by Nancy Naigle
The driver came around and opened her door. She stepped from the limo and stretched while he got her bags from the trunk.
“You can leave them on the porch.”
The driver had sweated through his starched white shirt by the time he heaved the last bag onto the porch. Relief washed over his face when he closed the trunk.
Kasey handed him a stack of bills.
“It’s been taken care of.”
Of course it has. Thanks, Cody.
The limo kicked up a cloud of dust as it drove down the lane.
Leaving her alone.
Standing on the porch, she wrapped her arms across her body and took it all in. Not ready to go inside, she walked down to the yard and followed the edge of the wooden fence that outlined the pastures. The air seemed fresh, the sounds from the animals familiar. Birds chirped and there was that gentle buzz she’d grown to love.
Goats called out as if they recognized her and hoped for a handout. One of the older does came to the fence. Kasey recognized the animal as one of Nick’s favorites. She twisted off a small sprig of pine needles from the tree next to the fence and dangled it over. The goat nibbled the needles, then stepped up on the fence with its hooves to get closer, begging for more. Kasey petted her nose.
She brushed her hands on her jeans and sat on the white bench under the trio of river birch trees. She and Jake had spent so many afternoons in this spot while Nick worked the horses and goats. Thunder rumbled and the north sky grew dark. Nick would know if it would rain or not. He’d said he could smell it.
She crossed the yard to the front porch. The swing swayed as the wind picked up. She, Nick and Jake had spent countless hours in that swing. Nick had combed his fingers through her hair and dropped kisses into the crook of her neck. Even now, the memory caused the same shiver of seduction.
Kasey’s tears still fell, but not as often. Now her loss seemed more of a dull ache, not so fresh and pink.
Huge raindrops splattered against the metal roof and dotted the sidewalk. She opened the front door, and Dutch ran outside to greet her. He panted and pranced from paw to paw, his tail whacking the front door.
“Calm down, old boy.” Thunder clapped in the distance. Dutch ran back into the living room. He hated storms. She rolled her luggage into the foyer just as the wind sucked the front door closed with a slam.
“It’s okay, Dutch,” Kasey consoled the dog. He looked bigger than she remembered, and grayer. “Did you miss me?”
She walked into the kitchen and flipped on the light. A huge stack of mail cluttered the edge of the counter.
Mostly junk, I bet.
She tucked the phone under her chin and dialed Riley. “I’m back,” she said as she sorted through the mail.
Riley squealed. “I’ve missed you like crazy. How’s it feel to be back home.”
“Good,” she admitted.
“Did you meet the new farm manager?”
Kasey looked out the window toward the barn. “No, and I didn’t see a truck out back. He must be gone for the day.”
“Maybe. He’s working out great.”
“Thank you so much for hiring him for me. I wouldn’t have known what to ask or where to start.”
Riley said, “Don’t thank me. That was all Von. I bet Dutch was happy to see you.”
“You better believe it. He about knocked me over when I came in.”
“I’ll probably do the same thing when I see you. Be ready.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Kasey laughed.
“Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow and fill us in?”
“Sounds good.” It was weird to have no schedule. No calendar to check. Kasey hung up and carried the mail into the living room.
The rugged maleness of Nick filled the space. Being away must have been healing, because it was easier now to be around his and Jake’s things. More comforting than painful to touch them, to be close to them.
Nick’s cell phone lay on the end table where she’d left it. Kasey had kept the account open just so she could hear him on his voice mail. She dialed it, and listened:“Hey now. This is Nick. You just missed me, but leave a message and I’ll get right back to ya. You can count on it. Later. Bye.”
Short and to the point. Good thing, too, because every time she listened to it, she held her breath. If the message went on any longer, she might pass out.
There were several new voice mails. She held the cell phone to her chest. It was true. You couldn’t hide from grief. All she’d done was postpone it.
