Slowing the truck, Erin turned into a parking lot on the edge of town. The big sign in front of it proclaimed it the Stop and Shop Grocery. Even at this early hour, there were quite a few vehicles parked out front.
“I’ve got a list that Jackson approved, but he said that you’d let me know if there’s anything else I need.”
They undid their seat belts and both climbed out of the truck. Emerald started to lock her door, but Erin stopped her with a breezy, “No need to lock your doors here.” It was strange for a city girl to walk away from an unlocked vehicle, but kinda nice too.
The day was already starting to warm and promised to be another scorcher. Emerald had opted for a simple flowing skirt in a floral print, contrasting green tank top and a pair of flat sandals. She’d wanted to look nice for her first trip to town, but she’d also wanted to be comfortable.
“I love your necklace.” There was no mistaking Erin’s sincerity as they strolled across the paved parking lot toward the entrance of the store.
“Thanks. My sister made it.”
“Really?” Erin reached out and touched the intricate silver twists that were interspersed with malachite, citrine and quartz beads. “She’s incredibly talented.”
“Yes, she is.” She felt like a fraud for lying to Erin about her real name and why she was there, but this wasn’t the time or the place to explain things.
The automatic doors slid open as they approached. Erin grabbed a cart and Emerald pulled one out and followed her inside the store. She sighed as the cool air hit her and then shivered. The hairs on the back of her neck fluttered and she glanced around. She felt as if someone were watching her. She bit her lip nervously and hitched her purse closer to her body.
Then she saw an elderly lady watching her. Emerald almost laughed aloud the relief was so deep. Of course people were staring at her. She was a stranger in their small town and she was with someone they probably all knew. They were curious about her was all. There was absolutely nothing for her to worry about. No one from her real life knew she was here. She hadn’t even told her sister exactly where she was. It was safer for everyone that way.
Hurrying, she caught up with Erin at the first aisle. Taking her list from her pocket, she focused on her shopping. The quicker that was done, the quicker she could get back to the safety of the farm and Jackson.
Jackson strode toward the house as he heard the truck pulling up. He’d called his brother and brother-in-law first thing this morning and asked them to come over as soon as Erin and Emerald were gone. Neither man had asked why, but both of them had promised to be there. It was good to have family.
Abel had no sooner parked his truck behind the house than Jackson heard another vehicle approaching. When the police cruiser came into sight, he knew it was Nathan. Abel climbed out of his vehicle and they both waited for Nathan.
“Morning,” Nathan called as he climbed out of his official vehicle. He was dressed for work and Jackson knew that his brother had already been up for hours. Since his wife, Carly, ran the local diner, she was up at the crack of dawn each day to go to work. Abel was also an early riser and that was why Jackson didn’t feel guilty about calling either one of them.
“Come on inside.” He turned the handle and shoved at the door. It didn’t budge. That was strange. The door didn’t usually stick. He pushed at it again, but this time harder.
“What’s wrong with the door?” Nathan peered over his shoulder.
Jackson shrugged. “It was fine when I opened it this morning.” He jiggled the handle again and then leaned his head against the door and started to laugh.
Abel leaned against one of the porch posts and watched with interest. “What is it?”
“She locked the damn door.”
“The new housekeeper?” Abel started to grin.
“Yeah. She’s a city girl. Hang on. I left my bedroom window open.” Walking around the porch, he stopped at the front. He quickly climbed up on the railing, grabbed the roof of the house and swung himself up. In no time, he’d scuttled across the roof to his window and shoved it open enough to squeeze inside. He was still grinning when he unlocked the back door and let the other men inside.
“You want some coffee?” He strolled back to the counter and already had the carafe filing with water.
“I wouldn’t turn down a cup.” Nathan pulled out a chair, sat down and kicked his long legs out in front of him.
Jackson quickly filled the coffeemaker and set it to brewing. Both men had already made themselves at home and were waiting for him to tell them why he’d called them here.
He pulled out his own chair and sat, marshaling his thoughts. Where to begin? The clock on the wall ticked loudly. Jackson glanced over at it, remembering the older one that had been broken in a fight between himself and Abel about a year ago. He shook his head. So much had changed since then. And he was also wasting time.
“You know that I’ve got a new housekeeper.” He decided the best thing to do was to jump right in. Abel nodded and Nathan inclined his head. “Either one of you could have warned me,” he added wryly.
Nathan grinned, his eyes sparkling with humor. “What would have been the fun in that? I just wished I could have been here when Erin told you.”
Jackson ignored his brother and slanted a gaze at his best friend who just sat back with a satisfied smile on his face. “Don’t look at me,” Abel protested. “I didn’t want Erin mad at me. You might be my best friend, but I’m not doing anything to upset Erin these days.”
Jackson sat forward. “Erin’s all right, isn’t she?” He remembered that she’d almost passed out in the kitchen yesterday morning. It was amazing to think that that had happened only twenty-four hours ago. So much had changed in his life since then.
“What’s going on? Is Erin okay?” Nathan eased upward from his chair.
