To say that the view of the two-story house had taken her breath away was an understatement. There was no doubt that the house needed a bit of work, as well as new siding on the barn and a new roof. That didn’t include all the repair the corral needed, but the overall state of the structures was solid enough to be saved.
This was her home—the place where she would hopefully one day raise a family.
“I knew you’d love the property.” Gus gestured toward the corral out back, but his fond smile told her that Mary Kendall was on his mind. “Do you remember when your mother would take you and Jace to go horseback riding? You always had to have Maggie Mae. If she wasn’t available, you refused to go out for your lesson. Your mother would get so frustrated with your insistence on that one old horse.”
“Maggie Mae was special,” Gwen said softly, recalling how soft the mare’s white mane was after having her hair brushed. She used to pretend she was riding a unicorn through a magical field of faeries, when in actuality they were just colorful, seasonal wildflowers native to the area that she would later come to appreciate. “Very special.”
“Well, I thought you could finally have a Maggie Mae of your own.”
Gwen’s throat constricted, so she stepped into her father’s embrace and held on a little longer than necessary. He now felt the need to be both mother and father to all of them, and she realized it couldn’t have been easy for him.
It was times like these that needed to be cherished. Unfortunately, her mother wasn’t here to reap her share of the reward. Gwen should have come home a lot sooner than now, but it was too late to treasure what time Mary Kendall had left.
She was gone.
Those tentacles of guilt began to wrap around Gwen, threatening to crush her for the selfishness she’d conveyed over the years.
Being the only girl in the family hadn’t been as easy as one would imagine. She’d been protected her entire life. First, by a father who adored his daughter. Second, by four brothers who considered it their duty to ensure their sister’s safety. There had been times she hadn’t been able to breathe in high school, so she’d used the excuse of the family legacy to escape.
It had taken the loss of their mother to make her realize that she’d left behind everything Mary Kendall had stood for—family.
“I love you, Dad.”
When Noah muttered something underneath his breath about her being a spoiled princess because she wouldn’t ride any other horse but Maggie Mae, she instinctively lifted her knee-high boot and connected the flat heel to his shin.
His oomph was all she needed to experience that distinct zing of satisfaction.
Yes, they all should have come home sooner.
“I’m going to walk around the property while you go speak with Chad.” Gus removed the toothpick from his mouth after she stepped back. His small frown deepened the lines on his weathered forehead. “I know you believe it was a trick of the light, but I’d rather be sure considering what’s been happening recently.”
“Noah can join you. He needs to walk that last comment off,” Gwen said with feigned innocence, ignoring that her brother had leaned down to massage his shin. He’d deserved it, and she wasn’t about to apologize for her behavior, either. She hadn’t learned how to survive five brothers without having a bit of thick skin or knowing how to subtly get even without her parents being any the wiser. “I’d rather speak with Chad in private, thank you.”
“Understood,” Gus stated with a nod, putting his toothpick back in place. He motioned for Noah to head down the porch steps first. “We’ll be back in ten, pipsqueak. Noah, I think you should give Mitch a call and have him schedule a deputy to drive through the…”
Gus and Noah walked down the porch steps, carrying on their conversation as if the past didn’t threaten to draw her back in time.
Pipsqueak.
Her father hadn’t called her that for quite some time, and it was somehow like a warm blanket being wrapped around her shoulders after having been out in the cold for too long.
It was amazing to her that one word could make everything right in the world. Not even the upcoming apology she had to issue to Chad seemed overly daunting. She wasn’t sure why she’d waited until her dad and brother were a good fifty feet away, but she then walked over to the far end of the wraparound porch and leaned her elbows against the railing instead of going straight inside.
The slight breeze coming across the open field had a slight chill to it that signaled autumn was arriving soon rather than later. She’d heard that rain was in the forecast, but the clear blue sky above gave hope that the storms would remain south of them for the time being. Memories of sitting with her mother on the porch waiting for incoming thunderstorms filled her head, and she hoped that someday she could do the same with her own daughter, snapping beans and talking about which boys at school weren’t totally without some measure of saving grace.
It was all but impossible to stop the visions of a porch swing swaying and a huge glass jug of sweet tea brewing in the warm rays as it sat on the railing awaiting dinner. Later, after supper was over and the dishes were done, lightning bugs would dance in the air and bullfrogs would croak to one another in their own language. The chorus of late summer evening music would initiate laughter from the children trying to mimic the sounds.
At this point, it was too late in the season for the lightning bugs, but that didn’t mean Gwen couldn’t have a bonfire or two as she cleared the broken timbers of the old corral. Not one of her siblings had made her an aunt, but that could literally be right around the corner at the rate they were going.
Only one thing currently stood in the way of delaying those dreams of anticipated family gatherings in the evenings—Chad Schaeffer. She was responsible for how he’d mistaken her inquiry, and it was time she rectified that particular problem. The last thing she needed was to cause dissent between families on her second day back in their hometown.
