Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies (An Adams Grove Novel) (25 page)

“Thanks so much for all of this,” he said.

“Don’t be silly. It’s why I came.”
And to spend time with you.
“I had hoped that I’d find something in these pictures that would set everything right again, but then I guess that was high hopes. I mean, there’s no bringing back Arty.”

“No. There’s not,” Cody said.

The silence was awkward and even Jake looked a little uncomfortable, his eyes darting between the two of them.

Cody said, “Are you almost done here?”

“Just about. Not too much longer.” She looked down at Jake, who had laid his head down on the desk. “You’ve had a long day, Jake. You ready for bed?”

Jake nodded without argument.

“I’ll take you upstairs.” Cody stooped down in front of Jake. “Climb on, buddy.”

Jake flung himself on Cody’s back like one of those guys in a Velcro suit against a wall. Cody lifted him up and wrapped
his arms under the hook of Jake’s knees. “Say goodnight to your mom.”

Cody turned and dipped down so Jake could hug her from there.

“Night, sweetheart. I’ll come up and tuck you into bed in just a little while,” she said.

“I’m a big boy. Cody can do it.”

“Well, if you’re such a big boy you can walk,” Cody teased, but Jake jumped down and Cody gave her a cocky grin and walked over to the door.

Jake gave her a kiss and then raced over to his side.

Cody waved and said, “We’re off.” Shutterbug led them out of the room and Kasey felt a peace come over her as she watched her little man march up to Cody and lift his hand waiting for Cody to take it. She swallowed hard wishing the tickle in her nose would quit before a tear fell. At least it was the good kind of tears.

C
ody took Jake through his prayers and tucked him into bed.

“I love you,” Jake said and wrapped his arms around Cody’s neck. Then the little boy dropped down to the pillow and squeezed his eyes tight.

Cody stood there for a moment watching Jake, then quietly stepped into the hallway and listened to be sure he was okay. He wasn’t sure he’d ever felt more important in his whole life. It was almost a little overwhelming. He listened to Shutterbug’s tags jingle as she settled in to protect her master.

I could get used to this.

He walked down the stairs wondering if it would have been the same fifteen, hell, seventeen, years ago if he’d had children. Probably not. He was a different person back then.

When he walked into his office, Kasey was leaning back in his leather chair talking on the phone. She had one foot propped on the edge of the desk, bobbing back in the chair as she talked. “Yeah, I know. That’ll be perfect. He said he’d have his pilot fly me down, so I’ll just meet you at the airport at noon if that’ll work. Then we can ride to the service together, and the band will go separately. Yeah. I got it. No. I know Pete will help.”

She looked so at home sitting at his desk like that. She seemed to wear his environment like a favorite T-shirt.
Do you feel it too?
The conversation he’d overheard her having with Riley replayed in his mind.
How can you say you feel so out of place here when it seems to me like you’re what’s been missing all along?
Cody felt like he was eavesdropping. He cleared his throat so she’d know he’d walked in.

When she turned and saw him she dropped her foot like a guilty schoolgirl getting caught with her feet on the furniture.
Sorry
, she mouthed.

He threw a hand in the air. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done himself. He sat in the chair across from her while she talked.

“I know. I don’t know what to expect, but at least with you there I know we won’t miss any important details. If there are even any to be found,” she said and shrugged. “Yep. Thanks. I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone. “That was Von again.”

“I gathered.”

“I think we’re in good shape here. Can you look through these pictures with me?” She got out of the chair and pushed it back from the desk.

Cody stepped around and put an arm around her hips. “Okay, what do we have?”

“I’ve put them in time order; there’s a mix of the ones I took, and the ones my friend Andy sent me.”

He glanced across all of them and then came back to one in particular. “This can’t be from the night of the party.”

“No, why?”

He tapped the picture and tugged it forward. “It’s Annette.”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, she told me that Arty had fired her earlier that afternoon before the party, so she wouldn’t have been there that night. Could it have been from earlier in the day?”

