Babel’s hands fisted my hair. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Judah picked that time to show up. I waved him away with my hand as I took Babe’s mouth hostage with a kiss that quickly grew passionate. I’d never had a man want me so goddamn bad before, and the feeling was completely mutual.
Chapter Twenty
AFTER THE FULL Babel treatment for most of the afternoon, hubba hubba, he went home to change for the potluck. Tonight, I planned on doing it up right—curl my mop of brown hair, put on some evening makeup, and wear a dress with heels. I’d show Babel how hot the Sunshine could get. Also, I wanted to look sparkling for the townies. The potluck was an honor. Peculiar, with all its flaws and secrets, would embrace me, even if I had to twist their arms behind their backs to get it done.
It had been really nice of Ruth to put this together on short notice. I liked her so much. I hated that I suspected Tyler, her son, of attacking me. I could still feel that monster’s hot breath on my skin when I thought about it too much.
You need a lesson in minding your own business. That’s what the attacker had said to me. It nearly paralleled Tyler’s request that I “Let sleeping dogs lie.”
But how could he have been involved with Rose Ann’s disappearance? Tyler would have been eleven years old at the time. If my theory was right, the person responsible for Rose was responsible for Judah. What if there was more than one person involved?
Between the gossip and the random vision or two, maybe something more than good eating would come out of the event. I would do anything to find Chavvah. I couldn’t let what happened to Judah and Rose Ann happen to her.
Babel arrived promptly at six in the evening to pick me up. He looked handsome in a black button-down shirt with silver corduroys and a black pair of boots. The boots gave an extra lift to his butt that made it even more delicious—a feast for the eyes. He’d combed his hair back out of his eyes, and he’d even shaved.
Wow, I wasn’t the only one sparkling.
I smoothed my black silk dress, just shy of my knees and sleeveless, and it had a slightly daring plunge in the neckline. The black pantyhose I wore were the kind that looked great from the thigh down but had the total control panel around the hips and waist.
This kind of dress needed the extra control.
I wore my grandmother’s diamond earrings and a plain gold choker. I had a giraffe neck, and the choker helped the illusion that it was a little shorter.
Babel took a step back and gave me the once over. “You look stunning,” he finally said.
“Ditto.” I smiled, really pleased.
“You always say the nicest things.” He laughed then finally kissed me hello. Arms were moving, hands were groping, and when I pulled back from his embrace, his neatly combed hair was back to its normal loose mess.
Oh, boy. Much more of this and the potluck would be shit out of luck because I didn’t think we’d make it out.
“I hope the night doesn’t last too long,” I told him, my voice full of dark promise.
“From your lips…”
I grabbed my shawl from the stair rail. Babel took it and put it on my shoulders. So gallant.
Outside, it was a beautiful night with a large quarter moon dipping out of the clouds.
“Wanna walk?”
I’d only worn a two-inch heel, which made walking totally feasible. “Sure.”
Babel held my hand as we strolled down the sidewalk toward Ruth’s. Every block he’d stop and draw me into a kiss before moving on to the next. I felt giddy like a teenager. He made me feel young, vibrant, and vital.
Nearly twenty minutes later we arrived at the party. My hair was a little mussed, and I’d had to adjust my dress several times, but I didn’t care. Ruth’s yard was decorated with dozens of Chinese lanterns in blue, gold, and red, hanging from string lights that draped from one end of the drive to the other. I was shocked by the turnout. I think nearly all 1,027 residents of Peculiar had shown up!
Okay, that was an exaggeration, but there had to be at least fifty or more people milling around white-cloth-covered buffet tables set on the lawn. There were patio chairs and picnic tables gathered on the right side of the yard. “Holy wow. This is for me?” Suddenly, I felt nervous. What if they didn’t like me?
Babel smiled and shook his head. “Come on.” He dragged me to the buffet line.
While we waited our turn, I saw Connelly and waved. Crazy squirrel.
