Scaredy Cat (13 page)

Chapter 22

Quinn laughed despite the fact that she was cleaning chicken shit and feathers out of her truck. Once the shock of what happened wore off and she was certain that Blake was not going to suffer a nervous breakdown or a heart attack, it was damn funny.

Quinn had to demand that Blake come back into the house while she finished the repair because she was afraid to leave her alone. Not because she feared that Blake would be attacked again but that she would go on the attack. As they walked back into Patty’s house, Ester began to head their way posturing, her wings out like she was ready for round two. So was Blake. Quinn had to get in between them and usher Blake inside.

On the ride home, Quinn would burst out laughing uncontrollably, and when she sobered, Blake would lose it. The memory of Blake with her head thrown back, laughing, feathers still in her hair, tears on her cheek, and a little Band-Aid on her brow made Quinn smile as she wiped excrement from the dashboard. Blake had come a long way from the neurotic little thing Quinn had met about a month earlier. Quinn had gone from pitying her to understanding, then to admiring. The attraction she felt was growing stronger with each minute they were together. She still wondered what to do with that.

She looked at her watch, sprayed some fabric freshener in the truck, and rushed into her house to shower. Quinn looked forward to the dinner date. She wanted to see Jacob and Tonya meet the dark princess of horror they believed Blake to be. More than that, she wanted Jacob’s opinion of the woman she was coming to know and adore. Quinn was still unsure if she was reading too much into the lingering gazes and the twinkle in Blake’s eye when she regarded her. If the attraction was two-sided, her brother would pick up on it, and Quinn knew when they were alone, he’d tell her.

She showered quickly, then stood in the mirror staring at herself. Blake had mentioned that she liked her hair down, so Quinn dried it until it was lightly damp. She sprayed it with curling gel and wound a few locks around her fingers. The result was a wavy almost messy look. Hair was easy; picking the right clothes was not.

There weren’t any fancy eateries in Cypress Glade. Jeans were the obvious choice, but the shirt would take some consideration since what she mostly wore were T-shirts. Quinn sighed and decided to go with the old standard, a light denim shirt, and she grabbed a pair of her favorite brown boots with buckles on the ankles.

*******

“Wow…wow…you look hot. Those jeans fit your ass like a glove. No, turn around again…yes.”

Blake sighed as she watched Quinn take things out of the backseat of her truck and toss them into the bed. When Quinn slammed the doors, Blake dropped the slat in the blinds she’d been peeking through and backed away from the window, her heart racing. She was nervous about meeting Jacob and his wife, but more about opening the door to Quinn. Her crush was reaching a fevered pitch, and earlier that day before they parted to get dressed, Quinn had stroked Blake’s hair away from her face when it had clung to the copious amount of antibacterial ointment that had seeped from beneath the Band-Aid. Her touch had been gentle, and the fingertip that trailed lightly down the side of Blake’s cheek nearly made her swoon.

Blake had gone inside and cupped her hand to her face as if to hold Quinn’s warmth to her skin, and she remembered something that made her tingle. Quinn’s eyes seemed slightly out of focus for a moment as they swept over Blake’s face and settled for only a fleeting second on her lips. And then Quinn smiled and backed away. The affectionate encounter had left Blake with that tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach and had not faded during the couple of hours they’d been apart.

Quinn’s knock jarred her. Blake waited a few seconds, breathed out a sigh, then walked over to the door. When she opened it, Quinn’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. She didn’t say anything, just stood there and stared.

“Okay, my shirt is black, but I don’t have a lot of—”

“You look fantastic,” Quinn said, almost with a sigh. She blinked and shook her head slightly. “Taller…you’re…tall.”

“They kinda have a heel.” Blake lifted her foot and pointed at her black boots.

Quinn cleared her throat. Her face looked a bit flushed. “I like the way you tied your shirt at your waist.” She gestured for a moment. “It’s cute…um…are you ready?”

“Yes.” Blake grabbed her purse. “Lights are on, back door is locked, yeah, I’m ready.”

Quinn held the screen door open for Blake as she locked the front door. Then she opened the passenger’s side door of the truck and held it for her as she climbed in. Blake tried not to stare as Quinn walked around the front of the truck and got in.

“I should’ve helped you clean your truck, it was a mess,” Blake said as Quinn backed out of the driveway.

“I needed to wipe down the inside anyway, it was dusty. I kept a chicken feather to commemorate this day,” she said with a grin.

“I did, too.” Blake pointed to her head. “But then, I do have a battle scar.”

