He rubbed the bridge of his nose and thought. “Mitch, tomorrow she and Tessa are getting their hair and all that other stuff done. Then, she’ll be with me. We’ll all be together at the reunion, so she should be safe, shouldn’t she?”
Mitch seemed to consider it for a minute before he nodded. “As safe as she’s going to be until we catch this guy.”
“Then, let’s not tell her until Sunday. Let’s let her have some normalcy. She deserves to enjoy herself tomorrow, not spend all day jumping at every sound.” Holly would be angry when she found out what they’d done, but she’d just have to get over it.
“I like that idea.” Then Mitch seemed to think of something else. “But how are we going to make sure she stays with one of us, without her realizing something is wrong? We can’t have her going off by herself.”
Mitch had a point. What could they do? Then the answer came to him. “We’ll tell Tessa. Then, between the three of us, we can make sure she’s not left alone, or in a dangerous situation.”
Mitch sighed. “Short of placing her in protective custody, it’s the only plan we have. Clarence is still there every night, isn’t he?”
“I’ve been taking him home on Saturday morning and not bringing him back until Sunday evening.” The image of Clarence pouting and moping around the house brought a smile to his lips, despite the situation. “I can fix that easy enough, though. I’ve been talking about leaving him all weekend, so I’ll just start doing it.”
“Okay. After church on Sunday, we’ll sit down and establish some rules for all of us to follow to keep her safe. And if she refuses, I may just have to take her into custody for her own sake.”
Luke was surprised. “You’d really do that?”
“No,” the other man shamefacedly admitted, “but she doesn’t have to know that, does she?”
“She’s going to be shooting sparks.” Holly had never been one to lose her temper quickly, but when she did, she did so with gusto.
“We’re going to keep her safe. That’s what matters.”
It was what mattered. How much longer was this man going to get away with this?
Luke just wished they had an answer.
Chapter 29
Holly checked her makeup one more time and decided she looked as good as she was going to. Luke should be there to pick her up in about fifteen minutes. If he picked her up. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. She behaved deplorably at O’Leary’s the evening before. What had gotten into her? She knew better than to swoon at the first compliment a man paid her, even if the man was Clay Richmond.
And before the compliment, what had he been talking about? She was so thrown off by his presence, she hadn’t really heard a word he said before he told her she was beautiful. She noticed Luke looked angry a couple of times, but she didn’t know why. Maybe it had something to do with Clay talking about Jennifer. Maybe Clay was as bad of a gossip as she was.
“You look stunning.” Tessa stood in the bedroom doorway.
“Thank you.” Tessa had acted strangely all day. She insisted on taking care of Clarence’s regular outing this morning, even though she and the dog still weren’t the best of friends. Then, at the beauty salon, Tessa actually switched her appointments around so the two of them were together throughout the entire treatment. Tessa even let Joni do her nails, so she would have them done while Peter was doing Holly’s. And the last time Joni did Tessa’s nails, her friend spent the next two hours complaining about streaks and removing every fleck of polish she could find.
That wasn’t all, either. Tessa visited the salon’s bathroom with Holly. They hadn’t done that since they were teenagers. It was like Tessa was her shadow or something.
“When is Mitch picking you up?” Maybe she’d get a breather if Mitch picked Tessa up before Luke got there.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?”
Why did Holly think she didn’t want to hear this?
“We decided to double. The guys thought it would be fun, and since we’re all going to the same place, it doesn’t make any sense to take two separate vehicles, does it? Besides, we always have fun when we’re all together. We even had fun before Mitch and I became a couple. Don’t you think?” Tessa took a deep breath.
“I think you’re prattling on like you do when you’re nervous.” Holly stepped directly in front of her. “What’s going on?”
Tessa quickly broke eye contact, but not before guilt appeared.
“What are you not telling me, Tess?”
