Home Again Read online

  “There’s no call to be rude,” Cedar said, with an indignant little sniff.

  “Then don’t go into shrinky-dink mode,” Mark said, his volume rising. “That kiss was between a man and a woman, and you gave as good as you got. It had nothing to do with us being doctor and client. It was just you and me, Cedar, and it was dynamite.”

  “Yes, well, that’s beside the point,” she said, fiddling with the clasp on her purse. “I just want you to understand that it must not, will not, happen again.”

  “We’ll see,” Mark said, smiling.

  “Good night, Mark,” Cedar said, glaring at him.

  “Good night, Cedar,” he said, still smiling to beat the band. “Pleasant dreams.”

  Chapter Four

  Cedar spent the better part of Saturday washing clothes and cleaning her house from top to bottom. After completing those chores, she went shopping for groceries. She was, she knew, staying as busy as possible so she wouldn’t dwell on the kiss she’d shared with Mark Chandler.

  Her plan was to be so exhausted by the end of the day that she’d tumble into bed and fall instantly asleep instead of tossing and turning all night as she’d done after returning from Mark’s the previous evening.

  Her grand scheme was a total flop.

  Saturday was an equally restless night that included dreams of Mark when she did manage to sleep. On Sunday morning, Cedar flung back the blankets on her bed and stomped into the bathroom only to shiver her way through a quick shower when she discovered she had no hot water.

  After dressing in jeans, heavy socks and a bulky fisherman’s sweater, she went to the laundry room and opened the door to the small enclosure where the water heater was housed to discover a puddle of water on the floor and a dead-as-a-doornail heater.

  She returned to the kitchen and consumed a much-needed cup of coffee, after which she fed Oreo, then tossed the telephone book on the table to begin the phone marathon to find a business that would deliver and install a new water heater on a Sunday. Her efforts resulted in nothing more than endless recorded messages announcing Monday through Saturday business hours.

  “House,” Cedar said, narrowing her eyes, “I’ve really had it with you. This is it, the last straw.”

  She drummed her fingers on the table as she searched her mind for a solution. Her biggest concern was that the bottom of the heater would go and she would have a forty-gallon flood to deal with before she could get someone to the house the next day.

  “Wait a minute,” she said, sitting up straighter.

  Mark Chandler was a bigwig in the construction arena. He no doubt knew suppliers of everything needed to complete a building or house. She would call Mark and ask him if—

  “No,” Cedar said. “Bad idea. Bad, bad, bad.”

  She was having enough difficulty dealing with Mark as a client without contacting him on a non-psychology matter.

  Cedar went back into the laundry room and moaned aloud when she saw that the pool of water from the heater was now slowly seeping beneath the enclosure door. She mopped the floor, laid some old towels, then sighed.

  Desperate times, she thought, required desperate measures. She would telephone Mark because she had no idea what else to do.

  She returned to the kitchen table, flipped through the phone book again and punched in the numbers on the portable telephone before she lost her nerve. One ring, two rings…

  “Hello?”

  “Mark? This is Cedar. Cedar Kennedy.”

  “Good morning, Cedar Kennedy. You didn’t have to identify yourself, because I recognized your voice.”

  “You did?” she said, unable to curb a smile. “Fancy that.” She shook her head slightly and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to disturb you on a Sunday morning, and I’m not calling as Dr. Kennedy, just as me, Cedar. I have this problem, you see, and I’ve tried every company in the book and no one is working today, and I was hoping that you might, maybe, be able to—”

  “Whoa,” Mark interrupted. “You’d better stop and take a breath before you pass out from lack of oxygen. Slow down and start at the top. What’s the problem you’re referring to?”

  Cedar plunked her elbow on the table and pressed her palm to her forehead as she explained to Mark what had happened, then asked if he knew someone who would be willing to help her.

  “Okay, I understand the situation,” he said. “Sit tight.”

  “I…” Cedar said, then realized she was talking to the dial tone.

  Restless and edgy, Cedar went back upstairs, made her bed, then straightened the towels in the bathroom. She returned to the kitchen and ate a bagel, then paced around the living room, stopping only twice to check that the phone was still working.

