“I know.” Unable to keep the weariness from his voice, he indicated the chair again. “Please, sit.”
“I’d rather stand.” Hovering near the door, clearly so she could flee if he made the slightest move, she eyed him.
Stunned, shocked and uncomfortable, he stared back. Had everyone in this town lost their minds?
“I just came here for one reason,” Cristine said, nerves showing in her trembling voice. “I want to know if you did something to Shayna.”
That did it. He pushed to his feet. “Get out. Right now. Turn and walk away and don’t say another word.”
He expected her to scurry away, as she’d done earlier. Instead, she lifted her chin and met his gaze, a half smile hovering around the edge of her mouth. “Or what, Brock?” she asked softly. “Will you make me disappear, too?”
Then, while he was standing speechless, Cristine turned on her heel and marched away.
After the front door closed, Brock put his head in his hands. Had Cristine completely gone off the deep end? Surely no one else believed he’d hurt Shayna, did they? Folks here knew him. He’d grown up in this town, with these people.
“Are you all right?” Eve asked.
He looked up to see his baby sister eyeing him, her blue eyes full of concern. Since his mission in life was to shield her from worry, he opened his mouth to tell her he was fine but then reconsidered. Eve had her own set of friends in town. He wanted to know what they were saying about Shayna. And about him.
“Not really.”
She lounged in the doorway, leaning on the frame. “I figured. I saw Cristine leaving. What’s going on with her?”
Leaning back in his chair, he put his hands behind his head and sighed. “You’re not going to believe it, but she came to ask me if I’d done something to Shayna.”
“Why would Cristine think that?” Eve asked, frowning. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know. I tried to tell her that, but she acted like I was about to attack her.”
Eve shook her head. “She’s fried her brain,” she said, her voice echoing with authority. “Too much alcohol, too many drugs. After a while, it’s got to affect your thinking.”
With difficulty, he kept from smiling and tried to appear stern. “Where’d you hear something like that?”
She shrugged, clearly not bothered. “I’m in college, Brock. I’m not a child any longer.”
When he laughed, she did, too.
“Thanks for that,” he told her. “So Miss Woman-of-the-World, what’s the word on the street about Shayna?”
“Most people think she ran off with one of those biker guys she was always hanging around.”
He wished like hell that Eve’s thoughts would prove true.
“Why don’t you go get us lunch?” Eve smiled winningly at him. “I’m craving a fajita taco.”
Digging a twenty out of his pocket, he handed it to her. “How about you do that? I’ve got a few things I need to tend to here.”
Her grin widened as she snatched the money. “Will do.”
After Eve had left, Brock prowled the empty store. Cristine’s unfounded—and crazy—accusation had shaken him, especially since he figured she’d go to Zoe next with her insanity.
He actually picked up the phone and dialed the Bells’ number, then reconsidered and disconnected the call.
Why he cared what Zoe thought, he couldn’t say. But one thing he did know for sure was that if Zoe bought into Cristine’s nonsense, then she truly had become someone he didn’t know at all.
Following lunch, Brock dealt with a steady stream of customers.
Mama Bell sailed into the feed store shortly before closing time. She’d dressed as if she was going to church—dress, hose, heels, even a matching hat. The instant she spotted him, she made a beeline toward him, wearing a determined look.
“Good afternoon, Brock,” she said, clutching her square black purse tightly. “I’d like a word with you, if you have time.”
“Of course,” he said, offering her a pleasant smile even though a chill of foreboding snaked up his spine. Things both good and bad came in groups of three, after all.
Steadying himself, he glanced around at the nearly empty store. Eve was tidying up in preparation for closing.
“Follow me.” He led the way to his office. As she settled in the chair, he closed the door. “Is everything all right, Mrs. Bell?”
“Not really,” she answered crossly. “But I didn’t come here to talk about me. I came here to discuss you.”
Great. “Have you been talking to Cristine?”
A look of distaste crossed her face. “Lord, no. I can’t stand that girl. Shayna didn’t start acting crazy until the two of them began hanging around together. Let me guess, she’s trying to blame you for Shayna’s disappearance.”
He nodded, the tightness in his chest easing somewhat.
Shaking her head, Mama Bell patted his hand. “Pay no attention to her. She’s a lunatic. If there’s one thing I know, it’s people. You would no more have hurt my daughter than you would that little girl out there.” She indicated Eve.
“Thank you.” Gratitude filled him. “What did you want to discuss with me?”
A determined glint in her eyes, she met his gaze. “Zoe. I need you two to try and get along, so you can work together. No matter what Miss Cristine thinks, Shayna loved the two of you best. If anyone can find my daughter, I believe you and Zoe can.”
Brock swallowed. Because he knew she was right.
* * *
Though Zoe hadn’t really wanted to, when Cristine called and asked to meet for dinner and a drink, she agreed, just in case the other woman might have thought of something new. She was pleasantly surprised when Cristine suggested Papa’s Pasta, a family-owned Italian place in one of the smaller shopping strips. Zoe’d eaten there once with Brock, right after he’d proposed. She vaguely remembered the food being good. At least she thought so—her mind had been on other things.
