Without a Past

by Debra Salonen

  Andi was disappointed, but she acknowledged they had no choice. “Okay. Are you going to tell me about the Ledger?”

  His triumphant smile provided the answer. “You bought it,” she exclaimed.

  “Signed the papers. It still has to go through escrow. That will take about thirty days.”

  She didn’t know what to say. One side wanted to dance in glee, the other voted for caution.

  When she didn’t answer, he added, “The paper’s just one piece of the picture, Andi. I want to start a new life for myself in Gold Creek, but it won’t be complete unless you marry me.”

  The words she’d waited her whole life to hear. She wanted to shout and laugh, but a familiar vacuum deep inside sucked the joy out of the moment.

  “Andi, I love you.” He took her hand and placed something in it. Something sparkly. “This was my mother’s engagement ring. I’d like you to wear it.”

  A pressure like a two-ton vise squeezed her chest. She gazed mute upon the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. She couldn’t answer because she couldn’t breathe. Little squiggles of grayness crept into her vision.

  “Andi,” Jonathan called out, his voice growing more distant.

  The green grass called out invitingly. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into the soft haven. Just a moment of escape—to collect her thoughts. That’s all she needed.

  “Andi. Are you okay?” Jonathan cried, tapping her cheek with chilly fingers. “Andi, honey, tell me you’re okay.”

  She heard fear in his voice. The man she loved was afraid. Afraid she’d leave him. The irony made her smile.

  “You’re smiling. That’s good. You’re coming out of it. Great. I have to tell you, Andrea, I don’t have a good feeling about this proposal.”

  She opened her eyes. “Would you feel better if I said yes?”

  Jonathan’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. He made a V with his index and middle finger. The beautiful ring twinkled above his first knuckle. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “Two. Is that really my ring?”

  He passed it to her, and she slipped it over her finger, pushing slightly at the knuckle. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  He explained the symbolism and she was touched, both by his mother’s grace and forethought and by his willingness to share it with her.

  “Harley…I mean, Jonathan,” she said, blushing at her gaffe. “I’ve never been proposed to, and this is the most incredibly romantic moment of my life. But, obviously, we have things we need to talk about. Unresolved issues.”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders and made her face him. “I love you, Andi. I’d marry you tomorrow, if you’d say yes, but I understand if you want to wait awhile.” He gave a Harley smile. “Especially since I’m still a murder suspect.”

  She started to scold him, but his kiss robbed her of breath. Her head started to spin again. She couldn’t believe she’d actually fainted. Maybe she was allergic to makeup.

  When he pulled back, he was breathing hard, too. “About the trial, Donnie’s working on another angle, and my lawyer thinks the case will be resolved in the next week or two. My point was that I’m well aware of the obstacles in our path. I just want us to face them together.”

  She looked at the ring. “As an engaged couple?”

  “Who…possibly…live together?” he added, his tone hopeful. “In a haunted bordello.”

  Andi couldn’t help but laugh. “That sounds a tad scandalous for Gold Creek.”

  He looked crushed.

  “I like it.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I do. And,” she added, “I’ve got several nice rooms you could rent.”

  His smile disappeared. “I beg your pardon?”

  Andi stood up. Her ankles wobbled unsteadily on the damp ground but she managed to keep her balance. “The rent money would go a long way toward some badly needed improvements,” she said. “I couldn’t possibly bring all of these burdens into a marriage. A crumbling old bordello. An antique business on the verge of bankruptcy. Not to mention all my family problems.”

  She looked at her glorious new ring. “I’ll marry you, but not until we have a few of these things fixed. Marriage is serious business. I plan to do it right.”

  Jonathan hadn’t moved. He was sitting hunched slightly forward, elbows on knees. “Coming?” she asked, offering her hand.

  He looked up. “We’re engaged?”

  She nodded.

  “And I can move into the old bordello?”

  She nodded, fighting a smile at his befuddled tone.

  “But I have to pay rent.”

  “I need the money.”

  “For a computer system?”

