Holly Grove Homecoming (12 page)

* * *

C
arly was dressed
and waiting when Trooper pulled into her driveway around eleven thirty. He was early, but so was she, so she figured both of them were looking forward to having lunch together.

She refused to think of it as a date because she wasn’t sure it
was
a date, and if Trooper was merely taking her to lunch as a sort of apology (which he didn’t owe her) or maybe as a way of being neighborly, well she certainly didn’t want to come across as aggressive again.

Not that she had any objection as a rule to taking the first step with a man, but she shouldn’t be taking any steps at all with Trooper. She mustn’t forget that she was keeping secrets from him, and if he ever learned about those secrets, whatever fondness he might feel toward her at that time could very well turn to dislike or at the very least, distrust.

With that thought in mind, she resolved to keep her distance from him after today’s outing. She’d use her writing as a reason, and she wouldn’t be lying. She really needed to finish her current work in progress.

Still, for all her resolve, she couldn’t prevent the tiny spike in her heart rate when she opened the door to his knock and looked into his sparkling eyes and wide smile. If he wasn’t glad to see her, he was putting on a mighty good act.

Carly spoke first. “You’re prompt this morning.”

“I didn’t want to keep a lovely lady waiting.” His smile widened. “Besides, I’m hungry. Aunt Myrna left me to my own devices this morning, so my breakfast amounted to a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal.”

Carly shot him an
oh-so-sad
look of sympathy. “Sounds as though someone who shall remain nameless is getting spoiled by his aunt Myrna.”

He raised his brows. “Now I wonder which of my male cousins you’re maligning today. I’ll have to investigate this little mystery.”

Carly laughed and picked up her purse. “Since you’re starving, I won’t keep you waiting.” She pulled her door key from a side pocket, stepped out onto the porch, and turned to lock the door. “Where are we going for lunch?”

“Have you ever been to Margo’s by the Lake?” He placed his hand on Carly’s arm as they turned to head toward his car and she felt a tingle all the way to her shoulder.

Darn it. She wished having Trooper near didn’t feel so good. She really had to make the break soon, before she became fonder of him than she already was. “No, I haven’t tried Margo’s yet, but I’ve heard it’s good. Have you eaten there already?”

“I had coffee there yesterday with an old friend, and I was impressed with the menu. And all the food I saw looked and smelled good, so I decided to try the place for a full meal.”

“Thanks for inviting me. This will be a new experience for me.”

He released her arm in order to open her car door and she suddenly discovered she could breathe again. She glanced up at him and found him looking into her face. He gave her a quick wink and a grin. Obviously this plan to dump him was going to require a bit of effort on her part.

She responded with what she hoped was a restrained smile, then slid into the car and waited for him to close the door. She fastened her seatbelt while he walked around and got in on the driver’s side. Seconds later he backed out of her drive and headed down Sugar Maple Drive.

Carly pretended to watch the passing scenery while Trooper maneuvered through the downtown traffic before reaching the four-lane highway that led toward Monterey Lake. When traffic slowed, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “I think I found our noise maker this morning.”

“You’re kidding. Who and what?” She turned away from the scenery and gave all of her attention to Trooper as he described the dented washtub he’d found lying beside the Abbotts’ trash container.

“And you think Mrs. Abbott had been banging on that thing outside your window at night?”

“I’m almost positive. And I suspect that Ralph discovered what she was doing and decided to get rid of the evidence.”

“But why would she want to harass you? You didn’t have anything to do with her son’s death.” A second after the words left her mouth, Carly realized that she’d just revealed her knowledge of what had happened to Trooper’s parents. She looked at him, not sure what to expect. Would he be angry? Hurt? Surprised? To her amazement, his expression was almost totally neutral.

“So you know about my parents. I figured you must. Anyone who has lived in Holly Grove for any amount of time would have heard about what happened. As for the reason behind Marge Abbott’s hatred of me, well, she seemed to go around the bend when Larry died, especially when the whole town thought he was a murderer. I guess I was just a handy whipping boy for her.”

“I’ve suspected that she isn’t quite sane. I mean, she never goes out of her house and your aunt told me that Mrs. Abbott never answers her phone. She’s a very sad case, really.”

“That’s true. Of course she wasn’t the only person who lost a loved one that afternoon, but I can see that she’d have had trouble accepting that her son was seemingly guilty of a double murder.”

Carly couldn’t help noticing that Trooper had used the word “seemingly” when referring to Larry Abbott as a murderer. Obviously he wasn’t convinced that the truth had come out about his parents’ and Larry’s deaths, which gave her even more reason to distance herself from him.

