by Lori Wilde
“I never took a penny from your folks for taking you in,” Aunt Jolene said proudly, “and I’ll never take a penny from you.” Her green eyes glimmered with happy tears. “You’re like a daughter to me, Gracie, and you’ve brought more joy into my life than any amount of money can buy. That’s all that matters to me.”
“But...”
“No buts.” Jolene held up one hand. “And no more talk about giving me any money. I love you, but I can take care of myself.”
“I know that,” Gracie said, wishing her aunt wasn’t so stubborn. “But if you ever change your mind...”
“I won’t, sweetie,” she said with a smile, “but I appreciate the offer. Let’s talk about Delacroix Image Consultants instead. How many employees do you have now?”
“A dozen so far, but I’ll need to add more soon.”
“That’s amazing. You’ve not only accomplished your dream, but you did it in record time.”
“It’s been a wild ride and I’ve loved every minute of it. The only thing is...” Gracie shook her head. “Forget it, my life is great.”
“Tell me,” Jolene insisted in a tone that brooked no dissent.
“Well, it’s nothing important and not the reason I came to see you today.” Gracie felt a little embarrassed to even talk about it after Merle’s visit. “It’s just that lately I’ve been feeling like something’s missing in my life. The job’s just not as challenging as it used to be.”
Aunt Jolene nodded. “Well, that makes sense.”
“It does?”
“Sure. You’re only twenty-eight years old and you’ve already accomplished the big career goal you set for yourself. In fact, you’ve exceeded it. You need a new challenge now—a new dream to pursue.”
Gracie shook her head. “I have no idea what that would be.”
“Well, you think on it and I’m sure it will come to you.” Jolene grinned. “My new dream is to air drop Merle Fry into the nearest hog manure lagoon. I just need to figure out the logistics.”
Gracie laughed. “Now, that I would like to see.”
“I’ll keep working on it,” Jolene promised as she sat down on the red-padded stool behind the counter. “So what did bring my favorite niece here on this fine May afternoon?”
“You sent me a text yesterday about a package,” Gracie reminded her.
“Oh, that’s right.” Jolene nodded. “I was surprised it was sent to my house in Hay Springs when you haven’t lived there for years.” She pulled a bulky padded envelope from underneath the counter and held it out to Gracie. “Here you go.”
Gracie took the package from her and studied the printed postage label, noting there was no return address but it had been postmarked in Houston. Curious, she ripped open the sealed flap on the package and then pulled out a videotape case.
“You ordered a VHS tape?” Aunt Jolene’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “I didn’t know you even had a VCR anymore. I have a whole raft of vintage VHS tapes in the back room if you’re interested.”
Gracie stared at the brown plastic case in her hand. “I didn’t order this.” Curious, she popped open the lid and stared at the tape’s movie label. “I don’t believe it.”
Aunt Jolene leaned over the counter for a better view. “What is it?”
“One of my favorite movies.” Gracie found herself smiling. “His Girl Friday.”
“Is that one of those movies you and Gilbert used to watch at my place?”
Gracie nodded. “He used to bring a lot of his VHS tapes over when we had movie night. But this one is... special.”
Jolene gave her a quizzical stare. “How so?”
Gracie took a deep breath. “I never told you this, but the last time Gilbert and I watched His Girl Friday together, I started to laugh and choked on a big piece of taffy. It was so bad that Gilbert had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on me a couple of times to dislodge it from my throat.”
Aunt Jolene paled. “Oh, my land! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Probably because graduation was only a week away and I didn’t want to upset you.” She closed her eyes, reliving the awful memory. “But to be honest, I thought I was going to die. I was so grateful to Gilbert that I promised to be there for him if he ever needed me.”
“Do you think Gilbert sent this to you?”
“He must have. I just can’t believe he kept it after all these years.” Gracie plucked the movie tape from the case, then she noticed a slip of paper with something written on it. She picked it up and read it aloud. “I’m in big trouble. See you soon.”
