Katie shrugged. “Okay, you’re the boss.”
For the next hour, they opened boxes, laying out fabulous Victorian swags, delicate ornaments, antique angels with real feathered wings, and yards upon yards of garland. Katie sat in the middle of the treasures, lifting items free of their wrapping and handing them over to the girls, who knew where they should be placed.
As the last tote was opened, Tanja made eye contact with Colleen, who nodded once, picking up the queue. “So, Annie, is Nick a bad date? Bad kisser?”
Katie sloshed her margarita. “What?”
“He’s not a bad kisser,” Tanja offered, setting aside a two-foot-high reindeer so she could better watch Annie’s reaction.
“How do you know?” Katie asked too quickly.
Tanja shrugged and winked.
“She’s dated everyone in town, Annie.” Colleen shook her head and whispered in a sad, forlorn voice, “I’m afraid our friend Tanja is a tramp.”
Tanja twirled—pulling her hair to the top of her head. She posed, jutting out her breasts, and gave Colleen a sultry come-and-get-me look. “You’re just jealous.”
Colleen marched toward Tanja, pretending to be offended. Nose-to nose, Colleen gave up the pretense and snorted. “Damn straight, I am. The last penis I saw was when I accidentally walked in on Josh going to the bathroom.”
Tanja stroked Colleen’s hair, “Poor baby.”
Maggie pushed past both of them. “Sex. Sex. Sex. That’s all you two talk about.”
Colleen and Tanja turned wide-eyed expressions on Maggie. “Who? Us?”
Katie sat back on her heels, enjoying the show.
Maggie walked toward Katie. “We’re talking about Annie and Nick. Are you saying my Nicky is a bad kisser? No way. It’s not in the genes, baby!” Maggie twitched her little butt.
Katie choked on her drink.
Maggie pounded Katies back. “Well? What’s going on with you and Nicky?”
Colleen rushed to give Maggie the basics, “She went out with him Thursday night. And she won’t say a damn word except, ‘It was fine.’ No details. No nothing.”
Tanja joined in, “We’re supposed to be friends. Does she share the details of her date?”
Colleen and Maggie shook their heads no and moved closer to Katie.
“Did she ask for our well-earned advice?”
Colleen and Maggie shook their heads again and stepped forward again.
Katie giggled as she watched their faces.
“Share the dirt,” Tanja stated in a deep, ominous voice. She gestured to Colleen and Maggie until it became a chant,
“Share the dirt! Share the dirt!”
Katie put up her hands in mock surrender. “Okay! Okay! I give in! I do, however, require more margarita.”
Maggie, Tanja, and Colleen agreed, and glasses were topped off. Colleen looked into the empty pitcher and grinned. “We’re gonna need more potion!” Tanja shushed her, “In a minute. Annie’s got the floor.”
Katie set aside her drink and began, “We had a nice date. But, he’s not a good kisser.” Katie waited a full two seconds, enjoying the moment when their faces fell, then admitted, “He’s a great kisser. Fantastic. Very enthusiastic.”
Cheers went out, and Maggie high-fived Colleen. “I knew it!”
“So, what’s the problem?” Tanja asked.
Katie fiddled with the bubble wrap in her hand. “It’s too soon. I just ended a marriage with a man who was far from easy.” She concentrated on unwrapping the ornament. “Nick’s a great guy, but he doesn’t seem the casual type.” Katie’s voice rose, “I’m not ready to recommit.” Her passion had her pulling too hard at the wrapping, and an impossibly thin glass ornament fell to the floor and shattered.
Katie jumped to her feet.“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry.” She babbled and knelt, brushing the shards into her hands. In her haste, she cut her palm but didn’t notice. She looked around frantic for a trash can. “I’ll pay for it. I’m so stupid. I’m sorry.”
Colleen, Maggie, and Tanja stood watching her, stunned until Maggie’s maternal instincts took over. She caught hold of Katie, pulling her into a fierce hug. “Shhh. Quit. It’s all right.” She stroked Katie’s hair. “It’s an ornament, not a crime.”
