Road to Danger Page 5

  Truer words and all that. Shit did indeed happen, more than he wanted it to.

  “Willy-nilly? That’s a great phrase. I’m going to work it into my conversations more often.”

  She placed her hand over her mouth in mock outrage. “Are you making fun of me, Carter Anderson? I’ll have you know that I have all sorts of words to replace the bad ones so that I don’t cuss in front of my students.”

  This was pure gold. He had to know more.

  “Like what? I may want to use a few on the job sites I visit.”

  She laughed at that, dimples showing in both cheeks. She really was cute as hell.

  “Well…for the f-word, I say fudgesicles.”

  “Fudgesicles,” he repeated dutifully. “That doesn’t seem to have the same…impact, but please do go on.”

  She shrugged. “It’s the usual stuff. Fudge nuggets. God bless America. Son of a gun. Jiminy crickets. Bull spit. I even sometimes say gee whiz.”

  “Beaver and Theodore would be delighted.” His smile fell. “I really am sorry about our date. It was all my fault.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  She said it so seriously that Carter couldn’t contain his laughter. Luckily, she joined in.

  “I have to share some of the blame, too,” she said. “I could have tried harder but I was a little miffed about your phone going off again and again, and then the whole waitress thing kind of threw me. But I want you to know that it wasn’t the worst date I’ve been on.”

  That only made him feel marginally better.

  “How about we try again?” He held his breath waiting for her response. To his shock, he really wanted her to say yes. He wanted another chance to show her who he could be. “Another date and this time I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes. We can do that. I’ll try harder, too.”

  For a long moment they simply stared at one another, both of them smiling like idiots. He cleared his throat to break the tension.

  “Should I turn on the television?” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “There might be something about last night on the news.”

  Even now he was having trouble calling it what it was. A murder.

  They both went into the living room and settled on the couch, Tiger at his feet. Carter clicked through the channels until he found the local all-news and weather cable station. The news anchor was talking but the sound was too low. He zoomed it up just as they cut from the studio to footage of the rest stop last night and the sergeant who had tried to separate them. He was being interviewed by the reporter.

  The sergeant gave a few details about the case but not too many, being deliberately vague especially when asked about whether there were suspects. Carter was ready to turn the volume down when the station cut to another clip.

  This one was of that same reporter talking to him and Mallory. It was startling, seeing himself on the television. Pale and clearly agitated, he barely recognized himself. Sitting next to him, Mallory groaned and covered her eyes.

  “Dear God, please tell me that’s not actually me on television. What was I thinking? Talking to that reporter…”

  “We didn’t do it voluntarily, honey. They ambushed us on the way out of the building.”

  Carter watched as his attorney Bryce insinuated himself between the aggressive reporter and Mallory. Apparently, they’d decided that she looked like a better target for questions than he did so they’d stuck the microphone in her face and wouldn’t back off.

  She peeked out through her fingers. “Is it over yet? Tell me when it’s over. There are zombies that look better than I do.”

  “It’s over.” The station had gone back to the studio and the anchor. “Jesus, I hope no one saw that. I don’t really want any questions about this from people I barely know. And you looked fine.”

  His cell immediately buzzed in the pocket of his sweatpants. Then, even from across the room, they could both hear the chime of Mallory’s phone as well, tucked away in her purse.

  Damn. So much for anonymity and finding a way to move on after last night.

  Chapter Nine

  ‡

  Mallory had to hand it to Carter. He’d given his all to convince her to stay at his place a little longer. All of his arguments were well-thought out and made a heck of a lot of sense. Especially the one where she’d have more privacy staying at the ranch with him than in her little townhouse in Green Pine. The idea of reporters dogging her heels for creepy details about that poor man’s death made her angry but she couldn’t hide away forever. Could she?

  No, you can’t. You have to stand on your own two feet.

  It wasn’t Carter’s job to protect her or manage this situation. She needed to deal with it herself. She had to admit, however, that the ranch had felt safe and far away from the day to day issues.

  She hadn’t been able to escape her constantly ringing phone though, and it was fast becoming a real nuisance. She didn’t know that many people in the area but every single one of them had called or texted her, wanting to know all of the dirty, bloody details firsthand. Poor Carter had been hammered even harder since he knew literally almost everyone in Tremont and beyond, having lived here all of his life.

  Her phone was now in silent mode, sitting on the bedside table charging. She gave it a glare as she walked by before grabbing a bath towel from the dryer. She needed to fold some laundry but tomorrow would be good enough. In the meantime, a hot, steamy shower was exactly what she needed to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Carter was picking her up for their second-first-date at six. She had plenty of time to get ready, maybe even take a quick nap if she could fall asleep.

  Tossing the towel over her shoulder, she didn’t make it all the way to the bathroom. The insistent ring of the doorbell shattered the peace and quiet. Groaning, she hurried toward the door hoping it was only a package delivery or maybe a child selling cookies. She looked out of the peephole and groaned. This was the last thing she needed this afternoon.

