After It's Over Page 9

  “Shouldn’t we go to college first?” Kade asked. He playfully smacked her on the butt. Paige pushed his hands away.

  “We’re so brilliant, I thought we’d just skip ahead a few years.” She pulled on his shirt and he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

  “If only. It’s going to take a lot of money to fund med school. My folks are pretty tapped out as it is these days.”

  “Ye of so little faith.”

  “Yeah?” Kade raised an eyebrow.

  Paige handed him a pot to wipe. He methodically dried it.

  “Yes! Be concerned, but don’t worry because worrying shows a lack of faith.” Her hand went to the cross around her neck. “That’s what Mom always says.”

  Kade smiled. “Okay, I won’t worry. I’ll just be really concerned.”

  “Seriously, it’s all going to work out for us. I can feel it.”

  The moment was getting too serious for the light-hearted Paige. Kade knew this because in the next instance she squirted him in the face with the dish hose and giggled.

  “Oops.”

  He responded by grabbing a handful of suds and throwing them at her. By the time Mrs. Birch walked in a couple of minutes later, they were in a full-blown water fight. Kade and Paige were soaked from head to toe.

  “Oh dear, that’s quite the mess you’ve made,” Mrs. Birch said, surveying the wet kitchen floor.

  “We’ll clean it up, Mrs. B.,” Kade said.

  Paige snapped a dishtowel at him. The end of the towel caught him in the butt and he jumped forward, slipped on the wet floor and landed on his butt.

  “Are you okay?” Paige asked, helping him to his feet.

  “Mostly.”

  “Kade, let Paige clean the floor up. I’d like a word with you, please.”

  “Sure thing, Mrs. B.”

  “Please, call me Maria. I would so prefer that to ‘Mrs. B’.”

  “I’ll save some pots for you to dry!” Paige said as they walked out of the kitchen.

  Kade’s chuckle faded as he followed Mrs. Birch into the family room.

  “I really am sorry about the mess.”

  “It’s fine. I know you two were just having fun. It warms my heart to see how happy Paige is with you.”

  “Well, she’s great. Best girlfriend that a guy could ask for,” Kade said.

  His jeans dripped water onto the carpet, and he was conscious of the wet blotches that appeared at his feet. Mrs. Birch was a devoted housekeeper and there was never so much as a couch cushion out of place. The last thing he wanted to do was make a mess.

  “But she’s more than just your girlfriend, isn’t she?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that my daughter is someone you can see building a life with.” Mrs. Birch’s brow was creased and her hands shook slightly as she spoke. Her olive complexion seemed paler than usual.

  “Are you alright?” Kade asked.

  “I’m afraid I’m not feeling well, and I’ll need to lie down soon. But before I do, I wanted to speak to you and possibly discover what your intentions are with my daughter.”

  “Intentions?” Kade gulped hard. He suddenly felt very nervous.

  “Yes, your intentions. What are they?” Mrs. Birch put a hand on the couch and leaned on it.

  “Um…I’d like to continue to date her?” He didn’t mean for his response to sound like a question, but it did.

  Mrs. Birch smiled patiently. “Let me try a different approach. You make my daughter very happy. I see how she looks at you and how you look at her. That kind of happiness is a rare and precious thing. Something to be cherished.”

  “Okay,” Kade scratched his head. “I do kind of love her.”

  “I know, and there’s something I want you to have.” She reached into the pocket of her slacks for something. She opened her hand to reveal a canary diamond ring in an antique setting.

  “This ring has been in my family for generations. The story goes that it comes from a conquistador who stole it from a king. It’s always been passed down from mother to son, but in this case, I don’t see a long, happy marriage in Drew’s future. So I want you to take this and when you finish medical school and Paige finishes law school, you’ll give her this ring.”

  Kade stared at it with his mouth open “That’s years away. Why are you giving this to me now?”

  A chill ran up his spine. His grandfather had started giving things away right after the doctor told him the cancer couldn’t be cured.

  Mrs. B doesn’t look so good.

  “There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must put their house in order,” she replied.

  Kade looked around. Mrs. Birch’s house was immaculate. He wondered if she’d been drinking.

  She has to be in order to trust such an important item to a teenage boy.

  “Well, I can’t take that.”

  “You can, and you will because you are my daughter’s soul mate. You may not realize it now and she may not either, but you are. You two were destined to be together if ever there was such a thing.”

  With that declaration, Mrs. Birch grabbed Kade’s hand and thrust the ring into it. She patted him on the cheek and walked out of the room. He stood with his mouth gaping open until Paige emerged from the kitchen.

  “Um, hello?” She flung the dishtowel over her shoulder and folded her arms across her chest.

  “What?” Kade quickly shoved the ring into his pocket.

  “I could use some help with the dishes.”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m coming,” he shuffled towards her.

  Did that really just happen? I am so freaked out I could bolt and not look back.

  “What did my mom want?” Paige asked, as they walked back into the kitchen.

  “Nothing. She just asked how school was going.”

  “Yeah?” She handed him a pot to dry.

  “Yeah, I got the impression she doesn’t want our relationship to get in the way of our education.” Kade wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

  “Well, it won’t.” Paige kissed him lightly and went back to scrubbing dishes.

