Shadows of the Past (Logan Point Book #1): A Novel

by Bradley, Patricia

  “Yes. I forwarded it to Ben,” Taylor said. “Not sure what I think about Scott’s story, but I do have a few questions to ask him.”

  He nodded. “I wish I could stay longer. How long will the picnic go on? If it’s not too late, maybe you could come over to the B and B later?”

  “I don’t have to talk to Scott today. After church tomorrow will be good with me.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You’re going to church?”

  Taylor grimaced. “Short of dying, there’s not much way of getting past Mom on this one.”

  “Good for her.” Nick leaned closer to her. “And I wasn’t asking you over to see Scott.”

  She lowered her gaze as her heart turned somersaults.

  Nick lifted her chin. “I want to see you.”

  “You do?” Were those the only words she could get out of her mouth? Any other time she’d have something witty to say. That’s why she hated the dating thing—she was no better at banter now than she’d been as a teenager.

  “Of course I do.” He glanced around the picnic area. “I guess I better go . . .”

  He made no move to leave, and instead swept his arm toward the lake. “This would make a great boys’ camp.”

  Taylor turned and tried to look at the area from that perspective. “It would, wouldn’t it?”

  “Any chance your family would sell twenty acres?”

  “I don’t know. My uncle seems to be in a selling mood. I can ask him.”

  “That would be great. Well, I better go.” He stepped back, almost colliding with Pete Connelly.

  Taylor jerked her hand toward him. “Watch out!”

  Too late. Nick tried to catch the plate that sailed through the air and landed food side down. “Sorry, man!”

  “No problem.” Pete scooped the plate off the ground.

  Taylor couldn’t keep from laughing. She thought she was the only one who did things like that. “I’ll take that,” she said and reached for the plate. “Nick Sinclair, meet Pete Connelly. He works for my uncle here on the farm.”

  Nick’s face matched his red shirt. “I hope that wasn’t the last piece of ham.”

  “Nah. I saw plenty more.”

  “Good.” Nick took a deep breath. “Okay, this time I’m leaving. Nice to meet you, Pete.”

  As Nick walked to his truck, Taylor looked for a place to dump the plate.

  “I want to apologize for the other day.”

  She glanced sharply at Pete. “For . . . ?”

  “I was kind of rude, staring at you like I did. But it’s been a while since I’ve seen you and you looked great. But I could tell I made you uncomfortable.”

  Taylor wrinkled her brows in a frown. “You didn’t—”

  “It’s okay.” He lifted his hand as if to reassure her. “Just sort of hoped things had changed since high school.”

  Maybe she’d misjudged Pete. “It’s not that I don’t like you. We just never had a lot in common. And I don’t like the way you stare at me.”

  “It won’t happen again.” His lips curved upward. “I’d like to be friends . . . seeing as we’ll probably be running into each other a lot while you’re here.”

  Friends? Taylor didn’t know if she could go that far. Besides, she wouldn’t be here that long. But she held out her free hand. “Okay, I’m willing to give it a shot.”

  He flashed a quick grin and shook her hand. “Anytime you need help with anything, let me know. Your mom always lets me work on things for her. Computer, printer, get the mail, most anything.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. But right now, what I need is a garbage bin.” She liked this new version of Pete Connelly, now that he wasn’t staring at her like a lizard contemplating lunch. The “William Tell Overture” played from her shorts pocket.

  “See you,” Taylor said and fished her phone out. She looked at the caller ID. Christine, her friend and colleague from Newton.

  “Hey, Taylor. What’s going on in Logan Point?” Christine asked.

  “Nothing much, just a picnic.” Taylor had meant to call Christine earlier.

  “Sounds nice. Did you find Scott?”

  Taylor trashed the plate, then fanned herself with her hand. “Sort of, but he’s been in the hospital, so I haven’t questioned him yet.”

  “Hospital? What happened?”

