“Because you’re a smart man,” I said as I scanned what I could of the upside down receipt.
Sure enough, there was a Long Island iced tea and an additional glass of wine at the bottom.
I glanced back up at Levi. “Regretting this impromptu date?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “While I may have asked you to dinner on short notice, I can assure you it was far from impromptu. And as far as regret . . . there’s absolutely none. Ready to go?”
I nodded and he stood, reaching a hand toward me to help me up. I wondered why he hadn’t said anything about the additional drinks at the bottom. Maybe he hadn’t seen them, or maybe he’d thought they were on there by mistake.
The sun had begun to set by the time we walked out to the parking lot, and the sky was particularly spectacular tonight—reds and pinks and oranges blending together and mixing with the deep indigo on the horizon. My fingers itched to text James and tell him to take a look at it—we’d begun planning our Tuesday night meetings at sunset after he’d admitted he’d never sat and watched one. Ever since, I’d texted him whenever I saw one that was particularly dazzling. But I couldn’t do that now. What in the world was wrong with me? I was out on a date with another man.
Levi and I walked to his truck. He didn’t hold my hand this time, and even though I was a little relieved, I couldn’t help wondering if he’d decided to cut his losses.
The drive to the town square was silent, setting my nerves on edge.
“Do you like Henryetta?” I asked to fill the silence. “I know you loved it as a kid, but does it meet your expectations?”
He stopped at a stop sign and turned to me with a soft smile. “It got off with a bumpy start, but things seem to be settling in.”
I had a feeling “the bumpy start” comment might have more to do with our date than his move. Was he still interested? Did I even want him to be? The rest of the short drive was silent until he pulled into the parking space next to my truck.
“Thanks for coming to dinner with me, Rose,” he said. “And thank you for an entertaining evening.”
Entertaining. I suspected that wasn’t a good adjective for a romantic dinner. “Thank you,” I said, feeling awkward. I’d completed my first real first date—the kind you go on with a near stranger—and while I was proud of my accomplishment, I was suddenly anxious about what he expected of me now. A goodnight kiss? I wasn’t ready for that, and I wasn’t going to be coerced into it. Rose Gardner was taking charge of her own life now. “Good night, Levi. Thank you for a nice dinner.”
Had I really said nice dinner? I stopped myself from rolling my eyes, then opened the door and scrambled out before he could ask me for another date—as though he’d ask for one now.
“Good night, Rose,” he called after me, but I cut him off when I shut the door.
Great.
Like the gentleman he appeared to be, he waited until I got into my truck and started the engine. I lifted a hand and gave him a small wave. His warm smile assured me that my abrupt departure hadn’t upset him, but I was still grateful when he drove off in the opposite direction. The last thing I wanted to do was to keep exchanging awkward glances with him all the way home. I wondered if he was living with his grandparents or if he’d found his own place. The latter was more likely. Why hadn’t I asked him? Had I asked enough questions? Had I been too awkward?
But more importantly, did I like him? I’d backed out of his truck like my dress had caught fire, but maybe that was just nerves . . . I didn’t have an answer. These seemed like questions for Neely Kate’s expertise.
I was halfway home on the nearly deserted stretch of county highway my farm sat off of when I heard a low male voice behind me.
“I thought you were smarter than this.”
Startled, I turned to look over my shoulder and nearly drove off the road in the process. My anger exploded when I found myself staring into James’ expressionless face. I pulled over to the shoulder and slammed the truck into park.
“What in Sam Hill are you doin’, James Malcolm?”
“Checking up on you,” he said in a low growl.
“By scaring the bejiggers out of me?”
“You’d be more than scared right now if I were Buck Reynolds.”
That blew the indignation right out of me.
He rested his hands on the top of the front seat. “What the hell are you doin’, Rose? Why are you looking into Rayna Dyer’s death?”
He’d just asked two very good questions, and I didn’t have an answer for either one. “I didn’t set out to look into it.”
