After having deflected his mother’s focus, Derek didn’t waste any time heading for the door. He breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped out into the busy hallway. It was always hectic this time of day, especially when people took advantage of their lunch hour to visit friends and family. He immediately headed off down the corridor, not wanting to get stopped by Jackie should she be right behind him. He’d dealt with enough for the day. His father’s health was improving, his mother didn’t appear to be too worried, and things were returning to normal. He had more important things to be concerned with other than social events in Small Town, USA.
The next week would go by fast enough, considering Derek would be helping out around the butcher shop getting people and operations set into place until his father was back up on his feet in a couple of weeks. He didn’t mind in the slightest, but it was time to take a break, have a beer, and take stock. Afghanistan was a very dry place, and he was looking forward to his first cold taste of a refreshing American malt beverage, fresh from the tap.
The Grange was calling his name.
CHAPTER TWO
“Would Bennett really do something like that?” Kate asked, picking up her glass of sweet tea. “I mean, leaving dead flowers on your car doesn’t seem like something he would do.”
“Who else would it be?” Tessa pushed her plate away, too upset to finish her meal.
Not even the delicious smell of Frank’s butter burger could get her to eat. They cooked them back in the kitchen behind the bar. There wasn’t much space to get things done back there, but Frank made sure his burgers were made of quality ground chuck and they used fresh oil in the fryer every night for the crinkle cut potatoes. She was relatively sure she’d lost a few pounds.
These past couple of weeks had been hell and the local police weren’t much help. They thought she was finally losing her grip on reality. Hell, maybe she was.
“I hate to think of Bennett resorting to such a nasty level. I mean, this is Catfish Creek. It isn’t some shithole like Detroit. Everyone knows me, and it’s not like I’m a Karly Stocker. Now she is definitely someone who would have some kind of fucked-up enemy or even a stalker, like in that movie.”
“Karly’s list of enemies is wider than her hips, and that’s saying something,” Kate offered up with a smile, causing Tessa to laugh and relax just a bit. Their common aversion to a woman they both knew whom thought only of herself had often been the fodder of many a conversation. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into going to the reunion with me? We could drink too much wine at my house before we go people watch. It could be worth a laugh.”
Tessa sighed and crumpled her napkin, tossing the tight ball onto her plate that still held most of its contents. She’d been hoping to avoid the topic of the reunion, knowing full well Bennett would be there, along with a whole list of people she’d rather not see. She’d even officially turned her RSVP in to Karly, respectfully declining the invitation.
The whole matter had been set in stone until Helen Spencer had gotten a hold of her last night while she’d been on second shift at the hospital. One thing had led to another…until she’d ended up promising to attend the reunion with Derek. He was an old friend from high school who was back in town on leave from the military to spend a couple weeks with his father. She was relatively sure he never had any intention of attending a masquerade ball.
“I might go,” Tessa hedged, looking away from her friend briefly due to the sunshine shining in through the open front door. Someone was coming inside from out front on the tavern’s porch where all the smokers gathered, even though they weren’t supposed to, and she waited until the entrance closed before refocusing her gaze. “But you said yourself that you didn’t really want to attend. Why put yourself through the agony? It’s just a judging contest without any prizes—who makes more money, who stayed skinny, who gained weight, who landed their ass in jail. It’s so pretentious. Just say you caught the flu or something.”
Tessa had to wonder if there was a way to extricate herself from the promise she’d made to Mrs. Spencer. Derek probably didn’t want to go with her anyway. He didn’t strike her as the type to want to go to something where most of his old friends weren’t even in attendance. He didn’t hang out with the nostalgic crowd, that she knew of. His best friend back in the day had been Emmit Atlas, but he’d joined the Army and hadn’t been back home to this part of the country in years.
“No, I have to go,” Kate replied with determination. Her lips slanted sideways in contempt. “Especially since Anton is going to be there. I don’t want him thinking I’m a coward because I didn’t attend. It would look like I was avoiding him. I’ll walk into that dentist’s office on Monday with my head held high.”
“Ahhh, so how is Doctor Anton Ballard?” Tessa remembered the man and his arrogance clearly. He’d always held a grudge over Kate’s victory as class valedictorian, leaving him all alone with his second place gold salutatorian sash. “Are you two getting along any better, or is the king of the hill contest still marching on in his little mind? You should have just let him win back in first grade.”
“He’s a pretentious asshole, as always.” Kate didn’t bother to mince words. Tessa could only imagine what her friend’s day was like having to work for Anton. It had to be hell. “It doesn’t matter, though, because I’m going to that damn reunion and I’m going to have a damned good time. Besides, Rae will be there to keep me company.”
“Thatta girl,” Tessa exclaimed with a knowing smile, pleased that her friend wasn’t going to allow that ass to lord something so foolish over her head for the rest of her life. “You show him that he can’t burrow under your skin. You’re tougher than him anyway.”
And so was she. Tessa had to stop looking over her shoulder every ten seconds, just waiting for the other shoe to fall. The police could very well be right about the events of the past two weeks having zero connection with Bennet. She tried to think outside the box, separating herself from her life.
