Better Than the Best

by Amabel Daniels

  ***

  Kelly finally reached her brother on his cell phone. “Sean, do it!”

  “Kelly, what the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Okay, Ramon’s gay. He’s flaming gay. No one will ever think he’s my lover.”

  “Yeah. Nice. But why the fuck do you want me to send my foreman down to your little beach town?”

  Kelly inhaled. She needed help. It didn’t kill her to admit it. But any person she asked for help would be at risk. She only had her guys. The guys in Churchston who were already hurt because of her. Heather was too sweet and innocent to involve. Her brothers?

  Finn had boxed in his younger days.

  No. If this asshole had already mistaken Grant for her lover, then he or she would do the same for the other brothers.

  “I need his help. He’s big, he’s strong, he’ll help me.”

  “Kelly!” Sean yelled before the background noise on his end quieted. He must have stepped into the onsite office at his construction site. “Help you what? Is someone threatening you?”

  Threatening her, maybe? It seemed her pals were targeted, not her. She thought of the boat accident.

  Okay. Maybe I am in danger.

  But she was calling for Will. Will was the one in danger now.

  “Is this about the old dude’s daughter? The one who came after you at the hospital? I told you to get a restraining order against her!”

  “Norbert’s daughter? No. I don’t think so.” She frowned. What was her last name? It didn’t start with a D… She shook her head. “No, she’d checked into a rehab place. In California or something.”

  “Did she check out?”

  Jesus, did she check out? I should have asked Gannon about her. Kelly swallowed. What would Norbert’s daughter have to do with John, though? It didn’t make sense. “Sean, please.”

  “Kelly, you’re crazy! It’s a whole day of driving. And we’re in the middle of a project uptown. I can’t dispatch him to goof around with you. Tell me what’s going on! Where’s Will? Let me talk to that son of a bitch.”

  She hung up. It had been a feeble attempt, but she was scattered. She needed help. She didn’t know who was targeting the men. She couldn’t look out for Will because it would bring her closer to him.

  Kelly focused and glanced at the garage across the street, fearing how much he hated her.

  Maybe we could get a gun, take Eddie and float on Randy’s boat. No one could reach us then. And I’d be there to protect him. He’d have my back and I’d have his.

  The Hollywood perfect movie ending was unrealistic.

  He’d never agree. He’d have to be the hero. And they couldn’t float forever. Then when they came to shore, the person would still be waiting for them. Him. Her.

  What the fuck do you want from me, Denner? Who are you, Denner?

  Denner’s name had shown up in Betsy’s car. Denner had shown up in John’s condo. Denner had shown up at Alan’s.

  Why? Who was Denner?

  Kelly scanned the beach. Was I convincing enough?

  It seemed as though Will’s soul had crumbled to her feet. He had to hate her.

  Now no one can possibly think I was ever in love with him.

  But that conviction had her thinking of John. He had been killed after they divorced. She hadn’t been with him and he had been killed because he wanted to be with her again.

  It would be best for Will if he truly did hate her for all the world to see.

  She dialed Gannon again, tapping her fingers on the counter as Junior came up to the hut with Allison. Her shift was over.

  Oh, thank God.

  “I need you to do me a favor,” she told the teens as they came in.

  Allison rolled her eyes.

  “Double pay.”

  She widened them.

  “I need you to tell me who goes in the garage and talks to Will.”

  Allison gasped. “So he really did—”

  “Every time someone goes in there. You tell me.”

  She needed to know if Will was going to be mad and not let anyone near him for gossipy questions or consolation. Or, if he was going to be sad, hurt and heartbroken. Like John apparently had been. And therefore still in danger.

  If she knew him as well as she imagined, Will was more likely to be angry and show it than sad and hide it. But it was a risk. It wasn’t over by a long shot. Anyone who went to him to find out his worth and his potential love for Kelly would be the person she needed to watch.

