by Renee George
“Opal, as far as I’m concerned, your secrets are safe with me. You did what you had to do to save your sister.” I only wished I could have done the same for my brother.
“I trust you will, Lily. And if you don’t, well, I’m an old woman not long for this place anyhow.”
I paused. I had to ask. I had to know. “And the notes?”
Opal gave me a blank look. “The notes?” she repeated.
“The notes that have been going around town threatening to expose people’s secrets.” Pearl’s handwriting was the same as the poison pen’s handwriting.
“Oh, those notes.” Opal looked amused. “It started when Pearl took notice of people like Jock Simmons, getting away with adultery, hurting that poor wife of his and such. I think she wanted to feel like she was doing something important. But then, when she ran out of scoundrels, she just started picking out people she’d met. With her heart condition, her mind’s not as sharp as it used to be. Besides, Pearl has always been a little mischievous. I tried to get her to stop, but our pleasures are so few these days.”
“But how did she know who has secrets and who doesn’t?”
Opal gave me a knowing smile. “Oh, honey. Don’t you know? Everybody has secrets.”
Chapter 18
“I’m not an invalid,” I said as Parker lifted my legs up on the couch and tucked throw blankets around me. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that as a Shifter, I usually ran warm. Smooshie wiggled between me and the back of the couch, curling up under my arm. She only added to the heat.
We’d dropped off Pearl’s things at the hospital. Parker took them in and made me wait in the car. I didn’t tell him about my conversation with Opal. As far as I was concerned, no one would ever find out about their tragic past.
“You just relax,” Parker said. “The doctor said you needed to take it easy for a day or two, so that’s what you’re going to do. And if you give me any trouble, Nadine and Reggie said I could call them for backup.”
Uh oh. Calling in the BFF brigade meant serious business. I held up my hands in surrender and Smooshie licked my armpit. “Eww!” I squealed, dropping my arm fast before she could get another good swipe. “Not the pits, Smoosh.”
Her tail whacked hard against my legs. I put my arms around her, and she rested her head on my chest.
Parker stared down at us, his face content. “You two are a good match.” He grinned. “Never seen a cat and dog get along this well,” he teased.
“Har-de-har-har,” I said, but I returned his grin. I scratched my girl’s ear. She closed her eyes. “She’s probably as tired as I am.” I yawned as the impact of too much danger and too little sleep settled into my bones.
“Ryan says she’s healthy. She got lucky.” His expression turned to worry. “You both did.”
“It wasn’t luck. Smoosh knew something was wrong. She used all her strength to get me moving out of that trailer. I don’t know how she managed it, but she saved us both.”
“For that…” Parker said, “…she deserves a medal of valor.”
“I bet she’d prefer a steak, medium rare.”
“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Parker asked.
“I’m so tired,” I whined. “But yes, I’m starving. The hospital meals were tiny.”
“I’ve never met a woman who could put away food the way you can.”
“That’s because you’ve never met a woman like me.”
“How about I make you spaghetti for lunch?”
“With cheesy garlic bread?” I asked.
Parker shook his head. “Of course, with cheesy garlic bread.”
“That sounds great.”
Parker exited the living room and went into the kitchen. Someone knocked on the door. I started to get up, but Parker said loudly, “I’ll get it.”
I smiled and eased back into the soft pillows he’d placed behind me. I’d always been the caretaker, but since my parents’ death, I’d never had anyone take care of me. Not like this. It felt nice. Safe. Weird. But I could definitely get used to it.
I heard Parker open the door and then I caught the low murmur of Theresa Simmons’ greeting. Goddess, what she must have gone through last night with Jock’s arrest. “Can I talk to Lily?” Theresa asked, her voice soft with worry.
“Just a minute.” Parker walked around the corner, but before he could say anything, I nodded.
“I’ll talk to her.”
An amused smile twitched his lips. He went back to the door. “Come in. Lily’s in the living room.”
