I imagine Raylene already has the booster thing under control.”

Mitch rolled his eyes. “Your wife’s a meddler, that’s for sure.
If Grace Wharton ever retires from that business, Raylene is definitely the top
candidate in Serenity to take over for her.”

“You might not want to mention that to Raylene,” Carter warned.
“She’ll be so excited by the compliment, she’s likely to head over to Wharton’s
and try to muzzle Grace so she can have that role all to herself right now.
Since Raylene came out of her shell and out of the house, she seems to be
discovering all sorts of hidden talents in herself. I’m not one to discourage
her, but this is one I’d like to see her keep under wraps.”

Mitch laughed. “Good luck with that.”

“I know,” Carter said with a rueful shake of his head. “It’s a
lost cause. See you around, Mitch. You and Lynn should come to dinner one night
this week. Raylene likes having a full house at mealtime.”

“Maybe we’ll do that,” Mitch agreed.

Then, again, he wasn’t sure he wanted to encourage the meddling
that would start with the appetizers and last right on through dessert.

* * *

Lynn was fixing dinner when Lexie sat down at the
kitchen table, her expression pensive.

“Something going on?” Lynn asked.

“Dad’s ticked off at me,” she confessed.

Lynn turned the burner under the stew to simmer, then joined
her daughter at the table. “Why is that?”

“Because I wouldn’t go to Sullivan’s Island with him and
Jeremy.”

“What makes you think he’s ticked off about that?” she asked,
though she wasn’t surprised that Ed had made no effort to mend fences. Instead,
he’d apparently taken his displeasure out on Lexie when she’d held firm on her
refusal to go.

“He told me I was behaving like a spoiled brat,” Lexie said.
“That I should be grateful to have a dad who wanted to take me someplace great
for a weekend getaway.” She gave Lynn a plaintive look. “It wasn’t about that at
all.”

“I know,” Lynn said. “Maybe you should look at it from his
point of view for a minute, though. Your dad was trying. He wanted to do
something special with you and Jeremy.”

“Mom, I know what a weekend in Sullivan’s Island costs,” Lexie
said impatiently. “I looked the hotel up online. How can he spend that kind of
money on me and Jeremy when we didn’t even have enough for groceries?”

“I think that situation has been resolved,” Lynn told her. “It
was just a misunderstanding.”

“How does a man just ignore the fact that his family is about
to lose their house?” Lexie retorted. “That’s huge, Mom. It can’t be some silly
little misunderstanding.”

Lynn sighed and told herself she had to say the right thing,
even if it choked her to try to defend Ed. “Your dad’s attorney made a mistake.
As soon as your dad found out about it, he fixed things. All of that is really
between me and your father. I don’t want it to change your relationship with
him. He loves you, Lexie, and I know you love him.”

“It’s all just so mixed up,” Lexie said. “Can I tell you
something else?”

“Of course.”

“After Dad left, I prayed every night that he’d change his mind
and come back.”

Lynn allowed herself a smile. “That’s not unusual. Most kids
want their parents to reconcile. Every kid dreams of having the perfect
family.”

“I’m not finished,” Lexie said. “My point is that now I don’t
feel that way. I like Mitch. You laugh when he’s around. And he really listens
to me and Jeremy, not like Dad, who makes a big pretense of caring when he wants
to impress people, especially Grandma and Grandpa.”

Lynn found it astonishing that her daughter had pegged Ed so
accurately. Still, though, she tried to come to his defense. “Not everyone shows
their love in the same way, sweetheart. It’s harder for your dad. Mitch is
really comfortable around kids. Your dad was an only child. He spent all his
time around adults.”

Lexie rolled her eyes. “Mom, he must have been a kid once. He
went to school. Didn’t he ever have friends?”

“Obviously, but it’s not the same thing relating to a peer as a
kid and then relating to a child when you’re the adult.”

