Brenna slept soundly for the next hour, waking to the soft sound of rain pattering against the windows. At least it held off until now, she thought. She lay on the couch for a few more minutes, stretching her legs and willing her arm to wake up. After awhile, she sat up reluctantly and went to run a bath, taking a pink frosted glass bottle from the shelf and pouring some of her favorite bubble bath into the steaming water. She felt a pang of homesickness as the sweet aroma filled the air; it made her miss Molly and shopping in Portland. Trying to shake it off, she grabbed her latest novel and lowered herself into the steaming water.
After her bath, Brenna trotted upstairs in her robe and pulled clean cords from her bureau along with a turtleneck. Leaving her towel wrapped around her hair and feeling at loose ends, she went downstairs to wash some dishes. She finally realized she was trying not to think about the Montgomerys and the impact the last two days had had on her. How on earth had she left the city to give herself time to heal from the devastating effects of dying babies, only to buy a house whose history was permeated with the pain of losing a child? Or maybe it could be said the house had welcomed her in because she was open to the sorrow experienced there. Whatever it was, she was fast growing tired of it all. Last night it had been something of a relief to know her dreams had a source, but today it was overwhelming. Well, tonight she would be having a normal dinner with people who didn’t know anything about it, and she was looking forward to it.
After drying the few dishes and putting them away, she sat down in her rocker with her book. She jumped when the phone rang and went to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s me,” Adam said, his voice now familiar. “Will you be ready to go by five?”
Brenna glanced at her watch. “Sure, that’ll be fine.”
“Are you okay? You sound tired.”
“I’m fine. I think this baby stuff is just beginning to get to me, and besides that, now my arms are sore! But I’m looking forward to dinner.”
“Great, I’ll be there soon. You can bring Zoe if you want.”
She smiled, looking at the still-slumbering dog. “I’m sure she’d like that. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Brenna was brushing out her hair when she heard the rumbling engine of Adam's truck. She tossed her brush into the bathroom and put on a flannel-padded raincoat. “Zoe, come on.” The dog leapt up from the hearth rug and followed Brenna outside, both of them scurrying through the drizzle and hopping into the truck while Adam held the door for them. He hurried around and climbed in himself, shaking the drops from his hair. Max and Zoe, seated behind them, sniffed each other’s faces and panted happily.
Turning the heater up a notch, Adam backed out of the drive and set off for his brother’s house.
They pulled in around five thirty and a little girl ran out to meet them, wearing a bright yellow raincoat in the steadily increasing downpour. Adam swung her up into his arms, tickling her tummy. “Who’s my best girl?” he asked her, grinning.
“Meee!” she shrieked, wriggling.
“I think you’re right!” He put her down and she ran ahead to open the door. A smaller boy danced on the threshold until he saw Brenna behind Adam and then he backed up into his mother’s legs shyly.
"This is Adam's friend, Brenna. Can you say hi?" the woman asked him, her long blond hair falling forward as she leaned over to lift her youngest son and hand him to Adam. “These little monsters are Ben and Rachel. It's nice to meet you. I'm Ruth."
Ben looked at Zoe and Max following their people through the door and pointed at them, a little more at ease.
Brenna looked down as Rachel wrapped her arms around Zoe’s neck. “This is my new dog, Zoe. She likes to go running on the beach and bury her bones in the yard. Oh, and pack off anything I’ve left lying around.” She decided to save her 'adoption' story for another time.
Ruth laughed. “If there’s any drawback to having a retriever, it’s that. They tend to retrieve everything, lost or not.”
Adam took Brenna’s raincoat and hung it on a hook by the door to dry. The wood stove in the corner was glowing and emanating a welcome warmth and the dogs flopped down on the rug in front of it, Ben and Rachel hanging on them. A huge silver tabby cat was curled at the base of the stove and had not stirred at the dogs’ entrance, well accustomed to the creatures.
“Do you need any help with dinner?” asked Adam. Brenna looked at him. Was he volunteering her or was the man handy in the kitchen?
“No, it’s almost done. You sit down with Brenna. There’s some white wine on the sideboard if you’d like some.” Apparently, it was the second thought. Hmm. This could be interesting, she wondered how good a cook he was.
Adam showed Brenna to a seat on the couch near the fire and brought her some wine.
“Thank you."
A man appeared from the kitchen and Adam introduced him as his brother, Jake. He resembled Adam, but was leaner and beginning to gray. His smile however was just as charming. Jake called upstairs to another child, "Aaron, dinner’s ready!” and motioned the others into the dining room.
The glossy wood table was covered with steaming food and flowered china. Ruth looked to Jake to say the grace, and afterwards, the food began to make the rounds; steaming mounds of mashed potatoes followed by roast beef and gravy, steamed carrots and hot rolls. Jake cut Ben and Rachel’s meat while Brenna and Ruth discussed the china and the making of the roast.
After a leisurely dinner, the children escaped to the TV and upstairs while the adults sat around the table and had some more wine, Adam accepting only half a glass as he would be driving. Brenna, with the past few days still weighing on her, accepted a full glass gratefully. Her mind wandered as she leaned back and sipped her wine.
“Brenna,” Adam said quietly, “are you feeling all right?”
“Oh, yes, I’m sorry,” she replied, sitting up straighter, slightly embarrassed.
