Shame and embarrassment washed over me, more effective than any cold shower could have been. I took the gun and checked the safety before shoving it down the back of my jeans.
“What about what just happened?” I asked. “You’re telling me that groping me was part of the exercise?”
“It was a lesson on not becoming distracted.”
I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. “You think some random man is going to grope me, and I’m just going to let him?” I asked in furious disbelief.
The determination in his eyes wavered.
“You think you’re so big and bad, Skeeter Malcolm!” I shouted. “But you’re just as scared as I am!” As I started out of the barn, Muffy jumped to her feet and raced ahead of me.
Thank goodness.
“Rose!” James called after me, following me around the corner of the barn.
I ignored him, but he quickly caught up and grabbed my left wrist. A vision burst into my head. I was ripping a woman’s shirt over her head, then fumbling with the button on her jeans, but everything was fuzzy, and I lacked the coordination to get it undone.
The girl giggled. “Let me get it for you, Skeeter.” I felt her hand on my thigh, sliding higher. “You’re drunk.”
I jerked myself out of the vision. “You’re gonna go sleep with someone else.”
“What?” he asked in confusion; then his eyes filled with understanding. “You just had a vision.”
Pain and humiliation sucked my breath away. He’d turned me away, and now he was going to run off and sleep with someone.
Without hesitation, I repeated my arm swing move, breaking free of his grip as I simultaneously pulled my gun out with my right hand. I took a step backward, aiming my gun at his chest.
His eyes darkened. “If you’re gonna pull a gun on someone, you better be damned well prepared to use it.”
“Bang,” I said, tilting the gun forward a fraction of an inch, then raising it level again. “I just shot you in your heart. Oh, I forgot. You don’t have one.” Then I spun around and stomped toward the house.
“I’m not running after you!” he shouted. “I don’t run after women!”
“Good!” I shouted back, not turning around to face him. “Because I might have to turn off the damn safety next time!”
I heard him let out a string of curses, his voice getting farther away with each long stride I took.
Muffy was waiting for me at the door. I let us both inside, but not before I looked back at the barn. I was furious with myself for being disappointed when I didn’t see him.
Then I groaned—I’d forgotten the lantern.
Before I could stalk out there to grab it, I heard a buzzing sound. My phone was vibrating on the kitchen counter.
Anger burned through my veins as I read the text from SM.
I blew out your lantern so your barn doesn’t burn down.
That was it. No I’m sorry. No admonishment to be careful. Just that he’d snuffed out my freaking lantern.
Tears stung my eyes. How could I be so stupid?
Had I just ruined everything?
I turned off the kitchen and living room lights and headed upstairs, picking up Muffy when I realized she was limping.
When I reached the top of the stairs, Neely Kate was standing in the doorway of her bedroom in a bathrobe and wet hair.
“Did I hear shouting just now?” she asked. At least her sadness seemed to have given way to genuine curiosity.
“You missed an eventful evening,” I said. “I found Raddy Dyer in our barn.”
“What?”
I gave her a quick run through of what had transpired, leaving out James’ lesson at the end.
She looked down at my arms. “Is Muffy okay?”
“James thinks so.”
“What was Skeeter doing here?” she asked, sounding suspicious.
“I think he wanted to check on us because Jed told him about our run-in with Homer Dyer. James says he’s dangerous.”
“Jed already told us that.” Putting her hands on her hips, she gave me a skeptical look. “I bet Skeeter’s after the necklace too.”
That caught me by surprise. “What? Why would James want that necklace? For all we know, it’s fake.”
She shrugged. “Just the fact that some people think it’s real makes it a big deal.”
Her theory about James wanting the necklace didn’t hold weight, yet part of me had to wonder if there was some truth to it. James hadn’t just come over—he’d been in my barn. Why? He’d mentioned parking next to Raddy’s car. Had he followed Raddy in there? Or had he gone in on his own?
I shook my head. “I don’t know what to think anymore. We should wash our hands of the whole mess.”
“But—” Neely Kate started to protest.
“I’m too tired to make any decisions right now. I just want to go to bed.”
Something in my voice must have told her I’d reached my limit because her expression softened. “Okay. We’ll talk after we’ve both had a good night’s sleep.”
I nodded, then went to my room and shut the door. While I stood in my bathroom mirror getting ready for bed, I gave my body and my face a long, hard appraisal. I wasn’t skinny, but I wasn’t overweight, and all the landscaping work I’d been doing lately had toned my muscles. My long, wavy brown hair was capable of looking good when I wore it down—although I wore it in a ponytail most of the time. I knew I could look pretty, but I’d rarely worn makeup since Mason had left. There were many women who were prettier than me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the woman James was going to sleep with fell into that category. I hadn’t seen her face; typical man that he was, his gaze had gone straight to her chest. There was no doubt her breasts were plenty bigger than mine.
Tears stung my eyes, and I splashed my face with warm water. Enough. I wasn’t going to cry over that man. He’d told me exactly who he was. He’d never made any secret of it. Why had I thought I’d be different? Did I really think I could change him?
