House at Road's End

by Peggy Staggs

  Twenty years ago Tim fulfilled a dream, he designed and built our home. And he remodeled it I think seven times. We sold it and built or new dream home in 2012. No remodels so far. Yeah!

  Nine years, four months and ten days after our wedding, our son, Nicholas, was born. He was a fun child to raise then he hit the dreaded teens. We all survived and he became an Army officer. Before OCS he spent a year in South Korea and a long year in Iraq both as a medic. What is it like having a child in a war zone? Try holding your breath for a year and jumping every time the doorbell or phone rings. The good news is he came home safe as did all the men under his command.

  When Nicholas went on active duty we inherited Calvin, a cat. Neither Tim nor I had ever owned a cat. As I told a good friend of mine, “You can’t love a cat like you do a dog.” We’ve always had dogs. Cats are different. I frequently (much to her amusement) turn to my friend Janis for guidance with this cat thing. Calvin was a gray fur-ball with the attitude of a Rottweiler. Friendly to his family, but not above a tussle if the occasion called for it. I saw him stand up on his haunches and slap our 90 Spinone on the nose. Unfortunately, we lost Calvin to a rare condition when he was only two. I still miss my little gray kitten—who weighed sixteen pounds. After Calvin came Walter then Gracie, the cats. Guido the Spinone. Guido lived with us for three years before he and Tess became the parents of 8 strapping puppies. In a moment of weakness, we decided to take one of the puppies. We lost our Guido at the age of ten to cancer. Everyone still misses him. Even the cats.

  Due to injury Nicholas is no longer in the Army. He’s home and living with his own Spinone. Graduate school is in his future.

  To escape the zoo atmosphere at home, I work at Eddie Bauer. Yes, I do spend my whole paycheck there every single month.

  That’s my life in a nutshell...childhood, husband, kid, job, cats and dogs. Oh, yeah, I write too.

  Visit the author at www.peggystaggs.com

  Road to Deception

  Chapter One

  No. This was not happening. My worst nightmare stood at my front door. “Don. What are you doing here?” Two days before Christmas. This could not be worse.

  He was supposed to be in Washington DC, not Spirit Springs, Idaho. He was supposed to be out of my life. Not standing on my doorstep.

  “Ensley.” He stepped inside, grabbed me and kissed me. As I struggled to escape his embrace, I saw Jack standing at the door.

  I was wrong. It could get worse. This was so far past a bad situation, it made an avalanche look like a snowball fight.

  “Jack.” I wiped Don’s kiss from my mouth.

  “March, what the hell are you doing here?”

  Jack is used to being in command. He’s the Sheriff of Spirit Springs and more. What, I’m not sure. I’m working on it.

  “Trace, I might ask you the same thing.”

  Don wields a lot of power at the CIA.

  The two men faced each other.

  “I was invited.” Jack stepped inside and handed me a bottle of my favorite wine. Then he turned his full attention to the intruder.

  Don is my former fiancé who nearly ruined my life. He’d wanted me for reasons I’m still not quite sure of. I mean, I know he told me he loved me. I figured that wasn’t true the day he had my researched scrapped, and me blacklisted on the east coast. Oh, sure I’m an MD, but I’d specialized in research. The companies who’d been offering me huge salaries to jump ship would no longer take my calls.

  Jack is the reason I have a Christmas red cashmere sweater and black silk slacks on. And why I’d spent the last hour trying to make my brown hair behave. He is welcome any time he wants to come over.

  Both men’s cell phones rang.

  “Trace.”

  “March.”

  They have a past, one Jack refuses to talk about. I’m not asking Don. I don’t want to talk to him. Ever. I wiped my mouth again.

  My only Christmas decoration hung on the front door. A wreath. The twinkle lights and pine cones were twined with red ribbon and pine boughs. It stood out comfortably against the white front door. All the decorations were at the B&B and Jack’s. Our plans were to spend Christmas day at his beautiful home. My Uncle Bill was coming and that made Jane, my right hand at the B&B very happy. Me too.