  They fell into a pattern of washing, wiping, and putting things away. Kade shrugged off what Mrs. Birch had said. He had to; otherwise, he would have freaked out and ran screaming from the house. Marriage was the last thing on his mind.

  ***

  “Kade!” Joan’s irritated voice woke him. He had fallen asleep on his desk, thinking of Paige.

  “What?” he answered.

  I can’t believe I fell asleep at work. A million stakeouts and that’s never happened before.

  “There’s a highway patrolman who’s been waiting for over an hour to talk to you.” Joan’s hands rested on her thick hips as she glared at him.

  From the way she acts, you’d think she was the sheriff. I have got to talk to her about her attitude. But not now. That will have to wait until I feel better.

  “Go file something, Joan.”

  “I don’t have anything to file.”

  “Then go file your nails. Just bring in the patrolman and go.”

  “Maybe if you actually went on one of those dates we’ve set you up on, you wouldn’t be so darn grumpy!” Joan turned on her heel, yanked his door open, and stomped out.

  Kade had to get the highway patrolman himself and after a brief conversation about trash along the highway, he realized his errand couldn’t wait any longer. He ignored the daggers shooting from Joan’s eyes and walked out.

  ***

  Kade knelt down in front of the Birches’ graves. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here yesterday. I got a bad case of food poisoning. I will never eat another tamale again.” He knelt down to wipe away the dirt and leaves that had gathered around their tombstones.

  “I couldn’t get your flowers, Mrs. B. I’m sorry. I know how much you like them.” He spoke in a low voice. The cemetery appeared empty, but he still didn’t want anyone seeing the sheriff talking to a couple of graves.

  “I stood up that gi
rl, Erin, she’s the one my mom wanted me to go out with. Well, she paid me back by selling your flowers. She might be cute, but she’s also crazy.” Kade rocked back on his heels.

  This was the wrong time to give up tobacco.

  He pulled the yellow canary diamond ring out of his pocket.

  I’m getting my house in order. At the time, I thought she meant literally, but now…maybe what happened wasn’t about the pregnancy. Was Mrs. Birch sick? Did she plan what happened? Maybe it’s time I do some digging. Or maybe I need a vacation because I’m starting to read too much into things that aren’t there.

  “Well, you were right about Drew. I served him divorce papers last week though; in his defense that wife of his was no walk in the park. It’d take a saint to make it work with a gal like that. I’m glad I didn’t give him the ring. I thought about it when I heard he was getting married, but then I remembered what you said and thought better of it.” He sighed as he looked at Mrs. Birch’s tombstone. “Thought I was finally going to be able to give this to Paige about a year ago, but life just had to get in the way. I’m not so sure we’re meant to be together anymore. There’ve been so many obstacles.” And so much pain.

  Kade stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants.

  “Well, I should get back to work. I’ll see you next month, and you can be darn sure I’ll have your flowers.” He gave the graves one last look before he left. He’d lived in the past long enough for one day.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Paige,” Ben nibbled on her ear and whispered her name.

  Her eyes flew open and her body stiffened.

  “What’re you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m nibbling on your ear,” he replied.

  “I meant what’re you doing in this bed?”

  What is going on with him lately?

  Paige rolled over onto her back and studied her husband. He was dressed in his pajama bottoms; he rubbed his bare chest as he smiled at her.

  He’s trying to be seductive. Great. Just great.

  “Well, it’s our bed, so I slept here last night.”

  “Why?” The question slipped out; she couldn’t help herself.

  Ben made a frustrated sound and rolled onto his back. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

  “I was trying to be nice.”

  “Oh.” Paige bit her lip to keep from saying something sarcastic. She knew that would lead to him jumping out of the bed and either locking her out of the bathroom or running out of the house altogether.

  If he hadn’t volunteered to drive the girls to school today, I would definitely dig for what’s behind this sudden change of heart, but I don’t want to make him mad. Not when I have a chance to actually be on time to work for a change.

  “I appreciate your effort to be nice. I was just surprised because you never sleep here,” she said.

  “Well, I did last night. I even tried to cuddle with you, but you were asleep.”

  Paige rubbed her eyes. “Uh...”

  I have no idea what to say to that. He hates cuddling. The only time he ever does that is when he wants sex. Is that what this is about? Because he is not getting that.

  “But you hate sleeping in the same bed with me,” she said.

  “I don’t hate it. I just don’t know what to do when you wake up crying…or screaming. It’s like sleeping in a war zone.” Ben propped himself up on his elbow.

  “I don’t have a handbook, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to give me a hug or make a comforting gesture of some kind.”

  “Hmm…do you need a hug now?” He rubbed her back and nuzzled her neck. His breath was minty and his hair was combed.

  He’s obviously been awake for a while.

  Paige looked over at him; he raised his eyebrows in a suggestive way. She didn’t know whether to scream, laugh, or run like hell. But being that Ben was the easily angered type, she really didn’t have a choice in how to respond.

  “I could always use a hug…sweetie.” She forced the last word out through clenched teeth and flashed her best beauty pageant smile.

  I have to try. He’s being nice now, so I have to try at least a little. Don’t I?

