Doubting Thomas (Tarnished Saints Series) (24 page)

“It sounds like you two were close.”

“We were at one time. Born only a year apart, we grew up almost as close as my  twin brothers.”

“So you have no idea where to find any of your brothers?”

“Well, Peter is off somewhere in South America doing ministry work so I doubt he’ll show up for the funeral. And last I heard, John was off exploring somewhere, and Nate and Thad had gone to live somewhere warm.”

“So where are the rest of them?”

“Hard telling,” he said. “But they’ll surface eventually. There’s no holding a Taylor man down.”

“So I’ve learned,” she said in a husky voice which only excited him and made him think of their intimate night together. “Everything will work out, Thomas, I promise.”

She looked up to him with those big green eyes and he knew he’d been wrong in not trusting her. She was the only one in this blasted town he could trust and he’d almost blown his marriage over his own tarnished past and guarded emotions.

“Let’s go to bed,” Angel said, causing Thomas to want to make love to her once more.

“I don’t know, Angie. It’s going to seem awkward lying with you in the same bed in front of the children.”

“I agree,” she said. “That’s why I’ve moved all their beds out into the living room.”

“Isn’t that a little crowded?”

“It is, but they don’t seem to mind. In the mornings, the sofa bed folds up and so do the cots, so it’ll work out just fine. Now we can close the door and have the privacy any newly married couple should have.”

“Forgive me, honey, for not having trusted you earlier. I can see now what a fool I’ve been.”

“Forgive me,” she begged him. “I should have just come straight out and told you I was a nosey woman who was looking for surprises she didn’t deserve.”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong. You do deserve surprises and trips to exotic lands for your honeymoon. I only regret I can’t give you everything I want to.”

“I don’t need any of those things as long as I have you. And if you don’t take me to bed right now, I’m going to rip off this robe and make love to you right here on the front porch.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” he said. “Let’s make love in the hayloft in the barn.”

“What?” she asked, her eyes opening wide in surprise.

“That way I can be the animal I want to be with you.”

“I’ve never . . . ”

“That’s just the problem. Come on, Angie. I’ll show you just how fun this can be.” He got up and headed to the barn.

Angel laughed as she ran across the ground in her bare feet, feeling like a child doing something she shouldn’t, and loving the secrecy of it all. She followed Thomas into the barn, and he stopped her at the door.

“Wait here for a moment. It’s dark and I don’t want you to fall. I have a flashlight right by the door. I don’t like to use lanterns around the hay.”

He reached inside the barn and in seconds had lit the flashlight. Hold this.”

She took it and he grabbed a blanket hanging on a hook. Then he picked her up in his arms. She giggled and tried to stay quiet.

“What are you doing? I can walk.”

“We have animals in here, you realize. I’m not taking the chance of you stepping in a stray pile.”

He deposited her on the ladder to the hay loft and she climbed up, with him right behind her. Once atop, he opened the window and the light from the full moon spilled across the hay. Then he shut off the flashlight and spread out the blanket, and removed his clothes.

“Your turn, honey.”

He held that lustful look in his eyes that excited her, and in one motion she dropped her robe to the ground.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he told her, his eyes sweeping down her naked body. She must have been waiting to entice him, or she never would be naked under the robe with the children in the house.

“And you’re too much a gentlemen to have me believe you’re going to mate with me like an animal.”

“You don’t know my wild side, sweetheart, but you are about to find out.”

She swallowed deeply, the thought exciting her. “I think I’ll know what’s it like after tonight.”

“After tonight, you’re going to be sore. Because I plan on making love to you in the hay all night long in every way possible and in positions that would probably make you blush.”

“I’m already blushing,” she told him shyly. “But I’m very willing to learn.”

“Well, I’m a great teacher,” he said wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to the ground. “Hang on, Angie, for the ride of your life.”

Chapter 2
1

Angel awoke from a night of bliss, to the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. The sun was just coming up over the horizon and she knew it couldn’t have been past five in the morning.

