Holly, Ivy, & Intrigue

by Celebrate Lit Publishing

  “So what’s the surprise?” she asked.

  Her question brought Nick out onto the drive.

  Dispensing with a hand shake or even a nod, Tyler addressed the other man. “Since you’re still here, you can help me unload it.”

  Nick looked less than happy about being roped into service, but followed Kelsey and Tyler to the back of the pickup, where Tyler released the tailgate.

  At the sight of one of Grandma Rose’s china cabinets, Kelsey clasped her hands together while tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Tyler, I can’t take that.”

  “Well, good, because I can’t give it to you … much as I’d like to.” Stepping closer, he murmured against her hair, “Mom said she doesn’t need two of them, but she thinks it’s worth a hundred dollars.”

  “At least!”

  Nick watched with his hands at his hips. “In case you haven’t noticed, Jackson, Kelsey’s not rolling in liquid assets.”

  Ignoring him, Tyler focused on Kelsey. “She said you could pay her when it sold. I guess I should have asked you in advance if those terms suited you, but I figured you’d be eager to start refinishing.”

  “You figured right. I’m desperate for fresh merchandise, as you both know.” Kelsey cut a glance between the two men. “And I’ve never had anyone offer for me to pay after an item sells. It’s more than generous of her. Nick, would you mind terribly?”

  “Of course not.” Lips pressed together, Nick moved alongside Tyler to ease the cabinet onto the concrete.

  Once they situated the furniture, Kelsey waited for one of the men to say goodnight. But they both puttered around her crowded garage, picking things up and commenting on her impressive skills. Was this really happening? How should she respond to this silent battle of wills?

  Finally, when she couldn’t stand the awkwardness a moment longer, she wet her lips and said, “Well, it’s been a long day, and Monday morning comes bright and early.”

  “True enough,” Tyler said. He stared at Nick, who stared back.

  Saved by the sound of another engine! Kelsey took a deep breath and shaded her eyes against headlights pulling into the driveway. “Who in the world?”

  Martin Spivey slammed the door of his mom’s beat-up minivan so hard it sounded like it might fall off. He approached, assessing Nick and Tyler with uncertainty. “Hey, Miss Kelsey.”

  “Martin, what are you doing here?” When Kelsey couldn’t quite conceal the unease in her voice, Tyler stepped closer to her.

  “I know it’s late, but I got a chance to borrow the van, and I had to come see you.”

  “How did you know where she lived?” Tyler asked.

  “Miss Hannah sometimes let me mow her yard in the summer.”

  Kelsey asked, “So what did you need to tell me?”

  “The police questioned me.” Again his fists balled in anger. “I told them I was at my friend’s house the night of the robbery at your store.”

  Nick made a muffled scoffing sound that drew Martin’s dark gaze. The boy’s thin brows settled into a straight line over his prominent brow, but he softened his expression when he glanced back at Kelsey.

  “I never would’ve stolen from you, and I wanted to tell you that face to face. I got too much respect for you and Miss Hannah. Is she home?” Martin looked toward the dark cottage, causing Kelsey’s stomach to churn.

  “This isn’t a good time, Martin.” Only after she spoke the words in an attempt to cover for the fact that once the men left, she’d be alone, did Kelsey realize it sounded like she offered Martin the same lame excuse as before.

  He realized it, too. “Always a bad time. I need to ask her if she knows about any work. She knows everybody. My mom’s hours got cut, and Christmas is coming. Yet nobody will take a chance on me because of that stupid fight, and now everyone’s saying I put a brick through your window!”

  “Simmer down, Martin,” Tyler said, encircling one of Kelsey’s arms with a steadying hand. “Kelsey’s already told you she doesn’t have work. She’s in a hard way, too. So you need to respect what she said and leave her alone now.”

  For a minute, as Martin’s face contorted, Kelsey feared the kid would cuss Tyler out, or worse, punch him. Had he been drinking? Taking drugs? Did he owe someone money? Suddenly the boy shook his head and stalked off toward his car.

