Letters From Al (5 page)

As she stumbled up to the front door in the darkening, hot summer night, the house looked rather ominous. Thoughts of horror stories came back to haunt her steps. She was acting like a big baby.

Pausing at the bottom step, she shifted the heavy suitcases. How come it didn't affect her like this in the daytime? The trees seemed to moan softly as the soft, summer wind blew. The bushes scratched the long, narrow windows. This was silly, but she was definitely going to have those bushes trimmed. She placed her foot carefully on the first step, naturally the step creaked, and so did the next.

"Great. An hour ago it didn't look nearly so bad." Maddy said aloud, getting a firm grip on the heavy bags again. "I can't believe I said I'd stay here with or without lights." But she had. Chalk another one up to her big mouth. Always saying and doing things in the heat of the moment, just like her trip here.

"What's a city-bred, librarian doing in a place like this?" She wondered aloud with each successive step.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." The voice came from the depths of her worst nightmare and Maddy dropped her bags with a thud.

"For heaven's sake, deputy, you scared the wits out of me." Whirling, she found herself face-to-face with the Nielsen law again. Leaning weakly against the railing, she glared at Deputy McKay. "Is this what small town deputy's do, sneak up behind people? What are you, part Indian Scout or something? You nearly scared me to death."

"Gee, I don't believe so, if this gets out though, the bad buys might really start sweating it." Ignoring her disgruntled look, he crossed his arms over his chest and began fantasizing. "It'll go like this. The bad guys will be in the process of doing something illegal and, suddenly, there I'll be, right behind him."

"The old ‘never knew what hit them’ ploy, huh? Hope they have good health insurance." Regaining her composure, Maddy reached for the suitcases completely unnerved by the handsome man she was bantering with.

Deputy McKay took charge of the suitcases and motioned for her to proceed. "Come on, I just got off work and drove by hoping your meeting with Leland was over. How did it go?"

With the key in hand and Alec right behind her, the simple task of unlocking the door was even more difficult. His breath sent tingles up and down her spine and her hands were icy on the deadbolt lock. She motioned towards the house next door, nearly bumping heads.

Urging Maddy in, Deputy McKay brushed against her and she almost tripped, glaring at him in the dark.

"Your neighbor is Aunt Polly Smith. She's been looking out for you or the house. She was your aunt's best friend. You'll like her once you get to know her." The wind blew the door shut and Maddy jumped a foot.

"Scared of the bogeyman, Maddy?" His chuckle annoyed her, "I'll check the rooms, just in case."

"I'm not afraid of bogeymen, deputy. I'll have you know I've lived in the big city long enough on my own." Maddy stepped around gingerly in the dark looking for Deputy McKay. She listened as his steps faded away, berating herself for having such a wild imagination.

"Yeah, it sure looked like it. You were shaking in your boots when I came up, staring at the big, bad, spooky house." Alec's voice echoed in the back of the house gleefully. "If I remember right, you were a scaredy-cat back in junior high too," his teasing laugher echoed back at her.

"I was not. Not then or now. The luggage was heavy and, I couldn't find my key." Why didn't she just be quiet, every word sounded even more childish than the last.

"Oh, yeah, remember when we all went out to the Pioneer grave? Everyone jumped the creek and you wouldn't even get out of the car. Let's see, what was the curse? If you touched the gravestone, you'd die within a year.”

“
Looking back on it now that was so immature. I worried about everyone who touched it for months. But I haven't thought of that in ages. Can we please drop it and get back to the matter at hand? I have a flashlight in the car. Mr. Lancaster said he wasn't sure about the utilities." The lights snapped on suddenly, catching her by surprise. Pointing to the overhead light Deputy McKay leaned next to the wall switch.

"And then there was light. I aim to please." The shock of having the lights on came as a great relief, even if Alec stood there smirking. She noticed something different about him rather than the house just then. Instead of his uniform he'd changed into snug, washed-off blue jeans, a black Cornhusker tee shirt that stretched over his muscular chest and arms, and comfortable running shoes. He looked very casual and sexy.

