The Perfect Ten Boxed Set

by Dianna Love

  Nick would have wanted her to live in their new home in the country and hire someone to run the Rocking R. She could leave the farm in the hands of the caretaker for 4-H. There were funds already set aside to make that happen. It was just a matter of taking the time to do it.

  Kasey relaxed back in the seat. She could almost smell Nick’s cologne. Her mind told her that it was just the car, but her heart felt close to him, as if he was watching over her. That made her happy.

  She enjoyed driving the Thunderbird. No wonder Nick had loved this car. It didn’t handle like her Porsche, but it sure got a lot of looks. She’d take the T-Bird with her. The car had meant too much to Nick to leave it behind. Maybe Von and Riley could drive up one weekend and bring it to her.

  Everything fell into place so easily. Not one difficult decision to make. Moving to the house on Nickel Creek had to be the right thing to do.

  Kasey couldn’t wait to share her plans with Riley and Von. She knew they’d be supportive. Grem, on the other hand, was another story—the one snag in an otherwise perfect plan.

  Get the difficult conversation out of the way first.

  Drawing in a deep breath, she dialed her grandmother from her cell phone, but hung up before it rang.

  Popping in unannounced might be a better plan.

  Excited to share the news, she almost bumped the slow opening gates as she drove onto her grandmother’s estate. She parked by the front door and took the steps two at a time, almost bouncing her way across the porch.

  She knocked twice and pushed the front door open. “Grem? It’s me, Kasey.”

  Grem was a creature of habit. At this time of day, she’d be in the sun room off the kitchen, watching the birds flutter from feeder to feeder in the lush gardens.

  Kasey’s heels clicked against the wooden floor. Grem practically had her nose to the window glass watching the birds.

  “Haven’t you been back for a few days?” Grem asked in a condescending tone.

  She must have seen Kasey in the reflection of the window, because she hadn’t turned around.

  It’s going to be one of those visits.

  “Yes, a couple. But I was out of town this morning.” Kasey walked over, gave her grandmother’s shoulders a squeeze, and kissed her on the cheek. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t let the old woman’s foul mood get to her today. “I’m good. How are you?”

  Grem folded her hands in her lap and lifted her chin. “I’ve been better. An old body has aches and pains, you know.”

  Kasey nodded. “I’m sure, but you’re a tough cookie.”

  Tough old bird is more like it.

  “Yes. Well, what would you know?” she muttered. “Off running the roads like a groupie for months.”

  “I called every week and you had my numbers. You could have called any time, although you chose not to.” Kasey tried not to lose her patience. “Maybe I’m the one whose feelings should be hurt.”

  “My feelings are not hurt, young lady. It’s just common courtesy to stay in touch with family.”

  “Right. Okay. I’ll do better.”

  Grem touched Kasey’s arm. “Thank you, dear.”

  Jeremy walked in and leaned against the doorway. “I thought I heard your voice. I didn’t recognize the car at first.”

  “Oh, yeah. Nick’s. It’s been under a cover for months, so I took it for a drive.”

  Grem gave her the stink eye. “You’re not driving your father’s car?”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’s not Dad’s car anymore. It’s mine. And no, I’m not driving it. The darn thing wouldn’t start. Probably the battery or alternator again. So I drove Nick’s.”

  Grem pursed her lips as though she didn’t approve.

  “What did you decide to do with the truck?” Jeremy asked.

  “I guess I’ll have it towed. I don’t know why I thought I needed it at home with me. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

  Jeremy popped a butterscotch into his mouth. He extended one her way with a nod.

  “No, thanks.”

  He shrugged and shoved the candy back into his pocket. “Want me to have someone stop by and check out the Porsche?”

  “That’d be great. Granddaddy was right. He always said you were the best all-’round problem-solver ever born.”

  “Rest his soul,” Grem said, her voice floating like a prayer.

  Jeremy nodded. “Consider it done.”

  “So, dear. Don’t you think it’s about time to move on, then?”

  “I’m trying.” Kasey cleared her throat.

  “Good. I suppose you could park Nick’s car in the back garage. That thing’s been empty for years.”

  “What are you talking about?” Kasey asked.

  “When you move back. I suppose you will want to bring his car with you. You can store it in the back garage.”

  “Who said anything about moving back here?”

  Grem gripped the arms of the wheelchair with both hands. “You agreed it was time to move on, didn’t you?”

  Kasey looked out the window. It was now or never. “Actually, I did come over to let you know...I’m moving.”

  “There you go then. I knew you’d come to your senses.”

  Kasey braced herself. Where to begin? “Did you know that Nick bought a house out near Emporia?”

  Grem shook her head. “How would I know that, dear? It’s not like Nick and I were close.” She rubbed her elbow. “Emporia? Why, for goodness sake, would he buy something way out there? No one lives out there.”

  “That’s not true, Grem.”

  Jeremy shrugged and walked out of the room toward the kitchen.

  “It’s a long story, but when I got back in town there was a letter and a couple of phone messages. That’s how I found out that Nick had been working with this guy on our dream home in the country as a surprise for our anniversary this year.”

  “A secret?” Grem looked pleased, as if anything that marred Nick’s character was a point in her favor.

