by Mary Burton
A chill twisted along her spine. She met his gaze. “What does that mean?”
He shrugged and smiled. “Doesn’t mean a thing.”
They both knew it would be his word against hers.
She balled her fingers into fists. “Is that a threat?”
He smelled of sandalwood and leather. “It’s whatever you want it to be.”
“I heard a threat.”
He shrugged. “Oh, well.”
The cruelty behind his grin made her want to charge him. She’d spent over a decade sequestered and locked away from the world, and she was tired of carrying this indomitable weight.
Brushing past him she hurried to her truck and slid behind the wheel. Her hands trembled as she shoved the key in the ignition and drove around to the side of the building to collect her feed.
She backed up to the loading dock and for several seconds sat still. Her nerves jumped and snapped and her breath hung in her throat. She’d stayed out of the public limelight all these years to avoid the pain she’d just encountered. Last night’s party had gone well. They’d raised thousands for the Crisis Center, and she’d lulled herself into believing people had put the past behind them. But some would never let the past go. And no amount of penance or apologies would change that.
A knock on her window had her turning. A gray-haired man with a face deeply etched grinned at her. “Got your feed.”
She blew out a breath. “Great.”
Restless, she slid out of the truck, walked around to the back, and opened the tailgate. As the men on the dock loaded her order, she took several deep breaths as she willed the stress away.
A whimpering sound caught her attention. Turning, she spotted a box on the loading dock tucked to the side. Peeking out of the box was a puppy. Short haired and small, he’d been born without a right eye, she realized even at this distance. He wagged his tail as he looked at her. Clearly the deformity didn’t bother him.
Without a thought, she climbed the stairs to the top of the dock, crossed to the box, and picked up the puppy. Excited, he wagged his tail and licked her face. And then he peed on her.
Despite her encounter with Dowd, the puppy melted her worries and allowed her to push him out of her thoughts. “This is the day for people peeing on me.”
The puppy kicked his feet and licked her face.
She grinned. “Though I don’t mind yours so much.”
The one-eyed puppy was a cross between a dachshund and a terrier, which left him with wiry hair and a long back. The patchwork of reds, browns, silvers, and blacks wasn’t wholly attractive, and she suspected once he was no longer a puppy, he’d be one homely fellow.
The dock foreman came up behind her. “He’s the last of the litter. Spunky little fellow but that eye. Damn, won’t be many folks that want him.”
“Where’s his mom?”
“She left as soon as the pups were weaned. A stray.”
“Are you gonna keep him?”
“Can’t have a dog running around the dock. Especially one that looks like it was made by a bunch of politicians.”
“He have a name?”
“‘Dog’ is all we been calling him.”
She studied Dog’s closed right eye and then the excitement in the left as his wagging crooked tail thumped. And just like that she couldn’t imagine leaving him. “They say there is one born every minute.”
The old man chuckled. “You falling for that ugly face?”
“I don’t need a dog. Especially a puppy. I don’t need it.” And she didn’t need two old horses. And she didn’t need a sullen ex-soldier working her land.
The old man chuckled. “Seen that look in my wife’s eyes. Led to a dozen dogs in our thirty-one years of marriage.”
She tucked the dog under her arm, noticed that he fit well. He hunkered down as if staking a claim. No doubt the dog was smart, saw his ticket out of here, and hoped charm overcame ugly. “She willing to make it a lucky thirteen dogs?”
“Wife passed a year ago. Can’t have no more hounds in my house. But he’s all yours if you want him. I’ll even throw in a big bag of puppy chow.”
She’d think back on this moment in the near future and truly question her sanity. “I don’t suppose he’s had shots?”
“Matter of fact he did. Got all his puppy shots and been wormed.”
The dog licked her face. “You two drive a hard bargain.”
“He’s ugly as sin, but he is the smartest of the litter. Listens well.”
“Yeah, yeah. You can quit with the sales job. Load up the dog food. Dog’s coming with me.”
His grin widened. “Good for you.”
