“No problem. What’s up?”
“Well, let me finish getting breakfast together and then we can talk.”
Lilly groaned. “You’re going to make me wait that long?”
Tess chuckled and gave her a wink. “You can handle it. What kind of eggs do you want?”
“None for me. I already ate. But I will munch on some of that bacon. I’ll set the table.”
As Tess continued cooking, Lilly grabbed plates and silverware then took them to the table. She also poured coffee into the carafe, grabbed mugs and cream, and put all that out too. She couldn’t stand waiting for whatever news her little sister had, but didn’t feel all that nervous about it. If it were something bad, Tess would never have been able to contain herself. She’d have been all over Lilly the minute she walked in the door. Maybe something good has finally happened.
Lilly sat down and poured herself a cup of coffee and waited as patiently as she could for Tess to join her. It didn’t take long before she appeared, carrying a plate heaped with bacon and another one loaded with scrambled eggs.
“I know you said you didn’t want any, but help yourself. There’s plenty.”
“Just sit down and spit out whatever you have to tell me. I’m on pins and needles here,” Lilly groused as she snagged a few pieces of bacon.
“Okay, okay.”
Tess didn’t say anything right away, though, and Lilly was forced to watch her fill a plate and take a bite.
“What’s going on?” Lilly demanded.
“Well,” Tess said through a mouthful of eggs. “Something happened last night.” She washed them down with a sip of coffee.
“What?”
Tess’s face held a bunch of different expressions. Her eyes were sparkling and bright, much more lively than they’d been in a long time, probably since before Jack died. But her mouth was slightly turned down and the sound of her voice wasn’t exactly troubled, but held a hint of worry.
“Last night I hooked up with Ford.”
Lilly’s eyes exploded open and her chin dropped to her chest. It was the last thing she expected to hear. “You what?!”
“I was in a really low place. I went for a drive and saw him at the office, so I stopped in.”
Lilly waited for more. “And?”
“I seduced him,” Tess whispered, her face flushing a lovely shade of pink. “I can’t believe I did it.”
Lilly laughed, relieved that no other tragedy had occurred. “I have to tell you, that’s definitely not what I thought you were going to say.”
“What did you think I was going to tell you?”
“I don’t know, but not that you hooked up with your lawyer’s brother.”
“I won’t lie. I felt a little ashamed of myself at first, but then I decided to get over it. I’ve spent a lot of time beating myself up over stupid shit and I didn’t want to have any regrets.”
Lilly grinned. “Good idea. I’m proud of you.” She grabbed another piece of bacon and broke half of it off in one bite. “No details, no specifics. How was it?” Lilly loved Tess and they shared a lot of things, but the minutiae of their sex lives was not one of them.
Tess cocked her head to the side and smiled just a little bit. “Different.”
“Just different?”
“It was good,” Tess said softly. “Very good, actually. But it’s hard not to compare him to Jack, ya know?”
“I do.” Lilly was only four years older than Tess, but still, she had taken way more laps around the dating pool. “You’re only 25,” Lilly reminded. “And you’ve been in a very bad place for a while. I don’t see anything wrong with it. You needed a release and Ford was it.”
“Thanks, sis. I do feel a lot better today.”
Lilly nodded and smiled at her little sister. She was going to do everything she could to keep Tess going up. “You look better. Did you get some sleep?”
“Yes, about six hours solid with no nightmares.”
“Uh oh,” Lilly teased. “You’re going to have to ask him to move in until all this is over, if only to keep the bad dreams away.” She poked Tess in the arm and gave her an exaggerated wink.
Tess snorted and rolled her eyes. “If only it were that easy. Actually, it’s not going to happen again. We both know what a risk it was, and I can’t do anything stupid anymore. Not until we figure out who killed Jack and I’m off the hook.”
Lilly frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well that sucks. I mean, you two would be a really cute couple. Kind of like beauty and the beast.”
