After changing into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, I slapped a couple of ham sandwiches together and carried my plate and a glass of tea to the bench in front of the barn. For someone who didn’t normally have much of an appetite, I was amazingly starved. It didn’t help that I could smell the mouth-watering scent of pork chops drifting from the house.
Finding a spot in the sunshine, I closed my eyes and pictured the supper being prepared. Fried potatoes and probably greens, I decided. With a sigh, I opened my eyes and took a bite from my own supper. I hadn’t felt welcome in the house since I’d left Hugh, especially not when Mama was there, like she was this evening.
The newest batch of kittens swarmed around my feet. They hadn’t learned the cool disdain of their elders yet, and begged pitifully for food, their tiny eyes nearly crossing with the effort they put into their cries. Needless to say, they wound up polishing off my second sandwich. I always had been a sucker for the underdog, or in this case, the undercat.
“Looks like it’s just you and me, fellows,” I told them, tearing the sandwich into bite-sized pieces they could handle, and making sure it was distributed equitably.
While miniature growls and paw-slapping erupted around me, I picked up my tea and stared toward the twenty acres Nick was buying. Curiosity was killing me, but hell would freeze over before I’d go over there. Apparently, the hammering yesterday had been due to driving in stakes that laid out the foundation of the house, and I could see small mounds of dirt that indicated the footing had been dug sometime today.
Nick certainly wasn’t wasting any time. And what made it even worse, he’d chosen the exact spot for the house that I would have. When finished, the house would be surrounded by trees. The huge mimosa I’d climbed as a child would be situated near the back porch, allowing the fragrance from its pink hula-skirt blooms to wash over anyone who sat there during the summer.
If he’d planned for years, he couldn’t have come up with a better way to drive his betrayal home. He was building my house, in my spot, and he was building it for Lindsey. The very thought made me so sick I was glad I hadn’t eaten that second sandwich.
I looked around hopefully when I heard the back door of the house close, but it was only Daddy. Taking a sip of tea, I leaned my head back against the barn wall and watched him approach. He sat beside me, dodging cats, and stretched his long legs out in front of him. A kitten promptly began crawling upward, using him for a ladder. Why couldn’t I have inherited his height, I thought irritably. Being short, with everything out of reach, was a pain in the rear.
“You look tired,” he said.
“Not really. The sun is making me sleepy.”
“Why don’t you come to the house and have supper with us?”
The kitten reached his knee and I scooped it up, cuddling it close, feeling it vibrate against me as it purred. “I can’t, Daddy.”
“Alix, cutting yourself off isn’t going to help. Your mother loves you.”
“Does she?” I turned my head to look at him. “I haven’t seen much sign of it lately. All she cares about is her status, about how people will treat her now that I’ve left Hugh. It doesn’t matter to her that I was miserable being married to him.”
“Have you told her that?”
“No. The only thing she wants me to say is that I’m going back to Hugh.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Talking works both ways, Alix. You have to give her a chance to understand. Right now, all she’s hearing is Helena’s side of the story, and the woman has your mother fit to be tied. She’s just about convinced Ellie that you need therapy, that you’re suffering from depression and once you get help things will go back to the way they were.” He hesitated. “That episode today isn’t going to help matters any.”
“Episode?” I arched a brow at him.
“Kenny called. It seems you scared him right out of his socks, and then when you didn’t answer the phone, he really got worried. He’s never seen you blow up at a customer before.”
“Christ.” My head started to pound. “The whole family knows?”
“Alix, half the town witnessed it first hand. Everyone knows. They probably already have a couple more betting pools going by now.” He grinned. “You’re getting rather notorious lately.”
This was going from bad to worse. “And what is so humorous about that?”
“Honestly?” He chuckled. “I’m thrilled something finally happened to shake you up a bit. If it took Nick coming back, then I’m grateful to him.”
“So you think I’m depressed, too?”
“Depressed, no.” His smile faded as he studied me. “But for a long time now I’ve watched you slowly shut your emotions away where no one can touch them. It’s not healthy, Alix, and I admit it’s worried me more than a little. That stunt you pulled today gives me hope. Anger is an honest emotion and you showed it in spades. Maybe you’re finally starting to come to life again.”
Jenna called me a robot, Mama thought I need a shrink, then Daddy got all proud because I made a fool of myself. I needed some aspirin.
He glanced toward the house, then got to his feet. “There’s one more thing you should probably know. I’ve heard some rumors that a few people aren’t happy about Nick being back. They don’t like having a murderer running loose.”
