by B. J Daniels
“You are so lucky, having such a big family.”
“You don’t?” he asked.
She could feel his gaze on her. She shook her head. “I was raised by Doreen Michaels. She was a widow here in town. She died seven years ago. I was left on her doorstep when I was only a few days old. She was a kindly widow who took me in and looked after me. She was the one who taught me to knit.”
“She did more than that,” Dalton said. “She raised you into a fine young woman. She must have been very proud.”
Georgia looked over at him, surprised at his reaction to her story. His gaze touched her face like a caress. She couldn’t speak for a moment, her throat choked with emotion. “Thank you. I had a nice time this evening.” She’d enjoyed herself so much that she’d almost forgotten why she’d come out here.
Dalton must have been thinking the same thing. “I hate to spoil this evening by talking about anything or anyone unpleasant, but you wouldn’t have come out unless it was important.”
She nodded. “It is. It might give you the leverage you need with Nicci. You said you couldn’t find anything on the Internet? That might be because she was using the name Nicci Corbett.”
He let out a curse. “She was using my name? I never dreamed she’d do that after what had happened.”
“Only until she remarried.” Georgia told him how Rory had called the sailing school in Seattle.
“Remarried?” Dalton was shaking his head. “But we are still married.”
“That’s why I thought maybe you could use the information as leverage to force her to go through with the divorce,” Georgia said. “Not that this is any of my business.”
He smiled and stepped to her, taking her shoulders in his big hands. “Nicci and I made it your business. I’m sorry. But thank you. I definitely can use this information.”
“Good,” she said, too aware of the warmth of his hands on her shoulders.
“So this Farmington she married. Where is he?”
“Her husband was lost at sea in a sailing accident on their honeymoon. His body was never found.”
Dalton looked as if he’d been slammed in the chest by a wrecking ball. He let go of her and stepped back, turning to grab the porch railing as he leaned over it as if he thought he was going to be sick.
“Dalton? Are you all right?” Georgia asked touching his back.
When he turned, he seemed to have composed himself. “I’m sorry. I’m okay.”
He wasn’t, though. She could see that and realized he must be remembering his own honeymoon night with Nicci at sea and the reason he thought Nicci had been dead the last nine years.
Dalton tried to pull himself together. A husband lost at sea. That could have been him. He needed to be alone and yet just the thought of sending Georgia back to that shop where Nicci—
He glanced at his watch and frowned. “Are you still planning to go to the movies with Nicci?”
“With Nicci and Rory,” Georgia said with a groan. “I completely forgot about the movie. If I hurry…” She looked up at him. “I don’t want to leave you like this. I can tell you’re upset.”
“I’ll be fine.” He had been about to tell her to cancel. He’d forgotten her friend Rory would be there. It was better that she go. If she started behaving oddly it would put Nicci on alert and Dalton was afraid what she might do.
And yet, he needed to be completely honest with Georgia, tell her everything, even though he hadn’t even told his lawyer everything. “Are you going to the county fair tomorrow?” he asked.
“I have a knitting class in the morning, but then I’m closing up the shop and going.” A lot of businesses closed in Whitehorse since the entire county would be at the fair the next few days.
“Look me up when you get to the fair. I’ll be in one of the barns.”
“All right.” She still was studying him with concern.
He tried to put on his best face. “I’m so glad you joined my family for supper. It’s one of the most pleasant evenings I’ve had in years,” he said as he walked her to her pickup.
“Thank you. You’ve made a Mexican food convert of me.”
“Georgia, I know it’s going to be hard, but you need to act as if nothing has changed with Nicci. I’ll make sure the divorce papers are served tomorrow with the new information. With luck, that will be the end of it and we’ll never see Nicci again.”
He was praying that would be the case for both their sakes. She started to get into her truck but he touched her arm, drawing her back.
“I wish we’d met under other circumstances,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow. In the meantime, be careful.”
GEORGIA CALLED Rory as she left the ranch. “Are you on your way to the theater?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll have to meet there. Don’t forget. We had supper together.”
“What did we eat?” Rory joked.
“Mexican food with the Corbetts.”
“Get out of here. So you met them all? I heard the five brothers are all drop-dead good-looking.”
“They are, but no more handsome than that husband of yours.”
“That goes without saying,” Rory said with a laugh. “So what did Dalton say when you told him what we’d found?”
“Not much. He seemed pretty shaken. We’re going to talk tomorrow.”
Rory’s silence spoke volumes.
“What?” Georgia demanded, although she could guess.
“Whose idea was it to see each other again?”
“He’s a married man.”
“Come on, one week when he was eighteen? You’re attracted to him.”
Georgia felt a chill, remembering Nicci accusing her of the same thing. “I have to go. See you at the theater. Don’t forget about supper.”
“What did I cook again?” Rory asked before Georgia could hang up.
“Sour-cream chicken enchiladas and pork-chile verde with homemade tortillas and refried beans, also homemade, and flan for dessert.”
“Wow, wasn’t I something? I assume everything was wonderful?”
“It was. You didn’t have any. They wouldn’t agree with the baby,” Georgia joked. “You had…”
“Mac and cheese. It’s really all Devlin knows how to make.”
