She made a dismissive gesture. “Oh, I’m sure she’s filled your head with stories about how awful it was, living with us. All we did was help her out when she needed it, but to hear her tell it, we treated her like a prisoner. But you tell me—why in the world should she work when we could give her everything she needed? And getting a place of her own—that was just ridiculous. There aren’t any houses or apartments for rent in Whiskey Creek, and even if she’d found one, how would she manage? She would have had to work to pay the rent, and bring Mikey out to the house every day and pick her up every night, and do housework and cooking and laundry. . . . Why make life so hard on herself—and on Mikey—when I already did all those things for her?”
The stirring of sympathy inside surprised Chase and wasn’t entirely welcome. He didn’t want to feel anything but hostility toward the woman who had caused Nolie such headaches, who threatened everything between them. But he couldn’t help it. Marlene Harper was hurting. She’d lost her son to death, her daughter-in-law and her granddaughter to the need for lives of their own. The harder she’d tried to hold onto them, the harder Nolie had fought to get away.
“What about the date with Jeff’s friend?” he asked quietly.
She frowned until the memory clicked. “Oh, that. She wasn’t ready to start dating again. I know she thought differently, but she wasn’t seeing things clearly. She was still heartbroken over Jeff. It was too soon.”
“It had been three years. When do you think would have been the right time? Five years? Ten? Never?”
Her mouth pursed primly. “I don’t expect her to stay single forever. But Jeff was perfect for her. He was the only man she’d ever looked at. They were so much in love, and you just don’t get over a love like that. She’ll always love him.”
“Yes, she will,” Chase agreed evenly. He wouldn’t expect anything less from her. “And she’ll always love me.”
He didn’t mean to say the last words. They just slipped out before he realized it, unexpected and arrogant . . . but true. He knew she loved him, because he felt the same way about her.
For a long still moment, he thought about that. He’d sworn he would never marry again, or get too involved with Nolie, or set himself up for getting hurt again. He’d been so sure he could handle having her for a neighbor, then being friends with her, then becoming lovers with her, while never losing sight of the fact that there was no future for them. And then he’d gone and fallen in love with her.
He’d been kidding himself.
Was it possible that he’d also been kidding himself about their future, or lack thereof? Could he trust her enough to accept the truth about him? Could he stay in Bethlehem, or persuade her to leave with him?
Could he risk hoping for something good . . . and bear the disappointment if it didn’t come?
“She’s not in love with you,” Marlene scoffed. “She just thinks she is.”
And there was even more arrogance. How could she presume to know Nolie’s feelings better than Nolie herself? Then he answered his own question. Because that was what Marlene did. She dictated lives, controlled people, and believed she knew best. That was the hell of it—what made it so hard for people like Nolie to stand up to her. She truly believed in her heart that she was doing what was best for them.
“What do you want from me, Mrs. Harper?”
“I want you out of my daughter-in-law’s and granddaughter’s lives.”
“And that’ll help your cause how?”
For the first time—at least, when Micahlyn wasn’t around—she smiled a smile that was happy, anticipatory, and her voice took on a warmth he hadn’t heard before as she leaned forward. “As I said, she’s infatuated with you. She thinks there’s something more than sex between you. If you break it off with her unexpectedly, without explanation, she’ll be hurt, and she’ll have no reason to insist on staying in this dreary place.”
Arrogant, dictatorial, and manipulative, but not thinking too clearly. “Nolie loves Bethlehem. She likes running her own business, making her own decisions, being in control of her life. She’s got friends and customers who need her. She’s part of the community. She’s not going to give all that up and run back to Arkansas just because I’m no longer part of the picture.”
“You overestimate her,” she said dismissively. That was what she did, too—simply brush off as without merit any opinion that didn’t support hers. There were only two points of view in Marlene’s life, hers . . . and the wrong one.
