Shadows of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Series Book 2)

by Teresa Greene

  Lacy refused to speak of Hilda on a day that should be filled with good cheer. To change the subject, she took a sip of her champagne and grimaced. “I don’t see what the big deal is about champagne. It tastes like warm piss. I’d rather have a glass of Maria’s sweet tea.”

  Nina giggled. “How do you know what piss tastes like?”

  Lacy toyed with the ends of her hair. “I imagine just like it smells.”

  “Champagne is an acquired taste.” She stood to make another round of the buffet table to be sure everything was okay. “Don’t drink too much. Since you’ve never had alcohol before, I wouldn’t want you to get tipsy and get arrested for underage drinking. There are a lot of FBI agents milling about.” Her gaze fixed on the band. “I’ve seen the way the members of the band keep looking at you. I’m sure they’d love to put handcuffs on you.”

  Lacy smiled at her sister as she raised her glass in a toast. “But then there are enough lawyers in attendance to give me a good defense.” She placed the glass on the table deciding not to acquire the taste for champagne. Later she would make another trip to the refreshment table and get some of Maria’s sweet tea.

  “Try to have some fun, Lacy. Dance with some of the handsome guests. Life is short, live a little.” Nina looked gorgeous in the short, royal blue dress Beth had worn when she and Grant were married. She looked like a princess as she floated toward the buffet table on long shapely legs. Since Beth was curvier, it had to be taken in a couple of inches to fit Nina’s firmer figure. Nina was so confident and sure of herself since marrying Grant. Lacy wore the same style dress, but felt like an ugly duckling next to Nina. She just didn’t have her confidence.

  Her eyes scanned the guests but didn’t see any handsome unmarried men other than the members of the band. Even if she were bold enough, she didn’t see anyone she cared to dance with. That was until Dylan Bauer caught her eye as he danced with three women on the dance floor. Dylan worked with Josh at the bureau. It was the first time she had seen him in something besides ratty jeans and a tee-shirt because he did undercover work and dressed like a gangbanger. At least he had shaved off his horrid, pointy goatee for the wedding and left his big gold chains at home. She had to admit he looked fantastic in the starched white shirt. He had shucked off his jacket and tie because it was a warm evening. He had left the top buttons open leaving a nice view of his magnificent chest.

  Seemed she wasn’t the only person who thought he looked handsome. Martha Shaw, a divorced brunette who worked with Beth at her new law firm, trailed a finger down his arm. He smiled and seemed to enjoy the attention. Dylan’s height made her look even more fragile. She didn’t weigh more than one hundred ten pounds and stood only five foot two. Dressed in a bright print dress, she looked almost childlike. Dylan had to be at least six two towering over the other dancers.

  Sisters, Tina and Mattie Cole, handled the clerical work at Beth’s law firm. They were more Dylan’s style because they were closer to his age. Both were tall, leggy blonds. Ample hips swayed to the music as the band played ‘The Cupid Shuffle’. Dylan said something to them and tried to escape, but they pulled him back onto the dance floor. Completely absorbed in the dancers, she watched Tina’s arms high in the air as she swooped, bent and danced around Dylan. At least all the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves.

  Lacy let out a deep breath. Maybe she should see if Nina needed any help at the buffet table. She threaded her way around the tables where some of the guests sat eating their meal. She forced a smile and nodded her head as some of the people spoke. Grace, Josh and Grant’s mother, sat talking with her brother-in-law, Tate and his wife Betty. Grace looked lovely. Her dark hair was swept up into a very becoming style. The pink dress looked amazing on her petite body. She acknowledged them and kept walking.

  Before she made it to the buffet table, someone took her hand. Lacy twirled around and looked into Dylan’s unusual gray eyes. “Dance with me.”

  She didn’t want to dance with him. He made her nervous. Something about the way he looked at her put her on edge. “How did you get away from your posse of women?”

  “I told them they had me so hot and bothered I needed something cold to drink.” He tugged her toward the dance floor. The urge to pull away was strong but she didn’t want to make a scene in front of their guests.

