Foxfire (4 page)

“Why did you move to Tennessee?” Harri
demanded.

“I love the mountains. When I was a kid, our
family vacationed in the Gatlinburg area. I've always wanted to
live here. When the opportunity arose, I couldn't resist.”

“What opportunity?” Harri prodded.

Brad's silverware clattered against his
plate. “Harri, don't be so nosy. If Tyler wants—”

“It's all right, Brad. I don't mind. I was in
partnership with...another vet. Things didn't work out, and here I
am.”

Harri's earrings swayed hypnotically as she
buttered her roll with a vengeance. “Young man, you went from page
one to the end and skipped the entire middle of that story.”

Tyler chewed, studying his plate as if
searching for a proper response.

Harri slapped her knife onto the table. “You
must let me read your palm sometime.”

“Yes, Tyler,” Grace piped in, her voice laced
with saccharin. “You should let Harri read your palm.”

Harri flicked a glance at Grace's bare
finger.

“Hmmph. You should have listened to me,
girl.”

It was Grace's turn to cough.

“You should see Tyler's clinic,” Brad
interjected. “He's got a scale big enough to weigh a bear.”

For a moment a heavy silence rent the air in
the wake of Brad's obvious attempt to change the subject.

“Not quite,” Tyler said. “Let's hope none of
my clients has a bear for a pet.”

“He's opening next week,” Brad said. “Ran an
ad in the local paper.”

Harri's eyes dilated, fixing on Grace for a
few heart-stopping seconds, and then focused on Tyler. Her gaze
wavered, settling somewhere between the two of them.

Tyler nodded and reached for another roll.
“It'll be slow to start, but I'm hoping to expand through word of
mouth. Once I get an established client base, I'll hire someone to
run the office. Appointments, billing, that sort of thing.”

Brad lifted his fork and pointed at Grace.
“Our Grace is looking for a job. Why not hire her?”

Grace felt her face flush. She wrapped her
fingers around her glass to keep from throttling Brad. What in the
world was he doing? First inviting this stranger to dinner in a
not-too-subtle matchmaking ploy, then letting him know she was
unemployed. Surrogate grandfather or not, he'd stepped over the
line.

Brad cleared his throat and shoved away from
the table. “I forgot about Tiffany.” He placed a bowl in front of
the dog and then washed his hands noisily. The running water and
Tiffany's snapping jaws were the only sounds to be heard.

Tyler turned his glance to Grace. “You have
any experience with computers?”

“Yes, but I'm not...that is, I just quit my
job. I haven't thought a lot about what I'm going to do next.”

Brad began to clear the table. “What's the
mystery dessert, Harri?”

“Zodiac surprise,” she responded quickly.

Anxiety and mirth brought a burst of laughter
from Grace. Brad's deep booming guffaw joined in, followed by
Tyler's more reserved chuckle.

Harri's face lit as if a candle glowed
within. Dimples marked her chipmunk cheeks. “It's vanilla cake made
with coconut rum. You'll love it, I swear.”

Brad pressed a kiss on the top of Harri's
head. “Darlin', I'm sure we will.”

And they did, polishing off nearly the entire
cake with much approbation for the cook. Grace insisted on washing
dishes, shooing everyone else to the living room. She wanted time
to herself away from Tyler's virile presence. Her mind wandered to
how easily she responded to him and how she didn't miss Connor at
all. How could she move so easily from one ruined relationship into
feeling attracted to another man? Especially one she didn't know.
He could be a pervert or maybe even the serial killer the cops were
trying to find. What did she really know about him?

She placed the last dish in the drainer and
reached for the dishtowel. Though she didn't hear a sound, she knew
the moment Tyler entered the room.

He took the towel from her hands. “Allow me,”
he said.

Tyler stepped back and reached for another
item in the draining rack.

Grace stepped aside, just as Harri popped
around the corner with Brad close behind.

“Need help?” Harri asked. She focused a stern
schoolteacher scowl on Tyler.

“Nope, almost finished,” Tyler said.

Grace said, “Dessert was scrumptious, Harri.
What was in that icing?”

“I might tell you the secret some day,” Harri
said.

Grace nuzzled her dog. “I'll hold you to
that. Right now, I really should be heading for home.”