“What if someone was just throwing away a bouquet of flowers that had died during their stay? They could have set them on my car because they were carrying too many things and simply forgot they were there when they pulled out.” Tessa tried her best to get on board with what she was saying. The alternative wasn’t pleasant, nor was it believable. “What if the police are right? What if I’m making a big deal out of nothing? A mistake or some kind of coincidence?”
“I honestly don’t think you’re overreacting.” Kate finished what was left of her sweet tea and set her glass back down on the table between them. She raised an eyebrow and pointedly reiterated what Tessa already knew about the last couple of weeks. “Your house was broken into, your car was keyed down the door, and your wallet was stolen out of your purse at the grocery store. Add in the dead flowers, and I think you might seriously have an honest-to-God stalker. You said yourself that you couldn’t find anything missing from around the house. Did you check your panty drawer? That’s just plain eerie. Someone could be wearing your panties on their head right this minute, but I still can’t picture Bennett doing something that perverted. Have you turned anyone down for a date recently? Or did you sign up on one of those Internet dating sites without telling me?”
Tessa shook her head, having done none of those things. Maybe she should consider the dating app, though. She had no luck on her own and her thirties were right around the corner. She didn’t want to end up being an old hag with a houseful of cats. Wait. What if she didn’t make it to her twenty-ninth birthday, let alone her thirtieth? What if someone succeeded in killing her off?
Just talking about the events of the past fourteen days caused Tessa’s skin to tingle and the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. The dresser drawer where she kept her panties and lingerie—not that she got to wear the latter much—had been left ajar. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember if she’d been the one to do it.
Tessa technically couldn’t prove any one of those things had been done by the same p
erson or by someone who wanted to hurt her rather than just scare her. As Kate had pointed out, there had been nothing taken from her house that she knew of. Rae had said the same thing, so maybe she was just being paranoid. The scraped paint on her car could have been by some random asshole who didn’t like the way she’d parked, and her wallet could have legitimately been stolen out of her purse by an everyday thief. Perhaps the police were right and these incidents were totally unrelated. Then again, Tessa hadn’t told Rae about the dead flowers yet. She might agree with Kate now that something else had occurred.
“I have to get back to the office,” Kate said regrettably, reaching over the table and clasping Tessa’s hand. “Just watch your back and you know that you’re more than welcome to stay at my place.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.” Tessa tried her best to reassure her friend, but she failed miserably if the look on Kate’s face was anything to go by. “But I might call up Rae and stop by the veterinarian clinic. I can look at those books she keeps on the counter with all the pictures of the shelter dogs in need of a home. It couldn’t hurt to have the added protection and give an older dog a bright future.”
“Now you’re talking, girl.” Kate grabbed her purse, already knowing that it was Tessa’s turn to pick up the tab. They always took turns, usually along with Rae, though an emergency at the clinic had kept her from joining today. Tessa hadn’t meant to bring Kate down with such a depressing lunch, but it had been good to talk things over with someone who didn’t think she was losing her grip on reality. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you steered the conversation away from the reunion. I don’t want to have to deal with Karly by myself, so you had better get your shit together and meet me there.”
Tessa waved her friend off with a half-smile, already reaching into her purse. Her grin gradually faded as she recalled the hassle of having to cancel all her credit cards, her debit card, and replace her driver’s license. She was still waiting to receive her license in the mail. This whole thing had been a pain in the ass, and not knowing who was responsible was even worse.
Becky, their waitress, had already set the ticket on the table. Tessa glanced at the total and mentally calculated the twenty percent tip. She’d been about to scoot out of the booth when she realized that Kate was still inside. She was talking to…Derek Spencer, of all people.
To say that Derek had grown into a downright gorgeous specimen didn’t do him justice. His black hair was cut short in that military style Tessa had always found attractive, and his muscular frame must have developed after leaving high school. She took that back, thinking back to when he played football. He’d always been lean and muscular, but this…well, it was more than apparent that being a Marine suited him physically.
The ten years since their high school days had faded into swirling oblivion four days ago when she’d walked into Mr. Spencer’s hospital room and found Derek asleep in the chair. He still had the same effect on her now as he did back then, causing her heart to flutter at the sight of him.
It didn’t matter.
He had his adventurous life, traveling the far-flung world in search of danger, while she still resided here in peaceful old Catfish Creek. This was her home, and she didn’t see that changing because of a handsome old friend who happened back into town on leave. They had nothing whatsoever in common and the reason his mother was obviously getting impatient for grandchildren had nothing to do with her.
Tessa couldn’t help but think back to their high school days, when just an innocent wink would leave her smiling for days. Technically, Derek had been off limits back then due to his brief yet lively relationship with Mindy Weston. Their clique had all agreed that they would never cross that particular line and date someone else’s ex-boyfriend, though there had been some to break that rule, like Karly. Wasn’t there always? Tessa hadn’t, though. She had always been aware of how much hurt was involved when a girl was made to feel invisible by the boy she’d invested her heart in, as well as the betrayal of the one he’d left her for.
