One Step Away (Hazel Green Book 2)

by Cindy Kirk

  “You didn’t argue with her.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I think she honestly believes I trashed my own room. She’s very convincing. Heck, sometimes she can almost make me believe it. I know that doesn’t make sense.”

  “It does.” Gloria had been the same way. “I knew someone like that, a family member.”

  This was the first time Nell had mentioned that fact, and his eyes lit up. “What did you do?”

  “I don’t have anything to do with her now.”

  “I’ve been thinking of leaving.” Toby’s gaze dropped to his hands. “I’ve got money saved. That may have been what she was looking for.”

  “Possibly,” Nell agreed. “Did she find it?”

  He snorted. “As if I’d be stupid enough to stash the money in my room.”

  “You’re right. That would have been foolish. If you did leave, where would you go?”

  “I don’t know.” His shoulders slumped.

  “Let’s think of some better alternatives. You’ll be eighteen in January, which is the age of majority in Illinois.”

  “I can leave then, and she can’t stop me.”

  “Have you given any thought to graduating mid-term?” Nell inclined her head. “Would you have enough credits?”

  Toby thought for moment, then nodded. “I should.”

  “That’s a possibility, then. You’d turn eighteen and have your high school diploma.” Nell continued in the same reasonable tone. “You could support yourself and probably qualify for grants to help with college. If you wanted to stay in contact with your parents, you could. Or not. Your choice.”

  Choice had always been a big thing for Nell when she was that age. For a long time, she’d seen no way out. Her mother was the type to track her down. And just like Toby’s mother had trashed his room, Gloria would have trashed Nell’s life when she’d found her, for no other reason than she could. Thankfully, the penal system would now be keeping her mother very busy.

  “January is still six months from now,” Toby said.

  Nell pulled her thoughts back to the conversation at hand. “Sometimes, having that end date makes it easier to stick. There’s something about knowing that on that particular date you’ll never have to walk through the fun-house doors again.”

  Toby rubbed his chin, his expression doubtful. “Last night when I was asleep, she flung open the door to my room, then stood there and screamed how worthless I am and how she wishes I’d never been born.”

  “I could speak with someone from CPS.” This wasn’t the first time she’d made the offer. But Toby was right. At this point it would be her word against his. The boy’s previous attempts to record her verbal abuse and video her behavior had failed miserably.

  He shook his head.

  “You’re in a difficult situation.” Nell’s heart ached for the boy. She knew what he was going through and knew that his life was likely ten times worse than he’d told her. Her gaze met his. “You’re strong, smart and determined. You’re a hard worker. You and I both know that she’s the one who is messed up, not you.”

  Toby closed his eyes for a moment. “Sometimes, it’s hard to keep that in mind.”

  “From what you’ve told me, this behavior has been going on for years.”

  “As far back as I can remember.”

  “Think of yourself as being in the final sprint of a race. In six months, you’ll be free and able to live life on your own terms.”

  “If we could have gotten the emancipation, I’d be free now.”

  “We didn’t.” Nell kept all sympathy from her voice, knowing that wasn’t what Toby needed from her. “Now you move on to plan B, which is getting your diploma and surviving until your birthday. Do you think you can make it that long?”

  Toby slowly nodded and pushed to his feet. Then he surprised her by extending a hand. “Thanks for trying to help.”

  “I suggest you don’t mention you plan to leave in January. Let that be your secret.”

  “You really do understand.”

  Nell placed a hand on his shoulder and resisted the urge to sigh. “You have no idea.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “At the moment, I’ve several young men courting me.” Lilian’s eyes twinkled as she raised her glass of sherry to her lips. “It’s a heady experience.”

  After a wonderful meal of succulent grilled lamb served with a minted couscous summer salad, Leo had retired to Wells’s living room with his family and Lilian for glasses of port and sherry.

  Mathis, always the good uncle, had gone upstairs to sing karaoke with Sophie. Leo wondered, not for the first time, if Wells regretted getting his daughter the karaoke machine for Christmas.

