Surrendered Hearts (6 page)

She leaned on the edge of the sink, watching his confident, easy movements. He obviously knew his way around the kitchen.

Grabbing a sponge, he wiped a few batter drips off the counter. Then he took a small plate from the cabinet and set it under the drippy measuring cup to avoid making any more mess. With a final glance at the steaming waffle iron he walked back toward her.

“Let’s see how it’s doing.”

She pulled her hand out of the water and held it out to him.

He turned it over and gently cradled her cold, wet fingers in his warm hand. “Looks like we got it cooled off in time. I don’t think it will blister.”

She swallowed, suddenly aware of his nearness and touch. He smelled clean and fresh
,
like herbal soap and crisp mountain air. Energy seemed to radiate from his hand and vibrate through her. She looked up. Their gazes connected and held, sending a tremor through her.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Wes crossed the kitchen toward them.

“I just burned my fingers a little.”

“Let’s see.” Wes stepped over closer, and Bill released her hand to her brother. He checked it out and looked up at Bill. “What do you think?”

“First degree. Pain should diminish in a few hours.”

Wes nodded, looking relieved.

She glanced at Bill. “How do you know that?”

He sent her an easy grin. “Just an educated guess.”

“Hey, tell her the truth.”

“It’s not important.”

“Yes it is.” Wes turned to Jenn. “He’s a certified wilderness first responder.”

She looked back and forth between them, uncertain of what that meant.

“He’s trained in CPR and first aid for just about any medical emergency we could run into at the nature center or one of our outings.”

“Did you go to school for that?”

Bill nodded. “I took a course up in Maine.”

Wes slapped him on the shoulder. “That training puts him right up there with an EMT.” He leaned back against the kitchen counter, grinning, looking as though he enjoyed embarrassing his roommate. “He also has a BA in ecology and environmental studies and an MA in Forest Ecology.”

“Stop.” Bill scowled at Wes. “She doesn’t care about that.”

“Oh, I’m impressed.” She smiled, enjoying being in the middle of their exchange. For some reason her mind shifted to Phillip again. He had pursued three different majors over six years in college but never graduated. She silently chided herself for comparing Phillip and Bill and shook off those thoughts. “I’m glad you knew what to do for this burn. Thanks.”

He glanced at her hand. “How’s it feeling now?”

“It just stings a little. I’ll be fine. Let’s eat breakfast.” She turned to check the waffle iron. “Looks like the next one is done.”

“Let me get it.” Bill lifted the lid and used the fork to pull out a perfectly toasted waffle. “Here you go, Wes. You can do the honors.”

“Man, I wish I had time. But I promised Toby I’d stop by before work.” He grinned. “He has some big end-of-the-school-year project he wants to show me before he turns it in. Guess I could take that waffle with me.” He snatched it from Bill’s fork and took a bite. “Delicious. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Jenn called as Wes crossed the kitchen.

He grabbed his keys off the counter. “See you guys later.”

She waved goodbye as he walked out the door. So much for having a talk. It looked like she’d just have to make her own plans. And first on the list was finding a job, though she wasn’t sure what she was qualified to do besides acting. Even if she did find someone who would hire her, how would she get to work without a car? She’d sold hers to help cover her medical bills and living expenses for the last two months.

Bill poured more batter into the waffle iron, then looked up. “Don’t worry. These look great. I’ll eat all Wes’s waffles and mine too.”

Jenn smiled. “Okay, but save me one.”

“You’ll have to fight me for it.” He grinned and lowered the lid on the waffle maker. “Hey, I’ve got to work this morning, but I’m off this afternoon. I thought I’d headed into town around twelve-thirty. Want to come along?”

Jenn studied him for a moment, surprised by his invitation. A trip into town sounded better than spending the rest of the day here alone, and she might see a help wanted sign or places she could apply. “Sure, thanks.”

“Great. I’ll show you all the hot spots in Tipton in about two minutes.”

His humor nudged her spirits a little higher, but her questions soon returned and stirred her anxious thoughts to the surface. How long would it be before Bill got tired of having her around? What would she do then?

The bell over the door of the Tipton General Store and Post Office rang out a cheerful greeting as Jenn stepped inside. Bill followed her, closing the door behind him and setting off the bell again.

As she lifted her sunglasses and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light, she noticed the faint scents of peppermint, pipe smoke and fresh cut wood.

“Well, hello, stranger. I haven’t seen you for a while.” A man with a full, silvery beard and twinkling blue eyes greeted Bill from behind the store’s wide, wooden counter. He wore a faded, green plaid shirt and peered at them through wire-rimmed glasses.

“Afternoon, Howard. How you doing?”

“I’m right as rain, and hoping it’ll stay sunny.” 

As the men shook hands, Jenn glanced around the store and felt as though she had stepped back in time. The walls were covered with shelves filled with every kind of grocery and household item you could imagine. Glass jars holding various colored peppermint sticks stood in a neat row next to the old-fashioned cash register. Baskets of lemons, apples, potatoes, and onions sat on the floor in front of the counter. Nearby, bundles of kindling were stacked next to boxes of fishing tackle.

Howard stroked his beard and peered at her with interest. “Who is this pretty lady?”

“This is Jennifer Evans, Wes’s sister.” Bill turned to her and smiled. “Jenn, this is Howard Clarkson, Tipton’s post master, owner of this fine store, and the best horseshoe player in all Addison County.”

Howard chuckled. “Thanks, but I don’t know if I’ll be holding on to that title much longer. Ralph McHenry’s been practicing all year. Says he’s gonna’ show me a thing or two at the Fourth of July picnic.”

Bill shook his head. “Don’t worry. He’ll never beat you.”

