Always The Hero

“Our good diner owner isn’t a fan of our new town council member?” Matt asked of his boss’s wife. As he was clearly not as up on town gossip as he should be, a trip to the hardware store this week might be in order.

“I don’t know the particulars other than BethAnn burned a lot of bridges on her way out of town. Something to do with Holly’s mother?” Paige shook her head. “I might be able to pry it out of her on our next girls’ night.”

Fletcher looked down as his stepdaughter, Charlie, ran over to grab his hand, her red pigtails sticking out crookedly on either side of her head. “What’s going on, kiddo?”

“I want to help plant the new flowers with Aunt Lori.” She swung her arm high and back as she bounced on her heels.

“You mean you’re going to abandon me along with your mother?” Fletcher teased.

“You can help, too,” Charlie said with an exaggerated eye roll that was all her mother. “Besides, Mom said I could start my own garden if I learned what to do. Do you think Aunt Lori will mind teaching me?”

“I can speak for Aunt Lori.” Finally free of her crowd, Lori bent down to retrieve her belongings and stayed low to meet her recently acquired niece eye to eye. “I would love to have you as a student and a volunteer. After your homework gets done, though. And after all your chores are finished. And you’ve checked with Mrs. Hastings to make sure you’re caught up with her.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Charlie leaned so far over to the side she nearly tipped over. “Mom, I’m going to need a calendar like yours.”

“No one has a calendar like your mom’s.” Fletcher pulled Paige close and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Always the busy bee. Must run in the family.”

“I’m going to head back to the inn, talk to Abby. Fill her in on...things.” Lori seemed to be looking at anyone—and anything—other than Matt. “Paige, I’ll give you an update on the inn’s plans as soon as I do some rearranging with my schedule.”

“How about I walk you back?” Matt offered.

“Not necessary, thanks.” Lori looked across the empty room to where BethAnn was having a pouting session with a less than sympathetic Gil. “She’s actually taking this pretty well all things considered.”

“She just assumed you’d do her bidding on helping to organize the welcome dinner, didn’t she?” Fletcher said.

Lori shrugged. “I am helping on a few things.”

“Oh, Lori, you aren’t.” Paige sighed. “Why didn’t you say no?”

“Because she doesn’t like disappointing anyone,” Matt said before Lori could respond. She glared at him, but didn’t argue.

“What did she rope you into?” Fletcher asked.

“Nothing much. Just mailing out her special invitations. I can do it one night after work. Or two. It’ll be fine.” Judging by her tone, however, Matt could hear an unfamiliar trace of resentment in her voice. “It’s the last thing I’ll do for BethAnn. Promise.” She held up her fingers like a Girl Scout swearing an oath.

“Uh-huh.” Paige rolled her eyes. “As one people pleaser to another, I’m going to hold you to that.”

Lori smiled. “Deal.”

“I don’t like her. She’s rude,” Charlie declared. “Mrs. Hastings called her a snob.” Charlie’s eyes were big as saucers as she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oops. I wasn’t supposed to repeat that.”

“Mrs. Hastings would probably know the details about BethAnn,” Fletcher agreed. The former high school principal had become a surrogate grandmother to Charlie. “She definitely made a name for herself around here before she married into politics. Perfect bedfellows, our grandfather said. But now you don’t have to worry about her, Lori. You’ll be working with Matt here, instead.”

“Hmmmm.” Lori’s lips thinned as she said her goodbyes and headed to the door. “Lucky me.”

“Seriously, man, I wish you luck.” Fletcher pushed Matt behind her. “Just don’t forget, she’s my sister.”

“Ease up, Fletch,” Paige ordered. “Charlie, let’s say you and I check in with Calliope about our fresh produce deliveries for tomorrow?” She held out her hand, and mother and daughter scampered off, leaving Matt and Fletch alone.

“What’s going on with you and Lori?” Fletcher asked Matt before he could get away. “A bit of on-again, off-again?”

“Yeah.” Matt fought the urge to wince. He didn’t need to be reminded how badly he’d handled things with Lori. It had definitely bitten him in the backside in more ways than one. “That’s on me and it was a mistake.” He reached for his baseball cap and tugged it on. “One I plan on fixing, believe me. But since you brought it up. You good with this? With me and her?”

