“Nice welcome,” Chance said.
“Sorry. I was doing some thinking.” Nathan’s feet dropped to the floor, then he stood up and held out a hand to his friend. “What’s going on?”
Chance’s blond hair looked as though he’d been stabbing nervous fingers through it for hours. His green eyes were troubled and he didn’t meet Nathan’s gaze directly. Not a good sign.
“Everything okay, Chance?”
“Not really,” his friend muttered and rubbed one hand across the back of his neck.
He was backlit by the bright afternoon sunlight and when he turned to close the door, Nathan noticed he locked it, too.
“Okay, what’s this about?”
“Nathan, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you should know about what people are saying.”
Instantly, Nathan’s back went up and he shook his head. Seven years ago, Chance had been the one to tell Nathan about the rumors spreading. The rumor that Amanda had deliberately ended her pregnancy. Back then, Nathan had been young enough to listen and stupid enough not to question.
Today was different.
“Don’t want to hear it,” he said and turned his back on Chance to walk to a file cabinet on the far wall.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Chance’s voice was reluctant but firm. Clearly, he wouldn’t be leaving until he’d had his say.
Nathan spun around and said, “I don’t give a good damn what people are saying, Chance.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized they were completely true. Somehow, he just didn’t care about being the center of gossip. And damned if he was going to listen to anything people had to say against Amanda. He might make mistakes, but hell if he’d make the same ones.
“Well, you’d better listen.” Chance glared back at him. “The word is you’re not the only guy she’s sleeping with. People are saying she’s slipping out of town, meeting some other guy. So if she turns up pregnant this time, who’s to say you’re the father?”
He felt like he’d been punched dead-center in the chest. And for one miserable moment, he let those words slam into his head and heart, too. But they didn’t stay because they weren’t true and he knew it. Knew it down to his bones. Amanda wasn’t a cheat and she wasn’t a liar.
His hands curled into fists at his sides and he took one long step toward one of his best friends.
Chance held up both hands and took a step back. “Hey, I didn’t say I believed any of the talk.”
“Then why the hell are you telling me this?”
He pushed a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to, but if you want a life with Amanda, then you’d better find out who’s spreading the poison and get it stopped.”
Chance was right. Years ago, someone had spread lies about Amanda aborting their baby. And yeah, now he could see the lies for what they were. Amanda never would have done that. Back then, he’d been too young and stupid to think past his own fury.
Now things were different.
“On that, we totally agree,” Nathan muttered darkly. “I’ll find whoever it is and when I do…”
* * *
A couple of days later, the diner was packed and Amanda was still reeling from the realization that she was in love. On top of that, her stress level was sky-high just from keeping what she was feeling from Nathan. Then there was the situation with Pam.
She shot a covert look at her sister, ringing up a customer at the cash register. Things were still strained there, but at least they hadn’t argued again.
“Everything okay?”
Amanda turned and forced a smile for Alex Santiago. She refilled his coffee cup, then set the pot down onto the counter.
“Everything’s fine,” she lied.
He studied her for a moment or two then nodded. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“What about you, Alex?” Now that she was looking at him, she noticed that he wasn’t giving her one of his million-dollar smiles. His eyes looked shadowed, as if he hadn’t been getting much sleep. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just…” He shrugged and tried, but didn’t quite manage to smile at her. “You know how it is. Sometimes, you’ve got too much to think about.”
“That, I understand completely.” Whispered conversations from off to her left caught her eye, but Amanda ignored them. If people were going to talk about her, she couldn’t stop them.
“I think you do,” he said, then took a sip of coffee. “Don’t worry about me, Amanda. Everything will be fine.”
She might have said something else, tried to draw him out a little if only to erase some of the worry in his eyes, but a shout sounded out.
“Amanda, honey, how long till that burger of mine is ready?” John Davis slapped one meaty hand to his broad chest and gave a groan. “I’m a starvin’ man, darlin’.”
Alex laughed a little. “Go. Feed the man before he dies of hunger.”
She rolled her eyes and patted Alex’s hand. “I will. But if you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”
He covered her hand with his briefly and said, “You’ve a kind heart.”
Amanda went to pick up John’s lunch, then delivered it, all the while wondering about Alex. But by the time she got back to the counter, he was gone. His coffee was still steaming and there was a five-dollar bill next to the saucer. She frowned and looked through the front window in time to see Alex hurry down the street.
* * *
A few days later, Nathan answered the phone at the sheriff’s office and smiled. “Alex. What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” his friend said, then asked, “Are you going to be at the TCC meeting tonight?”
“I’ll be there,” Nathan said on a tired sigh. “With Beau Hacket still making waves over the child-care center, figured I should attend just to keep him in line.”
“That’s good,” Alex said. “After the meeting, I’d like to talk to you. Privately.”
Nathan frowned and straightened up in his desk chair. There was just something about the tone of his friend’s voice that set off small alarm bells in Nathan’s mind. “Everything all right?”
“Yes,” Alex told him quickly. “Absolutely. I’d just like to talk to you.”
