Under A Harvest Moon

by Joleen James

  "Could it be Maria?" Danielle asked, careful to keep the words soft, non-threatening.

  "No," he said with a shake of his head, "absolutely not."

  "Could she see me as some kind of threat?" Danielle asked. "She didn't like it when she caught us kissing."

  "Maybe," Nico admitted. "But Liz is the one with a boyfriend. If she wanted to sabotage a relationship, I'd think she'd pick on Liz."

  "But Liz isn't here." Why not Maria? Danielle tended to agree with Nico. The pranks were basically harmless. Did Maria see her as a threat to her home, her way of life?

  They pulled into the driveway the same time the sheriff did. The sheriff took the note from the front door where it was pinned, but not before Danielle got a look at it. The words Go Home were cut from mismatched letters found in any magazine and glued to plain white copy paper.

  Nico glanced at the note before saying, "I'll go get Maria and Lola."

  "Okay." Danielle pulled Sheriff Anderson aside. "Will you follow my lead?" she asked him. "I have an idea who may have done this."

  "Is that so?" the sheriff said, one gray eyebrow cocked.

  Before they could talk further, the screen door opened and Lola and Maria appeared with Nico.

  "I'm sorry someone wants me gone," Danielle said, loud enough for them all to hear, "but I'm not afraid. There are ways to take prints from that note, right Sheriff Anderson?"

  "That's correct," the sheriff replied.

  "And the paper and the clippings," Danielle said, "there are ways to trace those items as well, correct?"

  "Correct again, Mrs. Rankin," the sheriff said with a bob of his head. "I'll take the letter with me and get started on those tests. We should be able to pinpoint the location of all the items very quickly. Until then, I want you folks to be on alert. Stick together. Lock all your doors and windows. If you have to go out at night, go with a buddy. Now, I'd like to take a look around to see if anything else has been disturbed."

  "I'll walk with you, Sheriff," Nico said, but Danielle didn't miss the look he tossed her. He knew what she was up to, knew she was hoping to get a reaction from Maria.

  "Good enough," the sheriff replied. The two men took off in the direction of the rose garden.

  Danielle brought her attention back to Maria. The girl's normally tanned face appeared ashen. "Are you feeling all right, Maria?" Danielle asked.

  "My stomach hurts," she said. Maria didn't look up, didn't make eye contact with Danielle.

  "That's why we came back early," Lola said. "She's had a tummy ache all afternoon."

  So much for the stomach ache being caused by nearly being caught.

  "Why don't you come inside?" Danielle said. "I'll see if we have any soda."

  Danielle placed an arm around the girl's shoulders. Maria didn't flinch, as Danielle expected. If Maria did want her gone, she must have her reasons. She didn't want an enemy in Nico's daughter. She wanted the opposite, a friend.

  "Come on, sweetie," Danielle said.

  "I don't feel good," Maria said, just before she threw up on Danielle's shoes.

  Chapter Eleven

  Nico checked on Maria again.

  At her bedside, he watched her sleep, the soft hum of her breathing a comfort. With tender fingers, he touched her forehead, pleased to find her skin cool to the touch. No fever. She'd thrown up only once, but was she ill or feeling guilty?

  He hadn't had a chance to talk to Danielle about the stunt she'd pulled with Sheriff Anderson's help. Surely Maria was incapable of the vandalism and harassment. He hated to think she hadn't made one inch of progress with all the counseling she'd had. If Maria was that upset, she'd done pretty well convincing him and her counselor that she was moving forward. In fact, both he and the counselor felt she'd been doing so well, he was no longer worried about asking Liz to finally separate their assets.

  Now he didn't know what to think.

  Before he drew any more conclusions, he had to make certain Maria was behind the vandalism. He had to know one way or the other. As soon as her stomach recovered, he intended to question her himself. If Maria was the guilty party, he'd find a way to get her confession. The vandalism was unacceptable not to mention illegal.

  Nico tiptoed from Maria's room, closing the door behind him.

  What a day.

  He let himself out the front door then settled into one of the porch rockers. He closed his eyes and gave in to the guilty pleasure of remembering every detail of making love to Danielle. Even now he wanted her.

