by R A Wallace
Megan closed the door behind them and went to the kitchen to make a tray. By the time she had it out on the porch, the others had joined her.
Naomi sank into the thickly cushioned rattan chair and toed her sandals off. “I have been looking forward to this for weeks.”
Megan looked around the group. There were some minor changes since she had last seen them. Lee had a little more gray in his short dark hair. His gold framed glasses looked new. His wife Molly, also fifty-something, wore her blonde hair a little shorter. Lee’s younger sister, Naomi, was dressed in a colorful sundress. The laugh lines fanning out from her eyes were a little more pronounced. She and her husband Clark were both in their forties and were both school teachers. They enjoyed their summers off and often spent the time traveling.
Clark took a cookie from the tray. “Where did you get the horses?”
Megan explained that the owner had died. “They’re only with me temporarily. Our local vet has already found homes for the others.”
Clark chuckled. “That’s what you said about the miniature donkeys.”
Megan knew she couldn’t argue that point. She eyed the horses. “I have to be honest. I wouldn’t mind.” She turned her focus back to her guests. “What do you have planned this year?”
Lee motioned to her sister. “Our family is having a gathering.”
Naomi picked up the story. “We used to do it as kids. You know, that whole family reunion thing. Our relatives would come from all over the states.”
“I guess you have to reach a certain age before you take the reins for that thing,” Lee said. “We stopped doing it for decades when our grandparents and their generation got too old to pull it all together.”
“It looks like it’s our turn now,” Molly said with a wry grin at Clark.
Clark took another cookie and held the tray out for Lee. “I don’t mind. It’s only once a year.”
Naomi shot Lee a conspiratorial grin. “They haven’t met the entire family yet. Even Lee and I haven’t seen some of them for decades.”
Clark waved his cookie. “Every family has one or more black sheep tucked out of sight.”
Megan’s mind drifted to Gabe. She wondered if Dan and his parents had made any headway with him.
“As I promised on the phone, we’ll be gone a lot,” Molly said. “We don’t want to be too much of a drain on you.”
Lee nodded. “We have a lot of different events planned while the family is all here. We want them to enjoy the area as much as we do.”
“I signed up for some fishing out at the lakes,” Clark said. “There are some shopping expeditions planned. I don’t even remember what all else.”
“Everyone should be able to find something to sign up for and enjoy with others in the family,” Naomi said. “It’s going to be great.”
***
LeAnn stood just inside the entrance of the Station Pub & Grill and looked around.
“We meet again,” a voice said beside her.
LeAnn ran names through her head until she came up with the one she needed. “Beau, isn’t it?”
“Guilty. LeAnn, right?”
She nodded then glanced around the room again.
“Looking for someone?” Beau asked.
“No. I ordered takeout. I’m here to pick it up. I was just wondering if I knew anyone else here.”
“Do you?” Beau followed her gaze.
One corner of her mouth kicked up. “Yeah, but only about half of them.”
Beau laughed as he turned back to her. “That’s one of the things I liked about Teaberry. It’s why I came back after Jim and Jennifer’s wedding.”
“You moved here?” LeAnn glanced into the bar and saw Jim in the distance talking to a group sitting at a booth in there.
“I’m thinking about it. I haven’t really made up my mind yet. I was playing ball until I was injured.”
LeAnn’s brows pulled together as she looked at him. “Playing ball?”
Beau nodded. “Minor league baseball. Just my luck, I was injured right after I signed. They cut me immediately.”
LeAnn saw a waitress coming toward her carrying bags of food. “I’m sorry to hear that. What are you going to do now?”
“Something will come up.” Beau nodded to LeAnn as she took the bags. “Have a good night.”
Chapter Eleven
“This was a really good idea, thanks.” Megan rested one foot in Dan’s hands and closed her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m glad Molly thought of it.” He looked at her face and saw her grin.
“She is a nurse practitioner. She knows all about taking care of people.” She cracked open one eye. “But I do feel guilty. Molly was under the impression that I got breakfast ready for everyone on my own. You helped and you still have to go in to work now.”
“I told everyone I would be in a little late this morning to help with our guests. We still have a few more minutes before I have to leave.” He pressed his thumbs into the arch of her foot. “Did they say when they might be back tonight?”
“They promised it wouldn’t be too late.” Megan scooted down into the couch a little more to make it easier for him to reach her other foot. “They’re going to call when they’re close to us.”
“What did you have planned for them when they get back tonight?” He cupped her heel with one hand and gently rotated her foot at the ankle with the other to stretch it then began to stroke the top and bottom of her foot.
She shook her head. “They said they don’t want us to worry about it. There’s some wine in the fridge. They figure they’re going to be tired by the time they get here. They will probably have a glass of wine together to unwind down here and then go up to bed. They’re supposed to have an early start tomorrow.”
“What about breakfast tomorrow?” He started rubbing her toes.
“They’re meeting some of the family out for breakfast.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Why do you ask?”
He focused on her foot and didn’t answer.
She closed her eyes again. “Is this about Gabe?”
