The question was enough to have Maddie snapping open her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.” The question completely threw her. “I’m on the pill.”
“I know but ... I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the pill isn’t always effective.”
“It is if you take it correctly, which I do. Every single day at nine o’clock, right after I brush my teeth, I take my pill. I was a nurse, Nicky. I know how to make sure I don’t get pregnant.”
He studied her face for a long beat. “You know, if you were pregnant, it would be okay.”
She blankly stared at him for so long he thought she hadn’t heard him. When she finally spoke, it was a relief. “I know that, Nicky.” She laced her fingers through his. “I can’t wait to have kids with you. We agreed that we were going to enjoy married life for a bit before we added to our family, though.”
“You can’t plan everything, Mad. Sometimes things just happen. If that were to happen to us, it would be more than okay. We’re ready to be parents. In fact, I think you’re going to be the best mother this world has ever seen. You’re already the best wife.”
“Oh, geez.” She shook her head and shot him a rueful smile. “You really are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I happen to feel the same way about you. That’s why you’re going to the doctor when we get back, whether you like it or not.”
“Fine.” She knew when she was defeated. “He’s going to tell you nothing is wrong with me, though.”
“He might tell me you’re pregnant, though.”
“He won’t.”
“I think he might.”
“Well, he won’t.” She turned back to the business at hand. “Did you check on Granny?”
He nodded. The more he thought about the pregnancy possibility, the more he embraced it. For now, though, he decided to let it go. Maddie had enough on her plate. “She left a note with the front desk for us. She’s already out at Casper Creek.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “Why?”
“I don’t know. She just said she had business to attend to.”
Maddie made a tsking sound with her tongue. “Those poor people.”
“Better them than us.”
“Yeah, I’m right there with you.”
MADDIE AND NICK WERE THE FIRST ONES up the mountain — well, other than Maude — and they were expecting a quiet town. Instead, Cooper, Boone, Hannah, Tyler, and Maude all stood in front of a storage building ... and they didn’t look happy.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked, tightening his grip on Maddie’s hand and tugging her so she had no choice but to keep up as he closed the distance. “Nobody else was killed, were they?”
Cooper shook his head, his eyes moving immediately to Maddie. She looked tired, and maybe a little pale. “Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine,” Maddie answered hurriedly. “I just had a rough morning. Too much caffeine yesterday. I guess my husband was right. I should’ve been cut off from the cappuccino about three drinks sooner.”
Cooper stared at her a beat longer and then shifted his attention to Nick. “We’re not quite sure what happened, but when Hannah went to the shed to get a uniform for Maude, she found it had been broken into.”
“The lock was broken and everything,” Hannah lamented. “I knew something was wrong the second I got here because the door was open. We never leave the storage room and shed doors open up here because snakes get in.”
Maddie wrinkled her nose and immediately looked at the ground.
Nick chuckled as he slid his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Mad. I won’t let any snakes get you.”
“That’s not what I was thinking,” Maddie replied hurriedly. “I mean ... that’s mostly not what I was thinking.” She paused for a beat and chewed on her bottom lip. “The snakes aren’t lethal, are they?”
“The rattlers are venomous, but they pretty much avoid town,” Cooper replied. “They prefer sunning themselves, although when it gets cold at night they sometimes slither into the sheds. We generally don’t have problems with them.”
“What about petty vandals?” Nick queried. “Do you have problems with local kids coming up here for some excitement? I would think this place would be quite the draw for teenagers looking to party.”
“In theory, that’s true,” Boone said. “In practice, though ... it’s just not that easy to get up the mountain. The kids would have to drive twenty minutes out of their way to hit the lot. Tyler and Hannah live up here full time. Heck, Cooper basically lives up here now, too. There’s no way for kids to party in this town without anyone being aware.”
“What about the lift?” Maddie pressed. “I would think that would draw kids, too.”
“It definitely would but it’s shut down every night. The controls are locked up. I mean ... I guess they could try to break in but that’s a lot of work.”
