by Kym Roberts
“It’s computer generated. It only involves a few clicks of a mouse.”
“But still . . .” My voice cracked. “You did that for me?”
“I did that for you.”
Mateo had not only bought tickets to the concert I’d always wanted to see, he’d booked the perfect hotel room and created the perfect atmosphere for a romantic weekend—that I was spending alone.
“I’ve got something else for you.”
I couldn’t help but tease him. “You do realize that you’ll never be able to compete with the weekend you created for me. The weekend you didn’t even bother to attend.”
Mateo laughed, but then his voice became soft and seductive. “I would give anything to be there with you.”
I believed him. Completely.
“Are you lying on the bed?”
It was my turn to laugh. “You’re not going to turn this phone call into something naughty, are you?”
“Lie down on the bed, Charli.”
I did as he said without arguing in the least. Then I heard a piano in the background, and I recognized the tune immediately. A bass took over where the keyboard left off and the slightly gravelly baritone of Mateo’s voice began singing “Steppin’ Out with My Baby.” I’d never heard him sing or hum anything, but the man had a voice that could make men jealous and women swoon.
I smiled because despite everything, this was turning out to be the most romantic date I’d ever had.
Chapter Twenty
I was up bright and early, feeling better than I had expected to when I’d arrived at the hotel the night before. I went for a swim, took my time getting ready, and texted my daddy to make sure he was okay. He told me to stop nagging him, he was working and everything was fine. I checked out of the hotel and did some shopping in the Fort Worth Stockyards before I met Scarlet and Dalton for lunch at the Cattlemen’s Steak House. A tasty lunch and a few uncomfortable moments while Scarlet and Dalton said goodbye and we were back on the road to Hazel Rock.
“You’re not mad at me for ditching you last night?” Scarlet asked.
“Not at all. I had a very good night.”
Scarlet’s eyes left the road to look at me. “What made it so good?”
I held up a picture of Reunion Tower lit up in pink.
“O.M.W. that man’s got it bad.”
I was hoping I wasn’t the only one who thought that but didn’t want to discuss it any further. “Before we get back to town, would it be all right if we stopped to see Isla?”
“Of course. Is this personal or investigative?”
“Both.”
“I’m all in.” Scarlet stepped on the gas and I held on to the dash. Some things never changed.
A few hours later, we pulled up in front of Oak Grove Manor, and the three amigos were sitting out front in rocking chairs. Frank threw an elbow to one of his buddies and they all looked in our direction. By the time we got out of the car, all three of them were asleep with their chins on their chests.
“Aren’t they cute?” Scarlet said.
“Adorable.”
As we passed, I saw Frank’s left eye peek open, and his two buddies were checking out Scarlet’s backside. I laughed and their eyes immediately closed as Scarlet turned around.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. I’m just getting an eyeful.”
Scarlet looked at me like I was losing my mind, but I just kept walking. On the way out, I’d have to introduce her to Frank and his friends.
Joan was sitting at the front desk reading a book that looked like one of the mysteries I’d brought for Isla. Her hair was pulled back off her face, and the style made her look even older than she had on my previous visit. She looked up from her reading and immediately stashed the book out of sight. I couldn’t tell if she didn’t want us to know she was reading or if she was hiding that particular book.
“Charli, another surprise visit. How nice.” Her tone didn’t sound like she thought it was nice.
“Is Isla in?” I asked.
“She hasn’t left her room, but Mr. Andrews is playing Scrabble with her.”
“The director’s here on the weekend?” I asked.
“Mr. Andrews comes in every day.” Her tone made me feel like a chastised little kid. “These people are his family. If you’ll wait just a minute, I’ll call Isla and see if she’s up for visitors.”
I had to respect a man who devoted so much time to his clients, but it also made me feel a bit like a heel that a complete stranger would come to work on his day off to play Scrabble with Isla and I was stopping by because I wanted information about the Judge. Where was the Judge? It was Sunday. Shouldn’t he be spending it with Isla?
Joan got on the phone and dialed Isla. “Isla? This is Joan. You have a visitor.” Joan looked at me. “No, honey. It’s Charli from the Book Barn Princess in Hazel Rock.” She paused another moment as she listened to Isla. “Of course. I’ll send her back.”
Joan hung up the phone. “Do you know where her room is?” Her tone still held judgement that I didn’t particularly care for.
“Of course.” I repeated her words so she understood just how routine my path to Isla’s room was.
Scarlet and I walked toward the west wing.
“O.M.W. what did you do to Joan?” she whispered as she gazed back down the hall. “She’s watching us.”
“I’m beginning to think she’s a bit creepy.”
“Really? I’m not sure what gave you that idea.” Scarlet smiled and waved behind us.
“Humph,” echoed down the hall.
“Remind me not to visit Isla with you anymore. I’m in good standing with these people.”
“I thought I was too, but apparently not.”
We passed by a nurse’s station, but the two women standing at the counter were busy discussing their lunch and never looked up. When we reached Isla’s room, the door was open and Isla was sitting at her table with a Scrabble board in front of her and Mason Andrews sitting directly across from her.
