by Nancy Naigle
“Feels good?”
“Heaven,” she said.
“Like old times.”
“You haven’t lost your touch. Who’ve you been practicing on?” A flash of Becky popped into her mind.
“Just hush and enjoy.” After a good five minutes he finally stopped and hugged her from behind.
She leaned back into his lap.
“I have to drive up to Pittsburgh tomorrow to meet with the metal roofing manufacturer. I can do it in one day but it’s an easier two-day trip. Want to join me?”
She sat up and then paused. “I think I’ll pass. I’m not sure I can trust you.”
“Oh, you can trust me, but that’s okay. I’ll make the trip in one day then. Now, lie back down.” He tapped the floor.
She stretched out on the floor in front of him. “No fair. You know my weakness for backrubs.”
“I’ll behave, scout’s honor.”
She relaxed and then lifted her head. “Wait a second. You were never a boy scout.”
“Well, I was for two meetings.”
“I don’t think that counts.”
“I did get my courtesy badge.”
“Well, that makes all the difference.”
Under the relaxation of his palms and fingers, she was fast asleep in less than ten minutes.
***
The next morning, Jill opened her eyes to a blur of bright red. She lifted her head, squinting until her eyes focused. A trio of flowers nestled on the pillow beside her on the floor. Gerber daises—two red and one vivid yellow— with a note tucked between them.
She shifted up onto her elbow. The note said that Garrett would be back sometime late the next afternoon or sooner.
She rolled over lazily and stretched. Sometime in the evening he’d covered her with a blanket. She picked up one of the daisies and spun it between her fingers. Clyde came running in from the kitchen, a red daisy pinned to his bandana.
Clyde hovered over her, breathing heavy, his lips flopping out with each pant. He looked huge from this position. She smiled and rubbed his head.
She’d experience the gamut of emotions, the highs and lows, and now back to the comfort of old routines with Garrett. Was there a chance if we tried again, the relationship might work? She felt as if someone had turned back time and she’d been transported to that happy place she’d thought she lost a year ago. The one she once shared with Garrett. But she did have some responsibilities in Savannah she had to tend to. The Kase Foundation, for one.
She twisted a flower under Clyde’s nose.
He sniffed and then sneezed, drenching her.
“Uuuuuugh. You sneeze like a whale. Cover your blow hole.” She lifted herself up off the floor and headed for the shower.
After Jill showered and got dressed, she headed out back to get lost in the mundane task of weeding the garden.
Before long, the temperature soared to an uncomfortable level. She could hear Clyde panting under the shade of a tree clear across the yard.
As soon as she stood up, he was at her side, looking very hopeful that she was going to take him back inside. She patted his head and he plodded along behind her to escape the heat of the afternoon.
She plopped down in the kitchen chair and took a long sip of the sweet tea she’d left there earlier. The ice had melted, but the cool liquid quenched her thirst.
As she stared off at nothing, suddenly everything became clear.
She needed to wrap up her business with the Foundation and end her relationship with Bradley. She didn’t need that job, and she didn’t need him. Her heart wasn’t in that relationship. If it hadn’t been for the big charity event, she’d have left a long time ago. She knew exactly what she needed to do.
Jill rushed down the hall, tossed a couple items in an overnight bag, and swept her purse into her arms without missing a step. She slapped her thigh to get Clyde’s attention. “Come on, buddy. You’re going on a little trip.”
He trotted outside with her but didn’t want any part of getting into her car. Twice he jumped in then turned around and hopped out before she could close the door. Once, she urged him in. But by the time she got around to the driver’s side, Clyde was in her seat behind the wheel, unwilling to move.
“Clyde. This is not a game.” She nudged him but he wouldn’t budge.
Finally, she tricked him by putting a cherry lifesaver in the passenger seat. When he lunged for the candy, she jumped behind the steering wheel and headed to the Adams Grove kennel, only a short drive away. They were happy to take Clyde, even without an appointment. After wiping the drool off the dashboard and passenger window, Jill jumped on I-95 and gunned the engine, heading toward Savannah. She had business to take care of.
***
At just after nine that the evening, Jill pulled her car in the driveway of Bradley’s estate. Funny, she’d never realized before that she thought about this place as Bradley’s estate, not her home. That was telling in itself.
A couple of lights were on, but that didn’t mean anything. The elaborate security system powered things on and off in intervals to make the house look busy even when they were away.
Bradley’s Lexus was in the driveway. An odd twinge of disappointment ran through her. She’d hoped he wouldn’t be home yet and she could ready herself for what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation. But then again, if all her self-talk on the six-hour drive hadn’t readied her, she’d never be ready.
She parked her car behind his, and walked up the path to the house. She tapped the code into the keypad next to the front door and pushed the heavy door with her shoulder.
Jill took a steadying breath and set her purse on the front entry table. She leaned into Bradley’s office on the first floor. He wasn’t there. Somewhat relieved, she took her overnight bag up to the bedroom and tossed it on the floor of the huge closet. She sat on the bench at the end of the bed and flipped her shoes across the room, bending to rub her feet. They had swollen during the long drive. The southern cooking she’d been enjoying since being back in Adams Grove hadn’t helped either.
