Secrets and Lies (Hearts Of Braden Book 4)

by Susanne Matthews

  She nodded, too angry to say anything, but if looks could kill, and Mike was smart enough to read the signs, he would be dead in his tracks.

  “Can I get you anything?” Jackson asked once the door closed.

  Turning back to the table, hoping she had herself under control, she swallowed the last of her anger. “Another ginger ale would be great. I’ve had my beer limit for the night. Any more than two, and I’m like a deer on ice, and the last thing I want is the deputy on my case.”

  He called Jenny over, gave the order, and then turned back to her. “Speaking of your favorite deputy…”

  Emily looked over to see Kevin entering the bar. Must be his supper hour. He’d better not give me a hard time because I won’t take it well. Dealing with one jerk, a night was plenty and Mike had certainly acted like one in her book, cover or no cover. That last kiss, far rougher and more intense than necessary, had been uncalled for and unappreciated. She knew some men got more amorous with alcohol, but there would be no repeat of tonight’s performance.

  Expecting Kevin to bellow for his meal as he had the last time, she was dismayed when he made a beeline for the table.

  Great.

  Then instead of approaching her as she’d expected, he tapped Micah on the shoulder.

  The blonde turned around, and there was no mistaking the joy on her face. “Kevin. Look at you,” she said admiring his uniform. “You’re a trooper?”

  “Yup. I’m the deputy sheriff. Lilly called me to say you were here. Why didn’t you?” he asked, the hurt in his voice evident.

  “I wanted to,” she replied. “But the last time I asked Aunt Maddy about you, she’d said you and Becky Sue were an item. I figured you were married by now.”

  “Becky Sue is married. I’m not, but I’m working tonight. Can I call you later?”

  There seemed to be a wealth of information conveyed in that statement. Could the deputy be involved in this, too? If the cartel had earmarked the area for acquisition and had so many locals involved, she and Mike would have a bitch of a time shutting this down.

  “Yes.” Micah grabbed a napkin and the pen in Harlan’s shirt pocket, wrote something on the napkin and handed it to Kevin. “I’m staying. I’ll be teaching at BCR this year.”

  Kevin smiled as if he’d just won Powerball and nodded. “Goodnight everyone. I’ve got to get back to work.” He waved at Micah and left.

  “Well,” Jackson said. “Okay, who cloned Deputy Carlyle and where’s the real one?”

  Emily laughed and shrugged.

  Jackson turned to Micah who was still staring at the door. “You’re certainly full of surprises.”

  Micah blushed. “We used to be close. I’d better head out. I have a longer drive ahead of me than the rest of you do, and while it isn’t raining tonight, there’ll probably still be fog patches in the low lying areas. Thanks for supper, Jackson. I’ll see you all at school.”

  “I’ll get going, as well,” Harlan announced. “Sarah doesn’t like being alone at night.”

  “Where are you living?” Emily asked.

  “I bought the house just down the street from Braden House. It’s a good neighborhood, and I wanted my daughter to have a home she’d be happy to bring her friends to visit. Losing her mom was rough, but having to pull up stakes and leave her friends behind again, was rougher.”

  “What do you mean, again?” Emily asked, thinking it took a lot of money to relocate onto the town’s most expensive real estate.

  “We moved around a lot, probably every couple of years. My wife was in the service—I’m sure things will improve when my sister-in-law moves in next month. She’s going to keep house for me and look after Sarah. I’ve got to go. As Micah said, see you in school.”

  “And on that note, I’ll say goodnight as well,” Randal said. “It was nice meeting you informally like this, and I look forward to a rewarding year.”

  As the three walked away together, Emily forced the additional information she’d just received to the back of her mind to focus on the man beside her, praying he wasn’t involved with the Chef. She chuckled and raised the ginger ale Jenny had brought over to her lips. “Was it something I said?”

  Jackson laughed. “I don’t think so. So, Cal is your uncle. I guess like Micah, you’ve been here before.”

