Lacy (The Doves of Primrose) (20 page)

“Oh, honey.” Scarlett covered her mouth. “That’s awful. How did you find out?”

“Kyle told me he had a slashed tire when he went back to his truck. They probably did it to keep him busy while they came after me.”

“Bastards!”
Emmylou punched her own hand. “If I ever see them again they’re dead!”

Lacy squeezed
Emmylou’s arm. “Thanks, Em. I’ll help you bury the bodies.”

“Deal.”

The three friends shared a moment of silence and camaraderie.

“So in all seriousness, what is happening between you and Kyle?” Emmylou had tempered her earlier excitement.

Lacy sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know. But I like it.”

“We’re happy for you.” Scarlett’s sweet voice and Emmylou’s hug bloomed in Lacy’s heart. This was the first time since the divorce that Lacy had seen the light at the end of the tunnel and it felt so good. She was finding herself again.
And maybe some happiness along the way.

She cleared her throat. “So what’s going on with
Marcus? Am I allowed to ask or is it too touchy a subject?”

“No, we’re good.” Scarlett nodded at Emmylou.

“Yep. All good.”

Lacy looked from one to the other
, waiting. “And?”

“And,” Emmylou sat up straighter and smoothed her dress over her thighs, “we were just discussing it before you came out. I think we have a
plan to make me irresistible to him.

Lacy’s chest tingled. The look on Emmylou’s face meant trouble. It was the same look she
had back in high school when she talked Lacy into driving with the top down on her convertible and mooning the school bus filled with the entire football team. Coaches too.

Lacy dropped her head into her hand. “I’m not going to like this
, am I?”

“Well, that depends on how much you like being out in the middle of the night.” Lacy could hear the smile in Emmy’s voice.

“The full moon is tonight,” Scarlett informed her.

“Uh-huh.” Lacy blinked at her fearing
, what she was leading up to.

“And you know the ol
d story about Wildcat Springs.”

Lacy turned to Emmylou.
“Unfortunately.”

“Well, then you know that if I throw a
n offering in the head of the spring and make a wish when the moon is at its peak then it will come true.”

“Emmy.” Lacy chose her next words carefully. “You don’t actually believe that, do you? It’s just an old wives tale.”

“It’s worth a shot. Nothing else I’ve done seems to be working so it’s time I pull out all the stops. This is my best shot at getting him. But you have to believe it.”

“They also say that a woman in a grey dress haunts that place waiting for her lost love to join her,” Lacy reminded her.

“Exactly.”
Emmylou pushed her heavy hair behind her ear. “They had a plan to meet there in the middle of the night and run away together but while she waited she stumbled, fell in and drowned.”

“That doesn’t sound like a romantic story at all. In fact, I rea
lly think that’s tragic. And did they find her body in the water or has it been decaying there for decades? You know that’s the water we drink, right?”

“Oh, Lacy
, of course they found her body. She’s in the really old part of the cemetery. We can go see her headstone if you want.”

“I’m good. Thanks
, though.”

“So will you go with us tonight?” Emmylou clapped her hands together and perched
her chin on them. “Please, Lacy. I don’t want to do this without you.”

“That’s because you know I can shoot straight.” Lacy felt her resolve cracking under the pressure of those beautiful blue eyes pleading with her. “Oh
, all right. What time is our little expedition leaving?”

Emmylou squealed and hugged her. “Thank you! Thank you!” She bounced up and down a few times. “I’ll be back here at ten-thirty. That ought to give us plenty of time to get there.”

“Great. I’ll pack the twenty-two and the bug repellant.”

Emmylou smiled and shook her head. “We won’t need the r
ifle. Nobody goes up there.”

“I’m taking the gun for the mosquitoes.”

**********

Kyle wrapped the towel around his hips, gathered his shaving kit and left the bathroom. He had hoped Lacy would have taken
him up on his offer but he knew by now to never be surprised by her actions. Halfway to his room he saw Lauren’s bedroom door open. He was startled by her appearance. He was used to the structured dresses, cardigans and perfectly groomed hair but here she was in yoga pants and a loose tank top with her hair knotted at the back of her head.

“Lauren?”

She jumped at the sound of his voice, slammed her door and turned completely around. “Mr. McClintock. I didn’t know anyone else was up here.”

