Pretty Little Lies (Deception Duet Book 1)

by Morgan James

  A young woman somewhere between Mia’s age and my own bounced out from behind the counter. “Hi! Can I help you find anything?”

  Mia and I shared a glance. “Actually, I’m looking for a dress for my friend’s wedding.”

  She looked me over with an appraising eye. “Do you have something in mind?”

  I gave a little shrug. “Not really. I was just going to... look around.”

  The girl must’ve seen my hesitation, because she laughed. “I’m sorry. Things are a little hectic in here right now. I’m Joey, by the way.” Mia and I shook hands with her. “Nice to meet you. I’ve been helping my grandfather out, and I just ordered in a bunch of stuff, but I haven’t had much of a chance to get it organized.”

  “Well...” I said slowly. “What would you recommend?”

  She looked me over again from head to toe, then held up a finger. “Hold on one second.” She bustled around the racks, and I shared another surprised look with Mia before Joey exclaimed triumphantly, “Here it is!”

  She trotted back over to us carrying a navy blue dress. “I’ll grab a couple more if you want to get started.”

  “That would be great, thanks.” I slipped the hanger from her fingers, then Mia and I headed to the fitting room in the back corner of the shop. I stepped inside and pulled the curtain across, then shrugged out of my coat. The navy blue material hung limply from the hanger, and I made a little face as I stared at it. I didn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings by not trying it on, so I quickly shed my clothes and slid the dress over my head. With an eye roll, I realized there were no mirrors inside the dressing room. I peeked my head out to find Mia there waiting expectantly. “Are there any mirrors?”

  Joey appeared at that very second, her face twisted into an expression of remorse. “Just that one.” She pointed down to a narrow mirror hanging over the back door.

  I shoved the curtain aside and stepped out reluctantly. Mia’s eyes lit up, and Joey let out a little squeal. My eyes widened as I regarded them. “Is that a good thing?”

  “Oh, yes.” Mia nodded emphatically. “Check it out.”

  I turned toward the mirror, surprised by the reflection. The dress hugged my curves in all the right places, the skirt hitting me just below the knee and swirling sensuously around my legs. The neckline dived down toward my breasts, giving a tantalizing peek of cleavage, while the ruffled sleeves fell gracefully down to my elbows. It was graceful and feminine, a complete contradiction to what it had appeared on the hanger.

  I turned and lifted a brow at Mia. “Do I even need to try the others on?”

  “Nope.” Her mouth tipped up in a smile. “I think that’s the one.”

  I let out a little laugh, then turned my attention to Joey. “I don’t think I can wear my boots with this. Do you have anything in a size six-and-a-half?”

  She bolted off, then came back less than a minute later, holding a pair of beige heels. “Try these on.”

  I slipped my feet into them, reveling in the feel of the smooth leather. It felt like months since I’d worn a pair of high heels. Now that I’d gone so long without them, I kind of missed the way they made me feel. “I’ll take them.”

  Back in the dressing room, I stripped everything off, then passed it through the curtain to Joey to ring up. Mia was wandering the shop when I came out, and she already had a handful of items draped over her arm.

  Joey sifted through the racks for a minute before pulling out a sweater and holding it up for Mia’s inspection. “This one is new, if you like it.”

  “Oh, yes.” Mia practically snatched it from her fingers.

  Joey let out a little laugh. “I thought you might. It seemed to fit with the rest of the clothes I picked out for you.”

  Mia turned a surprised look on Joey. “What do you mean?”

  Joey’s cheeks flamed bright red. “I was here when Carter came down for clothes a couple weeks ago.”

  “I had no idea,” Mia replied. “Thank you. Everything was beautiful.”

  Joey waved her off. “It was no problem at all.”

  I watched the exchange with interest, wondering what I had missed.

  “It’s a long story,” Mia said. “I’ll fill you in later.”

  With a nod, I surveyed the large room, then turned back to Joey. “Um... Do you have any pantyhose?”

  She bit her lip, and her cheeks turned pink again. “Promise you won’t say anything?”

