Garden of Secrets

by Barbara Freethy

  SIX

  The game got more intense with Andrew replacing Colin, Charlotte thought. Each play seemed to become more competitive. Andrew had been a star baseball player when he was young, and he was good at football, too. He threw the ball far better than Colin did, and their team quickly racked up more points. Joe was no slouch, either. He was agile and fast and played with the same drive he brought to everything else.

  Charlotte was trying to stay out of the action as much as possible, always relieved when the ball went somewhere else. Finally, someone called a halt as the sun sank lower in the sky, and they all headed toward the sidelines.

  “I wish I’d gotten here earlier,” Andrew said, falling into step next to her. “I was just getting into it. I can’t remember the last time I threw a football around—probably high school.”

  “Well, it came right back to you. I’m not surprised. You were a good athlete.”

  “At one time, baseball was what I lived for. I never imagined there would be a day when I couldn’t do it anymore. When my dream would die a brutal death.”

  She stopped abruptly, surprised by his words. “What are you talking about?”

  “I tore up my knee in junior year of college,” he explained. “I had to have surgery. I was out that year and wasn’t in good enough shape the next year to play. I thought you knew that.”

  “No one ever mentioned that you got hurt. I thought you just quit after you finished school.”

  “No. I wanted to go pro, and I had some interest. A few weeks before I got hurt, a couple of scouts talked to me. I was going to be drafted, but that was put on hold with the injury. Then it became an impossibility.”

  The pain in his voice matched the shadows in his eyes. Andrew had always been the golden boy, the one for whom things came easily and quickly. He’d never seemed to struggle for anything; he was just naturally good. But to have his dreams ripped away from him—that must have been tough.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I had no idea. Your father must have been disappointed, too. He spent so much time with you at the batting cage.”

  “My father was furious.”

  “Why? It wasn’t your fault you got hurt.”

  “He thought it was a result of poor conditioning. I was partying too hard, not paying enough attention to my training. He didn’t speak to me for almost three years.”

  “I can’t believe that,” she said in amazement.

  “You weren’t the only one who had a parent with high expectations. He wasn’t completely wrong, either. I was partying a lot. Eventually, we made peace with it. Actually, we just didn’t talk about it anymore. And then he died, so that was that.”

  She slid her arm around his waist. “Well, you may have lost one dream, but you found another. You’re a good minister, Andrew.”

  “That’s nice to hear from you.”

  “I’m sure you hear it from a lot of people.”

  “But you’re different, because you know me better than most.”

  Did she? She hadn’t known about his injury, which shocked her a little; it made her realize that maybe the years in between mattered more than she’d thought.

  “Charlotte, I want to tell you something before you hear it from someone else,” Andrew said.

  “What’s that?” she asked warily.

  “Pamela came by the church a few hours ago. We had a short discussion about Theresa. It wasn’t important, but I’m telling you because I wouldn’t want you to think I was keeping it from you.”

  “I saw her earlier, too, at the hospital.”

  “She told me. I meant what I said earlier today, Charlotte. I want to go forward, not backward. Don’t let Pamela’s presence drag us into the past, into problems we’ve rehashed a dozen times.”

  “Hey, you two, are you coming back to the house?” Kara interrupted, coming over to join them.

  Charlotte started, realizing that most of the crowd had dispersed. Colin was pushing the baby stroller back and forth on the sidewalk while talking to Joe. “Sure, I’ll come back for a little while.”

  “What about you, Andrew?”

  He glanced down at his watch. “I wish I could, but I have some business to take care of. I’ll talk to you later, Charlotte.” He kissed her on the cheek, then walked across the grass, saying good-bye to the others before heading to his car.

  “You and Andrew were chatting it up. Did you have fun today?” Kara asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

  “What’s making you so happy?” Charlotte asked suspiciously as they walked across the grass.

  “Watching you dodge two men.”

  “I was playing football. I had to dodge a lot of men.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it. Andrew practically bribed me to get into the game.”

  “Is that why you made Colin come out?”

  “Are you going to thank me?”

  “It was your choice,” Charlotte said. “Nothing to do with me.”

  Kara made a face at her. “It had everything to do with you. So what’s the deal? Are you into Andrew? Or is Joe the one giving you goose bumps?”

  “Shh,” she said warningly. “He’ll hear you.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “I like them both.”

  “Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Andrew is a blond god, and Joe is a sexy hunk of a man. Dating them both could be a lot of fun. Maybe I did get married too young,” Kara said with a wistful sigh. “I missed all this excitement.”

  “It’s not always exciting,” Charlotte said dryly. “If you’d seen some of the losers I’ve dated, you wouldn’t be admiring my single status. I’ve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to men.”

  “It’s not the mistakes that matter; it’s how you recover from them. But neither Andrew nor Joe is a loser. It looks like a win-win situation to me.”

  “Stop trying to marry me off. I have a lot of other things in my life to figure out. In fact, I think I’ll take you up on that offer to show me some real estate.”

  “Anytime.”

  As they joined the men, Joe’s cell phone rang.

  After listening for a moment, he said, “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He gave them a look of apology. “I have to take off. Thanks for the invite.”

