Firefly Run

by Trish Milburn

  She walked to the end of the unoccupied cabins, trying to focus on her to-do list instead of what-ifs. As she entered each cabin, she exchanged old magazines for new ones and lifted the windows to let fresh air in. When she stepped out of the cabin next to Reed’s, she found him sitting on his front steps. Though he was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt and his hair was still wet from his shower, he looked rougher than she did. The circles under his eyes were darker, the fatigue on his face even more pronounced than the day before.

  "I think you need to go back to bed," she said.

  "No use."

  "You didn’t sleep well?"

  "Probably about as well as you did."

  "Is that a comment on how I look this morning?"

  "You look a hell of a lot better than me. I saw myself in the mirror."

  "Go back to sleep, Reed. Chris is here. I’ll call if I need you."

  Reed looked up at her, and she realized she was wasting her breath. They both knew how capable Eddie was of taking out a target with no warning. She hoped this situation resolved itself soon or both she and Reed were going to collapse from exhaustion and stress.

  "How’s your dad?"

  "The same. He’s scheduled for some more tests today." She watched Chris mow the outskirts of the clearing. "You want some breakfast?"

  "I’m not hungry."

  To be honest, she hadn’t had much of an appetite either since the news of Eddie’s release had come.

  "Well then, we’ve got work to do."

  "We?"

  "I figure if you’re going to be hanging around, you might as well make yourself useful."

  He lifted his brows.

  "Don’t be surprised. With Mom and Dad gone, we could use the extra help."

  "I’m supposed to be guarding you."

  "It’s not like I’m sending you to town. At most, you will be across the clearing. You’ll be able to see all the cabins, the office, the parking lot, everything."

  Reed looked around the clearing, probably calculating distances. He ran his fingers through his damp hair, and Shelly fought the urge to straighten the mess he’d made of it.

  "Okay, I’m game," he said. "But I don’t know anything about tubing."

  "Doesn’t matter because I’m putting you to work with a hammer."

  He followed her to the tool shed on the opposite side of the office. Here, she dug out a hammer and a can of nails and handed them to him. She pointed toward a pile of wooden shingles.

  "The cabin you’re staying in and the one next to it have several rotten shingles that have to be replaced. If you need anything, I’ll be in the office."

  Shelly headed that direction, intent on finishing her new brochure so she could send it to the printer. She stopped short when she realized she hadn’t shown Reed where the ladder was stored and retraced her steps. But as she rounded the corner of the shed, she ran into Reed so hard he had to drop the hammer and nails and grab her arms to prevent her from falling.

  She gasped, then forgot how to breathe when she looked up at him. A strange look filled his eyes, perhaps confusion or disbelief, but for such a short moment she wondered whether she’d seen it at all. Seconds stretched as they stood only a couple of inches apart. Her heart thumped like that of a doe that had just had a brush with a car. She too felt as if she’d been grazed by something much larger than herself. For one terrifying moment, her gaze locked on Reed’s lips and she wondered what they’d feel like on hers.

  As if he’d seen her thoughts and deemed them inappropriate, he steadied her then stepped back. "You okay?" His voice was strained, and his eyes didn’t quite meet hers.

  "Yeah." She cursed herself for her breathless response. What was wrong with her? You’d think she’d never been near a handsome man before.

  She glanced down, saw the nails scattered across the ground, and immediately crouched to gather them.

  "I’ll get those," he said.

  "No, I’ve got it. I’m the one who caused them to go flying."

  Though he kept his distance, he lowered himself to help her retrieve the wayward nails.

  "You sure you’re okay?" he asked.

  "Yeah, why?"

  He stared at her, more seconds in which she forgot to breathe. "Nothing," he said. "Never mind."

  When she plopped the last nail back in the can, she sprang to her feet, giving herself a head rush. "I was just coming to tell you where the ladder is."

  "I found it, but thanks."

