Lie to Me (24 page)

“Obviously.”  She rang the balance on the cash register.

Del stood fuming, arms folded, foot tapping.

Ignoring her, Dee started counting the cash.

“All right, this has gone on long enough!”  Del slapped her hand on the cash, sending several ten dollar bills fluttering to the floor.

With a sigh, Dee looked at her cousin.

Del looked back at her, anger, confusion and concern all warring for prime position in her eyes.  “What’s going on, Dee?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, missy.  Something’s going on.”

Dee started counting the notes.

There was silence for several seconds before Del braced both hands on the counter and leaned forward.  “Ryder’s got my spare key.”

That had Dee’s head snapping up as she scowled at her cousin.  “Yeah, about that.  It’s
my
spare key I gave to you for emergencies, and you gave it to him.  What the hell is that about?”

Del didn’t flinch, her annoyance plain on her pretty face.  “That’s about you being such a stubborn idiot.”

“What the hell kind of answer is that?”

“Crap on a stick, Dee, you of all people should know!”

“Maybe you need to spell it out for me!”

“Really?  Seriously?  Are you freakin’
kidding
me?”

Bracing her own hands on the counter, Dee leaned forward to glare at her cousin.  “Do I
look
like I’m kidding?”

“You look like a sheila in denial.”

Uh oh, this had never gotten this far before, her cousin had always been careful not to reveal what she obviously knew.  But that didn’t mean Dee was going to back down.  She never backed down.  “About what?”

“You and Ryder.”

“What about me and Ryder?”

“Jesus, Dee!  You love him!”

Goddamn it, there it was, out in the open between them, the words like a helpless beetle lying on its back waving its legs in the air.  Dee stared Del right in the eyes before dropping her gaze, pushing back and resuming counting the money.

Or she tried to, but the bloody stuff went out of focus, her hands fumbled, the money scattered over the counter and suddenly a horrendous sob escaped her.  It exploded out of her chest and all she could do was clutch onto the counter and cry.

Within seconds her cousin’s arms were around her, turning her to hold her close, rocking her gently as she smoothed Dee’s hair back “Oh, Dee.  Oh, sweetie.  It’s okay.  It’s okay.”

Leaning her head on Del’s shoulder, Dee cried.  Her emotions ragged, her mind in turmoil, all she could do was hang onto the woman who’d been not only her cousin, but also her best friend throughout her life, the one who knew her the most.

Del didn’t ask anything, just stroked her hair and back, held her close and made soft, soothing sounds.

Dee didn’t know how long they stood like that, but she was just starting to finally regain control when a happy voice called out from the back of the shop, “Hey, girls, Ash and I thought we’d all go on a picnic and - oh, cripes, what happened?”

Pushing back from Del, Dee grabbed a handful of tissues from the box under the counter and blotted her face.  Shit, now Ash and Molly had seen her.  How much more awkward was this going to get?

“She’s just a little upset,” Del said.  “It’s all good.”

“Bullshit,” Molly shot back.  “Dee doesn’t cry.  Something happened.”

Ash’s hand on her arm had Dee glancing sideways at her.

“Dee?” Ash’s face was concerned.  “What’s wrong?  What can we do to help?”

Like that could happen.  Dee couldn’t help the slightly bitter smile, hiding it by blowing her nose loudly.  Dropping the tissue into the little bin, she looked up to find Molly gazing at her from across the counter.

Molly studied her face, a small frown creasing her brow.  “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”  Avoiding her friends’ gazes, Dee started counting the money.

The silence in the shop was loud.  Very loud.  It shouldn’t have been, but it was, and it grated on Dee’s nerves.

Gritting her teeth, she snapped a rubber band around the notes.  “Don’t you have something to do, somewhere to be?”

“Yeah,” Molly replied, “we do, and we were coming to get you both.”

“For what?” Del asked.

“The blokes are all working so we thought we’d drive to the creek for a picnic, spend a lazy arvo lying back contemplating the world.”

