The Scholarship

by Jaime Maddox

  If she ever became a suspect in Steph’s murder, she was really screwed. Shaking the thought from her mind, she walked toward the driving range.

  * * *

  “I’m so happy the weather turned out nice,” Ella said. “It’ll give me a chance to circulate and meet some of our alums.” She was also happy for the chance to wear a new golf skirt she’d picked up at the end of the season. It was red and white with a bold floral print, and the white shirt with pearly red buttons matched perfectly. And though she was still flabbergasted by Sophie Gates’s four-million-dollar gift, the reality seemed to buoy her just a bit. Less than a month on the job, and she’d landed one of the biggest gifts PMU had ever received.

  “There’s usually a great turnout, no matter what the weather. But at least people will be in a good mood,” Mary Ann Bingham said.

  “I’m going to get something to eat and circulate,” Ella said. “I’ll catch up with you after the golf.” A few steps from the dining room, Ella saw the registration line, already three deep.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  Looking up to the voice she already recognized, Ella met Reese’s gaze. Her heart thudded as the blue eyes twinkled at her. “I was looking for a friendly face. I guess I got lucky.”

  Reese’s blush rose from beneath the white collar of her shirt and bloomed over her face. Ella was beginning to enjoy seeing Reese blush, and it seemed she had a knack for making it happen. “Friendly. And helpful. That’s me.”

  Reaching into a box, she pulled out an envelope inscribed with Ella’s name and handed her a gift bag from a large bin. “It looks like Team Development has already picked up mulligans and raffle tickets, so you’re all set. It should be a great day out there.”

  Ella lowered her voice and glanced around before looking Reese’s way again. “It beats the office any day.”

  “I’ll say.”

  “I thought I’d get here early so I can mingle and meet people, but it doesn’t look like I’m early at all.”

  “I think the noon start time and the good weather are excuses to be early. You’re fine. But you’re planning on mingling, huh? Is there anyone special you’d like to meet? I know most of the people here.”

  Ella wanted to meet everyone, at least to introduce herself, but Jeremy Nathan was the one she really wanted to talk to.

  “Can you point out Jeremy Nathan?”

  Reese nodded. “Better yet, follow me. You can meet his brother, too. You may have heard of him. He’s our senator.”

  “That sounds vaguely familiar.”

  Ella felt a bounce in her step as she climbed the stairs to the dining room behind Reese. Once again, she had the opportunity to enjoy the view of Reese’s butt, and she did, failing to notice the final step. Before she realized she was falling, she was in Reese’s arms.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, pushing herself away before anyone noticed the scene she’d created. She’d noticed, though. Reese’s fresh, citrus scent. Her hard body. Her gentle hands.

  “If you wanted to get close to me…” Reese said as a smile spread across her face.

  Closing her eyes, Ella found her strength. “Thank you,” she said, stepping farther away from Reese and testing her legs. They seemed to be functional, and as she glanced around, she was relieved to find no one staring.

  “No problem. Let’s find the Nathans.”

  By the size of the crowd gathered around one table, Ella might have guessed the senator’s location. Having a personal escort made the crowd seem less formidable, and she was grateful again for Reese’s presence.

  “What’s going on here?” she asked. “Is there free food or something?”

  “Something better. Free drinks.” The crowd parted, and Ella recognized the jokester. He’d been in the news often in recent years, thanks to the gun debate, and she’d seen his picture at PMU as well.

  “No drinking with a golf club in your hand, Josh. I don’t want to have to stitch you up again.”

  “Or me.” The voice came from someone sitting at the table, a man of forty whose dark features and resemblance to the senator suggested they were somehow related.

  “Hi, Jeremy. You’re actually the one I’m looking for. I want to introduce you to Ella—Elizabeth Townes, from the development office.”

  Jeremy’s face lit up and he stood, quickly wiped his mouth and hands on the linen napkin, and then extended his right in greeting. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” he said, a huge smile on his face.