“Me, too,” Tyler said.

Brad removed his arm from around Harri's
waist and took Tyler's outstretched hand.

“Thanks for dinner, Brad,” the younger man
said. He kissed Harri's cheek. “And thanks for the dessert,
Harri.”

Harri remained silent.

“I'll walk Grace home,” Tyler said.

Harri pulled Grace aside and whispered, “I
don't trust him. That man's hiding something.”

Grace flicked a glance from the corner of her
eyes toward the two men, who were staring at her and Harri. What
secrets did Tyler have? Harri could be counted on for her psychic
abilities, and Grace knew better than to ignore her warning. Who
was he? He said he was from Ohio. Was it possible he'd been sent to
find her? Could he be working for Max? The thought made Grace feel
as if a giant shovel had scooped out her insides.

“It's a good thing you have Tiffany,” Harri
said so all could hear. “I've been thinking of getting myself a
dog. Did you hear another woman was killed last night?”

Grace's dinner turned to acid, burning her
esophagus. She swallowed hard. She'd talked to the police, who'd
made her feel foolish for reporting what she'd seen. She'd shrugged
it off, but she couldn't stop thinking about the poor women.

Tyler drew his brows together. “Another
woman? What happened?”

Harri stared at Tyler, lips pressed together
in a thin line. A brief moment of stagnant silence thickened the
air. Finally she replied, “Another poor woman was slashed to death
by the Knoxville Knifer.”

“Another?” Tyler queried.

Harri gave Tyler a look that would make most
men worry for their lives.

“Three other victims in the past five weeks,”
she responded in an accusatory tone. “That makes four women killed
by the Knoxville Knifer, and the police don't have a suspect.”

“Here in Foxfire?” Tyler asked. He didn't
seem to notice Harri's antagonistic attitude.

Brad moved closer to Grace. She gave him a
grateful smile for his silent comfort.

“Not here,” he answered quickly, placing a
hand on Grace's shoulder. “In Knoxville. Nothing bad ever happens
in Foxfire.”

Gathering strength from Brad's touch, Grace
admitted, “I talked to the police today about the latest
murder.”

Brad frowned. “The police? Did you know that
woman?”

“No. But last night I saw someone in the
parking garage. He was standing in the shadows beside the elevator
on the second floor. The light above the doors was out, but my
headlights caught him when I passed. I didn't think much of it
until I read the article this morning.”

Despite the warmth in the room, she couldn't
suppress a shiver. Visions of a knife kept flashing through her
mind.

Harri's eyes sparkled with intensity. “You've
got to come and let me read the Tarot cards for you. Do you think
you saw the Knoxville Knifer?”

“The police don't think so. I couldn't give a
very good description. Actually, they made me feel foolish for
going in to report it.”

Harri squinted, her lips pursing. She shook
her head. “Something's going on. You've got something dark
corrupting your aura. Come by tomorrow and I'll do a reading.”

“Damn it, Harri!” Brad stepped between the
two women. “You stop scaring her. She's had enough to deal with the
past two days.”

Grace put a hand on Brad's arm. “She isn't
scaring me, and besides I believe in Harri's abilities.”

Brad shook his head. “I think it's all a
bunch of hooey.”

Harri glared at Brad. “If you'll get my
sweater, I'll be on my way. You're beginning to get on my nerves,
Bradley.”

“Please don't fight,” Grace pleaded. “I’m
sure what I saw was nothing at all. Just like the police said.”

Harri kept her narrow gaze focused on Brad
until he mumbled a brief apology.

Grace kissed Brad and Harri on the cheeks and
left them to work out their difference. Tiffany raced ahead, and
Tyler soon caught up with her.

“Tiffany,” she called. Though she didn't
think she had anything to fear from Tyler, one could never be too
careful. She felt grateful her dog was near.

Chapter Three

Tyler had to increase his pace to keep up
with Grace. Tiffany ran ahead of them, dodging in and out of
trees.

Tyler had been following the murders
committed by the serial killer dubbed the Knoxville Knifer. At
first he wondered if there might be a connection to Max, but
discarded the idea because Max preferred a quick kill by shooting
his victims in the head. Besides, his list seemed limited to those
who'd testified in his trial. Random serial killings didn't fit the
profile.

