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“You want her checked out, check her out yourself. Talk to you tonight, Corona.”
Jim spent the rest of the day wandering the town, admiring the fervor with wich Big Falls decked its proverbial halls for the holidays. Everything was tinsel and bells, reds and greens, silvers and golds. A tree had been erected in the very middle of the village square since he’d been here yesterday, and a sign proclaimed that Santa would be arriving in time for the official tree lighting. It was late, someone told him as they caught him admiring the giant blue spruce. Should’ve been up two weeks ago.
He spent his time renewing old acquaintances and visiting old haunts, asking casual questions about the Brands—one Brand in particular. Yeah, he felt guilty. What he was doing was dishonest, sneaky and not very nice. But if he was going to consider bringing another beautiful woman into his life—into his son’s life—he was damn well going to know all there was to know about her. And while it seemed almost unbelievable, he was considering it.
It wasn’t hard. And it wasn’t his only area of interest today. He also dug into the reputation of the physical therapy facility where he had made an appointment for Tyler. It had come with glowing recommendations from his doctor back home, but there was nothing like hearing it from the locals—patients past and present. He couldn’t be too careful where Tyler was concerned.
He and Ty picked up groceries and supplies for their stay, had a fast-food lunch and spent some time in the library. The air held a definite chill, but compared to what it was probably like in Chicago about then, it was downright balmy. It tasted like winter, though. Oklahoma winter. It was different from winter anywhere else. He had to argue to make Tyler keep his jacket on.
Everywhere they went, with everyone they met, Jim made sure to take time to engage in conversation, reminiscing about his childhood in this town, his parents, the PT center in Tucker Lake and his dear friends, the Brands. Gently, carefully, he extracted bits of information about Kara, never letting on that was what he was doing.
Or that was what he thought, anyway, until as he and Ty were heading back to their pickup late that afternoon, a man walked up beside him and slung a friendly arm around his shoulders. The sun was sinking, temperature already dropping.
He looked up to see Wade Armstrong, Edie’s husband, walking beside him, and the look in his eyes gave the lie to his friendly smile. “Afternoon, Jim.”
“Hello, Wade.” He tightened his grip on Tyler’s hand. “Something I can do for you?”
“Yep. Join me for a cup of coffee. Caleb and me, that is. Right, Cal?”
“That’s right.” The voice came from the right, and Jim realized that Caleb, Maya’s husband, had come up on his other side, beyond Tyler. He smiled down at the little guy. “And maybe a slice of warm apple pie for you, huh, Ty?”
Tyler grinned and shot a look up at his dad. “Can we?”
“Sure we can.” Jim knew what was going on. The two were playing protective big brothers to Kara He didn’t blame them. “Where we headin’, fellas?”
“Right over here.” Wade nodded toward a festive-looking cafe on the corner, where red and green jalapeno peppers formed a Christmas conga line across the big glass window. It hadn’t been there when Jim had left town. He followed the other men through the front door and saw that Julia’s Place sported several small tables, a coffee bar, a sign that read Seat Yourself and a coin-operated racehorse that drew Tyler’s attention.
He didn’t even have to ask. Just shot Jim a look with his big blue eyes, and that was all it took. Jim scooped Tyler up and set him on the horse, inserted a quarter and took a seat at the table closest to it.
The other men sat, too, and came to the point as soon as a teenage waiter had taken their orders.
“So what’s up with you and Kara?”
Wade was the one who asked the question. But Caleb was watching Jim’s face as he thought about how to answer. He wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of an interrogation, but he did know the drill. So he relaxed, didn’t let himself tense up or become defensive. He leaned back in his chair, glad Tyler was out of earshot, and sighed. “I know what you’re asking me, guys. I’m just not sure how to answer. I mean, I hadn’t seen her in years, until I got back into town.”
“But you liked what you saw when you did,” Caleb said.
“Sure. What’s not to like?”
Caleb and Wade exchanged a look. Wade said, “You’ve been asking questions about her around town.”
He lowered his head quickly, surprised at the speed of the Big Falls grapevine. “A few, yeah.” He glanced sideways at his son. “Look, we’ve been through a lot, Tyler and I. You can’t blame me for being... cautious.”
Caleb nodded slowly. “I think maybe you’ve been a cop too long.”
Jim allowed a self-deprecating smile. “You could be right.”
“Kara’s exactly what she seems, Jim,” Wade said. “She’s not hiding a thing. Been right here in Big Falls her whole life. And she’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met.”
“The most,” Caleb confirmed with a firm nod. “She’d give her last dollar away if she thought someone needed it.”
“That’s the impression I always had of her. But she’s changed. A lot.”
“Not as much as you think,” Wade said. “I mean, yeah, she’s learned how to put herself together, largely thanks to coaching from my wife. But the rest was just genuine growing up. Growing into herself, I think.”
Caleb nodded. “If it’s Ty you’re worried about let me put your mind at ease. Maya and I love all her sisters more than life itself, but we’ve agreed that should something awful happen to us, Kara would be named our kids’ guardian.”
“Really?” That surprised Jim and he didn’t bother trying to hide it.