  "Oh, okay." Her nerves jumped as if they were Irish step dancing beneath her skin. She had to pull herself under control. "Well, be careful. I don’t want you falling off the roof and sending my insurance rates sky high."

  Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the office with a ton more cool than she felt.

  Once inside and seated at her computer again, she forced herself to breathe slowly. Her senses were super heightened because of Eddie, that’s why she was seeing things that weren’t there. She shook her head and got to work. She began to hum, and it took her a few minutes to recognize the name of the song. "The Yellow Rose of Texas." The song that had been playing in the background when she’d answered the phone earlier.

  A chill skittered down her spine.

  ****

  Eddie savored the taste of the giant shrimp almost as much as he had that of the shapely beauty he’d just left in a cushy room upstairs. All around him, the sounds of freedom and sin mingled and intoxicated him. Las Vegas. If there was any place more different than his hellhole of a prison cell, he couldn’t imagine it. If he could shoot all this delicious excess into his veins, he would.

  Slipping back into the real world had been even easier than he’d imagined. After a huge steak dinner that would make any Texas native proud, he’d headed for Vegas. His pockets filled with money that had been kept by family since his imprisonment, he’d arrived with pleasure on his mind. Sex, cool drinks, fine food and a few games to get his blood to pumping.

  The most entertaining game of all—pretending he had no idea that he was being tailed. He smiled and almost felt sorry for the poor schmuck whose sole purpose in life now was to watch his every move and report back to Tanner. And he had no doubt it was Tanner who’d ordered the tail. After all, Tanner had reason to hate him and look for the least little mistake that could send him back to prison.

  Fools, all of them.

  He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called the travel agent again. "Yes, Mindy, I’m enjoying Las Vegas immensely. I think I’ll stay another day here, but then I’d like someplace nice and relaxing along the California coast. Can you set that up and get back to me with the details?

  Mindy, a pretty young thing who evidently never watched the news because she hadn’t recognized his face or his name, said she knew just the place.

  "Wonderful. I’ll send you a little something extra for all your excellent work."

  He snapped the phone shut and tried not to smile with too much satisfaction. Even now, his latest itinerary change was most likely being conveyed back to Tanner. Just like he’d planned. While Texas’s finest were trailing him to California, he’d actually be headed the opposite direction to complete unfinished business.

  He’d never killed a woman before, never met one who’d been worth the effort. But the cop’s wife, the one who’d sent him to the concrete hell, was definitely worth it. And he wouldn’t just pop her like he had her husband. No, he’d make her suffer first, suffer like he had during all those endless months of being caged up. Stupid guards telling him when to sleep, when to eat, when to go to the bathroom. Well, she’d take orders from him for a while. She’d feel the powerlessness as he drove into her.

  He smiled, thinking about how she’d cry and beg until her little pale face turned blue. Then he’d kill her, and enjoy doing it. A surge of excitement sped through his veins, but he reined it in. She’d get hers, but he had other things to do before he headed her direction.

  Number one was taking out Tan
ner, the cop he hated even more than the one he’d killed. Failing to kill Tanner was the one thing that had gone wrong that day. Tanner was Myers’ best man. He should have been close by as Myers exited the church. But by the time Eddie realized he wasn’t, it was too late. One cop was better than none.

  He wouldn’t miss this time. And with Mindy booking him a little cottage by the California sea, Tanner wouldn’t expect him to appear in Dallas to finish the job he’d started two years before. He couldn’t get to the two stinking cops who’d planted the evidence that got him arrested, but from what he was hearing their asses were toast anyway. No, it was Tanner and the Myers witch who demanded his attention.

  Eddie leaned back, satisfaction making his smile grow wider. He was smarter than Tanner, smarter than his own brother whose inability to do his job right had led to the whole mess to begin with.

  Eddie sighed and closed his eyes, letting his senses soak up the atmosphere. In a moment, he’d go enjoy his plaything upstairs yet again before nightfall. When the lights came on in Vegas tonight, Eddie wouldn’t be there to see them. He’d be headed for the Lone Star State, inching ever closer to his prey.

