Embers of Torment (Power and Passion #2)

Chapter 8

Jace

I hummed to the radio as I drove west on Beacon Street and rounded the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Two turns later, I was driving down Ree's tree-lined lane. It was a quiet, upscale neighborhood with homes in a price range beyond my budget. But my cousin, Ree, could afford to live here since her ex-husband was a well-paid orthopedic surgeon and one of the best in the Boston metro area.

A year apart, Ree and I grew up together and were close when we were kids, our mothers' sisters. Living only twenty-five minutes away from her and her daughter Lily turned out well, allowing me to visit several times after I'd moved here. I would do it more often, except that Ree was a radiology technologist at a local hospital and worked a rotating weekend shift.

Reaching Ree's house, I parked behind her SUV and eyed the adjacent property. A roll-off dumpster took up a portion of the long driveway, and a dark-haired gentleman near my age was hauling a beat-up couch through the side gate. I shut off the engine and stepped from my car, hearing the man grunt and groan as he struggled to drag the heavy-looking piece of furniture toward the five-foot-tall industrial bin.

I waved at the man to get his attention. "Do you need some help?"

"Sure, if you don't mind." A look of relief crossed the man's face.

I set the take-out bag on the hood of my Acura and hurried across the strip of grass separating the two driveways. Jockeying to the far end of the couch, I slipped my hands underneath its bottom edge and picked it up. With our combined effort, we hauled it into the swing-door dumpster. I wiped my palms on my jeans as the man nudged the unwieldy furniture into the corner.

"Are you moving in or out?" I asked when the man turned around.

"Neither. I'm Heath Bennet, by the way."

"Jace Welch." I shook Heath's outstretched hand. "There was a rental truck here last Sunday. Since you're not the one moving, you must be fixing the place up or something."

"I am. My dad owned the property and had it as a rental for the past three years. He was living with my sister and passed away a few months ago. His tenants moved out since the lease was up, and my sister and I decided to sell. Now I need to make multiple repairs and clean up the property. An old shed, a lot of junk, and some furniture were left behind, and the people living here didn't take care of the house like we'd thought."

"Wow, man, I'm sorry about your dad. It stinks his renters left the property in such poor shape."

"Thanks, that's how I felt. It wouldn't have been as bad if my dad's real estate manager had done a more diligent job. But it's fixable." Heath gave me a curious look, his eyebrow arched. "I used to come here fairly often to visit my folks, and I think I remember you. You're a doctor, right?"

"Oh, no. That wasn't me. You must be referring to my cousin's ex-husband. He moved out about a year ago. I'm just visiting."

"Sorry about the mistake." Heath looked a bit embarrassed.

I held my hand up and chuckled. "No problem. At least my cousin's ex was a decent guy. Since I'm here, do you need help moving anything else?" I figured offering was the neighborly thing to do. Plus, it was crappy what his dad's tenants did, and I sure as heck would be grateful for the assistance if I were in his shoes.

"I appreciate the offer, but I have to head out. I've done as much as I can for the day."

"Cool. I'll probably see you around here again."

"I'm sure you will. I anticipate being here for a while."

Heath walked toward his side gate while I retrieved my lunch from the hood of my sedan and headed up the walkway to Ree's porch. Knocking, I held the bag in the air when Ree opened the door.

"You did bring food. Sweet! I'm starving." Ree stepped back to let me inside and then stopped, her eyes on the Barbie doll and pink plastic car lying on the front lawn. "Hang on a second. Lily left her stuff out again." Ree brushed past me and went to the grass. She picked up the toys and froze.

Following her gaze, I saw Heath in his driveway, the two of them locked in a stare-off. Heath frowned and broke the connection. Ree muttered something to herself and rejoined me on the porch.

"Hey, what was that about?" I asked, stuck by Ree's unusual behavior.

"Nothing." Ree waved her hand as if brushing the scenario off. "I saw my neighbor earlier and thought he'd left for the day. It surprised me to see him still there."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not. Well, I'm hungry, so let's go inside."

I followed Ree into the house and closed the front door, sure there was something she wasn't telling me. Ree led me across the white oak flooring to the casual dining area at the back of the house, between the kitchen and family room. I placed the bag on the table and pulled out a chair as I scanned the rooms. Ree had decorated them in a combination of Cape Cod and nautical themes, with white cabinetry, slate blue walls, and furnishings in blue, yellow, and red color schemes. The ambiance was comfortable and refreshing, and I had to admit. I wouldn't mind having my own house one of these days—when I was ready to settle down and start a family.

"Do you want a beer?" Ree went to the refrigerator and opened the door. "I have a Blue Moon Belgian White or a Samuel Adams Summer Ale."

