For the first time in days Nick felt a bit of relief flood through him. He’d much rather have Gary on their side than thinking he and Lexie were a couple of conspiracy nuts.
“Nick, I probably wasn’t the most sensitive man when your wife died and I’ve always been sorry about the way things wound up between us.”
The apology shocked Nick. He knew how proud Gary was and the effort it cost him to say the words that had just fallen out of his mouth. “Water under the bridge,” Nick replied gruffly. “Come on, let’s get the window boarded up and then hopefully you can find out who in this town decided to pop off several rounds tonight,” Nick said.
It took twenty minutes for the plywood to be put into place and then with Gary gone Nick and Lexie got to work cleaning up the broken glass.
“I hate to impose on you by staying at your house,” she said, breaking the silence that had lingered between them since Gary had left.
“Nonsense, I have plenty of room and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you staying here alone after this,” he replied. “Gary apologized to me out in the garage for the way he handled things when Danielle disappeared.”
“That was big of him.”
“It was,” he agreed. “I definitely think he wants to find out who is responsible for this.”
“I just feel like we’re missing something.” She leaned on the broom, her brow wrinkled in thought. “If Lauren’s death was nothing more than an accident, then why would my presence here make somebody nervous enough to shoot up the house?”
“You’re assigning a motive to the shooting that we don’t know for sure is true,” he replied. “It could have been bored teenagers out for a little rowdy fun who thought Lauren’s house would be empty.”
“You’re right,” she said and began to sweep using more force than necessary. “I’m just so frustrated.”
“I know. Maybe by morning Gary will have some answers for us.” Even as he said the words he didn’t believe them and he had a feeling Lexie didn’t believe them either.
It was almost nine o’clock when they finally left Lauren’s place and headed to Nick’s. Lexie had packed her things in a small suitcase that was loaded in the backseat along with Zeus, his food and water bowls and a huge bag of dog food.
Lexie had once again fallen silent and Nick didn’t know what to say, what to do to bring her out of the shell she’d crawled into.
There was no question that he was worried about what had happened tonight. One of those bullets could have easily found either one of them. Who had shot the gun? What had they hoped to accomplish? Had it simply been some of the wild teenagers in town or had it been something darker…more dangerous? He shoved these thoughts aside as he pulled into his driveway.
When they got into his house the first thing they did was introduce Zeus to Taz. The little pooch raced around Zeus’s legs until Zeus gave a warning growl. Taz hunkered down in front of the bigger dog, properly chastised.
Nick led Lexie to one of the guest rooms, wishing instead that she would warm his bed for the night, wanting a repeat of the lovemaking they’d shared before.
But he had a feeling that it had been emotional trauma and nothing more that had driven her into his arms on the night that Lauren’s body had been found.
“Make yourself at home,” he said as she placed her suitcase on the floor next to the bed. “The bathroom is across the hall, and if you need anything just let me know.”
He suddenly realized he wanted her to need him. He wanted her to sleep with him because she wanted him more than any other man on the face of the earth. He wanted her driven by passion and desire and nothing more and it scared the hell out of him. He murmured a quick good-night, leaving her alone, and went back downstairs.
He checked that the doors were all locked and was surprised to find Taz curled up tight against Zeus’s side in front of the fireplace. It looked like the two were going to be best buddies. Good. He wanted Zeus to have a home here. It was the least he could do in honor of the friend he’d lost and her sister.
When he climbed the stairs once again and got into his bedroom he sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the photo of Danielle from the nightstand. She had definitely been his one arrow. He’d loved her as deeply as a man could ever love a woman.
When they’d lost their baby he’d tried to be strong for her, thinking she needed his stoic strength, his broad shoulders. Then she’d accused him of not caring, of not grieving deeply and hard enough for the child they’d lost. He’d been unable to give her what she needed from him and there was a dark place in his heart that believed that was ultimately what had led to her suicide.
There was no question his feelings for Lexie were deepening with every moment he spent with her, but could he trust himself to try to be everything for a woman again? He’d already been there, done that and failed miserably.
He realized that as much as he desired Lexie, as much as he wanted only good things for her, he would never be willing to step up and try to have a long-term relationship with another woman.
LEXIE AWOKE WITH THE SUN streaming through the windows in Nick’s guest room. She remained laying in bed, her mind flittering over the events of the night and dreading those to come.
Today the breeder was coming to take the rest of Lauren’s dogs. Eventually she’d have to arrange for the sale of the house, and then there would be nothing left to mark the fact that Lauren had ever lived here in Widow Creek.
Lauren had come here with such high hopes, so excited to finally have the space, the perfect place and the opportunity to achieve her dreams. She’d been charmed by the small town, had raved about the people she was meeting each time she and Lexie had spoken on the phone.
Lauren had never mentioned anyone making her feel uncomfortable or scared in her new home. She’d only had positive things to say about Widow Creek.
