Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) (20 page)

They threw some bills on the table before heading for the door.

* * *

They parked at Nathan's house.

"Where have your parents taken Duncan and Andy this time?"

"To the library. They'll be back soon. They're trying for a few days at Niagara Falls
and a trip to Colorado when school's out for summer. Pike's Peak. Let's walk from
here." The rain had let up, but the creek was high and the floodplain was a black
mud hole, so they took the long way around.

"I was thinking about talking to Lucy Melbourne and Amanda Piper. See what they remember.
They might recall which neighbors were home that night," Nathan said as he walked
in the street.

"I've already talked to Amanda," Dave said. "She can't remember much of anything about
who she saw, just that someone was walking when she passed a window."

"That's convenient. I mean the talking to Amanda part. You still seeing her?"

"Yup. We're getting married. She doesn't know it yet."

Nathan choked on air. "Shit, that's quick."

"I know and I don't care. I'm in love with her. She's perfect. Her little girl is
perfect. You know Rose can speak fluent Spanish? Cutest kid I've ever seen. She loves
me back. Both of them. They just don't know that yet either." Dave stopped and put
a hand out to stop Nathan. "Look, there." He pointed between two houses.

Chapter 17

"What am I looking at?" Nathan asked.

"Footprints. Let's walk around."

"Someone walking in their own yard?"

"Probably, but not as likely in this weather."

They walked around in the drizzle, then made their way to where the homes' backyards
met. Walking up to the edge of the property, Dave pointed again.

"There. Look at how the ground has deep prints in that spot. Looks like someone stood
here for a long time. Could be a good spot to watch Brie's backyard, to watch Brie
find her dog. Damn it, I wish she would step this up so I could come out, knock on
doors and take pictures. Let's go back to her place."

* * *

Brie was worn even though she'd spent most of the day sitting. The longer she thought,
the more names she added to the list for Dave. Sandy Finley and Susie Phillips were
early to work the day of the rifle shooting and rock throwing practice. Sandy would
be just the person for all of this, but sweet Susie? How ridiculous. She wrote it
anyway.

Walking in her socks with her denim shirt untucked, she ate a toasted bagel as she
went through her house, locking up to silently please Nathan. The bolts were smooth
and she had to admit it was very handy to have the single key that fit them all.

She added to the list neighbors she knew were on vacation during any incident and
ones she was sure weren't. The Morleys, two doors down, never liked Brie. But the
Morleys didn't like anyone. They had told her four different times they didn't want
Macey in their yard when Brie had first gotten her. Not exactly a tire-slashing disagreement.

She laid the yellow notepad on her nightstand and perched on the edge of her bed.
The room felt lonely. Conceding that it was missing Macey was obvious, but she found
herself wishing Nathan were with her, too. She couldn't remember ever sitting on the
side of her bed thinking of any man. In it for the long haul, he'd said. Regardless,
sleep took her quickly as she pulled the sheets up, falling almost immediately into
the dream.

She didn't feel completely asleep, although it was as vivid as ever. The musty cigarette
smell of the cab, the dampness of the balmy night on her skin. Despair crept up her
back and into her heart, but she refused to let it take her. She forced herself this
time to focus on the walking couple. As she rode past in the backseat, she turned
her head and stared at them from the window. Familiarity. Damn, she knew them. Both
of them.

The shock jolted her awake before the dream ever reached her parents' drive. Breathing
heavily, sweat beaded on Brie's upper lip and along the back of her neck. She couldn't
get the faces of the pair to come to her but was certain it was someone she knew.
In the dark she wrote the word
familiar
on her notepad and went back to sleep.

* * *

The clinic wasn't open on Sundays, but Dr. Lanter agreed to let her in when he came
to check on the animals. Brie sat in the parking lot, again watching the rain fall
in smooth sheets down her windshield. She had her large yellow writing pad with all
of her notes in the form of a timeline tucked away in her bag. Macey stood and did
her happy dance when she saw her. She was slow, but today Brie was truly convinced
she was going to be okay. They pressed foreheads together and she rubbed her cheeks.
They worked on simple commands like sit, lay and stay. Macey loved the practice, but
tired quickly.

"I'd like to see her eat a little more throughout the day before we let her go home,
but it may be this afternoon." Dr. Lanter crouched down next to Brie. "You should
know that Mr. Reed gave us his credit card number. He asked us to charge the bill
to him. What would you like me to do?"

Shaking her head, she rubbed her hands over her face and looked up. "Do you have a
copy of the bill I could take a look at?"

"Of course. I'll make sure the receptionist prints one when she comes in tomorrow."

She pulled her knees up and rested her cheek on one of them. She knew she wouldn't
have the money to pay for this, would need to make payments for who knew how long.
Smiling, she had an idea of how to deal with Nathan Reed and pulled out a gray binder
from her bag.

* * *

A few peaceful days later, Brie had barely gotten Macey settled at home when her doorbell
rang. Brie opened to a frowning Liz.

"I'm glad to see your door is locked, but I want you to know it's annoying. I grew
up here, you know," Liz said.

Walking casually past her, Liz dropped her jacket on the newel post on her way to
the kitchen. "With Nathan Reed as a boyfriend, I would think you would have more furniture
around here by now."

