Levi.
We definitely hadn’t been exclusive, but it seemed beyond tacky to go on a date with one man and then spend most of the night fornicating with another. Of course, most people didn’t get held hostage by two different bad guys between dates either . . . not that I was going to allow myself that excuse. While there would be no repeat performance, I was in love with James Malcolm. The thought of going out with Levi to make myself forget James didn’t sit right. I’d been stringing him along for three weeks, and look where it had gotten me. So I’d gone from two men to none.
I had the worst luck at love.
Neely Kate had included my makeup bag. Since I usually wore very little, it only took me five minutes to apply a little bit of makeup and to French braid my barely damp hair.
To my surprise, Joe was still telling Neely Kate about his date. He was sitting on her desk with Muffy curled up on his lap.
“We’re goin’ out again on Thursday night,” Joe said. His gaze lifted to me as though testing me out.
“That’s great Joe,” I said. “I’m happy for you. Truly.”
His head bobbed forward and a look of acceptance covered his face. “And I’m happy for you and Levi.”
If only it were Levi who’d stolen my heart . . . I’d certainly have a lot fewer problems. But I couldn’t tell him any of that, so all I said was thanks.
“You still playin’ bingo tonight?” Joe asked his sister.
“It’s Tuesday night. Granny’s got bells on. Literally. She heard tiny bells would make her lucky, so she’s sewn them into her underwear.”
Joe started to laugh.
“You should come,” Neely Kate teased. “You’ll be a hit with all the ladies.”
A sly grin spread across his face. “I think I’ll stick with the one I went out with last night. Which reminds me.” He turned to face me. “I’d like to apologize to Levi for acting like an asshole.”
I shook my head. “Oh, that’s not necessary.”
“Yeah. It is,” Joe said. “Levi’s new to town, and I tried to intimidate the crap out of him. His office is just out of city limits, which means he uses the sheriff’s department. I don’t want him to be worried about calling if he has a problem.”
The bell on the front door rang, and my stomach sunk when Levi walked in with my purse in his hand.
Well, crap on a cracker.
“Speak of the devil,” Joe said. He stood and put Muffy on the floor. “Just the man I planned to go see.”
Muffy stood halfway between the desks, watching Levi with open curiosity.
Levi gave Joe a wary look. “Deputy Simmons.”
Joe grimaced and held out his hand. “Call me Joe. I need to apologize for the way I acted last night. I’m not usually so—”
Levi shook his hand and gave him a smile. “Water under the bridge, Deputy.”
“Glad to hear it,” Joe said.
Levi turned his attention toward me and gave me a warm smile. “Good morning, Rose. I wasn’t sure you’d be here this early, but I decided to take a chance. Your phone was going straight to voicemail, and I figured you’d need your purse.”
“We got an early start,” I said, grateful that Joe was standing behind him, because the expression of utter shock on his face would surely have made Levi start asking questions. I walked over and took the bag from him. “You didn’t have to do this. I could have come and picked it up.”
Levi squatted on the floor and held out a hand toward Muffy. “Hey, Muffy. Remember me?”
She came over and sniffed his hand, and he began to rub behind her ears.
Levi looked up at me. “It was no bother. Besides, I wanted to apologize again for leaving you like that last night.”
A noxious smell suddenly wafted up, and Levi stood abruptly, coughing a little as he waved his hand in front of his face. “We could see about experimenting with Muffy’s diet.”
“We’ve already tried that,” Neely Kate said. “But we’re sure open to ideas.”
“How’s that poor dog that got hit by a car?” I asked.
“Doing much better, but his surgery took a while, so it’s a good thing you didn’t come to the clinic with me after all.” He glanced at Neely Kate and then back to me. “I’ve got a late start today, so I was wondering if you could get away and walk over to Dena’s for breakfast.”
I grimaced. “I really wish I could, but Neely Kate and I are about to head out with Muffy.”
“Yep.” Neely Kate nodded. “We’ve got a busy day planned.”
