'Til Death (A Rebel Ridge Novel) (15 page)

“Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

“Do I really have to say it?” she asked.

With great reluctance, he shook his head. “No, you do not. The
fact that you want to is good enough.”

All the tension she’d been feeling was gone. “Thank you. Oh...I
almost forgot. You’re officially invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Mom and
Jake’s. They already knew you were back. And coming here.” She rolled her eyes.
“My brother James carries the mail. My brother Ryal went to the E.R. after you
left and asked who brought me in. The fact that they never said a word and
waited for me to tell them is still surprising. Also, we’re having Thanksgiving
Wednesday evening instead of Thursday noon, because I leave to go to Lexington
on Thursday for a craft-and-quilt show. I’m sorry they—”

He shrugged. “It’s no big deal, honey. I already let the cat
out of the bag myself. If I had to guess, I’d say pretty much everybody on Rebel
Ridge knows I’m back by now, and why I came.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yeah, that’s good. And you can tell your mother thank-you and
I’ll be happy to come.” Then he pointed at the dirty dishes. “Now...you wash and
I’ll dry.”

“Oh, I’ll clean up after—”

“No. You cooked. I’ll help clean. And while we work, can I pick
your brain a little? I have copies of all the paperwork about the fire and my
arrest, and a lot of questions without answers.”

“I’ll do anything I can to help,” she said.

At that point Honey began barking. Meg jumped. Visitors were
rare for her at night, and they never came without calling ahead.

Linc frowned. “Are you expecting anyone?”

“No.”

“I’ll go look,” he said, and strode out of the kitchen, with
Meg right behind him.

The security light was already on outside, and Honey was on the
front porch, still barking. Even through the rain, Meg recognized the man
standing beside the truck and grabbed Linc’s arm.

“That’s Fagan White. What in the world?”

Linc frowned. “Let him in and we’ll soon find out, only don’t
tell him I’m here.”

“He can see your truck.”

“But he won’t know who it belongs to. Talk to him. I won’t be
far. We might be able to figure out what Prince was up to.”

She turned on the living room light and opened the door to a
blast of cold and rain. As soon as she stepped out she grabbed Honey’s
collar.

“Good girl, Honey,” she said. “That’s enough.” Then she waved
Fagan up to the porch.

He came running. Once he got out of the rain, she stopped
him.

“That’s far enough.”

Raindrops were running off Fagan’s poncho onto the legs of his
pants and his boots. He shifted from one foot to the other as he looked down at
the dog and then at the porch ceiling above her head—anywhere but her face.

“I’m real sorry to just show up like this, and I didn’t want to
scare you none, especially after what my idiot brother has done.”

Meg stayed in the doorway, still holding on to Honey. “What are
you doing here?”

“I’ve been gone all day and I’m just on my way home. I intended
to come by before now and tell you how sorry I am about how Prince treated you,
but the time got away from me, and then the storm hit. I was about to lose my
nerve and just keep driving, but I decided I couldn’t sleep another night with
that guilt on my soul. I had to apologize for my brother’s actions.”

“Okay, so you’re sorry. Thank you for coming by,” she said, and
started to back up into the house.

Then Fagan called out, “Uh, wait up, Meg. There’s another
matter I wanted to speak to you about.”

“And what would that be?”

“I don’t know if you heard about Bobby Lewis’s health,
considerin’ how long you two have been divorced.”

“I know he’s dying,” she said.

Fagan nodded. “Right. So here’s the deal. I’ve been trying to
buy a piece of land for some years now that Bobby owns. I’ve mentioned it now
and then to Claude, but he never said much, then Claude went to visit Bobby a
few weeks back, and it seems Bobby has finally decided to give a bit of it up.
He sent word by Claude to tell me to come see him, but I wasn’t home, so Claude
told Prince instead. I just found all this out after Prince lit out for parts
unknown, so I went to visit Bobby myself today, but he’s too sick for visitors.
So I don’t know exactly which piece of his land he was willing to sell...just
that he’s only selling enough to pay for his buryin’.”

