A Sheriff's Star, page 4
The concrete sidewalks changed to red brick along the busy storefronts. Halloween decorations swayed in the light breeze and adorned the window displays, but Tess’s attention was focused on the architecture of the structures rather than the items for sale. The center of the square was filled with mature oaks surrounding a white limestone courthouse, picnic area and a playground.
Hannah is going to notice it in three, two...
“Look, Momma! Swing.”
“How exciting. We have to go to my new job, but we can stop and play for a few minutes.”
“Minutes?” Sun glinted off the top of her head, highlighting the many colors in her wavy hair.
“I’ll set the timer on my watch for ten minutes. When it chimes, I need you to be a big girl and help me find my new workplace.”
“I be big girl.”
After a short playground session, they located the correct building and walked into the spacious, 1900s red brick structure. Narrow plank Douglas fir floors spanned the whole length of the space. Exquisite woodwork surrounded every door and window. She stood in the center of the large empty room and gazed up at the pressed tin ceiling.
“You must be Tess and Hannah.”
Tess spun around. “Yes, ma’am.”
“We’re so happy you’re here to help us set up our museum.”
She took the elegant, older woman’s manicured hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m excited to get started. Hannah, say hello to Mrs. Grant.”
“Please, call me Mary.” She leaned down and held out her hand to Hannah. “Nice to meet you, young lady.”
“Hi.” Hannah gave her a sideways high five, bounced on her toes, then spun away to explore.
Mary chuckled and tucked a strand of her sleekly bobbed, silver hair behind her ear. “How old is she?”
“She’s four. I promise she won’t keep me from my work.”
“If you do find that you need help, there are lots of wonderful people in Oak Hollow that would be more than happy to lend a hand. Myself included.”
“I appreciate the offer. I want to make sure I understand all the aspects of this job. I’ll authenticate, appraise value for insurance, interview and collect local history and stories to go with the items, and make sure they’re displayed properly.”
“That’s perfect. More than we thought we could get from only one person.” Mary smiled as they paused to watch Hannah.
She walked back and forth across the old wooden floor, singing a Disney song, and purposely stepping on each crack rather than avoiding them.
“My goal is to offer a full-service business that hits on all aspects of archiving and historical preservation. Any tips on where I should start with the local stories?”
“Yes. You’ll want to talk to Cornelia Curry. She’s one of our oldest residents and knows all the best stories about Oak Hollow. Several of the antiques for the museum are in her house.”
“Curry? Chief Curry’s grandmother?”
“Yes. You’ll need to spend quite a bit of time with her.”
Of course I will. Why is the universe determined to keep me in proximity to a man I need to avoid?
Mary’s long thin arm swept out before her in a spokesmodel-worthy arc. “After I show you the spaces we have to work with, I’ll introduce you to Nan. That’s what everyone has called Cornelia Curry since she became a grandmother.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Momma, packpack, pease.”
Hannah took the pack and settled on the floor. Pride and relief bloomed with her daughter’s good behavior. While the two women talked and marked off areas with tape on the floor, Hannah arranged her collection of dolls in a circle and had a pretend tea party with her “circle” snacks.
* * *
An hour later, Mary walked back to Eighteenth Street with Tess and Hannah. “My husband, Victor, and I live just one street over on Magnolia Lane. It’s going to be so convenient that you’re living next door to Nan.”
“Yes, lucky.” Except for the delicious temptation of her grandson.
The Curry house stood proud and regal against a cloudless blue sky, towering over the small Craftsman beside it. Regardless of how wary she was about spending time with Anson, she couldn’t wait to see inside his house.
“We go home, Momma?”
“Not yet, sweetie. We’re going to go in that big white house and meet Chief Curry’s grandmother.”
“My chief house?” She put her tiny hand over her star badge, ran ahead of them and up the front steps.
“Your daughter has really good motor and language skills,” Mary said. “I have a younger cousin with Down syndrome. When he was little, he struggled with both.”
“We’ve been lucky compared to many, in those two respects. But her success has also been in part to a ton of physical and speech therapy.”
A young woman with long dark hair and ivory skin answered their knock.
“Good afternoon, Jenny,” Mary said. “I’d like you to meet Tess and her adorable daughter, Hannah.”
“Welcome. You’re the ones that just moved into Anson’s house next door.”
“That’s us.” Tess accepted her hand.
“Come inside, please.”
A massive cherrywood staircase curved along one side of the foyer leading to discoveries Tess longed to explore.
Mary hung her cardigan on an antique coatrack beside a man’s brown leather jacket. Tess stopped herself just before leaning in to see if it smelled like the man who teased her desires. A pair of sturdy work boots sat beside a small pair of ladies’ shoes.
Add a pair of child’s shoes and... Stop it! She squeezed her eyes closed and forced down the longing to see such a sight in her own home. Damn the man for making me dream of things that I shouldn’t.
“I have a cousin about your age,” Jenny said to Hannah.
The young woman’s voice brought Tess back to reality.
Jenny knelt to Hannah’s level, a kind and honest smile on her face. “Maybe she can come over to play sometime.”
“Play toys?”