They stood in the little entryway. A big, mirrored hat rack that served as a chair, umbrella stand and plant table guarded the front door, obviously an antique. A long hall led back to the kitchen and some other rooms.

A telephone desk with an old black dial phone sat near the stairway. Long, Persian throw rugs covered the wood floors, double sliding doors stood behind the cocky deputy. Grandly stepping back he opened them with a flourish of his arm, revealing a small library or den.

"You're no Vanna White, deputy," Maddy said as she brushed past him, "It's so lovely, so elegant. The bedrooms are upstairs if I remember right." She didn't realize Deputy McKay was hot on her heels again.

"I think so. Want to go check them out?" His wink was wicked with insinuation. Her frown didn't deter his teasing, or from him following her into the big, dark living room to the left of the stairs.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. What's this? Everything's covered in sheets."

"Maid's night out, I guess." Alec looked around, partly interested and always professional. "I haven't been inside for ages. It’s been closed up since she went into the nursing home."

"I'm so glad the electricity is on." Having light was having a little control of the situation.

"Guess Leland should have paid more attention. I saw him here just last week. Hey, I bet the gas and water are on, too." He walked back into the kitchen.

"Leland checked in here just last week, you say? Then why did he say the utilities had been cut off?" Alec evidently didn't hear her and she shrugged, too tired to care. Maybe the realtor just forgot, but it seemed strange.

Maddy pulled several sheets off a couch and some chairs while she heard Alec puttering around in the kitchen. He returned with a satisfied look on his face.

"Good news, gas and water are both on, and what's more important, no bogeymen." He held up his hands in a scary pose.

"You're not going to let that one die, are you? Thanks, Sheriff." Maddy teased him back.

Scrunching his eyebrows together in mock frustration he replied patiently, "That's deputy sheriff, and all kidding aside, if you need anything, I hope you call me. The number is by the phone. Oh, that's working, too, even though it’s old. You have my card. But tell me this, are we still friends?"

He held out his hand and she paused only a moment before taking it. He had an innately captivating presence.

The firm grip captured more than her hand, her heart seemed to flutter again.

"I admit I'd like that, Alec. I still don't know how long I'm going to be here, but a girl can’t have too many friends. I’ll just bet you have the girls in town lined up waiting on you. I wouldn't want to horn in or anything." Maddy gently extracted her hand and eyes from his.

He threw her a well-polished look and shook his head "No, they all know me too well."

"I'll bet. Say, how did you know I'd be coming back here to the house? Don't tell me you waited? Did you wait for me to come back?" She didn't know whether to be flattered or irritated.

"Oh, that. Well, it has to do with your nosy neighbor, Mrs. Smith. She's like a one-woman neighborhood watch. You were right about having a witness. She called me tonight about you. She was worried about prowlers again."

"There have been prowlers here before?" Maddy rubbed her arms uneasily.

Deputy McKay brightened as if with a sudden idea.

"Say, if you're uneasy about staying here alone, I’m free." He began but she interrupted him. He was a little too eager.

"Thanks, but, I'll manage."

"Well, if you change your mind. Oh, and as for the prowlers, it was probably just some kids goofing off but maybe it's not a good idea for you to stay here alone."

"Yes, probably," she said weakly, "but I am, so quit trying to convince me to leave. I'm beat and I'm still puzzled why Leland didn't tell me about any of this."

Alec shrugged, looking around. He pulled a well-worn Nebraska baseball cap out of his back pocket and put it on, his eyes glinted in the reflection of the mirror above the fireplace.

"It sure is a nice house."

"Did you know my aunt very well?"

"Everyone in town knew Miss Madeline. She was a classy lady, always helping someone. I felt bad when she got sick, didn't see her much after that." He was looking around absently. "Don't you know your own relatives?"

