by P. Creeden
Darren frowned. “What? You’ve got nothing to be sorry about.”
“I l… locked myself in the f… f… fridge.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Mr. Page c… came into the k… kitchen, but he couldn’t hear me yelling that I w… was inside the cooler. H… he shut off the l… lights and left. Mr. Anderson l… looked in the window, but because the l… lights were off, he left, too.”
His frown deepened. “You saw Mr. Anderson, too?”
She nodded and took the cup he was holding and held it in her hands. “It feels good to hold it,” she said as she took a sip. When she pulled her hands away, she looked into Darren’s eyes. “He was helping me make a s… sandwich. He got called away. I w… went into the cooler to get stuff, but got l… locked in. He came back about a half-hour l… later, but the lights were off, and he couldn’t s… see me.”
She took another sip of the warm liquid. Her body started to settle down, and she was shaking less. Her limbs still felt unbearably cold to the touch. “How long were you in there for?” he asked.
After shaking her head, she said, “S… soon after I got off the phone with you.”
His jaw clenched. She’d been in there for more than two hours. That was way too long to be exposed in temperatures close to freezing in nothing more than shorts and a knit crew shirt.
“They’re here,” Mr. Page said as he opened the door and the paramedics entered the kitchen.
Almost an hour later, Felicity was on her feet, waving goodbye to the paramedics as they started down the long driveway away from the winery. They’d checked her vitals and told her to stay as warm as possible for the rest of the night, and to head to the emergency room if she felt numbness in her extremities or any issues with fatigue or dizziness. She wrapped the oversized canvas jacket around herself. It smelled of tobacco and unfamiliar musky male, but she was just thankful to have its warmth.
Jay sat on her feet. It was as if he knew she’d just been in danger of being hurt and wanted to stay as close as possible to her. Darren stood next to her, an arm around her shoulders the whole time as they stood. But when they’d been sitting on the floor earlier, she’d been in his lap.
Heat rose to her face as she thought about it for the first time. How embarrassing. But also, how comforting. He’d been a source of warmth and safety, like she couldn’t ever remember feeling before.
“Keep the jacket for now. You can return it later.” Mr. Page scowled and then turned his back to her as he headed toward the older model truck sitting at the far end of the lot.
“Thank you,” she called to his retreating form, but he didn’t respond with anything more than a wave of his hand.
They stood and watched the man’s truck start its way down the long driveway. For a moment, Felicity didn’t speak, she just savored the sounds of the crickets singing in the night air and the warmth of the wind blowing through. Panic had gripped her when she was stuck in the restaurant cooler. She thought that she’d be stuck there through the night at least. Because of the fact that so much of her skin was exposed, she worried she wouldn’t make it. Then the tears had come, wetting the skin of her face and neck, making the cold air that blew on her that much worse.
Her heart squeezed in her chest. She didn’t know if she’d make it. All because she was stupid and let the fridge door close behind her. She wrapped her arms around herself.
Darren squeezed her shoulder slightly. “Do you want me to drive you home, or follow you?”
She frowned, realizing the urgency of the time. “Did you lose the case already?”
His free hand went to the back of his neck, where it rubbed as he smiled sheepishly. “No, I haven’t. My lieutenant wants me to wrap it up, but he’s given me a little bit of time. I’m not sure if we can find anything substantial up at the house, but my gut is telling me there’s something more going on here.”
Her shoulders dropped a little in relief. She shrugged out of his hold gently and took a step forward. Jay leapt to his feet to follow. “Then if you’re up for it, let’s go up to the house and I’ll show you what I found on Liz’s laptop.”
Darren’s brow went up. “If I’m up for it? What about you?”
“I can handle it.” She nodded.
He shook his head. “You barely let the paramedics look at you and now you’re saying your fine to keep working this case? It makes me wonder if you truly know your limits.”
She shrugged. “I guess I don’t since I’ve never reached them.”
His eyes sparkled in the moonlight as he laughed. “Well, let’s not push them now, okay.”
She laughed with him. “Deal.”
A stomach growl broke the quiet of the night. Felicity’s arms wrapped around her torso for a moment, but then she realized it hadn’t been her stomach. She peered up at Darren whose hand was rubbing the back of his neck again. “Sorry about that. I really need to get something to eat, too. You up for dinner?”
Jay had sat next to her and leaned against her leg again. “I don’t think I can leave JJ right now. He’s being a little clingy because of everything that happened this afternoon.”
“Then let’s call in for pizza. I’m sure they deliver out here.”
A wide smile spread across her face. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter Nine
Felicity woke when the sun slashed bright light across her face from an east facing window. She blinked at it and covered her eyes. Stiffness seized her neck the moment she tried to move. Why did she wake up sitting upright on couch in an unfamiliar living room? She blinked about some more. A pizza box sat on the table in front of her and a quilt had been draped over her body. On the other end of the couch, Darren Willis slept in an upright position similar to hers.
Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. Over the years his face had become hardened, manlier and more angled than it had been back in high school, but with his eyes closed, asleep in the morning light, the boyish, angelic look returned with the softness of his expression.
The night before they had gone through Liz’s financial records while waiting for the pizza to arrive. Once it came they’d settled in and put on the television playing low in the background while they talked. And talked. They’d shared what they’d done with their lives since they’d last seen each other in high school while feeding their crusts to Jay, since she hadn’t brought him any dog food. Late into the night, they just talked with each other like old friends catching up. Then somewhere along the way, she’d fallen asleep… and so had he. Who had fallen asleep first? She wasn’t sure. But she didn’t remember having the quilt on her the way she did now.
A musical beat played on the television, signifying the start of Good Morning Gold Coast, the local talk show that started at seven a.m. Felicity stretched her neck to the left and then to the right to get the kink out of it. And then sat up further, letting the quilt fall from her shoulders to her lap. Jay stood from his sleeping position on the floor by her feet and set his head on her lap. “Good morning, sunshine,” she said as she scratched his ears and leaned down to give him a hug.
She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and shot a text message to the vice principal that she’d need another day off from work today due to her birthmother’s death. It was likely time to visit with the lawyer about the estate, so that she could wrap up that situation as well. Once the text was sent, she stood slowly, trying not to disturb Darren just yet, and placed the quilt that had been on her body gently over Darren’s lap. He shifted just a bit, and for a moment, Felicity had thought she’d woken him, but his eyes remained closed and his face relaxed.
On tip-toes, she headed into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. But once she got there, she realized that Liz didn’t drink coffee by the pot. Instead, she had one of those single-serve coffee pod machines. It took Felicity about fifteen minutes to figure it out, but soon she had two steaming cups of coffee sitting on the countertop, smelling delicious.
�
�Hey, good morning,” Darren’s deep baritone said from behind her, still slightly groggy with sleep.
Felicity didn’t know if she’d ever heard anything in her life that was more appealing. She turned toward him with a cup in each hand and a wide smile. “How do you take your coffee?”
A grin spread across his face. “Cream and sugar. Do you have it?”
She gestured with a nod toward the lazy Susan on the counter. He laughed, took a cup from her hands, and set it back on the counter to add the things he needed to make his perfect cup.
After taking a long draft of her own mug, she opened the fridge, finding eggs and cheese. “I’ve got what I need here to whip us up a couple of quick omelets if you’re game.”
He checked the time on his phone. “I don’t know that I have time. I’ve got to leave in twenty.”
“It’s fine! I’ll make omelet sandwiches on toast; you can eat and run.”
“Really,” he said, lifting a brow. “That would be great.”
Although there was a slight learning curve that she had to make in order to figure out all of Liz’s appliances, Felicity still managed to put together two sandwiches, toasted on the same homemade bread from the wine store’s bar and restaurant. When she took a bite, she found the bread was some of the best she’d eaten.
Darren wrapped his sandwich in a paper towel and downed the last bit of his second cup of coffee. He moaned after taking a bite. “This is great. Thank you.”
“No problem,” she said around a mouthful of her own.
“Sorry that I need to get going so early.”
“No problem. I understand that it’s only Thursday. Not everyone has the day off.”
He nodded. “You took leave from work then?”
“Yesterday and today. I have to make arrangements with the funeral home and talk to the lawyer about settling this estate.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t find enough evidence to keep the case open. I guess we’ll have to consider the possibility that this was a suicide after all. There’s nothing specific enough to suggest otherwise except our hunches.”
She nodded. “I understand that… and I’m starting to accept it.”
He stood and started toward the door, taking another bite of his food. “That’s good… and so is this sandwich.”
“Thank you for coming last night. I had a really good time. I guess this is it since the case is closed.” She frowned, trying to hint at the fact that she wanted to see him again, but her gaze dropped toward his shoes, as she was afraid to meet his eyes and see the rejection that might be there.
He cleared his throat. “Actually, I’d like to see you again, if you think you might have the time.”
Her gaze shot up and she lifted a brow. “Are you asking me out, detective, because without an actual date and time, one might think you were generalizing enough to brush me off later.”
The Adam’s apple on his neck bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes growing wide. “Not at all—I mean, how about Saturday? Are you busy?”
A smile spread across her face making her cheeks hurt. “Nope. Not busy.”
His empty hand shot to the back of his neck, and he began rubbing it again. Now she was recognizing it as a habit he had whenever he was shy or embarrassed. How sweet. Was she actually making him a bit shy? Darren Willis?
“Great. Then I’ll give you a call so we can set up something. It’s my day off.”
She nodded. “Sounds good.”
And with that bit of awkwardness, he stepped out the screen door and onto the porch. She watched him as he virtually skipped down the walkway to his sedan, finishing the sandwich before he’d even made it to the gate and then shoving the paper towel into the pocket of his jeans.