Tess raised an eyebrow at her and shook her head. “No way. We would not be good together.”
“Why not?”
“Too much baggage. I may only have a couple of suitcases right now, but he’s got a moving van full of it. It definitely wouldn’t work out.”
Lilly pursed her lips, looking unconvinced. This is something I’ll have to dig into with her, I see. “Well, I wouldn’t count him out.”
“I already do.”
“Yeah right,” Lilly grumbled. “I reserve the right to say I told you so.” There was something more to the story, but Tess wasn’t willing to give it all up. That was okay. Lilly could be patient and wait it out.
“Did you ever do anything like this?”
Lilly munched on another piece of bacon and shrugged. “Yeah. After I divorced the ‘toad’, I had a couple of dalliances I never told anyone about.” She tried to stay casual about it, not make a big deal, but she could feel the heat spreading across her face. It didn’t escape her little sister’s notice either.
“You’re blushing!” Tess tossed a napkin at her.
“Oh stop!” Lilly snatched the paper in midair and fired it back. “It’s not something I’m proud of. Neither one of my one-nighters were a tenth as good looking as Ford. But then again, I was wearing beer goggles.”
They both started to laugh until neither one of them could get their breath. It took minutes for them to get control to the point where they could speak. “You sound like a guy, L. The kind of guy we call a douchebag.”
“Yeah, I know. Like I said, I’m not proud of what I did and I can’t think about it too much or take it too seriously, or I’ll get depressed. Especially since I haven’t had a boyfriend in God knows how long.”
Tess frowned. “Is that what’s going to happen to me? I’m going to get depressed about this too? I’m already on the brink of a nervous breakdown half the time.”
“No, sis, you aren’t. You didn’t get divorced, you got widowed. There’s a big difference. I also never got accused of murder and had all the financial shit to deal with that you do. You can’t compare apples to oranges.”
That was Tess, always overthinking things and second guessing herself. Sometimes it drove Lilly crazy, but what could she do? Her sister was her sister and all she could do was support her and tell her about her own experiences in life, even if it meant comparing apples to oranges.
“Just take it at face value. You needed someone and Ford was there. Did you ever stop to consider he might have needed you as much as you needed him?”
Tess took a sip of coffee and shook her head. “No, I didn’t. He did tell me a little bit about his background. Sounded like he had a real shit childhood.”
“There you go. Think of it like two ships passing in the night,” Lilly suggested. For now.
Tess chuckled, but the ringing of her phone cut it off. She glanced around and saw it vibrating on the coffee table across the room. She darted over to snatch it up. “Shit, it’s Hudson. He’s been calling all morning.”
“Why didn’t you answer? Wouldn’t talking to your lawyer be a pretty important thing to do right now?” Lilly admonished.
“Ordinarily, I’d say yes,” Tess silenced the ringing and tossed the phone back on the table, “but since his brother didn’t leave until after ten this morning, I wasn’t really in a position to take his calls.”
Lilly burst out laughing, rocking back and forth. “Oh, you dog!”
She sobered abruptly and looked a little sad. “This sucks. I think Hudson has a little crush on you.”
“I know. I think it’s just a proximity thing, though. We’re together a lot and he’s handled so much for me that it’s really only a lack of options. If he had a girlfriend or a social life, I don’t think he’d look twice at me.”
Lilly shrugged and her eyebrows popped up. “Hard to say.”
Once again, Tess’s phone began to ring. The Law & Order bong repeated itself for a solid thirty seconds.
“You really need to take his call, Tess. How many is that now?”
“I think it’s on five. I guess I’m worried he’ll hear something in my voice and just know what I did with Ford. That’s the last thing I need for him to find out.”
“He won’t know,” Lilly insisted. “Guys are clueless.” She wasn’t so sure, personally, but wasn’t about to let Tess know that. She was here for support and encouragement, so that’s what she would do. Nodding her head and twirling her hand, she urged Tess to answer the phone.
