Uncertain Past

by Roz Denny Fox

  Gwyn shook her head and hugged Emmy closer.

  Jed still held the crude warning. “If I thought this was just a scare tactic, I’d agree with Riley. But what does this joker mean, adding the word too? I don’t like what I feel in my gut. Far as I know, the only other dire ‘accident’ in Uncertain happened to Frannie. I’m inclined to hand this over to Thorny. In fact, I’m going to call him now.”

  Gwyn brought a hand to her mouth. Both women huddled together wide-eyed and mute as Jed punched in his lawyer’s number. Thorny answered at once. Jed paced the perimeter of the small breakfast room while he listened and occasionally talked. “I have the note, yes. Emmy’s prints are all over it, and now mine. What do you mean does it match the notes Riley got? What notes?” Jed whirled and flagged a brow at Emmy.

  When she shrugged, not comprehending, he reeled off more questions. Clicking off at last, Jed sank into a chair and stared blankly at the women. “Thorny says Riley talked to him about two similar warnings he’s received. He gave Riley the name of an independent lab to have his note checked for prints. Thorny agrees the word too seems significant. It could tie the author to Frannie’s death. He’d like to sit down and talk with you, Emmy. He asked me to find out if Riley will let us all meet in his conference room today at ten.”

  Emmy’s color drained. “If Riley received threats, why didn’t he tell me?”

  Gwyn thrust the cooling cup of coffee into Emmy’s icy hands. “Like you said, he’s very protective. You didn’t want to worry him. He probably felt the same.”

  “He can’t put an end to this nonsense. I can. By simply taking myself out of the equation. The only way is for me to leave Uncertain, don’t you see?”

  “No. Like it or not, Emmy, I’m phoning Riley. The notes obviously worried him,” Jed insisted, punching in Riley’s number. “Or else why would he have asked Thorny for an out of town criminal lab? This may all tie in with Frannie’s murder.”

  Emmy placed trembling fingers on her lips. Objecting wouldn’t have mattered, because Jed already had Riley on the phone and was telling him to hustle himself over to Beaumarais.

  “Egypt’s caged in my pickup,” Emmy told Gwyn. “Do you mind if I bring him in? Frankly, I’m not too keen on going back to the house by myself. The person who left that note drove off in a big dark car. It could be anyone. What if they’re watching my house? Or Riley’s? I can’t risk placing him and Alanna in greater danger. I won’t.”

  “I’ll ask Josiah, June’s husband, to fetch the cat. We’ll put Egypt in with his mother. They can have a high old time getting reacquainted.” Rising, Gwyn left.

  She returned as Jed signed off from talking with Riley.

  “He’s on his way. I jolted the poor guy out of a sound sleep. It seems Alanna overslept and Riley hadn’t set his alarm.” Jed slanted an amused glance at Emmy. “He was most shocked to learn you were with us, having coffee. Riley gave the distinct impression he fully expected to find you sleeping in his bed . . . Goldilocks.”

  Emmy tried but failed to swallow a guilt ladened reply. She was still hemming and hawing in embarrassment fifteen minutes later when Riley stormed through the front door. He carried a sleepy-eyed Alanna, still wearing her angel nightgown and bunny-face slippers. Riley’s shirt wasn’t buttoned right. His shoes were untied and his hair stood up in tufts.

  “Emmy, what threatening note was Jed talking about? And why is the back of your pickup half-full of your moving boxes?” His dark eyes blazed a mix of fury and betrayal.

  Gwyn reached for Alanna. “Would you like me to fix you a bowl of cereal, honey?”

  Yawning, Alanna lunged into Gwyn’s arms and nodded.

  Emmy waited until their footsteps faded before she explained to Riley. “This morning, at dawn, someone outside your house shut a car door and woke me up.” She twisted a lock of hair. “I thought kids might be messing around your convertible. If I hadn’t taken time to dress, I might’ve seen who tacked this note to my screen. As it so happened, I only glimpsed a dark car. He backed all the way down my lane before turning on his headlights. Or hers. I don’t know that the driver was a man.”

  “What was the model and make of the car?” Jed asked.

  “I don’t know. It was big. It could have been blue or green or black.” She watched Riley as he bent over the note. “It wasn’t light yet and I wasn’t fully awake,” she said nervously. “Riley, why didn’t you tell me you’d received other notes?”