Tanja walked over and wrapped a napkin around Katie’s hand. “No big deal. In fact, it’s a blessing. I never liked that one anyway.” She tipped Katie’s chin upward and smiled. “Girlfriend, you just gave me an excuse to go buy something fabulous.”
Colleen’s face was murderous. “Your husband must have been a real piece of work. Give me the bastard’s name, and I’ll personally cut off his balls.” Seeing Annie’s shocked face, Colleen softened her threat, “You did the right thing leaving his ass. Nobody messes with our friend, do they girls?”
They formed a circle around Katie, hugging her until she was overwhelmed and began to cry again. Maggie squeezed Katie fiercely, knowing they'd just seen the tip of the iceberg.
After two weeks of keeping a low profile, Jack had spent the weekend searching the last businesses along the western bus routes. He kept his questions short and wrote them down in a small notebook—precisely what a private investigator would do.
He wasted five minutes following a blond prostitute, fantasizing about taking her hard and fast in a nearby alley.
She pivoted on her high heels and addressed him, “Hey there, handsome. You gonna follow me all night or make something happen.”
Seeing her face and how little she resembled Katie, Jack hurried away.
Chapter 60
After the girl’s night, it rained for a solid week—making for a soggy Halloween, and an overall depressed feeling in Bluff Creek. Katie was tired of the gray days and lonely evenings. She drove home from Silver Linings, assessing her new life. She’d been in town for more than two months, and there’d been no sign of Jack. The nightmares were occurring less. Take a chance, Katie.
She spied Nick’s truck parked in front of a nice-sized ranch. Squinting through the rain, Katie could see him working in a half-finished shed he and Don were building. The roof was on, but rain still poured in through the open walls.
She honked once and pulled into the driveway. Climbing out of the truck, she yelled a greeting, “Hey Nick! Mr. Connelly!”
Nick stood grinning like an idiot—the cordless drill still spinning. He released the trigger and blushed. “Whatcha doin’ here?” he stammered and turned a deeper shade of red. Oh, nice one, Nick. No wonder she’s not interested in you, can’t even put four words together.
“It’s almost five. Let's go do something.” She flicked water at him.
“Hey! I’m at work here.”
Don smiled into his collar. “Go on, Nick. We can’t run the equipment in all this rain anyway.”
Nick put away tools and walked back toward his truck. Katie followed close behind. Spying a big puddle, she jumped into it with both feet, covering them both in water and mud.
Nick sputtered and got a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Oh. You wanna play, huh?”
Katie took off running, but Nick caught her from behind and held her arms in place. She momentarily froze, but then saw the mischievous look in his eye.
He kicked water at her until she was soaked, and she shrieked with laughter as they made two full circles around Nick’s truck. Don watched from the shed. “Damned fools. Don’t you know it’s raining?”
Nick grinned at their clothes, “Guess we should clean up, huh?”
“Good idea,” Katie agreed, looking at her own splattered clothing. She walked toward her truck.
Nick, finally able to get his brain to work, shouted, “My house is closer.” He pointed down the street. “The little blue one is mine.”
Katie paused one foot in her truck.
“I’ll make you dinner,” Nick offered as an enticement.
Come on, Katie. She nodded once. “I’ll follow you there.”
Nick raced to his truck, praying she’d be behind him. He pulled i
nto the gravel driveway, opened the garage, and ran to the kitchen door. He held it open and gestured Katie inside. “This is one of the Connelly rentals. Nice perk, right?” They stood in a laundry room, and Nick stripped off his shirt and dropped it into the washing machine. He directed Katie toward the bathroom. “Through the kitchen, first door on your left. Towels are under the sink.”
Katie hesitated.
“What?” He turned back toward her, rubbing his own wet hair with a dishtowel.
“Nothing.” He didn’t attempt to follow her toward the bathroom or send sexual innuendos her way. Not Jack. Definitely not Jack. She locked the bathroom door anyway and stood under the hot shower for a long time, thinking about Nick.
She had no clothes to change in to and wrapped one towel around her head and one around her body. She opened the door two inches and caught the smell of grilled cheese. “Umm, Nick?”
