Count on Me (Petal, Georgia) (36 page)

She waited, not wanting to spook him.

“You were talking about that song, and I hadn’t heard it before but I heard it in two ways too. The obvious one is that you’re that special and important to me. All the time I was with Anne, she was settling. And part of me knew it. And part of her knew it. But I loved her and kept hoping she’d love me, and she was comfortable with me so she never really made a move to go. So I took whatever she gave me and lied to myself that the closeness we had was enough. That it was love in its own way. And it was. It is.

“I don’t even know if the last year or so we were together that I actually believed it. But she and I just let ourselves get comfortable. And I watched another one of my friends truly fall in love with someone who deserved them, and it just hit me that I could not live that way another day. She came to my house, the old one, before this one was finished, anyway, and I’d packed up her stuff that she’d left around and I ended it once and for all. I got some coverage here at the ranch and I took off. I was in San Diego for a month. I just needed to be gone.”

And, if Caroline wasn’t wrong, to try to fuck himself into happiness. But he wasn’t that type. Oh sure fucking felt good, but fucking to fill up some empty space in your life never worked.

“I came back, and there was a time when I think she waited to see how it was going to go. We’d always gotten together in the past. But I was done. Being gone it just allowed me to really own my shit. I told myself the day I came back to Petal that I would never settle for someone who didn’t love me as much as I loved her. It’s lonely and fucked up even when both people truly care about one another. I look at you, or I hear your laugh, smell you on my sheets, and I
know
not only how I feel but how you feel. I see it reflected on your face, or in the tone you use when you talk about me. I never feel like I’m not quite enough when I’m with you. That means
everything
. Despite being shot at and broken into and vandalized and threatened, I wouldn’t trade this. I never expected what you’ve given me.”

“Yep. We’re awesome all right.” He took her hand and squeezed briefly.

Of course he insisted on escorting her inside where her window had been replaced and a special film put over it to make it impossible to see in. She also had new curtains and her desk had been moved.

“Wow. Thanks.”

Holly grinned, handed her a mug of coffee, a stack of messages and welcomed her back.

She worked her way through her day steadily until she looked up to find Anne Murphy in her doorway.

“It’s lunchtime and I’m starving. And I bet William will be extra nice to you if I take you along with me to the Honey Bear. You know, he’ll ply you with treats and because you have good manners you’ll share. Also you’ve had a pretty craptastic time of it lately, and I think you could probably use a break.”

“Thanks. Yeah I’m hungry.” She stood and carefully reached to grab her wallet from her bag.

“You’re okay to walk a few blocks? Tate said you had to get stitches in two places.”

“I’m fine. The stitches are in my back and arm. Thanks for asking.” She checked in with Holly, sure to tell her where they were headed, and they made their way out and down to the sidewalk.

“So Tate told you? How’d she…oh! Matt. I forgot for a moment.”

“This time next year you’ll be saying
how’s your momma
and
that’s so precious
like an expert again. First you need to remember that
nothing
is a secret in this town very long. A friend of Beth’s saw Royal in the hospital with you yesterday and was telling everyone how gone he is for you. So don’t touch your stomach in public or everyone will start timing your cycles to see if you’re knocked up.”

“Joy. I mean, toe to toe with getting shot at, I’ll choose everyone in town knowing when I’m on the dot.”

When they went into the front doors of the Honey Bear, Maryellen saw her and came over to gently hug her. “Honey, how are you? Melissa told us all about that whole mess yesterday. Come on back and have a seat. Get off your feet. Hey, Anne, I really do love that new hair color. Looks so pretty on you.”

Maryellen grabbed menus and took them to an open table. She looked at Anne. “You’re an orange soda and you’re cherry vanilla coke, right?”

Both women nodded and looked over the menu before ordering. William sent out orange sticky buns as a treat for Caroline, who shared them with Anne.

They’d gotten through lunch and were drinking coffee and waiting for the check when Polly Chase came in. She saw them and came over.

