by Terry Odell
He waited.
She spoke to her fingers. “He’s not.”
“He’s not? Then why all the panic?”
“He doesn’t want me. He wants what I have.”
Which was exactly what Grinch needed to hear. Not from Jinx. From her. She had to trust him.
“And you didn’t mention this because—?”
Tear-filled eyes met his. “Because if you know, then he might come for you too. It’s my problem. If you don’t know, you won’t be in danger.”
He untangled her hands and wrapped his around them.
Whether she told him or not didn’t matter. What mattered was what Victor believed, but this wasn’t the time to bring it up. “I can take care of myself.”
“But what about Dylan? Victor beat Will, his own son. He’d have no qualms about hurting Dylan. And if something happened to you, Dylan would be all alone. I can’t be responsible for that.”
Her words hit him like losing an engine. Adrenaline surged. How had he forgotten to consider Dylan?
“See,” she said, obviously reading his distress. “When you’re not the only one in the mix, decisions get more complicated.”
“It’s my decision to make. What do you have?”
“See, that’s the problem. I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
She yanked her hands free and glared at him. “You don’t need to snap at me. It’s some kind of ledger. I don’t know what it means, except Victor kept it locked up, and the one time I went into his study when it was out, I picked it up and he broke my collarbone.” She rubbed the spot, and he wondered if she knew she was doing it.
Christ. He knew Victor was an abuser, but somehow, coming from Elizabeth, it seemed a hundred times worse. “So you stole it.”
She nodded and stared out over the pond for a moment. “Do you think I should mail it back? Anonymously?” She frowned. “Maybe you could send it to someone you know far away from here, and have them send it to him.” She tilted her head and shrugged. “They do that in books, anyway.”
Something in the way she rattled off her solution didn’t ring true. He figured it was the way she’d dealt with Victor. Telling him whatever she thought he wanted to hear, anything to diffuse his reaction—or at least delay it.
“Do you think it would work?” He made sure he kept his tone even. Helpful. Friendly. Like a people-person.
“I know—I’ll enclose a note. Something like, ‘If you’re getting this, it means I’m dead. I thought you might want it, and obviously I have no use for it.’ You think that would help sell it? That I’m dead? Or Julie Ann is. You did say there’s no reason for anyone to connect Elizabeth to Julie Ann, right?”
Her words came out in a rush. Her eyes wouldn’t meet his. He counted to five. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Chapter 20
Elizabeth trudged to the pond. She stooped, picked up a handful of stones and tossed them, one by one, into the water, concentrating on their quiet plopping sounds while memories of Victor’s shouting echoed in her head. Grinch might not have shouted, but there had been irritation in his tone—which was usually a precursor to full-blown belligerence.
Warm hands touched her shoulders. Trapped within her thoughts, she tried to jerk away. His grip tightened, but there was no threat. Grinch, not Victor. Warm breath fanned her neck, and tension left her.
“I will never hurt you. Never.” He stroked her cheek with a knuckle.
Afraid to turn and face him, she leaned into the comfort of his body. When was the last time Victor’s touch had offered comfort? When had her automatic response become fear?
Too long ago to remember. And when had she started craving Grinch’s touch?
“I know,” she whispered. “But I’m not used to it—to you—to anyone—touching me. As for promises—Victor always apologized and promised he’d never do it again.”
He backed away. Just a pace, but the feeling of isolation sent a chill through her. She turned. He stood there, elbows tucked against his waist, hands extended, palms up. “Then I won’t touch you. I won’t do anything. Unless you ask.”
Almost as if she were testing herself, she rested her fingertips in his hands. The shiver running through her wasn’t from the cold. He made no move. She inched her hands forward until they rested fully on his. Testing herself. “Touch me. Hold me. For a minute.”
Slowly, gently, he slid his hands along the length of her arms, to her waist. More slowly, more gently, he eased her against him. She rested her cheek against his torso. His heart hammered in her ear.
