Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies (An Adams Grove Novel) Read online

  Now that his career was in a much different place, he had the time and flexibility to have more in his life, but the two times he’d sent her tickets to shows, the sparks just hadn’t rekindled like he’d hoped.

  I’LL CHECK IN WHILE WE’RE IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS, he typed. Only he didn’t know if he should even bother. If she was interested she’d have found a way to work in the trip to West Virginia.

  His thoughts turned to Kasey Phillips. He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since, well, hell, since the day he first laid eyes on her at the photo shoot at Arty’s estate. His celebrity hadn’t seemed to impress her at all, and that impressed him a lot. She was crazy about her husband and kid and that had been nice to hear too. Maybe that’s why he’d felt inclined to stay in touch with her after her husband’s death. Why can’t I meet someone like her?

  He used to love the attention from all the women, but the lies got old. Women were always talking down their husbands in front of him. If he went by what they said, there wasn’t a happy marriage left. But he knew better. These women just wanted to play in his VIP world for a little while, but that made it too damn easy to not even bother getting to know their names. The fun in that had died a long time ago.

  Cody pulled a pillow under his head, flipped on the television, and clicked from the sports station to his second favorite, the Weather Channel.

  It looked like a big storm was heading right up the coast. It was that time of the year when hurricanes favored the Eastern Seaboard.

  Life on the road. Never a dull moment.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The next morning Riley gathered her things to get on the road early.

  “I wish you could stick around,” Kasey said as she put away the coffee.

  Riley shifted her overnight bag to her shoulder. “I know, but I’ll be back on Friday.”

  “Don’t remind me. I’m not ready for another birthday.” Kasey pulled the skin taut by her eyes. “I’m almost at the Botox-away-the-crow’s-feet age.”

  “Stop it.” Riley tugged Kasey’s hands from her face. “You’re beautiful, and when we get that old you can just airbrush us pretty in all the pictures.”

  “I can totally do that. I’ve done some real magic on lots of celebrities over the years. But I still hate birthdays.”

  “Too bad. If I have to have them, so do you.”

  Kasey walked Riley to the front door. “Speaking of airbrushing celebrities, I still don’t know how I’m going to juggle photo shoots and Jake in school. I’ve got to figure out something soon.”

  “Until then you know Von and I will watch Jake anytime for you.”

  Thank God for them. She still couldn’t leave him with anyone else without a complete meltdown. “I know, and I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but that’s not a forever solution. We both know that.”

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Scott? There was that little sparky moment where he almost kissed you yesterday. Were you hoping I forgot about that?”

  Kasey tipped her head back. “No.” She sighed. “I love our friendship. He’s super. It’s just not that kind of a relationship.”

  “Does he know that?”

  “I’ve tried to be so careful about not encouraging him, but he seems to have selective hearing.”

  “Men can be like that. So, no fireworks, huh?”

  “Not a thing. Lord knows I’ve tried. Not a spark. Heck, not even a lightning bug flash. He’s more like a brother—no, not even that. A cousin. I already had my one true love. I just wish Scott could get it through his head, because I’m starting to feel bad.”

  “He’s a nice guy. He loves Jake. He’s sure not bad to look at. Maybe it’s good enough.”

  “Enough? Maybe I’ve already had enough. More than most, and no one will ever be able to fill Nick’s shoes.”

  “That’s a tall order. Maybe he fills different shoes.”

  “I can’t see it.” She shook her head. “No. I can take care of myself. Nick and I worked because we could take care of ourselves. We didn’t need each other. What we had was more. We were more with each other.”

  “What you had with Nick was special.”

  “The best.” Kasey closed her eyes. “I still get goose bumps when I think about seeing him standing in the field. He made my heart race every time I looked at him. It was more than special. It was uncontrollable. It was real.” She opened her eyes. “I could never settle for less than that.”

  Riley took Kasey’s hand in her own. “Maybe someday you’ll feel that again.”