“Remember, we can’t act any differently around Nicci.”
“This is so Nancy Drew. I love it!”
Georgia pulled up to the theater just seconds before Rory. Nicci was already standing on the curb waiting.
For a moment, Georgia was worried she’d be upset about them making her wait. Or jealous about the supper she thought Rory and Georgia had shared.
But when Nicci saw them, she smiled and seemed to be her old self, making Georgia relax somewhat. As the evening progressed, Nicci appeared to be in rare form, sitting next to Rory and chatting amiably with her before the movie started.
While Nicci’s enthusiasm for the three of them having another night out was catching, Georgia couldn’t shake the feeling that Nicci was trying too hard. Or was Georgia just being too critical? Did Nicci sense that things had changed?
Georgia knew she could become paranoid without much effort if she wasn’t careful. Nicci was just trying to get back into her good graces. That’s why she was trying so hard with Rory.
“I need candy,” Nicci whispered in the middle of the movie. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thanks,” Georgia whispered back. Rory just shook her head, completely engrossed in the film.
The movie, a thriller, had Georgia sliding down in her seat and gripping the arms of her chair. As the film raced to its dramatic conclusion, Nicci finally joined them again. Georgia barely noticed how long Nicci had been gone until the credits began to roll and she finally let herself breathe.
“I hate movies like that,” she said, laughing.
“You love them or you wouldn’t put yourself through them,” Rory said, laughing with her.
“They say we like to watch scary movies and read
scary books because it’s a way to face our fears safely,” Nicci commented as they left the theater.
“Well, it is one way to get our hearts racing,” Rory said.
“There is so little in every day life that can give us that feeling, that’s for sure,” Nicci agreed.
Georgia and Nicci parted company with Rory and headed back toward the apartments.
“I had a great time tonight,” Nicci said, smiling. “I’m so glad Rory came in for the movie. It really was a perfect night.” She yawned. “I’m beat,” she said as they reached the back door of the shop and Georgia pulled out her key.
“Me, too,” Georgia said, relieved Nicci wasn’t going to ask her to stay up and talk about the movie. Hadn’t she bought two bottles of wine earlier today?
They climbed the stairs, Nicci humming a song Georgia didn’t recognize. She really did seem to be in a good mood. Odd, considering Dalton had disabled her car. Maybe she didn’t know yet because she hadn’t mentioned it.
What, Georgia wondered, had Nicci in such high spirits? She doubted it was the movie—or the company.
As they said their good-nights and went into their perspective apartments, Georgia found herself worried that Nicci’s mood had something to do with Dalton—something bad.
THE NEXT MORNING both Agnes and Rory were late for knitting class. Rory was probably feeling the affects of the junk food at the movie last night and Agnes could be running late again.
Still Georgia worried. She checked her watch after getting everyone else started on their projects. Agnes should have been here by now even if she was running late and it was odd that Rory hadn’t called to see how things went with Nicci last night.
Telling herself that she would call Rory later, Georgia still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, given that two of her students were missing—the same two who had misgivings about Nicci. Georgia had more than her share of those and was glad Nicci had gone out early this morning and not returned yet.
When the phone at the shop rang, she hurried to it thinking it had to be Rory calling.
“In Stitches,” she answered cheerfully, feeling better already as she anticipated her friend’s cheerful voice.
“Georgia?” It was Rory’s husband Devlin.
“What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” she cried. Behind her, she heard everyone in her knitting class seem to hold their breaths.
“Rory’s had an accident.”
“Oh God, is she all right?”
“She’s okay and the baby is okay,” he said quickly. “She was on her way in to class and lost control of the pickup.”
Georgia covered her face with her hand and tried to breathe. Rory had been on her way to knitting class? “Where is she now?”
“We’re still at the emergency room. Hold on, she wants to talk to you.”
“Georgia?”
She began to cry at the sound of her friend’s voice.
“I’m fine. The baby’s fine. But when your class is over I need you to call me, okay? It’s really important.”
Georgia got control of herself. “Of course.” Something in Rory’s voice filled her with apprehension. “But you and the baby are all right?”
“Yes. Georgia, make sure Nicci isn’t around when you call.”
“Nicci?” she asked confused.
“Promise me, Georgia.”
“I promise, but I don’t—”
“The brake line was cut on my pickup,” Rory blurted. “That’s why I went off the road. Georgia, remember last night when Nicci disappeared from the movie for so long?”
“You can’t really think—” The rest of the words froze in her throat as she heard the creak of the wood floor as someone entered through the back. She turned to find Nicci standing behind her.
“I’m just glad you and the baby are safe,” Georgia said, trying to cover.
“She’s there?”
The terror in her friend’s voice was almost Georgia’s undoing. “Right. Everyone here was worried about you.”
“I’m worried about you,” Rory said.
“You just take care of yourself.”
Georgia hung up, shaking.
“Is Rory all right?” her class asked in unison, sounding as scared as Georgia felt.
“She was in an accident, but she and the baby are all right,” Georgia said, fighting the sick feeling at the pit of her stomach as she wiped at her tears.
