Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Present day
Tessa Ashland dipped the mop like it was her dance partner and spun around, swiping a wet streak across the hall floor in her neighbor’s house. Worship music pumped in her earbuds.
Loud enough to drown out the thoughts she’d woken up with. The anxiety that liked to crowd her brain with thoughts—ones she needed to question. Were the thoughts hers, or were they spiritual warfare?
She sashayed back to the mop bucket, getting some hallelujahs in as she dipped the mop and pressed the pedal to spin it.
Thankfully Pops was outside breaking ice so the cows had something to drink on this frozen day, so she was all alone in the house. The last thing she needed was a parishioner seeing the preacher’s daughter making a fool of herself.
Ian Rourke wasn’t her Pops, but she called him that anyway. His grandsons didn’t visit much, and he only had an old dog for company. She tried to come over between the bi-weekly house cleaning she did just to make sure he had someone to talk to.
The song shifted to an angsty bridge, and she sang along, turning with the mop in her hands as she twisted around to go back the other direction. She collided with an immovable wall that shouldn’t be in the middle of the hallway.
“Oof.” The mop squished between them, and damp water ran down the front of her frumpy cleaning T-shirt from the County Fair two summers ago. Back in those days, fifty pounds ago.
She backed up fast because whoever he was, he was an intruder.
Tessa lifted her gaze to the man she’d smacked into. Dark, stringy hair hung on both sides of his face. He had a white tank on over a pair of workout pants. Scars from being burned on his right shoulder, and down the outside of his arm.
She backed up some more.
And screamed.
He said something. She saw his lips move but couldn’t hear it over the music.
Gus, the old mutt Pops had adopted years ago, wandered into the hall, probably to see what all the fuss was about.
She pulled the earbuds from her ears and the mop clattered to the floor. No! She needed that for protection. Tessa swiped the mop up from the floor and her earbuds went flying. “Don’t come near me!”
She held the mop like a weapon.
Gus wandered to the man and licked his fingers, which was odd. The man rubbed the top of the dog’s head.
She needed a good defense against this intruder.
“Just because you won the dog over doesn’t mean you can…”
What were his intentions? Was she about to be abused and then murdered in some grizzly way? Left for Pops to find. Like he hadn’t had enough loss in his life already.
He took a small step toward her.
“Don’t come near me! This is my house, and you’re not welcome!”
He said, “Lady, I’m not a vampire. You didn’t have to invite me in.” His chin lifted. “And last I checked, this ain’t your house.”
“How would you know?” She brandished the mop, just in case he got any bright ideas about taking advantage of her.
“Because it’s my house.” He turned and walked away, into the kitchen, where he called out, “I was gonna ask if you wanted coffee, but I guess don’t worry about it. You probably know where to find all the stuff to make it yourself…since this is your house and all.”
Oh, boy.
The woman who’d been the girl everyone called Goodie two shoes Tessa had told a bald faced lie and been caught.
She set the mop back in the bucket and managed not to slip on the wet floor. “I’m sorry, okay?” She reached the doorway, where she could see him pour coffee in a huge mug. “I have to clean the water off the floor. I don’t want Pops to slip when he comes in.”
She rushed back and swiped the squeezed-out mop across the floor, clearing the puddle. The floor would still be somewhat slippery, but now it wasn’t a hazard.
When she’d set the mop back in the bucket she found him standing against the arch pillar with his mug. Watching her. “Sorry that you have to clean?”
“Sorry I lied.” She realized her earbuds were on the floor and swiped up the closest one. He reached for the other, holding it out for her.
She lifted her hand, palm open. He dropped it there, careful not to touch her. Tessa’s gaze drifted to his arm, and the scars. They didn’t look all that old. Whatever happened to him, it’d been this year. Maybe in the last few months.
He caught the direction of her gaze. “I’ll remember to wear long sleeves next time so I don’t disgust you.”
What expression had been on her face? “That’s not…It looks like it was painful. I can’t even imagine going through something like that.”
He stared at her, taking a sip of his coffee. Keeping his expression so placid she kind of wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him out of it.
“Sorry.” She winced. “I am sorry.”
“So you clean the house?”
She cleared her throat. “And you live here.”
That was what he’d said, but the only family Pops had was two AWOL grandsons and they hadn’t told their grandpa that they were visiting this year.
Yet. He always hoped they would, but Tessa wasn’t holding her breath.
They usually had a nice Christmas day, her dad and her, and Pops and Gus.
Watching Christmas movies and enjoying too many of the desserts she made.
Maybe this guy was a renter, or someone who paid to stay like a short term thing.
His lips curled at the corners, but only slightly. “He didn’t tell you I was home?”
“I didn’t see Pops when I got here. He knew I was coming, though.” She shrugged, because it really wasn’t an issue. “I walk over from my house next door and take care of things every two weeks.”
His brows edged toward each other. “Next door? Wait…Tessa Ashland?”
Was that supposed to be good or bad? “In the flesh.”
His eyes widened, then he burst out laughing. “Pretty sure Noah and I used to put frogs in your library bag.”
She gasped. “Caleb!” They’d tormented her, the two hooligans from next door. “I loved that tote, and all the frog slime ruined it!”
He chuckled, taking a sip of coffee.