Kasey frowned. “I’m not sure if I saw her there myself, but… no, Andy definitely said all these pictures are from that night. And look, that’s the chocolate fountain in the background. It’s from that night for sure.”

“What else you got here?” He scanned the next few pictures pointing out the people he knew.

Kasey wrote the names on sticky notes and tabbed them.

Cody paused. “That’s Amy.”

“Lou’s daughter?”

He nodded. “And Arty’s daughter.”

“She’s pretty,” Kasey commented. “She’s really talented. I heard her sing that night.”

The next picture was of the big lighted marquee that was in the front tent. She’d taken that picture.

“Amy Foxx?” Cody snickered. “Sounds like something Arty would come up with. Yeah, that’s her on stage. That must’ve been where she was heading when she stopped in at her house and I met her.”
If she hadn’t stopped, I may never have known.
A blessing or a curse, he wasn’t sure.

“I guess he was representing her too,” Kasey said.

“He’d hardly let her go to another agent.” Cody scanned the other pictures.

“Well, then I guess tomorrow at the funeral should be interesting,” Kasey said.

“I’m sure she and Lou will be there.”

Kasey put a star next to each of the people he remembered seeing at the door of Arty’s office that night. That could be important.

“Von said he got a list of all the license plates from the valet service too. Your fan, Jace, put the T-bird in the database even though you skipped the check-in line.”

“Good for him. So he’s got me coming and going?”

“Yep.”

He sat in the chair and faced her. “Thanks for doing all of this.” He spread his legs and pulled her between them with his hands clasped behind her rear end.

“It’s better than sitting around waiting for another surprise.”

“Some surprises are good,” he said.

“Sometimes they’re not.”

“I don’t want you to worry. Things are going to work out, and I like having you around.” He pulled her onto his lap.

“I was thinking about taking Jake with me and going home from Arty’s house. Von can give me a ride.”

The chair tipped back a little. “Why?”

“I can’t stay here forever. Jake’s got school. I’ve got to figure out my employment situation, and you’ve got an album to put together. I don’t want to put you behind on that.”

Cody wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t want you to leave, and the album is on schedule. Pete’s been down there with his head in the earphones mixing every free moment he’s had. I need to sit in and take a listen to what we’ve got so far, but he’s the genius on that stuff. Besides, you don’t want to take Jake to a funeral. Leave him here with me. You can go home this weekend. What’s another day or two of kindergarten? I don’t think that’s going to ruin his education.”

She didn’t respond, but that made him even more nervous. “What’s going through that pretty head of yours?”

Kasey slid off his lap and hiked herself up on the desk in front of him. “Cody, it’s fun here, but I have a real life to go back to.”

“Why can’t I be part of your real life?” There, he’d said it. It was out there.

She pulled back. Then looked away. “You are part of my life. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t consider you a very special friend.”

“No.” He shook his head. “No. You’re not laying that friend crap on me. Scott can be your friend. Hell, Pete can be your friend, but I’m more than that. What you and I have… that’s not just friends. There’s something special here. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it.”

“I…”

“Kasey, I felt it when you were with me a year ago. This is very real to me.”

“I’m just a photographer.”

“You’re just about the best thing that’s ever walked into my life, and I’m not letting you slip away.”

She jumped down off the desk. “I have a say in this.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” Desperation was showing and it wasn’t an emotion he was familiar with. “Please just stay through the weekend. We need to talk about this.”

She walked toward the window. With her back to him he wasn’t sure what her thoughts were, but when she turned around her eyes were glassy.

“Don’t cry. If there’s one true love for me, Kasey… I believe it’s you.”

She sucked in a breath and walked over as he stood and took her into his arms.

She leaned forward and kissed him. “You scare the hell out of me, Cody.” She laid the palms of her hands on each side of his face. “I do feel it. I won’t lie to you, but this is huge. I have a son to think about. I have me to think about. I’m just finally getting through each day after losing Nick. I never thought I’d love again.”

“But you can.” He inhaled her scent, wanting it to last longer. “I wish I was going with you tomorrow,” he said. “I could fly with you and wait in the plane.”

