Leg Up

by Annabelle Hunter

  “Gran! This is like a four-course meal! Why did you make all this food?”

  “Larklyn! We have guests,” she hissed.

  “Yeah, but you didn’t know he was coming when you…” That sneaky witch. How did she know I would kidnap him? “You know what? Never mind. I’m just going to sit down and not talk to anyone.”

  “Oh please, Lark. You wouldn’t want your beau to think you’re rude,” Aunt Helen said.

  I leveled her a look, trying to make it clear I knew what they were doing. And I wasn’t buying. Aunt Helen was unrepentant. She just kept dishing up items, giving Brecken the prime portions with a happy smile that he returned. In fact, he seemed remarkably laid-back and amused, his shoulders relaxed. I included him in my glare, but when he noticed, all I got was a bigger grin. Donkey’s butt.

  “So, you’re from back east?” my Aunt asked, encouraging Brecken to talk about himself.

  He looked over at me for a second before answering and I blushed.

  “Yeah, my family grew up in the Boston area. I did my graduate studies at Harvard before I went into the NYPD.”

  “You were in the NYPD?” I asked, my head sinking to the side as I tried to understand.

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t for me. I was only in for about four years before my sister… well, when she got divorced the whole family wanted to be closer to her. So, I quit. Then my old boss found me a job with the Sheriff's department in San Francisco, and that’s where I’ve been since.”

  “Wow. That’s an impressive story, Brecken. And it’s so amazing that your family wanted to stay so close to your sister. The TV makes it seem like few families are that close these days,” Aunt Helen commented.

  “Yeah. She has a son and needed the help. We also wanted to know him better, and we were struggling from where we were.”

  “Can I ask why she didn’t move to you?” I asked.

  “She… It wasn’t possible.” His answer was short, and I got the impression that there was more there, but he didn’t want to talk about it. “What about you, Lark? What brought you to Barrow Bay from San Fran?”

  “My parents died. Car accident.” I didn’t mean to have such a short answer, but my throat clamped up and I sat taking deep gasping breaths, trying to get past it.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “No. It’s fine. I just miss them. We were close even though they hated Blake. They weren’t surprised at all when I found out he was cheating.” Wow. Five sentences and I brought up my dead parents, my ex, and how he cheated on me. Maybe Jen was right about needing to work on my flirting. I looked around at my family, hoping someone might have something to distract him with, but they all were watching the two of us like we were a TV show. Fabulous.

  “He was cheating?” Brecken’s voice pulled my attention back to him. And his pity. Deep breath.

  “With his assistant trainer. That’s the horse world’s version of sleeping with his secretary.” I didn’t bother hiding my disgust. He could have at least been sleeping with one of his hotter students. His assistant trainer wasn’t even attractive. It was a double hit to my ego.

  “He’s an idiot,” Brecken said with a smile. Butterflies in my stomach went wild, and I took my gaze down to my plate in an attempt to calm them down.

  “Yep,” I replied.

  “So, tell me about how you found your place out here,” he asked. Everyone was still watching our interaction without interrupting.

  “Manipulation.” I sent Gran a teasing glare. “Gran invited Hailey and me back for a few weeks after my parents passed to get us away from the memories. Next thing I know, the Chief was showing me how to get my business license for the town, Judy was showing me properties, and Gran had a contractor out to show me the plans for my new barn. I resisted until I found my house, though. Gran drove me by it, and it was magic. It spoke to me.”

  “We knew what you and Hailey needed. We found it for you. That’s what a good family does,” Gran said with a firm nod and a soft smile.

  “I’m pretty sure you mean bossy family, but it’s worked out, so I won’t complain.”

  “Maybe you should remember that. Family knows best,” Gran threw in.

  “I think you got lucky,” I shot back.

  “Things happen for a reason.”

  “Oh no. No! This did not happen for a reason. I refuse. No way.” I slammed my hands down on the table. Fate did not send body parts to start up romance. Nope.

