4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mars

Steven pulled up in front of the shop. “I’ll come by my dad’s house tomorrow, but if you need anything tonight, just call me.”

“I will.”

I got out of his car and went to walk to the door. A customer I didn’t recognize was coming out as I was walking in, and honestly, I was glad I didn’t know them because I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Ziva was still standing at the register, but when she saw me, she rushed around the counter and threw her arms around me. “I’m so sorry. I saw it on the news. I was hoping they’d be able to save it.”

“They tried, but it was too far gone. Is everything okay here?”

“Everything here is just fine. What are you going to do?”

I sighed and shrugged. “Right now, I’m going to have a cup of tea.”

I went into the tea room and selected one of my mother’s blends. The one she called Serenity seemed to make the most sense. I took my favorite cup down off the baker’s rack we used to hold all the supplies. I scooped some of the tea leaves into the top of my tea infuser and then filled it with hot water from our electric tea kettle.

Waiting while it steeped was the hard part, but my mother always said that making tea was a meditation all its own and that we should honor the process. Most days, I did, but today, I just wanted a cup of tea.

I sat down at the table to wait, and Ziva joined me. “So the whole house is a loss, huh?”

“Yeah, and all my things, most likely. They said once they’re sure it’s safe, I can go in and see what I can salvage.”

“That seriously sucks. Where are you going to stay?”

I rolled my eyes. “I wanted to stay up here, but Steven and his dad ganged up on me. They said because it was a business, it wasn’t zoned for me to live here, so it looks like I’ll be staying at Samuel’s house.”

“Not with Steven?”

“No, they have a big dog that’s sweet as can be, but you know Kismet doesn’t do well with dogs. I don’t see why I can’t just stay here. After all, this was a house, and it has everything I’d need.”

“Whose idea was it for you to stay at Steven’s dad’s house?”

“Steven’s, but Samuel didn’t seem to mind, but that isn’t the point.”

“Is there a reason why you don’t want to stay over there? I always got the impression you liked Steven’s family.”

“I do. Steven’s dad is great. That isn’t it at all. It’s just that I didn’t need their help. I had a place to stay.” I motioned around the room to make the point that the shop was a perfectly fine place to stay.

“Mars, how many times have I heard you sitting right here around this tea table talking with customers and telling them to accept help when offered?”

I let out a huff and rolled my eyes again.

“What is it you always say? When the universe nudges someone to offer help and you turn them down, you not only deprive yourself of the help, but you also…” She raised one eyebrow at me and waited for me to complete the sentence.

“Deprive them of the blessing of lending their assistance to you,” I reluctantly finished for her. “I just had to hire someone who didn’t just hear me talk, but actually listens.”

“You aren’t wrong. I’m sure Steven felt horrible that he and Roxy weren’t able to give you a place to stay, and this was his way of helping. You should be grateful you have such a caring friend and stop pouting.”

“I’m not pouting.” I got up to pour my tea into my cup. I added a little honey and sat back down.

Kismet came into the room, and after winding herself around my legs, she hopped up on the table. She walked carefully around my teacup and nudged my chin with her head. I slid the chair back a little, and she hopped down in my lap and curled up.

I ran my hand through her soft fur while I took a drink of my tea, letting the warmth make its way down my body. “Okay, maybe I was pouting a little. But I think I get a pass. My house just burned down.”

“You’re right. You do get a pass, just this once.”

I took another drink of the warm tea. I don’t know if I would necessarily say I felt serene, but I did feel better, of course it could be just as much the cat as the tea.

“I have so much to do, I don’t even know where to start. I’ve never had anything like this happen before, so I’m at a loss what steps to take next. I guess I should call my insurance company first.”

Ziva nodded her head. “Probably, but other than that and stopping by the store to get a new toothbrush, I think everything else can wait until tomorrow.”

“That and a litter box and cat food.” I smiled down at Kismet.

“Yes, we can’t forget the goddess and her needs.”

Ziva was right. This was going to be a mess, but it was a mess I could worry about tomorrow. I would finish my tea, call the insurance company, and then I would go to the pet store and get what Kismet needed. That was as much as I had to do at that moment. Everything else could wait.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I held Kismet in place while I leaned forward to get it out of my pocket. Crap, it was my mother. I should’ve called her right away.

“Hey, Dahlia.”

“What’s wrong?”

I sighed. She always knew, and she wasn’t going to be happy that I didn’t call her right away.

“There was a fire at my house. I just got back to the shop, and I was about to call you.”

“Okay, no problem. You’ll simply come home. It’s not that far of a drive for you to get to your shop, and we have an empty cottage that the Fosters were staying in so you could stay there, or you could stay in the big house.”

I took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. My mother had been trying to get me to move back out to the ranch for years now, so naturally, that would be the first place her thoughts would go.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Well, sure it is. There’s no reason for you to stay in a hotel until you find a place to live when you can just come here.”

“I have a place to stay. I won’t be in a hotel.”

