Читать книгу Missing Persons - Shirlee McCoy - Страница 10

Lauren needed to learn how to keep her mouth shut. That much was obvious. First, she’d offered to take part in Steff’s auction. Now, she’d invited herself to Seth’s house. What was it going to be next? Offering to cook an extra week of meals for free?

Just the thought of spending more time with Seth and his son made her cringe.

She needed to keep as much distance between herself and Seth as possible because, no matter how much she might want to claim otherwise, he still affected her. His smile could still make her pulse accelerate and her world tilt; looking into his eyes could still make her melt.

Fortunately, her head knew enough to keep her heart in check. Seth had the same charming personality that had attracted her when she’d been a shy teenager, but she wasn’t a teenager anymore. She was a woman with a career, friends, a social life. Or as much of one as she wanted.

“This is it.” Seth pulled into the driveway of a two-story farmhouse.

This was where he lived?

An old farmhouse?

He pushed open the door, and Lauren stepped inside. She’d been expecting something modern and sleek, but the dimly lit foyer had turn-of-the-century charm—wide planked floors, crown molding, a chandelier that looked original to the house, an atmosphere that whispered “home.”

Seth pulled the door shut and started up the steps, calling out as he went, the deep timbre of his voice tinged with worry. “Reese? Jake?”

“We’re in Jake’s room.” The feminine voice had to belong to the babysitter. A college student? A relative?

Lauren moved down the length of the foyer, her gaze lingering on the framed photos that hung on the wall. Most were family portraits. First Seth and a stunning blond dressed in wedding finery and smiling into each other’s eyes. Then Seth standing behind the woman, his hand on her shoulder, his gaze on the tiny infant she held. Two more family photos followed, the infant older in each, but still small and fragile looking. The next photos were of Seth and his son, the boy more robust and sturdy, his mother absent.

“I probably need to get more interesting art for that wall.” Seth spoke as he descended the stairs, his voice different than it had been years ago. Deeper, rougher, but still with an edge of polish and charm Lauren knew most women would find hard to resist.

Good thing she wasn’t most women. “Why? Family photos are the best kind of artwork.”

“They make my son happy, anyway. He loves looking at them and trying to remember the day they were taken.”

Which seemed to imply that they didn’t make Seth happy. Lauren had heard rumors about his marriage, the difficulties he and his wife had had. Whether or not those rumors were true didn’t make any difference to her. He’d made his choice. She might not have been happy at the time, but in the end it had been for the best. “Your son is adorable and your wife was beautiful. I was sorry to hear of your loss.”

“Thank you.” The words were simple, his gaze lingering for just a moment on the wedding photo before he turned his attention back to her. “Jake and Reese will be down in a minute.”

“Did he tell you what he’d eaten?”

“A cupcake a friend at school gave him.”

“Store-bought?”

“No. Homemade.”

“Even worse.”

“So I’ve told him a thousand or so times. Come on in the kitchen, and I’ll give you the list of the food Jake is allergic to.” He led her down the hall and into a brightly lit kitchen. Granite countertops, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances made for an updated space without distracting from the beauty of the antique wood floor and trim. It was the kind of kitchen Lauren loved to work in, the kind she would have had if she lived in her own home rather than a rental.

“Here you go.” Seth handed her a laminated sheet of paper.

Tree nuts. Peanuts. Milk. Gluten. “His diet is quite limited.”

“I’m hoping you can change that.”

“I can give you ideas for interesting meals. A lot of kid-friendly stuff that uses other ingredients, but tastes almost the same as what his peers are eating.” The sooner the better. Being in Seth’s house, seeing the pictures of his wife and son only made her more anxious to fulfill her obligation and put the entire experience behind her.

“That’s exactly what I’m looking for. This year has been tough for Jake. He wants to fit in with the other kids, but no matter where he goes or what he’s doing, food is an issue.”

Before Lauren could respond, a young boy rushed into the room, his red-gold hair mussed, pink blotches marring his neck and arms. “Hey, Dad…” He saw Lauren and skidded to a stop, his cheeks going scarlet. “Oh. Hi. You must be the cook.”