  Taylor filled her in about the fire. “He’s not my stalker, but I do think he knows something. Just don’t know what.”

  “His brother wouldn’t have anything to do with your change of mind, would he?”

  “You do have a vivid imagination,” Taylor replied. “Did you ask at the administrative office if anyone called looking for me?”

  “I did, and no one remembers any calls, but if someone gave out your information, they might not admit it. Oh, I almost forgot. There was a breach in security—someone hacked into the university email system.”

  So, Zeke nailed that one when he suggested someone had gotten into her email.

  “That explains why the site crashed the other day.” She smoothed back a strand of hair that had escaped the braid. She’d bought her plane tickets online. Maybe that’s how her stalker knew where she was. “Do they know who did it?”

  “Not a clue. And even though the administration claims they straightened it out and no harm was done, you might want to make sure no one is using your credit card.”

  They talked a few minutes more, and Taylor promised to call Christine the first of the week before she hung up and walked to the picnic tables.

  Livy joined her in the food line and gave her a nudge. “So what’s going on with you and Nick?”

  “We’re just friends.” What was it with everyone wanting to know about her love life?

  “The looks you two exchanged tell a different story. Just be careful you don’t get your heart broken.” Livy’s soft words had an edge to them.

  Taylor narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Just sayin’. I understand his wife died not too long ago.”

  “It’s been two and a half years.”

  “Sometimes grief takes longer than that. He may not be ready to commit to a serious relationship.”

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for anything serious. And what makes you an expert on relationships, anyway? I’m the psychologist.”

  Livy’s green eyes darkened. “Yes, but I read more romance novels.”

  Did she detect sadness in Livy’s voice? Then her friend laughed, and Taylor laughed with her. “Well, we’re just talking, that’s all,” Taylor added.

  Livy lifted her brows.

  “That’s all.” Taylor grabbed two paper plates and shoved one into Livy’s hands. “Isn’t that Kate’s potato salad?”

  “Just be careful with your heart,” Livy said and started filling her plate.

  It might be too late for that. Taylor turned to the food on the table. After she filled her plate, she spied Ethan sitting by himself. “I’ll join you in a bit. I’ve been meaning to talk to Ethan since seeing his name in Wilson’s report.”

  Taylor balanced her plate and a drink as she strolled toward Ethan. “I see you’ve been deserted. Mind if I sit with you?”

  “Love to have you.” He grinned at her before he speared a piece of ham.

  She took the chair beside him. She’d noticed all afternoon that energy seemed to radiate from him, but maybe that was his normal persona.

  “So, are you glad to be home?”

  Taylor thought before she answered. “Yeah, I am.”

  “You sound surprised. Your mom has really wanted you to come for a visit.”

  “I know.” Just how close were they? Evidently close enough to discuss her travel plans. Taylor picked at her food. She caught sight of Pete talking to her mom in her peripheral vision. She nodded in his direction. “Pete’s worked for you a long time. What kind of work does he do?”

  “Oh, a little of this, a little of that. I wish he would finish his last year of college and go to law school. I�
��d help him get started in a heartbeat.”

  “Pete?” A lawyer. Wonders would never cease.

  “Pete would make a great lawyer. He has a phenomenal memory—beats your uncle all the time at blackjack . . . and chess, and he has a grasp of the law that amazes me. Unfortunately, he’d rather drift from one place to another. When he shows up in Logan Point for a few months, Jonathan and I nab him before anyone else can.”

  “Do you know where all he’s traveled?”

  Ethan took a sip of tea. “Let’s see. New York . . . Florida . . . I think he was in Atlanta for a while . . . Louisiana too, I think. He really should write a book about his travels.”

  Pete had lived in some of the same states she had. “Do you know if he’s been to Washington State?”

  “Hadn’t heard him say. You ought to ask him sometime.”

  Her mother waved, and they both waved back. “Have you received word about the judgeship nomination yet?”

  Now he really seemed about to burst, and she stared at him. “You’ve heard!”

