Forever Hold Your Piece (The Becker Sisters Bridal Series Book 1)

by Elizabeth John

  Lily leaned on a glass counter. “What?”

  He told her the whole story. Why he was investigating Sam, how he met Claire, how this was his true profession. The more he relayed, the paler Lily got, and he could see the trust drain from her expression. Something dark stirred in her blue eyes, but he didn’t stop until he had revealed everything.

  “You lied to me. All lies.”

  “Not all. Lily, I care about you. About us.”

  “Us? There is no us. Whatever we had was based on lies. You knew what I went through with Sam. I trusted him too and all he did was lie.” Her voice shook. “How could you?”

  “Lily, please, I couldn’t tell you the truth. I was working a case. My first case. Can’t you understand that?”

  “Maybe I can see how it started out that way, but you continued to lie. Every time I questioned your fishing techniques or the renovation of this place, you lied. You even lied to the chief. You should have told us.”

  “I didn’t lie about everything. I never lied about how I felt about you.”

  “How can I trust that? Or you?” Lily slapped her hand down on the counter.

  “Well, on that note, kids, I’m going to get going.” Claire pushed her glasses back onto her face.

  Now Jake blocked the door. “Not so fast. I’m calling the chief and you and I are going to tell him everything.”

  “Have you forgotten I’m paying you, Jake?”

  “I’m firing you as my client. You’ll get a bill for what you owe me, but from now on, I’m going to help the chief if he’ll have me. He can figure out what to do with you.”

  “Move out of my way,” Lily said in a harsh tone.

  Claire lifted a hand in surprise. “Your pale angel sounds like a devil. As women sometimes do when we’ve been scorned or tricked by a man.”

  Jake ignored Claire’s comments. “I didn’t mean to trick you, Lily. This case was my first break since my injury. Can’t you understand that?”

  Moisture grew in Lily’s eyes and her lip quivered, but she held her tears back. He could tell she fought against the shock of how much he hurt her and wouldn’t give him or Claire the satisfaction of witnessing the deepness of her cut. What she didn’t seem to get was that he would never get satisfaction from hurting her.

  “When I talk to the chief, I’ll tell him I’m free for dinner after all, and we’ll hash this out.” Jake hoped she’d consider his suggestion.

  “There’s nothing to discuss. You and I are through, and I never want to see you again. Now get out of my way.” Lily stormed past him with such force he stumbled a step.

  Claire stood with a malicious grin. Her eyes blocked by the dark glasses didn’t fool him. He was sure they were as black as her soul. No matter what Lily said, he wouldn’t give up on them. After he told his story to the chief and got back in his good graces, he would salvage what he had started with Lily. Let her cool off this afternoon. Tonight at dinner, he would win her back.

  Chapter 27

  Lily flew into her shop furious at Jake, at Sam, at the world, but hid her fury from the beautiful cheerful brides in the showroom. How ironic. Here they were blissfully happy. She, the complete opposite. Her muscles tensed, her jaw clenched, but she still managed a smile when she waved Denis over.

  “Everything all right, honey?” The concern in his voice and the caring light in his eyes, almost brought on a full meltdown.

  “I’ll tell you later. Can you hold the fort down for a little while?”

  “Of course. Are you sure you’re all right? You’re white as a ghost.”

  “No worries. Just need an hour to myself.”

  In her locked office, she changed into spare clothes she kept there. Jeans, T-shirt, hoodie, sneakers and threw on her coat. Not wanting her customers or the lingering reporters out front to see her, she snuck out the back door, the hoodie camouflaging her recognizable hair, and headed to the beach.

  A heavy biting mist encircled her body as the cold reality of what she had learned about Jake clamped down on her heart. The wind, unsympathetic to the tears streaming down her face, knocked into her when she reached the dunes at the top of the hill. Her sneakers squished down in the wet sand as she ran toward the water. A weak sun poked through the cloud cover, an offer of hope that the bright star could soften the sting of the frosty fall temperature, but the bitter gusts wiped out the effect. Not that the raw weather matter. She was on fire inside her bones.

  She turned left. The length of her coat made a brisk pace clumsy. Lily got as close as she dared to the tide where the shore was flatter, but not too close to get herself soaked.

  As she marched against the wind’s current, the magnitude of what had happened hit her. What was wrong with her? Was she that gullible that she fell for a guy’s lies? A man that she had developed feelings for? Why couldn’t she see them for what they were? First Sam, now Jake. Did she have the word Target tattooed on her forehead? Because for some reason these predators spotted her in their sights and hunted her down. She fell prey to their devious intentions.

  She hugged her arms as the ocean’s spray pelted her face. The taste of salt swirled on her tongue, a combination of sea water and the tears pouring down her cheeks and slipping into her mouth.

  A massage, she craved the treatment now.

  At the spa she sometimes frequented, a sign hung in the entryway. The saying painted on the front said, ‘You attract what you are.’ Did she attract liars because she was naïve? Her family had always protected each other. Now that her parents were gone, the chief and Aunt Bee took over that protective role. Was that why? Should she and her sisters force themselves to be more jaded? They ran a bridal shop. Most of their customers were deliriously happy. She and her sisters were surrounded by extreme joy. Perhaps they lived unrealistically in a jubilant bubble that people of ill intent wanted to burst.

