by Peg Cochran
He leaned his elbows on Shelby’s car and peered in her open window.
“Having some trouble?”
Shelby made a face. “It’s not starting. I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Jax’s mouth crinkled into a smile, and Shelby realized how attractive he was. He wasn’t as ostentatiously good-looking as Travis had been—his attractiveness lay more in the laugh lines around his eyes, in his generous smile, and in the regularity of his features.
“You do have gas, don’t you? That’s the main reason why cars don’t want to start.” He grinned to show he was kidding.
“I certainly don’t have much, but I think there are some fumes left in the tank.”
“Let’s take a look under the hood, then.”
“I don’t want to be a bother. . . .”
“It’s no bother. I happen to know a bit about cars. Hopefully I can diagnose your problem.”
Shelby felt guilty—she’d just been wondering if Jax had killed his brother and now she was letting him fix her car.
Dear Reader, it’s only because I can’t afford a repair bill right now.
Shelby got out of the car and followed Jax around to the front. She noticed that while Travis had been tall and on the lanky side, Jax was more muscled with tight, controlled movements.
He lifted the hood of the car, put his hands on the edge, and leaned in. Shelby joined him. Not that she knew anything about the interior workings of a car. It was a gap she kept meaning to remedy—a successful farmer knew how to maintain and repair her own equipment—but so far she’d been happy to take Jake up on his offer of help when she needed it. She did know how to fill the oil and the washer fluid and put gas in the tank, but that was about it.
Jax pointed toward one of the parts nestled under the hood of Shelby’s car.
“That’s your problem there.”
“Where? What?” Shelby leaned closer, but she still had no idea what Jax had found.
“That’s your drive belt right there.” He pointed again at a part. “I’m afraid it needs replacing.”
Shelby sighed. It sounded like a potentially expensive repair.
“I’ve got some time,” Jax said. “There’s an auto supply shop out by the highway. I can pick up a new belt, and I’ll install it for you.”
Shelby didn’t know what to say. Relief washed over her. Surely the belt itself couldn’t cost that much. As far as she could tell, it wasn’t much more than a length of rubber.
Shelby realized she’d never offered Jax her condolences on the death of his brother. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, hoping that would remedy the omission.
Jax glanced at her quickly. “Thanks. It’s still hard to believe. Travis and I used to be so close. We shared a bedroom growing up, were in Scouts together, hung out with the same people in high school. . . .” His voice trailed off.
“But then it all changed,” he said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his hands. “Travis changed.”
“When he went on America Can Sing?”
Jax nodded his head. “That’s when it started, yes.” He glanced at Shelby again. “And it only got worse as time went on.”
Jax slammed the hood of Shelby’s car closed. “Then, of course, there’s what he did to Jessie.”
Shelby frowned. “What did Travis do to Jessie?”
“You don’t know?”
“No. I never met Travis before Saturday.”
Jax ran a hand through his hair, leaving it boyishly ruffled. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” He leaned against the hood of Shelby’s car and crossed his arms over his chest. “Travis and Jessie were engaged. They met while Travis was in college. She worked in a bar off campus, and they began dating.”
Jax kicked at a piece of gravel. “It got serious real fast. Jessie took Travis to meet her parents and a couple of months later they got engaged. Then Travis won that contest to go on America Can Sing.” He ran a hand around the back of his neck. “The wedding was all planned out. I was Travis’s best man, and a couple of the guys he knew from college were also in the wedding. The night before, we threw him the obligatory bachelor party.”
Jax grinned. “We had a great time. Tommy—he was one of Travis’s friends—found a girl willing to jump out of a cake.” He gave Shelby a sheepish look. “She was wearing a bikini—pretty tame compared to a lot of what goes on these days.”
Shelby had read about some of the antics guys got up to at their bachelor parties. Girls, too. Bill’s friends had taken him down to the Dixie Bar and Grill for a couple of beers, and her friends had thrown a party in the church hall with cake and lemonade. No strippers or margarita fountains, like some girls had now.
“It was raining the day of the wedding. Jessie was already at the church when I got there. She looked beautiful. I was in charge of passing out the boutonnieres to the groomsmen, and of course I had the ring safe and sound in my pocket.”
“What happened?”
“Travis never showed up. He was supposed to ride to the church with Tommy, but he told Tommy to go ahead and that he’d drive himself. Said he had something to do first.” Jax shook his head. “Instead, he bolted.”
“Poor Jessie!” Shelby said.
“Yes. Can you imagine? Not only was she heartbroken—which was bad enough. She was mortified on top of it.”
“So, you and Jessie . . .”
“Yes. We fell in love and”—Jax shrugged—“the rest is history, as they say.”
* * *
• • •
Jax wasn’t gone more than a half hour before he returned with Shelby’s new drive belt. Once it had been installed, her car started up without a hitch. It was too late for her knitting group—Shelby grinned to herself—so at least one good thing had come of her car trouble.
The air had warmed up considerably, and Shelby went inside to change into a pair of shorts. She wanted to start planting the eggplant in the patch she and Bert had staked the day before.