Just then Trooper slowed to make the right turn onto Willowby Road. He glanced at her with a smile that appeared forced. “I was pretty amazed when Tommy drove me out here yesterday. This was a dirt road surrounded by wilderness when I grew up in Holly Grove.”

Carly welcomed the change of subject and made a point of looking out the side window. “I see what you mean. Those are certainly expensive-looking houses set back in the woods there.”

“That they are. I’m sure the infusion of money helps the local merchants, but I miss the way this area looked when I was growing up. Willowby was an old logging road that led to a swimming hole on Monterey Lake, just about in the spot where Margo’s sits now.”

Carly shuddered, recalling how cold the lake water in these parts could be. “Do you people not believe in nice, heated pools?”

Trooper grinned. “Not when God has provided us with lakes that don’t require any initial expense or upkeep.” He braked and then nodded ahead toward the restaurant’s parking lot, which was less than half full. “Looks like we’ve beaten the lunch crowd.”

“Great,” Carly responded. “Like you, I had a light breakfast and so I’m pretty hungry myself.”

The restaurant was much like Carly had expected, with a rustic look that had been achieved through careful planning and at considerable expense. The decorating scheme worked well in Carly’s opinion. The dark wood floor, the fishnets artistically arranged on the walls, the wide expanse of windows overlooking the lake, and the various aquariums strategically placed around the dining area—all appealed to her. She felt tension draining from her shoulders as the hostess led them toward a secluded booth, reminding Carly of how long it had been since she’d dined in a nice restaurant with a handsome man.

Best not get too relaxed though, she reminded herself. Not unless she intended to tell Trooper why she had really settled in Holly Grove.

The thought of confiding in Trooper wasn’t one she’d considered to any extent, but perhaps she should. She decided to mull it over while they ate. To tell Trooper the truth or to completely distance herself from him—that seemed to be her options.

And neither was at all inviting.

T
he seafood
at Margo’s by the Lake was just as professionally prepared as Carly had hoped. She’d ordered her scallops fried, having decided that, considering how long it had been since she’d had seafood, she could afford to splurge. Then she worried that the scallops would be greasy, but it turned out that the breading was light and didn’t compromise the flavor of the scallops.

To make up for the fried entrée, she ordered a plain baked potato instead of fries and a house salad instead of slaw. Trooper had selected a nice white wine to complement the seafood, and by the time they’d finished eating, Carly was feeling both relaxed and mellow.

Apparently Trooper was also feeling relaxed. He polished off his glass of wine, then smiled. “Actually, I had an ulterior motive for asking you out today.”

“Ah.” Carly raised her brows. “Now the truth comes out. Are you going to tell me what your nefarious motive is, or must I guess?”

“Oh, I’ll confess.” He grinned. “I need the name of an office supply store and I’m assuming that you, as a writer, would know where I could get writing supplies.”

“What kind of writing supplies?”

“Nothing fancy. Just a legal pad and some pens. I…” He paused and glanced around, then lowered his voice. “While I’m in Holly Grove, I plan to investigate the incident in which my parents died. I don’t think the whole truth has come out, so I’m going to be talking to some people. I want to make notes about what they say, maybe organize my thoughts on paper. But I’d prefer that no one else know what I’m doing.”

Carly picked up her wine glass, only to discover it was empty. Drat! She hadn’t expected Trooper to confide in her. This put her in the position of either hiding her own plans or else sharing part of her intentions with Trooper.

Unfortunately, she had no idea how he would react, but she no longer felt she had much choice. She picked up her fork and poked at the remains of a hush puppy, then glanced at Trooper, who watched her closely. It was time, she realized, to fish or cut bait. Then, amused that she’d unconsciously lapsed into thinking in fisherman lingo, she smiled to herself.

“Care to share the joke with me?” Trooper regarded her with slightly curved lips.

Carly’s amusement faded. “Yes, but not here or now. Could we go someplace more private?”

Trooper’s brows shot up. “Sounds serious. Where would you like to go?”

“How about back to my house? We wouldn’t be interrupted there.”

“Fine.” Trooper tossed some bills on the table. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Carly said, pushing herself out of the booth and standing. She just wished her knees hadn’t suddenly turned so weak.

By the time Trooper pulled into Carly’s driveway, she’d decided what she wanted to do. For better or worse, she was going to tell Trooper that she planned to write a true crime novel about the incident in which his parents had died.

There was always a chance that he’d tell her to mind her own business. On the other hand, she really hoped he would agree to collaborate with her on the research. After all, she could truthfully say she shared his belief about the truth not having come out in regards to his parents’ deaths.

Of course she also had knowledge she couldn’t share with him, and that worried her. She wouldn’t lie to him, not directly, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t appreciate the distinction if he ever found out she’d withheld information that would have helped him uncover the truth.

