by Jessica Beck
“Table for two. Roberts,” Timothy told the hostess.
“It will be one moment,” she said. “Feel free to have a seat.”
I was about to turn to do as she’d suggested when I ran into the last person I’d been expecting to see. “Pat, what are you doing here?” My twin brother was wearing his best suit, so he looked good, but Jenna Lance looked absolutely amazing. The old hound dog had a reason of his own for slipping away from Maple Crest for the night.
I couldn’t have been happier about it, especially seeing the expression on my twin brother’s face when he knew that he’d been caught!
CHAPTER 16: PAT
“Annie, what are you doing here?” I asked, incredulous that she was there, tonight of all nights.
“Having dinner, the same as you,” my twin sister said to me, and then she turned to Jenna. “I’ve got to say, you look absolutely incredible.”
She smiled at the compliment. “I think we both clean up rather nicely, don’t you?”
Annie nodded in agreement, and then she turned back to me. “Great minds think alike, don’t they?”
I had to laugh. Leave it to the pair of us to try to keep a secret from each other! “Timothy, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine. You two wouldn’t like to sit with us, would you?”
It was the most insincere offer I’d ever received in my life, and I knew how painful it had been for Timothy to make it. “Thanks, but I see plenty of Annie during the day.” I turned to her and said, “No offense intended.”
“None taken,” she said, and then she stuck her tongue out at me.
I had to laugh, which was awkward, since neither Jenna nor Timothy had seen her do it.
I stepped past them and told the hostess, “Marsh, party of two.”
“As I told them earlier, it will be just a minute,” she said.
“Fine.” I turned to Jenna and said softly, “You really do look spectacular tonight.”
“Stop saying that,” she said with a giggle that told me she wasn’t all that unhappy about hearing it again. “You’re going to make me think it’s true.”
Didn’t the woman own a mirror? I was about to say something when Timothy spoke up. “I think you look great, too.” The moment he said it, I looked at Annie to see how she would react. I prepared myself for the blast, but she just nodded in agreement. I doubt anyone else even saw her bite her lower lip for a moment. Timothy had better do some digging, and soon, if he was going to get himself out of that hole. At least he realized it as well. “I have to say, you’re the second prettiest woman here tonight, and I’m lucky enough to be taking the winner out myself.”
Annie frowned for a moment, and then she laughed. “Relax, Timothy. You’re doing just fine.”
The relief on her date’s face was obvious.
The hostess summoned them, and after a set of hasty good-byes, they were on their way. “That was a little awkward, wasn’t it?” I asked Jenna.
She studied me closely before she answered. “It was obviously a surprise to your sister to find us out together. I’m curious about why you didn’t tell her we were going out on a date, Patrick.”
It was rarely good when someone used my full first name. I said the only thing I could think of, the complete and unvarnished truth. “I didn’t want to take a chance on jinxing my good fortune by telling anyone about it,” I said. “Plus, I’ve been so excited about our date that I wanted to keep it just for me.”
Jenna’s expression softened instantly. “I believe that’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”
It appeared that I’d dodged a bullet, at least for now.
But the evening was still young.
The food was delicious, enhanced by the company and the surroundings. I found myself warming to Jenna with each passing moment, and by the time the bill arrived, I had a feeling that my life was about to take an extremely interesting turn.
And then, on our way out, things got complicated.
“Pat? Hello. How are you? You look nice.”
It was Molly Fennel, the past love of my life who had broken my heart one too many times. What was she doing here?
“Hi, Molly,” I said. “Do you know Jenna Lance?”
“Of course,” she said. “How are you, Jenna?”
“I’m fine,” she said.
Molly had been there alone, but two other women from town soon joined her. All of them were dressed nicely, out for a ladies’ night, no doubt.
“Well, we’d better get going,” I said as I put a hand instinctively on Jenna’s waist to lead her past. It did not go unnoticed, though that hadn’t been my intent.
We gave the valet our ticket for my car, and while we were waiting, Jenna looked at me a moment before she spoke. “This seems to be an evening of unexpected surprises, doesn’t it?”
I nodded, not really knowing what else to say.
Jenna looked as though she was going to try again, but then she must have decided not to. The car came in due time, and soon we were driving back to Maple Crest.
“It’s not fair, you know,” Jenna said softly after we’d been on the road for a few minutes.
“What’s that?”
“She had her chance with you, and she threw it away.”
“Jenna, I’m over her. That part of my life is finished.”
“Pat, you should have seen the way you looked at her. I might as well not have even been there. You still have feelings for her. It’s okay. You can admit it. I don’t mind.”
I frowned before I trusted myself to speak. It had been a jolt seeing Molly, I couldn’t deny it, but she’d made it clear that we were through. Though her cousin had tried to convince me otherwise, it was apparent when nothing else happened that he’d been wrong. I couldn’t be the one always pursuing her.