  “And I have as well,” Josh said, extending his hand as he playfully wedged himself between his brother and Ella.

  She couldn’t help laughing at their childish antics. “I have enough time for both of you. There’s no need to fight.”

  “My brother simply can’t stand it that all the beautiful women approach me first,” Jeremy said.

  “That’s not true, because this is the first time it’s ever happened,” Josh countered. Nodding at his brother, the senator said, “He has an inferiority complex. He’s half an inch shorter.”

  “Not where…” Jeremy stopped. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. Why you wish to honor this guy is beyond me, but I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”

  “And I will as well,” Josh said.

  “How about you, Reese? Are you going to help get this reunion together? It is our twentieth, after all.”

  “Ah, well, I think you guys have all the help you need.”

  Once again the desire to tease Reese overcame Ella. “Actually, we don’t. It would be wonderful if you can join us. Why didn’t I think of it?”

  Reese rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, come on, Reese. What could be more important than honoring me?” Josh asked.

  “Your ego seems to be growing with your resume, Senator. I’ll tell you what. If your team beats mine, I’ll be on the committee. If not…I get something. I’m not sure what I want yet, but I’ll get something from you.”

  Josh squinted and held out his hand, which Reese took and kissed playfully. “Deal,” he said.

  “Don’t you even care what I want?”

  “Nah. ’Cuz we’re going to win this year.”

  Reese shook her head and was about to excuse herself when Josh spoke again. “Reese, we were just talking about Stephanie Gates. A couple of guys from our class were called to go over their statements. They’re sh—crapping their pants.”

  Expecting a phone call herself, Reese had tried to remember every detail she could from the night Steph died.

  They’d planned to get together that night, and Reese had her bag packed for a sleepover when she left for school in the morning. After school, she did her normal three-to-five shift at the pediatrics office, thinking she’d leave from there to go to the lake. Halfway through work, she’d developed all the telltale signs of an impending migraine, and even though she took her medication immediately, within half an hour, her head was throbbing. She’d called Steph from work and changed their plans. Even though she could have napped at Steph’s, with Steph in the same house she wouldn’t have rested. Ever since they’d started sleeping together in the fall of their senior year, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

  Instead of the lake, she’d gone home, hoping a nap would help ease her pain. Her parents took advantage of her presence and went to dinner and a movie, and she’d stayed home with Cass. A few hours later, when they arrived home, she’d tried calling Steph to tell her she was on her way, but had no answer. Unsure what to do, she’d kept calling, until an hour later when a policeman answered the phone and refused to let her talk to any members of the Gates family. Frantic, she’d climbed into her dad’s car and raced to the lake, only to be greeted by the flashing lights of the police cruisers lining the road.

  The coroner’s car was in the driveway.

  Reese’s heart pounded with fear. Was it Steph’s mom or dad? The loss of either would have been devastating. As an only child, Steph was the center of her parents’ universe, and she tre
asured them both. Together, the three of them made a wonderful family—traveling together, volunteering together, even working together. Just as she spent her afternoons at the doctor’s office, Steph worked at the print shop her parents owned, and that shared time made them even closer.

  Forcing her way through the gawkers, she’d pushed past the police officer on the porch and run into the house. When she saw the people gathered there, Reese’s stomach dropped. In the living room adjacent to the main hallway, a police officer was seated, an open notebook in his lap as he interviewed Steve and Sophie Gates. They looked up at the intrusion, seeming surprised, but then that look faded as Sophie began sobbing.

  “Where’s Steph?” she’d asked, but she knew the words were incomprehensible through the choking sobs.

  The policeman she’d hurdled on the way through the door grabbed her from behind, tried ushering her out.

  “It’s okay,” Steve said. “She’s family.”

  He rose and walked toward her, each step pounding her like a punch to the gut, until he was standing before her. She noticed Sophie attempt to join him before collapsing on the couch. As the police officer rushed to her side, Steve opened his arms to Reese and pulled her in. “Steph’s dead, Reesie. Someone murdered her.”

