Grave Concerns (16 page)

“Um … do you think we should hug?”

Kelly’s question threw Maddie for a loop. “I guess we have to,” Maddie said. “Families always hug, don’t they?”

The two women embraced, putting the past behind them and looking forward to the future. Bygones were finally bygones, and Maddie couldn’t have been any happier.

“I think the world may be ending,” Nick said, reclining on the blanket and staring up at the stars as Maddie settled at his side.

“You’re so dramatic sometimes. You know that, right?”

Nick ignored her. “Do you think it will be an asteroid slamming into the Earth, or will it be a zombie apocalypse?”

“What are we talking about?” Maddie was officially confused.

“The end of the world,” Nick filled in. “Will it be zombies or an asteroid?”

Maddie frowned. She’d been excited to relate her afternoon conversation with Kelly to Nick upon his return. His reaction wasn’t what she was expecting. “Nicky, your sister was very sweet and nice to me. I would think that would make you happy.”

The duo sat on a blanket next to the river, waiting for dinner to be completed, and caught each other up on their respective days.

“I am happy, Mad,” Nick countered. “I’d be even happier if I was convinced that she was telling the truth.”

Maddie sighed. Nick had a weird pessimistic streak that she couldn’t always understand. “She was sincere, Nicky. You should’ve seen her.”

“I’d like to believe you, Mad, but I’ve spent more time with my sister than you have,” Nick replied. “I love her, don’t get me wrong, but she’s not exactly known for apologizing and meaning it.”

“Well, believe it,” Maddie said. “Your sister and I are starting anew and you’re going to be surprised at how well things go. I have faith. You can’t ruin this for me.”

“I would never try to ruin this for you, love,” Nick argued. “I just don’t want you to turn your back on my sister and end up with a knife between your shoulder blades.”

“She owned up to every single thing she did, explained why she did it, and admitted she was wrong,” Maddie said. “She also thanked me for going after Hayley last night. She almost cried.”

Nick made a face. “My sister doesn’t cry.”

“She almost did today.”

“Okay, love, Kelly almost cried,” Nick said, giving in. He wasn’t in the mood for an argument, even if it might lead to Maddie’s proposed “making up” scenario. He was going to hold off on that until he could be assured they had time alone. “How was Hayley today?”

“She acted as if nothing out of the ordinary happened last night.”

“Do you think it was an act or a teenage thing?”

“I think she’s so caught up worrying about Kevin noticing her that she’s avoiding practically everything else,” Maddie replied. “Last night she asked me how to attract a teenage boy.”

Nick snorted. “Did you tell her you had no idea because you were oblivious to all teenage boys who didn’t have my handsome face when we were in high school?”

Maddie didn’t want to smile, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “Your ego is unbelievable.”

“That’s because it keeps getting bigger every time you kiss me.”

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped then,” Maddie said, rubbing her nose against Nick’s cheek. “I can’t see myself ever stopping the kissing.”

“Exactly.” Nick pressed his lips to Maddie’s, sinking into the kiss for a few moments before finally separating. “Maybe we should skip dinner and go to bed early?”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “This is our last night here. We can spend it with your family. When we get back to our house, then we can play
those
games.”

“Which games are you talking about?” Nick asked, enjoying the flush of Maddie’s cheeks. Whenever he questioned her about sex, she always got embarrassed.

“If you keep playing this game – you know the one where you get off on making my cheeks burn – then we won’t be playing any of the fun games you like so much when we get out of here,” Maddie warned.

“I like it when you’re stern,” Nick said, his eyes twinkling. When Maddie didn’t immediately melt into his arms, he gave in. “Okay, Mad, you and Kelly made up and we’re not going to talk about our fun bedroom games. Go back to telling me about Hayley. Are you sure she wasn’t upset?”

“She seemed fine. Well, other than her Kevin mania.”

“Isn’t she a little young to be boy crazy?” Nick asked, wrinkling his nose. “I think she should have to wait until she’s at least sixteen years old.”