  He spun, almost knocking over the cup of coffee Jed had poured and was trying to hand him. Waving away the cup, Riley rubbed his right thumb over the streaks of dried tears on Emmy’s cheeks. “I knew how important the search was to you, sugar babe. I figured if I said anything, it’d worry you so much you’d give up. By then I wanted answers as much as you did. Maybe more. You’d made it plain you wouldn’t marry me until you had access to at least your medical history. I wasn’t going to take that chance.”

  Crossing her arms, Emmy shivered. “It seems I have good reason to want my medical history. Obviously one of my parents is a real sicko.”

  “There you go, making assumptions we can’t substantiate.” Riley threw up his hands and turned to appeal to Jed. “All parents have skeletons in their closets, right?” He demanded backup from his friend before arguing with Emmy again. “Look at Jed and me. We turned out okay.”

  “And Gwyn,” Jed said. “Her family isn’t exactly The Brady Bunch.”

  Gwyn and Alanna walked into the room in time to catch Jed’s remark. Gwyn held a bowl of cereal and a frosty glass of milk. Alanna had a spoon and several napkins. “Alanna wants to eat in here. Why don’t we postpone this conversation and finish breakfast? June’s just come in. I’ll ask her to make a fresh pot of coffee.”

  Emmy shook back her hair. “It doesn’t matter how much you guys try to assure me that all of you came from dysfunctional families. I’m canceling my search. I want it made crystal clear to people all over town. Tell Marge and Cassie to spread the word through their gossipy pals. I don’t want the deranged person who wrote this note thinking I’m going to continue the hunt long distance.”

  Riley froze. “Long distance?”

  It was all Emmy could do to square her shoulders and nod. “I may not know if there’s sick stuff in my background or what it is, but I’m not a person who’d stand by and let people I love be hurt on account of me. I won’t.”

  Riley let out a whoop, pulled her toward him and kissed her soundly on the lips. “Thank you for making my point,” he said, releasing her a fraction. “Fran Granger was your real parent. She molded your character, not the faceless people who happened to provide a sperm and an egg. You think I’d let you go now that I’ve finally got you back? Emmy, what kind of man would I be if I couldn’t keep my daughter and the woman I love safe?”

  Pressing her into a chair, Riley sank down on one knee, and in front of everyone in the room, said softly but boldly, “Stay. Complete my family, Emmy. Thumb your nose at whoever dares threaten what we have together. Marry me, please.”

  Alanna turned, her milk mustache curved in a smile. “Grandma said if you marry my daddy, Emmy, that means you’ll be my mom. Say yes for me, too, please.” Climbing from her chair, she threw her arms around Emmy’s waist.

  Tears sprang to Emmy’s eyes again. This time, she combed her fingers through Alanna’s tangled dark hair and blinked them away. “Ye-s,” she said slowly. “I will marry you, Riley. On one condition. I still want it made clear that I’m no longer interested in my past. Emerald Monday will cease to exist. Hereafter, I’ll be Emmy Gray.”

  “How about Gray Wolf?” he asked in a soft voice, gathering both Emmy and Alanna into the circle of his arms. “Emmy, you’ve helped me sort out who I am. My life changed when my dad died. I was angry at him for not coming home from war. So angry I swore I’d find a way to quit being his son. I decided I was going to b
e like Jed and Will. Thanks to you—urging me to make peace with Josey and Mom—I’ve come to appreciate the Caddo legacy left by my father.”

  Emmy skimmed her fingers lightly over his beautiful bronzed face. “You’ve got much to be proud of, Riley. Your people are strong, wise and talented. So are you.”

  “I don’t know about wise. Subconsciously, I think my final rebellious act was to marry Lani and show I could change her, too. I’ll forever be sorry for that. Taking back my real last name is a step in the right direction. Another . . . I’m requesting reinstatement in the tribe. It’s time, don’t you think, to drop all pretexts? Especially, if you and I are going to begin a new chapter in our lives.”

  “Oh, I love you so much, Riley.” The radiant smile Emmy flashed Jed and Gwyn shone from her heart and soul.

  Those two had drifted together and linked arms. Gwyn nudged her husband’s ribs. “We should have the wedding here, don’t you agree, Jed?”