  “I think she doth protest too much,” Janet threw in with an evil smile.

  I hated that line. There was no good response. Protest, you lose. Agree, you lose.

  “Detective? You done with your meal? I can take you home now,” I told him, pulling my napkin from my lap and putting it down on the table.

  “He’s back to ‘Detective.’ She’s trying to avoid this,” Janet commented.

  “I’m actually not done—” Brecken protested while I glared.

  “Good. Let’s go.” I got up before Brecken could get his mouth closed.

  “No, really, I’m not—”

  “Time to go!”

  He finally took me seriously and shoveled food in as he slowly got up, grabbing two biscuits as he followed me out.

  “Your grandmother is a good cook,” he commented as we got in the truck.

  “Yep.”

  “Your answers always get short when you’re uncomfortable or mad.”

  I swallowed hard and kept my eyes from looking at him. Stupid detectives with their stupid observational skills.

  “Yep.”

  “So, when we first met, where you uncomfortable or mad?”

  “Yep.”

  He thought about that for a second, and I could feel his gaze studying my profile even though I refused to look.

  “Okay then.”

  “Okay then,” I echoed. Except I did not understand what was okay.

  I was in so much trouble.

  Chapter 10

  The ride back to Brecken’s car was quiet as we both contemplated today’s discoveries. Granted, his were probably more important, with the whole murder and drugs and all that, but my family actively setting me up was just as big in my world. I mean, I wasn’t that girl anymore. I didn’t know how to ‘hook up’ or… oh my god, kiss. Do kissing techniques change over time? No, no, that was just silly.

  Wasn’t it?

  It wasn’t until he was about to get out that I summoned the courage to speak.

  “Sorry about tonight. I should have just insisted we talked tomorrow. Or after the dinner.”

  “Then I wouldn’t know about Annie Phan. That was worth the dinner.” For some reason that made my stomach drop. He had a bad time at dinner. Something made my chest cramp and I tried to figure out why his agreement with my own assessment hurt.

  Oh no. I remembered this feeling.

  This was disappointment. Hurt. Hope crushed under the soles of polite words. All emotions I should not be feeling.

  Mayday. Mayday.

  “Well, I’m glad it worked out for you,” I answered, falling back on manners when panic removed any chance at snark.

  “I’m sorry that the dinner didn’t work out for you. And that you didn’t get your pho.”

  “I’m never going to get pho in town again, am I?” I couldn’t help the pathetic whimper that escaped.

  “Who knows? Maybe a nice Vietnamese family might move in. One that doesn’t sell drugs.”

  “So, no. Fiddlesticks. I would have savored that last bowl longer had I known.”

  “Maybe I’ll have to get you one to make up for it. The next time you’re in the city, that is.” He turned red and shot me a quick look before dropping his gaze to the truck door. “Well, anyway, thanks for… everything. Bye.”

  I watched him get out and get in his car without moving, my mouth hanging slightly open as I tried to get past my own insecurities to grasp what he said. His taillights were long gone before I could process it.

  Did I just get asked out?<
br />
  Maybe?

  I wasn’t sure. It had been a long time.

  No, maybe he was just making up for the loss of my pho connection.

  I swallowed hard and went to put my truck in reverse when there was a shadow. For once, I had the correct reaction.

  I screamed.

  My hand scrambled to grab the gear shift, slamming my knuckles into the dashboard instead, before catching my target on the bounce.

  “Ouch! Donkey droppings!”

  The shadow moved closer to my truck. I closed my hand around the gear stick and pulled desperately, searching for the right gear to get me out of here.

  There. No! That was park! Try again. There. The gear locked in and…

  I was in neutral.

  NO!