“I think you’re living in the Dark Ages.”

“When we have a daughter, she’s not dating until she’s thirty,” Nick said.

“Really?” Maddie giggled. “Are you going to lock her in the house or something?”

“I just know if we have a daughter that she’s going to look exactly like you,” Nick countered. “That means we’re going to have every miscreant, bad boy, and random walking hormone hanging around our house when she gets to be a certain age. I shall greet them all with a shotgun.”

“I see,” Maddie said, resting her head against Nick’s shoulder as she cuddled a little closer. “And what happens if she has a best friend who is a boy and he wants to take her into a funhouse when she’s seventeen?”

“Then I’m going to have to kill him.” Nick looked deadly serious, so of course Maddie laughed. “I’m not joking, love. I can’t let some filthy walking hormone touch my daughter.”

“Don’t you think we should wait until we actually have a daughter before you get all worked up about this?”

Nick shrugged. “I like to dream, Mad,” he said. “My favorite dreams are of you, me, and the life we’re going to build. If you think I’m too … I don’t know, manly … to admit it, you’re wrong. I have grand plans for our future.”

“I think this is exactly why I love you,” Maddie said. “I’m dying to hear what these plans entail, by the way.”

“Oh, well, good,” Nick replied. “You’re a captive audience until my mother feeds you, so you might as well get comfortable. For starters, I’m thinking we should go to Hawaii for our honeymoon.”

“Why Hawaii?”

“Did you have someplace else in mind?”

“No,” Maddie answered, shaking her head. “I just want to know why you picked Hawaii.”

“Because I’m dying to see you in a coconut bra.”

“Yeah, I should’ve seen that coming,” Maddie muttered.

“Get comfortable, love,” Nick ordered. “Dinner is still an hour away and I have a lot of dreams to catch you up on.”

“WHAT
do you think they’re doing over there?” Kelly asked John, settling at one of the picnic tables and handing him a beer.

John glanced over his shoulder, smiling when he realized who Kelly was referring to. “Planning their happily ever after.”

“That’s what it looks like, doesn’t it?” Kelly mused.

“You should spend some time around them,” John suggested. “They’re even more lovey-dovey up close and personal.”

“That’s right, you spent days with them when that girl went missing in Blackstone Bay and turned up dead on the beach,” Kelly said. “How did you get involved in that again?”

“Nick and Maddie found her body on the beach,” John replied. “The state had to get involved for the autopsy and I hung around to help with the investigation. Blackstone Bay only has two full-time cops. They can use the help whenever it’s offered.”

“It’s kind of weird when you think about it,” Kelly said.

“What’s weird?”

“All the trouble that Maddie has found since she got back,” Kelly replied. “First there was that whole stalking thing where she almost drowned and Nick had to resuscitate her. Then the mayor killed a woman and went after Maddie. Then Nick and Maddie found that girl’s body on the beach. Then they had that whole thing where that kid they graduated with tried to kill Maddie.”

“Thanks for the news update,” John said dryly.

Kelly playfully punched his arm. “You know what I mean,” she said. “Maddie has been in the center of four cases since she got back to town, and she’s barely been back for three months.”

“I think it’s just bad luck,” John said, taking a pull from his beer and averting his gaze.

Kelly didn’t miss the shift in John’s body language. “What do you know?”

“What makes you think I know anything?” John protested, holding his hands palms-up. “I’m the last one in this family to ever know anything.”

“That’s true,” Kelly conceded. “I still think you know something, though. You were over there with them for days. You and Nick had your heads bent together for hours today when you came back from your hike. Don’t think for a second that I don’t know what you were doing out there, by the way. I know darned well that something really bad almost happened to Hayley last night.”

John sighed, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. They were alone. “We don’t want anyone to panic, but we also don’t want anyone wandering around alone tonight,” he said. “That goes double for the kids.”

Kelly stilled. “You think that whoever was out there last night went after Hayley instead of Maddie because of her age, don’t you?”

John nodded.

