Class Reunion of Murder (2 page)

Lacy choked and he handed her a napkin. “You can’t say ‘tickle fight’ when I have a tortilla chip of death in my mouth.”

“Sorry,” he said, sounding not the least bit remorseful over her near-death choking fit. “I thought about you today.”

Her heat gave a couple of lub-dubs and turned over. “Yeah?”

“There was a foot pursuit. The guy we were chasing fell down the stairs and broke his arm and nose. Reminded me of you.”

“Wow, what a sweet and romantic story. Thanks.”

“That wasn’t the only time.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“Porter’s wife sent cake. The frosting was an inch thick. I wished you were there to eat it for me. I had to stuff it in my napkin, a trick I learned from you the last time I served you Brussels sprouts, by the way.”

“I thought about you today, too,” Lacy said.

“Oh, yeah?”

“There’s a new UPS guy. He bent over to pick something up…”

“I don’t like where this story is going.”

“And when he stood up, I saw that his nametag read ‘Jason.’”

“That reminds me of this warning that came over the wire today about UPS drivers. They’re routinely serial killers.”

They must be in a new relationship because she still found his little displays of jealousy cute.

“How was your day?” he asked. “Besides the creepy UPS driver who probably doesn’t shower.”

“Awesome. Kimber’s coming home.”

That caught his attention. He paused with a taco halfway to his mouth and stared at her. “Kimber Vance?”

“How many Kimbers do you know?” She arched her neck and nipped the suspended taco.

“Just the one, but I didn’t know you knew her.”

“We went to school together for thirteen years; of course I knew her.”

“You know what I mean,” he said, adjusting his taco away from her when she tried to bite it again. “I didn’t think you guys were friends. I don’t remember ever seeing you together.”

“You didn’t pay attention to me in high school,” she reminded him.

“I paid attention to Kimber.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You had a crush on Kimber?”

“No, we were academic rivals. She beat me for valedictorian by a few percentage points. I’m not quite over my anger and resentment yet.”

She leapt for the taco while he was distracted and spoke after she swallowed. “Well, you’re right. Kimber and I weren’t friends in school. We found out we were going to the same college, decided to room together, and became really close. We roomed together all four years.”

“You roomed with Kimber Vance? How did I not know that?”

“You know now. For a while after we graduated, we stayed really close. We haven’t talked much since I moved home, so we’re getting a hotel room together.”

Jason perked up and forgot his taco again. “We’re getting a hotel room together? You should have led with that.”

“
We’re
not getting a hotel room together. Kimber and I are getting a hotel room together.”

“What for?” he asked. His attention strayed to his taco again, but Lacy had already picked it up. He was going to have to be faster if he wanted to stay properly nourished in their relationship.

“The reunion,” Lacy said.

“What reunion?”

Lacy wasn’t naïve enough to set down the taco and risk losing it to him, so she finished it before answering. “
The
reunion. Where have you been? It’s all everyone has been talking about.”

“We haven’t been talking about it.”

“We haven’t been doing a lot of talking,” Lacy said. He smiled and reached for her. She held up a hand to ward him away. “The reunion. Focus.”

“Right, the reunion. How can we have a reunion when it hasn’t been a decade since we graduated? Is there such a thing as an eight-year reunion?”

“No, it’s not a reunion for our class. It’s a centennial reunion for the band and football team. Jason, how can you not know about this? There’s an alumni game. I’m playing in the alumni band. The governor is coming. It’s a
huge
deal, and I’m on the reunion committee. Why do you think I’ve been working so many hours lately? Tons of people are coming, and they all need places to stay. We’ve commandeered the Heritage Inn.”

“The Heritage? That place is a fleabag.”

“It’s like we’ve been on two different planets the last few weeks. I sent the crew who renovated the Stakely building to the Heritage. We’ve all been working like crazy, and it’s almost done. It looks amazing.”

“Let me get this straight: Since we started dating a few weeks ago, you’ve renovated a hotel, joined a reunion committee, and set up a multi-day get together with a former roommate I knew nothing about. What else have you done?”

She shrugged. “Just the usual—manned a flight to Mars, passed the Olympic torch, finished and defended my dissertation. Grunt work, really.”

