Count on Me (Petal, Georgia) (16 page)

No shadows in his gaze or hard lines at his mouth. His grip was strong but not sweaty or too hard.

“I just made a pot of tea. Would either of you like a cup?”

“Tea would be good, thanks. It’s wet out there today. Goes straight to my joints.”

Caroline didn’t say it out loud, but Officer Charles’s joints looked just fine to her. Mighty fine, in fact, he was quite the uber masculine looker.

She raised her brow his way. “You can’t possibly be old enough to have sore joints.”

She poured him and Rob both a cup before nodding in the direction of the milk and sugar if they wanted.

“Thanks for making the time to see us, Caroline,” Ron said as he stirred sugar into his tea. “I figured you should hear Elliot’s story so I brought him over.”

“I’m all ears.”

Elliot sipped and then put his cup back down on the table. “I’m a friend of Shane’s. And of Edward and Polly. Polly is actually my fourth cousin on my dad’s side. Anyway. So I was over visiting with them last weekend and your situation with your father came up.”

Her defenses rose.

“I believe he’s innocent and I’d like to help.”

Ron sat forward. “I’m going to speak to the department there. See what we can root out. Some of the cops in that house are old-timers with great memories.”

She nodded and turned to Elliot. “How do you come by your belief? About my father’s innocence, I mean.”

“I was your age. When your mother died. Now too I guess.” He smiled and it made her relax a little. “My grandfather did a syndicated column about law and justice issues. When your mother was killed and they put your father on trial, my grandfather was absolutely convinced he was innocent. Because he was in the press, he got a pass and went to the trial. Every single day. And he was utterly convinced your father was wrongfully convicted. I studied the case through him, I guess. At the start and then I became a police officer and I studied the case from a different perspective, and yet, I agree with my grandfather and with you.”

“Wow.” She smiled at him, raising her mug in salute. “Well I gotta say I’m totally floored and pleased. Thank you for extending your help.”

Ron went over what he planned to speak to Elliot’s coworkers about before leaving. Elliot gave her a card and invited her to come along with Ron if she liked.

She headed off to her client meeting feeling much better than she had since she’d arrived in Petal. Things were…surprisingly good.

She and Royal had officially been dating a month. Not a long time really, but enough that she was getting used to him in her life. That she turned to him when she had something funny to say, or to relate some weird happening in her day. She liked Royal a lot and he liked her right back and that was pretty freaking nice.

And the sex was outrageously good.

More than the very positive direction in her romantic life, she had the help—and guidance—of Edward Chase, along with the skills and efforts of Justin Chase. Edward had sort of taken on a mentor role since she’d arrived in Petal, and she appreciated it very much.

And, she ended up winning two of the four motions she made, which was a pretty nice thing indeed.

Royal knocked on Nathan and Lily’s front door, and Lily, now seven months pregnant, answered with a smile. “Hey, hon, come on in.”

He kissed her cheek and headed inside. “He’s in the living room with a passel of Chases and his brothers. But before you go, tell me about her.”

Lily was best friends with Beth, who was Anne’s sister. They all formed a big clique of smart, tough, beautiful women who had each others’ backs. He liked them all, including Anne. While Beth had been with them on a group date sort of thing twice more since their date at the Tonk, she’d warmed to Caroline, but there was still a reserve that flustered him. Caroline was a nice person. She was fun to be around, and that his friends were playing games over some long-dead relationship he’d ended because Anne wanted totally different things really pissed him off.

He was trying to let it work out without any interference, but Lily was asking and it clearly was some sort of weird thing so he might as well answer.

“I’m sure you’ve heard already.” He gave her a raised brow.

She shrugged, a smile still on her face. “Sure I have. From everyone else who’s met her, which doesn’t include me. I want to hear from you.”

“I can’t help it if you and Nathan never go anywhere because he’s grading papers and you’re looking beautiful and making a baby and all. Her name is Caroline Mendoza.”

“I was in her year. I remember her. Dark hair and big brown eyes. Pretty. I can’t imagine how hard it was for her after her momma was killed. She works with Edward now. Polly surely does like her.”

“I do too. You will as well. She’s easy to like.” And she was. They’d done tequila shots one night, and he’d let her talk him into riding that stupid bull at Flannery’s over in Riverton.

“She’s a kick-ass mechanical-bull rider.” He laughed.

Lily paused a moment and then smiled. “That’s sort of awesome. I take it you rode over to Riverton?”

He nodded. “She agreed to the mechanical bull
before
we took any shots.”

“She does seem to be one of our people.” Her grin smoothed out. “Nathan said you looked at her differently than you look at other women you’ve dated.”

Honestly this was like the suckiest version of
Groundhog Day
ever. “Again? Is this about Anne?”

“Well sure it is.”

“I’ve been with Caroline a month on Monday. In the year and a half before this, since Anne and I really broke up, I went out with countless other women countless other times. How the hell is it about Anne
now
?”

“You dallying around is one thing. Pfft. But Caroline is different apparently. Your one-month anniversary is Monday? How do you even know that?”

“I just do. Even if she is different—which yeah, she is—Anne and I have been
done
for a long time. She moved on. I’m moving on with someone I really freaking like. I’m full-on having a thing with a woman who is intelligent, confident, ambitious, beautiful, and yet she’s funny and doesn’t complain about getting dirty out at the farm or the cat hair Spike leaves on her stuff.”

“Beth likes her.” And since the two were tight, it would probably weigh in Caroline’s favor. Then again, to a Murphy, family trumped all else, so if Anne wanted them to ice Caroline out they would. They’d feel bad, but they’d never choose an outsider over one of their own.