Her daughter’s voice rang with excitement. A playdate would be great, if the other child accepted Hannah’s differences.
“My cousin, Katie, loves toys.” Jenny held out a hand and Hannah took it. “Nan is in the back sunroom. Come with me.” She led them through the old family home.
Tess had become really good at taking a person’s measure by the way they reacted to Hannah. Sometimes it was in the way they smiled or didn’t smile. The eyes were particularly telling. And how they treated her daughter over time was the true measure of their character. Jenny’s big, hazel eyes had softened with an inner warmth you couldn’t fake.
I like this girl.
They entered an elegantly appointed sunroom overlooking the back porch and yard. The tiny lady sitting on a maroon velvet sofa had her head turned as she stared out the window. Her silver-white hair was braided and twined into a bun at the back of her head. She looked as antique as the items surrounding her.
“Good afternoon, Nan,” Mary said cheerfully. “I’ve brought some lovely ladies to meet you.”
Anson’s grandmother slid glasses farther up on her nose and studied Tess with faded blue eyes. “I’m Cornelia Annette West Curry, but everyone calls me Nan. And you’re my new neighbors. I saw you out the window this morning.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m Tess Harper. And this is my daughter, Hannah Lynn. I’m here to help set up the Oak Hollow museum. I’ve been told you’ll be a great help with the history.”
Hannah let go of her mother’s hand, skipped over to Nan and touched her wrinkled arm. “You old.”
“Hannah,” Tess scolded as her cheeks warmed with a scarlet blush.
Nan smiled at the little girl before her. “You’re right. I’m very old, and that’s why I know all the history and juicy town stories.”
Hannah stroked the tissue paper skin on the back of Nan’s hand. “Soft.”
Tess pressed two fingers to her forehead and ducked her head. “If now isn’t a good time, we can come back later.”
Nan patted Hannah’s cheek. “Now is just as good as any. I don’t do much lately.”
Mary motioned for Tess to step a few feet away. “Nan hasn’t smiled like that since her stroke. I think being around your little girl might be good for her. Get acquainted while I slip into her kitchen and make tea.”
Tess turned to see her daughter sitting on the velvet sofa beside the fragile little woman. Both heads were bent over a thick book.
“What color is that flower?” Nan asked.
“Wed,” Hannah cheered. “We make flowers?”
“It’s getting close to wintertime, but maybe we can plant some flowers in my greenhouse. Pansies are good in the winter.”
Her daughter’s face beamed, and she returned to studying the pictures in the book.
This lady they’d just met was more tender and accepting of her child than her paternal grandmother ever would’ve been. Tess’s chest tightened with a familiar longing for family. One she worked very hard to keep buried.
“Have a seat,” Nan said, and pointed to an overstuffed chair.
The soft cushions molded to fit her curves as she allowed herself to relax. “What are you two reading?”
“Flower book, Momma.”
“It’s one of my many gardening books.”
“I noticed your garden from my side porch. Looks like you put a lot of work into it.” The second Nan glanced toward the windows and sighed, Tess feared she’d said something wrong.
“I used to work out there every day.” Her thin hands folded together against her chest.
Hannah slid off the couch and went over to a shelf of porcelain birds, this time making her mother proud when she clasped her little hands behind her back and studied the fragile figurines. “No hand, Momma. Eyes only.”
“Good girl, sweetie.”
Nan’s moment of melancholy disappeared, and she chuckled. “You have a well-behaved child. You must be a good mother.”
“Thank you. I try.”
“Where are you from? Who are your people?”
“I was born in San Diego. My dad was in the Navy and we moved around until I was nine. Then my father joined the San Diego police department. After we lost him, my mother, brother and I moved to Boston. That’s where I fell in love with history.”
“Married?”
“No, ma’am. Not anymore.”
“Harper is your ex-husband’s name?”
Bile threatened to rise in her throat. “No. I took back my maiden name.”
“Couldn’t stand the sound of his?”
“Something like that.” He didn’t even want his own child to have his last name. Bastard.
“That’s how I felt about my first husband.” Nan reopened the book as Hannah crawled onto the sofa beside her. “He died in the war, shortly after we were married. A few months with that man was more than enough to show me I’d made a big mistake.” She touched her jaw as if remembering an old injury. “Probably killed by his own men. But I proudly kept my second husband’s name.” Her gaze turned to a grouping of framed photographs on the side table. A faraway, dreamy look hinted at the girl in love she’d once been. “Isaac was the father of my children and love of my life.”
“Anson’s grandfather?”
“That’s right. He was also the chief of police many years ago. Then mayor.”
Tess leaned forward and studied the photos. Her eyes lingered on one of Anson standing tall and gorgeous in dress blues.
“Handsome, isn’t he?”
She jerked her gaze away from his image. “They all are.” The other woman’s grin told her she hadn’t been as private with her thoughts as she’d hoped.
“What do you think of my grandson?”
“He seems like a great chief of police.”
“And?” Mischief twinkled in Nan’s eyes.
Butterflies started up a raucous dance as a blush warmed her skin, and she prayed the temptation wasn’t obvious on her face. She was saved from lying or redirecting the conversation when her daughter popped up in her face like a jack-in-the-box.