  “It’ll be officially announced Monday morning, but yes, I am the new judge on the Tennessee Court of Appeals.”

  “Congratulations! Does Mom know?”

  “I told her earlier.”

  Her mother could certainly keep a secret. “So will you be moving to Nashville?”

  “Oh no. I’ll be on the panel that meets in Jackson, so I’ll be staying in Memphis most of the time. Although I have bought a condo to stay in so I don’t have to drive back and forth when we’re in session. Actually, Pete is driving over in the morning to start work on it.”

  She glanced toward her mother again. “I can’t believe Mom didn’t say something.”

  “She is very discreet,” Ethan said. He put his plate down and turned to face Taylor. “I’m fond of your mother. I hope that’s acceptable.”

  His eyes challenged her. She gulped a breath of air. “I’m not sure how I feel. It’s hard to see my mother in that light. Even though my father’s been gone a long time, I just—”

  “Your mother deserves to be happy.” His tone indicated he could provide that. “I don’t think you should keep reminding her of the past.”

  “What are you saying?”

  He shrugged. “Your questions about your father are upsetting. Not only to her but your uncle as well.”

  “They told you that?”

  “They didn’t have to. I see it.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t think hiding from the truth is a solution. We’d all be better off if we found him and got some answers.” She worried her food around the plate. “You went with Jonathan to take him to the airport. What do you remember?”

  “That was a long time ago.” He turned and stared toward the lake, then shifted back to face her. “I came to the picnic, and afterward Jonathan and I dropped your father at the airport. We probably didn’t even park.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “I was in my twenties, didn’t pay much attention to things like taking people to the airport.”

  “You don’t remember anything else?”

  “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t even remember that if he hadn’t disappeared. And for your mom’s sake, let this go.”

  Taylor sighed. “I wish I could.”

  22

  The wicker swing faced the west, giving Nick a perfect view of the sun edging toward the horizon. His soles scuffed against the boards on Kate’s front porch as he glided back and forth in a slow rhythm. The hospital had discharged Scott, and he was sleeping peacefully upstairs. Nick had talked with Taylor. She was coming over. He traced his finger around the links in the chain holding the swing.

  For the first time since his wife’s death, the jagged edges of his heart had begun to heal. Not that he’d forgotten Angie, but he’d moved past the pain. In some ways, Taylor was like Angie. Gutsy and bulldog determined.

  Her car swung into the drive. Seconds later, his heart kicked up a notch as she got out of her SUV, and he took in the length of her tanned legs, the trimness of her body, the curve of her lips as she smiled at him.

  “Beautiful evening,” Taylor said as she climbed the porch steps and sat beside him on the small swing, bringing with her the light fragrance of honeysuckle.

  “Yeah, it’s my favorite time of day,” he said. Conversation waned as the swing creaked back and forth and the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving behind streaks of pale apricot, burnished reds, and smoky blues.

  “Mine too. Everything is all soft and beautiful,” she said.

  Like her. She had taken her hair out of the French braid, and it curled delicately around her face and neck. Focus. “Thanks for coming.”

  She ducked her head, a blush creeping into her face as she turned, facing him with one leg tucked beneath the other. “How’s Scott?”

  “So-so. Still shaky. Sleeping a lot.” He rested his arm on the back of the swing, very much aware of her nearness. “He talked a little on the way home from the hospital, repeated what he said last night—still swears he never stalked you. Before you came tonight, I remember something he said once before about liking to be where you were because you were nice to him. I think that’s why he kept popping up wherever you were.”

  “That’s a stretch.”

  “If I remember correctly, Newton is pretty small. Wouldn’t be hard to keep running into the same person.”

  Taylor gave him a gentle smile. “You just don’t give up on your brother, do you?”

  “I’m all he has.” He wanted to quit talking about his brother and just take her in his arms. But he couldn’t, not until he laid his case out. “I still believe someone set him up to take the fall the night of the assault. Deputy Thornton said your door was jimmied. I believe Scott was lured there by your assailant to take the fall.”

