Heartward Read online

  “Do you want to go for a car ride?” Tyler asked Abey, who handed him his empty cup and nodded. “Potty?” Another nod, so Tyler took Abey down to the bathroom. He used it, and Tyler got them ready to go.

  “Will you be home for dinner? I work until eight, so I can tell your father to bring home enough of whatever he gets for dinner.” Obviously with his mom working, his dad hadn’t bothered to learn to cook.

  “That would be good.” Tyler had hoped to be able to talk to his dad alone, and maybe he’d get the chance tonight.

  Abey pulled on his pant leg, and Tyler said goodbye to his mom, scooped Abey up, and flew him toward the door. The sound of his son’s laughter rang like a well-tuned bell that touched the soul. He got him out to the car and into the car seat. Then he remembered all the stuff they’d left inside and hurriedly emptied the car of trash and the debris of their trip before pulling out of the drive to make the once-familiar drive to Ludington, the next town over by the lake.

  Turning the car in wasn’t a problem, and the agent had someone drive them to the local Ford dealership, where he got them out of the car, held Abey’s hand, and received permission to put Abey’s car seat in the salesman’s office. Then he and his son went to look at cars.

  Abey only wanted to look at the red ones, and in the end, Tyler picked out a red Escape, signed all the paperwork, and after making a few calls to wire the money, was able to drive it off the lot, with Abey in his car seat in back. Tyler was thirty-four, and this was his first brand-new car.

  It was sunny, so he decided to drive through downtown to the park by the lake, actually finding a spot to park. He got Abey out, and Abey ran over to the fenced-in area with playground equipment, staring through to where the other kids played.

  “You can go play.” Tyler took his hand to lead him around to the gate, and Abey raced inside. Tyler sat on one of the swings, put Abey on his lap, and slowly moved back and forth. Abey didn’t much like it and hurried off to watch the other kids on the climbing fort. That he loved, and Tyler watched as he played, at first alone, but soon enough with the other small children.

  “Tyler? Tyler Banik?” someone called, and he turned toward the voice. It took him a second to recognize him. “It’s Joey Sutherland.”

  “I remember.” Though the scars, now faded, that marred part of his face were different than in high school, he remembered the eyes and the smile. “How are you?” He went over to shake his hand.

  “Good. I heard you were coming back to town. It doesn’t take long to get people talking around here, and you returning has some of the ladies in town wondering if they should bring their daughters past the firehouse.” He smiled, and Tyler shook his head.

  “Barking up the wrong tree, I’m afraid,” Tyler said, turning to watch where Abey played. “It’s been a long time since high school.” He’d left town after graduation, gone to college, and then on to firefighter and EMT training.

  “Thank God for that. Some things around here never change, and other things….” Joey pointed to a table in the shade where a man sat with what looked like a tablet in front of him. “That’s my husband, Robbie.” Apparently quite a bit had changed for both of them.

  Abey raced over, and Tyler picked him up. “Firsty,” he whispered, and Tyler bounced him.

  “Then we can go to the snack bar and get you something to drink.” He smiled. “Abey, this is an old friend of your papa’s. Joey, this is my son, Abey.”

  Of course, Abey chose that moment to be shy and hid his face against Tyler’s shoulder.

  “If you’re headed that way, I’ll walk with you,” Joey volunteered. “Just let me tell Robbie.” He jogged over to the table, then after a brief conversation, returned, checking his wallet. “It seems I have an order to get.” They walked together, with Abey eventually getting over some of his shyness.

  “What are you doing now?” Tyler asked.

  “I manage crop production at Laughton Farms out on Stiles and Sugar Grove. Robbie and I have a house just up the road, and he manages the office for Geoff. It’s turned into quite a big operation. Geoff has upward of four thousand head of cattle now, and we have thousands of acres under cultivation to support them.” Joey seemed proud of what he did. “I hear you’re joining the fire department. They’ve been looking for someone to fill that captain’s position for a while.”