"I'll take the Sam Adams." I studied Ree while she took two beers from the top shelf and opened them. It was funny how much we looked alike, with most people mistaking us for siblings rather than cousins. We were both tall and ginger-haired, with a light spattering of freckles. The difference was our eye color. Mine were green, while hers were hazel. Removing the sandwiches from the bag, I slid Ree's to the seat across from me. "I got you the herbed chicken salad with raisins, cucumbers, and alfalfa sprouts."

"Yum. That sounds delicious." Ree placed our beers on the table and sat in her chair. She took a swig of her Blue Moon and wiped her lip. "So what did you get?"

"I got the turkey, bacon, avocado, and lettuce with sriracha aioli and tomato-onion relish."

"Good thing you're not on a date with that onion relish," she teased. "Speaking of dates, have you met anyone that piques your interest yet?"

"I have. Her name is Della. She's a close friend of Adam's. I've had the chance to hang out with her a few times, and I like her."

"Well, that's exciting. Tell me about this woman." Ree took a bite of her sandwich and leaned back, waiting for me to fill her in.

"Della is unique, that's for sure. She's quirky, smart, and unusually blunt. She appears comfortable with herself and doesn't particularly care what others think. Impressing people isn't her thing. I like her confidence and the fact she's so different. And she's fun. I had a terrific time when I was with her."

"How does she feel about you?"

"I get the feeling Della likes me. At least, I hope I'm reading her correctly. She tends to keep her feelings close to her chest. I want to ask her out, but I haven't had the right opportunity yet, so I'll have to see how it plays out. Speaking of interesting people, I met the homeowner next door, Heath Bennet. You know, the guy you were staring at when I arrived."

"I was not staring, and I know who he is!"

"You're a little touchy there. Does it have anything to do with his appearance? After all, he is a handsome guy." I teasingly raised my brow, even though I knew Ree wasn't interested in dating. Since she and James had split up, her focus revolved around her seven-year-old daughter, Lily. Besides receiving some enjoyment from razzing her, I also hoped my quip might get her to explain what I'd witnessed.

Ree gave me a mock scowl. "Okay, you can stop trying to play matchmaker. I have no desire to involve myself in another relationship. Besides, Heath is married, and I'm sure he hates me."

"Why on earth would the guy hate you? You're so undeniably sweet."

"Excuse me? Is that sarcasm I hear?"

"From me? Of course not," I laughed.

"It better not be." The corner of Ree's mouth curved upward, belying the sternness of her voice. "The last time Heath hung out around here was a few years ago. It was after his mother had died and his father moved out of state to live with Heath's sister. One afternoon, he was next door with his wife to clean out the house and prepare it for rent. I asked if they needed help, and Heath looked at me like I was some evil creature intruding into their space. He was an ass and acted put out that he even had to talk to me. And his wife was a snob. I'd run into her numerous times over the years, and she always treated me like I was beneath her."

"Strange. That doesn't sound like the man I met next door."

"Well, that's how he is. All the guy has ever done is give me grunts and glares. The man doesn't like me, which is weird because his parents, Silvie and Bruce, were fantastic people, and we got along wonderfully. I used to check on them from time to time, more often after Silvie got sick. I'd bring them homemade cookies and help with their grocery shopping, and I continued doing so until Bruce moved away. Millie across the street mentioned that Bruce had died recently, and Heath was back to fix up the place and dispose of all the stuff the tenants left behind. I guess he's selling the house."

"Yeah, he said something to that effect."

"Wait. Are you telling me you and Heath had an entire conversation?"

"We did, and I helped him put a couch in the dumpster in his driveway."

"Okay. That's shocking since I've only known the guy to be rude and condescending."

The front door flew open, banging into a metal umbrella stand. Having a clear view from where we sat, Ree and I caught Lily running across the foyer toward the stairs. She looked upset, and I could tell she was crying. Ree jumped from her chair and hurried toward the staircase as Lily's feet pounded up the steps.

"Lily, sweetheart, stop right now. I want you to come here and tell me what's wrong." Ree went over to the front door and closed it, then swung back toward the staircase.

Lily returned to the foyer, her face red and full of tears. Ree brushed Lily's long ginger hair from her wet cheek. Then she tilted Lily's face upward with her index finger and wiped away a tear.

"Sweetheart, sit with me and tell me why you're upset." With her arm around Lily, Ree guided her to the table. Ree sat in her chair and pulled Lily onto her lap. "Why are you crying?"

Between shaky breaths and several sobs, Lily managed to explain what happened. "Me and Becca were playing hopscotch, and some boys came over and teased me. They called me four eyes and giraffe, and Steven said I was ugly."