“I just… I guess I just can’t believe it.” He reached for her other foot.
“You said yourself he hasn’t been keeping up with the garage,” she murmured.
“I know.” He shook his head even though she couldn’t see him. “I just don’t believe Gabe killed anyone.”
“I can’t imagine how your parents must feel right now.” She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. “They must be so worried about him.”
His hands stilled. “Yeah.” He looked back at her face. She was watching him. “Do you think you might be able to look into it?”
She held out her hands so he could pull her up into a sitting position. “I definitely will if you think it might help but I’m sure Erica and Jerry are already doing that.”
“That’s what worries me. They’ve already found his bat.” Dan stood and reached for her hands again. “What else are they going to find?”
She looked up at him after she stood. “What if you don’t like what I find out about Gabe?”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Then we’ll deal with it. Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous. I love my brother no matter what he’s gotten himself into but he’d be the first one to take a swing at me if I asked you to do anything that could cause you harm.”
She smiled into his chest. “I promise.”
***
Dan leaned against the counter at the front of the feed store where the cash registers were. “How did it go this morning?”
Brianna looked up from the black three ring binder they kept at the register. It had all of the details for many of the items they had to look up prices for. Things like fence posts, all the different sizes of nuts and bolts, plumbing fixtures, and the million other items they sold. She was trying to study the book to make checking out customers go smoother.
“What? Weren’t you here? Huh. No one noticed.” She looked back down at the binder.
He could see the grin on her face. He was pretty sure it was the first time he’d seen her attempt humor. “Good. That means I should come in late every day.”
She laughed. “No, seriously. For once, we had an easy morning.”
“Maybe that just means you’re feeling more comfortable working here now. You know more of the answers without having to ask.”
She raised one brow. “You could be right. Having Ethan around helps too. He always seems to know the answer. For whatever reason, I don’t seem to mind asking him questions.”
“I can understand that.” Dan turned when someone entered the store. The twenty something male was wearing a volunteer firefighter tee shirt. “Hey, Zach. What brings you in?”
“Hey, Dan.” Zach nodded to Brianna. “I think the regulator on the gas grill is bad.” Zach looked around trying to guess which aisle.
“Over there.” Dan pointed and began following Zach across the store. He joined Zach in the aisle. “We have quite a few to choose from.”
“Hey, I saw your brother not that long ago.” Zach took one of the regulators from the peg and flipped it over to read the back.
“Yeah?”
“A couple of us stopped for beers at the bar outside of town.” Zach hung the regulator back up and picked another one to read. “Gabe was there talking about that new web site for gambling.”
“Gambling?”
Zach nodded. “This looks like the one. Thanks.”
***
He watched his prey from behind the large bush like a ferocious jungle cat. She was so unaware that doom was close at hand. She approached the watering hole slowly just as she had so many times before. He waited for his best chance. He waited for that one moment in time when everything would fall into place as he had planned. Finally, just as his prey was about to step into the right position, he leapt from his hiding place and ran toward her roaring like the king of the jungle.
Mia screamed even louder than the last time. “Daddy! He’s doing it again.”
“Noah, buddy. Quit attacking your sister.” Justin checked Grace to make sure she wasn’t getting too much sun.
“But Dad! She was at the watering hole.” Noah pointed at his sister.
“It’s a swimming pool.” Mia crossed her arms over her purple bathing suit. “Daddy, tell Noah it’s a swimming pool.”
Justin looked at the small swimming pool. It was the cheapest twelve foot inflatable pool they could find at the local box store.
“Mia’s right. It is a swimming pool.” Justin watched Mia smile triumphantly at her brother. “By day. At night, it’s a magic watering hole for all of the jungle animals that live in our back yard.”
Noah’s scowl turned to a delighted smile. “I’m going to hide in the jungle again and look for prey.”
“Uh, I’m not sure your mom would be happy if she saw you trampling her flowering bushes.” Justin looked at the pool. “How about you two racing for Daddy?”
“But Daddy, I want to stay in the pool.” Mia crossed her arms again.
“That’s right. You two are going to race in the pool. I want you to stay there, Mia. Noah, you’re going to stand in the pool on the other side. When I say go, you’re both going to run around the inside of the pool as fast as you can.” Justin helped Noah step into the pool then rocked back and forth to keep Grace happy. She was strapped to the front of him. “You need to stay as close to the edge as possible and work your way around.”
“Okay, ready!” Noah shouted. He immediately began moving forward.
Mia screamed and began splashing through the water trying to keep in front of him.
Justin hoped the extra exertion it took to move through the water would burn up some of their energy. He continued cheering them on until both children decided they wanted to do something else. He was out of ideas.
“Are there any good jam testers out here?” Megan joined Justin and laughed as Mia and Noah argued who the best jam tester was.
“Grab your towels and go inside,” Justin told them. “Dry off and you can sit in the kitchen to sample the jam.”
“Thanks.” He smiled at Megan. “You’re a life saver.”
