by Judi Lynn
She didn’t know what she’d do. “I’m a wimp with my family. You know that. I don’t know if I’d cave or not.”
“I’m not going to.” He stood. “I want to finish mowing around the house. Thanks for the soup. You’re the best.” He kissed her forehead. “See you later.”
It was a little abrupt, but she understood. When his family called, it upset him. She went back to work, too. She finished cleaning and made three pans of brownies. Then she and George wandered outside to work on the flower beds.
They’d finished for the day and showered when her phone rang. It was Olivia. It sounded like a party was going on in the background. “Hey, sis! Mom and Dad stopped in to see the house. They invited Jerod and Franny and their kids. Mom’s ordering wings and fries. Thane’s making a beer and wine run. Want to come celebrate our unofficial open house?”
Ansel was standing close enough to hear. When she glanced at him, he nodded, so she said, “Sure, we’ll be there soon.” They could go out to eat some other time.
“Great! Tell Ansel that Mom will order a lot more wings.” Chuckling, her sister hung up.
Jazzi raised her eyebrows at her Viking. “You okay?”
He didn’t look like he was in a party mood. “Yeah, I’ve settled down. I’m over it.”
Work could be a blessing. It took your mind off your worries. Jazzi looked down at herself. “Guess I changed into my pajamas a little too early.”
“You look cute to me.” He smiled and glanced at his bare torso and sweat pants. “We might be a little too casual, though.”
She laughed and started upstairs. “If Olivia’s neighbor girls saw you like that, you’d be attacked. And I wouldn’t blame them.”
He pinched her fanny as she climbed the steps ahead of him. “You’re just as bad. The pizza guy would have a coronary. Maybe we should put some clothes on.”
Fifteen minutes later, with Ansel carrying George, they went to her pickup. The drive across town went fast enough with only a little traffic. They stepped into laughter and kids running around Olivia’s kitchen island when they joined the party. Jerod’s little girl, Lizzie, one and a half years old, wrapped her arms around Jazzi’s leg, and Gunther, four, attached himself to Ansel.
Jazzi scrubbed her knuckles over Lizzie’s head and bent to hug her. Ansel grabbed Gunther’s leg and hauled him, upside down, into the air. The little boy screamed in delight. Then he and his sister went back to their mad dash.
“Hey, kid!” Mom came to kiss Jazzi on the cheek. “Dig in. Everything’s still hot.”
Her dad came to talk to Ansel. “You guys did a great job here. It could be on HGTV.”
The conversation turned to remodeling, the nearby school and golf course, and the murders in the neighborhood. Mom raised her eyebrows at Olivia. “When you have kids, will you send them to the local school?”
Olivia laughed at her. “If I ever have any. Maybe. We were thinking about a cat instead.”
“A cat?” Jazzi had a thing for cats.
The conversation took off from there. It was a great, fun night. By the time Jazzi and Ansel left, it was later than usual. George fell asleep the minute Ansel put him on the back seat. The temperature had dropped, and they could roll down their windows and enjoy the night air.
They were halfway across town when Jazzi glanced in the side mirror and saw a car that looked a lot like Peyton’s, the pizza guy’s—an older-model, red SUV. Wasn’t it odd that as soon as you saw a car, you saw lots of others that looked like it?
She didn’t think much about it until Ansel turned onto their road, and the car followed. She half worried that when they turned into their drive, the car would park behind them. But it didn’t. When Ansel drove to their garage and pulled inside, the car kept going. She laughed at herself. She was getting paranoid.
When they walked into the house, Ansel grabbed George, and they headed upstairs. It was past their usual bedtime. And they were tired.
Chapter 23
Jazzi didn’t have to rush to get things ready for the Sunday meal. Ansel helped her get the red beans and rice started in the slow cooker; then they put the skirt steaks in the marinade. Finally, they plopped opposite each other in the living room to read the Sunday paper. At noon, they started chopping greens for the salad and setting the table.
