The Sweet Gum Tree (30 page)

A tingle ran over me. I was positively dying to take a closer look at the place.

“Sure,” I said nonchalantly. “I’m not doing anything after I leave here.”

“Great.” He appeared as cool as I was trying to be. “Bowie still has some errands to run and I left my truck out at the house. How about if I catch ride home with you?”

“Okay. Now?”

167

Katherine Allred

“If you’re ready.”

Our exodus was interrupted briefly when Aunt Darla returned. I introduced her to Bowie and told her he wanted to swap recipes with her. Then I had the pleasure of watching her blush like a teenager and stammer out “Well, land’s sakes” as she stared at Bowie, her hands busily smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her dress and tucking stray locks of hair back in place.

It was the first time in memory I’d ever seen Aunt Darla flustered, but from the way Bowie was looking at her, I didn’t think it would be the last. By the time Nick and I left, they were huddled up in a corner talking each other’s ears off.

“Where’s Daniel tonight?” I asked as we walked out to the Chevy.

“Visiting one of his newfound buddies. I think they’re both addicted to the same video game.”

“I’m glad he’s found some friends.”

“Thanks to you.”

“No.” I smiled. “Thanks to Daniel. He’s so outgoing and enthusiastic no one can resist him.”

When we reached the car, Nick held out his hand. “Mind if I drive? It’s been a long time since I’ve been behind the wheel of the Chevy.” I dropped the keys onto his palm. “Be my guest.” He opened the passenger door for me, then went around to the driver’s side, pausing long enough to scoot the seat back to make room for his longer legs. “I’m glad you kept it. The only places you see cars this old and still in running order are in antique shows.”

We stayed silent until he pulled out onto the highway, and I finally made up my mind to begin my quest for answers by easing into the subject through the back door.

“Bowie and Aunt Darla seemed to be hitting it off.” He smiled. “There aren’t many people Bowie can’t get along with.”

“You said you met him while you were both in the army?”

“Kind of.” He glanced at me. “Bowie had retired, but he hung around the base a lot.

I met him at the base hospital when he was having some minor tests done.” Well, so much for being subtle. His answer immediately raised ten more questions, none of which I wanted to veer off into. Things like, why was he at the hospital? And why had Bowie gone to work for him when Nick couldn’t possibly have been making enough money to pay him?

I cleared my throat and got back on track. “Did you like the army?”

“Yes and no. One good thing about boot camp is that you don’t have time to think about your problems. It’s all you can do to crawl into bed every night and pass out. The army also made it possible for me to go through some schools that I couldn’t have managed without them. That’s how I got the job with the oil company in Saudi. But on 168

The Sweet Gum Tree

the other hand, I don’t do well taking orders. That’s why I got out when my time was up.”

“You could have come home.”

His jaw tightened. “No I couldn’t. I was still Nick Anderson, the guy who’d shot his father, the guy from the wrong side of town. I was still broke, still a nobody.” He glanced at me again. “I promised you once that I’d make you proud of me someday, that I’d be somebody. I couldn’t come home until I’d succeeded.”

“And now you have?”

The smile playing around his lips was grim. “Well, I’m not broke anymore. The company paid well, and they gave large bonuses to get you to stay longer than a year.

Since they also furnished housing, there wasn’t much expense. I took what I saved and invested it. Maybe I’m not up to the Morgan’s standards of rich, but I’ve got enough to live comfortably the rest of my life. So yes, I’d say I’ve at least partly succeeded. The rest of my goals are still up in the air.”

I studied his profile. “Did you really think that’s what I wanted? That I cared if you were rich or not?”

He pulled the car to a stop in the driveway and shut off the motor. His voice was quiet in the silence. “No, I knew it didn’t matter to you. But it mattered to me, Alix. I couldn’t stand the thought of you living in some dingy apartment, slaving away at a job you hated to help support us. It would have destroyed me. There was so much I wanted to give you, so much you deserved…” His voice trailed off, and I realized his hand was fisted on the steering wheel. He took a deep, shaky breath and pushed the door open abruptly. “Let’s go look at the house.”