“No. I’d rather you were here with Jake. Pete will be there, and Von. I’ll be okay.”

“I know you’ll be fine. I just want to be with you.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow night.”

“You will?”

She nodded. “I’ll be back.”

“Thank you.” He kissed her full on the mouth. His heart was pounding with such force that he hoped he hadn’t kissed her too darned hard. “You’re not going to regret this. I’ll be waiting. Are you comfortable leaving Jake?”

“Yes. I trust you to take good care of him, and he’ll be thrilled with the idea.”

“It’ll be fun.”

“You might want to hold that opinion until after tomorrow. You’re liable to be sacked out after playing with a five-year-old all day. Trust me. It’s a job.”

“Will you come to Kentucky with me for the show day after tomorrow? It’s not that far. We’ll take the buses. You can bring Jake or Mom can watch him.”

She looked hesitant.

“Don’t say no. I’m sorry. I’m not good at slow.” He held his hand up. “Don’t say anything. We can talk about it tomorrow when you get back. Come on. Let’s get some rest.”

He led her up the stairs and walked her to her bedroom door. “Is this where I kiss you goodnight?”

She lifted her face to his and just as she began to answer, his lips brushed hers, and she kissed him back.
It’s hard to kiss when your mouth wants to smile.

His lips explored hers. He pulled her into an embrace, his fingers laced through hers as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, sucking in a breath and hoping for the strength to walk away.
Slow down.

“I guess I better go.” He nodded toward his room and took a step back, still holding her hand.
Follow me. Come on.

She tugged him toward her room, and he followed her there.

He crawled alongside her on the comforter. The kisses came naturally, he felt her heartbeat against his chest. His hands explored her body, every curve he’d longed to touch.

Her breathing was as anxious as his.

“Mom?”

They froze, then Cody forced himself to roll away from her and stood by the bed. “I may have to use the zip line to burn off this adrenaline, but I guess since we don’t want Jake to know about that either… I’ll just go swim some laps.”

She giggled. He loved the sound of her laughter.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Cody. “See, my life can be complicated.” She jumped out of bed. “Coming, Jake.” She straightened her top as she went to his room.

He heard her talking to him as he snuck by the open door. He went downstairs and then stripped down to his
nothings and dove into the pool. When he came up for air, he shook his hair from his face and glanced toward the balcony. She stood there in the moonlight like an angel.

My angel.

K
asey dressed in her black slacks and borrowed a dress shirt from Denise to wear to Arty’s funeral. She said good-bye to Jake and Cody and then walked outside where Denise was sitting in her car waiting to take her around to the airstrip.

Denise handed Kasey a newspaper and a manila envelope. “I don’t like to subject myself to this junk, but I wanted you to be prepared for what’s being said out there. Don’t tell Cody. I like him to think I don’t even bother, else he’d always be worried about my feelings.”

A mother’s love.
Kasey knew exactly how Denise felt. “Thank you, Denise.”

“We’re Hills through and through. Folks can call him Tuggle all they want, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts and that boy is every bit the gentleman his daddy and grandpa Hill were. We both know he’s innocent and hopefully this will all be behind us soon.”

Denise slowed to turn off the main road. “Now, don’t you worry about Jake. I know what you’ve been going through. Honey, I promise you that boy will be safe. I will not let anything happen to him. Cody and I are going to take Jake horseback riding today. That’ll take our minds off
everything and there’s nothing better than a horse to teach a boy responsibility.”

“Thank you, Denise. I’m trying so hard to put that anxiety behind me, but it—”

“Don’t say it, honey. I know. I’m a mother. I totally get it. Now, more importantly, don’t put yourself in any harm’s way trying to snoop around. Just let this thing ride its course.”

They pulled in front of the hangar. “Thank you, Denise.”

“By the way, Cody mentioned that he asked you to go to the benefit concert with him tomorrow. I don’t want to try to tell you what to do… but I want you to know I’d be thrilled to take care of Jake if you want to go.”

If she refused Denise’s offer she’d take it personally. “Let’s see how I do today, but thank you. Thank you so much.”