  I flicked a glance at Mia, and we both nodded. Joey waved us to the back of the store, where she pulled out a large brown box.

  Her voice was hushed when she spoke. “Some of the girls from the Fox Hole asked me to order things for them from time to time, and I keep the extras back here. My grandfather would kill me if he ever found out.”

  She untucked the flaps to reveal a heap of lacy, sexy lingerie, then passed me a package of pantyhose. A scrap of red caught my eye, and I held up the panties for inspection. “These are gorgeous.”

  They were surprisingly good quality too, the lace soft beneath my touch. Joey dug around for a moment, then pulled out a matching red bra.

  “It’s a set if you like it.”

  “She’ll take it,” Mia declared, and I shot her a look. “What?” she exclaimed. “Every girl needs sexy underwear.”

  No lie there, though I wasn’t sure when I would ever have the chance to wear them. Still, I was reluctant to relinquish them. “Oh, what the hell,” I said. The girls laughed, and Mia picked out her own set to entice Jack, although I was sure she didn’t need any help in that area. We cashed out, then left with a wave to see Joey again soon.

  Chapter 16

  Eric

  My heart beat furiously as I wound my way up the curves of the mountain, and my gut clenched as I recalled Jules’s words from barely twenty minutes ago.

  I need your help.

  I hadn’t thought twice. I’d swiped my paperwork off my desk and into my briefcase, strode out of the station, then hopped in the cruiser and headed toward Briarleigh like a bat out of hell. Relief assaulted me as the huge resort came into view. Gravel churned beneath my tires as I skidded to a stop in the employee parking lot just a few cars down from where Jules was parked.

  I hopped out and hurriedly approached. Jules stood alone by the front bumper of the Cavalier, looking unsure as hell. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, and her cheeks were rosy from the cold, her brow furrowed with worry.

  Swallowing down the urge to pull her into my arms and press her head to my chest, I addressed her. “What happened?”

  With a shaky hand, she pointed toward the driver side tire. “This was flat when I came out.”

  I studied her for a moment. That was all? The way she’d sounded on the phone made me think she’d been hurt or, at the very least, scared. She still looked scared, but I couldn’t figure out why. “Okay. We’ll take care of it.”

  I moved toward the car, parked between two other vehicles that I assumed belonged to employees. Kneeling next to it, I checked the valve stem first. The fitting appeared to be tight, and I ran my hand over the side wall. “Could’ve picked up a nail or...”

  I trailed off as my fingers slipped over a raised portion of rubber near the lettering on the tires. I’d missed the cut during my initial once-over. About an inch wide, it had been made by something sharp—most likely a knife. Whoever had done this definitely possessed some strength. It wasn’t nearly as easy to puncture a tire as people thought.

  I lifted my gaze to Jules, fighting the urge to snap at her. “Is something going on that you’re not telling me?” She shook her head adamantly, and I took a deep breath before continuing. “Someone slashed your tire.”

  Her eyes widened. “But I... I didn’t mean...” She blushed and broke off, her teeth digging into her lower lip.

  I stared hard at her, willing her to come clean. “Jules.” I waited for her to look at me. “Do you know who might’ve done this?”

  She hesitated, then gave a little shrug. “I’m not
sure.”

  Rising to my feet, I propped a hip against the fender and eyed her. “Tell me what you do know.”

  It was too damn cold to be having this discussion outside, but I couldn’t bring myself to move toward the cruiser. I felt frozen in place, fear and anger and worry rendering me motionless. If I stepped any closer to her, I was afraid of what I’d do. Part of me wanted to grab her and shake her, demand she tell me the truth—the whole truth. A deeper, more dangerous part of me wanted to gather her into my arms and soothe her, hold her close and never let her go.

  She blinked several times. “Well... There’s this guy who works here—Sam—”

  “Pickett?”

  Her gaze jumped to mine, and she nodded. “I think so, yeah. Anyway, I met him last week when I first started here. Then one morning when I got into the shop, I noticed a red rose sitting on the counter.”

  Motherfucker. The picture began to crystalize in my mind as she continued.