  “To Braden? No, but Uncle Cal’s not a blood relative, if that’s what you mean. He and my dad were best friends in college. They used to visit more when we lived closer. When Dad called and told him I was coming here for the year, he offered to help out.”

  “Did you tell him about Deputy Dunderhead’s boorish behavior?”

  “Not all of it, although I did mention the parking permit.” She giggled. “I thought maybe we could keep the rest of it our little secret. It was partially my fault for going out without my cane as tired as I was. It doesn’t look as if Micah will have the same problem with him. He didn’t look like he was going to throw his weight around with her. The man was practically drooling.”

  “As were many of the others here, but don’t let her looks fool you. The woman is brilliant. I’ve never seen proficiency scores as high as hers, and her references were glowing. I gather she spent her summers here for years, so maybe she and Kevin have history. He certainly did look smitten. So when did you and Mike meet?”

  “Just the other night, but I think he read more in my willingness to go out with him than I expected him to. He’s a nice guy, but I need to take things slower.” She needed to be careful or she could ruin everything, but damn it, she didn’t want Jackson to think poorly of her. “He knew my husband.”

  “Knew?”

  “Yes. Alex was killed almost two years ago in the accident that gave me the hip.”

  Jackson’s expression looked stunned. “My deepest sympathies. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “That’s okay. You didn’t know. You remind me of my husband. When I saw you at the bar the first night, it was like déjà vu—same general build, dark hair, although yours is more black than brown, and that dimple. His eyes were blue.” She finished her ginger ale. “I’d better get home, too. Did you feed the animals early?”

  “I did, but I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Listen, can we meet on Wednesday, instead of Friday? I want to get this thing between you and Mabel settled as soon as I can. That car business the other night bothers me, and I haven’t found anyone who’s seen the SUV.”

  “Daryl did. Apparently, he was here on Saturday night, and saw it parked over on the side. He told everyone he got cracked on the head by someone when he tried to see the license plate, but Merryn said he most likely fell and whacked his head on the pavement.”

  Jackson nodded. “Daryl is famous for having a few too many on Saturday night, but I’ll ask Buddy about it when I see him. He’ll know if there was a stranger in the bar that night. I think I’ll go now too, and I can escort you home.”

  “That’s becoming a regular thing, isn’t it? You don’t need to.”

  “Ah, but I do. I promised Mike I’d see you got home safely.”

  Emily nodded, stood and let Jackson escort her out. The cane she’d brought with her tonight hadn’t really been necessary, but she was glad she had it to lean on. Unlike the distaste she’d felt when Mike had touched her, Jackson’s hand on her lower back had turned her bones to mush.

  Chapter Eight

  “Thank you,” Emily said stopping beside her car. “I see whoever was driving that fancy red sports’ car is gone. Nice set of wheels. I’ve always wanted a convertible.” The evening air was cool and the sky awash with stars. The sliver of moon and the florescent streetlights bathed the parking lot in silver.

  “The car belongs to Micah. It’s a real beauty. I’m sure some of the senior boys will be all over that. As far as helping you out, it’s been my pleasure. It’s a beautiful night, a little cool for August, but after all the rain we’ve had, I didn’t think I’d ever see the stars again.”

  “There so much brighter here than in E
l Paso,” she said.

  “El Paso? When were you in El Paso?”

  “I was there a few weeks ago, visiting friends,” she lied, cursing the slip. “We don’t see many stars in Chicago, and I thought since El Paso was near the desert…” Shut up, Emily, before you put both feet in your mouth. Maybe Mike had been right, and she should’ve left with him.

  She took out her keys, unlocked the car door, and got in intent on making a quick getaway before she said anything else that could ruin her cover. Slipping the key in the ignition, she turned it. Nothing. What the hell?

  “What’s wrong?” Jackson asked.

  “I don’t know. The car won’t start. It’s new, for heaven’s sake. Why won’t it start?”

  “Let me have a look. Pop the hood.”

  Pulling the hood release, she watched as Jackson moved around to the front of the car. He raised the hood, cursed, and closed it again.

