by Karen Kelley
Was she developing a conscience?
That wasn’t good. She hadn’t been given the award for best journalist of the year two years in a row because she’d had scruples when it came to lowering the boom on dirty politicians. Nikki Scott, developing a conscience? Yeah, right, when hell froze over, maybe.
But apparently, she wasn’t quite good enough. She’d subtly questioned him after they’d had sex. He’d planted a good one on her lips, and while she was still trying to recover from the fire that had begun to build, he’d rolled out of bed and told her he’d promised to meet his brother.
Before she knew what was happening, he’d dressed and gone out the front door. She felt as though she’d lost another round. A smile curved her lips, but what a way to lose.
She stretched her arms over her head, then strolled toward the kitchen, stopping at the door and staring at the black beast, but the longer she stared the more frightening it looked. She didn’t need a psychic to tell her she’d be taking another cold sponge bath.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that all she’d had was a PB&J sandwich yesterday. That last town she’d gone through wasn’t that far away. She needed a few things anyway and surely they had a fast-food joint of some kind. It felt as though she hadn’t eaten in months.
But after that, look out. They didn’t call her The Barracuda for nothing. She’d beat Cal at his own game. She grabbed clean clothes and after a quick wash headed for her car. Oh, yeah, she was on top of the world.
It was only a twenty-minute drive into town but it seemed longer since she had to maneuver around all the potholes. This time she noticed the town’s sign as she drove past it. Frog Hollow—population 1,625.
Frog Hollow? Who named a town Frog Hollow? She drove down Main Street—which looked like the only street. Where were the fast-food places?
Wait, there was a café. She pulled in front of it and parked her car and just sat there for a moment.
Oh, yeah, this should be good, she thought as she read the faded sign: THE CHICKEN COOP. She really hated chickens and more especially roosters, but she was so hungry it felt as though her stomach was about to cave in. Maybe she’d get a little revenge and have fried chicken.
She glanced at her watch. Almost eleven. Please let them be serving something…anything.
The bell jangled over her head as she went inside. The aromas of home-cooked food assailed her nostrils and her stomach rumbled in anticipation. It looked clean. There were ruffled black and white checkered curtains on the windows and yellow Formica booths with matching vinyl seats. No rips or tears, no silver tape patching holes, and the black and white tiled floor practically sparkled.
It felt as though she’d stepped back to the fifties. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if Don Knotts strolled into the café. She slid into one of the booths.
A girl, who looked barely out of high school, came over, gum smacking, blond hair swinging in a ponytail, and handed her a menu.
“Sweet convertible. I bet it really looks nice when it’s washed,” she said as she glanced out the window.
“Texas dust.”
“Yeah, we have a lot of it around here. Back-country roads and all. My name’s Jenny, by the way, and I’ll be your waitress.” She chuckled. “I’m the only waitress, actually. Middle of the week, slow time. The crowd won’t start to come in until after five.”
This town had a crowd? Nikki tried but couldn’t visualize it. She opened the menu and glanced at the offerings. God, she was so hungry.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Wine was probably out of the question. “Soda. Coke?”
“Sure thing. Back in a minute.”
Could she order everything on the menu? She could probably eat it, as well as the menu. Her stomach rumbled again. She wanted something fast. No fried chicken or thick, juicy steak this time.
Her perusal stopped on cheeseburger. She bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning. A big, fat, juicy cheeseburger loaded with onions and a side of fries. Oh, yeah, that was living.
“Here you go.” Jenny set the drink, along with a straw, in front of her. “Do you know what you want?”
She nodded, then gave Jenny her order and the girl left to pass it along to the cook.
Nikki glanced out the window. From her viewpoint, she could see the gas station she’d stopped at for directions when she came through town, an abstract office, the post office, and a pharmacy.
“You just passing through?” Jenny asked.
“I’m staying at the Braxton ranch.”
She nodded, looked at the convertible, then back at her. “Tourist.”
“Sort of. I’m from Fort Worth.”
“Cal still home?”
Nikki immediately went on alert. “You know Cal?” She casually picked up the straw and removed the white paper before sticking the straw into her drink.
Jenny grinned. “Everyone knows him. Star football player, a handsome devil.” She blushed. “My oldest sister went to school with him. I think every girl had a crush on him and his brother, Brian. They hated when Cal got engaged, but that’s all over now.”
“I’m sure he was hurt by the breakup.”
Jenny snorted. “I don’t think so. He came in last week and was flirting with Sandy Fairfax and she was practically drooling all over him.”
“He was flirting with her?” For some reason, the thought of Cal flirting with someone irritated her.
Jenny frowned. “It might’ve been more flirting on Sandy’s part. But the way you hear her talk, Cal was falling all over himself to be sweet to her.” She frowned. “Come to think of it, Sandy was the one acting like a dog in heat—excuse my phrasing.”
“Order up,” the cook announced.
“That’s your food.” The waitress hurried over to get it.
“Since I’m the only customer that’s obvious,” she muttered God, I’m such a bitch when I’m starving.