“At least be an adult and talk to me,” Jenna said. “Do you still love her?”
I spotted a place to pull over, so I did. Once I had the engine off, I unsnapped my seatbelt, leaned over, and kissed her soundly.
Wow. After a moment’s hesitation, she threw herself into it, and in less than a minute, I’d forgotten all about Molly Fennel and our history together.
When we finally broke apart, Jenna giggled before she said, “Okay, that’s one way to answer my question.”
“Is it a way you approve of?” I asked.
“Absolutely. I have to admit that I was feeling pretty vulnerable before you kissed me.”
“And now?”
She smiled brightly. “What do you think?”
“Should I start driving again, or should we try it again to make sure that the first one wasn’t a fluke?” I asked her, returning her smile with one of my own.
“You’d better. I’d hate for you to get a ticket on my account.”
As I pulled back out onto the highway, I said, “If I did, it would be worth every penny the fine cost me.”
The goodnight kiss at her door was even better, and when I finally left Jenna’s front porch, I was starting to feel like a new man again.
That lasted until I got back to the Iron, when I found someone unexpected waiting for me there.
CHAPTER 17: ANNIE
“Are you going to be watching them on their date the entire time we’re here?” Timothy asked me ten minutes after we were seated. “If you are, we might as well get one big table after all.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, turning my attention back to him. “Pat hasn’t gone out on a real date since Molly dumped him for the dozenth time last year. I’m so proud of him for going out with Jenna.”
“She looks especially good tonight, doesn’t she?” Timothy asked.
I turned abruptly toward him and found that he was grinning broadly at me. “What’s so funny?”
“If you can watch them, then so can I,” he said. “But honestly, I’d rather be watching you.”
“Point taken,” I said. Not very many people could get away with something like that, but Timothy knew just when to
push me and exactly how much was needed. It would be a good trait to possess if it worked out between us. “Do me a favor and switch chairs with me.”
“Is there a draft or something?” he asked.
“No, but if I’m sitting where you are, I won’t be as tempted to keep peeking at my brother.”
“That I can heartily endorse, then,” he said as he rose and got my chair. I hadn’t realized what a consummate gentleman Timothy was, a very nice change of pace from many of the men I’d dated in the past. Not that I’d dated that many in the first place. It was a decent amount, but not excessive; at least that’s what I liked to tell myself.
“Better?” he asked once we were both settled in.
“Much,” I answered. “So, enough about me and my family. What’s been going on with you lately?”
“Business is fine, but what I really live for is the forest. Did I tell you that I’m building a cabin of my own in the woods?”
“No. Really? Where?”
“As a matter of fact, we’re going to be neighbors,” he said with a smile. “The Logan parcel was up for sale, and I bought it.”
“We’re at least half a mile away from each other,” I said. “You won’t exactly be living in my backyard.”
“I didn’t buy the land because of you,” Timothy said and then quickly added, “Well, that wasn’t the only reason.”
I must have looked a little alarmed by his statement, because he immediately said, “Easy, Annie. I was just kidding. It’s good land, as you know.”
“I would have bought it myself if I could have afforded it,” I said, which was true. As far as I was concerned, I couldn’t own enough land. The more woods I had around me, the happier I would be. It wasn’t that I was antisocial or anything; I just liked the way it felt to have room enough to sneeze without having someone nearby say bless you.
“I’m already drawing up plans for my cabin,” Timothy said, his enthusiasm for the project shining through. “Do you mind if I show them to you when they’re ready and get your opinion on a few things?”
“I don’t know. I’m not an architect.”
“No, you’re something even better,” he said. “You actually live in a cabin like I’m planning to build.”
“I’d be happy to give you any advice that I can.”
“Wonderful. I’m holding you to that.” Timothy looked at me for a few more moments before he spoke again. “I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. I was afraid that I’d be nervous, but I’m really having a good time.”
“Am I really that scary?” I asked him with a grin.
“You are an accomplished and intimidating woman,” he answered.
“Seriously? I’m a glorified fry cook. What’s intimidating about that?”
“You and Pat started a store and grill from nothing, and now you run the most popular place in Maple Crest. Added to that is the fact that you live off by yourself in a dream cabin in the woods without fear. I’d say that’s pretty amazing in and of itself.”
“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds better than it actually is.”
“I beg to differ. I forgot to add one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re about as pretty as one woman should be allowed to be,” he said happily.
“I’m not one to talk myself down, but we both know that Jenna Lance is prettier.”
“Let’s agree to disagree about that,” Timothy said, and then he reached across the table and took my hand in his. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Are you kidding? I’m having a wonderful time. Thank you for finally asking.”
He chuckled softly. “The next time I won’t wait quite so long. Do you have any plans tomorrow night?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m busy.” I hated to say it, but Pat and I really did have to help Kathleen and start digging into the murders in earnest.
