“Fuller?” He halfway hoped so. Something bothered him about the way the creep was always hitting on her.
“No, Marion Concrete Services in Ocala.”
“Who’s the owner?”
“I don’t know. I do the invoices and they mail the checks. I’ve never even had to call them for anything.”
She shrugged into the sweater she had hanging over her arm. The air was still, but it held a cool dampness. This time of year, there was a distinct difference in temperature once the sun dropped behind the trees.
She pressed the key fob, and the locks on the rented Ford Fiesta clicked. “I figured I’d look it up on the Division of Corporations website tonight.” She patted the oversize purse she carried. “I’ve got their file in here, in case I need to refer to it.”
“How about if we do it at my place?”
“I have a better suggestion. How about if you pick up Kyle and come to my place? The last time I drove to Chiefland, someone was out to get me.”
“Good point.” Although he wouldn’t have let her make the drive alone anyway. For all visits in the future, he would be her taxi service.
She gave him her address, then opened the driver’s door. “Don’t worry about dinner. I’ve got it covered. Does Kyle like spaghetti?”
“What kid doesn’t?”
Spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken and hamburgers. Those were Kyle’s favorites. Not that he would ever admit it. He complained about almost everything Conner gave him, especially if it was home cooked. But after the complaining was done, those were the meals he attacked with gusto.
Conner got into his truck and waited for Darci to back out. When she rounded the front corner of the building, she touched the brakes and slowed to a crawl. Her head was turned to the right, where two men had just stepped out the front door. They stood facing one another, both in profile. One was Wiggins. Conner didn’t know the other one.
Darci did, judging from her sudden interest in what was happening. She continued up the drive, head angled that direction. When Wiggins glanced her way, she jerked her head forward and slowly picked up speed.
* * *
When Conner stepped with Kyle onto Darci’s front porch an hour later, tantalizing aromas wafted to him from inside the house. Darci opened the door as the chime of the bell died away, and gave him a welcoming smile.
“Perfect timing. I just took the garlic bread out of the oven.”
She motioned them inside. A living room was to his right, with a dining area to the back. A sliding glass door opened onto a patio that held a wrought-iron table and chair set. Beyond that, a privacy fence surrounded a small backyard, a swing set and slide in the center.
Kyle’s eyes went right to the glass. “Can I play outside?”
“No, dinner’s ready. Then it’ll be dark.”
Darci held up a hand. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll bring my laptop out after dinner and we can let them play while we work. My dad installed a great set of spotlights just for that purpose.”
As soon as they were seated at the table, Kyle reached for his and Jayden’s hands. But instead of starting his memorized prayer, he shot an angled glance across the table.
“I want Miss Darci to pray.”
Conner tensed, ready to tell Kyle to go ahead. He would apologize to Darci later for Kyle putting her on the spot. But before he could open his mouth, Darci spoke.
“I’ll be glad to.”
She closed her eyes, and the words seemed to flow with no effort. She thanked God for the food and for His care and protection over them. She asked for His help through the days ahead and ended by thanking Him for new friends.
New friends. He and Kyle were those new friends. And she was thankful for them. The thought warmed him, but also left him with an unexpected longing for more.
Darci’s prayer had been nice. What would he have done if Kyle had asked him instead? He’d never prayed aloud in his life. In fact, he’d never prayed, period, unless he counted those exasperated pleas for help that he’d sent skyward on a regular basis since Kyle came to stay.
Maybe he should prepare something, just in case. He hated being caught off guard. But practicing a prayer just to impress Darci somehow seemed hypocritical.
After dinner was over and the dishes were done, she handed him her computer and pulled a file from her purse. Kyle almost ran them over getting out the door.
“Hey,” he scolded, “what do you say?”
Kyle turned around with a sigh. “Excuse me.”
Conner shook his head. “The kid really does have some manners. But he knows it would make me happy if he actually used them. So we’re not likely to see signs of them anytime soon.”
Darci flashed him a sympathetic smile. “I admire what you’re doing. It’s not easy raising someone else’s child, especially when they seem to resent everything you do for them. Right now, he’s angry at the world, and you’re the easiest target. But it’s going to get better.”
He returned her smile with one of his own. If anything, she was perceptive. In a week and a half, she’d summed up his and Kyle’s relationship to a T.
She walked out the door and slid into one of the wrought-iron chairs. “You’re a good father, Conner.”
He shook his head. “I’m clueless.”
“We all are starting out. I’ve done a lot of winging it. And lots of praying.”
He laid the laptop on the table and sat next to Darci. “Yeah, me too.” He couldn’t say he’d received any divine answers, but he’d survived thus far, and Kyle didn’t seem any worse for wear. Maybe he was getting some help from above.
Darci opened a folder and placed it in front of him. “Here’s the Marion Concrete Services file. The transactions list I printed up Saturday is in front. I’ve got backup for everything that’s listed.”
