Authors: Adrianne Byrd
T
ony hated it when a case’s trail turned cold, which was what had happened to the Mercer case. Dr. Julia Kelley and her daughter’s pictures had been posted everywhere, including on the FBI’s Web site. Still, they’d yet to receive a single call as to their possible whereabouts. At this point, he feared them to be dead.
Special Agent Todd Hendrix dropped a box packed with his belongings down onto the empty desk opposite Tony. “Looks like I’ve been transferred to your team,” he announced with a wide smile.
Tony mimicked the smile without much feeling. “I guess so.”
Since Paul’s explosion at his and Michelle’s apartment, they had pretty much danced around each other. But he would have thought Paul would have informed him of transferring another agent to his team.
Michelle, however, was the most hurt by their behavior, though that was the last thing that either of the men had wanted to do.
Tony glanced up at Todd and knew that it was going to take some time to get used to the man.
“I’m going to run and get another cup of coffee,” Todd said, interrupting Paul’s thoughts. “Can I get you anything?”
“Nah. I reached my limit about an hour ago.”
“All right, then.” Todd grabbed his cup and disappeared out of their office just as the telephone rang.
“Special Agent Iaanelli,” he answered, and heard the weariness in his own voice.
“Tony.” Travis’s voice boomed over the line. “You actually answer your phone.”
“From time to time.” He chuckled at his own joke. “It’s been a while since I’ve talked to you, Travis. What can I do you for?”
“Actually, I was in the gift-giving mood this morning and noticed that my old friend Tony was at the top of my Christmas list.”
“Is that right?”
“Now, if you don’t want it, just say so. I’m sure that you and your future father-in-law are progressing quite nicely on the Mercer-Kelley case. I’ll holler at ya later.”
“Wait,” Tony shouted into the phone while simultaneously reaching for his notepad. “Tell me what you got.”
“A 1962 Chevy Impala. Tag number 843 DST.”
Tony waited. “Is that it?”
Travis laughed. “Should be enough, don’t you think?”
“Maybe you should start at the beginning, because I’m having a hard time following you.”
“I take it that you haven’t talked to Regis?”
“Paul? Had he called you about this car or something?”
“Well, I don’t know all the details, but he said something at the crime scene led him to believe that the Kelleys owned another car—some manuals and oil stains, or something like
that. He asked me to run a check on whether another car was registered to either Julia Kelley or David Lawson.”
“And you came up with a sixty-two Chevy Impala?”
“That’s the short of it. The tags were just renewed in May, so this leads me to believe that the car is still in commission.”
Tony nodded and stifled his irritation at Paul for not letting him in on what he’d discovered. “Thanks, Travis. I’ll let him know what you came up with.”
“All right. But you guys owe me one.”
“Sure thing.”
Tony jumped to his feet and headed for the door when it swung open, with Todd trying to prevent the hot liquid from sloshing over the sides. But when Tony breezed past him, his efforts went up in smoke.
“Ouch, ouch. Where are you going?” Todd asked, stepping back from his dripping cup.
To murder my boss
, was what he wanted to say, but instead he said, “To get some coffee.”
“But…”
Todd’s voice faded as Tony marched down the hallway fully intending to get some answers.
Julia joined Carson and his entire family at the baseball field to watch the Wildcats play against the Devils. The Wildcats had a winning record of 10–0. It was the team’s best playing record for more than a decade, according to Carson.
The third day in July was by far the hottest day of the summer thus far, but it had no impact on the growing attendance. Many of the women wore large hats that infuriated whoever sat behind them on the bleachers.
Julia spotted Robin out in center field and waved enthusiastically. Though Julia had never been much of a sports fan, it wasn’t long before the crowd’s excitement infected her.
Bobbi took her place on the pitcher’s mound to resonating applause from one side of the diamond and jeers from the other side. However, the fans on the Wildcats’ bleachers were the loudest.
After the home-plate umpire announced, “Play ball,” Bobbi sailed a perfect fastball down the center of the plate for the first strike of the game.
Through the first few innings, Julia tried to ignore the sun’s sweltering heat and to just enjoy the game, which wasn’t easy to do. Yet Carson and Lilly were just as entertaining as the game.
