“It just came to me.” Bobby’s expression was glazed and I knew he was probably in that strange limbo where he thought he was perfectly coherent but would spiral fast. It was time to take advantage of that.
“I don’t really remember you from high school,” I started, debating how I wanted to approach the situation.
“That’s because you were in your own little world with Hunter Ryan.” Bobby made a face. “God, I hated that guy. Every girl in the school was in love with him because he was supposedly some great athlete. He only had eyes for you.”
My heart gave a little jump. “We spent a lot of time together.” Why did people constantly feel the need to bring up a high school relationship? It was unnecessary ... and stupid ... and it made my heart hurt. “That’s what teenagers do. They fall hard and then move on.”
Except you haven’t moved on, a small voice whispered. I was brutal when I shoved it back. “We’re here to talk about you, Bobby.” I forced myself to be upbeat. “How is your life?”
“It’s stupid.” Bobby stared at his grubby fingernails. “I mow lawns for a living.”
He looked so morose I momentarily felt sorry for him. “You’re a landscaper?”
“No. I mow lawns.” Bobby leaned back and stared at the sky, as if he was searching for something specific. “I still live with my father and everything. My girlfriend keeps breaking up with me because she says I’m going nowhere. My father agrees. He’s really disappointed in me. He wanted me to become a lawyer, too.”
“Did you have trouble passing the bar?” I asked.
“I never got that far. I couldn’t pass the regular classes to even make it into law school.” He leaned against the log and let loose a wistful sigh. “Whatever, right? It doesn’t matter.”
It obviously mattered to him. I decided to direct him toward a different subject. “Is it hard living with your father?”
Bobby’s expression darkened. “He’s a pompous ass.”
“I bet. I saw him in the restaurant earlier today.”
“What restaurant?” Bobby was distracted by the moon.
“Two Broomsticks. I work there.”
“Oh, right. The family restaurant.” Bobby’s eyes were still full of drunken lust when they landed on me. “You didn’t live up to your potential either. We should totally hang out together. We can be screw-ups together.”
“That’s a lovely offer.” I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not quite ready to admit defeat yet.”
“Yeah. I can see that. You’re pretty ... and you don’t live with your father.” Bobby scowled. “He’s such a jerk. He won’t stop yelling at me to get a proper job and get out of his house. I warned him that I would sue to stay if he wasn’t careful. I saw a guy who did that on television. His parents wanted to kick him out, but he took them to court.”
I’d seen that story, too. I was fairly certain the individual in question had lost ... and rightfully so. “So ... your father was at the restaurant with Vera Axe.” Bobby needed to be led directly to the topic. “I thought it was weird, because he’s a divorce attorney and Vera is a widow.”
Bobby blinked several times in rapid succession and I thought for sure he would go off on another tangent. Instead, he actually managed to focus. “That’s because Vera was trying to divorce Roy before his death. It had been going on for, like, three years. It wasn’t a big deal.”
I begged to differ. “I’m not sure I understand. Why was Vera trying to divorce Roy?”
“You’ve met him. I think the better question is: Why did Vera marry Roy in the first place?”
“If Vera wanted to divorce Roy three years ago, why were they still married?”
“She wasn’t going to get nearly as much money as she thought she would,” Bobby replied, picking at a stray thread on his jeans. “That’s the problem for a lot of women. They watch television and assume they’re going to get piles of money in a divorce. They think it’s true for everybody ... even if that person has zero money.”
I pictured Roy’s office. “I thought Roy was doing relatively well. Are local real estate prices down?”
“It depends on the real estate,” Bobby replied blandly. “Businesses are being snapped up. People have offered your grandfather a ton of money for that restaurant.”
That was news to me. “They have?”
“They want to take advantage of what Hemlock Cove is doing. They’re getting stronger every year because of that witch thing. Your grandfather’s restaurant even has a witch name already established to take advantage of. I always wondered about that name.”
“That makes two of us,” I said dryly, hunkering down so I was on an even level with Bobby. It was obvious he wasn’t going to last much longer before passing out. I had to get my answers now. “Are you saying Vera didn’t file for divorce because she wasn’t going to get any money out of the deal?” That seemed a terrible reason to stay with a jackass like Roy Axe.
“It wasn’t just that.” Bobby started plucking at the grass. “She was angry when she found out he’d been throwing money around on another woman and assumed it was because he was cheating.”
Jackpot! “Who was he cheating with?”
Bobby shrugged. “Some woman who worked in his office. He had to pay her off because she left under suspicious circumstances and everyone assumed it was because of some affair. I don’t know what those circumstances were, so don’t ask. Because I know you’re going to ask. I just heard my father talking and knew Vera was pissed because all the money Roy had put away for their retirement was going to another woman.”
I exchanged a weighted look with Alice. “Do you know who he’s talking about?”
She shook her head. “Roy’s had a bunch of women in and out of that office over the years. I always assumed it was because he was a pervert.”
“It probably is because he’s a pervert. We need to find out which woman he was paying off.”
“Because you think she might’ve killed off Roy?”
“She might at least have some insight for us. Roy might’ve been worth more dead than alive to Vera. Maybe she killed him off because of this.”