“How’re your arms?”

“They stung when I took a shower, but I consoled myself with the notion that Ester probably has a sore jaw. Patty should rename that bird something like Satan or Winged Demon. She had the devil in her eyes for sure.”

Quinn chuckled. “Jacob and Tonya don’t have any chickens, just Jack, and he’s very sweet. They, however, are extremely excited to meet you, so if they gush too much, just pop them in the jaw like you did Ester. Let me know before you do it, so I can get my phone out and video.”

“I probably won’t talk much. I’m shy when I meet new people. Making small talk isn’t easy for me.”

“Trust me, they will do most of the talking. I’ll be right there with you, so if you feel uncomfortable, let me know.”

“My protector,” Blake said with a smile as she looked out her window.

*******

Jacob and Tonya’s house sat well off the road on a large plot of land filled with oaks and pines. In front of the L-shaped porch were well-tended flowerbeds bordered by ornamental grass. Gaslights on posts bathed the front of the house in a flickering glow as the sun quickly set. Jack lifted his head where he lay on the porch and watched as Quinn’s truck approached.

“This is lovely,” Blake said as she caught sight of a fountain next to a covered walkway leading to the garage.

“It’s very pretty during the day, especially the patio. Jacob and Tonya are avid gardeners. There’s always something in bloom around here.”

Blake watched as a tall thin man walked out on the porch dressed in a pair of jeans and a white button-down shirt. He said something to Jack, who had stood and looked as though he was ready to walk out into the yard. Jack sat down, his ears slightly perked as he stared at the truck.

“I’ll let you out. That way, I can act like a buffer in case Jack decides to disobey Jacob. He won’t bite or jump on you, I promise.”

“I trust you,” Blake said as she kept an eye on the dog.

Quinn got out and waved at Jacob as she walked around the front of the truck. She opened Blake’s door and took her hand to help her out. To Blake’s great pleasure, Quinn held on to it as they walked toward the porch.

“Blake’s not used to being around dogs,” Quinn called out.

“He’s why I stepped outside. He stinks. I don’t want him to get near either of you,” Jacob said with his gaze fixed on Blake. “I didn’t have a chance to bathe him today after his swim in the pond.”

“Jacob, I want you to meet Blake Taylor.”

Jack stayed put as Jacob reached out both hands and took Blake’s between them. “It is such an honor to meet you, Ms. Taylor.”

“Likewise. Please, just call me Blake. Your sister speaks very highly of you.”

Jacob smiled and released her. He leaned toward Quinn and kissed her cheek. “Please, come inside,” he said as he opened the door.

Tonya was short with a stocky build. She brushed her short dark hair from her face as she approached with a huge smile. “Blake Taylor, I
cannot
express how thrilled I am to meet you and have you in my home.” She didn’t bother with the formality of a handshake; instead, she enveloped Blake in a warm hug, then she took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. The coffee table was piled with books. “Please, don’t think I expect you to sign them all, but if you’d just sign one, I’d be so honored.”

Quinn stared slack-jawed at the pile. “Good Lord, Blake, how many have you written?”

Jacob looked appalled. “You don’t know?”

“Obviously not,” Quinn said as she walked over and picked one up. “
Bitter Bones
,” she said as she studied the cover.

“Oh! That is one of my all-time favorites,” Tonya exclaimed. “I love gothic tales, and the ghost in that story was so scary. You created such an unsettling mood in that book. I had the heebie-jeebies a long time after reading that one.”

Jacob nodded. “She did. That’s why we have a night-light in the hall and our bathroom.” Jacob laughed. “One night, I was in there, but Tonya thought I was still in bed when she—”

“Baby, don’t tell that story right now,” Tonya said as her face flushed.

Quinn obviously knew it because she turned away, and Blake could tell that she was laughing.

Tonya set a hand on Blake’s arm. “Can I get you something to drink? Would you like a glass of wine?”

“No, thank you,” Blake said politely. “I do need a pen, though.”

“Okay.” Tonya jumped up and ran toward the kitchen looking like there were hot coals under her feet.

“She’s excited.” Jacob sliced a hand through the air in front of him. “I’m totally cool.”

Quinn patted him on the stomach. “Good boy, you get a biscuit later.”

Tonya raced back in, reclaimed her spot on the sofa next to Blake, and handed her a pen.

“Do you…do you mind, Blake, if I take a picture of you doing that?” Jacob asked.

“No,” she said with a smile. “I don’t mind at all.”