* * * * *
“I’m sorry, Hudson. I was sleeping.” Tess listened to him upbraid her gently about the importance of being in contact. She didn’t mind at all. “Yes, I can come to the office. Now? Well, my sister’s here.” She glanced over at Lilly, who was waving her arms and standing up to leave. “Maybe she can help. I’ll bring her along.” Lilly frowned but sat back down. “Yes, okay. We’ll see you in about a half-hour.”
“Why are you dragging me along?” Lilly demanded.
“Because you’re my sister and I need your moral support.” Tess flipped her hair back. “And you might be able to help me remember stuff.” And I need a buffer to put between Hudson and me so he won’t know I slept with his brother.
“All right. Hurry up, you said thirty minutes and I know how long you like to be in the bathroom.”
Tess got up and walked toward the bedroom. At the last second, she turned and stuck her tongue out at her sister. Some things she would never outgrow.
Chapter 38
Tess kept finding herself distracted and would stare into Hudson’s private office, as he perused the receipts and lists from her wedding file for the fiftieth time. She kept remembering what she had been doing just a few hours before, and each time Lilly would smack her in the arm to make her focus.
“I’m not seeing anything new,” Hudson said finally, flopping onto the couch in frustration. “What about you?”
“It’s all the same stuff I told you before,” Tess answered, feeling equally disheartened. “We got a goody basket from Emily and Roger, but we never even opened it. Flowers came from my out of town family who couldn’t attend. Three arrangements in all.”
“Where the hell is Ford? He’s usually good at this kind of stuff.”
Tess watched him send a text and she imagined Ford’s face when he received the message. He probably doesn’t want to be in the same room with me, any more than I want to be around him.
As they sat in silence, Hudson waiting for a response from Ford and Lilly sifting through papers and receipts, Tess’s mind wandered. Everything in the room reminded her of the night before. She shivered at the images of Ford’s hands on her body as they floated through her mind like serene white clouds across a warm summer day. Giving herself a mental shake, she tried to send them away. She conjured storm clouds and pouring rain in her mind to erase the thoughts. Instead, she began fantasizing about what Ford would look like in the downpour.
“I need coffee!” she said suddenly, standing up and pacing around the room. “Should I make some fresh?”
“Shit, we’re out.” Hudson groaned. He got up and went to the cabinet and opened the door. “I was supposed to pick some up this morning but I forgot.”
“Why don’t I go get some?” Tess grabbed her purse and shot out the door like a racehorse out of the gate. She needed to get away from the scene of her sexual crime. With her head down, she burrowed into her purse for her keys as she fast-walked toward her car.
“Hey now.”
She skidded to a halt to see Ford standing right in front of her, a drink carrier with four Biggby Coffee cups in his hand and a grocery bag in the other. “Shit!”
“Yeah, shit. If you’d have spilled this all over me, I’d have been pissed.”
“Sorry!” Tess reached for the bag to ease his burden. “It’s not like it would have been on purpose.” She smirked at him and he returned it, seeming perfectly at ease with her.
“Course not, but it would have been a waste of good coffee and I couldn’t forgive that.”
He started to move forward toward the office door, but Tess stopped him. She needed to talk to him for a minute and not in front of the others.
“Is everything okay?” Ford asked.
“Yes,” she assured him. “It is, really. I’m just a little nervous about being with you in front of Hudson. I guess I feel a little embarrassed.”
He nodded his head and gave her a genuine smile, one of the few she’d ever seen cross his face. “I understand. It could be awkward. But he texted me that Lilly is here too. Did you say anything to her?”
Tess shifted from one foot to the other while avoiding his eyes.
“I can see that you did. She’s a cool one, your sister. She’ll make sure to keep everything on track. Come on, before the coffee gets cold.”
Ford walked her back into the office, holding the door for her to enter first.
“Look what I found! Should we keep him?”
Tess wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. She meant it as a joke, but knew exactly how it sounded to Lilly and Ford. Hudson had no clue, thankfully, and had eyes only for the cup of coffee his brother held out to him.
