Slow Hands (8 page)

Keira felt her cheeks grow warm. She used to brag that Alec's backside was the best in the South.
A long time ago.

Damn him and his smug little look. "I've known some bigger asses in my time. I wouldn't necessarily say they were better."

Alec's hand closed around her upper arm, pulling her close. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I'd forgotten how cute you look when you're mad."

She tugged her arm away, remembering how Alec used to tease her. Just to rile her. "I'm not mad."

"Right. You look like you did at fourteen. When I gave you your first spanking."

Keira's eyes flared with the heat of unwelcome recollection.

When she was in eighth grade, she and Franny had followed the high school football team to their annual bonfire at Culverleaf Pond. The rumors were true—the football players all went skinny-dipping.

Unfortunately, they were caught spying by a couple of drunken seniors, who threw them in the pond, clothes and all.

Alec had come to their aid, driven them home. He wasn't happy. After they dropped Franny off, he had headed up Fire Mountain. Halfway there, he pulled over to lecture her on the danger she and Franny could have faced.

Keira made the mistake of sticking out her tongue and telling Alec nobody told her what to do. Alec yanked her over his knee and gave her a couple hard wallops, right through her wet jeans.

She'd been mortified then.

She was mortified he brought it up now.

Grinning, Alec pointed to the scoreboard where her name flashed. "Your turn again."

Red-faced, she huffed to the lane.

Reggie had just thrown his ball, scoring another split. He swore again. "Can you believe it?"

Keira lined up her ball. She looked at the head pin, envisioning Alec's smirking face. Aiming for his nose, she let the ball fly.

Pins exploded, shooting up in the air, spinning, then falling.
Strike!

She jumped, fist in the air, surprised.

Reggie grabbed her, spinning her around as the others clapped and hooted. When he set her down, she leaned into him. Then she reached up, looped her hand around his neck.

Drawing his mouth down, she pressed a kiss to his lips.

It lasted only seconds, and, when she looked up, everyone was staring at them openmouthed. Everyone except Alec. He was gone.

She glanced back at Reggie. "Sorry. Too much excitement, I guess."

He grinned. "No problem."

Franny, Sally, and Mabel converged on her when she walked toward them.

"Nice," Mabel said. "Excellent strike, too."

Franny scooted closer to Darryl, making room for Keira in the booth. "He's at three o'clock with Scarlet and Cissy. I think he saw."

Keira resisted the urge to turn around. She needed to get a grip. She had nothing to prove. Her life had been fine before Alec returned. It would be fine when he left. In fact, the sooner he left, the better.

The women won all three games.

When they finished bowling, Keira stopped by the bar.

Most of the reunion attendees were there. Many were leaving early the next morning.

It saddened her to think it would be another ten years before she saw most of these people, and it irritated her to realize she'd looked forward to seeing some of them, but hadn't because of Alec's presence.

Franny grabbed her arm, lowered her voice. "There's that guy."

Keira looked around, not seeing anyone she recognized. Alec and Scarlet had both disappeared too, she noticed.

"What guy?"

"The one I told you about last week. The creepy-looking dude shooting pool with Harold Harper."

Keira waited a few seconds, then looked.

Harold had the pool table closest to the jukebox. His opponent was backed against the wall, leaning heavily against his cue stick. The man was average height, average build, with dark hair slicked back in a stubby pony-tail. His shirt collar hid most of the tattoo on his neck.

And he stared directly at them.

Keira felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine. Franny said he worked at Big Cheney's Grocery and had made an obvious effort to carry her groceries last week, then tried to hit on her in the store's parking lot.

"He's been staring at me since we walked in," Franny said.

"Make sure he sees you hanging on Darryl. He'll get the hint."

One of their former classmates came over to talk.

When Keira looked up again, the creepy-looking guy was gone. And it was nearly one o'clock. She motioned for their tab. "I'm heading home."

"We'll go out with you," Franny said. Darryl had his arm around Franny, kissing her as they walked.

When they reached Keira's car, she hugged them both. She started to climb in when something caught her eye.

She screamed and backed away.

Darryl was beside her in an instant, Franny right behind him. He peered in. "How in the hell did that get inside your car?"

"How did what get inside her car?" Alec demanded as he pushed up beside Keira.