“And now you’re adding being nosy to it.”

“And you’re adding being a right snot to it.”

“So I just won’t come.”

“You’re coming if I have to drag you there by your short and curlies.”

Dee sighed dispiritedly.  “I’m not good company right now, Mol.”

“Okay, so you won’t be as entertaining as usual, but that’s okay.  We can’t all be upbeat all the time.”  Molly smiled slightly.  “Besides, what are you going to do apart from skulk around your home in a funk?”

“Not spoil your picnic.”

“You’re coming, end of story.”  Molly pushed back from the counter.  “Finish sorting your gold and let’s hit the road.  Food is in the esky, drinks are in another esky, it’s a beautiful day.  Move it.”

Exasperated, Dee began, “Molly-”

“I’m not hearing you.  I can’t hear you.  Can you hear anything, Del?”

“Only some whining.  I thought it was a mozzie.  If it keeps going, I’m getting the fly swat and smack it a good one.”

“I saw a hockey stick beside the back door.”

“That’s the second option if the first fails.”

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to talk those two around, Dee turned to the mildest of her friends.  “Ash, I don’t want-”

“I know,” Ash said earnestly, “but you need it.”

“This is my business and-”

“We’re your friends and we’re just trying to get some fresh air into you, a change of scenery.”  Ash paused.  “Unless you’re expecting someone?”

Shit, that hadn’t occurred to her.  Dee’s hold on the cash tightened.  Ryder could very well turn up at any moment during a smoko or lunch break to talk to her, and she was in no condition to speak coherently to the one man who could tie her up in knots. What if she cried again, and worse, in front of him?  She cringed mentally.  Nor could she go anywhere else, not when her emotions were so tangled.  If her mother took one look at her, she’d start bawling and confessing everything, or if Sally looked at her, she’d start bawling and confessing, or her father - same thing.  If she saw Vic or Bill and started bawling, and they even suspected the cause, they’d go after Ryder with serious intent to inflict bodily harm.  One on one, he’d wipe the floor with them, but two on one would mean some serious hurt to all of them.

Suddenly disappearing on a picnic with her three friends seemed a much better option.

“Fine.”  She shoved the cash into a bank bag.  “Just let me finish this and I’ll be there.”

“Finally you’re talking sense.”

Dee stabbed a warning finger in Molly’s direction.  “No questions.”

“Would I do that?”

“I’m warning you.”

“Fine.  Sure.  Whatever.”

Dee switched her warning glare to Del, who held her palms up and shrugged.

Ash smiled at her.  “I’m so glad.  You’ll enjoy it, Dee, I promise.  It’s always nice to get away from things.”

Maybe Ash was right.  Some fresh air, no family, no customers, no Ryder.  No blokes.  Just the girls and a quiet afternoon to help clear her senses.

Ten minutes later she locked the back door and slid into the back seat of Molly’s car, Del getting in the other side as Ash settled into the passenger’s seat and Molly started the car.

“By the way,” Ash said as Molly pulled onto the road.  “What happened to your geraniums?”

“Yeah, I wondered the same thing.”  Del looked at Dee.  “What happened?”

Dee shook her head.  “Buggered if I know.  I got up this morning and they’d been yanked out of the pots and left lying on the ground.  Some prick ripped off all the flower heads and left them scattered around, too.”

“Did you report it?” Ash asked worriedly.

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not worth it.”

Del slid her a look.  “You know who it is?”

“Not yet.”

“But you’re going to find out.”

“Bloody oath.”  Glad to get her mind off Ryder, Dee straightened.  “I’ll find out.”

Molly looked at her through the rear view mirror.  “Do you think it’s the same person who left you the prickles in the envelope?”

“Absolutely.”

“Someone has it in for you.”  Ash looked at Dee over her shoulder, a troubled frown creasing her smooth forehead.  “But who?”

“Dee has a list of people she’s pissed off, all wanting a piece of her,” Del drawled.  “She could take her pick.”

“But any of them pissed off enough to vandalise?”