  Taylor leaned back in the swing, a frown creasing her brow. “Any ideas on who this assailant is?”

  “He met a guy in Newton who befriended him.”

  “This guy, does he have a name?”

  “Digger.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I wish.” Nick took a deep breath. He hadn’t mentioned Digger’s name in the email, only that Scott had called someone. “Scott claims he doesn’t know his real name. But he’s the one Scott called to come and get him from your house.”

  “I’ll call Sheriff Atkins. Maybe one of his deputies can ask around at the university and see if anyone remembers seeing Scott with someone.”

  He could see Taylor processing the information. He didn’t blame her for being skeptical. Even knowing his brother and how he always got himself into messes, it still sounded crazy. “I think Scott is telling the truth.”

  She dropped her hands in her lap and held his gaze, her blue eyes the same color as the smoky blue streaking the sky. A wayward strand of hair curled across her cheek, and he wanted to touch it, brush it behind her ear.

  “I admire your loyalty,” she said, her voice husky.

  Taylor’s voice lured him, and he touched her cheek, trailing his finger to her jaw. Her luminous eyes held his, and his heart caught at the hope and fear in them. The intoxicating scent of her perfume drew him closer until his lips touched hers, soft and warm, igniting a bonfire in his heart. When she responded, everything faded. Nothing else mattered. He pulled her closer, kissing her long and hard.

  “Wow,” he murmured when they broke apart.

  “Double wow.”

  Nick flicked off the lamp beside his bed. He’d spent the last hour trying to figure out this growing relationship with Taylor. He flipped on his side, but his thoughts followed him. Taylor made him excited about living again . . . but was he ready to unlock the door to his heart?

  Fine time to wonder that, after he’d kissed her twice. He was pretty sure she didn’t give her kisses to just anyone.

  What was the worst that could happen?

  Taylor could get hurt. She already felt that her father, then Michael, and even God had rejected her. If their relationship didn’t work ou
t, she would see it as another rejection, and he didn’t want that. But—

  “No! Stop!”

  Scott.

  Nick bounded from bed and ran into his brother’s room. Scott kicked at the sheet twisted around his ankles.

  “Scott! Wake up!”

  “Stop him!”

  “Stop who?” Nick asked.

  Scott’s eyes flew open. He stared at Nick, his eyes wild. Gradually he relaxed. “Nobody,” he mumbled. “I was dreaming.”

  “More like a nightmare. Here, drink this.”

  His brother’s hand shook as he reached for the glass of water Nick handed him. He gulped the water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Where am I?”

  “Logan Point.”

  “Oh . . . yeah. The old lady’s house. What time is it?”

  “Midnight,” Nick replied. “Have the shakes started again? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

  “No.” Scott’s voice cracked. “Don’t take me back.”

  “Scott, I really think you need more help than I can give you.”

  “I’ll be okay. Done this before on my own. Couple of days is all I need.” He held his ribs and rocked forward. “Give me two of the Valium they sent home with me.”

  Nick went to his bedroom and shook two pills into his hand. He returned and handed them to Scott. There should be something else he could do.

  “Thanks.” Scott popped the pills in his mouth and swallowed them with a swig of water. He sank into the bed and closed his eyes.

  “Want me to tell you a bedtime story?”

  Scott cracked one eye open. “Are you serious?”

  Nick grinned. “I can sit here and talk until you get sleepy.” He moved a chair to the side of the bed. “Remember that home run you hit in the playoffs when you were twelve?”

  A spark of interest flicked in Scott’s eyes. “Yeah, I had a pretty good game that day.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Scott’s eyelids drooped. Nick stood. “I’m going to bed.”

  “I’ll try not to wake you again.”

  “Okay, but remember I’m across the hall if you need me.”

  He was almost out the door when Scott called his name. Nick turned around.