Decker (Torey Hope: The Later Years #1)

by A. D. Ellis

  “What about Ted Nelson? That guy was a total douche in high school, always trying to compete with us on everything. I heard he was trying to coach the high school basketball team, maybe he’s trying to cause problems at The Center+ to thwart Kendrick’s teams.” The motive sounded flimsy at best, even as he spoke it.

  “Know anyone at the senior citizen center? Zoey said that it was going to have to cut some programs to save on the budget. Would anyone there be trying to mess with The Center+ in hopes of keeping more business coming through their doors?” Zach offered a slightly more plausible idea, but Sawyer shook his head almost immediately.

  “No, no way. First, all of those people are either close personal friends with our families, use The Center+ just as much as anyone else in town, or don’t even know Katie; they’d have no motive. Even if The Center+ went down completely, the senior citizen center would still be losing some of their funding. It wouldn’t make sense for them to shut down the only other viable option for most of the seniors in town.” Sawyer wanted to come up with a suspect in this whole mess just as much as the other guys, but pinning it on the wrong person or group wasn’t going to help anyone.

  “I think we need to focus more on who hates Kate so much that they’d go to the trouble of messing with The Center+ and threaten her life. I brought a couple yearbooks; Sawyer, you were the closest with her, you can help us go through the pictures and see if anyone sets off any alarms in your mind.” Kendrick pulled out some books and passed them around. The four men stopped drinking, opting for water at that point, and poured themselves over the books, looking for any face that would clue them in to someone wanting to hurt Katie and/or Decker.

  Two hours later, eyes crossing from looking at so many thumbnail photos and small print, the men were no closer to coming up with a name than when they’d walked into the bar. Packing up the books and paying their tab, they headed home.

  Decker drove by Kate’s house. He told himself it was just to be sure everything looked safe; he knew the lie he told himself was weak. God, he missed her. His heart hurt; his heart literally burned inside of his chest. Rubbing his hand over the pain, he closed his eyes and tried to block out the fact that he knew he had hurt her. His only hope was that his strong-willed, determined girl wouldn’t give up on them before he had a chance to fix everything; he prayed he’d be able to fix everything. With a last glance at her house, his heart stopped. There in the front window, he saw her. With a sad smile, she lifted her hand in a slight wave; he raised a hand in return and drove off. What would she think knowing he’d driven by to check on her? He hoped she’d realize that it meant he wasn’t giving up, he was fighting, but he was fighting in the way he felt was best. Keeping her as far away from him as possible was the best for now.

  **********

  Katie wasn’t sure what to make of Decker’s car being in front of her house. She watched for several minutes as he rubbed his chest, closing his eyes he laid his head heavily against the head rest. He was hurting, she could feel it. When he noticed her watching, the helpless wave he gave her was enough to bring her to her knees; the pain in her heart was overwhelming.

  “When will you stop being so stubborn you stupid, stupid man?” She muttered angrily through her tears. Turning around she almost ran over her grandmother.

  “Come sit, dear. I made tea; we need to talk.” Grandmother’s eyes were hard, but a fierce love and protection shone through them.

  Sipping her tea, loving the way Grandma always made it perfectly strong and perfectly sweet, Katie waited for the older woman to speak.

  “Well, before I begin dismembering your young man, I feel like I need to hear the whole story.” Grandma motioned for her granddaughter to speak.

  “It’s a long story, Grandma.” Katie hesitated. How much should she tell her?

  “Well, I’m not ready to die just yet, I’ve got the time. Go on, girl. Speak.” Grandma set her chin, and Katie knew there was no escaping.

  “Someone is messing with things at The Center+. It seems like the problems started when Decker hired me. When we started dating, the issues at The Center+ continued and got worse. This past weekend when we went on vacation, his Uncle Nicky was hurt by someone snooping in my office. The person made a threat against my life. We don’t know who is behind all of this. We don’t know who would hate me so much. The police are trying to help, but they really can’t do much with the little evidence we have to go on.” She paused to catch her breath, knowing Grandma already wasn’t happy with what she had told her; the older woman was going to pitch a shit fit when she heard that Decker was pushing her away.