“Oh.” You wouldn’t think it would be possible to pack so much disappointment in such a tiny word, but she managed it. “Where will you be staying then?”

“I’m going to stay with Steven’s dad. Samuel, you remember him, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. He was always a nice man, but if things don’t work out, you’re always welcome at Wildflower Ranch.”

“I know, and I appreciate that.” And I did. I wasn’t interested in living out there, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know how lucky I was to have a mother who accepted me and loved me. Her lifestyle wasn’t right for me, but that didn’t mean it was wrong.

Samuel

Fox and I hung around the scene of the fire at Mars’s place until the crews were done, and then we headed back to the station. Once we were in my pick-up and on the road, I glanced over at Fox.

“So what caused the fire?”

“I can’t say officially until we get all the tests back, but it looks like an electrical fire that started in the laundry room.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “So not our guy then?”

“No, this was an accident, no doubt. Were you worried?”

“Not really, but Mars did come to the softball game with Steven, and they’ve been friends since they were in high school. We don’t really know anything about this guy or how much he knows about us. I didn’t really think there was enough of a connection, but I had to ask.”

“He’s a pretty little thing,” Fox said.

“Who? Mars?”

“Yeah, Mars. Is he seeing anyone?”

“I honestly don’t know. I don’t think Steven’s ever said.” I seemed to remember running into him a year or so ago, and he was with some guy, but I didn’t know if he was a boyfriend or just a friend or what.

“But he’s gay, right?” Fox asked.

“Oh yeah.” I chuckled. “He came out when he and Steven were about fifteen, I would say.”

“And they’ve stayed friends all this time?”

“Yeah, they’re as different as night and day, but they’ve managed to remain friends.” I smiled to myself. Saying Steven and Mars were as different as night and day was an understatement. Steven was steady and reliable, and Mars was… well, Mars. He ran a shop that specialized in magic or something. He read tarot cards and believed in all kinds of out-there stuff. But somehow, the two of them fit. They had from the first day they met.

“I think that’s cool. I’m not really friends with any of my old buddies. We kind of all just drifted apart.”

“I hear you. Life happens that way sometimes.”

As soon as we got back to the station, I made sure the shift captain knew how to contact me and knocked off early. I was hoping to make it to the house before Mars arrived. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since anyone had stayed in Steven’s old room, so I figured the least I could do was check it out. I knew Mars had been hesitant to take me up on the offer to stay at my house, and I figured he would feel awkward about arriving there with no one home.

When I got there, I sent Mars a text letting him know that I was home and that I would be there for the rest of the afternoon. I’d brought my work laptop and the stack of time-off requests home with me. Since the guys worked 24 hours on and three days off, for the most part, they just tried to schedule things during their time off. But not this time of year. The holidays were approaching, and that meant a lot of people were putting in for vacation time, which meant a lot of schedule juggling.

I figured that while I waited on Mars to arrive, I’d get some work done. I was a little worried about how I was going to make it all work since this was my first holiday season as the station chief, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. I’d almost found a way to honor all of the vacation requests when I heard a knock on the door, and it opened.

“Honey, I’m home,” a voice called out, and I chuckled. That was classic Mars. His home had just burned down, and here he was making jokes. It had been that way when they were kids, too. When anything bad happened, he was the one trying his best to cheer everyone up.

“Oh wow,” he said. “At least I think I’m home. I barely even recognize the place.”

I took off my readers, laid them on the stack of papers I was working on, and stood up to greet him. “Yeah, I’m working on it, but I’m not completely done yet. Let’s get you settled, and I’ll show you around.”

I reached out to take the cat carrier out of his hand. “Who do we have here?”

“This is Kismet.”

“Kismet? Does that mean you two are fated?”

“There’s a long story behind that, so remind me to tell you someday. I do appreciate you letting me bring her, and I hope she won’t be a problem.”

“I don’t see how she would be. I’ve always liked cats.”

“Good. I need to get the rest of the stuff out of my car—not that I have much. I went to the store and bought the essentials. A couple of changes of clothes, some toiletries, and supplies for Kismet.” For just a minute, the weight of the day showed on his face, but then he took a breath and grinned at me. “I needed to update my wardrobe anyway.”

“Yeah, pretty sure you didn’t want to do it this way. It’s okay if you’re sad, Mars.”

“I know. I just don’t want to dwell on it right now. I figure I’ll save that for another day, like tomorrow when I go to the house and try to see what can be salvaged.”

“So they’re going to let you back in tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I had a call from someone from the fire marshal’s office—I think his name was Fox. He said it had been cleared and that I could go and see what I could salvage, although he didn’t sound hopeful that there would be much.”

“Okay, let’s get you all settled, and then we’ll figure out tomorrow. You know where Steven’s old room is. You’re welcome to stay there, or you can stay in the guestroom. The mattress in there is new, comparatively speaking, but you’re familiar with Steven’s room, so it’s up to you.”