Alice’s gaze brightened. “I hadn’t considered that. I’ll ask around and see if I can figure out who it was.”
I nodded and stood, casting a look back at Bobby, who had passed out. “Should we just leave him here?”
“He’ll be fine.” Alice offered up a haphazard wave. “From what I’ve heard, this is a regular occurrence. He’ll sleep it off for a bit and then go home.”
“Yeah, but ... he’s sleeping with his head against a tree.”
“So? Maybe he’ll wake up with a sore back and rethink his decisions. If not, it’s still not our fault. He decided to get drunk before it even turned dark.”
She had a point. “Speaking of drinking ... .” I cast my eyes back to the growing crowd. “Do you want to stay? I know you weren’t keen on it before and I have my information now.” My eyes scanned for Hunter. I let out a breath when I realized he was still present. Monica was with him, but there was always a chance I might get to talk with him when she was distracted.
“We can stay,” Alice said, pursing her lips. “There’s no sense running back now.”
I was instantly suspicious. “You want to see if you can land Tristan, don’t you?”
She was suddenly the picture of innocence. “I have no interest in dating him.”
“That’s not what I said. You just want to see if you can land him.”
Her expression turned mischievous. “I might want to land him,” she conceded after a beat. “He seems interested in you, though.”
What she wasn’t saying was that she wanted to land him specifically because his interest was directed at me. It was a game to her. It always had been. I didn’t care. If she could distract him for the rest of the night, I’d be more than happy to declare her winner of this particular battle.
“Let’s get another beer,” I suggested. “It’s not as bad as I remember.”
>
“Oh, it’s awful. But it doesn’t matter. You’ll drink anything as long as you can stare at Hunter.”
I shot her a dirty look. “I don’t care about Hunter. You need to let that go.”
She didn’t bother to hide her eye roll. “If you say so.”
HANGING OUT WITH EVERYONE after we’d gathered the information turned out to be a good idea. I saw so many faces that I’d forgotten about in the years since I’d left Shadow Hills that I had a great time catching up. I was having so much fun that I almost forgot I wanted to pay special attention to the way Hunter and Monica interacted — just in case there was a vibe they might be trying to hide. And then I ran into Hunter by the keg.
“Hey.” My cheeks were flushed from laughing when I bumped into him, my empty cup clutched in hand. “Are you having fun?”
He looked me up and down a moment and then nodded. “Sure. I’m here at least once a month. I don’t think it’s quite as novel for me.”
“I’ve seen so many people.”
“I’ve noticed. You’ve been a social butterfly.”
“Cassandra Dean is over there. She married Byron Presley and they have five kids already. Five kids and she’s twenty-eight.” I was still doing the math. “She says she’s gone three years without a cocktail because she’s been pregnant so much. I can’t imagine that.”
Hunter cracked a smile. “That does seem like cruel and unusual punishment, huh?”
“The thought of kids freaks me out.” I had no idea why I admitted it. I was a little tipsy, which wouldn’t end up going over well with Grandpa. I was going to have to start limiting my alcohol intake now that I was in a place where the only fun people had was getting together in a field to drink. That could get dangerous fast if I wasn’t careful.
“You don’t want kids?” Hunter’s eyes were probing as he scanned my face.
I shrugged, unsure how I actually felt about the question. “Shouldn’t I be able to take care of myself before I become responsible for another human being? I mean ... I’m living in the apartment above the restaurant. I can’t even afford the full rent right now.”
Hunter’s eyes flooded with sympathy. “You’ll get back on your feet.”
I often wondered if that were true. “I hope so. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”
“What do you mean?”
“All of ... this.” I gestured toward the crowd. The sun had set two hours before and it was dark except for the fire and several lanterns. “Guess what everyone wanted to know when they came up to me.”
“Why you were back,” Hunter answered. “You can’t fault them for that, Stormy. When you left, it was a big deal because almost nobody gets out of here. Then you were on television, for crying out loud, and to everyone stuck in this town that meant you were famous.”
I scowled. “I wish people would stop bringing that up. It’s the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
My response elicited a genuine smile. It was still heart-shatteringly charming, and I hadn’t seen nearly enough of it since I’d been back. “I liked the interview.”
“You watched it?” I was surprised. That would’ve been four years after we’d broken up. It couldn’t have been easy for him.
“Like I would’ve missed that.” He winked and I felt a small jolt of energy rush through me. “Everyone in town was talking about it. Your grandfather put up a sign above the coffee counter alerting everyone.”
“He did?” Tears pricked the back of my eyes. “I can’t believe he did that.”
“Yeah, well, he did. He was so proud. He told everyone who entered the restaurant that they had to buy your book. He even offered deals for people who showed him a copy of your book.”
“I didn’t know.”
“That’s because you never came back during that time.” His tone turned accusatory. “It was as if you forgot about everyone in Shadow Hills.”
“It wasn’t that,” I countered quickly. “It was just ... everyone wanted a piece of me during that time. Everyone thought I had something to give. I had to travel all over the United States and sign books at libraries. I was on the road every single day that year. I didn’t even have an apartment.”
“You didn’t?” He looked flabbergasted. “But where was all your stuff?”