Brock. Again. It seemed she couldn’t get away from thoughts about him as long as she was here in Anniversary. All the more reason she needed to find Shayna and head back home. At least in New York, she managed to go days without him crossing her mind. It had taken every bit of five years for her to get to that point in her life and now, with her return to the place where it had all begun, she was back to square one.
Longing for something that could never be.
Frustrated, she drove to the restaurant and parked. As she walked inside, she saw Cristine had already arrived and was seated at a small table near the front window. Lifting her hand in a short wave, Zoe made her way through the crowded dining area.
She pulled out a chair and had barely taken a seat when Cristine started talking. “I think I might have made a breakthrough toward finding Shayna.”
Cristine had a definite flair for the dramatic, and Zoe knew anything she said had to be taken with a grain of salt.
“What’s going on?” Zoe kept her tone and expression mild. The waitress came over and took her drink order, returning a moment later with a tall glass of iced tea.
The special of the day was homemade lasagna. Both Zoe and Cristine ordered that. The waitress had barely left when Cristine began squirming in her seat.
“I confronted Brock today,” Cristine said, her voice ringing with self-satisfaction.
Zoe stirred a packet of artificial sweetener in her iced tea. “About what?”
Leaning forward, Cristine looked around, as though she wanted to make sure no one else could hear. “Shayna told me he hit her a few times.”
“Brock?” Zoe’s voice rose. “No way.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said.” Cristine sat back, frowning. “I have to say, he seemed sincere in his denial. But so was Shayna, when I asked her
how she’d gotten some bruises and a black eye.”
Stunned, Zoe wasn’t sure how to respond. She needed to be tactful with this woman. But still... “Is it possible Shayna might have had a bit of a problem with telling the truth?”
Cristine opened her mouth and then closed it. “Maybe,” she finally said. “I don’t know.”
Zoe persisted. “You must have some idea. You knew her better than most.”
Cristine shrugged. “Well, that’s true. But I didn’t exactly fact-check what she told me. I mean, why would she lie?”
“My thoughts exactly.” Zoe took a long drink of her iced tea. “But she also told me that she and Brock were engaged.”
“What?” Cristine appeared startled. “She never said anything to me about that.”
“It wasn’t true,” Zoe said gently. “At least, not according to Brock or her mother. The worst part is, Shayna dragged it out for a long time. I can’t tell you how many phone calls we had about that subject. From stories about her and Brock picking out the ring, to her search for the perfect dress, and wanting me to save the date. It was a hell of an elaborate lie.”
When Cristine looked up, the misery in her eyes made Zoe lightly touch the back of her hand. “You didn’t know, did you?”
“No.” So much unhappiness in that single word. “And I just accused Brock of being abusive to her this morning.”
Zoe winced. “Ouch. How’d that go?”
“Not well,” Cristine said glumly. “He called me a liar. He was upset, and probably understandably so. I’m thinking I might owe him an apology.”
“I think you almost certainly do,” Zoe said gently.
Cristine sighed. “Yeah, maybe. But he still hurt her. He might not have hit her, but he hurt her just the same.”
“How so?”
“Though she didn’t want anyone to know it, Shayna was in love with Brock.”
“That’s what she told me, too.” Zoe bit her lip, considering. “But in the end Brock says they were just roommates. Separate bedrooms and all. They were lovers for a while, but he said Shayna wanted more.”
Cristine nodded. “She might have, in the beginning. But in the end, when she decided she was through being serious and wanted to have fun, they were still close. Though they did sleep in different rooms then, they stayed lovers, too. Shayna made a video. I’ve seen it.”
Zoe’s first reaction was disgust. Her second was consternation. Now who was lying? Brock or Cristine? “She really showed you this video?”
At least Cristine had the grace to flush with embarrassment. “Not, not exactly. You know how I got her phone back after she left it at the Hitching Post? I was going through it and found the video.”
Ok, at least that was an improvement over the thought of Shayna going around showing people an intimate video. Not much better, but slightly. “Please tell me you don’t still have it. Why haven’t you turned the phone over to the police?”
“I’m going to.” Cristine frowned. “I wanted to get your opinion whether or not to delete the video.”
Damn. On the one hand, it might be considered evidence. On the other, it could be very damaging to Brock if news of a sex tape got around. The very idea of Brock... Zoe shut down the thought immediately. “Cristine, I don’t know. It might be considered evidence. Or not. I’m not sure. Maybe I should talk to Brock.”
Cristine frowned, then slowly nodded. “I think it’s still on her phone. I can show it to you if you’d like.”
“No!” Zoe blurted. The last thing she wanted to see was Brock making love to her best friend. “Absolutely not. I have no interest in viewing something like that. You probably need to delete it, but don’t do anything until I find out.”
Face still crimson, Cristine looked down. “I guess I could wait.”
“Cristine!” Rapidly losing patience, Zoe took a deep breath. “Do you know if someone else saw it? Like when Shayna left her phone in the Hitching Post? The bartender or some of the waitresses could have seen it. That’s private between Shayna and Brock.”
“Maybe.” Cristine didn’t sound too sure.