She shook her head as she stared at the contented pup. “Yeah. Right.”
As she settled into the front seat of her truck, Dog settled on her lap, and promptly rested his head and fell asleep. For a moment she sat still, savoring the warmth of his body against hers. He’d accepted her without question. She was kind to him now and that was all that mattered to him. He didn’t care about twelve years ago or twelve years in the future. It was about now.
She rubbed him on the head and fired up the engine. As she backed out of the lot, she spotted Rick Dowd. He sat in the front seat of his Lexus staring at her. Pure hate summed up his expression.
Tightening her grip on the wheel she shifted into drive and with her hand on Dog headed back to the vineyard. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Dowd’s car and to her relief he didn’t follow. But she suspected this would not be the last time for them.
Even with Dog nestled close, she couldn’t shake the shock of seeing Rick Dowd today. He’d reopened the wound.
She shifted gears as she rounded a corner, moving her left leg slowly so Dog didn’t awaken. As she pulled into a straightaway, her mind drifted back to Jeff and Sydney. The two had been the golden couple. Beautiful. Smart. Funny. Greer had often called them Barbie and Ken because they’d been perfect. And then the headlights had appeared in the distance. Horns blared. Jeff cursed. And then pain, death, and an unbearable sadness.
“Possibilities, not the past,” she’d said. The slogan embraced by the camp leaders. The words they’d drilled into their young charges. Words she still held on to.
She’d not told Bragg the entire truth today, and it weighed on her mind. She had seen one of the others since she’d left camp. Two years ago, she’d bumped into Robin. Lydia and Greer had been in Fredericksburg, Texas, at a wine tasting. They’d decided to build the winery and had decided to again check out the local competition.
The small quaint town had been jam-packed with outsiders who’d come to taste the wines of local vineyards. It had been her idea to attend. Her aunt had finished her latest round of chemo and was feeling good and hopeful for the future. Greer had been feeling hopeful. Greer had wanted the world to know Bonneville grew the best grapes but also would soon be making the best wine.
There’d been close to fifty vendors that day. Not only were vineyards present, but also cheese makers, local farmers markets, pig farmers, and bread bakers.
Greer had been sampling a port from a winery near Houston when she’d heard her name. Elizabeth. Instantly, she’d tensed. Elizabeth signaled her old life.
She glanced up, surprised and shocked, to see Robin standing there. She had a glass of wine in her hand and judging by her flushed face she was drunk.
Greer adjusted her ball cap. “Hey, Robin.”
Robin was a tall brunette with a runner’s long lean body. A white tank-top dress set off her tanned body and her full breasts. “I thought that was you. Despite the ball cap, I couldn’t miss the set of that jaw. You always struck me as determined.”
Greer straightened and set down her glass of port, suddenly losing all taste for it. She turned from the vendor and managed a smile for Robin. “You’re looking well.”
“Life is good these days.” Robin leaned in a fraction and Greer could smell beer mingling with wine and perfume. “Not like before.”
The abru
pt mention of her past slammed against Greer’s defenses, and she’d instantly gone rigid. “Yeah.”
Robin had shared her story at circle only once. According to her, when she’d been seventeen, she and her brother had gone swimming at their parents’ lake house. Two children had set out on an adventure on a picture-perfect day. And then Robin’s brother had dived into the lake, hit a stump, and broke his neck. Robin had pulled him from the water immediately but the damage had been done. He was paralyzed. He’d lingered for weeks in a coma, hooked up to a ventilator. Finally, his parents had shut off the machine and let him go. Robin had been devastated. She’d been the one who’d goaded her brother to swim that day. He’d not wanted to go, but she’d made him. And then he was dead.
After her brother’s death, Robin had spiraled into a deep depression. Finally, she’d taken an overdose of pills and gotten into a full bathtub. She’d barely been breathing, her nose hovering above the waterline, when her mother had found her. She’d spent the entire summer at Shady Grove, but like Greer no matter how much counselors spoke of self-forgiveness neither could manage it.