  “Why—”

  “Do. It.” She paced. “I need a fucking recorder. I need to know who asks him if he was sleeping with me.”

  Allison’s jaw dropped. “You were doing it with him?”

  “Oh, don’t give me that naïve crap. I found the blue condom in here the day after his birthday.” Kelly nodded her head at a very red Junior.

  Allison blushed. “Why do you need to know who—”

  She was involving them. Instinctively, she doubted they were involved. For one thing, they were kids.

  How the hell would they have pulled it off? And why? First I plead for Ramon’s help as a non-heterosexual bodyguard. Now I’m involving minors.

  She was sure the guilt would catch up later.

  “You have my number. Call me every time someone goes in there.” Kelly got her keys and purse. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  As she left, she thought through her impromptu plan to watch over Will. She wasn’t safe anywhere. The townhouse, the stone house, the kayak hut, the bowling alley. Someone had breached her life like a virus.

  Even her car would reveal her whereabouts.

  She turned on the road, determined not to allow anything as an obstacle from protecting Will.

  Chapter 47

  All Will wanted to do was crawl in a hole and drink himself to sleep. Or beat the crap out of something. He appreciated how Clay gave him space, and he wished the women had done the same. All the way into the afternoon, they came and went, hopping around like skinned bunnies in their lifeguard bikinis. Chattering and giggling. Grating his nerves.

  “Here you go, big boy.” Jaycee waltzed in with sub boxes.

  Will narrowed his gaze on her ridiculous grin. Who the hell ordered subs? Clay couldn’t have been so stupid. Subs were a stark reminder of Kelly. As if he needed another one.

  “Damn, I’m happy to see you, babe,” Clay said. “I’m starving.”

  She winked. “All you wanna see me for?”

  Clay grinned and took the food.

  “I can’t believe Kelly had the nerve to call off tonight. Now I gotta do her work and mine,” she whined.

  Will watched from the corner of his eye as she walked close to him and leaned over the fender of the car he was working on. She let the loose ‘V’ of her shirt drape low. “How are you doing, honey?”

  Leave me the hell alone.

  “I didn’t even know you two were so serious.” She slid a finger down his shirtsleeve.

  Of course you didn’t.

  “I don’t know what you saw in her,” Jaycee said with a sigh. “Her husband probably left her because she was psycho. Remember how she freaked out on the boat?” She shook her head. “But it’s okay. From now on, I’ll be right here for you.”

  Will clenched his jaw.

  “You want to come over tonight? We could have a drink and talk about it—”

  “Clay!” Will massaged his temple as he waited for his mechanic to come to the bay. “Keep your damn social in the other bay.”

  ***

  Certain no one had followed her, Kelly turned the kayak truck onto Burns’ driveway. She parked in the pole barn where he kept extra boats. On her drive over, the early evening sky had turned from beautiful sunny blue to an ominous overcast gray. Gray was good. She’d be less likely to encounter incoming traffic on the river.

  She began a disguise with a wind jacket she’d taken from the hut’s lost-and-found box. She rooted around the barn and found an old cowboy hat. It stunk like sweat
from the eighties, and, on a normal day, she would have immediately assessed how much mold would be residing in it. Today, she stuck it on her head and tucked her hair into the collar of the windbreaker.

  It was the best she could do on short notice. She carried a kayak to the bank and began to paddle her way back to town.

  She didn’t pass any kayakers, and she had never realized how windy and wavy the river could get in a pending storm. Especially against the current.

  Her arm muscles burned from the exercise by the time she reached the dock for the kayak hut. Darkness had fallen, and with the looming clouds, the beach was almost deserted. Junior had been collecting the boats for closing time when she paddled close.

  “Kelly?” He frowned.

  “Shut up,” she whispered as she climbed onto the dock. She checked for any watching eyes on the beach, but it seemed everyone had retired for the day. Good and bad news.

  What if the person after me is gone, too?

