by Tonya Kappes
“He hasn’t.” Momma walked in and turned the bedside table light on. “I knew you would ask, so I keep calling the hospital.”
“Thanks.” I groaned and rolled to my side. Momma sat down next to me. “None of this makes sense. This time last week I was living my dream.”
“Life doesn’t make sense, but you can get out of this bed.” Momma threw back the covers. “And you can let the police figure out who did do this while you go out with your girlfriends.”
“How would that look if I was having a good time?”
“It’s not a crime to go and get a funnel cake.” Momma’s words made my mouth water. “I’ll text Luvie and let her know to be looking for you.”
There was no way Momma was going to take no for an answer. I schlepped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I had enough time for a shower. . .a long hot one.
My mind continued to go over and over the last few days’ events. Nothing made sense. The only thing that did feel right was Clay and how much he told me he loved me. For some reason, I still believed he was in love with me. And it didn’t make sense how he knew about the fire.
Going over and over it wasn’t getting me anywhere. Maybe Momma and everyone else was right. Just let the cops do their job and see what they come up with. I couldn’t prove I wasn’t there when the fire started, but I’d do my damnest to prove them wrong.
I grabbed a v-neck black tee and pair of jeans along with my cowboy boots to wear to the dance. I ran a brush through my long hair and let it fall down my back. With a little lip gloss, I was out the door using Momma’s car to get me there.
A few of the streets were roped off near Fountain Square, the big water fountain and park in the middle of downtown Lexington. Yolo Yoga, Millie’s shop, was lit up. She was handing out some sort of juice in small cups to all the people at the dance. In front of her shop, Luvie’s mobile pet spa, Primp My Pet, was parked.
Luvie was handing out dog treats to the pet owners who had brought their dogs to the dance.
A local band was up on the stage belting out the cover of some country band. People were all over the place dancing, in line for the food carts, and just having a good time.
“I’m glad you made it.” Luvie handed me a brown basket full of baggies tied with a pink ribbon and her business card. “Hand out these treat bags to anyone. Even if they don’t have a dog.”
Poor Jase was standing on the sidewalk in a dog outfit taking pictures with some kids.
“He’s a trooper.” I laughed and handed out a couple of the bags to people passing by. “What is she serving over there?” I asked about Millie.
“Some sort of java juice.” Luvie rolled her eyes. “I told her to give out some vodka or something and she’d have a ton of business.”
I shook my head. I walked around giving out all the treats. Momma was right, as usual. I didn’t feel completely normal, but it did let me forget just for a moment about what lay ahead of me.
When I had handed out the basketful of baggies, I made my way back to Primp My Pet. There was still a line for the free treats and poor Jase was still taking pictures. He gave me a doggie paw thumbs up.
“I didn’t think dogs had thumbs?” I laughed and walked past him.
“Daddy texted.” Luvie took my basket and filled it up again. “He said that Clay woke up a couple hours ago and went missing.”
“Miss. . .” I started to ask right before someone’s hand grabbed my shoulder.
“Viv,” Clay stood behind me. His face white, blood drained. His hair messed up. Black circles under his eyes. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. “I . . .I know who. . .”
“Clay? There you are.” Grace walked up and put her arms around him. “Everyone is worried sick about you.”
He shook his head. Labored breathing made it hard for me to understand him.
“Hey girls.” Grace smiled and stroked Clay. “I better get him back to the hospital. You should’ve never left,” she scolded him.
“Stop,” he whispered and with all his might he jerked from her hands. “You. . .you tell them.”
“Tell them what, honey?” She straightened up. “Fine.” She looked at me. “I’m sorry you have to find out like this, but Clay is going to stay at the Lady B and train Brilliance. Leonard has also asked me to take over your position. I hope you understand.”
“What?” My eyes darted between Luvie and Grace.
“I don’t know anything about this.” Luvie glared at Clay and Grace.
“You can ask your dad. It was all finalized late this afternoon.” She put her hands back on Clay. “We have to go.”
“Miss Westwood.” Officer Prince walked up with a couple other officers. “Can you come with us?”
“Why?”
“You are being placed under arrest for the arson at the Lady B farm.” He grabbed my arm. I flung around. Within seconds he had placed cuffs on my hands and began to read me my Miranda rights.
“Wait!” Luvie flailed her arms. Jase threw off the dog mask and ran over to grab her. “She didn’t do it! She didn’t do it!”