Jacob ran out of the room just like Tonya had done moments before. Quinn rolled her eyes and laughed as she looked at Blake. Jacob returned quickly with a camera, lens cap dangling. The sound of the shutter started going off as Blake signed.

Tonya looked back at him, her smile huge as she pointed at Blake. Tonya couldn’t suppress her squeal of delight when Blake put an arm around her waist and smiled up at the camera while Jacob continued to take photo after photo.

“Dude, we’d like to eat this century. Give the girl a break,” Quinn said and thumped him.

Jacob handed Quinn the camera. “Get me, then we’ll go.” He sat on the other side of Blake and beamed.

Chapter 23

“They’re really sweet,” Blake said as she and Quinn waited for Jacob and Tonya to clear out the backseat of Tonya’s car since it had more room than Quinn’s truck.

“They’re crazy. I forget sometimes that you’re a celebrity.”

Blake shook her head. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” Quinn winked at her. “I know you told me how many you’d written, but seeing that stack was still shocking.
 

“I think eighty-seven is on the computer right now. I’ve been writing a long time, but there are authors out there that have written far more in less time.”

“I’m impressed.” Quinn almost went with the impulse to touch Blake’s face when she smiled demurely. Instead, she stuffed her hands into her back pockets. “You made their year, thank you for that.”

“They made mine. I was very flattered that they wanted their pictures taken with me.”

The car pulled up beside them, and Jacob climbed out quickly to open Blake’s door. “Quinn, get in on the other side. You know how to use the handle.”

“Oh, you were all nice when I was bringing her over. Now that she’s here, you’re back to being a tool. I got your number, buddy.” Quinn pointed over the top of the car. “I’m gonna write my own book about you.”

Jacob laughed at her as he closed Blake’s door. When he got into the driver’s seat, he said to Blake, “My sister has a reputation for being feisty. I love to rile her up.”

Blake grinned at Quinn. “What has she done to earn that rep?”

Jacob and Tonya released twin grunts.

Quinn leaned forward and said, “Shut up and take us to the House on the Bayou.”

“As you can see, her attitude is part of the legend.” Jacob glanced at Tonya. “Quinn won’t hurt you, so you tell on her.”

“Let me see,” Tonya said, despite Quinn’s nudge on the back of her seat. “My favorite was the time she went off on the woman who used to own that sandwich shop next to the dry cleaners. That was totally justified, though, because she was just rude, and that’s probably why she’s no longer in business. Quinn likes to throw tools when she gets mad. There’s probably a wrench in every yard in town. Oh, and the day she told Glenda Percy that she was a parasite that lived only to suck the joy out of everyone else was a classic. The Ladies’ Auxiliary was having a pie sale to benefit something, I can’t remember.” Tonya waved a hand. “Quinn looked at the rest of the women standing there slack-jawed and said, ‘Y’all aren’t immune, everybody in town knows that one of you has a gambling problem, another is cheating on her husband, and one of you has a home in danger of foreclosure. So as you’re standing there looking all smug while hearing about everyone’s dirty laundry, just know that Glenda has yours swinging in the breeze, too.”’ Tonya chuckled. “I laughed so hard at Glenda and her gossip posse because none of them could say a word. Jacob had to half carry me back to the car. I was completely in tears.”

Blake grinned at Quinn and said, “I’m sorry I missed that.”

“It didn’t have much of an impact but just made Glenda more fearsome to everyone else.”

Tonya turned in her seat so she could look at Blake. “Which of your books is your favorite?”

“I can’t give a definitive answer. They’re all special to me in one way or another.
Warning to the Sage
is probably my least favorite. I really struggled with that one, and I think it showed. I think my writing was stilted, and I just wasn’t in the right
mind-set to write it, I suppose.” Blake looked out the window.

“Let’s not make her talk shop,” Quinn said with a glance at Blake. “She’s been working a lot lately and would probably like to clear her mind. Feel free to continue to fawn over her.”

Tonya turned around to fuss at Jacob for driving her car like he was on a racetrack.

Quinn leaned in close to Blake and whispered, “Was that okay?”

Blake nodded and squeezed her arm.

Quinn liked the contact and wished that Blake would’ve continued to hold on to her. She wondered how Blake would feel inside the restaurant that was usually crowded on the weekends. It would give her a good excuse to stay close.

When they arrived at the House on the Bayou, Jacob let the ladies out at the door, and Tonya went inside to put their name on the wait list while Quinn and Blake stood on the curb away from those who gathered on the porch. “Is this place new?” Blake studied what was designed to look like a Victorian-era home.

