The Secrets She Kept (26 page)

Slipping her hand out of the knotted sheet, which hadn’t been tight to begin with, she grabbed fistfuls of his hair to gently draw his face back to hers. “It was worth it,” she said and closed her eyes as he put on a condom and buried himself inside her again.

This time the passion built slowly. He seemed intent on drawing out the pleasure of every thrust. She could hear the rasp of his breathing, feel the thud of his heart pounding against her chest, and felt utterly lost in her emotions. She was hopelessly in love with him. But there was nothing she could do about it.

“You ready?” he asked in a low voice.

“You go.” She wanted to watch him, to experience their lovemaking in a different way than being consumed with achieving orgasm.

He seemed grateful for the license to be selfish, to just enjoy what he was feeling without having to time it perfectly.

Just before he climaxed, however, he pulled back to stare down at her—and she told herself she had to be mistaken, but there seemed to be a certain...possessiveness in the way he looked at her.

24

AFTER DRIVING THROUGH
the swamps for hours, Rocki came back home for the sake of her kids. She wasn’t sure what Landon had told them about where she’d been when he picked them up from his mother’s, who’d made them dinner, according to a text she received, but she hadn’t been able to face returning any sooner. It wasn’t easy even now, after spending most of the day trying to come to terms with what she’d learned. She’d never felt so betrayed, so heartbroken—not since she was six years old and Gretchen told her that her entire family had died in a car accident.

Was this another of those life-altering events?

She didn’t want that. Maybe she hadn’t had
everything
. She and Landon had struggled to get by financially. But she’d been happy.

She expected to find the house quiet and dark—and it was. So she almost jumped out of her skin when, just after she let herself in, Landon spoke to her from where he sat alone on the couch. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“What’s okay?” she responded.

“I’ve been so
worried about you.”

The break in his voice made her think he was sincere in his concern, but she rolled her eyes, anyway. “I’m sure you have.”

He didn’t attempt to convince her. No doubt he’d heard her sarcasm, knew he didn’t have a chance of playing the dutiful husband now. “I told the kids you were helping a sick friend today.”

“What friend?”

“I didn’t give them a name.”

“And they believed that?”

“Seemed to. If you hadn’t come home, I’m sure they would’ve pushed me harder. But I thought you and I should talk first, decide how we’re going to approach this together before we...before we tell them what’s happened.”

She’d ignored most calls and texts, couldn’t handle communicating with anyone—especially her children. Although, she had responded to Keith, and she’d sent a reply to Chloe, who’d texted her a message.
Hi, Mom. I finished that stained glass window I was making for art. Wanted to show it to you. But I’ll show it to you tomorrow. I’m heading to bed now. Love you.

“I appreciate the consideration,” she said stiffly.

“I’m not asking for any credit for...for such a small courtesy,” Landon said. “I just... I wanted to let you know where things stood since...since the kids mean so much to you.”

“Too bad they don’t mean more to
you
,” she snapped.

He winced but didn’t respond.

“I’m tired. So...are you going to sleep here? Or am I?” she asked so he wouldn’t try to join her.

He cleared his throat as if he was still struggling to overcome the accusation that he didn’t care about their children. “You can have the bed. I’ll tell the kids I fell asleep watching TV, if they ask.”

Rocki could hardly breathe for the painful pressure in her chest, but she was all out of tears. She’d cried most of the day. “Good night,” she said.

“Have you decided anything?” he asked before she could reach the hall.

“Yes,” she replied.

There was a long pause. Then he said, “Before you tell me what it is, I want you to know I’ve been doing some thinking, too.”

“Good. I’m sure we came to the same conclusion. Have you already packed?”

He bowed his head as if she’d just slapped him across the face.

“Is that a yes?”

“No. Not yet. I will, though. I expected as much and I don’t blame you for hating me. I hate myself for what I did. But I’d give
anything
to be able to go back and...and be less of a fool. I hope you can believe that.”

“I loved you,” she whispered. “I trusted you more than anyone else in the world. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.”

It took a moment before he could speak. He cleared his throat again and dashed a hand across his face. “Like I said, I deserve your hatred.”

“She was my
mother
!”

