The Pretender, page 11
Anthony followed Rosa into the house, and they went straight to the kitchen. Anthony suggested that she take a seat at the table while he filled two glasses with water, one of which he handed to Rosa. “Here you go. I’ll take mine to the living room, along with my phone to search for the nearest towing company, and then I’ll make the call.”
“Okay. While you’re doing that, I’m going upstairs to lie down for a while.” She swiped a hand across her sweaty forehead. “The walk back just about did me in, and I’m exhausted.”
Anthony took a step toward Rosa and touched her flaming cheek with his thumb. “You do look flushed. Guess I should have left you in the car and hiked back here on my own, but then I would have been worried about you sitting there all alone. I hope the long walk wasn’t too much for you, Rosa.”
She shook her head, feeling a sense of regret when he removed his thumb. “I’m okay. With a little rest, I am bound to feel better.” Still holding on to the glass of water and with her heart pounding in her chest, Rosa hurried from the room and headed for the stairs. The look of concern she’d seen on Anthony’s face, along with his gentle touch, had almost been her undoing. The last thing she needed was to fall for a guy who would be leaving in a few days. Rosa’s emotions had been up and down like a yo-yo lately, which she figured had something to do with the hormonal changes that went with being pregnant.
I really don’t wish that Anthony and I were a couple, Rosa told herself as she ascended the steps toward her room. Even if by chance he did have feelings for me, it would never work out.
Anthony flopped onto the couch and picked up his phone. After searching for a towing service, he discovered one in the area and was about to give them a call when the phone’s battery died.
“That’s just great. Now I’ll have to run out to the phone shed and charge it so I can make the call.” He took a small tablet and a pen from his jacket pocket and scribbled down the number of the towing company.
Anthony drank the rest of his water, got up, and headed out the front door. He hoped it wouldn’t take long to charge his cell phone because he didn’t want to leave his car sitting along the side of the road much longer. No telling who might come along and fool with it. At least since it wouldn’t start, he didn’t have to worry about it being driven away. Some kids out for a good time could do other damage, though.
When Anthony approached the phone shack, he was greeted by a friendly black-and-white cat that had decided Anthony’s pants would make a good scratching post. “Get lost,” he mumbled, shooing the feline away. “You’re nothing but an irritating nuisance.”
The cat scampered away, and Anthony quickly entered the cramped building. After locating the power source and plugging in his phone cord, he seated himself on the folding chair in front of the small bench that held the family’s phone and answering machine. “Duh!” He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Why wait for my cell phone to charge when I have access to the Petersheims’ telephone?”
He picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the towing service. It rang several times before someone answered. When Anthony explained the situation, including the color and make of his vehicle along with where his stalled car had been left, the guy asked Anthony where he wanted the vehicle to be towed.
Anthony frowned. Since he wasn’t familiar with all the businesses in town, he had no idea which mechanic to take the car to—if there even was anyone who repaired cars in this remote area. He was about to say so when the fellow on the other end suggested a place on Main Street in Belleville, where they sold tires and did vehicle repairs.
“Guess that’ll work,” Anthony responded. “I’d like to meet you where I left the car, but I’d have to walk back, and it’ll take me a while to get there.”
“That’s okay. I have another stop to make, so it will probably be an hour or so till I can get there.”
“Okay. I’ll see you there in an hour then.” Anthony hung up the phone and sighed. He’d hoped the guy would take pity on him and offer to pick him up.
Guess I oughta be thankful the guy will be meeting me there. He could have said he wasn’t working today since it’s a Sunday, or not answered his phone at all.
Anthony stepped out of the phone shed in time to see and hear a horse and buggy approach the driveway. When it turned in, he knew right away that it was the Petersheim family returning home from church. As much as he would have preferred not to ride in Mahlon’s buggy—or any buggy for that matter—Anthony decided he would put his dislike of the idea aside and ask Rosa’s father if he would give him a ride to his car to wait for the tow truck.
Mahlon stopped the buggy and hollered out the driver’s side, “What were you doing in the phone shed?”
Anthony explained what had happened with his car and how his cell phone needed charging, so he’d used the phone in the shed to call a tow truck to pick up his vehicle. He also stated that Rosa was tired from the walk back and had gone up to her room to rest.
Mahlon’s features tightened as he gave his beard a hefty tug. “See what can happen when you rely on a motorized vehicle, not to mention going sightseeing on a Sunday instead of attending church?”
As much as he didn’t want to, Anthony ignored the man’s comment and asked Rosa’s father if he would mind giving him a ride back to his car to wait for the tow truck.
Mahlon scratched behind his left ear and said, “I’m tired, and I’d planned to take a nap this afternoon.”
“Okay then. Guess I’ll just have to walk back.”
“I’ll take him,” Susan was quick to say. “Is it all right if I use your horse and carriage, Dad?”
Mahlon hesitated, but after Elsie leaned close to him and said something, he looked at Anthony and said, “All right then. My daughter will take you to your car.”
“I wanna go too,” Alvin piped up from the back of the buggy.