Kyle narrowed his eyes at her. “Where is everybody?” She fidgeted, almost out of breath. He saw a streak of dirt down the side of her top. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” her voice was rushed and tense. “They said something about going over the edits in the trailer and maybe watching some TV compliments of the satellite. I didn’t feel much like it.”

“Oh.” He nodded
, still taking in her odd behavior.

“Well, I’m going to go to the kitchen and get some tea.”

She took two steps before he stopped her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah.
I just miss the city, I’m not used to this much… nature.”

He
flickered a smile. “Okay, well, if you need anything or if you want tomorrow off just let me know. There’s more to do in town. I don’t think you’ve seen Primrose yet, have you?”

“No.”

The way she said that struck him as strange. “Okay, have a good evening, Lauren.”

“You too.”
The words were barely out before she hit the staircase. He continued to the double doors. Some people were not made for the country and Lauren was definitely one of them. He dressed in a pair of Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, toweled his hair and went back downstairs hoping to catch Lacy in the house. They may have a few more moments alone if the entire crew was at the campsite.

When he reached the bottom
, a scraping noise came from down the hallway that ran beside the stairs and toward the back of the house. Thinking it was Lacy working, he ventured to a part of the house he had never been. He passed several doors, glanced at an enormous landscape in an ornate gold frame and finally turned into the first open door. The room was filled with huge pieces of antique furniture all stained in a deep walnut and obviously hand carved, but void of Lacy.

The scraping noise came again. It sounded like someone dra
gging bricks across the floor. He stepped further into the room trying to discover the origin of the sound. It was as if it came from the walls or perhaps another room. He heard it again and moved closer to a massive portrait of a woman that vaguely resembled Lacy. She had the same build and same glow in the eyes. The dog was a little scary. The fact that it was a lone woman with a Great Dane told him it had to be Lacy’s great-great-grandmother. It fit with the stories.

“So you’re the one they all talk about?” He spoke to the painting while trying to take it all in. “You don’t look
quite as scandalous as they make you out to be.” Her high-collared dress and prim stature conflicted with the stories he knew about her operating a whorehouse and of all the wild affairs she was rumored to have had as well as the wicked parties she threw, masked as dinner parties for the well-to-do. “It’s nice to meet you, Emma. I wish you could see Lacy.”

He caught himself in the absurd one-sided conversation with a painting and chuckled. He really was all-fired in love with Lacy. He knew Lacy was practically alone in the world. Her mother had never been there for her, not since her dad died
, and talking to an ancestor no matter how ridiculous seemed like the right thing to do.

He studied the painting for a few more minutes
, deciding that Emma Schuster, notorious madam of The Dove House, was probably as tough and soft-hearted as Lacy. She was most likely thrown into a bad situation and made the most of it. He had to admire that determined nature. The scraping noise had disappeared and Kyle decided it was probably a branch rubbing against the house, or maybe it was the plumbing. Lord knew how old that stuff was.

He heard the
front door shut and he went to see who it was. By the time he made it to the door and looked around the only sign of another person in the house was the swinging kitchen door. He remembered he was starving. That much activity during the day was bound to burn up a lot of calories and he was pretty sure it was Lacy that had gone into the kitchen.

When he pushed the door open she was buried in the refriger
ator, moving things around. He crossed his arms and leaned against the island. “What’s for supper?”

He winced when she banged her head on the top shelf but grinned when she stood up with a chicken leg in her hand
, chewing the piece in her mouth.

“Hi,” she said between chews.

“I see you’ve already started without me.”

She set the chicken down and wiped the corner of her mouth with her fingertip
. “I could’ve done that for you.”
With my tongue,
he thought to himself. It translated through the pink rising in her cheeks.

Her nervous laugh and diverted gaze registered on him and he didn’t like it. “I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable.”

“About as uncomfortable as a girdle at a Baptist tent revival,” she mumbled under her breath a moment before straightening and meeting his eyes. “Not at all. I just thought I was alone in here.”

“Well, I’m famished. Do you mind if I eat with you?” Needles pricked him while waiting for her answer.

“I don’t mind.” She was slowly relaxing, thank goodness. “I’d like the company.”

“Just any company?
I can go get Lauren or Oscar.”

“No.” She laughed and moved forward
, placing her hands on his arms. “I want to eat with you. I don’t think we’ve ever sat down to a meal before.”