Jenny brought Nikki’s food over and set it in front of her. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
She managed to get a little more information. Jenny seemed to think Cal might have been the one to end the relationship since he didn’t seem to be in pain over the breakup. Interesting. Maybe she’d have another chance to question her.
But first, food.
As Jenny walked back to the counter, Nikki took a huge bite of the burger, closing her eyes as her taste buds went into overdrive. Better than sex.
Well, maybe not sex with Cal, but a hell of a lot better than the last couple of men she’d had sex with. The cheeseburger was absolute heaven. She closed her eyes again as she savored another bite of grilled-to-perfection hamburger.
Catsup. She had to have catsup. She grabbed the bottle that was on the table and dumped at least half a cup on her plate, then dragged a French fry through it.
Oh, yeah, heaven.
Ha! The Barracuda was back. She’d be damned if she’d starve or live the next week or so on PB&J. What Cal didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
She didn’t think about anything else. In fact, she didn’t do anything except savor each bite of food until she swallowed the last morsel of burger, ate the last French fry, then sucked down the last drop of her soda.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone inhale one of Jim’s burgers that fast.” Jenny laughed.
“It was fantastic,” Nikki said. “I’m stuffed.”
“Sure you won’t try some peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Jim’s wife made it herself and there’s none better.”
Maybe she wasn’t that stuffed.
She finished half an hour later, then paid out. Jenny had been right: the cobbler was the best she’d ever eaten. The young waitress hadn’t given her any more information that she could use, but she pointed her in the direction of the dry-goods store and the grocery store.
Ye-haw, she thought as she walked inside. She admitted the smell of leather was kind of nice, but she wasn’t in
to spurs that jangled or purses with tiny saddles on top of them. She did buy four pair of jeans, a pair of boots, and a week’s worth of tops, though. She didn’t plan on needing to stay any longer and hoped it wouldn’t take her that long.
A trip to the hardware store yielded solar lights, along with a few more items she thought she might need.
The grocery store was her diamond in the rough, though, as she grabbed ham and cheese, bagels and cream cheese, and chocolate. Gourmet food it wasn’t, but it was better than nothing.
Coffee was another story. She might have to break down and light the black beast after all. Then again, she wasn’t that addicted to caffeine. Sodas might be able to give her the fix she craved.
She grabbed a few toiletries that she hadn’t thought she would need, but did, an armload of air fresheners in all shapes, sizes, and forms, and then paid out. She’d stash her goods and Cal would never know she’d cheated. A satisfactory smile curved her lips. She was just too damned good.
And she made sure she kept every receipt. Marge was going to owe her for this one. She figured at least two weeks off. Her parents would probably tell her that was too long, but dammit, she deserved it. And she didn’t care what Marge thought, either.
Her cell rang as she shut the trunk. She brought it out of her purse and flipped it open.
“Hi, Mom.” Why was her mother calling her? Her mother never called. What if her father was ill? Or worse. “Is everything all right?”
“Finally—I’ve tried to call you several times, but it wouldn’t go through. And yes, everything is fine now that I know you’re okay. Where are you?”
Her mother was worried about her? Strange, but it felt nice to know she cared so much. And she had sounded generally upset. Actually, that scared Nikki even more.
“Is everything okay?” her mother asked.
“Yes, I’m doing great. I’m on assignment in the boonies. There’s limited service here.”
“Another politician?”
She cringed. “Not exactly. A football player.”
“Steroids?”
“No.” She knew her mother wouldn’t leave off until she knew the whole story, so she quickly told her the details.
“Your editor sent you to do a piece about the love life of a socialite and a football player? What could she have been thinking? Your talents are going to waste.”
“It’s a nice change.”
“And you’re staying in a nice hotel.”
She cringed. “Not exactly. More like a cabin on a dude ranch. It’s…rustic.”
“I know you better than that, dear. If the living conditions are primitive, then you must feel as though you’re in hell.”
She thought about making love with Cal and knew she wouldn’t exactly say everything was hell. But she didn’t want to tell her mother that.
“I’m tough, so I think I’ll survive.”
“That you are, dear.”
“Why did you call?” Her mother never had said.
“Our second Saturday meeting is this month but I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel and I wanted to give you plenty of notice.”
They never canceled. Again, fear coursed through her. “Why?”
“I have exciting news. We’re thinking about moving to Washington. The Stanleys have been after us for years to move up there. Jack already has an established practice and he wants us to come in as partners.”
“You’re moving?” All of a sudden, Nikki felt as if she was being abandoned.
“You have a fabulous career, dear, and you don’t need us so much anymore. We’ll still meet once every couple of months except you’ll fly out. It’ll be exciting. You’ll see.”
Her mother was right. Nikki drew in a deep breath. She was a big girl and could take care of herself. And it was probably a fantastic opportunity for her parents.
“If you and Daddy are excited, then so am I. I hope everything works out the way you both want.”
“I knew you would understand, dear.”
“Of course I do. You raised me right.” But it didn’t stop the sadness from flowing through her. Sometimes she wondered if a career was worth the toll it took on one’s personal life.