What was she supposed to say now? This was awkward. He’d obviously been through something, and she had the smell of cleaning products on her hands and was wearing her rattiest clothes. “I should finish cleaning.”
It wasn’t like she wanted to be standing here in an evening gown, but honestly what woman didn’t want to see the look on a man’s face when they saw the full effect of hair, makeup, fabulous outfit and killer shoes?
She didn’t have any of those things, so she didn’t really know. But she’d seen enough movies.
The last date she’d been on had been to the Dairy Queen in town and lasted an hour.
Sigh. Why she was thinking about this man and dating, she didn’t know.
Except that he was here and he was…a man.
Wide shoulders, thick ropey arms. Dark eyes and that Winter Soldier haircut.
What would he look like if he cleaned up?
Oh, boy.
“Anyway, I should get back to work.” She slid the earbuds still playing loud worship music into the pocket of her cargoes and grabbed the mop. Tried to figure out where she left off on this mess of a floor.
Gus had gone back to his bed in front of the fire, where the old dog spent most of the day and night. She always gave him an extra treat when she left.
The dog had probably been surprised when she’d randomly screamed. Thank You that he wasn’t an intruder here to do me harm. That would make for a terrible Christmas for her father and Pops. She didn’t want to think what would become of them if anything happened to her.
Okay, fine. She was the one who would miss them.
Tessa put her earbuds in and finished the hall, the ambient sound on so she could hear any intruders coming up behind her. She took the bucket to the bathroom where she emptied the dirty water into the toilet.
How she hadn’t noticed before the extra toothbrush, electric razor and man’s deodorant on the counter when she was emptying the mop water, she wasn’t sure.
She just knew she would have made a terrible spy.
That is, if there was anything in the cards for her other than being pastor’s daughter, church secretary, substitute teacher, housekeeper, dog sitter and sometimes babysitter.
Usually that didn’t make her melancholy. She liked her life. They couldn’t all be like the twins, leaving town the first chance they got. Joining the military or being a federal agent. They didn’t all have cool jobs, or the desire to travel the world—and save it.
She liked this town and liked her life just fine. If she wanted to travel somewhere, she read a book about it.
Christmas would cheer her right up. Pops would be in a great mood, having his grandson here visiting. Her father would shake out of whatever funk he’d been in recently.
Everything would be just fine.
Tessa sprayed and wiped down the bathroom, then put all the stuff back where it belonged. She enjoyed the way worship music filled her with hope in the Lord. That was all she needed.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She spotted someone on the front doorbell camera over at her house and figured it was probably a package since it wasn’t her dad.
He should be back at home by now, after his trip to the hardware store for more supplies to finish the tile in Tessa’s bathroom, but she hadn’t seen him and this wasn’t him coming home.
She slid her phone back in her pocket and wandered to the entry just as Pops was coming in. The older man stomped the snow off his boots on the siding outside, then toed them off on the rug beside her snow boots.
He grinned at her, and she saw Caleb’s features in his grandfather’s. “Tessa. Did you see him?”
The old man had a gleam in his eye.
“Did you set me up?” When he laughed, she shook her head and gave him a hug. “You old rascal. I’m all done.”
“Then you have time for lunch.”
She smiled, not arguing with him even if it was barely past ten. He got up early and went to bed before the sun when the days were short. “Lunch sounds great. Dad isn’t home yet so I have some time.”
She followed him into the kitchen, washing up in the sink.
He hadn’t pulled out meat to thaw for dinner, so she grabbed a package of ground beef from his freezer section.
On second thought—she pulled out two steaks, which he saved for special occasions.
He and Caleb could grill themselves a nice treat.
Gus came in for a tortilla chip that Pops tossed him. The most energy she saw from him was when he lifted his front paws and snatched the chip out of the air.
The dog turned and looked at her.
“I don’t have any chips.”
Mr. Tall Dark and Brooding wandered in, a smirk on his lips. “She’s a tough cookie, Gussy. Better luck next time.” He looked at Pops. “You didn’t tell her I was here? Not even a heads’ up?”
Pops chuckled, rooting around in the crisper drawer.
“She nearly beaned me with the mop.”
Pops straightened, chuckling. Caleb came over shaking his head, a grin pulling at his lips. He touched both sides of Pops’ neck. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.” He kissed his grandfather on the forehead.
Tessa sniffed. “I’ll take ham.”
Pops passed it to her, mist in his eyes. “Someone ate all my Pepper Jack.”
She knew who it might’ve been. “Cheddar is fine. You need me to go to the store?”
Caleb put his cup in the sink. “I’ll go this afternoon.”
Tessa glanced at Pops, just to get his read on the situation. The older man seemed unsure even if he was happy his grandson was here. “I’ll go with you,” Pops said. “We’ll make a trip out of it.”
Caleb nodded. “Not like I have anything else to do.”
“Are you here to…recuperate?” Tessa didn’t know what else to call it.
“Yeah, but if anyone asks you didn’t see me. I’m dead as far as either of you knows.”
Tessa opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. All that came out was a choked, “You’re dead?”
“And you didn’t see me.” Caleb walked out of the room.
Tessa moved to Pops’ side and whispered, “Is everything okay?”
“It’ll be fine, Tess.” He patted her shoulder. “Let’s have those sandwiches.”