  “Just a minute, Martin,” Nick called. He held out a hand toward Tyler. “Way to bait the bear, dude. Don’t worry, Kelsey. I’m going to handle this. I can offer the boy some work.”

  “Oh, Nick, that’s awesome,” Kelsey exclaimed.

  Nick leaned in the window of the minivan, making placating gestures and extending a business card. A moment later, the engine revved to life. Martin backed out of the driveway, then, with a wave, Nick got into his Mercedes and did likewise.

  “Showoff,” Tyler muttered into the star-studded silence.

  “You have to admit that was a good idea. Maybe it will settle him down. It scared me when he noticed Hannah was away.” Kelsey shuddered. “Not that she could protect me.”

  “Cold?”

  “No, afraid. I don’t know Martin that well. I don’t know what he’d do.”

  Tyler reached out and wrapped his arms around her. Pressing her face against the soft canvas of his coat, Kelsey allowed herself to be held. In moments like these, she missed her dad.

  “I can see how the events of the last couple of weeks would unsettle you. Truth be told, I should’ve thought of Nick’s approach myself. I’m just mad I didn’t.”

  Instead, he’d gone all alpha male, which she didn’t hate. Kelsey chuckled, warmed by Tyler’s honesty as much as the closeness of his strong body. “I appreciate you trying to help.”

  “I don’t want to try. I want to do it. I don’t like the thought of you here alone, either. I could stay if you want.”

  The rhythm of Kelsey’s heartbeat just then would’ve shamed the little drummer boy. Embarrassed at the direction of her thoughts and afraid of misinterpreting Tyler’s intentions, Kelsey stepped back. “Um, thanks, but that wouldn’t look too good.”

  “I’m more worried about your safety than the opinion of gossips right now.”

  She shook her head. “I’m in no danger. I’m just antsy.”

  “OK, but promise me you’ll text or call if anything makes you uneasy. I’ll keep my phone by the bed.”

  The intimacy of the offer made Kelsey eager to flee to the sanctuary of her apartment. Once again her fanciful and romantic imagination was getting the better of her. Tyler just meant to be a gentleman. But she had promised, and he sat in the driveway until she closed the garage and retreated behind a locked door.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A thump jerked Kelsey awake. She opened her eyes as a shadow shifted on the balcony of her chalet-style apartment. Then full light from the street lamp streamed into her bedroom. She sat up, fumbling for her phone. She waited, frozen, watching, listening, her heart surging in her ears. Then came a scratching sound at the window that made her fingers fly over the keyboard.

  Tyler responded almost instantly, making her wonder if he’d even been asleep. On my way.

  The red numbers on her digital alarm clock read 11:49. Flinging back the covers, Kelsey crept to the closet, where she kept a baseball bat that had belonged to Miss Hannah’s son. The feel of the smooth wood in her palm alleviated anxiety only a little. Making her way to the living room, she stood in the darkness, eyes on the door.

  When only silence greeted her, Kelsey let out her breath. What she’d heard could have been anything. A stray cat. Maybe a branch falling on the porch. She smoothed her hand over her hair, realizing she’d look not only stupid but messy when Tyler arrived.

  Too late now. Her cell screen lit up with his latest message. Parking down the street.

  She started to type that it had been a false alarm when a scraping sound came from downstairs. The neighbor’s dog exploded in a paroxysm of barking, and the garage motion light blinked on. Someone was down there! Hands shaking, Kel
sey texted, hurry.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Tyler jogged up the street, loaded revolver clutched in his pocketed hand. When Hannah’s house came into view, the motion light over the garage revealed an empty yard. His eye swept the second story balcony, also empty. He made a pass around the back of the garage, then Hannah’s cottage, including the stand of trees that bordered the lot, hearing and seeing nothing amiss. Could Kelsey have just gotten spooked?

  Not wanting her to mistake him for an intruder, Tyler texted that he was coming up. She met him at the door, letting out a little hysterical sob as she jerked him inside and worked the locks.

  “Any chance someone’s inside your apartment?” he whispered.

  “No, but I heard somebody on the porch, then downstairs outside the garage. Tyler, I’m so scared!” She grabbed the front of his jacket.