The thought of food reminded her that she’d been in such a hurry to get back to Savannah before she chickened out, she hadn’t stopped to eat. She went downstairs to grab a quick snack and to see if Bradley was swimming laps as he often did in the evenings.
Halfway down the long entry way that divided the wings of the house, a noise stopped her in her tracks.
She turned her back to the kitchen. The sound came from the entertainment room—Bradley’s man cave with the home theatre and full size billiard table. Bradley was quite the pool shark, too. It wasn’t unusual for him to spend hours practicing.
She walked toward the door, but the sounds weren’t the familiar clack of pool stick to ball. Bracing herself to look assertive and ready to face him with her decision, she pushed open the door.
She froze, unable to take her eyes off him or the horror of the scene in front of her.
Bradley was on top of the pool table with his back to her. In all his glory, he’d mounted the housekeeper from behind. Wearing nothing but his tie, Bradley smacked Annie’s hind parts as if he was jockeying a pony.
Across the room, the groundskeeper videotaped the whole freaky scene while projecting it on the eight-foot-wide screen in front of them all.
Jill’s hand shot to her mouth as she gagged.
She tried to move her feet and back out of the room, but her legs felt like wet noodles.
Jill tripped over her own bare foot, trying to get out of there before they noticed her. The only thing within reach to steady her was a rack of pool sticks that went clattering across the floor when she grabbed for them. She tripped over one and ended up on her hands and knees, scrambling to get back on her feet and out the door.
Bradley, Annie and the groundskeeper stopped in mid-motion. Jill ran from the room, still holding one of the pool sticks in her hand.
A naked Bradley ran after her, calling her name.
She ran as fast
as she could, but he was closing in, and his tie wasn’t the only thing flopping.
Her bare feet slapped against the travertine floor as she fled the horrifying scene. The pool stick clipped a vase on the hall table and sent the crystal shattering across the floor.
“Jill. It’s not what it looks like. Stop. I’m sorry.”
Jill stopped. Dead in her tracks.
“You’re sorry?” She spun around and marched right up to Bradley with a finger nearly slapping his nose. “You’re not going to talk your way out of this one. Don’t you dare apologize.”
“I’m sorry, babe. It was a mistake.” He reached toward her.
She swung the pool stick. A blue chalky smear marred the bare skin of his shoulder.
He slapped the stick from her hand.
She smacked his arm as hard as she could, then shook off the sting.
“Oh, yeah. It was a mistake alright,” she screamed. “A mistake I ever moved here with you. You are sick, sick, sick.” She clenched her fist in the air. “Stop saying you’re sorry. We both know you don’t mean it.”
“Don’t talk to me that way.” He jerked her arm as he spit the words in fury. “If you had been here this wouldn’t have happened.”
She tugged her arm from his grasp. “Don’t you blame me for that sick scenario.” Her words spewed. She trembled with anger. “It would’ve happened. It did happen. You’re not sorry for what you were doing. You’re just sorry you got caught. No wonder you would never fire her. Everything makes perfect sense now.”
She spun and ran for the door, snagging her purse from the front table as she headed to her car.
Bradley was only a couple of strides behind her. “You can walk your sweet ass wherever it is you think you’re going. That car is in my name. I won’t let you drive it off this property.”
“What are you going to do to stop me?”
“I’ll call the cops and report the vehicle stolen. They’ll throw your butt in jail.”
“Great. Fine. You know what? I don’t need anything from you.” She swatted at a mosquito buzzing around her head.
“I hope the mosquitoes are having a field day on your pecker.” Jill jogged toward the gate. “If they can even find it.”
Jill didn’t look back until she cleared the entry to the driveway. When she did glance back, Bradley still stood there, bare-ass naked except for that tacky tie, staring at her.
What now? She knew lots of folks in Savannah, but the only real friend she’d made was Melanie. They’d met while walking last year, and she’d been thankful for the friendship. They’d made this two mile walk dozens of times. Of course, she was usually in a pair of sneakers. She had no idea how late it was, or if that scene had swallowed an hour or a minute, but she had limited choices at this point. As embarrassing as it was, Melanie was her best choice.
Jill tried to absorb everything that had happened as she walked the well known route.
Her bare feet had started to ache by the time she stood in front of Melanie’s house. A single light burned in the den. Jill drew in a deep breath and rapped hard on the door, three times.
The curtain moved, and then Melanie opened the door. The long-legged brunette was in her pajamas, but still looked picture perfect enough to step out on the town.
“Did I wake you? I’m sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Jill. I thought you were in Virginia burying your grandmother. What are you doing here? Is everything alright, sweetie?” Her deep southern drawl stretched each word.
Jill opened her mouth to repeat the story as she’d planned on the walk over. Instead, tears sprang out of nowhere and she could barely choke out a syllable.
“What’s wrong?” Melanie swung the door wide and hurried Jill inside. “Honey, get in here. What happened? That bastard didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Jill shook her head.
“What has you so shaken up?” Melanie grabbed her friend up by the shoulders and guided her into the kitchen. “Where are your shoes dahlin’?” Melanie asked as she started a pot of coffee.