  Allison raised her brows as Kelly came in the hut. She slipped to the floor, out of sight under the counter, and sighed. “I told you to call me when people went in there.” She rubbed at her shoulder.

  “I tried. Kept going to voicemail.”

  Great. Ever since it had taken a dive in the toilet, her phone had been misbehaving. So much for the waterproof case.

  “You said you were coming back, anyway.” Allison handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s a list.”

  Kelly scanned the names.

  Randy in and out. Clay with Brent. Clay with a lifeguard. Jared. Edna from the diner. It went on. She squinted at the list of forty names as though it was a Magic Eye illusion and the answer would pop out. A lot of names didn’t seem to matter but she had no way of knowing.

  Jaycee had brought food.

  “They ordered from the bowling alley?” Kelly glanced up at Allison on the stool. “Don’t look down!”

  The teen snapped her face to the lake and frowned. “Why can’t I look at you?”

  Kelly shook her head.

  So smart, yet so stupid. “Then someone will know you’re talking to someone on the floor. And then they’ll know it’s me and that I’m in here.”

  “Who’s watching you?” Junior came in from the dock.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Everyone was,” Allison said. “You ditched him in front of everyone!”

  Kelly ignored the reminder. “They ordered food?”

  Was that Will’s way of trying to get me to come to him?

  Allison shrugged. “Jaycee had two sub boxes. She was all over him.”

  Kelly stiffened.

  “He didn’t care,” she added quickly. Kelly almost smiled at her loyalty.

  “He didn’t even talk to her,” Junior said. “He’s been yelling at everyone who gets in his way.”

  She inhaled with relief. They must have really been hawking on the activity at the garage. She peeked her head over the counter. All three garage doors were open as they often were on humid days. Wouldn’t have been hard to watch the comings and goings from across the street.

  So far so good. He does hate me. How could he not?

  “How does he look?” she asked quietly.

  “Pissed off.” Allison leaned on the counter above and yawned. “Hasn’t said but three words all day.”

  Kelly nodded. All the better.

  Chapter 48

  No sooner than Clay had removed Jaycee, the female presence seemed to triple.

  For the second time in the hour, the lifeguards stopped by. Will gave them no attention and guessed they were restless from the coming storm. Otherwise, they’d probably take it out on the sidewalk. Clay had noticed them alright, goofing off and popping beers in the first bay. Will finished a tune-up as he tuned them out. Alyssa sung off-key with the radio.

  It had to be a fucking Friday.

  “Don’t be so glum, Will. She doesn’t deserve you.” Daisy and her pals had come over to his bay. She patted his back. He walked away for a torque wrench.

  “She’s not worth it,” Kendra said.

  Thought I told him to—

  “Come on, girls, leave him alone,” Clay said as he trotted over to them.

  “You’re lucky she said ‘no’. You wouldn’t want to be married to a fat-ass for the rest of your life,” Jaycee said. They all giggled.

  Women and their stupid catty sneers. He loved Kelly’s ass. Had loved. He grit his teeth.

  “I thought she was a dyke. I had no idea she was even capable of attracting a man,” Kendra said with a gleam in her eyes.

  “Get the hell out of here!”

  Daisy choked on her beer. “Hey, there’s no reason to get crabby, Will—”

  He slammed the wrench down. “Get the fuck out of here! Every one of you. Get the fuck out of my garage!”

  “Aw, come on, Will…” Alyssa protested.

  “Come on, leave him alone.” Clay ushered them toward the front door. Will went to each of the three garage bays and slammed the doors down. He jabbed his hand on the locks, the metal rods bouncing back at the excess force.

  The girls lingered at the entrance door, protesting and taking last sips of their beers.

  “Everyone! I don’t want one more fucking person to come in here!”

  Clay closed the door after them and locked it.

  Will wiped at his eyes and went back to work.