  Two hours after she had telephoned Mark, the doorbell rang, causing her to gasp and splay one hand over her racing heart. She opened the door to find Mark and Joey on her front porch.

  “Hi,” Mark said, then turned and motioned to someone out of Cedar’s view. “Joey and I are going door to door selling forty-gallon water heaters. Want one?”

  “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” Cedar said. “You’re a miracle worker. I appreciate this so much, Mark. I—”

  “Can I see your cat?” Joey asked.

  “What?” Cedar said. “Oh, sure. Come in.”

  “Have you got a back door closer to where the heater is?” Mark said. “Moose has the new one off the truck, but it would be best not to push the dolly over your carpeting.”

  “Moose?” Cedar said.

  “He’s really, really big,” Joey said, awe in his tone. “Like a giant, you know?”

  Cedar peered around the door frame and her eyes widened.

  “Heavens, you’re right,” she said. “But he’s a very nice giant to do this on a Sunday.”

  “We’re buddies,” Mark said, smiling. “Rear door?”

  “Through the kitchen door in the backyard.”

  “Got it,” Mark said. “You keep an eye on Joey and leave the rest to Moose and me.”

  A few minutes later, Cedar was showing Moose, Mark and Joey the laundry room where the water heater was housed.

  “The bottom of that baby is about to let go,” Moose said, examining the patient. “Well, no sweat. We’ll just switch it out with the new one I brought. Piece of cake.”

  “Thank you,” Cedar said. “I mean it. Thank you so much and—”

  “You’re wearing out the thank-you thing,” Mark said, laughing. “You’re welcome. You and Joey get out of the way and…oh, hello, cat. You must be Oreo. You’re gone, too. Joey, grab that cat.”

  Joey picked up Oreo who allowed the little boy to carry her to the living room. Cedar followed close behind and the trio settled onto the sofa.

  “Cool cat,” Joey said, stroking a purring Oreo, who was sprawled across his lap. “I wish I had a cat. Or a dog. Or something. A pet that was all mine.”

  “Well, Oreo certainly likes you, Joey,” Cedar said, ruffling his hair. “I hope you didn’t mind that I disturbed your morning.”

  “Nope,” Joey said. “Uncle Mark said good guys always rescue damn cells in dress, whatever that means.”

  “I think he said damsels in distress,” Cedar said, laughing. “That’s a lady in trouble and I certainly qualify.”

  “Oh,” Joey said, nodding. “Well, Uncle Mark said it was great to have a chance to help you ’cause you’re helping us.”

  “That was a lovely thing for him to say,” Cedar said, feeling what could only be described as warm fuzzies swish through her. “I’m very fortunate to have you and your Uncle Mark as friends.”

  “Yeah?” Joey said, his face lighting up as he looked at her.

  “Yeah,” Cedar said, smiling as she nodded.

  Joey suddenly frowned. He switched his gaze back to Oreo and began to stroke her again.

  “Friends are supposed to be forever,” he said quietly. “There’s lots of things that are supposed to be forever, but then they’re not forever and…” He stopped speak
ing and shrugged.

  “That doesn’t mean you should stop believing in forever, Joey,” Cedar said, sliding one arm across his shoulders. “Promises do get broken, but sometimes it’s no one’s fault.”

  Joey jerked sideways, making it clear that he wanted her to remove her arm. His sudden motion startled Oreo and the cat jumped off Joey’s lap and ran from the room.

  “Oreo,” Cedar called. “Oreo, come back here. Come on, pretty girl. Joey wants to play with you.”

  “No, I don’t,” he said, dropping his chin to his chest. “I don’t care that she ran away because I don’t like her anyway. She’s just a dumb cat and her name is dumb, too. She’s not a cookie, she’s a dumb, stupid cat.”

  “You can feel that way if you want to,” Cedar said gently, “but she’s very special to me. If anything happened to Oreo, I would be so sad and I’d cry and cry. Oreo greets me when I come home and sits close by me in the evenings when I’m here alone. It’s nice to know she wants to be with me, just like your Uncle Mark wants to be with you.”