He slid the sheet to the other side of the file. Behind it was a copy of a Marion Concrete check, made payable to P. T. Aggregates. Copies of four invoices were stapled to it.
He looked over at Darci. “Anything strange about these?”
“No. They’re all for loads of aggregate that went out. There’s a lot of them, but that’s not unusual for a large company.” She flipped open her laptop. “I’m going to check them out on Sunbiz. With that keylogger, I didn’t dare do it at work.”
Within moments, the Division of Corporations page filled the screen. She put the company name into the search bar, then began to read. “Date filed, 2/8/11. Principal address is in Ocala. Mailing address is a PO box. Nothing surprising there.” She continued to scroll. “Officer/director detail...” She let out a small gasp. “Rupert Wiggins is the president.”
“It’s got to be the same one. That’s not a common name. Did you know he had any business interests other than his position with P. T.?”
“No.”
“Who else is listed?”
She scrolled a little farther. Then her jaw dropped, and the blood drained from her face. He leaned toward her and read what was displayed. Darci Tucker, treasurer. The address was the same one she’d given him earlier that day.
His chest tightened. If Wiggins was going down, he fully intended to take her with him. “I need to check out the concrete company.”
“How do you intend to do that?”
“I’ll have a couple of my guys trade off scoping it out for a week, see if they do the amount of business that all these loads of aggregate would indicate.”
She looked over at him, brows raised. “What do you mean, your guys?”
“Employees.”
“Employees? You’re supposed to just be a mechanic.”
He smiled. “That’s how I started out. Then five years ago, I bought C. S. Equipment, an equipment sales and repair company.”
“I’ve heard of it. So how i
s it operating without you?”
“I’ve got good people in place, and I’m keeping in close contact with them.” He leaned back in his chair. “Who was Wiggins talking to as we were leaving?”
“Fuller.”
Ah, the slimy womanizer. “What does he do?”
“Commercial construction.”
“Any connection between Fuller and Marion Concrete, other than that they both get aggregate from P. T.?”
Darci shrugged. “Maybe Fuller uses Marion for his concrete orders.”
“How much aggregate does he buy?”
“Not nearly the amount Marion does. Fuller’s orders come in spurts, consistent with the timing of big jobs.”
“Maybe I should have someone check out Fuller Construction, too.”
Darci scrolled back to the top. “Just what I thought. This was amended 11/20, last week.” She heaved a sigh. “I think this started as a way to keep me from talking, but Wiggins is taking it a step further. I’m afraid it’s becoming a vendetta.”
A sick heaviness settled in his gut. That wasn’t good.
Not at all.
* * *
Darci laid two grocery bags on the table, then hit the double switch. Light flooded the kitchen and dining area. But without Conner and Kyle, the house seemed lonely and still.
She was enjoying Conner’s company more than she wanted to admit. It wasn’t just the comfort of having someone to stand with her against Wiggins. It went deeper than that. Conner’s presence brought to the forefront a longing that she’d buried so deep, she’d convinced herself it didn’t exist.
But now that longing was making itself known every time she was alone, weaving through her heart and leaving behind a hollow emptiness that stretched all the way to her core.
She headed back toward the front door, picking up the TV remote on her way. When she pressed the power button, voices filled the room, infusing some life into her silent surroundings. She loved her little boy, but he wasn’t much for conversation.
The problem was, she was getting spoiled. She and Conner and the two boys had spent most of the weekend together, as well as dinner last night. Conner had even driven back for church Sunday morning. Apparently Kyle had wanted to go with Jayden instead of where they usually attended in Chiefland. He seemed intrigued with her quiet little boy. Or maybe he just enjoyed having someone he could lead around without any argument. Whatever their relationship, Jayden didn’t seem to mind.
But tonight, Conner and Kyle wouldn’t be joining them. Conner had another engagement and had left her with a quick farewell in the P. T. parking lot. So she and Jayden were on their own.
She laid down the remote and stepped outside to retrieve the last of the groceries from the trunk of the Fiesta. As she straightened, two bags in each hand, a familiar vehicle crept down the road toward her. It was the gray Escalade, with Doug at the wheel. She sighed. There were worse things than being alone.
He turned into her drive, then eased to a stop. The driver door swung open and he stepped out. “You got a new car.”
“No, mine’s in the shop. I had a little accident.”
Something dark flashed across his features. “What kind of accident?”
“Someone ran me off the road.”
“Intentionally?”
“Yeah, no doubt.”
Now there was no mistaking what she saw—fury, hot and pure. “Were you hurt?”
“I’m fine. What are you doing here?” She had no desire to make small talk in her driveway.
“I came to see you and Jayden.” He reached out to relieve her of her burden.
She kept her grip on the bags. “You just saw us Saturday.”
“I know. But that was three days ago. I miss you, Darci. I should never have listened to my stepdad.”