  “Not a secret. A surprise. A romantic surprise.”

  “Whatever.” The old lady clucked as if she wasn’t buying it.

  “I went there this morning,” Kasey said.

  Jeremy came back into the sun room, ice clinking in his glass. “Alone?”

  “Yes. Alone. I drive all over the country alone. Why would that surprise you?”

  “Yeah. Well, I know that. I mean, well, I’d have gone with you,” he half-mumbled.

  Grem’s right eyebrow shot up like a question mark. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

  “I didn’t even really know what I was going to see.” Kasey refused to let either of them dampen her renewed spirit. “It’s absolutely perfect,” she gushed. “Our dream house.”

  “That’s very nice.” Grem patted Kasey’s hand. “You should make good money when you sell it. You can never have too much put aside for a rainy day.” She leaned forward in her wheelchair and spoke to Jeremy. “Will you help Kasey get her things to move back into the carriage house? This is good timing; the cleaning lady was here just yesterday.”

  Jeremy faced the old woman. “Sure.”

  “I am not moving back here,” Kasey said.

  “Into the carriage house. Of course. I know.”

  “No. I am not moving here at all. I’m moving to the house that Nick built for me.”

  Grem frowned. “You can’t. It’s too far away. I’ll never see you.”

  “You’re moving there?” Jeremy asked.

  Kasey shot him a you’re-not-helping look. “It’s less than eighty miles away. Jeremy can drive you out, and I’ll come visit. We don’t get together that often now, and I’m less than twenty miles away. What’s the difference?”

  “The difference is, you never should’ve left to begin with.”

  Kasey’s mood dipped. “Please don’t.”

  “That man ruined your happiness.”

  “Stop it. That man was my happiness.” Kasey put her hands up in f
ront of her, trying to resist the urge to say anything hurtful, even if her grandmother deserved it. “I’m leaving. I wanted you to be the first to know. I hope once you think about it, you’ll be happy for me.”

  “Jeremy.” Grem’s voice rose. “Tell her she can’t do this.”

  “I’m leaving. I’m not having this argument.” Kasey stormed out the front door and got into the Thunderbird. She threw the car into gear and floored it, spinning the wheels as she headed for the gate.

  In the rearview mirror, she saw Jeremy standing with his hands on his hips in the open doorway of the house.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kasey wasn’t about to let anyone else ruin her excitement today. She’d pick up boxes on her way home so she could start packing.

  Of course, that turned out to be easier said than done. What happened to the days when you could stop in at the grocery or liquor store and pick up as many boxes as you wanted?

  With folks so environmentally conscious, you can’t even get a good box for free anymore.

  Determined to have her way, she stopped at Target and bought six large plastic containers with lids—probably a better plan anyway since she could use them for storage later.

  She went home with her blue bins and considered what she needed to pack. She’d never been a lister or a planner, but she sure could use those skills today. Maybe she should call Riley. She was the queen of listing and planning.

  Kasey lugged the bins into the house and left them in the middle of the living room. She decided that her first priority was to develop the pictures of her newfound paradise. That would remind her just how wonderful it was since, during their brief visit, Grem had managed to suck all the happy out of her day.

  There was nothing like being up to her elbows in solution to lift her mood. Digital photography was fast, but she truly loved developing film. She could hardly contain her excitement as she lifted the pictures out of the developer solution and they came to life in front of her. They captured the serene beauty of the countryside.

  Nick had matched her vision of their dreams so well, he might as well have been in her head.

  She sat at the kitchen table, one foot tucked under her, the other swinging to the rhythm of the happy beat of her heart. Five enlarged photographs covered the table in front of her. Scrapbooking materials littered the rest of the table. She snipped, glued, and mounted several pictures onto large colorful pages of the scrapbook that held her dearest memories from over the years. Today she added the pictures that chronicled the trip with Mr. Huckaby to the Nickel Creek house. Today had been a good day.

  The sound of a tap on the back screen door startled her. She was relieved when Riley pushed the door open with a yoo-hoo.

  “I didn’t hear you drive up,” Kasey said.

  “I walked over.” Riley went to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a swig. She sat next to Kasey. “Your grandmother called me all in a huff. She said something about you being ungrateful, losing a grasp on reality, and that you were going to live in the woods. What is that all about?”

  “She’s a maniac, isn’t she?”

  “Hey, these pictures are beautiful.” Riley moved one of the two enlarged landscapes in front of her. “The colors are amazing.” She tapped her fingernail on the table as she looked over Kasey’s shoulder at the scrapbook pages she was assembling. “Is this where you were this morning?”

  “Yep.” Kasey layered colored paper under the pictures, then added a couple squigglies around them with a colored marker.

  “Nice house,” Riley said.

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Whose house is it?”

  “Mine.”

  “Yours?” Riley looked confused. “You bought a house?”

  “No. Nick did.”

  Riley eyed Kasey. “What...exactly...do you mean?”

  “Don’t look at me like I'm crazy. I know Nick is gone.”

  Riley sighed.

  “When I got back into town, there was a letter in the stack of mail. That’s how I found out about the house. Nick had been working on this place before…before the accident. It was going to be a surprise. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Riley picked up the picture of the house. “You didn’t know about it?”