“That’s right. And you must be Jacob.”

“And since we’re all introducing ourselves, I’m Reese.” A young blond stepped into the room, her makeup perfect, her hair artfully tousled. The babysitter? If so, she wasn’t the kind of babysitter Lauren remembered from her own youth.

“I’m Lauren Owens.”

“Good to meet you.” Reese smiled and moved up beside Seth, her posture staking a claim Lauren wasn’t sure she had a right to.

Not that the validity of her claim mattered. Seth’s dating life had nothing to do with Lauren.

“Dad said you’re going to make some cool food for me to bring to school.”

“I said Lauren was going to teach us how to cook some more interesting meals. I didn’t say anything about her making food for you to bring to school.”

“Oh.” Jake’s cheeks turned a shade darker, his slumped shoulders and obvious embarrassment tugging at Lauren’s heart. She knew exactly how he felt. Her own childhood had seemed like one big blur of timidity and embarrassment.

“Your dad paid for a week’s worth of meals. That includes lunches, so I’ll definitely be making you some things to take to school.”

“Cool. Can you make cookies without gluten or nuts?”

“Sure.”

“How about brownies?”

“Yep.”

“Can you—”

“Jake.” Seth’s quiet reprimand was enough to heat Jake’s cheeks again.

Poor kid. “I’ve got a lot of ideas, but I want to get them all together before we discuss them more.”

“When will that be?”

“Not tonight.” Seth put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’ve got to take Lauren home. Do you mind staying for a little longer, Reese?”

“Not at all.” The perky peppiness of the words reminded Lauren of the cheerleaders she’d known in high school.

“She doesn’t have to stay, Dad. I’ll be fine by myself for a while.”

“You’re ten. Not twenty, Jake. And I’m not ready to leave you home alone yet.”

“I’ll call Dee and have her come pick me up.”

“There’s no need for that. Reese is happy to stay, and I’m happy to give you a ride. You be good, kid.” Seth ruffled his son’s hair and started toward the kitchen door.

Lauren could argue or follow.

She met Reese’s gaze, saw the younger woman’s curiosity and decided to argue after she followed Seth out of the room.

Outside, the night had grown silent and still, the air cool with late summer and darkness. Overhead, the moon shone bright in a clear star-dappled sky. It was the perfect night for long walks and hand-holding, for quiet conversation and whispered promises. A perfect night for romance if a person was into that sort of thing.

Lauren definitely wasn’t. A few dates. A few dinners. A few phone conversations. She didn’t let things go further than that. She didn’t want them to. Dating was fine. Making plans, sharing dreams, those were other things entirely.

“I suppose you’re going to insist on calling Dee.” Seth spoke quietly as Lauren moved toward the edge of the porch.

“It makes more sense than having you take me to her place.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think Dee will appreciate you cutting into her evening. Besides, I owe you one.”

“You’ve paid for the services I’m providing, Seth. You don’t owe me anything.”

“I haven’t paid yet.”

“You still don’t owe me anything.”

“No, but if I were anyone else, you’d take the ride and let Dee enjoy her evening.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Probably.”

“So, let me give you a ride.” He grinned, the fine lines near the corners of his eyes deepening and wiping away whatever vestiges of the boy she’d known remained. No more gangly teenager or broad-shouldered young man. Seth was hard edges and muscle hidden beneath charming wrappings.

Someone worth avoiding.

Which was why she should get out her phone and call Dee.

Of course she wouldn’t because that would mean letting Seth know just how desperate she was to keep her distance. “All right. As long as it’s no trouble.”

“None at all.” His fingers brushed against her lower back as he urged her down the steps and toward the car.

Lauren took a quick step away, uncomfortable with the warmth that spread through her at his touch. She would not react to Seth.

“You don’t have to run away, Lola. I don’t bite.”

“I’m not running. And I told you not to call me that.”

“Old habit.” He opened the passenger side door, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll try to break it.”