  One thing she could say about Dylan, he knew how to dance. She tried to keep up with his moves but found doing so impossible. She felt odd since the only dancing she did was in the kitchen with Beth and Nina when they cooked dinner on Saturday night which was family night. The music slowed and she said, “Thank you for the dance.” She made the excuse, “I need to go help Nina.” She didn’t get two feet before he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest. It felt like a bird was fluttering in her chest.

  He turned his head toward the buffet table where Nina stood filling a tray with wedding cookies. “Nina has plenty of help.”

  Lacy looked over her shoulder and saw Maria, Juan, and Grant helping Nina serve the guests. A feast had been prepared for the guests on royal blue linen draped over a long table. White lights had been strung through overhanging branches of the trees. Vases of bright colored flowers adorned the tables from Grace’s flower garden. The delicious aroma of chicken and BBQ mingled with the smells of the evening.

  Maria, Nina’s housekeeper, placed a pitcher of her sweet tea on the table. Juan, Maria’s son, took away the empty pitcher and placed it under the table. Both had lived at Twelve Oaks Farm for over a year. They were as much her family as her sisters and brother-in-laws.

  Dylan’s hands touched her back. She didn’t know what to do with her hands because she had never slow danced with a man. “Put your hands on my shoulders.”

  Her hands trembled as she placed them on his strong shoulders. She could feel the muscles flex under her fingers and realized he was a weight-lifter. But then he’d have to stay in shape to work for the FBI. Josh said at twenty-three, he was the youngest agent at the Raleigh office. Brown hair streaked with gold tints waved around his heart-stopping face. Deep dimples cut into his cheeks when he smiled. And he smiled a lot. Intrigued, Lacy peered into his unusual gray eyes. Josh had said Dylan had lived a tragic life when he was young. She would like to know his story.

  Timothy Maynard and Martha Shaw joined them on the dance floor. Lacy felt less uncomfortable now that they were no longer the only two dancing. Or that was until Martha wrapped her leg around Timothy and they began to gyrate and grind their pelvises together. Lacy had to smile as Martha ran her fingers through Timothy’s perfect blond hair leaving it disheveled. He always looked impeccable. Just as she predicted, Timothy raked his hands through his hair to repair the damage she had done. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see him not perfectly groomed.

  Since Dylan was a few inches taller than her, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Looks like someone’s about to get lucky.”

  “Fat chance. He’s gay.”

  Dylan stopped moving and looked at Timothy. His brow knit in confusion. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. He worked with Beth at her old law firm. They are great friends. If she could afford him, she’d hire him at her new firm. She says he’s brilliant. Maybe in the near future she can pay his price.”

  He turned those intense gray eyes on her and her unease grew. Seconds passed as his gaze never wavered. Peering at Timothy and Martha, she tried to calm her racing heart. “Do I make you nervous?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “No, I haven’t had much experience dancing.”

  He lifted his eyebrows. “What have you had experience with?”

  Lacy bristled at his bold question. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not experienced at anything.”

  “I didn’t think so. You’re such an innocent. I find inexperience kind of sweet.” He tightened his hold on her and his hands moved lower on her back. “Have you even kissed a man before?”

  The blush spread from her chest to her neck. Lacy struggled t
o get out of his arms, but he only held her tighter. He laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m just having a little fun. You’re so shy. I feel like I’m dancing with a timid kitten.”

  “And you are mean.”

  He threw his head back and laughed so loud people turned and stared at them. Again she tried to pull away. “Let me go.”

  He sobered. “No, I have something I need to tell you.” By his tone it was something serious. “I will be at Duke University doing some undercover work next week. If you see me on campus, pretend you don’t know me.”

  She gritted her teeth in anger. “That won’t be hard to do.” By his expression she had insulted him. She didn’t know why she was so rude to him at times. Something about him brought out the worst in her. But then her people skills had always been lacking.

  Curious she asked, “Who are you investigating?”

