Living in Shadow

by Georgia Florey-Evans

  Even though the life guards were quick and efficient, they were no match for the ocean. They simply couldn’t get her parents out of the water in time. Haley’s final image of the beach was her parents’ still bodies lying on it. She didn’t think she’d want to be on a beach again for as long as she lived.

  She made a few changes in her life after her parents ‘deaths. Instead of entering into law enforcement, like her dad encouraged, she instead decided she wanted to dispatch. After earning her bachelor’s degree in communication, Haley had gone on to receive certification to be a police dispatcher. When she came across the position for Shadow County Dispatcher posted on a website, she applied and was hired.

  So, a small town girl from Ohio ended up living in a slightly smaller city in Illinois. And while she didn’t have any family, many of the people she’d gotten to know during the nine years in Shadow had taken her under their wings. Haley didn’t really feel like she was left alone.

  Except times like this, she thought as she placed a container of leftover crock pot pizza in the microwave. She could only pray what she’d told Matt was true. That when the man she was meant to be with came along, they would both know it and it would work out. And, no matter how attractive she found Beau Harding, there was no way anything could work out between them. Not with him already lying—even if he were interested.

  Maybe next time she fell at his feet, she’d be holding something a bit more glamorous. "Oh, excuse me I didn’t mean to drop my earrings on your feet.” Giggle, giggle. Of course, that would happen.

  Put him out of your mind, she instructed herself sternly. There was no sense in dreaming about a man who was wrong for her in so many ways. He may not even be a Christian, which was her number one criteria for a romantic interest. In fact, if he were living a lie, he probably wasn’t a believer.

  Haley shifted her thinking back to the robbery at White’s Salon. Of all the places in Shadow, why would a criminal choose a salon to rob and vandalize? It was right across the street from a strip mall, where any one of the stores probably took in more money in one day than Pete and Joni did a week. Was there something personal motivating the robber?

  Not for the first time, Haley thanked God the scope of her job was to take messages and make calls. She’d hate to be in Mitch’s shoes right now.

  Chapter 8

  “If we can put that sofa against the north wall, won’t those two chairs fit by the window?” Holly Walker looked critically at the furniture and spaces in question.

  “Sweetheart, I just don’t think we can fit two houses worth of furniture into one.” It wasn’t the first time Luke had pointed that out.

  She sighed. “I know.” Her gaze swept from the sofa Hardy and Barney Nettles, an EMT for Mercy General Hospital and friend of Luke and Holly’s, had moved at least a dozen times, to the other one. In Hardy’s opinion, the dark green sofa did not coordinate with the lavender striped one they were carting all over creation. Besides, who needed two sofas?

  “Why don’t you sell your house furnished?” Holly’s good friend and Mitch’s fiancée, Tessa Lincoln, suggested. “You can pick and choose what you like from both households and put the rest in your house. No offense, Holly, but with it being so small, being furnished might make it more appealing to buyers.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Luke pounced on the suggestion. “And since I don’t care which we keep, as long as I have a place to sit, I’ll leave it up to you to decide which stays and which goes.”

  Hardy looked at Barney, at the other end of the sofa, and nearly laughed at the other man’s exasperated expression. The two of them had loaded two borrowed panel trucks with every piece of furniture from Holly’s house in town and driven them to the farm. Now, it looked like they would be taking two loads back—if Holly ever decided what she wanted.

  “I guess we’ll keep the solids in here.” Holly looked skeptically at the striped sofa. “My stuff just doesn’t seem right for a farm house, does it?”

  “I like your bedroom suit better, Holly,” Luke was quick to say. “My bed here matches your dresser and chest of drawers, so we can keep the king-size bed and put the rest of your furniture in the bedroom.”

  “Oh, for cryin' out loud.” The muttered words came from Barney’s end of the sofa.

  “What did you say, Barney?” Holly looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention.”

  The EMT’s face turned beet red as he stammered, “I thought I saw a rain cloud.”