  “I know, the motion light was on when I got here, but I checked the property pretty well. If they were here, they’re gone now. Did you call the police?”

  “No, after I texted you I thought maybe I was just hearing things. But what if they come back?”

  “I’ll stay. And we should turn on a light to let them know we’re onto them.” When Tyler flicked on the lamp nearest the apartment entry, Kelsey gave an uncertain whimper. Dressed in adorable flannel PJs, she covered her face as though embarrassed. But her eyes rounded when he pulled the revolver out of his pocket and laid it on the table. “Don’t worry, I know how to use it.”

  “This is ridiculous. I feel like someone is targeting me, but I have no idea why.”

  Tyler pulled Kelsey’s trembling form into his arms. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll call the police in the morning.” He threaded his fingers into her riotous curls and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

  “Thank you for coming. I know I have no right to impose on you like this.”

  “You’re not imposing. I like you, Kelsey—a lot.”

  At this admission, Kelsey turned her face up and studied him like an inquisitor searching for a hint of duplicity. Something in the past had made her guarded. But he wanted her to look on him with trust. She must have found something solid in his expression, for she let out a small cry and shocked him by raising on tip-toe to press her lips to his.

  Tyler cupped her jaw with his fingers and bent to deepen the kiss, leaving no doubt of his attraction to her, yet keeping it short enough to communicate respect.

  “I never thought …” she murmured when he drew back, tracing her flushed cheekbones with a thumb. The tender gesture made suspicion fire her hazel eyes. “I’m not playing around, you know.”

  “I’m twenty-eight. I’m not playing around, either.”

  She ducked her head. “I don’t seem like your type.”

  “My type left me in the dust when I lost my chance for a Major League Baseball contract.”

  “Well, that was stupid.”

  How long had he waited for a girl who would look at him, the real him, like that? Then Tyler watched the warmth of Kelsey’s compassion melt into insecurity as she wiggled away.

  “We don’t have much in common.”

  Tyler released a sigh, realizing that earning her trust would take time. “We have the things that matter. Now, how ‘bout you brew me some coffee so I can keep my eyes open ‘til dawn?”

  Kelsey giggled. “Sure.”

  Minutes later, they settled on her couch shoulder-to-shoulder, sharing an afghan knit by Angel. Kelsey held the hand free of his mug in both of her own, and they talked in low voices about those things that mattered. Not a big talker by nature, Tyler found his desire to learn all he could about this girl surprising. But when yawns began to punctuate Kelsey’s speech, he drew her tight against his side and urged her to close her eyes. He’d keep her safe. As Kelsey fell asleep, he leaned his head against the back of the couch and thanked God for the opportunity to get to know, and maybe love, her.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Tyler jerked awake when he heard something fall in the garage below, like the ‘plink’ of a metal tool hitting the concrete floor. He uncurled from Kelsey, reaching for the revolver.

  She sat up. “What is it?”

  “Someone’s downstairs. Call 911,” he whispered as he stood up.

  “Tyler, don’t go down there.”

  He shushed her and snuck to the foyer, only pausing to make sure she dialed on her cell. No way was the intruder getting away before the cops arrived.

  As he let himself out, the first fingers of gray stole away the darkness, providing just enough light to see as he crept down the stairs. Sure enough the motion detector light already shone on the metal door to the garage. When Tyler put his hand on the door, he realized it hadn’t fully closed, allowing him to peek inside.

  A hooded figure hunched over Kelsey’s work station with a flashlight. Swinging the portal open, Tyler leveled the loaded revolver, hit the fluorescents, and commanded, “Freeze!”

  The man’s hands came up. One of them held a small metal tool.

  “Turn around where I can see you, and drop the pick.”

  Then the man’s head came up, and Tyler heard a dragging sound and a gasp behind him as Kelsey appeared with the baseball bat. “Nick?”

  “This isn’t how it looks,” Nicholas Standard said.

  “Considering your uninvited presence, and your choice of clothing, I highly doubt that,” Tyler shot back. Motioning for Kelsey to remain at the door, he edged forward. “Now drop the pick.”

  The metal instrument hit the floor.