“How does this one sleep through all of that?” Megan lightly stroked Grace’s cheek before they followed the older children into the house.
“When they’re really tired, they seem to sleep through anything.” Justin followed Megan into Lauren’s work kitchen. “In her case, it can be little catnaps and then she’s totally recharged and ready to go again.”
“Need help?” Megan turned to unsnap Grace from the front of him.
“No, I’m good.” Justin expertly disconnected the front-facing carrier with one hand while holding Grace with the other. He set the carrier down on the table and turned Grace around to look at her. “There’s my princess. You’re awake now.”
“You need to stop calling her that.” Lauren shook her head at Megan from the other side of her work island. “Do you need him to carry anything in?”
“Yes. I brought some frozen strawberries and some fresh-picked cherries. They’re just starting to ripen.” Megan sat at a chair near the table. “Do you want me to hold her?”
Justin bent and set her on the floor then reached for his phone and typed something in. “I think she’s good. Let me have your keys.”
Megan passed them over. “Everything is in the back.”
“Isn’t it a little early for cherries? I thought they were usually around the fourth of July?” Lauren rolled out another pie shell.
“Usually, but it got warm early this year and stayed that way.” Megan watched as Grace began scooting around the floor toward her. Once Grace was close enough, she reached out and grabbed Megan’s leg as though wanting to pull herself up.
“Are you going to do it?” Megan stretched her hand out to Grace but the child laughed and scooted away. “She’s not pulling herself up yet?”
“She’s thinking about it.” Lauren looked over at her cousin.
Megan could hear Justin talking to Mia and Noah in the other kitchen in between his trips to her car. The kids were fighting over who liked the jam more.
“Are you okay?” Lauren lifted the shell and placed it on the top of a pie before trimming the edges.
“Yeah, just a little worried.” She explained the situation with Gabe.
Lauren paused from her work. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to look into this?”
“I can’t just sit by and not try to help. Right?”
Lauren lifted her rolling pin. “I guess. But I totally agree with Dan. You need to stay safe.”
Megan agreed. “How are Bev and Vince?”
Lauren smiled. “My mother-in-law has decided it’s time to merge their lives into one house. She’s putting hers up for sale.”
“Really?”
Lauren nodded. “Stan Jiblonski is handling the sale, of course. He said there shouldn’t be any problem with selling the house. She’s really excited about everything.”
“I’ll bet.” Megan looked up as Justin came back into the room.
“All done.” He handed her the keys.
Megan pushed herself up from her chair. “Thanks. I need to get going. Wish me luck.”
Chapter Twelve
The young girl answered the door with a smile. “Hey, Megan. Dena’s just finishing the downstairs.”
Megan followed Julia into the large house. She stopped in the foyer and looked around. Julia’s shoes clicked across the inlaid stone floor then stopped also.
Julia saw Megan’s look of interest. “Oh, I forgot. It’s your first time here.” She motioned around them. “As you can see, the current theme features black lacquer and marble. My mother has it changed periodically.”
“Is your mom here?” Megan’s eyes were drawn to the massive chandelier above them.
“In the states? No. She’s visiting friends in Italy.” Julia turned and began walking again.
“Are you sure it’s okay for
me to bother Dena when she’s working?” Megan followed Julia through the first floor of the house wishing she had more time to stand around and gawk.
“No one else is going to know. As long as we don’t mess up her schedule to get to the next job, it will be okay.” Julia stopped when they got to the kitchen.
“Be right back.” Dena pushed a cart with cleaning supplies from the room. She returned a few minutes later. “You’re just in time.”
“I made some lemonade,” Julia said as she moved to the fridge. “And Dena said you might need a snack.”
Megan smiled her thanks at Dena then repeated her question. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to bother you at work?”
Dena pulled a chair out from a large kitchen table and motioned for Megan to do the same. “Julia helped me clean the first floor so I’d have some extra time to talk to you.”
Julia carried a tray that included fruit, cheese, crackers, and a pitcher of lemonade. She set it on the table. “Dena is pretty much the only person I ever get to spend time with here.”
“That sounds lonely.” Megan lowered herself into the chair.
Julia laughed as she took three glasses from a cupboard. “I’m pretty used to it now but I think I talk Dena’s head off once a week.”
“She usually twists my arm into taking a break with her. We have some nice girl time over some tasty treat and talk about everything under the sun.” Dena took a glass of lemonade from Julia with a smile.
“Here you go.” Julia handed Megan a glass. “Is it okay if I stay when you talk?”
“Of course. You never know when someone may have a piece of the puzzle.” Megan turned her focus to Dena. “I’m sure you’ve guessed this is about Gabe?”
Dena cradled the glass of lemonade on the table in front of her. “Yeah. I was glad you called and asked to talk to me actually. I just had no idea what to do about him.”
“This is the guy that owns Gabe’s Garage?” Julia pushed the tray closer to Megan and Dena and set some plates down for them.
Megan reached for a cracker. “Yes. Gabe is Dan’s brother. He moved back to Teaberry not that long ago.”