Darryl carefully grabbed the thing off Keira's car seat— an eighteen-inch doll that had been horribly mutilated.

Stripped of clothes, the doll's plastic body had been punctured and burned. Both hands were chopped off, one leg ripped away at the hip.

Worst was the doll's head. Most of the hair had been cruelly hacked off, but several long shanks of dark red hair were left intact.

Hair the exact same shade as Keira's.

The eyes had been gouged out.
burn bitch
was scrawled across the doll's forehead.

Keira turned away, feeling sick. She recognized the doll.

So did Franny. "How did someone get her?"

"Her?" Alec looked at Keira.

"My grandfather gave me the doll." Keira's voice shook. "She sat on my dresser. I hadn't even noticed her missing."

Darryl had already summoned the alley's private security. The security guard knew everyone, but looked suspiciously at Alec. "Can someone vouch for him?"

Keira nodded. "He works for me."

"So what happened?"

Keira kept the explanation brief, still in shock that someone had purposely done such a thing.

"Not much to go on," the guard said. He grabbed the doll. "I'll turn it over to the sheriff. And I'll ask around, see if anyone saw anything. Bet it's a prank, though."

Alec grunted. Any evidence the doll might have yielded was probably gone thanks to the inept handling by the security guard. "Prank? Not likely. Whoever did it broke into Keira's apartment last night."

The guard whistled, jotted down another note. "You get on someone's bad side lately?"

Keira's first thought was the Barry brothers. But she'd been on their bad side for years. Were they retaliating for the dealership job? "Lately? No."

As soon as the guard left, Alec reached for her keys. "I'll drive your car. You can follow in my Jeep."

Too shaken to argue, Keira accepted his car keys.

When they reached the apartment building, he walked her to her door in silence.

She looked at him, recalling last night. The kiss. His undressing her.
Her dreams.

She suddenly felt awkward. Torn.

"Don't suppose you'll invite me in for a nightcap," he said.

"I'm pretty tired." She unlocked the door, opened it.

He stopped her. "You hate feeling grateful to me. For even the tiniest thing."

She looked away. He was right. It rankled. But worse was the feeling of being susceptible. Something she'd never admit to. She sought to cover her vulnerability with good manners.

"Thanks for driving my car home," she said stiffly.

"Lighten up, babe. If it will make you feel any better, I'm probably getting ready to piss you off again."

He clasped her chin, holding her gaze.

For a moment, she thought he'd kiss her again. For a moment, she wanted it.

Didn't want it.

Mostly it vexed her Alec assumed it would piss her off, making her want to prove him wrong. Maybe she'd enjoy the kiss just to confound him.

Alec trailed a finger down her cheek, leaned in close. Her bottom lip trembled.

"You left your car unlocked at the bowling alley tonight," he whispered softly. "Don't do it again."

She jerked away. "Don't tell me what to do!"

Stepping into her apartment, she slammed the door. And heard his laughter fade away.

Chapter Five

Keira
was at
the gym when
it
opened
at
eight
o
'clock Sunday morning.

After working out, she swung by the bakery and waited on a fresh batch of donuts before going to Franny's apartment, her usual Sunday morning ritual.

A pajama-clad Franny met her at the back door, squealing in anticipation.
Her
Sunday morning ritual. She snagged the bakery box and dashed back up the stairs.

"It's a good thing we only do this once a week. I'd be as big as
a
barn."

"You could meet me at the gym first," Keira teased.

Franny wrinkled her nose. Sunday was her morning to sleep in. Darryl typically stayed late on Saturday night but was gone
by
5
a.m
., which in Freedom meant he hadn't
technically
spent the night.

While more people thumbed their noses at it, cohabitation was still frowned upon by the city fathers. And since Darryl hoped to be appointed the next fire chief, he and Franny tried to be discreet.

Franny poured coffee. "Tell me what happened after you and Alec left the bowling alley last night."

"Nothing. He walked
me
to my door and left."

"That's it?" Franny's look could have soured milk. "Weren't you scared after finding that doll in your car?"

She hesitated, not wanting to admit having nightmares over the doll. Admitting fear gave it power. "Actually, it made me mad. The doll had tremendous sentimental value."