“Well, that’s... cryptic.” Aunt Jolene’s brow furrowed. “Do you have plans to get together with him soon?”
Gracie shook her head, still puzzled by it all. “No, I haven’t seen him since we graduated, but we used to email each other. Then we lost touch about three years ago and I haven’t heard from him since. In fact, his last email said he’d been in an accident and needed a lot of reconstructive surgery, so he wouldn’t be online for a while.”
“That sounds terrible.” Jolene cleared her throat. “To be honest, I liked Gilbert, but he was always a little strange.”
“He was just shy,” Gracie said with a smile, “and lost in a fantasy world. He’d always been attracted to the high school girls that were out of his league—usually the girlfriend of some big, strapping football jock. Gilbert like to imagine each of those girls was a damsel in distress that needed to be rescued from an insensitive brute.”
Jolene sighed. “Sounds like he saw himself as a knight in shining armor.”
“I’m afraid so. But he was just fast-tracked to the friend zone by those girls—only good enough to do their homework or run errands for them.” Gracie sighed. “Gilbert had big dreams for his future back then, just like I did. Everybody always said high school was supposed to be the best years of your life, but we couldn’t wait to be done with it.”
“And look how far you’ve come,” Aunt Jolene said proudly.
Gracie chuckled. “I remember when I first started my business, it looked pretty bleak. That’s why I came up with the idea of bartering my image consultant services for something in return. One dance instructor client gave me lessons in salsa dancing. A pastry chef in Dallas taught me all her baking secrets. I learned some self-defense moves from a martial arts studio in Lubbock. And a local contractor in Pine City gave me a big discount on remodeling my house in exchange for my help with his business.”
“Don’t forget the fencing lessons!” Aunt Jolie laughed. “And that cowgirl performer who taught you some of her tricks. You’re probably the most well-rounded gal in Texas.”
“To be honest, I miss those days. Now I’m stuck in the office most of the time and sending my staff out on location.”
“And I’m sure Gilbert must be missing you, since he sent you that package out of the blue.”
Gracie snapped her fingers. “Oh, I just remembered! Our ten-year high school reunion is this weekend in Hay Springs. I received the invitation a few weeks ago.”
“So, if that VHS tape is from Gilbert, he’s probably expecting to run into you there.”
Grace glanced down at the note again. “That would explain the see you soon part of the message. But what kind of trouble could he possibly be in?”
“Maybe he’s seen the articles about your success in the newspapers and wants to borrow money.”
“Maybe,” Gracie agreed, although she wondered why he’d go to all the trouble of sending her a VHS tape and a mysterious note instead of just asking her directly. “I wasn’t even planning to go to the reunion, but now I guess I have to.”
“That means we need to go shopping to find you the perfect dress.” Jolene clapped her hands together and jumped off the stool. “Just give me a few minutes to close the store, then we can be on our way.”
“Okay,” Gracie said, staring down at the note. She still recognized Gilbert’s neat, precise handwriting after all these years. Even if he didn’t show up at their high school reunio
n, she’d find him somehow.
She owed him that much for saving her life.
CHAPTER TWO
Sam tapped one cowboy boot impatiently against the carpeted floor as sat in his room at the historic Claremont Hotel in Hay Springs. Gilbert Holloway’s ten-year high school reunion had started down in the ballroom ten minutes ago, but Sam’s plan was to arrive when the party was in full swing. That way Gilbert would be trapped in the ballroom, making it more difficult for him to manage a quick escape.
He stared at the blue screen of the laptop computer open in front of him, viewing Gilbert’s old email account for the hundredth time. Holloway had stopped using it after that fateful night three years ago, but Sam had been monitoring it ever since, hoping for some clue to Gilbert’s whereabouts.
Somehow, the guy had disappeared like dust in the wind.
Then a month ago, a group email invitation to Gilbert’s ten-year high school reunion had been sent to his dormant email account. Sam had scanned the list of classmates on the invitation, but only one name stood out to him: Gracie Delacroix. She was the only person from Gilbert’s senior class who had regularly emailed him after they’d graduated from high school.
