by Geri Foster
Settling in for the wait, he stayed hidden in the parking lot until the cars thinned out. Then, he sought another place to park to get a better view of Jeff Crawley. It wasn’t long after the girlfriend left that the two men waltzed out and got into the same pickup he’d tried to follow last night.
In no hurry, he waited until they were completely away from the diner before he tried following. Not wanting to set off any alarm bells, he stayed well behind Crawley, making sure to be on the lookout for the law.
It didn’t take long before the pickup pulled into a driveway in a quiet neighborhood on the opposite side of town. He started to go by the residence, but he noticed the Sheriff’s cruiser heading in his direction. Making a quick left turn he veered off, but not before he saw the Sheriff stop in front of the house, get out of the vehicle and wave. Obviously, a social call.
That grinded his gut. He wanted everyone to know what a killer Crawley was. How he’d been so derelict in his duties he’d caused ten men to lose their lives in a hellhole. No matter what happened, he’d make sure the fine people of Rainwater knew the evil living among them.
He gunned his car and headed back to his apartment after a quick stop at a drive thru for a hamburger and a coke. He didn’t dare hang around the diner, too many people might recognize him there, and it was a favorite place for the law to hang out—and he had to avoid them at all cost. If they ever got their hands on him, he’d never see the light of day again.
Chapter 5
Nancy prepared to leave work, excited about the shopping trip that night. She hoped to get home in time to change clothes before Kendall arrived. Rachel was already on her way to her house as it was.
She was just standing and taking her purse out of her desk drawer when Grandma Faith waltzed through the door like it was two in the afternoon instead of fifteen minutes past closing.
Waving her bank slip in the air, she called out, “Hello ladies, I came to make a withdrawal.”
The teller glanced at her, her disapproval obvious. After all, they’d already balanced out for the day. Waving her off, she stood and walked behind the counter. “You go on home, Mary Beth. I’ll take care of Grandma Faith.”
Thankful not to be held up any longer, the young woman exited immediately and didn’t bother to glance back. Taking care of a late customer meant she’d have to recount and settle the drawer before going home, but that was the job sometimes.
“It’s time for my monthly donation to the library,” Grandma Faith said, her wrinkled face beaming.
For the last five years she’d given the library five dollars monthly. Why she didn’t simply write out a check, she never understood. Always insisted it be cash only.
She checked the slip, pulled up the account and slid a five-dollar bill across the counter. Grandma Faith opened her purse and carefully slid the folded money into the side compartment.
“Thank you so much, sweetie. You’ve always been such a nice person.”
Without a care in the world, Grandma Faith turned and headed out the door. Shaking her head at the oddities of the kind woman, she ran ahead to make sure to lock up behind her—before anyone else could sneak in after hours. After bidding the older woman a farewell, she sat down in the backroom and re-balanced the drawer.
The time change hadn’t taken affect yet, so darkness lay close by. Not wanting to be caught out in the dark, she locked up securely and headed home, thankful she only had two blocks to walk.
Just as she stopped at the corner to cross the street, David pulled up behind her. “I noticed the lights were on late at the bank. Everything okay?”
She smiled. “Yes, Grandma Faith came in after closing to withdraw her library contribution. I couldn’t very well turn her away, now could I?”
“Hop in and I’ll give you a lift home.”
Normally she’d refuse. She enjoyed stretching her legs after a long day at her desk. But, Kendall was due any minute and she hoped Rachel hadn’t given up and left.
Opening the passenger door, she slid inside and patted him on the shoulder. “This is very kind of you and I know it’s unusual, but I’m in a hurry tonight.”
“Oh?” David asked. “What exciting thing do you have planned?”
“Rachel, Kendall, Candi and I are going furniture shopping.”
He wrinkled his brow. “For who?”
She pressed her palm to her chest. “Me. It’s time I replaced Mom and Dad’s 1950’s décor. Do you realize I still have the same furniture I grew up with? Nothing has changed one bit.”
“Then I’d say a shopping trip is in order.”
In no time he pulled to a stop in front of her house. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Rachel sitting out in the car waiting. She’d already picked up Candi and the two were talking away, laughing like it was no bother to be kept waiting. They really were understanding women.
“Looks like everyone is ready.”
She opened the door. “Yep. Just Kendall needs to arrive.” Getting out and closing the door, she turned and leaned down to look through the open window at the deputy. “Thank you so much, David. I really appreciate it.”
“You ladies be careful.”
She waved, then, ran as fast as possible for a chunky girl in heels to her front door. Still getting used to them, she felt like a toddler wearing her mother’s shoes sometimes.
Getting to her walkway, she called out to Rachel, “I’ll be right out. I won’t be a minute.”
“Hurry,” Rachel replied. “Kendall is on her way.”
Throwing her clothes on the bed, she slipped on a pair of fitted jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a brown vest, and slid into a pair of comfortable boots. Her feet silently thanked her.
Within five minutes she dashed out the door to find everyone piled into Kendall’s car. She slid into the back seat with Candi and off they went. She had no idea where they were going but, since Kendall and Rachel were the connoisseurs of shopping, she didn’t bother to ask. Besides, her closet full of fashionable clothes gave testament to the fact they were very good.