“Is it another guy?” he asked, pulling his hand slowly away from mine.
I captured it before he could retract it completely. “Pat and I are looking into what happened to Albert Yeats.” I decided not to mention that we were also digging into Mitchell Wells’s murder as well.
“I understand that completely. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but if I do, you’ll be the first to know.”
“It’s a deal. One thing, then. Once this is all wrapped up, I want to take you out again.”
“I’d like that,” I said, “on one condition.”
“Anything.”
“Be careful about agreeing before you hear what it is,” I said with a laugh.
“I’m willing to take the risk. What’s your condition?”
“I cook something for us at the cabin, and we eat out by the lake.”
“Now I can’t wait for you to solve the crime. If it weren’t a lie, I’d confess myself.”
“There’s no need for that. We’ll find the killer on our own.”
“I have faith in you,” Timothy said.
Our dinner was delicious, and we were back at my cabin before I realized it. The time flew past, and when Timothy walked me to my front door, I was ready to give him a goodnight kiss worthy of the effort he’d put into our date.
It somehow even exceeded it. Why had I been ignoring this man before? He’d been right in front of me, but I’d been too blinded by his niceness to realize that there was real potential for something special with him. That kiss nearly curled my toes, and as I watched his headlights recede down my driveway, I found myself hoping for a quick solution to our investigations as well.
A second date with Timothy was something that I very much wanted to happen, and the sooner the better, as far as I was concerned.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on my door, and I wondered if Timothy had forgotten something, or if he was returning for another goodnight kiss. Either way, I was ready for him.
What I wasn’t expecting was a drunken Greg Andrews standing there, clearly furious with me.
“Greg, you’re not welcome here,” I said as I started to slam the door in his face.
His foot was too quick for me, though, despite the fact that he was clearly inebriated. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy. I saw you out tonight.”
“So what?” I asked defiantly. “I can do whatever I want to.”
“And whoever you want to, too. Timothy Roberts? Seriously? Is that the best you can do, Annie?”
“Greg, he’s a better man than you’ll ever be,” I said.
“Ha. He can’t compare to me on his best day,” Greg said. A little plaintively, he added, “Would you mind easing up on the door? My foot’s starting to hurt a little.”
“I don’t care if it falls off,” I said. How was I going to get rid of him? My cellphone was over on the table, my gun was in the hall closet, and my baseball bat was upstairs. One thing was certain; he wasn’t getting anything more than a foot in my door if I had to stand there pinning him in place all night.
Luckily, I didn’t have to.
I heard the whoop of a police siren, and a minute later, Kathleen was manhandling Greg into the back of her patrol car. How had she managed to cuff his hands and move him there so quickly? I had new respect for my sister’s abilities as a law enforcement officer.
“Did he bother you?” Kathleen asked when I followed her outside.
“He didn’t have the chance. How did you know he was here?”
“We got a call about a weaving car in the area, and I put two and two together. I’m glad that you’re okay.”
“It feels good having my big sister look out for me,” I admitted.
“It doesn’t hurt that she’s the sheriff too, does it?” Kathleen asked me with a grin.
“What’s going to happen with his car?” I asked her as she started to get into her squad car.
“I’ll have Hank and Ginny come out and pick it up tonight,” she said.
“What’s going to happen t
o him?” I asked as I gestured back toward Greg.
“He refused a breathalyzer and a field sobriety test, so we’re going to the hospital and getting a blood sample. I’m afraid he’s in for a long night in my drunk tank after that.”
“It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” I said. “Thanks for being there when I needed you.”
“All part of the service,” she said, and then my sister drove off with that idiot in cuffs in her backseat.
Greg had lost his mind, in more ways than one. Not only had he acted as though we were still dating when clearly we were not, but he’d driven drunk, something that was unforgivable. I’d lost both my parents because of a drunk driver, and as far as I was concerned, he was dead to me from that moment forward.
Half an hour later I heard a car pull up outside. I peeked out the window and saw Kathleen’s two deputy sheriffs retrieve Greg’s car and drive it off my property. I hadn’t even wanted to go outside long enough to thank them. What had been a truly enchanted evening had just as suddenly turned sour, and the only thing that I wanted to do now was to put it all behind me. It wasn’t Timothy’s fault in any way, shape, or form, but it was tarnished nonetheless, and I hoped that when our murder investigations were over, we’d be able to capture a little of the magic that we’d shared earlier.
CHAPTER 18: PAT
“What are you doing here?” I asked Betty Murphy when I realized that she was there. Betty was sitting in one of the rocking chairs on our front porch, and I shivered a bit when I realized that it had once held a dead body in that exact same spot.
“I need to talk to you, Pat.”
“Well, come on inside. I’ll make us some coffee.”
She shook her head. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stay out here.”