"Oh, honey. Don't listen to them. They're being mean, and that's not what you are. Some kids pick on people for a variety of reasons. It isn't you, sweetheart. They're the ones with the problem. You are beautiful and sweet. I want you to remember that, okay?"

Lily sniffled and bobbed her head up and down. She wiped her nose with her hand.

"Hey, sweetie. Do you want me to talk to the boys?" I hated seeing Lily so upset. Picking on others was one action I refused to accept, and it generally pissed me off.

Lily shook her head and buried her face in Ree's chest.

"It's okay. I won't say anything if you don't want me to. Is that better?"

Lily's head bobbed up and down again.

Fully aware of how malicious kids can be and the traumatizing effect it can cause, I felt the need to offer Lily encouragement and support. I lowered my voice to a softer tone. "Lily, I want you to listen to your mother. Those boys are acting cruel, which has nothing to do with you. You're not ugly, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing glasses or being tall. Both your mom and I were tall when we were your age."

"You were?" Lily said with a sniffle as she peeked at me.

"We were. Your mom was taller than all the other girls in her class. Our whole family is tall, and you're growing faster than some of the other kids. Most will catch up to you in middle school. Others might not until later, and some won't at all. But there's nothing wrong with that. Just because you're different doesn't make you bad, ugly, or a terrible person. It makes you extraordinary because you're not like everyone else."

"It does?" Lily sniffled.

"Yes, it does. Some people pick on others just to be mean. But it isn't about you. It's about them. Sometimes, these kids have things going on in their own lives, with their families, or in their homes that aren't so good. And they handle it by taking it out on the people around them. But it isn't you, Lily. You didn't do anything wrong. I want you to remember that."

"Okay." Lily gave me a timid smile and looked up at Ree. "Can I go to my room now?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Give me a big hug first."

Lily hugged Ree and jumped off her lap. She waved at me before running toward the foyer and up the stairs.

"I hate it when kids act like bullies. Does that happen to Lily often?" I asked once Lily was out of earshot.

"No, and it only started midway through this last school year after Lily had a huge growth spurt. After that, she was the tallest kid in her class and towered over most of the neighborhood boys. And it didn't help that the rapid change in her height and length of her limbs made her a little awkward and clumsy." Ree leaned back in her chair and studied me, her expression odd.

"You're looking at me strange. What did I do?"

"Nothing. It dawned on me that I like the new version of you."

"Yeah, okay. You don't need to say another word. I understand what you mean and don't care to discuss it. But I am curious if you ever located those class pictures from elementary school."

"I looked but couldn't find them. James accidentally took some of my belongings when he moved out, and I think one of the items was my box of school stuff. I asked him to check, and he said he would."

"If you recover them, let me know. I must have blocked those screwed-up years from my childhood because, for the life of me, I can't recall that student's name."

"Me either. But that was a long time ago." Ree polished off her sandwich and got up to throw her wrapper away. Her face lit up as she leaned against the kitchen island and peered at me. "Remember how we used to play board games all the time when we were kids?"

"I remember. Your parents had a shelf in the hall closet stacked full of games. Why?" I smiled, certain Ree was about to suggest something based on the excitement in her voice.

"Because…" Giggling, Ree went into the adjacent family room and rifled around in a cabinet. She returned with a box and plopped it on the table. "It's a gorgeous day outside. How about we sit on the deck, drink some beer, and I kick your butt in a game of Scrabble?"

I couldn't help chuckling at the enthusiastic expression on her face. It was like we were kids again, minus the ale. I liked this scenario much better than when I was a little kid full of anger, resentment, fear, and hurt.

Ree nudged my shoulder. "Come on. Stop laughing and say you'll join me. James wouldn't play cards, board games, or anything fun. You're the only one that would, and I miss it."

"All right. I'm in, but don't beat me up too badly." I stood and grabbed the box while Ree went to the refrigerator and retrieved two more beers. "You know, Ree, I like being back in Boston and hanging with you like we did when we were kids. I was initially uncomfortable with the decision to return, but this time feels a million times better than the last."

"I'm glad you're back too. Okay, enough of the melancholy stuff. I've got the alcohol, and you've got the game. Let's go outside and see who kicks who's butt."

"You're on." I followed Ree out the back door to the deck, thankful we were together again. There were instances while we were growing up when it seemed she was the only person who cared about me and understood what I was going through. Sure, my mom did to a certain degree. But she was in the same rotten situation as me and dealing with a slew of other problems.

Ree was the shining light in my world of darkness. And I loved and appreciated her for it.