“Do you remember our first night together?”
“Of course I do. It was one of the most wonderful nights of my life.”
“I thought it was wonderful too, but...”
“Uh oh, I don’t like those buts.”
She ignored him. “I was going to say, after you told me about your family, I did a lot of thinking.”
“Are you trying to tell me you don’t want to be with me because of the horrible thing I did?”
“You didn’t do anything horrible, Connor. You had an accident.”
“That accident cost four people their lives and it was my fault.”
“Connor, that’s not so. I want you to accept the fact you didn’t kill your family.” When he started to speak, she put her hand lightly on his mouth. “Please let me talk and don’t interrupt.” He nodded and she went on. “I couldn’t stand to see you suffering so, and I decided I was going to look into your accident. I knew there had to be more details which hadn’t been uncovered.”
He looked at her and frowned, but didn’t say anything.
“You may say it was none of my business, but I care for you and I wanted to make it my business. Do you remember the day I took some time off and was gone for a couple of hours?”
“I remember.”
“I borrowed Lita’s car and went to talk to the truck driver’s wife.”
“Why in the world would you do that?”
She ignored his question. “Did you know the truck driver died in an accident less than a year after your family was killed?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Well, he did. He had three children too. One of them is mentally and physically handicapped. It cost a fortune to care for him and always will. It seems the family has used what your insurance company settled with them to care for this child, but it wasn’t long until the money began to run out. Now they’re living on the life insurance from the driver.”
“I understand this, Nicole, but what has it got to do with my family’s deaths?”
“Everything.” She reached under her pillow and handed him a letter she’d stowed there. “Read this.”
He snapped on the light beside the bed and put on his glasses.
Dear Ms. Lynch
As I promised you, I’m sending you something which should make Connor Cottingham realize he was not at fault the night his family died. I know I should have probably made this public, but as I told you, with the disabled child my medical expenses are unbelievable. The insurance money from my husband’s death is what we’re surviving on. If I have to give it up, I would lose everything I have. I could live with that, but I would also lose my family. They would put my little boy in a home and I can’t stand the thought of that. I know you will do what you have to do, but if at all possible, please keep my secret. God bless you and Connor Cottingham. I hope your love will last forever.
Sincerely,
Lottie.
He looked at her. “What does this mean, Nicole?”
“Maybe this will explain it.” She handed him another letter. “Lottie found this after her husband died.”
Dear Lottie.
I can’t live with what I did any longer. When I hit the Cottingham family I knew it was my fault. I was at a place I had no business being with the company rig. I was sneaking away. I’d drive a piece with my lights on, then when I’d see the road ahead was straight I’d cut the lights off. When Cottingham pulled out in front of me, my lights were off. I knew it when I hit his car. I didn’t know what to do, so I turned them on before getting out of the truck or calling the police. When they said he was drinking, I saw my way out. I let them blame the accident on him. Maybe it would have worked if he’d died too, but I understand he blames himself. I’ve almost gone to him and confessed several times, but I know what the insurance money his company paid out has done to help our son. But like I said, I can’t live with it any longer. I’m going to have an accident and all my policies are paid up. Please tell the children I love them and you know I’ve always loved you. Sam
“He didn’t have his lights on,” Connor said in a stunned voice. “There was no way I could have seen him coming. The drinking had nothing to do with it. I couldn’t have seen him.”
Nicole reached over and touched his arm. He let the letters fall to the bed and pulled her into his arms. “I couldn’t have seen him under any circumstances. That means...that means...”
“That means you didn’t kill your family, Connor,” she said in a soft voice. “It wasn’t your fault. It was an accident.”
His body began to shake with sobs. Nicole eased his glasses off his face and laid them on the table. She pulled him to her and they slid down into the bed. She held him until his crying stopped and his breathing became steady. She knew he was having the most peaceful sleep he’d had in a long time.
“I love you, Connor,” she whispered, though she knew he didn’t hear her.
Chapter 22
Elsie Franklin sat in one of the booths at Jocks-n-Jills Sports Bar nursing her pasta dish. Paul and Erline had taken Mattie to some sort of early Halloween celebration and Elsie didn’t want to be with a bunch of screaming kids. She elected to come here for lunch, even if she did have to eat alone on Sunday.
“Damn you, Connor,” she said under her breath. “We could be somewhere enjoying a meal and spending time together if you weren’t so damn stubborn.”
“Did you say something?” A woman following the hostess paused near the booth.
Elsie looked up. “No. Just talking to myself.” She frowned. “Aren’t you Derrick Hildebrand’s sister?”
“Yes, I’m Janice and you’re one of the Franklin twins, aren’t you?”
“I’m Elsie. The smartest and the prettiest of the two.” She looked at Janice and smiled. “Are you eating alone?”
“Yes. I’ve been to the hospital to visit my mother and wanted to get a bite to eat before going home.”
“I’m alone, too. Why don’t you join me?”
