Adams Grove 03-Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes (19 page)

Early Monday morning, Carolanne stopped by her dad’s house unannounced. It was a dirty trick. There’d been no sign of Gina, but she couldn’t resist the drop-in just to see if she was still hanging around. She called from the driveway. Dad was already awake, and when she went inside he looked like he felt better, and there was no sign of Gina. A relief on both accounts.
If he wants to help out an old school friend’s daughter, it really isn’t any business of mine.

She left feeling bad about doubting him, but better just the same. A quick trip to the Walmart to pick up boxes completed the chores on her morning checklist, so she’d gone straight home and started readying for her big move. She’d been at it for nearly an hour—folding in corners, then using her handy-dandy tape gun to secure the bottoms of the cardboard boxes. The room was filling up fast with empty boxes, but she was on a roll.

It was exciting to think that later this week these boxes would be filled with her stuff, and she’d be moving into her new house. And it was a whole lot more house than anything she’d have ever been able to afford up in New York.

Swish-chick.
There was something powerful about wielding that tape gun.

She pretended to shoot a bullet from it and blew on the end, then spun around when she heard the front door to her apartment open.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile.

“What’s got you all sunshine and rainbows?” Connor strolled into the room with his crossword puzzle in hand.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Slept great. Feel good. Turning a new leaf. Already went over and checked on my dad. He’s doing good, too.”

“I was going to stop by and see how he’s doing today.”

“Good. He’d probably like the company, and it’ll save me the worry.” She put her tape gun down and folded another box. “He’s already antsy to go back to work.”

“You’re like a little tornado in here this morning. Did you consume my portion of the coffee, too?”

“Real funny, wise guy.” She marched over to the coffeepot, which was now hidden behind a teetering tower of boxes, and poured him a cup.

He was right behind her when she turned to take it to him. She let him sweeten and lighten it himself.

“Good thing you saved me some.” His tone was gruff and playful at the same time.

She picked up the tape gun again. “You better be nice to me, or I’ll wrap you up in tape with this gizmo.”

“That sounds like it could be fun.”

“Don’t tease me. I seriously think I’m in love with this thing. I might quit my job and become a full-time box taper.”

“That
would
solve the working-together problem you’re so worried about.”

“And that is the kind of statement,” she said, pointing the tape gun at him, “that’ll get your mouth taped shut.”

“You’re full of yourself today.”

“I must have gotten that from you. Oh, and I’m taking the day off work today, too.”

“You’re what? I’ve never known you to take a day off work”—he shook his head—“like ever.”

As their eyes met, she felt a shock run through her. “Well, I am today. I’m going to pack up and get ready for my big move.”

“Want me to help?”

She placed an open box on the kitchen counter. “Not with packing. But I could use your help getting all this furniture moved.”

“It took three of us to get that couch up these stairs.”

She remembered that day. It hadn’t been too pretty. Maneuvering up the narrow and steep stairs had been a real challenge. “Hopefully, going down will be easier.”

“I better solicit some help. When do you want to move the furniture?”

“Will Wednesday or Thursday work for you?”

“Wednesday’s good.”

“Great.” She pulled off the cap on a thick black marker and sniffed. Then she waved it under his nose. “Doesn’t that smell yummy?”

“If you like black licorice.”

“I do.” She wrote
KITCHEN
in big capital letters, then capped the marker and looked across the stacks of boxes. “I thought I’d get all the boxes packed today and moved tomorrow. Then if y’all can move the big stuff on Wednesday, it’ll be mostly done.”

“That’ll work. I’ll borrow Garrett’s trailer,” Connor said.

“Excellent. Let me see what you’ve done on the crossword today.” She took the newspaper from him and sat down.

He flipped his pen to her, and she snagged it midair.

“Nice catch,” he said.

“I’ve got skills.” She started filling in blanks without hesitation.

“You
could
make it look a little more challenging.”

“I would—if it were,” she said, holding back a smile. Sometimes she wrote over words he already had just to torture him.

“You always put me to shame on that thing. Why do I bother?”

“Because it makes me feel smart, and you like letting me have my way.” Carolanne set the paper back down. “You only left me a couple slots today.”

“I must’ve had a feeling you were too busy for me.”

She knew he was teasing, but the truth was, she’d been too busy for way too many things lately. That was about to change. “Aw, I’m never too busy for you.”

“Well, one of us has to get downstairs to the office and keep the legal wheels spinning here in Adams Grove. Just holler if you need me to lift anything heavy for you.” He flexed a muscle and gave her a flirty grin.

She put her hand on his muscle as a joke, but he squeezed her hand into a hostage position between his bicep and forearm.

“I think I like you in this mood,” he said.

“Thanks. I think
I
like me in this mood.” She pulled away as he moved closer.
Were you going to kiss me? Slow down, lawyer boy. I’m not sure I’m in that good of a mood.
“Get, or I won’t get anything done.” She tugged her hand free.

“I wish,” he said as he walked out the door.