Mahlon shrugged. “That’s fine with me, boy. I’ll get a better nap if the house is quiet.”
Susan got out and took her father’s place, and Elsie and Mahlon headed for the house, while Alvin remained in the back seat. Anthony climbed in on the passenger side up front. They were about to head out when he remembered that he had left his cell phone in the shed. Even though it wouldn’t be fully charged, he told Susan that he needed to get his phone, hoping it would have enough battery so that he could make a call if necessary.
“No problem,” Susan said. “I’ll just hold the horse steady until you get your phone and are back in the buggy.”
A knock on the door roused Rosa from her sleep. She figured it might be Anthony coming to let her know if he’d been able to reach a tow company.
“Come in,” she called as she pulled herself to a sitting position and leaned back with her spine pushing against the pillow.
A few seconds later, the door opened and her mother entered the room. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“I did doze off for a bit,” Rosa admitted, “but it’s okay. I’m awake now. How long have you and the rest of the family been home?”
“Not long. Maybe fifteen minutes or so.” Mom sat on the edge of bed next to Rosa and reached out to hold her hand. “Are you feeling all right? Anthony said you had come here to rest, and from the look on your face, you appear to be a little peaked.”
“I’m okay—just tired from walking home after Anthony’s car broke down. Did he tell you about that?”
“Jah. He said he’d made a phone call from the shed and that a tow truck was going to pick up the car. He also mentioned that he wanted to be there to talk to the driver, so Susan volunteered to take him in your daed’s rig to wherever the car had been left sitting.”
“Oh, I see. I’m surprised Dad didn’t take Anthony there.”
A pink flush appeared on Mom’s face and neck. “Well …”
“Don’t tell me. I bet Anthony did ask Dad, and he declined.”
Mom nodded. “He said it was because he was tired.”
“Maybe, but I bet the real reason was because Dad doesn’t care much for Anthony. On top of that, he was probably irked because the two of us didn’t go to church and went for a Sunday drive instead.” Rosa couldn’t keep the irritation she felt out of her tone. If her father didn’t like something or someone, he wasn’t very good about hiding it.
“I’m glad you found a nice husband,” Mom said, quickly changing the topic.
Rosa nodded and managed to put a smile on her face, knowing if she hadn’t, her mother might have thought there was something not right between Rosa and Anthony. They had to keep up appearances until it was time for the breakup. After he left, no one, including Mom, would have a good opinion of him. Rosa felt bad about that, but they had to stick to their original plans. It was either that, or admit the truth and deal with the consequence of Dad’s anger and Mom’s disappointment.
Susan was thankful for this opportunity to speak with Anthony without Rosa being present. She hoped as they headed in the direction of Anthony’s car that he would divulge some information about his relationship with her sister that would be helpful for her to put every piece of this mystery puzzle together once and for all. One thing was for sure: Susan knew the couple were not married. She’d heard them say so with her own two ears.
Susan glanced over at Anthony sitting straight and tall on the seat beside her. “So I’ve been wondering—”
“Hey, look over there!” Alvin hollered from the back seat of the buggy. See that hund sittin’ by the side of the road? Sure hope he don’t spook Dad’s gaul.”
“The horse won’t be bothered, even if the dog barks,” Susan said. “He’s been trained not to, so just sit back and relax.”
“I’m guessing hund means ‘dog’ and gaul means ‘horse,’ “ Anthony commented.
“Right on both counts.” Susan snapped the reins and the horse picked up speed, without shying or spooking at all.
She glanced at Anthony again. “So back to what I was saying before my little brother interrupted us—”
“I ain’t little!” Alvin tapped Susan’s shoulder. “And you ain’t my mamm.”
“Stop saying ain’t,” Susan scolded. “It’s not proper English. You should have said, ‘I am not little.’”
Susan was relieved when Alvin didn’t respond. She wished one of their parents had told him that he couldn’t come along. If Alvin kept talking, she’d never get any of the questions she wanted to ask Anthony answered.
She waited a few more minutes, then tried again. “I’ve been wondering, did you and Rosa have a big wedding?”
Anthony cleared his throat a couple of times before responding. “Uh … no. It was a small one, with just a few people.”
“I guess Rosa didn’t think any of her family should be invited.” Susan gripped the reins a little tighter as anger set in. “Yet the two of you showed up here, right out of the blue, expecting everyone to welcome you both with open arms.”
“Rosa hoped you all would.”
“Yeah, I just bet she did. But how about you, Anthony? What did you expect when you got to our home?”
“Well, I’m not really sure. I hoped that—” Anthony stopped talking mid-sentence and pointed up ahead. “There’s my car, and I’m glad to see the tow truck pulling up ahead of it. If you’ll stop the buggy so I can get out, I’m going to talk to the driver and see where he plans to take my vehicle for repairs. I might just ride with him there and then see if he will drop me off at your folks’ place after that. Thanks for the ride, Susan. I really appreciate it.” Anthony hopped out of the buggy before she could respond.
Susan’s shoulders slumped as she sighed. That sure didn’t go the way I’d hoped it would. And who knows when I’ll get another chance to speak to Anthony without Rosa around?