He was already lost in her sparkling eyes. “Picnics don’t count? If I remember correctly we had quite a few of those.” He
began a slow decent to her upturned face.

“Not really. It wasn’t sitting at a table across from each other, real plates and silverware.” Her eyes closed and her last words were a whisper against his mouth.

“Don’t tell me you’ve gotten all romantic on me.” He brushed his lips over hers.

“Maybe.”

He felt her intake of breath preparing for his kiss and all the blood rushed from his brain.

“Well, I’ll go s
et some out.” He pulled away without finishing what he had promised and walked to the cabinet before she could recover.

“Hey!” She spun around. “What do you think you’re doing?” She stalked him like a tiger, grabbed his shoulders and pushed him against the counter. Locking her hands behind his neck, she pressed her entire body against the length of his, smiling and rai
sing a perky brow when she found the evidence of his arousal. She was still smiling when her mouth captured his in a greedy kiss. His only leverage was to clamp onto her hips; she was in complete control. He had never enjoyed a kiss so much, with the exception of the one in the barn.

She pulled back a fraction of an inch and kept doing so as he leaned in for more. He desperately needed more of her
. His hands moved up her back trying to pin her in place so he could feast on her lips. But he wouldn’t be able to stop there. The island would be a prime place for him to take her.

In one deft movement she freed herself of him. “I’ll get the food. You get the plates.”

His mind toppled over itself, grasping for a complete thought. She walked further away,* albeit unsteadily, but she made it to the refrigerator. She had just paid him back.

Damn
, he loved her.

C
hapter 18

Her quiet meal alone with Kyle was awkward at first. She hadn’t been on a date since her mother started dying her hair red. That was a long time. Hell
, if she was honest she had never really been on a date before. She and Kyle had always met in secret; they had always been alone in secluded, tucked-away places where there were no witnesses. And Brice… well, they went from hanging out with friends in the Stop & Shop parking lot to the altar in a matter of two months. The pregnancy had negated all hopes of a courtship, engagement and actual wedding.

Brice wasn’t the type to take anyone on a date and after their shotgun wedding on the steps of
The Dove House with twelve people in attendance, he definitely would have never considered it. He was too busy chasing other women. Brice was too weak to ever commit to one person; he needed the attention of many to validate his masculinity.

Three weeks after the wedding she lost her baby. Brice patted her on the shoulder, told her it was all for the best and then asked if he could go grab a beer with his buddies since she was just g
oing to be lounging around on the couch all night. She should have annulled the marriage right then, but like every stupid kid who gets married too young she hung on, thinking that this was all life was going to be for her. And she didn’t want to be alone and chasing men in bars, grocery stores and churches like her mother. They church-hopped like a tornado through the plains, all for the sake of meeting “the one.”

To his credit, Brice was ne
rve violent towards her. The insults she learned to handle with practice. She didn’t cook like he wanted her to, she didn’t wear clothes that flattered her, she didn’t ask permission before doing things but he criticized in a way that Lacy wasn’t certain if he was joking or angry. It was always off the cuff, like she was a complete screw-up but he tolerated her because she was
his
screw-up. The only thing that Lacy ever did to please him was to go to cosmetology school. She had to drive one hundred miles every day to get it done but the fact that she could then support him more than made up for the initial expense.

Brice’s “career” wasn’t a source of steady income. She guessed that people weren’t overly eager to hire an unreliable contractor. That’s
how he referred to himself. In truth, he and his friend Gary had a glorified handyman business where they spent most of their time in the bar or the shop drinking beer. He called it making contacts. She called it pathetic.

Being out of the house, doing something to better herself
was an absolute boost to her confidence and made it easier to live with Brice. They had lived separate lives for most of their marriage and Lacy had accepted it. Her friends, while vocal and condemning at first of her poor excuse for a marriage, quickly became her soft place to land. They hated him but they loved her and she was beyond grateful to them for their years of support.

The cheating hadn’t bothered Lacy all that much. It burned her pride, but it didn’t break her heart. She had decided that she was the one who chose this path, she was the one who had gotten Brice to marry her and she would get through it as best she could with her head held high. Because she hadn’t been honest with Brice,
because she had tricked him into marrying her, she felt that she deserved everything she got and more. The baby that she was carrying when they got married wasn’t his. She knew with all her heart that it belonged to Kyle.

