by Ellen Riggs
“Keats,” I said, “get Mom before she makes me really glad to leave home.”
Even Jilly smiled when Dahlia jumped away from the dog’s herding nip.
“You owe me for another set of nylons, Ivy,” Mom said as she followed me up the stairs.
“Take it off your unpaid rent.”
“I’ve spent my pennies on products for you.” She gave me a little shove. “I recommend the tea tree and pine body wash today. You’ll smell like a man, but I doubt you’ll be dating one any time soon.”
She kept me in the shower longer than I wanted, but eventually I was back outside downloading instructions for farm management to the team. Cori finally got her sheepdog, Clem, to join forces with Keats and herd Jilly and me to the truck.
“We were running this place before you got here, remember?” she said. “Go, already. Fix this savage swan issue and try to have a little fun while you’re at it.”
“Fun? In a retirement community?” Edna said. “Impossible.”
Remi Malone wove through the crowd carrying Leo, her beagle, like a spotted handbag. She neatly cut off everyone but Kellan and Asher, pushing the others back with nothing more than a sweet smile. It was a natural grace she shared with Jilly.
“You’ll want a moment to say your goodbyes,” she said, before smothering Leo’s silky ears with kisses. It was a blatant attempt to decoy Cori, who espoused a “four on the floor” rule for canines. The trainer’s instant tirade gave Kellan and me the cover we needed for a hug.
Then, easing me to arm’s length, he gave me that smile again—the one that had melted the iceberg in my chest since my homecoming. Our high school romance had been simple and sweet. Back then, we’d imagined a life together in the city, with corporate careers and plenty of kids. Now I had plenty of kids but all of them had hooves and rectangular pupils. My days revolved around manure, although my HR skills were hardly wasted managing diverse personalities among livestock and occasional psychopaths.
Meanwhile, Kellan carried a gun and the lines on his face told tales of horrific experiences he hadn’t shared. There was a lot of water under the bridge since our youthful romance broke down, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Sometimes I wondered if he felt differently, but he answered every challenge I issued with more conviction. It was time I started believing that he accepted me just as I was. Moreover, it was time to start accepting myself as I was and stop seeing myself through my mother’s eyes—as the smelly daughter who was like her longtime deadbeat dad.
“I’d ask you to be careful but I suppose that’s useless,” Kellan said.
“I promise to be more careful than usual,” I said. “It’s one thing to take risks on my turf surrounded by my army, and quite another to play cowboy in a strange place.”
His smile said he wanted to believe me. “That sounds encouraging.”
I squeezed his hand. “I take more chances here because I know you’re on duty.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or frustrated,” he said, but his gaze warmed.
“I can only do what I do because of my prince on his white charger.” There was an indignant rumble below, so I added, “And my canine charger, of course.”
“For once I came first,” Kellan said, pulling me close again. “Take that, Keats.”
The next mumble was insolent, and Kellan jumped away suddenly. The dog had no doubt deposited another bruise on my boyfriend’s calf. I frowned at Keats. “At least let me fill up my hug bank to last a week. You hate hugs and Percy only likes them from Jilly.”
In fact, I could see the cat cradled in her arms now as I stared right through the truck’s cab to where she stood on the other side. Asher was trying to fill his hug bank, but Jilly appeared to be using marmalade fluff as a barricade.
Since Calvin resurfaced, a cold front had rolled in between Asher, who’d welcomed him, and the rest of us, who hadn’t. In time, hackles would settle and Mom’s golden boy would prevail in winning everyone back. Jilly and Kellan had been caught in the middle and it hit her the hardest. A week away would give me time to right that wrong. I didn’t want my family issues coming between a couple who had always felt destined to me. To Keats as well, it seemed, because he ran around the truck and tried to herd the two together with sheepdog moves. When that didn’t work, he took a leap at Percy. The cat gave an angry yowl and jumped from Jilly’s arms into the truck. After that, Asher made his move but her arms hung limply over his shoulders.
There was confusion in my happy-go-lucky brother’s blue eyes when Jilly pulled away. Keats must have felt the chill, too, because he drove her into the truck, and then parked himself on her lap.
Kellan gave me a worried glance as I climbed inside. “It’ll be fine,” I said. “There’s an ugly duckling that needs our attention. Once we’ve turned it into a beautiful swan, things will look brighter.”
“Just don’t bring it home,” he said.
Closing the door, I rolled down the window. “If you really loved me you’d dig me a pond while I’m gone. I was just telling Keats that we need some quackers.”
He shook his head, laughing. “At least they can swim when your ark sinks.”
Laughter helped ease the dull ache in my heart as we started rolling away from my happy place.
Keats wasn’t moping at all, however. He placed white paws on the dashboard, ready to take on swans and whatever else lay ahead. Without turning, he mumbled something that made me smile.
“What did he say?” Jilly asked.
The question revealed her state of mind because she typically spoke “Keats” almost as well as I did.
“He said this is the most fun he’s had in ages.” I took my hand off the stick shift to pat her arm. “And he thanked you for making it happen. You’re a sheepdog’s dream come true, Jilly Blackwood.”
Finally, my friend’s easy laughter filled the truck. “At least I can make someone happy.”