Some part of me knew my parting accusation held merit. He was scared—hell, I was scared too—but at least I’d been brave enough to take a chance.
James Malcolm was an unworthy coward.
So why did his rejection hurt so much?
Chapter 11
The sun woke me up the next morning. I rolled over in bed to face the side where Mason used to sleep. After he first left, I used to wake up every morning, put my hand on his empty space, and cry. But after a few weeks, I would just put my hand there and let the melancholy wash over me. Then I’d get out of bed and move on with my day. But I hadn’t thought of him in the morning for several weeks. Did that mean I was over him?
Then the memory of how I’d acted with James the night before returned, flooding me with humiliation. What would Mason think of me throwing myself at Skeeter Malcolm? But a new irritation took root—Mason no longer had any say in what I did. Maybe I was looking at last night through the wrong lens. Up until now, I hadn’t felt tempted by any men since the breakup. Regardless of how it had turned out, I was going to consider it hard-earned progress.
Of course, that didn’t make me any better equipped for the dilemma of how to handle things with James. I didn’t want to lose his friendship—something I’d thought of and then promptly forgotten right before I made a fool of myself. Maybe I could claim temporary insanity. Or I could claim I was drunk even though I hadn’t even had two full beers.
Muffy was still curled up at the foot of the bed when I got up to get ready for the day. I didn’t have any manual labor jobs today, so after I took my shower, I decided to spend more time on my hair and put on a little makeup. The forecast claimed it would be sunny and in the eighties, so I decided to take a gamble on a cute summer dress. I’d bring a sweater in case it got chilly in the office.
But as I swiped on a coat of mascara, it occurred to me that I’d let the night’s upset distract me from what had happened to Rayna. I probably knew some facts about her death t
hat might be useful to the sheriff’s department. Raddy could have lied about what he’d seen, but what if it was all true?
I grabbed my phone and texted Joe, asking him if he’d left town yet. He called me back within seconds.
“I’m heading to El Dorado to talk to our family attorney before I head down to New Orleans. Is everything okay?” he asked.
If I told him that Raddy Dyer had been hiding out in my barn, I knew he’d turn back. And while I suspected Homer was dangerous, I was quite certain Neely Kate and I could handle his stepson. “Of course,” I said. “I was just calling to ask what you’ve found out about poor Rayna Dyer.”
“Do you want the public story or the inside scoop?”
“You’d really tell me the inside scoop?” I asked in disbelief.
“No,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to see if you’d ask.”
“Well, what can you tell me?”
“Rayna Dyer was found dead in her hot tub.”
“Come on, Joe. Really? That’s it?”
“That’s the official story. The cause of death is unknown.”
“I know she was murdered. Do you think Raddy Dyer did it?”
“How . . .” His sudden silence was nerve-racking. “You’ve talked to Radcliffe Dyer.”
“He reached out to me, Joe, and I encouraged him to go to the police with his story. But I doubt he will, so it occurred to me that I might know a few things that could help with the investigation.”
“What did he tell you?”
If I told him what I really knew, he’d change his mind about finding Ronnie. “Not much. But the fact that he came to see me—”
“He came to see you?” he barked in my ear. “I thought he’d made a call!”
“Joe, calm down. I sent him away.” When he didn’t say anything, I continued, “I thought it might be helpful for me to talk to the person who’s investigatin’ the case, is all.”
He hesitated. “Maybe I should come back.”
“No. If Ronnie’s living in New Orleans, then you need to find him and get those papers signed. Just tell me who’s in charge of the investigation.”
He was silent for a moment.
“Joe,” I said. “I promise. If I thought we were in danger, I’d tell you. I’m only trying to help out if I can. So will you tell me?”
He pushed out a breath. “I have a feeling I’ll regret not coming back. Do you promise Raddy didn’t threaten you?”
“I promise. He asked for our help, but I sent him packing.”
He was silent for several seconds. “Deputy Miller’s helping with the investigation. Go to him with what you know. He’ll be more understanding of your involvement.”
“Thanks,” I said, not hiding my relief.
Deputy Randy Miller was one of the few deputies I trusted. He’d helped me on several occasions, and we’d become friends. But I’d been staying out of trouble for the last few months, and I’d only seen him in passing since February. Knowing that I’d be dealing with Deputy Miller made me feel a whole lot better.
“You’re not planning on doing something crazy like tryin’ to investigate this murder yourself, are you?” Joe asked.
“My murder investigation days are over,” I said. Then a wave of guilt hit me, making me dangerously close to tears. “I talked to Rayna yesterday morning, Joe. She was alive and now she’s not. I . . . I need to help if I can.”
Joe was quiet for a moment. “Okay, but call me straightaway if Dyer threatens you.”
“I will,” I said. “I hope you find Ronnie.”
“Me too.”
I hung up and realized Muffy was still lying on the bed. Gently rubbing her head, I asked, “What’s going on, girl? Decided to sleep in today?”
She looked up at me with sad eyes, and I slid my hand down her back and under her belly. No reaction until I pressed on her back hip, which made her yelp.
