A Deadly Love (4 page)

Brooke frowned. I’ll tie him up if I have to.”

“Don’t do that. I gave your dog a stern lecture when I caught him in the act. Maybe it will have an effect.”

“I hope so. I can’t have him digging up Grandma’s yard once we’re open for business.”

His eyebrows rose. “What sort of business?”

“We’re going to open a bed and breakfast after I fix up the house.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I need a project to keep me occupied, and Grandma needs the income. We both do. My savings certainly aren’t going to last forever.”

He put the shovel back in the shed and turned to face her. “I don’t understand why June is strapped for cash. I paid a fair price for Eli’s half of Big Timber. I insisted we have a third party assess the value before we finalized the deal.”

She touched his arm and felt the muscle flex beneath his shirt sleeve. “I don’t think you took advantage of them. Gramps made some bad investments.”

“I’m sorry, Brooke. Is there anything I can do?”

“You can recommend a good contractor. I’m perfectly capable of painting, but I want someone to check the house for structural damage and give me an estimate on the front porch repairs.”

“Gabe Wilson is your man. I’ll call him and see what his schedule is like.”

“Thanks.”

They walked toward the front of the house where the boy and dog were still romping on the lawn. Brooke admired Dillon’s easy athletic stride. He had long legs and slim hips topped by a pair of wide shoulders that made her think twice about her vow to avoid men. As a teenager she’d had a huge crush on him. She’d spent hours every summer staring at his house from her bedroom window, hoping for a glimpse of his tousled head and lanky frame and daydreaming about the day he’d finally notice her.

A giggle slipped past her lips, and he turned to look at her. “What’s so funny?”

“I was thinking about the way I used to moon over you when we were kids. James teased me something awful.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Why didn’t I know anything about it?”

“Because you barely knew I existed. I was three years younger than you and shy. Anyway, you were dating Cybil McCoy at the time.”

Dillon smiled. “I had it bad for Cybil.”

“I saw her last movie. It was terrific.”

“Yeah, it was.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “I heard something on one of the celebrity gossip shows about her disappearing from the Hollywood social scene in January. Maybe she’s off somewhere making another movie.”

“Dad! Dad!” Zack shouted, interrupting their conversation. He raced across the lawn with the dog at his heels. “Otis rolled over when I told him to.”

Brooke studied Dillon’s son. He had his father’s odd golden eyes and an engaging, gap toothed smile. “Otis knows all sorts of useless tricks.”

“Really! What else can he do?”

“He can shake hands, play dead, and balance a treat on his nose.”

“Cool!”

“Zack, this is Brooke Wakefield. She’s Miss June’s granddaughter.”

She smiled at the boy. “Thanks for playing with Otis. He’s going to enjoy having you around for company.”

Zack dug his toe into the grass and lowered his gaze. “Can I play with him whenever I want?”

“As long as it’s okay with your dad.”

Dillon rested his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Right now I want you to go get cleaned up. Since you don’t have school today, we’re taking Grandpa Jesse out for lunch.”

“Last night he promised he’d teach me to whittle. I can’t wait!”

Zack ran toward the house, and Dillon shoved his hand through his hair. “I’m not sure I like the idea of a six-year-old playing with a knife.”

Brooke grinned. “Especially one as full of energy as Zack. Does he ever slow down?”

“Only when he’s sleeping. I’d better go supervise the washing up process. I’ll talk to you later.”

As he walked away, she wondered why he hadn’t remarried. It had been nearly five years since the plane crash that killed his parents and wife. Surely he’d had plenty of women interested.

She followed Otis across the lawn to the back porch. Using an old towel, she cleaned the dog’s filthy paws before letting him into the kitchen. Maybe Dillon was still in love with his dead wife.
Not that I care.
After having her heart torn apart by Gavin, the last thing she needed was another man to abuse it further. She was better off putting all her energy into fixing up her grandmother’s house.

June turned from the sink and placed the teakettle on the stove. “There you are. Rod Gates called from the garage in town. He towed your car and wants to know what you’d like him to do with it. Also, a man from your insurance company left a message.”

“I’ll phone him back and go see Rod later this afternoon. Dillon said he would talk to a contractor about the front porch.”