  “Looks like some prankster has played a trick on you, and I don’t think this is any funnier than trying to run you off the road. Someone stole your battery. Put the car keys under the floor mat, and I’ll get AK to send someone around to fix it first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll take you home.”

  Doing as he said, she slipped the keys under the carpet and got out of the car, locking it behind her. She had another set at home she could use to get inside if she had to, once the mechanic had fixed the problem. She’d locked herself out of her vehicle in the past and knew how efficiently those guys could open doors when that happened. “I really appreciate your help. I don’t know who to call locally for so many things yet. Who’d do something like this?” she asked frustrated although she had an idea who might be responsible. “And how could they? The car was locked, and you can’t open the hood until it’s been released.”

  “It takes just seconds for a kid to break into a car. No doubt, they’ve heard Mabel speaking about the loss of her deep fryer. It’s not the first time they’ve played tricks on people, but this is just plain mean. My truck is over here.”

  Emily followed him and groaned when she saw the rocker panel. “I can’t get my leg up high enough to get into that.” While her right leg could handle anything, she didn’t trust the prosthetic to, especially while she was tired, and she would need both hands to leverage herself into the truck, so the cane wouldn’t help either. “Is there a cab in town I can call?”

  “I guess it is a little high, but you won’t need a cab.” He unlocked and opened the passenger door and then picked her up and set her gently on the seat. “There you go.” He closed the door and hurried around to the other side.

  Emily watched him get in, unable to forget he’d kept her occupied inside while the others had left, more or less at the same time. Any one of them could’ve broken into her car and taken the battery. If the Chef wanted to keep tabs on her, making it impossible for her to get around on her own was a start, but the car would be fixed tomorrow, so what was the point other than inconveniencing her? No one could seriously expect her to walk three-quarters of a mile down the dark highway alone at night.

  “All set?” Jackson asked as she fastened her seat belt. “For the record, there isn’t a cab per se in town but there are a few people who offer rides now and then.”

  “Good to know. I’m glad you hadn’t left yet. I would’ve been stranded otherwise.” Thoughts of the black SUV filled her, and she shuddered.

  “Most people would simply have walked home.” He smacked himself in the head. “I’m sorry, Emily. I guess even the distance from here to your place would be difficult for you.”

  “During the day, I could probably handle it, but walking home alone in the dark—I’m sorry to be inconveniencing you this way.”

  “It’s no trouble.” Jackson started the car and drove quickly down the road, talking about the horses and the ranch as well as some of the improvements he’d recently made to the house.

  All that he described took money, adding to her trepidation.

  Micah drove an expensive sports car. Harlan had bought a home in the ritziest section of town, Jackson had spent a fortune on upgrades for the ranch and apparently, Randal was going to spend the year living at the Worthington Arms. Money. All of them seemed to have an unlimited source of money. Well, tomorrow she would be on the internet researching her colleagues, and if that didn’t work, she would have the Chicago office run them. If the money was from legitimate sources, then she might be barking up the wrong tree, but if it wasn’t…She also needed to figure out how to deal with Mike and his caveman approach to dating. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Why was everything suddenly so complicated?

  “We’re here,” Jackson announced while they were parked in front of the main entrance. He got out of the truck and lifted her out of the vehicle, carrying her to the door. “I’ll see you on Wednesday,” he said slowly putting her down, and pulling the door open for her. “AK should have someone here first thing tomorrow about your car, too.”

  He stood so close to her, she could smell the spicy aftershave he preferred. Leaning into him, she thought he was going to kiss her. She welcomed the idea he might, and felt humiliated when he suddenly moved away.

  “Goodnight,” he said moving so quickly back to the truck that she didn’t have time to respond to the greeting. He waved as he drove off as if the hounds of hell were after him.

  Emily sighed and let herself into the apartment. Had she really leaned into him or had she swayed because she was so tired? He’d acted terrified, so she must have betrayed her need somehow. Damn it. Her brother had always told her she had a lousy poker face.