Parker went back to the kitchen as Theresa walked into the room. She rushed over to me and leaned down for a quick hug. “It’s so awful,” she said. “I heard what happened last night. Are you okay?”
“I’m feeling much better, thanks.”
Theresa grabbed the rocking chair from near the fireplace and pulled it over to sit next to me. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“Thanks. I’m fine, really. How did you hear about me?” I asked. “Oh, probably your dad. He was on the scene.”
“No.” She cast her gaze down to her hands. “Keith told me. Parker asked Keith to come in to volunteer today with Addy because he was taking the day off to take care of you.” She gave me one of those secret knowing smiles. “I’ve never seen that man take any time off for anyone. He’s got it bad. I’m glad to see you all aren’t trying to fight it anymore.”
In my defense, I had never tried to fight it. Well, maybe a little at the beginning. I didn’t say any of that though. “He’s been a good friend.”
“Yeah, right. Friend.”
Two could play this game. “What about you and Keith? I thought you two had called it quits.”
Theresa looked surprised. “We…had. A couple of months ago, Jock found out about Keith. He threatened me.” She swallowed, hard. I knew right then Jock had done more than threaten—he’d hurt her. “Jock is vengeful…” she continued, “…and I knew he’d go after Keith if I didn’t fall in line. Besides, I thought my family drama might ruin my dad’s reputation. The sheriff is an elected position. My father runs on conservative family values.”
My heart ached for Theresa. Jock could cat around as much as he wanted, apparently. But he saw his wife as a possession, not a person. And a controlling, alcoholic abuser wouldn’t tolerate anyone else playing with his toys. I didn’t like Sheriff Avery, but I couldn’t believe he’d want his daughter trapped in a miserable marriage just so he could keep his job.
“Jock hit Lacy Evans last night in front of everyone in the emergency room. My dad arrested him.” Theresa smiled softly. “If my dad was willing to arrest my husband and put him in jail in front of God and everyone, I knew he didn’t give a crap about what people thought. Right is right.”
I didn’t want to have a warm fuzzy about Sheriff Avery, but I couldn’t deny he loved his daughter—and he was a decent sheriff. Not that I would ever admit that out loud.
“So, you finally told him about Jock’s abuse?”
She flinched. Then she took a big breath and looked me in the eyes. “I told Dad everything. He was fit to be tied. He wanted to know why I hadn’t told him sooner. It’s hard to explain. A guy hits you, you leave, right?”
“It’s not that easy,” I said.
“No, it’s not. Jock stripped away who I was. It’s not just him hitting me. It’s him telling me that I’m fat and lazy and worthless. It’s like…poisoning me every day. I started to believe him. Who would want me? Who would put up with me? I was lucky to have Jock.” She dropped her head. “I was so ashamed, so humiliated.”
“And then you met Keith?”
Her eyes lit up. “He made me feel so good. He complimented me. He built me up instead of tearing me down. He made me remember the old Theresa. The woman I’d been before I’d married Jock. I never told him, you know—about Jock’s abuse. Keith’s noble enough to try to do something stupid.”
“Are you going to talk to him again?”
Theresa’s face went br
ight red. “He heard about Jock’s arrest, and he showed up on my doorstep. I asked him to forgive me—and then I told him everything, too. He said there was nothing to forgive. He wants to help me, Lily. He loves me, and I love him.”
She reached out to pet Smooshie and got her fingers cleaned with a pittie tongue bath. “He asked me to move in with him. He lives in a trailer. But you know what? I’d rather live in an outhouse with Keith than in a mansion with Jock.”
I took her hand and squeezed it. “What’s next?”
“Filing for divorce. Get counseling. Picking out curtains for a very tiny kitchen window.” Theresa laughed as she stood up. “I told Parker I wouldn’t keep you, so I won’t. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“And I’m glad you’re all right, too.” I really felt like making a nighttime feline visit to Jock. I wouldn’t kill him. Just maim him a little.