“Right.” Maddie absently scratched her cheek. “Do we think the break-in has anything to do with Velma’s death?”
“It would be one heckuva coincidence if the two crimes weren’t connected,” Cooper answered. “We simply don’t know, though. We were just about to search the shed and see if anything is missing but ... we just don’t know.”
“I’ll help you search,” Nick offered. “Maddie should go to the saloon and rest, though. She was sick this morning.”
Maddie glared at him. “I told you I was fine.”
“And I want you to stay fine.” Nick’s tone was no-nonsense. “You brought a Vernors with you. Just ... drink that and if you can make it another hour without throwing up again, I’ll ease up.”
“Fine.” Annoyance flashed across Maddie’s face, but it dissipated quickly when she remembered something Cooper had said moments before. “Wait ... did you say you were getting a uniform for Granny?”
Hannah nodded. “She wants to tend bar today. I didn’t see the harm in it. I thought she might be a hoot.”
Maddie’s eyes automatically went to Hannah’s uniform, which showed off a lot of cleavage. She swallowed hard. “Is she going to wear that?”
Hannah grinned and nodded. “Yeah, and I can’t wait to see how she looks.”
Maddie was horrified. “This really is turning into a nightmare of a trip.”
14
Fourteen
They searched the storage building from top to bottom and came up empty. Hannah even pulled out an inventory list, but it was impossible to tell if anything was missing.
“Maybe we’re looking at it wrong,” Boone noted as he sat down at one of the saloon tables to enjoy the breakfast Tyler had run out to collect. “Maybe it wasn’t our killer but someone else.”
“For what reason?” Cooper queried, pouring syrup over his pancakes. He kept shaking his head at Jinx, who was resting with his head on the security chief’s knee in an attempt to beg food. “I’m pretty sure you’ve already been fed.”
“He doesn’t care,” Hannah noted, grinning when she saw what the dog was doing. “He could eat five breakfasts, couldn’t you, Jinx?”
As if to show he understood the question, the dog thumped his tail and turned back to Cooper. He almost looked to be grinning.
“Ignore them, Jinx,” Tyler admonished. “I got you a breakfast all your own.” Tyler removed a takeout container that was located at the bottom of the bag and opened it, revealing sausage links and scrambled eggs. “Merry Christmas,” he enthused to the dog as he upended the food in the bowl Hannah kept behind the bar.
“Look at what a good boy he is,” Boone offered, grinning as the dog excitedly pranced behind Tyler. “He’s the best boy in the world.”
Cooper made a face. “Let’s not fill his head with lies.”
Boone’s gaze was dark. “Don’t tell me you’re not a fan of dogs. I’ve seen you with Jinx. You’re good with him.”
“I happen to love Jinx.” Cooper aimed a smile directly at Hannah. “He’s a great dog.”
“But?” Boone prodded.
&
nbsp; “But I’m convinced that he hates me,” Cooper admitted, causing Nick and Maddie to snap their heads in his direction.
“You think the dog hates you?” Nick queried as he carefully dumped scrambled eggs and hash browns on Maddie’s plate. She’d made a big show of waving off the food, which meant he was even more determined than ever to feed her.
“He does hate me,” Cooper argued. “I’m not imagining it. He gives me dirty looks at night when we crawl into bed. I swear he wants to smother me in my sleep.”
Hannah chuckled at Cooper’s overwrought description. “I think you’re exaggerating just a bit.”
“I’m not.” Cooper was firm. “He absolutely hates me.”
As if to prove Cooper’s point, Jinx picked that moment to look up from his breakfast. He wagged his tail at Hannah, Tyler, and Boone before going completely still as he regarded Cooper. “See,” Cooper intoned. “He thinks I’m stealing Hannah from him.”
“I think you’re exaggerating,” Boone countered automatically, although his gaze was intense as he regarded the dog. “He just picks up on the fact that you’re nervous around him.”