Poor Farraday had followed us in—God knows he got an eyeful—and had to show up to the party in his uniform since he was on Sunny-watch again.
I saw Tyler Thompson talking to a man I didn’t recognize while he held two identical twin girls on his hips. Ruth’s grandchildren. They had on the cutest yellow dresses.
Please don’t be the bad guy.
His wife—I recognized her from the wedding photos—went over to him and took one of the girls. They all chatted, perfectly normal. Like there wasn’t a serial killer in the bunch.
Jean Taylor stood in line next to me. “Mmm, mmm. It all looks so good,” she said.
“It really does.” I was surprised to see the sheriff wasn’t with her. Should I take his absence as a rejection? “Is your husband coming?”
Jean bit into a slice of cucumber. “Uh-hum. He had to finish up some work, he said. But he’ll be here after a bit.”
Ruth came out and went to stand between Tyler and his wife. She kissed both her grandbabies on the cheek and gave them a tickle. Turning toward her guests, Ruth saw me. She grinned and nearly bounced her way through the throng of people to get to Babel and me.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” She looked around. “It’s great isn’t it?”
“Great doesn’t even come close.” I hugged her. “More like spectacular.” My anxiousness had a side-effect. I had to pee. “Can I use your bathroom?”
“Honey, you don’t ask that a party. You just go.”
With a parting look at Babel, who just shook his head at me, I followed Ruth out of the food line and up the steps to the house. A tawny-colored fawn with white spots on his hindquarters ran past me out the door. I jumped out of the way.
“Linus!” Ruth yelled. “What did I tell you about changing in the house?” She patted my arm. “I’ve got to go take care of this, Sunny. Hope you don’t mind. The boy will change back buck naked in front of everyone if I don’t stop him. The bathroom’s the third door on the right.”
“By all means. I can find my way.”
The house was full of people as well. Neville stopped me inside the hall. “Sunny, you look splendid this evening.”
I curtsied. “Why, thank you, Mayor Lutjen.”
“Have you tried any of the food?” He took a bite of a barbecued meatball on a toothpick. “It’s really good stuff.” The whole house was as packed as the yard, but running into the mayor on the way to the toilet was unexpected.
“Not yet. Had to take a nature break, if you catch what I’m saying.” Of course, the pee-pee dance I was doing should have illuminated for him.
“Oh, then, by no means let me hold you up, young lady.” I grabbed the door handle to the bathroom. It was locked.
“Occupied,” a voice said from inside.
Fantastic. I wondered how bad it would look if I had to hold myself.
I leaned against the wall, squeezing my thighs tightly together.
“I want to talk to you.”
I looked at Tyler Thompson’s furrowed brow and nearly peed myself right there.
“I don’t know why you don’t like me. But it’s not my problem.”
“I want you to stop filling everyone’s heads with nonsense.”
“What nonsense? People have died, and you’re acting like it’s a personal attack on you. I don’t get it.”
“Whatever happened to Judah, he probably deserved it.”
The vision of Tyler punching Judah in the nose flashed in my head again. Along with the vision of the bullet smashing into Judah’s skull. “Don’t you say
that. Don’t you ever say that again. I don’t know what happened between you and Judah, but no one deserves to be hunted and killed like an animal.”
“What?” His surprise shocked me.
“You are a police officer, Tyler. I can’t believe the sheriff hasn’t shared that little revelation with you.” Of course, if the sheriff didn’t believe me, he might not have. “Judah was caged until the full moon then hunted like some exotic beast to be slaughtered. Is that what you think he deserved? What could he have done that could possibly make you think such terrible things?”
Tyler's cheeks reddened, his eyes wide in disbelief. “No. That didn’t happen.” He backed me against the wall. “Liar.”
“Tyler Edward Thompson!” Ruth to the rescue. Where had she come from? And how long had she been listening? Ruth grabbed her son by the arm and yanked him away from me. She slapped him hard across the face. “You will not talk that way to a guest in my home. And you will not talk to Sunny like that ever. Do you get me, boy?”