  I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy Christmas. Dad had died in my arms two months ago out in front of the B&B I inherited from him. With Don here, it was going to be worse.

  The two men glared at each other.

  Jack glanced at me.

  I wanted to explain. It’s a toss-up who knows better what a total jerk Don March is. Jack, because he’d had professional dealings with him. Or me, because I’d been engaged to him. We’d both learned the hard way. Contact with Don is never wise.

  “Doc, there’s a situation,” Jack said. “I’m sorry. I have to go to the office.”

  “I’ve been called to the Sheriff’s Office, also,” Don said.

  Fleetingly, I wondered if I should warn Phyllis, the woman who kept everything running at the Sheriff’s Office.

  “March.” Jack didn’t move. Under the porte cochere gracing my hundred year-old-brick home, sat Jack’s brand new silver Ford truck. His old Ford had met its maker a few days before Halloween. That’s when he’d been shot and sliced and pierced by some nasty people who were now either dead or awaiting trial.

  Half of me ached with curiosity to know what circumstances would call these two men to Jack’s office. The other half was happy to let it play out without me.

  Don walked past Jack.

  I looked from Don to Jack. “It isn’t what it looks like.”

  “I know.” Jack smiled then leaned forward and whispered, “I’ll be back.” His words sent a shiver of expectation through me as he walked away.

  I should mention here, Jack is gorgeous and just all around great. He’s tall, with brown hair, hazel eyes, he has shoulders to die for and his kisses turn my brain to soup. He’d helped me catch the garbage who’d murdered my dad. Actually, it was more of a, him-solving-it and me-getting-in-the-way situation. Being a doctor—albeit a research physician—had come in handy.

  Don, on the other hand, is tall, his dark hair expertly cut to lay perfectly. His light blue eyes are striking and he has the body of someone who works out regularly. My former research assistant thinks he’s hot. He is, but that doesn’t make up for the rest.

  I leaned against the doorframe, as I watched Jack’s silver Ford, followed by Don’s rental car, pull around the driveway. This situation was going to end badly. It had no choice.

  I closed the door and went to change into jeans. Five minutes later, I left Glenn House for the B&B a hundred yards away. I walked through the grove of pines and leafless deciduous trees veiling my home from the rest of the world. I wanted to talk to Jane. She’d worked for Dad. She’d stayed, because in her words, ‘I don’t have anywhere else to be and someone has to look after those cats.’

  The cats had been tossed out like trash. Some genius decided two de-clawed cats would be able to fend for themselves in the country. The cats were smart enough to find the B&B and Jane and in turn me. Evidently, they were able to adapt just fine.

  As I rounded the corner of the B&B, I saw the Shaw’s car still parked by the front of the old school building turned bed and breakfast.

  The Shaws are a curious couple, who boarder on a little strange. They’d come here to celebrate their first anniversary. Yet they didn’t spend a lot of time together. But everyone’s relationship is different. When they’d checked in three days ago, we’d made it clear we’d be closing the twenty-third. I was surprised to see they were still here.

  “Jane,” I called as I walked in the back door.

  “In here, Boss.” I found her in the dining room half under the Christmas tree. She was reaching for something at the base of it. Her sturdy farm girl frame was suited for the struggle. She came up with Mason. Our big black-and-white cat and resident scoundrel. She let him go and he scampered off. H
er soft blonde hair had been restyled by the boughs of the tree.

  Around us, the red and green table cloths gave the room a festive mood. My good spirits had vanished with the arrival of Don.

  “Let me help.” We returned the silver garland to its rightful place on the tree. I reached out, saving a red ornament from a fall.

  “Thanks. That cat is set on taking this tree down one decoration at a time.” The cats arrived at the B&B a few weeks before I did. Jane had taken them in so they wouldn’t starve. Neither of them were in any danger, now.

