Bay Hideaway (15 page)

“Are you denying that this woman is your wife?” Edwards challenged, ignoring the warning look Tilly gave him.

Nathan narrowed his eyes. “I’m not confirming or denying anything until I find out what your interest is in this matter. Tilly invited us to dinner tonight, and yet it seems more like an ambush party with accusations for the main course, apparently meant to cook our goose instead of the pot roast. I want to know why!”

“I invited you to dinner—that’s what I planned and that’s what you’ll get,” Tilly quickly interjected, shaking her head in frustration. “I love Judi like one of my own. It’s just that being the observant body that I am, I noticed a slight tan mark where a weddin’ ring used to be on Judi’s finger when she first came to the island. I figured she’d be talkin’ about it one day when the time was right.” Her keen eyes gave Nathan a knowing look. “But when you came waltzin’ in yesterday with her, I figured you must be the ex. Thought maybe I could help the two of you, that’s all.” Unperturbed, she casually took a balled-up facial tissue from her apron pocket and loudly blew her nose into it. “Findin’ out about this other nonsense didn’t happen until today.”

“When Mr. Edwards supposedly recognized me, the two of you decided to do some investigating, is that it?” Nathan asked bitterly, not liking the story one bit.

“Tilly thinks there must be a mighty good reason why you’ve misled people to believe Judi’s dead when she’s been living right here on the island.” Mr. Edwards seemed bent on being unpleasant. “Now I’m not so easy to fool.”

“Please stop!” Judi stirred restlessly to the edge of the seat, seeming to rally at last. “Nathan had nothing to do with this, Mr. Edwards. This whole thing is my fault.”

“Don’t say any more, Judi,” Nathan immediately warned, holding up a hand to silence her.

“Nathan,” Tilly pleaded, hoisting herself up with effort from the couch. “Listen to what Van has to say. If you’re in trouble he can help. I’m a pretty good judge of character, if I have to say so myself, and I’ve seen your record at the statehouse. You’re a good man.”

“That still doesn’t tell why the two of you are so interested,” Nathan reasoned, a sudden blaze in his eyes. He didn’t care for Edwards’s highhandedness any more than he liked Tilly’s nosiness.

“First of all, young man,” Mr. Edwards retorted, pointing a bent finger his way, “Judi is our church secretary. If she’s not who she says she is, then I want to know the why and how of it. I don’t take lightly to our church people being duped. As a church elder who has served more years on the board than you’ve been breathing, I have a right to know the extent of this pretense.” The man squinted his eyes. “No funny stuff, either. I’m warning you to be careful with your words, and you’d better tell the truth the first time around. I won’t waste any time getting Officer Newkirk over here. That boy’s right smart. He’ll sort this whole thing out lickety-split.”

“Please, Mr. Edwards,” Judi implored, scooting closer to the edge of her seat. “It’s not Nathan you want, it’s me.”

Nathan shushed her, not so gently this time. “Let me handle this.”

He needed time to think. He’d asked God to provide a path to follow and the wisdom to guide him to the right people. Then why did he suddenly feel like he was on a challenging downhill slalom course without the benefit of skis? It wasn’t like there was a fork in the road where he had a choice of paths. There was only one steep and icy path, taking this trust thing with God to an entirely different level of technical difficulty—perhaps beyond his capabilities of faith. What could God have possibly been thinking to send him a grumpy old man who wore women’s lacy aprons and an island busybody whose loyalties, and possibly brains, seemed scattered?

“Well,” the old man groused, “what’ll it be?”

Frustrated, Nathan frowned. What choice did he have? It irked him to be shoved into a cage like a cornered dog.

“It’s all right, Nathan,” Judi insisted with resignation. Grabbing his arm, she stood to her feet. “We have no other choice but to confide in them. If Larry comes, he might be understanding of the situation, but he would be bound by duty to take action.” She lowered her voice to a hush and lifted her face close to his. “And I know Mr. Edwards. He won’t back down for anything. We can only hope to pacify him long enough so you can leave tomorrow to complete what you need to do.”