“I almost didn’t recognize you, Elizabeth. You’re not blond anymore.”
She didn’t mention her name change. The name like the hair color was a tie that would remain severed. “Got tired of the upkeep.”
Robin glanced at her nails. “You’ve also given up the manicures, I see.”
Greer glanced at her shorn nails. Vineyards and French manicures didn’t mix. “I’m kind of back to basics these days.”
Robin’s grin widened. “Doing the Mother Earth thing. I get it. It’s a good fit for you.”
“Thanks.”
“So do you come here often?” She swayed as she spoke. Dark sunglasses hid eyes Greer guessed were bloodshot.
“Enough.”
“I just opened a dress shop in Austin,” Robin said. “High end. Very cutting edge. It’s called Elegance.”
Greer felt frumpy next to Robin. She might have turned her back on the old life, but pride had her wishing she were a little more pulled together at this moment. “You always dressed well.”
“Like I always say, you can feel like shit, but you have to look great.”
The comment caught Greer off guard. Old protective instincts born in the camp welled. “You doing okay?”
An unexplained emotion crossed Robin’s face and then she smiled. “Never better. In fact, you should come visit me sometime in Austin. And my name is Jennifer. Jennifer Bell.”
“I go by Greer now. My middle name.”
“Call me.”
“Sure.”
This wasn’t the place to pry or dig and honestly Greer hadn’t wanted to revisit the past. She’d grinned and accepted the explanation she’d known in her heart wasn’t true.
Jennifer lifted the near-empty glass to her lips and grinned. “Great.” She hesitated. “Elizabeth . . . Greer. I really do wish you happiness.”
Greer had hesitated as if sensing there was more she wanted to say. “You okay?”
Jennifer sipped her wine. “Yeah, fine. I really wish you the best.”
“Right.”
They’d exchanged more meaningless comments, made plans for a lunch date they’d never keep, and then Jennifer had drifted into the crowd leaving Greer rattled and distracted.
Greer now searched the Web on her phone for the dress shop Elegance. The Web site popped up and Greer learned the shop was located in an exclusive section of Austin. She hit the Web site’s ABOUT button and Jennifer’s picture popped up. She stood in front of her store, dressed in a richly tailored blue suit, heels, and diamond earrings. Arms folded over her chest, her smile was casual and full of life, as if she had the world by the tail.
And maybe she did. Maybe Jennifer was doing really well. Maybe it was possible to let the past go and move on to a happy life.
She wondered if Jennifer remembered their chance meeting two years ago. She wondered if she’d heard about Rory or Sara.
Instead of getting on the interstate, Greer tucked the puppy close to her and wove through town toward Jennifer’s dress shop.
Greer parked in front of the store and watched as ladies went in empty-handed and came out with bags bulging. She shut off the engine and glanced at Dog. “Too hot to leave you here. How about I tuck you close under my shirt and pay a quick visit?”
The dog licked her hand. Grabbing her purse, she slid out the driver’s-side door and hurried into the shop. Greeted by the scents of lavender and expensive perfume, she was aware of her jeans, T-shirt, and dusty boots. A saleslady smiled at her but didn’t approach. Hedging her bets, she thought. There was a lot of money in Texas that was covered in dust and this gal didn’t want to take the chance of offending money. But she also didn’t approach, a clear sign she really didn’t want to deal with Greer.
Tough. Greer moved toward the woman, Dog tucked under her arm as if he were the fanciest purebred in Texas. If Greer’s mother had taught her any lesson, it was to grab the upper hand. “I’m a friend of Jennifer’s.”
The saleslady glanced at Dog and then took a step back. “She’s in her office.”
“Tell her Elizabeth Templeton is here. We went to camp together as kids.”
The woman cocked her head.
“We saw each other at the wine festival in Fredericksburg a couple of years ago. I run the Bonneville Vineyards. We promised to get together but, well, life has been crazy and I don’t get to town often. But I’m here now.”
The salesclerk’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t convinced.