He came from the kitchen shirtless and had rolled up his muddy jeans. “Nice outfit.”
She took in his lean, toned frame. You too. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“The towel’s not working for you?”
Katie shook her head.
Nick asked for her wet clothes and watched her push the door closed. “I’ll put ‘em in the dryer and find something you can wear.” He returned with a T-shirt and baggy sweats and knocked on the door. “Sorry, this is all I could find. I’ll leave them outside the door. Come and eat when you’re done.”
She opened the door and snatched the clothes. Holding the t-shirt up to her chest, she tried to identify what she was feeling. Safe. She felt safe.
She made her way to the kitchen, where Nick served up the sandwiches with ravioli. “It’s one of the few things I can cook.”
They sat at his little table, chatting like old friends.
“I’ll handle clean-up,” Katie said as she scraped her plate. “Go take a shower.”
Nick came out wearing sweatpants and pulled her towards the living room. Katie stopped dead in her tracks staring at the enormous TV mounted between the windows. “Oh, my God.” She swiveled her head toward Nick. “I can see why me not having a TV was so shocking!”
Nick shrugged. “I’m a man. We watch TV. What can I say?” He rubbed his arms as he moved toward the couch. The flowered pattern didn’t fit Nick’s style, and Katie suspected Maggie had donated the furniture. “Come sit with me, Annie.”
Katie flinched as Nick reached for her.
“Honest. Just sit.” Nick grabbed a throw pillow and placed it beside him, patting it, and making it clear she didn’t have to sit directly beside him.
She eased herself down, keeping the pillow between them.
Nick shook his head at her. “Someone did a number on you, didn’t they?” It was more a statement than a question. He rested his arm on the pillow, plopped his feet on the coffee table, and closed his eyes.
Minutes ticked by with Nick resting and Katie sitting ramrod straight. Soft evening light filtered in through the windows giving the room a faint amber hue. Nick’s breathing evened out, and Katie slowly relaxed her muscles.
“I just realized I don’t know how old you are,” Katie announced, abruptly breaking the silence.
Nick opened one eye. “I turned twenty-seven in August.”
Katie nodded a few times, accepting the number.
“Too old? Too young?” Nick asked.
She started to tell him he was a year younger than she was but caught herself in time. Cassie would be turning twenty-six in February. “Just right,” Katie answered and mentally searched for another topic before giving anything away. “Tell me about New York.”
“Been checking on me?”
“There are no secrets in this town.”
Nick told his story while tracing lazy circles down her arm. “I was your typical college kid, full of grand plans. After graduation, Bluff Creek felt small and old-fashioned.”
“What’s your degree in, anyway?”
“Finance and property management. I wanted to make my mark but was still working with my dad. He made me crazy--wouldn’t upgrade the rentals, never raised the rent, and refused to use spreadsheets.”
“Spreadsheets?” Katie giggled. “Don? It’s all in his head, right?”
“Exactly.” Nick squeezed her hand and kept talking. “Mostly, I was full of myself, and sure I could do better. So, after an argument over drywall…drywall for God’s sake,” he scoffed, “I packed up my stuff and headed to the city where I’d be appreciated.”
Katie snuggled in deeper. “How’d that go?”
“All right at first. I landed a respectable job, got a tiny apartment, and a sexy girlfriend named Erika.” Nick paused and pretended to be thinking of Erika.
Katie rolled her eyes. “Erika? Wasn’t that the name of a hurricane?”
He tried to look insulted, but he couldn’t help but grin. “I don’t remember. Maybe.”
“Do you know why hurricanes were originally named after women?”
“Why?”
“They arrive wet and wild and leave with your car!” Katie grinned at her joke.
“You’re a funny girl.” He knuckled her under the chin and settled back into the couch.”Where was I? Oh yeah, New York. My bosses were only concerned with the bottom line. Erika only wanted to party. I started to miss Fancy Bluff Creek, lightning bugs, tree frogs, and my parents. Not in that order. So, I came home.”
