Resurrecting Harry Page 7

  “But now?”

  He shook his head. “All this spirituality taradiddle. Bess is still in mourning and Gail is taking advantage of that. From my perspective, she doesn’t care how much it hurts Bess, as long as the name Gail Cooper ends up carrying all the weight and respect she believes it deserves. Harry wouldn’t like what those two are doing, not one single bit.”

  Erich nodded and leaned against the door frame. As he watched, Bess stood on the corner, conversing with the couple. “That poor woman is lost, and they are only leading her further astray.”

  “I used to think Harry exaggerated the intentions of those two, never believed they were acting spitefully, but now, watching them with Bess, I have to wonder.” Will paused, scraped his hand across his jaw. “Do me a favor. Make sure she’s always treated like a princess in here. It’s the least I can do for my old friend.”

  Chapter Eight

  Bess waved as Martin and Gail pulled away in the shiny, new Studebaker. In a muted red, it was one of the first cars she’d seen that wasn’t classic black. Some might say the color was ostentatious, but then flashy described Gail to a tee, and it was no secret Martin enjoyed showering gifts on his second wife.

  Ten years had passed since Martin’s first wife, Louise, had died. Bess had never known the other woman, but Martin and Joseph spoke of her often. Both of them described her as very different from Gail. Sort of like how Erich was different from Harry, yet he stirred the same emotions in her.

  But when you looked beyond the physical, Erich wasn’t all that different from her husband.

  As the car rolled out of sight, Bess wrestled with the argument playing out between her heart and mind. Her house was in a state of disrepair and as much as she wanted to be a strong, independent woman, home maintenance fell outside her comfort zone. Erich had quickly fixed the furnace and did the dishes, even after a long, hard day at the deli. He didn’t shy from work and was polite enough.

  But to repeatedly ask the same man — an unattached man at that — into her home seemed disloyal to Harry, and she couldn’t help but think she was only inviting gossip. People in this town talked. Gail was evidence enough of that.

  I’m not inviting Erich in as a lover. Yes, she was lonely; the empty space beside her in bed kept her awake at night, but now wasn’t the time to fill the void with another body. She wasn’t like Martin. For her, it might never be the right time.

  Bess sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. The blood stains she’d found on the tails of Erich’s shirt were none of her business. She shouldn’t be prying, but he was injured in some shape or way. The moment she’d laid eyes on the red blotches, the same motherly instinct that pushed her to volunteer at the hospital week in and week out had risen up.

  The part of her that took over when she’d looked into his eyes could hardly be described as maternal.

  Harry had always told her to follow her heart, but would he feel the same way if he knew the way it fluttered every time she looked at Erich?

  A firm decision in mind, she pivoted and walked the few steps back to the deli. She pulled on the door handle, but found it locked. She peered through the window and expected to see Will wiping down the display cases or sweeping the floors, instead it was Erich who maneuvered the broom over the worn tile.

  Hoping she’d made the right decision and wasn’t following lust down a dangerous back alley, she knocked on the glass. He looked over his shoulder and moved toward her, leaving the broom to rest against one of the tables. A quick twist of the deadbolt allowed her access.

  “Did you forget something, Bess?” His tone was warm and inviting. Was he happy to see her again?

  “No. I—” The words slipped away. Standing next to this man turned her mind to mush, which was ridiculous. Someone her age should have a better handle on her emotions. Then she remembered the stained shirt. She’d risk being labeled meddlesome to know. “I wanted to apologize. I promised you that I’d launder your clothes and return them to you today.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m grateful for your help and the clothes you gave me.”

  “I’ll get them mended once I get home. I would have done so last night, but I needed to soak your shirt, what with the blood stains.”

  His face fell. He hadn’t meant for her to learn of whatever injury he was trying to hide, that much was obvious.

  “I probably should have mentioned that when I rolled in the street to push the child away...” He rocked his weight between his heels, searching for the right words.

  “You cut yourself?”

  “No.” Erich paused, and his eyes flickered back and forth. Harry would say he was using the moment to prepare a lie, but she’d seen his selflessness in saving a child and didn’t believe that. “I tore one of my stitches.”

  She clutched her purse tighter “Stitches? But why?”

  “I had surgery not too long ago.”

  She stepped closer and reached out, but just as suddenly, she stopped. “Goodness. What in the world are you doing carrying dishpans and jumping in front of cars?”

  He chuckled and dropped his gaze to his shoe. “As you pointed out, I impetuously came to a new town without more than two dimes to rub together. As far as yesterday goes, any man...”

  “You shouldn’t be embarrassed for saving that child.”

  His hands found his pockets as his shoulders folded in. “Stop! Bess. Don’t make me out to be a hero just for doing the right thing.”

  Modesty. Had Harry been modest a single day of his life? As much as the dichotomy intrigued Bess, she bit her tongue. Why was the vow to stop comparing those two proving difficult to keep? “If that’s your wish, I won’t mention it again. That’s not the reason I came back anyway.”

  His eyes widened, and he stepped forward. “No? Then why?”

