by Dianna Love
“I know, but thanks for doing it,” Kasey said. “I’m glad you’re sharing this moment with me.”
“My pleasure, treasure. Now hang up. It’s nasty out here. We don’t want to cause an accident because we’re not paying attention.”
“Breaker, breaker. Ten-four. I’m signing off. Over and out.” Kasey pressed end. It would be hard to live so far away from Riley, but she chased those doubts away.
Forty-five minutes later, the convoy paraded into the driveway of the house on Nickel Creek Road. Just as the forecast had promised, the late morning sky was bright and clear.
They stepped out of the vehicles and stretched.
“It’s even prettier than the pictures,” Riley said as she caught up to Kasey.
The rain had made everything look fresh and green.
Kasey reached for Riley’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know. Wait until you see inside.” Every tiny doubt that had crept in had drifted away as soon as she pulled into the driveway today.
This is home.
Von nodded and said, “I can’t believe he didn’t tell anyone. This might be the only secret Nick Rolly ever kept in his whole life.”
“I know. I can’t believe it either.” Kasey thought about how Nick couldn’t even keep a Christmas present a secret. “He was terrible at keeping things to himself.”
“Yep. That was Nick.” Von wrapped one of his arms around his wife, the other around Kasey. “It must have meant more to him to surprise you. He loved you so much.”
“I know.” Kasey’s voice softened. “I was lucky.”
“I grew up out this way, you know,” Von said, dropping his arms from around them. “There’s great hunting and fishing around here.”
“That ought to come in handy for me.” Kasey laughed.
She and Riley walked toward the house.
“I’m going to check out the manly stuff.” Von turned and headed to the huge garage. “I’ll get the T-Bird stored away and under the cover the way Nick would’ve wanted.
Riley and Kasey went inside.
“Wow. I love the open floor plan,” Riley said. “This is amazing. Nick even did all this decorating? Picking out paint colors and furniture? Everything?”
Kasey nodded. “Everything.”
Riley walked through to the kitchen and looked out back where Von opened the garage doors. They were the carriage house kind.
“Look, a perfect rainbow!” Riley pointed to the east. A long rainbow with bands of yellow, orange, pink and purple spread high and wide.
“Rainbow, good luck,” they said at the same time and high-fived.
Kasey smiled. “I knew it, and you should see all the cardinals.”
Riley nodded. “It does feel like a lucky place. I’m going to miss having you so close, but I can see why you’d want to be here. I’ll visit a bunch, I promise.”
“I know, and there are always phone calls and instant messaging.” Kasey opened one of the boxes and put things away.
A few minutes later, Von came in the house carrying two boxes stacked on top of each other.
“Thanks, honey,” Riley said, reaching for one.
“You should see that garage. It’s sweet.”
Kasey smiled. “Nick sure did love his man cave, didn’t he?”
“Can’t blame him,” Von said as he went outside to get the last of the boxes.
When Von came back, Chaz Huckaby was with him.
Chaz made himself at home, heading right for the kitchen. “Hi, folks. I stopped by to surprise ya with a basket of local goodies. My wife makes the best applesauce cake in town. Just wanted to officially welcome you.”
Kasey dug into the basket and took out the cake. She unwrapped it while Chaz told one of what must have been his favorite stories to Von—the same ones she’d heard the day she met him. No surprise, the two men hit it off. But then it seemed that Chaz never met a stranger. He was just that kind of guy.
“What size piece do you want, Chaz?” Kasey asked, offering him some cake.
“I’m not staying. Besides, I’ve got to watch my weight.” Chaz rubbed his belly. “Thanks, but y’all enjoy it.”
Von walked Chaz to the door. Kasey served up the cake on small plates and took them out to the deck. The three of them sat at the wrought iron bistro table. Nearby, the outdoor kitchen had a gas grill and a fire pit for smoking brisket. Nick’s specialty.