“Are you blind or something?” Lilly hollered more than once at the umpires whenever she didn’t agree with their calls.
And Carson’s hoots and declarations of “That’s my baby,” drew many smiles from the crowd, especially the women.
At the bottom of the fifth inning, Julia sprang to her feet with her own joyful wail when Robin connected with a slider and sent the ball careening past the right fielder’s outstretched glove. After the dust had cleared, two runners had raced safely across home plate and Robin stood on second base.
When Robin drove in another runner in the eighth inning, Julia received many pats and high fives from the Carson family. As the game continued to unfold, Julia was amazed that she’d never picked up on what she perceived as her daughter’s natural athletic ability.
In the top of the ninth, the Devils threatened a comeback when they managed to score two runs.
Julia wasn’t aware that she was actually squeezing Carson’s hand until he leaned over and informed her that he was losing the feeling in it.
“Sorry,” she said, embarrassed.
He laughed. “No need to be sorry. It’s a close game.”
She nodded and chewed on her bottom lip as she returned her attention to the game.
Bobbi took her pitcher’s stance and shook off the suggested pitches from her catcher before spearing another fastball down the center.
“Strike three,” the umpire declared.
Julia and Carson leaped into each other’s arms while Lilly and her husband broke into a chorus of “We’re number one.”
Robin and Bobbi ran over to them, with Bobbi hugging Julia and Robin being swung up into the air by Carson.
“Did you see me? I hit two doubles.” Robin beamed proudly.
“You sure did. I’m so proud of you,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead.
Bobbi, meanwhile, whispered into Julia’s ear. “Have you seen Stanley around?”
Julia blanched. She’d forgotten that Bobbi had asked her to watch for him in the bleachers. “Honey, I’m sorry. I got so caught up in the game, I forgot to look for him.” She turned and searched through the crowd, but didn’t see him.
“That’s all right. He probably didn’t come.”
Carson suddenly grabbed his daughter and swept her into a fierce hug. “You were magnificent.”
Bobbi’s frown of disappointment crumbled and a bright smile blinded her father. “I was, wasn’t I?”
Julia laughed as Robin slid into her arms. “You were just as great, honey,” she said.
“Thanks, Mom.”
After the girls were passed back and forth between the adults, Charles clapped his hands together to draw the small group’s attention.
“I hope everyone knows what this means,” he said with twinkling eyes and a wide smile.
“Banana splits!” the girls exclaimed, jumping into each other’s arms.
The mere thought of ice cream lowered Julia’s body temperature several degrees.
Lilly shook her head. “I’d love to join you guys, but I have quite a few pies to finish in time for tomorrow’s celebration. I’ll just catch up to you later.”
“Do you need some help?” Julia asked, concerned.
“Nah. Don’t you worry about it none. You and your daughter have plenty to celebrate.” She tugged Robin’s fat pigtail. “You were something else out there, sport.”
Robin’s smile continued to grow brighter. “Thanks, Aunt Lilly.”
Julia blinked. When had her daughter started calling Lilly her aunt?
“How about you, Pops?” Carson asked. “Are you and Mom joining us over at Bertie’s?”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Grace nodded and looped an arm through Julia’s. “And afterward everyone can come back to our place. I know I could use a little help on some last-minute dishes for tomorrow’s festivities.”
“I’d be more than happy to help.” Julia patted her hand.
Aunt Bertie’s Ice Cream Shop was overflowing with people by the time they arrived. But no one in the crowd seemed to mind standing in the long lines or waiting for people to vacate tables.
Harvey, the owner of the shop and one of two people working behind the counter, complimented Julia with a kiss on the hand when she offered it during introductions.
“If you’re not interested in my friend Carson, here, already, I’d sure like to look you up sometime,” he said, then leaned forward to whisper, “That’s if you like older men.”
“You never know,” Julia said, laughing. “I might take you up on that sometime.”
The man’s color deepened before he glanced over to Carson. “You sure were right about her. She’s as pretty as they come.”
Julia cast a sidelong glance at Carson, who flushed instantly.
“Is that what he said?” Julia asked.
Harvey laughed as he began fixing their order. “Sure did.”
Julia turned toward Carson and smiled, enjoying his obvious discomfort. “So you think I’m pretty?”
Carson shrugged. “I guess.”