When Jill regained her composure, she told Melanie the sick story, play by play. “He wouldn’t let me take my car. He said it’s in his name, and, you know, I don’t doubt that it is. I never even bothered to check. I’ve been such a fool.”
“Don’t be silly. We see what we want to see. And it looks like you might be seeing Mr. Bradley Kase clearly for the first time.”
“What else could go wrong?”
“Now, sweetie, it’ll all work out. Always does. I probably shouldn’t say it, but maybe this is all for the best. I mean, with the rumors floatin’ around about him and all.”
“What rumors? About Bradley and Annie? Am I the only one who didn’t know?”
“Oh, goodness no. About his business dealin’s. I guess a few of those investments he made aren’t panning out for folks all that well.”
Thank God. If everyone in Savannah knew he was cheating on her she’d die of embarrassment. “No, the Kase Foundation is doing such great work. I’m sure he’ll get those investments turned around. He’d never risk the Foundation’s reputation.”
She patted Jill’s hand. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“I need to get back to Adams Grove. I know this is a huge favor to ask, but could I borrow one of the cars.”
“Of course, anything. The problem is that Vernon is out of town in his, and I need mine to take the girls to their cheerleading competition this weekend. The only vehicle I have to loan you is Lindy’s car. She’s back at Tech for the semester.”
“I’ll take it.”
“I’m sure it’s a mess. I swear that child uses that car as a second dresser most of the time.”
“I don’t care as long as it will get me back to Virginia.”
“Oh, it’ll get you there. Vernon wouldn’t let Lindy drive it if it weren’t in safe running condition. Why don’t you stay here tonight and get some rest first? You can head out in the morning. How long a drive is it?”
“About six hours.”
“That’s a long way. Stay the night,” Melanie tried to reason with her.
“I’m wide awake. I’d never get a wink of sleep even if I tried. Besides, I just want to get out of here.”
“Well, let me at least get you some shoes and pack the rest of this coffee for you.” Melanie got a thermos out of the pantry and added hot coffee, cream and sugar.
Jill hugged the thermos to her chest and followed her to the garage.
Melanie took a set of keys from the key rack next to the door and tossed them to Jill.
“A troll doll keychain,” Jill said. “How appropriate.”
“Lindy’s got a style all her own,” Melanie said.
“I like that license plate.” Jill smiled as she read the plate IW84NO1. “Maybe that should be my new motto.”
“Works for Lindy.” Melanie shared the story about how her daughter had gotten the car with her own money despite her parents telling her to wait until she finished school. “She’s an independent one, that girl.” Melanie raced back inside. “Oh, I almost forgot. You can’t leave barefooted.” She came back with a pair of leather flats and a newspaper tucked under her arm.
“How am I ever going to thank you?” asked Jill.
“Don’t be silly, it’s what friends do.” Melanie dropped the shoes in front of Jill. “I will get you to meet up with Lindy when you’re done with the car though. She’s closer to you there in Adams Grove than she is here.”
“That I can do.” Jill stepped into the shoes and got in the car.
Melanie handed her the newspaper. “I saved a copy of the story about the Foundation party for you.”
“Thanks. I haven’t seen it.”
“Are you sure I can’t talk you into resting up and leaving in the morning?” Melanie pushed the button to lift the garage door.
“Nope.” Jill started up the old Mustang and slowly pulled out of the drive.
During her drive, she had a hard
time keeping her mind off the billiard room scene. The evening replayed itself over and over until she turned into the driveway at Pearl’s house.
She sat in the car wondering how everything had become so complicated in such a short time. Here she was with no clothes, no car, no home and no Pearl. No Bradley, either, and that meant no job. How could she have lived with him all that time and not have any idea what kind of man he really was? He’d told her that she was the only one for him. He’d said exactly what she’d wanted to hear and she believed him.
She was thankful to be there and hoped it would be the last time she’d have to make the drive from Savannah to Adams Grove. Home. She was finally home.
Jill lifted the door mat and used the key to get in the door. Under the mat wasn’t a much better place to hide the key than the flower box, but she’d been in a hurry and she wasn’t one to break promises. Under the mat had been the best she could do at the time.
Too tired to bother with getting undressed or turning on a light, she pushed the door closed behind her and climbed onto the sofa. In the quiet darkness of the empty room, she said, “Pearl, I need you.” She never would have told Pearl all the details of the despicable scene between Bradley and the hired help, but she sure could use Pearl’s strength.
She let out a long sigh and drifted off, exhausted and defeated.
Chapter Thirteen
Pounding echoed through the room. Jill sat up, startled. Am I dreaming? Her hands reached for anything familiar in the darkness.
“Sheriff’s department. Open up!” The deep voice boomed through the night, then the front door slammed against the wall.
Jill squealed and cowered back into the couch.
A light flooded over her face, blinding her.
She shielded her eyes. “Clyde,” she yelled. But Clyde was still at the kennel. “No.”
“On your feet.”
“Wait. Who are you? What do you want?” she cried.
“Hands where I can see them,” the voice ordered.
She couldn’t see a thing past the bright light.
“What?” Jill reached for the lamp on the end table.