“Thomas,” she said, shaking him gently, looking out the open loft window. “Thomas, someone is here.”

He grunted and rolled over in the hay. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her quickly, realizing now it was Gus’s truck with Gus in the driver’s seat. A man she’d never seen before stepped out from the passenger side of the truck. He was tall and built well, and had dark hair. He wore a pair of jeans and a raggedy white t-shirt and carried a small duffel bag over his shoulder.

“Nice seeing you again, Levi,” called out Gus as he turned the truck and drove down the road.

“Levi,” she repeated softly, and almost as if the man had heard her, which was totally impossible, he looked up directly at her. She gasped and pulled back, knocking into Thomas who, stark naked, glanced out the window.

“Well look what the cat dragged in,” Thomas called out loudly. “Levi, up here.” He waved, and horrified at the thought of being found in the hayloft like this, Angel pulled down Thomas’s hand and tried to pull him away from the window.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, keeping out of sight.

“Saying hi to my brother, what else?”

“This is so embarrassing, Thomas. I don’t want him to see me here . . . like this.”

“Don’t worry, Levi won’t mind. Plus, he’s made love in places much more exotic than a hayloft, so this isn’t likely to surprise him.” He snatched up his briefs and pulled them on.

“That’s right, brother.” Levi’s head appeared at the top of the ladder and Angel gasped and hid behind Thomas.

“Levi, good to see you again.” Thomas reached out and clasped hands with his brother. The man looked tired and needed a shave and Angel remembered Thomas saying he’d just gotten out of prison. Now that she thought about it, he did look dangerous. But then again, so did Thomas until she’d gotten to know him.

“I hitchhiked out here right after I got released,” said Levi. “I met Gus in town and he gave me a ride out here. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind? Hell, no,” said Thomas with a chuckle. “You know you’re always welcome here, you nut.”

They embraced in a hug which left Angel standing there clutching her robe with nowhere to hide. Levi’s blue eyes looked down at her over Thomas’s shoulder.

“Who’s the little lady?” he asked with a lopsided grin.

“Hi, I’m Angel,” she said nervously, feeling like crawling under a rock and dying. “I’m Thomas’s wife.”

“Really,” he said, then looked back at Thomas. “Gee, Tommy. You’ve had more wives than I’ve had wardens.”

“Tommy?” Angel repeated and almost laughed out loud. “And to think he gets upset when I so much as call him Tom.”

“Levi’s the only one who can get away with that crap,” Thomas spat, pulling on his jeans. “The rest of my brothers call me Thomas.”

“So they’re not allowed to call you Tommy?” she questioned.

“They even think of trying it and Tommy here would rub their faces in the dirt,” explained Levi. “I only get away with it because he knows I’m the only one who’s ever beaten him in a fight.”

“Like hell,” said Thomas grabbing his brother in a headlock.

Levi struggled for a moment and then before Angel knew what happened, she was staring at Thomas lying in the hay flat on his back. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“I learned a few new tricks in the slammer,” said Levi. “And I’ve always been fast and sly.”

“Yeah, well, don’t forget,” Thomas reminded him, “that’s what landed you in the slammer to begin with.” He brushed off the hay from his jeans and donned his shirt.

“So where’s the kids?” asked Levi.

“All six of them are still sleeping and I better get them up or the chores will never get done.”

“Six?” His eyebrow raised. “Oh yeah, I forgot about the little one you had with Fawn.”

“How long has it been since you two have talked?” asked Angel in shock.

“Too long,” said Thomas, buttoning his shirt. “And Levi, there’s a lot of catching up you need to do. Now come on in the house. The kids haven’t seen you in so long they probably don’t even remember you. I want the kids to meet their prodigal uncle.”