  Thoughts of Jimmy added to her depression, and she flipped on the lights, locking the door behind her. Not sure whether it would rain or not when she’d gone out earlier, she’d closed all the windows and now, the apartment was stuffy. Going over to the patio doors, she pulled open the drapes. Something was spray painted on the outside of the windows. While it was difficult to read the mirror image words, they chilled her.

  Go away, bitch. Leave now, before it’s too late.

  Shuddering, she pulled her gun out of her purse, quickly closing the drapes to hide the hateful words. Carefully checking to make sure all the locks were fastened on each of her windows, she got ready for bed, but left her leg on. Usually she took it off to sleep, giving the stump breathing room, but given the message, she didn’t want anything to slow her down if she heard sounds in the night. She would call Cal in the morning and tell him about the vandalism. Enough was enough.

  * * * *

  Jackson pulled away from the Sunrise Apartment lot, cursing himself for almost losing it and kissing her the way Mike had. Where had all of his common sense gone? She’d swayed toward him when he set her down, no doubt exhausted after the day and evening she had, and he’d almost reached for her and pulled her into his arms. Idiot. If he had, he might’ve ruined everything. Since she said Mike had misread her willingness to go out with him and had implied he’d overstepped his boundaries, the last thing Jackson wanted to do was make the same damn mistake.

  When she said earlier that her and Mike weren’t deeply involved, Jackson wanted to whoop for joy, then he felt guilty because of it, and schooled his features to stay as they were. She and Mike weren’t the item the man’s behavior had implied. Furthermore, the wedding ring didn’t mean she was currently married. He then thought maybe those dreams weren’t as impossible as they’d seemed three hours ago. After discovering she was a widow, he’d felt hopeful, until her next words had been like a bucket of ice water dumped over him.

  There was nothing to be gained from the fact that he resembled her late husband. From the emotion he’d read in her voice, Emily was still grieving, but trying to get on with her life, the same way he was. When she looked at him, he didn’t want her thinking of a dead man. Instead, he needed her to see him, not some doppelganger. Holding his own around Mike wouldn’t be a problem, but competing against the ghost of her late husband was definitely a no-win scenario.

  And jus
t what makes you think she would have anything to do with you?

  Frowning, he thought back to the short time he spent with her tonight. Emily had been upset about something earlier in the evening, and he didn’t think it was because Mike had arrived late. He was convinced it had something to do with him and his new staff members. Had she been upset because he hadn’t invited her to the informal get-together? Probably not. More than likely she’d read the lust on his face when she’d entered the bar, the same look he’d worn as a horny teenager pumped up on testosterone.

  To make matters worse, he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her. When she and Mike had been cozied up together, he’d watched her off and on, like a frustrated stalker. She must’ve seen his covert looks, although she hadn’t said anything.

  Then now this. The missing battery bothered him. He’d spoken to Mabel just this morning, but instead of putting a stop to things, it looked like she’d cranked them up another notch. Unfortunately, with the way things had turned out, he didn’t know whether whoever had taken the battery out of her car should be charged with mischief or given a reward for letting him have those extra minutes with her and get to hold her, however briefly, in his arms.

  Sighing, he used the Bluetooth in his truck and called the garage’s emergency night number, getting the message machine.

  “AK, it’s Jack. Someone scoffed the battery out of Emily Jacobson’s car. It’s in the lot at Buddy’s.” He rattled off the make, model, and plate number. “The keys are inside the car under the floor mat. Replace the battery and have someone bring it to her at the Sunset Apartments. She’s in 102. Bill me. Thanks.” He ended the call.

  He’d asked Joey about the new tenant. The boy had mentioned he had helped her settle into 102 the previous week, telling him about the crutches and wheelchair she had. The hip must really hurt at times if she needed a chair.

  If Emily insisted on repaying him for the battery, he would see if he could turn that into a date and get her to join him for supper as a thank you. He would take her to the Hart. The place was more intimate, better suited for a date than Buddy’s, and not as fancy as the Terrace. They had a jukebox, and while dancing probably wasn’t something she did often, he’d enjoy holding her in his arms for a few waltzes. She was even lighter than he’d imagined.