Guilt washed over his face. “I should be helpin’ more.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re already helpin’ more than you know. We have Carly helpin’ too, for heaven’s sake. But the end is approachin’…” A lump filled my throat. “I’m strugglin’ to consider a world without my sister.”
Tears filled Joe’s eyes. “You won’t be alone, Rose. I’ll be here for you. So will Neely Kate.” His throat bulged like he’d just swallowed a bug, but he added, “And so will Jed.”
The fact that Joe had accepted Jed into his circle of trust, however reluctantly, wasn’t lost on me. “I know y’all will be there. And you know how grateful I am for that.”
“But she’s still your sister,” he said softly.
“Yeah,” I said. “She’s far from perfect, but she’s my family.”
“I get it,” he said, glancing at the wall with a faraway look. “I feel that way about Kate.”
Joe’s younger sister had been locked up for being criminally insane, but a couple of months ago, she’d escaped and wreaked all kinds of havoc, including murdering a few people, all in the name of helping Neely Kate. But then she’d disappeared, and as far as I knew, neither one of them had heard from her since.
“Do you miss her?”
He gave me a half smile. “We haven’t been close for years, but there’s a part of me that wishes for something I can’t have.”
“I get that,” I said, repeating his earlier response with a sympathetic smile.
His gaze held mine. “I think you’re one of the few who does.” Glancing away, he cleared his throat. A moment of silence passed, and then he said, “I hate to put a sheriff detail on you tonight for fear of clueing Malcolm and Carmichael in to the fact that you’re a threat.” His brow furrowed. “I might need to ask the state police for help.”
“James won’t come after me, Joe. And as for Carmichael…I’m sure he thinks I have too much to lose to testify against him and James.”
His jaw tightened. “I know you think—”
“James is the one who encouraged me to tell the truth. About everything. Even the Lady in Black, if they ask about that.”
He froze as he grasped my meaning. “You’ll implicate yourself.” He reached for his cell phone. “I’m gonna make a call and see about getting you a plea deal. If you have information they want, then we need to ensure you’re given leniency.” Anger washed over his face. “Why the hell isn’t Hale asking them to work a deal for your testimony?”
“He told me I’d be safe.”
His face reddened. “How the fuck does Carter Hale know that you’ll be safe? Has he worked out a deal already?”
I pushed out a breath. “It wasn’t Carter who told me I’d be safe.”
Some of Joe’s bluster deflated. “Malcolm.” Once that sank in, he said, “He called you.”
I didn’t correct him, but I needed to tell him something. I was caught in a catch-22. I felt like I would be betraying James if I told Joe everything, but I didn’t want to betray Joe either. Joe had put his life on hold to protect me. He deserved some answers.
“You can’t tell anyone, Joe. This has to be between just you and me.” I held his gaze. “I mean it. No one. If you think keeping this to yourself will compromise your job or your ethics, then you need to tell me now.”
He studied me for several long seconds. “If I’m gonna help you, I need to know what’s goin’ on. What did he say to you?”
“Joe, while I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, I don’t expect a single thing from you,” I said in a tight voice. “If you decide this is too much, you’re not gonna hurt my feelings if you pack up your stuff and move out tonight.”
He reached across the desk and placed his hand over mine. “Rose. I’m here, and I’m not telling a soul. This is between you and me, but I have to know if Malcolm’s playin’ you.”
I understood his suspicion. Joe knew Skeeter Malcolm only by reputation—which I reminded myself was likely well earned. It stood to reason he’d assume the worst.
“He said they’d know if I lied. When I reminded him that I could get in trouble, he told me they wouldn’t risk everything to go after me.”
Shock filled his eyes. “Malcolm really did make a deal.”
My stomach somersaulted with anxiety over my possible betrayal. “I don’t know for certain—he’s never confirmed it—but…”
His face hardened. “You believe he’d risk his deal for you?”
Was I a fool to trust him? If I reviewed our history, maybe. And yet the answer came easily.
“Yes.”
He got to his feet and began to pace. “I don’t like it, Rose. There’s too much at stake.” He stopped and turned to face me. “You need your own lawyer. You need your own deal.”
I couldn’t help thinking he was right, but would I ruin whatever James was up to? He’d assured me that everything he’d done, and agreed to, was to see me safe. Could I stake my life on that?
Closing my eyes, I leaned over my desk and rested my forehead on my crossed arms. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
Seconds later, Joe’s hand began to knead my stiff neck. “Let me make some calls. Given everything you’re goin’ through with Vi, maybe I can get you an extension for your testimony. I’m sure you’re not the only witness they’re callin’.”
I lifted my head off my arms and glanced up at him, trying to temper my hope. “Do you think you can manage it?”
He gently tugged my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Go home, Rose, and I’ll head over to the courthouse and see what I can do.” He frowned as he searched my face. “You look exhausted, so maybe fit a nap in there, although it’s highly unlikely given the fact Ashley and Mikey are there.” He grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “They’ll never let Aunt Rose slip past.”
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you, Joe. You have no idea how much I appreciate you.”
He kissed the top of my head and pulled away. “I’m just bein’ a good friend. You’d do the same for me.”
