Walker Pride (29 page)

“Lydia, what are you doing in town?”

“Looks like I’m having coffee.”

“Not keeping very good company, huh?”

Susan felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Really?

“What can I do for you officer?” Lydia kept a calm about her that Susan wasn’t going to be able to do for much longer.

“Dinner?”

“Not in a million years.”

Smyth puckered his lips. “Too bad. I’m thinking you’ll change your mind soon enough.”

“Haven’t in all these years.”

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “I guess I’ll leave you ladies be.” He narrowed his eyes on Lydia. “We’ll bump into each other again soon.”

As he walked away, and out of the coffee shop, Susan watched as Lydia’s shoulders dropped.

“I hate him,” Lydia hissed.

“I don’t blame you. Feelings for him are mutual on my end.”

“Mine too,” Bethany added. “Who treats women like that?”

“He does,” Lydia picked up the folder. “Been divorced three times. Each wife claims domestic violence, he weasels his way out of it and keeps his job on the force.”

“Maybe someone will run him over when he tries to give them a ticket,” Bethany added, causing all three of them to break out into laughter.

“Can’t believe no one has tried that.” Lydia put the folder in her bag. “So what is our plan? I assume that during dinner we will try to get Peterson and Magee to confess to messing with our property. I mean maybe they’re trying to force us off of it so they can buy the land and then they don’t have to pay out on it.”

“That’s low. But then what?” Susan asked.

“You could just keep a cell phone on. You know Eric and I could monitor it. Just like they do on TV.”

Lydia considered Bethany’s thought. “We could do that. Tyson always has his phone next to him at dinner. If he put it on the table with the display down, no one would think a thing about it.”

“Okay, that’s what we’ll do,” Susan agreed. “Eric and Bethany can hole up at his house. They’ll be close enough if anything happens.

Again, Susan thought, this wasn’t where she’d thought her career was going to take her.

~*~

Eric had come out of his seat when she told him the plan.

“This is stupid. I say we just come in there and confront them. What if they’re dangerous and find out you’re spying with a cell phone?”

“You think it’ll be any more dangerous than them sneaking around the house at night? Lydia said there was someone out there last night. I say we do this and get it over with. We can’t live like this, Eric. You don’t deserve to lose anything else over this.”

He continued to pace, but he didn’t argue.

Bethany kicked her legs up onto the coffee table. “Seriously though, no matter how messed up all of this is, it brought our family together.”

Eric simply narrowed his glare at her.

She put her feet down and sat forward. “You met your grandfather. You met your cousin and the truth about your mother and Tyson came out. And I don’t care what you think. I’ve seen you together. You like him.”

Susan watched his jaw tighten.

“Russell, Gerald, Ben, and Dane have been here for you whenever you needed them. You’ve even opened up and accepted Glenda after all these years.”

Susan smiled thinking about how he’d decided she should be called Mom now.

“And, Eric, you made the phone call that put me in touch with Jake who put me in touch with Pearl. She kissed me goodbye today.” She beamed. “None of this would have happened if my father hadn’t royally screwed everyone over,” she finished on a laugh.

“We could have just had a barbeque.”

Bethany shrugged. “This has more adventure to it.”

Chapter Thirty-One

The next two days were filled with planning, shopping, and preparing. Bethany and Glenda were more valuable than Susan could have ever thought.

Eric still didn’t like the idea of her alone in the house with family he really didn’t know and investors, or whatever they were, that he didn’t know at all. She understood his hesitation.

Then there was the debate that what if Dwight Peterson and Shooter didn’t have anything to do with what had been going on? What if they were just killing time and the real person was still out there? They’d killed animals. They’d stolen cars and broken into houses. They continued to lurk around the Morgan house. There was a lot of uncertainty.

Glenda covered the last dish with tin foil and held it out to Susan to pack. “This was so much fun. Not having any girls, I never had anyone to cook with like this.”

“My mother taught me to cook. I cherish time in the kitchen with other women.”

“Maybe we could do it again someday,” she said with wide eyes and a bright smile.

“Any time. I may have to do it a few more times before I can go back to my house. I still have jobs coming up.”

“Oh, honey, you could use my kitchen any time. Even when you move back to your house.” She picked up a towel and brushed off the counter. “Are you going back to your house?”

“I wouldn’t see why not.”

“I thought maybe you and Eric might be planning something.”

Susan packed the dish into the box. “We’ve talked about it a little. But we just met.”

“I married his father after having known him a month,” she said grinning wide with her eyes beaming in delight. “He backed into my car. Made a mess of it. But the minute he got out of the car—it was love at first sight for me.” She rested her hand on her chest. “Eric was eight. I’m not sure he ever liked me much. I’m not sure he does even now,” her words shook. “He was a handful, but he loved his brothers and his father. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Susan was sure she could see Glenda’s eyes moisten. She moved to her and pulled her in to hug her. “He thinks of you as his mother. He’s a bit stubborn to admit it to anyone else, but he does.”

“Do you really think so?” Glenda asked as she wiped her eyes. “He sent me roses the other day. Did you know that?”

“I didn’t. But would you believe me if I told you he said so, to me? That he thinks of you as his mother.”

“I would believe it. Oh, that makes my heart so full.”

Susan looked up at the clock over the microwave. “I have to go.”

“Is Eric or Bethany going with you?”

“No. It’ll just be me tonight.” She said hoping she hadn’t let on to her what was going on. It was very obvious that she didn’t know anything about the dinner or where Susan was going.