  “A frat house. Some of the rich and privileged young men don’t have enough money and have decided to sell ecstasy and cocaine at some of their wild sex parties.” Contempt in his voice, he replied, “Sounds like boredom. A young woman was strangled to death. Cocaine was in her system. Her body was found floating in a pond not far from campus. The last place she had been seen alive was at a party held at one of the frat houses. Turns out the deceased woman’s uncle is a director at the FBI, and promised her parents the person or persons responsible for her death would be prosecuted. If I find who gave her the cocaine, I might discover who strangled her.”

  Lacy had read about it in the newspaper. The article reported the poor girl, Tiffany Swift, had been sexually assaulted before she died. Duke University had managed to keep the name of the frat house out of the papers. “How do you plan to find out who is selling the drugs?”

  “I’ll be attending a few parties, hanging out with some of the members of the frat house. Try to make a few friends.” His vicious look gave her the feeling he had a terrible temper. “I’d rather deal with gangbangers because you know who they are. Privileged young men are more dangerous because you never know what they’ll do. They are sneaky, a little more difficult to fool.” His eyes smoldered as he peered into her face. “I thought I’d let you know in case we run into each other.”

  “It’s doubtful we will bump into each other. I don’t attend parties.”

  “No, I guess you’re more the type to have your nose stuck in a book.” His lips twitched. “You don’t seem the partying kind to me.”

  She knew what he thought. He felt she was a snob. Maybe she was. She had never been to a party the three years she had been at Duke. Because of her shyness she had few friends. Young men asked her out from time to time, but she refused. Men had always made her feel awkward. Dylan was no exception. She felt like a fish out of water with him. He was cocky, arrogant, and thought a bit too much of himself. Yet there was a certain charm about him.

  The song ended and she stepped away from Dylan. He reached out and took her hand. “Would you like to get something to drink?”

  Lacy pulled away. “No, I need to help Nina.” With long strides she hurried to the buffet table where Nina stood talking to Grant. She glanced over her shoulder to find Tina and Mattie had already cornered Dylan for another dance. The man seemed to have a way with women. They were all over him. As if he could sense her eyes on him, he turned and looked in her direction. She quickly averted her eyes. The last thing she wanted was Dylan to discover he intrigued her.

  ****

  The campus lunchroom was so noisy Lacy had to lean in to hear what her roommate Michelle Maness was saying. “How’d you do on your exam?”

  “I made a 98.”

  Michelle rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you fret so before an exam. You don’t even have to study.”

  Lacy stayed up half the night studying, mainly because she felt she had to have a high score. Michelle was right. She didn’t have to study because she knew the material, but she still put in hours going over it again and again. She liked having the highest grades in her class. Her sister Beth had always said something was mentally wrong with her.

  From the beginning of her college career she and Michelle had shared a dorm room. Grant offered to pay for an apartment so she’d have a bigger place, but Lacy knew Michelle couldn’t afford to pay half the rent. Michelle was too proud to take charity so she lived in the small dorm room so they could be together.

  Michelle was petite weighing about one hundred ten pounds. Thick, rich mink colored hair hung down her back in ringlets. She hated her hair. Lacy thought it was gorgeous. Most people called her the girl with the hair. Some of her best friends called her Curly.

  Every time she got the urge to have her hair cut and styled, her father would have a hissy fit as Michelle described his frequent tantrums. Because of her close relationship with her father, she could never bring herself to chop off her beautiful locks.

  “What do you want to do to celebrate?” Lacy would never tire of hearing Michelle’s strong southern accent. Some people thought she was dumb because she was from Southern Georgia where her parents owned a small farm. Nothing was further from the truth. Michelle was very smart. Yes, she had to study to keep her 3.9 GPA, but she managed to stay in the top five of her class. Not bad for a young woman that came from parents that didn’t even finish high school.

  “We don’t have to do anything special. Let’s order a pizza and watch a movie.”

  Again Michelle rolled her eyes. “Geez Louise, let’s have some fun. You’re such a stick in the mud. There’s a party at Dark Knights Fraternity tonight.”