  “I’ll just be thankful that I had it while I did.” She sniffed back the emotion that threatened and smiled. “Plus I’ve got Jake, and he’s the best kid in the world, and I don’t need more friends. I’ve already got the best friend in the world. You.”

  “Well, yeah!” Riley gave Kasey a hug.

  “Thanks again for offering to take Jake next Friday night so I can go to that thing up at Arty Max’s place. It’s a good way for me to keep my name circulating until I figure out what I’m going to do for work.”

  “Yeah, it’s a great networking opportunity for you. Besides, Jake’s such an angel. He’s no trouble at all. You better keep your fingers crossed that Von and I are blessed with a little angel like that, because I’ll be calling in the babysitting paybacks someday.”

  “Oh honey, it’s going to happen. I just know it. Of course, me keeping you from Von on a regular basis isn’t going to help you get pregnant, but maybe he’ll have missed you so much that there’ll be magic tonight.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Riley said.

  “Then go. You can have phone foreplay all the way home. I’ll be the one back here trying to figure out how I’m going to make a living now that Jake is in school. I can’t be on the road doing photo shoots. That’s not fair to him.”

  “What about that orange building that’s for sale on Main Street?”

  “I’ll take a look, but I have no idea what kind of business could survive in this small town that they don’t already have.” She’d been trying to come up with alternatives all summer but commercial photography was her thing, and nothing else she knew how to do seemed suitable for a small town.

  “It would make an adorable tearoom.”

  Kasey put her hands on her hips. “Do I need to remind you that the cooking thing might be a problem for me?”

  “I know. Too bad. If you could at least heat stuff up you could use locals to provide the noshes, but I’m afraid you’d catch the place on fire the first week. No offense, but I’m not sure I’d even trust you boiling water for the tea. Maybe that’s more my dream than yours.”

  “Definitely more yours than mine. I couldn’t see myself being cooped up serving tea all day.”

  “Maybe…”—Riley got that look. The one she did when she was getting ready to be a smart aleck—“you could open up a place that does cooking lessons. You could be your own best customer.”

  “Now that is pitiful. I’ll figure out something. I just hope a good alternative comes to me soon.”

  “Seriously. Don’t sweat it. You’ll figure something out. You always do.” Riley hugged Kasey. “I’ll be back to pick up Jake on Friday, and Von and I’ll bring him back on Saturday afternoon to celebrate your birthday. We’ve got a plan, right?”

  Kasey watched Riley pull out of the driveway. What am I going to be when I grow up? She wasn’t in a bind for money yet; Nick had left her pretty financially stable and she had her own savings too, but that wasn’t going to last forever. Even if it did, she needed something to do with herself or she’d go crazy.

  After going through some bills, she grabbed a juice box out of the fridge, poured a glass of sweet tea for herself, and went outside wishing she hadn’t agreed to the cookout with Scott. She had too much on her mind, but then that’s probably why he’d offered to come over. He’d know she was feeling apprehensive; he was thoughtful like that, and coming over to barbecue for them would be his way of tr
ying to help.

  Kasey balanced the juice box in the crook of her arm so she could carry her laptop out with her too and work on the parade pictures while Jake and Shutterbug played. Jake sat in the swing, throwing a tennis ball for Shutterbug, who was more than happy to bring it back and do it again and again.

  She cropped and tweaked the pictures, and picked a couple to send over to the County Gazette. There was no big hurry since the paper only came out twice a month. Everything ran a bit slower here in Adams Grove and she was falling into its rhythm… finally.

  A horn honked twice and her mood instantly dipped a little. Jake came running toward her with Shutterbug on his heels. “That’s Mr. Scott.”

  “It sure is.”

  Even Jake had picked up on Scott’s habit of honking when he arrived. She figured it was Scott’s way of not popping in unannounced since he never called before he showed up.

  Jake ran to the side gate and came back with Scott in tow.