  "Nico."

  His eyes flew open. Danielle came toward him, bathed in purple twilight, almost as if he'd wished her there. She wore white cutoffs and a black tank top. He'd always loved black and white together on a woman. Sexy.

  "Hey," he said, rising. His body tensed with sexual awareness, even though he knew he should be angry with her.

  "Hey, yourself." She smiled, but he could see the strain of the day in her eyes, in the slight slump of her shoulders.

  Danielle joined him on the porch, slipping into the other rocker, much like she had that first night after she'd returned home.

  She used her foot to set the chair rocking. "How's Maria?"

  Nico sat. "Sleeping."

  "No more vomiting?" she asked and he could hear the concern in her voice. She didn't want Maria to be guilty any more than he did.

  "No, just the one time."

  "I'm sorry about using the sheriff to get a reaction from Maria, but I have to know if she's the one. I can't live in fear."

  "I know," he said. "I want to be mad at you, but I'm not. I want to know, too. I'll be keeping a better eye on her from now on. I already looked through all my magazines for missing letters, but I didn't find anything."

  "I'm sorry I made you doubt her."

  "Don't be," he said with a shrug. "I still believe the pranks are childish. And with Kaiden gone, well there's only one other kid around here. Maria's had some trouble accepting the divorce. I probably should have told you this before, but she's been seeing a counselor."

  "How's it going?" Danielle asked.

  "Pretty good, or at least I thought so." He rubbed his eyes, hoping to ease the tension there. "I want to be a good father, to do what's right for Maria, but I'm not sure I know what that is anymore. Am I overprotecting her?"

  "Why would you think that?" Danielle asked.

  "I've been reluctant to cut ties with Liz," Nico said. "Liz and Maria still live in the house we all lived in. Maria was so upset when we separated and even more so when we divorced. Her grades fell. She started acting out in school, getting behavior reports. I thought if we kept the house, if we didn't uproot her, she'd adjust faster, but I'm afraid the opposite has happened. What if I've given her false hope?"

  "Maybe she does see me as a threat," Danielle said. "It would make sense. I could explain to her that I'm not staying on."

  He nodded. Had he crippled his daughter instead of helping her? The thought broke his heart.

  "Is that why you're afraid you won't have the money to make an offer on the vineyard?" Danielle asked.

  "Yes."

  "You're in a rough place. Believe me, I know how that feels. It's so hard to make decisions when the kids are involved. What are you going to do?"

  "I don't know." Silence stretched between them, a weighted silence, with each of them lost in their own thoughts.

  "Any chance you'll wait past the ninety days for me to sort everything out?"

  "I don't know," she admitted. "A lot depends on Kaiden. I need the money from the sale to start over in Seattle and pay my attorney. Kaiden really wants to go back. School's starting soon. He's already going to miss the first part of the year because we're stuck here."

  "I understand." He didn't blame her for wanting what was best for her son.

  "Kaiden called tonight. I'm meeting them in Cle Elum tomorrow for the exchange. I'll be glad when I have my court date next week. I'm only sorry I didn't beat Peter to the courthouse."

  "You're very t
rusting," Nico said. "That's a good quality. Don't worry. You'll work out the custody agreement. Couples do it all the time."

  "I know." She tilted her head back, looking at the sky.

  Nico did the same. The sky was alive with stars. As long as he lived, he'd never tire of the sight.

  "I'm thinking about calling Liz and asking her to return early," Nico said. "Maria needs her."

  "I'm sure she does," Danielle agreed. "Why does divorce have to be so brutal?"

  "I don't know."

  They fell silent again, and Nico was surprised to find they didn't need words. It felt good to sit with Danielle and rock and enjoy the stars. He couldn't remember ever feeling this way with Liz. He could barely get her to sit still, much less sit on the porch and rock. They'd been mismatched from the beginning.

  "Daddy," Maria called from inside the house, the single word pulling Nico up and out of his chair.

  Danielle stood. "Good night."

  With a nod, Nico went to his daughter.