* * *

It wasn’t ten minutes later and the kids were not only dressed, with beds made, but they were throwing the football Angel had given Dan around the house with Thomas’s brother falling over the sofa, knocking into the lamp and coercing the kids to pig pile atop him. They squealed in delight, and even little Eli smiled.

“That’s enough, please.” Angel held her hands up in the air to get their attention. The kids were so excited to see their uncle that they hadn’t even questioned earlier why she’d been outside in her bathrobe. “Thomas, someone is going to get hurt.”

“Angie, these are my boys. A little roughing up is just what they need.”

“They’re my boys now too,” she said. “And as soon as Gabby gets here with Stacy, they’re going to have to play in a little more gentle manner. The girls aren’t going to play rough.”

“Boys,” shouted Thomas over the noise, trying to gain their attention. “Take it outside.”

“Aw, Pa,” complained Jake jumping on top of the pile, making Levi groan out a pretend protest. “We’re having fun.”

“You heard what your dad said,” came Levi’s voice from below. “Now the last one outside is a rotten egg.”

That got them moving. Josh grabbed the ball from Levi, hopped over Sam and made it to the door first. Zeke was right behind him until Dan pulled him backwards and was blocked at the door by Jake. Eli sneaked between his legs and they all ran after him. Sam hung his head and limped out slowly after them all.

“Hey, wait!” shouted Levi, pretending to run for the door and trip. “I can’t be last. I don’t like anything rotten.”

Sam laughed and hurried faster, leaving Levi behind.

“That was a noble gesture, bro,” said Thomas, reaching out to help Levi up. “But you don’t have to pretend for Sam’s sake.”

“Who said I was pretending?” Levi took Thomas’s hand and flipped him to the floor before getting up and brushing the dirt off his jeans.

“All right you two, how about a cup of coffee?” Angel laughed and shook her head. This was a playful side of Thomas she’d never seen. Maybe having one of his brothers around was a good thing. But somehow she didn’t think having an ex-con in the house was going to please Child Services.

The men took seats at the table, and Angel handed them each a mug of steaming hot coffee. Levi took one sip and let out a sigh of approval.

“Angel, you brew the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.”

“Why thank you, Levi,” she said, waiting for a compliment from Thomas as well.

“She’s good at a lot of things,” Thomas said, watching her over the rim of his mug.

“Like what?” asked Levi.

“Like it’s none of your damned business,” said Thomas kicking his brother under the table.

Angel blushed and busied herself starting breakfast for the clan. Gabby as well as Stacy and Tillie were coming to eat and she had a lot of work ahead of her.

“So what’s new around Thunder Lake?” asked Levi.

“You mean besides Fawn being murdered and the whole town thinking I did it?”

“Yeah, I heard about the murder in prison. Sorry about that, Tommy. I can’t say I really knew Fawn, but from what you’ve told me about her, I can’t say I’m surprised something like this happened.”

“Life’s been hell around here since it happened. And I’m tired of having everyone thinking I’m responsible for it.”

“Don’t worry brother, I don’t think that for a minute. So tell me, besides that, anything else new around here since I’ve been away?”

“Not much except for the news about Ma.”

“What about Ma?” he asked, taking another sip of the hot coffee.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know?” Thomas’s voice was accusing. “I’m sure Gus said something, if not the other townsfolk.”

“I got him out of bed, Tommy. He wasn’t thinking quite clearly so I may have missed the update. And I haven’t talked to anyone in town since I’ve arrived.”

Angel watched with a sideways glance, wondering how Levi would take the news of the death of his mother.

“Ma died yesterday,” Thomas told him, staring down into his coffee.

Levi was quiet for a minute, and she could see him holding back his emotions just like Thomas. He nodded a few times as if coming to terms with it, and then spoke in a low voice.

“At least she’s at peace now.”

Angel shouldn’t have been surprised at finding another unemotional Taylor man. She wanted to just walk up and shake the both of them until they reacted in some way.

“Yeah. Pa will be happy to see her,” said Thomas taking a swig of coffee.