“Erin’s fine.” Abel motioned Nathan back to his seat. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to say a word about it. Not to Carly or to Erin. She wants to tell you herself.”
Nathan nodded, concern plain on his face.
“We’re going to have a baby.” A huge grin split Abel’s face. Nathan just stared at him in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. Abel laughed. “She’s pregnant.”
“A baby.” A slow smile curved Nathan’s lips. “I’m going to be an uncle.” He jumped up and offered his hand. “Congratulations, man. Damn, I hope she tells Carly today or I may not be able to hide it from her.”
Abel grinned as he pumped Nathan’s hand. “I’ll make sure she calls Carly later today.”
It took a few more minutes for the men to remember that Jackson had called them there for a specific reason. By then the coffee was ready, so Jackson poured up three mugs and carried them back to the table.
“You know I’ve got a new housekeeper,” he began again.
“You already said that once, brother. We know it’s a shock, but you gotta get over it.” Nathan saluted Jackson with his mug before taking a sip of his coffee.
“What you don’t know is who she is or why she’s here.” Jackson saw the spark of interest in both men’s eyes as he began to outline the basics of what Emerald had told him, including the truth about her name.
Abel’s eyes widened at one point and he whistled. “I remember The Family Jewel. That was what they were called. My mom had a couple of their records. They’re probably still over at the house.”
Nathan sat forward, his blue eyes narrowing as Jackson continued. “You sure she’s telling you the truth and not yanking your chain? You don’t know this woman at all and she already admitted to lying about her name.”
Leave it to Nathan to be cynical and logical. Jackson understood his brother’s concern. Heck, he had concerns himself, but deep down in his gut, he knew that Emerald wasn’t lying to him. “She’s running and she’s scared.”
Nathan nodded and pulled a notebook out of his pocket and began to scribble notes. “What did she tell you? Any suspects or leads?”
&n
bsp; Jackson yanked the sheet of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Nathan. He took it, scanned it quickly and paused occasionally to jot more notes into his notebook. When he was done, he handed the note to Abel. When Abel was finished with it, he folded it. “Can I keep this for today? I’ll want to do some searches online and check with some folks I know in New York.”
Jackson nodded and the knot in his gut began to loosen. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything.”
“She shouldn’t have gone to town.” Nathan tucked away his notebook and drained the last of his coffee, plunking the mug back on the table.
“Why? No one knows she’s here.” Jackson hadn’t thought there would be any danger in Emerald going into town with Erin.
“And you want to keep it that way. She’s a stranger, Jackson. She’s going to stand out like a sore thumb and it won’t matter what last name she’s using, her first name is so distinctive. If anyone asks about her, all the locals will be able to point in this direction.”
“Damn.” Jackson jumped up and headed toward the door. “I gotta go get her.”
“Wait.” Nathan was hard on his heels. “You go in there like that and folks are really going to suspect something is up. Let me handle this.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “We need a plan.”
Abel drank down the last of his coffee and rose from the table. “Got anything in mind?”
Nathan scrubbed his hand across his jaw. Jackson could practically see the wheels in his mind turning. “What we need is a very public scene in which Emerald quits working for you and leaves town.”
“I don’t want her to leave.” Jackson’s chest tightened at the mere thought.
Nathan shook his head and Jackson realized that he was being totally irrational. “She won’t really be leaving.”
His brother was staring at him strangely and Jackson knew Nathan suspected there was more to the story than he’d told them. Too bad. He wasn’t about to talk about the instant attraction he’d felt to Emerald the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
“We just want folks to remember that she left and if we do it right, that’s what will happen.” Nathan crossed his arms and glared at his brother. “Then we’ll all come back to the farm and figure out where to go from there.”
“It’s a stupid plan.” Jackson just wanted to jump in his truck, find Emerald and bring her back to the farm.
“No,” his brother countered. “It’s a good plan and, at the moment, it’s the only one we’ve got.”
Jackson wanted to object, but deep in his gut he knew his brother was right. That didn’t mean he had to like it though. His muscles were tight, his body coiled for action, but all he could do was stay here at the house and wait.
Nathan turned to Abel. “You drive Emerald’s car to town. When we find her, I can clue her and Erin in on what’s going on. She can quit publicly and be seen driving away in her car. I can follow her back here and she can hide the vehicle in the barn until this is over. Unless it’s a rental, and then we can just return it and be done with it.”
“I don’t think it’s a rental. Let me see if her keys are in her room.” Jackson felt like an intruder as he pushed open the door to Emerald’s room. It smelled like her. Some kind of light floral scent that lingered in the air. He breathed deep as he checked the top of her dresser and the nightstand. The bed was made, but he could see the slight indentation in the pillow where her head had lain. Unable to resist, he picked up the pillow and sniffed. His cock stirred. Jackson swore and tossed the pillow back onto the bed. He paused and straightened it, smoothing his hand over the soft fabric before turning and stalking back out the door.
“She must have her keys on her.”
“No problem.” Abel took his empty mug to the counter and laid it in the sink. “I can hotwire it.”