  The past year was a challenge. She’d never get over the fact that Sam left her holding her beautiful bouquet as she waited for him in the church’s vestibule. The pew filled with her loved ones, flowers at the altar sent a wave of perfume, the train of her dress fanned out ready for when she walked down the aisle. The chief at her side, about to give her away.

  Moments passed and she grew worried that something tragic had happened to Sam. The idea had never occurred to her that he had left her at the altar. He had loved her. How could she have been mistaken?

  Was Claire right? Did Sam love her and leave her because he did? If that were true, she should feel better. That would mean their history together was partially based on the truth, and she hadn’t imagined his love for her. No one could pretend that much, could they?

  A jetty loomed up ahead and Lily avoided tripping over the rocks. Her blood pumped now warming her body, but not her heart. Although, she had loved him, she hadn’t been in love with Sam. She cared for him. He helped her through the darkness of her mother’s illness and grieved with her at her death. Lily leaned on him.

  Her mother had reservations about the quickness of how serious their relationship had become, but by the time her mother passed, the betrothal seemed the natural next step to Lily. Maybe her mother had seen something in Sam that no one else had. The day before her mother had passed, she had requested a private moment with Sam. Sam had looked ashen afterward. Lily always wondered what occurred even after Sam said he was upset because he knew the time was near. But her mother must have warned him not to hurt her daughter.

  And now Jake came into her world. Her feelings for him were different, stronger. She had never felt that way before, and now she had to admit what she already knew. She was in love with him. She tried to deny the feelings that were brewing but couldn’t stop them. He was her person. And when your person lies to you, that’s the worse break of trust there is.

  She brushed away her tears with an ice-cold hand, then stuff
ed both of them in her pockets, slowing down her pace.

  The rhythm of the tide washing in and out calmed her and she stopped to watch the waves rolling in and breaking. Yes, she could understand why he pretended to be someone he wasn’t in the beginning. But there were many moments he could have told her the truth. By choosing not to, he had picked his career over her. That would have been understandable in the beginning, but their relationship was moving forward.

  She tried to find him another shop in the area. They could stay close to each other. She spent time researching real estate. What a waste of precious time! They talked about their future when he knew there would be no future. With her track record, the minute his case was solved, he’d leave her stranded. Just like Sam.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Several missed calls. Two from Jake, the chief, Denis, and even her sisters. They would all have to wait. For once, she was going to be the selfish one and do what was right for herself. She couldn’t bear to talk to anyone now. Coffee. That’s what she wanted. She’d pick up Denis’s favorite latte too. She had a couple more beach blocks until she reached Rich and Sally’s coffee shop. She headed back toward the dunes.

  Today she would make some changes. She’d call the chief and tell him she wasn’t up for dinner. She’d stay home and crash Aunt Bee’s card game. Tonight, she’d call her sisters back and tell them what happened. They needed to force Robert’s hand to break the lease with Jake. Maybe Jake would do the right thing first. Either way, the Becker sisters were getting that bait and tackle place to call their own. Running financial options through her mind would be a cinch. Not easy would be to wipe Jake Ward from her memory.

  ~ ~ ~

  Holed up in her office, the door shut, Lily avoided being on the floor with the customers. With Denis helping brides, she used paperwork and phone calls as an excuse.

  The chief sounded disappointed when she had cancelled their dinner plans. Then she cut their conversation short, claiming a bride needed her immediate attention. Her sisters had called back, worried. Their conversation turned into a balling session when she filled them in on what had happened between herself and Jake. They promised to be on the next flight out with the wedding dress designer, and Lily agreed.

  She stole a glance at Leo snoring in his bed near her desk. At least some things were consistent.

  A knock at the door drew her out of her self-pity party. “Who is it?”

  The chief barreled in and commanded the dense office with his bulky frame. “Lily, sweetheart, we need to talk. Daisy and I want to see you at dinner tonight.”

  She sighed. “I can’t. Not with Jake there.” Her throat started to close up, and the waterworks threatened to resurface. She shifted papers on her desk. “Right now, I have a lot of work to do.”

  He closed the door and squeezed himself into the chair across her desk. “Give Jake a chance. He’s a good guy, Lily.”

  “How can you say that after all the lies? He pretended to be someone else. Aren’t you furious he may have impeded your investigations by withholding evidence from you?”

  A chuckle slipped from his lips. “Sweetheart, I figured out Jake’s game weeks ago. Let him think I didn’t know what was going on. And I understood why he pretended. He was undercover.”

  “You knew? How?”

  “Do you think I would let anyone into your life that I hadn’t vetted? The minute the clerk’s office told me that Old Man Reilly’s estate leased that place, I had my antennas up. And when I saw him looking at you the way he did, I cashed in all favors to find out everything about him. Most of what he told you is true. About his family, his past.” He stopped and frowned.

  Then he continued, “What got stuck in my craw was that Robert Reilly received a lot of money for that lease. More than the bait and tackle shop was worth. Finding out how Jake leased the shop was trickier, but I was like a dog with a bone. I soon discovered all about Claire and had been keeping tabs on her too. We picked her up for questioning when we realized she was the woman in the photo.”