“I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate Nolie.” Rising to his feet, he leaned one shoulder against the post. So Marlene wanted him to break Nolie’s heart and spirit so thoroughly that she would have no choice but to return to Whiskey Creek, admit her mistakes to the Harpers, and settle once again into the suffocating existence that was life with them. It was a broken heart that had led her into the situation in the first place, and he seriously doubted another one could send her back to it. She was too strong, too smart.
Besides, Marlene’s plan had one major hole—why would he agree to such a thing? To keep Nolie from finding out he’d gone to prison? Maybe, was his first, panicked thought. He would give a lot to keep that information to himself. Hell, he would give everything if it had never happened.
But break her heart just to keep it secret?
“How did you plan to get me to agree to this?” he asked conversationally. “Are you going to blackmail me with my sordid past?”
“That’s part of it, though a small part.” Marlene climbed the steps until she was standing one below him. For a woman of average height, below-average weight, and past the half-century mark, she was damned formidable. “If you don’t cooperate, Obie and I will have no choice but to sue for custody of Micahlyn. Her mother shacked up with a felon, a common thief, allowing him liberties with her child. . . . It’s just not a healthy environment for a fiveyear-old.”
“What liberties?” Just the word had a dirty feel to it and made his skin crawl. Kiddie perverts were the only dregs of society he’d refused to represent when he was practicing law. To have something like that even hinted at . . .
“Do you deny sharing a bed with Mikey last weekend?”
“Yes, I do!” Last Friday night he’d slept alone in his own bed, and Saturday night had been divided between looking for Nolie and the hospital, then—“Jeez, you’re talking about when Nolie was sick? Micahlyn and I were reading and we fell asleep in the chair. We were both fully dressed. There was nothing improper about it.”
“So she told me. Trust me, I’ve questioned her about it repeatedly, and her story doesn’t change. But no matter how innocent it was, being a big-city lawyer ex-con, you can see how creepy it would sound in court, can’t you? Even child molesters usually start with something innocent.”
The sympathy he’d felt earlier was gone, for good this time. Once more he wished for a cigarette, only screw the beer. He needed a few stiff shots of whiskey instead. “Let me see if I have this straight. Either I dump Nolie, or you’ll drag her into court, trying to take her little girl from her and branding me some kind of pervert. Is that about it?”
“About. Except that the case would probably be heard by Judge Harrison Clinton, one of Obie’s oldest friends.”
“No conflict of interest there,” he said bitterly.
She smiled with smug satisfaction. “Our county’s small. We only have two judges, one who hears criminal cases and one who handles everything else, and everyone knows everyone, of course.”
Of course. He knew how incestuous court systems could be. No matter how unfair it was—hell, how illegal it was—sometimes the interests of the judge won out over the interests of justice.
“It’s a good thing your son is dead.”
The color drained from her face and she drew back, mouth open, eyes wide. “You-you— How dare you—”
“If he knew what you were doing to his wife and daughter, it would break his heart.” He didn’t wait for her to recover from her shock. “
I may not own this property, but renting it gives me some rights. Get the hell off of it now, and don’t come back.”
Her jaw tightened as she took a step back. “I’d like your answer.”
He wanted to snarl at her not only no, but hell, no. He didn’t, though. How could he when she was threatening Nolie’s daughter? “You know, if Nolie ever finds out about this, you will have destroyed your relationship with her.”
“As long as Jeff’s daughter is safe at home where she belongs, that’s all that matters.” She waited impatiently. “Well?”
He had to practically pry his jaw apart to force out the words he hated saying. “I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t take too long, or I’ll make the choice for you.”
Turning on his heel, he went inside, closed the door, and locked it, then swore—once, twice, three times.
What the hell was he going to do?
IT WAS A LONG BUSY DAY AT THE STORE, LEAVING Nolie too tired to feel anything but relief at going home. She put away the groceries she’d picked up on her way— makings for pizzas—then went upstairs and got out of her grubby work clothes and into the shower. Marlene and Obie had said they would bring Micahlyn home around seven, which would give her just enough time to dress and walk over to the other cabin to say hello to Chase.