Kasey took a deep breath, then went back to flipping through the mail. She tossed the trash into one pile and made a ‘keeper’ pile that was much smaller. She caught herself in mid-toss, looking at an envelope that stood out from the rest. It wasn’t a slick window envelope and wasn’t metered bulk mail.
The return address was Emporia, Virginia. Handwritten addresses, not in a scrolling script but in a man’s rushed scribble.
She ran a manicured nail under the edge of the flap and pulled out the letter.
Chapter Fourteen
Kasey read the letter twice. She recognized the name of the sender. Riley had taken down messages while she was away, and his name was among the callers. He hadn’t specified what he wanted, so Kasey hadn’t returned his calls. The letter was as cryptic as the phone messages. Chaz Huckaby wanted Nick to call him.
She picked up the phone and punched in the long distance number. The call was long overdue.
“Huckaby, can I help ya?” the man answered with a southern twang.
“Um, hello. Is this Chaz Huckaby?”
“It is indeed,” he replied with enough energy to charge a battery.
“I’m returning your call, and responding to a letter you sent my husband. I’m married to Nick Rolly. You’ve left a couple of messages for him.” She stalled, not wanting to get to the part where she had to say the words—that Nick was gone.
“Oh, uh...yeah. Just need him to give me a ring, princess.” His voice held a rasp of excitement.
“Yes.” She cleared her throat. “About that. Mr. Huckaby, he won’t be returning that call. He…” The words caught in her throat.
“It’s Kasey, right?”
How does he know my name?
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Nick talks about you all the time. Is he okay?”
“No. He was in a car accident.” She heard the squeak of a chair on the other end of the line. “He didn’t....”
“Oh.”
She heard the gasp of realization—thankful she didn’t have to finish the sentence.
Chaz said, “I am so sorry.”
“Me, too.”
“I wondered why he hadn’t returned my calls. I just figured he was busy. I didn’t know.”
She couldn’t respond.
“Nick is a good man, and that little Jake is the apple of ol’ Nick’s eye—no question about that. Yours too, I’m sure. How’s he taking it?”
“You know my son?”
“Yes, ma’am. I got to know Nick and Jake pretty well.”
Who is this man?
“May I ask how? I’m sorry, but your name isn’t the least bit familiar. And the letter you sent doesn’t make sense.”
“I guess it can’t hurt to tell you now. Under the circumstances, I guess it’s time the secret was shared.”
“Secret?” The word stabbed her heart. “Nick and I didn’t have secrets.”
A hearty chuckle came over the line. “Yes, yes. Maybe secret was the wrong word. Surprise. Yes, a surprise is a better way to say it.”
“You’re confusing me.”
“Your anniversary is week after next, right?”
Kasey blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even thought about that, but he was right. “Yes, sir. It is…would have been.” Tears balanced on her lashes.
Who was this stranger who knew Nick, Jake, and even her anniversary date?
“While you were doing those photo shoots, your husband and
son were trekking out here to work on a surprise for you.”
“I dialed a long distance number. Where are you?”
“Near Emporia. The town’s called Adams Grove. Nick bought a house out here last year. Beautiful land, but it needed a lot of work and fencing. Anyway, Nick and Jake loved it. They decided that it was the right thing to do.”
“What was the right thing to do?”
“Surprise mommy, of course.” His laugh carried a unique force, like a riptide tugging you in.
“Nick wouldn’t make a major purchase like that without telling me.”
“I don’t know about all that. What I do know is that Nick did a lot of talking about living in the moment. He said y’all had dreamed about property further out from the hustle of Virginia Beach. Said he thought this one was perfect. He loved you a lot, said you worked too dang hard. He was excited about surprising you—said this house would be your dream home.”
His warm laugh and deep southern accent were comforting, but what he was saying just didn’t make sense.
Kasey asked, “Do we owe you money? Is that why you’re calling?” She wondered how many more things she’d have to figure out on her own.
