Secrets and Lies (Hearts Of Braden Book 4)

by Susanne Matthews

  “I need to take my car as well,” Emily said, knowing she was scheduled to meet with Doctor Hazlet at two. He would be the only one in town aware of the full extent of her disability, something else she needed to keep in mind when it came to thoughts of Jackson.

  “Are we done here then?” Jackson asked.

  “I think so,” Emily replied. “We can talk more over lunch.”

  “Yes, we could do that,” Mabel muttered unwilling to meet her eyes.

  Emily then wondered what else the woman had planned because if anyone ever looked guilty, it was Mabel.”

  Jackson followed them out of his office. “Why don’t you two go ahead, and I’ll catch up.”

  “No need for you to come down, Jackson,” Mabel said. “I’ll show her around and then we meet you at the hotel.”

  “I’ll wait for you and we can all go together.”

  At any other time, Emily would’ve burst out laughing at the look on his face.

  He resembled a condemned man on his way to his own execution. Obviously, he thought Mabel had something else planned, too.

  Chapter Nine

  Mabel was out of the reception area with Emily before Jackson could say anything. He turned toward Mary. “Well, that went better than I thought it would, but Mabel’s up to something. I can feel it here.” He indicated his gut. “That woman has never backed down from a fight for as long as I’ve known her.” He glowered at the empty doorway through which the women had disappeared.

  Mary chuckled. “I’d tell you to watch your back, but you already know that.”

  “Why don’t you leave early? There isn’t much you can do with the system down still, and I won’t be back today. I’ve got some boys coming out to the homestead this afternoon to finish the whitewashing and do a few fence repairs. I know you’re off the next two days, so get an early jump on your mini vacation. You’ll be putting in more than enough overtime once we start on Monday. Thank God, we have a week before the children come in. Emily mentioned the DEA suspects some hot shot meth cook might be moving into the area, so I’ll want the usual stuff about the drug to hand out—you know the signs and symptoms. You should be able to get all that from the state drug awareness site. While I don’t expect them to, some of the teachers may be in over the weekend, just leave a note about the system being down and they can take it from there. Micah mentioned coming in to sort through all those boxes of supplies. I’d better get going. I don’t trust Mabel, and that kitchen’s full of knives.”

  Mary laughed. “Ms. Jacobson isn’t what I expected. Between her and Ms. Thomas, you’re going to have more testosterone floating around here than you can shake a stick at. She seems very nice, much younger than I expected. I can see why she needed the preferred parking and the main floor office. She isn’t using the cane, but I noticed the limp.”

  “It’s an artificial hip. I guess the muscles get weak if she overdoes. Kevin made an ass of himself about her handicap parking permit last week. I helped her out and then saw her again at dinner on Wednesday with Cal and Julie. Her father is an old family friend, so they’ll watch out for her. On Monday night, she was at Buddy’s, and some idiot stole the battery out of her car, so I drove her home. I’ve warned Mabel that if anyone harasses Emily again, and I find out she knows anything about it, I’ll fire her, regardless of the fact that she’s a friend. I’ve got to go. See you bright and early on Monday.”

  “I’ll make one more call about the workbooks, before I leave. Oh, are you still going to hold that meet and greet barbecue next weekend?”

  Jackson frowned. Each school year since he’d become principal at BCR, he held a get together barbecue early in the year for the teachers and staff. It was one of the things Uncle Jack had always organized and enjoyed. This year, since he was alone, he wasn’t sure about doing it again, although it would give him an opportunity to show Emily around what was left of the Double J. “I’ve made arrangements for the WA to cater lunch this week, but I’ll let you know. I don’t have a lot of extra time and with Jack gone…”

  “We could make it a pot luck. It isn’t about the food as much as the company. You have four new people on staff this year. I’d offer to do it at my place, but the last thing you want is a bunch of nosy giggling preteens hanging around, and if Nancy is there, then you can count on Claire and Madison, and the rest of that bunch.”