Heat radiated from his body. His arms wrapped around her. She closed her eyes. Bathed in contentment, she savored the sensations that wafted over her like a soft blanket. Leaves rustled in the breeze. A bird called. A distant splash from the pond. Grinch’s scent—sage and cedar—mingled with the piney, earthy smell of her surroundings.
If only time would stop and freeze this moment.
Grinch’s heartbeat pounded faster in her ear. He pressed her closer, his arousal evident. Yet he did nothing. Waiting for her request. She remembered their first kiss, the one she’d initiated to prove she hadn’t sacrificed everything when she’d left her former life. He’d been passionate, but a gentleman. That kiss had been an experiment. Not Julie Ann, but not really Elizabeth either—at least not the Elizabeth she was becoming.
“Kiss me.” She lifted her face to his.
He tilted his head and angled his mouth over hers. Although his breathing was ragged, his restraint was admirable as he brushed her lips with his. This time, she gave no thoughts to how she should respond. She closed her eyes and surrendered to instinct.
This kiss was almost tentative. As though last night’s kiss had never happened, and this was their first. And maybe it was—the new Elizabeth’s first real kiss. She deepened the kiss, a willing participant for the first time in years. Heat pooled between her thighs. Her breasts ached to be touched.
Grinch broke the connection. Elizabeth blew out a shaky breath. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure.” Grinch’s voice rasped. “Any time.”
She meandered to the bench and sat next to Grinch’s initials, tracing them with her forefinger. He lingered before joining her. When he sat, he left several inches between them.
She stared out over the pond. “I think Victor was mixed up with some very bad people,” she said. “Once a month, he’d send me out shopping, or schedule a late tennis lesson, or find some other excuse to get me out of the house, making it clear I wasn’t to return before ten. Always on the housekeeper’s night off. He was irritable for a few days before that. Once, I tried to beg off.” Absently, she rubbed her elbow, which Victor had dislocated to make his point. “Let’s just say that was a mistake. I stopped making waves. Easier on me if I left him to whatever he did. At first, I thought he was bringing a woman in, but those, he met elsewhere.”
“You didn’t ask him, I take it?”
She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“You know for sure someone came to the house? You ever see them? Maybe sneak back for a peek?”
“Yes to the first, and I might have been stupid to stick with Victor as long as I did, but I was smart enough not to stick my nose in where it didn’t belong, to quote him. And the way the house reeked of air freshener, which didn’t hide the cigar smoke, meant someone was definitely there.”
“You said you took a ledger.” Grinch’s tone was matter-of-fact, but real or imagined, Elizabeth heard demanding undertones. Reminding herself this was Grinch, and any demands he made couldn’t be compared to Victor’s, she went on.
“It’s in a safe deposit box.” Sweat filmed her palms. She rubbed them on her jeans. Telling herself she’d gone way past the point of no return, that she had to trust Grinch when he said he could take care of himself, she sucked a deep breath and went on.
“It’s all in code. The first time I saw it, it was the morning after his secret visitors.” She left out the c
onfrontation part. “I bought one like it, and bided my time. As far as I could tell, he left it in his safe until his clandestine meetings. It took months of planning, but I finally got a break. Victor had a five-day business trip scheduled two days after meeting day. I swapped out the ledger, figuring I had a month before he noticed the change, and five days before he realized we were gone.”
“You had to leave everything so he wouldn’t suspect you weren’t coming back.”
She nodded. “It was hardest on Will, of course. But he’s been fantastic.”
“He misses his teddy bear, doesn’t he?”
Surprised at the conversational switch, she twisted to face him. “How did you know?”
“The other day,” Grinch said, “at the Bear’s Lair. It was fairly obvious.”
“I was going to get him another one, but he insisted he was too big. I think it was his way of trying to keep me from worrying.”
Grinch gave a brief, understanding smile before his expression sobered. “So, what can you tell me about this ledger?”
Back to business, then. “Not much. Like I said, it’s in some kind of code.”
“Would you like me to take a shot?”