  Her nosy neighbor Dara was practically laying on the bell, determined not to be ignored. While Mallory liked Dara, she could be long-winded and didn’t have a good sense of personal boundaries. She also didn’t seem to be able to know when she’d out-stayed her welcome.

  Mallory could hide and pretend she wasn’t home but her car was in the driveway. She also wasn’t fond of being a hostage in her own house. If she needed to go anywhere later, she’d have to try and sneak out. But this conversation was inevitable. The only question was when it was going to take place.

  Just get it over with.

  Pulling the door open, Mallory painted a smile on her face. “Hello, Dara. I wasn’t expecting to see you today. Carl didn’t have a soccer game?”

  Dara’s husband Carl played indoor soccer almost every single weekend. The couple looked to be in their mid-thirties and had been married almost two years. They were always friendly and nice but since Dara had been laid off from her administrative assistant job last month, she’d become the neighborhood gossip. She was constantly watching other people’s business and then wanting to talk about it. Mallory took a much more live-and-let-live approach to those around her so she didn’t want to discuss whether Mrs. Abernathy could afford that new luxury car or not. It wasn’t any of Mallory’s business. She wasn’t making the payments.

  The pretty brunette nodded and then shook her head as if she wasn’t sure. “He does have a game but I told him to go without me. After we saw you on the news today, I knew I had to talk to you. Oh my gosh, are you alright? Everybody has been so worried. You could have been killed, you know.”

  Thanks, I did know that but I appreciate the reminder.

  Everybody had been worried? Just how many people had Dara spoken to?

  “I’m fine.” Mallory tried to make her voice sound as reassuring as possible, although her psyche wasn’t as sure that all was well. “It’s sweet of you to worry about me but I’m okay. It was scary but I’ll be fine.”

  So
we’re all fine.

  Mallory hadn’t budged from the doorway but Dara was looking over her shoulder and into the living room. What was she looking for? Clearly she wanted to be invited in.

  “You didn’t come home last night,” Dara observed, standing on her tiptoes to peer farther into the house. “And then a man brought you home. He was pretty handsome. He was the one on television too, wasn’t he?”

  One didn’t have to be a genius to see where Dara was taking this. If she’d been watching, she had to know that Carter hadn’t stuck around but perhaps she was hoping to find evidence that a man was staying there.

  “He was,” Mallory confirmed. “We spent most of the night giving our statements to the police, and then he brought me home.”

  It wasn’t any of Dara’s business what happened in between, and Mallory wasn’t inclined to give any details.

  “That must have been so frightening.” Dara reached out and patted Mallory on the arm. “I could make you some tea, if you like. You must be exhausted.”

  That was an understatement. But Dara still wasn’t going to be invited in. Mallory had learned this lesson already. Her friendly neighbor would settle in and it might be hours before she could be pried out of one of the kitchen chairs and back to her own house.

  Mallory stood her ground, not moving from her spot nor opening the door any wider. She absolutely, positively without a shadow of a doubt didn’t want to discuss last night with this woman. “Actually, I was just about to get in the shower. Maybe another time?”

  Dara’s mouth turned down almost into a pout but it quickly turned into a charming smile.

  “That’s perfect. I can fix you some tea while you shower.”

  Persistence, thy name is Dara.

  “I have a lot to do, I’m afraid. I need to call my family too.”

  All the way in Florida they wouldn’t have heard about this but Mallory wanted them to hear it from her before they saw it on CNN, should the case go national for some crazy reason.

  “I–I’m just so worried about you. Everybody is. You shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. If your family lived closer I’m sure they’d be here.”

  They would be and it would be lovely. But they were family. Dara was not.

  The one thing Mallory had learned growing up in a house with two sisters and a brother, and then with three roommates in college, was that she had to have boundaries with people. She was no stranger to putting them up and she had no trouble enforcing them.

  “I can’t talk about it,” Mallory said flatly. “I know you’ll understand and respect that.”

  She’d let Dara figure out if the reason she couldn’t talk about it was because the cops didn’t want her to or because she simply didn’t want to discuss it.

  “Well…of course. I totally respect that.”

  But clearly don’t like it.

  “Thank you. I really do appreciate you coming to check on me. We have such a wonderful neighborhood here. I feel very lucky.”

  Mallory did, indeed, feel fortunate. So far everyone she’d talked to in their little townhouse development was as friendly as could be. That didn’t mean she owed them all the dark and bloody details from last night.

  Disappointed, Dara finally turned and walked back across the street, although this probably wasn’t going to be her one and only try. She’d regroup and be back, maybe with brownies.

  Closing and locking her door, Mallory heaved a relieved sigh. She hadn’t wanted it to get ugly but she wasn’t going to be a pushover, either. She’d been through a traumatic event last night but she wasn’t going to allow herself to get bogged down in it. She had to pick herself up and get on with life. The best way to start that seemed like a cleansing shower. She might not be over what she’d witnessed but she’d be clean. Not a bad way to face the world.