“I’d love to.” Janice signaled the hostess.
The hostess handed her a menu, took her drink order, and moved away.
“So, your mother is in the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Someone broke into her house and attacked her. She almost didn’t make it.”
“That’s too bad.” Almost in the same breath she asked, “What’s Derrick doing these days?”
“He plays guitar with a rock band. I think he’s in Michigan right now.”
“Is he coming home anytime soon? I’d like to see him.”
“In fact, he is coming when they finish up in Detroit. He wants to come home and check on mother.” She looked at Elsie’s plate. “Is that good?”
“Yes, and I eat a lot of pasta. My second husband was Italian and he got me hooked on it.”
The waitress came up and Janice ordered the same pasta dish.
“So are you married, Elsie?” she asked when the waitress moved away.
“Not now. I’m working on it though. What about you?”
“No. I’m not married either. I was engaged, but he found somebody more exciting than me. You know how men are. They’ll move on when someone offers them a little more money or...well you know.” Elsie nodded and Janice went on. “I met this new guy a few weeks ago and I really like him. I’m hoping something will work out there.”
“Maybe it will. I’m interested in a man here in town, but he’s sworn off women. Connor Cottingham. Do you know him?”
“Oh, yes. He’s one of mother’s insurance agents.” She squinted at Elsie. “Isn’t he the one who was driving drunk and killed his family in an accident?”
“Yep. I was going to take it on myself to get him over that, but I think he’s a lost cause and I’m not sure if I want to use all that energy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Seems he’d rather sit around and feel sorry for himself then get out and have a good ti
me.”
“You can do better than him anyway.”
“Why thank you, Janice. That’s a sweet thing to say.” She shook her head. “I just don’t like losing. Especially after putting in so much time.”
The waitress returned with the food and refilled their tea glasses.
“How much time have you put in?”
“Well, I took him to the hospital benefit shortly after I got back in town. It was a few weeks ago. I thought he’d enjoy it, but he couldn’t wait to take me home. Why, he hardly kissed me good night. Just a brush on the forehead.”
Janice shook her head. “Most men jump at the chance to do more than kiss.”
“And I was willing to do more, too.” She giggled. “When he gets back, I may try one more time. As I said, I don’t like losing, and he does have a lot to offer a woman in the financial side of marriage.”
“Where’s he gone?”
“I’m not sure. It’s some kind of business trip, but nobody said where he went.”
“Did he go alone?”
“As far as I know he did.”
“Then why don’t you surprise him and show up wherever he is? I bet he’d like that.”
“Janice, that’s a great idea. I’ll call Nicole in the morning and ask her where he went.”
Janice frowned. “Nicole Lynch?”
“Yes, I think that’s her last name. She’s the Cottingham’s secretary and seems to know everything that goes on there.”
“I know her. She lives with Lita Mancini.” Janice rolled pasta on her fork. “I don’t like her much,” she added with her mouth full.
“Why don’t you like her?”
“I’m not sure why. There’s just something about her that isn’t right.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she met my mother and right after that Mom was beaten up. Then there’s the fact she lives with Lita and doesn’t even have a car. Lita seems to trust her completely.” Janice put more food in her mouth. “I sometimes wonder if she’s after Lita’s money or something.” She shook her head again. “Like I said, something there doesn’t seem kosher.”
“Humph,” Elsie said. “Maybe I’m going to have to check up on Ms. Nicole Lynch.”
“Let me know what you find out. I’d be very interested.”
“Okay.” She took her purse and found a scratch pad. “Maybe there’ll be something about her on the internet.”
“Here, let me have that a minute.” Janice reached for the pad. “Let me write my number down so if you find out anything you can let me know.”
“I sure will. I’m good at finding out things.” Elsie laughed. “Why, when I talk to her tomorrow I might even take her to lunch. It’s surprising what you can find out over lunch.”
* * * *
“That was good,” Connor said as he and Nicole left The Lady & Sons restaurant on Sunday afternoon. “Sometimes there’s nothing as good as old fashioned southern cooking.”
“I noticed you kept stuffing yourself with fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“Well, you had your share of chicken too, my dear.” He pulled her close to him. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so small eat as many collards as you did.”
She turned her nose in the air. “I like collards.”
“I noticed.”
She bopped his stomach playfully. “How about the lima beans and the macaroni and cheese? You sure put that away.”
“And you had your share of black eyed peas and corn bread.”
“Okay, okay.” She giggled. “I give up. We both ate way too much.”
“Aren’t the meats and vegetables the reason we’re walking?”
“I thought it was because of the banana pudding you had.”
“No, it’s probably the peach cobbler you ate. And after that wonderful gourmet southern breakfast at the Inn.” He kissed the top of her head. “Our hotel sure knows how to serve their guests, don’t they?
“Oh, yes. I’m glad you picked that place to stay.” She looked up at him. “Can we talk about something besides food? I’m so full now I don’t think I’ll want to eat again until next Friday.”
