Hatfield and McCoy (15 page)

“Miss Hatfield! What a delight!” Brenda said, stepping out of the car.

Julie smiled. Brenda already looked as if she had mischief on her mind.

She would spill all the beans, Julie knew.

“I wanted to call you, but your number wasn't listed.”

Brenda smiled, wrinkling her nose as she walked to the porch and shook Julie's hand. “Actually, my number is listed. One of them, at least. I'm a realtor, but I always worked under my maiden name and the business is under McCoy, too. The private line, under Maitland, is unlisted to avoid the eighteen million salespeople I seemed to attract. Anyway, I'm pleased to no end that you decided to come on out. Want lunch? Should we eat here, or would you like to go out? I have to pick up the kids at three in town—”

“Then how about that new salad place in Charles-town?” Julie suggested. “I've been dying to try it.”

“Perfect!” Brenda said, laughing. “I was about to suggest it myself. Robert mentioned that you liked green things.”

“Did he?”

Brenda smiled. “Shall I drive? Or do we need both cars? Like I said, I have to pick up the kids, and if we should run late, I just don't want to inconvenience you.”

“I don't mind seeing the kids again at all,” Julie assured her. “If you don't mind driving—”

“Not in the least.”

They were on the road within minutes. Brenda had to be one of the easiest people to get to know. She was quick to smile, and she had a great sparkle in her eyes. Julie was barely in the car before Brenda began telling her about it. “I had always told my dad that I wanted a BMW when I graduated from college. I knew that I wasn't getting it, of course, because my folks just didn't have that kind of money. Robert was already in college—he's a year and a half older than I am—and they had my tuition coming up, too. We were both working through school to help, but you know colleges. Anyway, Robert was coming in from Washington to have dinner with the family for the occasion, and to my absolute amazement, he came driving up in this very car! It was already ten years old at the time, and one of his well-off college friends had fender-bendered it and he had another friend who knew exactly how to put it back together again. I was so excited. I told him I would never want another car as long as I lived. I'm still driving it.” She hesitated for a minute. “Well,” she added softly, “my husband was the college friend who knew exactly how to put the car back together again, so there's the real sentimentality, but no matter how crazy my brother makes me, I love him with all my heart.” She glanced quickly at Julie. “I just thought you should know that.”

Julie smiled slowly. “Brenda, the last thing that I'd ever want to do is hurt your brother.”

“Right. I knew that. But I wanted to give you fair warning just in case … oh, never mind. Now, of course, you want to know just what his problem is with you, right?”

Julie inhaled quickly, then laughed. “Well, yes, in a nutshell, that's it.”

“He doesn't believe in psychics,” Brenda said softly.

“Yes, he's made that very clear. I can't even mention anything about it, or he's down my throat.”

“He doesn't mean to be,” Brenda said. She smoothed a strand of hair, biting softly on her lower lip. “There's the restaurant. Let's wait till we get inside, shall we?”

“Yes, fine,” Julie said. But it wasn't fine. Her curiosity was driving her crazy, but what Brenda had to tell her seemed to be something very important.

The restaurant was pretty and bright, with broad picture windows and lots of ferns. They were led to a table by one of the big windows. The hostess chatted until the waitress brought the menus.

Then the waitress chatted, pointing out the different specialties, making suggestions. Julie kept smiling politely, wishing with all her heart that the waitress would go away.

“What do you think? Cajun chicken salad and gumbo sounds intriguing.”

“It sounds just great,” Julie said. Anything sounded great, just so long as the waitress would disappear.

“I don't know. I'm still wavering between that and the Hawaiian Caesar,” Brenda murmured. “Or then there's the taco salad—that looks great, too.”

“Oh, the taco is super!” the waitress said.

“Let's make it tacos, then,” Julie said enthusiastically.

To her relief, Julie saw that she had won Brenda over. They both ordered iced tea, too, and then the young woman left them. Julie leaned forward, waiting expectantly.

“Okay, Brenda, please! Explain to me your brother's big problem with psychics!”

“Well, you see, he was married,” Brenda began.