The two of them had corresponded until Holloway disappeared. Then Sam had temporarily taken up the slack, sending emails to Gracie while posing as Gilbert. At first, he'd hoped to catch a break in the case, thinking this Delacroix woman might reveal something useful. After all, it seemed she knew the guy better than anybody.
But he’d soon discovered that she knew nothing about Gilbert's foray into the criminal world or where to find him. Sam should have stopped corresponding with her when he’d realized she couldn't help him locate Gilbert. But something kept drawing him back to her emails. Something he couldn't quite pinpoint. Maybe it was her witty, irreverent style. Or the way her messages always made him laugh. Or was it that hint of loneliness that he’d glimpsed between the lines. The same loneliness that sometimes engulfed him when he stopped working long enough to notice it.
He’d soon found himself caught up in the details of her life. Sam knew how much Gracie loved her aunt and hated her stepfather. How hard she’d worked to earn a college degree and how she’d started her own business. It was a noble ambition and one that had made him admire her even more.
For some reason, he’d even tracked down an old Hay Springs High School yearbook just so he could see Gracie’s senior picture. He knew people changed over ten years, but he knew she'd still have those same bewitching blue eyes. That same enticing smile.
After about six months of corresponding with her, Sam realized he was letting this case get too personal again. So he’d sent out one last group email, posing as Gilbert, and telling everyone on Holloway’s email list a made-up story about an accident and needing extensive plastic surgery to explain why he’d be offline. That had been about two and a half years ago, and Gracie had gone silent on Gilbert’s email account ever since.
Until two days ago.
Sam’s gut tightened as he read her email again.
Hey, Gilbert,
I’ll be at the reunion Saturday night, and I hope you will too.
See you soon,
Gracie
Her email had gone unanswered, so Sam had no idea if Gilbert had seen it. But if he had, Sam wanted to be there, just in case. That’s why he was now in the small town of Hay Springs on a Saturday night and about to crash a high school reunion.
A short time later, Sam made his way to the first floor of the hotel and approached the open ballroom doors. Gilbert’s former classmates milled around inside, their excited chatter punctuated by occasional shouts of recognition and giddy laughter. At thirty-three, Sam was closer to his fifteen-year high school reunion than his tenth, but he planned to just blend in with the crowd and keep his eye out for Holloway.
He stepped over the threshold and let his gaze slowly scan the room. There was no sign of Gilbert. Swallowing his disappointment, he walked over to the reception table and picked up the lone name tag on the table that had Gilbert’s name on it.
Was Gilbert a no-show? Had he just hit another dead end in his search?
“Gilbert Holloway, is that you?”
Sam whirled around, his heart pounding. But instead of seeing the man that he’d been hunting for the past three years, he saw a petite redhead walking toward him with a bright smile.
Without even thinking it through, Sam nodded.
“Oh, my!” she exclaimed. “I heard you’d been in a bad accident and had to have a bunch of plastic surgery, but I never would have recognized you.” She took the name tag from Sam’s hand and removed the paper backing. Then she pressed the adhesive label on the lapel of his gray suit, her hand lingering longer than necessary on his chest.
Sam kept his expression neutral, hiding his surprise that she actually thought he was Holloway. He and Gilbert were about the same height and they both had dark-brown hair and eyes, but nobody would ever mistake them for twins. Somehow his fake email about Gilbert’s reconstructive surgery must have reached the gossip circuit in Hay Springs.
“Wow, you’ve really changed.” She shook her head in amazement as she slowly looked him up and down. “You look so much... stronger and your face is so... perfect.” She took a step closer to him and lowered her voice a notch. “Those plastic surgeons sure did a great job of fixing you up.”
He tried to stifle his disappointment that Gilbert hadn’t shown up in the ballroom yet, but maybe he could use her mistake to his advantage. He’d listened to secret recordings of Gilbert several times—certainly enough to mimic the man’s voice.