"We'll find another one just like it. You know me, the queen of shopping."

Keira smiled at her friend. "Thanks, but there's no replacing it."

"So Alec was a perfect gentlemen? What a drag. I thought he'd at least offer to spend the night." "He lives next door."

Franny grew thoughtful. "Letting him spend the night would prime the rumor mill, though. Which would play right along with his cover."

Letting him spend the night would prime trouble. Aside from the problems Keira had with Alec's
cover,
she still hadn't figured out what to tell her grandfather. Willis needed to hear the reason for Alec's return from her first.

"I don't need those kinds of rumors floating around," she said. "It's bad for business."

"Not to mention it might scare Reggie off," Franny said. "And after that kiss you gave him at the bowling alley—well, I bet ole Reggie will be hot on your trail."

"I shouldn't have kissed Reggie. I'm already trying to figure out what I'll say when I see him tomorrow."

"Oh please! It wasn't that big a deal. Reggie probably doesn't get real excited over a kiss unless tongues are involved. I don't."

Keira shook her head. "Last night was a disaster. I should have stayed home."

"Do you think the doll incident is related to Griggs's return?"

"No. If Griggs were out already, it would be a different story. But he's still locked up for another two weeks."

Franny sipped her coffee. "Could it have been one of the Barry brothers? Getting back at you for landing the dealership job?"

Keira had wondered that, too. It seemed the only feasible explanation. "I wouldn't put it past them."

"I hope I'm around when those guys fall flat on their faces," Franny said. "Now, I'm starved. Let's eat."

Keira spread the Sunday paper out on the kitchen counter, then flipped open the bakery box and grabbed a warm, sticky glazed donut.

Franny muttered, "Eenie, meenie, minie, mo," while she surveyed the box, selecting her victim. She picked up the cruller, her eyes fluttering shut with the first bite. "Mmmmm. You know, I read somewhere that if you stand up while you eat, the calories do less damage."

Keira snickered, grabbed another donut. They always stood side by side, eating and reading the Sunday paper together. "Good. I'll start getting two dozen."

"Don't you dare."

Franny licked her fingers, then picked out a second donut before skimming the entertainment column. "Oh damn."

She pointed to a display ad for professional wrestling in Hot Springs,
sold out
was emblazoned across the ad in block letters.

"Why do they do that? Put in an ad when there are no seats available?" Franny sighed in disappointment. She was a huge fan of the televised wrestling program.

So was Keira, when she had time to watch television. Yeah, it was campy. Maybe a little tacky. But it was hilarious. Fun. And the male athletes had bodies to die for. Tickets for the live events always sold out quickly.

Keira's cell phone rang.

It was Lacy Hicks, a friend of her grandfather's. Lacy ran the Lucky Nugget, a tourist mining attraction on the outskirts of town.

"Hate to bother you," Lacy said, "but the lights in the store won't come on. Customers won't buy stuff they can't see."

Keira sighed. Even though she did mostly new construction, there were a handful of her grandfather's friends who still called when they needed something.

She checked her watch. "I'm at Franny's. I can be there in five minutes." She hung up and explained to Franny.

Her friend laughed. "That old geezer thinks that just because he's friends with your grandpa, you have to jump whenever he calls."

"Yeah, and so far it works."

Alec woke up Sunday with an oddly familiar feeling: the urge to run. To leave town as fast as he could. The feeling passed, but left him feeling restless. Discontent.

He spent the morning driving around.

While Freedom had changed—for the better, he admitted grudgingly—the surrounding countryside was virtually unchanged.

The big barn at the edge of the field of old man Horton's farm was still rickety as hell. Looked like a strong wind would take it down. Mrs. Horton still hung shiny aluminum pie pans in her cherry tree to scare off the birds. The birds still hadn't fallen for it.

The fact that he recalled all the shortcuts and unmarked crossroads amazed Alec. Each new sight brought back a host of memories. Drag racing against members of the rival high school. Running moonshine across county lines. Getting drunk and camping out at Culver-leaf Park.

Picnicking with Keira.

Swimming with Keira.

Making love to Keira.

He knew now why he rarely gave his hometown a thought. The memories weren't all unpleasant. To think of Freedom was to remember Keira. The innocence. The love. The lost, forgotten dreams that still haunted him on occasion.