  “So, Decker feels like it’s in the best interest of The Center+, his family, and me if we stop seeing each other. He seems to think he can’t divide his focus between the professional and the personal, and he feels I’ll be safer if he sticks to just the professional. He loves me, or so he says, but he’s pushing me away in order to protect me. At least that’s what he thinks he’s doing. I gave him one week; I told him he needed to get his shit figured out in one week or I was gone.” Katie held her chin high and waited on Grandma’s response.

  Shaking her head, Grandma sipped her tea quietly as if contemplating all that she’d just heard. Setting her cup gingerly down on the tea tray, Grandma leaned back in her chair and just stared at her granddaughter.

  “He’s being an ass, right Grandma?” Katie had wanted Grandma to love Decker as much as she did, but at that moment, she needed the older woman on her side.

  “Well, girl, if I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.” The old woman delivered her blow as softly and lovingly as she could, but Katie felt it as sharply as if she’d been slapped.

  “You’re taking his side? How could you? I thought you wanted to cut off his male parts and feed them to rabid dogs; now all of a sudden you think he’s making the right decision?” Katie sputtered her words, shock at what she was hearing settling over her.

  “Calm down, Katie-girl. I’m not 100% on his side, but I’m not totally against him either. Same for you; I see where you’re coming from, but I don’t think you’re dealing with the issue at hand very well.” Grandma closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the chair momentarily as if to gather her thoughts.

  Katie poured herself more tea, wishing she had something a bit stronger to sip; she had a feeling that she needed to steel herself against Grandma’s words.

  “Katie, I’m sorry you’re hurting, but I think Decker is doing what’s for the best right now. The best way for him to protect you is to make the person who is pissed off think you’re not dating. He can’t exactly fire you to keep you out of danger, so he’s doing the next best thing. That boy loves you, any fool can see that.” When Katie raised her eyebrows in disbelief at her grandmother’s words, the old woman sighed, “Girl, he learned to dance for you and made an absolute fool of himself at that wedding just for you; his eyes light up when he sees you, he puts up with a crotchety old woman just to be near you. It’s true, the boy has it bad.” Leaning over to pat Katie’s knee, she smiled softly. “I think he’s doing the only thing he can do for right now. I hate that he has to hurt you in the process, but I’m proud of him for being man enough to do it, even though it hurts, if it means protecting my girl.”

  Grandma let that sink in for a bit. When Katie sniffed her nose, the woman continued. “Now, as for you….I think you’re making a big mistake issuing ultimatums. You’re giving this boy a week to sort things out that the police haven’t even been able to sort out in months; you’re not being fair to him. I know you’re strong and determined and proud, maybe a little too proud sometimes, but it doesn’t show weakness to be patient and wait for the one you love. At least give him longer than a week. If he says he wants out completely, then let him go. And then I’ll do the dismembering. But, until he says he’s out or he figures this out, give him time and don’t give up on him.”

  Katie felt like a petulant little girl who had just been reprimanded by her grandmother. S
he sat, brooding, sipping her tea for several moments. Not sure where to go in the conversation, she was about to excuse herself when Grandma spoke again.

  “Okay, let’s get our Angela Lansbury hats on and solve this mystery.” Grandma’s eyes lit up and she wiggled in her seat like a giddy little schoolgirl.

  “Who is Angela Lansbury?” Katie was a little concerned that Grandma seemed so excited about a threat being made against her life.

  “Oh my goodness. Where did I go wrong? I’ve failed you, child. Angela Lansbury? Murder She Wrote? Only one of the best mystery shows on television for several years beginning in the mid-80s. I can’t believe I never introduced you to super sleuth Jessica Fletcher.” Shaking her head in dismay, Grandma drained her tea cup and poured another, this time adding an extra lump of sugar. “Anyway, let’s hash it out and see if we can figure out who might hate you enough to hurt you and Decker.”