  Clearing her throat of the tears that still came all these years later, she nodded. “Let’s just hope they find the guy who killed her. It’s been long enough.” Reese excused herself to go back to the check-in table.

  “It looks like I picked a crazy time to come to Scranton,” Ella said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “It is pretty crazy,” Josh said.

  “Did you know her? Steph, I mean?”

  “Oh, of course. All my life. Sometimes it’s still hard to believe she’s dead. She was a very feisty young lady.” It might have been a criticism, but Ella saw the smile in his eyes.

  “I actually knew her,” Ella said, and told him about the summers of her youth.

  “Reese is right,” he said wistfully. “It’s time to catch the guy who did this.”

  “Hey, with DNA now, who knows?” Jeremy added. “They’ll probably have him tried before Christmas.”

  “Let’s hope so,” someone else added. The conversation turned to golf, and the group wagered as to who’d finish on top. Ella couldn’t help smiling at their easy banter. It seemed they were more like a family than classmates, and she silently applauded PMU and her decision to make the career move. It felt good to be there, to be among them. She didn’t even feel like an outsider.

  After making a luncheon date with Jeremy to plan Josh’s award ceremony, Ella excused herself. She made her way to the buffet and packed a plate with food. Spotting a small group standing alone, Ella approached and introduced herself. They welcomed her to PMU and gave her some tips on navigating the course, which she’d never played. After committing their names to memory, she wished them well and moved on to another small group. By the time the ranger announced they had fifteen minutes until start time, Ella had met more than twenty alums.

  Happy at the success of her morning, Ella wished the last group well and turned toward the garbage. At the same time, a man walking backward as he yelled across the room swung his arm into Ella’s, knocking her plate into her chest. Fortunately, it was almost empty, but the marinara and olive oil leftover rendered her shirt a disaster. As someone rushed to pick up the mess from the floor, Ella stared in disbelief at the mess. The man who’d caused it all apologized profusely and seemed genuinely remorseful, but it took all of her will to hold her tongue and reply graciously, “No worries. It’s only a shirt.”

  As quickly as she could, Ella excused herself and hurried toward the restroom, already aware she could do nothing to save her shirt, or her pride.

  * * *

  Reese headed into the dining room to make sure everyone made it to their carts in time for the announcements. Just as she opened the door, she saw one of her classmates, Jim Lucci, slam into Ella. Before she could reach them, Ella had bolted toward the ladies’ room.

  “I see you’re still smooth with the ladies, Lucky,” Reese said as she rushed by.

  “I’ll never be as smooth as you!” he retorted.

  Pushing open the door, Reese was startled to find Ella standing before the sink, wearing just her sports bra. Her shirt was in her hands as she rubbed hand soap into the stains in what was surely a futile effort to save it.

  “What can I do to help?” Reese asked.

  “I was just thinking I have to put this back on and head to the pro shop. It’s never going to come clean, and now it’s wet, too. Can you just pick me out a white golf shirt? Medium?”

  Reese sighed. “I wish I could, Ella, but the pro shop is empty. They’re remodeling and had a clearance sale.”

  “Well, that’s bad luck,” she said as she stared at her shirt. “Oh, well. It’ll be fine. I’ve worn dirty shirts before. Never in front of a hundred and twenty alums, but there’s a first time for everything.”

  “Maybe I can help,” Reese said.

  “How?”

  Reese tried not to stare as Ella turned, revealing her picture-perfect cleavage. Forcing her eyes to Ella’s, she swallowed and found her voice. “I have a shirt in my car. It’s black, but it’s clean. And it’s a size medium.”

  Ella didn’t notice her attempt at humor and instead seemed to weigh her decision, pursing her lips for a moment before nodding.

  With only a few minutes until the shotgun start, Reese sprinted to her car and pulled a clean shirt from the bag in her trunk. A minute later she was back in the restroom watching Ella slip it over her head.

  “What do you think?” Ella asked, laughter in her voice. “Black and red look good together, right? I’m trying for the biker vibe.”