“Oh, God.” Kelly pressed her hand to her stomach, horrified. “If Maddie hadn’t been there … .”

“If Maddie hadn’t been there things might have gone a different way,” John finished. “She was there, though. She stepped in and drew the guy’s attention to her and that gave Hayley the chance to escape. You owe Maddie.”

“I apologized to her this afternoon,” Kelly said. “We decided to start fresh.”

“I heard.”

Kelly furrowed her brow. “How did you hear about that? Is Maddie telling people?”

“Maddie and Nick have been glued to each other since we got back,” John replied. “She hasn’t talked to anyone but him. I heard from Mom.”

“How did she know?” Kelly’s voice was shrill.

“She watched you two talk things out and she’s really, really proud of her daughter,” John teased, grabbing Kelly’s cheek and giving it a jiggle. “She thinks you’re maturing into a wonderful woman right in front of her eyes this week. It’s a camping miracle.”

Kelly slapped John’s hand away, irritated. “I can’t believe Mom eavesdropped on us.”

“I don’t think she was eavesdropping,” John clarified. “My understanding is that she merely watched you from afar. I’m not joking about her being proud, though. I heard her talking to Dad. She thinks that whatever conversation you heard between Nick and him was harsh. She also thinks it’s done you a world of good.”

“Ugh,” Kelly grunted, annoyed. “I hate it when she’s right.”

“Are you admitting that Mom is right? I’m shocked!”

“You drive me crazy,” Kelly muttered, cuffing her brother. “I’m not saying that Mom is right. I’m saying that … she’s kind of right.”

“Oh, well, Hell really has frozen over,” John said. “I can’t believe you’re admitting you were wrong about Maddie and her intentions.”

“First of all, I didn’t say I was wrong,” Kelly corrected. “I was, though. I admit it. Seeing Maddie and Nick together makes me realize that they’re building a life together and it’s one that’s going to last.”

John’s handsome face sobered. “Kelly, you know you’re still young enough to build a life of your own, right? Nick and Maddie don’t have a monopoly on happiness – no matter how gross they are when they cuddle like that.”

John’s disgusted made Kelly smirk. Sarcasm was a weapon they had in common. “I know that. I know I’ve been bitter. I also know I haven’t done Hayley or myself any favors by being so bitter. I have to set a better example for my daughter, especially since she’s going to start dating soon. I don’t want her taking her cues from me.”

“Oh, Hayley can’t start dating,” John countered. “She’s too young.”

“I had my first date when I was fourteen.”

“Then Social Services should’ve stepped in and taken you away from Mom and Dad,” John replied, scowling. “Hayley is too young to even think about dating.”

“In case you’ve missed it, Hayley has spent days mooning over that Kevin kid,” Kelly pointed out. “She has a huge crush on him. Unfortunately for her, he’s got a huge crush on Maddie.”

“Yeah, Maddie really is every teenage boy’s wet dream.”

Kelly scowled. “Do you have to be so crass?”

“What? Maddie has legs that go on for miles, blond hair, blue eyes, a butt you just want to squeeze … .” John mimicked the potential “squeezing” for good measure.

“That’s your brother’s girlfriend,” Kelly reminded him.

“She’s also sweet, pretends to listen, and knows how to catch a boatload of fish,” John finished. “To a teenage boy, she pretty much sounds like a superhero.”

“I guess.”

“Speaking of Hayley, where is she?”

“Oh, she’s mooning over Kevin somewhere,” Kelly replied, craning her neck and pointing to a group of trees. “They’re over there. I see Kevin.”

“Well, just don’t let her wander off tonight,” John cautioned.

“I’m sure that will thrill her, but don’t worry about it,” Kelly said. “I’m hoping we can have a nice bonfire and that everyone goes to bed early. For some reason, I’m exhausted.”

“That’s what plotting does to you. It tires you out.”

“Oh, stuff it,” Kelly muttered, causing her brother to smile.

“By the way, not that I miss her, but where is Sydney?” John asked, scanning the campsite. “Did we luck out and miss her exit?”