  Tim smiled at Lilian. While she wasn’t a blood relative, the woman had been a close friend of Tim’s parents when they’d lived in Hazel Green. When they relocated to Arizona, Lilian had become a de facto member of the Pomeroy family. “Who are these young men?” Tim arched a brow and glanced at Wells. “Anyone we know?”

  Though his father’s tone was easy and almost teasing, Leo wasn’t fooled. The Pomeroy men were protective of their own, and Lilian was one of them.

  Leo and his brothers had all been willing to lend their investment expertise to Lilian, but so far she’d refused to take them up on their offer.

  “I’m not certain which ones are still in the running for your affections.” Wells’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ve had so many buzzing around.”

  Lilian laughed, the sound reminding Leo of Nell when something delighted her.

  Leo resisted the urge to glance at the clock on the mantel. The day had been busy, with lots of unexpected interruptions. By the time he’d had a few minutes to call Nell, it had been time for dinner.

  “Marc Koenig is one.” Lilian’s gaze turned speculative.

  “He’s been dating Rachel Grabinski for the past year,” Wells told his father. “You knew her parents.”

  Tim nodded. “Sad thing that car accident. All those children left without parents.”

  “From everything I’ve heard, Rachel did a fine job raising her brothers and sisters.” Marty chewed on her bottom lip. “Doesn’t Rachel work for the food bank now?”

  “She’s the volunteer coordinator.” Leo sipped his drink. “I like Rachel. The jury is still out on Marc.”

  “Why?” Tim asked.

  “Just a feeling.”

  “I have some reservations,” Lilian admitted. “He seems a little slick. But he’s got some interesting ideas where I can invest my money.”

  “You know, Lil, Tim and I have a financial consultant we really trust in DC. I’d be happy to give you her name.”

  “Thank you, Marty, but I prefer to deal with local talent, so to speak.”

  “Who else are you considering working with?” Tim asked.

  His father was digging. It might not be obvious to Lilian, but his dad—and Wells, too—were very protective of the older woman.

  It probably wasn’t a bad idea. Even a smart, savvy woman could be seduced into making bad investments by a sweet-talking man.

  For some reason, Nell popped into his head. She was smart and savvy, but it would take more than a sweet-talking man to seduce her.

  “There are several others.” Lilian waved a hand as if these others were of no consequence. “The one I’ve grown increasingly fond of is Dixon Carlyle.”

  Tim frowned. “I don’t believe I know him.”

  “He’s new in town.” Wells’s brows pulled together. “The guy showed up last year out of the blue.”

  “Dixon has an office on Michigan Avenue,” Lilian explained. “But he’s a small-town boy at heart. That’s why he decided to make his home in Hazel Green.”

  Leo caught his mother casting a worried glance in his father’s direction.

  “Apparently, he’s also been discussing investments with Pastor Schmidt.”

  All eyes swiveled in Leo’s direction. He wished he’d kept his mouth shut. It almost sou
nded as if he was vouching for Dixon.

  “I didn’t realize that.” A smile blossomed on Lilian’s lips. “That’s an extra check in Dixon’s favor.”

  Wells narrowed his gaze on Leo. “How do you know he’s working with the preacher?”

  “Dixon played the piano for Abby and Jonah’s wedding when Frank got sick.” Leo took another sip of port, resisting the urge to gulp.

  “He just came out and said he was working with the pastor on investments?” Marty’s brows furrowed. “That seems an odd thing to bring up at a wedding.”

  If Leo could have thought of a way to redirect the conversation, he’d have done it. But the way everyone was looking at him told him he had no choice but to explain.

  “Dixon drove up while Nell and I were speaking with Jackie, Jonah’s sister. I was surprised to see Dixon there. That’s when he mentioned he’d been going over some financial matters with the pastor when Frank called to say he was sick.”

  “Dixon plays the piano beautifully.” Lilian sighed. “He entertained me with a few classical pieces when he was over the last time.”