  “Hope you’re hungry,” he said, placing the grocery bag on the table. “I’m starved.”

  “Me too,” Jake said. “I can help.”

  Scott made himself at home in the outdoor kitchen and started the grill. He took a pack of beef patties from Spratt’s Market and a package of individually wrapped cheese slices out of the bag.

  “I’ll get the chips and some plates. I’ll be right back,” Kasey said.

  By the time Kasey walked back outside Jake had his head tilted back with a piece of cheese laid over his face. Shutterbug licked at the edges of the cheese while Jake laughed.

  “What are you doing, silly boy?”

  Jake jolted straight up. “We were playing cheese tricks.” He laid four pieces of cheese on one of the plates and then jumped from the chair. “Come on, Shutterbug. Let’s show Mom and Mr. Scott how smart you are.”

  Shutterbug let out a woof.

  “Sit.”

  Shutterbug sat.

  “Stay.” Jake held his hand straight out. Once Shutterbug had obeyed the command, Jake rolled a piece of cheese into a tube and placed it on the patio about ten feet from Shutterbug. She looked anxious but she didn’t move.

  Jake walked away and went and sat down at the table while Shutterbug stayed right where he’d told her to. Then Jake yelled, “Get it!”

  Shutterbug took one flying leap to the cheese and gobbled it up, looking pretty pleased with herself.

  “She’s really smart,” Scott said.

  “Mom and I have been practicing getting up at school time so we’ve been teaching Shutterbug tricks, but tomorrow I go to school and Shutterbug will have to wait to have her classes when I get home. I’ll teach her everything I learn. Right, Shutterbug?”

  Shutterbug woofed and Jake took off running across the yard with her at his heels.

  “He’s excited about going to school,” Scott said.

  Kasey sucked in a deep breath. “We’re both pretty anxious. Me in not such a good way.”

  Scott closed the lid on the grill and took the chair next to her. “You’ve toured the school and met the teachers. It’s going to be fine.”

  “My head knows it, but my body is in a panic. If anything ever happened to him again…”

  “I know.” He put his hand on her arm. “I’d like to say it won’t. I believe it won’t, but I can’t promise that. What I can promise is that if anything happens, you know we’ll get through it together.”

  “Thanks, Scott.” There wasn’t anything he could say that would make her feel better, but it was nice that he wanted to try.

  When the burgers were ready, Jake and Scott talked about school while they ate.

  “It’s only a half day for kindergarten,” Jake explained. “I don’t even get to ride the bus yet.”

  “There’s a…” But Scott stopped midsentence.

  She gave him the eye. She knew full well there was a bus for the kindergarteners but that wasn’t something she was ready to deal with.

  “It’ll only be a few days this week and then next week is cut short with Labor Day,” Scott said.

  Kasey dabbed at a glob of ketchup on Jake’s cheek. “We’re thinking about visiting Grem for the Labor Day weekend.”

  “Since I can’t make it for the get-together with y’all on Saturday to celebrate your birthday I was hoping the three of us could take the boat out Sunday and then I’d take you out for a nice dinner. Mom said she’d watch Jake.”

  The bite of burger stuck in her throat. Riley had been the only one she’d been able to leave Jake with since the incident. Scott took it personally that she wouldn’t let his mother watch him, and she loved his mother, but she just couldn’t do it.

  “That’s sweet, but I don’t even want to celebrate my birthday. Riley’s the one all excited about a party. Besides, we haven’t been down to see Grem in a few weeks. I need to get over to see her.”

  Scott looked disappointed. He’d been like that a lot lately, like he expected her to always be available. She enjoyed the time they spent together, but she didn’t like being on anyone else’s schedule. Better to just change the subject. “Do you know anything about that building for sale on Main Street?”

  Scott dipped a chip into the onion dip. “You must mean Mac’s building.”

  “He’s selling the bakery? No, I was talking about the orange one on the next block.”