Nathan laughed. “I didn’t hear you say that. I’m going to go sit in my car and pretend you have keys and permission to take that vehicle.”
“If you arrest me, I’m going to tell Erin it was all your idea anyway. I’m just a helpful bystander.” Abel hustled out the door.
“I know it’s hard, but it’s best if you stay here.” Nathan put a hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “And if you ever need to talk about this…”
Jackson nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the knotted muscles. “Thanks, man. I appreciate this. All of it.”
“That’s what brothers are for.” Nathan slapped his brother on the back and then headed out.
Jackson followed him, not surprised that Abel was already sitting in the car with it running. The large man looked squashed behind the wheel of the smaller car, and in spite of the seriousness of the situation, Jackson couldn’t resist the chuckle that bubbled up inside him.
“Never say that I wouldn’t do anything for you,” Abel griped as he rolled down the car window.
Jackson leaned against the car. “I really appreciate this.”
Abel became serious immediately. “It’s no problem. I’ll start digging for information as soon as I get home, starting with the investigator she hired. You said that she knew him before this started?”
“Yeah. That’s what she said. He’d done some work for her father. He’d also asked her out and she turned him down.”
“Hmm. I’ll keep that in mind. Could be nothing. Could be something. Hopefully, I’ll be able to eliminate some of the suspects fairly quickly.”
Jackson could see the sense of that. “That would be a great start.”
“Good enough.”
“Hey,” Nathan called out from his car. “You ready?”
“They were only going for groceries and then coming home so it should be easy to find them.” Jackson stepped back from the car.
Nathan laughed. “Going for groceries never just means going for groceries. They may go to a few other stores and stop for coffee as well.”
Jackson glanced at Abel who shook his head and sighed. “I can see we’re going to have to educate you about the finer points of woman-speak.”
Jackson grinned. “Go on. Get out of here. Some of us have work to do.”
Nathan tooted his horn and led the way. Jackson watched both vehicles until they disappeared from sight. He rubbed the back of his neck again and swore. He wouldn’t be happy until Emerald was safely back here with him.
He scuffed his boots in the dirt as he headed to the barn. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d sent her to town. It hadn’t even occurred to him that just having her visible in town could put her in danger. Granted, it was a long shot, but not one he was willing to take. He only hoped that she agreed to Nathan’s scheme and didn’t just decide to take off for good.
Every muscle in his body tightened in protest. He forced himself to breathe and to relax. It wouldn’t help anything to get himself worked up about what might be. The only thing that mattered was that he knew Emerald would have to come back to the farm, if only to get her things. Once she was here, he was sure he could convince her to stay and let him help her.
In the meantime, some physical labor would help him work off his worry and anger. Right on time, a pickup rumbled up the driveway. Andy Mercer was here for his truckload of alfalfa. Loading up the large bales would keep his body and mind occupied.
Still, he glanced down the road as the truck pulled up alongside the barn. He wouldn’t feel settled until he knew Emerald was safe.
He needed this done quickly and the truck out of here before the group returned from town, but he had to act like this was just any other normal day. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile on his face and greeted the other man. “Morning, Andy.”
Chapter Eight
Emerald followed Erin into Jenny’s, the local diner. They’d finished up their grocery shopping quicker than she’d expected. Erin was nothing if not efficient. When she’d asked Emerald if she wanted to go for a coffee, there was no way she could resist. She liked the other woman, plus, if she were honest w
ith herself, she was hoping to learn more about Erin’s big brother. She knew she should be cautious, but for the first time in several months, she felt free and safe and wanted to celebrate that fact, even if was just with a cup of coffee.
Jenny’s was like a thousand other diners scattered across the country. It was clean and homey and filled with locals eating breakfast and gossiping. Several people called out to Erin as they passed and she returned their greetings. Must be wonderful to know everyone in the community, Emerald mused.
It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York. The city was alive with a vibrant energy all its own. There were museums, cultural events, shows and shopping galore. It was what had attracted her to New York in the first place—the never-ending energy and fast-paced life.
The town of Meadows was entirely different. No one here seemed to be in too much of a hurry, including the waitress. Everyone was kicked back, chattering and enjoying the morning. It was…nice.
Erin led the way to a booth seat and slid onto the vinyl-covered bench. Emerald sat down across from her and plucked the menu from behind the napkin dispenser. Before she’d even had time to crack the cover on it, the waitress ambled over, coffeepot in hand and began to fill the clean mug in front of Erin. “Morning, Erin.” With short brown hair, blue eyes and a round face, the woman was pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way.
“Morning. Emerald, I want you to meet my best friend and sister-in-law, Carly. She’s married to Nathan, who you haven’t met yet. Carly, this is Emerald, the new housekeeper I hired for Jackson.”
Carly stuck out her free hand. “Pleased to meet you.” Emerald shook the other woman’s hand, noting the keen look in Carly’s eyes.
“Likewise.” Emerald was used to being scrutinized by people and it didn’t bother her. Not too much. Besides, this was only friendly curiosity, which was to be expected considering she was now working for a member of the family.
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