“Okay, sure.” Still frowning, Nathan suggested, “We could grab a late dinner.”
“That would be good,” Alex said and now relief colored his words. “I’ll see you later, then.”
“Right.” Nathan hung up, but his mind raced with questions.
* * *
That night at the meeting, Nathan wished he could just leave. His heart just wasn’t in being there. He’d have much rather been with Amanda.
What had he come to? He laughed at himself. Who would have guessed a few weeks ago that he’d be feeling downright…domesticated? He wasn’t sure what it was they had going between them, but he was damn sure he didn’t want it to end. Was this love? Hell if he knew. He’d imagined himself in love with her seven years ago, but what he felt now was different. Bigger.
He glanced around the meeting room, but didn’t make eye contact with any of the people. They were all busy, talking, visiting, but Nathan wasn’t in the mood. Hell, he wasn’t in the mood for much here lately. Not until he found out who was behind the rumors designed to hurt Amanda.
And, now there was the question of what was bothering Alex, as well. He glanced at the empty chair behind him and wondered again where his friend was. Alex hadn’t shown up for the meeting and though Nathan kept telling himself the man would appear at any moment, the meeting was almost over and there was still no sign of him. For the moment, though, he let thoughts of Alex slide away as Amanda’s situation took precedence.
From the corners of his eyes, Nathan looked at the familiar faces around him and wondered if it could be one
of them. One of his “friends” who had deliberately sabotaged his relationship with Amanda so long ago and was now trying to do the same. But what the hell did anyone have to gain by spreading lies? Not like anyone was going to stop eating at the diner. Or talking to Amanda, for that matter.
So what was the point?
Well now, he thought, he’d know that as soon as he found the bastard.
Raised voices caught his attention and Nathan dragged his thoughts back to the present. Just like every other weekly meeting, there were the same people gathered, having the same arguments. Beau and his bunch were still bitching about the new child-care center and Abby Price looked downright pleased to be able to tell them all to shove off. Couldn’t blame her, Nathan thought. She’d fought hard to become a member here at the club. It had to be satisfying to now be able to ensure that not only more women were welcome here, but their kids as well.
Shaking his head, Nathan wondered why Beau couldn’t let it go. It was a done deal. Move on.
He caught Chance’s eye across the table and the two of them shared a smile.
“I tell you, it’s disgraceful,” Beau was sputtering. “Putting a babysitting club in the billiards room? Our founding fathers are probably spinning in their graves.”
A few raised voices shouted in unison with Beau and the little man seemed to get bigger every time someone sided with him. So before he got out of line entirely, Nathan spoke up.
“No one even plays billiards anymore, Beau.” The older man was nearly purple in frustrated rage, but Nathan wasn’t impressed. He knew Beau was mostly talk. “Hell, when was the last time you played the game?”
“Not the point, Nathan Battle, and your own pa would be sore disappointed to hear you taking up on the side of these females.” The man wagged a finger at Nathan as if he were a ten-year-old boy.
Chance smothered a laugh and Nathan felt all eyes on him as he said, “That’s the thing, Beau. My dad would have been the first one to take a hammer to that moth-eaten old billiards table. And he’d have shamed you into giving us a hand remodeling that room for the kids, too.”
Beau’s color got even worse. His jaw worked and his lips pursed as if there were legions of words trapped inside trying to fight their way out. But he managed to hold on to them and Nathan thought that was probably for the best.
“Now, why don’t we end this meeting so we can get on home?” Nathan looked over at Gil Addison, who gave him a wink and a nod before slamming his gavel down with a hard crash.
“Meeting is concluded,” Gil announced a second later. “See y’all next week.”
Chair legs scraped against the wood floor. Glasses were set onto the table with sharp clicks. Beau was the first one to storm out of the room and once he was gone, conversation picked up as people meandered toward the exit.
“Nice speech,” Abby called out as she waved to Nathan.
He smiled and nodded and then turned to Chance when he walked up.
“You shut down Beau pretty well,” Chance said.
“Not hard,” Nathan answered. “The man’s from the Stone Age. Don’t know how his wife, Barbara, puts up with him.”
“Must have his good points.”
“I suppose,” Nathan mused, his gaze scanning the TCC members as they filed out, still looking for Alex to come rushing in late. But he didn’t show. A trickle of unease rolled along Nathan’s spine. He was getting a bad feeling about this—and he’d learned to listen to those bad feelings.
Wasn’t like Alex to miss an appointment. In the short time he’d been in Royal, the man had shown himself to be a fiend for schedules. So if he’d wanted to meet with Nathan, where the hell was he?
“Have you seen Alex?” Nathan asked suddenly.
“Not since a day or two ago. Saw him at the diner, talking to Amanda.”
People got busy, Nate told himself. Maybe something had come up. But he’d made a point of setting up a private meeting with Nathan. So if he wasn’t going to show, why wouldn’t he have called to cancel? That bad feeling was getting stronger. He didn’t have a concrete reason for it, he supposed, but he couldn’t shake that niggling sensation chewing at the back of his mind. Nathan frowned to himself, because he knew a cop had to trust his instincts before anything else. “It’s not like him to miss the meeting.”
