Finding Love in Ivy Falls

Chapter Four

MANNY

Teenagers Have No Clue

We walked the four blocks back to Tess’ house as Rose began to snore quietly.

‘Here, let me take her.’ Tess tried to pull her from my arms, but she had enough of a challenge corralling Iris and Lou through the throngs of trick-or-treaters racing down the sidewalks.

‘No. We’re almost home,’ I stuttered. ‘I mean, we’re almost to your house .’

She gave me a small grin as Iris said something about wanting to tear into her candy. Tess warned she’d get a tummy ache if she ate any more.

A few minutes later, we reached the front walk of Tess’ house, a small yellow bungalow with a gray slate roof and crisp white shutters. Our eyes locked for a moment, and she cocked her head toward the house, inviting us in. I followed her up the brick path and through the front door.

‘Go ahead and lay Rosie in bed. I’ll be in after I get the girls settled.’

I walked down the short hall with Rose cradled in my arms. Pictures of Billy still hung on the walls. Tess had been through hell since he’d left, and although I wanted her to be angry with him, I couldn’t force her to act in a way that wasn’t in her nature.

Torran claimed Tess was ready to date, but the heartbreaking ache in her voice as she talked about her ex warned she was still nursing a bruised and battered heart. A part of me understood her hesitation about us. We had a good, solid friendship. Even so, I found myself dreaming about how she and the girls could become a larger part of our lives. We were already leaning on each other for babysitting and moral support, but I wanted more. Yet every time I toyed with the idea of telling her about my feelings, I pictured her pulling away, shutting me out, and that was the last thing I wanted.

I moved into the room the girls shared and set Rose on the bed with the dark purple bedspread covered in sweet pink flowers. In the corner sat another piece of Billy – an old Gibson acoustic guitar. Tess told me he used to sing the girls lullabies at night when he was actually home. When Tess tried to remove it one day, Iris had what Tess called a DEFCON 1 meltdown, and so it stayed. A bitter reminder of one man’s poor choices.

Rose’s small, sleepy murmurs sent another sharp ache through me. Everything about her, from the pale shade of her gold hair to the warmth of her brown eyes, reminded me of her father. How could a man leave behind this perfect life Tess had built for them? Two little girls who needed him so much? And Tess herself, who, to me, was the brightest star in the whole damn sky.

I stood and found her watching me from the doorway. The adoration shining in her eyes pulled all the breath from my lungs.

‘The girls went to the family room to sort their candy.’ She moved close, brushed against my side, and I almost lost my mind. ‘Let me tuck Rose in and then how about some popcorn and a movie?’

‘Sure,’ I managed to choke out.

She gave me that smile like she’d climbed inside my head. Could tell that all I wanted was to snake a hand around her waist, pull her in and unleash the most devastating kiss on her lips.

‘Pop, can I eat these Pixy Stix?’ Lou called from the other room.

‘Do not eat another piece of candy, Louisa Marie!’

‘Uh-oh,’ Tess laughed. ‘It’s the double name. You better go and check on them.’

I reluctantly pulled myself from the room and walked toward the kitchen. The tights were starting to chafe my legs, and the damn cape kept catching on doorknobs and chairs.

Lou and Iris sat on the floor in the family room, negotiating a swap between Skittles and peanut butter cups.

I headed into the kitchen to start the popcorn, and it only took a few steps before all the blood in my body drained to my toes. The back door sat open. A single pane in the leaded glass was deliberately shattered.

I spun around and lowered my voice. ‘Lou, I need you to take Iris out the front door. Don’t touch anything. Wait for me on the walkway.’

‘What? Why, Pop? We’re not done sorting our candy yet.’

‘Right now, Louisa.’

She recognized the grave tone in my voice and pulled Iris back down the hallway.

My senses were on high alert. I scanned every corner of the room. Except for a random box of cereal on the counter, nothing looked out of place.

‘Tess!’ I called. She rushed down the hall and I met her halfway. ‘I need you to pick up Rose and follow me outside.’

‘But I just tucked her in,’ she protested.

‘Now. Please.’ I forced my voice to be taut so she understood the seriousness of the situation. She went and scooped up Rose, and I followed her out of the house. With my hand curled around the material of my cape, I slammed the door shut. I’d watched enough cop shows to know I shouldn’t touch anything.

Tess stopped ten steps from the door with Rose curled against her chest. ‘Manny, what’s going on?’