  * * *

  Given a second chance at a first date, Carter wasn’t about to blow it. He arrived at Mallory’s door on time and holding a big bouquet of flowers. He was going to be the luckiest man in Tremont tonight because she looked amazing. Dressed for the chillier weather, she was wearing a red sweater dress that clung to every curve and brown suede boots that made her slightly taller. He’d still have to bend down to kiss her but not quite as far. She’d left her hair loose around her shoulders and his fingers itched to reach out and run his fingers through the long, silky strands. He’d been an idiot last night to ignore this woman.

  His brothers and cousins were right. He was stupid as hell. But he intended to fix that immediately.

  “They’re beautiful,” Mallory exclaimed as she ushered him in. She accepted the flowers and sniffed at them delicately. “They smell like heaven. This was so thoughtful. Thank you, Carter.”

  He hadn’t thought they would bring her such pleasure but he was damn glad he’d decided to buy them. It had been something of an impulse purchase.

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like them. I want tonight to go better than last night.”

  He followed her into the kitchen as she fished a vase out of a cabinet and filled it with water.

  “Considering how crappy last night was, the bar isn’t very high,” she remarked, arranging the multi-colored bouquet. Suddenly she stopped and turned to him, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Do you buy flowers for women a lot?”

  He didn’t take offense at the question. With his reputation it was a fair query, and he respected the hell out of her for asking it.

  “I can’t remember the last time I bought flowers for a woman,” he answered honestly. “Hell, it may have been a corsage for my high school prom.”

  “Really?” She appeared to be surprised. “Wow, that’s a long time in between posies.”

  He didn’t say it out loud but he hadn’t had to buy females flowers. His money had been lure enough.

  His phone went off again and he grimaced, pulling it from his pocket and checking the caller. No one he wanted to speak to. He pressed the decline button with a growl of frustration.

  “It is not going to happen again tonight, I promise you. We are not going to have our date interrupted every five seconds by my phone.”

  “Is it your buddy again? Is everything okay?”

  He held up the offending piece of technology. “It’s everyone I’ve ever known, talked to, or even passed by on the street calling about last night. They all want the story from me and they all think they’re the first person to have the completely original idea to contact me to get it. I’m ready to chuck this out of a window, although that wouldn’t stop them. I’ve been accosted at the grocery store and the local gas station.”

  “I get it. Mine hasn’t been as crazy as yours because I don’t know too many people here, but the few that I do have all called. I even had the neighbor across the street come over on the pretense of making me tea but I know she wanted to get the inside scoop.” Mallory nodded toward her purse on the kitchen island. “I talked to my parents earlier so I just shut the thing off and put it away.”

  “I know a few quiet restaurants around here where I don’t think we’ll be hassled too much.”

  Mallory tapped her chin in thought. “You know, we don’t have to go out. We could just order a pizza and watch some television here.”

  That would be awesome but he didn’t want her to think he was a cheapskate or that he was too lazy to plan a date.

  “I’d like that but…I’m happy to take you out.”

  Her eyes sparkled and she leaned in closer so he caught a whiff of her perfume. “I’ll tell you a secret if you keep it to yourself. I’m kind of a homebody and after last night and this morning, an evening at home sounds like heaven.”

  It really did and he was grateful she’d suggested it.

  “Pepperoni.”

  She frowned and shook her head. “Pardon?”

  “I like pepperoni on my pizza. How about you?”

  She smiled and his heart beat a little bit faster. “Sausage with double cheese.”

  “I can get behind that,
especially the double cheese part.”

  Tonight was going to be much better than last night. No doubt about it.

  Chapter Ten

  ‡

  Carter patted his stomach and pushed away his empty plate. He and Mallory had just spent the last hour sitting on the floor and eating pizza while swapping stories from their childhood. Hers had been pretty standard but she had many of the same issues he did, coming from a large family and being the youngest. Separating, creating one’s own identity. Her move here had been a part of that. There was something more though that she wasn’t as forthcoming about. He could tell the way she paused every now and then, choosing her words with such extreme care.

  “My parents didn’t want me to take this teaching job,” she confessed with a grimace. “But I needed a big change.”

  “How is it going so far?”

  She stood and gathered the plates to take into the kitchen, her stocking clad feet soundless on the hardwood floors. She’d changed into jeans and a sweater earlier when they’d decided to stay in for the evening. “Pretty well until last night. I had the blind date from hell.”

  It was good they could kind of laugh about it because if they really thought it through they’d be either screaming or crying. A sense of humor was one of the most attractive things about a female. Brains were right up there, too.

  “I bet he was really a nice guy,” Carter said in mock protest. “It probably wasn’t his fault.”

  The dishes clattered in the sink and Mallory rolled her eyes. “He was on his phone all night.”

  “That is rude.”

  “I know.”

  “Unless he had a really good reason.”

  She came back and sprawled next to him on their mound of cushions. “You sound like you’re on his side.”

  “I’m not taking sides.”

  She sniffed disdainfully. “All you men stick together.”