She recognized Liz's attempt to keep it casual. "Since when is he my boyfriend?" Brie
followed, then pulled down a bag of pretzels and a bowl.

"Honey, he's been your boyfriend for a long time now. Where's the patient?" Liz sat
in a chair at the kitchen table and folded her hands on her lap.

"She's sleeping on her rug, and you scare me when you sit like that." She walked over
to Liz with the bowl of pretzels and set it on the table.

"Sit like what? Have a seat, will you?" She kept her hands folded, but moved them
up on the table and leaned forward. "Good news first or bad?"

"Bad."

"Figures. Your suspension will go to a sort of trial. The union lawyer thinks it's
ridiculous, but honestly is a little worried about the break in lockdown procedure,
especially considering the extent of it."

"Good news?" Brie leaned back and picked up a pretzel.

"Your suspension will be paid. There will be some talks and a decision by the next
board meeting, the second Wednesday of this month. This should all be over soon. The
charges are not worthy of termination, Brie. The best news is she's gone."

"Who's gone?"

"Sandy." Liz mimicked Brie and leaned back in her chair, picking up a pretzel. "Fired.
Done. Apparently she's the one that let Babb in. Even gave him a visitor's pass before
she bothered to check out who he was. Then there was the thing about her blabbing
all over the front office and foyer that you were the one to make the confidential
hotline call. I hear there's more, but the rest is under lock and key." Liz tossed
the pretzel in her mouth.

She looked out the windows, then back to Liz.

"Your buddy, the assistant super, is coming in to interim until they find a replacement.
Can you believe it?" Liz tapped the next pretzel to hers in a toast before taking
another bite.

* * *

Brie sat on her heels with her knee pads dug in the mulch. She had several yards to
prepare for spring. Ornamental grasses were cut back before setting the leftover stubs
on fire, allowing fertile room for new life. The smell of decaying leaves and fresh
mulch mixed nicely with the overturned soil and burned reeds of grass. It helped her
feel her own kind of awakening.

The introverted side of her could have spent much more than a few days working like
this. Cutting back the winter brown, making room for sprouting plants, her arms were
covered with scratches down to where her gloves stopped below the elbow. She left
the roses and hydrangeas untouched for now and tucked new mulch around the emerging
green to protect it from the last few freezes that were sure to come. An efficient
system in place, she could clear an average-sized yard in less than five hours. This
was a much better workout than any gym. Her muscles ached and her undershirt was damp
with sweat even in the chill of spring.

Stopping at home to check on Macey between customers meant it took her all of two
days and the morning of a third to finish with the first group of houses on her list.
The hot water from her shower was like therapy running over her shoulders. She stood
in it until the water ran cold.

* * *

Dr. Lanter warned her about walking Macey too soon. So, early the next afternoon,
Brie decided to drive the short way to Nathan's house. She pulled in his drive and
found another batch of pickup trucks and this time a full-sized van. There were rectangular
boxes scattered across his roof and a crew busily working to secure architectural
shingles. So much for keeping her dog calm. Macey jumped and whined on the seat.

As she stepped out, Nathan opened his front door to let out his yelping dog. Macey
plowed through her, and the two dogs had a reunion in the grass. Nathan swaggered
out to meet her. The scene reminded her of the first day he meandered down his drive
in the snow to greet her. He had on the same work boots and another faded pair of
jeans. His unshaven face wasn't annoying this time, just sexy. He wore that damned
crooked smile that made her knees weak as he picked her up and set her on the hood
of her truck, wrapped her legs around him, then stopped his face inches from hers.

"Good to see you. You look better. Both of you."

"I feel better." Her eyes dropped to his mouth. "Kiss me, Reed."

"I can't resist when you wear your hair down like this." Tucking a side behind her
ear, he laced his fingers just above the back of her neck. The kiss was deep, slow.
The world around her erased. He could do that to her.

"The boys will be glad to see you. Come in." Nathan slid her down from the truck and
linked their fingers together.

As the dogs followed them to the front door, she carried her bag over her shoulder.

"Watch your step. I'm replacing the rotted boards on the porch, and they're not all
secured."

Guided through the front, she looked around at the transformation. "It looks so different."
The walls were straight and smooth and painted a light color of subtle brown. The
open dining room had a darker brownish color along the bottom half. Brie guessed a
chair rail would be going up in there. The curved stairway was stained and finished
and looked amazing against the slick, painted walls. The floors were still a mess
and the walls were without trim, but she noticed that the doors to the closets, the
family room, and what she knew would be a library were in place and had the same straight-lined
style as the rest of the house.

Her obvious interest in his work always humbled him. "Let's go back and sit. You can
catch me up on Macey's progress." In what would eventually be his kitchen, Nathan
pulled out a folding chair for her. "Soda? Water?"

"Do you have diet?"

"Definitely not."

"Water then. What's all this?"

She was looking in the paper sack he set at the side of the folding table. It was
full to the top with the written requests for his work. "Oh, that. It's nothing. People
wanting furniture pieces."

She looked back in the bag. "All of them?"

"Yeah. I'm not open for business yet." He hesitated for only a second and pulled out
a bottle of water from the fridge. He could hear young footsteps coming down the stairs
and leaned against a wall near Brie. He could tell it was Andy.