“Then why the hell are you doing it?”
I released a groan as I turned to face the road. “I don’t know. I had a vision of Rayna yesterday morning. There was a woman in the hot tub with her, and she was helping Rayna plot her revenge. When I saw her in the bar at Jaspers, I had to talk to her. I had to find out who she was and what she’d seen.”
“Why?”
“Because Rayna died in her hot tub, so I wondered if Trixie had gone over the last night after all. If she’d seen anything. The sheriff’s department probably wouldn’t know about her intended visit, so they wouldn’t know to ask her anything.”
“But you did. Why not just tell the sheriff’s department and let them handle it?”
“Because I didn’t know her name until Buck showed up. I didn’t even know Buck and Trixie were connected.” I turned to look over my shoulder at him. “Buck’s the man Raddy lost the bet to.”
“I’m well aware of that fact,” he said in an even voice, his impassive eyes holding mine.
“I couldn’t go to Deputy Miller. There’s no evidence, but my gut says Buck’s involved and Trixie knows what he’s doin’.”
“Rose, why do you care?” he asked in exasperation. “Rayna Dyer’s murder has nothing to do with you.”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
His gaze held mine for a good two seconds before I remembered I was pissed at him—not just for hiding in my backseat, but it was a good place to start. “I can’t believe you! Did you have to hide in my truck and scare me? I almost ran off the road!”
“You should check your backseat before you even get in a vehicle,” he grunted, his face a mask again. “You’re smarter than that, Lady. Your head was addled by your date with that vet.”
I gritted my teeth. I hadn’t told Jed who I was out with, but James must have seen him in the truck. “My head wasn’t addled.” Not quite true considering how much of a hurry I’d been in to get away from him, but it wasn’t a total lie either.
“If you’re gonna keep messing around with bad guys, you need to start doing a better job of protecting yourself.”
I thought about his lesson in my barn the night before. “You should have warned me about that last November,” I snapped.
His jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed. “Seems to me I warned you plenty.”
Headlights appeared in my rearview mirror, and a vehicle pulled up behind us. A jolt of fear hit me until I realized it was Jed’s sedan.
“Pay more attention to your surroundings, or you’re going to get yourself killed.” James opened the back door but hesitated before getting out. “If you’re going to keep picking at this sort of thing, you need more training. Jed’ll call you tomorrow.”
“What’s your hurry? One of your bimbos waiting to get you naked?” I asked in a snotty tone, then instantly regretted it.
Surprise washed over his face, but it vanished in an instant, and he looked furious by the time he climbed into Jed’s car. I twisted in my seat, and pulled back onto the highway, trying to figure out why I was so angry.
But that was the easiest thing in this whole mess to figure out.
Chapter 14
Neely Kate was watching TV on the sofa with Muffy, but she grabbed the remote and turned it off the moment I walked through the door. Jerking upright, she said, “Well? How’d it go?”
“First tell me what happene
d with Homer Dyer.”
She rolled her eyes. “Brett and I dragged him out into the alley.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Who held his cow-pie-covered boots?”
Her mouth twitched with a sly grin. “We rock-paper-scissored for it. I won.”
Of course she had. “Did he wake up before you left?”
“Yeah, he was as angry as a three-legged cat on a tightrope, but Brett told him that if he bothered you or me again, Skeeter Malcolm intended to deal with him personally.”
“And what did Homer say to that?”
“He cursed like my cousin Alan Jackson when he got stung on the behind by a hornet at the last Rivers family reunion, but I’m pretty sure he’ll obey.”
“What makes you think that?”
Neely Kate held my gaze. “The fear in his eyes. No one inspires fear like Skeeter Malcolm.”
I swallowed. Just one more reminder of the true nature of the man I’d thrown myself at the night before. The man who’d inspired more of a response in me in less than five minutes than Levi had all evening.
“Are you satisfied now?” she demanded. “Because I need details. How was your date?”
I sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. “Good, I guess.”
Some of the excitement left her eyes. “Good isn’t good when it comes to a date, Rose. What happened?”
“Well, he’s nice and easy to talk to. He also didn’t say a word when I disappeared for ten minutes to talk to Trixie and Buck in the bar.”
She shook her head. “Who are Trixie and Buck?”
“Trixie is the woman from my vision of Rayna. Turns out she found Rayna’s body after Raddy took off. She’s the one who called it in.”
Neely Kate’s eyes widened.
“And I’m pretty sure Buck is the guy Raddy lost that necklace to in the poker game.”
She gasped. “Do you think Rayna’s friend was spying on her for Buck?”
“I hate to accuse her of something so devious, but it seems possible. She looked like she knew something, especially after I had my vision.”
“You forced a vision?”
I nodded. “I had to. If there was even the slightest possibility it could help solve Rayna’s murder.”
“What did you see?”
After I told her, she narrowed her eyes and asked, “And Levi really didn’t say anything?”
“No. But I doubt there will be a second date.” I let out a sigh. No need for her to know I’d practically jumped out of his truck to avoid the possibility he’d ask. “Why did I go talk to Trixie? Who leaves their date long enough for their food to get cold?”
Compassion filled her eyes. “You’re a good person, Rose Gardner. Of course you’d try to help Rayna, even if she’s dead.”
I flopped back and sank into the back cushions. “James was none too happy with me.”
“James Malcolm? How did he find out?”
“Because I left Buck and Trixie in the bar and then hid in the bathroom and called Jed.”
“Why?”
“I was hoping he could do something about it.” And because Buck Reynolds had scared me, but I didn’t want to tell her that part.
“Rose, Jed operates on the other side of the legal system. What did you think he was gonna do?”
“I don’t know, Neely Kate. I think I just wanted to tell someone who could help me if things took a turn. Buck Reynolds gave me the creeps.”
“Didn’t you have your gun in your purse?”
“No! I was on a date! I hid it under my front seat.” But it was definitely in my purse now.
She pursed her lips and gave me a look of disapproval. “Raddy Dyer was skulking in your barn last night, his wife was murdered for a necklace he hired us to find, and Homer Dyer showed up at our office fit to be tied—you should have had your gun.”
“And what would Levi have said if I’d whipped out a gun during dessert?”
“He would have said, ‘Thank you for saving my life, Rose.’”
“Very funny,” I grumbled.
She shrugged, wearing a goofy grin. When she saw I wasn’t laughing, she turned serious and grabbed my hand, clasping it between both of her own. “Maybe it was too soon after all.”
We were silent for a few moments before she asked, “So what are we going to do with what you found out with Trixie and Buck?”
“I guess there’s nothin’ to do. I can’t exactly call Deputy Miller and tell him I had a vision, and besides, I didn’t even see anything useful. Suspicious, yes. Useful to the sheriff’s department? No.” I sighed, thinking about James’ questions. “Why do I even care? It’s not like Radcliffe Dyer is a model citizen.”
“True, but neither was Bruce Wayne when you got him out of his murder charges last year. He had a record.”
“That was different. It was plain as the nose on my face he wasn’t a murderer. I’ll never forget how scared he looked in that courtroom. I couldn’t let the rest of that jury convict him, and Mason was well on his way to having them on his side.”
“Whoever murdered Rayna wanted that necklace,” Neely Kate said. “So I say we keep lookin’ for the necklace. That’s how we help find the real murderer.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“Let’s just sleep on it. We can’t do anything tonight anyway.”
“Okay.” She was right. I wasn’t ready to make a decision one way or the other.
The next morning, Neely Kate and I planned to drive separately to the office. I was helping Bruce Wayne today, but first I needed to go by the Hendersons’ to replant the bushes Jonah’s guys had attempted to plant.