“Beth is pretty smart. And she’s apparently making her own mind up like you
all
should. I don’t think you’re the kind of person who’d judge someone they haven’t even met.”

Lily waved a hand. “Please. I’d
totally
do that for a friend. Hell, I
have
done that for friends. But Polly Chase can’t say enough about Caroline. And Beth says she’s okay. Trey and Jake seem to like her. Nathan said she’s kinda gorgeous. Joe agreed by the way.”

Nathan came down the hall, taking in his wife, his gaze lingering at her belly. “Oh my Lord, Lily, you have to leave the man alone.” He turned to Royal. “Come on back. There’s food and beer and everything you could need while sitting in front of a huge television.”

“Why don’t you guys come over for dinner this Saturday night?”

Nathan sighed heavily. “Stop meddling.”

She rolled her eyes at her husband. “I’m not meddling! I swear. I want to meet her. Is that so bad? I’m a nice person, Nathan Murphy. Did you think I’d invite her over and then stare at her without speaking all night? You said yourself that this was serious so all right. Royal is like family so I’m checking her out.”

They’d been standing in the front hallway for about ten minutes, and any time now someone else would come out to look to see where everyone had gone. He didn’t want to have this discussion anymore. Caroline would be embarrassed at being the center of this discussion. He needed to wrap it up.

“I’d be happy to accept that invite, but not if it’s going to be weird for her. It’s hard enough for her around Petal at times, I’m not doing it to her on purpose.”

Lily snorted. “Such a low opinion of me.” Her face softened. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be to constantly be the focus and for something so awful.”

“Sometimes the stuff people say to her, hell the stuff her grandparents say to her, makes me so angry.” He needed to be with her more. She needed the fucking backup when she was out or with her family. He hated that she had to deal with so much hostility at times and that her family wasn’t a safe place for her no matter how much she wanted it to be all right. “She’s worth knowing, Lily.”

Lily kissed his cheek. “All right. I believe you. It looks nice on you, by the way.”

“What?”

“You care about her. I like to see it.”

She went back toward the room where everyone else was.

“I just don’t see why it has to be weird,” he muttered to Nathan.

“You and Anne were together or about to be getting back together or just having broken up pretty much for six years. We all hoped she’d come to her senses and let you love her. But she didn’t. And I don’t know if Anne will ever be able to see a truly long-term romantic commitment as anything but a terrible trap.”

Royal sighed heavily. “No. Not even for me. It used to make me sad in a different way. I wanted her to love me like I loved her. And she just never did and I just couldn’t deal with that anymore. But I’m not angry at this point. I’m glad we broke things off. We’re much better as friends. I can count on Anne as a friend. I can trust her to put me first. But I am full of this…depth of feeling for the first time in years, and, Nate, she looks at me the way I know
I’m
looking at her. This is good. I’m fucking happy. So I’m sad Anne doesn’t have it. And that she’d never have had it with me anyway. One of these days I hope she opens herself up to love with a guy who gets to her in a way no one else can. At one time I wished it would have been me. But I know better now.”

What he had with Caroline was already deep, more intense by the day as they got to know one another better. The difference of being with someone who was as into you as you were them, with a partner who wanted more from him.

Nathan nodded. “That’s fair. I’ve only met her once, but she seemed nice and you like her so that’s fucking fine, okay? You don’t need to apologize to anyone for moving on and for really liking this woman.” Nathan looked back over his shoulder to be sure they were still alone. “Look, Anne sees it’s different. You let go and have truly moved on. She has to let go once and for all. It’s hard for her and she’s not being herself. But she’ll get there eventually. Letting go is hard.”

“She never really held on.” And that was the damned truth. She’d never fought for him or their relationship, and in the end, after years of hoping it would change, he accepted it never would and he’d truly broken away from her.

“Doesn’t matter. You know that. You were good to my sister during the time you were with her. You walked away, and in that, you respected her wishes and accepted her choice. I know it sucked, but very few people would have done that. Anne trusts you and she’s going to have to share you. You’ve given her all your attention for all these years.” One shoulder rose before Nathan reached over to pat his back a few times. “She’ll come around.”

The
she
in question showed up an hour later, and they all hung out for several hours before he headed out. He needed to be up early, and he hadn’t seen Caroline in several days between her schedule and his. He wanted to try calling her or making enough time to take her to lunch the next day.

“Jeez, hang on a second.” Anne came out of the house, his coat in her hands. “Your coat. Oh and this.” She handed him a bag. “Tate made cookies today so you’re one of the lucky recipients.”

“Nice. I’ll call her tomorrow to thank her.” He hugged Anne and she kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

“Why didn’t you bring her tonight?”

“Caroline?”

Anne nodded.

“She had court all afternoon and had to work late.” He’d been there hours, and this was the first time she’d even spoken about Caroline and now that he thought about it, it pissed him off.

“So you’re not avoiding us when you’re with her?”

“Annie, what the fuck is going on?” He leaned back against his truck.

“What do you mean?”

“Really?”

She shrugged and looked at a spot just over his right shoulder.

Royal rubbed his palms down the front of his jeans. “I’m not avoiding anyone, but everyone is tiptoeing around and it’s so stupid I could spit.”

She put a hand on one hip. “Ooh. When spitting comes up, you really do get all twitchy. Why let her, this, get between us?”

His anger wisped away as he snorted. “You were friendly with several of the women I dated since we split. But now all the sudden there’s tension and everyone is stepping carefully and damn it. I’m falling in love with this woman and it fills me with so much fucking joy I can’t begin to describe it accurately. You’re my friend and I want to share that with you because I share all the other things that make me happy or piss me off or whatever. I miss you.”