“I’m so excited,” she said, barely able to contain her anticipation. “I’ve been needing to do this for years.”
“I don’t blame you,” Candi said. “Your style is not your parents’.”
“Right, and I’ve often wondered why I’ve never changed things up a little.”
Rachel twisted around in the front seat to face her. “Why now?”
She didn’t want to confess all, but they were such good friends and they’d taken a pact not to repeat anything said amongst them. “Last night Jeff Crawley walked me home after an uncomfortable situation with one of the vets.”
“Oh,” Candi crooned. “Jeff Crawley. Now there is a real cowboy.”
“I agree,” Kendall said, turning toward the interstate. “He’s a hottie.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing happened. Not a single thing. But I was embarrassed when he insisted on checking out my house to make sure it was safe. The furniture looked so drab and worn-out, I wanted to pitch it right out the window.”
“Did he say anything?” Rachel asked. “I find him to be very polite. A little too quiet, but good manners.”
“No,” she replied. “He didn’t even seem to notice. But I did, and it made me cringe. Here I’d gone and spent a small fortune updating my look and my wardrobe and hadn’t given the home I live in a second thought.”
“I just want to say,” Kendall began, “that burnt orange chair is atrocious, and it’s about time you got rid of it. It reminds me of an old, dried blood-stained bedsheet.”
She thought about that and she whole-heartedly agreed. It did look like something out of a cheap horror flick.
Rachel held up her hands. “I’m not going to disagree with you, but it’s the green couch with the pink flowers that makes me practically want to gag.” She spun around to face her. “Oh, I don’t mean that in an ugly way. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
She shook her head. “No, yo
u’re right. It’s pretty awful. It has been since the day they dragged it home. I never had the heart to tell my mom how bad it looked, but thankfully I didn’t have a lot of friends who had to endure the color scheme.”
Kendall looked at her through the rearview mirror. “That screamed help.”
They all laughed good-naturedly. She didn’t take offense to their honesty. The little house her parents left her needed a makeover more than she had. And she’d waited far too long.
“Before the shopping begins, let’s stop at the new place in Denton for happy hour,” Kendall suggested. “That will get us in the mood.”
A round of cheers filled the car. In front of the swanky Cha-Cha Bar and Restaurant, Kendall turned her keys over to the valet, and they all trooped out into the crisp air.
“This is nice,” Candi said, looking around the dim lit room. “But it would be better if we could make out the tables.”
“This is almost too dark,” Rachel added. She turned to face them. “Want to go to our usual haunt?”
“No,” Kendall said. “We’re only here to have a drink and take advantage of the free food.”
They managed to snag a round table not from the bar. The waiter immediately brought five margaritas while Rachel held the table and the others went to the small buffet set up in the corner.
She wasn’t crazy about the food choices. Being on a diet meant no wings, no nachos, no cheesy fries and no pizza. That left her with carrots, celery sticks, and hummus. Her stomach would be growling all night.
Meeting back at the table, they kept up a lively conversation about the adventurous furniture shopping expedition.
“What colors are you going to get the rooms painted?” Candi asked. “Austin and I decided to have the new house completely redone. Every wall was beige. Neither of us liked it.”
She put down her drink and glanced over at her soon-to-be wed friend. “Aren’t you excited about moving into a new house?”
“I’m going to be so happy, but I’ll miss George and Hellen. They’ve been terrific to me and Tyler.”
“But, living with Austin is going to be more terrific,” Kendall pointed out, then stuffed two cheesy fries in her mouth. “Marriage is wonderful.”
Rachel put her hands on her chest and leaned back her head, a look of pure glee on her face. “And don’t leave out the honeymoon. Lucas and I never had so much fun. The beach in Costa Rica was a dream come true.”
“I’m excited,” Candi said. “Austin and I are going to Italy.”
Kendall slapped the table. “You’ve got to be kidding! He’s taking you to Italy?” She smiled. “Girl, you really did hit the jackpot.”
Though she was happy for all of her friends, she couldn’t help but feel a little left out. Here she was, over ten years older than them, and she was still alone. Putting on a brave face, she smiled her encouragement, no matter how much it hurt.
Picturing herself in their shoes, chills raced up and down her spine. She’d love to find time to travel. The mere thought of a honeymoon had her wishing, not for the first time, she’d met someone earlier in life.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said. “My goodness, you’ll have to send us pictures.”
Rachel propped her elbows on the table, her gaze landing on her. “You like to travel, don’t you? I remember when Lucas and I came to your house once to ask you about my dad, there were several tourism magazines laying around.”
She licked her lips. Traveling would be her dream come true. “I would love to pack up, hop on a plane and go somewhere...anywhere. But my new job at the bank is too demanding right now. And I’m afraid if I leave and anything happens, the Board wouldn’t think twice about firing me for the second time.”
“That seems so unfair,” Kendall said with a frown.
“You’re telling me,” Candi added. “I think if they fired you again there’d be a revolt in the town of Rainwater.”
