Sandy’s lips twitched as she tilted her head to the side and considered the question. “Are you asking if Mike was always a pervert?”
“I … .”
“Don’t bother denying it,” Sandy said, lifting her hand to still Maddie. “I know everyone thought he was basically a walking penis. He wasn’t always like that, though. When he was younger he was actually a really shy kid who spent all of his time hiding from other kids.”
“So what happened?”
“I think it all just got to be too much,” Sandy replied. “Mike was unpopular all through school. Even when he graduated I can count on one hand the number of true friends he had. He left Blackstone Bay for about five years after graduation. He was working in the oil fields and spent most of his time in Pennsylvania and Texas. When he came back he was an entirely different person.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just that he’d adopted this gregarious new persona that I didn’t recognize. He was no longer shy Mike who preferred reading books. He was loud Mike who went to the bar every night and hooked up with a different woman every chance he got.
“I thought it was one of those things he would grow out of,” she continued. “It was like he went through his wild spurt after everyone else. He never grew out of it, though. Not only didn’t he grow out of it, but in the end, it killed him.”
Maddie’s eyes flashed. “What do you mean?”
“We both know that he was killed because he had sex with the wrong person,” Sandy said. “I have no idea if it was because he was slipping it to Laura Brennan behind the workshop … or Daisy Walker in the closet … or even Angela Conklin in the stable. Heck, for all I know, it was because he slept with Marla Proctor last week. I’ve always thought she was bad luck.
“I’m not sure who went after my brother for revenge,” she continued. “I am sure that someone exacted their revenge, though. It’s sad … and tragic … and terrible. I can’t help but believe that Mike brought at least some of it on himself.”
Maddie opened her mouth, something sympathetic at the ready. She changed course when the bulk of Sandy’s words filtered through her brain. “Wait … your brother was sleeping with Marla, too?”
Sandy nodded. “I told him it was a mistake, but he didn’t listen. He said she was hot and he could put up with her mouth as long as he got to see her naked. He wasn’t too discriminating when it came to bedmates.”
Maddie couldn’t help but be intrigued. “And the plot thickens. Tell me exactly what you know about his time with Marla.”
“WHAT ARE you thinking about?”
John swiveled in the extra desk chair on the opposite side of Dale’s desk and fixed Nick with an odd look. Nick, who was deep in thought regarding something that had absolutely nothing to do with the case, shook himself out of his reverie and shot his brother a dark look.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything,” Nick replied, making a face. “I was just running some stuff about the Robinson case through my head.”
“Uh-huh.” John was dubious. “You were smiling. I didn’t know murder made you smile.”
“I … was not smiling,” Nick countered. “I was grimacing. That happens when you think about murder.”
“Oh, who are you trying to kid?” John couldn’t help but be annoyed. “I’ve known you since the day you were born. You had a goofy look on your face then and you had another just now. I’m going to guess that means you were thinking about Maddie.”
Nick pursed his lips as he considered whether or not he should lie to his brother. Ultimately it seemed like a futile effort. John always knew when he was lying. “I was thinking about Maddie,” he conceded. “She slept like a rock last night. She was so … content, I guess would be the right word … after giving Marla a piece of her mind. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.”
“Yeah, that was pretty darned funny,” John conceded, smiling at the memory. “I don’t remember her ever going after Marla like that before. Why do you think she did it now?”
“I’d like to think she’s becoming more comfortable in her own skin, but that could just be wishful thinking.”
“I know you worry about her, but you really don’t have to,” John said, his eyes surprisingly somber for a guy who enjoyed inflicting mischief on anyone within striking distance. “She was a little unsure of herself when she first came back. I think the bulk of that had to do with you, though.”
Nick’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “Me? What did I do?”
John chuckled. “You sounded just like me when you said that.”
“That was insulting, so I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear it,” Nick said. “What did I do to make her unsure of herself?”
“You didn’t do anything to make her unsure of herself. She was unsure of herself because she wanted to tell you the truth and didn’t know if you would believe her. You fixed that uncertainty by believing her without question and swooping into protective mode right away.
“Have you ever considered how much worse things would’ve been if you called her a liar?” he continued. “How about if you would’ve dragged out that travesty of a relationship with Cassidy? I know you didn’t love Cassidy, but you’re a stubborn guy. You could’ve dug your heels in and stayed with Cassidy to punish Maddie.”
Nick didn’t want to admit it – in fact, he was ashamed – but the idea crossed his mind when he first found out about Maddie’s secret. “Do you want to know the truth?”
“Always.”
“Are you going to repeat it to someone else if I tell you?”
John’s face was sober as he shook his head. “You can trust me on the big secrets. It’s the little ones I can’t keep my mouth shut about.”
Nick snorted out a laugh. “I guess that’s true. Anyway, the truth is, I was so relieved to hear her say it that I would’ve given her the world in that moment. I thought about staying with Cassidy, but I was already distancing myself from her before Maddie returned to town.
“Maddie is the only person I’ve ever truly wanted,” he continued. “She lights up a room when she smiles. It’s … magical. I didn’t give punishing Maddie more than a cursory thought. I would’ve been punishing myself at the same time. I didn’t want to hurt either of us. I thought we’d both been hurt enough.”