“Ha!” she said as she laid down several tiles on the board. “T-R-A-D-U-C-E. Traduce.”
I leaned over to Scarlet. “Is that a word?”
“It means to speak maliciously and falsely of; slander; defame.”
“Oh.” Fuzz buckets. That’s twice Isla had spelled words that made me wonder what she was trying to say. Was it a confession, or was it the only way she could express her grief over the whole ordeal?
I knocked on the door and the two of them looked up. Isla immediately got up and limped over with her cane to give me a hug. “Eve! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” I closed my eyes and returned the hug Isla thought she was giving my mom . . . who’d been dead for twenty years.
Isla released me and turned toward Scarlet. A moment of confusion passed her face, and Scarlet filled in the blank. “It’s Scarlet, ma’am. Remember, I do your hair?”
Isla looked back and forth between the two of us and then grabbed my arm. “You mustn’t let me make mistakes like that, Charli.”
“It’s a common mistake, or so I’ve been told.”
“It is true; you are the spitting image of your mother. But your mom? Well, she was a quiet woman, and you haven’t been quiet since you came out of the womb.”
“Are you sure you’re not thinking of Scarlet?” I teased.
Scarlet put her hands on her hips with a feigned look of offense. “I think I resemble that comment very much, thank you.” Then she hugged Isla.
“I’m going to go check on Mrs. Bigalou. You have a nice visit with Charli and Scarlet.” Mason Andrews tipped his head and left the room.
“He seems like a very nice man,” I told Isla as she offered a seat to us and took her place in front of the Scrabble board.
“He is. Mason came to Oak Grove after his mother
passed away. Guilt can change a person’s life.”
“What do you mean?”
Isla shrugged. “Mason was an office manager for a major hospital out west. He made really good money, but when his mother fell and broke her hip, no one was there to help her. She died in her own home.”
“O.M.W. That’s horrible!”
I could think of stronger words than oh my word, but it was nice to see Scarlet reverting back to her pre-Charli-influenced language.
“He’s dedicated his life to helping the elderly?” I asked.
Isla smiled and her gaze traveled to the window. “He’s like a second son.”
“I didn’t know you had a son,” I told Isla.
She looked at me, somewhat confused, then laughed, a gentle and joyful noise. “Eve, honey, you are the funniest daughter-in-law I could have asked for.”
Her words froze the blood in my veins. That was the second time Isla had called me by my mother’s name in less than fifteen minutes, but this time she called me her daughter-in-law. Isla began counting her Scrabble pieces.
“Silly me, I didn’t pick up two pieces to replace the letters I played,” she said.
But this time it was my turn to zone out. I looked at Scarlet, who seemed too scared to move. A memory flashed through my thoughts. My mom playing Scrabble with Isla—at the Book Barn Princess—and then again in our apartment. Isla had been there when my mom had been sick. She’d taken care of her when I’d been at school, but I never remembered Isla being in the same room as my dad . . .
It couldn’t be. They would have told me. My mom would have told me. My dad wouldn’t have let so many years pass without me knowing I had family in Hazel Rock. This was not a secret you kept from someone.
“Evie, honey. It’s your turn,” Isla said.
I looked down at the letters in from of me and saw only one possibility. A word that seemed to tell me the universe was playing kickball with my psyche. I put the letters on the board and watched Isla for a reaction.
The word meant even more to her than it did to me—if that was possible. Her eyes were rimmed with tears.
“When are you going to bring that little Princess of mine by to see me?” she asked.
I’d heard enough. I couldn’t handle any more. It was like poking a dead horse and waiting for it to explode. I wasn’t stupid enough to shove the stick in too far. Or maybe I was too afraid of the outcome. It would be messier than I could handle.
I forgot about my investigation. As much as I wanted to find out the truth to protect my daddy, and Isla and Ava . . . I had my hands full with more human cruelty than I could deal with at the moment.
I got up, kissed Isla on the cheek, and said, “Soon, Isla. Very soon.” I walked past Scarlet, who seemed at a complete loss for words. I nearly plowed into Mason as he came back into the room with a big smile on his face.
“You didn’t cheat while I was . . .” He paused and looked around the room, but I didn’t wait to hear the rest of his sentence. I walked out, passed a glaring Joan at the nurse’s station, and didn’t bother to respond when I heard Mason ask, “Is something wrong?”
Scarlet answered but I was too far down the hallway to hear, nor did I care. The patients seemed to blend into the walls for me. Even the three men ribbing each other out front couldn’t draw my attention. Nothing seemed to faze me in the least . . . except that last word I’d played spanning across the pink double-word-score box. It’d only been worth eight points in the game. But in my life, NANA would have meant the world.
Chapter Twenty-one
My shirt was soaked.
Who cared? I didn’t. The people in the cars passing me didn’t. I wasn’t sure the man upstairs did. A horned blared directly behind me. I didn’t jump. I didn’t even turn around. With my world teetering on its axis, I wasn’t sure anything could get my attention.
Beep-beep!
I stopped and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to deal with anyone right now. I couldn’t deal with myself, and I kind of figured it was my God-given right to spit on the rest of the world at that moment.
