Alec paled and then gritted his teeth. “What happened to the body, to my f-father’s body?”
“Your uncle buried him. No one knows where, or if they do, they’re not talking. Maybe where he buried the bodies of the other people he’s killed over the years.”
“I need to find my father’s grave.”
“Why don’t we start with Marie Antoinette,” Amelia suggested. “I have a feeling she knows more than she’s telling. Alec, I never did ask you. Is she really Bundy’s daughter?”
Alec shrugged. “All I know is that one day he brought home a pregnant woman to live with him. She gave birth and then, when Marie was just a little girl, she left. So Uncle Bundy raised her. We all assumed she was his.”
“It doesn’t sound like he’s much of a father.”
“He stays away. And when he is home he stays drunk and in a sour mood. That’s why Marie is here so often. She has no place else to go, no one else to turn to. She has a bastard for a father, if he even is her father. But at least she had a father. Uncle Bundy robbed me of mine. I’m going to track him down and make him tell me what happened, and then I’m going to call the police and have him arrested.”
Amelia placed her arm gently on Alec’s shoulder. “Alec. Think about this before you go off half-cocked. Your uncle is a dangerous man. I don’t think you should confront him like that without any backup. How do you know he won’t attack you? Or worse?”
“He won’t. He loved my mother, in his way. He wouldn’t do anything to me.”
“I don’t think you should take that chance.”
“I need you to go,” Alec ordered.
“But, Alec…”
“No, it’s too dangerous for you to be here.”
Amelia crossed her arms. “I am not going anywhere until this is resolved.” The next words out of her mouth surprised her. “I’m not leaving you.”
Alec pushed her arm away and reached up for the rifle mounted on the wall. She knew what they were both thinking. That this may have been the weapon Bundy used to kill Moss Hathaway, Alec’s father. It was sitting there taunting him.
Amelia tried to stop him, but he maneuvered out of her reach.
“I’m going after him, Amelia. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Is getting yourself killed the right thing to do?”
“Stay out of my way,” he barked, then paused. “Please.”
Amelia stepped back and watched Alec stride out of the cabin.
A feeling of unease crept over Amelia. She was beginning to care for Alec, and now she was afraid for his life.
Chapter Twelve
Marie Antoinette and Dr. Landrew walked out of the kitchen. Dr. Landrew had a piece of crispy bacon sticking out of his mouth and a guilty look on his face, if a wolf could look guilty.
Marie Antoinette patted the wolf’s head. “Good boy, Dr. Landrew.”
Amelia sank onto the couch. “Marie Antoinette, why don’t you sit next to me for a minute so we can talk. You can leave Dr. Landrew over there.”
“Stay,” ordered Marie Antoinette, and the wolf sat obediently on his haunches like a well-trained seal.
Marie Antoinette walked over and glanced sideways at Amelia.
“You don’t have to be afraid of Dr. Landrew. He gets along with everybody but Daddy. He don’t like the way Daddy smells.”
Amelia could understand that. Maybe she and Dr. Landrew could come to an understanding.
Marie Antoinette took a seat beside Amelia. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Alec,” she said simply.
“I knew it. You’re sweet on him.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.” Marie Antoinette flashed a smile. “I can see it in your face. Alec is a good man. You couldn’t do no better. Them New York girls don’t know what they was missing.”
“Those New York girls don’t know what they were missing,” Amelia corrected.
“Like I said. Cousin Alec’s put away money to send me off to college when the time comes. He says it’s important for a lady to get an education.”
Marie Antoinette primped and folded her hands on her lap to demonstrate her ladylike qualities.
“He’s right,” began Amelia. Of course her art history degree had done absolutely nothing to help her find employment. But there was no denying it was important to have that degree.
“What did you study in college?” Marie Antoinette asked.
“Art history.”
“Then how come you’re a realtor?”
Amelia laughed. “That’s a good question.”
“Alec says a person’s got to have marketable skills.”