“You two can stop the whispering!” Edwards’s blue eyes darted accusingly between the two.

“Simmer down, all of you!” Tilly shook her head vehemently. “I’ve about had my fill of this! Now, Van, you get off your high horse for a minute and let these young folks decide what they want to do.” She turned to Nathan and Judi. “And the two of you can take a few minutes to talk over this thing while I get the food situated. I promised you a dinner and heads are gonna roll if this perfectly good roast goes to ruin.”

Mr. Edwards
harrumphed
but backed off and strode irritably back into the kitchen, paying testament to the equality of stubbornness he and Tilly possessed.

“That’s better.” Tilly seemed appeased for the moment. “Nathan, you take our Judi here and get comfortable at the table. Don’t let the old coot scare you off.” Her tone suddenly turned soft. “He’s just a big ol’ teddy bear on the inside.”

Nathan could hardly believe the audacity and outright perjury of her words. Was the woman blind? Her “teddy bear” rivaled the great black bears roaming the countryside of his home state, and these bears were anything but cuddly. He was tempted to enlighten her about this fact, but instead turned toward the table, doing as he was told, still smoldering inside over the turn of events. He didn’t want to eat, and he was sure Judi’s appetite was spoiled, as well. He was sure, however, that Tilly’s threat about heads rolling wasn’t an idle warning if the food went to waste.

“What do you think the old-timer is up to?” he asked Judi as soon as they were alone.

“Just what he said,” Judi answered matter-of-factly. “He’s no lightweight and a real fighter. You should see him during the church business meetings. Only a few brave ones dare to take him on.” She paused in thought. “There’s also something strange about him.”

“Other than the fact he’s wearing a lacy apron?” Nathan couldn’t help asking.

This brought a small smile to her full lips. “Other than that,” she answered. “I don’t know how to make sense of it, but a con artist can usually spot another con artist. You know what I mean?”

“Possibly,” Nathan answered hesitantly. “Are you saying this Edwards guy is a con man?”

“Rumor on the island says that he has to work at the Dairy Barn to make ends meet. I don’t buy it!”

“In what way?”

“It’s hard to put into words, but things seem to happen when Mr. Edwards becomes involved.”

“Things happen? Like what?”

“Take the new camp for example,” Judi began. “Old man Edwards fought hard against the development of this camp for the longest time. The church was even having second thoughts since the camp committee couldn’t secure the land—at least not until Mr. Edwards finally agreed the Thunder Bay Landmark might not be such a bad site for a Christian camp after all.” She flung her hands out. “Then all of a sudden, the land is donated and money starts pouring in—and I don’t mean hundreds—I mean thousands.”

“You think he’s a rich entrepreneur who tries to pass himself off as a helpless old man?”

“Maybe,” she conceded.

“What about Tilly?”

Judi visibly relaxed and gave a fond smile. “She’s creative and devious, but genuine. No doubt she thought her dinner tonight was going to be a matchmaking experience. She must be extremely disappointed.” She gave a light chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe how good she is in the romance territory—it’s almost eerie. With Tilly on your side, you can’t go wrong.”

“She seems nosy to me.”

“You won’t think that once you get to know her,” Judi argued amicably. “There’s not a person on this island who doesn’t love her.”

Nathan frowned, trying to make sense of the information. “I still don’t like it!”

“Neither do I, but what choice do we have?”

Nathan signaled her to be silent with a squeeze of his hand on hers when he heard movement from behind. Tilly bustled into the room carrying a platter overflowing with carved roast beef, followed by Van Edwards juggling steaming bowls of mashed potatoes and green beans.

“Go ahead and get your drinks,” Tilly directed to Nathan and Judi, pointing beyond the head of the table. “There’s soda, iced tea, and a pitcher of ice water on the sideboard over there.”

The older couple disappeared again into the kitchen. Judi looked tentatively at Nathan before rising from her seat.

“Iced tea for me,” Judi said. “The caffeine might come in handy for what’s ahead. What about you?”

