Cross My Heart (Heroes of Seaside Point Book 2) Page 5
“No need. It’s here, in my truck outside.”
“Oh, okay then.” The suspicious gaze she’d used several times that evening reappeared on her lovely face. “Why?”
“You don’t know much about me, do you?”
“Apparently not.”
“I coach Little League baseball. The Seaside Seagulls are undefeated so far this season.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” He tilted his head to the side. “You want the bat?”
“Please. I’ll return it in the morning.”
“Nah, keep it as a souvenir.”
“What about your boxers?”
“Keep those too.”
CHAPTER FOUR
As soon as she stepped inside Sue’s Diner, Verity paused in the doorway and tried her best to appear surprised to see her friends. Lexi and the twins sat at a table near the back of the room, a piece of chocolate cake in front of each of them. She grinned as she approached. Obviously everyone had collected the cake.
“Fancy meeting you guys here?”
“We can’t get back inside the house.” Vanessa pushed a plate toward her. “We figured you’d come here for cake.”
“Sorry, I didn’t think about locking you out.” She took an empty chair and then lifted a fork. “Obviously, I’m last. Who won?”
Lexi folded her arms across her chest. “Vanessa and Annessa were here when I arrived.”
“Of course they were. They set us up.”
“Huh?”
“Did you get all the items on your list?”
“All of them except the cash. I figured I’d just grab it out of my purse.”
“That’s cheating,” Annessa told her.
“Nope.” Lexi shook her head. “There were no stipulations on anything other than the boxers.”
“Speaking of those.” Verity drew a circle in the air with her silverware. “Exactly who provided the ones on your list?”
“Maverick Ryder.”
As soon as the confession left her friend’s mouth, Lexi’s lips formed a perfect O while both twins released a maniacal giggle.
Verity sighed. “They’re playing matchmaker.”
“Me and Maverick? That’s a colossal fail, girls.”
“You don’t like him?”
“He’s a nice guy. I just know enough to realize he’s not serious about a relationship.”
“He just needs a good woman to reform him.”
“And you think I’m that woman?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hmmm.” Lexi stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth, preventing much more discussion.
“What about you, Verity?” Annessa moved a narrowed, Siamese cat-like gaze in her direction while licking chocolate frosting from her fork. “Did you have any luck?”
Luck? Oh, she’d gotten lucky, alright. She just didn’t plan to confess. “No.”
“No?” Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Did you get anything on the list?”
“Only the cash.” And only because he happened to find it in her pocket.
“I find that hard to believe since the Fire Department isn’t too far from your house.”
“Believe it. Besides, why would you assume I would go to the Fire Department?”
“Travis is working tonight.”
“So? I’m sure there are other firemen on duty.”
“Point taken,” Annessa agreed. “But would you have asked anyone else for his underwear?”
“I couldn’t have asked anyone if I wanted to.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you hear screaming sirens and see flashing lights not too long ago?”
“Yes,” Vanessa mumbled.
“That means the Fire Department was most likely unoccupied.”
“Smooth, Verity.” Annessa smirked and glanced back at Lexi. “Well Lexi, it looks like you won. Brag on, sister.”
“Actually, it was more work than you think. I’ll pass on the prize.”
“Maverick put up a fight?”
“Not exactly.” Lexi lifted a baseball bat. “Did you know he coaches Little League?”
Vanessa nodded. “Every Saturday.”
“All the guys help when they can.” Annessa grinned. “He might surprise you a whole lot more if you spent some time with him.”
Although relieved she wasn’t Annessa’s target, Verity almost felt sorry for Lexi as she devoured her cake. Then again, the obvious look of sheer intrigue on the other woman’s face told her she was more than interested in Maverick. Too bad the twins recognized it as well.
Verity pushed back her empty plate. “We’ll have to save the pie for another day. I’m stuffed.”
“We’ll just have to plan another night out.” Annessa’s eyes sparkled as she stood.
“For pie and wine, right?”
“And whatever else we can get into.”
Verity rolled her eyes and left her chair. “I’ll cover the cake.”
“No need.” Vanessa dismissed her concern with a wave of a hand as she stood next to her sister. “Thanks anyway, but since I baked it, Sue won’t let us pay for it.”
Verity headed to the exit, thankful she was able to avoid too much conversation about Travis. After their evening’s antics, it was all she could do not to swoon.
Luckily, home appeared in the next several minutes, preventing her from any further interrogation. And, she’d almost convinced herself she’d avoided yet another catastrophe until she climbed her front porch stairs and stopped short in front of the welcome mat. Hopefully, Annessa followed a few steps back this time.
She glanced down at a square, white box and then turned to meet six widened eyes at the foot of the stairs.
“Secret admirer?” Annessa drawled.
Determined to remain calm, she forced a smirk and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“Open it already!” Vanessa ran up the steps, obviously intrigued by the package.
Verity bit her bottom lip and attempted not to make a hasty decision. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know what was inside. Or if she wanted everyone else to know.
