Midnight Secrets (14 page)

Her tired mind struggling to come up with a different subject, Savannah was surprised when Gibby did it for her. “So who’s the young man you’re seeing now?”

Savannah searched her memory for the name of the last man she had dated. Dan something or other. He’d been a friend of a friend—a blind date. They’d spent a boring evening together. Dan was in advertising and wanted to talk about their newest client, a large shoe manufacturer. He’d made the statement that because she was a woman, he was sure she would be interested in talking about shoes. Savannah had spent the evening hiding her yawns. Since they’d met at the restaurant, they’d ended their date the instant dessert was finished. She had never heard from him again, for which she was extremely grateful. But that had been over a year ago and she hadn’t dated anyone since.

She raised her gaze to answer and swallowed the vague, evasive reply she had planned to give. Gibby would have made an excellent attorney. The piercing, speculative look said she wouldn’t settle for anything but the full truth. Suddenly wishing for anyone, including Zach, to knock on the door, Savannah scrambled for a satisfactory answer. One that would keep the woman from pursuing further questions. Telling her that she was too focused on her career to consider getting serious with anyone would only start the woman on an endless tirade of “You’re not getting any younger,” along with the ever-popular reference to her biological clock.

Just as Savannah opened her mouth, still not sure what she was going to say, the doorbell rang. Deciding someone up there really did like her, she jumped to her feet and dashed out of the kitchen. Anyone other than the devil himself would be invited in for a visit. She opened the door and quickly reversed that thought.

Savannah stared at Zach, who once again stood before her. She kept the door half-closed and put her polite mask back on. “Did you forget something?”

“Yeah.” He handed her a small card. “Here’s my cellphone and home numbers. Call me if you hear or see anything suspicious.”

“Couldn’t I just dial 911?”

“Savannah, I’m not looking for an argument. I just—”

“Is that you, Zach?”

Before she could stop him, Zach pushed the door open and stuck his head inside. “Hi, Miss Gibby. How’re you doing?”

“Just fine. In fact, Savannah and I were just about to sit down for a little supper of chicken almondine casserole. My specialty. Why don’t you come in and join us?”

Savannah kept her eyes focused on Zach, her glare telling him he’d better not accept, as she answered her aunt. “I’m sure Chief Tanner already has dinner plans. We wouldn’t want to—”

“Actually, I don’t and that sounds right up my alley. Thank you, Miss Gibby, I’d be pleased to join you.”

Before she knew it, Zach was inside the house, walking beside the older woman as they headed into the kitchen. Savannah stood in the foyer, speechless. Zach stopped at the door to the kitchen and turned back. The grin he shot her brought back memories that she’d successfully squelched for years.

“You coming?”

She took a breath, straightened her shoulders, and headed toward the kitchen. She could do this. There were worse things than having a very brief meal with the handsome, sexy man who’d broken her heart. Odd that she couldn’t think of any right now.

Zach sat at the kitchen table and eyed Savannah as she scurried around the room setting the dishes before them, pouring tea into glasses, and generally avoiding looking at him. She didn’t want him here—that much was obvious. Her hostility bothered him but he couldn’t blame her. What he had done was unforgivable. He had known that, though at the time it had made perfect sense.

“Chief, would you like lemon for your tea?” Gibby asked.

“Yes, ma’am. But you know you don’t have to call me Chief, Miss Gibby. Zach’ll do just fine.”

The older woman blushed and giggled like a young girl. Zach hid a smile and glanced over at Savannah, who had just sat down to his left. The daggerlike looks she was throwing him made it clear she wasn’t as easily charmed as her aunt.

“Any ideas on who’s responsible for all these vandalisms the last few weeks?” Gibby asked.

His mouth loaded with the odd-tasting food, Zach swallowed hard and then took in a mouthful of iced tea to wash the taste away. “No, ma’am, not yet.”

“That’s a real shame.”

He could think of a lot more colorful phrases for it.

“What kind of vandalisms?”