“Dillon is a gem. I saw the two of you outside together.” Her eyes twinkled. “Since you’re staying in Woodvale, maybe you and Dillon—”

She held up her hand. “Stop right there! I don’t want you getting any matchmaking ideas into your head. I’m taking a break from men.”

Her grandmother turned on the burner under the teakettle. “It was just a thought,” she said in a mild tone. “No reason to get uppity about it.”

Brooke grinned and headed for the phone.

****

According to both Rod Gates and the grim sounding man at the insurance company, her Subaru was totaled.

“I’m sorry, Brooke, but the repairs would cost more than the car is worth,” Rod said. He rubbed the bald spot at the back of his head and hitched up his jeans. “I wish I had better news.”

“I expected as much. I’ll get the rest of my personal items out of the car, and you can tow it to the junk yard.”

“Your insurance will pay for the towing, and you should get some sort of check from them.”

Her lips tightened. “It won’t be much. Thanks for your help, Rod.”

He nodded and went back to work under the hood of a Buick. Brooke pulled a handful of papers out of the glove box and dropped them into her backpack. Then she retrieved a laptop computer, a box full of Otis’s bowls and toys, and an oversized suitcase from the rear of the car, wincing as she dropped it on the garage floor. She frowned at the pile, wondering how she’d carry it home.

“Brooke, is that you?”

She glanced up at the pretty, strawberry blonde standing in the open garage bay. The woman smiled, revealing dimples in both cheeks.

“Stephanie, my goodness, you look terrific.”

“I still have a few pounds to lose from the last baby.” Rounding a stack of used tires, she stopped beside the crushed front end of the Subaru. “I heard you were in town.”

Brooke nodded. “This time I’m staying. Grandma and I are opening a bed and breakfast.”

“That’s great. We’ll have to get together real soon.”

“I’d like that.”

Rod dropped the Buick’s hood and ambled over. “Hi, honey. What’s up?”

“Dale’s tooth is still bothering him, so the dentist squeezed us in. Dinner will be late tonight.”

“That’s fine. I have to haul Brooke’s car to the junkyard after closing.” His eyebrows rose as he glanced at the king-sized suitcase near a large grease spot on the pitted concrete floor. “I can bring your things by June’s place later this evening if you’d like.”

“That would be a big help. Thank you, Rod.”

Brooke said her goodbyes to Stephanie and walked out to the street. A stiff breeze blew a scrap of newspaper past the toes of her running shoes and whirled it into a shrub. She waved to Harley as he cruised by in his sheriff’s car. He braked to a stop and rolled down the window.

“I was going to give you a call. I checked out the accident scene, and there wasn’t any sign of your mystery woman. I asked around town, and no one’s admitting to being in the vicinity last night.”

She frowned. “I know you think I imagined her, but I saw a woman on the road. Maybe she wasn’t local, though I swear she looked familiar. It could have been a tourist lost in the fog who freaked out and took off after I nearly hit her.”

He removed his sunglasses and polished them on his shirt front. “Makes as much sense as anything. I hear your car is totaled.”

She sighed. “It was past its prime, anyway. Looks like I’ll be driving Grandma’s old Volkswagen bus until I can afford a new one.”

“That bus is a relic.” Harley grinned. “I especially like the peace sign decals and the
Impeach Nixon
bumper sticker.”

“It is colorful. Thanks for looking into the accident.”

“No problem. See you around.”

He drove away, and she headed toward the center of town, which consisted of a diner, a market, a couple of souvenir shops, an antique store, the post office, and the Woodvale Inn. A non-denominational church and the elementary school were located up a side street along with a cluster of homes. The sign at the edge of town read population 1098. Woodvale wasn’t exactly a thriving metropolis, but the towering old growth redwoods surrounding the town drew tourists. Most of the locals were loggers whose families had worked for Big Timber for generations.

Brooke stuck her hands in her jacket pockets and picked up her pace. The sun was shining, but it was chilly in the lengthening afternoon shadows. She passed Doctor Shaw’s house just as he exited it. He waved and hurried across the front yard.

“How’s the head today?” he asked, smiling down at her.

“Much better. My ribs are still a little sore.”