“Yes and no. The original was an old house that had been converted into a restaurant and was a casualty of Katrina. From what I’ve heard, the owners debated for a long time about reopening. They only had this place built a few years ago. That’s why it sits up so high, and it’s supposed to be able to withstand a category five hurricane. Like everyone else, I hope to never see it tested.” Quinn took advantage of their alone time and asked, “How’re you doing?”

“Good, I think the experience with Ester today has bolstered my confidence. I can’t give her all the credit, though. You’ve been steadily chipping away at my fortress.”

Quinn smiled. “All my pleasure. I enjoy seeing you shine.” She looked over Blake’s shoulder at Jacob as he walked up. “Did you park in the next town?”

“Felt like it,” Jacob said as he joined them. “How long is the wait?”

“I don’t know,” Quinn said as she looked for Tonya. “Your bride hasn’t returned yet.”

Jacob ran his knuckles over his tidy beard as he stared up at the door. “She’s probably trying to secure the perfect table. She’ll pester the hostess until she gets exactly what she wants.”

“I understand that you have friends who…hunt ghosts.”

Jacob looked down at Blake. “Yes, they’re avid hunters. I just talked to Carl this morning. He was all excited about spending the night in some old building near the French Quarter. I assume you’ve probably done a few hunts yourself for research.”

“No,” Blake said with a smile. “I find the whole idea frightening.”

“Me too.” Jacob put one hand on his hip, the other he fanned in front of his face before he seemed to realize what he was doing. Then he folded his arms and stood erect. His voice was deeper when he said, “It’s a scary thing. I’m not sure I could look at it scientifically like Carl and his team do.”

“Do you have any idea if they’re doing something special on Halloween?” Quinn asked.

Jacob nodded. “Oh, yeah, Carl was so excited he started stuttering when he told me they’d been invited to investigate some old farmhouse between here and the coast. The woman who owns it lives in Dallas, but she and her family are supposed to move into the place next month. They can’t keep renovation crews there because of all the strange occurrences. Carl says the prices go up every time she has to hire another crew because apparently word has gotten out. She wants Carl’s team to disprove that it’s haunted. If they find that it is, she’s going to make it into a bed-and-breakfast because ghosts draw the business.”

Blake’s face had fallen slack, and she was clutching the strap on her purse as though it were a lifeline. As Quinn regarded her, she regretted asking about Halloween. She’d hoped to take Blake on a hunt that wouldn’t yield anything, so her fears of what lay hidden in the dark would be dispelled. The house’s reputation alone guaranteed to make any type of investigation tense. She’d begun to give up on the Halloween idea when Blake spoke up and surprised her.

“Could…could…would…you ask your friend…Carl if we could tag along on Halloween?”

Jacob hit an octave that made everyone turn and look at them when he exclaimed, “Yes! We’ll go…we’ll all go.” He’d begun to do a little dance, then suddenly stopped. Quinn feared he’d spit to look manly, but Jacob cleared his throat and refolded his arms. “Strength in numbers as they say.”

Tonya poked her head out the door and waved them up. Quinn stayed close by Blake’s side as they wove through the crowd at the door. The main dining room was a large area, but there were small rooms, as well. The hostess led them to one that had windows overlooking the water, and there were only three other tables.

Once they were seated, Jacob asked lowly, “How’d we score this? The wait had to be at least an hour judging by the crowd outside and in the foyer.”

“I slipped Madison forty bucks. Don’t tell anyone she’s on the take, she’ll get fired.” Tonya turned to Blake. “If you like seafood, the shrimp Robichaux is to die for. The sauce is spicy and tangy. It’ll make you slap your momma.”

“That’s an expression used down here when something is really good,” Quinn explained when Blake’s brow rose.

“Thank you for the suggestion, Tonya, but I’m in the mood for chicken.”

Jacob and Tonya stared at Quinn and Blake when they began to laugh like a pair of fools. “I think there’s a story here,” Jacob said with a smile.

Blake nodded at Quinn. “You tell it.”

“I took Blake with me out to Patty Jenkins’s place to fix a faucet. While I was inside, Patty’s chicken Ester attacked Blake. Let me just say that Ester is missing a lot of feathers right now. Blake thoroughly plucked her up.”

Jacob closed his menu. “That settles it, I’m having chicken, too. I hate that damn bird. She pecked me once when I was fixing a spigot at Patty’s neighbor’s house. Blake, if I had a drink, I’d toast you.”