  Ben wrapped his muscular arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze. She felt his hands wander down her back until they reached the bottom of her nightshirt. He lifted it up and put a hand down her underwear. That is so not going to happen. Paige sprung out of bed.

  “Where are you going? It’s early enough that I thought we could—”

  “I’m going to be late for work. Big case. Have to shower.” She practically ran into the bathroom and locked the door.

  “How about we shower together?” Ben asked, trying to turn the doorknob.

  I hate showering with him. He can’t stand hot water, so it’s always lukewarm and he makes me stand on the other side while he gets to be under the showerhead—which means I freeze. I am definitely not sharing a shower with him!

  Paige moved to the toilet and lifted up the lid. “I’m not feeling very well.” She leaned over the toilet and made the loudest gagging sound she could muster.

  “Are you puking in there?”

  “Yes!”

  “Never mind. I’ll go see if the girls are getting ready for school.”

  The sound of the bedroom door closing was a relief to Paige. She dropped the toilet lid and sat down on it with a thump.

  I can’t sleep with Ben when all I can think about is Kade. I miss him so much. Where’s that photo album?

  Paige opened the cabinet under the bathroom sink. She kept a stockpile of hair supplies in the cabinet and as a result, Ben never bothered to store anything down there. She pulled out the boxes and set them on the floor. In the very back, past the pipes, was a small black album that she hadn’t looked at since the last time she saw Kade. Paige pulled it out and wiped off the dust. She opened the album and her soul flinched. The very first picture was Kade’s high school graduation photo.

  Why did I take this album? It hurts too much to see his face. If Dr. Sorenson hadn’t been so persistent, I would not be torturing myself with this thing right now.

  Paige thought back to the night she ran into Kade’s father. Grimacing, she recalled the embarrassing circumstances that led to their chance encounter.

  ***

  Paige had been coming out of the liquor store when Dr. Sorenson passed her on the sidewalk. At first, she’d done a double take. She wasn’t sure if it was really Kade’s dad. The last time she’d seen him, he was in his late forties and an active tennis player with a persistent tan. Now his skin was leathery and pale; his hands and face were dotted with liver spots.

  “Are you headed to midnight Mass too?” Dr. Sorenson asked.

  “Nope,” Paige replied, clutching a brown paper bag.

  Whose brilliant idea was it to build a liquor store near a church anyway?

  “I’m so glad that I ran into you. I have something for you.” The old man held out a small black photo album.

  Paige adjusted the liquor bag so it was under one arm and took the album from him. She flipped through it, a page at a time.

  It’s a scrapbook of Kade’s life from high school on.

  “I can’t take this,” her voice was higher than normal. Paige handed the album back to Kade’s father.

  It’s too hard to see him, especially after what I just went through with Matt. I don’t need a reminder of the great guy I lost.

  “You have to take it,” Dr. Bob Sorenson said, thrusting the album into her hands.

  “I can’t.” She took a step back and bumped into a guy that looked like he was in a hurry to get to the liquor store.

  “Sorry,” she apologized to her fellow patron.

  Dr. Sorenson lowered the album to his side, deterred. Paige felt his eyes go to the paper bag she now clutched to her chest. She knew that he could see the bag contained a large bottle of Vodka. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment.

  “Paige, would you like to go somewher
e and talk? We could catch up.” Dr. Sorenson’s voice had the sympathy of a physician and the patience of a father.

  Paige looked at her feet. “I don’t know. I have other plans…”

  “Well, if your plans can wait, I would like to buy you a cup of coffee.”

  “That would be nice,” Paige said.

  I could use a conversation with a friendly face.

  “Do you mind driving? My wife dropped me off. My eyesight isn’t so great at night,” Dr. Sorenson said.

  “Sure.”

  They walked to her car; she unlocked it, and they got in.

  “Where to?” Paige asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

  “Let’s go to Kapp’s. They’re always open at this hour.”

  She nodded and drove off. They made the short drive with little conversation.

  ***

  Built in the decade before World War II, Kapp’s was a favorite among the locals. The waitress seated them in a corner booth and seemed disappointed the doctor only ordered coffee. She tried to talk him into a piece of pie, but he passed. When she was gone, Dr. Sorenson cleared his throat and took off his glasses.

  “We’ve missed you, Paige. I wish things had worked out differently for you and Kade.” He gave her a questioning look. Paige ignored its implication.

  “What are you up to these days?” he asked.

  “I’m working at a firm downtown, and I own a house in the Narrows,” she replied.

  “The last I heard you were in Europe. When did you move back?”

  “I came back to the States for college and law school. I moved back to Tacoma a couple of years ago.” Paige sipped her water.

  It’s not like I had anywhere else to go.

  “You have to go home someday, right?” Dr. Sorenson smiled at her and set the album down on the table.

  Home is where Kade is. Did I really just think that? It must be because I’m sitting across from his dad.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Paige shrugged.

  Her eyes were trained on the album. She wanted to snatch it, tear through it and absorb every second of Kade’s life that she had missed in the last thirteen years. Dr. Sorenson noticed her fixation and held it out to her. Slowly, she reached out and took the album.