They rescheduled their dinner date and said their good-byes.
Nikki got into her car and started it, but she couldn’t shake the lonely feeling.
Chapter 11
Nikki knew she could do this. How hard could it be? She’d mapped out her strategic plan and was ready for any unforeseen complications that might arise. All she had to do was talk herself into doing it.
This was utterly ridiculous. She’d never lacked courage. She was the one who was always first to take a chance. She could do this, too. She closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten. She opened her eyes knowing there was no turning back.
She made sure the nose clamp was firmly in place. She’d found that little lifesaver at the hardware store, of all places. It was the kind swimmers used. Yeah, she was good.
Armed with a can of air freshener in each hand, she was ready. At least as ready as she’d ever be.
She leaned back and cautiously opened the door of the outhouse with the toe of her shoe and began spraying as she stepped forward, holding her breath, eyes closed, face turned away, and arms stretched out in front of her. The door closed behind her, but she continued to spray.
A white fog began to surround her. Oh, Lord, she needed air! Her lungs were about to explode. She stuck her head outside the door and drew in a quick, gasping breath before facing the interior once again.
She sprayed the inside of the outhouse with spicy apple air freshener for another good minute, then set the can on the floor, reached into the brown paper sack just outside the door, gasped another breath, and pulled out more ammo.
“I am The Barracuda and I don’t lose,” she said with fierce determination, except her words sounded like someone with a bad cold, since she still wore the nose clamp.
She peeled off the backs of the shiny foil stick-on scented fresheners to expose the sticky side and plastered them all over the walls. She’d bought every cinnamon-scented and spicy-scented room deodorizer they had in the store. She hadn’t even cared that the clerk had given her a strange look. Let him think what he would.
She slapped the last one on the wall. The outhouse looked as though an infestation of a new species of techno insects had infiltrated the walls. The smell was almost—almost—bearable if one didn’t linger, and she had no intention of staying any longer than she had to.
As she let the door slam behind her, she removed the nose clamp and scooped up the sack with the solar lights and the hammer. She walked down the path and hammered the lights in place. Three on one side and three on the other.
Let there be light.
And there was.
Well, there would be as soon as it got dark. Cal couldn’t find fault in her wanting to light the way to the bathroom. And if he did, so what?
She stepped up onto the porch and surveyed her handiwork. It almost looked homey. Yeah, right, as if she would ever feel like Suzy Homemaker. No way would she get used to a place this secluded. She liked the hustle and bustle of the city. The restaurants, the plays, the glitter of the nightlife. She didn’t care if she knew the people around her or not; at least there were people.
Not that she felt that alone here. She glanced over her shoulder into the dark interior of the kitchen. A cold chill ran down her spine. She didn’t think Cal had been joking when he’d said there was a ghost here. It was as though she could feel a presence.
Was there really such a thing as ghosts? Maybe her parents were wrong. Sure, there were special effects in the movies, but what about real life? There weren’t any out here in the middle of nowhere.
Maybe there was a ghost.
A series of guttural grunts made her jump. She slapped a hand to her chest and waited for her racing pulse to slow. Off to her right Bandit waddled toward a tree.
Okay, not a ghost, only the stupid raccoon, bu
t she still had a creepy feeling about the old house. Probably because it was about to fall down around her ears; the wind whistled through it, making weird noises; and it had a musty smell that no amount of air freshener could get rid of.
Of course there was no such thing as ghosts.
There were only wild animals. Yeah, right. Now she felt a lot safer. She stayed on the porch but kept her eyes on the raccoon, curious to see what it would do.
Bandit was sort of funny to watch, the way his weight shifted back and forth like someone on a boat for the first time during rough seas. Not that she wanted to get to know the raccoon or anything. As long as he kept his distance, they would get along just fine.
Another sound drew her attention.
A vehicle.
Cal maybe?
She couldn’t see from where she was, but the pickup didn’t stop out front anyway. Whoever was driving kept going until he was beside the barn.
It was just one person, Cal, and he pulled a trailer behind the pickup. Nikki crossed her arms in front of her and frowned. Oh, goody, what does he have for me now? The excitement is almost too much, she thought sarcastically. She could barely contain herself, she could…actually, her body did tingle at the thought of seeing him again.
But she wasn’t all that enthused with what he might have brought her. She had a feeling whatever it was, she wouldn’t like it.
He still had no idea she wanted to do a story about him. No, he thought she really wanted to know about country living. Like that would ever happen—not in her lifetime.
She stepped off the porch and wandered over to the pickup. He didn’t even look up as he unfastened the back door of the trailer, even though she knew he’d heard her.
“Hi,” he said.
Hi? That was it? Just hi? Not that she wanted him to drop to his knees and profess his undying love or anything, but she’d expected a little more than a bland “hi.”
She drew in a deep breath and regrouped her thoughts. “Did you bring me another cow to milk?” she asked.
He stopped with his hand on the door. His gaze slowly traveled over her. Before the fire inside her could begin to sensuously burn out of control, he turned away and opened the gate.