“Luvie, let them do their job.” Jase held her, but she still kept fighting. Kicking, pulling, screaming. “I’m calling my dad!”
“Wait!” Clay screamed. Everyone looked at him. He took a deep breath. He pointed to Grace. “She did it. She started the fire with Vivian’s lighter.”
“What?” Grace started laughing. “Officer, he doesn’t know what he is talking about. He just escaped from the hospital. This is Clay Preston. . .”
The officer interrupted her. “I know who he is. And I think I’d like to hear what he has to say since he is awake.” He handed me off to one of the other officers and stepped up to Clay.
Luvie rushed into Yolo and grabbed a chair for Clay to rest in.
“This is ridiculous.” Grace stomped. “He isn’t even in his right mind. Why would I set a barn on fire?”
“Because you were pissed at Vivian and Leonard.” Clay relaxed into the chair. His legs stretched out in front of him. Millie gave him a glass of the java juice she was handing out. He took a drink. His face contorted.
“Go on,” Officer Prince encouraged him.
“This is absurd. I didn’t do anything.” Grace glared at them. Her hands were on her hips. “He’s out of his mind.”
Officer Prince nodded at the other officer. It was like ESP or something. The other officer went to grab Grace but she took off down the street. A chase ensued.
“What the hell?” Luvie’s face dropped as we all watched Grace running for her life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Bring him around,” I ordered Clay from the sidelines of the fence. “Let him feel the dirt underneath him.”
“I think he has it handled.” Earl climbed up the rungs of the black fence and rested his butt on the top. “In fact, I think he has you handled too.”
“You might be right about both, but I’m still in charge.” I winked.
It was our first day back to work after a good week off since the big arrest of Grace. Who knew how jealousy, rage, and the idea of love would drive someone to do something as crazy as burn down a barn and frame someone else for it.
After the officer tackled Grace to the ground, she sang like a bird.
She claimed that she loved the Lady B and Clay. So when the opportunity came up for her to take my spot while Leonard put me on leave, she came up with her plan.
She did a little investigation work by calling Infiniti, digging through the right files and came up with the insurance file Leonard had on the farm. The day I had her put Brilliance in the barn with Comet, my lighter had dropped out of my pocket. It was her opportunity to take the lighter. When Clay came back to town, she told him he could stay with her while he tried woo me back, but he found my lighter at her house. She claimed I had left it there.
Before he went to the hospital and was put into a coma, Clay remembered someone holding that lighter. That was when he tried to
tell the paramedics that he needed to talk to the cops because the lighter was at Grace’s house. But they whisked him off to the hospital. He broke out of the hospital when he woke up because he had to get to me and the cops.
There was no way Grace was going to get away with it. There was no way for us to know that and she put me through a few days of hell. Probably nothing like what she was going through now. Leonard and the state did press charges against her and she was transported to the state penitentiary for women until the trial.
“Looking good.” I smiled at Clay as he sat on top of Brilliance. It was the first time the stallion had a saddle on him and he was doing great.
“You are looking good, darlin’.” Clay’s voice was music to my ears.
We had taken the last week to rest, make love, and rest some more. His mom had gone back to Texas and we promised to come visit. Momma was back in the Beidermans’ kitchen doing what she did best. Luvie and Millie were busy working so it was a nice relaxing week at the cottage.
The sound of a car door slamming caught my attention. Millie was walking up toward us.
“Hey!” I smiled at seeing my friend. She was dressed in her usual yoga pants and Yolo tee. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see how your first day was going and give you this.” Millie held a glass candle jar in her hands.
“Don’t you dare,” Clay warned. He had gotten off Brilliance and climbed over the fence. Earl climbed in the ring and walked Brilliance around. “She is no longer needing candles to make her calm. She has me.”
“Yes. Yes I do.” I wrapped my arms around him and smiled wide.
“I love you.” His last words smothered all over my lips.
I was wrapped in a silken cocoon of euphoria. Everything I had ever wanted had come true. And everyone I loved was safe and in my life. It might have taken years to find him, but I had tamed my Mr. Right.
About the Author
For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been self-publishing her numerous mystery and romance titles with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plotlines and quirky characters, but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans. Be sure to check out Tonya’s website for upcoming events and news and to sign up for her newsletter! Tonyakappes.com
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Tonya Kappes. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Author Tonya Kappes, P.O. Box 176988, Ft. Mitchell, Ky. 41017