Connor sat in his office, unable to focus on anything but the clomping around upstairs. She hadn’t even moved out yet, and he knew it was going to be far too quiet once she was gone. He enjoyed morning coffee and word games together.

The front door creaked.

Connor added WD-40 to the list on his desk pad.
One more thing to fix.
Upkeep on the bank building was an ongoing job,
but he enjoyed being owner, resident lawyer, and handyman. He walked out of his office to greet the client. Only, it wasn’t a client; it was Doris Huckaby.

“Doris, good to see you. How are things down at the library?”

The short librarian scurried through the door and walked in with a big smile. “I’m fine, and so is the library. I just got another grant to get some e-readers. I’m getting good at that grant stuff.”

“That’s terrific.”

“I was just heading over to the library, but I wanted to chat with Carolanne. Is she not in this morning?”

“She’s packing for her big move later this week.”

Doris’s eyes went wide. “She’s got to be so excited. Chaz took me over to Bridle Path Estates the other day. The house is gorgeous.”

“It’s very nice.”
I’ll miss having her here, though.

The librarian’s smile faded. “Would you ask her to give me a call later? I want to ask her about something that occurred to me this morning, and it’s driving me crazy.”

“Like a song that gets in your mind and won’t let go?”

“Something like that,” Doris said, though she looked more serious than that. “Only, not in a pleasant way,” she mumbled. “Well, I need to scoot if I’m going to open the library on time. You take care, now.”

“I’ll do that.”

Just as Doris went to grab the door, Carolanne walked through it.

“Oh. Hi, Doris.”

“I was just looking for you,” Doris said.

“Here I am. What’s up?” She leaned in and gave Doris a hug. “You look worried. You OK? Would you like to sit down?”

Doris turned and went back inside, taking a seat near the window. “I wanted to talk to you about that girl. The one that…you know, the one in the pond.”

Connor and Carolanne sat down across from her.

“I know. It’s just awful,” Carolanne said.

“It was so upsetting. I’m sure it was even worse for Jill and Garrett. When I saw the picture, I was quite certain I didn’t know her—but this morning it struck me.”

Carolanne leaned in. “What?”

Doris pressed her lips in a tight line. “Did you recognize her?”

“I haven’t seen the pictures yet,” Carolanne said.

Connor interjected. “We left before Carolanne got to talk to Scott. Ben was in an accident.”

“That’s right, Carolanne. I’m so sorry. I heard about that. Chaz was talking to a couple people from the hospital at church Sunday morning. He’s OK, right?”

“He’s home recuperating.”

“Good.” Doris pulled her purse up tighter on her lap. “Remember when you came to the library and you had that young girl with you the other day?”

“Yes.” Carolanne’s fingers tensed in her lap. “Gina.”

Doris nodded. “Lindsey Dixon’s daughter.”

Connor leaned forward. “Doris, are you saying the girl in the pond was the Dixon girl?”

“I think so.”

Connor’s mood dropped.
That family has been through so much.
“Wow. Can you imagine? Another tragedy for the Dixon family involving a drowning? I hope you’re wrong. That somehow seems like just too much bad luck for one family.”

Carolanne stammered. “I sure hope it wasn’t her.”

Doris wrung her hands. “Not that it’s any better if it were a stranger, but you’re right, Connor. It would be so sad. I was going to talk to Scott about it, but then I thought I’d check with you, Carolanne, to be sure I wasn’t just plain crazy.”

Carolanne leaned back in her chair. Her voice was soft. “She was so sad. Her mom committed suicide recently, you know.”

“That family has had so much tragedy over the years,” Connor said.

Carolanne said, “I told her she needed to come talk to you about the trust. I wasn’t sure what the details were, but I figured it was worth looking into.”

Doris looked at her watch and got up. “I’ve got to open the library. Would you mind grabbing Scott and bringing him over to the library so we can talk to him about it?”

“I can do that. I was supposed to go talk to him today anyway. No problem.”

Carolanne’s mood had deflated. Connor watched the dark cloud wash over her movements and even her voice. He wanted to hold her and promise her that things would always be OK.

Doris tugged on the bottom of her shirt and started toward the door. “Tell Scott that I’d sent that little girl down to Mac’s Bakery that morning, too. He might want to stop there and talk to Mac on his way down.”

“I’ll tell him.” Carolanne walked Doris to the door.

Connor watched Carolanne stand there processing what she’d just heard. He wondered if it was dawning on her that her new house was only a football field away from where that girl had died. He wasn’t about to be the one to mention it. Although, if it kept her here, under his roof, that would suit him just fine.

Carolanne’s eyes had lost the sparkle they’d held just a little while ago.

“I’d made you breakfast. It’s why I came downstairs,” she said over her shoulder. “I was going to surprise you.”

“Really?” He smiled, but at the same time his stomach twisted. The last time he’d eaten her cooking, he’d eaten half a bottle of antacids and still couldn’t get relief.

Chapter Seventeen