“You know,” Chance said, as he also looked around the quickly emptying room, “now that you mention it, I had wondered where he was tonight.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Chance shrugged. “Maybe he’s on a date or something. Or maybe he just wasn’t in the mood to deal with Beau tonight. God knows I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, but you came anyway,” Nathan said firmly. “So would Alex.” Especially since he’d wanted to speak privately with Nathan.
“Then where is he?”
“That’s the question,” Nathan said. “Isn’t it? I’ll go by his place see what I can find out.”
“I’ve got another question for you.” Chance shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and started for the door, Nathan walking alongside him. “Discover anything about our gossip starter?”
“No. Not yet.” He’d been asking discreet questions all over town, too. Trying to wheedle information out of folks without letting them know that’s what he was doing. Most he spoke to were embarrassed to talk to him about the rumors, but they all denied knowing who had started them. It was always, “I heard it from so and so who got it from what’s her name.” Didn’t seem to be a starting point.
But there was one.
And Nathan was going to find it.
* * *
“A whole lot of weird going on all of a sudden,” Nathan muttered the next morning. “Alex has dropped off the radar and now this at the diner. Doesn’t feel like they’re connected, but it’s damn odd.”
“Tell me about it.” Amanda’s stomach twisted with nerves and knots. “When I got home from your place I went up the back stairs to my apartment and took a shower. I came down after to open up the diner and found this. Then I went to your office to get you.”
“Just the right thing,” Nathan said as he eased past her in the doorway. “You stay out here, I’ll go in and check things out.”
“I don’t think so,” she said and walked into the diner right behind him. “This is my place, Nathan. I’m not waiting outside.”
Grimly, he looked at her, mumbled something she didn’t quite catch, then said, “Fine. At least stay behind me and don’t touch anything.”
They walked through the back door directly into the diner kitchen. Amanda looked around the room and still couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
The grill was smashed, as if it had been beaten with a hammer. Flour was strewn across everything, making it look like there’d been a snowstorm in the kitchen. Jars of spices lay shattered on the floor, their contents spilled across the flour in festive patterns. Plates were smashed, drawers yanked out and dumped. In essence, the kitchen was a disaster.
“Somebody did a number on this place,” Nathan murmured more to himself than to her.
“If I’d been upstairs last night, I would have heard them, damn it.” Anger was burning through her nerves.
“Yeah,” he said thoughtfully, “you would have. Funny, isn’t it, that whoever did this waited until you were spending the night with me on the ranch to do this damage?”
That clicked in immediately. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “So who knew I went to the ranch yesterday?” As soon as she asked the question, she sighed in disgust. “Half the town, probably. Everyone saw me leave with you last night.”
“Yeah,” he said, tipping her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “But not many of them knew you’d be staying.”
She thought about that for a minute, realized he was right, then tried to make a menta
l list of who actually knew she’d be gone overnight. “There’s Pam, of course. And Piper. I told her. And Terri.” She shook her head, disgusted. “They could have told people, I suppose, but I just can’t think of anyone who would do this.”
“We’ll figure it out.” He glanced back at the mess. “I’ll have the kitchen fingerprinted, but there are so many people in and out of this diner every day I don’t know that we’ll find anything.”
“No,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. “Probably not. When I first walked in and saw this, I was scared. Now, though, I’m just mad.” She kicked at some flour and watched it puff into the air before settling. “This will shut us down for days.”
“Might not be too bad,” he said. “But you’re gonna need a new grill.”
She sighed, then tried to look on the bright side. “Well, that grill is older than I am, so maybe we needed a new one anyway. So, once you do your fingerprint thing, I’ll call Pam and we’ll get this mess cleaned up.”
Nathan smiled, shook his head, then grabbed her and pulled her in close for a hug. “You’re really something, Amanda Altman.”
“Thanks, Sheriff,” she said with a smile then sobered. “This is pretty ugly, but I know how concerned you are about Alex. Finding him is important, too.”
“Not even really sure why I’m worried,” he admitted. “The man could be off taking care of business none of us knew about.”
“True,” she said, staring up into his eyes. “But you said yourself that he wanted to talk to you about something. Wouldn’t he have called to let you know he couldn’t make it?”
“Yeah.” Frowning, he said, “He would have. You haven’t thought of anything else? What he talked about when he was at the diner the other day?”
“No,” she said softly. “Ever since you asked me that last night, I’ve been thinking about it and there’s just nothing.” Shrugging, she added, “He seemed distracted. Worried about something maybe. But he didn’t say anything specific.”
He huffed out a breath and shook his head. “Damned strange. All of it.”
“I know.” She hugged him tightly then let him go. “I’ve got a lot of work to do here, Sheriff. So I’ll get to it and you go find Alex and catch me a bad guy.”
Rumor Has It Page 13