He nodded, then dropped his head in his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

She knew their situation wasn’t completely normal. As far as he was concerned, Gretchen had been her mother. Josephine hadn’t come into their lives until five years ago. And she’d certainly never acted very motherly. Not only was she far more beautiful than most mothers—than the average woman, period—she’d had a gift for capturing male attention. A gift and a
need
.

In order to be fair, Rocki told herself she should cut Landon a little slack. At least he hadn’t stayed on Fairham when he’d secretly gone there. He could have, if he’d been interested in continuing the affair. It wasn’t as if he’d known his wife was on her way. To this day, Rocki hadn’t told him that she’d followed him there. But even if her head could acknowledge all the circumstances that made it possible to understand how a man
could
get tripped up by that situation, her heart couldn’t accept it. Because this wasn’t just any man. It was
her
man. Someone who should’ve been above temptation.

The betrayal cut too deep.

“Like you say, it’s too late to take it back now,” she said and left the room.

After that, she sat on the bed in her clothes for probably another hour. She could hear Landon moving around, knew he couldn’t sleep, either. But she didn’t go out to confront him again. She stayed right where she was and eventually fell asleep. She was dreaming of last summer, when they’d taken the kids to see Keith and they’d all gone to Disneyland, so she was reluctant to wake when someone pounded on her door. It was early, too early for her alarm, so she was confused by the fact that she was still fully dressed and Landon wasn’t with her.

Then she heard him say, “Rocki, open up,” and it all came tumbling back.

The urgency in his voice put her on edge. What was wrong now?

Staggering to her feet, she used the furniture to steady herself until she could find her equilibrium and opened the door.

He pushed her back inside so he could come in, then shut the door behind him. “The police are here,” he whispered. “And they have a search warrant.”

She blinked at him, still confused. “For...”

“They’re going to search our house!”

“Why?”

“I told them I have proof that I wasn’t even on Fairham when Josephine was killed, that I was on a flight to Vegas that left before the ferry started on Sunday morning. I thought that would stop them from...from barging in here and upsetting you and the kids, since they could easily check. But I was told—” his eyes searched her face “—that
you
were on Fairham after I left.”

Rocki’s heart sank to her knees. She would’ve crumpled to the floor if he hadn’t caught her.

He helped her over to the bed. “That’s not true, is it?” he asked.

It wasn’t that cold in the house, but her hands felt like blocks of ice. “Yes,” she said, “it is.”

* * *

“You need to get up.”

Keith opened his eyes, squinting at Nancy. At some point, they’d turned off the light, but now the sun was glinting through the shutters, nearly blinding him. “Why?”

She was standing over him, just like yesterday. Only this time she wasn’t ready for work. Her hair was mussed, her makeup smeared, and she was wearing
his
robe, which was so big it nearly dragged on the floor. “Because we did a number on your bed. I’m going to straighten the bedding so I can get out of here.”

“Right
now
?” He hid a yawn. “You haven’t even showered.”

“I’ll do that at home.”

“What’s the rush?”

“It’s seven forty, and that means Pippa’s going to be here soon. I’d like to get out of the house before she or Tyrone shows up.”

“Tyrone won’t care. And I bet Pippa’s already guessed that we’re sleeping together. Last night, I wanted you so badly I almost took you on the table right in front of her. I doubt she could miss that level of sexual interest. So see? You don’t have to shower at home. You can shower here. And you certainly don’t have to make the bed.”

“I’d still like to make the bed.” She motioned at the rumpled bedding and the sheet that was tied to one post. “Otherwise, I’m afraid of what she might imagine...”

He couldn’t help grinning at the mental image her words evoked. “Whatever she imagines, it won’t be as good as the real thing. I can’t remember when I’ve had sex so many times in one night, especially
that
kind of sex.”

She managed to untie the sheet and started trying to put it back on the bed. “Come on. Cooperate with me, okay?”

Tugging the fabric out of her hands, he pulled her back into bed with him instead. “I say we have twenty minutes before she gets here. Let’s make better use of that time.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! You can’t possibly want more. We hardly got any sleep as it was.”

“That depends.” He opened his robe so he could see her breasts. “Is this my last chance? Or will you come back tonight?”

His phone buzzed before she could reply, and because she was on the side where he’d dropped his pants, she crawled off the bed to get his cell out of his pocket. She was smiling playfully when she picked it up, giving him the impression that he could talk her into seeing him again. But when she glanced down, her smile disappeared.