She’d missed him, she thought as she pulled on a loose green dress and a pair of sandals, then combed her damp hair. It had been only one workday since she’d seen him, less than twelve hours, but it felt like forever.
The evening was quiet and warm, with just a hint of a cooling breeze. Soon summer would be there, the days long and hot, the nights warm and lazy. She loved summer and swimming and picnicking and gardening and walking barefoot and airy clothes and late sunsets and gorgeous sunrises.
She loved autumn, too, with its fresh, crisp, woodsy smells, the changing colors of the trees, the crackle of fallen leaves underfoot, the nippier reminder that winter was on its way, the lovely endings and the promise of new beginnings.
Of course, winter was also pretty special, she thought, laughing aloud at herself as she climbed the steps to Chase’s cabin. And who could resist spring?
Raising one hand, she rapped sharply on the screen door, then gazed back toward the road. She’d bought plenty of pizza stuff in case Marlene and Obie wanted to stay for dinner, but she sincerely hoped they would just drop off Micahlyn and leave. She wanted a quiet, peaceful evening, just her, Micahlyn, and Chase, with no tense undercurrents, no sharp voices or patronizing or manipulating. She loved her in-laws, truly, but she really needed a break from them.
Her brow wrinkling, she knocked on the door again, then walked to the far end of the porch. Chase’s SUV was gone, a fact which gave her an enormous letdown. He hadn’t mentioned plans to go out that morning before she left for work . . . not that he had to clear it with her, of course. Besides, he might have made the decision after she was gone. Maybe he’d gone into town to see Leanne, or some old friend, or even his parents. Or maybe he’d developed a taste for a particular meal and had gone to buy the ingredients, or he’d just needed to get out of the house for a while.
He knew she would expect him for dinner. He would be back soon.
Heaving a sigh, she strolled back to her cabin. She’d just seated herself in one of the rockers when the sound of a car broke the silence. She was hoping for Chase. Instead it was her in-laws.
Obie parked next to her car, got out, and scooped a dozing Micahlyn into his arms from the backseat. He smiled at Nolie as he climbed the steps. “If you’ll open the door for me, I’ll lay her on the couch.”
Nolie hastily obeyed, remaining in the doorway while he gently lowered Micahlyn to the couch, then brushed a kiss to her forehead. When he came back, she returned to the porch with him. “Looks like she had a busy day.”
“She’s like her daddy—plays hard and sleeps hard.”
Nolie winced inwardly. Micahlyn was like her father, and she’d never minded the comparisons before. She hated that it somehow made her feel guilty now.
She closed the screen door quietly, then laced her fingers together and summoned a smile. “You and Marlene are welcome to stay for dinner if you’d like. I’m fixing pizza.”
He glanced at the car where Marlene sat in the front seat, face turned away, then gave a shake of his head. “I don’t think so.”
Didn’t think they would stay? Or they were welcome? Either way, the result was what she wanted—a quiet, peaceful dinner—and another twinge of guilt.
But how peaceful would dinner be if Chase didn’t show up?
“Where’s Chase?”
She blinked, as if thinking of him had somehow prompted Obie’s question. “He had something to take care of.” It wasn’t a lie. Whatever he was doing surely qualified as “something,” even if it was just getting a change of scenery.
“Well . . . I’d better get going. Don’t want Marlene getting impatient.” He moved as if to hug her, caught himself, and smiled apologetically instead.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Nolie watched him get into the car, then freed one hand for a wave as he backed out. Then she went back to waiting.
Micahlyn woke up a short while later and told Nolie all about her day. They chopped onions and peppers and fixed their pizza, but Nolie didn’t have much appetite. She bathed Micahlyn and wished on stars with her, then put her to bed and read her a story, and still Chase didn’t come home.
Maybe he’d gone to Howland or to the Starlite Lounge. Maybe he was tired of her company and had gone looking for someone prettier, more accomplished, skinnier. Or maybe he was making up for sixteen years with his family. The entire Wilson clan could be having a welcome-back reunion even as she brooded.