Keats offered another mumble that I translated automatically for her. “That was the doggy equivalent to buck up little camper, adventure awaits.”
And with that, I geared up and cruised toward the highway.
Chapter Three
For the first hour of our drive, Keats kept up his eager panting. He was the only one without mixed feelings about the trip. Percy was disgruntled over being relegated to his carrier. Both animals should have been restrained, but Keats had probably never seen the inside of a crate and would be greatly affronted to start now. All I could do was hope for the best and trust my improved truck handling skills. It was encouraging that Jilly no longer clutched the door handle for dear life when I drove. That left her hands free to stroke Keats’ sides rapidly as he perched on her knee. She probably wasn’t aware of how that revealed her nerves.
When her fingers slowed and Keats’ lolling tongue retired to his mouth in a state of relaxed alertness, I glanced at my friend. No matter how stressed, she’d pulled a nice outfit together, topped with a lightweight blue wool jacket and matching silk scarf.
“Nice earrings,” I said. “They have an antique look.”
She nodded and the dangling pearls swung. “They’ve been in my family for generations.”
“I’m sure your gran is going to be happy you’re wearing them.”
The pearls bobbed again, catching a little light and creating a warm glow. “Probably. I tried giving them back to her when our family broke up but she wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Broke up? Was the rift as big as that?”
“Massive. My mom and my aunt had an epic fallout when I was a teen and Gran was caught in the middle. Aunt Shelley wanted Gran to move out of the old family manor so that she could take over herself. Mom tried to stop that from happening and failed. Shelley’s the younger but she’s a force of nature.”
“Is that when your gran moved down south to the retirement community? She couldn’t have been very old at the time.”
“She was the youngest person there and it took a long time to adjust. According
to Mom. They still keep in touch.”
“Then your aunt took over the old house?”
The pearls bobbed a yes. “Plus all the responsibilities that came with it. It’s old and needs a lot of care.”
“What about your mom?”
“She moved to California when I left for college. We chat now and then. That’s about it.”
“Sounds like she was sad about losing the home.”
Jilly’s hands picked up speed on Keats’ sleek sides. His mouth opened in a pant that didn’t have the same happy quality anymore. “Mom complained about the old house but later I think she felt…”
“Exiled?” I suggested.
“Exiled and yet relieved. Also hurt Gran didn’t or couldn’t side with her. Aunt Shelley and Janelle won that battle. We all lost the family.”
“Janelle? That’s another name I haven’t heard.”
“My cousin. Shelley’s daughter. We were like twins growing up, but when she hit high school something changed. That’s what started the whole ruckus.”
I looked around to get my bearings. We were coasting past town after town in the hill country range. There were at least 30 of them, and while each had a unique identity in my youth, lately they were more homogenized like Clover Grove. Dorset Hills had started that ball rolling by becoming “Dog Town.” They attracted tourists in droves and the rest of us cast a net to hold them longer.
“What change could cause that much trouble?” I asked.
“Janelle transformed practically overnight,” Jilly said. “She started getting into trouble and Aunt Shelley said I was a bad influence.”
“You! A straight A student who sang in show choir and managed the yearbook? You’re a perfect role model.”
Jilly laughed. “Not my aunt’s idea of perfection. She’s eccentric. Bohemian.” Her index finger traced a pattern in the paw prints on the side window. “A rebel, unlike me.”
“And Janelle?”
“Dropped out of college and from what Gran says, still drifting from job to job.”
“Sounds like she suffered most from all this.”
“I don’t know about that,” Jilly said. “But she hasn’t tried to make things right.”
“Family,” I said. “You know I empathize.”
She nodded. “It means so much that you’d come along, Ivy. Reliving all this will be tough. I’d made peace with the situation and was glad to be done with the drama.”
“Maybe you’ll get a surprise. You know how unnerving Calvin’s arrival was, but now I see it as a good thing. Mostly. Releasing old demons is giving me room to breathe and I hope it will do the same for you.”
Staring out the passenger window, she shrugged. “Maybe it will do some good.”
“That’s more like our Jilly.” Keats turned and gave Jilly a rare lick on her cheek. “Keats agrees. And he wants to know what’s going on between you and Asher.”
The dog mumbled huffily over my using him to cover my own nosiness.
“Everything’s fine,” she said. “I’m just focused on my family right now.”
“Fine? I saw my brother’s face today. It was like someone stole his NFL football signed by a quarterback I can never remember. He feels you drifting away from him and doesn’t know what to do about it.”
“Not drifting away—just taking a road trip that’ll apparently give me more capacity to enjoy life. Let’s see what next week brings.”
She rolled down the window and pulled in a breath of spring air that held the effervescent tang of the hills, although we were nearing the end of the range.
I geared down and grabbed the hand that compulsively stroked Keats’ sleek side. “You’re going to rub the fur off my dog and I don’t want your gran to meet him bald. I may not care about my own appearance, but I like my pets to be pretty.”
That got a laugh out of her and she squeezed my hand back. “Would you be mad if things didn’t work out with your brother?”
I shook my head. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to him, but if he doesn’t make you happy, then I support you in whatever you choose.”