  “He has to be with me because if he left me all alone in the house, the police would come and put him in jail,” Joey said, glowering at Cedar. “Benny told me that people who leave little kids by themself get arrested and they throw away the key.

  “Uncle Mark didn’t even have a bed for me when I came ’cause he didn’t want a kid so he left the rooms empty, but then he had to buy me a bed and stuff. I bet he’s still mad about having to pay all that money so I had a bed and dresser and junk. If you ask him, I bet he’ll tell you he’s still mad about that.”

  “No, he is not,” Cedar said firmly. “He wanted you to have a bedroom you are comfortable in, no matter what it cost. The money wasn’t important to him, Joey, you are.”

  “He got me a Game Boy, but I left it in the box.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause I figure he’ll change his mind and want to take it back to the store. He never said I could keep it forever, so…” Joey shrugged.

  “Well, even if he said you could keep it forever, you probably wouldn’t play with it. I mean, hey, you don’t believe in forever anymore, remember?”

  “I would about a Game Boy,” Joey said quickly.

  “Really?” Cedar said.

  “Well, yeah,” Joey said.

  “You’re all set, Cedar,” Mark said, entering the living room with the enormous Moose.

  “I put your old heater in my truck,” Moose said. “You didn’t want it, did you? To make into a planter or something?”

  “No,” Cedar said, laughing as she got to her feet.

  Moose extended a clipboard toward her. “If you’ll sign this, I’ll mail it off to activate the guarantee,” he said.

  Cedar took the clipboard, looked at the bill and frowned. “This only lists the cost for the heater, Moose,” she said. “You need to add your labor to this.”

  “Naw,” he said, “not necessary. Mark says you’re a special lady and that’s good enough for me. Besides, he helped me build a dynamite deck on the back of my house in his free time last year and it’s the envy of everybody on my block. I owe him one.”

  “But…” Cedar said.

  “Sign the paper,” Mark said. “Moose has to get home and clean out the gutters on his house or his wife will string him up by the thumbs. She’s a scary woman…all five feet of her.”

  Moose chuckled. “You got that straight. I love her with all my heart, but I sure don’t cross her.”

  “This is very generous of you,” Cedar said, then signed the sheet.

  “I like this house,” Moose said, glancing around. “These old places have a lot of personality.”

  “I’m clashing with that personality,” Cedar said, shaking her head. “I’ve done nothing but pour money into repairs and I’ve had enough. This monster is going on the market so I can get out of here.”

  Joey slid off the sofa and curled his hands into tight fists at his sides. “You’re leaving?” he shouted. “You’re selling your house and going away? What kind of friend is that? Not a forever friend. No way, no way, no way.”

  “Joey, stop it,” Mark said. “Quit yelling at Cedar like that. It’s very rude.”

  “Joey, listen to me,” Cedar said, gripping his shoulders. “I’m just planning to move to another house in Phoenix. I’m not going away, never to be seen again. I made a mistake when I bought this place. I need a newer house where things don’t break all the time. I’ll still be your friend and you’ll be mine. That is not going to change.”

  “Oh,” Joey said in a small voice.

  “How about an apology for shouting at Cedar?” Mark said.

  “Sorry,” Joey mumbled.

  “I’ll put the word out about this house,” Moose said. “It won’t be on the market long. Nice to meet you, Cedar. Catch you later, Mark. Joey, stay cool, dude.”

  “Thank you again, Moose,” Cedar said, releasing her hold on Joey and smiling at the big man.

  “My pleasure,” Moose said. “I’ll see myself out.”

  “Well,” Cedar said, after Moose left the house, “the least I can do is fix some lunch for my heroes to the rescue. How does grilled cheese sandwiches and vegetable soup sound?”

  “Aren’t you mad at me ’cause I yelled at you?” Joey said, staring at the toes of his sneakers.

  “No, Joey,” Cedar said, “I’m not angry. You misunderstood what I meant about leaving. Perhaps I owe you an apology for not making it clear right away that I’m staying in Phoenix. I’m sorry.”

  “’Kay,” Joey said, still not looking at her.