After everything he’d done for me, I’d walk through fire for him, but he and James were at cross-purposes. If I were forced to choose between being loyal to either of them, would I choose the man who’d stood by me the past two months, expecting nothing in return, or the man who claimed to love me yet made it very clear he never wanted to settle down?
I only hoped I was never forced to make that choice.
CHAPTER 11
I t was shortly before five when I turned off the highway onto the farm, so I was surprised by the number of vehicles already parked to the right side of the house. Violet sat on a wicker chair on the front porch while Ashley and Mikey ran around in the front yard with Muffy. Witt was kicking a soccer ball to the kids, although Muffy thought she was playing too. Marshall stood to the side with his hands stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans, looking like he wanted to join them but was unsure of his place.
I parked my truck next to Neely Kate’s car and got out just as Jed and Neely Kate were rounding the back corner of the house, carrying some folding chairs. Neely Kate had four of them slung over her arms.
“How did the doctor’s appointment go?” Neely Kate asked, then blew a puff of air toward a strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes.
I hurried over to take a chair from her, but she turned to the side, keeping it out of my reach.
“Neely Kate’s tryin’ to prove to Witt that she’s not a lightweight.”
My brow furrowed in confusion.
Jed laughed. “Witt bet her she couldn’t carry four chairs at once.” His eyes lit up as he stared down at her. “I tried to convince her it was Witt’s way of gettin’ out of lendin’ a hand, but she’s bound and determined to prove him wrong.”
They weren’t heavy, but they sure looked awkward as she walked around the edge of the front porch.
“There!” she called out as she dropped all four chairs to the ground.
Witt cast Neely Kate a grin as he kicked a ball toward Mikey. “Well, I’ll be daggum. You did it.”
“Don’t you ever call me weak again!” she shouted at him.
Witt’s grin spread even wider—right before he turned back to Mikey and got a face full of the soccer ball.
Violet burst out laughing and I heard Carly giggle as she walked out the front door with a pitcher of lemonade and a handful of glasses.
“Looks like Mikey showed Witt,” Carly said, setting the pitcher on the small table tucked between two chairs. “Proof that karma truly exists.”
“Thanks for the sympathy, Carly,” Witt grumbled, reaching his hand to his face to check for blood.
“Don’t you worry,” Violet called out. “You still have a pretty face, Witt Rivers.”
He turned back to look at Carly, holding his hands up at his sides. “What do you think, Carly? Do you think I have a pretty face?”
Her brows lifted, mischief in her eyes. “I used to tell my kids that pretty is as pretty does.”
Everyone stopped in their tracks and stared at her. Carly’s previous life was pretty much a secret from everyone except me, Neely Kate, and Jed. She never let information slip, but here she was dropping a huge clue about her past career as an elementary school teacher.
Violet was glowing at the accidental slip, but Witt’s eyes filled with horror.
“You have kids?”
A cocky grin lit up Carly’s eyes. “Sure did. About eighteen of them.”
Leaving him to stew on that, she turned around and went back into the house.
Neely Kate and I exchanged a glance. Carly was growing more comfortable with us, which came as a relief. I wanted her to feel at home here. I wanted her to stay.
Witt watched her walk away, his mouth hanging open. “She was jokin’, right?”
Another soccer ball hit him in the back. He whirled around to glare at Mikey as Neely Kate, taking umbrage at Witt’s tactlessness, stood scowling at him with hands on her hips, then laid into him the moment he turned back to face her. “You leave Carly alone, Witt Rivers!”
“I was just makin’ small talk. Besides, how in the hell could she have eighteen kids?”
“I’m gonna let you figure that one out,” Neely Kate said, heading up the porch steps and through the front door. “You need to set up the lawn chairs so I can help Carly.”
“How many people did y’all invite?” he grumbled as he headed over to the mess of chairs.
Jed was setting his chairs up and shaking his head at the whole mess.
I walked up the steps and considered going inside to deflect Neely Kate from helping Carly in the kitchen, but Violet reached out and snagged my wrist. “Come sit with me.”
Offering her a worried smile, I sat in the empty chair on the other side of her. “Are you warm enough? Do you need another blanket?”
She released a soft laugh. “I’m fine. Just sit.”
I took my seat, but my stomach was a ball of stress. Although I felt I should be helping, I had to admit to myself that I needed a minute to unwind.
Worry filled Violet’s eyes. “What happened?”
I blinked. “What are you talkin’ about?”
“I heard Jed and Neely Kate talkin’ about you and a grand jury. You should have told me, Rose. I’m not dead yet. I can still help.”
I shot her a deep frown. “Stop talkin’ like that, Vi.”
“Why not? It’s true. I take it Mason’s asked you to testify.”
“By sendin’ a state trooper with a personal invite,” I said sarcastically.
“Are you worried?”
I wondered how much to tell her, especially since other people were within hearing distance. “Let’s just say I know things the grand jury will want to know.”
“Things about the criminal world?” she asked. “I’m not stupid,” she said in response to my look of surprise. “I know Joe’s here to protect you.”