“Okay, I’ll change the subject. What do you want to do this afternoon?”
“Do you want the truth or do you want me to make up something?”
He pulled her to him. “I expect you to always tell me the truth, Nicole. I know you’re an expert liar, but I don’t want you pulling any tricks on me with your words.”
“Okay then, I’ll tell you the truth. What I’d really like to do is go back to our room and take a nap. I’m too full and lazy to do anything else.”
He laughed. “That’s my idea of a healthy thing to do after a heavy meal like the one we just had.”
“I know, but you asked me to tell the truth about what I want to do and that’s my answer.”
“If that’s what you want to do, then we’ll do it. I wouldn’t mind having a little nap myself.” He squeezed her and again kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be a new fun experience being in bed with you in the afternoon.”
“They must be on their honeymoon,” A woman said in a loud whisper as an older couple passed them going in the opposite direction.
Connor smiled and winked at them. Nicole dropped her head.
Thirty minutes later they were snuggled between fine linen sheets in the elegant four-poster, canopied bed. “Are you asleep?” Connor whispered to her.
“Almost.”
“I want to tell you something, Nicole.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“You’ve given me back my life.”
“Oh, Connor, all I did was point out what a good man you are.”
“At least I don’t feel like a killer anymore.” He pulled her close.
“I never thought you were.” She snuggled against him. “I was so proud of you when you said nobody need ever know about the circumstances of the accident.”
“I meant it. You and the other people who care about me have always believed it was an accident. I was the one who couldn’t accept it as such.”
“But you do now.”
“Yes, Nicole. I do. I’m very sad it happened the way it did, but to make another family suffer would be wrong. That’s why we had our little ritual this morning.”
She smiled when she thought of how they sat on the balcony and burned the two letters in the soap dish from the bathroom. When the fire had consumed the written words, they’d put the ashes in an envelope and it was still in his briefcase. He said he wanted to scatter them on the graves of his family as a symbolic gesture of how sorry he was they had to die so young.
“It was a beautiful ritual, Connor. I’m glad you let me have a part in it.”
“Honey, you’re the reason it happened. As I said, you’ve given me back my life.”
“I’m glad you have your life back. It will be a beautiful life, I’m sure.”
Silence surrounded her as she ran her hands through the hair on his chest.
“I like it when you do that,” he whispered.
“I like to do it. You feel so strong and...”
“And what?”
“I was going to say sexy, but I guess I’d better say masculine.”
He chuckled. “Nicole, Nicole.” He kissed the top of her head. “I need to tell you something else.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m falling in love with you.”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“I’m afraid to.”
“Why?” He looked down at her.
“I’m afraid I only imagined you said you were falling in love with me.”
He smiled. “You didn’t imagine it. I think I’ve been falling for you since the first day you walked into my office.”
“Oh, Connor, I was afraid that after this weekend you’d consider me a slut.”
“What?”
“Well, my grandma always said—” She stopped abruptly. The picture of a short fat lady with tightly curled gray hair and wearing a gingham apron floated to her mind. Her heart began to pound.
Connor didn’t notice. “What did your grandma say, honey?”
The picture faded and Nicole couldn’t call it back.
“Nicole.” Connor’s voice broke into her consciousness. “What did she say?”
With a trembling voice she said, “She said if a woman falls into bed with a man too quickly, he’ll always consider her a slut.”
He nestled his head in her hair. “Well, Grandma was wrong this time. I think you’re the most wonderful woman in the world, besides it wasn’t that quick. We knew each other several weeks before we fell into bed.”
Nicole didn’t mean to say it, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I love you, Connor.”
He was startled. He pulled her back and looked into her eyes. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I love you, Connor,” she said again. “I know it sounds crazy because we’ve known each other such a short time. I know I shouldn’t be here in this bed with you, but I am and I do love you.”
“Nicole, there’s nowhere else you should be. I’m thirty-two years old and according to the office records I looked at you’re twenty-seven. I think we’re both old enough to know when it’s right for us to be in bed together.” He kissed her forehead. “And nothing has felt more right than this in a long time.” His mouth found hers.
She didn’t answer, but she hoped the way her lips responded, he’d know she felt the same way.
“Nicole, I never dreamed I could feel this way about a woman again, but I’m falling more in love with you every minute.”
Nicole pushed the troubling thoughts about her past and her grandmother out of her mind and surrendered to Connor’s love.
Chapter 23
“Paul, why in the world are you answering the phone instead of Nicole?” Elsie sounded irritated. “Where is she?”
Paul sighed. He wished his sister-in-law would decide she’d spent enough time in Macon and move on. “Nicole isn’t here today,” he said flatly.
“Well, where is she?”
Something told Paul not to tell Elsie she was in Savannah with Connor. “I don’t know where she is at this moment, Elsie. I suppose she’s taking care of some business.”
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