She nodded. “I have always been terrified of dead people,” she confessed. “When his body fell on me I just lost it. I couldn’t stop screaming and crying, even though I was half-drunk at the time. I had no business behind the wheel of that car.”
Sam’s eyebrows arched high. Marilee drunk? At the same time, he tried to keep his emotions at bay, although he would have liked nothing better than to punch her boss in the face. “I can’t believe Irby Denton would ask you to do something like that,” he said. “I can’t believe you went along with it.”
“I did because I didn’t want Tom’s wife to suffer more than she already has. I know the humiliation of having your husband cheat on you.” Her eyes misted. “That’s why I did it.” She paused. “Sam, I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.”
He propped her ankle on a footstool and positioned the ice pack where it would not fall off. He sat next to her, holding her hand, trying to comfort her as best he could. “You’re not having a breakdown, Marilee. I think most people would have reacted as you did, had they been asked to do such a thing.”
“I’m just so tired, Sam.”
He was surprised when she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“You can’t imagine how much better I feel now that I’ve told you.”
He squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be okay, Marilee.” He sat there, watching her closely. Her eyelids drooped. “Why don’t you fall asleep?”
“I’m afraid to close my eyes,” she confessed, although she was past exhaustion. “I’m afraid of what I might see.”
“Go ahead and close them, Marilee. I won’t leave you.”
Finally, her eyelids fluttered closed. Sam knew the moment she had fallen asleep because her breathing became slow and steady, and the tense lines left her face. He shifted on the sofa, and she made a small sound as he reached for the lamp switch and turned it off. Holding her for a long time, inhaling her scent, wanting to protect her. She needed him right now, but it was different somehow from the neediness he’d experienced with his mother and ex-wife. In that instant, he realized that he wanted to be there for her always.
He had gone and fallen in love with Marilee Abernathy.
CHAPTER TWELVE
IT WAS ALMOST DAWN. Josh was high, his first time ever, and he didn’t feel so good. He’d had three beers and smoked a couple of joints at the party he and Conway had just attended. One good thing, though—he felt numb. He didn’t have to think or worry or wonder what was going to happen to his life. He’d already saved almost two hundred dollars from his job at Mo Henry’s place, so it was only a matter of time before he got out of Chickpea. He and Conway were already talking about moving to a place called Coconut Grove, south of Miami, where the weather was always nice and there were plenty of babes.
If Conway didn’t change his mind and take someone else. There were times Josh sensed he got on Conway’s nerves. Maybe it was because the guy was older and more experienced, but Josh was learning to keep his mouth shut instead of blurting out things that might make him look dumb in front of Conway and his friends. And he hated saying something dumb because Conway had a way of making it worse, thumping him on the head with his thumb and index finger hard enough that it stung the back of Josh’s eyes. Worse than that, Conway’s buddies always had a good laugh. Josh pretended to laugh, too, but it wasn’t funny.
“How you hangin’, Josh?” Conway asked as he swerved to miss a pothole in the road. “That was some doobie we smoked back there. You stoned?”
“Yeah.” They hit another bump and Josh wondered if the tow truck had shocks on it. Still, it was a ride. Mo had lent them the truck. Seemed he was always doing favors for Conway. Josh wished Mo would give them something sporty; he had more cars than most dealerships in town. The guy was the coolest. He always had some good-looking woman on his arm, and Conway claimed he had the best pot in town.
Now that Josh was working for Mo, Conway and another guy spent most of their time repainting cars in one of the large barns out back that had been turned into garages, then handed them over to Josh, who cleaned each car inside and out. Josh could do three or four cars on a Saturday and make good money.
“Hey, dude, what’s that up ahead?” Conway said, slowing down. “See that light coming from the bushes?” He suddenly looked excited. “Maybe it’s a UFO.”
“You don’t believe in that crap, do you?” Josh asked.