With a deep breath, Gwen pushed away from the railing and walked across the wooden planks that were roughly still in good shape. Another coat of paint wouldn’t hurt, but she’d put that chore off until the coming spring when the paint would have a week or two to cure properly once it was applied. She had the rest of her life to transform this picturesque house into the home she’d always dreamed of as an adult.
She was surprised that the screen door didn’t squeak as she opened it, but the interior was as stifling as she’d thought it would be after having gone empty for such a long time. She’d heard that the Grabers had sold the property to an older couple a few years after she’d joined the Navy, but places like this would always be referred to by the original owner’s surname until one put his or her own stamp on it. It had been that way for as long as Gwen could remember.
She stopped in her tracks, the screen door hitting her in the back as it tried to close behind her.
Wow.
She mouthed the word after her eyes finally adjusted to the darker tint of the living room. There was one window overlooking the front porch and two on the right-hand side that gave a clear view of the busted-down wreck of a corral. Well, they would offer an unobstructed view once the dirt was wiped from the windowpanes and the corral was rebuilt.
Numerous lists began to automatically form in her mind of the various things that would need to be done to restore such a magnificent home. Had it really looked like this when she was a young girl?
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Gwen startled at the sound of Chad’s rich voice. She hadn’t realized that he’d been sitting on the second step of the staircase, drinking what was probably coffee out of an old Cleveland Brown travel mug that had seen better days. His green eyes appeared black from where she was standing, but she didn’t need to be any closer to realize that he was still miffed by her earlier query. She also noticed that most of his tools were now collected at the bottom of the staircase.
“I fell in love with the place when I saw the old dented mailbox.” Gwen wasn’
t so sure Chad would listen to what she had to say if she immediately launched into an apology, so she took a different tactic. “Did you see the two large oak trees on either side of the entrance to the driveway? For some reason, I don’t remember them being there when my parents would drop me off here to play with Pam.”
“We don’t see things as adults the same way we saw them as children.”
Gwen didn’t think he was talking about the oak trees, but she wasn’t quite ready to debate his brother’s actions. Instead, she looked down at the floor underneath her boots.
“This floor could be stunning, though I’m not quite sure why the railing was painted white.” Gwen tossed a glance of distaste at the peeling paint on such an intricate piece of wood. Who would do such a thing to a work of art like that? “Are those horse carvings?”
“I’m pretty sure they were, but we won’t know for certain until someone takes the time to strip the rest of the paint off.” Chad was still watching her rather closely, but she didn’t want to invade his personal space. He had an underlying vibe that caused her to be a bit restless. “Unless you’d rather leave it painted.”
Gwen didn’t like to be pushed, but it was clear that Chad was done with useless chitchat. She tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded, accepting his decision not to drag this out. She’d never meant to offend him, but she wasn’t sure an apology could fix it.
“Dad and Noah are taking a walk down by the corral.” Gwen crossed the floor so that she could look out the window. The dust wasn’t as thick as she’d thought it would be, so it was easy to spot Noah coming out of the barn. He wasn’t going to be happy that she hadn’t succeeded in smoothing things over. “I thought I saw someone down by what’s left of the fence, which was why I asked if you were here alone. You should know that Clayton and that entire issue never crossed my mind.”
Gwen waited for Chad to say something, but he remained silent. Agitation set in that he was making this situation more difficult than was necessary.
“You—”
The rest of her words caught in her throat as she was brought up short. She’d turned around to tell him that she’d like for him to continue the renovations, but he’d somehow quietly crossed the floor without her knowing.
“Is that your way of saying you’re sorry?”
Gwen couldn’t tear her gaze from his. He was studying her like she was stranger, which technically she was. But he’d grown up with her younger siblings, worked with one of her brothers, and therefore knew her by association.
Right?
The layered filth on the window couldn’t stop the sun’s rays from shining directly on Chad as he stood a mere two feet in front of her. The stifled air somehow became even more claustrophobic as she finally recognized the hidden impression for what it was—sexual attraction.
“Having four brothers taught me to never show weakness to anyone,” Gwen responded lightly, tightening her hold on the keys in her hand. The last thing she needed to do was muddy the waters more than they already were. “You should know how that is having two brothers of your own, but I’ll clarify for both our sakes. I’m sorry if I caused you to think I didn’t want you working on this project. That was not my intention.”
There was a flicker of excitement in his green eyes that she wouldn’t have seen had he stayed on the steps. Her heartrate accelerated a bit, but common sense won out. Chad was playing with her, but she’d participated in this kind of game before. The stakes weren’t hers. They were Noah’s, and if giving a little ground meant making her brother happy, then so be it.
The last thing she wanted was to make Noah’s new job harder than was warranted all because she’d gotten into a battle of wills with one of his new partners.
“Apology accepted,” Chad murmured after a long pause, holding out his hand to seal the act of contrition. Her fingers tingled before her palm ever touched his. “Welcome home, Gwen.”
Chapter Five
“I never should have taken this damn job.”