John raised an eyebrow, surprised. “That was a pretty honest answer.”
“Maddie hurt me when she left. She hurt herself more, though. She spent seven Christmases out of ten alone. Seven. She’s not spending another minute alone if I can help it. This is the future I’ve always wanted. This is the life I’ve always wanted. I’m never looking back.”
“That was a bold statement, brother,” John said. “You’re going to propose, aren’t you?”
Nick didn’t bother being evasive. “Yes.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
John chuckled. “So baby brother is getting married first. I’ll never be able to live this down. Congratulations, though. I’m sure you’ve got something special planned.”
“I’ve always got something special planned,” Nick replied. “As for the rest, well, it will all work itself out. I was worried for a little bit that Maddie would say no, but seeing her with Marla last night made me realize that she’s growing in leaps and bounds when it comes to self-esteem. She’s going to say yes.”
John’s cocky attitude was back on display when Nick risked a look in his direction. “Of course she’s going to say yes,” he scoffed. “I’ve never seen a woman more in love with a man. Heck, I’ve never seen a man more in love with a woman. You guys were born to be together.”
Nick’s smile was almost angelic when he graced his brother with it. “And we’re going to be together forever. I honestly can’t wait.”
13
Thirteen
“There you are.”
Nick let himself into Maddie’s tent, smirking when he saw the heavy knit socks that doubled as slippers poking out from beneath her
ankle-length skirt. She always went all out when it came to dressing for festivals.
“Where else did you think I would be?” Maddie asked, her brow quizzical as she locked gazes with him. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” Nick moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to her mouth. “You look adorable in your little outfit, by the way.”
“Just because it’s cold out, that doesn’t mean I can’t get dressed up. The heater really helps. Thank you for getting that for me, by the way. I would be miserable without it. I think I forgot how much colder winters are up here … even if we don’t have snow.”
“We’ll get snow, Mad.” Nick’s hand was cold from being outside and he pressed it to Maddie’s cheek. “Be careful with the heater. It should be fine, but make sure you get fresh air in here between customers because I don’t want carbon monoxide building up.”
“Yeah, that would be a total bummer.”
Nick grinned. The tent was actually toasty and warm and it was a nice break from the outside elements. “I’m glad you’re cozy in here.”
“Are you miserable out there?”
“Whenever I’m cold I just think of you.”
“Oh, so cute.” Maddie rolled up to the balls of her feet and smacked a kiss against his cheek. “I love you, Nicky.” The earnest words were out of her mouth before she realized she was going to say them.
“I love you, too.” Nick cupped the back of her head. “Not that I don’t enjoy hearing you say that, but what made you say it now? You look pretty serious.”
“I’m not sure. I guess it’s the time of year.” Maddie maneuvered Nick closer to the floor heater so he could warm his hands. She wrapped her fingers around his to hurry the process. “I think we’re lucky to have found each other. I know it was late coming because I was an idiot and all, but I’m so glad we’re together.”
“Love, you need to let that go,” Nick chided. “I don’t want you bringing it up every five minutes. It’s over. It’s done. We’re together. That’s all that matters.”
Maddie beamed at him. “I know. I talked to Sandy Robinson-Michaels today. She said that only a handful of people have wished her condolences on Mike’s passing.”
“I was one of them. I questioned her the day we found him.”
“I figured. She said he wasn’t always a pervert. He was actually shy and most people ignored him when he was younger.”
Nick pursed his lips. “Are you identifying with that? You may have been shy when you were younger, but you were hardly ignored. Plenty of people wanted to be your friend, even if you didn’t realize it.”
“Maybe I just liked hiding behind your broad shoulders,” Maddie countered. “Did you ever consider that?”
“I’ve considered a lot of things where you’re concerned, love,” Nick replied. “I’m glad you’re coming out of your shell a little bit now, though. I wouldn’t change you for anything, but his new feistier Maddie makes me laugh.”
“At me or with me?”
It took Nick a moment to realize what she was asking. “With you. I would say that I never laugh at you, but we know that’s not true. I couldn’t stop laughing at you this summer when you took popcorn to the lake and got swarmed by ducks.”
“That wasn’t funny,” Maddie chided, extending a finger. “That was terrifying.”
“Yes, all of that quacking and waddling was surely the stuff of nightmares.”
“Ha, ha.”
“Ha, ha,” Nick echoed, angling his head so he could press his lips against hers. “You know, Mad, something occurs to me. This tent is very warm … and you’re very cute … and we could close the front flaps on the tent and put one of those ‘be back in thirty minutes’ signs over the door.”
Maddie’s cheeks colored. “What are you suggesting?”
“You know exactly what I’m suggesting.”
Maddie opened her mouth to shut him down and then thought better of it. “Not tonight, but perhaps before the festival closes. I actually have something else I need to tell you and I’m not sure how to do it.”