  “I had a favor, but now that I know you’re recovering from surgery, it seems too much.”

  Twisting and fidgeting like a restless child, Erich didn’t seem to be in pain. “I promise you I’m fine. Almost fully recovered. Now tell me, what is the favor you need?”

  She waved her hands in front of her face. “It just wouldn’t be right to ask, while you’re still healing. My friend Martin is a doctor. You should have him look at your incision.”

  Erich’s fingers curled into tight fists. “There isn’t any reason for that. Whatever it is that you need me to do, I promise I’m man enough to take care of it.”

  A rush of warmth touched her cheeks, and she looked away. He probably spoke of his well-being, but his declaration of virility had sent Bess’s thoughts in an inappropriate direction. He’d ruffled her feathers in a way that Harry had only been able to do. “Oh dear, Mr. Welch. I-I-I it’s not a question of your manhood.”

  He chuckled as he stepped closer. He must have noticed her fluster, and now he was trying to set her at ease by getting back to the question of the hour. “Please, Bess, what do you need?”

  “You did a good job with that old furnace last night, and I’m sure you noticed it wasn’t the only thing broken in the house. I need someone who can help with maintenance, and you need a place to stay. I thought we might be able to trade services.” As soon as the last words spilled from her mouth, she second guessed them, but it was too late to turn back now.

  A huge grin showed his straight, white teeth. “You want me to move in with you?”

  “I have a long list of home repairs I need done in exchange.”

  “It sounds like a good deal for both of us,” he answered. “If you want to wait while I finish sweeping the dining room, I can walk you home.”

  She nodded and settled herself in a booth. “This is nothing more than a friendly exchange of services, mind you. Two friends, helping each other out.”

  “Of course.” Erich felt like dancing as he picked the broom back up and returned to the task Bess had interrupted.

  I’m going home with Bess.

  She could disguise it all by calling it “mutual favors,” but he k
new the bond between their souls was being rebuilt. He’d convince her to forget the séances and the Coopers in no time flat.

  He finished his chores, put away the cleaning supplies and then took a napkin from the metal holder on the counter, scribbling on it with a pencil he found in the pocket of his apron. “Will’s gone for the day, but I can leave him a note in case he beats me here in the morning...to let him know that I found a place to stay.”

  He laid his hastily written explanation next to the cash register and left his apron on the hook on the kitchen door before crossing the dining room and holding the door for Bess. On the street, he twisted the key in the lock, not an easy task with the excited tremor in his hand.

  The moment he’d been longing for — escorting his wife home — had arrived. He offered his arm and waited for her to take his elbow.

  Her eyes narrowed as she twisted out of reach, continuing up the street without him.

  “Bess! What’s wrong?” He caught up to her and tried to take her elbow.

  She deflected his advance and pivoted to him. “I thought I was clear that this is a business arrangement. I’m a widow and have no desire for a companion.” She dropped her voice to a harsh whisper. “What would people say?”

  “I don’t really care! I only offered you guidance and stability.” He stepped back, but couldn’t help thinking of that old adage about protesting too much. Did this harsh reaction mean she was attracted to him? If so, she tempered it with equal amounts of guilt.

  She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You are in my employ, maybe a friend, but certainly nothing more than that.”

  “Of course,” Erich said the words he guessed she wanted to hear, even though he didn’t feel them. He doubted she meant hers either. Everyone knew tough-as-nails Bess, but she had a vulnerable side that she’d only displayed to him. If she knew Harry’s soul lived in his body, she’d let him close.

  He’d give anything to have her hand glide into his as they walked together and hear her admit she hungered for his touch as much as he did hers, but he also knew she’d never be unfaithful to Harry or his memory.

  When making deals with Jaden, he’d never really considered what it’d take to make her trust him. He’d been so certain that instant connection they had always shared would reignite itself. Her offer of a room gave him hope that she felt something for him. Her reaction to his arm told a different story. But which one was a true reflection of her feelings?

  “It’s a preposterous idea any way,” Bess snapped. “A man your age should be focused on finding a wife and having children. Family. That’s what’s most important in this life.” She clamped her mouth tight and pursed her lips. Walls visibly crumbled and the too familiar grief took their place.

  Erich wondered if she held Harry accountable that they’d never started a family. He knew the answer to the question he was about to ask. He was well aware of the pain not having children caused, but to Bess, Erich shouldn’t have a clue. “Did you want children?”

  “My husband would have been a wonderful father. Yesterday...that child...Harry would never let a toddler get out of his sight like that woman did.”

  Why hadn’t he connected these dots yesterday? When he allowed himself to think about it, he now knew the answer to the question he asked, “Is that why it affected you so much?”

  Bess stopped at the corner and waited for a car to clear the intersection before starting across the street. Only when they were on the other side did she continue. “Being deprived of something makes you see the world’s inequities a little clearer.” Her matter-of-fact tone did little to hide the jealousy that kept her words sharp as knives.

  “Children are fast. It wasn’t the mother’s fault.” No matter how true the words, Erich knew they wouldn’t change her feelings. Harry believed their lives to be full, but knew how much Bess longed for what they’d never had.