I may have convinced myself that I hated Nick, but that didn’t mean I wanted lies spread about him. “That’s silly. It was self-defense. Nick is no more a murderer than I am.”
“I know. But the town has a long memory, and gossips don’t discriminate in their choice of victims. You should know that better than most.”
“Well, even if it’s true, there’s not much I can do about it. I can’t even get them to stop talking about me.”
He nodded. “That’s because you’re still a Morgan, the closest thing to royalty this town has, and that makes you fair game. It’s different with Nick. Some of what I’ve heard is just plain vicious. Think about it, Sweetheart.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I better get to the house before your mother sends the troops after me. The girls are in the midst of planning a trip.”
“To where?”
“Hardy. I’ve been nominated to take them Friday morning so they can spend the weekend buying out the craft stores. We’ll probably stay with your Uncle Vern, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the Judge.”
Uncle Vern had moved to Hardy after he’d retired. He said his social security check went further there, and he could spend his time hunting and fishing.
“I will.” I didn’t add that as little three months ago, it would have been a given that I’d go along with them. I loved Hardy, an old town on Spring River, in the Ozark foothills, that catered to tourists. Its single main street was lined with ancient buildings that now held craft shops of every shape and variety. Camping and canoeing on the river was also a big draw.
A dull ache settled around my heart as I watched my father walk away. I’d never felt so lonely in my life, so alienated from the women in my family. It was as if the supports had been knocked out from under me, leaving me teetering on the edge of a void I hadn’t known was there. I had Jenna, of course, but it wasn’t the same, and she had her own busy life to lead. Mentally, I made a note to do something to thank her, maybe send her a nice bunch of flowers.
I looked down at the black and white kitten sprawled across my arm, sound asleep, and thought about what my father had said. I knew exactly what he’d implied. I may have left Hugh, but the town still regarded me as a Morgan. Plus I was the owner of Southern Supply, a store quite a few people made their living from. A few well-chosen words from me in the right places could probably stop, or at least slow, the gossip about Nick.
Depositing the limp kitten on the bench, I went back into my room. I didn’t know what to do. If it had only been Nick and Lindsey, I wouldn’t give a flip what people were saying. They were adults, they should be able to handle it the same way I did. But there was also Daniel, and I couldn’t bring myself to hate him, even though that small, mean spirit that lives in all of us wanted me to, kept whispering that he was the product of Nick’s betrayal. And yet the saner, rational part of me knew that none of what had happened was the boy’s fault. Plus, he looked too much like Katie for me to ignore.
There was one thing I could do, and that was talk to Cody. As the sheriff, he would know if anything could be done legally to Nick, and he knew when to keep his mouth shut. At least that would tell me what I’d be up against and give me a few more days to think about it.
But deep down, I already knew. I couldn’t let Daniel be treated the same way Nick had been treated growing up. He was Katie’s brother, and even though I’d only discovered his existence a few hours ago, in my heart, I felt getting to know him would somehow bring me closer to her. If that meant saving Nick from the good people of Morganville in the process, so be it. In a strange way, we’d come full circle and were right back where we’d started. The thought didn’t thrill me.
God, how did I get myself into these messes? I thought, taking the aspirin bottle out of the medicine cabinet.
#
Cody looked at me inquiringly from across my desk as I handed him a cup of coffee. I had to admit, he’d turned out pretty darn good. He’d even lost his northern accent, speaking now like a native born son.
Why he’d never married was a mystery to me. The way he looked in his uniform caused normally respectable women to act like a gaggle of giggling school girls when he walked into a room. It was disgusting, but Cody seemed to take it all in stride, never failing to be polite even while he remained uninterested. I knew he dated occasionally, but it always seemed to be women from out of town, and it never got serious.
I’d called him first thing this morning and asked him to stop by when he had a chance.
“What’s up?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.
“You know Nick Anderson is back?” I relaxed in my chair, trying to look casual.
“Sure.” He took a sip from the cup, his eyes narrowed against the steam as he watched me over the rim. Unlike Sheriff McAbee, his predecessor, Cody made it a point to know everything that went on in the county.
“And you know what happened fifteen years ago?”
“I’ve read the file.” His voice remained noncommittal.
“So, what do you think?” I waved a hand nervously in the air.