Unexpected tears burned at Lexie’s eyes, and she knew they weren’t only tears for Lauren, but were also tears for herself. She knew she was offbeat, considered different by most people, but Lauren had always understood her. Lauren knew of her innate shyness, of her awkwardness when in a group of people. Lauren understood all that pieces that made up Lexie and now Lauren was gone forever.
She rolled over on her back and after wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, reached for her glasses on the nightstand. She put them on and as her thoughts once again turned to the night before a slow burn set off in her stomach.
There was something rotten in Widow Creek. She had no idea what it was or how deeply embedded the rot was, but there was no question in her mind that something was wrong here.
Had Lauren been murdered? The gunfire of the night before certainly made her believe that her presence here in town asking questions about her sister had made somebody very nervous. It was just too coincidental and Lexie didn’t believe in that kind of coincidence.
Her thoughts turned to Nick. If she allowed herself, she realized she could be more than half-crazy about him. He was solid as a rock and sometimes when he looked at her she felt a shiver inside, a shiver of need, of want that she’d never felt before.
She would have liked nothing better than to crawl into his bed last night, but she’d also known it would be a mistake on her part.
With a sigh she rolled out of bed, grabbed clean clothes for the day and then darted across the hallway to the bathroom. She took a quick shower, used a squeeze of gel to spike her hair and then went in search of Nick.
She followed the scent of fresh-brewed coffee down the stairs to the kitchen, but instead of finding him there she found a note from him letting her know he was outside doing morning chores.
Both Taz and Zeus greeted her and after lots of scratching behind all ears, the two dogs stretched out on the kitchen floor side by side. Lexie looked at the big dog that Lauren had loved and once again her heart squeezed tight with pain.
Zeus would be happy here with Nick, she told herself. He already looked as if he’d made friends
with the young pup next to him. Lauren would definitely be okay with this arrangement and Lexie found some peace at that thought.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and then, too restless to sit, she wandered back into the living room. This was a house meant for a family and as she thought about the baby and wife that Nick had lost her heart found a new ache, this time for him.
Lexie hadn’t ever really had her heart broken. Oh, she’d thought at the time that Michael Andrews had broken it, but with time and distance away from his betrayal, she’d realized it hadn’t been love that had driven her into his arms, only an intense loneliness.
He’d confirmed to her something that she’d always known deep in her heart—the fact that she was an outsider and would never have a real place that she belonged. Oh, she was good for a change of pace, a little walk on the weird side, but when it came to choosing somebody for a long-term relationship, Lexie would always be the one left behind for a more traditional woman.
She found herself climbing the stairs to the bedrooms and going past the room where she’d slept. She knew she was being nosy, but she wanted to see Nick’s room.
The master suite was at the end of the hallway. She stood in the doorway and breathed in the scent of him that lingered in the air. She’d always felt safe and secure because she was an FBI agent and carried a gun, but there was no question that Nick made her feel safe and secure in a much different, more provocative kind of way.
She stared at the bed with its rumpled white sheets. The sheets would smell of him, perhaps still retain some of his body heat and there was nothing more she wanted at that moment than to climb in and close her eyes and wait for him to come back into the house and find her there.
Her gaze fell on the photograph on the nightstand and as she gazed at the attractive blonde woman her impulse to crawl into his bed died a sudden death.
Danielle.
His one arrow.
She was a pretty blonde with a bright smile. Her hair fell to her shoulders in soft waves and she was clad in a very proper dress in a mute shade of gold.
Nick had told her that Danielle had been a traditional kind of woman, one who enjoyed working as secretary for the mayor but also loved to bake cookies and work the social events the town offered.
Lexie was the antithesis of Danielle. She worked a job that put her in contact with criminals, wouldn’t know how to bake a cookie that didn’t come in a plastic tube and wanted to crawl out of her skin when surrounded by too many people.
The photo was a physical reminder to Lexie that Nick’s heart had already been taken and that he didn’t believe he had any part of his heart left to give to another.
Maybe he was helping her because he hadn’t been able to help his wife. Maybe if he could be what Lexie needed him to be to get through this rough time, it would assuage some of the guilt she knew he felt over his wife’s suicide. She wanted that for him. It would be nice if when she left this godforsaken place at least one of them would have complete peace.
She shoved these troubling thoughts to the back of her mind and hurried back down the stairs. She had just sat at the table when he came in the back door, bringing with him fresh autumn-scented air and a warm smile.
“I see you found the coffee,” he said as he shrugged out of his jacket, exposing a revolver shoved into his waistband. He saw her look of surprise as he pulled out the revolver and laid it on the countertop. “Don’t worry, I’m licensed to carry. After last night I decided I’d rather be armed and dangerous than unarmed and helpless.”
“You’re a smart man, Nick Walker,” she replied dryly.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and joined her at the table. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Surprisingly well, given the events of the night,” she replied. She took a sip of her coffee and tried not to notice how hot he looked in his jeans and tight, long-sleeved pullover. She didn’t want to fall victim of his bedroom eyes and lose herself in a fantasy that would never come true.
