Every Vow She Breaks (13 page)

He grinned. “I just know what I like.”

“The kitchen is behind this room. I wonder how bad it is.”

“Let’s find out. Move it, Scoop.” He gave the dog a shove then headed through the doorway in the far wall. “Not bad if you like retro. Looks like the last time your aunt remodeled was in the 80s. The plumbing and wiring will have to be checked, and you’ll probably want to switch out those florescent lights for recessed. The terracotta tile floor isn’t bad.”

“Maybe change the handles on the cabinets. I’ll have to see if my budget will stretch to new countertops. Formica—double ugh. The kitchen looks exactly the same as it did when I was in high school. The olive green appliances were ugly even then.”

A small breakfast nook with a spectacular view of rolling waves completed the south side of the house. Across the short hall behind the stairs, a big living room with tall windows overlooked the ocean. Squeezed between the formal gathering area and the library in the front tower room was a half-bath.

Jed rested one hand on her shoulder and pointed with the other. “See those water stains? Looks like you have a leak behind the sink.”

She nodded, her head brushing against his chest. “The vinyl floor needs to be replaced, but I like the pedestal sink. At least the living room and library are in good condition.”

“What’s upstairs?”

“Four bedrooms and two baths.”

“Let’s go check them out.” He led the way up the staircase, running his hand along the mahogany rail. “The place is a little big for one person.”

“Aunt Agatha grew up here. She had two younger sisters and a brother. Her father, who I guess would be my great-grandfather, owned a lumber company. After he died in an accident, the business was sold, but she lived here with her mother until she passed away. Her siblings, including my grandfather, all moved out of the area.”

Jed paused in the doorway of the first bedroom and glanced around. “Nice crown molding.” His lips quirked upward. “While I appreciate the family history lesson, I meant big for you.”

“Oh.” She shrugged. “If I get lonely, I could always advertise for a roommate.” When Scoop raced down the hall and disappeared into one of the back bedrooms, she followed. “Or adopt another dog. Maybe a couple of cats. Aunt Agatha had a huge, gray tabby that was meaner than hell.”

“Is that your plan, to become a crazy cat lady?”

“Maybe.” She walked over to the bay window and leaned on the sill. Out at sea, a fishing trawler moved slowly down the coastline. The faint barking of a sea lion on a rocky perch penetrated the single-paned glass window. “You never know. One of these days I might get married and fill the house with rug rats.”

“I like kids. What you see is what you get with them.” He stepped up behind her, surrounding her with his warmth when he rested his hands on either side of the window. “Of course then they turn into teenagers. Kane’s oldest stepdaughter is sixteen.” He laughed. “She’s giving him gray hair.”

“Not the easiest age, that’s for sure. What about you? Do you want kids of your own, or are you content being an uncle?”

“I’m not against the idea of fatherhood…when the time is right.”

Claire turned slightly to glance up at him. A pulse beat at the base of his neck, and a day old growth of beard darkened his jaw. When his bright blue gaze met hers, she swallowed. The man was too damn sexy for her peace of mind.

“You’re thirty-five. How long do you intend to wait?”

“I don’t know. I’m not on a schedule.”

“Of course you aren’t.” She ducked under his arm then moved out of reach to stand in front of the brick fireplace. “This was Aunt Agatha’s room. I thought it was beyond cool that she had a fireplace in her bedroom.”

“It’d be a total pain in the ass to haul wood all the way up here.” He followed Scoop out into the hallway. “The bathrooms on this floor need to be remodeled, and the windows should be replaced, but that’s about it. The house is in better shape than I thought.”

“That’s a relief.” Claire headed for the stairs, pausing to take a quick peek into the tower bedroom. The small space would make an ideal office—or a nursery. She shook off the second thought. “The lawyer said it won’t take long to settle the estate. As soon as everything’s legal, I’ll get started on the exterior repairs. Best to get those done before the rainy season sets in.”

“So, you really intend to stay?” His footsteps were muffled by the dusty wool runner stretching the length of the hall.

“I told you I wanted a place where I belong.” Her lips firmed as they came to the stairs. “It makes sense to settle here. I always loved this house, and I like the town. Everybody knows everyone else. There’s a real sense of community. And one of the best friends I’ve ever had lives here. That’s a big plus.”

