Honeysuckle Summer (20 page)

“Does Carter know about this?” Helen asked, looking distraught as she drew her own conclusions from Raylene’s evasiveness.

“Of course not,” she said. “If he knew anything, he’d have to arrest me, more than likely. I don’t want him to be in that position. You, either, so leave it alone, Helen. I have to handle this my way.”

“Raylene, do you even know how to fire a gun?”

Raylene forced the most innocent expression she could manage. “Who said anything about a gun? Certainly not me.”

Helen regarded her with frustration. “This is nuts. And what about the kids? What if they find it, Tommy
especially? Have you even considered the danger you’re putting them in?”

“Which is exactly why I’ve told Sarah they need to move over and stay with Travis the second Paul’s released. I begged her to move up the wedding, too, but she’s determined not to do that until her father can be here.”

“Carter’s counting on Travis staying here,” Helen protested.

“Well, he won’t be,” Raylene said stubbornly. “He needs to look out for Sarah, Tommy and Libby. I want them all where they’ll be safe. I’m not his problem.”

“But you are his friend,” Helen said, then waved off her own argument. “Okay, forget Travis. I suppose we can get Ronnie, Cal and Erik to alternate nights staying here. It goes without saying that Carter will be nearby.”

Raylene was horrified by the idea of putting her friends in harm’s way. “Absolutely not. This is my responsibility.”

“Not in this town,” Helen said. “And not when you’re a Sweet Magnolia. Your problem is our problem, and that’s just the way it is. Deal with it. Heck, if it comes down to it, I spent my share of hours on a shooting range. I’ll take a turn staying here.”

Now it was Raylene’s turn to be horrified. “Helen, do I need to remind you that you have a daughter? You are not risking your life for me. Period. I suppose I can’t stop a bunch of stubborn, macho men from feeling the need to protect me, but I draw the line at you sitting here holding a weapon.”

“But I’m highly motivated,” Helen protested. “Men like Paul Hammond need to be taken down. The court system did a lousy job in his case, and I hate when that happens.”

“But you know better than most that you don’t get to go all vigilante because of it,” Raylene argued. “No, you are not taking one minute of guard duty over here. This is my fight. I don’t want to involve anyone else.”

“Well, you’ll have to fight that out with Carter,” Helen said, then grinned. “Good luck with that, by the way.”

Raylene grimaced. She knew the conversation wasn’t going to go even half as smoothly as her attempt to break up with him, and that had pretty much been a waste of breath.

Rory Sue flipped her hair back in a gesture that was all female. Usually she did it just to drive Walter wild, but today she was clearly exasperated and probably just trying to get her windblown hair out of her face.

“Please say that again,” she demanded, frowning at Walter. “Surely I can’t have heard you correctly.”

“I’m going to be hanging out at Raylene’s for the next couple of weeks,” he repeated patiently. He’d explained before about the impending release of Raylene’s ex-husband, but only after Raylene had put her foot down about Sarah and the kids moving over to stay with Travis had he decided it was up to him to stay at the house to protect her. Carter had his own family to watch over.

Unfortunately, Rory Sue didn’t seem to be taking the news any better than Raylene had.

“No way,” she said emphatically. “No boyfriend of mine is going to live with another woman.”

“While I suppose I should be flattered by the show of jealousy, you know perfectly well you have nothing to worry about,” Walter said. “Raylene and I are just friends.”

She held his gaze as if trying to decide whether to debate the point, then nodded. “Okay, then neither of you will mind if I move in there with you,” she said decisively.

“Absolutely not,” Walter said. “I can’t be worrying about two of you if that nutcase shows up.”

“You won’t have to worry about me,” Rory Sue said. “I’ll bring along Granddad’s shotgun.”

Walter groaned. “Your grandfather has a shotgun?”

“Well, of course he does. He hunts. He started taking me with him when I was around ten. I was a little freaked by the idea of him killing Bambi, but I can handle a shotgun just about as well as he can.”

Despite her boastful claim, he still thought it was a bad idea. He shook his head.

“Carter will never go for it,” he told her. “He doesn’t want to involve any more civilians than absolutely necessary.”

“Well, if you’re staying there, then my staying there is absolutely necessary,” she said, her chin set defiantly.

“Why?” he asked. He had the feeling it went beyond jealousy.

She looked as if she couldn’t believe he even needed to ask. “Because the thought of losing you to some creep like Raylene’s ex-husband is simply unacceptable.”

He smiled at that. No one had ever worried about him like that. Other than maybe his mother, but she’d been a little overzealous on that score. “Rory Sue, believe it or not, I can take care of myself. Want to go to the gun range so I can prove it? If I win, you give up this crazy idea, okay?”