“You guess?” She playfully jabbed her hands onto her hips.
He shrugged again. “Yeah. Pretty in a beautiful sort of way.”
Julia’s breath hitched when his rich black eyes locked with hers. It took a while before they heard Harvey’s low laughter.
“When you two lovebirds finish staring at each other, your total is sixteen twenty-five.”
Bobbi and Robin watched their parents from across the ice-cream shop.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Bobbi leaned over and whispered into Robin’s ear so her grandparents couldn’t hear.
“I think so.”
“I think my dad likes your mom.”
Robin met Bobbi’s eyes, unsure of what to say. It certainly appeared that way to her. She blinked at full knowledge of what could happen. She’d already confided her parents’ recent divorce to Bobbi, which meant her mother was free to marry again. “That means we wouldn’t have to leave.”
Bobbi nodded with wide-eyed excitement. “And we could be sisters.”
“Sisters,” Robin whispered with wonder. Hadn’t she always wished for such a thing? Hope bounced inside of her.
“Maybe we’re wrong,” Robin voiced in caution. “I mean, we could be wrong, right?”
Bobbi shook her head. “Look at them,” she directed.
Bobbi did as she was told and watched the way their parents laughed together as they headed toward the table with a tray of banana splits. There was definitely something between them.
She smiled and looked back at Bobbi. “I think I’m going to have a new dad.”
Bobbi nodded. “And I’m going to have a new mom.”
T
ony marched into Paul’s office. “Since when do we hold out on each other?” he barked, ignoring the phone Paul had cradled against his ear.
Paul’s eyes blazed. “I’ll call you back,” he informed the other party on the line before hanging up. “Well, hello to you, too.”
“Drop the act. You held out on me on the Mercer case. I thought I was the lead investigator on this case.”
“I’ve done no such thing, and you are,” Paul defended himself.
“Oh?” Tony’s hands formed fists at his sides. “Then why did I just receive a call from Travis down at the DMV returning your inquiry about another vehicle?”
“What did he say?”
“That a sixty-two Chevy Impala is also registered to the doctor. Now, do you want to tell me how that doesn’t qualify as holding out on me?”
“It’s called following a hunch. You’re making way too much of this.” Paul waved off Tony’s anger. “It must have just slipped
my mind to tell you. That’s all. Sort of like your dating my daughter behind my back for two years slipped your mind.”
“Is that what this is all about? When are you going to let sleeping dogs lie?”
Paul gritted his teeth, then glanced out of his open door at the onlookers. “Do you mind giving us a little privacy?” he shouted.
Their colleagues looked away, shamefaced.
Paul got up and slammed his door shut. “We need to talk,” he said when he returned to his chair. “This is way overdue.”
Tony nodded. “Michelle and I thought it was best not to tell you about our dating because we knew how much you detested the idea of her getting involved with anyone in this line of business. You’ve made that clear for as long as I’ve known you.”
“So you thought that by lying to me, it was better for all involved,” Paul concluded.
Tony’s face tightened. “Something like that.”
“My feelings about the matter were conveniently ignored,” Paul continued.
“Our relationship is just that—ours. Nothing we did was meant to hurt you. In fact, we wanted to protect you. At the time you’d both just lost Sarah. We didn’t want you worrying about us, too.”
Paul slapped his own hand against his desk. “My baby deserves more than the kind of life you’re offering—worrying every day whether you’re going to come home. I saw what that kind of worrying did to her mother. Is it so wrong to want to spare my daughter that kind of anguish?”
Tony drew in his own ragged breathing and leveled his gaze at Paul. “But in your marriage, Sarah was the one who didn’t come home one day.”
Tony’s words hit home, and Paul’s glare lost much of its edge.
Tony continued, “Michelle and I are well aware of the
risks involved with this job. But there are no guarantees about which one of us is going to outlive the other. Meanwhile, we want the opportunity to enjoy what life we can piece together while we have the chance.”
Paul straightened, fighting like hell to stiffen his resolve, but failed. Maybe Tony had a point, and he’d been wrong. The Lord knew he’d been wrong about so many things before.
“I’m sorry we hurt you,” Tony said. “It wasn’t our intention. But we do want your blessing.”
