Chapter Thirteen #2
Gabby, Bree, and Hank met them by the door, and they all headed to the truck. As they were approaching the vehicle, Rachelle’s phone rang. She hung back and answered it while the rest of them climbed into the truck and waited until she joined them.
“That was Mom. She says she thinks that she’s having a reaction to the medicine her doctor just started her on, and she wants me to come over.”
Hank thought a moment. “Can I drop you two off at your place, Tess, and maybe you can drive Bree home while I get Rachelle to her mom’s house?”
Tess didn’t hesitate. She’d need to face the reset later, but tonight had been so good and she was happy not to have it end yet. “I can do that.”
“What about me?” Gabby asked. “You’ll probably be hours at Grandma’s.”
“We can drop Gabby at your house, Hank, before I deliver Bree to hers.” Tess knew this evening couldn’t go on forever and decided she was going to deserve more than a glass of wine when she finally made it back home.
“Great. We’ve got a plan. Thanks, Tess.” Hank looked in the rearview mirror at her, then drove toward her house as they implemented the plan in relative silence except for the chatter Gabby offered about the play.
Fifteen minutes later they stood in Tess’s driveway and watched as the Tacoma’s taillights receded down the street. Tess fished in her purse for her car keys. She looked at her front door—she’d be back soon enough. She’d have that glass of wine and sort out her thoughts and feelings then.
After they were back on the road, Gabby asked, “Are you two going to call this whale watching raffle date for two just another meeting?”
Tess had no clue how to respond to a sixteen-year-old when she was still wrestling with what she was telling her adult self.
Bree broke the awkward silence. “Hey, kid. Even Cupid takes a night off.”
Gabby huffed. “Just trying to help. I did the hard part, getting you to the play so Tess could buy the winning ticket.”
“Gabby.” There was a warning in Bree’s tone.
“Got it. Forgive me?”
“Thank you, Gabby. Your aunt and I have a few things to figure out.” That was not a conversation that would include a committed teenage cupid.
They pulled into Gabby’s driveway, and she jumped out, slammed the door, and beelined for her front door.
“Let me see that she gets in okay.” Bree hopped out with a huff of her own.
Tess watched Bree talk to her niece in the amber glow of the porch light, watched her offer Gabby a smile and Gabby finally smile back. Then she pulled Gabby close and gave her a hug before she made sure Gabby was safe inside. Alas, it only endeared Bree more to her.
Tess drove her Mercedes into Bree’s driveway behind the parked Mazda and didn’t turn off her engine.
“Would you like to come in for a drink?” Bree asked. “I owe you for the lift.”
“I’ve had the best night, but I think it’s best if I go home and have my drink with Thelma and Louise.
” Tess didn’t mean to make it sound like she preferred her two cats, but she knew they needed to settle back into a cordial, or amiable, or friendly level of interaction—or more accurately, she needed to.
They’d spent such a good evening together, not as simply coworkers, and she didn’t want to do something to ruin it when they hadn’t figured things out.
She couldn’t promise herself what she’d do if she went inside with Bree after such an excellent evening.
She was forty-seven years old and felt about as immature as Gabby.
Or maybe that wasn’t the case, because tonight she was willing to wait to see if her future could possibly hold more than just tonight.
“Thanks, Tess.” Bree’s tone was restrained, and Tess wanted to read it as disappointment.
She waited to make sure that Bree made it in her front door.
As Tess watched Bree in her headlight beams, Bree stopped at the side of her Mazda parked in the driveway and threw the back of her hand to her mouth.
She walked all the way around the vehicle before she just stood there shaking her head.
Tess turned off her engine and hopped out. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she peered at the car and then noticed two flat tires on this side. There were likely two more on the other side if she was reading Bree’s disconcertion correctly.
Tess pulled out her phone. “I’m going to see if I can reach the police chief. This didn’t happen at the courthouse, but Chief Myers wants to be notified right away if anything else suspicious happens.”
Tess and Bree sat on the front step of Bree’s porch and waited for the chief to show up after a series of phone transfers and explanations finally had her returning Tess’s call. The chief informed Tess that she wanted to personally come and check out the scene and would be there shortly.
They sat side by side, and Tess realized she was glad she was here for Bree. The evening air was a bit chilly, so Bree went inside and brought out two warm jackets. She handed Tess a bright pink one that worked with her pale pink sweater, and Bree donned a blue one.
“God, Tess, I apologize. You just wanted to go home and have a drink with your cats.”
“I’m fine and my cats aren’t fond of vodka and tonic, so they’ll forgive you.”
Tess could hear a moist chuckle before Bree sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I could use one of those about now too.”
“I’m assuming you weren’t out driving over spike strips earlier today.” Tess gently shoulder bumped her.
Bree shook her head. “First it was my engine light—they said someone messed with my catalytic converter. Must have happened at work because it lit up on my way home from there. Now this.” She started sniffling harder. “Along with everything else.”