“He’s right about that, too.” Amelia turned to Marie Antoinette with a serious look.
“Do you know where Uncle Bundy is right now?”
Marie shook her head. “Gone.”
“Do you know for how long?”
Marie shrugged her shoulders. “No tellin’. Sometimes he’s gone for a week, sometimes months. Sometimes longer. He just picks up and leaves when the feeling comes over him.”
“The feeling?”
“The killin’ feeling.”
Amelia shuddered. The girl couldn’t be serious.
“That’s just Daddy. He has a temper on him, and when it comes over him he could be dangerous, so he huffs and puffs like a wolf about to blow your house down, and then he goes away to calm down, cool down, and work things out in his mind.”
Amelia blew out a breath. By working things out did she mean go on a killing spree? “That couldn’t have been easy for you, growing up.” She had no idea why she suddenly felt protective toward Marie Antoinette.
“I got Alec and Aunt Necey. Aunt Necey raised me, mostly.”
“Your father didn’t tell you when he’d be back?”
“Nope,” said Marie Antoinette.
Amelia was glad Bundy had disappeared. She didn’t want Alec coming anywhere near his uncle. She hoped Alec would be back soon so they could talk, untangle the mystery of Moss Hathaway, figure out what had really happened that day at the cabin.
Amelia hoped he’d stay away for good. But that was too much to hope for. She dreaded the outcome if Alec confronted his uncle about Moss Hathaway. Enough blood had been spilled.
“Marie Antoinette, you mentioned something about a graveyard. Can you take me to it?”
“Sure, me and Dr. Landrew will take you there. C’mon.”
Dr. Landrew heard his name being called, and he trotted over to Marie Antoinette.
Marie Antoinette brought Amelia’s hand over to ruffle Dr. Landrew’s neck. “If you rub his neck like this, he’ll know you’re his friend. And he’ll stop growling at you.”
Amelia hesitated, imagining the worst.
“Don’t act afraid. He’s smart. He’ll sense your fear.”
Amelia strived to keep her breathing even and pasted on a smile. “Hello, Dr. Landrew. How are you?” she said, talking through her teeth.
“This here’s Amelia,” said Marie Antoinette. “She’s a friend. Pat him again. He likes to be petted.”
“Good dog,” Amelia said and reached out to smooth Dr. Landrew’s neck. The wolf sniffed her private parts and rewarded her with some satisfied sounds. She couldn’t believe she was talking to a wolf.
“See, he likes you. Dr. Landrew likes you.”
Amelia smiled. She thought Dr. Landrew’s owner was beginning to warm to her, too.
“Okay, grab your jacket. It can get cold up at the graveyard.”
Amelia put on her jacket and followed Marie Antoinette and Dr. Landrew out the door.
They hiked uphill for what seemed to be miles, although in truth it was probably only a mile. Amelia was out of shape, huffing and puffing all the way, while Marie Antoinette and Dr. Landrew fairly bounded up the mountain. City girls didn’t get much occasion to climb mountains and tangle with briars—or bears or wolves, for that matter.
When they finally made it to the cle
aring, Amelia was faced with a very well-maintained family cemetery surrounded by a freshly painted white picket fence. Marie Antoinette walked over to a gravestone that read, “Here Lies Bernice Brady. Beloved Daughter, Mother and Sister.”
“This here’s Aunt Necey’s grave,” Marie Antoinette said. “Cousin Alec puts fresh flowers on his mama’s grave every day. Just like she came up here every day to put flowers on the family graves when she was alive. He was devoted to her. He like to fell apart when she died. But he took good care of her. He was a good son.”
Amelia’s eyes moistened. Alec was almost too good to be true. He was a kind man, a thoughtful man. Somehow, some good had come out of Confrontation.