“O.M.W. Charli Rae Warren! You’re going to get yourself killed! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I looked outside and you weren’t there. I went to the garden and you weren’t there. I looked near the car and then the three amigos asked me if I was lost. I’m pretty sure they wished I was lost. But when I asked if they’d seen you, they said you walked by without a word and turned down the road. What were you thinking?”
“I’m trying not to think.”
Scarlet’s smooth brow was crinkled. It never crinkled. I started walking again with her on my heels. “You don’t believe they would keep a secret like that from you your entire life, do you? What would be the point?”
I shrugged. What was the point?
“I think you need to talk with Bobby Ray—ow—dagnabit, Charli! Slow down, I just broke my heel.”
I stopped because my best friend was distressed, not because I wanted to talk about the possibility of my life being flushed down the crapper, but Scarlet persisted. “It could be the Alzheimer’s talking. Isla has spouted some strange things of late.”
I surveyed the damage to Scarlet’s shoe and saw that she wouldn’t be able to walk unassisted to her car. Nor would she be able to walk without her shoes on the oil-covered gravel.
Fuzz buckets. I needed time alone.
A vintage Camaro I recognized pulled off the road in front of us.
Just peachy. Now I’d have to face Scarlet’s questions and Cade Calloway’s inquiry as to why we were walking along the road when it was ninety-five stinking degrees outside. Geez Louise, I’m not sure it could get much hotter. Cade looked as fresh as ever in a pair of khaki pants rolled up at the ankles and the sleeves rolled up on his button-down shirt. Wearing deck shoes and aviator sunglasses, he looked like he should be shopping on Martha’s Vineyard, not walking along a stretch of road in the middle of Texas.
“You two okay? Did Scarlet’s car break down?”
“She broke off her heel,” I said.
Scarlet held up the missing appendage for Cade to see.
“Then why are you walking?”
I changed the subject. “What’s up with the new outfit?”
Cade’s cheeks flushed. They actually turned the shade of my favorite armadillo’s shell.
Scarlet butted in. “Charli was mad.”
“I’m not mad.” Mad was a simple word. My feelings were too complex for such a plain and manageable word. A more appropriate description of my mood might be mordant, irascible, or splenetical. But even those didn’t begin to touch the surface of what was going on inside me.
Cade ignored my question and stayed focused on my mood. “What are you mad about?”
I threw my hands in the air.
Scarlet nodded. “She’s right. She’s hurt.”
“I’m not hurt.”
Cade’s left brow rose and he took off his sunglasses, but he didn’t say a word.
“I needed some exercise.” More like an exorcism—something mean was dying to get out of me.
Cade volunteered to die on a stake. “I’ll take her home.”
“Would you?” Scarlet asked at the same time I said, “That’s not necessary. I can walk.”
I stepped away from Scarlet, who wobbled before Cade slipped his arm under hers.
“Have a seat in the Camaro while I get Scarlet back to her car.”
I looked at the two of them retreating, and huffed. I was probably sending smoke signals out of my ears all the way across Coleman County. What had I done to deserve them?
The answer to that question was simple. Nothing. They were two good and caring people, and I really didn’t deserve to have them—at all. I turned around and walked toward the Camaro and got in the passenger side.
The cool air-co
nditioning felt incredible, but it didn’t make me feel better. Scarlet zipped by in her little two-seater and beep-beeped at me again with a wave. My return wave didn’t have half the amount of enthusiasm.
Cade got in the car, and it felt much smaller. In high school, I loved riding in his car. Today, I felt like I had no personal space.
“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” I waved my hand up and down, indicating his attire.
“Only if you tell me about what happened at Oak Grove Manor.”
I folded my arms. “Forget it.” I looked out the side window. “Just drive.”
He put the car in gear and pulled out onto the road. The music on the stereo was the seventies rock that he’d listened to as long as I’d known him. I’d never understood the attraction, but I could tell it’d never lost its appeal for him by the way his thumb tapped on the steering wheel. It took him two miles before he tackled the problem once more.
“Did Isla say something that upset you?”
The slight hesitation in his approach spoke volumes and reminded me of the secret Cade had said was my dad’s to tell.
“You know.”
Guilt washed over his face. “Know what?”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
He closed his eyes and submitted. “Princess, it wasn’t my story to tell.”
“Have you known my entire life? Has the whole town known and only little Princess was kept in the dark about the dirty little secret?”
“There’s nothing dirty about it,” Cade insisted. “No one knows except me.”
“Scarlet knows. At least she does now. Dad knows. Isla knows . . . oh my God. He’s my grandfather?” I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of Judge Sperry being a relation until that very moment. It was probably the shock of finding out I actually had a living grandparent. Or that my parents had lied to me my entire life. Thirty years of deception—how could they do that?
“How is it my ex–high school boyfriend knows, but I don’t?”
“I found out by accident.”
“What accident?”
Cade ran his fingers through his hair. It was his telltale act of frustration. Unhappy and just plain uncomfortable with the position he found himself in. “It wasn’t really an accident . . .”