Von moaned when he took a bite of the scrumptious dessert. He waved his fork toward Kasey. “I hope this town teaches you to bake like this. This cake is delicious.”
“Don’t hold your breath. I’m not sure I have that gene,” she said. “I’m a lost cause in the kitchen.”
“Told ya my wife makes the best applesauce cake. It’s good.” Chaz nodded and looked for confirmation.
“Oh, yeah.” Von took another bite and twirled his fork. “Kasey, you’d better suck up to Chaz’s wife before each of my visits.”
“Now that I can do,” Kasey said.
Chaz didn’t stay long, and they quickly finished the chores they’d plan to complete today. Von agreed to take care of the transition of the Rocking R to the 4-H camp Nick had provisioned in his will. They all agreed that the old farmhouse and its contents should remain untouched for a year to give Kasey the chance to decide what she wanted to do with the things she’d left behind. Even without Kasey around, the Rocking R was never empty. Local 4-H-ers came and went to take care of their project animals and pitch in as needed.
The sun began to sink, turning the sky bright orange and pink above the horizon.
“I guess it’s about time for us to head back,” Von said. “We’ll want to get home before it’s too late. I need to feed the dogs, too.”
“Are you sure you want to come back with us tonight?” Riley asked Kasey.
“Yep. Jeremy said he’d have my car ready, and I have that meeting in Richmond tomorrow with Prescott Banks to go over the final contracts for the annual International Auto Show.”
“You can’t do that online or by fax?”
Kasey rolled her eyes. “Nope. Those folks are so old school. They still require me to meet with them, even after doing that show for ten years. If it didn’t pay so darn well I wouldn’t bother.”
“I hear ya. It’s a sweet contract,” Riley said.
“It is. Anyway, I’ll come back here after that.”
“It doesn’t look like you want to leave.” Riley raised a brow.
“It’s hard. But I need to go back. I’m good.”
“Let’s load up then,” Von said. He picked up his plate, stacked their plates on top, and took them to the kitchen.
Riley washed the dishes, Kasey dried them, and then they all headed out to Von’s SUV. They talked about the property almost the whole way back.
Beneath a starry sky, Von pulled into Kasey’s driveway. “Home safe and sound,” he said.
“Thanks for everything, y’all.” Kasey hopped out of the truck. “I appreciate ya.”
“We’re happy for you. This is the right thing to do,” Von said. “We’re here for you, no matter what decisions you make. You know that.”
“Thanks. I know.” Kasey waved as they backed out of the driveway.
She was lucky to have such true friends to support her.
Jeremy had left a note under the windshield wiper of her car. The Porsche was ready to roll. Perfect.
Kasey went inside, reviewed the list Riley had made for her, and started piling items near the door. Since her meeting in Richmond was midday she wanted to get as much pulled together tonight as possible. She hoped the meeting would wrap up early so she could drive to Adams Grove while it was still daylight.
Home. It felt good to have a place that felt like a home again. Now if she could just get a lead on Jake and bring him there, life would be perfect.
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning, the Porsche started right up and Kasey left for Richmond to meet with Prescott. She twisted the knob on the radio to pick up a be
tter signal and landed on an oldies station. She sang along with the Bee Gees and wondered if she’d make it to the appointment on time. Glancing between her speedometer and watch, she calculated she should have about ten minutes to spare.
She watched her speed since this stretch of road had a reputation for speed traps. Even so, as she cleared the next corner and saw the cop parked in the median with the radar gun pointing out the window, she couldn’t help but tap the brake out of habit. But instead of her car slowing down, it sputtered and choked. She gave it some gas and it smoothed back out. Relieved, she steadied her speed, but as she turned the next corner the engine went silent.
The steering became a chore without the power of the engine. She veered to the side of the road as the car slowed to a coast. In her rearview mirror, she saw a big rig barreling her way.