  “New wiring, first. We don’t want to burn the place down, right? Although, that is an idea.” She laughed to make sure he knew she was kidding. “We should probably go. And I don’t know about announcing our engagement today. I don’t want to steal Jenny’s thunder.”

  His lips tensed. “I don’t care whom we tell or when, but you will wear the ring, right?”

  “Oh, yes,” she said with feeling. “This is mine. And, by the way—” she struggled to keep a straight face “—just because you’re renting rooms at the bordello doesn’t mean you have to sleep in them.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ANDI WASN’T SURE what she expected to find when she and Jonathan rode into the paddock area near Sam’s barn, but it wasn’t Donnie Grimaldo with his gun drawn.

  “What on earth is happening?” she cried.

  Jonathan made a clicking sound, and Jughead picked up the pace. “I don’t know, but I sure as hell hope he isn’t looking for me.”

  Moments later, they dismounted and Andi took off as fast as her high heels would allow. Jonathan passed the reins to a waiting cowboy and hurried after her.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, taking in the scene. Kristin, who looked as though she’d seen a ghost, was clinging to Jenny, who looked angry. Sam—the usual purveyor of calm—had a cell phone to his ear and paced in a short, tight line a few steps away. A dozen or so people clustered nearby.

  Jenny looked at her accusingly. “Where were you? We could have used the marines.”

  Jonathan put a hand on her shoulder. “She was with me, what’s the problem?”

  “Tyler Harrison is the problem,” Jenny answered. “He just left, but only after Donnie and Mr. Rohr made it clear there would be legal ramifications if he didn’t.”

  Donnie, who had momentarily disappeared, rejoined the group. His gun was nowhere in sight. Andi assumed it was safely locked in his patrol car.

  “I apologize,” he said, looking embarrassed. “I overreacted.”

  Kristin looked at him but didn’t say anything.

  Donnie addressed Andi and Jonathan, the latecomers. “Ty said he dropped by to see if the rumors were true. That Kristin’s child looked a lot like him.”

  Kristin let out a groan and pressed her head against Jenny’s shoulder.

  Andi went to her. “Let’s go to the house, Kris. You don’t want to get eye stuff all over Jen’s wedding dress, do you?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood. The town had feasted enough on their woes, without adding more gossip to the mill, Andi decided.

  “Where’s Zach?” she asked, looking around as they walked to the house. In the mowed field to the left of the log home, three colorfully striped tents had been erected. Parked cars lined both sides of the road and people seemed to be everywhere. Music from a Sonora-based Celtic rock group called the Black Irish Band drifted to them.

  Noting the constant stream of women—arms laden with food—moving between the kitchen and the tent area, Andi headed for the front door and the privacy of the living room.

  “He’s playing a computer game in Sam’s office,” Kris told her. “He didn’t hear a thing, thank God, but he’s bound to find out. Everyone is talking about it.”

  Jonathan dashed ahead to open the door.

 
; Kristin happened to look down at that moment and gasped. She grabbed Andi’s hand. “OhmyGod. A ring.”

  Jenny, who’d followed a few steps behind with Sam, sprang forward to see. “Andi,” she cried. “You’re engaged? For real?”

  Jonathan cleared his throat and made an ushering motion. “Maybe we could discuss this inside.”

  Andi gave him a look of gratitude she hoped he’d understand. “Where’s Ida Jane?” she asked.

  “Upstairs, taking a nap with the twins,” Jenny said. “I think the excitement of the wedding was too much for her. I hope she didn’t hear about Tyler showing up—she doesn’t need to worry about that on top of everything else.”

  Sam poked his head into the kitchen and had a word with his housekeeper then led the way to the living room. He walked to a built-in bar. “A drink, anyone? All the champagne is outside waiting for the best man’s toast, but we have most everything else here.”

  Andi and her sisters declined, but James Rohr asked for a scotch. Sam poured three and handed one to both men. “To Jonathan and Andi,” Sam said. “Congratulations on your engagement.” The men clinked their glasses together before swallowing the liquid. Andi smiled at her brother-in-law, then turned to Kristin.