“Please do.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating in the air and tickling against her ear as she slid into the car. Riding to Dee’s house with Seth was one more bad decision piled on top of several others. It was past time to stop making them. Unfortunately, she seemed to be on a roll. After months of avoiding men and relationships she was sitting in a car with the one man she would have been happy to never see again. The only man she’d ever truly loved. The man who’d shown her just how fickle love could be.

“You’re quiet.” Seth’s voice was soft silk and dark chocolate. The kind of decadence that could get a woman into trouble if she let it.

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

You. “Jake. He reminds me a little of myself when I was his age.”

“It’s funny you should say that. I’ve often thought that he could be…” He shrugged. “He reminds me of you, too. A little shy. A little cautious.”

“A little boring?”

“You were never boring.”

But she hadn’t been interesting enough to keep his attention. “I’m sure Jake isn’t, either. Does he play sports?”

“Just baseball. His size has been an issue. He’s a lot smaller than other boys his age.”

“But he has other activities he enjoys?”

“Music. Video games. Playing with his friends. Normal ten-year-old stuff.”

They were on safer conversational ground, and Lauren planned to stay there. “He seems like a good kid.”

“He is. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of how blessed I am to have him.”

A child was a blessing. One that Lauren had longed for when she’d been dreaming of marriage. Nowadays, she tried not to think about what her life was missing, concentrating instead on what she had.

“You really are blessed, Seth.” Her throat was tight around the words, and she cleared it. Maybe this conversation wasn’t as safe as she’d thought it. “I’d better call Dee.”

A quick phone call provided Dee with minimum information and probably had her anxious to hear the details. Lauren would fill her in later. For now, she just wanted to get back to Dee’s guesthouse and away from Seth.

“Is she okay with you skipping out on her?”

“Of course. Dee is always fine on her own.”

“I take it she still loves to party?”

“She loves to be around people. That’s always been her gift. Take the next left. Dee’s house is just a few miles from here.”

“You seem like you’ve gotten more comfortable with crowds, too.”

“Eleven years is plenty of time to get comfortable with just about anything.” And that was all she was going to say on the subject. Seth didn’t need to know how hard that first year without him had been, or how she’d realized that she’d relied on him too much. “Why don’t you tell me a little about what Jake enjoys eating?”

Seth shot a look in her direction, but didn’t comment on her quick change in subject. “The kind of stuff any kid loves—pizza, hamburgers, chicken. Sweets. At least those are the things he’d like to eat.”

“I can make some variations that he’ll enjoy.”

“Sounds good. Where to now?”

“Turn right. Dee’s house is there. The first one on the left.”

Seth pulled into the driveway.

Finally.

Lauren shoved the car door open and hopped out. “Thanks for the ride, Seth. I’ll be in touch.”

She started toward the house, wobbling a little in her heels as she moved from the paved driveway to a stone path that led to the backyard.

“You’re not going inside?” Seth stepped up beside her.

“No. Dee has a guesthouse out back. I’m staying there.”

“I’ll walk you around.”

“There’s no need.”

“Of course there is.”

“Seth—”

“A body was found buried under the sidewalk at the college a week ago, Lauren. A little caution makes sense.”

“Whatever happened to that poor girl happened a long time ago. I don’t think I need to worry about it.”

“No? If she was murdered, a killer is walking free. I think that’s something we all need to be concerned about.”

Lauren wasn’t sure she agreed, but Seth’s words still made her shiver. “If she was murdered. It’s possible she died of natural causes or that she fell into the construction area and died from her injuries.”

“And somehow got buried beneath enough dirt that the crew pouring the sidewalk didn’t see her? That seems highly unlikely.”

“Maybe so, but I doubt a murderer would be hanging around town waiting for his crime to be discovered. Even if he is still around, I doubt he’ll be coming after anyone else.”

“Maybe he already has. Maybe there are other victims. We don’t know and, until we do, I think it’s best if we all be careful.”