“That’s terrible,” Nicci said, her gaze intent on Georgia’s face. “Was that her on the phone?”
“Her husband called.” Not an outright lie.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought I heard you mention my name.”
“Rory had asked him to tell you how much fun she had last night.” It was the first thing that came to Georgia’s mind. The words came out in nervous jerks. She didn’t think she had fooled Nicci for a moment.
Nicci’s smile never reached her eyes. “That is so like your friend to be thinking of others at a time like this.”
“I’M SORRY I’m late again,” Agnes said the moment she stepped into the knit shop. “Car trouble.” Nicci trouble was more like it.
She stopped short as she saw everyone huddled around Georgia. “What’s wrong?” When she saw Nicci at the edge of the small crowd, she braced herself for the worst.
“Agnes, there was an accident,” Nicci said. “But Rory and her baby are all right.”
The floor beneath her seemed to buckle. Agnes dropped into one of the chairs and an instant later Georgia was beside her.
“An accident?” Agnes couldn’t help looking in Nicci’s direction. A chill shuddered through her and she had to look away.
“I don’t have any of the details,” Georgia said, squeezing her hand. “I’m just so glad Rory and the baby weren’t injured. But I was worried about you, Agnes.”
“No reason to worry about Agnes,” Nicci said from close by. “She’s tough as nails. Aren’t you, Agnes?”
Agnes looked up into those unusual green eyes and felt herself shudder inside. Nicci wasn’t through with any of them and Agnes feared there was nothing she could do about it.
But she had to warn Georgia. She turned to look in her friend’s kind face and saw something that gave her a start. Was it possible Georgia knew about Nicci?
She looked scared—and with good reason, Agnes feared. Once Georgia saw through Nicci…
Agnes had to warn her friend. She knew firsthand what Nicci was capable of. Once Nicci realized that Georgia had seen the truth, Georgia would be at the mercy of Nicci’s black heart.
Georgia couldn’t wait for her class and Nicci to leave so that she could call Rory back. This time, she had paid special attention to the way Agnes reacted to Nicci. What shocked her wasn’t just Agnes’s reaction to Nicci, but Nicci’s to the elderly widow.
Nicci almost seemed afraid of Agnes and Agnes clearly was repelled by the woman. It made no sense given that just yesterday, Georgia had seen Nicci help Agnes get her knitting bag from her car.
Georgia’s head was spinning after what Rory had told her on the phone. It couldn’t be true.
“Georgia, can I speak to you in private for a moment?” Nicci asked as the class ended. Everyone was packing up to leave except Agnes. She seemed to be hanging back for some reason.
Nicci was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. “Sure.” Georgia wondered what this could be about. Earlier Nicci had looked displeased that she wasn’t wearing the silver hoops. Last night, Georgia had put the hoops back in their box and this morning she wore her favorite pearl earrings again that Nana had given her for her sixteenth birthday.
“I have some business to take care of, but I wanted you to tell Rory how happy I am that she’s all right,” Nicci whispered so the others couldn’t hear. “I want to get something for Rory and the baby. Can you tell me how to get out to her place?”
Georgia felt her pulse jump, her heart a hammer inside her chest. “That isn’t necessary.”
“Rory’s my
friend, too,” Nicci said irritably. “If you can’t tell me, I’m sure someone in town…”
“It’s not that,” Georgia said. “Rory’s not at home yet. She’s still at the hospital.”
“Oh.”
She could see Nicci’s disappointment.
“Well, I guess I’ll try to catch her there,” Nicci said.
As she turned to leave, Georgia couldn’t wait to get on the phone to Rory and warn her. Just the fact that Nicci had wanted to know how to get to Rory’s ranch…
Nicci turned back at the door. “I suppose I should tell someone…I’m meeting Dalton this morning.” She touched her skinned elbow. “You know, in case something should happen.”
“I’m glad you told me.”
Nicci looked disappointed as if she had expected Georgia to try to talk her out of meeting Dalton alone. Georgia felt as if she’d fallen into another one of the woman’s traps.
“Are you sure you should meet him alone?”
Nicci shrugged. “Dalton insisted. What choice do I have if I want to get this over with?”
“Maybe you should stop by the sheriff’s department and let him know where you’re going. If you have reason to think Dalton might get violent…”
“Have you forgotten what he did to my tires?” Nicci demanded, sounding disgusted.
“That’s why I suggested you talk to the sheriff.”
Nicci flipped her hair back from her face in obvious annoyance. “I can’t very well go to the sheriff without proof, now can I? Never mind. I didn’t mention this to you because I wanted you to come along. I’ve dealt with Dalton before. Like Agnes, I’m no fool.”
Georgia realized that Nicci must not be aware that Agnes was still sitting in the alcove where the knitting classes were held.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Nicci said, sounding angry. She opened her shoulder bag and tilted it so Georgia could see the contents.
Georgia gasped at the sight of the gun.
Nicci quickly shut her purse and smiled. “I’ve learned that with Dalton it’s best if I can take care of myself.” She cocked her head as if amused. “I guess he didn’t tell you that he tried to kill me on our honeymoon.” She laughed. “I see that he failed to mention that.” Nicci lifted the hem of her shirt.