  Hardy had to bite his tongue hard enough that it hurt to keep from cracking up when both Holly and Tessa peered intently out the picture window. Although Luke didn’t say anything, the smile on his face and the fact that he wouldn’t make eye contact with the other two men told Hardy he’d heard Barney’s exact words.

  Then it became even funnier when Tessa turned to Holly. “It must have blown over. I don’t see a thing.”

  “The window is dirtier than I thought.” Holly reached up and wiped the glass with her fingers before turning back to Barney.

  “I think you must have seen that dirt on the window, Barney. The sky is clear.”

  “So, did you want this sofa back on the truck?” Hardy not only felt sorry enough for Barney to rescue him, he didn’t plan on being at this job until midnight. The day had already seemed too long and was an end to a seemingly interminable week. So far he hadn’t heard any news of his identity leaking out. He had to trust Mitch was staying true to his word and taking care of it.

  “I guess we’ll have to get everything out of the trucks.” Holly bit her lower lip. “Then I’ll decide what goes back to town.”

  Luke looked at his watch. ”It’s one o’clock, sweetheart. The guys have been at this since six this morning. I imagine those pancakes have worn off by now.”

  Hardy hadn’t even thought about food. He just wanted to be finished with this task. Why hadn’t he come up with a viable excuse when Luke asked him to help? If Luke hadn’t hired his teenage employees to come and spend their Saturday morning doing chores, Hardy would’ve had the excuse of farming.

  His mind wandered as the others discussed lunch plans. Something about Barney’s muttered words had given him an idea. What if he had misunderstood his dad’s words? He needed to hear them aloud again. Maybe if he wrote them down and read them repeatedly, something would click, and it would make sense. Of course, it was more likely wishful thinking. His mom was probably right, and his dad’s words were misfiring between his brain and mouth.

  “What about you, Hardy?” Luke’s voice pulled him back to the real world. “Would you rather have a submarine sandwich or pizza for lunch?”

  “Whatever everybody else wants is fine with me.” He just wanted to be finished moving furniture.

  “That won’t cut it, Mister.” Tessa walked over and stood in front of him. “You are the tie breaker. Holly and I want subs, and the men want pizza. So, what’s it going to be?”

  Hardy thought about the end results. “Which would be quicker?”

  “Subs!” Holly and Tessa both declared.

  “Then subs sound good to me.”

  “Fine. Side with the women. He hasn't looked at the color of my eyes, has he, Barney?” Luke batted his eyelids which, given his size, sent both women to laughing.

  “The subs were Hardy’s idea in the first place.” Holly gestured toward him. ”We’re just the front people for the job. He’s behind it all.”

  Hardy just wished they’d all quit kidding around and get lunch. “I’ll just go out and start emptying the back truck while we wait for food to get here.”

  “I’ll go with him.” Barney looked as relieved as Hardy felt to be getting out of the house.

  “Women,” Barney muttered as they headed for the truck. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get married. What about you?”

  Hardy could give an honest answer to that question. Given the lifestyle and secrecy necessary to be Joe Ryman, it was a no-brainer. ”The thought never crossed my mind
.”

  The two men were just hauling the dining room table out of the back truck, amazingly emptying the vehicle, when the women pulled up.

  “That’s just peachy.” Barney was muttering again. “They’re multiplying.”

  Hardy looked at the car to see what the other man meant. Holly and Tessa got out of the front of the car, and an extremely attractive woman with long, blonde hair got out of the back. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her.

  “Look who we found!” Holly was speaking to Luke, who had come out of the house to greet her. He was supposed to have been resting inside, but Hardy heard furniture scooting. He had no problem remembering the last three or four weeks of his recovery and how it was so hard to follow the doctor's advice.

  “What?” Luke was talking to their newest arrival. “Mitch let you out of the dungeon?”

  She had the most melodious laugh Hardy had ever heard and those dimples . . .

  “This is my Saturday off. Mavis is on duty today.”