  “I ran into him yesterday, and he told me he was the one who’d left the rose. Then...” She trailed off and licked her lips, her eyes dropping to her toes.

  “Then...?” I prompted, though I had a feeling I knew exactly what was coming.

  “He asked me out,” she whispered. Her pretty green gaze collided with mine, begging me to believe her. “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I didn’t know what to do.”

  “It’s fine,” I managed to grit out, though it was anything but fine. I was going to wring that little shit’s neck when I found him. “Is he working today?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I don’t think so.”

  She was probably right; after Jack told me he’d introduced Sam and Jules, I’d taken the liberty of checking into him. Though he worked full-time at the hardware store, he apparently picked up a few extra hours at Briarleigh now and then to help pay off his student loans.

  “All right. I’ll have Charlie tow your car down and replace the tire. Did you mention this to Mia or Jack?”

  “No, I didn’t even see it until I got ready to leave.”

  “Okay.” For the first time, I noticed the shopping bags near the front of the car. “Were you in town today?”

  She nodded. “Mia and I hit up a couple places for wedding stuff.”

  I scooped up the bags and strode toward the cruiser, then stowed them in the back seat. “Hop in. I’ll give Charlie a call as soon as I drop you off.”

  Jules slid into the car and snapped her seat belt into place, then settled her hands in her lap. Her fingers fidgeted, and I could hear the faint click of her nails as she picked at them. I wanted to reach over the console and settle her, but I didn’t. Instead, I put the car in drive and started back down the mountain, fuming over what had happened.

  “Do you work tomorrow?”

  Jules slid a look at me from the passenger seat. “No, thank goodness. It was my day off anyway, so maybe my car will be done by the time I have to go back.”

  I nodded, lost in thought, and silence fell once more as I drove toward my place. It was already almost dinnertime, and I debated calling Charlie out tonight. With a sigh, I decided to just get it over with. Dragging it out wouldn’t make the situation any better.

  I dug my phone from my back pocket and pulled up McBride’s number. My fingers drummed the wheel impatiently as I waited for the call to connect, and I was rewarded a moment later when a gruff voice answered. “McBride’s.”

  “Hey, Charlie, it’s Donahue.”

  There was some shuffling in the background and the metallic sound of what I assumed was a tool landing heavily on the work bench. “Something wrong with the car?”

  I heard the faint thread of defensiveness in his tone, and I rushed to reassure him. “Not with your work. Need a tire replaced if you have one in stock. 70R14.” I rattled off the size and waited a long moment while Charlie checked his inventory.

  “I got it. Need a tow?”

  “Yes, please. It’s up at Briarleigh in the employee lot.”

  Charlie grunted an acknowledgement and hung up before I could say anything else. I dropped the phone into the cupholder and pulled into the driveway but didn’t get out of the car. A quick glance at the clock told me the hardware store would be open for another half an hour or so. “Will you be okay by yourself for a few?”

  Jules nodded haltingly. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

  I didn’t want to leave her alone any longer than necessary, but I wanted to get over to Pickett’s Hardware to see if Sam was working.

  Jules climbed from the car and made her way inside. I watched to make sure the door was closed before reversing out of the drive and heading back into town. Inwardly, I seethed as I approached Pickett’s Hardware and slid to a stop in an angled parking spot. A bell over the doorway tinkled a happy little greeting, completely incongruous with the reason for my visit.

  My gaze moved to the counter located along the left wall of the store, narrowing immediately on the person I was looking for. Sam started to smile, but it slipped from his face as soon as he saw my thunderous expression. His eyes widened, his shoulders stiffening as I stomped across the room, my footfalls heavy on the scarred hardwood floors.

  He stood at the register counting cash, probably ready to close up shop for the evening, and he paused in the act of sorting the bills in his hands. He gave me an uncomfortable little nod. “Sheriff.”

  “Sam.” I stopped a few feet from the counter and hooked my thumbs in my belt loops. “How’s business?”

  He eyed me warily, seemingly thrown by my nonchalant question. “A little slow, but you know how it is.”

  I lifted my chin at him. “Heard you’ve been working up at Briarleigh a little, too.”