  Katie nodded her agreement, although she wasn’t sure how her elderly grandma was going to be able to help her solve something that even the police hadn’t been able to put a stop to.

  “Let’s start with townsfolk who hated you in high school. Anyone come to mind?” Katie shook her head in the negative.

  “College. Jilted lovers? Jealous roommates? Professors whose love for you was unrequited?” Katie rolled her eyes at her grandma’s imagination.

  “Grandma, you know I barely dated in college. My professors were all women or over 70. My one roommate sold sex toys and I lived by myself the other years before I returned home. I think you’ve had too much sugar or caffeine or both.” Katie had to giggle at her grandmother’s antics.

  “Okay, that leads us to the here and now. Who hates you? Who is mad at you and/or Decker? Townsfolk jealous of his or your success? Local guy wanting to date you and feeling let down when you picked Decker? Ex-lover of Decker’s?” Grandma continued to rattle off possibilities, but Katie sat bolt upright on the chair.

  “Oh my God! How did none of us see this? Grandma, that’s it! Decker’s ex-girlfriend of three years. He broke up with her right before he moved back home. He thought it was a mutual, amiable breakup, but she showed up at the wedding and started talking about how she and Decker were destined to get back together. Oh my God, we didn’t even put it together.” Katie drained her tea, rushed to the bathroom, and called the guys’ house. After telling them she was coming over, she kissed her Grandmother on the head. “Thanks for the talk, Grandma. You’re the best. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Katie-girl. Love you too. Now, go get your man. But, remember, good things come to those who wait. It may not happen right away. It may be like a good bowel movement, you may need to give it time to work itself out.” She cackled at her granddaughter’s grossed-out expression and closed her eyes for a short little catnap.

  **********

  Bounding up the steps into Decker’s house, Katie felt exuberant with the thought they could solve this problem tonight, but she worried how things would be between her and Decker after this tense time apart.

  Sawyer met her at the door and drew her into a warm hug. “Katie-girl, it’s good to see you. I hope you haven’t come to poke the sleeping bear. That’s a metaphor obviously; my brother isn’t sleeping, but he is being a total bear.” Walking with him into the living room and watching him close the front door, she was bombarded with memories of that door just a short time ago. Her heart constricted and she cast sad eyes Sawyer’s way before linking arms with him.

  “It will get better, Katie-girl, I promise. If it’s any comfort, he’s just as sad and miserable as you are.” He kissed her head and turned her toward the kitchen. “You ready for this?” He was talking about walking into the kitchen and facing Decker. She nodded and took a deep breath.

  “With any luck, this will be over soon.” She smiled hopefully at Sawyer.

  “There’s our girl. Hey there Katie. Come here and give me some love, girl.” Kendrick stood and walked toward her. She knew he was laying it on thick in hopes of pissing Decker off. From the red-hot daggers his cousin was shooting his way, it appeared that Kendrick had been successful. She let herself be pulled into Kendrick’s arms; they weren’t the arms she wanted wrapped around her, but she would take the love and comfort for now.

  “Good to see you, Katie.” Zach kissed her on the cheek and pulled a chair out for her. He really was such a sweet, good guy; total boy next door vibe coming in waves off of that fit, tight, hot body. “You want some coffee? I was just making some when you called.” Katie nodded and dared a looked at Decker.

  He was staring at her intently, but she couldn’t read his expression. Was he glad she was here? Mad? Did it hurt him to be so close to her and not be able to take her in his arms? She felt the pain shoot clear through her heart.

  “What’s up, Bug?” He caught himself right as the nickname tumbled out of his mouth. She almost had to laugh as she watched him attempt to stop it, to pull it back in. Sorry, he mouthed with a wince. She smiled slightly. Funny how that silly nickname could warm her heart.

  “Well, my grandma and I were talking.” She laughed out loud at the expression on his face when she mentioned her grandmother. “Rest easy, Decker. I know you’ll find this as surprising as I did, but it appears that Grandma is mostly on your side, so your manhood is safe. For now.” She smirked at him shifting in his seat.

