Cricket Cove

by Haddix, T. L.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s where she went. She didn’t act like she was concerned about being seen or anything like that. I thought she might be going to visit her family or something, she acted so natural.”

  “No. Her parents live up at Viper. I can’t think of anyone we know who lives in that complex. What did the guy look like?”

  “Average guy. Blond, a little rough around the edges, probably construction worker if his truck and clothes were any indication. About my size, maybe a little shorter. And probably around my age. That doesn’t ring a bell?”

  “Mmmm, no. The only person I can think of is still overseas.” She was silent for a minute. “How did they touch? You said they didn’t act platonic.”

  Logan hated the despair in her voice. He hated being the one to have to tell her this. He leaned against the counter and struggled for words. “When a couple has been intimate, they have a certain way of moving when they’re around each other. Especially if they don’t think they’re being watched. Little touches here and there, the space between them isn’t as wide as it would be if they were strangers or just friends. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

  “Yeah, I do. Damn it.”

  “That’s how she moved with him. They didn’t kiss or anything like that, but there was a very real intimacy there. You can see it with siblings sometimes, like with the way Ben interacts with you and your sisters. There’s deep affection there. But it’s different when it’s sexual, and this was sexual.”

  “You sound like you watch people pretty often.”

  He thought she sounded a little amused. “Well, you learn more that way. And I had some pretty dangerous assignments through the years. Watching people is a matter of life and death in that world. Add that to when I got home, watching was all I could do for the first three or four months.”

  “Do you miss it?” she asked softly.

  Logan’s eyebrow shot up. He wasn’t expecting her to ask him anything personal. He didn’t mind, but he’d figured she’d be all business—in and out, so to speak. “I don’t miss the danger. I was never an adrenaline junkie. But it was a purposeful life and I do miss that.”

  “What you’re doing now has purpose.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does. It just feels a little tame. Maybe I had more of the junkie in me than I thought.”

  “Or maybe you’re just having a hard time adjusting because leaving when you did wasn’t your choice.”

  The statement robbed him of his breath for a moment. “Damn, Amelia. You do have a way of laying it out, don’t you?” He winced. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out the way I meant it. It’s just—Archer told me you helped him see things more clearly when he first got here, and I understand what he means now. That’s all.”

  She was quiet for so long he would have thought she’d hung up if he didn’t hear her breathing. “I never understood people who play games. I know it’s human nature to some degree, but it’s ridiculous. It’s a waste of time and energy. I hate that kind of drama. So I guess I have a tendency to not sugarcoat things.”

  “That isn’t a bad tendency. Not at all.” Logan groaned, frustrated with himself. “I swear to you, I didn’t mean it as an insult.”

  “Okay. So back to the mess with Lori. Where did she go after she left the apartment?”

  He cursed his stupid tongue but let her change the subject, knowing he’d probably make things worse if he kept trying to apologize. “Back to her house. I stuck around for a little while, but I had to get back to school.”

  She gave a frustrated growl. “Have you told Archer what you saw?”

  “I have. He was trying to figure out who the other guy is, and he also mentioned someone who’s overseas. Trace, I think he said? Went to school with you?”

  “Trace Stidham. He was a couple of years ahead, and yes. That’s who I’m thinking. I suppose it’s possible that he could be home. His dad owns a roofing company there in town. It would fit. But you said this guy looked older, more your age.”

  “Being at war can age you, and if he’s in the service now, he’s probably seen his fair share of combat. Archer said he was regular Army. Do he and Lori have a past?”

  She huffed. “You could say that. He was Jimmy’s best friend. She dated him in high school but they broke up. He didn’t want to settle down that young. He and Jimmy went in the Army together, but Trace decided to re-up instead of leaving when their first two years were done. He was stuck in Germany when Jimmy died, and he didn’t make it home for the funeral. As far as I know, she still hasn’t forgiven him for that. By the time he did get leave and came home, she’d married Roger.”

  Her voice was so weary, Logan wanted to reach through the phone and pull her to him to soothe her. He shoved that idea aside as a thought formed. “You said his family has a roofing business?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then maybe Emma and Archer need to shop around for a new roof.”

  He could practically see her eyes narrow through the phone. “Logan Gibson, that’s very devious.”

  “What? It’s perfectly logical. You can’t come out and ask her if she’s having an affair without telling her we’ve been following her. And that would lead to questions I’m guessing you still aren’t ready to answer, justifiably so. Right?”

  “Yes.”

  “So a fast and easy way to eliminate this Trace guy is to get an estimate on a roof. Either they’ll send him out to do the quote or whoever they send will know him. Archer’s related to you now and knows the guy, at least distantly, right? So he strikes up a conversation and asks about the kid. I’ll be there just in case it is him and he does come out. One way or another, we get the information we need.”

  This time, her laughter was less cynical. “I’ll bet you and Archer were something else growing up. You probably kept the adults around you on their toes.”