Mentally shrugging aside her worries, she turned to Trooper when he cut the motor. “Come on in. I’ve got lots of writing supplies and I’m more than willing to share.”

Trooper smiled. “Sounds like a deal I can’t turn down.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Carly led Trooper up the stairs and into her office where she’d turned a walk-in closet into a storage space for her various supplies. She opened the door and stepped back. “Help yourself to anything that you feel would be useful to you. The legal pads are right in front of you.”

“Thanks.” Trooper stepped into the closet and looked around. “I like what you’ve done with the plastic shelving units.”

“A writer never has enough shelves. Between storage space for paper, ink cartridges, envelopes, and all the miscellaneous odds and ends, I’ve filled most of the shelves up already, as you can see.”

“So you have. Fortunately, my needs are minimal. I’ll just take a couple of legal pads and two pens.”

“That’s fine.” Carly wasn’t sure what to say next, but she was saved from having to make a decision. Trooper regarded her with a question in his eyes.

“You indicated that you want to talk to me about something,” he said.

Carly nodded and tried to force a smile. She feared Trooper would think that her desire to write about his parents’ deaths was purely a moneymaking proposition on her part. And while he would be wrong, she wasn’t at liberty to share her real reason with him.

“Yes, I did want to discuss something with you. Why don’t we go to the kitchen? I wouldn’t mind having a glass of tea. How about you?” She wasn’t really thirsty but she figured she soon would be. Tension usually dried her mouth up.

Trooper looked at her hard for a few seconds, then gave a half shrug. “I’m not particularly thirsty, but I don’t mind going to the kitchen with you.” He gestured for her to precede him.

Carly grabbed a notepad of her own, then led the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. She wasn’t sure when the kitchen table had become a meeting place for her and Trooper. It had just happened.

She motioned for him to have a seat while she retrieved a glass from the cabinet. “Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” He pulled back the chair at his usual place and sat down.

Carly filled the glass with ice and had reached for the tea pitcher when a sharp tapping on the back door startled her so much, she almost dropped her glass.

She turned to look at Trooper, who stood. “Do you want me to answer that?” he asked.

Carly swallowed and set her glass on the cabinet. “No, I’ll check it. I just can’t imagine who it could be.”

She noticed that Trooper stayed on his feet as she hurried over to gaze through the glass in the top part of the door.

She almost didn’t recognize her next-door neighbor. The few times she’d seen Ralph Abbott had been at a distance and usually just as he climbed into his car to drive to work or in the evenings as he was getting home. Occasionally he’d wave but often he’d just duck his head and hurry to get in or out of his vehicle.

This afternoon his ruddy face appeared dangerously flushed, and Carly had no idea whether it was from anger or some other strong emotion. She unlocked the door and opened it. “Good afternoon, Mr. Abbott. Can I help you with something?”

He took a deep breath and his lips twitched for a second before he managed to speak. “I saw Nelson’s car in your driveway. Could I come in for a minute?”

Carly glanced toward Trooper, who gave a quick nod. She stepped back to give Mr. Abbott room to step inside. “I was about to fix myself a glass of tea. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No thank you. I just wanted a word with you and Nelson.”

Carly was pleased to see Trooper smile and walk across the kitchen with his right hand extended. “Good to see you again, Mr. Abbott. You’re looking well.”

Carly suspected Trooper’s compliment was a white lie, but his friendly approach appeared to ease some of her neighbor’s discomfort. Mr. Abbott shook Trooper’s hand.

Hoping to relieve the tension, Carly shot both men a smile and motioned toward the table. “Why don’t you gentlemen have a seat and I’ll get us something to drink.” Both had declined already, but she figured having a glass in front of them would give them something to do with their hands and set them more at ease.

Ralph Abbott bit his lip, then nodded.

Trooper stepped to the table and pulled out a chair for Mr. Abbott, who plopped down as though his legs had just given out on him.

Carly stuck a lemon wedge on the edge of each glass and carried them to the table. “It isn’t sweetened, I’m afraid. Sweet tea is one Southern custom I haven’t yet embraced, but I have both sugar and artificial sweetener.” She placed a dish holding packets of both on the table between the two men.

Trooper sipped his tea. “I’m fine with no sweetener. How have you been, Mr. Abbott?”

Carly spoke up. “I’ll be glad to leave the two of you alone if you have some business to discuss.”

Mr. Abbott sighed. “No, you sit down too, Miss Morrison. “This involves you also.”

Carly wasn’t sure she liked the sound of Mr. Abbott’s statement, but on the other hand, she was pleased not to be excluded from the conversation. She suspected whatever Mr. Abbott had on his mind related in some way to the twenty-year-old tragedy that had involved his son and Trooper’s parents.