  Jackson held up his hands in surrender. “I get it. I’ll think about it. Now, I’d better get in there before Mabel forgets she agreed to give Emily a chance.”

  He hurried down the hall and caught up with the women entering the cafeteria. From the look on Mabel’s face, she hadn’t gone in to see the new equipment, and although she’d bemoan the loss of her deep fryer from now until doomsday, the gleaming metal appliances were any cook’s dream. He’d purchased identical ones for his home.

  “Oh, my,” she said staring at the stoves, refrigerators, and serving tables that would keep food hot or cold as needed. “I wondered how you planned to have a salad bar, but now I see.”

  Emily smiled.

  Jackson could swear there was a touch of smugness there.

  “You have to have the right tools for the job.” Emily turned to him. “I checked out the office. It’s perfect, thank you, and thank Isaac. Mabel said he cleaned and painted it for me.”

  He nodded. “If you ladies are satisfied, how about we do lunch?”

  After a few more minutes of examining all the new equipment, the three left the school. Jackson walked over to his truck and got in, starting the engine and allowing Emily and Mabel to go ahead of him. The Worthington Arms was just a few blocks away, so the drive would be a short one. He would’ve suggested walking, but Mabel didn’t walk any farther than she had to, and while Emily had said she could manage short distances, dressed as she was, she probably wouldn’t want to.

  Mary’s suggestion to make the annual get together a potluck had merit. He could provide the steaks, and they could bring the extras. He wasn’t quite sure how he would deal with a plus one, if Emily brought Mike since spouses had always been included in the past, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

  Jackson parked his truck across from the spot Emily had chosen, and Mabel pulled in beside him. Unlike Monday night, the August day was sunny and warm, and he was glad he’d called ahead and requested an outside table on the balcony overlooking the courtyard.

  Shannon Worthington, the hotel owner’s wife, loved gardening and had turned the space into a beautiful, relaxing taste of Paradise. If there were time after the meal, he would invite Emily to have a drink downstairs where they could discuss this drug initiative. Maybe it would give him a toehold into getting to know her, not just as a temporary member of his staff, or someone in need of rescuing, but as a woman who interested him for the first time since the fiasco with Naomi.

  Somehow, he had to find a way to get to know her personally. Maybe once he did, this magnetic pull she had on him would vanish. She might look like a damsel in distress with her waiflike appearance, but he had a notion, she was as tough as steel, not to mention sly as a fox. If people left her alone, she would be able to look after herself just fine.

  She’d played Mabel beautifully, the consummate negotiator, knowing just what to offer and how to do it to appease her enemy. He hoped to hell she was being honest and upfront about things, not lying through her teeth or misrepresenting them the way Naomi had. That woman could be all sugar and spice then strike with the venom of a cobra. Uncle Jack had been right. Escaping her vindictive grasp had been the best thing that could’ve happen to him.

  He was convinced Emily was hiding something from him—there’d been a furtiveness about her when he’d asked her about that drug dealer. While he didn’t think it was anything destructive, he had to remember he didn’t have the best track record when it came to women. Maybe when his small head started to do the thinking, the big one lost all perspective. Could there be a hidden agenda to the Healthy Living Initiative? Were the citizens
of Braden unwittingly inviting a serpent into the midst, one that would ultimately require a high price for the services they’d come to rely on?

  The drug issue bothered him, and yet it might be exactly what he needed to spend time with Emily. It made sense that the principal would be personally involved in preventing drug abuse in his school, and if their working relationship grew into something else, then he would see where that might lead. He was lonely and sensed she was too, and if he could beat Mike Reynolds to the punch, so much the better. If there was anyone in town who might be associated with a drug dealer, it was him. Nosy people were always suspect.

  Her husband had died two years ago. That was a long time to sit alone and grieve, no matter how much you loved someone. He’d done his share of agonizing over Naomi’s betrayal, and it had been painful to realize what an absolute fool he’d been. Mourning Jack was different. He’d never stop missing his uncle, but he was definitely done with licking his wounds over a woman. Time to get back into the boat and start fishing. If there wasn’t an opportunity for a private tête à tête today, then he’d suggest it one day after work next week.