Greer leveled her gaze as her mother had always done with the hired help. She reached for the phone in her back pocket. “I can text her and let her know I’m here.”
The clerk straightened. “I’ll let her know.”
Greer and Dog waited by the front counter aware several ladies stared at her. This might have been her world at one time, but it wasn’t any longer. She’d sensed it at the party the other night, and knew it for certain now. Her world revolved around the earth, the sky, water, and most importantly the grapes. Here she was the fly in the ointment, capable of driving away customers.
Jennifer emerged from the office dressed in a sleek black sleeveless dress grazing her calves. A large silver Concho necklace dipped below her breasts and matched a thick manacle bracelet and dangling earrings. Perfect make-up. Heels for fashion not for function.
She glanced around the store at her customers and smiled as if welcoming an old friend. “Elizabeth. I mean, Greer, right? What a surprise. Please, come back in my office.”
Sensing fear behind the smile, she followed Jennifer behind the counter and into the back office. Jennifer closed the door behind her and the friendly drunk from two years ago had transformed into a stone-sober, annoyed, and angry woman.
Jennifer faced her and glanced at Dog. She smiled. “What is that?”
Greer held Dog a little closer. “A puppy.”
“A dog?” She laughed. “It’s missing some pieces.”
“Aren’t we all?” Greer glanced at the little guy and smiled so he wouldn’t be worried about the chill in Jennifer’s tone.
Jennifer drew in a slow, steady breath, as if her nerves had suddenly frayed. “What are you doing here, Elizabeth?”
The sweet scents of lavender and perfume reminded Greer she smelled of dirt, dog, and sweat. “I came to ask you about Shady Grove.”
“Shady Grove?” She dropped her voice a notch. “Why would you want to talk about that?”
Her stomach clenched. “Believe me, it wasn’t on my wish list this morning when I woke up.”
“Then why are you here?” She shook her head, her eyes dark and turbulent. “I don’t want to talk about that place. I don’t want to think about it.”
A bitter smile tweaked the edge of Greer’s lips. “Join the club. Did you hear about Rory and Sara? We knew her as Joan.”
Jennifer flexed ringed fingers. “I’m all about my shop and my customers. I’m dating a gre
at guy. I have so much now, and I don’t want to lose it.”
“I’m not here to take. I want to know if you’ve had any contact with Rory and Sara.”
She folded her arms. “God, no.”
“Not any?”
“No.”
The dog nestled closer to Greer. “Anyone else from camp?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“You and Sara work in the same town.”
She shoved out a breath. “Okay, I saw Sara at a business-to-business function last year. I’m not sure if she saw me, but I didn’t approach her. In fact, I left shortly after I spotted her.” Her voice sharpened. “And I heard Rory was a mess. Drugs. Again.”
“Did you know Rory died?”
Anxiety moved through her body, straightening her back. “Like I said, I don’t keep up.”
Greer couldn’t let this go. Two of the five kids in the pod were dead. “He hung himself. The cops think it’s murder.”
Jennifer’s face paled. She shook her head and took a step back as if she needed distance. “I’ve not seen Rory since camp. Heard rumors about the drugs. He never got his act together. Why are we doing this? Can’t we let the past go? I know we both made terrible mistakes but when do we stop suffering and move on?”
“I work at it every day.”
“I do, too.”
Greer sighed. She’d liked Jennifer when they’d been in camp. The girl had been frightened and skittish but she’d been nice to Greer. “Sara is also dead, Jennifer. She froze to death.”
Her mouth dropped before she snapped it closed. “She committed suicide?”
“Cops don’t know for sure.”
“You think she and Rory are somehow connected? I know she really had a crush on him at camp.”
“Who knows? He might have remembered she liked him and hit her up for money. That would be classic Rory. He could have made promises he couldn’t keep. She had a bad temper.”
“You think she could have killed him and then herself ?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying to understand what happened.”
Jennifer raked her hand through her hair. “Leave it up to the cops. Just leave it alone.”