  Logan gave a half shrug even though he was alone in the apartment. “We had our moments. I’ll get up with Archer tomorrow and set things up.”

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to call me, knowing what you found out.”

  “He’s waiting to see if we can learn anything else. He doesn’t want to make this worse for you, and he doesn’t know we’ve been corresponding, so I can’t very well tell him that you know more than he thinks.”

  She groaned. “About that. I think we’re right to not mention it to the family. At least not for a while. Nonny knows, and Eli, but they won’t say anything.”

  Logan hesitated. “It feels a little duplicitous.”

  On the other end of the line, she choked and sputtered, then laughed. “Good word, soldier boy.”

  He grinned. “Hey. I have my moments. They do teach us more in the Army than to kill people and break things, you know.”

  “I know. I guess I’d better go. Logan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for doing this. You don’t have to, and I appreciate it,” she told him softly.

  “Amelia?”

  He could hear the smile when she answered “Yes?”

  “It’s my pleasure. And if you need to talk, I meant what I wrote. Call anytime. Day or night.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Night, sol—wait. What rank did you end up at?”

  He grinned, feeling ridiculously pleased that she was asking. “Sergeant.”

  “Okay. Then night, Sarge. Stay warm.”

  “You, too.”

  He put the cordless phone down on the counter, then traced the pattern in the laminate with his fingers. Knowing how badly he’d misjudged her still weighed heavily on his conscience, and Logan figured it probably would for a long time to come. That said, if he were a settling-down kind of man, he’d make a play for Amelia Campbell that would make her head spin. He was a bit afraid that, re
gardless of his not wanting a permanent relationship with anyone, he’d still make a play for her given half a chance. The more he interacted with her, the more he wanted to get to know her. And he knew that was dangerous.

  Again, regardless of what that meant for the future, he had no intention of not writing her again. He tried to justify that in his mind, telling himself that the purpose was only to try to mend the breach he’d created.

  “You’re an idiot, Logan. You’re just setting yourself up to cause more damage, only to yourself this time. Because she might eventually forgive you for hurting her, but she’ll never forget.”

  He wondered if that wasn’t exactly what he wanted subconsciously. To hurt himself as much as he’d hurt her as a way of exacting punishment for his sins. Whatever the reasons, he wasn’t going to examine them too closely. If he did, he might end up talking himself out of corresponding with her, and he was too selfish to end that just yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Logan found himself in a bit of a conundrum as he tried to figure out how to broach the subject of Trace Stidham with his brother. Thankfully, Archer brought it up for him the next day when they met for lunch.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you saw, about Lori and her mystery man? I just keep coming back to Trace. He’s the only one who makes sense. Roger keeps such a tight leash on her, I don’t know how she could have met someone new.”

  “You said he was overseas?” Logan hated playing dumb, but since Amelia didn’t want their relationship broadcast, he didn’t have a lot of choice.

  “Yep.”

  “What does he do when he’s not overseas?”

  Archer finished his bite of sandwich before answering. “Roofing. Family owns a business hereabouts. Why?”

  Logan’s relief was immense. He could bring up the idea he and Amelia had discussed without betraying their secret. “Then why don’t you call the company up, get someone to come out and look at your roof? Ask about the guy casually. You know, since he’s something of a family friend. That will tell you if it’s him or not, maybe.”

  “I think that sounds like a damned good idea. I’ll call as soon as I get back to the garage.”

  “Good. Let me know when you set it up and I’ll be there. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll be the one who comes out.”

  Archer was skeptical. “Stranger things have happened, I guess.”

  “It’s about time we had some good luck with this mess.”

  “True.”

  He called that evening as Logan was cleaning up the kitchen after supper. “Busy tomorrow around noon?”

  Logan wiped his hands on a dishtowel. “No. Why?”

  “Because I have a roofer coming by to look at the house.”

  A surge of adrenaline spiked its way through his body. “That was fast. What time should I be there?”

  “Let’s say eleven to be safe. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  Logan hardly slept that night, vivid dreams and nightmares keeping him awake until almost dawn. As a result, he wasn’t in a great mood when he got to Archer and Emma’s the next day.

  Archer did a double take upon seeing his attire, but Logan cut him off with a fierce scowl.

  “Not a word, baby brother. You may be taller than me now, but I can still put you in a headlock, and I will not hesitate to do so if you annoy me.”

  Archer wasn’t deterred. “Getting into character, are you? The beard stubble’s a nice touch. Makes you look sinister.”

  Logan glanced down at his olive-drab Army T-shirt as he rubbed his cheek. He took his coat off and hung it on the rack in the corner of the hall. “Can’t hurt. Assuming we even have the right guy and they send him out. Where’s Emma?”

  “She, Rachel, and Sydney went shopping. They should be gone for a couple of hours at least. Come on in and I’ll get you some coffee. Have you eaten? Anything besides the rusty nails, I mean?”