Chad drew the wheat flavored beer through the neck of the bottle, not obtaining the satisfaction that usually flowed once it hit his bloodstream. He chided himself for not doing the smart thing earlier this morning when he’d had the chance. He’d been given the perfect excuse to simply get into his truck and drive away. Instead, he gave Gwen Kendall the opportunity to smooth things over and wrap his ass in a sling.
“You could always back out,” Irish suggested before walking toward the dartboard to retrieve his three darts. The hint of a tattoo could be seen at the edge of his rolled-up sleeve. “I don’t know the Kendalls very well, but it seems to me that trouble follows each and every one of them folks a little too close for my taste. I’d keep my distance, if I were you.”
Irish was relatively new to town.
He’d taken over the local garage after old man Delaney dropped dead of a heart attack earlier this year. It had happened so suddenly that no one had even blinked at the quick sale of the old mom and pop repair shop.
That was until the quiet newcomer had arrived in a beat-up old Chevy muscle car.
Strangers weren’t exactly welcome in most small towns if they weren’t just passing through. It had taken some time for the residents of Blyth Lake to warm up to Irish, and some still weren’t too sure about his unannounced arrival.
Irish hadn’t been related to Ed Delaney in any way.
That in itself was a red flag for most folks.
Chad overlooked it, because Irish was just looking for a fresh start. That much was obvious. Who was Chad to deny a good man a blank slate? His need for peace in a small town no doubt came from serving in one or both of the recent wars. Irish had never confirmed that guess, but his overly watchful demeanor made it more than apparent. The way he carried himself was a dead giveaway.
“I had the same sentiment.” Chad set his cold beer on the table, not bothering to get up from his stool. He wasn’t in the mood to play darts tonight. There was no doubt his aim would be off, and he wasn’t allowing Irish to win another round because Chad couldn’t get his head on straight. “There’s too much discord in this town right now, and the last thing I need to do is to drag my family’s name back into the daily grist mill.”
There was no sight of that redheaded reporter who liked to hang around and try to pretend she could blend in with the locals. Brynn had all but tossed the reporter out on her ass not too long ago. As far as Chad knew, Charlene Winston had never shown her face at the Cavern since.
It did make him wonder where she’d landed and who she’d been trying to befriend to dredge up the local’s viewpoint.
“You’re too involved.”
“I’ve lived here my whole damn life,” Chad reminded Irish wryly, scanning the faces of those friends and family who’d already staked out their seats for the live entertainment that Brynn had scheduled for Saturday night. “It’s kind of hard to separate myself from my own neighbors.”
“You just didn’t try hard enough. Trust me, it can be done.”
“Obviously, I’m not a pro like you.”
“I could always teach you.” Irish smirked. “It’s not that hard.”
Irish’s number one rule was to keep to himself while conducting business, and he succeeded in that endeavor by a bloody mile…maybe even more. Folks around town had all remarked how Irish was nothing but business at the garage and said as little as possible when discussing how he’d be fixing their vehicles.
“You and I both know what your major issue is, man. Let me be the first one to reassure you that you’re nothing like Clayton. You got that? Your old man certainly isn’t going to tell you, but someone sure as hell does.” Irish set all three of his darts down in the middle of the tall table they’d chosen to occupy near the back. He’d been about to take a seat when the front entrance opened to reveal a stranger in a suit. “Well, shit. If that ain’t a fucking fed, I’ll eat my hat. I’m going to use the head. Grab me another beer, would you?”
Chad quietly studied the
suit who was making his way to the bar. It was still relatively early in the evening, only going on six-thirty. The live band didn’t start playing until nine o’clock, so the bar would be packed by eight with everyone looking to grab the best seats. If this agent thought he’d make more headway than Detective Kendrick, he was sorely mistaken—suit or no suit.
It was like watching a train wreck.
Gus Kendall, Jeremy Bell, and Chad’s father were all sitting at the end of the bar in their usual seats. Calvin Arlos, the owner of the local hardware store, always sat to the right of them.
Technically, the only man who’d had his name practically etched into the back of his seat was Jeremy Bell. He’d been an alcoholic all his life, but that had all changed this summer when his daughter had been abducted from his house one random evening and killed.
That was a tragedy that would give anyone a wakeup call.
Then there was Jimmy Web, who was technically related to the Kendalls by marriage. He was at least four stools away from the other men, but that’s how he preferred it. He and Gus had some bad blood between them due to the dearly departed Mary Kendall, but Chad had only heard third party accounts of why that was.
One thing about this town?
Never believe what was being said, unless everyone agreed. Even then, it was an iffy proposition.
Sure enough, it was Chad’s own father who’d sent the agent scurrying around on a wild goose chase. The suit walked over to where Harlan Whitmore and Chester Mayer sat with their wives at a table near the front of the makeshift stage.
Chad shook his head in disappointment, wondering where his father got the notion that alienating the new investigator that the FBI had put on the case would serve any good purpose.
“I’ve already called Mitch,” Brynn muttered, bringing with her two bottles of beer. She set them on the table while collecting the empties. “You should know that the agent is asking for you by name.”
Unlocking Shadows (Keys to Love, Book Four) Page 4