  “Anyway, Grandma and I were running through possible suspects and motives; she mentioned thinking of someone who would hate me or be jealous, perhaps an ex-lover of yours.” She stopped talking long enough to let her words sink in. Within seconds, three of the guys had wide eyes and understanding had dawned.

  “Fuckin’ bitch!” Kendrick slammed his fist against the table. “I knew that bitch was up to something.”

  Zach rubbed his temples and shook his head while Sawyer pushed back from the table to start pacing the kitchen.

  Decker looked around, confused. “Someone want to clue me in here?” Four pairs of eyes turned to look at him in disbelief.

  “Are you kidding me, man? For someone as smart as you are, you really are dumb as shit sometimes.” Kendrick leaned back in his chair and looked skyward as if asking God for patience with his cousin. “Angela? Angela Ford? Ring any bells? Damn man, how did we not put two and two together before this? She was beyond pissed when you dumped her sorry ass. She showed up at Beckett’s wedding, with a shady-as-fuck story as to why she was there, cornering both you and Katie, declaring her never ending love for you and promising you’d be together again.” Standing with disgust, Kendrick almost toppled the kitchen chair.

  Understanding dawned on Decker’s face. He grabbed his phone and scrolled through quickly. “She found out my number somehow and texted me her office number. I’ll call and see if she’s there; it’s after hours, but at least we may get an answering service if she’s not there working late. If she’s there, she’s got an alibi; there’s no way she could be hours away at her office and be here in Torey Hope causing trouble.” He looked around at the others to see if they were in agreement with him making the call.

  “Do it, man.” Zach nodded and Sawyer added his agreement.

  Decker hit the number, and waited for it to ring through. The group watched intently, holding their collective breath. When the line connected on the other end, Decker placed the phone on the table and turned the speaker feature on. “Thank you for calling Angela Ford; this is her personal assistant, Lori, how may I assist you today?” The voice on the other end floated through the air professional and crisp.

  “Yes, hello. My name is Decker Morgan. I’m an old friend of Ms. Ford’s, and I was hoping to speak to her if possible.” Decker glanced around at the group, as if looking for approval on what he was saying. Katie fought the urge to giggle hysterically; she felt like they were in elementary school making prank phone calls.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Morgan, Ms. Ford isn’t available at the moment.” Lori spoke with sorrow along with finality.

  “Well, Lori, I wonder if you
could help me out with a little information. I’d like to surprise Ms. Ford with a little visit; is there any way you could help me coordinate my schedule with hers so I can figure out a time to surprise her? Does she travel a lot?”

  “No, not really. Ms. Ford is in the office 90% of the time. She’s just recently traveled out of town for a wedding, but that’s the only traveling she’s done in a few months. She returned the Monday after the wedding and has no plans of being out of town for several more months. She normally has meetings in the morning, but her afternoons are easier to clear. Give me a date and I’ll see what I can do on her schedule.” Lori was busy clicking away on the computer keys.

  “Um, actually, I don’t think I’ve thought this surprise through as well as I should have. Can I take a look at my own schedule for the next couple weeks and get back to you about an acceptable weekday afternoon?” Decker quickly created the story, impressing everyone around the table with his fast thinking.

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Morgan, that would be just fine. I’ll look forward to taking your call.” Lori said a polite goodbye, and the call was ended.

  The five of them sat around the table, looking defeated and dejected. Angela had an alibi, she couldn’t have been in Torey Hope when the problems took place or when the threat was issued. Katie hung her head in disappointment; she had truly thought Angela was the person messing with their lives. She was so ready for the mess to be over.

  After a bit of depressed chit-chat, Katie excused herself and started toward the door to leave. She stopped at the kitchen doorway and glanced at Decker; she longed for him to cross the room and walk her to the door. Instead, he turned his back on her; Kendrick grunted in disgust and walked towards her.

  “Let me walk you out, Katie. I’d hate to be a total douche and not walk my girl to her car.” Kendrick threw daggers at this cousin before placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her out the door, down the steps, and to her car.