“I think that problem is about to corrected right now,” Tonya said as the waiter approached the table.

*******

Perhaps it was spite that made the chicken so delectable, but Blake also gave credit to the sauce that she’d allowed Tonya to spoon onto it from her shrimp Robichaux. Jacob and Tonya were pleasant company, as well. The night was beautiful. Blake watched the reflection of the moon ripple on the waters of the bayou and the headlights of cars that traveled on the roads near the bank. All around her were the sights and sounds of life, and she’d been missing it by hiding herself away when the sun went down—for that matter, when the sun was up.

“I didn’t tell you the news,” Jacob said to Tonya as he fed her some of his pecan pie à la mode. “Blake and Quinn want to go with Carl and his guys out to that farmhouse I told you about.”

Tonya grabbed her napkin and held it in front of her mouth. “Shut the front door! Are you kidding me? A ghost hunt? And with Blake Taylor? Oh, my God!”

Jacob still looked as excited as Tonya. “Carl is gonna freak when I tell him you want to go, Blake. Wait…am I allowed to tell him who you are?”

That was a question Blake wasn’t prepared for. She thought about it for a few minutes. If she made an absolute fool out of herself by doing something stupid like pissing her pants, word could get out, especially if there was video. She swallowed hard when the image of her with urine-stained pants and probably screaming being played on the Internet swept through her mind. Not to mention how humiliating it would be, but all of Cassidy’s hard work to make her appear dark and mysterious would go up in smoke.

“I’ll have to get back to you on that, Jacob. I’m really not sure.”

“No problem,” he said with a smile. “I’ll just tell them Quinn and her…friend want to join on the hunt. You can tell them when we get there if you want.”

Blake motioned for the check when it arrived, but she had all three of the Scotts vying to pay. “This is my treat. I can’t tell you when I’ve had a more enjoyable evening,” she said, smiling at Jacob and Tonya.

“Well, you have to promise that you’ll come back out to the house and let us cook for you.” Tonya reached over and took Blake’s hand. “We’ll spoil you rotten. Say you will.”

“I will. I promise.”

*******

Blake was doing well in Tonya’s care as they stood near the water and watched children toss french fries out to the seagulls. The birds were distracted by the food, and Blake had happily allowed Tonya to take her arm. Tonya gestured wildly as she explained something to Blake, who nodded often.

“She’s a sweet, sweet woman. Soft-spoken, polite, so not what I expected. What you’ve told me about her being afraid of everything and meeting her has totally dispelled my opinion of the dark princess. She’s not scary or diabolical at all.”

“She shocked me when she brought up the ghost hunt. She’s changing so fast, just jumping into everything.”

“You’re good at making a person feel strong. You had a lot of practice with me, that’s for sure.”

“Thanks.” Quinn nodded as she stood beside Jacob a short distance from Blake. “Do you think she likes me more than just a friend?”

“Oh, it’s obvious, and so do you. I don’t think you have to fear rejection if you ask her out.”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know if I should. I really do like her, and I’m stuck in that place of trying to keep my feelings at bay or going for it.” Quinn glanced at Jacob. “She plans to go back to New York after her book is done or when the lease goes up in the spring. I might be in over my head by then regardless of whether we get together.”

Jacob released a small groan. “I don’t see how you have any choice then. If your friendship does turn intimate, that might be enough to make her stay. She’s a writer. She can work most anywhere.”

“I couldn’t stand her when I met her,” Quinn said with a soft laugh. “I thought the whole scaredy cat thing was an act to get those around her to do what she wanted. But the odd thing is after getting to know her, I think she may be braver than me. After Shay, I came back here and hid. I let Mom treat me like one of the employees at the nursing home. I don’t date women with long-term potential because I’m afraid of opening up. My love life has dwindled down to a handful of secret affairs. And here I stand afraid to tell her how I feel. Blake and I aren’t that much different, except she’s tired of being afraid, and she’s daring to make a change.”

“Make your change with her.” Jacob cuffed Quinn on the shoulder. “Be brave, see what happens.”

When the fries were gone, the gulls began to scatter, and one noticed Blake and Tonya. It flew close to see if they would throw it anything. With the strap in her hand, Blake swung the purse at the bird, and it flew away.

“I’m going to retract my earlier statement. Blake might be a little diabolical after all,” Jacob said as they watched Blake thrust her chest out in challenge at the birds.