Nick couldn’t help but be surprised. “Did you actually just say maybe?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. You are feeling feisty, aren’t you?” Nick snagged Maddie around the waist and twirled her until she could settle on his lap next to the heater. He snuggled close, rubbing his nose against her cheek as the heat washed over him. Even though he made the saucier suggestion, he was perfectly happy sitting like this for the rest of his life. “What else is it that you need to tell me?”
“Just like that you’re going to let it go?”
Nick shrugged. “Just like that I’m going to thank my lucky stars for you and return to business because you seemed seriously lost in thought when I entered the tent. Lay it on me.”
“Okay.” Maddie licked her lips. “Daisy Walker is pregnant.”
“I’m sorry but … what?” Nick tightened his arms around Maddie’s waist, dumbfounded.
“She’s pregnant. She admitted it to Christy and me this afternoon. Christy went with her to break the bad news to her mother. I’m waiting for Christy to get back and tell me what happened.”
“And Mike Robinson is the father?” Nick felt sick to his stomach. “That is just so wrong.”
“The whole thing is wrong,” Maddie said. “I felt really bad for her. She doesn’t seem to have a firm grasp as to what’s going on and she seems almost naïve about what she did with Mike. She saw him the night he died. In fact, she might well be the last person who saw him.”
“You don’t think she killed him, do you?”
Maddie shrugged. “I don’t think she would fully grasp the consequences if she did. Mike said that he doesn’t believe it’s her. He remembers seeing her, but she took off in the other direction. That doesn’t mean she didn’t circle back, of course, but as of right now Mike doesn’t believe it’s her.”
“Well, that’s just lovely,” Nick muttered. “Hey, Mom, I’m pregnant with the perverted Santa’s baby. Merry freaking Christmas.”
Maddie didn’t want to laugh. It was a terrible situation, after all, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “I don’t know what she’s going to do. She mentioned that she told Mike about the baby and he lied about having a vasectomy. Christy told her that all men lie when the say that.”
“That’s probably safer,” Nick muttered. “Still, what a horrible situation. What the heck was wrong with Mike?”
“I think maybe he just got addicted to feeling wanted. I’ve been giving it some thought and I think there’s a high associated with feeling loved by others. Mike clearly didn’t care about the love part. He did care about the sex, and having sex with as many people as possible gave him a thrill.”
“Yes, he was certainly high on something,” Nick muttered, rubbing his cheek against Maddie’s soft skin. “I know what you mean about feeling high with love, though. I feel it all of the time when I look at you.”
“What we have is real love, though,” Maddie said. “Mike didn’t understand the difference between real love and sexual lust.”
“If that’s true, maybe the person who killed him couldn’t tell the difference either,” Nick mused. “This whole thing is a terrible mess.”
“You can say that again.”
“This whole thing is a terrible mess.”
Maddie giggled as Nick tickled her, squirming as he kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. They were so lost in each other they barely noticed when the tent opened to allow John and Christy entry. Upon seeing the happy couple, Christy scowled and cuffed the back of Nick’s head.
“Stop doing that,” she ordered. “That’s how you end up with babies.”
Maddie sobered, sympathy washing over her as she stared at Christy. “I was just telling Nick about what happened. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to come back.”
“I was genuinely fearful I was never going to be able to leave the house,” Christy said, heaving herself dramatically into
one of the other chairs and casting a bossy look in John’s direction. “Sit. You’re making me nervous with the hovering.”
“I just got here,” John protested. “I want to warm up by that heater, but I’m afraid to get too close to Nick and Maddie. I don’t want to catch their sex cooties.”
“Yes, that does sound terrible,” Christy drawled. “Sit!”
John made a face as he grabbed the remaining chair and placed it between Nick and Christy. “You’re very bossy today, woman. You know that, right?”
Christy shrugged. “It’s been a really long day.”
“Thankfully for you, I find bossy women to be smoking hot.” John winked at Christy, and even though she was in a terrible mood she couldn’t help but smile. “You can boss me around anytime, Red.”
“Oh, so cute,” Maddie cooed, grinning as Nick chuckled against her. “Pretty soon you’re going to be cuddling by the heater when you think no one is looking, too.”
“I don’t care if anyone is looking,” Christy said. “In fact, the more people looking, the better I’ll enjoy it. I’m something of an exhibitionist.”
“No one needed to know that,” Maddie said, scowling.
“I did,” John argued. “I’m something of an exhibitionist, too.”
“I guess we’ll have to compare notes,” Christy said, her eyes flashing with heat. “Right after the new year hits, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Why wait?”
“Okay.” Nick held up a hand to keep John and Christy from jumping each other in the small tent. “You’re starting to make us feel uncomfortable. This entire thing is … weird.”
“Now you know how we feel when you and Maddie start spouting sonnets to one another,” John said, his eyes twinkling. Maddie didn’t miss the fact that he shifted slightly closer to Christy even though the heater was in the other direction. “It’s gross, isn’t it?”
“You’re definitely gross,” Nick said. “Maddie and I are adorable, though.”
“Totally,” Maddie agreed, snuggling against him. Her playful demeanor shifted when she latched onto Christy’s face. The woman looked seriously distraught. “How bad was it with Daisy’s mother?”
Grave Holiday (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 9) Page 11
