Die Me a River

by Denise Swanson

  “Have you seen my mother?” Simon’s stylishly cut auburn hair was sticking up in spikes, as if he’d run his fingers through it. “I’ve been trying to call her, but her cell goes directly to voicemail and she’s not responding to any of my messages.”

  When Skye had first returned to Scumble River, she and Simon had dated on and off for nearly three years. Then Skye caught Simon cheating on her. Actually, he really hadn’t been, but he’d been too stubborn to explain what was going on. Shortly afterward, Wally and Skye became an item.

  Unfortunately, because Simon owned the local funeral home and was the county coroner, Skye and Wally were often forced to work with him. “Awkward” did not begin to describe those encounters.

  “There hasn’t been any sign of your mom since we got here,” Skye said, then went on to explain about the jammed door. Frowning, she added, “They’ve been working on it, but it doesn’t seem to be budging.”

  “Son of a pup!” Simon scowled. “I had a steel-reinforced door put in after I heard about that biker gang burglarizing homes in the area.”

  “Do you have the key?” Skye grabbed a tissue from her purse and wiped her forehead. The unseasonable heat was starting to wear her down. “Maybe it’s locked instead of stuck.”

  “It’s in my office at the funeral home.” Simon pulled out his cell. “It’ll be faster if I have Xavier find it and bring it over.”

  Once Simon completed the call to his assistant, Skye tried to inject a note of optimism into her voice as she said, “Maybe your mom’s not even home.”

  “True.” Simon’s tone was hopeful, but his brow was wrinkled in concern. “This is her only full day off. She might be out.”

  “Jeez!” Simon’s golden-hazel eyes widened. “It just occurred to me that they could get into the apartment from inside the bowling alley. I need to go ask if they’ve tried that door.”

  “Ooh! I forgot about that other entrance, too.” Skye patted his shoulder. “Let’s pray if this door is truly stuck, they can get in that way.”

  Once Simon jogged away from her, Skye made her way over to the sidewalk where Wally was talking to Chief Eaton. The fire chief was a distinguished-looking man in his late fifties. Although his muscles had softened a bit, his spine was militarily straight and his mane of sandy hair mixed with silver was still thick.

  Skye stood quietly next to her husband and listened to the men’s conversation. Her mind had drifted when a firefighter trotted up to their group and waited for the chief to acknowledge him.

  “Get on with it, Michaelson,” Chief Eaton snapped.

  “It looks as if the explosion was restricted to the enclosed bar area.” Michaelson held his helmet under his arm and wiped the sweat from his face with a bright-red hanky. “The men are putting out a few small fires that were a result of the blast, but should be finished within the hour.”

  “Good job.” The chief waved the man away. “Get back to work.”

  Wally’s grim expression relaxed slightly, and he said, “That’s fortunate.”

  “You have no idea.” Chief Eaton shook his head. “This could have been so much worse.”

  “Chief, do you have any idea what caused the explosion?” Skye asked.

  “The utility companies assure me that it isn’t a gas leak or anything to do with the wiring.” The chief’s expression darkened. “Unless there were pressurized tanks or something of that sort being stored in the building, that leaves us with an explosive device.”

  “You mean like a terrorist attack?” Skye squeaked and grabbed Wally’s hand.

  “Well…” The chief’s lips twitched. “I can’t really see an extremist targeting a bowling alley in rural Illinois, so that’s doubtful.” Before Skye could tell the chief what she thought of his condescending attitude and explain why Scumble River might be on a fanatic’s radar, Chief Eaton continued, “We’ll continue sweeping the building to make sure there are no additional sparks, but the major destruction seems limited to the lounge. There’s minor damage like broken glass and tossed furniture throughout the building, but the walls and ceiling appear intact.”

  “You’ll need a structural engineer to be certain, right?” Wally asked.

  “Yeah.” Chief Eaton looked toward the bowling alley. “I put in a call to the Illinois Secretary of State Police Bomb Squad, but it will take them a couple of hours to get here and we can’t thoroughly examine the scene until we’re sure that there won’t be any further lesser detonations, because those can result in the release of hot fragments and fire.”