Levi stood and gave my legs an appreciative glance. “You wore a dress again today.”
I shrugged. “Neely Kate’s influence.” Literally.
Levi moved closer and lowered his voice. “Are you sure you’re not mad? You’re not acting like yourself.”
“Of course not. I’m sorry,” I said, feeling terrible. He was such a nice guy. Why couldn’t I have feelings for him? “I’m fine. I just have a headache.” I needed to end this, but I certainly couldn’t do it in front of Joe and Neely Kate. Levi deserved better than that.
“Did you take something for it?”
It was actually my leg that was throbbing, and I wasn’t supposed to take anything else for a good two hours. “Yeah, but it’s starting to wear off. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“The Presbyterian church is having a string quartet come in tomorrow night. They’re playing Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons,’ and I was wondering if you’d like to go,” he said, looking nervous. “The quartet is from Little Rock, not from Magnolia like the one I hear they hosted last year.” He made an exaggerated grimace, then grinned. “I’ve been told it made cats within a half-mile radius howl. When they gave me complimentary tickets, I figured it was because they wanted me there in a professional capacity . . . just in case.”
I forced a smile. He really was great company, and the invitation sounded fun. Still, this wasn’t fair to him. I knew I would have been upset if the situation were reversed—if I’d been seeking out a commitment from him, and he’d left our date to have hours of sex with another woman.
I opened my mouth to decline, but Neely Kate said, “She’d love to. Do you want to pick her up from the office again?”
He shot Neely Kate a surprised glance before turning back to me. “I’d planned to drop her off at the farmhouse last night, and since I’ve never seen it, I was thinking I could pick you up from there. The concert doesn’t start until eight.”
“How about you come early for dinner?” Neely Kate suggested. “Rose is a great cook.”
I was going to kill Neely Kate.
Levi gave us both curious glances. I hated putting him in this position, but it would be rude to tell him no after the fuss Neely Kate had made. Besides, I did like his company, and maybe I could convince him to just be friends. It seemed highly unlikely, but maybe it was worth a try . . .
In the meantime, Levi was waiting for a response, and I couldn’t leave him hanging. “That’s a great idea,” I said with a smile I hoped didn’t look forced. “Besides, after all the dinners you’ve insisted on payin’ for, it’s the least I could do.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I just enjoy the pleasure of your company.” He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I really am sorry about last night.”
“I know, Levi. Please don’t give it another thought.”
“Okay. I’ll text you later.”
“Okay.” I watched him walk out the door and gave him a little wave as he walked past the windows.
“Who were you sleeping with last night?” Joe asked as soon as Levi was out of view.
“That’s none of your business,” I said with a scowl.
“So you were sleepin’ with someone else.”
I was tired and off my game. “I never said that.” I picked up my coffee and took a sip to stall for time.
“You didn’t have to.” He walked over to my desk. “Is Mason in town?”
I started to choke on hot coffe
e.
Joe shot a glance to Neely Kate. “Is he?”
“Who Rose is sleepin’ with is none of your concern, Joe.”
I grabbed a handful of tissues and began to wipe the coffee off my desk.
He started to open his mouth, then shut it. Then a dark look filled his eyes. “There are rumors goin’ around.”
That pissed me off enough to stop my halfhearted cleanup job. “And what exactly have you been hearin’?” I said, putting a hand on my hip.
“That you’ve been hooking up with Skeeter Malcolm. I’d dismissed them because I knew you were seein’ Levi, not to mention you’re a helluva lot smarter than that. Or so I thought.”
“I have not been sleepin’ with Skeeter Malcolm.” I told myself that last night was a fluke and couldn’t be included. “But I did help him resolve that incident a few weeks ago.”
“With the necklace.”
“But we hadn’t seen each other since.” I hoped he didn’t notice I’d used past tense, something that technically kept it from being a lie.
“Then whose clothes were you wearin’?”
Neely Kate came to my defense. “That’s none of your cotton-pickin’ business, Joe!”