“Momma, I hungry.”
Mary entered as if on cue and set a full tray on the coffee table. “Did I hear that someone wants to eat? How about some afternoon tea and cookies?”
Tess smoothed down Hannah’s static-filled curls. “Look, sweetie. A real tea party.”
Her daughter radiated joy, making everyone smile. “I like cookie.”
“Me, too,” Nan said. “My favorite are shortbread. What’s your favorite, Hannah?”
“All cookies.” Her little arm swept out in an all-encompassing motion, and she sat on the floor beside the coffee table. “I bake.”
“That’s right,” Tess said. “We have lots of fun baking.”
“Anson’s favorite are double chocolate chip.” A gleam brightened Nan’s expression.
“We make cookies for my chief, Momma?”
“I think we can find some time for that.”
Mary poured tea and gave Hannah hers in a small, elegant demitasse cup. “Nan, tell her about the antique baker’s cabinet that belonged to your mother.”
Nan accepted her own cup. “I have such fond memories of that simple time in my life.”
“I’d love to hear your stories and put a personal touch on the museum exhibits.” Tess pulled a journal from her purse and took notes as the older woman reminisced about growing up in Oak Hollow.
Tess’s only challenge was keeping her gaze from drifting back to the photograph of Chief Anson Curry.
Chapter Four
After pancakes at the charming Acorn Cafe, Tess and Hannah made their way across the shady center of the town square. The crisp morning breeze brought the scent of a wood fire and the earthy tang of dried leaves crunching underfoot. Goose bumps pebbled Tess’s skin as she drew close to the Oak Hollow Police Station.
Why am I nervous? I’ve got to stop letting myself think of Anson as someone I want in my life. Or in my bed.
“Momma, I see my chief?” Hannah hopped onto the sidewalk and tiptoed along a wavy crack.
“Maybe, but he might be out around town somewhere.” She shifted the box of homemade “thank-you” cookies and couldn’t decide if she wanted him to be there or not. The last time she’d seen him, he hadn’t smiled at her, or even talked much. That he didn’t think of her in the same way she did him was obvious.
The inside of the police department wasn’t anything like the big city station where her dad had worked. It still offered the expected coffee aroma but had a small-town, welcoming atmosphere. Potted plants and watercolor landscapes mixed in with metal office furniture that looked too new for the old, brick building. Her stomach flipped at the sight of Anson sitting at a large desk behind a glass wall.
“Good morning, ladies.”
The deep voice jerked her gaze to the reception counter and Officer Walker’s perceptive grin. “Good morning.”
“Cookies,” Hannah squealed and bounced from foot to foot. “For you. For my chief.”
Tess offered the box. “A small thank-you for helping us move in.”
“Thanks.” He took the goodies and smiled at Hannah. “Do I have to share them with Chief Curry?”
“Share nice.” Hannah wagged her finger like a mother scolding a naughty child.
His chuckle was deep and friendly. “Yes, ma’am. Let’s see if he wants one.”
“Oh, maybe...” Before Tess could finish saying they shouldn’t bother him, he came out from behind the counter and headed for Anson’s office with her daughter on his heels.
“Chief, you have visitors bearing goodies.”
Anson looked up from an open folder and grinned at Hannah peering over the edge of his desk. “Thank you, little one. I was just thinking that I need a snack.” His smile shifted down a few notches when he looked at Tess.
She caught the flash of guarded wariness that darkened his blue eyes before he refocused on her beaming child.
“I need to get back to the front desk.” Walker grabbed a cookie and pointed it at his boss. “They’re for both of us. Miss Hannah said we have to share.”
Tess inhaled, but the vain attempt to settle her nerves was a joke. “Hannah, we better get going and let Chief Curry get back to work.”
“No go, pease.”
The phone on his desk rang. “I need to take this call. It’s the mayor. Can you wait a couple of minutes?”
“We’ll wait out here.” She picked up her child and stepped out of his office. Staying was a bad idea, but Hannah would be upset if she didn’t get a minute to talk to him.
A lady with a gray pixie cut stood with her back to them as she talked to Officer Walker. “I see we have a new member of the ‘Pantie Posse’ delivering tempting treats to our fearless leader.”
Embarrassment slammed Tess in a hot wave.
Oh my God, no. This is not happening. That’s so not what our delivery is.
Still holding her child, she turned to leave, whacked her knee on a chair and hissed through her teeth. A fiery pain shot through her leg. Hannah wiggled to get down, making her stumble and grab the wall to keep them upright.
Officer Walker cleared his throat, and the woman spun around with an “oops” expression across her face.
“No go, Momma.”
Even with Hannah fussing and her knee throbbing, she kept walking, right out onto the safety of the sidewalk.
Why did I let Nan and Hannah talk me into taking cookies to him?
“Hannah Lynn, he’s very busy keeping everyone safe. Maybe he’ll be home when we go over to talk to Nan this evening.”
“See Nan?”
“Yes. She’s going to show us some more old pictures and tell us another story about when she was a little girl. I have a fun idea. Before we go work at the museum, let’s stop in the park for ten minutes.”