“Are you asking my permission to date my sister?” Always one to make a joke, Fletcher’s usual levity didn’t quite break through. Matt’s fellow deputy was known for his easygoing nature to the point of being a pushover at times, a family trait, obviously. Fletch definitely wasn’t the disciplinarian in the recently formed Bradley household, which was why Matt took the stern glare in Fletch’s eyes to heart.

“Lori hears you ask that, I won’t be the only one in need of protection,” Matt said. “I like her, Fletch. I like her a lot and I’m being straight with you when I say I know I screwed up.” Not that he was about to admit how he’d screwed up. On the one hand, he probably shouldn’t have kept his marital status a secret. On the other hand, Matt hadn’t cared enough to talk about it. Not that anyone had asked. They’d just assumed. That said, it probably wasn’t the best idea for Fletcher to know that, technically, he was a married man. Or that he needed to get things back on track on the off chance she was called to testify at Kyle’s placement hearing.

“And if I say no, that I want you to stay away from her?” Fletcher asked.

Matt could only imagine how protective he would be if he had a younger sister, so he cut his friend some slack. “I’d say I’m sorry you feel that way, and tough. I want... I need to see where this can go.” After three years of uncertainty and self-doubt, he was finally feeling as if he was back on solid ground. And honestly? He had Lori to thank for that. Being around her had pulled him out of the quicksand of his past. Now that he was out, he didn’t have any intention of sliding back in.

Fletch turned, looking to where Lori stood just outside speaking with Willa O’Neill. “Getting past me isn’t your problem,” he said. “She’s locked a good part of herself away, Matt. There are walls I’ve never been able to scale and I lived a lot of the same things she has. What went down with our parents, for instance. We only turned out the way we did because our grandfather stepped up and took us in. She puts on a good show, but she doesn’t trust easily. Nor should she with the wounds she has. Just be prepared. And be careful. As much as I want her to be happy, I don’t want her hurt.”

“On that we agree.” Another hurdle passed, Matt bade his goodbyes and pushed through the door to outside. The laughter in Lori’s eyes faded when she saw him. “Ready when you are. Hey, Willa. How’s Nina doing?”

“Mom’s better, thanks.” Willa pushed her hands deep into her sweater pockets and rocked back on a pair of thick-soled practical shoes. “The experimental treatment she got into in San Francisco seems to be working and I was able to bring her home sooner than expected. Did you hear Paige is going to start doing home care here in town? Once she gets her nursing license anyway. We’re on the top of her patient list.”

“I knew she’d been studying for a big test,” Matt said. “You know your house is on the list for the beautification project, right?”

Willa’s silver-gray eyes showed genuine surprise. “It is?”

“If it’s okay with you,” Matt added, realizing how presumptuous he sounded.

“I’ve been so preoccupied with Mom and Marley I haven’t really thought about it. Other than installing the wheelchair ramp, we haven’t had the money—”

“This wasn’t Matt criticizing,” Lori broke in, and it was then Matt realized his error. “If Fletch hadn’t put your house on the list I certainly would have considered it. It’s about time we started taking care of our own around here.”

Matt caught the well of tears in Willa’s eyes. “It would make Mom so happy. She used to love gardening before...well, before everything happened.”

“How about we get in touch when we finalize our plans and schedule?” Lori wrapped an arm around Willa’s narrow shoulders and squeezed. “Maybe we can even keep it a surprise in some way for her?”

Willa nodded. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to tell Marley and Jasper.”

“Your brother already knows,” Matt said. “Who do you think put your name on the list?”

“Of course he did.” Willa swiped at the single tear that plopped onto her cheek. “You all have been so good to him, this seems almost like it’s too much. He’s started looking into colleges thanks to you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s earning his keep at the station,” Matt assured her. It was extra handy having someone with the talent for basic forensic tests in-house, which ended up saving enough money on the budget to afford to pay him.

Selfishly, Matt hoped once Kyle was released from detention, Jasper would renew their wayward friendship—and provide another example of how someone dealt a bad hand in life could turn things around.

“I didn’t handle that particularly well, did I?” Matt asked Lori as Willa headed off on her walk home.

“You’ve done worse,” Lori said with enough spark in her voice to reignite Matt’s guilt over how he’d shut her out. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“What? Volunteered? I can.”

“Well, in private, sure, but in front of the town?” She fanned her face. “I haven’t been that terrified since I had to give a speech senior year in high school. Had nightmares about it for a month beforehand.”