He shot Josh a dark look. “Hell, yeah, I believe in them. What d’you think, we’re the only ones on this planet? You need to spend less time jerking off in the shower, man, and get some knowledge in that thick skull of yours.”
Josh decided it best to remain quiet as Conway pulled over and parked. They climbed from the truck and stared down at the automobile in the ditch. Josh smiled to himself. Seemed Conway wasn’t as knowledgeable as he thought.
“Somebody must’ve run off the road,” he said. “Hey, don’t just stand there, dude, grab me a flashlight from the truck.”
Josh did as he was told and Conway shone the light on the car. “It’s a Lincoln Continental,” he said. “Brand spanking new from the looks of it. Let’s go down.”
Josh followed Conway down the side of the ditch, staggering as he went. He wondered how long it took for pot to wear off. He didn’t like the feeling it gave him.
“Somebody paid a pretty penny for this car,” Conway said once they got closer. “Doesn’t look as though there’s any damage that a good buff job wouldn’t take care of.”
Josh peered inside the window. “Oh, man,” he said. “There’s someone inside.”
Conway shone the light at the window. “Holy shit, I wonder if the dude is injured.”
Josh opened the door and shook the man. No movement. He pressed his fingers against his throat. It was cold, and there was no pulse. “He’s dead,” Josh said.
“Reach over and cut the lights,” Conway told him.
Josh tossed him a strange look. “How come?”
“Just do it, man.”
Josh turned off the lights. “We need to get to a phone,” he said, “and call the EMTs.”
Conway looked at him as though he’d lost his mind. “Are you crazy? They’ll send the cops, and we’ll end up in a detention on DUI charges. Let’s take it over to Mo’s. He’ll know what to do. You think you can drive a Lincoln?”
Josh’s eyes widened. “With a dead body in it?”
“We’ll put him in the trunk.”
Josh took a step back and almost slipped. “You’re kidding, right? What if somebody sees me?”
“Do I look like I’m kidding? Besides, nobody is out at this hour of the morning.”
The two argued for a minute, which wasn’t easy for Josh since he still had a hell of a buzz going. Now he wished he’d never gone to that party. Finally, too high and tired to reason with Conway, he relented. “Okay, I’ll drive.”
Conway removed the seat belt, and the two of them dragged the body toward the rear of the car. Conway hurried to the front of the car, opened the passenger’s door and punched a button in the glove compartment. The trunk popped open. They struggled to get the dead man inside.
Josh shuddered. “I don’t like this.”
Conway wasn’t listening. “I’ll back the tow truck closer, attach the cable, and we’ll be out of here in no time.”
“What if somebody drives by?”
“Like I said, nobody comes down this road this time of night. But if they do, we’ll just say we found the car and decided to pull it out of the ditch like good Samaritans.”
“What if they find the body in the trunk?”
“We never saw a body, you got that?”
THE SUN WAS BARELY UP by the time the boys pulled in to Mo Henry’s place. Conway knocked on the door several times before Mo answered, wearing sweats and a T-shirt. A growth of stubble covered his chin and his thinning hair stood up at all angles. He did not look happy to see them. “What the hell are you doing, waking me at six o’clock in the mo
rning?” the man demanded.
“We’ve got a car for you, man,” Conway said. “A freakin’ Lincoln Continental. Found it in a ditch.”
Josh looked at Conway. Nothing he said made sense. Everything seemed electrified.
Mo looked past them. “Is it damaged?”
“Some mud and grass stains, that’s all.”
“Let me have a look.” He started down the steps.
“Only one problem, Mo,” Conway said. “There’s a body in it. We moved it to the trunk.”
Mo came to an abrupt halt. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The guy was dead when we found the car. I figured you’d know what to do with him.”
Mo regarded the boys with a look of disgust. “Have you guys got shit for brains? Why would you steal a car with a body in it?”
Josh looked at Conway. Steal? Who said anything about stealing a car?
Conway glanced at Josh, giving him a look that clearly told him to keep his mouth shut. He turned back to Mo. “It’s a Lincoln Continental, man. Do you know how much money that would bring in?”