  “I’ll catch up to you, Kara,” Charlotte said, wanting a moment to speak to Joe.

  “Was that call about Theresa?” she asked as the others moved down the sidewalk. “Has something new developed?”

  “That was Pamela. I’m going to meet with her to learn more about her sister.”

  “Why not ask the mayor? He’s married to Theresa.”

  “The mayor has tunnel vision. I need another perspective.”

  “And you think Pamela will give it to you?”

  “It’s just routine, Charlotte.”

  “Then why isn’t Jason handling it?”

  “Because I am. It’s not personal. Nor is it anything for you to be concerned about. It’s just a simple conversation.”

  “Nothing is simple where Pamela is concerned. She doesn’t like me, and she would probably love to see me go down for attacking her sister, even though it’s not true. She’s going to try to railroad me.”

  “Do you think I’d let that happen?”

  “Men lose their minds when they’re near Pamela’s triple Ds.”

  A smile played around his lips as his gaze met hers. “You’re jealous.”

  “I’m pissed. There’s a difference,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

  “You’re pissed because you’re jealous.”

  She wanted to smack the knowing smile off his face, but there was too much truth to his statement. “Just remember that whenever Pamela is around, there’s trouble.”

  “I hate to break it to you, Charlotte, but you seem to be a magnet for trouble yourself.” He leaned in close. “But I’ve always liked trouble, especially when it comes in such a pretty package.” He gave her a tender kis
s, then stepped back. “Don’t worry about Pamela. She’s not going to put anything over on me, and the last thing I would ever let her do is hurt you.”

  Joe entered the Java Hut fifteen minutes later. Pamela was seated at a corner table, sipping coffee as she perused the local paper. A young man on his computer was the only other patron in the café. Joe sat down across from Pamela.

  She gave him a smile. “Can I buy you a coffee, Chief?”

  “I’m good. Thanks.”

  “Did I pull you away from something?” Her gaze ran down his body. “You don’t look like you’re on duty.”

  “I’m not. I just finished up a football game. How’s your sister doing?”

  “Confused and in pain. The doctor says that’s normal. They’re keeping her heavily sedated to give her brain a chance to rest. They’re not sure she’ll remember the attack. I’m very concerned that we’re not going to find out who did this to her.”

  “We’re in the early stages of the investigation. It’s too soon to be discouraged.”

  “Aren’t the early stages the most critical? Doesn’t the trail grow colder with each passing minute?”

  “My officers are working very hard on this case, Ms. Baines.”

  “It’s Miss,” she said with a flirtatious smile. “What about you, Chief? Are you a single man? Or a married man who doesn’t wear a ring?”

  He’d worn a ring until a few months ago, but it was amazing how quickly he’d stopped feeling its absence. “I’m divorced,” he said shortly.

  “Someone let you go? That’s surprising.”

  He didn’t like the gleam in her eyes. “Let’s talk about you, Miss Baines. What kind of relationship do you have with your sister?”

  “The usual kind,” she said with an offhand wave.

  “Yet you can’t recall the last time you saw her?”

  “A few months ago. I thought I was going to be the one asking the questions.”

  He ignored that. “Whoever attacked your sister knew how to get in and out of that house very quickly. We got a list of friends and workers who were involved in the renovation from the mayor, but sometimes sisters know more than husbands.”

  “I doubt my sister’s list of friends is all that long. She loves to brag about her jewelry, her house, her money, and her clothes. And since she moved into that mansion, her head has gotten even bigger.”

  “It doesn’t sound like you’re a big fan of Theresa’s.”

  “I know her better than anyone. I think she shot off her mouth a little too much, opened up her house to a lot of people she doesn’t even like just so she could impress them, and she didn’t hire any security. I’m sorry she got hurt, that she lost her wedding ring, which I know is the most important piece of jewelry she owns. But I can’t help thinking that someone wanted to get back at her for something.” She paused. “Maybe Charlotte.”

  “Why would Charlotte want to hurt your sister?”

  “To get back at me for stealing Andrew.”

  “That’s a stretch. As far as I can tell, Charlotte had no problem with Theresa.”

  “Well, the fact that Charlotte was discovered upstairs just after Theresa was attacked speaks for itself. I hope you won’t let your friendship get in the way of your job, Chief. Or is there more between you and Charlotte than friendship?”

  “I don’t let anything get in the way of my job. Where do you live now?”

  She stiffened. “I have a place in Los Angeles.”

  “How long are you planning to stay in Angel’s Bay?”

  “As long as my sister needs me.”

  “Were you invited to the New Year’s Eve party?”

  Her gaze turned cool. “No, I wasn’t. But that’s not surprising; I don’t live here.”

  “So geography was the only reason you didn’t get an invitation?” he queried.

  “You’ll have to ask Theresa or Robert.”

  “I will.”

  “Fine. Now let’s talk about you,” she said with an interested smile. “When did you leave your wife?”

  “Do you flirt with every man you meet?”

  “Only the ones I might want.”

  “You should stick with Andrew.”

  “Well, I’ve never done it with a minister. Not that it’s easy to think of Andrew in those terms. When I knew him, he was about as far from a saint as you could get.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “I could be persuaded. How badly do you want the information?”