  On a nearby chair, Mason sat watching us. He’d taken to disassembling what he could and knocking the rest to the floor. Mattie, the little gray tabby, lay in a sunny spot in one of the tall windows gracing the front of the building. B&B had been Dad’s retirement project. Now, it belonged to me. My brother Cole was happy with his half of the estate. He’s with the CIA like Don. Just to make things more complicated, Don is Cole’s handler’s boss. Very uncomfortable for me. I worry.

  I walked to the window. It grabbed at my heart every time I thought about the night Dad had been murdered. It would for a long time. I miss him. The snow now covered the spot. I knew this was going to be a hard Christmas. My brother Cole and his wife Cindy weren’t able to come out after all. Some snafu in Washington was keeping Cole there. Dad’s best friend and Jane’s...special friend, Uncle Bill, would be here.

  “When are the Shaws checking out?”

  “They asked if they could stay until later this evening. I didn’t see any harm.” She paused. “Ah. We aren’t guest-free.”

  No. Please. I wanted him to be passing through. Anything, anything, but what I knew she was going to say. “Oh?” I was going to hold on to my glass half-full attitude until it spilled.

  “A man came by earlier, said he was a friend of yours and Jack’s and needed a room for a while.”

  “Was he tall, dark hair, blue eyes, nice-looking?”

  She nodded. “He said his name was Don March.”

  My glass not only spilled. It shattered.

  She studied me. “He’s not a friend?”

  “No. It’ll be okay.” I knew it wouldn’t be.

  “I thought about sayin’ no.” She tilted her head. “He said you were expecting him.”

  Of course, he did. He’d say, or do anything to get what he wanted. “It’s okay.” She knew I’d been engaged. I couldn’t remember if I’d told her his name. Even if I had, there was no reason for her to remember it.

  “I’ll throw him out.”

  Jane has a way of stating things as facts.

  “It wouldn’t do any good. Let’s hope he finishes what he’s here to do and leaves.”

  “He is the determined type.” She picked up the big cat to keep him from rearranging the garland again. “He knows we’re closed Christmas Eve and day. No breakfast. He said he had plans and it wouldn’t matter.”

  I could only imagine what those plans were. It didn’t matter. Uncle Bill was coming tomorrow and we were all going to Jack’s for the day. I couldn’t wait. The magic of Christmas day always held the promise of a new beginning.

  “Who is he?”

  “He’s the man I was engaged to before I moved here.”

  My cell phone rang. “Hello, Jack.”

  “Doc, meet me at the Hot Springs.” He hung up.

  The cold tone in his voice wasn’t like him. I didn’t want to think about what had happened at his office. To Jane I said, “I was going to mail this, but since they’re still here, would you give it to the Shaws?” I handed her a Christmas card. “There’s a coupon in there for next year. And wish them a Merry Christmas for us.”

  “Is this Don March going to cause us trouble?” Jane and I had been through a lot in our short time together. Dad’s death had hit us both hard. Jack and I nearly getting killed hadn’t made things any easier. I was ready for a nice, quiet uneventful holiday.

  “Without a doubt. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.”

  “I’ll take the cats to your place.”

  Glenn House is a large two-story brick house. I’d asked Jane if she’d like to share it with me. She’d said no. She liked her little place behind the old stables. I think it had a lot more to do with Uncle Bill’s visits. They had an arrangement. I didn’t ask.

  I hurried to Glenn House and slipped back into my silk slacks. They’d be cold. Still, they’d look great. I’d abandoned my Christian Louboutin’s as outdoor wear for the season. Two feet of snow, plus four inch heels, equals something broken. I took them with me. There isn’t any snow inside the bar and grill.

  I walked up to the Hot Springs Bar and Grill ten minutes later. The largest restaurant in town looks like a huge log cabin. For the Christmas season, they’d strung lights all over it. In the coat room, I slipped on my black heels. Hey, you can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take away her shoes. I hung up my jacket and shoe bag.