“You think you can decipher it?”
“Probably not. But maybe my colleagues can.”
She pondered that one. Until now, she was the only person who’d seen the ledger. Would letting more people see it put them in danger? Then again—if she told Victor she’d shown it to dozens of people, he couldn’t possibly go after all of them. Tell him? To Victor, she was dead. Grace had made that clear enough. All this cloak-and-dagger stuff was just a precaution.
She shrugged. “Why not?” Somehow, sticking it to Victor from the grave, real or not, gave her a strange sense of satisfaction. Or maybe it was because she had someone on her side for a change.
* * * * *
Grinch stood and offered his hand. Elizabeth’s acceptance warmed him, and not only because it meant she was beginning to trust him. He cursed himself for promising to wait until she asked. Too easy for her to burrow into her shell. And living under the same roof? He foresaw a lot of cold showers.
He smiled. “To the bank?”
She didn’t drop his hand as they strolled to his truck. Oh, yeah. A lot of cold showers.
“Can we swing by my place?” she asked. “I’d like to see if they’re making any progress.”
He couldn’t think of a logical reason to say no, even though he knew nothing was being done. “Sure.”
He wheeled down the lane to her house. Butch Logan’s red F-250 was parked on the shoulder. Logan stood nearby, hands on his hips, surveying an array of potted plants. He waved as they approached.
“What’s he doing here?” Elizabeth asked. “I didn’t call him. I haven’t gotten approval for him to do any planting. Do you think he’s spying on me?”
Grinch pulled his truck alongside Logan’s. “Wait here.”
Elizabeth slouched low in the seat. Grinch hopped down and strode to Logan. “Morning.”
Logan removed a straw cowboy hat and swiped a hand across his brow. He nodded to Grinch.
“You have permission to do this?” Grinch asked.
Logan nodded. “Called the property management company. Free improvements to the property. They’re fine with it.”
After what Jinx had told him about Logan, Grinch believed him. “I’ll let you get on with it, then.” He met Logan’s eyes. “Treadwell.”
The man clenched his fists. His chin lifted.
Grinch lifted his hands, palms outward, submissive. “Hey, it’s cool. I’m all for second chances. But be sure you don’t blow it.”
Logan nodded, but the tension didn’t leave his stance. He stared toward the road.
Without looking back, Grinch trotted to his truck and climbed in. Elizabeth widened her eyes in anticipation.
“What did he say? You’re letting him stay?”
“Not my call. He has permission.”
“What about the electrical work? I didn’t see their truck.”
Grinch shook his head. “No, Logan said nobody’s been by.” A lie, but if Grinch had asked if they’d started repairs, Logan would have said no. He studied Elizabeth’s face. Was she upset that she’d have to spend at least another day or two with him? She seemed confused more than anything else.
He started the truck and waited until they were on the main road before telling Elizabeth what he knew about Chuck Logan.
“He’s changed his name, is reinventing himself, making a fresh start.” He smiled in her direction. “Like someone else I know.”
Her eyes widened even more. “Well, I doubt he’s running from an abusive partner.”
“No. He was in prison. Got out six months ago. He got into gardening in prison, and he’s trying to make it a career.”
Her mouth dropped. “What did he do? I mean, is it safe to be around him? He was awfully friendly toward Will. Was he—?”
Grinch cut her off. “A sex offender? No. White collar crime. Some embezzling, a little consumer fraud. According to my sources, he’s seen the error of his ways.” He grinned. “But if he offers you any sure-fire investment deals, I’d run.”
Her laugh made his morning. Hell, his entire day.
Twenty minutes later, he sat in the lobby of the bank waiting for Elizabeth to emerge from the safe deposit vault. She’d insisted on going in alone. Which confirmed his suspicious that she hadn’t told him everything. If there was nothing in the box other than the ledger, why had she banned him from accompanying her?
With her purse tucked protectively under her arm, she appeared, eyes forward, marching through the lobby like a soldier on parade. He stood and fell into step beside her. “Relax. You look like you just robbed the bank. I’d offer to carry the loot, but I’ve never been much for purses.”