Confused, I followed him across the grassy area that stretched under the trees between the barn and his house. It was almost as though he knew where the conversation was leading and wanted to stop me before I could ask the questions. A spark of anger curled inside me. I had a right to know, damn it. If he loved me as much as he said he did, then I deserved to know why he’d nearly destroyed me.

Strange, but even after everything I’d been through, I never doubted for an instant that he’d tell me the truth. He might refuse to talk about something, but lying was as foreign to Nick’s nature as a sandstorm was to a rainforest. Somewhere along the way, I’d forgotten that.

I remembered it now and my anger faded as he helped me step up onto the foundation of the house, a distracted expression on his face. “What color shingles do you think I should get?”

In the last rays of the sun, I gaped at him. “That’s what you wanted my advice on?

Shingles?”

The thoughtful look faded from his eyes, and he grinned. “Among other things.” I crossed my arms over my chest and gazed up at him. Okay, if he wanted to play games, I’d go along with him for now. But we both knew this subject wasn’t over.

169

Katherine Allred

“What kind of exterior were you planning?”

“Vinyl siding.”

“Color?”

“What color would you use?”

“It’s your house, Nick.”

Even in the shadows cast by the upper floor, I saw his gray eyes go molten. “No, it’s our house.”

It felt like my insides were melting into a puddle on the cold concrete at my feet.

“White,” I whispered. “Make the outside white.” I don’t know who moved first, or even if it mattered. I only know that I suddenly found myself in his arms, his mouth moving hungrily on mine. We were pressed together so tightly I could feel every inch of his hard body against me, feel the heat radiating from his skin. And nothing in my life had ever felt so right before. For that brief time, we weren’t two people separated by fifteen years and a troubled past. We were one body, one soul that had been reunited across a seemingly unbridgeable chasm.

When it ended, we were both shaking, both gasping for air. But instead of releasing me, his arms tightened until they were almost painful and he buried his face in my hair.

“God, I can’t lose you again.” His whisper was harsh, filled with pain. “Not now, when I’ve waited so long to hold you. I think it would kill me. But I’m so damn scared you’ll hate me when you find out the truth.”

I rested my head against his chest, eyes closed. “And when will that be?”

“Soon. Too damn soon.”

“But not tonight?”

He hesitated and I could feel the tension in his body. “No, not tonight. I know I don’t have the right, but I’m asking you to trust me a little longer.” I leaned back and looked into his eyes for a second, then nodded. “Show me the rest of the house.”

And so, for the next hour, we pretended to be nothing more than two people in love who were busily planning the home they would build together. We held hands, we laughed, and we argued over the layout of the kitchen. We discussed color schemes, shingles, and floor covering. We couldn’t stop touching, or looking at each other, trying to memorize this forbidden moment.

When it was time to part, both of us were reluctant for the magic to end. We wound up necking like teenagers, standing in the front part of the barn after he walked me home, exchanging long, slow, drugging kisses that lasted forever, drove us both to the edge of our endurance, and left our bodies aching.

And then I stood in the open doorway and watched him drive away, unaware that this blissful peace would last only a few more days. Unaware that when I finally did 170

The Sweet Gum Tree

learn the truth, the rage that erupted inside me would destroy the man I still loved with all my heart.

171

Katherine Allred

I’d only been to the Roadhouse twice before, and both times were with Hugh. It had bored me out of my skull, sitting at a table with nothing to do except listen to Hugh joke and carry on with his friends. The music had been too loud, and the smoke stung my nose until I could barely breathe. I’d hated every minute of it.

But tonight felt different. The huge, barn-like building pulsed with excitement and laughter, shimmied to the rhythm of guitars, electric keyboard and drums that I could feel pounding from my chest to my toes. Anticipation shivered through me as I paused inside the door and scanned the dimly lit interior, looking for Jenna. At midnight tonight, I would officially be a free woman, a Cinderella in reverse, and I was more than ready.

The boot-stomping, swaying bodies on the dance floor blocked my view of the tables and any hope of spotting Jenna. Gingerly, I eased my way to the edge of the shiny wooden floor, trying not to get stepped on. I’d barely set out when Clifton Logan, one of my customers, grabbed me, let out a whoop, and two-stepped me effortlessly through the dancing mob.