  “He owns that one too. It’s the one he’d been renovating for his girlfriend, before she turned out to be a murderer.”

  “The yoga lady. Yeah, I guess murder has a way of leaving a bad taste in a guy’s mouth.”

  “It’s a nice space though. Big, and pretty much ready to go. Why? You know someone who’s interested?”

  “I don’t know. Me. Maybe. Riley fell in love with it. We’ve been trying to brainstorm ideas.”

  “I’m done, Mom.” Jake put his napkin on his plate.

  “Take your plate inside and put it on the counter.”

  He hopped down from his chair and then slid the last piece of burger from his plate to Shutterbug.

  “Come here, you,” she said to Jake, and he ran into her arms. She hugged him tight. “I just needed some sugar from my boy.”

  Jake ran inside.

  Scott pushed his plate to the side and leaned on the table. “Are you going to survive him going to school?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll have to.”

  “Why don’t you let me pick you up in the morning and we’ll take him together?”

  “No, no.” It would be worse with him there. He’d be telling her what not to feel. “It’ll be fine. I can do this.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “You know there’s nothing wrong with asking for help once in a while.”

  “I know, but I’ll be fine. Really. Besides we have to go early on the first day.”

  “I could stay over.”

  She was getting tired of having that discussion. He must have read the look on her face because he backed off immediately.

  “Okay, okay, don’t say anything. Forget I even said it. I know the answer. But it’s been a year. I want to move things to the next level. You’re really never going to let me in, are you?”

  And there it was. At least he’d said it. “It’s not you, Scott.” Oh Lord, that’s the oldest empty breakup line in the book and that’s not how this is. “I love spending time with you. Your friendship means the world to me, but I don’t see me ever being in another relationship. I’m sorry.” She lifted her hands to her eyes and then pushed them through her hair. “I had my one true love with Nick. You deserve that kind of relationship. I really don’t want to hurt you.”

  “But?”

  “No buts.”

  “But I want you,” he said.

  She’d known this was something they were going to have to discuss, but she’d dodged it for so long she wasn’t even sure how she felt about it anymore. “I don’t feel like there’s a place for that in my heart. No one will ever fill that spot that Nick carved out.”

  He looked away.<
br />
  You don’t understand. I can see it in your eyes. I’m so sorry. Missing Nick was still part of every day, and she didn’t feel any urgency to try to start something new either. In the beginning there’d been days that, had it not been for Jake, she’d have rather died. There were days when she was so mad at Nick for having died that she blamed him for breaking the forever promise he’d made. But more often there were days filled with good memories and she wasn’t ready to push those aside.

  “Well, promise me you’ll call if you need me.”

  He’d gotten up, and she hadn’t even noticed. “I will.” But she knew she wouldn’t.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The alarm clock buzzed, and Kasey reached over to turn it off with a groan. She’d been awake for a while, but her heart still raced from the bad dream. It had been a while since the bad ones had bumped the good ones out of the lineup, but whenever the going got tough, the sad memories she’d tried to keep tucked safely away snuck up on her. She pushed the image of Nick’s truck down in the river out of her mind. She could still feel the steel guardrail against her hands the day he died as she leaned over screaming for him, for Jake, and wondering how the heck she’d ever get through it all.

  But I did get through it.

  She closed her eyes and tried to picture better days. New memories with Jake here in Adams Grove. Shutterbug. Riley at the parade. Then she said a little prayer and climbed out of bed.

  It only took a few minutes to change out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a shirt. She swept her hair back in a ponytail, and then knocked on Jake’s door on her way to the kitchen. “Rise and shine. It’s time to get ready.”

  Before she could get two steps down the hall he raced through the half-open door, but it wasn’t her little sleepyheaded boy who walked out. Instead, Jake was dressed in the outfit they’d laid out last night for his first day of school and even had his backpack on. He’d slicked his hair into a severe side part. “I’m ready!”