Sam hung his head.
Tammie looked at the pieces of jewelry in Aurore’s hand. One of the rings had a large stone, but Tammie couldn’t make out what it was. “How can you tell they are the same pieces of jewelry?”
“Eleanor had a lot of jewelry. Mr. Davco was very generous that way, as was her father. But most of it was lost when the house burned. I remember this piece well,” Aurore said, fingering the pendant. “This is the diamond pendant that Mr. Davco gave her when Serena was born. Eleanor loved it. She wore it nearly every day. She even wore it when she posed for the portrait.”
As if on cue, everyone turned to look at the portrait hanging on the wall of the staircase.
Recovered from the betrayal, Aurore lashed out. “How did you get these?”
“I started finding jewelry and old coins a few years back,” Sam admitted. “They must have been turned over by the tractor when the house was rebuilt.”
“You mean, there’s more?” Tammie asked.
Aurore eyed him suspiciously. “How come you never said anything?”
“What happened to the rest, Sam?” Dylan pressed.
Sam sighed and shook his head. “They’re gone. I’m sorry, Aurore.”
“What do you mean, gone? If you’ve found more of Mrs. Davco’s jewelry, you need to give them back.”
“I can’t,” Sam said. “You don’t know how sorry I am.”
“Let me guess,” Dylan said. “You’ve got a friend down at the auction site who fenced them for you. It’s been a sweet little deal for you all these years, so you haven’t felt the need to say anything. What was it you said to me in the garden when I mentioned the state of the yard work? Oh, right—they’re on a limited budget. Was this your way of getting a raise for yourself without anyone knowing?”
A small gasp escaped Aurore’s lips. “Sam, how could you? And after Mr. Davco has been so good to you? I can’t believe it. We kept you on after Mr. Davco went away. I should think you’d have been grateful.”
“I didn’t think anyone would mind a few pieces. Everyone thought they were gone, anyway. I didn’t think anyone would miss them.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Tammie said.
Aurore straightened her back and pulled her robe tighter. “I won’t press charges, Sam. That’d only upset Serena. And I won’t tell her about this. It’d only break her heart. But I do expect you to get your things and leave this house this instant. We don’t require your services any longer.”
“I’m real sorry about this, Aurore. You have no idea.”
“I am, too.”
Sam left, and Aurore continued to look at the jewelry in her hand. “Serena will want these,” she said.
Then she turned to Tammie. “Unless you thought they’d go to you…?”
Tammie’s eyes widened, the hurt in them unmistakable. “You said that pendant was a gift when Serena was born. I think it’s only right she get it, and the rest of the jewelry.”
Aurore nodded and sighed. “Forgive me. It’s no excuse, but I’m a little tired. And this is…upsetting.”
“Apology accepted.”
“I’ll see to cleaning these pieces tomorrow morning. I suggest we turn in, and…Mr. Montgomery…what were you doing out there this late at night, anyway?”
“I was checking on Tammie.”
Aurore nodded, and to Dylan’s surprise, she didn’t challenge him. “Good night.”
She was halfway up the stairs when Aurore turned and said, “Make sure you lock your bedroom door.”
“I will. Good night.”
Tammie waited until Aurore was upstairs before she spoke to Dylan. “Do you believe Sam’s story?”
Dylan made a face. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Fatigue was pulling at him. Dark, puffy shadows were under his eyes, and his shoulders had a slight droop, as if he could barely keep himself standing.
“You should go back to the campground and get some rest.”
“I know, but…” He stared at her as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.
“I’ll be fine here.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “Now that I know there won’t be any other strange men lurking outside tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“About what? Strange men, or that I’ll be okay?”
He gave her a half smile that made him look completely…adorable. Why, she didn’t know. He was wearing army fatigues and a black T-shirt that hung loosely around his frame. His hair was a mess, most probably from him rubbing his hand over his head to try to stay awake while he’d been outside. There was nothing Keanu Reeves-ish about Dylan Montgomery, and yet…
“I’m fine,” she said.
But she wasn’t. Sam Watson’s midnight rounds in the garden had put her on edge. She wondered if he would come back tonight. What would keep him from digging up more valuables in the garden? It wasn’t that she cared so much about him stealing. It was the creepy feeling that someone was always watching.
But she wouldn’t tell Dylan that. Just because she was uncomfortable, that didn’t mean Dylan should stay and risk falling asleep at the wheel because he’d stayed up all night watching the house. And she had a feeling he would, if she voiced her concerns.
She followed him to the door.
“Are you really okay?”
She answered honestly. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s just a scraped knee, but…”
“But what?”
She closed her eyes, felt his fingertips on her chin, lifting it ever so slightly. When she opened her eyes again, he was staring directly into her eyes.
“Tell me.”
“After today, I’m not sure I’m strong enough to handle what I find out. That accident today—in part, it was my own fault.”
His brow furrowed.
“No, really,” she insisted. “I’ve been so preoccupied with finding out information about my parents. I kept thinking I had to talk to everyone, and I was so eager to talk to people that I wasn’t paying attention. Maybe that man was right, and I just shouldn’t have been there.”