I decided to try to use this situation to my advantage. “What do you know about Scooter’s disappearance?”
He blinked hard. “What?”
“I want to know everything you know about Scooter Malcolm’s disappearance.”
“Are you investigatin’ it?” He shot a dark look at his sister before shifting his gaze to me. “You know interferin’ with a case is illegal.”
“Well, first it would have to be a case, right?” I asked in a defiant tone. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be interferin’. And second, it’s perfectly legal if we’re apprenticin’ with a real P.I.”
His eyebrows nearly shot up to the twelve-foot ceiling. “Excuse me?”
“Oh,” Neely Kate said, sending a scowl my way. “Did I not mention that we started working with Kermit Cooper?”
“Kermit the Hermit?” he asked in disbelief.
That name explained so much.
“How in God’s name did this come about?” he shouted.
“Funny you mention the Lord’s name,” Neely Kate said. “Because it was definitely the work of divine intervention.”
“Kermit Cooper is one of the sloppiest, laziest private investigators in southern Arkansas.”
“Really?” Neely Kate asked in a sweet voice. “He’s been so helpful to us.”
Joe took a step closer and leaned forward, alternating his gaze between the two of us, probably trying to determine which one was likely to crack first. “Is Kermit working Scooter’s case?”
Neely Kate lifted her chin. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Actually,” Joe said in a dry tone, “you are. Who hired him? Malcolm?” Then he turned his attention on me. “Were you with Skeeter Malcolm last night?”
His question caught me so off guard I could only stare at him wide-eyed. How did I answer? Tell him I was wearing James’ clothes because mine had been ruined during my kidnapping? Or admit that I’d slept with James?
I was going with neither.
“Excuse me?” I finally said. “Did you just hear yourself?”
“Yeah, and the words came out exactly as I’d intended. Did you leave your date with Levi Romano and go sleep with the head of the crime syndicate in this county?”
An oh crap look filled Neely Kate’s eyes.
I sucked in a deep breath and gave him a deadly glare. “Who I sleep with is none of your business, and why do you automatically assume I slept with someone? Levi left me high and dry in the carnival parking lot. If you must know, something happened to my clothes.”
That caught his attention. “What?”
I scowled. Me and my big mouth. “It’s none of your concern, and I didn’t mean that about Levi.”
“He didn’t leave you? Because he came in here acting like he did.”
I shook my head, then took a long sip of my coffee. “He did leave me, but he had a good reason. I told him to go.” I frowned, feeling terrible. “I shouldn’t have painted him in a bad light. I didn’t mean that.”
“What happened after he left?” Joe was picking up on far too much.
“Nothing. Let it go.”
“Who took you home?”
I opened my mouth, still trying to figure out what to tell him, when Neely Kate said, “Me. I came and got her.”
“I still don’t understand why she was wearing men’s clothes when I walked in. Because from where I’m standing, it doesn’t look like she went home with you last night.”
“That’ll just have to remain one of those mysteries of life,” Neely Kate said, starting to push her brother toward the door.
“You know this only makes you two look more suspicious, right?”
Neely Kate chuckled. “Sounds like you’re needin’ a good case to work on if you’re lookin’ for a mystery in Rose’s choice of clothing.”
Joe let her continue to push him, but he stopped at the door. “Rose, you can call me if you ever get into trouble. Once upon a time, I used to be that person for you. I still can be.”
“You were on a date, Joe. How was it gonna look to Dena if your ex called you to take her home?” I shook my head. “I’m fine. You’re makin’ too big a deal out of this.”
“Somehow I don’t think I am.” He paused. “I don’t want you two gettin’ mixed up in Scooter Malcolm’s disappearance. I’m certain this is a power play, and the last thing I want is for you two to get stuck in the middle of it.”
Little did he know.
“We hear you, Joe,” Neely Kate said with a bright smile as she opened the door.
“Oh, I know you hear me. It’s the listening part you seem to have trouble with.”