  Mitch. Sheriff Mitch Landon. And this woman was talking about being on duty. “Is she a police officer?” he quietly asked Barney. He hadn’t heard of a female deputy in Shadow.

  Barney had admiration on his face as he looked at her. “She may as well be. Haley Johnson is the best dispatcher in the state, as far as I’m concerned. We never have any problems making ambulance calls when she’s on the radio.”

  Haley Johnson. Hardy remembered her now. He’d seen her around town, and she came out to the farm with Holly one day before the Walkers moved. Holly had politely introduced them, and then the two women disappeared into the house. Hardy hadn’t even seen them leave. They were gone when he came in from the south field.

  He didn’t remember her being this attractive, though. His defenses went up like a brick wall. Harding Beau Davis did not have even a sliver of life he could devote to a relationship. Women, particularly one who affected him like Haley Johnson did, were dangerous and to be avoided at all costs.

  “Come on in and eat!” Holly called as she linked her arm with her husband’s and started for the house.

  “Yes, Hardy.” Barney stuck out his arm. “ Come on in and eat. We’d better hurry before Holly decides she wants this table and chairs in the house to eat on.”

  Hardy looked at the other man’s arm and the comical expression on his face, and for the first time in a long time, laughed.

  Chapter 9

  Beau Harding had what Haley's mom would call contagious laughter. Even though she had no idea what he found so funny, she had a hard time not joining in and laughing right along with him.

  She looked at him as he took a seat across from her at the breakfast bar. Not counting their literal run-in at the drugstore, this was the closest she'd been to him—and she couldn’t help but notice what a handsome man Beau Harding was. His sand-colored hair touched his collar and was just shaggy enough to tell her it needed a trim. When he looked up from his sandwich and into her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. His gray eyes seemed to see into her very being.

  Haley needed to get a grip. For one thing, she wasn’t so desperate for a husband she was reduced to hunting one. For another, and still the most important, Beau Harding wasn’t who he said he was. Even if they somehow connected, she would never be able to trust a single word he said. One lie led to others, and if he lied about who he was . . . No. She mentally placed a big red X over his face

  Neither Holly nor Tessa said a word about him helping move them when they invited Haley. Of course, they may have assumed Haley would realize the man who worked for them would naturally be there. Either way, from now on, Haley would just stay away from the stranger who called himself Beau Harding. That was the best plan.

  “Hardy, do you remember Haley?” Holly had caught them looking at each other and smiled craftily.

  “Yes.” Well, wasn’t he the talker? Maybe Haley should just grunt at him. Just because she had decided to avoid him didn’t give him cause for rudeness. And somewhere in Haley’s mixed-up mind, that reasoning was logical.

  Barney Nettles very impolitely snorted. “Holly, Haley, Hardy . . . I don’t guess the rest of us can join your club.”

  “Club? Why we’re going to take our act on the road!” Holly gestured toward her "H-name" cohorts. “We’ll be Triple H, and we’ll play in the main coliseums around the country.”

  “Play what?” Luke’s brow shot up. “Because I hope you’re not threatening to sing to people, sweetheart. It’s bad enough when the people at church look at us like they think I’m hurting you.”

  “Oh, I sound like I’m in pain?” The twinkle in Holly’s eyes belied her stern voice. “At least Clarence doesn’t sit outside the bathroom door and howl when I sing in the shower.”

  “Okay. I give. I sound like a quartet of tone-deaf frogs with sore throats.” Luke grinned and took a big bite of his sandwich.

  Hardy was laughing again, and Haley found herself enjoying the sound entirely too much. “I’ve already had my lunch, Holly. How about if I go ahead and start putting the clothes away?”

  “Are you sure you don’t want half my sub?” Holly held it out.

  “I had warmed up lasagna. If I eat another bite, I won’t be able to help you at all.” She stood up. “Which room am I working in?”

  The sound of the doorbell kept Holly from answering her question. Instead, she asked Haley to see who it was.