Tessa’s smile looked forced. “Nothing. I just don’t think it’s fair to Luke if you flirt with Clay Richmond. Mitch said something about you flirting with him at O’Leary’s last night.”
“I didn’t flirt with him,” Holly denied. “I was so nervous, I don’t think I said two words.” She felt her face warm. “I think he may have flirted with me a little, though, and I acted like an awestruck schoolgirl.”
“Holly.” Tessa’s disapproval was apparent. “You’re supposed to be figuring out how you really feel about Luke. The man who loves you. Not some guy you haven’t seen for ten years, and who wasn’t even nice to you then.”
Guilt lapped at Holly’s conscience, for she knew Tessa was right. She promised herself to show Luke he was the only man in her life, and then went loopy at the first sight of a man she barely knew. Tonight would be different. “I’ll be with Luke this evening. Everybody will know we’re together, so it won’t do any good for there to be flirting of any kind.”
Chapter 30
Luke was running late. He was in his suit, hair combed, dress shoes on, and ready to go…but he couldn’t find his dog.
“Clarence!” He stepped past the machine shed and yelled as loudly as he could. “Here, boy!”
The dog’s favorite tromping grounds were the north and west fence rows, but he never went without Luke. Never.
He tried to push away the horrible thought that had been edging into his mind, but it was too powerful. Clarence had already been the stalker’s target once; what if his dog was out there in danger again?
His phone was half out of his pocket when a loud rustling in the tree line was followed by a horrendous howl.
“Clarence!” Luke took off at a dead run, easily spotting the area of brush the movements and wails were coming from.
Picking his way past briars and brambles, he finally had Clarence in sight. “Clarence, you’re all right. Come here.”
The howls became whimpers. Luke felt the pocket of his suit jacket catch and didn’t even pause when it tore. “Clarence, boy, I’m coming. Hold on.” Why wasn’t his dog coming to him?
He knew the answer to that question when he finally pushed his way into a small clearing with Clarence. The huge dog was tangled up with a tree—no, he was tied to the tree.
“Who did that to you?” Luke froze, trying to hear movement, but it was no use with Clarence’s pathetic whimpers echoing around him.
“Okay, Clarence.” Luke ran his hands across the dog’s head and down his back. Although he checked thoroughly, he found no signs of an injury—just a rope hooked through Clarence’s collar and tied around the tree. And whoever tied it knew what he was doing; the knot was some sort of intricate looping and turning Luke wasn’t sure he could untie.
At least, Clarence had stopped whimpering and was content nuzzling Luke’s side while he worked.
He soon reached a conclusion. Two, actually. He was going to have to leave Clarence and go back to the house for a knife, and he needed to call Holly because he was going to be late.
Clarence was friendly, but not to someone who meant harm. So, who would be able to get close enough to the dog to tie him up without being chomped into puppy chow? Who was doing this?
Chapter 31
They were at the reunion a total of fifteen minutes before Holly felt like standing on a chair and announcing she was Luke’s date. His date. A real date—as in girlfriend. Because Patty Waterson, Sabrina Bower, Natalie Beason, and Lisa Hawke had been flirting
with Luke as if she weren’t even there since she and Luke walked in thirty minutes late. It assuaged her anxious heart that Luke was being polite, and nothing else. Nevertheless, for the second time in her life, she was plain jealous. It was not a feeling she intended to get used to.
“Okay! Can I have everybody’s attention?” Up on stage, Jen Ewing shouted into the microphone.
It took a few minutes for the din to lessen. Holly stood closely beside Luke. She was a bit surprised by a sudden, childish urge to look around for those annoying women and point out Luke had his hand on her back.
“You all know you filled out those questionnaires?” A less than enthusiastic rumble went through the crowd. It appeared most of them shared Holly’s level of appreciation for the document.
“My husband, Dennis, has fixed up a special show for us to watch. If somebody will please get the lights, we’ll sit back and enjoy.”
It took a few minutes for everybody to get situated, but soon they were all seated so they could see the drop-down screen.