She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and gave Smooshie a final smoosh. “Will you be working this week? If you can’t, let me know. I’ll take the extra shifts.” She shook her head. “I’ll need the money.”
“I’ll let you know.”
After she left, Parker stepped in. “Spaghetti will be ready shortly.”
“Hurray,” I said with real enthusiasm. My stomach growled loudly like one of those velociraptors in Jurassic Park, to emphasize just how excited I was for food.
“Did you say hurry?” Parker teased.
“Close enough.” I grabbed a small throw pillow from the floor and chucked it across the room as Parker dodged it easily and headed back into the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, he carried in two large plates of spaghetti. Smooshie’s ears perked up, and she stood, planting her feet on my stomach as she launched herself to the floor to investigate what kind of food Parker held.
He laughed. “This is not for you,” he told her. “Your food is in the kitchen.” Elvis stood up. He was tall enough that his head bumped one of Parker’s hands, and it turned into a comical game of keep-away from the curious noses before he was able to safely hand me my plate. He sat on the couch with me.
“I made it extra saucy. Just the way you like it.”
He’d also put four pieces of cheesy garlic bread around the towering mound of pasta. “Yum.” I shoved three large bites into my mouth before I noticed he was watching me eat. “Stop it,” I said, not caring that my mouth was full.
Parker shook his head and smiled. “You’re an amazing woman.”
“Because I can put away a large plate of food in under ten seconds? If I had known that’s all it took to impress you…” I let my words trail off and went in for another bite. “This is so delicious.”
“My secret recipe,” he said. “Well, mine and Ragu’s. And I meant what I said, you’re amazing, and not just because of your ability to eat your weight in food.”
“I’m not that amazing.” I scarfed on the cheesy bread as if I hadn’t eaten in a week.
“You managed to pull yourself together when your parents died to work, take care of your brother, and finish school. And, when it had to be the scariest prospect in the world, you moved away from everything you know to start a new life for yourself. That’s seriously amazing.”
I put my plate on the end table and scratched my head. “Uhm, about school.” My adrenaline kicked in, and I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.
Parker noticed. He set his plate down on his lap and took my hands. “You’re shaking. What’s wrong, Lily? There isn’t anything you can’t tell me.”
“I didn’t graduate from high school,” I blurted out. “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you. It’s dumb. I just, I don’t know, I didn’t want you to see me as someone not smart enough to finish her senior year. I had to work full time, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to go to college, not with Danny to care for. So, I quit. I could have finished, but I didn’t. I gave up. Oh, Goddess,” I groaned. “I’m a quitter.”
Parker sat still in what I could only imagine was stunned silence. After a second, a loud snort blew from his nose, and then he went into full-on belly laugh.
“I’m glad my confession amuses you,” I said dryly. His laughter had knocked all the nervousness from me and replaced it with irritation. “It’s not funny.”
“Lily, for someone so smart—” He cupped my face and kissed me. “The fact that you’ve managed to do all the stuff you’ve done without a high school diploma is even more amazing.”
“I took my GED yesterday. That’s what I’ve been doing all these months. Not prepping for the ACT.”
“You did this yesterday?”
“Seven freaking hours.” I can’t believe it was only yesterday. It felt as if I’d lived through an entire week in one day.
“How’d you do?”
“I’m sure I blew it. It was the reason I pushed our date until today. I knew I’d be tired. I wanted to be at my best for you.”
“You at your worst is better than I ever hoped for.”
Goddess, that man had a way of making my heart skip a beat. “You’re not disappointed?”
“Are you kidding? I’m in awe. When do you find out about the results?”
“Tomorrow. I could wait a week for a letter, but they’ll post the results in the afternoon at the GED testing center on campus. I don’t want to wait.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” He still had ahold of my hands as he waited for my answer.
“I’m not sure I want you there if I didn’t pass. I like to ugly cry by myself.”