Paul met Tony’s steady gaze and managed to prevent tears from sliding down his face. He had no doubt that Tony loved Michelle. He’d known that for quite some time now, but it was still hard to maneuver around the pain that throbbed in his chest, and it was hard swallowing his pride.
Paul finally spoke. “You have my blessing.”
A smile exploded across Tony’s face.
“I pray I won’t live to regret that decision,” Paul added.
“I’ll make it my life’s goal to make sure that you don’t,” Tony said, holding out his hand.
Paul hesitated, then allowed his smile to bloom before sliding his own hand into Tony’s grip. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I just bet you will.”
As far as Julia was concerned, Aunt Bertie’s Ice Cream Shop served the best banana splits she’d ever tasted in her life. While she ate, she did little more than moan with pleasure.
“Can I get you another one?” Carson inquired with raised brows.
The twinkle in his eyes and the twitch along the corners of his mouth suggested that he was trying to suppress his amusement.
“That won’t be necessary,” she said, picking up her thin
napkin and dabbing her mouth. When she glanced at everyone else’s plastic bowls, she was horrified to find that they still had a healthy portion of their desserts left, whereas her bowl was empty.
“I’ve always liked women with healthy appetites,” Charles boasted, swinging his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
Grace jabbed her elbow into his side, which made Charles laugh instead of doubling over in pain.
“Gosh, Mom. That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen you eat.”
Robin’s keen observation increased Julia’s embarrassment. “What can I say? It was good,” she admitted shyly.
Everyone at the table laughed.
“Mom, are you going to come and see me play again next week?” Robin asked with an enthusiasm that took Julia’s breath away.
“Of course I will. I had no idea that you had such a passion for sports. Had I known, I would have enrolled you in baseball back…home.” Julia cleared her throat. She had said too much.
“Where is home?” Bobbi asked with a full mouth of ice cream.
“Barbara Anne,” Carson warned with a stern voice. “We don’t talk with our mouths full.”
Her gaze fell into her dessert bowl while she struggled and succeeded in swallowing what was in her mouth. “Yes, sir.”
Julia wanted to pretend that the question had never been asked, but an expectant silence lingered over the table. “Robin and I were both born in Kansas City,” she answered honestly. Of course, she realized the girl hadn’t asked where they were born, but Julia hoped that the answer would suffice.
“Where is that?” Bobbi asked, frowning.
“Missouri,” Robin jumped in.
For a minute Julia thought that her daughter would say more, but she was pleasantly surprised when Robin had changed the subject. “What time are the fireworks tomorrow, Mr. Webber?”
Charles’s face lit with wide-eyed pleasure. “Promptly at eight-thirty. You’ll do well to get there in time to pick out a good spot so you can see everything,” he warned with a wave of his finger. “This year’s show will have the whole town talking—you mark my words.”
Robin and Bobbi listened intently to Charles’s spectacular plans, and what all went into getting a show ready.
Julia’s thoughts, however, turned guiltily to the semi-lie she’d just told to an eight-year-old girl. Then she felt a light squeeze on her knee. She jerked her eyes up at Carson. He smiled as if to say,
Don’t worry about it.
She exhaled a nervous breath and smiled weakly. How much longer had she expected to get away with dodging people’s questions?
Later that evening at the Webber residence, Julia and Robin helped Grace and Bobbi prepare for the Fourth of July feast. It was a perfect opportunity for Julia to get a good peek at some of Grace’s recipes for sweet-potato pie, pecan pie and even peach cobbler.
What was so amazing was the fact that Grace never measured anything. It was constantly a pinch of this or a dash of that, and presto—a work of art.
The woman was such a pro at everything that Julia was beginning to think that she was very little help. Every few minutes she had to bother Grace with where something was kept or ask how much exactly was a dash.
All the while Grace just smiled and never seemed to lose her cool about the countless questions.
Julia had also noticed that Bobbi already knew her way around the kitchen.
Somewhere around ten o’clock, both Robin and Bobbi had retired to bed, while Grace and Julia moved on to baking cakes.
Julia had learned that Carson’s favorite was carrot cake. His favorite pie was peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. His favorite meal was his mother’s fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
In fact, all Grace wanted to do was talk about Carson’s preferences.