Meg listened to the rambling explanation and knew every word
coming out of Fagan’s mouth was a lie. She knew because Fagan had yet to look at
her. He had talked to the dog. He had talked to the porch light and her left
shoulder. He had done everything but meet her gaze.

“And what does this have to do with me?” she asked.

“All I know is that the piece he’s willing to sell is five
acres near where he supposedly buried Ike, who I was told was his favorite
hunting dog. I don’t suppose you would remember where that was? I’d like to take
a look at it myself before I give him any kind of a bid. It might not be to my
likin’.”

Meg stifled a gasp. She knew exactly where that land was—right
behind the old barn on the homestead. And it was proof Fagan was lying, because
Bobby didn’t own that land by himself. It belonged to him, Claude and their
sister, Jane.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the faintest idea. That must have
happened after we were divorced.”

Fagan frowned. Either she was lying to him or Prince had lied.
He took a step forward.

“Are you sure? I mean—”

“She’s sure,” Linc said.

Fagan stopped in his tracks. The man who’d just appeared behind
Meg was so big he blocked the light.
Who the hell is
that?

He began to mumble. “Uh...I didn’t know you... I mean, I was
just...”

Linc put his hands on Meg’s shoulders and moved her gently
aside, then walked right up to where Fagan was standing.

“It looks like you and your brother don’t know when to
stop.”

“Well, here now...I didn’t mean nothin’ by... Uh, wait a
minute! That’s not true! I didn’t come to hurt her. I just thought she could
save me another trip back to the prison before it was too late.”

“But obviously she can’t. And it’s time you said
good-night.”

Fagan shaded his eyes against the porch light as he continued
to stare at Linc’s face.

“You look familiar, but I can’t seem to place—”

“Lincoln Fox. Tell the lady good-night.”

Fagan took a quick step backward and then stumbled on the top
step. He would have fallen out into the rain if Lincoln hadn’t grabbed him by
the arm. He didn’t know whether the firm grip Lincoln had on his arm was because
he’d saved him from a fall or because he wanted to break his neck.

He quickly pulled free, his heart hammering inside his
chest.

“Well, it’s been a long time since we seen you here. You just
visiting, or you planning to stay?”

“I came home for a reason. It remains to be seen whether I stay
or not afterward.”

“I hope your aunt Tildy’s not ailing. I don’t know what we’d do
up here without her tending to our ills.”

“She’s fine. I came back to clear my name. And while I’m
thinking about it, how did you come to be the person who called in the fire at
my daddy’s house?”

Fagan stared. He knew he should say something, but for the life
of him he couldn’t think for wanting to puke. Meg’s dog growled, reminding him
of where he was.

“That was a long time ago. I’m not sure as how I exactly
remember.”

“You saw a house burning down and can’t remember calling it
in?”

Fagan’s mind was in free fall.
What the
hell was happening here?

“Well, I didn’t actually see it. I was just passing on what
Wendell and Prince saw when they went to visit Lucy.”

“Oh, so now you’re remembering how you found out about the
fire? Well, you should also know that’s a piss-poor alibi. Lucy wasn’t there,
because of a family funeral, which you-all would have known about. Do you
remember now?”

Fagan felt himself losing ground. He’d come to grill Meg Lewis,
not the other way around. It was time he made himself scarce.

“I don’t need no alibi. I didn’t need one then. I don’t need
one now. I reckon I will just get on home. Real sorry to have bothered you, Meg.
Y’all have a good night.” And then he bolted for his truck, thankful the rain
gave him the excuse to run.

Meg and Linc stood on the porch watching until the taillights
disappeared. Meg took Honey inside when they closed the door. They walked back
to the kitchen and began clearing the dishes.

He paused, watching as she wrapped up the leftover pork chops
in foil and set them on the counter.

“Why do I feel like everything that came out of his mouth was a
lie?” Linc asked.

“Because it was. Honestly, he looked like he’d seen a ghost
when you gave your name. And was he really the one who called in the fire?”