“I agree,” said Rachel. “I know the council which, I might add, you’re a member of, might have something to say about that.”
“Well, I don’t want it to come to that. Maybe around Christmas when I can start using my vacation days I’ll plan a skiing trip or something.”
“No,” Kendall shook her head. “That’s when you want to head for the beaches of Mexico.”
Her eyes dropped to the empty plate on the table in front of her. “I don’t think anyone wants to see this body in a bathing suit.”
“Don’t be silly,” Candi cried out. “You’re gorgeous.”
“You sure the hell are,” Kendall confirmed.
Rachel put her hand on her arm. “Listen, don’t put yourself down like that. You have a beautiful body and you’re getting better every day.”
She scoffed. “I can barely stay on this low carb diet. I’ve never wanted bread so badly in my life.”
The table erupted in laughter. “We all do,” Candi said. “It’s the food of the gods.”
They’d all signed off on carbs until after Candi’s wedding. Nancy hoped she’d be able to continue longer, since she wanted to lose an extra twenty pounds. She glanced around the table and realized everyone else had broken their diet tonight.
“Let’s go shopping. That always makes me feel better,” she said. Finishing up, they paid the tab and walked outside.
* * *
Jeff and Russ, with help from Austin, finished the patio and prepped it for a fresh coat of stain. They weren’t going to do that today, but they wanted it ready should the weather hold. After finishing with the work at hand, they went inside where Russ had a crockpot of stew cooking. Its aroma filled the little house and made his mouth water.
“I hope you have some cornbread with that,” he said. “If not, I’m heading home.”
“Now, just hold your horses. I’ll whip it up in a jiffy. We all know you can’t have stew without cornbread.”
Austin held up his hands. “I’m out guys. I’m watching Tyler tonight while Candi is out with the girls. I’ll see you later.”
He felt true happiness that his nephew had met Candi Matthews and they planned to be married soon. He didn’t feel like jumping up and down over being his best man, but he wanted the boy happy. Everyone deserved that.
Well, maybe not him. Perhaps no salvation awaited a man who’d done the things he’d done, and he could live with that. He didn’t want to mask the pain. It proved he was still alive while his team members were all dead. He needed to be reminded of that every day so that their memories were tattooed on his heart.
After the blood bath, he’d returned in the C-130 carrying the caskets of all his team. He attended every funeral, apologized to every family member and grieved with their loved ones. War was hell, but sometimes living could be the hardest thing a man did.
Before long, he and Russ sat down to a delicious meal. “Bet you don’t eat like this at home,” Russ remarked. “Probably haven’t cooked a decent meal in years.”
He glanced up and their gazes met. “You’d win that bet for sure. I haven’t even turned on the stove since I moved in.”
“That’s been months, what have you been eating?”
He shrugged. “Mostly sandwiches, frozen pizza, and tv diners from the microwave.”
“What about coffee? I know you have to have your morning coffee.”
“Bought me a coffee maker last year. Works great.”
Russ put down his spoon and rubbed his chin. “That makes sense. I don’t know a single person who percolates coffee on a stove anymore.”
He shook his head. “Too many modern conveniences today. Makes life too easy.”
“I know some of those fancy machines make your life as a rancher a lot easier, and don’t you deny it.”
He grinned. “They sure do, and I enjoy anything that helps out around the ranch. Saves me time and money.”
Before long, he said his goodbyes and got in his pickup. Before heading out of town, he decided he’d drive by and check Nancy’s house, see if anything looked unusua
l or out of place. It was only a few houses down. It didn’t make sense to leave without giving it a once over. That’s what he told himself, at least. It had nothing to do with hoping he caught sight of her, got to see that bright smile and open face.
Sure everything was in order, he went by the bank next, expecting she was still there. But, the lights were out, letting him know she had left for the day. He checked his watch and shook his head, realizing she’d probably left hours ago. The long, black hands were already moving toward twelve. Soon it would be nine o’clock. By now, she’d soon be turning in for the night. But she wasn’t home a minute ago, was she?
Thinking he must have missed her on her way home, he figured he’d drive by—just to check. No harm in that. Once in front of her home again, he noticed not a single light luminated from the house. It sat in pitch darkness.
Maybe she’d gone right to bed but leaving off all the lights could be dangerous. It signified that no one was home, making her a target for break-ins. Heart pounding, he parked, walked up to her house and rang the doorbell. He waited several seconds before pushing the bell again. Still, she didn’t answer. What was she doing out this late? And where could she be?
He turned and strode purposefully back to his vehicle, shaking his head in disgust. What Nancy Wigan did was none of his business and she’d be the first one to tell him so. No, she wouldn’t, but his brother would.
He had no business checking up on her and wondering what she did and where she went. He’d never done anything like that before and he damn sure wasn’t going to start now. He didn’t chase women because he didn’t want or need one. He lived his life exactly like he wanted.
Gunning his engine, he peeled away from the curb and drove away. Once home, he’d clear his head of all this nonsense with an ice-cold beer. The bad thing about Russ being a recovering alcoholic, he didn’t allow the stuff in his home. But he occasionally needed a cold brew. Like right now.