The subject Julia wanted to learn more about was Karen Webber. However, she didn’t know how to broach the subject, so she stayed away from it.
Yet she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to be the object of affection of a man like Carson. She’d imagined that it would be something special. She’d always worked so hard at love, when here was a man who gave it freely. No prerequisite required.
He was also a man who expected little in return.
“Honey, exactly how much sugar are you planning on dishing into that batter?” Grace asked.
Julia looked down and saw that she’d absently scooped a pile of sugar into her cake mix bowl. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, wincing.
Grace laughed. “Maybe you should just call it a night. I can finish up here. I just have one more cake to throw into the oven.”
“No, no. I would like to help.”
“You’ve already been an angel tonight. To ask you to work beyond the point of exhaustion would be unforgivable.”
Julia shook her head.
Grace walked over and took the ruined bowl of batter. “Trust me. I really can finish this up. Why don’t you go and
join your daughter in the guest room? We all have a full day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“I’d feel guilty leaving you like this.”
“Nonsense. I’m used to these baking marathons. You’re not. Now, off to bed with you.”
Grace shooed her out of the kitchen, despite her further protest. Riddled with guilt and exhaustion, Julia climbed the stairs to the guest room.
Robin, dressed in only her underwear, had made herself comfortable sprawled out in the center of the bed. The ceiling fan rotated at full blast. If the Georgia heat didn’t get you, the humidity would, Julia had always said.
She smiled, then made a beeline to the bathroom. She relished the idea of a cold shower.
Once submerged beneath the steady spray of water, Julia let her mind scroll down the checklist Grace had supplied her. Carson’s favorite color: royal blue. His favorite song: “All in Love Is Fair” by Stevie Wonder. Favorite flower: daisies.
Julia’s smile widened at the memory of his tucking a daisy in her hair and saying, “It suits you.” Had she imagined a sparkle in his eyes when he’d said it? It was a possibility, she knew, but for right now, while she was half-delirious, she liked to think that there had been.
In a dreamlike trance, she turned off the shower and dried off. After she’d slipped into her nightgown—royal blue, in fact—she walked over to the bedroom window to stare down at the beautiful garden—another Karen Webber creation.
At this point, Julia held no doubts that Karen Webber was a very special woman. To her surprise, Julia was envious of what the woman had achieved during her brief lifespan.
Julia frowned. Should she harbor the hope of finding the same type of love? Of course, she didn’t mean right now, but what about the future?
Something moved in the garden and caught Julia’s attention. For a brief moment her heart leaped clear up into her throat, and she dashed quickly behind the curtains.
At the sound of heavy footsteps, she glanced around the curtain’s thin material and down at the man below.
Relief rushed from her lungs at the sight of Carson cradling his daughter, Bobbi. She was still fast asleep and oblivious to her surroundings.
Julia strained to hear what was being said beneath her window and recognized Grace’s kind voice.
“She was no problem at all. She was a great help in the kitchen tonight.”
“I’m sorry I’m so late picking her up. I guess I misunderstood and thought you guys were bringing her home tonight,” Carson said with a light laugh.
“We were, we were. But what can I say—time got away from us. Are you and your father all set for tomorrow?”
“As ready as we’re going to get. Pop’s still fussing over small details, but doesn’t he always?”
“Your father looks forward to this event every year. By the morning of the fifth, he’s already started mapping out plans for the next year.”
Carson chuckled and Julia smiled tenderly.
“What about you ladies—are you all set for tomorrow?”
“Yep. I’m waiting for the last cake to come out of the oven now. I tell you, that Julia was a godsend. Usually we’d be baking well into tomorrow morning.”
Julia was relieved to hear that she hadn’t been a nuisance after all.
“Lilly has said the same about her lending a helping hand at the inn, not to mention that most of the locals think she’s been wonderful in giving out advice on their ailments as well as their pets’.”
“What type of doctor do you suppose she is?” Grace asked.
Julia frowned.
“Don’t know. I suspect she’ll tell us when she’s good and ready.”
“She does seem to be guarded about her past, but I guess you have a point. Her business is her business.”
Julia relaxed and listened to Carson as he kissed his mother, then said his goodbyes. Before he faded from view, Julia muttered, “You can always tell a good man by how he treats his mother.” She smiled again and moved away from the window.