“I don’t care if it’s a fucking Concorde. I don’t need the problems.” He shook his head as he walked out to the car. “Pop the trunk.”
Josh was growing more confused by the moment. What was going on? His head was swimming and his forehead was damp. He wiped it with an open palm that he dried on his jeans and tried to think, even in his stupor. Now all the puzzle pieces were beginning to fit: the large number of vehicles, the locked barns, the paint jobs, even when the cars didn’t need them. Mo was right; he did have shit for brains.
He followed Mo and Conway to the car. Okay, so he’d only worked a couple of Saturdays. How was he supposed to know what was going on? It had never occurred to him that the cars Mo housed in the garage were stolen, and he wasn’t smart enough to figure out how they got away with it. No doubt Mo had some sort of system, but Josh had no desire to find out what it was. He just wanted to walk away and never look back.
Mo looked inside the trunk. “I don’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve dealt with stupid people before, but you and your sidekick are the dumbest punks I’ve ever run into. That’s what I get for letting schoolboys work for me.”
Conway looked sheepish. “Mo, man, I thought you’d be pleased. I mean, we can get rid of the body—”
Mo slapped Conway hard across the face. The boy staggered backward and almost fell to the ground. “Do you know who this guy is?” he demanded.
Josh looked at him.
Conway shook his head. “It was dark. Besides, we didn’t want to look.”
“It’s the freakin’ mayor, that’s who.”
Josh’s heart leaped to his throat. “Mayor Bramley?” he asked. He chanced a look in the man’s direction, and the color drained from his face. It was the mayor, all right.
Mo slammed the trunk and regarded the boys. “Tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you three seconds to get this car off my property, and if I ever see the two of you again or hear that you’ve been talking about this, I’m going to shoot you both, drag your bodies into my house and tell the cops you tried to rob me. Do I make myself clear?”
Conway nodded. “So you’re firing us?”
Josh just looked at him. His friend had seemed so smart in the beginning, so cool. “You’re dumb as cow shit, Conway,” he said.
Conway held his hands in the air as though surrendering. “Okay, we’ll get it out of here. Where should we take it?”
“I don’t give a damn where you take it. Just get it off my property.” Mo looked at Josh. “Keep your mouth shut, kid. I mean it.”
Josh nodded. “I’ve never laid eyes on you or this place.”
Mo smiled for the first time. “Good answer. You may live to grow pubic hair.” He went inside, leaving the two boys standing there.
Josh was pissed, and it showed. “So, what are we going to do now, Einstein?”
Conway looked scared for the first time. “I need time to think about it. I have a friend close by. We can take the back roads and be there in five minutes. Have breakfast, maybe take a short nap. Then I’ll be able to think better.”
Josh didn’t like the idea of putting it off, but he had sobered up just enough to know they had no business being on the road in their present state. Maybe if they ate and slept it off, they’d figure out a solution. They unhooked the car from the tow truck, got in, and left.
“WELL, NOW, ISN’T THIS A pretty sight?” Winnie said the next morning, standing before Sam and Marilee, who were sleeping entwined on the sofa.
Marilee’s eyes popped open, and she felt a blush spread across her face. She was half sprawled across Sam’s lap, and her bathrobe had climbed up her thighs during the night. “Oh, my Lord!” she said.
Sam opened one eye, took in the situation and smiled. “I tried to fight her off, Winnie, honest I did.”
Marilee bolted upright and adjusted her bathrobe. “Sam Brewer, that is not a bit funny. You’ll have Winnie thinking the worst.”
“Don’t go getting into a snit,” he said. “She knows I’m teasing.”
“What happened to your foot?” Winnie asked.
“She got a little rough with me,” Sam said, and chuckled.
Marilee glared at him. “Have you no shame?” She looked at Winnie. “It’s a long story.”