“My girl is busy and important,” he said.

She picked up his hand and wound their fingers together. “Did you think anything less than dire necessity would keep me away from you these last few weeks? I told you I’ve been busy, but I find that I’m never too busy for you,” she said. She set their trash aside where he wouldn’t see and be distracted by the mess and slid her arms around his neck. “What should we do tonight?”

“I brought my running shoes.”

“I’m not sure where to go with that.”

“I thought we could go for a run,” he suggested.

“Oh.” So far she had skated by without jogging together, but Jason had been steadily increasing the pressure.

“Everyone in this town has seen you run but me. Why is it such a big deal?” he asked.

“You are an athlete. You can’t imagine what it’s like for the other half.”

“Lacy, it can’t be that bad. What do you think is going to happen? That I’ll be so repulsed by the sight of you sprinting that I never want to touch you again?”

“In a word: yes.”

“To spend an hour in your head would be worth any price.” He put his arm under her knees and tugged until she was slouched against the arm of the couch. “Since there’s no way to figure your thought process, I’m going to have to indoctrinate you to my way of thinking.”

“Do what you feel you must,” Lacy said.

“I can’t tell you how amazing it feels not to be looking over my shoulder every few minutes. How long are your grandparents going to be in Florida?”

“I don’t know. Mom is pretty freaked about Riley. Grandma and Grandpa are trying to talk her down. Could take a while.”

“I’ve never been more thankful for your mother’s high-strung nature,” Jason said.

“You’re the first and only person who has ever said that,” Lacy said. The almost painful thudding of her heart hadn’t abated even a little once they started dating. It was almost deafening now as he smiled and advanced.

The door slammed and they sat up. Riley stalked into the house. Lacy’s bedroom door opened and slammed. The front door opened again and Tosh stormed in. “Riley, get back here. We are so not done talking.” He waited a minute to see if Riley would magically heed his call and appear. When she didn’t, he sank to the sofa beside Lacy, his posture an odd mix of anger and defeat. “Your sister is insane.”

Lacy sat up and pressed her fingers to her temples. “Must force back ‘I told you so.’ Fighting hard…losing…”

“I’m serious, Lacy. What am I supposed to do with that?” He waved his hand toward the silent bedroom.

Like teenagers in the throes of their first romance, Tosh and Riley had been alternately passionately fighting or passionately making up the last few weeks. Lacy had never seen Tosh with a woman besides herself, so she didn’t know if his behavior was normal. Riley, however, was suddenly acting like a different person. “And I’m serious, Tosh. I am not getting involved. Believe me when I tell you that Riley would not appreciate me being on your side.”

“So you’re on her side?” Tosh asked.

“I don’t have a side. I’m so far removed from the situation that I’m not even Switzerland. Call me Siberia. Ask Jason.”

“I’m sitting here staring at the wall. How did I get sucked in?” Jason asked.

“Statistically speaking, out of everyone in this room, you know how to handle Riley the best,” Lacy said. She also knew he had an opinion. He had suffered in silence the few times Riley and Tosh had been inflicted on them since their quickie marriage, but she could tell by the disapproving expression on his face that he was holding back.

“I don’t give unsolicited advice,” Jason said.

Tosh dropped his head to his hands and leaned forward onto his knees. “Just tell me because apparently I am pathetic and desperate enough to take advice from anyone now.”

“All right, here goes,” Jason said. He shifted so he could see around Lacy, not that it mattered because Tosh didn’t look up from his view of the carpet. “The few times we had the utter misfortune to be subjected to you two lately, I’ve actually been impressed that you haven’t caved. I didn’t see that coming. Frankly, I thought she would tumble you like a steam shovel, so kudos for staying strong. In fact, do more of that. Riley is a drama monster, and she gets worse if she’s fed regularly. She needs to be deprived of drama. Go. Make her come to you.”

Tosh sat up with an expression of one who was being thrown a lifeline but not sure if he was allowed to take it. “Giving in hasn’t felt right, but it would be so much easier.”

“Give in now, and you’ll spend the rest of your life doing it. I’m about to say something really sexist here.” He reached over and pressed his palms to Lacy’s ears. “Riley is like a wild stallion that has never been saddled. Break her now, or spend the rest of your life being bucked.” He dropped his hands and bestowed Lacy with a sheepish smile.