He walked out the door, and Muffy started to whine.
Neely Kate spun around to face me. “What in Sam Hill were you thinkin’? What possessed you to ask him about Scooter?”
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “My lack of sleep. My desperation to find Scooter. The deficit of clues. Joe was the one to tell me he was missin’. I thought maybe he might tell me more. Obviously I misjudged.”
She gave me a coy look. “How much sleep did you actually get last night?”
A blush rose to my cheeks. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not happening again. It was a one-time thing.”
“How can you be so sure about that?”
“Because we both agreed to that.”
Neely Kate snorted. “That’s a crock of malarkey. That man’s stupid in love with you.”
I gasped and turned to her. “Neely Kate.”
“Which part are you protesting? The part about him being stupid, or being in love with you?”
“Neither,” I grumbled.
“He might love you, but it’s in his own possessive way. Bottom line is that Skeeter Malcolm thinks of Skeeter Malcolm and no one else.”
That wasn’t true. I’d seen James put the needs of the county above his own. Staying in his role was a sacrifice—one he continued to pay for dearly and daily—but James truly believed he was stuck. That if he left, he’d be responsible for the actions of whoever took over next. Of course, if I confessed this to Neely Kate, she’d likely dismiss it as a lie, not that I blamed her. The man James showed the world didn’t care about anyone.
“We both know a relationship with James won’t work,” I said with a sigh. “But I still keep thinkin’ about him. Last night was probably a mistake.”
“Which is why you’re going to give Levi another chance.”
I grimaced. “I can’t do that to Levi. It’s not fair.”
She was quiet for a moment. “If you didn’t like Levi and were just using him, then I’d tell you to end it. But you do like him. You’re just used to fallin’ fast for guys, and look where that’s landed you in the past. Sometimes slow is okay.”
“Do you really believe that?”
> She gave me a sad smile. “You know what? I’m the absolute worst person to be askin’ for love or life advice.”
“But you’re much more experienced than me,” I said—and immediately regretted it when she stiffened. “I didn’t mean anything bad by that.”
Neely Kate put her hand on my shoulder. “I know, but you’re right. I’ve been dating since high school. You only started dating last year, but I’m pretty doggone sure you know more about love than I do. You’ve had real love twice. I don’t think I’ve ever had it at all, so maybe you should be the one givin’ me advice.”
“Don’t be silly. What about Ronnie?” I asked.
She shook her head and turned quiet. “I realized some things last week in Oklahoma, and one of them was that I married Ronnie for all the wrong reasons. Turns out love wasn’t one of them.”
“Oh, Neely Kate, I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “Now I just need to find him to serve him the divorce papers so we can both get on with our lives.”
I felt badly for her. Ronnie had disappeared soon after her miscarriage. She’d discovered he had some ties to the criminal world, so she’d presumed he was dead. But Joe had tracked her wayward husband to New Orleans, only to see Ronnie boarding a bus to Memphis with another woman. And the wedding ring on his hand hadn’t been the one Neely Kate had given him.
“Maybe I should give up on love for now,” I said.
“Nope. That’s your fear talkin’. If Skeeter Malcolm wasn’t in the picture, would you still be this unsure about Levi?”
“Good question.” I tried to picture James out of my life. It filled me with profound sadness, but he was already out of my life, so wasn’t that a moot point? “No,” I said. “I think I’d worry that I wasn’t fallin’ for Levi yet, but I’d probably keep goin’ out with him.”
“Well, there you go. Case closed.”
Cased closed. Only, it wasn’t closed the way she thought. I was going to end things with Levi.
“Movin’ on to important things . . .” I said. “If we’re gonna try to look neutral, we have to distance ourselves from James as much as possible.” I gave her a direct look. “Which means no more calling James when I get into trouble like I did last night. No more Jed following us around.”
The look on her face was equally relieved and terrified. “We’re gonna do this on our own?”
For the Birds: Rose Gardner Investigations #2 (Rose Gardner Investigatons) Page 16