His lip curled. “Dallas?”

She paused on the first step. “I meant Theresa.”

“Oh.”

Scoop’s toenails clicked on the wooden stairs. The silence stretched between them as they reached the entry.

She cleared her throat. “No critters. I’m thankful for that.”

Jed held the front door open. “Huh?”

“Rodents or snakes. I saw a few cobwebs, though.”

“Based on the droppings, I’m pretty sure there are mice, but they haven’t completely taken over the place. The sheet covering the big couch next to the fireplace in the living room looked like something had gnawed on it.”

“Even if they gnawed the couch, it’s not a great loss. The one I remember had big pink roses splashed all over it.”

Jed locked the door and returned the key to the box. “Anything else you want to do before we go?”

“Not much point in checking out the garage or the storage shed. Thanks for touring the house with me.”

“You bet.” He held her arm as she jumped down from the porch, then walked around the side of the building to crouch beside the foundation. “The loose bricks came from the chimney running up the side of the house, not the foundation. The mortar is crumbling in places. You’ll need to hire a mason to fix it before you can use the fireplaces.”

She came to stand behind him. “So the foundation is sound?”

“I’d say so.” He rose to his feet. “The repairs and upgrades shouldn’t be too horribly expensive, considering it’s an old house that has been neglected for what, twenty years?”

“Fifteen since my aunt had her stroke. I can’t believe no one notified my dad even if she stipulated he not be contacted.” Her fists clenched. “She lived for years in that nursing home with no visitors. That’s just not right.”

“She made her choice, Claire.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they headed back to the SUV. “Sounds like she was a proud woman in addition to being set in her ways and a little mean. Maybe she didn’t want to be pitied. The lawyer told you she had excellent care in the convalescent facility, right?”

“Yes, but still…” She sighed. “I would have gone to visit her.”

“I know you would have.”

He opened the passenger door then whistled. Scoop raced across the weedy lawn to leap inside. Claire climbed in and waited for Jed to take his seat.

“What would you like to do for the rest of the afternoon? I’m finished taking photos, but we could still go for a hike. It’s a beautiful day.”

After starting the engine, he glanced over. “I could use the exercise, but I want to track down your ex-fiancé before we do anything else.”

She leaned back and pressed her fingers to her temples. “I can’t believe I totally forgot about my weird wedding stalker. Maybe he gave up. It’s been a couple of days since the last incident.”

“Or, he’s just waiting patiently for your response.”

“The man isn’t Ross. I’m one hundred percent certain.”

They bumped down the rutted driveway. “You said you were positive he wasn’t Ian or Dallas, either. Your stalker has to be one of them…unless you neglected to fill me in on another ex. Are there more suspects we should consider?”

“Really? You want me to tell you about every guy I’ve ever dated?”

“Only if you promised to marry them.”

She scowled. “You’re fully informed, then. How are we going to check on Ross’s whereabouts?”

“I was thinking we could take a road trip to Sonoma.”

“Why not just call him? Didn’t Preston give you his number?”

“Yes, but if he’s the one leaving messages, he’s not going to admit it over the phone. We can ask his neighbors if he’s been home the last few days, maybe check at the winery where he works. If he’s been there the whole time, we’ll check him off our suspect list.”

When they hit a bump, she clutched the door handle. “Do you mind stopping in Fort Bragg on the way down? The lawyer said I have papers to sign. I might as well make the trip worth my time.”

“I’m in no rush. We can drive your motor home and spend the night there, then go on to Sonoma tomorrow.”

She turned to face him as he flipped on the blinker before merging onto the highway.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the moral support, but how long do you intend to stick around the area?”

“Trying to get rid of me?”

“No, I just thought, after what I said last night…”

“I’d bail on you if there was nothing in it for me? In other words, if I’m not going to get laid?”

“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest and hunched down in the seat. “Okay, maybe.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “You get points for honesty, and I guess I don’t blame you.”

When Scoop poked his head between the seats and whined, she scratched his ears, taking comfort in the soothing motion. “I’m probably going to regret asking, but why don’t you blame me?”