That was definitely not a thought Lauren wanted to dwell on as she continued toward the edge of Dee’s property and the small carriage house that stood there.

An outside light glowed above the bright red door, lighting the cement stoop and the thick bushes that stood on either side of it. Lauren fumbled for her keys, pulled them out of the sequined handbag she carried and unlocked the door, reaching in to flick on the living room light before she turned to say goodbye to Seth. “Thanks for the ride. And the walk.”

“Thanks for helping me with my son.” His hair looked deeper red in the light, his eyes dark and unreadable. The years showed in the creases near his mouth, the fine lines near the corners of his eyes. Each spoke of time passing and of the life he’d lived in the time since they’d last seen each other. As much as she wanted to believe she didn’t care, Lauren couldn’t stop the emotion that clogged her throat and made speaking difficult.

She swallowed, forcing back all the things she knew she shouldn’t be feeling. “It won’t take me long to create the menus. I’ll contact you as soon as I’m finished.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He smiled and her heart responded even as her head shouted that she was a fool.

“Good night.” She stepped inside and closed the door, shutting out Seth’s smile and the uncomfortable emotions it evoked.

But she couldn’t deny that she’d felt them, that somehow, despite all that had happened, she responded to Seth in a way she hadn’t responded to many other men. To any other men.

The truth didn’t sit well with her, and she paced across the small living room, frustration making her want to get in the car and drive back to Savannah and the life she’d created there. Sure, she’d needed this vacation, but she didn’t need to spend time with Seth and his sweet, shy son.

“They’re clients. Just like any other client you’ve worked for.” She muttered the words as she stepped into her bedroom and grabbed her Bible from the suitcase she’d left on the bed.

Clients. She could say the word a hundred times, and it wouldn’t make things any less complicated than they were.

Lauren opened French doors that led out onto a small patio. Honeysuckle-scented air drifted into the room, the sweet smell reminding her of carefree childhood summers. Frogs called to one another, their deep song mournful and lonely. Or maybe it was Lauren who was both those things.

She flicked on the outside light, determined not to be melancholy. This was her vacation, and she wasn’t going to spend it thinking about past heartaches.

Moonlight played over the trees that edged Dee’s property, casting deep shadows across the lawn. It should have been beautiful. It was beautiful. There was something else there, though. A darkness that seemed more than night and shadow. A shape that wasn’t quite the same as those around it.

Lauren shook away the thought.

Obviously, Seth’s talk of bodies and murder had her imagination working overtime. Reading her daily Bible study would ground her. At least Lauren hoped it would. She opened the worn leather cover and tried to immerse herself in her reading, but the more she tried, the more conscious she became of the strange shape at the corner edge of the yard.

“It’s nothing.” She spoke loudly, hoping the sound would chase away the warning that hummed along her nerves. Her voice broke through the mournful call of frogs and soft drone of insects, and the night creatures fell silent as if waiting for her to continue.

She didn’t, but in the sudden stillness new sounds emerged, the crackle of dry leaves, the snap of a branch. Then silence so deep it felt as if the world were holding its breath, waiting for whatever lurked in the shadows to make its move.

Lauren stood, clutching her Bible in her hand and backing toward the door. “Hello? Is someone there?”

She didn’t expect an answer, and she didn’t get one, though she thought she heard the rasp of someone’s breath, felt the weight of someone’s gaze.

One step at a time, she eased toward the door afraid to turn her back on the darkness and whatever hid there. It wasn’t until she was inside, the doors locked and lights blazing, that she realized just how silly she was being. Despite what Seth had said, there was nothing to be afraid of. She knew that, she’d just forgotten it for a minute.

Still, she felt compelled to pull the drapes across the French doors and check the windows to make sure they were locked.

She’d just stepped back into the living room when a firm knock sounded on the door. She jumped, her heart slamming against her ribs, her gaze flying to the mantel clock. Eleven o’clock seemed an odd time for a visitor. She grabbed the fireplace poker, striding toward the door with more confidence than she felt and praying that whomever was out there was someone she’d be happy to see.