  My eyes bulged as I realized I was going to die. And that I owed Hollywood a few apologies. At least in slasher movies the worthless female lead struggled with the lock. Or even turning the car on. Me? I had already achieved those hurdles, only to die because I couldn’t panic and shift at the same time. I was truly pathetic. My ex-mother-in-law was right. I wasn’t qualified to raise a child. Or be an adult. Or—

  “Lark? Honey? Are you okay?” I turned and let out another scream when I saw a face in the window. Annie’s face. Her face was scrunched up in concern and she knocked again as I tried to calm myself. If she was less than a foot away, she probably wouldn’t kill me. Probably. I mean, it would be a struggle to even bring a gun up to fire at this range.

  What was I supposed to do? Should I roll down the window and play dumb? Or was this just a way to lure me into a false sense of security before she knocked me off?

  Oh, Lord. I’ve been watching too much TV. I rolled down the window, plastering a smile on my face and hoped she missed the panic in my eyes.

  “Sorry, Annie. I… It was dark, and you startled…” I was breathless as my chest hadn’t gotten the all-clear message yet.

  “No worry. I was just leaving you a note when I saw you drive up.” She held up a folded paper and my blood pressure jumped. She had to have seen Brecken.

  “Yeah, I guess you saw Detective Wilson. He came with me to Gran’s house.”

  “Oh, I know.” Her grin was evil. Pure amused evil.

  Oh no.

  She held up her phone and turned it so I could see.

  Has Lark found a man? The words flashed at the top of her phone. Oh god. Didn’t Lindsey have a life? And how did she find out about these things so quickly? My fear forgotten, my head slumped towards the steering wheel as I contemplated how much effort it would take to move to another town. Maybe one not so small. Somewhere far away.

  “I wouldn’t have panicked if I had known he was your beau,” she added, smirking at my discomfort.

  “Yes, you would have.” I thought. Oh god. I said that. Out loud. I was going to die tonight. Where was my cell phone? For the love of—I had a cell phone. Why didn’t it occur to me to try calling someone earlier? Hopefully Hailey got her dad’s survival skills because mine were failures.

  Annie just grinned.

  “Recognized me, did he? It’s been a while since anyone’s cared about little old me.” Her innocent tone made me look up from my place of shame.

  “I care! I care about my pho. And our teas in the garden. I love that garden!” I protested before slapping my hand over my mouth. “Oh my god. That sounded so selfish. And crazy. Full out crazy. I meant that I cared about our friendship.” It came out a little muffled through my fingers, but she smiled anyway.

  “You are such a sweet girl, Lark.”

  I snorted.

  “Dang. It’s been years since anyone has called me a girl.”

  “Haha! In my family you are a girl until your mother dies, and by then you’ve become an old lady.”

  I laughed hard. Too hard for the joke, tears coming to my eyes. All my stress and nerves came out, taking over my body. Annie watched, her eyebrows meeting her hair line before she smiled as well.

  “You are not okay. You know this, right?” she asked me through her grin.

  I nodded through the laughter as I tried to pull in enough air to stop.

  “That … has … been made … clear … this week.”

  She nodded, holding her laughter in. Like an adult. Go her.

  “So, do you want to talk about today?”

  “When you yelled ‘cop’ at me and slammed the door?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Yeah, that was disappointing. I really wanted some pho.”

  “You were going to your grandmother’s for dinner.”

  “I love pho,” I whined.

  “You have a problem. You should look into it.”

  “That depends on if you’re leaving or not. Do I have a problem?” Please don’t leave. I needed my hook up. Also, I was completely selfish. At this point I was just embracing it.

  “No, no. I stay. This is my home.” Annie shook her head with her denial.

  “But, what about—?”

  “I’m retired. I come here to make a new life. I have nothing to run from.”

  “So, you are not a drug dealer?” My system was calming down, and I put my hand on my chest to help. “Thank the lords.”

  “Not anymore.”

  Well, shiitake mushrooms.

  “I didn’t hear that,” I countered. “Let’s leave me with plausible deniability, okay?” She smiled as she nodded.

