Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies (An Adams Grove Novel)
Read Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies (An Adams Grove Novel) Online
Authors: Nancy Naigle
A
LSO BY
N
ANCY
N
AIGLE
Sweet Tea and Secrets
Out of Focus
Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2013 Nancy Naigle
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance
PO Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140
ISBN-13: 9781612186986
ISBN-10: 161218698X
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012943221
To my husband, Mike, who gives me the leeway to chase my dreams, and who still, even after all these years, sends my heart on a race every time our eyes meet
A
convoy of antique tractors sputtered down Main Street in Adams Grove, a tradition for the last day of the kids’ summer vacation. Kasey Phillips focused her camera on the bright green equipment and took a picture, then lifted her hair from her neck. The air was sticky, not uncommon for late August in southern Virginia, but she didn’t mind standing out here in the heat in exchange for the joy she saw on Jake’s face. Her son bounced at her side like a jack-in-the-box. She captured another shot of the parents and children who lined the parade route catching up on the local goings-on between squeals of excitement.
Riley leaned in toward Kasey. “Who knew a parade could be this much fun as an adult? I’m so glad you talked me into coming up for it. I totally get why you love this town.” Riley’s glance swept the crowd, then settled back on Kasey. “But I miss you like crazy.”
“I miss y’all too. If I could just talk you and Von into moving up here it would be perfect.”
“Von’s already been looking. If they switch up the Oceana flight patterns like they’ve been threatening to, those Navy jets will go right over our house. If that happens,
we’ll be outta there so fast.” Riley snapped her fingers. “We may not even pack.”
“I hate to hope for that, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t—just a little. I guess that’s the great thing about Von being a private investigator—he can work just about anywhere.”
“Look, Mom!” Jake shouted. “That tractor is just like Daddy’s.”
Kasey stooped next to him and followed his line of sight. She doubted anyone else would notice the light that seemed to shine behind those eyes when he spoke of Nick, but she saw it and it tore at her heart every time.
The old putt-putt tractor chugging down the street was just like the John Deere Model B that Nick had restored.
“You’re right,” she said and gave him a squeeze. Jake had been only two years old that winter before Nick died—that kid didn’t forget a thing. Nick was still so alive in Jake’s mind. She wished her memories were as vivid, but she felt Nick’s absence every single day. A big void that nothing seemed to fill.
“I can’t believe Jake is starting school,” Riley said. “It seems like it wasn’t that long ago when you were pregnant with him.”
Kasey glanced down at Jake. His face beamed as the homemade floats celebrating the end of summer break passed by. In Jake’s case, that meant his first day of kindergarten would be Monday and he hadn’t stopped talking about it since she took him to register.
“I’m not as excited as he is.” Putting Jake’s abduction behind her hadn’t been easy. Even leaving him in Sunday school class had been so hard that she nearly always slipped back down the hall to peek in the window and check on him.
Even now, over a year later, the fear that something might happen to Jake again ran strong.
Kasey reached for Jake’s tiny hand.
Riley gave her a nod of encouragement. “It’ll be okay.”
“It’ll have to be.” Kasey wrestled with the worry and tried to garner strength from the smiling locals who filled the sidewalk two and three deep as far as she could see. She was thankful she’d landed here in this little town—a place she’d never even heard of a year and a half ago. Nick’s death had left her hurt and empty, but this town had tugged her into a hug that helped her get through the tragedy. She was finally finding a new routine, a new home—finally in focus.
Jake tipped his face to hers and grinned. No matter how bad things had seemed, Jake was the light that led her through every day.
You’re the best thing I ever did in my life, sweet boy.
Nick would have loved this parade. For a moment she drifted away in the memory of his warm touch. How it would feel with him standing here next to her. One arm around her and hugging her close.
Who am I kidding? He wouldn’t have been by my side. He’d have been
in
the parade.
That made her smile, and her heart lift.
You’ll always fill my heart, Nick.
Jake let go of her and threw his hands in the air, then darted into a group of bobbing school-aged kids, nearly disappearing from her view.
Kasey’s heart lurched. She pushed away the desperate feeling that invaded her sensibilities more often than she
liked to admit. Fighting the urge, she folded her arms to keep herself from grabbing Jake and holding him close.
Although Riley didn’t say anything, Kasey felt her friend watching her reaction.
I know you’re worried about me. I wish I could tell you I’m okay.
High school football players in full gear walked the edge of the crowd handing out candy.
Jake swerved to the outside of the clump of kids at the sidewalk’s edge, then ran back toward her with his treat. He opened his hand to show her the surprise.
“Our favorite,” she said as she eyed the red licorice candy.
“It’s like he knew!” He dropped the bounty into the plastic Piggly Wiggly bag she held for him. “This is the best parade ever!” He turned toward Riley. “I can get you one too!” He darted into the crowd, then came back to deposit something else in the bag.
“Thanks, Jake.” Riley raised her hand and Jake high-fived her then dropped his hands to his hips. “This is fun work.”
Riley nudged Kasey. “Wouldn’t it be awesome to be that young and naive again?”
The Adams Grove Fire Department truck rumbled by with the volunteers hanging precariously from it. Right behind that, Scott Calvin cruised by in his sheriff’s car with his blue lights flashing and a whoop of the siren.
“It’s Mr. Scott.” Jake waved frantically. “Look, Mom. Look!”
“I see.” She waved at Scott. He looked like a movie star version of a cop with his deep tan and mirrored sunglasses.
He slid off his glasses and winked as he waved.
She felt the heads turning in her direction.
Great. Now the whole town will be talking again.
It had taken months for people in Adams Grove to finally quit trying to make more out of her friendship with Scott after he’d talked her into partnering with him for the chili cook-off. All she’d done was stir, but folks around here seemed to think their relationship had more fire than the chili—and that simply wasn’t true. He’d brought her joy she didn’t think she’d ever feel again, but she wasn’t ready to explore that kind of relationship with him.
Kasey ran her fingers through Jake’s sandy blond hair as a shiny burgundy antique woody towed a small flatbed trailer for the local veterinarian. Four vet technicians in blue scrubs wore Elizabethan collars around their necks as they marched alongside with dogs from the local shelter on leashes.
“Are they wearing those cones that keep dogs from scratching?” Riley asked. “I bet those dogs think it’s karma day. Hilarious!”
Click-click
. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
The thump, thump, thump-thump of the street beat filled the air. The high school band marched toward them in perfect step, lifting and lowering their instruments in unison. As they passed by, the school mascot cartwheeled and spun holding a sign that read
THE END
.
The crowd started peeling away as the band continued down the street and the music began to fade.
A line was already snaking out from Mac’s Bakery as they walked by.
“Mom, can we get cupcakes for your birthday?”
“Sure,” Kasey said.
Riley shook her head. I’m going to pick you up Friday, and we’re going to make your mom a birthday cake and bring it back with us on Saturday.
Jake clapped his hands. “I love your cakes. You’re the best cook ever.”
“And I thought all little boys loved their mom’s cooking best,” Kasey said.
“Well, I am one heckuva cook,” Riley said.
They walked hand in hand back to the car in the primo parking spot Scott had saved for them behind the sheriff’s office.
Kasey unlocked the car with a click of her fancy new key fob, and Jake whipped open the door to climb into the backseat and buckle himself into his booster. She’d finally parked Daddy’s old Porsche and bought the new car. Being alone, she couldn’t risk the unpredictable nature of that car, and Jake’s safety in the two-seater worried her too. So now she was a four-door-driving single mom. Who would have ever thought?
“I got lots of stuff.” Jake dug through the bag of treats. “School things too.”