His hearty chuckle boomed across the line. “No. No, ma’am. This property is paid for lock, stock and barrel. He’s got the deed somewhere. In fact, the renovations were all paid up front, too. I’ve been trying to get to Nick because we had a deal that I would get all the renovations done for him before your anniversary. It was going to be a surprise.”
“I’m surprised all right.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Kasey. It’s okay if I call you Kasey?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Nick was an easy partner, and I considered him a friend. And that little boy of yours…” he choked on the words, “…he was a little bundle of energy, cute as a button in those boots and hat. I’m sure it’s been hard on him—losing his daddy.”
She swallowed hard, thankful that Chaz rambled on so she didn’t have to address the comment about Jake.
“They both loved you very much. They talked about you all the time.”
“Thank you, Mr. Huckaby.”
“I’m sure Nick would love for you to see what he’d been working on. When would you like to come?”
“I don’t know. Can I call you back? I’m afraid I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
“Of course. Tell you what. I’ll keep an eye on the place for you. That’s no problem. You take your time. Call me when you’re ready.”
“That would be great. Thank you. Where did you say it is again?”
“It’s out past Emporia—not far off of Route 58.”
“Now it makes sense.” It came out as almost a whisper. This explained why Nick had been on Route 58 that day.
“Are you okay?”
She held the phone with both hands. It suddenly weighed a ton. She knelt to the floor to keep herself from falling. “Mr. Huckaby, when did you last see Nick and Jake?”
“Let’s see. I left that afternoon for my daughter’s wedding. Would’ve been the last Saturday in August. Right before the hurricane.”
Her jaw went slack. “I bet you were the last person to see Nick.”
“Oh, my.” His voice was low and quiet.
“Nick died on Route 58. They were supposed to have been on the Eastern Shore. At least that’s what he’d told me. But now it’s all starting to make sense. He was up there at that house.”
“Probably,” Huckaby said. “No. Not probably. He was here. I remember.”
“Mr. Huckaby, let me get my thoughts together and call you back. I do want to meet with you. I want to talk to you about that day and see what Nick was up to, but my head… well, I don’t know…this is just too much for me to absorb right now.”
“Take whatever time you need. I’m here whenever you’re ready. You just let me know what I can do. All right?”
“Thanks. Goodbye.” Kasey hung up the phone. The news made her shiver. She reached for the throw on the back of the couch and spread it across her legs to chase the chill—it smelled of Nick’s cologne. She breathed in the familiar scent. “Nick, what were you up to, you sneak?”
At first, she felt angry, even a little betrayed. She and Nick didn’t have secrets. At least she didn’t. But then she thought about the times they had sat outside, she leaning back between his legs, taking in the starry view and dreaming of a quieter place. The beautiful farm was Nick’s heritage, but the green line of Virginia Beach encroached a little more each year. Now the once peaceful and serene countryside was often disturbed by the blazing sound of jets from nearby Oceana Naval Air Station practicing maneuvers.
The pleasant memory of those dreams made her smile. They’d talked about what their home would look like. What it would be like. They’d looked at a farmhouse the summer before last, but a change in Kasey’s schedule kept them from making an offer on it and someone else had snatched it up. Nick wouldn’t have wanted to lose another perfect place. But how had he kept it a secret? It must have been torture for him. How sweet that he’d planned to surprise her for their anniversary.
Had Nick not been thinking of her, trying to surprise her, maybe he would still be here today.
She wished she could turn back time and change the events that had landed her in this terrible place.
Chapter Fifteen
Kasey pressed redial on Nick’s cell phone. His voice was a comfort. “Hey now. This is Nick. You just missed me, but leave a message and I’ll get right back to ya. You can count on it. Later Bye.”
Like a junkie when it came to his voice, she needed to hear it, yearned for the soothing sound of it. At least now the tears didn’t flow every time she heard him; instead she felt warm inside. She missed him like crazy. She tugged Jake’s little denim jacket off the coat rack and breathed in the smell of Fruit Loops that still filled the pockets. Jake loved the green loops best. They matched Daddy’s tractor.