  “I need to use the ladies room,” Mabel said, surprising him as she rushed ahead into the building before Emily even had time to get out of her car. He frowned watching the woman waddle away from him at a speed he’d never imagined her capable of. Something was up.

  “I hope she’s feeling all right,” Emily commented stepping out of her sedan.

  “I’m sure she’s fine,” he answered moving to her side. He smiled, but inside he was seething. Mabel obviously had something planned over lunch, and he had a feeling he was going to regret having invited her here. If Emily was bushwhacked by those who’d signed the petition, she would never believe he had nothing to do with it, and if that happened, any chance of getting to know her personally would be slim to none.

  “Shall we?” he indicated the steps and offered her his arm. He thought she was going to refuse, and was getting ready to move away when she put her cane down on the passenger seat and locked her car door. It was all he could do not to puff out his chest with pride, like a Bantam rooster might after attracting the loveliest hen.

  “Lead on.” She tucked her arm in his.

  Then, he felt that same frisson of awareness like he did earlier.

  “I’m counting on you not to let me stumble,” she said and chuckled. “I wouldn’t want Deputy Dunderhead hearing about it and coming to the wrong conclusion.”

  “I’ve got you,” he said and covered her arm with his hand. “You’ll always be safe with me.”

  She cocked her head and smiled shyly.

  Suddenly, he hoped she wasn’t remembering her late husband.

  “Thank you. Everyone needs support from someone now and then. I hope you don’t mind using the elevator,” she continued as they neared the veranda. “My hip is sore today. Too much standing and bending, not to mention driving around the country, trying to get my ducks in a row before meeting Mabel. Thanks for the head’s up the other night by the way. It gave me the opportunity to do some reconnaissance.”

  “Well, judging by the way you had her eating out of your hand in my office, I’d say it paid off, so I’m glad I could help, but my gut tells me she’s up to something.”

  Emily chuckled. “Really? You mean she doesn’t usually dart off like that at the speed of light?”

  They climbed the three steps to the veranda.

  “Not normally. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her move that quickly.”

  “Well, let’s hope whatever she has planned isn’t as bad as it could be.” She motioned to the planters. “I noticed those the other night. I’ve never seen such beautiful blooms this late in the season. By now, most of my mother’s flowers have gone to seed, and if I had any, they’d long since have died. I swear I can kill an artificial plant.”

  “I’m sure you’re exaggerating.” He laughed. “Plastic or silk flowers are pretty hard to kill.”

  “Maybe, but as far as the live ones go, I tend to forget to water them, and when I remember, I drown them trying to make amends.” She laughed. “A few years ago, my parents were in Florida, and Mom brought me back an air fern, which I somehow managed to kill, too.”

  “Don’t feel badly over that one,” he said and chuckled. “Since air ferns are really the skeletal remains of dead, tiny marine animals similar to corals or jellyfish, they’re already dead. Yours must have been old and dried up already.”

  “Eww! Thanks for the information. I won’t be getting any more of those either. Who needs dead sea creatures to brighten their day?”

  He opened the door, and breathed a sigh of relief when there wasn’t an angry mob on the other side of it. Still certain Mabel had something up her sleeve, he led Emily around to the elevator and up to the restaurant.

  “Hello, Mr. Harris, Ms. Jacobson. Mabel and Ezekiel are already waiting for you,” Lexi said, coming around the counter to lead them through the dining room out onto the terrace.

  Damn that woman! This is even worse than I expected from her.

  “I didn’t know someone else was joining us,” Emily stated. “But that name is familiar. Who is he?”

  He shook his head. “I’m really sorry about this. I should’ve known she wouldn’t give up without a fight, but I didn’t expect her to fight dirty. Ezekiel Jones is a part-time reporter for the Braden Bugle. He’s an old friend of Mabel’s.”