This was the first contribution Savannah had made to the conversation, and despite himself, his heart thudded at just hearing her voice.

“Mostly graffiti on buildings. This last episode of firecrackers in the dryers makes me wonder if they’re going in a new direction.”

“You think it’s the same people?” Savannah asked.

“That’s my theory. Low-level pranks. Minimum effort in each case. Just enough to cause havoc.”

“Any suspects?”

He almost smiled at the rapid rate of Savannah’s questions. She had a prosecutor’s expression on her beautiful face. Damn, he’d love to see her in a courtroom.

“None yet,” he answered. “Just a couple of theories.”

His attention jerked away from Savannah when Gibby clapped her hands together. Her eyes twinkling with excitement, she said, “I just had a brilliant idea. You and Savannah should talk about your theories and ideas. With both of you working on it together, you’d be able to—”

“Aunt Gibby, I’m here to ready the house for sale, not to assist in a police case. Besides,” she continued, her gaze barely skimming his, “I’m sure Zach has all the help he needs without me interfering.”

“Actually, I’d be happy to get your take on it.”

Surprise flickered and then was doused by alarm. For an instant, she’d looked terrified. What was that about? Hell, was she afraid to be around him?

With the expression of a satisfied fat tabby who’d just consumed a large rodent, Gibby said, “Excellent. I’m sure you’ll find the culprit in no time.” Before either he or Savannah could respond, she changed the subject. “How’s your mama gettin’ along? Seems like a month of Sundays since we heard any news of her.”

The beautiful woman to his left shifted, her interest apparent. No wonder. He hadn’t been prone to sharing much about his family life back then. Not that discussing his mother had been necessary—her liaisons hadn’t exactly been a secret. He ignored the small, insidious voice that reminded him that wasn’t entirely true. There had been one he hadn’t known about, and it’d ended up being the most important one of all.

“She’s doing fine. She and Lenny are still living in Pascagoula.”

“And that brother of yours? He still in the military?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Zach didn’t even bother to keep the pride out of his voice as he continued, “He completed his Navy SEAL training a couple of months ago.”

“Josh is a Navy SEAL?” Savannah said. “I hadn’t heard.”

A grin split Zach’s face, a usual occurrence when he was talking about his little brother. “I almost pounded him for not going army but he was on a set course.”

Her beautiful mouth curved in a fleeting smile that was gone before he could appreciate it. “You’re still very proud of him.”

“The proudest. Kid turned out all right.”

Gibby piped in, “Thanks to you, Zach Tanner.”

Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, Zach turned his attention back to his meal. It might not be the tastiest he’d had in a while, but at least it kept him away from Savannah’s too-penetrating gaze. Her eyes had lost their earlier animosity, which was a welcome change. If she wanted to talk about Josh, he had no problem. He could talk about his younger brother all day long. But when the conversation drifted toward himself, he’d just as soon not go there.

“Who’s ready for dessert?” Gibby asked.

“I don’t think I have anything to serve,” Savannah answered. “I asked the service who’s been cleaning the house to stock the kitchen with some staples, but I doubt that there’s anything suitable for—”

“Nonsense, Savannah. Every self-respecting Southern woman stocks something for her man to satisfy his sweet tooth.” The older woman sprang to her feet with the energy of someone forty years younger. As Zach watched in amusement and Savannah in apparent dismay, she opened the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and then, not satisfied, began to open the cabinets. When she turned around, triumph on her plump, round face, she held a bag of Oreo cookies.

Zach jumped to his feet. “I’ll get the milk.”

Savannah slumped in her chair, realizing that she’d been speechless more in the last two hours than she had in the last ten years. Her kitchen had been taken over by lunatics. She glanced at Zach’s almost-full plate and decided one mystery was solved. Poor guy couldn’t take any more of the hideous casserole. Cookies and milk for dinner probably sounded like a reprieve from hell. She had managed only one small bite herself.