  ***

  Danielle pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant where she'd agreed to meet Peter, rolled down the Jetta's windows, and then shut off the engine. She was five minutes late. There was no sign of Peter or Kaiden. It was another hot day, and she couldn't sit long without turning her air conditioning back on. Frowning, Danielle checked her watch again to make sure she had the correct time.

  Maybe traffic had been bad.

  She couldn't wait to see Kaiden. Although he'd only been gone a couple of days, it seemed so much longer. They'd never been separated before. She missed him like crazy.

  She checked her watch again. Ten minutes late. She picked up her cell phone and punched in Peter's cell. His voicemail came on.

  "Hi, it's me," she said after the beep. "I'm in Cle Elum. Where are you guys? Call me back on my cell."

  She waited, and waited. Thirty minutes passed, then an hour.

  Danielle grew frantic, imagining they'd had an accident, or left the state. She called Peter's house. No answer. She called Whitney House, in case she'd gotten the meeting place wrong, but Lola hadn't heard from Kaiden or Peter.

  From her seat in the car, her eyes scanned each vehicle as it came down the highway, searching for Kaiden. She didn't know what to do. Her heart raced.

  Should she drive to Seattle? Call the police? She tried Peter's phone again.

  "Danielle," Peter said on the second ring.

  "Where are you?" she demanded, unable to keep the panic from her voice.

  "We're almost there," he said in a placating tone. "Sorry, we ran late."

  "Why didn't you call?" she asked, not buying his pathetic excuse.

  "No cell service. I tried."

  She wanted to call him a liar, but didn't want to provoke him, not while he still had Kaiden. Instead she said, "How long until you get here?"

  "I'm guessing another fifteen minutes."

  "Fine," she said, barely keeping her anger in check. "I'll see you soon."

  The line went dead. Peter was messing with her, letting her know she wasn't in the driver's seat. Be strong, Danielle. Take charge. Take action. First thing tomorrow morning, she would call her lawyer. She needed her custody hearing now. She wasn't about to hand Kaiden over again until she had official documents outlining the parenting plan.

  Thirty minutes later, Peter's Saab pulled into the parking lot. She was out of her car and waiting before Kaiden had a chance to open the door. She did it for him, practically pulling him out of the car and into her arms.

  "I missed you so much." She hugged him tight.

  "Mom," Kaiden said, wiggling out of her embrace. "I was only gone a couple of days."

  "Two days too long," Danielle said with a smile. "Kaiden, will you wait in the car? I need to speak to your dad for a moment."

  "Okay," he said, "but don't fight."

  "We won't," she lied.

  Peter had exited his car and stood with his back against the driver's door, the picture of bored nonchalance. Danielle helped Kaiden into her car, then strode to her ex-husband.

  "Don't ever do that again," Danielle said, the words low and hard. "I swear if you are as much as one second late, I will call the police."

  Peter actually threw his head back and laughed.

  "Danielle," he said, "if only I'd seen one-tenth that kind of passion when we were in bed we'd still be married."

  She balled her fist, wanting to strike him, but held back, knowing Kaiden looked on. "I will fight you for Kaiden, and I will win. Remember that."

  "I'll let you win right now," he said, all traces of laughter gone now, the deadly glint back in his eyes. "I'll walk away. All you have to do is sign over half of the vineyard to me once you inherit. I'll take cash, or a piece of the pie, whatever works for you."

  Her nails bit into her palm. "Are you nuts? This is low, even for you. You're willing to walk away from your son for money? That's it. I'm done with you. You'll be hearing from my attorney."

  "I'll deny everything I just said. I'll tie you up in court," Peter threatened. "And of course there's the small chance you could lose and custody would go to me. Think about my offer. I've just given you a way to cut me from your life forever."

  He gave Danielle his snake oil smile before getting back in his car and slithering away.

  She'd been right. Peter wasn't interested in Kaiden at all, and her heart broke for her son, but at the same time her mother's instinct kicked in. She was in for the fight of her life, and she had no doubt she'd win. She'd do whatever it took to retain full custody of Kaiden.

  She wasn't about to let Peter control her anymore. She'd never give him that kind of power again.