I held up a finger and spoke into my phone, reciting Tess’ address to the sheriff’s department. After the dispatcher confirmed a deputy was on his way, I ended the call.

Tess shook under the weight of worry. Instinct had me laying a warm hand against her back and encouraging her to take full, deep breaths.

‘When I walked into the kitchen, I found the back door open. The center pane was busted out. Did you lock up before you left?’

‘Of course I did. Ever since Billy, well, since we’ve been alone, I triple-check the doors and windows before we go anywhere. It’s kind of dumb because it’s Ivy Falls, but I do it anyway.’

‘Mommy.’ Iris’ voice trembled. ‘I’m scared.’

‘Me too,’ Lou echoed.

‘It’s okay, girls.’ Tess did her best to keep her voice level.

‘We’re just being cautious. Don’t worry,’ I added, trying not to let panic tinge my own voice.

As we waited on the front lawn, Tess begged me not to call her sister, but before I could even get my fingers back on my phone, Torran blazed into the driveway, her old truck sputtering and coughing like usual. She jumped out of the driver’s seat like her ass was on fire and Beck was right behind her.

Rose lifted her sleepy head, while Iris and Lou raced toward the couple’s outstretched arms. I’d had some issues with Beck at first, and he’d made a few mistakes when he’d come back to town, but Torran was happier than I’d ever seen her. That made him okay in my book. It didn’t hurt that Lou had a special fondness for him and the way he always asked about her animals and soccer games.

Before Tessa could utter a single word, Torran had her wrapped in a hug with Rose still clinging to her neck.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked.

‘I’m fine.’ Tess squirmed out of her sister’s grasp and pulled the wig off her head. Her beautiful auburn hair tumbled over her shoulders. Even in the opaque haze of the outdoor lights, she was stunning.

‘How did you know what was happening?’ Tess asked.

Torran and Beck swapped a measured look.

Tessa grimaced. ‘Let me guess, Deputy Ben called you?’

Torran’s shrug was all the answer Tess needed. In small-town Ivy Falls, your business was pretty much everyone’s business.

Torran’s eyes locked on me. ‘What happened? Tell me the full story.’

‘Um, hello,’ Tess said with an irritated huff. ‘I’m right here. You can ask me.’

‘You? The Queen of Everything Will Be Just Fine?’ Torran shook her head. ‘Manny will give it to me straight.’

Just as I opened my mouth, an Ivy Falls sheriff’s car pulled up to the curb. Deputy Ben jumped out and hurried up the path.

‘What’s going on here, Manny?’ His eyes pinched at the corners as he took in my costume.

‘Someone’s been in the house. When we came home from trick-or-treating, I found the back door open. Windowpane looks like it’s been deliberately smashed out.’

‘Did you see anyone lurking around when you came home?’ Ben asked, adjusting his radio as it squawked.

‘No. All I knew was I needed to get Tess and the girls out,’ I said.

He gave a nod. ‘That was the right thing to do. Let me go in and look around. For now, move closer to the street and wait there.’

He walked past us and entered the house with his hand pressed against his gun belt.

Torran coaxed Rose out of Tess’ arms and held her niece softly against her shoulder. Beck clasped Lou’s shoulders, giving her the reassuring comfort she needed. As a group, we shifted away from the house like Ben had instructed.

‘Tessa, have you had problems like this before?’ Torran asked firmly, like she knew her sister hid a lot of issues from her not wanting to cause any worry or trouble.

‘No. My guess is it’s neighborhood kids messing around. Remember when we were in high school, everyone used to egg houses? Toilet paper the trees. This was probably an accident. Not intentional.’ Tess held Torran’s steady stare, confirming she was telling the truth.

We waited in silence on the front lawn until Ben strode out the front door.

‘It’s all clear inside. Do the neighborhood kids know you’re here alone with the girls, Tessa?’

She popped out a hip. ‘It’s Ivy Falls, Ben. What do you think?’

He shoved a hand through his dark hair. ‘I’ll write out a report, but I’d say this is a Halloween prank gone wrong.’

‘Is it okay to go back inside?’ Tess asked.

He rubbed a hand over his mouth. ‘Maybe we should get a team out here. Look for fingerprints.’

‘You just said this was a prank gone wrong,’ Tess countered.

‘I believe it was, but it’s up to you what comes next.’ Ben’s gaze wavered between Tess and the door. ‘Uh, after, well, you know, after Billy… did you change the locks?’

‘Yes,’ Tess said sharply. ‘My father insisted on it.’