Tyler kept a close surveillance on the wooded
area pressing in on them. If Max wasn't here yet, he would be
eventually. Tyler intended to be alert and ready. He caught sight
of the moonlight glinting off Grace's molten cap of red curls. He
took her arm and slowed their pace, not wanting to reach her house
too soon.

“You don't have to walk me home,” she
blurted.

Suppressing a grin, he said, “Maybe not, but
I want to. Besides, I have to pass your house to get to mine.”

“Just don't get the wrong idea. I'm perfectly
capable of taking care of myself.”

“Glad to hear that. If a bear shows up, I
wouldn't know what to do. Glad you're here to protect me.”

Her quick laughter washed over him.

“Brad didn't tell me he was inviting a sexy
woman to dinner,” he continued.

She looked at him from under one raised
eyebrow.

He grinned. “But I'm glad he did.”

“You're so full of bull. I suppose women
usually throw themselves at your feet.”

“Only the four-legged ones.”

She grinned and kicked at a stone on the
path. “He didn't tell me you were coming either.”

“Sneaky, isn't he?”

“Sometimes. Look, Brad is like family. He
feels responsible for me.” She stopped and swung to face him. “I'm
not looking for a relationship. If you want the truth, I've just
ended one. I'm not...that is, I've decided...”

He loved the way she moved her hands when she
talked, as if leading an invisible orchestra. The top of her head
barely reached his shoulder. Her waist was tiny, small enough he
felt he could span it with his hands. Below it her hips flared
provocatively. Altogether a nice package. One he'd like to sample,
if not for his rule against mixing business with pleasure.

Her outstretched arms dropped to her side,
and her shoulders sagged. “I'm sorry. I love Brad, but
sometimes—”

He cupped her elbow and started walking
again. “Hey, don't worry. I'm not looking for a relationship
either.”

They strolled in silence for several steps.
“I must say, that although Brad told me a lot about Harri, she
isn't quite what I expected.”

Grace's tinkling laugh wrapped around his
chest and stole his breath. Something he wasn't prepared for.

“She's a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes
her predictions are right on.”

“Really? Do you think I should let her read
my palm?” He turned her to face him. “Maybe she can tell me if...”
He ran his hands up her arms and squeezed her shoulders. “...I'm
going to get my wish.” He couldn't help pushing her buttons. “You
know, make a success of the clinic,” he added. He started walking
again, slipping his hand back under her elbow.

“Maybe you should,” Grace said.

Tyler laughed. “Nah, like Brad, I don't
believe in that hokey stuff.”

“She might surprise you.”

Too quickly they reached her house. She'd
left the porch light on, and he recalled how sexy and vulnerable
she'd looked last night standing under its glow, her eyes all red
and puffy. He mentally checked his emotions. He couldn't let his
feelings get in the way of what he had to do, for he needed to
spend more time with her. Even though he hadn't opened for
business, he'd have to press her to come to work for him. What a
stroke of luck for him that she wasn't employed. “About the job
opening…”

Grace pushed her hands out as if to ward him
off. “Brad shouldn't have said anything.”

“You mean you're not looking for a job?”

She blew out a loud breath. “I am, but I
don’t want you to feel obligated because of Brad.”

He stepped forward and Tiffany plopped
herself between them. Her tongue rippled while she panted. He kept
his distance, respecting the dog's territorial barrier. “I don’t
feel obligated. I need an office manager. You need a job. I don't
know what you're looking for, but let's talk.”

“I appreciate your offer, but you don't know
anything about me.”

“I know you can operate a computer. You told
me that much. That's why we need to talk. You know, I learn about
you, and you learn about...” He winked. “The job opening.”

“Let me think about it.”

Her eyes sparkled beneath lashes so long and
curly he ached to feel them against his skin. The woman was
dangerous. He’d been without a woman for much too long.

He held out a hand and received a wet kiss
from the dog. He loved dogs, but that wasn't the type of kiss he
hungered for tonight.

He'd had a few dates over the past few years,
but always with women who wouldn't expect a commitment. Something
about Grace screamed commitment. Despite the fact she'd been the
girlfriend of a mobster, he sensed she might have been telling the
jury the truth when she said she didn't know about Max's criminal
activities.