He rubbed his face and kept his eyes averted to the floor. “Yes’m,” he mumbled as he quickly left the house.
Cripes. I never wanted to be on the wrong side of Ruth’s anger. I could see why Tyler hadn’t wanted me to tell her about his behavior at the police station. Da-yum.
“I’m really sorry about all that, Sunny. The boy’s got a mean temper on him sometimes, but he really wouldn’t hurt no one. He’s got more bark than bite.”
I wasn’t nearly as sure. “I don’t understand why he dislikes me so much. Or why he hated Judah. I thought you told me they were friends?”
Ruth sighed. “They were. Until the evening Judah confessed he loved me. I tried to tell him I didn’t feel the same way; after all, Ed may not be the prize pig at the fair, but he’s a good husband. Judah caught me unaware and kissed me. Before I could stop him, Tyler had come in from the garage. He and Judah got into a terrible fight. Please don’t think too badly of my son.”
“Does Tyler think you were…more involved?” Because all this animosity over a kiss seemed really crazy.
“I told him there wasn’t anything going on, but I don’t think he believed me. When Judah disappeared two years ago, Tyler seemed to become less angry. At least with me. Until you got to town. I think your gift frightens him. He’s afraid you’re going to tell folks stuff he doesn’t want known.”
Tyler was being a mean son-of-a-bitch out of some misguided attempt to protect his mother’s reputation. I didn’t know if I bought it completely, but he was young, only twenty. Rationality and youth didn’t always go hand in hand.
“I’m sorry, Ruth.” Damn, there was a lot of apologizing going on. “You know I would never spread gossip about you.”
“I believe you.”
The bathroom door opened and Elbert Johnson (freckle near the eye) walked out.
“Whew,” he said, waving his hand. “Might want to light a match when you go in there.”
“Land sakes, El,” Ruth chided. “That’s what the spray is for.”
“Oh, my damn, Elbert.” I plugged my nose as the stench worked its way into the hall. “Are you sure you don’t have a little skunk in you.”
He just chortled as he walked away, fanning his hand behind him.
Chapter Twenty-One
WHEN I GOT back outside to Babel, he was sitting at a picnic table with two plates. One all vegetarian. The homespun atmosphere nearly made me weep with joy. Chavvah would love this so much. I wished she were there to share the night with me and Babe.
“I made you a plate,” he said. “What took so long?”
“You don’t even want to know.” I didn’t know if Tyler was completely off my list of suspects. After all, he still could have been the one to attack me. But he seemed way too surprised about Judah to have known about the hunt. I looked around the colorfully lit yard at all the happy townsfolk and thought, one of these people did it.
“Hi.” A girl in a cornflower-blue dress had walked up on us. “Do you remember me?
Selena. Blondina’s daughter. We met at the cafe.”
“Oh, yes. I remember. How are you?”
“Well, you were right about that snake Larry. I just wanted to let you know.” She held out her hand, and I shook it. Selena looked confused. “Is that how you do a reading?”
“Reading?”
“Yeah, a psychic reading like they do at the carnivals. Only, better cause it’s real.”
She leaned closer. “What’d you see?”
“It doesn’t work that way, I’m afraid. I can’t control my visions.”
“Aww, come on. Try again.” She thrust her hand out again.
Babel chuckled softly next to me. Bastard.
I sighed. “Okay, I’ll try.” I took her hand. “I want you to think about something you really want to know about. Try to concentrate hard on only that.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, completely immersed in the process. I fought off a chuckle of my own. I closed my eyes and focused in on Selena. Every once in a while, my visions would work with my friends back in California, but it was rare.
Suddenly, I had the image of Selena in a cream-colored wedding gown standing next to a young guy in a tux. Deputy Connelly? Holy cow, a squirrel and a bear—talk about an odd couple. I let go of her hand. Her eyes popped open. “Well?” I pointed to the lanky deputy.