  The restaurant area was body-to-body. Most of the bodies were taller than I am. The massive antlers above the equally impressive stone fireplace were festooned with tiny twinkle lights. The poor animal was probably rolling over in his grave.

  I looked around for Jack.

  Someone seized my arm and jerked me around hard. Lacey Harris glared at me. She’s the bartender at the Hot Springs Bar and Grill and the mayor’s daughter. Her long nails dug into my arm. She had a cluster of mistletoe clipped in her long, straight red hair. At least, it was red this week. “Jack wasn’t enough for you?”

  “What?” She is under the impression I stole Jack from her. Their relationship had been all I her imagination.

  “Don was in here earlier asking all about you. He’s back and he wants to see you as soon as you get here. He’s at the back table with Jack.” She squeezed my arm harder. “Are you going to leave with Don?”

  Poor Lacey. “Don isn’t the kind of man—”

  “Are you kidding? He’s elegant. Not like the cowboys around here.”

  He had a ruthless elegance about him. “Lacey,” I started again. “He’s not someone you want to get involved with.” I left out the take my word for it as I tugged my arm free from her vice-like grasp.

  She grabbed it back. “What do you do for these guys?”

  My evening with Jack was ruined by Don’s appearance, putting me in a great mood. Right now, Lacey was in the process of making it worse. “You want Don? Have at it. You’ll get exactly what you deserve.”

  “I’m not giving up on Jack. He’ll get tired of you and come back to me.” She spun around and went back to the bar.

  Leaving me to wonder if the sun was shining in her world.

  Weaving my way through the jovial crowd, I headed for the back table. The table with that designation was tucked in a corner where the light was dim. Very dim.

  I saw Jack and Don. As I got closer, I could hear them.

  “I’m telling her everything, Trace. Then we’ll see what she thinks of you. See how long she stays,” Don said.

  I stopped. They were intent on each other.

  “She won’t believe you.”

  “Maybe not, but it’ll plant doubt in her mind. She’ll start questioning what you are.” Don shook his head. “She questions everything. She’ll start to dig and—” He stood. “You look very nice, Ensley.” He smiled.

  Jack stood.

  It struck me how much Don and Jack were built alike. Tall, slim and muscular. Don’s muscles come from regimented gym routine. Jack’s from living.

  “Thank you.” I sat down next to Jack. The lights barely reached all the way back here. The dark seclusion had been used to many a lover’s advantage.

  Lacey sauntered over, her eyes locked on Don. “Can I refresh your drink?” Her bright green sweater was so tight she was endanger of spilling out of it.

  “Please.” He smiled at her. He’d pointed that same practiced smile at me a hundred times.

  When she left I asked, “Why are we here?”

  “We’re waiting,” Don said.<
br />
  So why was I here? I was about to ask when Lacey came back with Don’s drink. “A guy wanted me to give this to you.” She held out an envelope.

  Jack reached for it and she drew it back. “It’s for Don.” She presented it to him with a flirtatious smile.

  “Thank you.” He gave her another patented smile. When she left, he ripped it open, then showed it to us.

  “There’s nothing in it,” I said. I still had no idea why I was here.

  “It’s a go,” Jack said.

  As Don took out cash, Jack said to me, “I’ll take you home.”

  He knew as well as I did, I had my car. I’d pick it up later.

  As we walked through the festive crowd he asked, “How did you get in here in those shoes without falling?”

  When I’d first arrived, I’d had a hard time navigating the disheveled sidewalks of town. “Trade secret.” I slipped my hand into his. It always made me feel like I was seventeen again. The thrill of being with that first real boyfriend, but Jack was no boy.

  He stopped and faced me. “This isn’t what I’d planned for tonight.”

  I’d figured that out by the way he’d said he’d be back and with the bottle of my favorite wine he’d handed me. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Then why am I here?”

  Jack shook his head. “He wanted you here.” I could see the muscles in his jaw tighten. “I want you safe.”