Lacy never told Brice the truth but she was pretty sure he was suspicious of the paternity of that baby. Lacy reasoned that was why he was such a prolific cheater
, so she looked the other way and took her lumps. Not that
all
of their time together was miserable; his apologies were always on a grand scale. There were times when she thought he might actually love her, one of those times being right before he took off. He was paying extra attention to her and he hadn’t criticized her in several weeks; she had believed that he might have finally grown up and decided to be a husband. Then she got that text saying he was leaving for Alaska, taking Gary and some girl named Susan with him. It was over between him and Lacy and she should just accept it.

That was the day she went on a rampage in The Curly Gates and stormed
out, right to Emmylou’s bakery.

“Are you okay?”
Kyle’s husky voice broke her thoughts. His handsome face kindled with the candlelight and brought a glow to her own cheeks and to her cold heart. He was the one who filled the empty places in her. He always had.

“Yeah.
I’m great.” She smiled into his baby blue eyes and placed her hand over his. He turned his hand over, lacing their fingers together.

“You were a million miles away while I was going on about my ranch in Garberville.”

“I’m sorry. I was thinking about Emmylou,” she sighed and Kyle picked up on the reference.

“
Ah, yes. How are she and dear Marcus getting on?”

Lacy twisted her mouth.
“Not at all. She has some harebrained idea to go up to Wildcat Springs tonight so she can make her wish and Marcus will be hers.”

Kyle grinned and nodded. “How is Scarlett with all of this?”

“She’s fine. She said Marcus scared her and she wasn’t interested so Emmy could have him.”

“But
Marcus isn’t rolling with the plan, is that it?” Lacy’s face answered his question and Kyle laughed. “When will women understand that you can’t force a guy to do anything?”

Lacy gave him a patronizing face pucker. “We already know that. That’s why we use the powers of persuasion.” She lifted her brows quickly.
“Or a magical wish from an ancient spring. Whatever. By the end of the night Mr. Marcus Chandler will belong to Emmylou.” Lacy flicked her hand and sat back in her seat to the roar of Kyle’s laugh.

“So you are planning on doing this tonight?” he asked after he recovered from his hilarity.

“Yes, our dastardly plan is set to commence at ten-thirty.” She picked up a piece of bread, tore off a corner and popped it in her mouth, watching Kyle’s face fall. “I’m sorry, Kyle, but it’s a ladies-only event. A girl will only allow her closest friends to witness stupid and desperate acts. It’s been a while since we’ve been out on an adventure together. I’m looking forward to it.”

“No, I know. I want you to go and have fun with your friends. I’m just going to miss you. I had hoped we could spend the eve
ning together.” He leaned forward and ran his finger along her jaw, drawing sparks with it. “I had plans for you.”

His eyes darkened
. The candlelight played on the hard lines of his face and the circles he was drawing on her wrist were wreaking havoc on her nervous system. With just those little things he nearly had her convinced to blow off her friends and spend the night doing whatever Kyle had in mind.

“Oh
, you did, did you?” She was nearly breathless, her body vibrating with every racing beat of her heart.

“
Mmm.” He leaned forward to grasp her other hand.

Static currents chased over every inch of her body, her breasts tingled in anticipation of his touch. He pushed
away the chair between them and came around the table, kneeling between her feet, matching her at eye level. Her hands went to his face, bringing him closer. Kyle grunted with the forcible pressure of her mouth. He stroked her back, gentling her, deepening the kiss with the turn of his head and thrust of his tongue.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders, tearing at his shirt, pulling it up his firm body. His hands slid down her back, gripping her hips and jerking he
r to his hard abdomen. She shuddered with the contact, frantic to be free of their clothes. The kiss turned wild; hands were stroking, tugging at frustrating clothes, tongues were caressing, tasting, offering; hips were thrusting, demanding, pleading for more.

Lacy’s hand made it beneath Kyle’s shirt
, snagging her breath. The contours of his back played beneath her seeking hand, flexing with her touch. Kyle placed a hand on her neck, releasing the kiss to trace his thumb down the column of her throat. “I’ve missed you, Lacy.” His eyes were nearly black with passion, his ragged breath swept over her hot skin. “I never should’ve let you go.” He seized her mouth in endless rapture. Lacy poured her heart out in that kiss, praying he felt it in his.