  “Do you have a plan, Kris?”

  Her sister’s strawberry-blond head shook despondently. “I thought I’d have more time. According to Jenny, Ty hasn’t been in town since graduation.”

  “Don’t blame me for—” Jenny started to say, but Jonathan interrupted.

  “Excuse me, Jenny. This probably isn’t my place, but we should be looking at the future not the past. Since we have a lawyer present—and a cop…” Andi hadn’t even noticed Donnie, who hovered near the doorway. “Maybe we could ask them about Kristin’s rights in this matter. I mean, did you get a sense that this guy was here to demand custody of his son or what?”

  He made a slightly self-deprecating shrug that reminded Andi of Harley. “That is the issue, right? I came in late to this discussion—by about eleven years,” he added with a smile.

  Everyone sat down, including Donnie, although he stayed as far back as possible. Jim Rohr offered to meet with Kristin on Monday if she would stay in town an extra day. He also told Jonathan, “Deputy Grimaldo may have a lead in your case. With luck we’ll wrap that up next week, too.”

  “What kind of lead?” Andi asked.

  “I’m waiting on a report from the forensics lab in Sacramento,” Donnie told her. “That’s all I can say. But we should know something by Tuesday or Wednesday.”

  Sam cleared his throat. “I don’t think Kristin needs to panic. When Donnie and I were escorting Ty back to his car, he mentioned that he was leaving for Japan on business. I got the impression he might be gone for several months, didn’t you?” he asked Donnie.

  “Yes. And last night at the bar, he said he was in town to see his mother. I don’t think this was planned.”

  Jonathan made a funny sound. He put his hand to his forehead as he did when experiencing a headache, but Andi had the impression that whatever was troubling him wasn’t an old memory working its way to the surface.

  “Forgive me if this isn’t the time or place to bring this up, but…this morning while I was at the Realtor’s…” He paused and added, “I’ve bought the Ledger, by the way.”

  After a second round of congratulations, he returned to his subject. “What I started to say was that earlier this week my father stumbled across some information about a development company moving into the area. Are you aware of this?”

  Sam nodded. “I’ve heard rumors. A few folks have sold, looking for greener pastures, big bucks. What’s your point?”

  “I just found out who was behind Meridian, Inc. It turns out the CEO is Tyler Harrison.”

  No one spoke for a minute, then Donnie said, “So, he’s bought a few parcels of land. What’s the big deal?”

  Jonathan shrugged. “It depends on what he plans to do with them. If he has a large enough holding, he could push for whatever redevelopment suits his agenda.

  “This might be a coincidence, but the Realtor said someone in the City Planning Department mentioned there’s been talk about redefining the boundaries of the business district, as well as a possible ring road for traffic to bypass the town.

  “According to the map he showed me, the old bordello—because of its location—would fall directly in the path of this new road.”

  Andi’s stomach flipped over. “The bastard. He tried to buy the bordello, you know. Ida Jane got a letter from Meridian in the mail. But I threw it away. When we wouldn’t sell, he tried to get in through the back door.”

  Jenny’s face went stern. “We’ll fight him. There’s no way he can bulldoze the bordello. It’s a historic landmark.”

  James Rohr leaned forward. “Is it designated as a historic property, Andi? If so, he can’t touch it.”

  All eyes turned her way. The application for historic recognition had been on Ida’s desk for two years. It was thick as a book and looked complicated. She’d set it aside and never got back to it. “Not yet,” she said woefully. “I’ve been—”

  Jonathan put his arm around her shoulders. “She’s been a little busy. But I have a month before I can take over the paper, so I volunteer to look into it. This sounds like a good way to learn more about my community.”

  Andi couldn’t let him take on her job. “But you have enough on your hands—the trial, the Blue Lupine, Sarge…”

  He made a negating motion. “Speaking of Sarge,” he said, turning to Kristin, “I was wondering if your son might be interested in a dog. With all the construction going on at the bordello right now, I’m afraid Sarge might get run over or something. Do you think Zach might like a pet?”