Darren Willis had just asked her out. It would have been her high school dream come true. Who was she kidding? It was still her dream come true. The Darren she’d known in school was handsome, popular, but always kind enough to open doors for people and even help them when they were in trouble. He didn’t seem to remember it, but there was a time when they were in a business class together and two boys were picking on her. He’d stood up for her and got them both to quit by asking if they’d like him to start treating them the same way. They didn’t mess with her again. But he’d done it so flippantly that it likely didn’t even make an impression on him. It had made one on her, though. It was the reason she’d started the crush on him in the first place. Darren wasn’t just handsome even back then. He was also kind and protective, just when she’d needed him.
And she still needed that in her life.
Her phone vibrated on the coffee table, drawing her attention back to the present. She stepped over to the phone, giving Jay the last bit of her sandwich. “Sorry, boy. We’ll get home and get you fed in a short bit.”
She picked up the phone and found text messages from both the vice principal and Georgia. Her heart sank. She hadn’t told Georgia anything about what had happened the night before, and worse, she didn’t want to see what the response was going to be from Mr. Jordan. Her fingers scrolled to see Georgia’s message first.
Hey Girl. Where you at?
She typed a quick response. Will be home shortly. At Liz’s.
OK take your time, but let your Wifey know when you’re going to spend the night elsewhere, OK?
Sorry. Will pick up donuts on the way home. :)
Promises. Promises.
Felicity still had a smile on her face as she steeled herself and opened Mr. Jordan’s text message.
We understand and are sad to hear that your birth-mother has passed, but if we are doing well without your presence over the next few days, the board will have to discuss the necessity of your position in the first place. Please be aware and give notice sooner if you need more time.
The smile slid from her face. He was right. The notice she’d given yesterday at four-thirty in the morning was unfair. And today it had been seven. She was already on his bad side; she shouldn’t go pushing his buttons. She took a deep breath and then texted back.
I’m sorry about the short notice. I find out when the funeral is today and will let you know as soon as possible if I need tomorrow as well. Thank you for understanding. As she hit send, she thanked God for text messages. At least didn’t need to talk to the man on the phone or in person.
After sticking her phone in the back pocket of her jeans shorts, she picked up Liz’s quilt from the couch and folded it, placing it on the back of the sofa once more. She stepped into the kitchen and did the dishes really quickly as well. Then she took a last look around before heading outside in the morning sunlight. The light breeze made her wish for a sweater as goosebumps rose on her arms. And for a brief moment, she remembered the feeling of the cold air in the fridge blowing on her when she’d been locked in the night before. A shiver ran through her at the thought. That was an experience she’d never like to repeat.
As she reached the gate, she noticed two cars in the lot; Mr. Page and Mr. Anderson were both already at the winery. She peered around and found that the grounds keeping ATV had already gone, meaning the Mr. Page had left with it. She breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the gate and gave Jay the command, “Stay by.”
Like the perfectly trained therapy dog he was, Jay stayed immediately next to her thigh as she turned around and latched the gate behind her.
“I’m so glad to hear you’re okay.” Heath’s excited voice reached her as the door to the wine store slammed shut behind him. He hopped down from the porch and strode toward her in four long strides. The newspaper he’d been holding dropped to the ground and his hands landed on her shoulders—his brow wrinkled with worry. “I had no idea you were still in the cooler when I’d left. I thought you’d ducked out after eating your sandwiches, like I’d told you to. You could have been hurt.”
She offered him a sheepish smile. “I’m fine. No harm done. Forget about it.”
“I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“No way. It’s not your
fault. It’s mine. Please, don’t trouble yourself over it.”
He let out a slow breath, his gaze darting from one of her eyes to the other. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
His hands released her shoulders and relief smoothed the lines on his face. “Have you eaten breakfast yet? Join me at the bar. My treat.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ve really got to go. Jay hasn’t eaten breakfast yet, and I promised my roommate that I’d bring home donuts.”
He laughed but nodded. “Okay then. Drive safely.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking around. “Do you always come in so early? I thought the tours didn’t start until ten.”
One of his eyebrows quirked. “I like getting an early start. It keeps the workers, like Mr. Page, on their toes.”
“Really? He seems like a diligent worker.”
“It’s the reason why he’s so diligent.” He laughed. “Even now, he’s back out in the fields looking for snakes so they don’t interfere with the tours. Apparently, he’s an ophiophilist.”
She blinked. “A what?”
“Oh?” he asked with a chuckle. “You don’t know what that means either, huh? Mr. Page just informed me—it means snake lover. He insists on catching the things live and relocating them.”
“Wow.” Felicity could hardly imagine. “So, the old man does have a heart.”
Heath lifted a brow and gave her a half-smile. “You couldn’t tell by looking at him, huh?”
She laughed and shook her head, feeling a little guilty at poking fun at the old man again.
“Well, have a good day. Talk to you later,” Heath said with a wave as he started back to the wine store.
She nodded to him, and then noticed the newspaper he’d dropped earlier still on the ground. There were hand-written notes and circles in red ink on the page, and at first, she thought it was a crossword puzzle. “You forgot your paper,” she called out as she picked it up.