“They will be for a while. Don’t do anything too strenuous until the bruising heals.” He moved in closer and laid his hand on her arm. “Can I drive you somewhere? I have a little time before I have to leave for evening rounds at the hospital.”

She edged back a step. She liked Carter, but his proximity sent a dart of disquiet down her spine. Nothing she could put a finger on, just a feeling that his interest in her was more than professional. “I was enjoying the walk home. Woodvale hasn’t changed much over the years.”

“It never does. That’s why it’s such a pleasure to see a new face, especially one as pretty as yours.”

Brooke laughed. “That’s a stretch. With the bandage and bruises, I look like something from a horror film.”

He waved his hand. “Those are just temporary.”

“I hope so.” She took another step back. “I won’t keep you, Doctor Shaw.”

“Good Lord, call me Carter, please. Woodvale isn’t big enough to stand on formality. Take care of yourself.”

The sidewalk ended. Focusing on the rutted surface of the street, she turned onto the road leading to her Grandmother’s house and nearly plowed into a man hurrying in the opposite direction.

“Oopsy Daisy,” he said, reaching out to steady her. “I guess we should both look where we’re going.”

The man was of medium height with a rangy build. Brown eyes sparkled behind wire framed glasses. Brooke frowned, trying to place him.

“It’s Elliot, Elliot Locke.”

“Oh my goodness! I wasn’t expecting to see you. I thought you moved away years ago.”

“I lived in Eureka for quite a while, but I came back when a teaching position opened up at the school here. It’s good to see you.”

“You, too. You were always so nice to me when I visited my grandparents. Most of the other kids had little time for a summer visitor.”

He smiled ruefully. “I guess neither of us was part of the cool crowd in those days.”

“No, I don’t suppose we were.” She rolled her eyes. “As a summer kid, I was merely tolerated.”

“And I was teased unmercifully for my Salvation Army wardrobe.” He shrugged. “My foster parents couldn’t afford anything better.”

She smiled. “Funny, the things we remember, but that’s all ancient history. How are you?”

“Can’t complain. I’m getting married in the spring.”

“Wonderful! Is she someone local?”

“Caroline Farnsworth teaches at our school. She grew up here but was a few years younger than us, so I doubt you’d remember her.”

“Oh, but I do. My sister, Neila, was friends with her. She was a sweet girl. Congratulations, Elliot.”

“Thanks.” He looked down and kicked at a tuft of grass growing out of the pavement. “Sorry to hear about your accident.” He raised his eyes and met her gaze. “I understand you’re staying in town for good this time.”

“I plan to be here indefinitely, so I’m sure we’ll see each other around.”

“I imagine we will, though right now I’m pretty busy tying up loose ends before the wedding.” He smiled, his eyes lighting up. “I’d better go. I’m meeting Caroline and don’t want to be late.”

“You shouldn’t keep the bride waiting. Bye, Elliot.”

Dusk had fallen while they talked. Shivering, she huddled into her jacket. Her grandmother’s house was at the end of the road, a mile from town. Hurrying, she passed an occasional driveway and wondered if the road was always so deserted. The silence was deafening.

Night came early to Woodvale, surrounded as it was by towering redwoods that blocked the feeble light cast by the winter sun. A stick snapped, and the hair rose on the back of her neck.
Get a grip. It’s probably just a squirrel.
She broke into a trot.

A gust of wind blew through the trees, setting their branches swaying. Something rustled in the underbrush. Heart pounding, she stared into the darkness. Eyes glowed, a yellow flickering in the gloom. Fear crawled up her spine. She sucked in her breath and ran.

Headlights speared through the night, and Brooke leaped to the edge of the road. A big pickup stopped next to her.

“Out for an evening run?”

She pressed her hand to her chest. “You scared me to death, Dillon.”

“Looks like something scared you before I came along. You were running pretty fast.”

“I heard a noise and overreacted. I thought I saw eyes shining, and my imagination went into overdrive.” She made a face. “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”

His lips twitched. “There’s a cabin in the woods back there. You probably saw a porch light. Hop in, and I’ll give you a ride home.”

She ran around the front of the truck and opened the passenger door. The overhead light flashed on. Dillon grinned, and Zack smiled at her from his car seat in the back. She pushed aside a bag of groceries and climbed in.