Jerod and Franny walked into the kitchen first, as usual. And as usual, Franny brought her vegetable tray. It went well with the Mexican corn salad that Jazzi and Ansel made at the last minute. When people arrived, they tossed money on the counter to pitch in for the food. Jerod and Ansel went outside to start the steaks on the grill, and Franny settled on one of the stools at the kitchen island. The kids zipped out the back door to run in the backyard.
“Starting to feel being preg-o?” Jazzi asked.
Franny rubbed her belly. “I always feel better when I start to show, get super horny. Jerod swears I’m wearing him out.”
Jazzi laughed as she carried food to the island to be served buffet style. “Is that possible?”
Franny’s lips curved in a smile. “No.”
Mom and Dad walked in, along with Jerod’s parents, Eli and Eleanore. Gran and Samantha came next, followed by Olivia and Thane.
“Smells good in here,” Eli said.
Ansel and Jerod brought in the slices of steak and warm tortillas, and everyone found their usual spot at the long farm table. People got up to fill their plates at the island and, once they’d settled again, started to interrupt and talk over one another as they caught up on the week’s events.
Jazzi was happy to see that Gran was clear and lucid today. Her eyes sparkled, and she kept up with the conversation. Having Samantha move in with her helped her feel secure, and that helped her live more in the present and less in the past.
Jerod was going for thirds—yes, thirds—when the doorbell rang.
Ansel went to answer it. He returned, looking like a thundercloud, with a young woman and a man slightly older following him. The woman was pretty, tall, and willowy with Ansel’s coloring. The man looked like he was in his late thirties with brown hair and blue eyes, an inch shorter than his wife and a little heavier. Everyone stopped and stared. Ansel said, “This is my sister, Adda, and her husband, Henry.”
Adda looked uncomfortable, so Jazzi jumped to her feet to greet her.
“Hi, I’m Jazzi. You came at the right time. It’s a long drive from Wisconsin. There’s plenty of food, and you can meet everyone in my family and try to keep us straight.”
Adda’s smile wobbled. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I wanted to talk to Ansel. I didn’t realize you were having a family get-together.”
Ansel snapped, “You didn’t see the cars in the drive?”
Jazzi stared. “They’d already driven all this way. We do this every Sunday. Grab two plates and join us.”
Jerod went to get two more chairs, and people scooted closer to make room for them. Ansel returned to his chair, ignoring them. Adda looked so miserable that Jazzi and Olivia tried harder to make her and Henry feel welcome. Adda tried hard, too, and soon the three of them were laughing.
Jazzi liked Ansel’s sister. They hit it off, and it was clear that Adda’s husband was crazy about her.
When plates were empty, Jazzi and Jerod cleared the table and people went to get brownies. Ansel stayed where he was, refusing to move, so Jazzi brought one to him, along with another beer. People lingered longer than usual, introducing themselves to the visitors.
“We love your brother,” Mom told them. “He’s perfect for our Jazzi.”
“He’ll make a great husband. He always stuck up for me,” Adda said. “He’s my favorite brother.”
Jazzi glanced at Ansel, but his scowl only deepened.
Jerod pulled Jazzi aside. “I feel sorry for Ansel. No one likes to be caught in a squeeze play. Why don’t we take Monday off? I have a
feeling you guys are going to have a crummy night. Then we can start work on the house on Tuesday.”
Jazzi agreed. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen when her family left. She wouldn’t be surprised if Ansel kicked his sister and her husband out. But whatever happened, he was going to be in a horrible mood.
Adda kept glancing at him, but Ansel stayed on his side of the room, ignoring her. Jazzi made an urn of coffee. It and all three pans of brownies emptied before people started to wander to the door.
On her way out, Gran grabbed Jazzi’s hand and squeezed it. “You need to be more careful, Sarah. You don’t realize how attractive you are, and men mistake smiles for more than they mean.”