By midnight, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She got ready for bed, then slept with her windows raised, just in case the rumble of the SUV’s engine might wake her from her sleep.
It didn’t, and she discovered why when she got up the next morning—apparently, he hadn’t come home. His cabin was quiet, locked up, his truck was still absent, and she had a knot the size of a basketball in her chest. She wanted to know where he was, what he was doing, and with whom.
Though she was really afraid she wouldn’t like the answer.
She’d never had a jealous moment in her life with Jeff. They’d been together so long—best friends forever, sweet-hearts all through school, then husband and wife. He’d never looked at another woman, and she’d never thought twice about another man. They’d been so sure of each other.
She felt anything but sure with Chase.
When he finally came home, she was sitting on the porch, a magazine open but unread in her lap. The Harpers had picked up Micahlyn for church and would bring her back sometime that afternoon. She’d made a lunch of cold leftover pizza, then thrown it away after two bites. It was hard to eat when her stomach was knotted with apprehension.
Practically faint with relief, she waited for him to pull into the space beside her car, but he drove past to park beside his own cabin. He got out, stood there a moment, then reluctantly walked back, as if he’d rather face anyone but her.
When he reached the steps, he sat on the top one, the post with the carved hearts at his back. There was no smile, no hug, no kiss, for her. Just a grim gaze that he couldn’t even bring to hers.
She forced a phony smile. “Have a nice time?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You’ve been gone a long time. You must have enjoyed whatever it was you were doing.”
That earned her a brief glance and a shrug. His hair was tousled, his jaw unshaven, and his eyes were bloodshot. Too little sleep, too much booze, too many hours in a smoke-filled bar? She didn’t want to know, almost as much as she did.
“I would have appreciated a note or a call.”
“I’m an adult. I’m not accustomed to reporting my movements to anybody.”
Anybody. Was that a step down from the woman who owned his cabin or a step up? It fel
t like a downhill slide. “And does being an adult also relieve you of any obligation to consider someone else’s feelings?”
His mouth thinned in a taut line and his voice matched, sharp, flat. “I didn’t know I was supposed to check in, okay? Sorry. Can we drop it now?”
“Sure.” She picked up the magazine, turned from the page she hadn’t read to a page she couldn’t read, not with panic building inside, robbing her of the ability to focus. Pretending disinterest, she turned another page, then another, then forced a casual tone to her voice. “Have you had lunch?”
“Yeah.”
“Because we have leftovers from Micahlyn’s the-best-of-everything pizza.”
He was silent a moment before grudgingly asking, “Where is she?”
“She went to church with her grandparents this morning. She’ll be back soon.”
Twenty-four hours ago they would have spent a morning without Micahlyn in bed, playing, laughing, making love. Right this moment she wondered if they would ever make love again. He was acting so strangely, as if he didn’t want to be there, didn’t want to talk to her or even look at her, and it fed every insecurity and fear she had. If he would just look her in the eye, just drop the attitude and tell her what was wrong. . . .
Dropping the magazine, she moved to sit in front of him. He immediately scooted back until his spine was straight against the post, putting as much room between them as possible. She knew he wouldn’t welcome her touch, but she reached out anyway, wrapping her fingers around his.
It hurt way down inside when he just as easily unwrapped them, then rested both hands on his thighs.
“What’s wrong, Chase?” Her words were soft, her voice quavering. Pride warned she should have more dignity than to let him hear that she was hurt or upset, but she hadn’t had much experience at masking her emotions. Jeff had never given her any reason to.
For a long time it appeared he wasn’t going to answer, but finally he raised his head and looked at her. His gaze was as hostile and bitter as it had been that first day they’d met when, for one fearful moment, she’d half-believed the bogeyman had come to drag them away. She’d never imagined that a few short months later, he would break her heart.
Cabin Fever Page 31
