Charlotte's Homecoming

Faith looked up, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks dirty. “This would have been one of the worst things he could do to me.”

Charlotte didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.

After a moment of silence, Faith said, “There are other possibilities. It could have just been random vandalism. Or … You know how Angie just started a couple of weeks ago?”

“Yes, but what does that have to do …?”

Faith interrupted. “I had a boy who worked for me before Angie. I caught him stealing money from the till and had to fire him.”

Charlotte blinked. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“He claimed it was the first time he stole anything, but I didn’t believe him.”

“Really? You didn’t think he’d learned his lesson and would be grateful and loyal if you kept him on?”

Faith sprang to her feet. “That’s enough! You don’t know me at all anymore. I will not let you treat me as if there’s anything wrong with believing my husband loved me enough to change.”

Shame flooded Charlotte. She rose, too, facing her sister across the small kitchen table. “You’re right. I’m … really sorry.”

Faith just looked at her, then turned and walked out of the kitchen. A moment later, footsteps went up the stairs and then Charlotte heard a door shut.

“Why did I say that?” she asked the silent room. The awful thing was, she knew the answer, which made her feel even worse.

CHAPTER THREE

GRAY VAN DUSEN WAS THE first visitor come morning, which somehow did not surprise Charlotte. He was probably kept well informed about any exciting events in West Fork. She imagined him sipping his morning coffee while he perused an e-mail list of every fire and police call made in the previous twenty-four hours.

Faith had slept later than Charlotte. She was standing in the kitchen sipping her coffee and gazing out the window toward the barn when she heard the shower start upstairs. It surprised her, making her realize that she hadn’t heard Faith take a shower last night, either before or after her own. Had her twin really crawled into bed still grubby and covered in soot? Charlotte felt a pang of renewed guilt. If Faith had done something as alien to her nature as that, guess whose fault it was?

It would have been worse if I weren’t here at all, she reminded herself. Then the barn would have burned down.

After recognizing the distinctive shape of Gray’s black Prius, Charlotte decided it wouldn’t be fair to hide out until Faith came downstairs. She’d need coffee and breakfast. Charlotte had already had both.

Resigned but wary, she went out the back door as she had last night and walked toward the barn. Gray had circled it and was staring at the burned portion when she reached him.

He was dressed up today, perhaps for meetings, but had left his suitcoat in the car. He wore gray slacks with a narrow black belt, a white shirt and black dress shoes that weren’t benefiting from the dust. The white shirt emphasized the breadth of his shoulders, and from behind she admired the fit of the slacks.

Yeah, right. She’d have been looking at his butt even if he’d worn wrinkled khaki.

“You must have heard about our fire,” she said.

His head turned, his thoughtful gray eyes taking in her cropped chinos and snug-fitting, royal blue T-shirt. She wondered whether he was inventorying her clothing, or admiring the fit. So to speak. His appraisal made warmth rise in her cheeks, which annoyed her.

“Yes.” His expression was grave. “I’m told you were awake, or the barn would have been a goner.”

“It’s August,” she said.

He grunted. “We haven’t had any rain in almost two months. And this barn is an old-timer, isn’t it? Imagine how dry that wood must be.”

They both flicked involuntary glances at the charred side and the gaping hole the fire had burned.

“I hear it was arson,” Gray said.

“So Tim Crawford told us. Do you know Tim?”

He nodded. “Crawford is my informant. How is Faith?”

“Upset.” And I made her more upset. Charlotte sighed. “I don’t know any more to tell you at this point. We haven’t even gone in yet to see how much damage there is. I’m waiting for Faith. We were both tired and slept in.”

“Are you insured?”

“I don’t know. We were still worrying about who set the fire when we went to bed. I thought talking about finances could wait for morning.” She added quickly, “We haven’t told Dad yet, either, needless to say. I hope no one else does.”

He gave her a dry look. “I won’t dash off to the hospital before I go to city hall.”

“I didn’t mean …” She closed her eyes briefly. “I’m sorry. It just struck me how Dad will fuss if he hears.”

“Can’t say I blame him.” Gray was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m going to worry about you two now.”

“If anybody’s the target, it’s Faith. Not me.”

“But you’re in the middle of things, and I don’t see you as a woman to step aside from a threat.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Am I wrong?” he asked quietly.

Of course he wasn’t. She’d gotten in trouble more than once in her life because of her refusal to back down. But how did he know that about her? It bothered Charlotte that he’d read her so accurately on such short acquaintance.

“There must be other citizens of West Fork you need to worry about.”

His eyes rested warmly on her face. “Ah, but there’s something about you, Charlotte Russell. If I’m thinking about you anyway, I might as well worry a little bit.”

Then don’t think about me, she wanted to say. Please, please don’t.

It was bad enough that she had already caught herself thinking about him more than she should. Gray stirred something in her that wasn’t simple attraction, which she could handle. No, this was more like … what she felt every time she looked at her sister, Charlotte realized in dismay. A kind of fear, as if, like Faith, he could breach her inner guard.

Which was ridiculous. She was making too much of this. She couldn’t afford to get involved with a guy locally, that’s all. She’d steer clear of Gray for that reason, not let herself imagine … something more significant.

He’d been watching her closely, his expression grave. Now he said, in a low voice that felt like a caress, “Charlotte …”

They both heard another car pulling in, and the slam of the house screen door at nearly the same moment. Gray didn’t finish whatever he’d intended to say and Charlotte, her pulse having leapt, told herself she was glad. Their gazes touched one more time; he’d wiped all the intensity from his expression, leaving his face impassive.

“Faith,” he said, nodding, as Charlotte’s sister neared. And then, “Wheeler.”

Charlotte looked to see a man coming toward them. Recognizing the traditional blue uniform of the West Fork department she realized he was a police officer, not a fire marshal.

Faith looked better than Charlotte felt; she’d resumed her usual mask of serenity, though it couldn’t possibly be genuine this morning. Her still damp hair hung loose over her shoulders, and she seemed to have taken the time to apply some makeup. She greeted the mayor with a friendly smile and murmured, “Sorry I slept in, Char,” before also facing the policeman.