CHAPTER 15
MONDAY MORNING, ANTHONY RECEIVED A call from the repair shop where his car had been taken, with the unsettling news that the fuel pump was shot and it could take a week or so for them to get the part needed.
He pounded his right fist in his left palm. “That’s just super! This news is not what I need today.”
“What’s wrong?” Rosa asked, taking a seat beside him on the sofa.
Anthony flicked a lock of hair off his forehead and grimaced. “The guy at the repair place informed me that my fuel pump is shot and it could be a week or more before they get in a new one.” He sagged against the back of the couch. “You know what that means?”
“That you’re stuck here for another week?”
“Yeah, and boy is my dad gonna be mad when he finds out.”
Rosa glanced toward the hallway outside the living room. “We need to keep our voices down,” she whispered. “My mom’s in the basement, but she could come up at any minute and hear what we’re saying.”
“Yeah, you’re right, so let’s go up to your room and we can talk more about this.”
Anthony rose to his feet and extended his hand to help Rosa get up. They made a hasty exit and headed up the stairs. In Rosa’s room, they both took a seat on her bed. Without thinking, Anthony flopped down and rested his head on her pillow. “Wow, this is a comfortable mattress. You must sleep pretty good in this bed.”
“I’m sorry, Anthony. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must be for you to sleep on the floor every night.” Rosa swiveled around to look at him, and he saw a look of pity on her face. “And I’m sorry about your car. I should never have gotten you into this mess in the first place.”
He sat up and put his hand on her trembling shoulder. “I volunteered to come here with you and pose as your husband, so you’re not at fault. And don’t worry about me sleeping on the floor. I’m almost getting used to that flimsy piece of foam,” he added with a forced grin.
“Yeah, right.” Her lips compressed. “So now what? Are you going to call your father and give him the news that you won’t be back at work when you had originally planned?”
“Yep, and I’m gonna do that right now.” He flapped his hand toward the door. “So you might want to leave the room, because I’m sure if you’re anywhere near my phone, you’ll hear Pop’s loud response.”
Rosa shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I’ll stay, because you might need some support.”
He clasped her hand, enjoying the warmth of it and appreciating her willingness to sit here with him while he made the call.
New York City
The phone rang and Lavera picked it up. “Reeves Italian Diner. How may I help you?”
“Hi, Mom. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Oh, Anthony, I’m so glad it’s you. We haven’t talked since you called on Thanksgiving.”
“I know, Mom. Sorry about that. The days have gone by quickly, and now I need to talk to Pop.”
“He’s in the kitchen, cooking as usual. May I take a message?”
“No, it’s important, and I need to speak to him myself.”
“Okay.” Lavera set the receiver on the counter and went to the kitchen. She found Herb dishing up a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. “You’re wanted on the phone, dear.”
“I’m busy. Take a message.”
“It’s our son. Anthony said he needs to talk to you.”
“About what?”
Lavera shrugged. “He didn’t say. Just said it was important.”
Herb lifted his gaze toward the ceiling. “It better be him calling to let me know that he’s gonna be here on the day he said, because I’m getting sick of holding down the fort.” He handed the plate of spaghetti to Lavera. “You can take this out to table number five while I see what Anthony wants.”
Belleville
Rosa sat close to Anthony, hoping her presence offered him the support he apparently needed as he held the cell phone close to his ear and rubbed his forehead. She figured that was probably better than putting it on speaker mode, just in case her mother decided to come upstairs for anything.
Even though the cell phone was not on speaker, Rosa heard the anger in the voice of Anthony’s father after Anthony explained about his car troubles and said he wouldn’t be back to New York for another week or so. She also saw Anthony’s stiff posture and the tightened muscles in his arms as he held the phone. No doubt he was angry and even embarrassed that she sat here listening to him receive a tongue-lashing from his father for no good reason. After all, it wasn’t like Anthony had planned for his car to die or chose for the new fuel pump to take a week or more to get here. Rosa thought Anthony’s dad ought to be more understanding, especially in a situation like this.
Of course, she reminded herself, my daed’s never been understanding when I’ve done something he doesn’t approve of. If he was honest with me, Dad would probably admit that he wishes I’d never come home. Most likely he prefers Susan’s help at the Meat and Cheese Store than he ever did mine when I worked there.
When Anthony finally clicked off his phone and dropped it on the bed beside him, he turned to face Rosa and said, “That went exactly like I figured it would. My dad is hopping mad, and he threatened to fire me and hire some other cook to take my place.” He paused long enough to take a few deep breaths before continuing with his tirade. “I’m sure after I said I’d get there as soon as possible and hung up, Mom probably went to bat for me and tried to calm Pop down.”
“I can’t tell you how many times my mother has run interference between me and my father over the years.” Rosa gestured to Anthony’s phone. “Would it help if I called and talked to your father?”
Anthony gave a firm shake of his head. “That would undoubtedly make things worse. Remember, Pop wasn’t too happy when you quit your job to make the trip here, leaving him short a waitress.”
“True. I’m sure he won’t fire you, though. That was probably just an idle threat.”