  “Yeah. I was in the department in St. Louis for seven years and worked my way up. I spent the last few years working for the Red Cross.” Tyler held Abey a little tighter as the familiar jittery butterflies awakened in his belly. “Do you want french fries too?” Tyler asked Abey, who nodded. He ordered fries and two drinks. “You need to share with me. Okay?”

  Abey didn’t look like he thought too much of that.

  “You should share with your papa, because he shares with you. Right?” Joey asked, and Abey seemed unsure but nodded. At least he didn’t hide this time. Joey placed his order, and once the food came, they carried it back to the table.

  “Robbie, this is Tyler and his son, Abey,” Joey said as they approached. “I went to high school with Tyler—I think he was a year behind me then.”

  “It’s good to meet you.” Robbie held out his hand, and Tyler set Abey down to shake it.

  “Abey, this is Robbie. He isn’t able to see,” Tyler explained, and put his hands over his eyes to demonstrate.

  Tyler wasn’t sure if he should say anything, but he wanted Abey to be aware. Abey turned to him, tilting his head slightly like he either didn’t understand or was confused. Tyler nodded, and Abey turned to Robbie, watching him and then waving his hand. Okay, so Abey really did understand more than Tyler thought. He had to keep himself from chuckling, but Robbie just searched for his food with his hands and didn’t say a word. Abey then turned away and dug into the french fries like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

  “That wasn’t very nice,” Tyler scolded, though Abey ignored him in favor of the food.

  “Is Abey your biological child?” Robbie asked.

  “No. He’s been with me for six months, and the adoption papers came through just two weeks ago.” Tyler didn’t go into all the palms that had to be greased to make it happen, but it didn’t matter now. Abey was his, and of all the decisions he had made in his life, good or bad, this one was the one he was certain of. “We left Italy just yesterday and flew for hours. We were supposed to fly into Grand Rapids, but there was fog and they couldn’t land, so we got diverted to Cleveland and drove the rest of the way. So we’re still getting acclimated to the time zone.” He snagged a few of the fries, and that only made Abey try to eat faster.

  “I understand. I hate plane travel. Every time I do it, I get really disoriented. The plane is noisy, and the change in pressure messes with my ears, so I can’t hear very well. I’ve heard stories about deaf people who lose their sense of equilibrium in dark places because they orient themselves almost strictly by sight. Well, I do the same audibly, and with the engines and so much surrounding noise, it’s hard to find anything to orient to. The last time we went to Natchez….”

  “I held your hand the entire time, and you did amazingly well,” Joey told him. “I got him noise-canceling headphones to see if they would help and then hooked them to my iPhone so he could listen to music.” Joey guided Robbie the last way to his food without breaking the conversation at all.

  “Are you in town to stay?” Robbie asked.

  “I’m joining the fire company as a captain,” Tyler answered, and Robbie patted Joey on the arm. “What is it?”

  Robbie patted Joey again. “Tell him.”

  “What?” Tyler turned to Joey.

  “The chief, Tillis Coburn… there have been rumors about him that go through town every few years. No one seems to know if they’re true, but….”

  “What sort of rumors?” Great, just what he needed. Tyler had come here to start over and have the chance to build a quiet life for Abey. He wasn’t looking for a bunch of small-town drama.

  “Okay. Here�
�s the deal. About three years ago, a family out on Jebavy Road were cleaning out their grandmother’s house to get it ready for sale, and they found a trunk in the attic. It was filled with robes and documents related to the KKK. I know you don’t think of that sort of thing here, but they were everywhere apparently. And prejudice and intolerance may not wear white robes any longer, but they exist. Anyway, the family wanted to get rid of them, and when they had the auction, there was a huge amount of interest. Geoff and Eli went because there were things they wanted for the farm. But they said that most of the people there were interested in the KKK stuff. The police had to keep order with the number of people there. What I do know is that Chief Coburn was bidding on that stuff, and there were rumors about him before that.”

