by Laura Scott
“I won’t implicate you in any way, George, I promise. Take care of yourself.”
George simply lifted his fresh glass for a drink.
As Trina slid off the barstool and walked back outside, she sighed. She was right about the fact that nothing good would come from poking into the past.
But now that she’d started down this path, it was too late to walk away. After speaking with George, she wanted to know what happened the night of Lucy’s death as much as the McNallys did.
8
Guests began to arrive at the gazebo at about three thirty as Jemma and Garth’s ceremony was scheduled to start at four in the afternoon.
But as the hour approached, there was no sign of Trina. Jeremy figured he’d looked at his watch a dozen times in less than ten minutes.
He finally caught a glimpse of a stunning redhead wearing an emerald green sleeveless dress walking toward him. His mouth went dry as he watched her approach. If he’d thought she was beautiful before, she was breathtaking now.
“Jeremy.” She gave him a nod as she reached him. “Looks like a nice crowd.”
“Yeah.” His voice was low and gravelly. He did his best to pull himself together. “You look incredible.”
“Thanks, you look nice, too. A bit warm, but nice.”
“I’m dying. It’s near eighty degrees out here.” The sun was high in the summer sky, and he could feel sweat beading along his temple. Why was it that the women got to wear less layers in the summer while the men had to wear more? It was completely illogical.
“I’ll see you after the ceremony.” Trina turned away.
“Wait. Why not sit with me?” He reached out to snag her hand to prevent her from leaving. “We’re in the first row.”
“The front row is for family,” she protested. “Besides, I’m a friend of the groom, which means I’m supposed to sit on the other side.”
“Please don’t make me sit alone. Jake is walking Jemma down the aisle. Dalton and Jazz are standing up as Best Man and Matron of Honor. Both Jesse and Jonas are ushers. I’m doing a couple of readings, but that’s it. I’d mingle, but most of the locals are strangers to me.”
She glanced at their clasped hands, then nodded. “I guess there’s no reason I can’t sit with you.”
Her less than enthusiastic response rankled, but he was pathetic enough to be grateful. “Good. We’ll take seats at the end of the row.”
“Okay.” She gently tugged her hand from his. “By the way, I spoke to George about your father’s boating incident. He pointed me in the direction of Abe Crowley.”
“Who?” He didn’t recognize the name.
“Owner of the McNally Bay Boat Rentals. But keep it quiet,” she cautioned. “George doesn’t want anyone to know he spoke to me about this.”
“Why not?” That didn’t make any sense. “It happened more than fifty years ago.”
Her brow furrowed. “Exactly, but he really didn’t want to talk about it. I pretty much had to drag the information out of him, and that’s when he told me he didn’t want to be known as the source of information.”
“That’s odd.” Jeremy noticed Garth was flagging him down, indicating they were just about ready to start. “We can talk more about this later. We’d better take our seats.”
Jeremy stood beside Trina, hyperaware of the lilac scent of her skin. He watched Jazz and Dalton come down the aisle first, followed by Trey as the ring bearer. The guys were wearing light gray tuxedos, and the girls were in peach-colored dressed. Even Trey wore a little tux and seemed to understand the importance of his role. Finally, the “Wedding March” began to play. Jake escorted Jemma down the aisle, the bride beaming with happiness, her gaze centered on her husband-to-be.
The pang of loneliness hit him again as Jemma and Garth stood on the platform of the gazebo, facing each other and holding hands. Jazz pulled the long train of Jemma’s gown out of the way, but Jemma didn’t seem to notice, her gaze focused solely on her groom. They were sweet and obviously very much in love. It made him long for someone who might look at him the same way.
He gave himself a mental shake. What was wrong with him? During Jazz and Dalton’s wedding, he’d been glad to be done with women. When Phoebe left him, there had been an initial shock and anger, but then an undeniable sense of relief that she was gone. Like the pressure being let out of a tire valve, he felt as if he could relax and be who he was instead of who she’d wanted him to be.