  “If I was a drug dealer in this area, and I heard about another, more… infamous drug dealer moving into the area, I might want to… ensure my hold on the area.” She was thinking through her phrasing, pursing her lips while looking for the right word. “And if there was a… problem… in my current supply chain, I might—what is the phrase I am thinking about? There is killing, and two things…”

  “Kill two birds with one stone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay then.” My mind was reeling with the possibilities. What would Brecken want to know next, other than the name of the killer? Or Bryan’s supplier. “Supposing that this infamous drug dealer was in the area, would they still be in the game enough to know the players?”

  “Only the local contact. Bryan was… obvious. And a slut. Wait, we call them man-whores now, right? Either way, he was a flirt, and leading people on has a way of catching up with you.” Annie nodded a goodbye before handing me the note and walking away. I watched until she disappeared into the dark, only to see headlights seconds later. She must have parked near the room that may one day be my office. I watched until the car passed me and turned onto the road.

  It was official. I was friends with a drug dealer. A retired big-time drug dealer.

  I looked at the paper in my hand and frowned. Did I want to know? I didn’t, but I also couldn’t handle not knowing. I mentally cursed myself as I unfolded the paper.

  Fiona Miller

  I had no idea. None. I stared for a few more minutes before putting my truck in reverse and pulling out. Which I could do. Now. Since no one was trying to kill me. Sigh.

  ***

  I made it home without another incident and, as I pulled into the garage, I sat for a second, praying that tomorrow would be normal. I couldn’t do it. Not another day like today. Annie’s visit had made that clear. My survival instincts were horrible.

  My phone rang, and I stared at it, trying to get in the mental space to talk with Hailey.

  “Hello, Sweetpea. How are you doing? Are you having fun with your dad?”

  “Yep! We went riding and everything today. Daddy told me that I was going to stay here this weekend instead of coming home.”

  “Yeah, I thought you might want to spend more time there before school starts up. Is that okay?”

  “Well, Daddy said he would take me to the festival this weekend, so I guess it’s alright.”

  “Good, good. I’m glad you’re going to have some fun together.” I sounded tired to my own ear, and I tried to brighten my voice for the next part. “Have you seen your grandmother?” />
  “What’s wrong, Mommy?” My daughter’s voice was firm. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried for the fake happy. It was overkill.

  “Nothing, Sweetpea. Just missing you.”

  “Maybe I should come home Saturday.”

  “NO!” Keep it cool. Keep it cool. “No, no. I’m fine. You and your dad need more time together.”

  “Okay, if you are really okay—” Dang. My daughter was insightful. I was unsure if I was more proud or irritated.

  “I’m fine, Hailey Bailey. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you the weekend after next.”

  “Bye, Mommy!”

  “Bye, Sweetpea.” I pressed the disconnect button in time to catch the tear on my face. With all the excitement of the past few days, I had been able to distract myself from how much I missed my daughter. Now all the emotions rushed in and made me almost double over with longing. I needed my little girl back. This case needed to be wrapped up so she could come home.

  But how?

  I thought about all the information I knew.

  Bryan Wilson was a barista and drug dealer that worked at Tops.

  Based on his car and home, he had been a successful one.

  He was dating two women at once that we knew about, maybe more.

  He was a local with a questionable history but had been flying under the radar here for years. Or had he? Maybe it was time to hit up the Sewing Group.

  God save my soul. And ears.

  I pulled out my phone and texted Gran.

  Me: Hey Grandma. Just wondering if you wanted company tomorrow…

  Gran: You aren’t avoiding a date, right?

  For the love of—

  Me: No. There is no date. There will be no date. Not until Hailey is older.

  This must have upset her because it took forever for her to text me back.

  Gran: Ok. Meet me at my house at five.

  I mentally ran through my schedule for tomorrow. I could do that. I might not get lunch, but I could do that.

  Me: See you then.

  Gran: Oh, and please shower this time. Can’t have the girls thinking I didn’t raise my family right and you stank tonight.

  Oh my god. She told me this now. What did Brecken think? Wait! No. I didn’t care what he thought. I was not that girl. I was not interested in dating. I was an independent, successful woman.