Dutch walked over and pushed his nose under her hand, licked the salty tears from her cheek, then snagged a couple of the stale Fruit Loops from her hand.
She glanced at the clock. It was close to seven, but she had a feeling that Chaz Huckaby would answer no matter what time she called. She punched in his number.
“Mr. Huckaby?” Kasey asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Who’s calling?”
“This is Kasey.”
“Well, hello there, Ms. Kasey. I was hoping you’d call back. Your husband put a lot of love into that property for you. I know he’d want you to see it.”
“I’d like to. Can you give me directions?”
“I can. But why don’t you meet me in Emporia at the shop here, and I’ll drive you over?”
“If it’s no trouble…”
“None at all. It’d be my pleasure. When would you like to come?”
“I’d like to come right now, but I guess morning will have to do. Can I call you when I’m on my way?”
“You bet.” He gave her the address of his store. “I look forward to talking to you in the morning.”
Kasey felt close to Nick and Jake as she hung up the phone. She called Dutch, who came running to her. They went outside. She sat on the back porch, and Dutch bounded out into the yard.
Frogs and crickets chirped in the night. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose. She must have scared Dutch because he came bounding back up the stairs.
“Come on, boy, let’s hit the sack.”
She went back inside and locked the house. Dutch followed her upstairs and sprawled out on the floor as she got undressed and slipped under the covers. She hung her arm over the side of the bed to pet Dutch—needing the connection as she tried to relax. But she was too anxious to sleep.
Conversations between her and Nick replayed in her mind. Talks about their dream home in the country. How they would decorate it. A simpler life. He would’ve loved it if she'd have stayed home and been his wife, Jake’s mom, and scrapbooked all day. She had planned to do t
hat...someday. But she’d put it off too long.
When the alarm sounded, it was just a reason to get up because she’d been peeking at the clock almost every fifteen minutes all night.
She was dressed and out the door in record time, only to find a hard frost on her windshield. She slid behind the wheel and turned the key to start the car and get the defroster going. Not a click. Not a groan.
“Damn this old car and its crappy electrical system!”
She slapped the steering wheel and went back inside. Von would help her, but she wasn’t ready to tell him about her conversation with Chaz. He’d tell Riley and they would all have to go, and she didn’t want to share this yet. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she was sure she wanted to go alone.
The keys hanging on the rack next to the door caught her eye. She could take Nick’s T-Bird. She’d ridden in the antique car a million times, but had never driven it. Nick had tried to talk her into driving, but she liked being his passenger.
“What the hell.” She snagged the Ford keychain off the rack, grabbed her purse, and headed out back where the car was parked.
“Come on, Dutch. Let’s check this out.”
He ran ahead of her toward the barn and sniffed around the car while he waited for her to catch up.
She lifted one edge of the cover on the car and whipped it in the air to push it back. Dust sparkled in the sunlight as she swept the cover back and let it fold onto the ground behind the car. She opened the car door, then just stood there for a moment. Her fingers trembled as she grabbed the steering wheel and slid behind it. She twisted the key in the ignition. The engine turned right over. The gas tank was full, ready to go.
“Meant to be, I guess.”
She pulled the directions from her purse and tucked them in the console, then idled the light blue car out from under the shed roof and drove up to the house. She put Dutch inside, jumped back in the car, and headed west.
Nick’s favorite AM sports station blasted through the crackling static on the radio. No surprise there. She turned down the volume and smiled at the memory of the playful banter she and Nick used to have about sports radio.
This early in the morning, the drive was easy, the traffic light. As she made her way toward Emporia, she stopped at the site of Nick’s accident. She hadn’t been there in months. The trees still bore bruises from the impact. She walked a short distance down the road, squatted next to the first bruised tree, and prayed for her boys, remembering the day that had changed her life forever. She wished someone had recognized the woman from Mr. Lighter’s sketch, but that lead had led absolutely nowhere. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch a break.