  “Kick it away.” As Nick did so, Tyler’s gaze shifted to the tabletop desk behind Standard. The lid stood open, a pegged door in the side of the tray extended into the main storage area. A hidden compartment? “Hands behind your head, kneel down, and tell us why you’re here.”

  “I don’t want trouble. All I want is that will.” Nick glanced at the desk.

  “Get down! The police are on their way, Standard, so start talking.”

  Nick obeyed, knees contacting the concrete, although his handsome face tightened with rebellion. “Just let me take the paper and go. It will explain everything.”

  “Not a chance. What paper?”

  “Our grandfather’s will, cousin.”

  Tyler felt all the air leave his lungs like he’d been mule-kicked. “What?”

  “I knew it was there all along. I knew she told the truth. And there it is. Look. You can see the edge of it in the compartment.”

  His mind spinning, Tyler motioned for Kelsey to approach the desk from behind while he kept the revolver on Nick. “Who are you talking about?”

  “My German grandmother, a widow Connor Jackson took pity on when no one in the county would hire her. Lesa took care of the house and your grandmother when Rose was too weak from birthing your father to do anything.”

  Kelsey froze and stared with sudden understanding at Tyler, but he couldn’t process fast enough.

  Hands behind his head, Nick glared up at Tyler. “He loved her. Enough that when he got sick, he sent for a lawyer to change his will. He was going to leave her some money, the tenant house and enough acreage that she and their child could survive.”

  “Wait, their child? You’re saying Connor was unfaithful?” As ludicrous as the question was, answering it kept Nick distracted while Kelsey retrieved the paper from the desk and routed back around to Tyler’s side.

  “He was faithful to true love. But when he died, Rose kicked Lesa off the farm, pregnant and penniless! She had to work in the mills in Atlanta, losing her health … and eventually her life. So you see, what I want is only my due. My rightful inheritance. And that will proves it.”

  “Kelsey?”

  Face pale, Kelsey held the document up in front of her. “This is an addendum to your grandfather’s will, allotting the inheritance Nick just described to one Lesa Franks.”

  Now it was Nick’s turn to release the breath he’d been holding in a forceful rush. Dropping his head, he laughed, relieved, vengeful … unhinged. How long had th
e man been obsessed with the Jackson land?

  Kelsey’s eyes met Tyler’s. “But it’s unsigned.”

  “Nooo!” Nick’s wail mingled with that of the approaching siren. In a last gasp of desperation, he lunged for the paper in Kelsey’s hand.

  Throwing himself into a tackle, Tyler brought his revolver down on the back of Nick’s head.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Kelsey shut the door of her truck as quietly as possible and stood looking at the brick Colonial. The place was worthy of a bank president. Fresh wreaths with red bows decked every window, and oversized wrapped packages led up the front steps. Her stomach churned at the idea of meeting with Tyler’s parents. What had Tyler told them about her? How was she to act in front of them?

  Since Sunday night, all Kelsey’s old insecurities had fomented, fed by the realization that greed had motived Nick’s attention. As Kelsey hashed over the events of the weekend with Angel, Angel had insisted that Tyler had real feelings for her.

  Yes, Tyler had said he liked her, but what had she done then? She’d thrown herself at him. And probably out of pity and the stress of the moment, he’d gone along with her advances. Since they’d parted ways after giving police statements, she hadn’t heard from him … until the text this morning inviting her to come by after work. The sheriff was due at six, but she should come early to learn the history of the desk. Whatever they thought of her, she deserved that, after all. The unassuming piece of furniture had almost cost her livelihood, and maybe her life as well. Although she still refused to believe Nick would’ve hurt her.

  A shadow stirred a lace curtain. Oops, spotted. The hospitality lights in the windows flickered on, giving the house the look of a Williamsburg Christmas. Kelsey sighed, and shouldering her purse, started up the walk.

  Margaret swung open the door to greet her, dressed in a red sweater set. Tyler stood behind her, framed by the garland-encrusted stairway. His button down shirt, khaki pants and gelled hair made him look right at home, even though Kelsey knew he rented his own place.