  “Absolutely. The house and grounds have never looked better.” He bestowed a loving glance on his wife. “Gwyn has all the contacts. She amazed me, the way she planned every detail of our wedding. Is having it here amenable to you three?”

  Alanna beamed happily at being included in the decision. “My Emmy and Miss Gwyn can help me buy another party dress.”

  “I appreciate the offer, Jed. My only stipulation is, the sooner the better,” Riley declared, tightening his hold on Emmy. “I’m not letting her sleep in Fran’s house one more night from now on.”

  Emmy blushed and poked him, rolling her eyes toward Alanna to scold him for talking openly about their sleeping arrangements.

  “What?” Riley played dumb.

  “Whenever you can arrange it is okay,” Emmy told Gwyn. “Riley’s mom is dying to help plan a wedding. I’d prefer we keep it small, though.”

  “Small can still be elegant.” Gwyn separated from Jed and went to rummage in the sideboard until she found a pad and pen. “We have some time before meeting Thorny at Riley’s office. Let’s draw up a guest list.”

  The two couples batted names around for twenty minutes. It was tough when all Riley seemed interested in was kissing Emmy every chance he got.

  “So is this it?” Gwyn finally said, extending a clean copy she’d rewritten to Emmy and Riley.

  Emmy scanned the list while Riley looked over her shoulder. Jed did, too. “If you don’t have anyone else in mind to escort you, I’d be honored to play the proud papa.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Too bad we haven’t been able to get a lead on Will. Wouldn’t it be something if we could both walk you down the aisle?”

  “Oh, Jed, I’d love to lean on you. And if Gwyn struck out finding Will in the military, I’m afraid we’ve lost him forever.”

  “Hey,” Riley chided. “Our wedding will still be a memorable occasion. No long faces. Gwyn, tell me what needs doing and someone in the Gray . . . uh, Gray Wolf family will get it done. Right now, though, Emmy and I had better run Alanna by the house to get her dressed. If we’re meeting Thorny at ten, that is.”

  “Yikes, we are,” Gwyn agreed. “Egypt can stay here for the time being.”

  “No need. I’m moving Emmy lock, stock and cat litter into my place.”

  Not a soul in the room argued with Riley’s set jaw.

  “In that case—” Gwyn grinned at him cheekily “—maybe you won’t mind sticking the rental sign back in the cottage window for me. In the interest of propriety, how about if we set the wedding for next Saturday? And all you have to do, Riley, is come up with a romantic place for the honeymoon.”

  “Not too romantic,” Emmy cautioned. “It needs to be someplace fun for kids. Maybe it sounds offbeat to y’all, but now that I’ve finally found a family, I want us to be together.”

  Riley kissed her so thoroughly and for such a long time that everyone else in the room grew fidgety. “Fun it is,” he whispered huskily once they broke apart.

  Gwyn snapped her fingers. “Arlington isn’t far. It’s close to a Six Flags amusement park and a Wet ‘n Wild.”

  Arching an amused brow, Riley herded his brood out of the room. Pausing at the threshold, he leaned back inside. “I think I can be a little more creative in combining a romantic getaway with entertainment suitable for Alanna. In fact, a travel brochure on a Cancun resort just came to the office. Four days, three nights at a place with three swimming pools, and where kids can swim with dolphins. Does that meet with your approval, Gwyn?”

  She elbowed Jed. “Delightful. Isn’t he some friend, Jed? Riley’s inviting us to go along on his honeymoon.”

  Riley thumbed his nose at her. Gwyn just laughed before Emmy reached back for his arm and yanked him out of sight.

  Eight round tables were grouped under a rented canopy on the gently sloping back lawn at Beaumarais. Each groaned with an abundance of food. Bouquets of roses cut from Jed’s garden added color to the center of each pristine white tablecloth.

  Emmy would have settled for paper plates and balloons.

  Gwyn and Neva Gray Wolf had something more elaborate in mind when they set out Gwyn’s best china and silver and her gleaming lead crystal Waterford champagne glasses for the wedding guests.

  Gwyn’s pale peach dress magnified the red highlights in her hair.

  Alanna looked like a princess in a frothy blue organza dress that her grandmother had taken delight in buying. Neva herself looked regal in a tea-length, beaded beige gown.