It was Nick’s turn to ask a question, “And you? What’s your story?”
Katie gave a much shorter answer. “Unlike you, I did grow up in the city and not the right side of it either. I longed for a house with the proverbial white picket fence and married the first man who came along offering such things. He ended up not being nice at all. I left, heading for Florida, and ended up here.” Guilt at her less than honest answer had her leaning away.
Nick waited a few seconds to see if she’d say more. When she didn’t, he rolled toward her and kissed her gently. Katie accepted it and tried not to respond to the warmth of his mouth. He didn’t push for more, leaving Katie unbalanced.
“We should get you home. People will be talking.” Nick rose and headed toward the laundry room. “Clothes are done!”
He followed her out to her truck, swinging her hand in his. As she opened the door, Nick tugged her slightly. She turned, and Nick cupped her face gently, feathering his fingers along her jaw. He looked her in the eye and kissed her slowly and gently, outlining her lips with the edge of his tongue, drinking in her softness.
Katie melted into the kiss, feeling her skin grow warm. It shook her, and she pulled away. “I thought I was ready, but I can’t do this.”
Nick smiled and released her. “I’ll wait.”
She hopped in the truck, fumbling her keys. Nick rapped on the window, and she jumped. He pantomimed rolling down the window, and she opened it four inches.
“Call me when you get home, so I know you’re safe.”
Katie nodded and peeled out.
She trudged up the stairs, weighed down by guilt. What are you doing starting a new relationship? Jack needs to be dealt with first. She let herself in her apartment, texted Nick rather than call, and turned on all the lights to chase away the shadows.
As Katie thought about Jack, he was thinking about her. Are you with a lover, you bitch? Jack went into another hacking fit, and his eyes watered while he tried to catch his breath. “Fucking weather,” he grumbled. He’d spent a week working the first southern bus route, but it had come with a price. Being in and out of the rain, Jack had caught a bad cold. He was shaking, and running a temperature and knew he’d be calling off again tomorrow, too. He poured Nyquil into his glass of whiskey, hoping he’d finally sleep through the night.
He had to get back to work. Half the office was sick, and reports were due. Barry had already warned him they’d be working Saturday. Jack shook his head, knowing the next few days would be long, and he wouldn’t be finding Katie anytime soon.
Chapter 61
Nick called Katie three days in a row, asking her to go out with him again.
Determined to get her life in order, she always refused.
On Friday, Colleen teased her about her time with Nick. “So, I heard you and Nick had a little fun on Monday."
“What? How do you know?”
Colleen smirked. “Tanja told me.”
“Tanja? How’d she know? I haven’t talked to her all week.”
“Mrs. Randolph told her.”
Katie plopped her hands on her hips. “Who the hell is Mrs. Randolph?”
“Mrs. Randolph lives next to Nick. She reported the two of you were in his house for hours and then lip-locked in his driveway.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “For the love of God. It’s not a big deal.” She did, however, spend her free time researching local divorce lawyers.
After yet another failed attempt to get Katie to go out on a date, Nick called Blake Sunday night. “You have to go out with me on Thursday night.”
“Dude. You’re not my type.”
“Not me, asshole. With Annie and me.”
“That seems awkward. I didn’t know you were into a ménage a Trois type of thing.”
“Shut up! She won’t go out with me. Every time I ask, she’s got some reason it won’t work.”
“Losing your touch, bro? I’ll make you a deal. If I ask Annie out., and she says yes, we’ll know it’s you.”
“I’ll break your fuckin’ nose again.”
You could try,” Blake cautioned with sarcasm dripping.
“Come on, Blake. Help a friend out here and do a double-date.”
Blake considered. “Tanja or Colleen? Wouldn’t mind Colleen. The girl’s always playing hard ass, but man, that red hair, and fiery temper.”
“What about Tanja?”
“We’re not a thing. I’m simply spreading the wealth.”
“You talk like that to Colleen or Tanja, and you're likely to get your nuts kicked in. I don’t care who you call, just say you’ll get a date and meet Annie and me.”
There Was a Crooked Man: A Psychological Thriller Page 30