“Hello, Mother,” he said.
* * *
Hours later, the ringing of the phone woke Forrest. It was a moment before he realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch in the office. The book tumbled off his chest as he swung his feet onto the floor. He crossed the room, and the faint light of dawn entering the window made his heart skip a beat as he wondered who could be calling this early.
He grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
“Forrest, it’s Scooter. I thought you might like to know I just saw Dave Sutton’s Chevy drive by.”
Rubbing his head, trying to wake up and make sense of Scooter’s call, Forrest asked, “So?” The whereabouts of Twyla’s uncle was no concern of his.
“Dave wasn’t driving the car,” Scooter said. “Twyla was.”
Forrest was suddenly wide-awake. “What direction?”
“Toward town.”
“Thanks, Scooter.” Forrest hung up and headed for the door.
He cursed all the way to the back door and across the parking lot. This was exactly what he didn’t want happening. Twyla had no idea of the danger she was in. Ludwig was out there somewhere. With Bronco and Tuck looking for him, that left fewer men at the resort to keep an eye on her. Why hadn’t he realized that?
He jumped in the roadster and fired up the engine. Gravel sprayed as he floored the gas pedal and shot around the building, his mind trying to fathom where she’d be going at this time of the morning.
Half questioning his vision when he recognized a blue car coming up the road, Forrest hit the gas harder. The Chevy turned into the nightclub’s parking lot. Forrest slammed on the brake pedal, blocking the car in. He cut the roadster’s engine and jumped out over the door. “What are you doing?”
“What are you doing?” Twyla shouted, climbing out of the Chevy. “Skipping town?”
Forrest was torn between hugging and shaking her. Opting to do neither, he grabbed her arm as they met near the front of the Chevy. “Get in my car.”
“Why? Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you home.”
She dug her heels into the gravel. “Not until you answer a few questions.”
Grasping her waist with both hands, he hoisted her off the ground and flipped her over his shoulder.
“Put me down,” she shouted, while pounding his back. “I mean it, Forrest.”
“I mean it, too.” Thankful he’d never put the top back on his car, he plunked her into the roadster’s passenger seat. “I’m taking you home.”
“Oh, no, you’re not.”
She’d popped up like a child’s toy. Forrest grabbed her shoulders to push her back onto the seat. “Oh, yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.” Her fingers grabbed hold of the frame of the windshield.
He couldn’t push her back down, not without hurting her. “Let go and sit down, Twyla.”
“No.”
She was as stubborn as a mule. He’d always known that. Forcing her to do something had never worked, so he let go of her shoulders and took a step back. “Fine.” He started walking toward the Chevy.
“Where are you going?”
Forrest didn’t bother answering. He climbed into the Chevy, which was still running, and pulled it to the side of the parking lot. Pocketing the keys, he climbed out.
She was still standing in his car, with her arms crossed, glaring at him over the windshield. “Did I interrupt your escape?”
“I’d like to escape, all right,” he said ruefully. “From you.”
Her glare turned even more bitter.
He walked to the roadster, opened the driver’s door and climbed in while clamping his teeth together to keep his curse silent. He should have known better. The key no longer hung in the ignition. Instead, Twyla dangled it between her finger and thumb.
“I will go home after we talk,” she said smartly.
Forrest leaned back and crossed his arms. “About what?” There was no way he would tell her about the counterfeiting, and he prayed neither Roger nor Ty had.
She plopped onto the passenger seat and splayed her pink skirt over her knees. “Where were you going this early in the morning?”
“I heard you’d stolen your uncle’s car and was on my way to find you,” he answered honestly.
“I didn’t steal—”
“Does Dave know you have his Chevy?”
“No, but—”
“Does anyone know you left?”
“No.” Her eyes snapped to meet his. “No one does. How did you know?”
“I have my ways.”
She glared at him harder for a short time and then turned to look straight ahead. “Norma Rose says you were planning on leaving town.” Her lip quivered slightly. “The night of your graduation. Even before everything else happened, you were planning on leaving. Were you?”
Not about to admit all that had happened that day, Forrest simply answered, “Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’d graduated. It was time I headed out on my own.”
“Without telling anyone?” she asked quietly.
“I’d told Norma Rose.”
“And she was the only one that mattered.”
Forrest’s stomach fell. Twyla had said that so softly he’d barely heard it. He couldn’t tell her she was wrong. That he’d discovered the only way to assure her and her sisters would be safe from Galen was to leave. The protection he’d thought he’d been providing them all those years had in fact put them in more danger. After that day, he was certain Galen would harm them, just to get back at him.
Anger stiffened his spine. That wouldn’t happen again. Never again. “It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
She turned his way slowly, and the glistening in her eyes, that of unshed tears, almost ripped him in two. “Yes, Forrest, it does.” Handing him the roadster’s key with one hand, she reached for the door handle with the other.
Stretching his arm in front of her, he stopped her from opening the car door. “I’ll drive you home.”
“There’s no need.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Dave will need his car,” she said, rather submissively.