  “Understood,” Wally said, staring over the other man’s shoulder at the building. “How about the second-floor apartment in the back? Have your men been able to get in to check the occupant yet?”

  Skye held her breath. Crossing her fingers, she hoped for good news.

  “The men working on that entry are hearing some sounds from inside.” The chief pursed his lips. “But that door must be steel-reinforced because they’re having trouble breaking it down.”

  “It is,” Skye said. When both men looked at her in surprise, she added, “Simon just mentioned it to me. He called his assistant to bring the key, then went to ask the firefighters if they were aware of the inside entrance to the apartment.”

  “Thanks for the info, Mrs. Boyd.” Chief Eaton tipped his head at Skye. “The inside staircase has partially collapsed, but I’ll let the men know about the steel-reinforced door.” He keyed his walkie-talkie and relayed the facts, paused, then said, “Yeah. Wait for the key.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Skye heard a commotion behind her and turned. Bunny Reid was mincing across the parking lot; her four-inch-high silver heels glittered in the spotlights and the pink marabou feathers edging her negligee danced in the breeze. But the real surprise was the guy trailing behind her as he hastily buttoned his shirt. Skye put her hand to her mouth and glanced at her husband.

  What in the world was Wally’s father doing with Simon’s mother? And why hadn’t he and Bunny finished getting dressed during the time the firefighters were trying to get inside the apartment?

  Chapter 7

  (My Baby Does the) Hanky-Panky

  Wind whispered through the remaining leaves of the nearby trees. The breeze was coming from the north, which Skye sincerely hoped meant cooler weather. Summer had ended weeks ago and she longed for a brisk fall day.

  The sound of an annoyed exhale dragged Skye’s attention back to Wally and she watched as he stared at his father through narrowed eyes. Carson was slowly walking toward them, his shoulders erect, but with an oh crap expression on his handsome face.

  Wally’s gaze moved over the couple, clearly cataloging their respective stages of undress. Skye could hear her husband’s teeth grind together as he clenched his jaw, and she ran her palm up and down his forearm, trying to soothe away his irritation.

  Putting his hand over hers, Wally pleaded, “Is there any scenario you can think of where my father was not just having sex with Bunny?”

  “Sorry, sweetheart.” Skye turned her hand over, squeezed his fingers, then stepped back. “No matter how much you don’t want it to be true, those two were definitely doing the horizontal hokey pokey before this all happened.”

  “Why?” Wally looked up and implored the universe. “Why of all the single women in Scumble River and beyond, did my father have to hook up with Bunny Reid?”

  Skye followed her husband’s scrutiny skyward. Which of the twinkling stars was he addressing? Or maybe it was the crescent moon that he was pleading with for answers.

  Realizing that Wally was now gazing at her and waiting for an answer, Skye said, “Because she’s unique. She’s exciting and beautiful and she doesn’t care what other people think about her.” Skye smiled fondly. “Bunny is one of those truly optimistic folks who actually enjoys the scenery on a detour.”

  Skye knew it wasn’t that Wally disliked Bunny,
although he probably thought she was too flaky for his father; it was that her son was Simon Reid. And despite Skye’s assurance to the contrary, Wally was convinced that Simon was still in love with her.

  Then, as if to prove her thoughts, Wally said, “Reid will just use his mother’s relationship with my father to come sniffing around you again. It will be the perfect excuse to stay in contact with you.” Wally scowled. “Knowing your mother, Reid will be invited to family get-togethers.”

  Skye was saved from responding by Carson, who approached them and said with a teasing grin, “You seem surprised to see me, Son.”

  Carson was an older version of Wally—well over six feet tall, slim hips, muscular chest, and intelligent brown eyes that rarely missed a trick.

  Wally grunted and shoved his hands into his pockets.

  Carson glanced at Skye, who shrugged. He refocused on Wally, gave a little cough, and said, “When I moved out of Up A Lazy River, didn’t I mention that Bunny offered to share her apartment with me?” His tone was nonchalant, but his ears were red. “Wasn’t that generous of her?”