“No,” she said with wide-eyed delight. “Serious?”
“Totally.”
“Oh my goodness,” she blurted out. “Thank you, Sunny.” She turned toward Connelly. “Oh, Michael…” And off she went to get her man.
The next thing I knew, people were lining up to get their palms read. It became a series of short answers.
“You’re going to have a healthy baby girl.”
“The company is going to call and offer you the job.”
“It would be cheaper just to replace it.”
“Your wedding ring is in the corner vent of your bedroom. And I’d take it off the next time before you…you know.”
“You can find your remote under the third cushion on the couch tucked way down in the crease.” (A man wanted that answer.)
And so on and so forth. I’d never worked so hard for my supper in all my life. Someone shouted, “Do the mayor!” Neville declined with a good-natured laugh and shake of his head. But then they started egging him on more.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Not everyone’s comfortable with stuff like this. Don’t harangue the man.”
But the crowd of townsfolk was not having it. They wanted their mayor to join in the fun. “Mayor. Mayor,” they chanted until finally it got to a point where he couldn’t say no.
Like sticking his hand in a snake pit, Neville gave me his palm.
“Think about something you want.”
Oh, God. I gasped when I saw him with his wife. She was gaunt with illness. Neville pulled his hand away. His eyes filled with caution. I took his hand again. She’d lost all her hair with the treatments she’d been on.
“Neville,” she told him. “I can’t handle anymore. Please. Our savings is next to nothing now, and the insurance won’t pay for it. I’m at peace. It’s time to let it go.”
He put his arm around her. “I’ll figure it out. I’ll get the money, Mags. I don’t want you worrying over this nonsense. Just concentrate on getting better,” he’d told her. “Just get better.”
The vision broke when Neville yanked his hand from mine. His eyes were haunted and filled with horror, grief, and something I couldn’t put my finger on.
“What’d you see?” someone asked.
I stared at Neville as he took another step back.
“Mayor Lutjen is going to win the next election,” I said loud enough for all to hear. The partygoers cheered. I wasn’t about to share with all of them that the thing Neville most desired was to have his wife back.
Neville gave a startled smile, but his expression clearly said he knew that wasn’t what I saw. He played along. “I guess if Sunny say
s so, it’s in the bag.” Then he turned around to his constituents. “But don’t forget to vote.”
A warm hand slipped into mine, and I felt Babel bristle beside me. I looked up. Billy Bob Beautiful had arrived.
“Do me,” he said.
“All right.” I gulped. “Think about something you’d like to know for yourself.”
“I’m thinking.” His gray eyes stared at me with full concentration.
When the vision came to me, Billy Bob was standing near a lake…kissing someone but I couldn’t make out who. And it certainly wasn’t for medicinal purposes.
I pulled my hand back.
“What did you see?” Billy Bob asked.
“Some things are better if you just let them unfold.” I couldn’t tell who the woman was in the vision, but she was tall. Much taller than me. It made me happy knowing Billy Bob would find someone.
I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when the antique furniture guy called Billy Bob over. Mostly because Babe had taken my other hand and was squeezing it hard enough to make my fingers numb. He relaxed after Billy Bob was out of earshot. I was proud of him for keeping his cool. I guess that meant he could sit at the adult table tonight.
The sheriff arrived when the party began to wind down. Fashionably late, or rather, unfashionably. He was still in his uniform. He made a beeline directly to Babel and me. He had a tear sheet in his hands, and he was panting like he’d run all the way over to Ruth’s.
“Sunny, I think you were right.”
“About which part?”
He handed me the paper. It was a missing person hot sheet with the names: James Trainer, Robert Nance, and George Herald. The dates they were reported missing were 07/12/04, 07/18/05, and 07/06/06.
My hand began to shake. I was right about July as well. “But I thought you said there weren’t any other people in town with those initials who had disappeared?”
My Paranormal Valentine: A Paranormal Romance Box Set Page 78