“Maybe someday if Bethany is busy I could help you serve at one of your events.”

Susan felt the warmth spread through her body. “I’d really like that.”

After loading up her car, she waved goodbye to Glenda and started down the road toward Eric’s. She would change there and then head toward the Morgan’s.

Half way to Eric’s another car came toward her. It was a police cruiser and it slowed, so she did the same.

Douglas rolled down his window. “Heading to Eric’s?”

“For a moment before I head to work.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m just checking up on the area. Seems as though things have been quiet.”

“They have.”

Douglas looked around as if he were observing the area. “I was thinking about asking Bethany out this weekend. She’s something, isn’t she?”

“She is.”

“Lydia never would go out with me.”

“I didn’t realize you knew Lydia.”

“Sure. Small town feel around here, ya know? Her temper is as short as her hair.”

“I haven’t seen that side of her.” Susan looked at the clock on her dash. “I have to go. I’ll see you around. Good luck on your date proposal,” she offered, but having seen Bethany’s reaction to him she wasn’t sure he’d win her over. But then again anything was possible.

Douglas gave her a wave and headed on. Susan continued toward Eric’s.

Bethany, Tyson, and Eric sat at his kitchen table. Between them were news articles they’d printed from the Internet as well as drawings Tyson had obtained from his grandfather on where they’d put the wells.

“If this is legit this land is worth a lot,” Tyson said as Susan walked through the house to the kitchen. “Hey,” Tyson said with a smile. “Are you ready?”

Susan nodded as Eric stood. He wrapped an arm around her waist and planted a warm kiss on her lips. “I still don’t like this.”

“It’ll be okay. Did you already talk to Douglas about this?”

“Not about tonight, why?”

“I just ran into him between here and your parents’ house. He was just checking on things.”

“Good. That means he’s close if we need him.”

Susan turned to Bethany. “He wants to ask you out.”

Bethany’s shoulders dropped and she visibly deflated. “He gave me a freaking ticket.”

“Four years ago.”

“Still. I’m mad over that.”

She couldn’t help it, but Susan laughed. “I have to change, then head over.”

Tyson stood. “I have to get there too. He wants us to dress for dinner. I swear that man…” he stopped. “Oh, well. The things we do for our family, huh?”

Susan watched Eric’s eyes soften. He understood family more than he’d ever have let on under that crusty exterior.

~*~

Susan headed toward the Morgans’ to set up their dinner.

The dining room had already been set and a beaming Lydia stood next to the ornate table and looked it over with a very keen eye.

“I think everything is where it’s supposed to be,” she said, her fists firmly planted on her hips.

“It’s a beautiful table.”

“My mother is a stickler for this kind of thing. Tyson could have set it and it would look equally as perfect.”

“I’d like to see that too,” Susan said on a laugh.

Lydia turned to her. “What can I help you with? I’m as ready as I’m going to get,” she said with a whisk of her hands down the sides of her dress.

“I just need to get the pans in the oven to keep them warm and begin plating everything that will go out. I’d love some help if you’re offering. I’m missing my assistant tonight.”

“Sorry about that,” Lydia said softly as they walked into the kitchen.

“I understand. Don’t worry about it.” Susan pulled on her apron and handed another one to Lydia. “When I left the house Bethany and Eric had a command center set up on the kitchen table,” she said in a hushed tone.

“Part of me hopes we nab them. Another part hopes they are just genuine and nice.”

“Douglas Brant was already out this way. I think he suspects something. We’ve planned to call him if we find out anything.”

Lydia wrinkled up her nose. “There’s another one of those losers on the force that has been hitting on me for years. What is it with this town hiring cops that do that?”

“He said you’d turned him down for a date. He’s sweet on Bethany now.”

“Who wouldn’t be? She’s hot, but she’s better to stay away.”

“Why? What’s wrong with him?”

Lydia shrugged. “He’s just got a bad vibe to him. Not as bad as Smyth’s, but bad.”

Susan thought about Eric’s story and how he covered for him. Maybe it would be better for everyone involved to find someone else to check into Dwight Peterson and Shooter Magee.

Tyson walked through the kitchen before their guests arrived. “This smells great.”

“It’s one of my favorite menus. Certainly a more upscale catering meal.”

“I think Eric’s a lucky guy. I admire you for what you’ve built.”

She was completely unprepared for the compliment, but she smiled graciously. “Thank you.”

“I hope someday I’ll find a gal who will stick by my side when the world around me falls apart.”

There were tears stinging her throat and she didn’t know what to do with that.

Tyson must have known that too when he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll take care of you in his absence. No one is going to get hurt tonight in any way.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket just as the doorbell rang. He pushed a button and held it to his ear. “Eric? It’s show time. I’m going to put my phone in my shirt pocket mic up. If you can’t hear me call Susan and let her know.” He nodded. “I’ll tell her.”

Tyson slid his phone into his pocket and turned back toward Susan. “He says he loves you and he’ll kick my ass if anything happens to you.”

“I love him too,” she said leaning toward Tyson’s pocket. He gave her a wink and headed out of the kitchen.

Susan placed her hand on her chest. Her pulse had quickened with the nerves that bolted around in her stomach.

She took in a long soothing breath. She had a job to do and she was going to do it well. On the counter next to her the birthday cake Elias Morgan had requested for his daughter. It was all too personal now and there could be no mistakes.