  “I wanted a dog, but Mom said we couldn’t afford one,” a youthful voice said from the doorway.

  Kristin paled noticeably.

  Jonathan rose and walked to greet Zach. “Well, you’re in luck. This dog comes with a trust fund. He’s filthy rich. His previous owner died, but he named Sarge in his will. The dog has money coming out his ears. And he has really big ears,” Jonathan added playfully, using his hands to illustrate.

  Andi saw her nephew almost crack a smile until he looked at his mother.

  “We could take him home with us,” Kristin said. “If it’ll help.”

  “Great.” Jonathan smiled and looked at his watch. “I saw Rich Rumbolt in the crowd, but he told me his office was open today until three. If we hurry, we could spring Sarge and still make it back in time for cake. What do you say, Zach? Wanna go?”

  After a slight hesitation, the boy nodded. Jonathan put his hand out to Andi, “Coming?”

  Her heart was getting that squishy feeling again. She looked at Jenny, “Do you need me for pictures?”

  Jenny looked close to tears, too. “We won’t cut the cake until all of you—including Sarge—get back.”

  Andi sprang to her feet, and promptly keeled sideways onto James Rohr’s lap. “Damn shoes,” she cursed.

  She looked at Jonathan who appeared to be stifling a grin. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “These ankle busters have got to go.”

  Andi ran barefoot upstairs to Jenny’s room where they’d dressed just two hours earlier. She couldn’t believe how much her world had changed in one day. A wedding, an engagement, a probable paternity suit, what else could happen?

  An odd shiver passed through her but she ignored it. She and Jonathan were going to live together. They were engaged. Except for Tyler Harrison’s potential threat to the bordello, life was finally falling into place.

  Her shoes were easy to find—they were the ugliest ones in the room. Flat sandals with two, functional straps. Her feet nearly wept in joy when she eased her toes into them. She spotted a plastic bag and quickly filled it with the clothes she’d worn to the ranch that morning. With any luck she and Jonathan could cut out of the party early.

  “Are you running away from home again, Kristin?” a voice aske
d.

  Andi looked up from the messy heap of clothes-strewn bed. “Hi, Auntie,” she said, ignoring the mistaken identity. “I thought you were napping.”

  Ida Jane made a dismissing motion. “Only old women and babies nap. I was thinking.”

  “Oh. Of course. I should have known,” Andi said, grinning. “Would you like me to escort you downstairs? You don’t want to miss the party. All your friends are here.”

  Her aunt looked around as if just realizing where she was. “This isn’t home. Where am I?”

  Butterflies fluttered in her belly. “We’re at the Rocking M, Auntie. For Jenny’s wedding. Remember?”

  Ida gave her a look of pure disbelief. “What are you talking about? Jenny’s wedding was at the bordello. Everybody came. It was the biggest party the town ever saw. You were there.”

  Andi tried to swallow but her mouth felt full of cotton. “That was when she married Josh. But he died and—”

  Before she could finish, Ida let out a high thin wail and started to weep. Andi rushed to her side and put her arm around her aunt’s trembling shoulders. “Auntie, it was last summer. You remember, don’t you? The babies came,” she added, trying to distract her with something positive. “Little Tuck and Lara…”

  Suddenly, her aunt moaned, then went limp. Andi struggled to keep her from collapsing on the floor. “Jenny,” she cried. “Somebody, help.”

  Tears erupted from her eyes as she gently eased Ida to the carpet. All her years of first-aid training disappeared from her brain as she stared in horror at the only mother she’d ever known. No, no, no, you can’t die, she repeated in silent litany. Ida Jane, please. Don’t leave me.

  Jonathan appeared at her side. Sam and Donnie followed. The three men operated like a well-trained team. Thanks to Sam’s expert planning, both the paramedics and the fire department were on hand for the party, so within minutes Ida was on a gurney headed for the hospital.

  “IT WAS A STROKE.”

  Jonathan wasn’t certain how he’d been elected spokes-person, but in the three hours since Ida Jane’s collapse, he’d become primary liaison between the hospital staff and the Sullivan triplets.