Mars chuckled. “I had my first kiss in that room.”

“With Steven?” I asked, surprised.

“Oh, hell no. That would’ve just been weird. With David Ackerman. The three of us were hanging out, playing video games. He and I were sitting side by side on the bed, and he was just so cute. I went for it.”

“What happened to David?”

“I don’t know. I kissed him, he kissed me back, and then we acted like it never happened.”

“Teenagers, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, but anyway, I’m thinking I’ll stay in Steven’s. I don’t remember the bed being all that uncomfortable, and it might be kind of fun.”

“Why don’t you leave Kismet in her carrier until we get your stuff in from the car? I’d hate for her to run out of here since she’s in a new place.”

“That’s a good idea.” He dropped the backpack that he had slung over his shoulder. “I’ll start bringing stuff in.”

“I’ll come help.” I followed him out to the car.

“Everything’s in the back seat.”

I looked, and there was a litter box, a box of litter, and a few shopping bags. I’d known he didn’t have much, but realizing that the two of us could basically get everything he owned into the house in one trip made it all hit home. I grabbed the cat supplies while he grabbed the rest, and we went inside. He turned to the left and went down the hall to Steven’s old room. He flipped on the light as he went in and tossed the bags on the bed, looking around. “It looks basically the same.”

“This room does, but this is the part of the house I’m just starting to work on. Unfortunately, I started with the shared bathroom between the guestroom and this room. You’ll be fine to use the toilet and the vanity, but I’m in the middle of retiling the bath area. So you’ll have to use mine to shower.”

“I always loved that bathroom. I know it’s probably silly, but I thought it was so cool the way it opened into both bedrooms but had a separate door you could shut to take a shower.” He chuckled.

“That is handy,” I agreed.

“It is. I think I was probably obsessed with the idea of privacy back then, having grown up on the ranch. Knowing I could take as long as I wanted to shower and not have to worry about anybody needing in was really awesome.” He paused and looked worried for a second. “Not that I mind having to use yours now. I didn’t mean that. I got over that a long time ago.”

“Why don’t you get everything all situated in here, and I’ll go get the cat carrier for you.”

“Thanks. Kissy does really well in her carrier in the car, but she hates being stuck in it otherwise.”

I grabbed the carrier, brought it back to the room, and set it on the bed next to his shopping bags. Then I stood back and watched as he got everything situated the way he wanted it.

When he was finished, he let her out and showed her where the litter box was. She hopped in and back out and then pranced out of the bedroom to check out the rest of the house.

“She already acts like she owns the place,” I said with a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s cats for you. They’re pretty much always convinced they’re the most important being in the room. I need to find a place for her food and water, though.”

“You can put that in the mud room. I know the perfect spot. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

We walked down the hallway and out into what was now a large open floor plan that took up most of the house. He stopped right in the middle and turned in a circle. “I can’t believe this used to be a bunch of smaller rooms.”

“I got pretty bored after Steven moved out and got the home improvement bug. I wanted to add some built-in shelves, but first, I needed to paint. And then I got the idea that I never used the dining room and the great room would be so much larger, which would mean more room for shelves, and it just kind went on from there.”

“So you did all this yourself?”

“All of it but the electrical and the countertop in the kitchen.” I shrugged like it was no big deal, but the truth was, it had been the only thing that kept me going. Up until then, all my spare time was spent with Steven going to his games, taking him fishing, and trying to be the best father I could be after the divorce. And then suddenly, he was gone off to college. Which is what he was supposed to do. And I was so proud of him, but I had no idea what to do with myself.

“Well, it looks pretty awesome.” He walked over and ran his hand over the granite countertop. “Do you cook much?”

“Not really. I think Danni’s used this kitchen more than I have.” From the moment Danni and I decided to get divorced, we’d worked hard to maintain a good relationship. We’d never wanted Steven to have to choose where to spend the holidays, so we normally did them together as a family.

We used to do them at her place, but ever since I finished the kitchen, she’d insisted on coming here to cook Thanksgiving dinner. I’d teased her about trying to use my kitchen to guilt her husband, Carlos, into remodeling their kitchen, but he just laughed and told me she just didn’t want to clean up. Personally, I didn’t care why they came here. I just loved having my family in my space.

“I think it’s awesome that you two are still friends.”

“Yeah, she’s the best. But speaking of my kitchen, have you had anything to eat today?”

“Not since breakfast. Ziva and I were just about to order lunch when Steven showed up to tell me about the fire, and I really didn’t feel like eating after that.”

“Understandable, but you’re going to have a few really busy days and a lot of stuff to deal with. You need to keep your strength up. Do you still like grilled cheese sandwiches?” I swear I made more grilled cheese sandwiches for those two boys when they were teens than anyone should be able to eat.

“I haven’t had one in months, but I do still love them.”

“Okay then. The closet and the dresser in that room are both empty, so you go put your stuff away while I make you a sandwich.”