  Wells fixed his gaze on Leo. “Nell and Dixon are close.”

  Leo smiled, thinking of how he’d been jealous of Nell’s relationship with Dixon before he’d known he was her brother. “They know each other from college.”

  “What college was that?” his father asked.

  “Wisconsin at Madison. That’s where she got her undergraduate degree.”

  Tim rubbed his chin. “Interesting.”

  “What’s so interesting about it?”

  “That they’d both end up in the same town after all these years.” His dad’s gaze met his. “You don’t find that odd?”

  “Not at all.” Leo gave a laugh. “This town is progressive with a lot to offer college-educated young singles. You forget that we’re at the end of the Metra rail line, so it’s easy and convenient for our residents to work in Chicago. They have the benefits of a big-city job but can enjoy life in a more relaxed atmosphere. We’re a prime spot for college graduates who want to stay in the Midwest.”

  “I agree with Leo,” Lilian said, sparing Leo the need to go on. “Besides, when you’ve lived as long as I have, you discover the world is really a small place. I believe in the whole six degrees of separation idea.”

  “When do you think you’ll decide who you’ll work with?” Seeming more relaxed, Tim returned his gaze to Lilian.

  “By the end of the summer.” The older woman smiled. “I have to admit I’m enjoying all the attention. I’ll be sad to see all the fawning come to an end.”

  Wells shut the door to his home office. When Leo had announced he was leaving, Mathis had walked out with him. Wells had checked on Sophie and found she was sleeping soundly. Lilian and his mother were in the living room, chatting about, well, whatever it was women who hadn’t seen each other in a while talked about. That left Wells and his father alone.

  “I’m concerned about this situation with Lilian.” Tim crossed to the window to gaze into the darkness. After a moment, he turned back to his eldest son.

  “She’s an intelligent woman who I believe has good instincts. Dick kept her involved in their various business ventures, so it isn’t as if making these kinds of decisions is foreign to her.”

  “Dick’s death was unexpected.” Wells tightened his fingers around an antique paperweight that Dani had given him for their anniversary. “When someone that close to you is taken unexpectedly, it clouds your judgment. Even when you think you’re making good, rational decisions, sometimes you’re not.”

  The sympathy in his father’s eyes had Wells putting the paperweight down.

  “I wasn’t sure her selling off those pieces of real estate was a smart move, but she got a prime price,” Wells grudgingly admitted.

  Though it was his son’s office, Tim sat in the position of power behind the desk. He steepled his fingers. “What can you tell me about these two frontrunners?”

  “Marc Koenig is someone I wouldn’t trust farther than I could throw him.” Wells gritted his teeth. “He’s approached me a handful of times about working together on a project. I can’t stand people who try to ingratiate themselves by plying you with compliments.”

  His father frowned. “We get a lot of those in Washington.”

  “I’m sure you do.” Wells couldn’t keep the protective note from his voice. While Lilian meant a lot to the entire Pomeroy family, she’d stepped up and been there for him after the accident.

  When he’d finally been ready to go through Dani’s things, his mother had already returned to DC. Lilian had been the one who encouraged him to pack away things that might mean something to Sophie as she grew older. Lilian had been a source of strength during a time when he’d needed to lean, just a little.

  He would not tolerate anyone taking advantage of her kind and generous nature.

  Wells tapped a pen against the desktop. “I believe Lilian sees through all the phoniness. I’m not sure why she’s leading him on, unless it’s because of Rachel. Or she may be actually considering working with him on a limited basis.”

  “You think the other man, this Dixon Carlyle, is the one we need to be concerned about?”

  “Dixon is smooth. On the surface, he seems like an okay guy, but I don’t really know him.”

  The door opened, and Mathis stepped into the room. Without asking if he was interrupting, Matt crossed the room and dropped into a leather chair.

  “I thought you left with Leo.” Tim softened the words with a smile, but it was obvious to Wells—and undoubtedly to Matt—that their father would have preferred that he’d gone home.