He set his cup down carefully and tipped the brim of his hat back with one finger. “You mean, does Nick have a legal right to come back?” He crossed an ankle over his knee, settling deeper into the chair. “Alix, Sheriff McAbee had no legal right to force him to leave. I haven’t seen anything that would lead me to believe Frank Anderson’s killing was anything but self-defense. If Nick had put up a fuss, there wasn’t much McAbee could have done about it. Too many people knew Frank was abusive.” He hesitated. “McAbee was from the ‘good old boy’ school of law enforcement. If he didn’t want to honor a law, he just did an end-run around it. By all rights, there should have been an arraignment. I’ve always figured the Judge twisted his arm a little that night because he didn’t want to put Nick through all that.”
That news left a bitter taste in my mouth. Had Nick known they couldn’t force him to leave and chosen to go anyway? It wouldn’t surprise me.
I took a deep breath. “Could the case be reopened? Could he be tried for murder after all this time?”
“There’s no statute of limitations on murder, so hypothetically, yes, it could be reopened. But there would have to be some pretty solid evidence for me to consider it, and I don’t see it happening. Why the sudden concern about Anderson?”
My shoulders went tensed. “I’m not concerned about him. But there’s been some talk, and I don’t want to see his son get hurt.”
“Uh huh.” He picked the coffee up and took another sip. “You and Anderson used to be pretty close.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Not that long.” He finished the coffee and stood. “Be careful, Alix. Your marriage just ended and you don’t need to rush into anything else. I’d hate to see you get hurt again. As for the talk, that’s all it is. People will forget about Nick as soon as something new comes along to gossip about.”
“Believe me. You have nothing to worry about.” I stood and came around the desk. “Heard from Casey lately?”
“Naw. But you know how he is.”
I did. Casey had gone on to law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock after college. It was there he’d met his high-priced wife, and together they’d set up a ritzy practice in our capitol city. We rarely saw him these days and suspected he had his eye on a career in politics. It seemed he was always too busy for family.
“Well, when you do, tell him hello for me.” I kissed his cheek. “And thanks for coming by.”
#
I got my first chance to make some headway on the gossip about Nick a lot faster than I’d wanted or expected, and in a way that rendered a few repercussions I hadn’t planned on.
The sky was a uniform gray when I left Southern Supply that evening, the clouds low and slow moving, and a fine rain misted my windshield as I drove through town. It wasn’t heavy enough to soak, just enough to make you feel damp and uncomfortable. I knew from experience that in a few hours fog would cover everything like a fluffy white blanket, and I decided to stop at the IGA on my way home instead of waiting.
The IGA was owned and run by Mr. and Mrs. Burgess, life-time residents of Morganville. Their prices were a bit higher than the big chain grocery stores in Jonesboro, but I’d always figured the convenience and the saving in gas made up the difference. Besides, their son, Neil, worked for me. He was a nice young man with a sweet wife and two babies, and he worked hard at his job.
The store was full of people who had the same idea I did. I ignored them for the most part, merely giving a nod and a smile when someone spoke to me. It had been a long day. I only wanted to get the items I needed, go home, take a hot shower, and curl up with a book for the evening.
There were two checkout counters, situated so close together there was barely room to walk between them. Mrs. Burgess manned one, Mr. Burgess the other. Mrs. Burgess was currently busy checking Gretchen Treece’s groceries, although it looked like they were doing more talking than checking. Since there wasn’t any way of knowing how long they’d be at it, I went to Mr. Burgess’ lane. I’d always liked him better anyway.
We exchanged perfunctory greetings as I placed the hand basket holding my items on the counter, then reached into my purse for my checkbook. Mr. Burgess’ fingers flew over the cash register keys as he tallied up my total. By the time he finished, both lines had filled up with customers waiting their turn.
Gretchen chose that moment to notice me. “Why, Alix. I swear, I haven’t seen you at the club in ages.”
No, and if I had anything to say about it, I’d never set foot in the place again. But I made myself smile. “Really?”
“I suppose you heard that Nick Anderson is back?” Her eyes were avid with curiosity. Immediately, I tensed, but before I had a chance to respond, Mrs. Burgess jumped into the conversation.
“Well, I think it’s just awful, letting a murderer run around loose like decent folk. I can promise you he won’t be doing any business here. We don’t need his money.”
Without thinking, I snatched back the check I’d handed Mr. Burgess. “Well, since you obviously don’t need any more business, I’ll just take mine elsewhere. And while I’m at it, I’ll spread the word that people should find another place shop. I know Acres will appreciate the extra business.”
Acres was a store out on the highway and the bane of Mrs. Burgess’ existence. While smaller than the IGA, they carried much the same stock and she constantly complained about the competition.
Mr. Burgess took my check back and glared at his wife. “Ain’t nobody ever been refused service in this store, and there ain’t never going to be. Do I make myself clear?”