“Want some breakfast?” he asked.
“No, coffee is fine for now,” she replied.
“Want to talk about last night?”
“Until we have more information there isn’t much to talk about,” she countered. “Before we leave to meet the breeder I’m going to call my boss, Director Andrew Grimes, and let him know what’s been happening here. I also need to tell him that I’m taking off some additional time until I’m satisfied with the investigation into Lauren’s death.”
“I’d like you to stay here with me until you decide to leave town. I definitely believe in the old adage that there’s safety in numbers.”
She didn’t think it was a great idea, but Lexie also wasn’t a fool. She recognized that she’d be safer if she was here with him rather than all alone at Lauren’s place.
“If it’s not too much of an imposition,” she replied.
Again he flashed her that smile that warmed every cold inch that might linger in her body. “You’re always worried about it being an imposition and you know it isn’t. I like having you here. This house has been silent for far too long.” He got up from the table. “And now I’m going to rustle me up some breakfast and then it will be time to head over to Lauren’s to meet with the breeder.”
He talked her into eating pancakes with him and once they cleaned up the mess it was time to head back to Lauren’s place. The sight of the plywood where glass should have been in the front window sprang the terror of those few minutes of gunfire back into Lexie’s brain.
It had been nothing short of a miracle that neither she nor Nick had been seriously hurt. What the shooting had done was lit a fire inside her to get to the bottom of things.
As they got out of the car the dogs in the pen at the side of the house greeted them with raucous barks of excitement. “Why don’t I take care of feeding and watering the pups and you head inside and relax until Linetta gets here,” Nick said.
Lexie nodded her agreement and they parted ways, Nick heading to the dog pen and Lexie stepping inside the house. With the front window boarded up the living room was dark. She flipped on a light and looked around and for a moment felt the aching absence of her sister.
She walked over to a bookcase where dozens of figurines of dogs were displayed. She found the German shepherd that Lauren had bought on the day she’d gotten Zeus.
Lexie picked it up and carried it into the kitchen where she wrapped it in a paper towel and then put it in her purse. It was just a cheap, silly piece of ceramic, but it had been Lauren’s prized possession and it was the only thing Lexie wanted from this house.
She’d arrange for a local charity to take most of the items and then would list the place with a Realtor in the area. Hopefully it would sell quickly and Lexie wouldn’t have to worry about being out of town with a vacant property to worry about.
She sat at the table and fought against a wave of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. Funny in a sad kind of way that an entire lifetime could be packed up in boxes and given away to charity, she thought.
At least she didn’t have to give up her memories of the sister she had loved. She only wished she and Lauren had taken time to make more memories with each other.
She had no time for sadness anymore. She needed to figure out why somebody had driven up the night before and fired bullets into the front window. She needed to know for certain if Lauren had really slipped and fallen to her death or if foul play had been involved.
Nick came into the kitchen. “All taken care of,” he said as he went to the sink to wash his hands. Once he was finished he joined her at the table.
“I’m not weak,” she said, and saw the momentary confusion that shadowed his eyes. She winced inwardly, aware that she should have prefaced her statement in some way. As usual her form of communication was awkward.
“I never thought you were,” he replied.
She took off her glasses and leaned back in the chair. “I’m strong and decisive when I’m in front of a computer.
I’m respected at work and I do a good job. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and have never needed much from anyone.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
She picked up her glasses and put them back on. “I just need you to understand that I’m not some weak, pathetic woman who needs a white knight to ride to her rescue.”
He smiled at her. “Do I really look like a white knight? And keep in mind I do wear socks to bed every night.”
“I just don’t want to be your redemption.”
He sat back in his chair and looked at her in confusion. “Lexie, what are you talking about?”
“Your wife. I’m talking about Danielle. I know you somehow blame yourself for her death.” She saw his eyes darken and knew she’d touched a nerve. “I just don’t want you to be here with me because you somehow feel that if you help me it will be your key to salvation.”
“You obviously think too much. I’m here because I liked Lauren and more importantly because I like you. It’s no more or less complicated than that.”
At that moment the dogs outside began to bark, signaling the arrival of the breeder. Both Lexie and Nick got up to go outside to greet her.
Linetta Stone was built like a professional football tackle. Her short gray hair was tightly permed as if she had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with it. She was clad in a red flannel shirt and a pair of worn jeans and looked like a woman who didn’t take crap from anyone.
As she climbed out of her truck her gaze was sharp and darted in all directions as if seeking any source of trouble that might come her way.
“Morning,” she finally said.
Introductions were made and a hint of softness lit her eyes as she shook Lexie’s hand. “Sorry to hear about your sister,” she said. She rocked back on her heels and once again swept the area. “I have to admit, I was a little reluctant to drive in here, but I did a search on your sister and everything seemed to look legit.”
“Why were you reluctant?” Nick asked.
Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek Page 11