Shelby was coming back downstairs when there was a knock on the screen door to the mudroom.
“Hello? Anybody home?”
“In here, Kelly,” Shelby called from the kitchen, having recognized her friend’s voice.
“I thought I’d stop by on my way back from the Schmidts’ farm. They have a couple of new calves that needed their pneumonia vaccine.”
Kelly plopped into one of the kitchen chairs. She’d brought the smell of manure inside along with several bits of hay that clung to her hair and T-shirt. She’d kicked her boots off by the back door and was wearing a pair of thick white socks.
Shelby looked her friend over. Kelly looked tired with dark circles ringing her eyes, but Shelby supposed she wasn’t getting much sleep under the circumstances. On the other hand, there was a strange glow about her that was at odds with her obvious fatigue.
“Coffee?” Shelby paused by the coffee machine.
“No, thanks. I’m fine.”
“You look tired.” Shelby pulled out the chair opposite Kelly.
“I am.” Kelly coaxed a ladybug that was crawling up the front of her T-shirt into the palm of her hand and went to the back door to release it.
“Do the police still consider Seth a suspect?” Shelby said when Kelly sat back down.
“I hope not. They haven’t been by to ask any more questions. Although I don’t know if that means anything. Who knows what they’re doing behind the scenes?” Kelly twirled Shelby’s saltshaker around and around. “I can’t believe we should be in Niagara Falls on our honeymoon right now.” She gave Shelby a sly smile. “Have you learned anything interesting?”
“Me?” Shelby said, pretending to be affronted. “Why would I know anything?”
“Come on, Shelby. You know you can’t resist playing amateur detective.”
Shelby grinned. “Well, I
did learn something interesting today.”
Kelly leaned forward eagerly. “I’m all ears.”
Shelby put her hands on the table. “Travis was once engaged to Jessie.”
“Jax’s wife?”
“Yes. And get this—he left her at the altar.”
“You mean literally as in—”
“Yes. She was already dressed and at the church with the bridesmaids and groomsmen all assembled. And Travis didn’t show up. He bolted.”
Kelly gasped. “How awful.” She stopped twirling the saltshaker.
“Jessie must have hated Travis for what he did to her. Maybe she hated him enough to kill him.”
“You could be right.” Kelly paused for a moment. “Don’t you think it’s odd that Jax told you about this?”
“Why? I suppose it’s common knowledge among the people who know them.”
“But things are different now and he’s just given his wife a motive for murder.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. But I can’t picture Jessie killing anyone. . . . Besides, she’s happily married to Jax now. She’s probably put the whole thing behind her.”
“I don’t think I’d be able to put it behind me. I’d still be mad if someone did that to me.”
“Must be your redheaded temperament.” Shelby glanced down at the table. “Speaking of redheads . . .”
Kelly raised her eyebrows. “Yes?”
“I know your cousin Peter is in the band—that’s why I agreed to let them practice in my barn.”
“Plus they’re paying you,” Kelly said dryly. “Peter told me,” she added.
“True. And the money is definitely coming in handy. But I’m worried. . . .”
“About what?”
“What if one of the band members killed Travis? That would mean there’s a killer running around on my farm.”
Kelly took a deep breath. “I see what you mean. But we’re not dealing with a serial killer here. I mean, this person had to have killed Travis for a specific reason. Maybe in a fit of anger even. They’re not likely to kill again.”
“You’ve got a point.” Shelby tapped her finger against her chin. “I am going to tell them they have to leave before the children are home from school. I can’t expose Billy and Amelia to any potential danger.”
“There!” Kelly said triumphantly. “You’ve solved the problem.” She leaned forward and grabbed Shelby’s hands. “But I didn’t stop by to talk to you about this, though. I have something else to tell you.”
“What?”
Kelly laughed and her face brightened. “I’m pregnant.”
“That’s fantastic.” Shelby jumped up, ran around the table, and hugged her friend. “How far along—”
“Not very, so we’re not going to say anything just yet, but I couldn’t wait to tell you.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Shelby couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”
Suddenly Kelly’s face fell. “I just hope the baby’s not going to grow up without a father because Seth’s in jail.” She burst into tears.
12
Dear Reader,
Do your children like vegetables? Or do you have trouble getting them to eat them? Fortunately Amelia and Billy, having grown up on a farm, are willing to eat their share. However, if you are having trouble getting some vitamins into your children’s diets, there are ways to sneak in some of the green stuff without their knowing it.
Take macaroni and cheese—something virtually every kid likes. Add small pieces of cut-up broccoli, and I’m willing to bet they won’t complain. Zucchini bread, warm from the oven and dripping with butter, is delicious. No need to tell anyone there’s a vegetable in it! Carrot muffins with cream cheese frosting are another sneaky way to make sure they get some beta-carotene. It works with picky husbands, too!
Shelby reassured Kelly as best she could that the police wouldn’t accuse Seth without evidence, and since Seth was innocent, there would be no evidence to be found.