  “It’s a shame you can’t keep this place,” Mark said, glancing around, “but I can understand your position. If you’re not able to do repairs yourself, you’re living in a money pit.”

  Cedar laughed. “My father warned me about that, but I didn’t listen because I was so enchanted with this house. Ugh, I’ll have to suffer through his I-told-you-so routine. Serves me right, I suppose.”

  “Uncle Mark could fix all your stuff when it breaks,” Joey said. “Then you could stay here like you want to and you won’t have to be sad about leaving.”

  “I won’t be sad, honey,” Cedar said, smiling. “More like…oh, disappointed. Once I get over that, I’ll start to get excited about having a newer place, all shiny and pretty and not falling apart. It’s really best to look forward, Joey, not back. Understand?”

  Joey shrugged.

  Oreo strolled back into the living room.

  “Oreo returns,” Cedar said. “Joey, she has some toys in that little basket over there. Why don’t you see if she’ll play with you? I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”

  “’Kay,” Joey said. “Come on, Oreo. Know what? Cedar named you after a cookie. That is so lame, but I guess you don’t care. Come on, let’s play.”

  As if she’d understood every word Joey said, Oreo bounded across the room to the toy basket and tipped it over, dumping out the toys. Joey dropped to his knees and held up a string attached to a plastic ball with a bell inside. Oreo batted at the toy and Joey laughed.

  “Joey is laughing,” Mark whispered to Cedar. “He’s actually playing and laughing.”

  “One point for the good guys,” Cedar said, smiling. “Let’s leave him alone so he doesn’t feel as though he’s under a microscope. You can watch me fix lunch.”

  In the kitchen, after they’d washed their hands, Mark volunteered to set the table while Cedar prepared the meal.

  “Joey gets really panicked about anyone leaving, doesn’t he?” Mark said, as he placed napkins on the table. “He went nuts when he thought you were going away.”

  “That’s understandable, Mark,” she said, dumping a can of soup in a pan. “He lost his parents. They went away. Leaving, to Joey, means you don’t come back. He’s very fragile in so many areas. I can’t begin to work through those things with him until he gives way to the emotions he’s holding in such tight check. He needs to cry. Dear heaven, how that sweet little boy needs to cry
.”

  Mark moved behind Cedar where she stood at the stove and placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “You really care about Joey, don’t you?” he said. “About all the kids you try to help, I imagine. Doesn’t that drain you?”

  “Sometimes,” she said, attempting and failing to ignore the warmth that spread throughout her from Mark’s touch. “I often wish I had a magic wand that I could wave to solve all their problems. But all I can do is my best and hope it’s enough.”

  “I’m very glad I found you,” Mark said, then cleared his throat. “For Joey.” He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped back. “What…what else can I do to help with lunch?”

  “Oh…get some glasses out of the cupboard.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  It seemed to Cedar as if everything was moving in slow motion. The soup wouldn’t heat quickly enough, the cheese was taking forever to melt on the sandwiches, the ice cubes refused to pop out of the plastic trays. As time dragged while she tried to get the simple meal on the table, the tension between her and Mark built, virtually crackling in the air. Whenever they caught each other’s gaze, they looked quickly away and busied themselves with some task. Mark spilled the milk he was pouring for Joey. Cedar forgot the soup and it boiled over the top of the pan.

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” she said, plunking the pan on another burner. “This is ridiculous.”

  “No, it’s not,” Mark said. “I’m not certain what it is, but it’s definitely not ridiculous. You push buttons I didn’t even know I had, Cedar. Nothing like this has happened to me before. Don’t you want to know what this is?”

  “No,” she said, turning from the stove to look at him. “No, I don’t.” She sighed. “Mark, just concentrate on Joey. He needs every spare second you have to be focused on him and what he’s going through.

  “I’d like to see you cut back on your work hours so you can spend more time with him and… You have no room in your life for anything else than what you’re dealing with now. And I don’t, either. That is that. End of story. Okay?”

  Mark executed such a perfect rendition of one of Joey’s shrugs that Cedar couldn’t help but burst into laughter, which finally dispelled the tension in the kitchen.