Hands folded over her ample bosom, Winnie made a tsking sound, much like Clara when she was perturbed, but it was obvious she found the whole thing amusing. “You know, you’re supposed to be providing a stable, God-fearing home for me. I just can’t have you bringing stray men home with you at night. What will the neighbors think?”
Sam smiled. “A woman has needs, Winnie.”
“Well, I, for one, am shocked,” Winnie said. “Shocked, I tell you. I’ll probably have to go in and discuss this with my guidance counselor so it won’t traumatize the baby and me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bus to catch. Please try to be more discreet in the future.”
Marilee waited until the girl was gone. She glared at Sam. “Now look what you’ve done!”
He reached for her, grabbed her firmly by the hand and pulled her onto his lap, taking care with her ankle.
Marilee gaped at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Shut up, woman, and listen to me,” he said.
“Don’t tell me to shut up. I don’t take orders from anyone, especially a scoundrel like yourself who has bedded half the women in town.”
He chuckled. “I don’t know where you get your information, Ms. Abernathy, but most of the women in this town are older than my mother. The others are either married or, how should I say it…attractively challenged? Between you and me, I don’t see much action.”
“It’s really none of my business,” she said, sniffing primly.
He grinned. He enjoyed getting her riled. “You know, I could change my sorry ways for the right woman.”
“She’d have to carry a big gun.”
He studied her closely. “Come on, Marilee, I know you’re attracted to me. I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at me when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
Marilee’s face flamed a bright red. “That is a bold-faced lie, Sam Brewer, and you’re out of your mind if you think I’d get mixed up with the likes of you. I’ve already had one low-down, lying womanizer in my life. Why in heaven’s name would I want another?”
A curious half smile played on his lips. “You ever had butterflies, Marilee?” he asked softly.
His question seemed to bring her up short. “Butterflies? What in heaven’s name are you talking about?”
“You know, that fluttering in your stomach that happens when you wake up in the morning after a night of good loving.”
Marilee’s jaw dropped. She tried to get up, but he held her firm. “I don’t know where you get off talking to me like that, Sam, but you are being much too familiar. I think it’s time you left. Besides, I have a lot
on my mind. There’s a body out there waiting to be found and—”
Without warning, Sam clasped one hand at the back of her head and pulled her close, planting a solid kiss on her lips. He felt her go still in his arms, and he wondered if he’d gone too far. Perhaps she was just surprised. Stunned was probably more like it. Instead of pulling away, he tried to coax a response from her.
Nothing.
He lifted his head. “Kiss me back, Marilee,” he said gently.
“No.” The word came out on a gush of hot air.
“Just this once, let go,” he said. She gazed at him as though mesmerized while he reclaimed her lips. He was hungry for the taste of her, but he took care not to rush her, knowing she’d only run in the opposite direction. Slowly, he felt her go limp in his arms, felt her head fall back against his shoulder as he continued kissing her. He kissed her forehead, her eyes, and ran his lip across one cheek to her neck. He pressed his mouth against the hollow of her throat. She could pretend she was indifferent, but her racing pulse told him differently.
Sam pulled back only slightly, just long enough to see that her eyes were closed. She was beautiful. He tasted her once more. Damn, but her lips were soft.
Marilee went very still as Sam captured her lips once more. She could not think straight. All she could do was grasp his shirt with both hands and hang on for dear life.
There were kisses, and then there were kisses. She had to admit she liked his brand.
The kiss changed, subtly at first, but as Sam applied more pressure, she found herself kissing him back. Kissing him back! He stroked her bottom lip with his tongue, and she felt something quicken inside. Her stomach, which had been tied in knots for longer than she could remember, suddenly felt warm and liquid, and made her think of what happened to chocolate when you held it in your mouth. Her brain felt as fuzzy as it had the night before when she’d been drunk for the first time ever.
Oh, Marilee, she thought sadly. What had happened to the Christian woman she’d once been? Now she was getting drunk, dumping bodies in ditches and kissing a man who had the worst reputation in town.
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