“What you’re really saying is that he had terrible examples at
parenting. Grandma and Grandpa aren’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type. Well,
Grandpa’s not bad, but Grandma…” She shook her head. “What’s with her,
anyway?”

Again, Lexie had nailed a problem Lynn had only belatedly
recognized. “They try. So does your dad. That trip was meant to show you how
hard he’s trying. I’m sure it hurt his feelings when you refused to go. Believe
it or not, parents have feelings, too.”

“I guess,” Lexie said. She regarded Lynn worriedly. “Are you
saying I should have gone?”

“No, sweetheart. It was always up to you, but it never hurts to
think about what consequences your actions might have on someone else’s
feelings.”

Lexie regarded her with dismay, though whether it was over her
actions or her fear of Lynn’s disapproval was impossible to tell.

“Does that mean I should apologize to Dad?” Lexie asked,
sounding resigned.

“Something to consider,” Lynn told her.

“I’ll think about it,” Lexie promised, then gave Lynn a defiant
look. “But I’m not going back to Grandma and Grandpa’s. I don’t care who that
hurts. Grandma needs to apologize to me for what she said about you. It was
mean.”

“I appreciate your wanting to defend me, sweetie, but even that
is my battle, not yours.”

“They said it to
me,
” Lexie
corrected stubbornly. “That makes it my battle. Nobody gets to talk that way
about my mom.”

“You could tell your grandmother how you feel. Maybe she would
apologize if she understood how it hurt you.”

“No way.”

“It’s up to you, but not everyone is lucky enough to have their
grandparents in their lives. I don’t want you to regret cutting them out of
yours.”

“Believe me, I’m not going to regret anything,” Lexie
insisted.

Lynn thought there would come a time when she would, but right
this second wasn’t the moment to push. Trying to mend fences between Lexie and
Ed was probably enough adult pressure for one day.

* * *

“When’s your next court date?” Mitch asked as he and
Lynn sat on the back deck at the end of the evening.

She promptly made a face. “Hard to say. It’s supposed to be on
Monday, but Jimmy Bob West is still missing. Helen’s investigator trailed him to
the Cayman Islands of all places, but by the time he got down there, Jimmy Bob
was nowhere to be found.”

“Shouldn’t the judge insist that Mitch get another attorney?
You shouldn’t be left in limbo forever.”

“Helen thinks that could happen if there’s another request for
a postponement. I gather Hal Cantor is no happier than we are about all these
delays and excuses.”

“Hal’s a good guy, and he’s no pushover. I’ve done a couple of
jobs for him and got to know him pretty well. If he thinks Ed isn’t acting in
good faith, Ed could get on Hal’s bad side in a big hurry.”

“That would suit me just fine.”

He turned to look at her, noting the color in her cheeks that
hadn’t been there just a few weeks ago. She looked good, almost back to her old
self. If only those lines of tension he saw around her eyes would ease, but he
knew better than to expect miracles. Those would only go away when the stress of
the divorce was behind her.

“I noticed Lexie seemed quieter than usual tonight,” he said.
“She okay?”

She smiled. “How could you possibly have noticed that with
Jeremy chattering away a mile a minute? He is so excited about going out for
baseball this summer, thanks to your encouragement. I was stunned when he asked
me about it.”

“Do you mind that I made the suggestion?”

“Of course not. I’d have made it myself if he’d shown even the
slightest interest. How on earth did you talk him into it?”

“I didn’t do much, to be honest. We had the opening day Braves
game on the radio next door. Ty Townsend was pitching, so the guys were talking
about him, how he’s a local, that kind of stuff. Jeremy’s ears perked up. I
guess he hadn’t realized we had a local sports celebrity from right here in
town.”

“But he’s met Ty,” Lynn said. “He and Annie are over at
Raylene’s a lot.”

“I guess he just hadn’t made the connection.”

“I suppose those of us who know Ty don’t make a big production
about him being a superstar pitcher. To us he’s just someone we’ve all known
forever.”