“Married!” Julie murmured.

“She was beautiful, really sweet. Serena was a Californian. He met her at George Washington University. They were really perfect for one another.”

Julie shook her head. “Brenda, what would your brother's marital status have to do with psychics? Oh! Did they have problems because of an astrology reading or something?”

“Oh, no!” Brenda exclaimed. Then she fell silent, smiling. Their iced tea had arrived.

The waitress left them once again.

“Oh, Julie, if only it were something that simple!”

“Then …”

“You really do care a lot about him, don't you?” Brenda asked her.

“I—yes,” Julie admitted flatly.

“Umm. And you're sleeping with him, huh?”

“Brenda, I—”

“Never mind, don't answer that. It's none of my business, and it was an awful question.” But she smiled. “Especially when I know the answer.”

“Brenda!” Julie moaned. “Will you please tell me what happened with the psychic?”

“I am sorry. Well, it had to do with his work,” she began, then she broke off abruptly, frowning. “I don't believe it!” she said, looking over Julie's shoulder through the glass window and out to the parking lot.

“What?” Julie demanded. She swung around. To her amazement, she saw McCoy's big Lincoln parked next to his sister's BMW.

And McCoy was coming through the door.

He stopped as the hostess addressed him, but Julie saw him pointing toward her and Brenda. She couldn't begin to read his thoughts because it was another black-leather-jacket-and-dark-sunglasses day. He seemed casual enough, clad in jeans, his hands in his pockets. But Julie sensed a tension about him that hadn't been there before.

Certainly not last night. When she had been so unreasonably frightened, he had been like a rock. He hadn't ridiculed her, but she had been certain that he hadn't put any credence in her belief that they were being watched.

What was he doing here? she wondered. Was he looking for her, or for Brenda?

And why had he shown up just when she had discovered that he'd had a wife, and that something had happened to her?

Something that had had to do with a psychic.

“Robert!” Brenda said, her voice echoing the amazement Julie was feeling that he could have stumbled upon them.

Had he sensed that she planned to talk to his sister, trying to delve into his life?

Perhaps. His tension seemed like anger when he reached the table and sat beside Julie. He scarcely gave her a chance to move over. With him next to her, she felt his tension more keenly.

“Things slow down at the station?” Brenda asked, trying for a smile. Maybe she was feeling a bit guilty, too. As if he might have known that she was waiting to spill the beans about him.

“No, things were not slow at the station,” he replied, scowling. “I was looking for Julie.”

“Why?” Julie asked, surprised.

“Because I've got something for you.”

“Really?” Julie said. He had something for her. He had that look that he had worn when they had first collided. It was not a look she expected to see on the face of a man who wanted to give her a present. “What is it?”

“It's in the car,” he began.

“How did you find us?” Brenda demanded.

Intuition, Julie thought suddenly. Simple intuition. He denies it, but he has a certain power all his own.

“Easy. She wasn't home—I couldn't find you at home or at your office. And I know that women love to gossip.”

Brenda wrinkled her nose at him. “Julie is going to think you're incredibly rude.”

“Julie knows he's incredibly rude,” Julie said.

She felt the sharpness of his silver gaze, right through the darkness of his glasses. “You should keep that in mind, Miss Hatfield,” he murmured.

She didn't have a chance to wonder what he meant, for the waitress was back with their salads. McCoy looked at the giant shells piled high with lettuce and ground beef, olives, salsa and sour cream.

“What is it?”

“Something green,” Brenda said. “I don't think you'd care for it. They do have hamburgers.”

McCoy shook his head and waved over the waitress. “I'm not hungry—but I'll have a cup of coffee,” he told the young woman.

“How did you find us?” Brenda persisted.

McCoy sighed. “I figured you might be together.”

“Almost as if you had second sight,” Julie murmured innocently.

He made a not very delicate snorting sound. “Once I knew you were together, it was easy. I just needed to think of a place where the food was all green. And I knew this place was here, near Brenda's, and new. It has nothing to do with second sight. It has everything to do with logical thinking,” he said. His tone was almost fierce.