Besides, there was enough going on with his career, especially the pressure of his new role as managing the hospitalists, to keep him distracted. He didn’t need someone else in his life, complicating things.
Glancing at Trina, he knew she was a really big complication. But not one he wanted to run away from. No, in this case, he found himself wanting to run toward her as if begging her to complicate his life.
Nutso. He was going out of his mind.
His troublesome thoughts caused him to miss a good portion of the ceremony until it was time to do his reading. He pulled it off without a hitch, then returned to his seat. After the bride and groom exchanged heartfelt vows, the ceremony was over. Everyone clapped with enthusiasm as Garth swept Jemma into his arms for a long kiss.
“They look so happy.” Trina sighed. “I’ve never seen Garth smile so much as he has in the past few months.”
“Jemma, too. I heard she had a rough time of it when she first moved here from Bloomington, Illinois.”
“She did.” Trina’s expression turned serious. “When her son was kidnapped, we were shocked. That kind of thing just doesn’t happen in McNally Bay, or anywhere else in Clark County. Frankly, I’m glad they found each other.”
He wanted to add that he was glad to have found Trina again, too, but just then Jemma and Garth were down the aisle, and the rest of the family were exiting their seats to follow.
The evening reception went by quickly. After an hour of pictures, Jeremy was able to shed his gray jacket and roll up his sleeves in deference to the heat. The nice breeze coming in off the lake helped, too. Servers passed around appetizers, along with glasses of champagne or sparkling grape juice. Everyone mingled and gushed over how well the McNally B&B was doing as far as bringing in tourists, especially now that there were so many gazebo weddings taking place. The B&B was full every weekend through September either with weddings or family reunions.
“Rosie’s Flower Shop has doubled their business this year compared to last summer,” Mrs. Cromwell said. “And it’s all because of the McNally wedding package.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Jeremy was only half listening, his attention centered on Trina who was laughing at something Jake was saying.
Jealousy burned low in is belly. “Excuse me, Mrs. Cromwell.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond but moved toward his older brother. If Jake thought he could swoop in and steal Trina out from underneath Jeremy’s nose, he was dead wrong.
“Hi, Jeremy. I was just hearing all about Jake’s trip to Monte Carlo during the Formula One race. Did you hear how he damaged a fifty-thousand-dollar car? And the owner didn’t even get upset with him?”
“Only because he had a much more expensive car to play with,” Jake pointed out helpfully. “If not for that, he may have gotten a little ticked.”
“No, I hadn’t heard about that adventure, but Jake tends to run into trouble everywhere he goes.” He tried not to sound as jealous as he felt. “Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t run into any issues in Dublin.”
“Who says I haven’t?” Jake countered.
Jeremy leveled him a stern glare, warning him to back off from Trina. “Really? What’s the latest?”
“Never mind, my life is boring.” Jake took a sip of his drink and scanned the crowd. “By the way, I need a ride to the airport tomorrow.”
His previous annoyance with his brother faded. “So soon? Who flies from Dublin to Michigan and back again in twenty-four hours?”
“I have to get my things and look for my next desti
nation.” Jake shrugged as if he couldn’t wait to leave the wedding reception. “I couldn’t say no to Jemma, but my role as surrogate father is over. I’ve escorted both Jazz and Jemma down the aisle, and now that they’re happily married off, I’m anxious to get out of here. There’s a flight from Kalamazoo to Chicago at one p.m., and from there I’ll find something to Dublin.”
Jeremy frowned. “We loved spending summers here as kids, remember? Why not stick around, relax a bit?”
Jake shrugged. “It’s not my thing. Excuse me.” He drifted off to where Dalton stood with Jazz.
“He seems, I don’t know, uncomfortable here.” Trina looked at him curiously. “I remember you being here ten years ago, but I don’t remember ever meeting Jake.”
“Jake didn’t come back that year.” Now that he thought about it, Jake hadn’t come back until this summer and then only for Jazz’s wedding. “He has a restless soul.”