Mrs. Burgess’ face reddened, but she kept her mouth shut, probably remembering suddenly that her son worked for me. Unfortunately, Gretchen was only getting warmed up.
“Now, Mr. Burgess, you know we have to keep a high standard for this town. If we don’t, degenerates and perverts will overrun our streets, corrupt our children. And it all starts with people of low moral standing. They’re the ones we need to keep out of Morganville.”
I swear, I don’t what hit me. Maybe it was all those years of watching Piggy throw herself at anything in pants, doing her best to make my life miserable. Whatever the reason, a fierce elation welled up inside me as I spoke.
“Oh, really?” I purred. “I wasn’t aware that Peggy was leaving town, but since we don’t allow people of low morals to live here, I guess it is for the best.”
You could have heard a pin drop, the silence behind me was so deep. I could almost feel the other customers leaning forward, ears straining to catch every word.
The blood drained from Gretchen’s face, but her nose went up in the air and she sniffed. “I don’t what you’re talking about.”
“Then allow me to enlighten you.” I braced both hands on the counter. No doubt I was a fearsome sight to behold right then, because Gretchen took a hurried step back.
“Since Peggy turned thirteen years old, every woman in this town has known to lock their husbands up when she was around. Not that it did them much good. Your daughter seems to have no qualms about climbing any man in her vicinity. Including my husband.” I lifted one hand and examined my nails casually.
“I will admit, though, she must not be that good. That was one of the shortest affairs Hugh ever had.” I lowered my hand and looked her right in the eye. “Of course, I had to divorce him after that. There was no way I could sleep with him knowing where he’d been. I’d have had to boil him first. What if he picked up some disease from her?” A shudder I didn’t have to fake ran through me.
Gretchen sputtered furiously and looked like she was ready to faint, but I had one more point to make. “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, Gretchen. You might want to remember that before you start trying to run someone out of town.”
Calmly, I picked up the bags Mr. Burgess had packed for me, then paused to let my gaze sweep the crowd. Most of the women were smiling, as if they were tempted to let loose with a spontaneous cheer. The men were a different story. The majority of them looked worried, their gazes skittering away from mine, guilt written all over their expressions. Probably wondering how much I knew, I decided. And after those looks, I knew quite a lot. In sheer numbers alone, Piggy had managed to put Liz Swanner to shame.
My adrenaline rush lasted long enough to get me home, but as soon as I put my groceries away, I collapsed on the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands. “oh, God, oh, God, oh, God,” I chanted, rocking back and forth. I couldn’t believe what I’d done. Maybe Helena was right and I really did need a shrink.
Until this evening, I’d never shared any aspect of my personal life with anyone. Now I’d told half the damn town that I knew about Hugh’s affairs. Well, if nothing else came of it, maybe they’d stop looking at me as the poor, deluded little woman who didn’t have a clue what her husband was up to.
The image of a volcano popped into my mind, one with small steam vents on its side to release the pressure, and a shaky laugh tore its way from my throat, the first honest amusement I’d felt in years. That volcano was exactly what I felt like. It was so wonderful, so freeing, to finally turn loose and say exactly what I was thinking. And while I normally wasn’t a hurtful person, if anyone had deserved it, it was Gretchen with her holier-than-thou attitude.
The problem with volcanoes, I mused, was that eventually the big explosion was going to happen no matter how much steam was let off. I was wondering what would set mine off, and who would get caught in the pyroclastic debris, when someone knocked on the door.
I had known Nick was working next door with a crew of men when I left this morning, and I’d seen him again when I’d unloaded my bags from the car this evening, but for once my mind was on other things. He was the last person I expected to find on the other side of the door, and my anger did a slow burn all over again.
“What do you want?” I blocked the threshold with my body, ignoring the fact that he could pick me and set me aside with one finger if he wanted to. I was also trying real hard not to notice how his damp black T-shirt clung to his upper body, or the way he looked in tight, faded jeans, or the way beads of moisture sparkled in his dark hair.
“Only some first aid. You don’t have to bite my head off.” He held up his right hand to show me a small puncture wound oozing blood from the base of his thumb. “I don’t have the water hooked up next door yet and I figured it needed to be cleaned out.”
His expression was suspiciously innocent. I put my hands on my hips as I glared at him. “It doesn’t look to me like you’ll risk bleeding to death if you try to make it home.”
The dimples in his cheeks deepened when he grinned. “Ah, but you see, I don’t have any bee balm at home.”