“Don’t you dare stand up.” Polly bent to hug Caroline gently. “How are you feeling, honey?”

“I’m all right, thanks. Would you like to sit? We’re having some coffee and have also been talked into a brownie fresh from the oven.”

Polly sat after giving Anne a hug. “Thank you. I’m glad I saw you in here. I ran into your grandmother today.”

Caroline sighed and turned to face Polly better so she wasn’t stretching her back muscles. “That couldn’t have gone well.”

“I was at the police station dropping canned food off. They’re having a food drive. Anyway, on my way back to the car I saw Abigail and she waved me over and I said how sorry I was that you’d been having such a rough time but how I was so happy to have you back in Petal after you’d been away from us so long.”

Caroline could only imagine how that went.

“She asked me about you, you know. I understand your grandmother has done and said some pretty unforgivable things and I’m not advocating for you to do anything but keep away from her. But I just wanted you to know that. Anyway I told her about the stitches and I urged her to look into her heart to find a way back to you because you’re not only a piece of their daughter, but you’re their oldest grandchild and you were so special. In the middle of that, Garrett Moseby comes sidling up all sneaky like. He dutifully reported that you’d merely done all this to yourself to make it look like your father was innocent and the real killer was out there still. And I said, Abigail, are you going to take a chance that this is some silly ploy? You don’t know that girl at all if you think she’d do something along those lines. She told him to hush up. I gave him a look. I should have boxed his ears but Shane says he can’t protect me from assault charges if I do it. Really the men in my life all conspire to keep me from having fun.”

Caroline and Anne laughed. “I’m sad to hear it, but not surprised I guess. Thanks for letting me know.” She balled up her napkin. “I need to get back to the office. I have about a million calls and emails to return, and I have a meeting at four too. Mrs. Chase, I appreciate that you’d defend me. It means a lot. You and your husband have both been so welcoming and kind to me.”

“Garrett Moseby is a creep who likes to tell your sister what to do, and with her big sister back in town, she’s got a good example of strong womanhood. You’re a threat to him and that’s why he’s acting like a jerk. He doesn’t believe any of this nonsense about the case or you faking things. He doesn’t want to lose Mindy to some sense and good advice. As for Abigail, I hope she comes around. I’d hate for her to lose out on you for stupid pride. Tell my handsome husband I said hello and I’m making him stroganoff for dinner, please.”

“Will do.”

They walked back to her building. “You didn’t have to walk me back here, you know,” Caroline said to Anne.

“We started out on a bad note, but I like you. Not just as my friend’s girlfriend, but on your own you’re pretty cool. I’m just keeping an eye on you.”

“And what about you?”

“No one’s trying to kill me. Probably because I’m nicer.” Anne winked and Caroline scoffed. “Go on back inside. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for lunch and don’t forget to tell Edward about stroganoff!”

“Are you kidding me?” Caroline asked her investigator.

“I have three decent enough leads. I followed each one. One person might have some journals about that time in his shed. He lived catty corner from your parents, and he said he always kept detailed notes about the day’s events. He offered them to the police at the time but they weren’t interested. The other was a bust and the last one.”

He passed out a sheet of paper.

“Her name is Joyce Marie Petitbone, and she’s eighty-seven years old and quite honestly the sharpest person over fifty I’ve ever met. She talked to me on the phone today for a few minutes. She lives in Riverton in a back house at her daughter’s home. She saw the television spot you did and wrote down the information and then forgot about it until day before yesterday. She lived here in Petal sixteen years ago, and she’s got something I think might be pretty major. But I want you to hear it and she only told me a tiny bit. I think she’d like the company, and she’s agreed to see you and one other person tomorrow at nine in the morning. She doesn’t truck with lateness, clothing that shows your lady business like a floozy or bad manners. She wanted me to underline all that.” He grinned. “She also wanted me to tell you she was partial to old-fashioned doughnuts.”