Nuts. Gran was in the past again. She must have felt the stress in the room. Jazzi glanced at Samantha, the widow who’d moved in to help care for her. For weeks now, Gran had been sharp and with it.
Samantha smiled. “We’ve had murders and stress again recently, but she’ll be fine once we get home. She’ll probably be her old self again next week.”
Jazzi relaxed. The meal had been fun, but the tension between Ansel and his sister couldn’t be ignored. No wonder poor Gran was scrambling back to better times.
When everyone was gone, Ansel went to help Jazzi with cleanup. Adda and Henry sat in the small sitting area by the front window. Finally, when there was no other way to stall, Ansel and Jazzi walked to join them.
Ansel glared at his sister. “You shouldn’t have come.”
She had Ansel’s mouth, full and generous. “I’m not asking you to like them. I don’t. But I’ll regret not helping them. So will you. We’re better than they are. Always have been. If you can give us two weeks, Dad will be on his feet again. You can fix the roof. They can’t. And then you can leave again and never look back.”
His hands curled and uncurled. “I miss you. You know I do, but we were always second-string players to them. They drilled that into us every day.”
She nodded. “Wisconsin isn’t that far away. You and I can start getting together more. But give us two weeks, Ansel. That’s all I’m asking.”
Ansel turned to Jazzi. “I don’t want to leave you. It took me forever to get you to hook up with me.”
She put her hand on his thigh and squeezed it. “I’m not that fickle. I’m not going to chase after some other guy the minute you pull out of the driveway.”
“I see guys lining up already.”
She found it incredible that he kept worrying about losing her. He was the hottie.
She rolled her eyes. “Go. Help your family. I’ll be here when you come home. In the meantime, let’s get your sister and her husband comfortable in the guest room. They can spend the night, and then you can all head to Wisconsin in the morning.”
He nodded but didn’t look happy.
Jazzi stared at him. “You have to trust me a little more than this.”
“I haven’t sealed the deal. We’re only living together. There’s no ring on your finger.”
“Quit being a dork. I’m monogamous, always have been. I don’t cheat, and I won’t go behind your back.”
“No, you’ll just break up with me when I walk through the door. And it will be my fault. I will have left you too soon.”
She pushed to her feet. “Get over it. I’ll be here, waiting for you. Now let’s get your sister and Henry settled.”
Chapter 24
Ansel, Adda, and Henry left early Monday morning. Ansel took George with him in his work van. The pug jumped up to press his nose against the back window. He stared at Jazzi, confused. She always came with them to work. Jazzi stood in the door and waved them off. The minute they were gone, the house felt too big, too lonely. She glanced at the security system, grateful she’d installed it.
She didn’t want to sit around all day in an empty house so decided to use her key to look at the house on Anthony. She locked up behind herself and drove to check it out. Jerod’s truck was in the driveway. She walked in the open door and called, “Hey, cuz, I thought we were taking Monday off.”
Jerod came from the kitchen and frowned at her. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be getting to know your sister-in-law better.”
“She’s not my sister-in-law. Ansel and I aren’t married. They left for Wisconsin already. I didn’t want to sit around in an empty house.”
He nodded. “Franny’s doing stuff with her family today. Kids, too. It’s been so long since we’ve been here, I thought I’d write down ideas for fixing the place.”
They walked through it together. Wooden floors, but they all needed to be refinished. A small living room and smaller dining room, connected to a large, odd-shaped kitchen that was dated. Walls had to come down. Only one was load-bearing. Solid foundation, but the deck on the back of the house was close to collapsing.
“Nothing major,” Jerod said.
“Kitchen and bathrooms, like usual.” She studied the walls and ceilings. “No cracks. All we need to do is paint.”
“Let’s sit down and plan it out.” They discussed what they wanted to do with each room, measured, and graphed what they decided on. It took a couple hours, but when they finished, it was lunchtime. They drove downtown and ate at Coney Island. After that, they drove to order cupboards, appliances, and paint. They were finished by two-thirty.