Her lips folded into a thin line and she blinked a few times before speaking. “I’m afraid we don’t have what it takes for the long haul. My family resurfacing changes everything.”
“Did Asher’s reaction to my father’s resurfacing change your mind?”
Asher had welcomed Calvin with open arms, acting like a free agent instead of pulling with the rest of us. I thought I knew my open, genial brother, but Calvin’s arrival had shown a different side. If I was recalibrating, Jilly must be doing the same.
“I haven’t been upfront with him about my family, either,” she said. “That’s what gives me pause. If we can’t be honest about things like that, what does it say about our future?”
“It says you should take your time, just like I’m doing with Kellan. Sometimes I want to fast-forward to a happily ever after, but it’s not realistic with all the baggage I carry.”
“Kellan has his own, too,” Jilly said. “He walks as if the weight of the world’s on his shoulders. Then his eyes light on you and he straightens up and smiles.”
My heart had squeezed like a fist in my chest and the pressure released with her words. “Thank you for saying that, Jilly. How about we both just see how things go?” I felt a shift in the atmosphere through our open windows. “I have faith my brother would always support you, but it’s his job to prove that to you. Whatever happens, you and I will be besties forever. You’re my real family, remember.”
“You have no idea how much comfort that gives me.” She gestured to a road sign for the turnoff to Wyldwood Springs. “I spent a lot of summers in this area, you know. Before Gran moved away.”
“In Wyldwood Springs? You’re a hill country girl and never told me?”
She laughed. “Wyldwood hardly qualifies. There’s barely a bump in the entire county. But I loved staying at the old family manor.”
“Before your aunt stole it out from under your gran?”
“Yeah. Mom and Shelley never got along, but Mom wanted me to spend time with Gran and especially Janelle, since we were both only children.” Her window went down even more. Two noses competed for fresh air, only one of which snorted. “It was magic. I mean, everyday magic. Just running through wildflowers till the fireflies came out.”
“Idyllic,” I said. “We rarely get fireflies in Clover Grove. That’s the upside of the downside of hill country, like Wyldwood Springs.”
“It really is pretty.” She stuck her fingers out the window and let them trail in the breeze. “There are brooks and waterfalls and old bridges everywhere. Janny and I tried to take a picture on every bridge but we never made it before…”
Her voice drifted off and I prodded her gently. “Before detonation?”
She nodded. “Mom came to drop me off that summer and there was a summit. I’m still not exactly sure what happened. Janny had stayed in Wyldwood that year and got in trouble. Gran took the blame and Shelley basically lost it. The next day, Mom pulled the car around and gunned us out of there.” She rolled up the window so fast Keats protested. “That was the last visit.”
“Do you want to do a little drive-by?” I asked. “I’d love to see your old family home.”
“No.” The answer was quick and decisive. “Maybe on the way back if things go okay with Gran.”
“Sounds good.” I adjusted my seat for the next leg of the journey. Now that we were out of hill country, I was more relaxed. Jilly seemed to feel the same and we lapsed into the comfortable silence of old friends.
Keats settled too, curling into a ball in Jilly’s lap. His eyes never fully closed, however, and his nose twitched constantly, picking up signals on the light breeze from my window. Even when it was freezing, I gave him fresh air to monitor our surroundings. He was my early alert system.
A few hours later, that’s exactly how I came to notice we were being followed. The car behind us was far enough back that there was
nothing to see but a glint of late afternoon sun off chrome and glass. But Keats had gotten twitchy. His muzzle lifted and swiveled. Then he stood and looked over Jilly’s shoulder. And finally he grumbled something under his breath to Percy, who turned around in his carrier to face the back of the seat. There was nothing for the cat to see, but plenty to feel.
“What’s going on?” Jilly asked.
I flicked my eyes from mirror to mirror a few more times before answering. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say we’re being tailed.”
Chapter Four
“Tailed? Are you kidding?” Jilly’s voice spiked. One of her strengths in the corporate world had been her even, melodious tone that rarely gave away her emotions. Farm life had stolen that from her.
“There’s a car way back that nearly drops out of sight every time I look. At first I didn’t think much of it because it seems like it’s different cars. I haven’t been able to get a fix on a vehicle, so I may be wrong.”
Now she reached for the handgrip. “Percy and Keats say you’re right.”
The dog’s ruff had risen, and his ears flattened. Something was amiss.
“I can’t imagine why anyone would tail us now,” I said. “Unless it’s Jim Moss, that private investigator whose sinister client came after Calvin.”
“You said Kellan dealt with that.”
“He did, at least as much as he could. The roots of crime run so deep in hill country that it’s like playing whack-a-mole. Kellan can’t even disperse funds from the recovered treasure until he’s sure it won’t cause more harm than good.”
Jilly loosened her scarf with her free hand. “Do you really think someone would come this far to keep track of us? We’ve been driving most of the day.”
“It’s so weird. They could have gained on us any time, yet they stay just far enough back. It’s almost like they sense when I’m checking the mirror.”
Her hand moved from her scarf to touch one pearl earring. “Maybe it’s not about Clover Grove at all. Maybe it’s about the Briars.”