  ****

  CHAPTER FIVE

  An hour after Shelly turned him into an impromptu carpenter, Reed found himself atop a cabin roof with a hammer that seemed to have a mind of its own. He cursed at the unfortunate moment that one of Shelly’s half dozen guests walked by. The woman looked up at him with a disapproving scowl on her face.

  "Sorry, ma’am," he bit out past the pain pounding in his forefinger. He held it and the hammer up for her to see. "Hammer versus finger, and the hammer won."

  That brought a hint of a smile to her mouth. "Be careful," she said, then moved toward the cabin she and her family were renting.

  Once she was out of earshot, he cursed again, using words that would have scorched her eardrums. Since climbing up the ladder, he’d managed to smash his fingers three times, once for each time he’d allowed himself to remember how close he’d been to pulling Shelly into his arms and kissing her.

  He tossed the hammer to the side and lay back on the roof. A nasal cherring sound from the trees above caught his attention. He searched the thick branches and finally spotted a flash of pale yellow on the underside of a bird that looked like some sort of woodpecker.

  Reed closed his eyes and, though it was insane to do so, replayed the scene by the tool shed. As a red-blooded male, he’d not been blind to Shelly’s beauty even when she’d been in a serious relationship with his best friend. Her wavy, strawberry blond hair and mesmerizing blue eyes turned the heads of every man she passed. He’d even teased Troy about taking her off his hands if he ever got tired of her.

  Of course, he hadn’t meant it. But today, when he’d held her close enough to smell her fruity shampoo again, that jest had taken on new meaning. And it felt wrong, like he was moving in on forbidden territory.

  But Troy’s dead and she’s alone, beautiful, and maybe just as interested...

  Reed covered his eyes with his arm. Stop it. She’s not interested in that way. She’s your friend. It’s your imagination and perhaps a bit of wishful thinking. She’s familiar, and you’re lonely. Once you get some sleep, everything will go back to normal.

  The bird up in the tree issued another of its distinctive sounds. He watched it hop from limb to limb.

  "It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker," Shelly said, surprising him by her nearness and sending his heart galloping. How had she gotten from the office to her current spot without him noticing? That lack of attention angered him. It was inexcusable and potentially deadly.

  He lifted his head to find her standing at the top of the ladder watching him. How long had she been there?

  "Looks like a woodpecker." He was determined to keep the conversation as neutral as possible.

  "It’s in that family. He drills holes in the tree bark and sucks out the sap."

  He smiled at this glimpse of the Shelly he used to know. "Been a while since I had one of your biology lessons."

  "Stick around long enough, I’m sure I can drum up a few more."

  He sat up, draped his arms over his knees and remembered how easy their conversations used to be. He wanted to recapture that camaraderie and forget the strange new feelings seeing Shelly again had stirred to life.

  "I can hardly wait."

  "I thought you’d fallen asleep up here," she said.

  "No, just recuperating from my incompetence with a hammer."

  "Do you need some ice?"

  "Nah."

  "How about a grand tour of Bobcat Ridge?"

  After the incident by the shed, he wanted to refuse. But his entire reason for being there was to protect her. He couldn’t do that if he used his libido as an excuse to avoid her. And despite her apparent good mood, there was a shadow in her eyes, like her mind was trying to escape the danger she might be in but couldn’t quite pull free.

  Though he was serious about her protection, he hated that haunted look and wanted to help ease her mind. "Sure. Can’t say I’ll miss this infernal hammer."

  He climbed down after her and readjusted his T-shirt to cover the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans.

  Shelly nodded toward the gun. "If Ina Gwynn sees that, she’ll faint dead away. Not to mention it’s probably a crime to tote it into the post office."

  "I’ll stay outside."