“Vi…”
“It’s okay.” She gave me a smug look. “I know Mason came back to look into corruption in the county. And I know you were involved with Skeeter Malcolm last winter. You must have seen things.” Worry washed over her face again. “Are you scared?”
“More nervous than scared. But Joe is planning on gettin’ extra help to protect us until this is done. Denny Carmichael is our biggest threat.” I wasn’t sure why I had confided that, but she was living here, so she had a right to know the potential danger.
“I knew it couldn’t be Skeeter Malcolm,” she said with a sad look in her eyes.
Were we the worst-kept secret in Fenton County? “Why not?”
“From what little you told me about the entire nightmare last fall, you always spoke about him with respect.”
I wondered if I should protest, but instead I asked her something I’d been stewing over. “Is that why Mike hates me now?”
She paused before responding, keeping her gaze on her kids. “Mike…” She pushed out a sigh. “Rose, there’s something you should know.”
I shot out of my seat when I heard the crunch of gravel toward the highway. Jed stood straight up, and Witt released the chair he’d been unfolding and stood at attention too.
“It’s only Jonah,” I said, pushing out a sigh of relief.
“You’re expectin’ trouble?” Violet asked, her voice firm.
I leaned down and patted her shoulder. “No. Denny Carmichael’s not stupid. He’d be at the top of the suspect list if anything happened to me or my family.”
“What do you know that Denny Carmichael wants you to keep quiet about, Rose?” she asked in a small voice.
“I’m more worried about what he knows about me.”
Her eyes widened with fear. “Your visions,” she whispered.
I nodded.
Jonah’s sedan pulled up behind Witt’s car. He and his girlfriend, Jessica, got out of the car, and I was overwhelmed with relief at the sight of him. Jonah had been my rock after my breakup with Joe. He’d taught me how to keep my momma’s hateful voice out of my head.
The kids squealed with excitement that someone new had arrived, and Muffy ran over with them to join the welcoming party.
Jonah smiled at me and Vi, showing off his pearly white teeth. “Violet, thank you for inviting us tonight.”
“You’re important to Rose, so that makes you important to me,” she called down to him.
Carly came out soon afterward and waved to Jonah and Jessica. They’d come by to visit with Violet a few times, so she’d met them, but she seemed more withdrawn with them. They were still mostly strangers. But Jonah being Jonah, he soon had her smiling and chatting as she started passing out glasses of lemonade.
“Carly,” I said, “let me help. You’ve made dinner and helped with Violet all day. Why don’t you sit and chat with the others?”
She hesitated, so I got up and took the pitcher from her, then nudged her toward the chair I’d vacated. Once I got close to her, I could see the exhaustion on her face. Guilt clogged my throat. While Carly was a nurturer, just like I’d told James, nurturers rarely asked for help or complained. How could I have forgotten that fact?
“Something sure smells good,” Witt said.
“Carly made a pork loin roast,” Neely Kate said. “Along with scalloped potatoes, asparagus she’s about to roast, and homemade dinner rolls.”
“How long did you say we had to wait for dinner?” Witt asked.
Carly laughed. “We never said.”
“Then how long do we have to wait?” he pressed.
“The asparagus won’t take long,” Carly said. “We’re just waiting on Joe and Maeve.”
“Maeve will be here soon,” Neely Kate said. “She was takin’ off early.”
“Joe might be a while,” I said. “He had something to take care of at the courthouse.”
“Is it about the grand jury?” Neely Kate asked.
I knew he was there on my behalf, another source of guilt, but I didn’t wan
t to share that information with everyone else. “I’m not sure.”
Neely Kate pulled out her phone and sent a text. A few seconds later, she said, “He says he’s on his way.”
Carly got to her feet, having sat down for less than a minute. “I’m going to start the asparagus.” She cast me a look. “Rose, can you come help?”
Her question caught me off guard, but I said, “Sure. I’d love to.”
I expected Neely Kate to come in with us, but when I caught her eye, she gave a little shake of her head.
Oh. Carly wanted a moment alone with me, and I suspected I knew why.
I was nervous when we headed to the kitchen.
“Is this about callin’ hospice for more help?” I asked quietly as we neared the kitchen.
She moved closer to the sink, which was farther away from the door. “They already came by to evaluate Violet. I wanted to call you so you could sit in on the meeting, but Violet forbade it.”
“Why?” I gasped.
“She said there was nothing you could do, so what was the point?” She grabbed a small notebook off the counter. “I took lots of notes for you.” Her mouth twisted. “I’m sorry, Rose.”
“No,” I said, taking the notebook. “That’s okay. Why don’t you give me the condensed version?”
“They’re sending someone for a few hours a day to help with the physical things like bathing her and helping her move around. When the time comes, they’ll send someone multiple times a day to help with her medication.”
I shook my head in confusion. “Why would someone come by just to give her pills?”
Sympathy filled her eyes. “We’ll need the help when she’s on an IV and needs medicine in her line.”
“Oh,” I said, my heart sinking. “How’s she doin’ with all of this?” I asked, surprised I was dry-eyed.
“You know Violet. Ever the pragmatist, but I can’t help wondering if that’s her way of dealing with her fear, you know?”
Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5 (Rose Gardner Investigatons) Page 11