I spit out the dirtiest word I knew, one I’d never said in mixed company before, and stalked to the bathroom. The yank I gave the door of the medicine cabinet nearly tore it out of the wall. Still mumbling under my breath, I grabbed a tin of bee balm, spun, and then came to a dead stop.
Nick had closed the door behind him and now stood at my sink, washing the blood from his hand. His presence seemed to fill the room, suck the oxygen right out of it until I couldn’t breathe.
When he was through, he turned the water off and pulled a couple of paper towels from the roll before turning. Leaning his rear against the sink, he gazed around the room while he dried his hands. “It still feels like home, in spite of the changes. Same chair, same rug, same curtains—” His glance swung in my direction. “Same bed.”
Spine stiff, I thrust the tin at him. “Here. Keep it.”
Instead of taking it, he held out his hand. “Would you mind doing the honors? Kind of hard to reach with my left hand.”
Damn right I minded. I didn’t even want him in my room, much less to actually touch him. “I’m sure your wife will be happy to do it for you,” I snarled.
He didn’t even blink. His gaze stayed locked on mine like the sights from a sniper’s gun. “I don’t have a wife. I’ve never been married.”
If he thought that’s what I wanted to hear, he was dead wrong. “Oh? Well, I have to say, Nick, I didn’t think it was possible for you to drop any lower in my esteem, but you just managed it. Let me see. What was it you said?” I continued in a mocking voice. “I’ll never have a kid unless I’m married to its mother. A kid should have two parents who love it.”
His head lowered and he stared at the floor for a second. “Some things are out of our control, Alix.”
“Don’t be stupid,” I snapped. “Or is it possible you’ve still never heard of condoms? You know what those are, Nick? Some people call them rubbers. One of their functions is to prevent pregnancy. Don’t you dare stand there and tell me it was out of your control.” I was so mad I was vibrating.
“I know what they are.” He ran a hand through his hair in a gesture that was so familiar I wanted to scream. “Alix, don’t—“
For the second time that evening, someone knocked on the door, cutting off whatever Nick had been about to say. Had it only been yesterday I was bemoaning my loneliness? Right now I’d give a month’s wages if everyone would simply leave me the hell alone.
Braced for a battle, hair still on end, I grabbed the knob and pulled. Apparently I wasn’t the only one ready for a fight. I barely registered Hugh’s face before he started yelling at me.
“Have you lost your mind?” His hands fisted on his hips, and he glared at me like he’d never seen me before. Then again, maybe he hadn’t.
“There is that possibility,” I said. “I take it you heard about the events at the IGA?”
“Heard about it?” He was so agitated he hadn’t even noticed Nick. “Gretchen was so hysterical they had to sedate her to get her out of the store! Everybody in town now thinks I’m the scum of the earth. God damn it, Alix, I agreed to your divorce and now you’re trying to ruin me. Do you know what this is going to do to my reputation?”
This entire thing was turning into a slapstick comedy, and my lips twitched. Now he was worried about his reputation?
Choking on laughter, I patted his chest. “Don’t worry about it, Hugh. If your reputation is ruined, you aren’t alone. About two-thirds of the men in town are right there with you. Besides, it’s not like your affairs were a big dark secret. Even your mother knew about them.”
“I didn’t have any affairs! How can you keep accusing me? I loved you, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
My laughter died. “Oh, get a life, Hugh. I knew the first time you did it, and I knew every time after that. How could you think I wouldn’t?”
He glared at me, his eyes shooting green fire. “If you really thought I was seeing someone else, why the hell didn’t you ever say anything?”
Well, he’d asked for it, and I was in just the right mood to give it to him. “Because your other women were doing me a favor,” I said, voice low and angry. “As long as you were with them, I didn’t have to put up with you. And since I’m being honest, I might as well tell you; For someone who’s had so much practice, you suck in bed, Hugh. Do the women of the world a big favor. Take lessons!”
With that pronouncement, I slammed the door with all my strength, praying it would collide squarely with his nose. I stood there, panting like a racehorse who’d just finished the Arkansas Derby in record time, until someone cleared their throat behind me.
Oh, shit. I’d completely forgotten about Nick.
“Well, Peewee. Looks like you’ve gone from trying to catch Wowzer cats to whipping your weight in them.”
For the third time in less than an hour, I yanked the door open, then pointed with one outstretched arm. “Out! Now!”
“Okay, okay. I’m going.” He sauntered to the door, then stopped to look down at me. “But I will see you later.”
“Not if I see you first,” I growled.