“I wasn’t nervous until he tried killing me,” Cooper grumbled. “He cuts in front of me just as I’m going down the steps because he wants to trip me.”
Hannah laughed delightedly as she shook her head. “He’s not trying to kill you. He just likes being the first one on the street in the morning because then he can investigate all the smells without anyone else ruining them.”
“Uh-huh.” Cooper didn’t look convinced. “And what about the way he glares at me at night? Are you saying he doesn’t want to lay directly over my face and cut off my airway?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Hannah was calm as she regarded him. “It’s not that he thinks you’re stealing me from him. It’s that he thinks you’re stealing his place in the bed. I don’t know if you realize this, but before you came along he was the one who slept with his head on that pillow.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s hard to miss all that dog hair,” Cooper muttered, his eyes drifting back to Jinx. He was thoughtful. “Are you saying if I figure out a way for all of us to regularly fit in that bed together that he’ll like me again? I mean ... he was all over me when we first started dating. Once the overnight visits kicked into high gear, though, he started plotting his revenge.”
“I think you’re reading too much into it,” Hannah teased. “He’s fine. Aren’t you, boy?”
Jinx thumped his tail against the bar in response.
“I’m still going to figure something out,” Cooper muttered. He stared at the dog a beat longer and then flicked his eyes to Nick, who was continuously prodding Maddie to eat something. “Do you guys have a dog?”
“No,” Nick replied, shaking his head.
“We have Granny,” Maddie offered, making a face. “Nicky, I don’t know if I should eat so soon after getting sick this morning. Maybe I should just wait.”
“You need your strength.” Nick was adamant. “The hash browns and eggs are bland, Mad. You should be fine.”
“Or I can just have tea and see how I feel when lunchtime swings around,” Maddie argued.
“I think that’s too long to go without food.” Nick refused to back down. “Think of it this way, Mad, the baby needs the nourishment.”
All chatter at the table ceased and a multitude of eyes flew in Maddie’s direction. For her part, the blond psychic was mortified that Nick had so brazenly uttered the words.
“Are you pregnant?” Hannah asked, her eyes roaming Maddie’s slim body. “You don’t look pregnant.”
“Definitely not,” Cooper agreed.
Hannah elbowed his stomach. “Why are you checking out her body?”
It was only then that Cooper realized his words could be misconstrued the wrong way. “I wasn’t checking her out. I was just ... hey!” He extended a finger in Hannah’s direction. “I’m a trained observer. I wasn’t looking at her in an inappropriate way and I don’t like it being suggested otherwise.”
“Uh-huh.” Hannah rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips tilted up as she focused her full attention on Maddie. “I didn’t realize you were pregnant. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not pregnant,” Maddie replied hurriedly. “I swear I’m not. Nick has gotten it in his head that I am, though.”
“You’re not pregnant?” Hannah’s forehead wrinkled. “Why is Nick telling people you’re pregnant if you’re not?”
“Because he’s crazy.” Maddie pinned her husband with a dark look. “He just started this nonsense this morning when I wasn’t feeling well. I tried telling him it was impossible, but would he listen? Nope.”
Hannah glanced between the conflicted couple. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Nick’s worry was real. If he thought Maddie was pregnant, perhaps there was a possibility it was true. “I’m not an expert or anything, but he must have a reason for thinking that.”
“I do.” Nick bobbed his head. “She’s been sick multiple times over the past few weeks. The bouts come really fast and then are gone just as fast. That indicates it’s not a bug and there’s no way she got food poisoning so many times over the course of several weeks.
“Then, last night, when we got back to the hotel room she was complaining that her back and feet hurt,” he continued. “When my sister was pregnant with my niece, her feet ballooned into these weird sausage-like things. That’s what she actually said, that it was like walking on sausages.”
“That seems like conclusive evidence to me,” Cooper noted. “Congratulations.”