  “Not a thing. I guess you didn’t know either.”

  “Nope.” Riley shook her head and looked more closely at the pictures.

  “So sneaky, but it makes me love him more than ever. Do you think Von knew?”

  “You would think so, but he never mentioned anything. It’s cute. Where is it?”

  “Only about an hour and a half away. I think Nick was coming back from there the day of the accident. Chaz Huckaby is the guy who was coordinating all the renovations. He remembers seeing Nick and Jake that day. The house is off of Route 58.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Kasey shook her head. “I met with him this morning. He knew both Nick and Jake. He confirmed the last time they were up there. It fits.”

  “Oh, my gosh. That’s wonderful. I mean, it’s more proof that Jake was with Nick.”

  “I feel stronger than ever that we’ll find Jake.”

  “Kasey, while you were away there were a couple more shootings.”

  “They have to catch the gunman.”

  “Well, that’s just it. They did.”

  “You’re kidding. Why didn’t anyone call me? Do they have Jake?”

  “No. Nothing new on Jake. The gun used in those shootings was a shotgun. The casings at Nick’s crash site...they don’t match.”

  “No?”

  “Nope. That information was never released. Von thinks someone may have been copycatting, or actually targeting Nick.”

  “Why?” Kasey felt the blood rush from her face. “No one would target Nick. Everyone loved him.” She stood and walked to the window. “Von thinks Nick’s accident wasn’t random?”

  “He’s been working a few angles. He’ll find out who was responsible.”

  “I’m not sure I want to know a person that would want to hurt Nick.”

  “I hear ya. So what are you going to do with that house? There must be a huge mortgage on it. Are you in debt? I mean, you didn’t know about it, right?”

  “No debt. I have the deed and the key.”

  “Cool. That’s a nice-looking place. I bet it will bring a pretty penny.”

  “Oh, I can’t sell it.”

  “That’s understandable. I guess it wouldn’t be hard to rent out.”

  “I’m moving there.”

  “You’re what?”

  “Please don’t try to talk me out of it. Grem was so ugly about it this afternoon. Trust me on this. Moving there is the right thing to do. At least for now. I haven’t felt this alive in months.”

  “No wonder your grandmother is going off the deep end. She’ll never be able to control you from an hour and a half away. You sure this is the right thing to do?”

  “Yes. It is the most peaceful place. No neighbors. It’s like the wilderness.”

  “The wilderness? You won’t be afraid?”

  “No way. I’ve traveled all over the world, and to some of the most dangerous cities in the US, for work. I can manage a little rural life.”

  Riley laughed. “I don’t know. Even this much country living is a stretch for two city girls like us, and we’re like within mall distance.”

  “I’ll have Nick and Jake watching over me.”

  Riley looked around. “How will you move all this stuff?”

  “I’m not going to. The new place is furnished. I’m just going to pack a few things and take them out there with me tomorrow. Do you want to come along?”

  “You aren’t wasting any time. Are you sure you want to do this? I’m going to miss you. I don’t think I’m ready for you to move.”

  Kasey put her hand on Riley’s. “I’ll miss you, too. I can’t stay here, though. When you see the Nickel Creek place, you’re going to know why I have to be there. It’s...a fe
eling. It’s safe.”

  “I’m being selfish. You know I’ll support any decision you make. So do you need Von to help you pack?”

  “I think I can get what little I’m planning to take into the RV. If y’all could bring the Thunderbird up for me, that would be great. My car is acting up. Jeremy is going to come by and take a look. Probably the electrical system again.”

  “Again?”

  “I know. Hopefully, Jeremy can fix it tomorrow. I’ll come back with y’all and drive it up on my next trip.”

  “Whatever you need,” Riley said. “Von loves a road trip.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kasey woke to a gray and drizzly day—not a perfect day for a drive. But she’d already put the few boxes and the plastic bins she intended to take with her into the RV, and her heart was ready to be in Adams Grove. Rain or shine. She flipped on the television and watched the forecast. The meteorologist called for morning drizzle with clearing skies in the afternoon. According to the fancy radar, the sky would clear from the west, so she’d get better weather sooner by driving to the new house.

  She called Riley, who must’ve known there was no talking her out of the plan, because she didn’t even try.

  They agreed to hit the road at ten o’clock sharp.

  They pulled out onto the highway right on time and it was a regular convoy. Riley drove Von’s SUV, following Von in Nicks T-Bird, behind Kasey’s lead in the RV. All they lacked were CB radios and cool nicknames. They had driven for about forty-five minutes when they took the exit to Route 58 where the scenery became far more rural. The Cotton Gin was Kasey’s mental halfway mark. As soon as they passed the long row of warehouses, she punched speed dial to Riley’s phone.

  “Breaker, breaker, Lucky Charm,” Kasey said in an exaggerated southern accent. “This here is Shutterbug.”

  Riley laughed and responded in kind. “Ten-four, good buddy.”

  “Halfway home,” Kasey said.

  “That’s a big ten-freakin’-four, because my butt’s already numb. I hate driving Von’s truck.”