“You actually think you’re a better shot than I am?” she asked incredulously.

“Honey, I hate to burst your liberated bubble, but I know I am.”

An hour later, he’d proved it.

“Well, damn,” she murmured as she studied his target with several clean shots directly through the heart or close enough to do serious damage.

“Sorry.”

She grinned at him. “Don’t be. I’m still not letting you go to Raylene’s alone, though.”

“Raylene—”

“Sorry. My decision’s final,” she said. “Now, all of this has made me a little hot. Let’s go back to your place.”

“My place still doesn’t have any furniture,” he reminded her. They’d closed on it earlier in the day. He’d originally planned to have furniture delivered on Saturday, but given this business with Raylene, he’d put it off.

“It has a bed,” she told him with a grin. “I had it delivered right after the closing. I went by and put brand-new sheets on it myself.”

Yet again she’d caught him off guard. “Well, now, aren’t you efficient?”

She winked at him as she sashayed past. “I certainly aim to please.”

That, of course, was part of the problem, Walter thought, even as he followed her from the gun range. She pleased him in ways he’d never imagined. Part of it was the fact that she was never predictable. He’d spent so much of his life doing exactly what was expected of him. Discovering that he could be spontaneous had been a revelation to him.

But that cautious side of his nature that still overwhelmed him from time to time warned that it might be hard to live with unpredictability over the long haul.

Still, as he cast an appreciative glance over the woman seated next to him, that was a worry for another day. Tonight, spontaneity held a lot of allure.

B
ecause of Sarah, the kids, a babysitter and Travis, the house had always been filled with people coming and going, but even after they’d all moved over to Travis’s, the place was a nonstop circus. Raylene knew exactly what was going on. Everyone she knew was taking shifts—planned or otherwise—to be sure she was never in the house alone. Though she appreciated the gesture, it was getting on her nerves.

When Walter showed up and announced both he and Rory Sue were moving in for the duration, she lost it. It had been bad enough when Walter had insisted he was going to stay with her, but nothing she’d said had dissuaded him. The thought of dealing with Rory Sue for the foreseeable future as well was just too much.

“Are you totally out of your mind?” she demanded. “Rory Sue and I don’t get along that well on a good day.”

“Then now’s the perfect time for the two of you to get better acquainted,” Walter replied cheerfully, his expression unyielding.

“Why would she even agree to do this?” she asked, bewildered.

“Mostly to protect her turf,” Walter admitted. He held up a hand to prevent her protest. “I know there’s nothing going on between you and me, but she doesn’t buy it.”

“She doesn’t trust you? That should tell you something. A relationship without trust is, well…” She tried to think of an appropriate description. “It’s basically nonexistent. You might as well call it quits, throw in the towel—”

Again, he held up his hand, this time to pause the tirade. “I get the picture. I don’t think I’m the one she’s worried about. I think she’s afraid you’ll suddenly find me irresistible and that I, a mere mortal man, will succumb to your wiles.”

“As if,” Raylene muttered, then met his determined gaze. “Okay, fine. Heaven forbid that I cause a rift between the two of you. How long is this supposed to go on?”

“As long as necessary,” he said.

“You do realize this could be the answer to my prayers, don’t you? Rory Sue will probably make me so insane, I’ll be thrilled to walk out the front door and never look back.”

Walter laughed.

Raylene regarded him with a grim expression. “I’m not joking.”

In fact, nothing about this entire situation was even remotely amusing. If she weren’t quite so terrified of Paul showing up, she really would kick every one of her self-appointed protectors to the curb.

Carter stood aside as Walter and Rory Sue carted several pieces of luggage into Raylene’s. It grated on his nerves that protecting her inside the house had been
relegated to Walter, of all people. Unfortunately, with things the way they were at home with Carrie, Carter knew he couldn’t do it. Raylene wouldn’t have let him if he’d tried. She’d made that clear when he’d broached the possibility. His place was with his sisters. She’d also insisted that he keep both of the girls away from her house for the foreseeable future.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered as Rory Sue and Walter headed for Tommy and Libby’s room to settle in.

“I’m not exactly overjoyed about it myself,” Raylene said. “You’re the one who insisted I needed bodyguards.”

“These are not the ones I had in mind,” he said in frustration.

“Well, Travis needs to be with Sarah and the kids.”

He met her gaze. “At least you’ve stopped telling me that you don’t need anyone. I suppose I should be grateful for small favors.”

She frowned. “I’m not stupid. I know Paul better than anyone. Sooner or later, he will turn up here to get even or at least to tell me how I’ve ruined his life.”