He nodded, but didn’t appear convinced. “Do you really think that accident wasn’t staged?”
“You think it was?”
He shrugged. “Did you see the name on the truck? Aztec Corporation?”
“What about it?”
“I’ve seen that name before, and I can’t remember where. It’s just a hunch, but it’s worth checking out.”
She lowered her head, feeling the weight of the day crashing around her. “No one knew we were going to be there,” she said.
“But they knew we were in town. Being at the auction grounds was a logical next step. Hey, are you sure you’re okay?”
She gave Dylan a weak smile. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to handle all this.”
He looked at her, seemed to read the uncertainty she felt. Then he said, “You don’t give yourself enough credit, lady. You’re a lot stronger than you think.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because the woman who came all the way across the country and made her way into this house after I tried for a month to do the same is incredibly smart…and brave. You may be feeling alone right now, Tammie, but you have to know this—not only is God with you, but I’m here, too.”
Tears pressed against Tammie’s eyes. Dylan had touched upon the exact sense of insecurity she’d been feeling. She’d struggled to stay strong, but everything she learned seemed to be pulling her farther away from her parents, instead of bringing her the closeness she sought.
“Thank you for that.”
His voice was low when he spoke again. “You’re welcome.”
He bent his head and came closer to her. He was going to kiss her, she knew. Cupping her cheek, he pressed his lips tenderly to her mouth.
He wasn’t in any hurry to break the connection, and neither was Tammie. She leaned into the kiss, reaching her arms up to his shoulders. Dylan’s arm dropped to her wa
ist. He linked his hands, enveloping her in his embrace in a way that made Tammie feel sheltered, not possessed.
She liked the feeling. She liked even better the way this man who was sometimes gruff, sometimes tender, was kissing her.
The kiss ended sooner than Tammie would have liked, leaving her dazed and unsteady on her feet.
Dylan’s face registered shock, and he drew in a deep breath. “I’m s—”
“Don’t. Don’t say it,” she said softly, placing her fingers gently against his lips. “I’m not.”
His gaze lingered on her face as he placed his hand on her cheek again, rubbing it with the pad of his thumb. She leaned into the warmth of his touch, and her head began to swim. It felt good to be this close, to feel this connection to someone who understood. It had felt even better moments earlier, when she was in his arms.
Bending forward again, he kissed her head and said, “Good night, Tammie.”
“Good night.”
Tammie closed the door behind him, and Dylan stepped out onto the porch. The cool night air slapped him hard in the face as he stepped off the porch steps and onto the walkway.
Guilt crept into his mind. “The last thing she needed was a kiss from a guy she hardly knows, Dyl,” he said to himself.
But as he walked up the path, he thought of how nice Tammie had felt in his arms, the feeling that had enveloped him and still hung on.
“This isn’t what I came here for, Lord,” he muttered, looking at the bright stars up in the sky as he walked the short distance to his Jeep with unsteady legs. “I didn’t expect to feel this way about her.”
When he got to the place where he’d parked his Jeep, he climbed in and gunned the engine. With the top off, it was going to be a cold ride back to the campground, but it would keep him awake and alert.
Tomorrow he’d go to the library and check to see if Sonny had e-mailed him the information he’d asked for. If she hadn’t, it’d be time to call in favors from a few friends in Chicago. This small town’s resources were limited. He needed a big-city computer and a few people who were good at sniffing out facts. Sonny was more than capable, but he needed someone with access she didn’t have.
But all that could wait until tomorrow morning. He needed to shake off this feeling that had him reeling. For so many years, he’d been alone. Oh, he had a loving family with Sonny, Cash and their parents. He had more cousins than he knew the names of. He was rich with family.
Sonny hadn’t had to push that hard to get him to leave the Marines, he realized. He’d been ready. All he’d really needed was a reason to go in another direction. He just wished he’d timed it better, come home before Cash had gotten into whatever trouble caused him to disappear.
Family had always been important to Dylan. But he’d never concentrated on having a family of his own. After that kiss with Tammie tonight, thoughts of what he’d been missing drifted in and out of his mind. But he needed her to help find Cash. He was sure of that. And he didn’t need to have anything cloud his thinking.
And yet, as he pulled onto the road that led to the campground, he wondered if a little clouding might just do him good.
TEN
Tammie looked at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth in her private bathroom. She’d somehow managed to get showered, fully dressed, and put together, but she was still half asleep.
After Dylan left last night—or rather midmorning—sleep had been impossible, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the way Dylan had kissed her.
Serena had been quiet last night, but every once in a while, Tammie had heard sounds from the other side of the bedroom wall. Tammie had struggled to hear, but couldn’t make out a word of what Serena was saying.
She’d go to her this morning and talk to her. She was determined to find out the truth about what was going on in this family. In this house.
“Will you be having breakfast this morning?” Susan asked as Tammie walked out the door into the hallway. Susan held a tray of food. She walked past Tammie and stopped at Serena’s bedroom door.