Julie stared at him, startled by his tone, wondering what had happened to cause the change in him since he had left her that morning.

“Well, you're a great lunch companion,” Brenda said, attacking her salad. “If I'd had any idea you were going to be so charming, I would have called and invited you.”

He drummed his fingers on the table, eyeing his sister. “Why? Am I disturbing you?”

Yes! Julie wanted to shout. She had just been on the verge of finding something out. And now …

“Why did you have to hunt us down?” Brenda demanded.

“I told you—I have something for Julie.”

“Well, couldn't it wait?” Brenda demanded, exasperated.

He shook his head. “No, Brenda, it couldn't wait. It's not even going to make it through that salad if you don't hurry up!”

The waitress brought McCoy his coffee.

“I'm chewing, I'm chewing,” Brenda said.

McCoy looked into Julie's bowl. “That's red meat in there,” he warned her.

“I do eat red meat, McCoy,” she reminded him.

It didn't matter. Since he had arrived, Julie had lost her appetite. Her nerves felt all twisted into knots. He was angry, he was tense. She didn't think that his anger should have been directed toward her, but somehow she was receiving the brunt of it.

And he had something for her …

Brenda's mind was moving in the same direction. “Isn't it wonderful to receive gifts from nice, handsome, charming men?” she commented sweetly.

“Eat, Brenda,” McCoy said.

“I know!” Brenda exclaimed. “It's a diamond!”

They both glared at her. Brenda chuckled softly. “Well, is it intimate? Should I slink out and leave in my own car?”

“Brenda, you should finish your lunch,” McCoy said flatly.

Julie could see the steam issuing from his coffee, but he managed to gulp it down anyway. He noticed that Julie was finished with her lunch, and he turned his attention to Brenda.

“Aren't you done yet?”

“Well, yes, I suppose, if you want me to be!” Brenda exclaimed.

“You know, McCoy, this better be good,” Julie warned him, her eyes narrowing at his impatience with his sister.

“It just can't wait in the car any longer,” McCoy said. “Come on.”

“Gee, let's remember not to invite him to lunch anymore, shall we?” Julie said to Brenda.

“Never,” Brenda agreed solemnly.

“Would you just—”

“We have to pay the check!” Julie said. “They frown on people who eat and leave without paying. They might even call in the police!”

Brenda said she'd leave a tip, and Julie pushed past McCoy, catching their waitress by the cash register. When she turned, McCoy was waiting at the door. He was holding it open for her.

Julie watched him as she walked out the door, wondering how someone could seem so furious with her and be so determined to give her a gift.

“Will you please hurry?” he demanded.

“I'm here now!” she exclaimed. “But what can make you so impatient I can't begin to—”

She broke off because she suddenly saw why he hadn't wanted to stay in the restaurant.

His gift, waiting in the Lincoln, was panting.

Just as she came outside, the creature stuck its huge head out of the window.

She'd never seen such a large head on a dog, nor had she ever seen a dog quite like this one. For a moment she wondered if it was beautiful—or the ugliest dog she had ever come across.

It was certainly the biggest.

“You're giving her a monster?” Brenda demanded incredulously.

“He's not a monster,” McCoy said indignantly. “He's half shepherd and half Rottweiler.”

Julie stared blankly at McCoy. Of all the things she might have expected, it was certainly not a dog big enough to eat her out of house and home.

She searched her mind frantically. Had she ever given him the slightest reason to think that she had wanted a dog? No … she was certain that she hadn't. And if someone had asked her to please think about what kind of dog she'd like, she'd have probably said that her favorite might be a beagle or a Scottie, or something fairly small—and cute.

This dog could never, never be described as cute.

“You'll get to like him,” McCoy assured her. He walked to his car and opened the back door. The creature hopped out. His head came nearly to McCoy's hip.

“He's bigger than Julie is,” Brenda stated. Brenda seemed convinced that her brother had lost his mind. “Actually, Robert, it might have been a bit premature, but personally, I think that the diamond would have been a better idea.”