Tessa hadn’t truly matured into the woman she was now until her second year of nursing school, though her height had been of great benefit for high school cheerleading. By the end of college, she’d moved on from those high school stereotypes, but had never forgotten the one and only Derek Spencer. He was one of those brooding, serious types. That didn’t mean she would stoop so low as to finagle her way to attend a high school reunion with the man through his mother. She had some measure of pride left.
Besides, Tessa wasn’t quite that desperate. She should set the record straight so this wasn’t hanging over her. None of this had been her idea and she wanted him to know that.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Tessa had gotten so caught up in the past that she hadn’t realized Kate had finally left for the office and that he’d made his way over to her table. Derek was now standing in front of the booth, obviously waiting for an invitation to join her. She hesitated, wondering how she was going to bring up tomorrow night without sounding foolish.
“I start my shift in an hour, but I have some time before then,” Tessa answered, as she shifted her purse off her lap. She set it down next to her, tucking it close to her side. She also kept the bill and her new debit card in her hand, just in case she needed to make a quick getaway. “Please, sit. How is your father doing today? He’s quite a trooper.”
“The nurse from this morning mentioned something about Dad going home tomorrow.” Derek slid into the seat opposite her, his large frame suddenly making this booth smaller than it had been just a minute before. The smell of fried food was no longer in the air. It had been replaced by a subtle fragrance that made her think of a warm day spent horseback riding in an open field of wild flowers. She had to admit this was a nice change from the constant worry that had invaded every minute of the past two weeks. “Do you think they should give him the boot so soon? Those insurance companies are so damned quick to shove everyone out the door, aren’t they? Dad’s coloring still hasn’t returned to normal.”
“Jackie was his designated nurse this morning, right?” Tessa inquired, leaning back in her seat so they weren’t so close. She reminded herself that Derek was only here for another week, at least that was what his mother had said. “She’s an excellent nurse. Your father is doing really well, and I’m honestly surprised Dr. Hayden has kept him this long. I think he’s just been overly cautious. It’s time. Your father came through the surgery just fine, and his recovery has been exactly on track.”
“That’s good to know.” Derek adjusted the aviator sunglasses that were hanging from the neckline of his T-shirt. She couldn’t help but glance down and catch sight of herself in the small mirrored lenses. Did she really look that disheveled? Tessa resisted the urge to tighten her hair tie. She always secured her long strands at the base of her neck for work. It made things easier and more efficient when she got ready in the morning. What it didn’t do was help make good impressions. The start of his next sentence clearly made that be known, and she was once again mortified that Mrs. Spencer had talked her into something so outlandish. “Listen, I know my mother spoke with you last—”
“You hardly ate a thing, doll.” Becky had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, giving Tessa quite the start. She did her best to pretend that she hadn’t been startled as she tried to smile casually at her waitress. “This is the second time in two weeks where I’ve taken back almost as much food as I brought you.”
“Oh, I think the weather is just getting to me,” Tessa said nonchalantly, brushing off Becky’s concern. She didn’t want to go into personal details as to why she wasn’t eating, or else it would be all over Catfish Creek by sundown. Becky was known to talk out of turn by everyone in town. All one had to do was tell Becky a secret and it quickly became common knowledge to everyone who visited the place. Tessa had done a great job of keeping things low key so far, and she wanted it to stay that way. “Could you take this for me? I have a shif
t starting soon.”
Tessa handed Becky the bill, along with her debit card. The ploy worked as Becky cleared some of the dishes and announced that she would be back soon with the receipt. Now all that was left to do was get through this somewhat humiliating conversation.
“I’m sorry, you were saying?” Tessa asked, wondering exactly what Derek’s mother had said about her. It would probably be best if she were the one to fix what she’d done last night. “I should apologize first. Last night—”
Tessa’s phone let out a ring, the light tone drifting from her purse. She was one of those people who couldn’t ignore such a thing without looking. She gave a rueful smile and reached into her purse. The display read unknown caller, immediately setting fire to the end of her already frayed nerves. This was Catfish Creek. There was never an unknown caller.
“Hello?”
Silence greeted her, and she’d been about to disconnect the call. That was right before an eerie whisper came over the line, confirming Tessa’s worst fear. A rush of panic swept over her. She hadn’t imagined anything. The vindication never came as nausea won out. Someone was targeting her.
“Did you like my flowers? I chose them just for you. Dead.”
CHAPTER THREE
Derek studied the beautiful woman sitting across from him, instantly registering her discomfort and something else…could it be fear?
When he’d arrived in town and spent the first night in his father’s hospital room, it had been Tessa who’d woken him up to ask if he’d like a pillow and a blanket. He’d known immediately who she was. Those blue eyes of hers hadn’t changed a speck since that first day all those years ago in school. He’d seen them many times on the sidelines of the football field when the cheerleaders would celebrate a touchdown or whip the crowd into a frenzy to motivate the team. Never once had they expressed panic like they were at this precise moment.
Honor (Bad Boy Homecoming Book 4) Page 2