Tammie wasn’t hungry, but she decided it would get Susan out of Serena’s room if she had to go back downstairs to fix breakfast for her.
“I’d love some scrambled eggs,” she said, seeing how Serena’s plate was filled. “And that orange juice looks good, too.”
“Would you like some buttered toast?” Susan asked.
“No. Eggs will be enough. Thank you. I’ll take this one in to Serena.”
“But I was just going to feed her.”
“I can take care of that while you get my eggs. Serena might like having someone eat with her, instead of just feeding her.”
“She needs her strength. Make sure she drinks all her juice.”
“I will. Thanks.”
She took the tray from Susan’s hands and went into the room. Aurore was already there, propping Serena up with pillows.
Lord, am I ever going to get a moment’s peace?
She chose her words carefully. “Did she have a good night?”
Aurore didn’t look up, just held Serena by the chin and looked into her eyes.
“She’s awake enough to eat. I need to get some nourishment into her. My poor girl seems to be wasting away on me.”
“I’ll do it.” Aurore looked up then, saw the tray Tammie was holding in her hands. “Is there a problem with that?”
Aurore shook her head slightly. “She may not take anything from you.”
“If she doesn’t, I’ll call for help.”
Aurore paused a moment. “I can understand why you think it is so important to be here.”
“Do you? Do you really?” The tray was getting heavy in Tammie’s hands and the muscles in her arms were beginning to protest. She wanted to put the tray down, but she held it firm.
“Yes. But I don’t think you’ll find what you’re looking for. Your parents died, Tammie. I know you’re upset, but you can’t get them back by digging up the past.”
“Why did they take me from here?”
“I can’t give you that answer.”
“You can’t—or won’t?”
“Does it matter?”
“To me it does. You knew my mother. I know you did.”
Aurore straightened. “Yes, your mother and I were very close friends.”
Tammie hadn’t expected Aurore’s words, or her own reaction to them. She couldn’t wrap her mind around any of this. How could Aurore have been her mother’s close friend all these years and she not know it?
“You were?” she asked incredulously.
“Don’t act so surprised. We both grew up here in Eastmeadow. We went to school together from the time we were in elementary school. By now you know your parents lived here, worked here.”
At Tammie’s shocked expression, Aurore added, “I assumed you knew. I thought…How did you end up here?”
Aurore walked across the length of the floor, grabbed the tray from Tammie’s hand. “Let me take this before you drop it. Her eggs are getting cold.”
“Who’s Dutch?”
Aurore kept her gaze on Serena, who started to stir in the bed. “How do you know that name?”
“I found a letter with my mother’s things. It mentioned closing up their house and taking care of things. I didn’t know my mother had lived here all her life. I just found the letter…”
Aurore offered up the first smile Tammie had seen from her. If you could really call it a smile. “And you were curious.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ve found what I’m looking for.”
“And you won’t. It doesn’t exist. Not the way you want it to exist.”
“What about Cash Montgomery? He existed.”
The mention of Dylan’s brother’s name got a reaction from Aurore. “Don’t bother trying to deny that Serena knows him. Dylan showed me the picture of the two of them. It’s clear they had a relationship.”
“What makes you think that?”
Tammie sighed. “
Please. Don’t insult me by pretending they didn’t know each other.”
“Oh, Serena knew Cash Montgomery. She met him when she was in college.”
Tammie stopped short. After so many secrets, for Aurore to suddenly give up information freely was a little unsettling. Just when she thought she knew how to handle the woman, Aurore tossed her a curveball.
“That must have been about ten years ago or so.”
“Actually, Serena didn’t attend college until quite a few years after she’d been out of high school.”
“Because of her illness?”
Aurore shook her head. “There were a lot of reasons. She never finished. College, that is. She couldn’t handle the course load, because it caused too much stress.”
“She looked fine in the picture I saw. She looked happy.”
“Pictures are deceiving.”
“Dylan never mentioned Cash being a college student just a few years ago,” Tammie said. She was fishing for information. She had no idea that Cash had even gone to college, let alone when he would have gone.
Aurore glanced at her and smirked. “He wasn’t a student.”
“Oh.”
Then Aurore bent over and kissed Serena on the head. “If you insist on feeding her, make sure she drinks. She needs it. I don’t want her to become dehydrated.” She moved the bedside cart with the food tray next to the bed. “She has a hard time feeding herself in this state, so you’ll have to do all the work. And it could get messy.”
She sighed and looked at Tammie, and her mouth moved as if she were going to say something more. But then she just walked to the door.
“Why won’t you say it?”
With her hand on the doorknob, Aurore asked, “What?”
“That I’m Eleanor Davco’s daughter. Why won’t you just admit it?”
Aurore’s eyes glassed over. “Connie always told me you were like Eleanor. She would be pleased. To this day, I still miss her. I miss both of them.”
When she was gone, Tammie realized that was probably the closest Aurore would come to admitting she was Serena’s sister.
Her eyes were blurry from unshed tears. Dylan had said she was strong, but she didn’t know how much of the truth she could take. The truth about why her parents had taken her away and why they had never told her she had a sister.
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