“Apparently so.”

Flicking on the blinkers, Molly turned the car onto the main road.  “Any idea who?”

Leaning her elbow on the windowsill, Dee rested her chin on her palm and tapped her cheek with her fingertips.  “I’m thinking.”

“Want to think quickly,” Del said.  “It’s gone from thorny half dead flowers, to burrs in a black envelope, to your geraniums being yanked out of their pots and ripped apart.”

“Escalating,” Molly said.  “Not a good sign.  It has to be someone you’ve pissed off recently.”

Recently.  Hmmm
.  Dee’s eyes widened.  “That bitch!”

“Whoa.”  Molly’s eyebrows rose.  “That was quick.  I’m impressed.”

Turning in the seat as far as her seatbelt would allow, Ash watched Dee with concern.  “Who?”

“Yvonne, that slut.  I bet it was her.”  Dee leaned forward.  “Turn back, I’m sorting her out now.”

Molly’s jaw dropped.  “Are you kidding me?”

“No.  Turn around.”

“I don’t think so, you hot-headed twit.  I am not turning around so you can go and have a fight with Yvonne.  How do you even know it’s her?”

“I don’t for sure, but she’s the one I’ve pissed off recently.”

“And you’re just going to accuse her?”

“No.  I’m going to ask her nicely.”

Del gave a snort of laughter.

“Turn around, Molly.”  Dee looked back towards the disappearing town, anger filling her.  Anger was a welcome diversion, no doubt about it.  It certainly helped squash down her urge to cry, so she willingly fanned the flames.

“I am not turning around.”  Molly glared at her through the rear view mirror.  “You are not accusing Yvonne.”

“Look, that slut ran me off the road after I outed her nasty little plan to double-cross her friend Jaci and blacken Ryder’s name meanwhile.”  Dee smiled at Molly’s reflection.  “I’m just going to have a little chat with her.”

“That’ll end up in a disturbance of the peace, the police will be called, Kirk will turn up, and we’ll all be in trouble.”

“He’ll handcuff us.  You’ll like that.”

“Not in the mood he’ll be in.”

“Oh, come on.  You can have him laughing in seconds.  One flutter of your eyelashes, one kissy moue of your mouth, he’ll be putty in your hands.”

“This is the same Kirk we’re talking about?  My husband?  The father of my unborn child?”

“There’s another Kirk we don’t know about?  Of course it’s the same Kirk.”

“He’ll just look at us.  You know the way he does.”  Molly did a fair imitation of a level gaze, but it was no match for the disconcerting, steady, completely unnerving gaze Kirk could give when he chose.  “It won’t be fun, let me give you the tip.”

“Not to mention Scott won’t be happy,” Ash added.

“As if Kirk would handcuff you,” Dee scoffed.

“He’d call Scott.  That’s bad enough.”

“Jesus, listen to you two.  Scared of your men.  You really need to start controlling them.”  Dee looked at Del.  “You with me?”

“Oh sure.  I’ve got nothing better to do than get arrested for disturbing the peace.”

“I am not turning around,” Molly stated firmly.  “You want to have a piece of the town slut, you do it in your own time.  This is girl time, friend time, not shit-stirring time.  Now pull your head in, Dee, and stop encouraging her, Del.”

Del grinned.

Flopping back in the seat, Dee rolled her eyes, but she had to admit she felt a lot more relaxed.  Not about Yvonne, she was going to see her later and find out what the hell was going on and if she was, indeed, the one sending bloody stupid messages and wrecking her plants.  But being with her friends, yeah, that relaxed her.  It had certainly taken her mind off Ryder for a few minutes.

With a sigh, she looked out at the passing scenery, right in time to see the ambulance pass the window heading back towards town.  She caught a glimpse of a brawny arm and shoulder, tanned skin beneath the green, short-sleeved shirt, and then it was gone.

Immediately she tensed.  She knew that arm, she didn’t even have to see the full body.  That muscular, tanned arm belonged to Ryder.