Adam laughed. “Nothing to feel sorry about. You couldn’t offend us because you’re tired. We put a lot of work into the yard today."
Ruth smiled. “How do you like your new house, Brenna?”
Brenna swallowed hard, a lump rising in her throat, and tried to smile back. Adam, seeing her reaction, said, “Brenna’s been having a little trouble at the house,” but then, as Ruth frowned, he amended it and said, “I don’t know that you’d really call it trouble.”
Brenna stared at him, dismayed he would so casually share her problems with his family. Sensing her discomfort, he looked at her and said, “I’m sorry. Maybe I should have talked to you before opening my mouth, but it’s just Jake and Ruth and I thought they might have some insight on it. I mean, we don’t know where to go from here.”
Brenna opened her mouth and closed it again, feeling conflicting emotions. They weren't her family. Yet, he was talking as if they were in this together, as if it were a mutual problem, and it made her feel a warm relief. She nodded and Adam continued.
As he shared the story with his family, the silver tabby padded into the dining room and looked up at Brenna. She scooted her chair back and he hopped into her lap, turned around and curled up as if he had always known her.
Jake and Ruth listened in silence broken only by Adam’s voice and pounding little feet overhead. When Adam was finished, Jake passed the wine bottle around again, cleared his throat and looked at Ruth. “This is something Ruth might have advice on, but as for me, I’m mystified. I’m more of a concrete person. Give me a problem I can see to work with.”
They looked at Ruth. “Any thoughts?” Adam asked.
“Only that sometimes when strong emotions have occurred in a place, it seems they can linger, good or bad. I’ve heard of other old houses having certain ambiences. I have to say, I’ve never heard of an actual happening where the feelings were backed up by dreams and tangible objects. I guess it’s not out of the question, though. I mean, it’s happening, isn’t it?” She paused and pursed her lips. “No other types of negative things happening? Nothing stirring up
angry feelings?” Brenna shook her head. “Okay then, all I can get out of it is what you’ve said. Maybe Helena’s grief was so strong it's still living there. I would love to see your house.”
Brenna looked at her in surprise. “You would? It’s not too freaky for you?”
“Oh, no. I don’t think there’s any stronger emotion than a parent’s love. It doesn’t really surprise me, the more I think about it, that this could be happening. Helena’s still alive?”
“Yes, she’s in a rest home in Seacliff. She has bad days and good days. Sometimes she’s in the fifties and sometimes she’s more oriented.”
“Have you tried to talk about any of this with her?” Ruth asked.
“I didn’t want to bring up such a painful subject. What good could it do her after all these years?”
Ruth thought for a moment. “I had a friend a few years back who lost her baby to SIDS. One of her biggest problems afterwards was finding someone to talk to. She felt like some of her friends were avoiding her as if it happened to her, it could happen to them. People didn’t know what to say, so they usually didn’t say anything. Within a year, she moved back to Nevada to be near her family. It seems to me it could have been much worse for Helena in the fifties. You say she had Grandma for a close friend, but all her family was back east and Martin traveled on business? Who knows what grief that house may have seen? On the other hand, you say the actual atmosphere of the house is pleasant, so there have to have been positive feelings there too. Sounds interesting. I'd love to see your house."
"Really?"
"Sure," Ruth replied. "I love old houses and I love mysteries."
“Would you like to come up soon and visit?” Brenna asked hopefully.
“I’ll check the calendar and find a good time when the little ones are in pre-school. I can give you a call tomorrow if you like,” Ruth replied.
“Thank you. It will be good just to visit too, and show you around the house. It really is a nice old place.”
Jake had gone to retrieve a chocolate cake from the kitchen as Ruth had finished speaking. After satiating themselves with the rich dessert, Adam and Brenna said their goodbyes and thank yous and made their way back through the rain to Seacliff, sleepy dogs warming the truck cab with their heat.
Adam left Max in the truck and ran Brenna and Zoe to their door quickly. Laughing, they ducked inside, shaking their heads as Zoe shook out her fur and trotted for the fireplace.
"I better get going, I guess," Adam said. "I've got to work tomorrow." He didn't move from the doorway however, but remained, watching Brenna as she removed her coat.
She looked up at him curiously. "Would you like some coffee first?"
He cleared his throat and shook his head. Leaning forward, he drew her toward him, careful not to pull her close to his wet jacket, and kissed the smile from her face. Brenna wound her arms around his neck, heedless of the damp, and lost herself in his scent, the feeling of his arms holding her closer. Time played itself out in silence and they held each other tightly until Max's barking intruded. Adam loosened his arms and stepped back, smiling at the slightly dazed look on her face and feeling the same expression on his own. God above, he hoped he knew what he was doing. Neither of them needed any more unhappiness. Well, they weren't unhappy at the moment, were they?
Brenna waved as Adam ran back through the downpour to his truck. Closing and locking the door, she leaned against it and smiled, still warm and tingly from his embrace. Oh, boy. Hmm. Funny, when she was younger, she would've thought this relationship was moving too slow. But now, it seemed as if it was moving too fast. She needed to be sure she really cared for him...and vice versa... and wasn't just lonely. Smiling again, she remembered the last few minutes. No, that kiss hadn't been out of loneliness.
Chapter 26