“I’m sorry, Muff,” I said, picking her up and setting her on the floor to see what she would do. She made tentative steps toward the door before picking up the pace, but I noticed she barely put weight on her back leg.
When she reached the top of the staircase, she stopped and looked back at me, so I picked her up and carried her downstairs. She made her way to the kitchen, still limping, and stopped again at the back door.
“You look pretty today,” Neely Kate said from in front of the open refrigerator door. “What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing,” I said, feeling my face start to flush. “I just decided to look nice for a change.”
“Huh.”
Muffy just looked up at me when I opened the door, so I picked her up again and carried her to the lawn. I crossed my arms as I watched her limp around. When she tried to balance to go to the bathroom, she fell on her butt. I rushed over to help her back on her feet.
“Is she okay?” Neely Kate asked, joining me in the doorway. “She’s limping.”
“I don’t know. James said she seemed okay, but he’s not a vet. Besides, he told me I still might need to take her to one.”
Neely Kate nodded. “I’m going to make the appointment right now.”
I let Muffy wander around for another minute, then carried her inside and set her down in front of her water bowl and food dish. While she drank, she ignored her food.
Neely Kate walked into the kitchen from the living room, stuffing her phone into her front pocket. “It’s a good thing you’re ready because they have an opening in twenty minutes.”
I looked up at her in surprise. “That means I have to leave right now.”
She picked up my purse and handed it to me. “I’ll drive my car into town. You just take Muffy and go.”
I took my bag from her, then gasped. She seemed strangely eager, and that could only mean . . . “Oh no. Who did you make the appointment with?”
“The vet.” She gave me a push toward the door. “Now go.”
“Dr. Romano?”
She gave me a wry grin. “Well, he did replace Dr. Ritchie.”
“I have to go upstairs and change!”
“What? Why?”
“I dressed up today,” I said, waving a hand down my front. “I fixed my hair and even put on makeup.”
“So . . . ?” Then she squealed. “Oh! You do like him!”
“No! But . . .”
“He likes you,” she finished for me.
I flushed. “It’s not that. I’ve looked terrible the only two times I’ve seen him. He’s going to think I dressed up for him.”
“So what?” she said, her eyes sparkling. “It’s not a crime. In fact, I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”
“But I’m not . . . ready.”
Her gaze held mine. “Are you sure you’re not just scared?”
“I don’t know.” I hadn’t been scared last night when I’d tried to get James to take our relationship to the next level, but it would be pretty loose of me to try to catch the eye of another man twelve hours later.
But that hadn’t stopped James from going off to sleep with someone else.
Besides, it didn’t matter how I felt about James. Starting something with him was a terrible, terrible idea. He might have developed a conscience, but he still condoned and ordered illegal activities.
Dr. Levi Romano was cute and interested, and didn’t seem like the type of guy to have ties to criminal dealings—a definite plus. But was I interested in him?
Neely Kate moved a few steps closer, still holding my gaze. “I’m not saying you have to go out with him. Just don’t say no because you’re scared, okay?”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah. Okay.” Then headed for the front door.
I was on the front porch when Neely Kate laughed and called out, “Uh, Rose . . . I think you’re forgetting something.”
When I turned back, she was holding Muffy and wearing an ear-to-ear grin. “I’m half tempted to go with you. This should be good.”
I felt my cheeks pinken as I lifted Muffy out of her arms. “I hope I do
n’t make a fool of myself.”
Neely Kate’s grin softened. “Just be yourself.”
I gave her a pointed look. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I stewed for a good ten minutes of the drive before I looked down at Muffy, who was lying on the seat with her head in my lap. The sight was enough to make me realize my priorities were totally screwed up. I was going to Henryetta Animal Clinic because Muffy was hurt, not because I was looking for a date.
By the time I’d pulled into the parking lot, I’d convinced myself that I was about to see Dr. Romano in a professional setting. Nothing more would happen.
When I walked into the office with Muffy in my arms, the receptionist looked up from her desk and heaved an exasperated sigh. Her light brunette hair looked just as crazy as it had on my last visit—when Neely Kate and I had come in after finding that stray baby pig.
“Honey,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. “I hope your dog’s really hurt, because I’m tired of fitting in all these emergency appointments. This ain’t a matchmaking service.”
The last thing I wanted to do was react, but I felt my cheeks burning again. “Why would I make an appointment if Muffy wasn’t hurt?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re single, aren’t you? Shoot, some of the women in town are buying pets just to have an excuse to see Dr. Romano. Besides, you were covered in mud the last time you were here, and now you’re all spiffed up.”
I gasped in outrage. “Are you suggesting that I made an appointment—”
“Mary,” Dr. Romano said behind me in a good-natured tone. “Leave Rose alone.”
Mary looked ticked. “Dr. Romano—”
But he ignored her and motioned to the hall behind him. “Rose, why don’t you bring your dog on back.”
I walked into the exam room he was pointing to—the first door on the left—and he followed me inside and shut the door.
“Who do we have here?” he asked, letting Muffy sniff the top of his hand.
Family Jewels: Rose Gardner Investigations #1 Page 12