Stomach churning, Zoe realized Shayna’s mess got more and more convoluted the longer she stayed in Anniversary. What was truth and what was a lie? If Shayna had taken off like half the town thought, Zoe was beginning to understand why.
She took a deep breath. “Does Brock know about this video?”
“I don’t know.” Swallowing hard, Cristine suddenly grinned. “Are you sure you don’t want to see it?”
“No! Good Lord, of course not.”
Cristine shrugged. “He’s pretty hot. I had no idea the man worked out. He has a nice six-pack.”
Revolted to the point of nausea, Zoe ignored that, focusing instead on Cristine’s revelation, trying to figure out the best way to deal with the news.
Even at the end, after Brock had said things were strictly platonic, Shayna and he had continued to be lovers. Ignoring the stab of jealousy in her gut, Zoe tried to get past the idea of the video and think objectively.
Bottom line, Brock had not told the truth. Ick factor aside, she had to wonder why he’d do such a thing. If he’d lied about this, who knew what else he might have falsified?
“I’m going to go find out,” she said, putting down her menu and sliding out of the booth.
Cristine looked up. “Find out what?”
“I need to talk to Brock.”
“But you haven’t had your lunch yet.” Cristine sounded bewildered. “Aren’t you at least going to eat?”
“No. Sorry. I’ve lost my appetite.” Dropping a twenty onto the tabletop, Zoe inhaled. “Have a nice meal on me. I’m sorry if this inconveniences you. I’ll let you know what to do with that video.”
With that, she left. While she’d never really warmed up to Cristine, at this point she wished she never had to hear another word of filth from this twisted woman’s mouth. She’d more than mixed herself into Shayna’s drama—she’d encouraged and participated in it.
Now Zoe needed to go find Brock. The lies had to end. Right now.
Since the feed store was closed, she went to his apartment. Though she wasn’t sure exactly which unit he lived in, she’d call him when she got there and see if he’d invite her up.
Parking, she did exactly that. Brock answered on the second ring. She told him she was in the parking lot and needed to talk to him. He gave her directions to his unit, exactly as she’d hoped.
Though furious with him, she had a brief misgiving about the wisdom of allowing herself to be alone with him in his home. Since she had no right to feel that way since she left him, she ignored it. They were both adults. Surely she had enough self-discipline to keep herself under control. This was too important to wait.
* * *
Brock had just finished heating a TV dinner and popping open a can of cola when Zoe called. The instant he heard her silvery voice, his heart rate doubled. Worse than that, he had instant visions of all the erotic things he’d like to do with her on his unmade bed.
Realistically he knew she hadn’t come to his apartment looking for a hookup, but his craving for her went into high alert as soon as he opened the door.
Zoe stood on his threshold, the sun turning her dark hair to copper, wearing a pair of faded jeans that clung low to her hips and a tight, black T-shirt that outlined every lush curve.
Staring at her, he temporarily lost the ability to speak. She had no right to be so damn beautiful and sexy. From somewhere, he gathered his fragmented thoughts. “Hi,” he said, internally wincing at how eager he sounded.
“May I come in?” she asked, since he continued to block the doorway.
“Sure.” Immediately, he stepped aside, unable to keep from glancing at her perfect behind as she brushed past him. “What’s up?” he asked. Not o
nly was she not smiling or relaxed, but she looked downright angry.
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Shayna were lovers all along? You flat out stated at the end that you two were nothing more than roommates.”
Lovers? He stared at her as if she’d grown two heads. Really, had the entire town gone insane?
Eyes dark, expression furious, Zoe looked spitting mad, on the edge of losing control. As if she had the right.
Just what he didn’t need. This was going the opposite of what he’d hoped, he thought ruefully.
“Calm down,” he told her, giving her a carefully blank look. “After we broke up, even though we still lived together, Shayna and I were no longer lovers. I wouldn’t do that to her. Come on, Zoe. I think I’ve already told you in no uncertain terms that even though we tried, it didn’t work out. In the end, we were only roommates.”
“Roommates with benefits?” Crossing her arms, her voice rang with sarcasm. Stunned, he realized she really believed this nonsense.
“No. Just roommates.” Speaking slowly, he took a step toward her, stopping when she jerked her entire body back. “Zoe, what’s wrong with you? What’s going on?”
“I just met with Cristine. She told me that Shayna had a video of the two of you.”
Cristine. He should have known she was somehow involved with this craziness. He refused to get alarmed. After all, he had no reason to worry. “A video of what?”
Her porcelain skin flushed, she pushed on. “Of the two of you, making love, having sex, whatever you want to call it.”
For a moment he couldn’t even respond. “She’s lying.” Voice strong and certain, he didn’t even hesitate to refute her claim. “There’s no video, I assure you. I don’t even own a camcorder and my cell phone doesn’t take video. I’m not into that sort of thing. End of story.”
Chapter 9
Zoe shook her head, her beautiful mouth twisting. Brock realized not only was she trembling, she appeared to be on the verge of tears. “Cristine says one thing, you say another. One of you is lying. But why?”
Texas Secrets, Lovers' Lies Page 12