Carter studied her. There was no mistaking the underlying tension in her voice. It hadn’t been there yesterday or even earlier in the day today. Something had happened to shake her bravado in the face of Paul’s release.

“What happened, Raylene? Don’t even try to tell me it was nothing. I can tell from your tone that you didn’t just wake up this morning and decide to be agreeable.”

She looked flustered that he was able to read her so well.

“Don’t you dare hold back,” he said when she remained stubbornly silent.

“I don’t really know if it’s anything,” she admitted eventually. “I’ve had some calls, hang-ups. The number was blocked. It’s probably just kids or someone who’s dialing a wrong number, but it has creeped me out a little bit.”

Carter’s stomach clenched, but he tried to stay calm and matter-of-fact. “I’ll have a trace put on your line, but if it is Paul and he’s just hanging up, they may not be able to catch the number. You’d have to keep him on the line for a while.” He met her gaze. “Could you try to engage him in conversation?”

“You mean just start talking as if I know it’s him, and keep the line open?”

Carter nodded.

“If it means catching him before something happens, I’ll do it.”

Carter hesitated. “You know we’re not going to be able to arrest him just because he’s calling you, right? So far it doesn’t even rise to the level of harassment. We really need him to come over here and violate the restraining order. If he so much as steps onto your property, it will also violate the conditions of his parole. Then we can get him locked up again. This time he’ll have a good long stay behind bars.”

Raylene sighed with evident frustration. “No wonder so many battered wives lose faith in the system. They have to be attacked before they can get any kind of justice.”

Carter was no less frustrated. He’d seen too many instances where abusive husbands had gone right back home and beaten the daylights out of their wives before anyone could legally intervene. The hands of the police were often tied until too late, just as Raylene had said.
Threats alone or past history weren’t enough to offer the kind of protection these women needed. Even in a place like Serenity, where the local sheriff’s department was more than willing to step in, there wasn’t enough manpower to do round-the-clock surveillance. Despite that, he was determined that Raylene wouldn’t wind up as one of those sad statistics. At least, thanks to Tom, there were extra people on the street during the day to keep an eye out for the arrival of any strangers. Even the neighbors had been alerted.

He squeezed her hand. “We’ll get him, Raylene. He’s not going to lay a hand on you ever again.”

She met his gaze. “I almost wish he’d try. This time I think I could fight back.”

He heard the grim note in her voice and almost regretted that he couldn’t grant her that chance. He didn’t want Paul getting close enough to do her any harm at all, not even a scratch.

“If he does turn up, I can always hold him and let you land a few punches before we cart him off,” he offered instead.

She gave him a tired smile. “Now, would that be fair? I want to get to him when it’s a fair fight.”

“I understand the sentiment, but he’s bigger and obviously a lot meaner. Unless you’ve been taking self-defense lessons I don’t know about, it will never be a fair fight.” He leveled a look into her eyes. “And forget about using a gun to shoot him.”

She immediately looked dismayed. “Helen told you,” she said, her tone flat.

“And I found the gun last time I was over here. It’s gone.”

“Dammit, Carter, you had no right to do that.”

“It was unlicensed, Raylene. More important, you don’t know how to use it. I couldn’t take a chance Paul would grab it and turn it on you.” He held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I’m not losing you like that. Understand? Keeping you alive and safe is my number-one priority right now.”

Her defiant expression faded. “I just wanted to know I could protect myself.”

“That wasn’t the way.”

“What if Paul comes over here with a weapon?” she asked.

“Did he ever use a weapon of any kind against you? Did he own a gun?”

She shook her head. “No, he only used his fists. A stab wound or a bullet would have been way too hard to explain in the emergency room.”

“Then I doubt that’s changed.” He knew she was scared and frustrated, but she’d never admit it, at least not the fear. “You need a distraction. We have no idea how long it might be before he’ll decide to show up. How about fixing some dinner? I’m starved.”

She gave him a wry look. “Do you usually ask your subjects to cook for you when you’re on a stakeout?”

Carter laughed. “No, I usually take along bad coffee and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bag of doughnuts. I thought this time maybe I could throw myself on your mercy.”

“Fine. I’ll cook.” She gave him an impish look as she walked into the kitchen. “Should I have Rory Sue bring the meal out to your car?”

“No, I’ll eat at the table like the rest of you civilized folks.”

She’d opened the freezer door, but she turned at his
response. “I thought you were on official guard duty here tonight.”

“I am.”

“Shouldn’t you be outside watching for the bad guy?”

“I have a couple of other guys doing that for now. I’m working inside.”