So now he was going to place the blame for his decisions on his stepdad. He never was one to take responsibility for his mistakes. She began to walk toward the house, giving him a cold shoulder. If he was going to pop in on her any time he wished, her cozy home was going to feel like a prison.
She turned to face him on the porch. “It’s all water under the bridge. Kicking yourself for past mistakes accomplishes nothing.”
“You always had a good head on your shoulders.” He gave her a sad smile. “Can I see Jayden for a few minutes?”
A touch of pity slipped past her defenses. Doug had always envied her home life. He had no real family of his own. Time spent with his mother had always left him frustrated, wishing he could ram some backbone into her. His dealings with his stepdad had left him beaten down and dejected.
If he wanted to see his son, she couldn’t deny him that. When it came to having visits with Jayden, the law was on his side.
“All right. Come on in.”
Conner wouldn’t be pleased. But it wasn’t as if she was inviting a stranger into her house. She walked over to where Jayden sat on the couch, an Etch A Sketch in his lap. When she tried to set it aside, he resisted her.
“Sweetheart, Doug is here to see you.” She couldn’t bring herself to call him Daddy. And until Doug insisted on it, she wasn’t even going to try.
Jayden continued to stare at the toy, creating random, meandering lines.
“Jayden, look at Mommy.” She lifted his chin. Several seconds later, his eyes followed. But that didn’t mean she truly had his attention. Or that he was going to understand what she said.
“Let’s go say hi to Doug. Okay?”
She slid the toy from his hands and picked him up. Doug stood a few feet away, his posture stiff. When she approached him, he didn’t ask to hold Jayden, so she didn’t offer. No matter how many times he visited, she would never shake the feeling that Jayden was nothing more than an excuse to see her.
A rattle sounded next to them and she tensed. “Did you hear that?”
“What?”
She spun toward the side wall. “It sounded like someone jimmying the window.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, it happened again. Her gaze shot to Doug. He held a finger to his lips, then bolted out the front door. After locking it behind him, she held Jayden close and paced the floor. The blinds were all drawn, even the ones on the sliding glass door. And she’d had someone install a Charley-Bar, as well as checking all the window locks. Her house was secure. The only thing missing was a monitored alarm system. And that was more than she could afford, foreign bank accounts aside.
The minutes ticked by, and her uneasiness grew into full-blown fear. Over the past three days, she’d wished a hundred times that Doug would walk back out of her life as unexpectedly as he’d walked in. But she didn’t want him hurt.
When the doorknob rattled, her pulse jumped to double time. Then a muffled voice called out. A relieved sigh escaped her mouth. It was Doug.
She opened the door, heart still pounding. “See anything?”
“Yeah, but he had too much of a head start. I think he took off as soon as he heard me open the front door.”
“I’m calling the police.” She picked up her cell phone. “Could you describe him?”
“I just saw him from the back. He was a short, stocky guy, but he was fast. He disappeared into the woods before I could get near him.”
She relayed the information to the dispatcher, then hung up. “The police are on the way. I’m so glad you were here.” She let out a relieved sigh, then had to stifle a laugh. Those were the last words she expected to say to Doug.
“I’m glad I was, too.” He reached out to rest his hand on her forearm. “Let me stay. I don’t want to leave you alone.”
She backed away, shrugging loose from his grasp. “Thanks, but I’m fine. Everything’s locked. Besides, I doubt he’ll come back since you chased him off.”
“Are you sure? I’m happy
to stay. It’s no trouble at all.”
“I’m positive.” She wasn’t about to become obligated to him. For men like Doug, favors came with a price.
No, if she was going to allow someone to stay and stand guard, it would be Conner.
On second thought, that wouldn’t be a good idea, either.
For entirely different reasons.
SIX
Shopping bags occupied every square inch of Conner’s leather sectional sofa, and an eight-foot-tall blue spruce lay in the middle of the living room floor. It was only the first Saturday in December, and the stores were already packed with people.
Darci dropped her last two bags on the couch and turned to face him. “How about plugging in a Christmas CD?”
“I don’t think I have any.”
She raised her brows. “Radio? We have to have Christmas music playing while we decorate. It’s tradition.”
He headed toward the stereo system. “If you say so.”
Her tradition, maybe. He didn’t have any traditions of his own. When he was growing up, how they celebrated Christmas depended on which stepfather happened to be in residence at the time.
For most of them, Christmas meant nothing more than an excuse to party. Sometimes his mom partied with them. Other times she just stayed holed up in her room with another one of her headaches—ailments he now recognized as depression.
His mom was an okay mom. At least she wasn’t abusive. She just had a knack for choosing bad men. Three she married. The rest were too short-term to bother making it legal.
Conner headed to the garage to get a saw. When he returned, Kyle was removing boxes of lights and ornaments, tossing the empty plastic bags onto the floor. Before Conner could scold him, Darci picked up one of the bags and approached him. “Stuff the others in here.”
Mistletoe Justice Page 8