  ***

  Nico had been craving the sight of Danielle all day. He'd even come in from the vineyard twice to see if she'd returned with Kaiden, but she hadn't. He told himself he was merely checking on her to keep her happy, to keep himself in her good graces, but even to him, the thoughts rang false. He'd finally called her and she'd filled him in on Peter's tardy arrival.

  The man didn't deserve to be a father.

  As soon as Nico had come in from the fields, he'd gone in search of Danielle. He'd found the kids first, playing video games in Kaiden's room. When he'd questioned Lola about Danielle, the housekeeper had told him Danielle was in the rose garden.

  He hadn't seen Danielle when he'd passed through the yard, and while that wasn't necessarily a cause for alarm, he was worried enough about her being outside alone that he'd gone right back outside to look for her.

  "Danielle," he called out as he moved down the path.

  No answer. In the garden, he glanced around, but didn't see her. Again he called, "Danielle. Danielle are you here?"

  "Nico?"

  Relief filled him. He spun around. "Where are you?"

  She entered the garden from the same direction he had. She'd obviously been jogging. Her hair was in a ponytail. She wore navy shorts and a white T-shirt, running shoes on her feet. Her skin held the rosy flush of exercise.

  "Thank God you're all right," he said.

  "Why wouldn't I be?" She smoothed flyaway hair from her face with the palm of her hand. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing." Unmindful of her sweat-soaked T-shirt, he pulled her into his arms. "Lola told me you were in the garden, and when I couldn't find you -- "

  "I'm fine." She leaned back to look at him. "You're overreacting. It's daylight."

  "The note appeared during the day," he reminded her.

  Understanding filled her eyes. "I'm sorry you worried." She touched his cheek. "I went for a run, trying to work off my anger. Peter really did a number on me today."

  "What did he say about being late?"

  Danielle took a seat on the stone bench. "Not much. He claimed he was running late, but that's not the worst of it. He told me he'd walk away from Kaiden for half of the vineyard."

  Anger burned through Nico. "The bastard." He sat beside her. "He'll never get half the vineyard."

  "Not legally,
no," Danielle agreed. "But what if he becomes such a pain in my ass I want to give it to him just to make him go away?"

  "No, Danielle," Nico said. "That's fear talking. You can't let him win."

  "Even if it's for the benefit of my own mental health? I can't go through what I did today over and over again," she said sadly. "Nobody can smell money like Peter. His gambling addiction consumes him. He won't give up, not until I buy him off. Until then, he's going to make my life hell."

  She turned to him, the look in her eyes sad and haunting.

  "It's not even about letting him into Kaiden's life," she went on. "Peter doesn't want to be a father. It's so sad. Either way, he won't be a part of his son's life anymore."

  Nico gathered her in his embrace, kissing her forehead, her nose, her mouth.

  "Oh, Nico," Danielle whispered. Her arms tightened around him.

  "I'll help you fight him," Nico vowed. "He won't win."

  "I'm not about to let him win." Danielle looked into his eyes. "I made a decision today to fight him. I'm not going to let him control me anymore. I'm tired of being brow-beaten, of being afraid."

  He heard the power in her words. "I'm proud of you."

  "I'm scared," she admitted. "What if I lose Kaiden?"

  "You won't," he said. "You're doing the right thing. Peter will never be satisfied. What's to keep him from coming back once that money's gone?"

  "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Danielle sighed.

  Despite her brave words, he knew she was still upset. "Why don't we go and find the kids and do something special with them tonight?"

  She smiled. "That's a great idea."

  Nico stood and held his hand out to her. Danielle took his fingers and he pulled her up. Together they went to find their kids.

  While Danielle showered and changed, Nico rounded up Kaiden and Maria, assigning them each specific tasks: Kaiden in charge of sleeping bags and pillows; Maria in charge of unearthing their old camping gear, the tent and the lantern. Even Lola agreed to help with the food they would need for their evening picnic. While they worked to collect the items he'd asked for, he gathered a few things of his own.

  He had the perfect plan, a way for them all to be together and spend some family time, no talk of the vineyard, or ex-spouses, or the pranks that always lurked in the back of their minds.