“Seems odd that he doesn’t have the same family ties as the rest of you do.”
Trina’s observation had him raising his eyebrows. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Well, as a cop I’ve learned to read people pretty well. Was he always such a loner?”
“We were closer when we were young, then our careers got in the way.” While her observations were dead-on, Jeremy really didn’t want to talk about his brother. “Did you get enough to eat? There’s more food inside.”
“I’m fine.” Trina looked out at the lake. “It must be so nice to wake up to this view every day.”
“I have to agree. Lansing is a great city, but located in the center of the state, the scenery isn’t as nice as this.” He paused, then added, “Would you like to walk along the lake for a bit?”
She glanced down at her heels as if debating the wisdom, then nodded. She kicked her strappy sandals off and picked them up. “Ahh, much better. Those things were killing my feet. Let’s go.”
He took the sandals from her hand, then cupped her elbow as they crossed the lawn. The closer they got to the lakefront, the less they could hear the chatter from the reception.
“This is nice.” Trina gazed at the water with a hint of longing. A sailboat bobbed along the waves, the wind carrying it slowly back to shore. She waved at it. “I used to dream about learning how to sail.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She sighed. “Steve needed a lot of help over the years, and once he was gone, I lost interest.”
“You can’t stop living your life because of Steve’s addiction.”
“Easy to say.” She sent him a sidelong glance. “Steve’s death changed me. I see things differently now.”
“Do you think that’s what Steve would have wanted?” He wasn’t sure why he was troubled by her single-minded focus on the meth lab. “If he were here, I’m sure he’d tell you to relax and learn to sail.”
She lifted a shoulder, not taking her gaze from the lake. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
He looked at Trina, finding her far more fascinating than the lake. He dropped her sandals, then took her hands in his. “Steve loved you, Trina. Please don’t stop living your life because of his death.”
Her dark eyes were troubled as she turned to face him. “I miss him so much. Not the addict, but the man he was.” She swallowed hard. “To be honest, I grew to detest the addict. The man who took no responsibility for staying clean. The man who stole from me so he could get more drugs. The man who constantly whined about how unfair life was treating him.”
To his horror, her eyes filled with tears. He pulled her close, cradling her against him. “Trina, please don’t do this to yourself.”
She buried her face in his chest. “There were times I hated him. Do you understand that? I hated him, and my first thought when he was found dead was relief that I wouldn’t have to keep dealing with him. Relief! What kind of sister am I?”
“A good one,” he assured her. He kissed her temple and hugged her tight. “Addicts know how to manipulate people, twisting things to their advantage. Truthfully, it’s part of their illness.”
Trina’s arms snaked up around his neck, holding on tight. “I haven’t been able to let go of the guilt,” she admitted in a muffled tone. “Steve’s been gone for six years, and I haven’t been able to get over feeling guilty that his death was somehow my fault. That I didn’t do enough for him. That maybe if I’d handled things differently, he’d still be alive today.”
He ached for her and wished there was something more he could do to help. He’d taken care of many addicts during the past few months in his new hospitalist role, and he’d learned that while there were some great programs out there, the resources were scarce, and all too often patients with addiction relapsed more than not.
He continued to hold Trina close, stroking his hand down her back in a soothing gesture. She felt wonderful in his arms, and he could have held her there forever. But after a few minutes, she stirred and pulled away just enough to look up at him.
“Thanks, Jeremy.”
He cupped her cheek with one hand, reveling in the softness of her skin. “You can lean on me anytime, Trina.”
A smile tipped the corners of her mouth, then she surprised him by drawing his head down so she could kiss him.
Their lips clung, then meshed with desire. The embrace turned electric, and he couldn’t help deepening the kiss, enjoying her sweetness.
It was so much better than anything he’d ever imagined. He crushed her close and lost himself in the embrace.
It was only when they needed to breathe that they broke apart, but even then he didn’t let her go. Trina gazed up at him with a bemused expression in her eyes, then gently pulled away.