He didn’t like that. Twyla rarely gave in. Not without a much more gallant effort. “I’ll give him a ride back to get it.”
She let go of the door handle and slumped against the car seat. “Fine.”
The ride to the resort was cold, but the chill had nothing to do with the cool early morning temperature or the open top car. Twyla didn’t say a word, not even when he parked the roadster in front of Dave Sutton’s bungalow—one of the many cabins surrounding the resort building. As she clasped the door handle, he laid a hand on her knee.
“Your father’s leaving for Chicago today, to go get Ginger, and I’d appreciate it if you’d stay close to home while he’s gone.” It was the most he could say.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment before pushing the door all the way open. “There are several things I’d appreciate, Forrest.”
“Twyla—”
“Thanks for the ride home,” she interrupted, climbing out.
He knew better than to go after her.
Chapter Eleven
On Tuesday morning, Twyla sat in the office, not doing much of anything, just as she had the day before. She couldn’t concentrate, not on her duties. The fact Forrest had planned on leaving years before was front and center in her mind. He’d never planned on telling her about it.
It shouldn’t surprise her. It didn’t, really. But it did have a profound effect on her. It was almost as if her heart was breaking all over again.
She hated that feeling. His disappearance had changed so many things in her life. She was not willing to experience that again.
The doorknob clicked and Twyla grabbed a pen to hold over the paper lying on the desk. The paper was blank, but she wanted it to appear as if she’d been working.
Norma Rose walked in, and after closing the door she laid a glossy magazine, open to a specific page, on the desk. “What do you think of that one?”
Twyla laid down the pen to lift up the magazine so the sun shining through the window didn’t distort the picture. The gown was gorgeous, white with a dropped waistline and covered with lace, but Twyla pointed out, “It’s a wedding a dress.”
“I know it’s a wedding dress,” Norma Rose said. “Ty and I have decided to get married on the eighteenth of July.”
“That’s only a month away,” Twyla said, setting down the magazine. Marriage was not something she’d see. Not in this lifetime.
“I know it will go fast,” Norma Rose said, “but it seems like forever to me.”
Twyla had admitted, more than once, that Norma Rose had changed lately. The transformation had amazed her. Right now, in her state, her sister’s starry eyes and dreamy expression filled her with the ugliest jealousy she’d ever experienced.
Norma Rose picked up the snow globe that sat prominently on the desk. “Ty’s taking me to Niagara Falls for our honeymoon and I can hardly wait.”
Twyla examined Norma Rose more closely, including the way her sister stared at the globe. How had her sister found such happiness? “You’re really in love with Ty, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Norma Rose set down the globe and sighed as she sat down in one of the chairs beside the table near the window. “I am.”
Loving a man wasn’t what Twyla didn’t understand. “How’d you make him love you in return?”
The smile on Norma Rose’s face was serene. “That’s the wonderful part. I didn’t. He just does.” She sighed dreamily. “I wake up every morning thinking about him, and I go to bed every night thinking about him. And I know he does the same.”
Twyla refrained from pointing out that was because Norma Rose was in Ty’s cabin most every night and morning. Her sister thought no one knew that, and as it was Norma Rose, no one was about to admit otherwise. Besides, that theory held no creditability. Twyla had spent half her life or more thinking about Forrest every morning and every night. He, on the other hand, hadn’t even planned on telling her he was leaving.
Norma Rose giggled slightly. “It’s like knowing the sun will come up in the morning. I can’t explain it.” Norma Rose folded her hands over her heart. “It’s like his heart talks to mine. I can look at him and know what he’s thinking.” Shaking her head, she continued, “It’s hard to explain, but I know Ty will always be there for me. Like we know Father will always be there for us. But this is different. It’s stronger. I know Ty needs me as much as I need him.”
Her sister giggled again, and Twyla’s stomach clenched as if she wanted to throw up.
“I didn’t feel that way at first,” Norma Rose said. “I didn’t even like him.”
“Because he is—was—a federal agent?”
“I didn’t know that then.” Norma Rose stood up. “But now I know we’ll work out whatever comes about together. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
This entire conversation seemed a bit far-fetched to Twyla. “And you just woke up one morning knowing that?” she asked, a bit sourly.
“Yes, I guess I did,” Norma Rose replied. “Now, what do you think of the dress?”
Twyla picked up the magazine again. Talking to someone who was so love-struck she was crazy wouldn’t get anyone anywhere. “It’s lovely, but there’s not enough time to order it, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I won’t order it. I’ll go into Minneapolis and buy one like it.” She took the magazine back. “Want to go with me?”
“Sure,” Twyla agreed—she’d say anything to be left alone again. “But I can’t today. Josie is at a Ladies Aid meeting all day.”
“I know,” Norma Rose said. “We’ll find a day all three of us can go together. It’ll be fun, and you two will need to pick out bridesmaid dresses. I have to write out all the invitations first. I thought I’d do that today, while you’re working on the Fourth of July party. The Fourth is on a Saturday this year, so people will be expecting a huge bash from us.”