  “Yep.” He gave an abbreviated nod. “Figure it’ll help pay off my student loans faster. My folks offered to help, but I want to do it myself.”

  I could understand that. It was a reasonable answer, even commendable, and I admired the kid for his sense of responsibility. So he liked to be in control; did that mean he was offended when something didn’t go his way? “Can I ask you a couple questions, Sam?”

  Social niceties over, he tensed. “Sure.”

  “Were you working here today?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “All day?” I clarified.

  “Yep. Except lunch time,” he amended. “I stopped over at Rosie’s sometime after noon to grab a sandwich. Dad was feeling a little under the weather this morning, so I offered to open and close.”

  I contemplated what he was telling me. It’d be easy enough to verify his side of the story. With such a tight-knit community as Pine Ridge, someone was bound to know if he’d left the hardware store unattended and driven up to Briarleigh.

  “You didn’t happen to stop up at the lodge any time today, did you?”

  “No, sir.” He shook his head, his expression concerned. “Why? Did something happen?”

  “Nothing you need to worry about.” I rapped my knuckles on the counter. “Thanks for your time, Sam.”

  “Sure.” He looked confused and more than a little wary, but I would find out soon enough if he was telling the truth.

  I glanced at my watch as I pushed out the front door and stepped onto the sidewalk. Just after five o’clock. Most everything in Pine Ridge was closed or getting ready to shut down for the evening—except Murdoch’s. I cut across the street at an angle, heading for the bar situated right next to Rosie’s Café. As soon as the diner closed each day after lunchtime, the bar opened. I knew I’d find a good number of people inside, and I hoped someone would be able to answer my questions.

  The door swung open, and a man stumbled out, bringing with him a smoky haze. The mandate on nonsmoking facilities was completely ignored by the residents of Pine Ridge, and I didn’t bother to push it. Until someone pitched a fit, I was content to leave it as it’d been for the past hundred years. It didn’t truly bother me, but I didn’t spend much time at the bar myself. Though I hadn’t smoked in years—not since
my divorce—the smell triggered a faint urge to pick up the habit again.

  I held the door wide as Herbert McElroy threw a surprised glance my way. “Thanks, Sheriff.”

  I nodded. “You good, Herb?”

  “Yessir.” He hiccupped, then straightened, and I sighed. This was the part about small towns that I both loved and hated. It was, for the most part, a quiet life. People worked hard during the day then headed to the bar to drink off the stress. In Herb’s case, the older man had probably been filling his stool since the bar opened at two o’clock.

  “Do you need a ride home?”

  “No, sir.” He shook his head emphatically, nearly losing his balance and tipping over again.

  My hand shot out, catching his upper arm. “Come on. Let me take you home. It’s too damn cold out to be walking in this.”

  It wasn’t the first time I’d had to drive someone home. Herb only lived a few blocks away and odds were he’d be just fine, but I didn’t want to risk it. I guided him to the cruiser, one hand on his shoulder, keeping my grip light and friendly but at the ready in case he stumbled again.

  He practically melted into the passenger seat, and I rounded the SUV, frustrated. I’d hoped to get in and out, then get back to Jules. I knew she didn’t want to admit it, but I’d seen the fear on her face. Whatever she’d been through in her past had done a number on her, and I recognized the fight or flight coping mechanism kicking into gear. She was ready to run again, no question.

  I didn’t know if there was any way to keep her from doing so the second she got her car back. I prayed that Charlie had a whole slew of customers to take care of before Jules. Maybe I could convince him to hold on to it for a bit; it would buy me another few days of knowing she’d be safe with me instead of on the run somewhere.

  I shook the thought from my head. It shouldn’t bother me nearly as much as it did. Jules was nothing to me—rather, she should mean nothing to me. The truth was, I cared way more for her than I wanted to admit, and that bothered me. I didn’t like the responsibility of taking care of anyone but myself. I didn’t even have a dog, for Christ’s sake. I’d shunned any possibility of having a serious relationship after my train wreck of a marriage ended, yet here I was, desperate to keep Jules attached to me for however long I could have her.