“Wow. That was . . .” she didn’t finish.
“Incredible,” he offered helpfully.
“Amazing.” Her smile faded. “But I need to go. I have to work in the morning.”
He wanted to protest, but he knew that if the situation were reversed, he’d want to be well rested for work, too. He sensed that asking her stay home and rest would be useless. “Okay.” He bent to retrieve her sandals. “I’ll walk you back.”
She didn’t say much as they made their way back to the reception. Someone had music playing from their phone. Jemma and Garth were swaying together in the gazebo, gazing deep into each other’s eyes.
Within moments, the song ended with a burst of applause. Garth took Jemma’s hand, and they came down from the gazebo as another song started up.
Trina stepped up to Garth. “Beautiful ceremony. I hope you’ll both be very happy together.”
“You’re leaving?” Garth gave Trina a quick hug. “Thanks for coming. And for working for me tomorrow.”
“No problem.” Trina gave Jemma a brief hug, too, then turned toward the house. He escorted her through the living space and waited while she put her sandals back on.
When they reached her egg-shaped Prius, he found he couldn’t let her go. “Trina, will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“Oh, uh, well, sure.” The way she stumbled over her response bothered him. “I’d like that, but you need to know that I may not get off work on time. The weekends around here can get crazy. It’s not like I punch a clock.”
“That’s fine, I’m willing to be flexible.” He pulled out his phone. “Will you give me your number?”
This time she didn’t hesitate but offered the information as he punched the numbers into his phone.
“Good night, Jeremy.” She leaned up to brush a chaste kiss on his cheek.
“Good night.” He wanted to kiss her again, but he knew rushing her wouldn’t help.
He didn’t head back inside until he couldn’t see her taillights any longer. And as he joined the party, he wondered if there was a way he could continue seeing Trina despite the hundred miles that separated them.
Trina pulled out onto Highway ZZ, trying to ignore the impact of Jeremy’s kiss. Her entire body felt warm and flushed as if she’d been immersed in a hot tub.
The urge to stay longer at the party, to spend more time with Jeremy was impossible to ignore. How had things gotten this far between them? He’d been so sweet, so supportive as she’d confessed her darkest secrets around Steve’s death, that she hadn’t wanted to let him go.
But Jeremy wasn’t hers to hold on to. Maybe he’d stay until Monday, but then he’d head back to Lansing, leaving her here in McNally Bay.
It wasn’t just the distance, but her personal mission. She could likely get a job in Lansing, or any other city for that matter. Her career was the one area in which she excelled. But she couldn’t leave McNally Bay, not when her goal was to eliminate the meth labs.
Logically, she knew drugs were everywhere. Lansing no doubt had them, too. If she wanted to relocate, the current Sheriff, Ed Donnelly, would give her a good reference. Yet she couldn’t find it in her to leave.
Donnelly had initially supported her idea of developing a K-9 cop program, but then had nixed it because of the lack of funding. Jeremy’s idea of getting the community involved was a good one, and she decided to work up the idea with more detail on her downtime.
The idea of becoming a K-9 cop filled her with anticipation.
She was so lost in her thoughts, she missed the turnoff leading into town. Mentally rolling her eyes at her idiocy, she went several more miles and found a good spot where she could turn around.
As she picked up speed, a pair of headlights blinded her from behind. She flipped her rearview mirror to minimize the glare. The driver didn’t turn off the high beams and also didn’t appear to slow down. The lights grew bigger and brighter at a rapid pace.
Instinctively, she pressed on the gas, increasing her speed. She felt certain the driver would slow down, he or she had to see her.
The lights came dangerously close, higher than hers like those from a large truck. In a heartbeat, she knew this was no accident. The driver was coming at her on purpose!
Her car lurched with a jarring thud as the car struck hers from behind. She did her best to keep the Toyota on the road, pulling off to the side in a vain hope the vehicle would pass by, but then she was struck a second time, with more force.