So she nodded and seated herself. Now that the three of them sat around the table with their glasses of tea sweating onto the vinyl placemats, an uncomfortable silence ensued. Carly glanced at Mr. Abbott, who was biting his lip and drawing circles in the moisture that had pooled in front of him.

Finally he took a deep breath and turned to Carly. “You’re fairly new in town, Miss Morrison, so I’m wondering if you know about what happened to my son Larry and Nelson’s parents.”

“I do, yes.” Carly risked a glance at Trooper but his gaze was fixed on Mr. Abbott.

“What you may not know, Miss Morrison, is that Larry was mine and Marge’s only child and when he died, well, some part of Marge died with him. She’d been a happy person until that day, but when Larry passed on, she withdrew into herself. To this day, she won’t talk on the phone or go out of the house.”

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Abbott, both for the loss of your son and for the devastation this caused in your and your wife’s lives.”

He nodded. “The thing is, with Nelson here coming back to town after all these years, it seems to have caused Marge to slip back into her old ways where she thought everybody was down on Larry, blaming him after he was dead for things we don’t think he ever did.”

He looked up and caught Trooper’s gaze. “You need to know that Marge thinks you’re going to open up this case again, to drag it all out and have people talking again. And that makes her angry. She doesn’t want Larry’s name blackened more than it was to begin with. So you need to watch out for her. I don’t think she’d do you any harm, either of you, but it still wouldn’t be a bad thing if you was to be careful.”

Carly looked toward Trooper, whose expression hadn’t veered from that of a mildly interested observer. “I saw the wash tub this morning by the trash. Did you put it there?”

Mr. Abbott blew his breath out in another sigh. “I did. You figured, I guess, that she’d used it to try to frighten you, to make you go away again.”

“Yes, I assumed as much.”

“I don’t know what else she might try to do. She’s not rational where Larry’s death is concerned. I’ve tried to get her to see a counselor or a doctor of some sort, but she won’t do it. Says she knows what she knows and talking about it won’t change anything.”

Trooper grimaced. “Do you think that Mrs. Abbott is angry with Miss Morrison also?”

“Not that I know of, but she’s noticed you coming over here a lot and…” He shifted his gaze to Carly. “I don’t think she’d hurt anybody on purpose, but I just felt like you ought to be aware.”

“Thank you, Mr. Abbott.”

“Well then, I’ve said all I came to say.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “I thank you for the tea, Miss Morrison.”

Carly stood too. “You’re welcome, Mr. Abbott.” She walked him to the back door and watched as he shuffled across her backyard toward his own property. She felt sorry for the man and couldn’t help thinking that it would be wonderful if the book she hoped to write might somehow bring a bit of closure for him and his very disturbed wife.

When she turned back around, Trooper had picked up Mr. Abbott’s glass. He carried it across the room and set it in the sink. “I’m sorry you’re getting dragged into this mess.”

“It’s not your fault. And I can’t help feeling sorry for the Abbotts. Even if their son was guilty, they’re victims too.”

Trooper regarded her closely. “You sound as though you have doubts about the part Larry played all those years ago.”

“I do. In fact, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Okay.” Trooper nodded toward the table. “Want to sit back down?”

Suddenly too tense to continue sitting, Carly shook her head. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“Okay. Just walking, or are you headed for some destination?”

“Just walking. Let’s go to the corner and turn down Dahlia Way.”

“Fine.” Trooper took a step toward the door and Carly grabbed his arm.

“No, let’s stay inside. It’s too hot to walk.” Her tension was increasing by the minute and she didn’t fully understand why.

Trooper placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “What’s wrong, Carly? You’re as antsy as a worm on a hot rock.”

She stifled a giggle. “Aren’t you mixing metaphors? Or something?”

He continued to look into her eyes. “Or something. Maybe this.” He leaned toward her, holding her gaze as his lips neared hers. “Definitely this.”

His kiss was tentative at first, as though he wanted to give her a chance to pull away, to end it quickly. But she didn’t have any desire to pull away. She leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him, being careful not to put too much pressure on his shoulder. She reveled in his warmth, his slightly tangy scent, and the lemony taste of iced tea on his lips.

It was so wonderful that he wanted to kiss her, considering how awkward she had felt after trying to kiss him under the willow. Nice that the attraction wasn’t just on her part.

Unless…

Oh God, unless this was a pity kiss. She pulled back and he released her.

He smiled, a bit crookedly. “Sorry. I was hoping maybe you wanted this too.”

Carly swallowed. Could she ask if it was a pity kiss? No, she couldn’t. But she wouldn’t let him think she didn’t welcome his kiss either. She smiled and placed a hand against his cheek. “To tell you the truth, Trooper, I loved it. But before we go any further, there’s something I need tell you.”