  “Shut up. I had some toast. I’m not very hungry, to tell the truth. My gut’s telling me today’s going to be big. I’ll take the coffee, however.”

  Archer turned to study him as he got a mug down. “Rough night?”

  Logan gave a short nod. “Nothing I can’t handle. So tell me what you know about this guy.”

  “Best I remember of him, he was a pretty good kid. He and Jimmy were thick as thieves; you hardly ever saw one without the other.”

  “Well, given what you’ve told me about Jimmy, I can’t say that’s a stellar recommendation.”

  Archer blew out a breath. “True. And if Lori’s cheating on Roger… does it make me a dick to say it looks like it runs in the family?”

  Logan laughed, the sound rusty. “Not any more than it makes me for thinking it.”

  The doorbell rang and they looked at each other. Logan could see that Archer was nervous, but he straightened his shoulders. “Looks like it’s showtime.”

  When Archer swung the door open to reveal the man Logan had seen, a surge of adrenaline hit Logan’s bloodstream. He had to fight to keep a straight face.

  “I’ll be damned. Trace Stidham. What the hell are you doing in town?” Archer sounded genuinely surprised to see him as they shook hands, and if Logan hadn’t known how his brother felt, he would never have suspected. Archer looked at him and Logan gave a subtle nod.

  “Archer, right? I wondered when Dad gave me the name and address to do the quote. You don’t have the most common first name in the world.” He was calm, relaxed, and if there was any stress at seeing Archer, it didn’t show.

  “Let me grab my coat and shoes, and we’ll take a look. Oh, this is my brother Logan.”

  The two men evaluated each other as Archer slipped his shoes on. Logan had no problem maintaining a stern expression. Judging by the lines on the other man’s face, the last few years hadn’t been easy.

  “You’re military?” Logan asked.

  “I was Army, yes.”

  “Where were you stationed?”

  Trace widened his stance. “I was with the Seventy-eighth Signal Battalion.”

  “Ah, so you were at Camp Zama, right?”

  The younger man hesitated. “Yeah. I take it you were in?”

  Logan smiled, and he knew the expression wasn’t exactly friendly. “Thirteen years. I was with tenth group, worked as an A-team weapons sergeant the last time I was out.”

  Trace’s eyebrows went up. “You were in Kuwait, then.”

  “I was. I’m surprised you were never over there.”

  He shrugged. “Nah, I got lucky. We were assigned to Japan the whole time I was in.”

  Lucky. The word ran all over Logan, and if the way the younger man shifted his feet and looked away was any indication, he knew it. He looked relieved when Archer stepped between them.

  “So how long have you been back?” Archer asked.

  “Since September.”

  “I’m kind of surprised we haven’t seen you around, then. Amelia will think you’re mad at her.”

  Trace glanced at the clipboard he held, looking slightly uncomfortable. “You’re still friends with the family, then?”

  Archer laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Friends? Son, I married Emma last month. So yeah, I guess you could say I’m friends.” They walked on around to the side yard. “Have you seen Lori since you got back?”

  “No. So what makes you think you need a new roof? This one looks fine.”

  “It is fine. I didn’t call you out here to get a quote.” The amiable tone faded and Archer’s voice grew about as harsh as Logan had ever heard it. “See, I know you’ve been seeing Lori. And I think we need to have a little talk.”

  The color faded from Trace’s cheeks as his eyes bounced from Archer to Logan and back. When he swallowed, the sound was audible.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and if you don’t need a quote, then I have other things to do.”

  Logan was standing between him and the driveway, and he stepped easily into the other man’s path as he started for his truck. “Us talking wasn’t really a suggestion.”

  Trace’s mouth tightened. “You can’t keep me here against my will. That’s kidnapping.”

  Without hesitation, Logan went toe-to-toe with him. “We have some questions we need answers for. You have the answers. Do you really want to find out what we’re willing to do to get those answers? Please say yes.”

  Time slowed as he waited for Trace to answer. Finally, the younger man dropped his gaze. “I told you, I haven’t seen Lori since I got home.”

  “Bullshit. Unless you have a twin brother running around out here, you’re full of shit.”

  “Let’s take this inside,” Archer suggested. He held his arm out to the side, and after a brief pause, Trace went.

  Once they were in the living room, Trace seated on the couch, Archer in the arm chair, Logan paced back and forth in front of the coffee table with his hands on his hips. Trace didn’t say a word, but the longer Logan paced, the tighter his hands clenched in his lap. Logan relaxed a little. They had him just where they wanted him. He just didn’t know it.

  After two full minutes, he stopped in front of Trace. He didn’t speak, just stood there waiting until Trace raised his resentful gaze. Then he asked, “How long have you been fucking Lori?”

  If looks could kill, Logan would have been incinerated on the spot, but Trace didn’t answer. So Logan repeated the question, this time at a considerably louder volume than before.

  “How long have you been fucking Lori Mullins, Trace?”