“Hey Ford,” Lilly said casually enough. When Hudson’s back was turned, she gave him a pronounced wink and then put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Tess crossed the room in three steps to give her a swift kick in the shin.
“Ladies.”
“What’s in the bag?” Hudson asked as he blew on the hot beverage and then took a sip.
“More coffee and some brownies. I know they’re your favorite.”
Tess handed the bag to Hudson, who began foraging inside. When he lifted a square, plastic container of brownies out of the bag, it was like someone threw cold water into her face. She shivered and then almost immediately her entire body became hot and she felt the familiar buzzing just before a faint.
“I remember something,” Tess whispered. “I remember something!” Lilly jumped out of her chair and rushed to her sister’s side. “My coworkers sent me a huge pan of brownies with two mugs and homemade chai tea! Lilly? Do you remember that pretty basket I told you about? It was on the table. Jack ate some of the brownies the morning of the wedding!”
Tess began to shake and her face went white with the memory. It was like she was back in her kitchen on the day of wedding: Jack leaning against the counter, arms crossed, laughing about something. He said he was hungry, then spotted a basket on the counter. His hands rummaging around inside until he found the plate of brownies wrapped in silver cellophane with a gold bow. The crackling and crinkling as he ripped the plastic off and pealed one of the heavy, thick squares from the mound. The cloying smell of chocolate mingling with the smell of coffee throughout the room. Jack loved brownies. They were his favorite. She could clearly see the little brown dots at the corners of his mouth and on his chin.
Both Hudson and Ford were at her side as her knees buckled and she sunk to the floor. They each lifted an arm and helped her to the couch. Ford knelt in front of her and lifted her chin with a finger. “Breathe. Slowly.”
Lilly sat beside her and grabbed her hands to massage them. “Lean forward if you think you’re going to faint!”
“I’m okay,” Tess whispered. “I’m okay.” Her face crumpled but she didn’t cry. “Why didn’t I remember that? How could I have forgotten?”
Lilly pulled her sister into her arms and rocked her but still
Tess didn’t have any tears. She only felt a mixture of relief and dread. Glad that she remember something vital, but unsure of what the revelation would mean. Someone in her office had sent that basket. What did that mean?
Hudson got her a bottle of water. “Here.” He twisted the cap open for her.
Tess took it with a pained smile. “Thank you.” She took a sip and then accepted a tissue from Lilly just in case. “Why would anyone from my office want to hurt Jack? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Maybe not, but it’s something. Ford, you need to question everyone from the office. Give me the names of every person who works for Dr. Guildford.”
Tess fired off the names of all the nurses, the office manager, the receptionists, and the other billers. “I’ve known most of these people for the last six years. I worked as a receptionist there before I became a transcriptionist.”
“Most of?” Hudson asked. “Start with who you’ve known the least.”
“There’s Mike, the newest nurse. He started about two years ago, I guess. And then there’s Julia and Kay. They’re the billers who came on about three years ago when Amanda retired. Amanda was with Dr. Guildford for twenty some years.”
Hudson scribbled furiously on the page, and Tess despised how mixed up she felt. She was giving him the names of people she liked and respected. She loved her job and the people she did it with and for. How could any of them have been responsible for Jack’s death?
“This is great, Tess.”
“Is it?” she snapped.
Hudson’s head popped up and his face was full of confusion. Within a second, his face flushed red with shame at the realization of what he’d just said.
“I’m sorry, Tess, I didn’t mean…”
“These people were my friends. I may very well be ratting out the person or people who killed Jack. How do you think that makes me feel?”
Tears were a definite possibility now, Tess realized, but she bit down hard on her tongue to keep them at bay. Maybe another time, when she was alone and no one could witness it, she would have a breakdown and cry her eyes out while the cats surrounded her and she could let loose all the emotions she was feeling. But not now.
The Widow and the Will Page 21