“Thanks,” he said, modulating his voice to sound just like Gilbert. “It’s great to see you again too...” He glanced down at the name tag on her ample chest. “Lila.”
“I suppose you don’t recognize me either after ten long years.” Lila smiled as she took another step toward him. “I used to be a brunette and a bit of tomboy in high school, remember?” She leaned in close, one hand circling around his neck and her lips almost touching his ear. “And I’ve had a little reconstructive surgery myself.”
“Well, you look fantastic,” he said, taking a step back.
Sam wondered how long it would take Holloway’s former classmates to figure out he was an imposter, but maybe they’d heard rumors about his plastic surgery too. He was certain Gracie would realize he wasn’t Gilbert the moment she saw him. He just hoped she’d give him a chance to explain before revealing him as a fraud to everyone in the room.
Then he shook himself. Explaining the reason for his ruse to Gracie would be the biggest mistake he could make. Gilbert had been her best friend in high school, and she’d just sent the man an email two days ago hoping to see him at the reunion. She had no idea that Sam had read all her previous emails to Gilbert—that he knew all her hopes and dreams and fears.
And no idea that Sam had looked her up in that yearbook, like some creepy stalker. Maybe Grandma Hattie did have reason to be concerned about him taking on this job. But he wasn't here for Gracie, just intrigued by her, maybe even a little infatuated with her. That’s as far as it went, he told himself. And as far as he'd ever allow it to go.
Sam suddenly realized that Lila was still talking to him.
“Anyway,” she went on, “can you believe how much everybody has changed?” Lila reached out and smoothed one hand down the length of his right arm. “You most of all, of course. But I wouldn't have recognized Tiffany Winston if I'd passed her on the street and we started kindergarten together."
"A lot can happen in ten years," Sam replied, feeling more confident about pulling off this charade. Lila didn't hesitate in accepting him as Gilbert Holloway.
Of course, he'd picked up on a few of the guy's mannerisms and speech patterns while surveilling him three years ago. Sam knew all of Gilbert's favorite foods and little idiosyncrasies. And he'd read his journal, as well as all the emails exchanged between Gilbert and Gracie for the past decade.
In some
ways, he knew Gilbert better than he knew himself.
"I still can't believe it's been ten years since we graduated." Lila leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Did you know Andy Winkelman’s been married three times already? And Kendra Nebbles has six kids!”
He knew all the names and faces of Gilbert’s classmates, having memorized them from the yearbook. Sam had treated this like any other bounty hunter assignment, covering all his bases before he went into action. Only this assignment was personal, and he’d do whatever was necessary to finally bring Gilbert Holloway to justice.
He checked his watch, hoping he didn't have to wait much longer. "Do you know if Gracie Delacroix has arrived yet?"
"I’m not sure." Lila gave him a sly smile. "So, tell me, Gilbert, were you two really just friends back in high school or was there more going on?"
That was a question Sam couldn't answer, so he hedged a little. "We've always been close."
She laughed. "And you've always been so secretive. I never could get any juicy tidbits out of you."
"I guess I'm just not a juicy kind of guy."
"Maybe not back in high school," she replied, her gaze roaming voraciously over his body. "But you have definitely improved with age."
Sam sensed it was time to move on, but before he could make an excuse to end their conversation, Lila sidled even closer to him.
"Can you believe it?" she asked in a hushed whisper, her gaze fixed across the room. "I think that's Allison Webb. Right over there, next to the punch bowl. Imagine her just showing up here like she graduated with all the rest of us! That certainly takes some nerve."
Sam followed her gaze and saw a raven-haired beauty scoping out the room. "Did she drop out or something?"
Lila looked up at him with a snort of disbelief. "Don’t you remember? It was the talk of the school for months. Allison just disappeared in the middle of our senior year after writing a vicious note about some of us and posting it on the front door of the school. She left with no warning. No explanation. Some people said she got pregnant. Others claimed she got busted for drugs and thrown in jail. But nobody ever knew for sure."