The first picture on the screen was a group picture, their freshman year, Holly thought. A montage of candid snapshots began. Holly expected to see pictures primarily of classmates like Sally Young, Lucy Phillips, and Clay, so she was surprised when everyone seemed to be represented. Holly, with either Luke or Tessa beside her, appeared several times. Luke must have sensed Holly’s melancholy since his hand found hers under the table and held it reassuringly.
Finally, the screen froze on the graduation group photograph. Dennis’s voice came over the sound system. “We used the ‘Dreaming of the Future’ papers you wrote before you graduated for this part of the presentation.”
The image of Sally Young’s face grew until it filled the screen. “Sally Young wanted to be a model when she grew up. Her favorite memory of high school is when she was crowned homecoming queen.”
Across the floor, a well-endowed, platinum blond woman smiled condescendingly at her table mates, making Holly glad she wasn’t one of them.
When Kevin Tripp’s face filled the screen, Holly was shocked by how large he was. Even back in high school, he was more broad-shouldered than most adult men. She glanced around the gym, but in the dim light, couldn’t see him.
“Kevin wanted to design houses.” Murmurs at a table across the floor told Holly that was probably where he was sitting.
She had to fight off a major fit of giggles a few minutes later when the image of Lucy Phillips Armstrong filled the screen. A heavy-set woman wearing her red hair in an up-do befitting a much older person was obviously her. Holly made the supreme mistake of making eye contact with Missy, who nodded knowingly and mouthed the word, “girdle.”
Holly probably just about cut off circulation in Luke’s fingers as she squeezed his hand to keep from laughing.
The presentation went through the same routine with a different student being the subject each time. Holly was surprised by hers. She’d forgotten she wanted to be an animal psychologist. Tessa leaned over and stage whispered. “With some of our students, you probably feel like you are.” The others at the table heard her and began laughing. With Holly’s held-back giggles finally breaking free, the group’s volume grew quickly. It only increased when Jennifer gave them the evil eye.
“Shhh.” Luke’s smiling admonition calmed them.
Holly’s interest was piqued when the screen was filled with Luke’s picture. Of course, he had wanted to be a farmer from the time he knew what one was.
“Luke’s favorite high school memory is the senior homecoming when he finally persuaded Holly Morris to dance with him.”
Chuckles and murmurs ensued, and Holly didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or flattered. How long had he felt more than friendship for her? Their eyes met, and Luke’s glowed with an intensity she’d never seen before. Monkeys took up ballet in her stomach until she finally forced herself to break eye contact with him.
Holly managed to put it out of her mind and enjoy the rest of the presentation, particularly Tessa’s goal. She planned to be a mathematical entrepreneur, regardless of the fact no such career existed. Mitch hugged Tessa’s shoulders as the gym erupted with laughter.
Finally, the last student, who happened to be Tom Dwer, was highlighted. Again, Holly was surprised by his size, and also a remarkable resemblance to Kevin Tripp. How could he and his cohort look so much alike? Maybe they were cousins or something. She nearly missed hearing his dream of settling down and having a family. Perhaps he achieved it.
She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the lights coming back on. Jennifer was once more onstage behind the microphone.
“Okay. We’re finished with our walk down memory lane, so we’re going to give some prizes out. Everybody, get up and gather in front of the stage.” Holly’s hand felt empty when Luke released it to stand. She found herself wishing he’d take it back as they gathered with their classmates in front of the stage. Maybe he intended to comfort her, but for some reason, their fingers laced together stirred up other feelings in Holly. Feelings that reminded her of the kiss he gave her…feelings like maybe she wouldn’t mind if he turned and gave her another one right now.
“Are you okay?” Luke’s quiet words in her ear made Holly realize how close she was to him. He probably felt like she was about to shinny up his side.
“Yes.” His hand slid farther around her waist and held her in place when she would have stepped away. She pushed away the sudden urge to turn and move into his arms. What was wrong with her? Taking a deep breath, Holly forced herself to focus on the stage.