"Not really. She was my father's aunt, I'm named for her but we were here such a short time. Don't you remember when we left? It was awful. I didn’t want to leave but it's strange. Since I've arrived, I sometimes feel a connection just being here around her things. My great grandmother hated Aunt Madeline for some reason, and the rest of the family was all so scared of her they never spoke of Aunt Madeline except to call her the Black Sheep of the family. All but my father, he loved her."

"Sounds like something Miss Madeline would have planned. She was really smart, very creative."

The pensive sound of his voice was gentle, caressing. "You said something about a boyfriend before, is it serious?"

Maddy flushed and ignored his question. Feigning interest she picked up some of the knickknacks sitting around her aunt's living room. Apparently everything was just as she left it. It suddenly dawned on Maddy she'd confided a lot of personal things to Alec just now. It amazed her she did that, even if he had been, or, was, a friend. If there ever was a time she needed someone to talk to, it was now. But could she trust him?

"I would rather not talk about that any more. Are you off-duty now?" Maddy changed the subject, fingering heavy satin tassels that tied back velvet curtains framing the archway to the living room. Deputy McKay's blue eyes didn't miss anything and he nodded.

"Yes, on my way home when Aunt Polly caught up to me. So, thought I'd be neighborly and drop by. I explained the situation with you and the house to her, too."

"You know, you take after your aunt some. I think it's the red hair maybe, or the eyes. But it's there." He made a frame with his fingers like a photographer, head cocked at an angle as he toyed with her heart. The grin slowly faded as his breath came out a little ragged. Rubbing his chin, he stepped back as if breaking a spell, the impish grin returning.

"You know, I'm beginning to remember more and more about you, about us, and that semester at school. You sure, you don't want me to stick around for a while?" His eyes were playing tricks on hers, his voice hopeful as if wishing she'd change her mind.

Did he remember their first kiss, too,
she thought. It had been so special, tender. They had waxed poetic about it then. Later, they'd made teenaged promises, sharing plans, goals. Suddenly she snapped back.

"I sure hope there are some pictures of my aunt around somewhere," Maddy changed the subject once again, avoiding the magnetism that seemed to draw her to him. "I feel like I missed out on so much, but I want to catch up while I’m here."

"There'll be plenty of time to catch up on her life. Now, getting back to us, we were pretty serious about each other. Didn't we go to a dance together that year?" Alec cleared his throat, amusement flickered in his eyes.

Shrugging, she couldn't look at him. She had been very serious. They spent every moment together and had gone to the homecoming dance that year. She looked over at him standing so casually in the doorway. Was he thinking like she was, remembering? They'd gone for a long walk, kissed under the oak tree in the square. It was her first kiss. He'd even carved their initials on the bandstand, against town regulations. Did he remember all that? She did. But she said nothing because it evidently didn't mean as much to him as it had to her.

"I wish I had known her better. Maybe I could have helped."

"If it's any consolation, she had a lot of good friends around her. The whole town helped. The women brought in food and cleaned. The men cut the grass in summer, scooped snow in winter. We kept it up until she had to go to the nursing home. Now Aunt Polly is the only one who keeps tabs on the place, done a good job, too. She is your suspicious neighbor. She'll be glad to meet you, like me."

He raised his brows and gave her a wink. The look spoke volumes and Maddy was torn between excitement and caution at the flirtation. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. How could she answer that?

"So, are you are going to stick around at least for a while?"

"I will for a while. Don't know how long yet. I hadn't planned on it permanently, I've got a job, you know." Anonymous sounding words came out of her mouth, not very convincing but at least it was something.

He stepped ahead quickly cutting off her exit, his strong arm blocking the doorway. "You really like that job, I mean you wouldn't even consider staying a while? You might get to like it here." His breath was soft on her cheek. She could smell the faint aroma of his aftershave, all woodsy and clean.