She slowed and eased the purse to a more normal position over her shoulder. “I feel like I’m carrying a time bomb with fifteen seconds before it explodes.”
“Trust me, if that were the case we’d have thrown that bag into the next county and run like hell in the other direction.”
She stopped and gave him a quizzical once-over. “You sound like you speak from experience.”
He shrugged. “Not exactly exploding purses, but I’ve been in a few tight spots.”
Like the time someone planted a bomb in the helo, and he and Fozzie had three minutes to disarm it. Which they’d managed, thanks to some long-distance consultation from Blackthorne’s experts, with almost ten seconds to spare.
Even in the truck, she was reluctant to open her purse. He’d barely pulled out of the parking lot before she was checking the side mirror. “You think we’re being followed?”
He clenched his teeth to keep from laughing. “It’s all right,” he said when he could keep a straight face. “I know how to spot a tail.”
“Really?”
“On these roads, it’s almost impossible not to. There are only three turnoffs between here and my place. Hard to miss someone trying to follow you.”
That seemed to ease her mind. Had she been this jumpy ever since she’d left her husband? Remembering how she’d responded when he’d first shown up, he didn’t doubt it. Without warning, he was in that cave in Nicaragua, knowing his team wouldn’t leave him behind, but not sure he’d live long enough for them to rescue him, not merely bring his body home. He rubbed his ribcage, as if it would erase the fear that still plagued him. Sweat trickled from his armpits.
“Careful.” Elizabeth’s voice brought him back.
He sucked in a breath and forced his attention to his driving. He blinked the road into focus. A doe stood in the middle of the road as if she owned it. He slammed on the brakes. Tires squealed. The truck skidded, and he fought the wheel to keep from going into the ditch.
The doe stared at his truck with her huge brown eyes, flipped her tail and trotted into the woods, oblivious to the fact that she’d just missed becoming so much venison.
&
nbsp; Elizabeth hugged her purse to her chest, breathing audibly.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine. I didn’t mean to imply—I mean, I’m sure you saw it—I know you were going to stop—”
“Elizabeth. Stop. You did the right thing. Those creatures show up from out of nowhere. All the time. I should have been paying more attention. If you ever see a potentially dangerous situation, you have my permission to let me know. Immediately. Loud and clear.”
She fussed with the strap on her purse, as if she couldn’t trust herself to speak. Damn, if he ever got his hands on Victor, he’d make him pay. How dare any human being destroy the spirit of another?
He pulled onto the shoulder. His composure wasn’t what it should be, and they both needed a moment. It had been a while since he’d flashed back to the cave, especially in broad daylight, but his reaction hadn’t diminished. He held his hand out to her, aware it was shaking.
“See,” he said. “It shook me up, too.” Let her believe it was the close encounter of the cervid kind that triggered his tremors.
She released her grip on her purse and squeezed his hand. And smiled. Okay, so now he was losing his composure for an entirely different reason. Unwilling to break away, he waited for her to release him.
When she did, it was a slow trek of her trembling hand along his. A caress? Telling himself not to read anything into it, he put the truck in gear.
At the house, Elizabeth seemed to want to delay dealing with the ledger as long as possible. She suggested he let Chester out, offered to make fresh coffee, and tackled the breakfast dishes they’d abandoned to make sure they weren’t late getting the boys to the rec center. But she kept her purse within reach on the counter.
He went along. A few minutes one way or the other wasn’t going to make much difference. “I’ll be checking my email. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Nothing on his Blackthorne email. He’d finished deleting the daily spam on his personal account when Chester ran through the house, barking.
“What is it, boy?” Grinch picked up his coffee and strolled toward the front door. A too-familiar gray SUV pulled to a stop in the drive. He sighed and pulled the door open. Norma Fitzsimmons waved as she trekked toward the porch, carrying a wicker basket. Chester ran down, tail wagging.