Kelly had finally calmed down and had left to continue on her rounds, her next stop being at the Braxtons’ farm for more vaccinations.
Kelly certainly didn’t need this stress, Shelby thought. Pregnancy was demanding enough—not just the physical symptoms, but also the hormonal swings. She remembered it well. She smiled to herself. One time she had had a crying jag when she discovered the general store was out of rocky road ice cream, her favorite. She’d eaten so much of it while pregnant she was half-afraid she would give birth to a giant ice-cream cone.
The same thing was obviously happening to Kelly. She would probably settle down in another month or two. Of course by then she’d have heartburn and swollen feet, and Shelby wasn’t sure that was much of a trade-off.
She headed outside to tackle planting the eggplant, which had been her plan earlier. Jessie had asked for the day off, and Bert was at the gastroenterologist’s, discussing her gallbladder surgery.
Shelby enjoyed working alone occasionally. She took her time, relishing the feel of the earth between her fingers and lovingly mounding it over the seeds.
She was almost finished when the smell of cigarette smoke drifted over on the slight breeze. Shelby sniffed. Where was that coming from? She looked up to see Paislee walking toward her, a cigarette dangling from her slender fingers.
“Hey,” Paislee said, brushing away a strand of hair that had blown across her forehead. She gestured toward the cigarette and made a face. “I know I should quit, and I did quit at one time, but whenever I’m stressed, the urge comes back.”
“I understand it’s a hard habit to break.”
“Travis didn’t like it when I smoked. He said it made my hair and clothes smell. That’s why I quit in the first place. But now . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she took a puff on her cigarette. “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. No one else minds the smoke.”
Dear Reader, I could tell her that quitting would benefit her more than anyone else, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t make any difference.
Shelby stood up with a grunt. “How are your practice sessions going?”
Paislee shrugged her narrow shoulders. “Fine. We’re working on a new song, and I’m getting used to singing with Jax instead of Travis.”
“That’s wonderful that Jax could step in like that.”
“To be honest with you, Jax is a lot easier to get along with than Travis was.”
“Really?”
“Travis treated everyone as if they were beneath him. All because he won the America Can Sing competition. He loved lording it over Cody. Cody’s a decent guy. It wasn’t fair.”
Paislee’s cigarette had burned down to the filter, but she continued to hold it, pinched between her thumb and index finger.
“Cody was eliminated in the first round of America Can Sing.” She looked at Shelby. “But he’s really a good guitarist, you know. He choked, that’s all. It happens.”
“I’m sure it does.” Shelby swatted at a fly that kept trying to land on her ear.
“It wasn’t fair that Travis wanted to get rid of him.”
“What?” Shelby stopped fussing over the fly and stared at Paislee, openmouthed. “Travis was going to fire Cody?”
“Yes. I tried to talk him out of it.”
“Did Cody know this?”
Paislee brushed at the hair blowing across her forehead again. “I don’t know. I think so.”
That was certainly interesting, Shelby thought.
“Paislee,” a voice called.
Shelby and Paislee both turned around. Cody was standing outside the barn door, gesturing toward Paislee.
“I’d better go.” She gave a quick smile. “Break’s over, I guess.”
“Listen.” Shelby put a hand on Paislee’s arm. “I’m sorry about this, but I’m going to have to ask you t
o wind up your practice sessions by three o’clock.”
Paislee looked startled. “Why? Have we done something? We’ve tried not to be a bother.”
“You haven’t been. It’s just that I think it would be better if you were gone by then.”
Paislee looked confused, but then Cody called her name again. She glanced back toward the barn.
“I’d better go. I’m sorry if we’re bothering you. I’ll tell the rest of them.”
Shelby watched as Paislee picked her way across the field. Cody walked toward her, meeting her halfway. He put his arm around her as they walked, their two heads close together.
Shelby shoved her hands in her pockets. She felt bad that Paislee thought the band was being a bother, because that certainly wasn’t the case. Shelby hardly knew they were there.
She looked out across the field. Paislee and Cody were about to walk back into the barn when Cody turned around and stared straight at Shelby. He stared long enough for her to become uncomfortable enough to turn away.
Shelby shivered despite the warmth of the sun. Why had Cody turned to look at her like that? Was it something Paislee had said to him? His expression had been almost . . . menacing. Was it because she wanted them to leave the farm early?
Somehow she didn’t think so.
* * *
• • •
Shelby was having a late lunch when Billy got home from school. Shelby barely had time to shove a piece of her homemade string cheese into his hands before he was out the door to play. Amelia got home shortly afterward. Her cheeks were red and her face was flushed with what looked like excitement. Shelby wondered what had happened in school that day. Had some boy she had a crush on suddenly noticed her? Shelby felt a pang at the thought. The road was rocky ahead—she remembered her own adolescence and the moments of great exultation as well as those of dark despair.
But judging by Amelia’s face, today had been one of the good days.
“How was school?” Shelby said as Amelia dumped her backpack on a kitchen chair and foraged in its depths.
“Wonderful,” Amelia said, grinning and clutching her social studies textbook to her chest.