  With Shelly driving the same little economy car she’d had when she lived in Dallas, Reed was able to examine the small town more thoroughly. He’d passed through it much too quickly when he’d arrived to process many specifics. No more than six or seven small businesses unless there were others like Firefly Run hidden among the thick trees. Now that he wasn’t driving through at twice the speed limit, he could actually appreciate how pretty the surroundings were. The thick forests, dripping rock faces, and occasional patches of colorful wildflowers were as different from north Texas as the moon was from the sun.

  Shelly pulled up to the single gas pump in front of Harry’s Grab-n-Go. "I meant to fill up in Knoxville, but I forgot. Harry’s always ten cents higher," she said as she opened her door.

  "Captive audience." He stepped out onto the cracked concrete and leaned against the top of the car.

  "That and the fact that Harry wants to make as much money as he can before the government declares martial law."

  "Sounds like a character."

  "He’s crusty, but he has a sweet side he’d rather die than admit to."

  Shelly spoke to the locals traipsing in and out of Harry’s as if she’d never lived anywhere but Bobcat Ridge. They replied in kind, smiling at her and glancing at him with either wariness—from the men, or interest—from the women. Despite the fact that tourists passed through the hamlet daily, a stranger riding around with one of their own was cause for speculation. And he could tell from their expressions that they were wondering if his appearance had anything to do with the news of Eddie’s release.

  "I have a feeling you’re going to be the talk of the town in about five minutes." He nodded toward the interior of the store where two women were watching him and Shelly.

  Shelly glanced inside. "More like seconds. That’s exactly the gossip I was guarding against," she said. "When we go in, go along with whatever I say."

  "What are you going to say?"

  "I don’t know, but I’ll think of something. If not, by nightfall everyone will have me traveling with a hired bodyguard or having some secret affair."

  The thought of having a secret affair with Shelly caused Reed’s body to react in rather obvious fashion. Thank goodness the car sat between them, hiding his condition. He turned his attention to the forest on the opposite side of the road, watched a slender waterfall until he could safely round the car and follow Shelly inside.

  "Hey Carla, Lily," she said as soon as she entered the store. "How are you two doing?"

  "Fine," they both said, almost in unison.

  "Want you to meet a friend of mine
," she said, nodding at him. "This is Reed Tanner. He was my husband’s partner in Dallas. He’s up here on vacation to do some tubing."

  The women looked slightly stricken, as if Shelly speaking of Troy had rendered them speechless. They glanced at each other, then Shelly, then him. They didn’t buy the vacation story, but they didn’t question it. And he wasn’t going to correct Shelly. Maybe she just didn’t want to deal with a detailed explanation of the situation. She had her reasons, and for now he’d trust them.

  After a few moments, Carla and Lily recovered enough to offer shaky smiles.

  "I’m sure you’ll have a good time," the shorter of the two women said.

  He had no idea which was Carla and which was Lily.

  "It’s got to be cooler here than in Texas. You all still having that awful drought?"

  "Yes, ma’am, afraid so. My yard’s so dry, they’re about to declare it a national desert."

  That caused the two to chuckle. He glanced over at Shelly to find her smiling at him. His heart somersaulted.

  "Well, better pay Harry before he starts charging me for the air I’m breathing," Shelly said.

  "I heard that, smart missy," said a man in faded denim overalls and a ball cap sporting the logo of one of the tobacco products on the shelf behind him. He’d heard despite his obvious age and the political discussion he was having with three other similarly dressed old coots.

  Harry’s shirt was so similar to the one he’d worn the day before when Reed had briefly stopped for directions that he wondered for a moment whether the old man had budged from his post since he’d last seen him.

  "See you found where you were going," Harry said when he made eye contact with Reed.

  "You asked Harry for directions?" Shelly asked. "How much did he charge you?"

  "You sure are a sassy thing," Harry said.

  "And you love me for it." She reached across the counter and pinched his cheek, causing an unexpected blush to color his weathered face.

  "How’s your daddy doing?" one of the other men asked.