Amelia noticed that the plot next to Necey’s was unmarked. She guessed that was for Alec after he passed. It should have been for Moss, but Moss’s body was missing. Who knew what Uncle Bundy had done with him? Maybe he was weighted down at the bottom of a fast-flowing river. If Uncle Bundy was truly a serial killer, somewhere there were pieces of Moss Hathaway buried in a shallow grave or strewn about at the top of a mountain to be dragged away by wild animals. There were numerous ways to dispose of a body. And, according to rumor, Uncle Bundy had plenty of practice in that area.
“What was your daddy’s reaction when your aunt passed away?”
“He went on a bender. He disappeared for weeks. Then one day I found him crying on her grave, and I said, ‘Daddy, Aunt Necey’s gone. It’s time to go home.’ He was quiet after that, for a while. He has a temper like a thundercloud.”
Amelia avoided thunderclouds wherever possible. Thunderstorms reduced her to an almost catatonic state. She looked up and shielded her eyes from the sun. No sign of bad weather on the horizon.
Amelia looked out over the sea of Brady and Randall tombstones. The Randalls must have been the original family before Alec’s grandfather came here from New York. The family had lived on this mountain for generations. It was their mountain, and her grandparents were probably looked upon as intruders, the Florida people who bought the land but never really fit into the community. And now she felt like an interloper, even though the cabin was legitimately her grandmother’s property. But that was only money. Contracts meant nothing up here on the mountain. The Bradys were akin to God. They were not to be crossed. Katherine Rushing and Necey Brady had shared a history, a dark secret, and because of it, her grandmother had ostensibly been banned from Confrontation. The sooner she sold the land and got out of Confrontation, the better.
But for some reason she was hesitating. That reason was Alec. She’d grown to care for him in the short time she had been here. And it wasn’t just his rugged good looks she was attracted to. It was his mind and his caring heart. She wished he could care for her, too. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder.
She jumped up in alarm.
“It’s only me.” Alec laughed. “You were lost in thought. You must have been daydreaming.” Placing his rifle on the ground, he asked, “Thinking about me?” He smiled broadly.
Amelia colored.
“You were, weren’t you?”
Amelia dusted herself off. “I most certainly was not.”
Alec took her by the shoulders. “Have you ever been kissed in a graveyard?”
Amelia felt lightheaded.
Alec lowered his mouth, his sexy mouth, a mouth she’d been dreaming about, or at least daydreaming about only minutes before, and placed his lips softly on hers. It was warm, like the sun, and gentle like a caress, and it was like coming home. She wanted more.
When she responded, Alec took it as an invitation and crushed her to him like a starving man, like a man who hadn’t been kissed in a long while. She answered his hungry kiss with equal fervor, winding her arms around his neck and bringing him closer until their bodies touched.
“Marie Antoinette?” she whispered breathlessly.
“I sent her home. We’re all alone up here.”
“And Bundy?”
Alec’s face clouded over. “He’s gone, for now.”
Amelia looked into his eyes. His skewered hers with a question. And when she nodded they fell to the ground, panting, hands and lips entangled. Alec trailed kisses down her face and neck and took off her jacket and tore off her blouse. He unhooked her bra and took her breasts in his hands.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to taste you, Amelia Rushing. And I know you’re going to feel so good.”
Amelia’s breath hitched as he lifted her butt and pulled off her jeans, pushed her panties down around her knees.
Amelia lifted Alec’s shirt over his head and positioned herself beneath him. He managed to discard his jeans, and then they were lying body to body, naked except for their underwear. Kissing, panting, touching everywhere, tongues greedy, testing, tasting, taking.
When Alec pulled off her panties, his fingers began exploring and doing glorious things to her body. He seemed pleased to find her moist and ready. She reached in and touched him, and he was already hard. He pulled down his underwear and lowered his body onto hers.
“I want you, Amelia. Are you sure about this? Because if you are, this is happening.”
Amelia nodded. She thought she said, “I’m sure.”
“Are you…? I mean…”
Why was he hesitating? Oh, he was asking about protection. He wasn’t exactly prepared. Who thought they’d be making love in a graveyard in the middle of the afternoon?