Muffy seemed to feel better when she woke up, but she was still drugged. I didn’t want to leave her alone at the office since Neely Kate had a few outside-the-office appointments of her own, but I also wasn’t sure taking her with me to the job sites was a good idea.
I called Maeve to ask if Muffy could hang out at the nursery. “I can bring her by when you open.”
“You know that Muffy is always welcome,” Maeve said. “I’ll see you both soon.”
When I headed downstairs, Neely Kate was already sitting at the table. She looked up as if I’d startled her and gave me a wobbly smile. I realized she’d been staring at her phone.
“Everything okay?” I asked as I carried Muffy to the back door.
“Of course.” But her answer was a little too quick to suit me.
When I came back inside, she had gotten up and was buttering a piece of toast.
“Have you heard from Joe?” I asked, worried he’d found something. If he had, I couldn’t believe he’d tell her on the phone.
“He texted last night to make sure we were okay. Rayna’s murder makes him nervous.”
Rayna’s murder made me nervous. “I suspect we might hear from Jed today.”
She whipped her head to face me. “Why?”
“Last night James said if we plan to mess with bad guys, we need to learn how to handle ourselves.”
“I can handle myself just fine,” she snapped.
I considered telling her that I wasn’t so confident, but let it go for now. “I’m dropping Muffy off with Maeve at the nursery this morning, so I should probably leave soon.” I hesitated. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She gave me a weak smile. “I just have a lot on my mind—Ronnie, Kate . . . and things.”
I wasn’t sure what and things entailed, but I had my suspicions. She’d made tremendous progress the last month, but Ronnie wasn’t the only thing she’d lost in the last few months. Before they split up, she’d lost her pregnancy . . . and then found out there wasn’t likely to be another one. Ever. It stood to reason she’d have setbacks. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” I asked. “No judgment. Just a sympathetic ear.”
“I know. Thanks.”
I was stewing over Neely Kate on the drive into town when Bruce Wayne called.
“One of my guys is off sick today,” he said when I answered. “Ho
w soon do you think you’ll finish the Henderson job and head over to mine?”
“Did you call Jonah?” I asked. “He’s usually got a few men standing by.”
“Jonah said they were all hired to work on some construction site. Any chance you can shuffle things around and help me knock this job out? Then I can come help with yours. It’ll go quicker that way.”
I glanced down at Muffy. “We’ll have time to get to the Hendersons’?”
“I don’t see why not.” He paused. “But if you’d rather stick to the original plan . . .”
“No. Your idea is a good one. I’ll see you in a bit.”
The nursery was quiet when I pulled in. Anna was standing outside, watering the rows of potted plants arranged on the tables. She gave me a warm smile as I carried Muffy inside.
Maeve was dusting off a display shelf and had her back to me, but I heard her say, “You need more sleep. You spend far too much time at the office.”
I sucked in a breath. She was talking to Mason.
“Rose is coming by with Muffy,” Maeve said in a quiet voice.
I knew I should say something, but I couldn’t move. I hadn’t spoken to Mason since he’d moved to Little Rock in February. Maeve never told me anything specific about him, only that he was doing well and keeping busy with his job.
“She’s good. The landscaping business is booming, so it keeps her busy. Just like your job is keeping you occupied. Have you ever wondered why you two are so busy?” She turned slightly, and her eyes filled with worry when she saw me. “I have to go, Mason. I love you.”
She hung up and took several steps toward me.
“Mason . . .” I said. “He’s good?”
“Yeah. He just works too much, even more than before. He’s . . .” Her voice trailed off. “That was the first time I’ve gone into that much detail about you. He asks about you every time we talk, and I always tell him you’re doing well.” She paused. “I hope you don’t think I’m giving him reports.”
I shrugged slightly. “It’s okay. I trust you, Maeve.”
“That means more to me than you know.” She closed the distance between us, placing her hands on my upper arms and searching my face. “I’ve missed you too, you know.”
Family Jewels: Rose Gardner Investigations #1 Page 16