Linc shrugged. “Yes, according to the police report. As for
seeing a ghost, I’ll probably get a lot of that in the weeks to come. I’m trying
to figure out what’s so important about a piece of land where a dead dog is
buried.”

Meg frowned. “I have no idea, but that’s how I knew he was
lying. I know exactly where that dog is buried, and I also know for a fact Bobby
wouldn’t be selling the land, because it doesn’t belong to him. It’s the family
home place. Yes, we were living there at the time, but it belongs to all the
Lewis kids—Claude, Bobby and their sister, Jane. He can’t sell it.”

Linc was watching her face, trying to judge her state of mind
at the unexpected arrival of yet another White brother.

“I don’t think he’ll be back, but I don’t mind staying the
night—on the sofa, of course—if his visit made you nervous,” he said.

“You couldn’t fit on the sofa, and I’ll be fine,” she said as
she ran the sink full of hot water, then added some soap.

He watched the running water making bubbles while contemplating
the idea of reminding her that he would fit just fine if she gave him her bed.
He could tell she was thinking the same thing by the quick look she gave him
before thrusting her hands in the water.

She washed. He rinsed and dried. When they got down to the
pans, he offered another option.

“I can live with leaving you on your own tonight, but we’re
going to exchange numbers. All you have to do is call if you need me. I’m the
closest help you would have.”

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” she said.

“Hang on a minute,” he said, then took out his cell phone and
entered the number she gave him into his contacts. “This is my number,” he said,
and quickly wrote it down on a pad by the phone.

After that they finished cleaning up, flirting, touching hands
even when it wasn’t necessary. The tension between them was palpable. All the
while they were working, he could still hear the rain on the roof.

Meg packed up the leftover pork chops and a good third of the
cake when they had finished.

“This is for you,” she said.

“I won’t say no,” Linc said. “But there is one thing I wanted
to ask you before I left.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Back before the fire, did you ever hear any gossip about Lucy
cheating on my dad?”

Meg frowned. “I don’t know...maybe. That sounds familiar, but
it’s been so long... And I wouldn’t have paid much attention to anyone else’s
love life, because I was so wrapped up in mine.”

The words tore into him like knives, poking at his conscience,
reminding him of what they’d lost.

“Yeah...same here.”

Suddenly she was uneasy all over again. If he kissed her now
like he had before, her resistance would be nil.

“Don’t look so worried,” Linc said, and then opened his
arms.

She walked into them without hesitation as he held her
close.

“This will work itself out the way it’s supposed to,” he
said.

She felt like crying. “I loved you so much.”

His vision blurred. “I loved you, too. I’m sorry...I’m so
sorry.”

She leaned back in his arms so she could see his face. “We’re
not kids anymore.”

He nodded. “We lost eighteen years. You don’t know me now the
way you knew me then, and I feel the same. I want to know everything there is to
know about you. What makes you laugh...the music you like to listen to. I want
your cold feet on my legs in the middle of the night and for you to know that
when you cry, I will be there to hold you. I want you to trust me. I want you to
look at me and
know
that I am an honorable man.”

His words swept through Meg in a wash of emotion. It was a
revelation to hear this. He had turned into a man worth keeping.

“You know I always believed you were innocent.”

He put a finger across her lips, then touched his forehead to
hers. Her breath was soft against his neck. He could have held her that way
forever.

“The world needs to see me the way you do. You’ve already been
tainted by other people’s actions. You don’t deserve to suffer that again, and I
won’t ask anything of you that you aren’t willing to give, okay?”

She sighed. “Can we both agree that tonight was the first of
more good times to come?”

“Absolutely.”

She slid her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against
his chest. The steady thump of his heartbeat against her ear was as reassuring
as his strength.

“I think it’s time I said good-night,” he said gruffly.

“I’m so glad you came.”

“Ah, Meggie...so am I, honey. So am I.”

She carried his sack of leftovers as he put on his coat and
hat. When he pulled out his car keys, she followed him to the door.

Honey eyed them from her spot beside the stove, then let out a
big sigh and laid her head back down.

“Drive safely going home,” Meg said.

Linc centered a hard, swift kiss on her lips.