“Okay we’ll go meet her. But you can’t just not say what it is she knows.” Caroline might have to jump over this table and punch him in the face if he didn’t. She wisely kept that to herself though. For the moment.

“She may have seen the murderer clean up.” Ron, her investigator, leaned in close. “Caroline, she’s old and she likes attention but she’s sharp and her memory is strong. She has a story to tell and my gut tells me you need to listen.”

There was a ruckus then because everyone started talking and asking questions at the same time.

Ron held his hand up. “I’ve told you pretty much all I know. She’s a little cagey because she wants to tell you herself. She lived in Petal until a year after the murder and then went to live in Riverton in the small house on her daughter’s property. She says she called the police about it, but they told her over the phone not to worry because they’d caught the killer.” He raised a shoulder and looked to Shane, who groaned.

Edward patted his son’s shoulder. “You’ve made it better. That’s all you can do at this point.”

“Why don’t I go over there? I’m pretty good with elderly women.” Shane had that voice people in charge used when they were trying to get the women out of the way.

Ron shook his head. “She’s not going to talk to you, Shane. She wants to talk to Caroline. I did a records search on her. She’s exactly who she says she is. Her daughter and son-in-law have owned the house for nineteen years. He manages a flooring business, you know sells carpet and laminate stuff. Wife is an administrator at the school district. Joyce Marie was a lunch lady at the cafeteria at Petal Middle School for twenty years. She’s going to like Caroline. She’s going to talk to Caroline. She’ll let you flatter her, but she’s not going to give you that story.”

“I’ll go. I want to hear what she has to say.” Caroline refused to get her hopes up. She’d had her heart broken enough times with horrible disappointment that she’d learned to not get invested. She’d treat whatever it was like a very unlikely-maybe thing until she learned for sure.

“I’m coming too.” Royal gave her a look, daring her to argue.

But she didn’t have to.

Shane interrupted. “I’ll go with Caroline. Royal, I appreciate that you want to be with her and it’s probably not even a problem. But I’m a cop and you’re not. Hell, I’d rather
none
of you be involved in this. But after Caroline literally dodged a bullet yesterday, I have a feeling she’s quite capable of hitting the deck and letting me handle any funny business if it comes up.”

“You can be assured that I would definitely hit the floor first and ask questions later at any sound resembling a gunshot.”

Royal’s mouth was set. She knew he was pissed that he wasn’t going. But Caroline also knew he understood the reasons for it. In the end she was safer with Shane and that’s what mattered.

Caroline thanked Ron and promised to keep him updated, and Shane made arrangements to pick her up at eight fifteen. He promised to stop and get doughnuts for Mrs. Petitbone. She wrapped her day up, turning off her computer and getting her bag and some work she’d do at home.

Home.

She’d begun to think of Royal’s place as home. Every time they pulled up the long drive leading to the little rise the house sat on, she relaxed. It was like a weight being lifted. That house was solace and safety, and it had Royal in it, which made it even better.

Two months and she felt like she’d known him forever. He held the door for her and then took her hand. That too had simply become a natural thing. Touching him like he was hers. And as totally crazy as it seemed, he was.

Shep waited in the outer room for them.

Royal patted him on the shoulder. “Want to grab a bite? I was just about to take your sister out for burgers and rings because I’m a party animal like that.”

“Are you sure we’re, you know, welcome at the Pumphouse after the fight with Benji?” Caroline asked quietly. “We can go to the Sands or El Cid.” The Honey Bear closed at six so their usual spot wasn’t available.

Royal shrugged. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

“Aren’t you sick of drama?”

“You know, I sat in that room while you tossed yourself into a stranger’s house willy-nilly. But I kept my mouth shut because right is right and with Shane going it’s fine. He’s better with shooting someone in the face if they try to hurt you. You live in Petal, and I will
not
have you hiding because of what other people did. I’m with you. We’ll sit away from the windows. But we’re going to the Pumphouse, and we’re having a burger and rings and if anyone gets in my way when I’m trying to give that to you, God help them.”