Jennifer, still at the microphone, looked questioningly at Rob Sanders, who was sitting at a small table with several papers in front of him. He nodded.
“All right. We’ll start with the person who traveled the farthest to get here.” Rob handed her the paper. “From China of all places, Kevin Tripp!”
It seemed like everybody started talking again while a tall, broad-shouldered man with coal-black hair walked up to the stage. When Holly got her first real look at him, she knew she was looking at a wealthy person. His haircut hadn’t been done in any barber shop, and if the suit he was wearing didn’t cost more than Holly’s entire wardrobe, she was Peppermint Patty.
“Thank you.” It appeared Kevin didn’t like to speak any more now than he had in high school.
“So, tell us, Kevin. What have you been doing in China?” Jennifer all but bounced with excitement.
Kevin looked embarrassed as he answered. “A company over there bought some software I designed. They hired me to move there and work for them.”
“So, you’ll be heading back soon?”
“No. I’m back in the states.”
“Which state?” Jennifer asked.
Now, he was definitely blushing. “I have a few houses—one on the West Coast and one in the East…central United States…I don’t like hotels, and I have to travel, so…”
“Wow!” Jen fanned herself. “We have a wealthy alumnus.”
“Here’s your prize!” Rob’s wife, Annie, made quite a production out of carrying a large envelope onto the stage and handing it to Kevin.
He opened it and produced a small smile before he held it up. It was a world map coloring book.
Still red-faced, he made his way back down to the gym floor.
Jennifer once again quieted everybody. “Now, we have a prize for the person who traveled the shortest distance.” She smiled broadly. “I don’t even have to ask Rob for this one because Mitch Landon’s house is three blocks away. Mitch, come on up here!”
They went through the same routine as Kevin’s, with Mitch telling everybody about his job since so many had moved away. His prize was an over-sized plastic compass.
Then, it seemed like the prizes were never going to end. An extremely embarrassed Wes Stevens, who was there with his fourth wife, won a floral wedding planner for being married the most times. Personally, Holly thought it was an inappropriate award. Divorces weren’t something to celebrate.
<
br /> Jen went through youngest looking, oldest looking, moved the most times, most children, best-dressed female, and best-dressed male—which resulted in Kevin Tripp once more visiting the stage.
“Our class sweethearts during our senior year were Tyler Brady and Sally Young. This was a difficult decision, but we finally agreed. Mitch Landon and Tessa Lincoln need to come up here.” As Holly’s blushing friends made their way to the stage, Jen went on. “We’ve all known these two were made for each other for years. Looks like they finally realized it.”
Holly heard Luke’s hearty laughter and followed his line of vision to see what was so funny. She had to laugh with him when she saw Tessa bury her face against Mitch’s chest, too embarrassed even to look at her classmates. Mitch had one arm around her and was laughing right along with everybody else. Holly laughed even harder when Tessa peeked at everyone and promptly reburied her face. She couldn’t remember ever seeing her friend this bashful, as long as they’d known each other. This was a first.
“And here’s your prize.” Annie handed Mitch a gift bag, and he was finally able to maneuver Tessa around so they could remove its contents. More laughter erupted when everybody saw two stuffed monkeys sharing a banana.
“We could shut the lights back off,” Luke observed. “Tessa would light the gym for us.”
“I know.” Holly had to speak into his ear to be heard over the crowd. “I’ve never seen her like this.”
A few minutes later, Tessa and Mitch had just found their places next to Luke and Holly when Jen announced the next prize.
“Who has changed the least?” Her eyebrows went up. “While we’ve all gotten older, from what I understand our prize winner hasn’t changed his ways at all. He’s still a trouble maker—Tom Dwer!”
His black hair was longer than he’d worn in high school, and there was the hint of a thicker waistline, but Tom hadn’t changed very much at all.
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