The Fourth of July party was the next big event for the resort and she should be excited. Josie had already ordered a large supply of fireworks and hired Scooter to light them. Twyla was supposed to secure a musician for the night.
“I thought we’d ask Slim again,” she said off the top of her head. “He did a good job the last two weeks.”
“He’s also Forrest’s musician. I only asked to hire him for two weeks.”
The mention of Forrest did several things to Twyla. Mostly, it brought back a bit of her spirit. If he could just up and leave town whenever he wanted, she could do whatever she wanted, too. Like throw the best parties for miles around. “I’ll ask him,” Twyla said.
Norma Rose shook her head. “No, Forrest needs Slim. He’s likely planning an event for the Plantation that night.”
“Ours will be better,” Twyla said out of spite.
Norma Rose frowned. “We aren’t in competition with Forrest. The crowd he pulls in is of the younger set, and he’s sticking with the law, doesn’t offer alcohol of any kind. He could make more money if he did, but he doesn’t want the place to resemble anything from the past.”
“You sure seem awfully forgiving all of a sudden,” Twyla said, feeling no mercy toward Forrest whatsoever.
“I don’t hate Forrest,” Norma Rose said, “if that’s what you’re thinking. I never have, and the Plantation isn’t competition for us. No place can rival Nightingale’s. Really, the two of us should work together. Our guests would enjoy bowling and billiards, especially in the winter, and I’m sure plenty of Forrest’s guests would enjoy the amenities we offer. His older guests, that is. We don’t want teenagers out here drinking. A partnership could help Forrest with his dire financial situation.”
Twyla had to get one thing straight. “You want to partner up with Forrest?”
Norma Rose shrugged. “Maybe not me, but the two of you were always close. He might listen if you suggested it.”
Twyla couldn’t even form a comeback to that suggestion. Not right now.
“Think about it,” Norma Rose said. “In the meantime, who else is there for our party? And don’t say Wayne Sears.”
Despite everything, the way Norma Rose cringed made a tiny giggle tickle Twyla’s throat. Wayne had performed at the resort right after Brock had left, and wasn’t the best musician on earth, to say the least. However, the night had been successful, and Twyla decided to remind Norma Rose of that. “He did a great job with our impromptu dance-off.”
Norma Rose grinned. “People sure did love that. They’d probably love it again. But you made that event a success, not Wayne.”
“My feet were killing me the next morning.”
“Mine, too,” Norma Rose said, her smile growing. “Let’s do it again. Call Wayne and book him for the fourth and we’ll advertise a dance-off!”
“All right,” Twyla agreed. Planning the event would certainly take her mind off other things. “But you and Ty can’t win this time. People will think it’s rigged.”
“True enough.” Norma Rose clapped her hands together. “We could build an outdoor dance floor and light fireworks at the end of the competition. Josie already has that all set up.”
“And we could hang Chinese lanterns from wires,” Twyla suggested, growing excited. This was exactly what she wanted, to plan and participate in fun and fascinating parties. “Josie’s already ordered several dozen of those.”
“Let’s go outside,” Norma Rose said. “Figure out where we want the dance floor so the groundskeepers can start buil
ding it.”
They deduced the large area from the balcony to the water fountain would serve perfectly. After the fountain, the hill started sloping toward the lake, but gradually enough that a few tables could still be set up around the floor. They were standing next to the fountain, and Norma Rose was talking about whether lights could be installed in the fountain when a familiar buzz sounded.
Twyla’s heart started thumping before she looked skyward, and increased when she recognized the tiny yellow plane in the distance. It looked smaller than a bird from where she stood. She knew Forrest couldn’t see her, but she clearly remembered what it was like. Flying. Looking down on the earth below. Once again she was reminded of Norma Rose’s snow globe and the miniature waterfall it held. “I bet Niagara Falls is going to be beautiful in person.”
“Ty promises it will be,” Norma Rose said. “You enjoyed flying with Forrest, didn’t you?”
The trees now obscured her view, but she could still faintly hear the buzz of the plane and imagined Forrest gliding toward the ground near his hangar. “It was amazing,” Twyla admitted.
“Ty hasn’t learned anything new,” Norma Rose said. “About Galen.”
Chagrin balled in Twyla’s stomach. She’d forgotten all that Forrest had going on in his life. All he’d always had going on. “You’re sure Ty would tell you if he did?”
“I’m sure,” Norma Rose answered.
Forrest may not love her, but he was her friend. Always had been. “I, uh—” Digging deep, she tried to come up with an excuse to leave. If she hurried, she could catch him at his hangar. “I need to put gas in my car,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d get a chance to today, with Josie being gone, but since you’re here, would you mind if I drove up to Scooter’s station?”
“Ask one of the men to put gas in for you,” Norma Rose said.
“I normally would,” Twyla admitted. “But this way I can ask Scooter about the fireworks and if he knows if we can have lights put in the fountain.”
The Rebel Daughter (Daughters Of The Roaring Twenties Book 2) Page 17