“No!” She slapped the steering wheel and cranked frantically on the ignition, but nothing worked. The car slowed to a crawl. She bounced in the seat, willing the car off to the side. Just as she made it to the shoulder, the semi swerved to the oncoming lane to avoid hitting her. The force of the wind pushed her tiny sports car the rest of the way off the road.
Her heart raced.
“Jesus!”
She released the steering wheel and leaned forward against it. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might honk the horn.
“That was too close.”
Her heart took its sweet time slowing down.
“Daggone it.” She pounded the steering wheel, got out of the car and walked to the rear where she opened the hood over the engine compartment? She stood staring at the engine with no idea what she was looking at. She reached in and wiggled some wires, then pulled out the dipstick and checked at the oil. Having been spoiled by the mechanics and Jeremy, she’d never seen any reason to learn much beyond the basics.
She hadn’t seen an exit for miles and didn’t see one on the straightaway ahead. Heck, she hadn’t passed anything except woods for at least three miles. How far would she have to walk to the next town or gas station?
Maybe that radar cop would come this way.
She went back to the driver’s seat and tried the key. Nothing.
She flipped open her phone, then rolled her eyes. No bars. No Service. “The one time I have an emergency, the doggone thing won’t work.”
Hiking up the road wasn’t a good option. Kasey didn’t have the time to walk for miles or the strength to carry all of her camera equipment. She couldn’t risk leaving it behind for someone to steal, either.
She walked about thirty feet forward to see if she could get a signal on her phone. No luck. She even held the phone in the air hoping it might miraculously catch a wave or something. Of course, that didn’t work either.
Why did I take this route instead of Interstate 64? Just to torture myself by going by the accident site again? When will I learn?
If she didn’t get a move on soon, she’d be late for her appointment. The International Auto Show was too good a gig to screw up, and really the first real job she had scheduled since the tour. Prescott Banks wasn’t the type to take being late lightly. Old fuddy-duddy.
Cars passed, but no one even slowed down. She hoped that radar cop would break for lunch and ride this way. He’d have to stop and help. Wasn’t it his duty to serve?
She looked at her watch. Not even five minutes had passed. It sure seemed longer standing there alone on the side of the road. Maybe the jokers who passed weren’t familiar with a rear engine car or were afraid they’d have to help her change a tire. All she needed was a phone and a ride. She slammed the cover over the engine and opened the trunk at the front of the car, praying that would change her luck.
The late January afternoon was sunny and warm. In the southeastern part of Virginia in January, it could be twenty-eight degrees and sleeting one day and in the high sixties the next. It really wasn’t unusual to have a few spring-like days sandwiched between snowfalls.
She scrounged around in her purse for a clip, fastened her hair up off her neck, and popped a piece of gum into her mouth. When she turned around, she almost swallowed her gum.
An antique baby-blue T-Bird was parked right behind her. The dark-haired man behind the wheel looked just like...Nick?
Coughing to get the gum out of her throat, she reached into the car for her bottle of water. When she stood back up, the man was out of his car.
She exhaled. His car had a vanity plate. It wasn’t Nick’s. Wishful thinking or her mind playing tricks on her. But the T-Bird looked like Nick’s car, and the man had looked like Nick in silhouette.
He walked toward her. “You okay?”
She cleared her throat, trying to shake the chills that had scampered up her spine a moment ago. “I’ve been better.”
“Broke down?”
“Not exactly a picnic spot.” Kasey regretted the snarky response as soon as it left her lips.
He raised a brow and smirked as traffic whizzed by. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know. She just sputtered and quit.” Kasey propped her hand on her hip. “A big rig almost ran over me.”
“Probably electrical,” he said.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Is he going to help me, or just make friends? “I’m late. Can you get me to a town so I can rent a car, or get a cab into Richmond? I have an appointment I can’t be late for.”
He’s too good-looking to be a murderer. Isn’t he?
“You live in Richmond?”
“No.”
“Oh.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“I just moved up this way.”