  Not badly enough to take her up on the invitation in her eyes. He got to his feet. “Thanks for the chat.”

  “You don’t know what you’re missing, Chief.”

  “I have a pretty good idea,” he said dryly.

  Pamela might have played the boys in high school, but he wasn’t seventeen, and more important, he wasn’t a fool.

  After leaving Kara’s, Charlotte drove past Joe’s house, debating whether she should stop. It was past seven, so it would be smarter to go home, touch base with her mother and Annie, and get ready for work tomorrow, but she was dying to know how Joe’s conversation with Pamela had gone. She didn’t want him to think she was stalking him, but in the end, her curiosity won out. She parked in front of his house and hurried up to the front door.

  Rufus started barking, and she could hear voices inside. Was Pamela there? Her stomach turned over at that thought. She was just about to bail when the door opened. As Isabella and a barking Rufus greeted her, she smiled with relief.

  “Charlotte. You’re just in time.”

  “For what?” she asked as Rufus jumped up to smother her in wet kisses.

  “Rufus, down,” Joe said firmly, grabbing hold of the dog’s collar and pulling him away from her. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Joe had changed into worn jeans, his green T-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was damp as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.

  “Come on in,” Isabella said. “We’re just about to start the movies.”

  Charlotte stepped inside and nodded to Nick Hartley, who was walking down the hallway with a bowl of popcorn. “I don’t want to interrupt,” she said.

  “You’re not interrupting at all. Is she, Joe?” Isabella gave her brother a pointed look.

  Joe didn’t look quite as excited about her staying as his sister did. “Did you need to talk to me?”

  “I did,” she began, but Isabella cut her off.

  “You two can talk later. Nick and I only have a short time before we have to pick up Megan.” She grabbed Charlotte’s hand and pulled her into the living room. “You’re going to love this. I brought back home movies from L.A. to show Nick.”

  No wonder Joe looked so uncomfortable. “Really?” she said, shooting him an amused look. “Any naked baby pictures of you in the mix?”

  “God, I hope not,” he muttered.

  They settled in the living room. Nick sat in the big armchair, Charlotte took a seat on the couch, and Joe sat next to her, Rufus at his feet. Isabella perched on the chair nearest the television, a box of DVDs on the table next to her.

  “My sister Valerie had our old movies transferred to DVD, and she made copies for all of us,” she explained.

  “That’s great,” Charlotte said. “I need to do that with my mom’s old films.”

  “You should. You’ll want to show your childhood to your kids one day. Let’s see—where should we start?”

  “Let’s hit the high points,” Nick interjected. “We can watch the rest later.”

  “When you have insomnia,” Joe said cynically. “It will put you right to sleep. Nick, I can’t believe you’re encouraging this.”

  Nick grinned. “I know what’s good for me, and that’s keeping your sister happy.”

  “Smart man,” Isabella said, exchanging a warm smile with Nick.

  “You don’t have to stay for this, Charlotte,” Joe said. “We can go in the other room and talk.”

  “Are you kidding?” I
would love to see the younger you.”

  “Great.” He sighed as Isabella turned on the first DVD.

  “This is the summer we moved into the new house,” she said, her hand on the remote control. “We had the best backyard, tons of grass and trees. So much better than the other place.”

  “I can’t believe you remember the other place,” Joe commented. “I think you were about five when we moved.”

  “I remember there were a lot of cars on the street, and Mama never let me play out front.”

  “That was a tough neighborhood,” Joe said. “It wasn’t safe for anyone to be out front.”

  “Look, the Slip ’n Slide!” Isabella pointed to the screen, where a dozen bathing-suit-clad kids of varying ages were taking turns running and sliding down a wet piece of red plastic. “And there’s me.”

  “Love the polka-dot bikini and the heels,” Charlotte said with a smile.

  “I liked to make a statement even back then.” Isabella fast-forwarded for a few moments, pausing at a hill and some skateboarders. “And here’s Joe on the street behind our house, giving our mother a heart attack.”

  Charlotte watched as a dark-haired, dark-eyed, teenage Joe flew down the hill on a skateboard, jumping over the curb, onto a bench, and then down a flight of stairs. “Wow, that was crazy!”

  “Young and stupid,” Joe agreed. “By some miracle, I survived.”

  “And here he is on his bike, no hands, cocky as hell,” Isabella said.

  “Hey, I thought we were looking at your movies, Izzy,” Joe complained.

  “We’re getting there; relax.” Isabella hit fast-forward again, and for the next few minutes, they watched the seasons pass: the Halloween parade, Thanksgiving dinner, decorating the tree at Christmas. Isabella pointed out parents, grandparents, sisters, and cousins. Charlotte couldn’t keep track of the names, but one thing was clear. “Every occasion in your family was big,” she said.

  “My parents loved a crowd,” Isabella agreed. She fast-forwarded again, slowing down to show a teenage Joe and his father standing in front of an old Mustang. “The hot rod,” she said, shooting Joe a smile. “How many hours did you and Dad work on that car?”

  “Too many to count,” he muttered. “Keep going.”