Maddie scorched him with a dark look. “I’m not pregnant. Stop saying that.” Her voice was shriller than she intended, but she couldn’t stop herself from panicking. They weren’t ready. They’d only been married a few months. They planned on waiting to start their family. “I’m on the pill.”
“My wife was on the pill when my daughter was conceived,” Boone noted. “Lindsey was a surprise, but it all turned out in the end. I wouldn’t worry about it. I think you guys are going to be wonderful parents.”
“See.” Nick’s grin was broad as he turned his full attention to Maddie. “It’s a little sooner than we planned, but we’re going to be good at it. You need to keep up your strength so we can plan, though.”
“Nicky.” Maddie’s voice was low and full of warning.
Her husband barreled forward as if he hadn’t heard her, though. “I know you can’t really control it, but I think we should start out with a boy first. That way he can protect a little sister when perverts start sniffing around when she’s a teenager.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open as her temper flared hot and fast. “I’m not pregnant!” She practically bellowed the words at the same time the swinging doors opened to allow Jackie, Danielle, and Maude entrance. The two witches had helped the older woman change into her bartending uniform and the trio looked to be having a great time as they laughed and cavorted. All that changed as Maddie’s words washed over the room.
“You’re pregnant?” Maude, whose outfit was just as low-cut as Hannah’s normal uniform, straightened. “You can’t be pregnant. I’m too young to be a grandmother.”
Maddie was incredulous. “You’re my grandmother.”
“Yes, but I mean a great-grandmother. What will people say?”
Maddie dropped her head into her hands. “This is so stupid.”
Nick patted her shoulder in a soothing manner. “You’ll feel better after you have some breakfast. We need to make plans for the day anyway. Just for the record, I’m not allowing you to leave this saloon until you eat your eggs and hash browns. It’s simply not going to happen.”
“This is unbelievable,” Maddie muttered.
“You’re telling me,” Maude complained. “I’m too young to be a great-grandmother, Maddie. You’re totally ruining my life.”
SINCE SHE THOUGHT MADDIE NEEDED IT, Hannah suggested a walk to cool down. Nick didn’t seem happy with the suggestio
n, but Cooper wisely waylaid him with a reminder that it was the last day of the event, which meant they had limited time to track down a killer. Since they were serving as a team, that meant they had to start working things out sooner rather than later. So, with a forlorn wave that actually made Maddie feel guilty, Nick sent them off.
Hannah waited until they were on the other side of the hill that led out of town to ask the obvious question. “Are you absolutely certain you’re not pregnant?”
If looks could kill, Hannah would’ve dropped dead where she stood. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” Hannah refused to be drawn into an unnecessary fight. “I’m just curious.”
“Well, I’m not pregnant.”
“Fair enough.” Hannah held up her hands to signify surrender and the two women walked a short distance in absolute silence. Because she was who she was, Hannah couldn’t stop herself from pressing further. “It’s just that you don’t strike me as the sort of person who would fly off the handle over a simple question unless, maybe, hormones are an issue.”
“I’m not pregnant,” Maddie practically screeched. “Nick is making a mountain out of a teeny-tiny anthill.”
“I think you mean molehill.”
“I said what I said.”
Despite the serious situation they found themselves mired in — apparently on more than one front — Hannah couldn’t contain her smile. “Nick seems okay with the possibility, so if you’re worried about that ... .”
“I’m not worried about that,” Maddie muttered, scuffing her shoe against the ground. “It’s just ... we had plans. We wanted to be married two years before we added kids to the mix. We thought it was best that we have that time alone. You know, to bond.”
Hannah’s eyebrows hopped in amusement. “I don’t want to tell you your business, but I’m pretty sure you guys are just about as bonded as two people can get. It’s not as if you don’t know one another. You grew up together, for crying out loud. You’ve known each other since kindergarten, right? How much more bonded do you expect to get?”
True Grit Spirit: A Maddie Graves and Hannah Hickok Mystery Page 14