  Lily learned more from the chief about Claire’s rich husband and their strained relationship. Both of them known for their illicit affairs. While at the station, Claire had revealed that she met Sam at her pool club where he was a lifeguard and giving rich ladies private swimming lessons. Claire had been happy with their arrangement until he vanished with one of her prized possessions. A painting worth a couple of million dollars that belonged solely to her and not her husband. The painting was in her family for generations.

  “She must have had insurance on it.”

  The chief nodded. “She did, but then she’d have to explain to her husband and the authorities that she believed Sam stole it. Close friends of the couple knew they had an open arrangement, but her husband’s business associates wouldn’t be as accepting. The scandal could ruin his reputation and Claire knew her marriage would be over as would her affluent lifestyle. If she could find Sam and her painting discreetly, Claire’s world would be back to normal.”

  “Did you arrest her?” Lily couldn’t imagine the wealthy woman in lockup with the local drunks and street walkers that even their family-oriented town sometimes encountered.

  “Nothing to arrest her for. Yet.”

  “But she may have been the last to talk to Haley alive. And what about Sam? Do you think she killed him?”

  “I don’t know. But I can’t hold her on suspicions. That’s another reason I’m here.”

  When Lily wrinkled her forehead at him, he continued, “Before Haley’s death, one of my guys spotted Claire and Jake together at the diner. That’s how we connected her to Jake. However, with two deaths, arson at Aunt Bee’s, and these reporters and crazy storm chasers, my department is swamped. Even with help from the county, we don’t have the man power to follow a suspect.”

  “So now what?”

  “So now my team collects evidence and you need to stay by Jake’s side even more. I’ve asked him to be your bodyguard until we make an arrest. Even offered to pay him, but he refused to accept any money. Now that’s a gentleman.”

  Lily banged her desk with a fist. “No way. I don’t need him to protect me.” She rubbed her hand. “Sam was the one in my crawl space. Leo barked the whole time one night, and now we know why. But we checked the house. He didn’t hide any of his treasures there. Haley’s dead. You’re certain her brother didn’t kill her. You’ve located the cousin in South Dakota, who has a tight alibi too. Who’s left as a suspect besides Claire?”

  “Now’s not the time to be stubborn. Both your ex-fiancé and assistant were shot to death, your next-door neighbor’s house set on fire, which almost killed you both, your shop was broken into. And I’m not sure Sam was the only one who hid in the crawl space. What I am sure about is everything surrounds you.”

  She stood up suddenly, and knocked the papers off her desk. Leo started barking, startled from his nap. “That’s right. All those things surround me, but I’m not the bull’s eye. If I were, why am I still standing here in one piece? These people were sneaking into my house! They could have killed me.”

  He placed a hand on his bald head. “Truthfully, I’m not sure. You have Jake to thank. At least for saving you from the fire. He’s been by your side. That may have thrown a wrench in the killer’s plans. But everything that has happened connects to you.”

  “The connection is Sam. Haley was connected to him too. As was Claire. I’m a victim like the other women.”

  “At first glance, that’s the way it looks. But Aunt Bee’s house was set on fire. She’s connected to you. I think someone got tired of her keeping an eye out on you. That’s why they used the crawl space to get in and out of your house. They could have hopped the back fence, it’s not that high, and she wouldn’t be able to see them. Summer owners live behind you and are gone for the season. Don’t you see? This is about you.”<
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  Lily’s knees went weak and she grabbed the chair to sit down again. The notion this evil revolved around her somehow seemed inconceivable. “If that’s true, why aren’t these things directed at me?”

  “That’s what we’re going to talk about at dinner. Jake’s investigating on his own now. He has more freedom than the police. Plus we’re spread thin. You’re safe here for now with the shop open, but don’t go anywhere alone again. Not until we solve Sam’s murder. Aunt Bee’s friends are taking turns to stay with the both of you at your house until your sisters come back. One of my guys will follow you home and patrol will pass your house throughout the night. Jake will pick you up and bring you to my house for dinner.”

  “Once again,” she said through teeth clenched, “no way. I don’t want to see him. Ever. Don’t you get it?”

  Chapter 28

  The hurt look on the chief’s face said he got her message, but when he raised his palm in disagreement, she had to convince him to accept her decision.

  She softened her voice. “I didn’t mean to yell, but I’m tired of people telling me what to do. And right now, the last thing I want to do is have a social dinner.”

  A quick knock on the door stopped their heated discussion. Denis peeked his head in. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a bride in the fitting room hysterical. She claims the dress she has on is not the one she ordered.”

  “I’ll be right there.” Lily, glad to end their talk, rose, although her legs wobbled.

  The chief turned around and faced Denis who remained with his hand on the door. “The lady said she’ll be right there.” His voice held a sharp edge.

  Denis turned all sorts of red. “Of course, of course.” He took off closing the door behind him.

  Putting her hands on her hips, Lily hissed at the chief. He may be family to her but treating one of her best friends like a pesky child brought out her protective instinct. “Was that necessary? He’s trying to help.”