  Lacy grimaced. A couple of the jocks from the fraternity were in her English class. She thought them pretentious, spoiled brats. Why Michelle would want to hang around with them didn’t make any sense. “The Dark Knights are such pompous asses. Why do you want to go to their party?”

  “Because Tommy Ross will be there.” A dreamy look crossed her face. “He’s so hot. Handsome as the devil.” Michelle had been infatuated with him from the first time she had seen him three months ago when he transferred to Duke from a community college near his home in Raleigh. Every time she saw him on campus, she did everything in her power to gain his attention. He was friendly, but Lacy wasn’t so sure he had the same feelings for Michelle as she had for him. She would hate to see her best friend get her heart broken. Her last relationship had ended badly. For months she fought depression and despair after the relationship ended. “Please, Lacy, I want to go to the party.”

  Several times Michelle had tried to get her to attend some of the parties at the fraternities on or around campus. Each time she refused. Michelle said she hated to go without her. It was difficult to find true friends, and Michelle had made only a few in the three years she had attended Duke University. Most of the female students were snobs and looked down their sophisticated noses at her.

  When Lacy said nothing, Michelle begged, “Come on, Lacy. Malory Dennis invited me to go with her, but you know how uncomfortable I am around her. She’s always trying to dress me like a whore.”

  Three guys sitting at the table next to them stopped eating, turned, and stared at Michelle when they heard her say whore. Michelle put her hands in the air. “Do you have a problem?” Seconds passed before they went back to eating.

  Lacy shook her head. That was another reason most people didn’t like Michelle. She said exactly what was on her mind and didn’t take any mistreatment from anyone. What she lacked in size, she made up for in spirit. Her sharp tongue could cut a person in half.

  “You should have seen what she wanted me to wear to the last party we attended. Eve’s fig leaf was bigger than the short skirt.”

  Lacy giggled. Some of Michelle’s comments were comical. Malory did have her own style. The best way to describe Malory was flamboyant and brazen. Dresses up to her ass, cleavage showing, and spiked heels were her every day attire. Lacy wondered if she even owned a pair of jeans. Lacy could never walk in heels higher than two inches. She didn’t understand why women tortured their feet just to be a lit
tle taller. “What do you think she carries in those huge purses?”

  Michelle leaned in and whispered, “Condoms.”

  Lacy laughed so hard her stomach hurt. Men loved Malory. She went through men like candy. Every time Lacy saw her, she had a different poor soul on her arm. The total opposite of Michelle, Lacy wondered why Malory hung around with her. Sometimes she wondered if it was because she wanted to change Michelle who preferred blue jeans, tee-shirts, and flip flops to dresses. She never wore make-up and Malory was always trying to paint her up to make her look glamorous. She didn’t need changing. Michelle was gorgeous inside and out. Lacy would never say so, but she wished Michelle would keep her distance from Malory. She didn’t want to come across sounding jealous of Michelle’s friendship with Malory so she did her best to keep her concerns to herself.

  Her best friend picked up her cheeseburger with both hands and took a big bite, then she twirled a fry in catsup before she popped it in her mouth. It amazed her how someone so small could eat so much. She had the appetite of an elephant. Hopefully her luck would hold and she would keep her high metabolism. She couldn’t afford to add many pounds on her small frame. She was already mostly boobs and ass.

  Lacy peered at her watch. She had class in ten minutes so she stabbed some lettuce and shoved it into her mouth. She should never have agreed to have lunch with Michelle. They ended up talking the whole time and she never finished her food. It would be hours before she got the opportunity to eat again.

  Pointing her fork at her, Lacy replied, “I need to get to class. I can’t sit here and talk to you all day.” She stood to empty her tray in the trashcan when Michelle reached out and took her hand.

  “Please, Lacy. I really want to go. I do things with you I don’t like to do all the time.”

  Shocked, Lacy sat back down and glared at Michelle. “Like what?”

  “I went with you to that dumb concert your professor gave you tickets to attend. I was bored out of my mind. But did I complain?” Irritated, Michelle tapped her fingers on the table. “No, I sat through all that extremely loud caterwauling without saying a word. You know country is the only kind of music I can tolerate.”