“I don’t have any stuff,” I said. “I have ... nothing. Everything I own can fit in a suitcase.”
“That doesn’t seem right.”
I shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“It makes me sad.”
He wasn’t the only one. “I let things get out of control back then. I don’t know why, but I thought it was what I was supposed to want and I went with it. And when it came time to write my second book, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I figured that would guarantee success. But it didn’t.
“When I failed, I found out pretty quickly that none of those people who were so quick to befriend me when I was on The View wanted to hang around,” I continued. “Before I realized it, I was alone and trying to find inspiration and ... it was over. It was already over at that point, but I didn’t see it.”
Hunter shook his head. “It’s not over. You loved writing more than anybody I knew. You’d absolutely lose yourself in the worlds you created. Don’t you remember telling me about those places? You had joy in the process. You’ll find that again. You’re just going through a bad spot.”
“I don’t even know if I want it.” The words were out before I thought better of them. I wasn’t sure if I meant them or was simply feeling sorry for myself.
“What?” Hunter was shocked. “Of course you want it.”
Did I? “I’m starting to realize that I gave up everything to get one thing that I thought I wanted. I don’t know that it was worth it. Giving up everything, I mean. I feel so empty most of the time.”
I didn’t know I was crying until Hunter used his thumb to wipe the tear from my cheek. “You listen here,” he said in a stern voice, leaning close enough so that only I could hear. “I always knew you would do great things. That hasn’t changed. You might not have gotten everything you thought you would the first go-around, but you have plenty of chances to try again.
“Life isn’t one strike and you’re out, Stormy,” he continued. “You have infinite chances to get what you want. You just have to decide what it is that you really want.”
He was so earnest. I was just about to tell him that, thank him for bolstering my spirits, when Tristan rounded the nearby tree. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and cringed when his eyes lit up. “Oh, geez.”
Hunter followed my gaze and frowned. “I didn’t realize he was still here. I thought he’d left.”
“We’re not that lucky.”
“There you are.” Tristan swooped in and positioned himself directly between Hunter and me, boxing out my ex-boyfriend and trapping me. “I thought you forgot about me.”
“I’ve been catching up with people,” I said. “I could never forget about you.”
“Of course not. I’m memorable.”
Hunter rolled his eyes behind Tristan’s back. “Most douches are,” he muttered, forcing me to press my lips together to keep from laughing. “It’s just not for the reason you want to believe.”
Tristan’s gaze darkened. “Do you have something you want to say, Hunter?”
Hunter managed to blank his face, but it looked as if it took monumental effort. “I’m good. Thanks.”
“Then you should probably get back to your girlfriend,” Tristan said pointedly. “Last time I checked, she was on the other side of the clearing looking for you. She couldn’t figure out where you went.”
“She’s a smart girl,” Hunter shot back. “She’ll eventually find me.”
“I think she already has.” Tristan’s expression was smug as he inclined his head toward a spot behind me.
When I turned, my heart plummeted to my stomach at the look on Monica’s face. She was furious ... and I really couldn’t blame her. I wou
ldn’t be happy to find my boyfriend hanging out with his ex. Etiquette demanded she call him on deserting her to hang out with me, and it looked as if she was about to do just that.
“There you are.” She stomped over, her eyebrows knitting together when she caught sight of me. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing is going on,” Hunter replied smoothly. “Everybody was just talking.”
“Well, actually Stormy and Hunter were talking when I found them,” Tristan countered. “They had their heads together and looked to be having a very serious conversation.”
I frowned. Tristan always did enjoy stirring the pot. “It was innocent. We were just talking.”
The plea fell on deaf ears. Monica’s face contorted into something straight out of a horror movie. “Is that so?” The look she pinned Hunter with sent shivers down my spine. He was probably quaking in his hiking boots, though he looked perfectly calm in the face of her fury. “Do you want to explain yourself?”
“Not really.” He was calm as he gathered my cup and started toward the keg. “Stormy and I were talking. That’s it.”
“He was stroking her cheek,” Tristan snapped. “Don’t bother denying it, officer. I saw everything. You had your thumb on her cheek.”
He must’ve been watching us longer than we realized. “My eyes have been burning from the bonfire smoke,” I lied. “He just wiped away a tear.” That wasn’t entirely untrue.
“I knew this was going to happen,” Monica snapped, her eyes flashing with mayhem. “I just knew it. I warned you that she would try to suck you in, Hunter. She’s obviously still attracted to you. She’s a user. She doesn’t really want you. She’s just bored. Are you really going to let her destroy our relationship because you’re still harboring a crush on her after all these years?”
Despite my best efforts, my temper flashed. “Hey!”
Monica swiveled so fast she almost knocked me over with her flying hair. “It’s the truth,” she hissed. “I’m not an idiot. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were after my man. Well, guess what? You can’t have him.
“I know everyone in this town talks about the Hunter and Stormy mystique as if you guys were something special, but you were teenagers,” she continued. “It was puppy love. He and I have the real thing. No matter how you try to ruin it, you’ll never be equal to me. I’m an adult, and I didn’t have to come running home to live with my grandfather because I couldn’t control my own life.”
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