She closed the refrigerator without selecting anything. “Carter, do you think Paul’s going to show up tonight? Is that why there are extra people watching the house?”

“Just a gut instinct,” he said. “Nothing concrete. Don’t freak out on me now. We’ve got it covered.”

Before she could respond, the phone rang. Raylene jumped, then looked embarrassed as she reached for it. He noticed her hand was shaking.

After a moment, she drew herself up. “Paul, I know it’s you. Say something. I imagine you’re still furious with me for turning you in, so why not just say what’s on your mind? Rant and rave and get it out of your system. I’m actually surprised you didn’t use your phone privileges in prison to call me and tell me what an awful person I am.”

She blinked, then sighed and hung up. “He didn’t say a word, but I know it was him. I just know it.”

Carter crossed the kitchen and touched a finger to her chin. “You did good.”

“I was shaking like a leaf,” she admitted, then grinned. “But I did it anyway. That’s something.”

He heard the note of pride in her voice after the small triumph. He realized then just how much self-respect Paul Hammond had stolen from her. If he’d been able to put his hands on the man in that instant, he would have made him pay.

Going through the motions of making spaghetti and meatballs and a salad kept Raylene sane through what seemed like an endless evening. Each time the phone rang, she jumped. Except for the one hang-up, the calls were mostly from people checking on her. Tired of saying the same thing over and over—that she was fine and nothing was happening—she finally told Walter to answer.

Rory Sue regarded her with sympathy. “It’s getting old already, isn’t it?”

Surprised by the understanding, Raylene nodded. “I’m not crazy about waiting or about being the center of attention.”

“Not even in Carter’s universe?” Rory Sue asked.

“What do you mean?”

Rory Sue regarded her with disbelief. “Come on, Raylene. It’s obvious the man is crazy about you. He watches you like he’ll never get enough of you. And every time the phone rings, I swear it looks as if he’s ready to draw his gun and kill whoever’s on the other end of the line. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t shot the phone.”

“He’s just doing his job,” Raylene said, though she knew it was more than that. The connection between them was powerful. One of these days, she hoped their lives would be less complicated and they could truly explore those feelings.

Right now Carter was outside checking in with whomever he had watching the house. The plan was to send them home, and he’d take over out there. Raylene had argued futilely that he should be going home himself to get some sleep before he went back on duty in the morning.

“I’ll get by with enough caffeine,” he said. “It won’t be the first time I’ve pulled an all-nighter.”

“But have you had to go out the next day and put your life on the line?” she’d countered to no avail. The man was stubborn as a mule.

She glanced over at Rory Sue and saw a frown on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought maybe, since I’m going to be staying here, we could try to be friends,” Rory Sue said. “Instead, when I asked about Carter, you blew me off. You wouldn’t have done that with Sarah or Annie.”

Raylene smiled despite the tension in the air. “You’d be surprised how often I’ve told them exactly the same thing,” she admitted. “Things between Carter and me are complicated, so I minimize the relationship.”

“Self-protection in case it doesn’t work out,” Rory Sue guessed.

“Exactly. I can’t lose something if I don’t let myself admit I’ve ever had it.”

“That’s kind of crazy, isn’t it?” Rory Sue said, looking bewildered by the concept. “Besides, what’s so complicated that you can’t work it out? Look at me and Walter. Nobody would have predicted the two of us being together, but we are. At least we’re working at it, because we think it’s worth it. Don’t you think Carter’s worth it?”

“Of course he is,” Raylene said at once. “He’s amazing.”

“And you’re as hot for him as he is for you. I can see it in your eyes.”

“Sometimes it’s still not that simple.”

“But great sex along with friendship is a pretty good basis for a relationship. That’s what I have going with Walter that I never had before. We don’t just have
sex, we really talk. It’s taken me my whole life to figure out how important that is. Before, I was all about the chemistry.”

“I’d say that’s a sign of maturity,” Raylene said.

“So what about Carter? He looks like the kind of man who could set off all sorts of fireworks.”

Raylene really wasn’t comfortable with the direction of the conversation. She knew Rory Sue was reaching out, but the topic was simply too intimate. She didn’t especially want to admit that she and Carter hadn’t made it anywhere near a bed yet.

“I’m really happy if you and Walter have found something special,” she said instead. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to try to get some sleep.”

Rory Sue looked startled by the abrupt announcement. “Did I say something wrong? That’s another thing I’m lousy at, knowing the boundaries, especially with other women. My mom had the same problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. I really am tired.”

Rory Sue looked disappointed, but just then Walter came out of the kitchen, and her eyes brightened. Raylene was no longer even a blip on her radar.