“It won’t bite,” Annessa teased.
“I was just trying to figure out who left it.” Which wasn’t a lie – she really wanted to know.
Lexi cleared her throat. “There might be a card inside.”
She took a deep breath and leaned down to pick up the box. As soon as it rested in her hands, she quickly opened the top before she could change her mind. Inside, a chocolate pecan pie with a golden brown crust lay tucked in a nest of white tissue paper.
“Someone knows your weakness.” Vanessa giggled.
“No one knows about my guilty pleasure except the three of you.” She winced at the little white lie. Travis knew – he knew more about her pleasures than the three of them put together – but she was fairly certain he hadn’t left the pie.
“Is there a card?” Lexi prompted.
She reached back into the box and moved the tissue. “No. Vanessa, is it one of yours?”
“Lift it and look on the bottom of the pan.”
As soon as she read Sweet Treats, Verity realized someone certainly knew more about her sweet tooth than she originally thought. “Your logo is pressed into the aluminum.”
“Since the bakery is a pile of ashes, then it had to come from Sue’s.” Annessa climbed the steps. “Maybe she can tell you who bought it.”
“It’s a mystery.” Lexi joined them on the porch. “A yummy chocolate one. At least you can enjoy it while you investigate.”
“You really don’t have any idea who might have left it?”
She shook her head from left to right while butterflies danced in her stomach. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t grateful for the gift, the anonymity was just a little strange. And after that blasted phone call and a possible sighting, a little strange made her nervous.
Shaking herself free from fear, she stepped in front of the door, inserted the key, and then opened it to the comfortin
g squeal of the alarm.
“Shall we finish the wine?” she asked as she disarmed the electronic protector.
“No more for me, thanks.” Lexi walked toward the sofa where her purse rested on the floor. “I’m stuffed and I’m sleepy. I think I need to call it a night.”
Annessa yawned. “Me too. I have to be up early to help Van cook.”
“And I’m the Van who has to cook.” Vanessa giggled. “I left the pie in the oven. Be sure to cook it for about another forty five minutes or so. If you don’t want to do it tonight, just stick it in the refrigerator until you do.”
“Thanks, I will.” She followed the other women to the door and opened it. “Tonight was fun. Congratulations again, Ness.”
“Thanks.” Annessa followed her sister and Lexi out the door. “Don’t worry, we’ll do it again soon.”
Verity shut the door behind her friends and pinched the bridge of her nose while she leaned back against it. As badly as she hated to admit it, there was just too much of a coincidence between her possible-but-almost-sure sighting of Richard and a gift left on her doorstep. He, too, knew that her taste-buds tingled for chocolate pecan pie.
Now more than ever determined to put her mind at ease, she picked up her cell phone and clicked on her contact list. Within seconds, the connection was made to the one man who could provide answers to her many questions.
She tapped her short nails against the kitchen counter while she waited for him to answer, the motion providing an outlet for her impatience. She glanced at her watch. Ten o’clock p.m. Georgia time meant seven o’clock p.m. Seattle time. She should be able to catch him.
She frowned when the ringing tones continued, somewhat concerned by the delay. Two tones later, she released a breath of relief when his deep, husky voice crossed the line.
“Summers.”
“Eric, it’s Verity.”
“Well hello there, Dr. Thomas. It’s a pleasure to hear your sweet voice.”
“Thank you detective, but I wish I had something sweet to say. I need some information.”
“Okay, I’ll do my best.”
“I need you to determine if Richard is still in prison.”
“Did Victims’ Services contact you?”
“No.”
“Then he’s still under lock and key.”
“I saw him.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, pretty sure. But I know for a fact he called me and the caller ID did not register the Washington State Penitentiary.”
“I take it he didn’t call collect.”
“No.”
“What did good ole Richard have to say?”
“He said that he was glad to discover I hadn’t changed my number and that he really wanted to see me.”
“Did you remind him that his sentencing included never contacting you again?”
“No. Anger pushed me to spout several other less than cordial things. I hung up before he responded.”
“And then you saw him in Seaside Point? That’s a long way from Seattle.”
“I know.” She released a heavy breath. “I’m beginning to think I have an overactive imagination.”
She frowned when he didn’t immediately answer. “Does that mean you agree?”
“Actually, no.” Several faint, tapping noises made her assume he was typing. His next response however, gave her a wealth of information. “Sonuvabitch.”
She attempted to swallow around a softball in her throat while she forced air across her vocal chords. “I saw him, didn’t I?”
“He’s out.” The sharp edge to his tone told her the whole situation had taken a hard left turn right into Danger 101.
“Do you really think I should be concerned?”
“Absolutely. He threatened to kill you, Verity.”
“Yes, he did. But I can’t say for sure I really saw him. One minute I thought he stood there and the next, he disappeared. And, he didn’t threaten me over the phone.”
“You know when you watch a horror movie and the chick always runs into the dark, unprotected basement?"
“Yes.”