“When’s the funeral? Tomorrow?”

“Yep. Afterward they’re reading the will. I sure hope we’re not the only Taylors there.”

“Tommy, I don’t have any money or I’d help you with the funeral expenses.”

“I know that.”

“Do you think Ma had any money left?”

“The nursing home got every penny. But thankfully before Pa died he saw to it that the rest of the land would be saved by putting it in trust.”

“Wow, this is all so hard to comprehend. So many things have changed since I’ve been locked away. And I only wish now I’d been released a few days earlier and maybe I could have seen Ma one last time.”

* * *

The day went fast with Levi in their midst, but the next morning went painstakingly slow during the funeral. The weather was already eighty-five degrees and it was only ten in the morning.

She pushed into the cabin with the kids following her. Thomas and Levi had gone to the lawyers office for the reading of the will, and Thomas hadn’t been happy that no more of his brothers had arrived in time.

“Mommy, can Stacy and I go for a ride with Dan?” Gabby asked from behind her.

“I’m going to drive down to see the Ainsleys,” Dan told her. “Mr. Ainsley promised to take us all fishing out in the rowboat a few at a time.”

“Yeah,” said Sam. “The fish are really biting at the other end of the lake. I want to see if I can catch a catfish this time.”

Tillie walked in with a bag of groceries in her hand and laid it on the table. “I brought a few supplies to replace what Stacy and I ate yesterday,” she said. “Put them away before Thomas figures out what I did and refuses to take them.”

“Thanks, Tillie.”

“Mommy, can I ride in Dan’s car?”

“Sure, sweetie, but use the seatbelt.”

“We get the front,” Gabby shouted out for her and Stacy.

“No, I do,” said Sam pushing his way through the door.

“I’ll take the rest of the kids in my car,” Tillie told Angel.

“Thanks, Tillie.” Angel ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going to find something in Thomas’s closet for Levi to wear so he can look presentable if CPS comes by.”

“Are you expecting them again so soon?”

“According to my calculations, they’ll be here any time. They always like to come back quickly after the initial visit to use the element of surprise and hopefully find something since they’re not expected.”

“Okay, Angel. I’ll keep an eye on the kids.”

They said their goodbyes and the whole clan pulled away, leaving Angel gloriously alone. Silence never sounded so sweet. Ever since Levi’s arrival yesterday, the noise level seemed to be turned up a notch. Of course, Thomas’s brother encouraged it and Thomas did nothing to stop it. But it was a good thing, she reminded herself. Thomas had been getting along with the boys wonderfully, and even convinced little Eli to ride on his shoulders when they’d made their way over to the stables to show Levi the horses earlier.

Happiness and laughter were no longer strangers to the Taylor residence and for the first time since she’d met him, Thomas had seemed to forget about his problems and enjoyed himself playing with the kids.

“What a mess,” Angel said, looking into the closet, trying to decipher Thomas’s clothes from the rest. And when she reached down and picked up a few items, her nail snagged on a floorboard sticking up, but just slightly. So slight, hadn’t she touched it, she never would have noticed.

“Ow.” She reached down to examine it and realized the whole board was loose. She picked it up and was shocked with what she found beneath the floor.

“Shoes.” Three pairs of Eli’s lost shoes magically appeared. “He must have been hiding them here when he slept in the closet,” she said to herself.

She didn’t think much about it, and started to pull them out, planning on having the boy use them, when a loud thunk sounded as something fell from the pile in her hands.

“Dear God!” Angel looked down to see a gun on the floor. She had no doubt in her mind it was the gun that was stolen from Thomas’s desk. But what was it doing in here? She gasped as she suddenly realized this may be the gun that killed Fawn. And if it was hidden under the floor board, then either the murderer had entered the house  . . . or perhaps lived here. “No way,” she said aloud, knowing in her mind that Thomas could have never done this. She knew in her heart the man was not a murderer.