  Reese chuckled. Ella was obviously worried about making a good impression at her first official event at PMU, and thanks to Lucky Lucci, it wasn’t going well. Hesitating for only a moment, she pulled her shirt from her shorts and raised it over her head.

  “What are you doing?” Ella asked, and Reese caught her surveying her chest.

  “You can wear this one. It’ll look perfect.”

  “I can’t take your shirt.”

  “Why not? You were planning to wear the black one, so why not this one?”

  Ella tilted her head and frowned. “Well, this is literally the shirt off your back. That’s a lot to ask of anyone.”

  “I’m not just anyone,” Reese said, her voice a husky murmur just above a whisper.

  Caught in her gaze, Ella nodded. “No. I suspect you’re not.”

  * * *

  Shaking his head at Lucky, he tried not to watch Reese as she hurried into the women’s restroom behind Ella Townes. What was that about? He didn’t notice anything odd about their interaction; in fact, Ella appeared to be the consummate professional. She’d treated Reese cordially but wasn’t overly friendly. He knew too well, though, that appearances aren’t everything.

  Steph had appeared to the entire world as the All-American girl. Attractive, athletic, intelligent, civic-minded, and sweet, she was the fantasy of most of the boys in high school. Yet she’d fooled them all. Even while she’d dated him and a half dozen other boys during their four years at Prep, she was a closeted lesbian. She’d been in the closet with Reese, and that’s why she’d done what she did to him.

  Was Reese pursing Ella? It was an interesting thought. He’d watch them later and find out what he could. With the investigation into Steph’s death gaining steam and his plans to once again move the focus away from him, he’d need to monitor the situation carefully. It wouldn’t do for Reese to get all chummy now, when he needed her to keep to her routine. Forcing his eyes from the bathroom door, he made his way to the exit.

  Chapter 14: Dirty Laundry

  It was Saturday, also known as laundry day, and the job had taken more of Ella’s concentration than it ever had before.

  Sitting on her bed, she was totally engrossed by the golf shirt spread out
a few feet away. It was an ordinary shirt, but she had received it under such extraordinary circumstances that she couldn’t stop thinking about it, or the woman who’d given it to her. Reese’s kindness to offer her shirt. How she’d looked when she took it off and showed that tantalizing cleavage. How to return it. It would be easy enough to place it in a bag and give it to Sharon, but then Ella wouldn’t have the chance to see Reese, to thank her. She could have written a note, but somehow that didn’t seem adequate. If she waited until she saw Reese’s red Jeep in the driveway of her parents’ house, she could return it in person, but that wouldn’t be very personal, with all of the Ryans looking on as Ella bumbled through the speech she’d written in her head.

  None of those options seemed fitting, when what she really wanted to do was ask Reese to join her for dinner. Not a backyard cookout, or even something at her house, with her parents next door wondering what was going on. No. She wanted something special, something for just the two of them. She’d found Reese attractive from the first, and after Reese had ogled her breasts in the bathroom the day before, Ella suspected the attraction she felt was mutual. If she was wrong, all she had to lose was her pride. And after the incident with her shirt, that was long gone anyway.

  Picking up the phone, Ella dialed the number for the ER. Her sleuthing skills had helped her not only find the hospital where Reese worked, but also her schedule. Thank the gods for Cass. “Can I speak with Dr. Ryan, please?” she asked the pleasant woman who answered the phone.

  The woman’s tone quickly turned icy. “May I tell her who’s calling?”

  Ella gave her name and waited for a moment, leaning back with her eyes closed as she took a few deep breaths. What am I doing? she asked herself. I’m not looking to date anyone. Or am I? Didn’t I move to Scranton and take the job at PMU so I could focus on my career? She didn’t have much time for a girlfriend, so why was she going out of her way to reach out to Reese, hoping to get together with her? It didn’t make any sense, this phone call. But neither did her thoughts of Reese. She only knew they made her smile. Reese made her smile. It felt good.