Aunt Gibby was one of the kindest, most loving people in the world, but she was also the worst cook. Had this been a fresh casserole, Savannah figured it would have been edible if not very good. From the taste of this one, it had been in the freezer for at least a couple of years, maybe more. Gibby was a self-proclaimed freezer queen, claiming that the appliance was the greatest invention since the automobile.

Hoping to save both herself and Zach from having to explain why they hadn’t eaten their meal, Savannah went to her feet and grabbed their plates. “I’ll just make room.” She dashed to the sink and started rinsing the dishes, dumping the contents of both plates into the garbage disposal. When all evidence had disappeared, she turned to find Aunt Gibby and Zach sitting at the kitchen table with giant glasses of milk, both of them scraping the insides of their cookies with their teeth and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

An astonishing feeling of contentment swept over—something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Blaming her giddiness on exhaustion, Savannah nevertheless got into the spirit. “That’s not right. Let me show you the proper way to eat an Oreo.” She plopped down into her chair, grabbed the glass of milk Zach had poured for her and a cookie from the package, and then dunked. She quickly put the soggy cookie in her mouth and closed her eyes as the chocolate and cream melted on her tongue. “Delicious.” She opened her eyes to find Zach staring at her, an odd expression on his face, almost one of pain.

Mentally shaking her head at the odd thought, Savannah devoured four cookies and her glass of milk.

Aunt Gibby finished her milk and stood. “Well, I’d better get home or Oscar and Samson will think I’ve abandoned them.”

“Oscar and Samson?” Savannah asked.

“That’s right, you haven’t met my new additions.” Her eyes watered briefly. “When I lost Niblet two years ago this past spring, I figured it’d take two cats to replace him. Oscar and Samson are brothers from the same litter and are both rapscallions. You’ll have to come over and introduce yourself.”

Savannah stood and started clearing the table. “I’ll try to do that soon, but I have my work cut out for me here for a while.” Placing the lid on the casserole dish, she held it out for Gibby to take.

“No, darling. You keep the casserole so you can have something for lunch tomorrow. Just bring the dish back when you come for your visit.”

The instant the older woman was out the door, the casserole would go down the drain. “Thank you, Aunt Gibby. You’re always so thoughtful.”

“That’s what family’s for. Your granddaddy knew that better than anyone.”

As the three of them walked toward the front door, Savannah was glad to see that Zach had his keys in his hand. The shock of seeing him again was wearing off, leaving her feeling weak and drained.

“I’ll walk you to you car, Miss Gibby,” Zach said.

She patted his arm. “Thank you, dear boy.” Her arms reached up and pulled Savannah toward her for a long, hard hug and a whisper of advice in her ear: “Don’t let him get away from you this time. He’s a keeper.”

Before Savannah could even consider responding, Gibby went through the door, with Zach holding her arm. She turned before she got to the steps and said, “I expect you’ll be busy this week, so I’ll leave you to your packing. Pick me up for church Sunday at eight forty-five, though. And it’s the monthly social after worship, so be sure to bring your mama’s peach cobbler.”

“Aunt Gibby, I’m only here for a short time and I have so much—”

“Nonsense. There’s always time to worship the Lord and eat a good country meal. Get some sleep now. You’re looking a bit peaked.”

Zach gave her a searching glance and said, “It was good to see you again, Savannah. Call if you need me.”

A slight nod seemed to be the safest response. Savannah waited until Zach and Aunt Gibby were down the steps and headed to the driveway before she closed the door. Leaning back on it again, she blew out a huge sigh. So much for wanting to fly under the radar. Not only would she be seeing most of the town on Sunday, there’d been a definite promise in Zach’s eyes. He was going to want to talk.

Dwelling on that would get her nowhere. Savannah pushed away from the wall and went in to finish the few remaining dishes. Once that was done, she grabbed the overnight bag she’d dropped on the floor and made her way up the stairs. At the top of the landing, she veered left. With eight bedrooms on the second floor and an additional three on the third floor, she could have her pick. However, she automatically went to the room that had been hers the first eighteen years of her life.