  “No. You didn’t mention it,” Wally snapped. The look on his face could have melted wax.

  Skye dug her nails into his arm and sent him a not-so-subtle nonverbal message to chill.

  Wally’s expression smoothed and he grudgingly added, “It must’ve slipped your mind with everything else that’s been happening.”

  “Well…” Carson finished buttoning his shirt and tucked it into his pants. “As you know, with so many folks displaced after the tornado, there’s nothing much in the way of housing around here. And living in the motor court was getting mighty wearisome.”

  “So when I heard Car was unhappy,” Bunny piped in, her voice a high-pitched whine reminiscent of a dentist’s drill, “I told him that he was welcome to move in with me.” She tucked an errant red curl into the cascade of ringlets on top of her head and batted her false lashes. “It seemed greedy to keep that big apartment all for myself.”

  “Big?” Skye narrowed her eyes. She might have liked Bunny, but she wasn’t letting that obviously bogus statement go. “I thought it was a one bedroom.”

  “It is,” Simon said as he walked up and joined the group, stopping near Skye.

  Skye stepped slightly away from her ex, more for Wally’s peace of mind than because she really thought Simon was coming on to her. The move also took her downwind of Bunny’s overpowering perfume, which made it a win-win in Skye’s books. The eye-watering scent that reminded her of mothballs, gardenia corsages, and fruitcakes was clogging her sinuses.

  “I meant it’s real roomy.” Bunny examined her sparkly purple nails.

  “Actually”—Simon shot his mother a stern look—“it’s only five hundred square feet. About average for a one-bedroom rental.”

  “At least Bunny’s place has a kitchen, living room, and dining area.” Carson folded his arms. “With nowhere to eat in Scumble River except for fast food, I can finally cook a decent meal.”

  “Dad.” Skye’s voice cracked, hurt that Carson felt that way. “You are always welcome to eat with us. I thought you knew that.”

  Wally put his arm around Skye and glared at his father. “Despite juggling twins, Skye cooks supper every night and I’ve heard her invite you over numerous times. Not to mention May’s invitations.”

  “Sorry, sugar.” Carson stepped over to Skye, leaned in, and kissed her cheek. “I didn’t mean it that way. I know I’m welcome at your table. And your mother’s.” He peered at Wally. “The truth is that Bunny and I have been courting for the past couple of months.”

  “Why didn’t you just say so?” Wally’s posture stiffened. “Mom’s been gone a long time and I didn’t exactly think you’d been a monk all those years.”

  “Well…” Carson took a red handkerchief from his jeans pocket, leaned down, and used it to clean off a mark from the toe of his perfectly shined cowboy boot. “I’ve never rubbed your nose in my personal life before.”

  Looking between Skye and Simon, Bunny added, “Then there’s—”

  “There’s nothing,” Skye said firmly, eager to stop Bunny from finishing whatever embarrassing thought was rolling around in her head. “We’re all friends and we’re all happy for you two.” She elbowed Wally and looked hard at Simon. “Right?”

  Skye secretly loved that even after she’d given birth to twins, an act that had caused her already curvy figure to expand, Wally was still a little bit jealous. However, she didn’t want his attitude to ruin things between Carson and Bunny.

  “Yeah,” Wally answered between clenched teeth. “We’re all pals.”

  He took Skye’s hand and played with the enormous engagement ring and diamond-studded wedding band on her finger until they caught the light, then he leaned down to kiss the top of Skye’s head. Glancing up, she noticed that her husband was staring at Simon, and the other man had clearly been watching Wally’s performance. Stifling a giggle, she wondered if Wally was going to pee on her leg next. Wasn’t that how dogs marked their territory?

  When Simon remained silent, Bunny tottered over and embraced him, then said, “It’s better to have loved and lost than hated and won.” Her hazel eyes softened. “And now you have Emmy so we’re all good. She’s a gorgeous girl, full of fun. Just what you need.”

  “Uh-huh.” Simon’s ambiguous response to his mother made Skye worry that his noncommittal attitude would reinforce Wally’s suspicions.