“I want to be there because you are going to pass, and when you do, we’re going to celebrate.”
I tightened my grip on his then nodded. “Okay. You can come.”
“Good.” He grinned. “It’s settled then.”
A crash had both of us jumping up. Smooshie was on the other end of the coffee table, wearing a spaghetti wig and holding a piece of cheesy bread between her teeth.
My mouth dropped open as Smooshie practically inhaled the bread, all the while looking at me as if she hadn’t just killed my dinner.
Parker began to laugh again. “You better clean her up. I’ll get the floor.”
I turned to apologize to him, only to find him holding his phone and videotaping Smooshie in all her glory. I scooped the spaghetti off her head, admonishing her to not eat any since it had onions and other things that could irritate her belly. Helpful Parker kept recording the whole thing.
As I took Smooshie back to the bathroom while Parker followed after with his phone held in our direction, something occurred to me about Donnie Doyle.
I hadn’t seen a cell phone at his place. Maybe it had video on it like what was on the drives. It would make sense with today’s mobile technology. Had the police found the phone? Nadine hadn’t said so, but Sheriff Avery might be keeping stuff back from her because of me.
I turned on Parker as he stood out in the hallway still capturing the moment. I smiled. Waved goodbye. Then closed the door between us.
“This is going on the shelter’s social media page,” he said through the door. “If this doesn’t make people want a pit bull, I don’t know what will.”
“But won’t they be disappointed when they realize this one already owns someone,” I said as I turned on the water. Smooshie, who loved baths, jumped right in. I rubbed her ears with both hands. “Don’t you, girl. You already own me.” At least she owned my heart. I looked at the closed door. Well, she co-owned it, anyhow.
Chapter 19
We arrived at the campus at ten-thirty in the morning. Classes were in full swing as students prepared for finals week. Parker took my hand as we entered the GED center.
“I’m all right,” I said.
“I know.” The soft swoop of his eyelashes made my stomach flutter. “I just want to hold your hand, okay?”
“Okay.” Walking down the hall toward Ms. Lovell’s room, my pulse quickened with my breath. My legs felt like two lead weights that I had to drag along. I caught a look in Parker’s eyes t
hat threatened he would scoop me up and carry me if I didn’t hold it together.
Ms. Lovell had a message board outside her office door where she’d posted scores revealed by the last four digits of the students’ social security numbers. I stopped and sat down on a cushioned bench in the corridor.
“Are you feeling all right? You’re not light-headed, are you? The doctor warned that could happen today.”
I shook my head. “Nothing like that.” I leaned the back of my head against the cool concrete wall. “Can you go look? I don’t think I can do it.” Not finishing high school had been a huge regret in my life, and this exam had taken on an overwhelming importance.
“Are you sure you want me to do it?”
“Good or bad news, I’ll see it on your face. Then we can get out of here.”
Parker, his brow furrowed, narrowed his gaze at me. “What’s your number?”
“Six four three eight.”
He strolled to the board, his expression all business as he scanned the exam scores. Unfortunately, his expression never changed, so when he looked at me, I said again, “Six four three eight.”
“I got it the first time,” he said.
“Is it not up there? Oh my gosh, I did so bad I didn’t even earn a score?”
His eyes sparkled. “You passed. According to the bottom of the paper, your official results will be mailed to you.”
“Did you say I passed?”
“Yep.” A smile lit up his face. “Congratulations, graduate.”
I leapt from the bench and wrapped my arms around Parker. Then I started sobbing.
He froze in place for a moment then stroked my hair in a soothing gesture. “I told you. You’re awesome.”
I pulled my face back from his shirt before I snotted all over him. “That was weird. I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“Because you’re happy,” Parker said. “You conquered a big goal, and now, we celebrate. Where do you want to eat? We can do someplace in town, or we can drive to Cape Girardeau. Whatever you want, Ms. GED Smasher.”