Nathan puckered his brow. “Make it the same.” It would take more than caffeine to make this evening bearable or palatable.

In a matter of minutes, everyone seated themselves around the table Tilly had completely loaded with food. Mr. Edwards gave a short, stiff prayer. When he finished, a tomblike silence engulfed the room. The quiet made Tilly scowl.

“Go on, now,” she demanded. “Dig in before it gets cold. No sense in sulkin’ when everything’s gonna be all right.”

Ever so slowly, the clinking of serving ware and dishes being passed filled the void, but tension remained high throughout the meal. The delicious down-home food seemed to be squandered on such a dour group, and Nathan knew this upset the matronly woman. Soon the meal drew to a close, and Mr. Edwards seemed ripe to start their previous discussion by suggesting the group retreat to the living room.

“Which one of you is going to tell me what’s going on?” the old man asked when the four assembled, flopping himself down into the overstuffed chair, linking his fingers together across his slightly plump belly.

Nathan was about to speak when Judi put a restraining hand on his arm. “I’m responsible for this mess. Let me tell it.” She looked sadly at the couple. “All I ask is for you to keep an open mind and to be reasonable at any requests Nathan might make of you.”

“I’ll keep an open mind,” Mr. Edwards retorted, “but that’s all I’m promising.”

Judi fidgeted, bouncing one foot nervously. In a sense, she should be glad to let loose her haunting past. Maybe Mr. Edwards would be able to help—or not. She didn’t have a handle on the man yet. He was too much of an enigma.

She began her story slowly, gaining speed and strength as she continued, relating the threatening notes and sparing nothing of her former life that gave the menacing letters their power. Nathan sat stiffly beside her on the couch, brooding and unhappy. Occasionally, they exchanged glances, and he would give a slight assuring nod of his head, bestowing on her the much-desired encouragement she needed to continue.

“So, as you can see,” Judi concluded, “Nathan didn’t know anything about my faked death until he arrived on the island to see for himself that I was alive and well.” She threw a penitent glance at Nathan. “I falsely believed he was the culprit. I was wrong! Because of this, he’s spent the last two years going through the horrific pain of losing a spouse and ironically came to personally know Christ through the experience. Now we’re just trying to find our way by doing what God would have us do.” She drew her chin up as she looked at the old man. “I know the trouble I face is tremendous, but Nathan is innocent and shouldn’t be made to bear the brunt of my problems.”

A silence covered the room, and she heard Nathan take a tired breath.

“What do you say about that, young man?” Mr. Edwards’s large blue eyes nailed Nathan like an arrow, his docile tone indecipherable.

Nathan shot back a look under frowning brows. “I say she’s been quite patient, more so than I would have been, and bared her soul truthfully to the two of you.” His gaze hardened. “Now I would like to know your intentions.”

The old man’s lips thinned. “I already know she’s been truthful. I’m asking what your position is on what she said about your role as it relates to her problems.”

“What are you getting at?” Nathan asked.

Judi drew a frustrated breath. Why couldn’t Mr. Edwards understand? “I’ve already told you Nathan didn’t know anything about the letters or my faked death. He’s innocent!”

Nathan shook his head. “I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about.”

“You’re right, young man,” Mr. Edwards sternly agreed. “It’s not my intentions, but yours that concern me. You are still her husband. What do you plan to do about that?”

Judi could tell Nathan was growing weary and angry at this line of questioning. What was Mr. Edwards up to? From his tone, it was difficult to know if he was seeking to help or harm. Tilly seemed to be taking everything in, processing the information like a court reporter. All she needed was a stenotype machine.

“Let me tell you something,” Nathan said, his voice dropping dangerously low, “Judi is still my wife, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help her—including walking all over you if need be. She’s played fair with the two of you even though you’ve drawn her here possibly under false pretenses, bullied, threatened, and frightened her—much like the person who wrote those menacing notes.” He leaned forward on the seat, taking a stance similar to those Judi recalled him using in the courtroom when he wanted to intimidate. “If you want to threaten her with the law, then you’ll have to go through me first.”