Crash!

They jerked apart at the sound of smashing glass.

“What was that?” Lacy asked
, still gripping Kyle’s neck, ice slicing through her and etching out her feverish hunger.

“I don’t know.”

They both looked to the dining room doorway where the sound had come from.

“Maybe the crew is back. What time is it?”

Lacy had to suck in a breath before she could look at the clock on the wall. “Um, ten o’clock.”

“Really?
Time flies when you’re making out.”

Her ragged laugh brought his attention back to her. He swept her hair away from her face with a shaky hand. “I’m sorry, ho
ney. Looks like we have to put this off. Unless…” He raised his brows and leaned his forehead against hers.

Lacy couldn’t believe Kyle was barely hanging on to his co
ntrol. His hands held her tightly while they traveled over her, nearly snapping her own restraint. “I wish. But I better go see what got broken and the girls will be here in a few minutes. Oh God, why did I agree to this?”

He kissed her damp cheek. “Because she’s your best friend and she needs you.”

“Oh, yeah.” Lacy closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath.

“I’ll go with you in case it’s the ghost knocking things over. You might need my protection.”

“What good will that do?”

Kyle took her hand in his and started for the doorway. “At least we can be scared together.”

“You know I don’t believe in ghosts, right?”

He glanced back at her. “That’s a shame. I was hoping we could hide under the covers together.”

Through the entryway, Lacy flicked the light on and gasped, “Oh, no!” She released Kyle’s hand and went to the shattered vase on the floor.

“What is it?”

She pushed the flowers aside and picked up two pieces of the blue and white china, trying to fit them together. “This was the vase that my great-great-grandmother used to put bluebells in. They were her husband’s favorite and she said she liked to keep them around so she could always remember him. That’s why it always sits by the door and always has bluebells in it.”

Lacy’s heart fell with the thought that she had let her ancestors down. It was a lovely sentiment that had been passed down through the generations and Lacy had continued it. She adored the thought of her great-
great-grandfather still being around. He hadn’t lived in the house long before his death and had never spent one night with his wife in it. He had been shot and killed the very day Emma had arrived in town. And now the nicest piece of their family history was gone thanks to one careless person. Lacy looked around to see who it could have been. But the foyer was empty. Her face scrunched up, fighting the gathering tears.

Kyle picked his way through the debris to place his arm around her. “I’m sorry, Lace. That’s such a beautiful story. Ma
ybe we can fix it.”

They both looked at the
rubble, realizing it was hopeless. She shook her head. “I’ll go get a broom.” She stood, sliding out of his embrace.

“Oh, I’m so sorry
, Mrs. Campbell.”

Lacy jerked her head to the doorway where Lauren stood with a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other.

“I was coming back inside and I slipped on a slick spot.” She took several steps forward, looking completely upset. “And I just lost my balance. The table was right there and I--” Her voice broke. If Lacy’s brain wasn’t on fire she would feel sorry for the little robot. “I knocked it off. It was an accident and I would love to replace it--”

“It’s irreplaceable.” The dead calm in Lacy’s voice sliced the tension of the room to ribbons. She took four deliberate steps forward
, glaring into Lauren’s Botoxed face. “That vase was a priceless family heirloom, you stupid twig, and you have destroyed it. I don’t know why I’m surprised by that. You have been one disaster after another. You are a spoiled, pampered, uptight bitch and I would love nothing more than to knock you flat on your perfectly toned ass.”

“Lacy!” Kyle’s scold won him a glare telling him to drop dead.

“Shut up!” She whipped her head back to the evil witch. “But I was raised to be a lady so I won’t. I’ll just clean up this mess like I’ve done for all the others you’ve created.” She stepped to within several inches of Lauren, staring her down. She waited for a few seconds, hating that Lauren hadn’t backed down or cowered. She ripped the broom and dustpan from her boney hands. “Give me these. I wouldn’t want you to cut that delicate skin of yours.” Lacy spun on her heel and marched to the mess. “I’m really sorry,” Lauren said before rushing up the stairs.

Lacy took two strokes of the broom before Kyle appeared at her shoulder.
“That was a little uncalled for, don’t you think? ”His lecturing tone raked her anger. “No. I’ve been wanting to say that since the room-switching crisis.” She continued sweeping.