“I’m on the pill,” she assured Alec. She’d been on the pill since her breakup with What’s-His-Name, never dreaming an opportunity would come up this soon. She was more than ready for Alec. In fact, she thought she’d die if he wasn’t inside of her this minute.
“Amelia,” he whispered.
“Alec, please, now.”
Alec entered her and began a steady rhythm, teasing, then satisfying, swift strokes that were driving her insane. She exploded, and then he came. He clung to her and she to him, and they lay breathless on the holy ground. She thought, just before she passed out from pleasure, this must be what heaven feels like.
“Amelia Rushing, I think I’ve been waiting for you all my life.” And it didn’t sound like a come-on or a line. It sounded sincere, like he really meant it. Then, before she slipped off to sleep, he whispered, “I’m never going to let you go.”
When they drifted back to consciousness, Alec was sitting up, staring at her, curling his finger around a strand of her hair, humming “She’ll be Coming ’Round the Mountain When She Comes.”
Amelia’s cheeks colored.
Alec kissed her and said, “Did we just do this?”
She nodded.
“Tell me about the men in Amelia Rushing’s life.”
Amelia sat up and nestled against Alec.
“There aren’t any at the moment. There was one, What’s-His-Name, but he’s off the radar now.”
“What was his name?”
“Who?”
“What’s-His-Name?”
“I try never to think about him, but his name was Todd.” And she realized she hadn’t given Todd a second thought since she’d come to Confrontation.
“What about the women in Alec Brady’s life?” she asked innocently, not really expecting an answer.
“There were some women who liked me well enough when I was working for a big New York law firm, but a single practitioner in Confrontation, not so much.” Amelia could relate, since she hadn’t been able to imagine living in this wannabe town.
As Amelia’s eyes scanned the sky, she noticed some clouds rolling in. She sat up abruptly and tapped on her iPhone in alarm.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t you see those clouds? The sky is probably going to open up in a minute, and we’ll be stuck up here on the mountain. My weather app has detailed radar maps showing where the storms are. Do you see these big green blobs?”
Alec shook his head. “It won’t take us but a half hour to walk down.”
&n
bsp; “Where there are clouds, there’s lightning.” Amelia struggled into her various pieces of clothing.
Alec laughed but started gathering his own clothes.
“Now you’re making fun of me.”
“They’re just clouds. They can’t hurt you.”
“Let’s go. I want to go back to the cabin right now. I don’t want to be out here when the rains come. It’s not safe.”
Alec got up and took Amelia’s hands. “We’ll leave, then. C’mon. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you.”
Alec held Amelia’s hand as she moved quickly down the dirt path.
“How long have you been afraid of rain?”
“For as long as I can remember. I mean, I don’t like to drive in the rain.”
“But we’re not driving.”
“And then gradually I just became worried about extreme weather.”
“Hmm.”
“We’re isolated up here, and on high ground. We’ll be the first thing the lightning hits.”
Alec pulled her closer. “You’re with me. I’m taller than you. The lightning would hit me first. ”
“But we’re holding hands, so it would hit us both.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you? But I’m attracted to you, even though you are a bit insane.”
Amelia smiled. “Take me or leave me.”
Alec tightened his hold. “I’ll take you, with all your phobias. But if you’re going to live on a mountain, you’re going to have to get used to the clouds. We’re almost in heaven up here.”
“Who said anything about living on a mountain?”
“Theoretically speaking,” Alec said. “Do you have any other phobias I should know about? Like commitment phobia?”
“No. But all the men I’ve dated had that issue.”
“I’m not all men. Remember that.”
When Amelia started to slip on the gravel, Alec held her up. “Just lean on me. I’ll help you down. I’m loyal and trustworthy.”
“You sound like a Saint Bernard.”
“You could do worse.”
“I have done worse. Saint Bernards are rescue dogs, aren’t they? I don’t need rescuing.”
“Nobody’s rescuing anyone. I’m just helping you down the mountain, sort of like Heidi and the grandfather.”
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