  Beaming at Skye, Bunny said, “No offense. You’re beautiful too, honey. But you and Sonny Boy are too much alike. Way too serious.”

  “No offense taken.” Skye’s lips twitched as she tried to hide her grin. When she managed to paste a serious look on her face, she said, “I agree completely. Simon and I weren’t a good match for many reasons.” She stroked Wally’s hand. “Everything worked out the way it was supposed to be. It just took a bit of jiggling for all the pieces to fall into place.”

  “Right.” Simon gave Skye a tight smile. “It was nice while it lasted.”

  Skye knew that Simon’s grudging admission would do nothing to reassure Wally, but she still felt that she had to respond positively and said, “It was what we both needed at the time.”

  Simon nodded, then squeezed his mother’s shoulder and said, “I’m glad you’re okay. I was concerned when you didn’t answer your cell. What happened in the apartment? Why didn’t you unlock the door?”

  When Bunny hesitated, Wally turned to Skye and said, “Now that we know everyone is all right, we should probably head home.” He pushed a stray curl behind her ear and added, “I bet Judy is more than ready to be relieved from nanny duty, and the twins probably miss us.”

  “I’m sure that’s true.” Skye narrowed her eyes. She knew Wally wanted to get her away from Simon, but using their babies as an excuse wasn’t playing fair. “We can leave in a second. But first, I want to hear why Bunny and Carson didn’t unlock the door. Was it stuck?”

  “Not exactly.” Bunny pulled her sheer negligee closed, covering up the black silk nightgown that was split down the front and held together with a single red ribbon. “Actually, the shock wave from the explosion must have loosened something and the whole bed just sort of crumpled inward. We were trapped until the firefighters were able to get inside and got it off us.” She winked. “Those strapping young men lifted the debris like it was made of feathers rather than solid oak.”

  “Were either of you hurt?” Skye gasped and stepped toward Bunny and Carson. “Did the paramedics check you out?”

  “We’re fine,” Carson assured her. “The headboard and footboard folded and shoved us and the mattress down, breaking the slats so we were in a sort of protected hollow.” He shrugged. “But we were wedged so tight, I couldn’t get the leverage to move them.”

  “Sounds claustrophobic,” Wally commented, his lips twitching.

  Skye glanc
ed at her husband and saw that he was barely managing to hold back a chuckle. Not that she blamed him. The image of Carson and Bunny trapped like sardines in a can was pretty funny.

  “He was so brave. And so strong. He made me feel really safe.” Bunny rushed over to Carson and wrapped her arms around him.

  Swatting at the mosquitos that were buzzing around her head, Skye marveled at how fast the redhead could walk on sandals that consisted of nothing more than thin soles and a single strap attached to stiletto heels. Taking an amazed breath, Skye noticed that while the smell of smoke lingered in the air, it seemed to have become less intense.

  Glancing around, Skye saw that Chief Eaton was standing on the fringes of their group and appeared mesmerized as Bunny flitted from person to person. Hmm! Maybe Bunny would get tired of Carson and give Eaton a whirl. Simon’s mother wasn’t exactly famous for her long-term relationships.

  Skye would hate to see Carson hurt, but better sooner than later. Maybe she’d put a bug in May’s ear. Her mom wasn’t fond of Bunny and could probably come up with a nice single lady who would be more appropriate for Wally’s father. One who wasn’t related to Skye’s ex. It would be so much simpler for everyone concerned if Simon wasn’t constantly around to rile up Wally’s possessive instincts.

  Abruptly, Skye sucked in a rough breath. How could she even think that way? Plotting to steal Carson’s happiness because she was afraid of losing her own.

  When had she become such a lily-livered coward? Was it because she finally had everything she had always wanted? A husband she loved and needed more than her next breath. A son and daughter she would lay down her life for. And an important job that served her community.

  No! She wasn’t going to be that kind of woman. She loved Wally and she would just have to make sure that he never had a reason not to trust her. Even if Simon was still interested in her, and she wasn’t convinced that was true, she wasn’t attracted to him. She’d never give Wally the slightest hint that she was anything but a thousand percent committed to him and their future.