Maybe coming back would proved cathartic.

He'd already had one major epiphany. In facing Keira, he realized what he'd been running from all those years ago: himself.

Maybe when this job was over, he'd leave with a true sense of closure, finally be able to put the past behind him and move on.

After he faced one more person, that is.

Keira's grandfather: Willis Morgan.

Alec stopped his car. His meanderings had ended at the single-lane gravel road that led up to Fire Mountain. A waist-high bush of black-eyed Susans nearly covered the hand-painted
no trespassing
sign.

Barely visible was the postscript
violators will be shot.

Too late, the sound of gravel crunching alerted Alec someone had approached his car. He knew who that someone was the moment he felt the metal barrel of a shotgun press against the side of his neck, just below his left ear.

"Hello, Willis."

Not daring to move, Alec shifted his eyes, studying the profile of Keira's grandfather in his peripheral vision.

Willis O. Morgan hadn't changed. The "O" was for ornery, or so he told people. He was short, maybe five-five, wiry, and cussed stubborn. The older man had a full head of hair and a beard, both which had been white for as long as Alec could remember.

And while he couldn't see Willis's eyes, Alec knew they were even greener than Keira's. Right now he'd bet those eyes were sparking fire.

"Heard you were back," Willis said. "State your business."

A man of few words, Willis Morgan either liked you or he didn't. Alec knew exactly where he stood.

"Morning, Willis. I was just headed up to see you."

Both men knew it wasn't a social call. It was more a squaring off.

While Alec hadn't had contact with Keira since he'd left, he'd talked with Willis twice. The first time was ten years ago. Alec hadn't been allowed to make a phone call those first few weeks of army basic training. And all his letters to Keira had been returned, unopened. When he finally got to a pay phone, he'd called Keira, but Willis answered.

Willis had told him to stay away from Keira, refused to take a message. Alec realized it was Willis who had returned his letters.

"I don't want her getting her hopes up," Willis had said. "Besides, any man that would walk out on my granddaughter doesn't deserve her."

Then Willis had delivered the
coup de grace.
"She's found someone else. Leave her alone."

The news had devastated Alec. He made plans to return to Freedom as soon as he had enough leave available ... but the fateful trip to Las Vegas changed all that.

The second time Alec talked to Willis was five years ago. He'd read about the armed robbery and Ian Griggs's subsequent arrest. One of the papers mentioned Keira's part in his arrest, and when Alec followed up on the back story, he'd learned about Ian Griggs's attack on her. The assault had taken place before Griggs robbed the armored truck.

Alec had called Willis to see how Keira was. While Willis wasn't quite as bitter, he still insisted Alec stay away, that after all this time Keira didn't need to see him.

"I'll say it again." Willis nudged Alec's head with the gun. "State your business."

"I came back to see Keira, Willis. To set things right. I should have done it a long time ago."

"You seen my granddaughter already?"

"Yes. A couple of times."

"Guess the fact you're still walking says something." Willis lowered the gun, spat. "You sticking around this time?"

"Don't know."

Willis nodded. "I'm on my way to see Keira now. If I get the first inkling she ain't hunky-dory with your return, I'll expect you to leave."

"Fair enough."

For a moment, Alec thought Willis might say more.

He could tell the old man wanted to. And Alec would have let him. He knew Willis had felt betrayed ten years ago. Willis had accepted Alec into his family, had trusted him with his most prized possession: Keira. Alec's defection had hurt them both.

Instead, Willis turned and headed back to his old red truck. The tacit dismissal stung.

Revving his engine, Willis took off, spinning up rocks and leaving Alec in a cloud of dust and bitter memories.

Keira pulled up at the Lucky Nugget. The exterior, a facade of what appeared to be crumbling rock and rotten timber, was designed to look like an old mine entrance.

She ducked inside, nodding to Lacy's employees. The Nugget had a snack bar and store, but most of the attraction was an open-air maze of water chutes.

Starting at seven dollars, you could sluice through a giant bucket of sand and dirt, searching for gemstones. If you were lucky enough to find a large stone—and each bucket had a money-back guarantee—the Lucky Nugget could cut and mount the stone in its full-service jewelry store. For a price.