  Tyler gaped in disbelief. “You think that the fire chief in Scottville, Michigan, is a member of the KKK?” That idea didn’t seem believable to him.

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but the rumors haven’t died down, and frankly, he hasn’t done anything to change them… if you know what I mean. He probably isn’t a member, but he also isn’t exactly the most tolerant person, especially when it comes to gay people or diversity of any kind. People just started equating the two things in their minds. Look at the department when you get there. It’s lily white, and there are no women either. He keeps saying that there are no qualified applicants, but I don’t believe that. Did he hire you? Because you’re obviously white, but if there was any hint of the gay….”

  “No. I applied to the council, and they hired me. I figured since it was a senior position, they had gotten involved.”

  “Maybe, and maybe it’s because they wanted to make sure the screening process was done correctly and fairly.” Joey seemed to believe the rumors. “Either way, be careful. If the rumors are true, then you aren’t going to find favor with him because of how the council hired you, and if they’re not, then something else seems to be going on.”

  “Joey, don’t scare him. Yes, there have been rumors, but no one can prove anything. If they could, he’d be gone. Even out here, people aren’t going to stand for that sort of thing as long as it can be proved. Coburn has been on the job for a while.”

  That didn’t bode well either. If this was true, then it was possible that Coburn’s ideas permeated the entire department. Tyler was going to need to be careful to check out the attitudes of the various firefighters. Shit, this was not at all the kind of thing he expected, though maybe he should have. Lord knows. “I’ll be careful.”

  Abey had eaten the last of the food and drank his milk. He settled in Tyler’s lap, resting against his chest, and would probably go to sleep.

  “It looks like he’s ready for a nap.”

  “Yeah.” Tyler stood. “It was good seeing both of you.”

  “You should come out to the farm and bring Abey. Eli does therapy riding, and he has ponies and things. I bet Abey would love a ride,” Robbie said, extending his hand.

  Tyler shook it and said goodbye to both of them, then carefully carried Abey back to the SUV and got him in his seat.

  The drive back to Scottville took about fifteen minutes, and he called along the way to arrange to get the keys to their house. He met the landlord at the small house a block off the main street. Abey woke as soon as he pulled to a stop, and Tyler got him out. “Mr. Wilson?”

  “You must be Tyler.” They shook hands, and he unlocked the house and handed Tyler the keys. The building had been well maintained. There was only a living and dining room, kitchen, a bath and a half, and two bedrooms, but it was enough for them.

  “That’s your room, Abey,” Tyler said as he let him go inside the empty space. He had tried to find a furnished place, but there wasn’t anything. “It looks great, thank you,” Tyler said as he turned around in what would be their new home. He hadn’t had a place of his own in quite a while.

  “There’s a second-time-around store just outside of town. You might look there for some furniture and things if you need it. At least it’s a place to start.”

  “Thank you.” The idea of starting over completely just hit him. He and Abey were going to need everything from a sofa to chairs, a table, and beds. He signed the paperwork he needed to in order to finalize the rental and handed the pen and papers back to the agent. “I appreciate your help.”

  “Here’s my number if you need anything,” Mr. Wilson said, and he left the house.

  Tyler returned to where he left Abey and found him standing at the window in his room, looking out into the backyard. Tyler followed his gaze and smiled. “Yes. There’s a swing set, and it’s for you to play on.” He lifted Abey into his arms and swung him around, to laughter. “This is where you and I are going to live.” It was going to be their home. Now he just had to figure out how he was going to make it feel that way.

  Chapter 2

  ALAN PETTAPRIN rushed inside the office from the back—where he had been helping unload a set of chairs and a table that he hoped would turn over rapidly—to answer the phone. He had thought that in a town like Scottville, it would be a great idea to open a store that offered quality secondhand furniture and decorative objects. People didn’t have a ton of money, and if he could carry good items at reasonable prices, he could make a go of it. And for the last five years he had.

  “Hello, Second Chances,” he said a little breathlessly. “How can I help you?”