“All right,” Tosh said. He stood and stumbled out of the house like a man in a daze. Lacy thought he was the one who was near breaking.

“Pathetic loser,” Jason muttered.

“So, Riley’s like a stallion that needs to be broken,” she said.

“Here we go,” Jason said.

“What’s your take on me?” She crossed her arms and leaned back to watch him squirm.

He didn’t squirm, though. “Baby, when it comes to us, you’re the one holding the whip.”

“Jason, if suaveness were an art form, you would be Renoir.”

He reached for her and tucked her close. “How long do you think your sister is going to be holed up in your room?”

“Until she realizes that no one is coming to get her, and then she’ll make some noise.” As if on cue, something connected with Lacy’s door and shattered. “Hopefully that was the glass of water I left on my nightstand and not the antique jewelry container my grandma gave me for Christmas.” She sighed and wriggled free of his embrace. “Don’t move. I’ll go try and get rid of her.”

“Hurry,” Jason urged. “Your grandparents aren’t going to be in Florida forever. Even as we speak, your grandfather may be poking a voodoo doll with my face on it to make sure I leave soon.”

She was chuckling as she breached the border of her room, but her laughter died as she saw her antique jewelry dish in Riley’s hand. Rushing forward, she pried it free before Riley could test its strength against the door. “Riley, stop breaking my things.”

“I can’t break my things because they’re not here,” Riley said.

“Don’t break any things.”

Instead of arguing, Riley flopped on her stomach and cried. Lacy reached out a tentative hand to pat her back, but Riley shoved her away and burrowed under the covers. Lacy bit her lip. No doubt about it, her sister had lost her mind. She had been avoiding her the last few weeks, not only to give her space and time to adjust to her marriage, but also because she was afraid of the ugly feelings simmering deep inside. She knew Riley had only married Tosh for the money. How long would it be before she sprung that on him and asked him to bail her out? Of course Tosh would, and then what? Would the quickie marriage be over? Riley would no doubt go back to where she came from or start over somewhere else. Tosh would be the one left behind, broken-hearted and illused.

“What’s the problem?” Lacy tried.
Besides the fact that you married a stranger to get your hands on his fortune.

“He’s being so unreasonable,” Riley said. Her voice was muffled by the pillow and covers surrounding her face.

“How so?” Lacy asked. She was trying to stay neutral, but her first instinct was to take Tosh’s side. Of the two, Riley was the one far more likely to be unreasonable.

“He wants us to live like paupers,” Riley said. She rolled over and used the hem of Lacy’s sheets to scrub her wet nose.

Note to self: change the sheets,
Lacy thought. “What do you mean?”

“What do you mean what do I mean? He doesn’t want to buy anything.”

“Riley, you know Tosh tries to live on what the church pays him. How would it look if the pastor of a small church lived in a mansion and drove a Bentley?”

“Okay, I get that, but he takes it too far. He wants us to live in his apartment. It’s tiny and horrible.”

Lacy couldn’t disagree there. While it had been okay for a bachelor, it was small and rundown. She wouldn’t want to live there either. “Where do you want to live?”

“I want to live in Peacock Acres,” Riley said.

Peacock Acres wasn’t the nicest neighborhood in town, but it was close. The mini mansions were reserved for commuters who made their money in the city but preferred country living. “Peacock Acres is expensive,” Lacy pointed out.

“I want a house,” Riley cried. “I hate that apartment. There’s no room for me, and it’s ugly.”

“I think I might have an idea,” Lacy said as she tried to work through the plan her mind was quickly formulating. “I have yet to give you a wedding present. I’ll give you Barbara Blake’s house.”

Riley sniffled and blinked. For once she didn’t look adorable when she cried. Her eyes were puffy and red as if she had been crying a lot lately. “Barbara’s house?”

“It’s on the small side and needs some updates, but I think Tosh would be willing to pay for those if the house were free. Maybe his family would be willing to do it for you.”

“I haven’t met his family yet. They’re going to hate me,” Riley said, and then she started to cry all over again.