‘The mayor’s a smart man,’ he said.

Rose’s little snores grew louder as Torran began to rock slowly from side to side. Beck glanced her way and couldn’t hide his look of adoration.

‘I’ll head to the car and write things up. Go inside and look around. If you notice anything missing, come out and let me know. I’ll include it in the report for insurance purposes.’

‘Thank you,’ Tess sighed. ‘And please… don’t tell my dad. I’ll let him know the details in the morning.’

‘Oh, of course.’ He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Gave a guilty glance to Torran. ‘But you know how quick news travels around here.’

He offered a weak smile and strode back toward his patrol car.

‘Tessa,’ Torran said with a firm tone. ‘Did you really change the locks?’

Fire built behind Tess’ eyes. ‘Yes. It was hard to do, but necessary.’

‘Hey,’ I said, interrupting their tense moment. ‘Tor, why don’t you go inside and help her take a look around.’

‘We’ll all help.’ Beck pointed to his back, and Lou quickly jumped on. She giggled as he trotted into the house. Torran was right behind him with Rose in her arms. A sleepy Iris trailed after them.

As soon as they were gone, I walked down the brick-paved path to Ben’s patrol car. When he saw me approach, he stepped out.

‘Tell me the truth. Do you think it was a prank or a break-in?’

He rubbed a hand over his mouth. ‘If I had to guess, I’d say it was kids. We haven’t had a burglary or vandalism incident since…’ He broke off like he didn’t want to broach a touchy subject.

After we’d almost finished restoring the house on Huckleberry Lane, it was trashed by vandals because of Piper Townsend, Beck’s sister. She was doing well now. Been sober for over a year and was working at Sugar Rush. It was an incident we all wanted to put behind us.

‘She’s okay here, Manny. Safe. I’ve known Tessa since we were kids. If I thought she was in any danger, I’d let you know.’

I blew out a rough breath, and Ben smiled.

‘You’re good for her. She knows it too. Just give it time.’

‘Did I ask you for relationship advice?’ I said with a little too much snark.

‘Nope, but you know Ivy Falls. There is a little bit of busybody in all of us.’

He chuckled and went back to his car. From the front lawn, I watched Tess and Torran move around the kitchen. I’d worried for a while how Tessa would hold up after all the things in her world began to crumble. I was glad she had so many people around for support, even if she didn’t always say yes to it.

I got it. She was trying to figure it out all on her own. I’d tried to do the same after I lost Gina, and it sent me to a dark place. A dark place that almost cost me Lou. I knew all too well that without family and friends, things could go downhill fast.

Next time I saw Tessa’s dad, I’d have to thank him for insisting she change the locks. He could be a pain in the ass at times, but he always had his girls’ best interests at heart, even if he didn’t deliver those sentiments in exactly the kindest way. He had lightened up, though, over the last year, especially after he and Torran agreed to be easier on each other.

Once I walked back inside, I checked the back door, ensuring the bottom lock was intact.

‘The glass will be a pain to fix.’ Tess said, her quivering chin tipping to the jagged shards littering the wood floor. She moved around the small kitchen, picking up the box of cereal on the counter. Her mouth thinned.

‘Problem?’ Torran asked.

Tess stared at her sister for a long minute. ‘No, it’s only that I didn’t think we had a box of this anymore.’ She turned and smashed the entire carton into the trash.

Torran shot me a worried look before she tapped Tess on the elbow. ‘Let’s go tuck in the girls.’

‘You go ahead. I want to ask Manny a question.’

Torran gave a nod and disappeared down the hall.

‘There’s extra scraps of lumber in my truck,’ I said. ‘I’ll patch the window tonight. Come back with a new pane tomorrow and fix it. It’ll be okay, Tess.’

‘Why’d they have to break it? Don’t they know custom glass is expensive?’

‘I’m pretty sure teenagers have no clue what glass costs.’

‘Well, they should,’ she huffed. ‘If I find out who did this, they are in a world of trouble.’

I couldn’t help but smirk. ‘Love your tough side, Tess.’

She bumped my shoulder, and her smile faded. ‘I did change the locks, because even if he returned to Ivy Falls, I wouldn’t want him here.’

All my instincts screamed that I should ask to stay on the couch tonight. Have Lou bunk with the girls. But acting overprotective said I didn’t think she could handle this situation on her own. That was the last thing I wanted her to believe about me, even if the troubling scene nagged at me. Warned the break-in was much more than a teenage prank.