“Hope you’re right, or I’ll be eating a lot of crow instead of my wife’s fine potato salad.” He chuckled and clapped his hands together. “Now then, what can I do for you two today?” Before they could answer, he stooped behind the counter and brought up a small white carton that looked like the take out containers Jenn brought home from her favorite Chinese restaurant in Portland.

“Are you headed out fishing?” Howard slid the carton across the counter toward them. “Elmer Foster brought in some mighty fine worms just this morning. Most of ‘em over six inches.” He held up his hands to demonstrate the length.

Jenn shivered and took a step back, bumping into Bill.

His strong hands steadied her for a moment before he let go. “No thanks. We’re just here to do a little shopping and pick up the mail. Have you sorted it yet?”

Howard snorted, looking offended. “Course I have. It’s always in the boxes by ten. You know that.”

Bill grinned. “Okay. Just checkin’.”

Howard moseyed around the end of the counter and crossed to the opposite side of the store where he slipped through a doorway. Two seconds later he appeared behind the window set into the wall. Rows of glass-front mailboxes filled the wall nearby.

Bill leaned toward her. “Looks like the post office is now open. Come on.”

Jenn stifled a giggle and followed Bill down the aisle filled with cake mixes, bags of flour and sugar, and small jars of spices. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg tickled her nose as she walked past.

Howard rested his arms on the post office counter and leaned forward. “Can I help you?”

“I’m just checking my box.” Bill turned to Jenn. “Do you need stamps or anything?”

“No thanks.” But she realized there was something else she did need. Straightening her shoulders, she smiled at Howard. “Overseeing both the store and the post office must keep you pretty busy. Are you looking for any help?”

Howard frowned and brushed his hand across the counter. “Well, my wife Arlene works with me most days, but she’s off visitin’ her sister in Burlington right now. Betty took a spill last week and broke her wrist.”

“I’m sorry.” Jenn remembered the lonely days she’d spent in the hospital. It amazed her how many of her so-called friends had been too busy to visit. Or had they been frightened away by Phillip’s description of her burns? “It’s a good thing she has her sister nearby to help,” she said softly.

“Yes, yes it is.” He stroked his beard, regarding her more closely. “But to answer your question, Tipton’s a small town. And I can generally handle both the post office and store myself though Arlene’s here most afternoons.”

Jenn nodded, forced a small smile and tried to shake off her disappointment. She shouldn’t expect to find a job the first time she asked, but it would’ve been nice. 

Bill took his keys from his pocket and unlocked one of the post office boxes. He pulled out a small stack of mail and thumbed through the pile.

Howard peeked over the top of his glasses. “There’s a letter in there from your folks.”

Bill glanced up at him. “Howard, you’re supposed to sort the mail, not read it.”

“It’s not reading if I’m just lookin’ at the return addresses.”

Bill winked at Jenn, and then he pulled out the letter.

Jenn glanced at the upper left corner trying not to be too obvious. Highland, NC. She’d never heard of it, but she imagined North Carolina was a beautiful state with plenty of open space and woodlands. She could picture Bill coming from a place like that.

Bill dropped two advertisements in the trashcan then tucked a phone bill and the letter from his family in his back pocket. He glanced at her. “Okay. You have the shopping list?”

She nodded and took it out of her purse, but she couldn’t help wondering why he didn’t open the letter from home. She would have given anything to receive a letter from her parents. But that was impossible now. They’d been gone almost ten years. In some ways, it seemed like a long time ago, but on other days, she felt like the accident had happened last week. Either way, it definitely wasn’t long enough to stop the pain that echoed through her heart each time she remembered losing them.

Fifteen minutes later they dropped off three bags of groceries in the back of Bill’s truck. As they crossed the street toward the Tipton National Bank, Jenn glanced over her shoulder. “Are you sure it’s okay to leave those groceries sitting out like that?”

Bill sent her a quizzical look. “Sure. Why?”

“But anyone walking by could just help themselves,” she added.

“That kind of thing doesn’t happen around here.”

“Never?”

Bill chuckled and sent her a lazy grin. “Well, Roy Chambers says someone stole his canoe paddles out of the back of his truck, but the word around town is he tipped over when he was fishing at Mirror Lake and lost ‘em there.” Bill pushed open the front door of the bank and stood back for her to walk through first.

That simple gesture pleased her more that she would have imagined. “Thanks.” She smiled up at him, deciding she could definitely get used to this kind of treatment.

She stood back and watched as Bill passed a check and deposit slip to the middle-aged woman behind the teller’s window. They greeted each other by name, and the teller asked him about the stream stomp at the nature center. Bill launched into recounting a funny incident that had left him and several kids muddy and soaked.

How would it feel to be known and greeted like that, to live in a town where your roots went down deep and everyone treated you like friends and family? All her life she’d lived in a large city where anonymous sales people barely spoke to her and almost never cracked a smile. And things were not much better at her aunt and uncle’s home. Stern and emotionally distant, they’d always left her feeling like an outsider.

Bill tucked the cash from the teller in his wallet and slipped it into his back pocket. “Thanks, Mary Ann. You have a good day, and tell Chuck I said hello.”

“Oh, I will. And you and your friend have a nice day, too.” The teller smiled at Jenn, a hint of curiosity in her brown eyes. The woman lifted her hand and waved goodbye.

Jenn stepped outside as Bill held the door open for her again. The scent of fresh baked bread drifted past. Jenn sniffed and glanced around. “Wow, do you smell that?”

Bill pulled in a deep breath. “Yeah. I bet it’s coming from the Green Mountain Bakery or the Wild River Café.” He nodded down the street. ”Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“Let’s go then.”

They walked past Mc Cullen’s Pharmacy following the delicious scent. The door of Berkley Real Estate opened, and a young woman stepped out. When she spotted Bill, she smiled and waved.

“Hey, Julia.” Bill returned her wave.