  Haley opened the door to find Will Baxter on the top step, a package in his hands.

  “Hi, Will,” Haley greeted him.

  “You mean Mitch let you out of the office?” Will grinned at her.

  “Oh, I break out every once in a while.” She looked at him standing there in his postal uniform. “What are you doing working on a Saturday? And not even your route."

  He shrugged. “Slim called in sick, so I’m getting some overtime. I forgot how far out of town Luke and Holly Walker live, though.” He glanced toward the large trucks he'd parked behind. “Looks like they’re officially moving in.”

  “Yes.” Haley felt the need to explain the furniture scattered across the lawn. “Holly is deciding which furniture she wants to keep here and which she’s moving back to town.”

  Will frowned. “Who’s moving this stuff? Has Luke been cleared for that kind of lifting?”

  “Barney Nettles is here, and Beau Harding is helping.”

  “Hey, Will!” Luke spoke from beside Haley. “Oh, good. My new cookbook is here.” He had apparently noticed the package in the mail carrier’s hands.

  Will handed it to Luke. “It wouldn’t fit in your box, and I thought it was silly to leave a pick-up slip when you were here.”

  “Thank you.” Luke stepped out onto the porch. “Have you been fishing out at Bertrand’s lately?”

  “Excuse me.” Haley wasn’t even sure the two men heard her as she left them talking about the joys of fishing. She’d just ask Holly where to work.

  A few minutes later, Haley found herself alone in one of the extra bedrooms, folding Holly’s summer clothes and putting them into a large chest of drawers. With the faint scent of jasmine on the fabric, she found herself relaxing as she took care of a mundane task. With all the details about the White’s robbery making work more hectic than usual, she needed a break.

  A shuffling noise brought her attention to the door, where Beau Harding stood, holding a large box.

  He was obviously surprised to see her there. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know anybody was in here. Holly asked me to bring this. It’s full of psychology books or something. She wants them on the bookshelf.” His eyes scanned the room and settled on the shelves taking up the entire north wall. “I guess I’ll just put them on it for her.”

  “You can set the box down in front of them, and I’ll take care of it as soon as I finish with these clothes.” Haley didn’t like the idea of working side by side with this man.

  He appeared unsure of what he should do. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, then I can help Barney mov
e more of the heavy stuff. I think Holly finally figured out which pieces she’s keeping here and which ones are going back to town.”

  Before she could stop it, Haley yawned. “I’m sorry.” She felt her face warm and knew she was blushing.

  Hardy looked like he’d rather be walking barefoot through fire than socializing with her, but he spoke again. “You’re a police dispatcher?”

  “Yes.”

  “Been at the job very long?” He stepped over to the wall of shelves, carrying what had to be an incredibly heavy box with no visible effort.

  “Nine years.” Clarence was more sociable than Haley was at the moment. “It’s usually a calm job, but, this past week was pretty rough.”

  “It’s all over town about the beauty salon being robbed.”

  Of course, it was. “Pete and Joni White own the salon. They’re very nice, and I guess we’re all frustrated that no new leads have come in.

  He seemed to be reluctantly interested. “Was much taken?”

  “A week’s worth of money. The burglars totally trashed the place, though.”

  A strange look came over Hardy’s face. “Personal vendetta? Vandalism, with a spontaneous robbery?”

  “We’re not sure.” Hardy reminded her of someone.

  “Any leads? Suspicious people hanging around the last few days before it happened? Vehicles that shouldn’t have been there?”

  “We’re asking everybody to keep an eye out for an older model dark blue or black panel van. We’ve had several people report seeing it in the vicinity of the salon the night before.” Why did she feel like she’d already had this conversation?

  Hardy shook his head. “It’s a shame when people don’t call something suspicious in when they see it. There’d be a lot better chance of catching the criminals."

  Haley suddenly realized why this was all so familiar. Talking to Hardy was just like talking to Mitch. Hardy sounded like a—