  “That’s right. Cal gave me his name yesterday when I called to report the vandalism. So, she tried to set me up with the press to continue her campaign to get rid of me. Good strategy,” Emily said, but the laughter in her voice showed she wasn’t angry. “Don’t worry about it. This actually saves me some time since I was going to contact the publisher about putting in an article about the Healthy Living Initiative in the paper. I have funding to provide vegetables and fruits to interested families for fifteen dollars a month. The idea is to get the parents involved in eating healthier, too. They’ll get a selection of locally grown vegetables and fruit in season as well as bananas, and citrus each month. And of course, I thought I might hold a seminar on the dangers of drug use including prescription drugs as well as cocaine and meth.”

  “Well, if you want someone who’ll ferret out a drug dealer in town, Zeke’s your man. I swear that guy turns over every rock he can find looking for a scoop. We had a few tipped over outhouses last Halloween, and he nailed the culprits. The kids aren’t really mean-spirited, and most of those outhouses weren’t in use anymore, but it was the principle of the matter.”

  “Good to know. I’ll stay out of outhouses on Halloween just in case.” She winked.

  He burst out laughing. How long had it been since a woman had made him laugh that way?

  Lexi led the way through the open doors to the balcony area set up with tables shaded by colorful umbrellas, not the kind one usually saw with beer labels on them. These were multicolored parasols that brought to mind the French Riviera. Flower boxes full of cascading blossoms and vines lined the iron rail. Small cedars and other trees decorated the corners, giving the impression the diners were sitting in a forest glen.

  “It’s beautiful!” Emily exclaimed, as she glanced below the balcony where an artificial waterfall cascaded into a small pool. “I’m so glad you chose to have us sit out here. The restaurant is delightful, but this is magical.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Shannon Worthington put a lot of work into the yard this year, and I think the results prove it was worth it. At night, there are hundreds of twinkling fairy lights in the place, too. They remind me of my youth. I feel a bit like Peter Pan sitting in Neverland.”

  And you’re the Wendy I’ve been waiting for.

  He stopped beside the table where Mable and her coconspirator were seated. “Ezekiel,” Jackson said as the middle-aged reporter stood. “I didn’t know you were joining us for lunch.”

  “I didn’t either,” the man said. “Ouch, why’d you kick me, Mabel?”

 
; “Did I?” she asked innocently. “Please excuse me.”

  Jackson smothered a grin.

  Emily was trying hard not to laugh. She reached out her hand. “Mr. Jones. So pleased to meet you. I was going to call you about having an article in the paper about the Healthy Living Initiative, inviting the community to participate.”

  The stunned look on Mabel’s face was priceless, and Jackson choked down his laughter. Game, set and match. Emily had won the first round.

  Lexi, who still stood by the table smiled. “I’m doing double duty while Peter has a quick break. Can I get you something to drink to start?”

  “I’ll have a pint of the local beer,” Jackson answered. “What would you like?”

  “I’ll have a white wine spritzer, please,” Emily replied. “I had one the other night.”

  Mabel looked up at him. “I don’t usually imbibe during the day like this, but since it’s a special occasion, I’ll have a glass of red wine.”

  “Merlot okay?” Lexi asked.

  “My yes, that’s my favorite.”

  “What about you, Zeke? The usual?”

  “That’d be fine, Lexi. And put it in a tall glass with lots of ice.”

  The hostess nodded and hurried away to fill the order.

  “Tell me, Ms. Jacobson,” Zeke asked. “What made you come to Braden?”

  Emily laughed.

  Although Jackson sensed that wariness in her tone once more.

  “My job. I go where my boss sends me, Mr. Jones,” she answered. “I don’t have a lot of say in which assignments I get.”

  “Call me Ezekiel or Zeke. Mr. Jones is my father,” he said good-naturedly.

  “Then, please call me Emily.”

  “Does every school accepted into the Healthy Living Initiative get a registered dietitian to implement it?”

  “No, they don’t,” she answered.

  Jackson frowned. He’d assumed such practice was normal.

  “Then why did Braden get so lucky?”