Why did I tell him that? Because his mouth moves like Nick’s—soft.
“Really? Where?”
“Over in Adams Grove.”
He met her gaze. “You must be the girl Huckaby has been talking about. The old Miller farm?”
“You know Chaz Huckaby?”
“Who doesn’t know Chaz Huckaby? Are you over on Nickel Creek Road?”
“Yeah. That’s it.”
“My mom lives over that way.”
“Really? Small world. It’s beautiful out there.”
“When’s your meeting?”
“One-thirty.”
He looked at his watch. “You’re going to be late.”
She waved the useless phone at him. “I know, and I can’t even call them and let them know.” She held the useless cell phone up in dismay. “My phone won’t work out here.”
He pulled his phone off a clip on his belt and dialed a number. “Hey, Bobby. I need your wrecker out on Route 58.” He looked around to get his bearings. “Just west of Capron near the old store...Okay...Sure...Black Porsche...Seriously...An hour? Great. Thanks, man.”
“An hour?” She tipped her head back, frustrated. “I knew I should’ve left earlier.”
“You can make it if you leave now.”
She motioned toward the car. “Yeah, well that isn’t happening.”
“Why don’t you take my car? I’ll wait for the wrecker. Bobby’s place is right there by Huckaby’s shop. We can meet up later today. After your meeting. Sound good?”
Is he serious?
“What makes you so sure I won’t steal your car?”
“I’m not worried,” he said.
“Shouldn’t take but a couple hours.”
“You can buy me dinner at Jacob’s Diner around five. Can you get back by then?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Have you been there? Jacob’s Diner, I mean. Best darn chicken anywhere.”
Kasey shook her head. “No. I haven’t been anywhere but Huckaby’s, but I know the way there.”
“It’s on the same block.”
“Are you for real?”
“Sure. He thumped the trunk of the Porsche. You did know the engine isn’t up here, right?”
“Yeah. I thought maybe people weren’t stopping because they thought I had a flat.”
“Good thinking. I’m s
ure this classic is as important to you as mine is to me,” he said. “I’d say if you run off with mine and I end up with yours, we’re about even. But you look honest, and you’re a neighbor. You better get going.”
“You’re not kidding.”
“No, now scoot. Geez, you city girls sure are full of suspicion.”
“I’ll need my equipment.” She leaned across the driver’s seat and grabbed her briefcase and camera bag.
“Need any help?”
“Thanks.” She handed him the heavy case, then headed toward the T-Bird with the bags hiked up on her shoulder. She put the equipment in the passenger’s seat, then stood with one foot in the car, watching him as he walked back to her Porsche. “I really appreciate this.”
He turned, smiled, and saluted her.
She scrambled in her purse for a second, looking for a business card, then ran to his side. “Here’s my card. I’ll see you at five. Promise.”
He smiled and tucked the card in his shirt pocket without even glancing at it. “I’m not worried.”
She slid behind the wheel of the T-Bird and started the engine. What a stroke of luck. She opened the door and half stood. “I didn’t even get your name.”
He turned, walking backwards. “Scott.”
“Thanks, Scott. I owe you. Big time.”
“Get moving. You’re late. But don’t speed or you’ll be later.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard about the ticket-crazy cops out here. Thanks.” The country had its advantages. She pulled the car out into the traffic, waving to her new friend as she passed by.
Chapter Twenty
Kasey felt an odd sense of déjà vu as she drove Scott’s T-Bird. The car was so much like Nick’s. She wasn’t sure if it was the same year or not. Even though she’d photographed many older cars in her career, she’d never paid close attention to their model years.
She turned on the radio. No AM sports station here. The sound of a country song with a catchy beat filled the car.
She pushed the gas a little harder to keep the T-Bird at the posted speed limit of sixty. This car didn’t have the power of her Porsche, but she was on her way, thank goodness.
The bars on her cell phone lit up. She picked up the phone to dial Prescott and let him know she might be running late.