“Your track record. Based on the men you’ve been involved with in the past, it’s understandable you’d believe I have an ulterior motive. Dallas is a pathetic loser, and Ian is a paranoid nutcase. Ross sounds like a complete asshole. You sure know how to pick them.”

Anger at his smug tone simmered in her gut. “Wow, that’s a relief.”

He slowed as they entered Shady Bend. “What is?”

“I was beginning to think I could get past your free-spirited outlook on life since you’re so damned perfect in every other way, but this jealous streak isn’t pretty.”

The wheel jerked, and a horn blared as he swerved back into his own lane. “Jealous! You think I’m jealous? Of Dallas and Ian?”

“Either that or just plain mean.”

The tires squealed as he turned down the road leading to the campground then blew by the entrance kiosk with a wave at the attendant. The SUV jolted down the track to the campsite. Claire bit her tongue. Tears stung.

Jed didn’t look at her when he spoke. “If the truth about the men you’ve dated hurts…”

When he stopped with a jolt in front of her motor home, she threw open the door and leaped out. “Go to hell, Jed.” Running the few steps to her RV, she stabbed the key into the lock. The door crashed open against the side.

“Might as well.” His infuriating voice followed her. “It’d sure be a lot warmer than…”

Claire rocked to a stop in the doorway and pressed her hands to her chest but couldn’t hold back a whimper. A white lace nightie lay draped across the bed. Candles burned on the shelf above it near a square, red envelope.

“Claire! What’s wrong?”

Backing up, she missed the step and crashed to the ground. Pain stabbed through her ankle as Jed’s arms closed around her. With a cry, she pressed her face against his chest and let the tears fall.

Jed handed Claire a cup of tea before sitting across from her at the table.

With shaking hands, she brought the mug to her mouth for a sip. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. How’s the ankle?”

She stretched her foot, wrapped in an elastic bandage, out in front of her then rotated it slowly. “Better. I think it’s just twisted not sprained.”

“Good.” Regret ate at him. If he hadn’t been so damned rotten to her, she wouldn’t have stormed into the motor home. God only knew why he’d pushed her so hard. Maybe he
was
jealous. Not of Ian and Dallas.
Hell no.
Maybe he was a little jealous they’d each had a shot with her, but she wasn’t prepared to give him even that. After all, he was too
fun
.

Reining in his burgeoning temper, he forced a smile. “We should have someone look at the lock on the door. It must be faulty since I know I pulled it tight when we left. Coming home to these creepy gifts is getting a little old.”

“You think making access to the motor home more difficult will stop this guy?”

Jed pushed a hand through his hair and glanced down at the nightgown, wadded into a ball and flung onto the floor—by him. If he’d found the idiot who’d left the damned thing when he searched the campground, he would have beat the shit out of him for making Claire cry. A sneaking suspicion he was responsible for a few of those tears ramped up his guilt, pissing him off even more.

“I don’t know if the freak would quit or not. He’s pretty persistent…not to mention desperate and pathetic.”

Tea slopped onto the table. “He must have left the nightgown
minutes
before we got here. The candles had hardly melted.”

“He probably didn’t want to chance burning down the motor home. I bet he waited until he saw us coming to light them then bolted. Risky.” Jed gestured out the window. “He’d have about two minutes from the time he saw us enter the access road until we reached the campsite, barely enough time to slip out the door and disappear into the woods. He got lucky. By the time I carried you back into the motor home and went to look for him, he had a decent head start.”

“I’m sorry.” She leaned against the wall, her hands curled around the mug. “If I hadn’t broken down the way I did—”

“You’re entitled. Christ, Claire, give yourself a break. You’ve had a tough few days.” He looked down and sighed. “Anyway, I’m the one who’s sorry. I was an ass, and I apologize.” His gaze rose to meet hers.

Wide eyes held shadowed remnants of pain. “Maybe I was overly sensitive. There’s probably a lot of truth to what you said about Ian and Dallas. The thing is, I remember how they used to be.” She sipped the tea then set down the mug. “You’re right. My judgment when it comes to the opposite sex probably does suck.”