  Emmy hadn’t been keen on wearing anything frilly or white. But even she had to stop one last time to stare at herself in the hall mirror. The cream colored dress with its sweetheart neckline and short, flirty skirt showed off her slim figure and golden tan. Neva had risen early in order to French braid both Emmy’s and Alanna’s hair. Emmy now covered Neva’s handiwork with a hat Josey had woven and trimmed with a net veil. A veil too short to hide Emmy’s ear-to-ear smile.

  Jed slipped up behind her and handed her the bridal bouquet of baby roses. “Ready?” he asked, lifting her chin with one finger. “I wish Fran and Will could be here to see you.” His voice sounded gritty. “You look all grown up and beautiful.”

  “Stop,” she chastened. “Gwyn will kill both of us if you make me cry before the ceremony and ruin the makeup she spent an hour fixing.” She straightened his already straight tie. “You’re looking pretty hot, yourself.” Her tone changed abruptly. “Jed, I’m scared. I keep thinking the person who wrote that note is going to burst in here and expose me as the daughter of some lowlife. The last time I was this happy, Mom Fran disappeared and my whole life fell apart.” She let her forehead rest against his broad chest.

  “Shh. Nothing’s going to happen, Emmy-M. Hey, I can’t call you that anymore, can I? Emmy G. W. doesn’t have the same ring.”

  Jed’s teasing restored her balance.

  “Come on, I hear the music,” he said. “That’s our cue. Big smile now. Riley’s waiting. If it’s any consolation, I think he’s twice as nervous as you are.”

  Emmy heard Jed, but from the moment they stepped outside and she saw Riley turn and gaze at her with love and focused intensity, any fear that she might not be doing the right thing disappeared completely. Nor did doubts return at any time while she and Riley exchanged their vows.

  Later, she enjoyed their reception too much to let worry enter her head. So much, she let it pass when Jed, Riley and Thorny withdrew to a quiet corner of the yard to engage in conversation during the few minutes it took her to toss her bouquet.

  “Look,” Riley growled at the other two men, “I know it’s probable that the fool who wrote those notes lives in Uncertain. But I promised Emmy I’d scrap the search, and by God, I’m not starting my marriage lying to my bride.”

  “We wouldn’t want you to,” Thorny emphasized, sliding a reassuring hand over Riley’s tuxedo-clad shoulder. “Jed and I thought if there�
��s a possibility of some connection to Fran Granger’s murder, you wouldn’t mind sending me an overview of what you’ve done to date on Emmy’s search. Just list all the leads you two have followed up on.”

  “Yeah,” Jed seconded. “I’ll pay Thorny to do the digging from here on, and it’s out of your hands altogether. What do you say, Riley? If those threats relate in any way to Fran’s murder and ultimately expose her killer, I know Emmy would agree to this.”

  “Maybe.” Riley shoved his hands in his pockets, rattling his ring of keys. “Okay, but here’s the deal. I don’t even want Marge suspecting what you’re up to. And I’m leaving on my honeymoon in less than two hours.” He pulled out the key ring and peeled off two keys. Slapping them into Thorny’s hand, he muttered, “Everything we’ve gathered to date is in a folder in the bottom right-hand drawer of my desk. Including a copy of flyers I mailed to area jewelry stores hoping for a lead on the brooch Emmy sketched. I’ve heard back from two. Both negative.”

  “What about responses that come in while you’re gone?”

  “Sorry, Jed. You’ll have to call the stores on the list and give them a change of address. As of now, Emmy and I are no longer part of this dog-and-pony show.”

  The older lawyer slapped Riley on the back. “I understand your need to keep your family safe. If I turn up any pertinent information on your wife’s birth parents, I’ll run it by you before telling anyone.”

  “Don’t. I don’t need to know. There isn’t anything in Emmy’s background that’ll make one bit of difference to the way I feel about her. And if the SOB writing those notes is related to her, she’s better off not knowing. At first I was sure Joleen Berber was behind the notes. She’d acted screwy the day Emmy and I went to see her. The old lady even mistook Emmy for someone else. I thought it might be significant, but my suspicions didn’t pan out. Joleen was bedridden, sick as a dog, when the first note was delivered.”

  “Hmm. Might be worth rechecking,” Thorny told Jed. “I’ll be in touch again if I find anything, Riley—just to see if your feelings have changed. Otherwise, I’ll take this opportunity to wish you much happiness in your marriage.”