“Looks like we’re set for tomorrow,” Jerod said. “Franny will be home by now. Do you want to stop by our place? Have some company? It must feel weird without Ansel.”
Weird was putting it mildly. It felt wrong, but Jazzi turned him down. “I’m going to go shopping for things I usually put off.”
He stared at her. “You? Shopping?”
“It happens sometimes.”
“Yeah, when all of your clothes have holes in them. Buy a couple of knockout outfits, will you? I’ve seen you in the same stuff for years now.”
She tried to think of a decent retort but couldn’t. He was right. “Wish me luck,” she told him.
He laughed at her. “May the garment gods shower you with blessings.”
Now he was pushing it. They walked out of the house together, and he headed home to his Franny, and she headed to Victoria’s Secret. Ansel had been so unhappy about leaving, she planned to have one doozy of a welcome for him when he came back. Then she walked the mall and stocked up on new long-sleeved T-shirts, V-necked sweaters, jeans, and dress slacks. She even bought a long skirt and knee-high boots. He wouldn’t know what hit him.
She bought fast food on her way home and ate it in front of the TV. She’d done that after she left Chad, spent most of her evenings alone, grateful he wasn’t there to pressure her. It was different this time. She missed Ansel. She loved spending time with him, hanging out. She finished her crispy chicken sandwich while watching the news. It was as depressing as usual. Wheel of Fortune was starting when her cell buzzed. It was Gaff.
“I wanted to let you know that the results on Meghan are back, and she was pregnant when she died.”
She inhaled a surprised breath. This felt too much like déjà vu, like her Aunt Lynda.
Gaff went on. “This was her first child. She wasn’t far along. Not exactly like your aunt.”
“It still feels freaky.”
“We have the fetus’s DNA. We might be able to identify the father if his DNA is on file.”
Jazzi thought about that. “Has anyone mentioned someone she was involved with?”
“Not yet. It’s still early.”
He hung up, and Jazzi felt restless. She surfed the movie channels. An old Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie had just started, and she settled in to watch.
At bedtime, she climbed the steps to their room, but the sleigh bed looked too big without Ansel. She had wandered into the hallway when her cell phone rang.
“Hey,” she said, “how’s it going?”
His voice sent shivers
through her. “It’s been a long day. The drive here felt like it took forever, but I think that’s because I didn’t want to come. It was awkward meeting my family. I wanted to punch all of them. But then we started working, and I settled in. Radley and I spent all day cleaning out the barn and hosing down the milking stations. I’m beat.”
“How early do you have to wake up to milk?”
“Too soon. It takes a while. We have a big herd.”
She told him about Gaff’s call.
“Meghan was pregnant? Does he think that’s why someone killed her?”
“Why would someone kill her because of that?”
“All sorts of reasons. The guy was married and didn’t want his wife to know he had an affair. Maybe Meghan lied to him and said she was on the pill when she wasn’t so she could pressure him into marrying her.” He yawned.
She saw his point, but Ansel was exhausted. “I get it, but you sound like you’d better get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, but you’ll only be gone two weeks. We’ll live.”
“Maybe. ’Night, Jazzi.”
“’Night, Ansel.” She hung up, missing him more. She ended up in the spare room. The amethyst walls made her think of him, how happy he was when he chose the paint color. She thought she’d never be able to sleep, but she snuggled under the covers and drifted off. The security system would alert her if anything went wrong, but she felt safer with Ansel beside her. She dreamt about him most of the night. He kept slowly fading from sight while she battled enemies to reach him.
Two weeks was only fourteen days. Less than half of a month. She’d survive, but she feared the days he was gone were going to make her more miserable than she expected.
Chapter 25
Jazzi gave up and got up early. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, every time she’d reached out to feel empty space. She’d never felt this needy. No, not needy, but she’d never wanted someone so much.