“What is it?” he asked.

She handed him his phone. “Some woman says she’s missing you and can’t wait until you get home.”

He checked the text. Dahlia had sent him a picture of herself, naked and bending over in a seductive posture, with the words “Missing you” written in lipstick on her ass.

He deleted that image, but Nancy wasn’t climbing back onto the bed with him. She was gathering up her clothes.

“It’s not serious with this woman,” he said.

“No. I’m sure it’s not. I get that. We just spent the night together, but we’re not serious, either. I’ll be careful never to send you something like this in case it puts you in an awkward situation with the next girl.”

“Nancy—”

“I’m joking. I would never send anything like that, period. Anyway, I have to go. I have things to do at home.”

He was getting up so he could stop her—he didn’t want their fabulous night to end on such a sour note—when his phone rang. If it had been Rocki or anyone else, he might’ve let it go to voice mail, thinking he’d call back in a few minutes. But it was Landon, and Landon rarely, if ever, called him. That made him hesitate, and by the time he glanced up, Nancy had taken her clothes, hurried into the bathroom and shut the door.

Planning to talk with her after she got dressed, he took the call. “Hello?”

“Keith?”

“What is it?”

“The police are here.”

“They’re
what
?”

“They’re searching our house. They have a warrant and everything. I’ve never been in a situation like this, never been so filled with self-hatred. What the hell have I done? If anything happens to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”

“She didn’t kill Mom, Landon. Like you, she had an argument with her, but Mom was alive when she left the house.”

“I know that. And you know that. How do we convince
them
?”

Keith remembered Chief Underwood telling him not to get involved in her investigation. But he couldn’t sit idly by. He had to do something to protect his sister. “We’ll figure out who really did it.”

“How?”

“We have to find the woman who stopped Marcus Coleman on Wednesday night.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve got it. Just take care of your family like you should’ve done from the beginning,” he snapped and hung up. Poor Rocki. He could only imagine what she was going through, having the police toss her house on the heels of her husband’s infidelity.

Keith was so immersed in the news of this latest development, and his worry for Rocki, that Nancy startled him when she came out of the bathroom. “Thanks for everything,” she said. “Last night was fun.”

She was being a little
too
casual, and her careless attitude didn’t ring true.

“You’re not upset, are you?”

“No. Of course not. What do I have to be upset about?” she asked, and yet, despite all the intimacy of last night, she wasn’t coming near him. Apparently, she wasn’t even going to kiss him goodbye.

“That picture Dahlia sent—”

“Is none of my business. Have a good day,” she said and, with a cheery wave, called her dog, who’d been lying on the floor next to the fireplace.

“Are you coming back?” he called as she walked out. He would’ve hurried after her, but he was stark naked and could easily run into Pippa on her way in.

“Nancy?”
he yelled.

He never got an answer.

* * *

She was an idiot. Not for doing what she’d done. She’d wanted to sleep with Keith, and she’d enjoyed it. But she hadn’t kept it strictly physical, as she’d promised herself she would. She’d let herself believe that she mattered more to him than she really did.

The funny thing was...she knew better! He was just so damn convincing. The way he made love, as if he was so consumed with her and only her, would’ve thrown any woman off.

Damn, he was good. No wonder Dahlia was sending him pictures of her bare ass. She wanted him back. Who wouldn’t?

Nancy puttered around the shop, mostly cleaning and rearranging and waiting for new business. She didn’t have many orders to fill, and the ones she did have she couldn’t start on quite yet. Since flowers lasted only so long, and the events she was servicing weren’t until the weekend, she couldn’t work on those arrangements until Thursday. She wished she was busier. Then she’d have less time to obsess over Keith and the exquisite pleasure he’d provided—

The bell over the door rang. She hoped it was a customer coming in with a huge order, one that would make her work a lot harder than she was right now. If she had to stay late, she’d have a good excuse for not heading back to Coldiron House.

But it wasn’t a customer. When she turned the corner, she saw her sister.

“Brought you lunch,” Jade announced.

Nancy cringed at the reminder that she hadn’t shown up at the motel with dinner for her sister last night. She’d chosen to stay with Keith instead. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come by,” she began, but Jade put up a hand.