Laughing, I thanked him for his gallant assistance. He swept off his ball cap and bowed. “Always my pleasure to help a damsel in distress. You looking for Jenna?”

“Yes. Have you seen her?”

He nodded toward my left. “I reckon that’s her waving her arm off over there.”

“Thanks, Cliff.”

“No problem. Save me a dance for later?”

“Sure.”

Jenna settled back in her seat when I reached her, and eyed my outfit enviously.

“You’ve been shopping.”

I had run home after work, swallowed a sandwich, and showered. Afterward, I put on my best black jeans, boots, and a new scarlet tank top, over which I’d added a black bolero jacket embroidered with red roses and trimmed in metallic gold thread. “I got them at that new South American boutique in the mall.” She sighed. “I wish I could wear red. Unfortunately, it looks horrible with my hair.”

“Yeah, but you can wear green and I can’t. It clashes with my eyes.” I glanced up as a waitress stopped beside me. “White wine for me. Jenna?” She gestured at her glass. “I’m fine.” The waitress made a note on her pad, then left.

Jenna waited until she was out of earshot, then leaned closer. “Listen, Alix. Hugh is here. I swear I didn’t know until a few minutes ago. If I had, I never would have suggested coming to the roadhouse.”

172

The Sweet Gum Tree

Instantly, I went tense and all my anticipation drained away. “Where is he?”

“Two tables to our left and back one.”

“Is he alone?”

She grimaced. “If you’re asking if he’s with a woman, the answer is no. There are a couple of guys from the mill with him. Do you want to leave?” My chin went up. “Absolutely not. This is supposed to be a celebration. I’m not going to let him ruin the night for me.” I took a quick peek at his table and nearly groaned. He was rising from his chair, looking in our direction.

“Good for you,” Jenna said. Her gaze was fixed on something behind me. “How about Nick?”

“Nick?” Puzzled, I jerked my gaze from Hugh in time to see Jenna point. Nick was crossing the dance floor, heading straight for us.

Oh, Christ. Both men were going to reach us at the same time, and I was terrified Hugh would spill the truth about Katie out of pure spite. “Stop Hugh!” I yelped at Jenna. “I’ll stop Nick.”

Neither of us hesitated. Like a well-trained football team, she dodged left and I sprinted to the right. Slightly out of breath, I skidded to a stop in front of Nick and smiled. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

His answering smile was rueful. “You’re here. Where else would I be? Besides, Daniel pushed me out the door and ordered me to hurry. I think he’s afraid someone will beat me to the punch.”

I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the dance floor. “Great. Dance with me?”

“Now?”

“No time like the present.”

Once we were in position, I maneuvered him until his back was to the table, then peered around his arm. Jenna was standing in front of Hugh, one hand on her hip, the other on his chest. She was shaking her head, and I could tell she was talking fast. Hugh was staring down at her, lines of stubbornness etched on his face.

“It’s a good thing I’m used to Bowie leading.” Nick’s voice broke my concentration.

“What did you think I’d do, slug him?”

I should have known Nick would see right through me. Leaning back, I met his amused gaze. “Of course not. It was never you I was worried about, it was Hugh. It would be just like him to start a fight.”

“Hugh Morgan? He never struck me as the type that would get physical.” I relaxed long enough to realize that Nick really was a good dancer. Our bodies seemed to fit together perfectly as we moved, and I suspected he’d had a lot more practice than what he’d got with Bowie. I squelched the tingle of jealousy that hit me.

“Normally, you’d be right. But his ego is all tied up in this divorce, and I don’t know how much he’s had to drink.”

173

Katherine Allred

“I think I can handle him.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

With a sigh, I glanced back at Jenna and Hugh, then frowned. Jenna’s hand was on his cheek and Hugh’s expression had softened as he gazed down at her. “I don’t want Hugh using you as the scapegoat for why our marriage didn’t work. Right now, everyone knows about Hugh’s cheating. He’s lost the respect of some important people in town. If he can turn it around and put the blame on you and me, he’ll do it. And all it will take for everyone to believe him is one good fight, in public.” He moved his hand to my neck and ran his thumb lightly over my lips. “Do you want me to leave?”