  “Yes, I was wondering how late you’re open,” a deep voice asked, somewhat obscured by road noise behind it. He must have been in a car.

  “Tonight until six.”

  “Oh, thank God. Do you happen to deliver?” He paused. “Abey, we’ll be at Grandma’s in a second and you can go potty. Sorry. It’s been a ‘go’ kind of day.”

  Alan smiled. “No problem. Yes, I have a truck and we can deliver for a small fee. That’s no problem.”

  He got another “thank God.”

  “Excellent, we’ll see you soon.” The man hung up.

  Alan smiled, put the phone down, and headed out front to where Marcie was rearranging some of the sales space to make room for what had just come in. “Has it been busy?”

  She stopped and put her hands on her hips. “My, yes. We’ve had a regular stampede through here today. Only the dregs are left.” She rolled her eyes.

  “You need to stop watching reruns of Evening Shade or Designing Women. Your Southern accent is terrible.” He smiled and helped her move things around, then brought out the table and chairs and set them up in front of the window. It was a mission-style oak set with six matching chairs. It appealed to him, but he didn’t need any more furniture.

  “And you need to stop trying to do everything all at one.” She glared at him. “You can say no every once in a while. The town council can get things done without saddling you with every single problem they see coming.” She stepped back and took a look, smiling and nodding her seal of approval.

  “I’m the new member, and there’s a lot to do.” Alan glanced around, using a few moments to take a breath. He was tired and burning the candle in more directions than he wanted to admit. “I want to help the town grow, and to do that, we need to fix some of the issues that have been around since I was a kid. The streets are turning into one big pothole, and we need to boost people coming into town. I have ideas.”

  “Yeah, I know. The council is filled with a bunch of oldsters, and the first words out of their mouths are always ‘but we’ve always done it this way.’” She could do a really good imitation of his father.

  “Let’s finish this up and then hope we get some customers in here.” He went into the back and brought out the rest of what he’d gotten at an estate auction in Ludington. Once everything was priced, he went to the office to bring the books up to date. It was a chore he absolutely hated, but it was necessary to ensure he didn’t spend more than he had.

  “I’m going to head home,” Marcie said a while later, and Alan looked up from where he’d been working.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He
waved as she headed out the front. Alan was about to get up when she returned.

  “We have a customer and he’s all mine.” Damn, she could be feral when she wanted.

  Alan nodded, but stood and followed her out of curiosity. He rounded the corner and came to a dead stop, recognizing Tyler Banik immediately. Damn, he’d had such a crush on Tyler in high school, which meant, of course, that he’d had to be a complete dick to the guy so no one would find out. Great. Not that it really mattered, judging from the little boy Tyler had in his arms.

  “Hello, I called this afternoon, and you said you were still open.” He smiled at Marcie, and Alan knew the moment he saw him. Tension built in Tyler’s shoulders.

  “Yes, we definitely are. I talked to you. Please look around and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you.” High school was a long time ago and Alan was an adult now—so was Tyler. That sort of angst was best left in the locker-lined hallways. Tyler walked between the pieces of furniture.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Marcie,” Alan said. He’d pay for that, but what the hell.

  Marcie flashed him a glare. “Okay.” She tossed her purse strap over her shoulder and left the store.

  “What sort of things do you need, and is there a style you like?”

  “First thing, I guess I need beds. Neither of us has one, and….” Tyler’s gaze went to the corner. He put the little boy down, and the boy raced over to the car bed. It had been made in town, and Alan had bought it from a couple whose boys had outgrown it.

  Abey climbed on and sat in the middle with a toothy grin that set a lump in Alan’s throat.

  “Well, it looks like we’ll take that one.” Tyler also pointed to a rather plain but masculine bed nearby. “And that one as well.”

  “There’s a matching dresser,” Alan said, and showed it to Tyler, who took it and a smaller one for his son, who looked as though he was going to stay on his new bed permanently.