“Don’t do that. Contact local law enforcement.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“I do. Meanwhile, I’ll investigate whether he left Seattle and if so, where he went. And I’ll check his phone records.”
“How soon will you know?”
“Hopefully by morning. Are you in a safe place?”
Luckily, she had an honest answer. She glanced at the red armed light on her security system. A breach would bring Casey or one of his deputies in a matter of minutes. And because Seaside Point was a close-knit community, several neighbors would come running.
“Yes.”
“Make that call, Verity. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Eric.”
Verity disconnected and tapped her chin several times with her phone while she tossed scenarios around in her brain. Common sense told her to dial Casey’s number and ask for help. But, Travis would never forgive her for not confiding in him and that would break her heart in two. So, maybe she should call Travis instead – he’d drag her to see Casey but at least he’d be the first to know.
She took a deep breath, filled both cheeks with air, and then released it on a huff as she made a decision. She’d wait to hear from Detective Summers before she confided in anyone. No need to cause a panic if Richard hadn’t left Seattle.
Confident in her decision, she stepped back from the counter, turned out the light, and smirked in the darkness.
She really was the chick in the horror movie.
Amusement loosened her knotted nerves as she made her way from the kitchen and into the living room, turning her thoughts back to the scavenger hunt and the twins’ determination to drill her for information about her interaction with their brother. A satisfied giggle escaped her lips. Little did those crafty-but-well-meaning women know that they’d met their match – she happened to be an expert secret-keeper.
She gathered the empty wine glasses and then walked back to the kitchen, not sure she was all that proud of that particular skill. Especially when secrets most usually found a way to escape. And, the fallout ended up making things one hundred percent worse.
She set the glasses in the sink while she glanced at the pie still resting in the white box on the counter. Taunting her taste-buds with its absolutely divine aroma of chocolate and roasted pecans. Untouched because she couldn’t determine with absolute surety who sent it.
She released a heavy breath and squared her shoulders. She had two choices: throw caution to the wind and dig in, or dump the dessert into the trash can. Neither act would reveal the gift-giver, but at least the first would distract her for a little while.
Or kill her.
Even though the judge warned him of the consequences if he were to violate his sentencing order, Richard had been very insistent when he’d promised to make her pay for his punishment and one look into his cold, dark eyes told her he meant every word he said. Common sense or paranoia – one of the two – told her he wouldn’t hesitate to poison the pie. Besides, she still had the pie Vanessa baked for the party.
With a heavy sigh and a tiny bit of remorse, she slid the box down the counter toward the trashcan at the end, still reluctant to dispose of it. And just about the time she’d made up her mind, a knock on the front door distracted her from doing the deed.
Her heart began a familiar heavy pound as she moved her gaze in the direction of the noise. Thankful that the open floor plan of her house allowed her to see the front door and the security pad on the wall beside, she pushed panic to the side when bright, white light shone through the front window and a yellow light winked to announce movement on the porch.
She paused for a few seconds before approaching the door. She knew for sure that a local, late-night visitor in Seaside Point would extend the courtesy of an introduction after knocking.
“Doc?”
Sheer
, warm relief coated her entire body at the sound of Travis’ voice and she rushed to disarm the security system before opening the door.
“I thought you were on call,” she said as she pulled him inside, shoved closed the door, and re-set the alarm.
“Hello to you too.” He frowned. “I parked down the street. No one knows I’m here.”
Verity didn’t know whether to feel relieved or guilty. He obviously thought she was concerned about someone finding him there. She ached to reassure him that his presence had nothing to do with his haste. No, she had much bigger problems and she would do everything in her power to assure he wasn’t dragged into them.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. Unable to control the tremble in her touch, she laid a hand against his biceps, raised herself onto her tiptoes, and placed a soft kiss against his cheek. “I’m just surprised to see you.”
“Hey.” He pulled her into his embrace, the sheer power of his hardened chest penetrating his clothing. His fingers began a gentle caress of her back. “What’s got you so spooked?”
She squeezed closed her eyes, tempted to blurt the whole truth – to bury her face in his neck and tell him how utterly weak and helpless she felt. But the cold, bony hand of fear kept her from following through; she wouldn’t trade his life for her protection.
“Tell me.”
His low, quiet demand left his lips and wrapped her in a blanket of warmth, forcing her lips apart in a careful half-admission.
“Someone left a pie on my doorstep.”
He gently eased her back to capture her gaze with his. “Who?”
“I have no idea. All I know for sure is that it came from Sue’s because it was baked in one of Vanessa’s pie pans.”
“Have you checked with Mrs. Templeton?”
She suddenly felt a tiny burst of encouragement. In the midst of all the chaos in her brain, she hadn’t even stopped to consider what he suggested. Ruth Templeton, her widowed, seventy-year-old neighbor, had taken Verity under her wing the moment she’d moved in. Convinced Verity worked too hard caring for everyone other than herself, Ruth had accepted the role of nurturer; it wouldn’t be out of character for her to leave a pie without a note. And, she knew how much Verity appreciated chocolate pecan pie.