  “If she had to go just one day without, I bet she’d keep a tighter hand on that precious baby.”

  “You think Harry understood that?”

  She didn’t answer, but continued walking up the street. To resist the temptation to touch her again, he pushed his hands in his pockets and matched her stride. She continued a moment later by saying, “Family was important to Harry. His parents and siblings, mine too, he held them all dear. We used to believe we’d be blessed when the good Lord saw fit. Sometimes I wonder if he withheld his gift because our focus was so firmly placed in our work.”

  We? Even though she made it sound like they both held some responsibility, he knew better. Harry constantly drove the two of them further, always wanted more fame. Did Bess know he only wanted it to provide for her and that someday family? Erich suspected she shrouded Harry’s desires with a “we” for the benefit of the stranger she thought he was. For so many years, he’d clung to the notion they’d one day be blessed. In her mind, his drive was the sin and never experiencing the joy of children its punishment.

  Erich opened his mouth to defend Harry, but thought better of it. Any attempt to explain the feelings brewing inside him would seem cheap and insincere. He wanted to comfort her, but she already refused his touch once. Still, he couldn’t let her grief lay there open between them and not say anything. “I know I’ve just met you, but I think you’d have been a wonderful mother.”

  A soft smile played across her face. Why did those words from a stranger mean so much? Having touched something, he continued. “There are mysteries and pains to the world that cannot be explained. I’m so sorry you had to endure even one.”

  She nodded in his direction and looked away. Even so, he caught a peek of her eyes, shiny with tears. He wanted to kiss them away, but if she’d gotten so angry at the offer of his elbow, she’d throttle him for even trying.

  He’d pushed enough, maybe said too much. Getting Bess to trust him was going to mean walking a fine line, just like the tightrope he’d learned to master at a young age. It would just take time and patience, but he’d overcome this too, even though his time was limited.

  They paused at the end of the drive, and she motioned to the house. “See what I mean?”

  He’d noticed the previous night major maintenance had been ignored, but things look different at dusk. Zeroing in with a focused eye in full daylight, he was seeing the true extent for the first time. The lawn was overgrown. One of the shutters hung by a single bolt. Some shingles were missing from the roof. The wood siding could stand to be painted and, the bushes were overgrown. “You didn’t exaggerate.”

  “Mr. Houdini knew who to hire to care for such things. I’ve had people offer their services, but it’s difficult to decipher who means well and who only wishes for a piece of his legacy. And then there are those who will either charge too much or do shoddy work.”

  “So, why do you trust me? You barely know me.”

  “Observation. You work hard, and you have integrity. In a crisis, you do the right thing.” She paused and closed her eyes, stepping from him as if she needed to hide from her words.

  His integrity? It was a start, and one he’d cling to. He only had thirty days — no, twenty-nine — to get close enough to convince her to call off the séance. Not as easy of a task as he’d first thought. She’d embraced the notion Harry could escape any confine, even death, and part of her believed he’d deliver the message to her this Halloween.

  Her already broken heart would shatter if he didn’t. Convincing her to abandon this search for Harry’s ghost would mean letting the legend rest in peace. Failing to change her mind would keep the Houdini name untarnished — with her in control of the séances, no one could untruthfully claim to speak to his ghost — but it would keep her pleading for an answer that would never come. Could he sacrifice what Harry had spent his whole life working for, a fame that never faded, or was the quest Jaden gave him doomed to fail? What once seemed like a crisp, clean decision was now blurred by love and conviction.

  Erich knew the first step to gaining Bess’s trust was to complete her
list of chores. She’d assigned them as a test of his true spirit, and he had no intention of failing. Once he won her favor, he could turn his sights to the séance. His mind set, he made his way up the cobblestone walk to the shed.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get a ladder. I thought I’d begin with the broken shutter before it’s torn completely from the hinges. Then, if there’s still daylight, I’ll start trimming the lawn.”

  “Where do you think the ladder is?”

  He cursed internally. He’d have to remember not to make himself too much at home, even if it was his house. “I don’t think you keep it in the kitchen. The shed seemed probable.”

  Bess took her measure of him. She’d asked him to come here, but he could hear hesitation in her voice and see uncertainty in her eyes. “Of course. But can you handle the ladder and the shutter?”

  “I accepted your offer, didn’t I?”

  She circled her fingers over her own stomach. “But your incision. I didn’t know you’d had surgery.”

  “I’m fine, Bess. The tumble in the street broke a stitch, but I’m all right.” Had his voice sounded convincing? He didn’t feel the words, but what could he say? Any admittance of pain might cause her to change her mind, and he needed to stay. He’d made progress. There was no way he’d let some minor aches unravel it.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am.”

  She nodded once, accepting his assurance, though he could still see reservation in her eyes. “I’ll start dinner. Come eat when you’ve finished the shutter.”

  Now to live up to his word and complete the repair without further injuring himself. On their walk home, he’d learned that Bess had lingering doubts and resentment from her life with Harry, or maybe she was angry he’d left her to live alone. Regardless, Erich wouldn’t let her down the same way.