  “And yet, here I am.” Matt’s gaze shifted from his father to brother.

  It was apparent Matt wasn’t about to leave, not without being ordered from the room, and that wasn’t happening. As much as his father and brother clashed, they were family, and this was a family matter.

  “We were discussing our concerns about Lilian and her potential investment counselors,” Wells informed his brother.

  Matt slouched in the chair and crossed his long legs at the ankle. He arched a sardonic brow. “Without her being present?”

  “We care about Lilian.” Tim’s jaw set in a hard line that Matt appeared to find amusing.

  “Taking care of the little woman.” Matt’s sarcastic tone had his father surging to his feet. “Is that why Leo and I weren’t invited to this strategy session? Because you knew we’d object?”

  “We thought you’d left.” Wells shot his father a warning glance. “Though I’m not sure we’d have included Leo.”

  The comment had Matt straightening. “That’s interesting. Normally, I’m the one excluded.”

  Tim opened his mouth as if to argue the point, but seemed to think better. It was a smart move. That was one argument he couldn’t win.

  “It’s because of Leo’s relationship with Cornelia Ambrose.”

  “How does him dating Nell play into Lilian’s investments?” Matt’s gaze narrowed. Though he could be obstinate at times, his brother had a talent for getting to the heart of any issue.

  Wells cast a glance at his father and received a nod. “Because of Nell’s relationship with Dixon.”

  “Nell is involved with Dixon?” A look of confusion blanketed Matt’s face before he frowned. “This is the first I’ve heard of that. Does Leo know she’s dating him?”

  “I don’t believe they’ve been on a date.” Wells cleared his throat. “I simply noticed Nell and Dixon were laughing and looking pretty cozy at Liz Canfield’s backyard barbecue.”

  “Seriously?” Matt snorted. “Wow, from now on, I’m going to have to watch who I talk to—oh, and for sure who I laugh with—at parties.”

  “I think I’ll have Pete look at both Marc and Dixon. I’ll ask him to dig deep.” Tim made the pronouncement in a tone that brooked no argument.

  “Pete?” Matt asked.

  “A private investigator,” Wells explained. “Someone
Dad trusts. He’ll be discreet.”

  “Too bad you didn’t have him investigate Steve.”

  The flippant remark earned Matt a scowl from both Tim and Wells. Not fazed, Matt continued. “How do you think Lilian is going to feel about you two butting into her business?”

  “We’re simply gathering information,” Wells told his brother.

  “Gathering information would be doing an internet search,” Matt pointed out. “It’s a simple matter to determine if these two men have the appropriate credentials.”

  Wells acknowledged the truth in Matt’s comment, but Lilian was like family. And because of her husband’s recent death, she was vulnerable…even if she didn’t view herself that way.

  “It isn’t as if we don’t trust Lilian’s judgment,” Tim explained. “We don’t want to interfere.”

  “You’ve been in Washington too long,” Matt told his father before shifting his focus to Wells. “What’s your excuse?”

  “Thank you for your opinion.” Wells wanted to get this discussion concluded before his mom and Lilian came looking for them. “You think Pete can do this quickly?”

  “Absolutely. If there is something to be found, he’ll dig it up.” Tim picked up a Montblanc pen and tapped it against his thigh.

  “Not that my opinion matters, but I’m opposed.” Matt lurched to his feet. “I’m warning you now, the shit will hit the fan once Lilian discovers you’ve been meddling in her personal business.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nell stared at the golden glow of the Chinese lanterns and fought a surge of happiness. The night was warm with just enough of a breeze to keep the bugs at bay.

  As she would be herself tonight and not have to give Hazel a second thought, it had been exciting considering what to wear. Though she loved the fashions of the 1920s, she decided to go with something more modern.

  The 1960s got the nod. Eschewing preppy for mod, Nell coupled an orange, pink and yellow paisley minidress with yellow fishnet tights and white go-go boots. Oversized pink Lucite earrings in a geometric shape hung from her earlobes. Silky blond hair brushed her shoulders.