  ***

  From the kayak hut, Kelly heard the rumble of Will’s wrath. As she sat on the floor of the hut, she resorted to watching the garage with one of the toy periscopes Jared sold to little kids at his ice cream stand.

  Kelly ignored Allison’s raised brows.

  It was the best she could do. Not like she had ever needed to spy on people before.

  She paid close attention as the girls partied in the garage and Will lost his temper.

  Darkness had nearly blanketed the street, and she rested easier with the knowledge that except for Clay, Will had shut the world out from his garage. It made it safer.

  “You staying here all night like this?” Junior asked as he began to lock up for the night. The shutter swung closed on the counter, but the gap at the bottom allowed plenty of space for her to keep watching.

  “Until he leaves.”

  “What are you so freaked about? You turned him down. Why do you care what happens to him?” Allison said.

  Kelly bit her lip. “Tell you later. Lock the door after you go. No one will be able to see me. It’s going to rain soon. No one will be around. I’ll be fine.”

  Ha. Ha. Fine was light-years away. It probably would have freaked them out if she asked if their parents might have a gun to borrow. Not to mention she had absolutely no experience with weapons.

  “Kelly, are you in trouble? Does this have something to do with the lady who came after you in Atlanta?” Junior asked.

  “Look, the less you know—”

  “Oh my God, what happened? What’s going on?” Allison dropped to the floor and stared at her.

  “Nothing. I can’t explain it. Go home—”

  “You want me to send Dad down here? He’s got a gun,” Junior said.

  “Call Fred,” Allison said. “Eric’s a dumbass, but Fred’s okay.”

  Yeah, tell Fred and Burns what, though? She couldn’t explain her instinct how Will was in danger. “Please, go.”

  Junior jerked his bangs back and Allison shook her head.

  Dammit, they’re going to do something whether I want them to or not.

  “It’s too hard to explain. Here, text me. Text me every hour on the hour. If I don’t respond…” She flailed her hand. “Hell, I don’t know. Tell your dad to come to the hut.”

  Junior nodded and Allison flung her arms around Kelly’s neck.

  After they left, Kelly moved to the stool. Thankful for Roger’s shabby craftsmanship, she gave up on the periscope and spied through the side crack of the shutter.

  Chapter 49

  “Hello?” Clay answered the phone.
<
br />   Emily smiled. “Hi, big boy.”

  “Hey baby, what’s up?”

  “Nothing much. Seeing how you’re doing. Is he still pissed off?”

  Clay took a deep breath. “Leave him be. He’s a little upset.”

  “A little upset?”

  He chuckled.

  “It’s well, the worst timing.”

  “What?”

  “If he hadn’t gone berserk on us, I was going to see if I could bring my car in to have him look at it. The check engine light is going on and off.”

  “Let him cool down a little bit.”

  She snarled her lip as she faked a light laugh. “He locked up the whole shop. I’d ask you to do it to avoid him—”

  “He’ll cool down.”

  “When? You’re still in a cast. I was going to drive upstate to my girlfriend’s bachelorette party tomorrow at noon. Now I’m scared to drive it.”

  Clay sighed. “I can run the scanner on it in the morning.”

  “But how would I get it there? He locked the garage all up.”

  “I’ll come pick it up. Randy’s coming by with some food. He can run me over and I’ll bring it to the shop. No biggie. I’ll check it out in the morning.”

  “Thanks, Clay. Brent is coming by in a bit. We’re going out for some drinks. I’ll leave the key under the floor mat in case I’m gone when you come.”

  Emily hung up.

  She waited in the trunk with her spare key in her hand until Clay came. It still reeked from the body she had stolen at the gas station—the sweet reminder of another successful identity change. She drew a full breath.

  He called out something to Randy and she felt the vibration of the driver’s door opening and closing. Rain pounded like BB pellets on the roof of the trunk, and she strained to listen.

  The car stopped moving and the driver door clanged again. He must have gotten out to open the garage door because she rolled again as loud music replaced the rush of the rain.