You're Not Safe (Texas Rangers) (21 page)

“Life is good these days.” Robin leaned in a fraction and Greer could smell beer mingling with wine and perfume. “Not like before.”

The abrupt mention of her past slammed against Greer’s defenses, and she’d instantly gone rigid. “Yeah.”

Robin had shared her story at circle only once. According to her, when she’d been seventeen, she and her brother had gone swimming at their parents’ lake house. Two children had set out on an adventure on a picture-perfect day. And then Robin’s brother had dived into the lake, hit a stump, and broke his neck. Robin had pulled him from the water immediately but the damage had been done. He was paralyzed. He’d lingered for weeks in a coma, hooked up to a ventilator. Finally, his parents had shut off the machine and let him go. Robin had been devastated. She’d been the one who’d goaded her brother to swim that day. He’d not wanted to go, but she’d made him. And then he was dead.

After her brother’s death, Robin had spiraled into a deep depression. Finally, she’d taken an overdose of pills and gotten into a full bathtub. She’d barely been breathing, her nose hovering above the waterline, when her mother had found her. She’d spent the entire summer at Shady Grove, but like Greer no matter how much counselors spoke of self-forgiveness neither could manage it.

“I almost didn’t recognize you, Elizabeth. You’re not blond anymore.”

She didn’t mention her name change. The name like the hair color was a tie that would remain severed. “Got tired of the upkeep.”

Robin glanced at her nails. “You’ve also given up the manicures, I see.”

Greer glanced at her shorn nails. Vineyards and French manicures didn’t mix. “I’m kind of back to basics these days.”

Robin’s grin widened. “Doing the Mother Earth thing. I get it. It’s a good fit for you.”

“Thanks.”

“So do you come here often?” She swayed as she spoke. Dark sunglasses hid eyes Greer guessed were bloodshot.

“Enough.”

“I just opened a dress shop in Austin,” Robin said. “High end. Very cutting edge. It’s called Elegance.”

Greer felt frumpy next to Robin. She might have turned her back on the old life, but pride had her wishing she were a little more pulled together at this moment. “You always dressed well.”

“Like I always say, you can feel like shit, but you have to look great.”

The comment caught Greer off guard. Old protective instincts born in the camp welled. “You doing okay?”

An unexplained emotion crossed Robin’s face and then she smiled. “Never better. In fact, you should come visit me sometime in Austin. And my name is Jennifer. Jennifer Bell.”

“I go by Greer now. My middle name.”

“Call me.”

“Sure.”

This wasn’t the place to pry or dig and honestly Greer hadn’t wanted to revisit the past. She’d grinned and accepted the explanation she’d known in her heart wasn’t true.

Jennifer lifted the near-empty glass to her lips and grinned. “Great.” She hesitated. “Elizabeth . . . Greer. I really do wish you happiness.”

Greer had hesitated as if sensing there was more she wanted to say. “You okay?”

Jennifer sipped her wine. “Yeah, fine. I really wish you the best.”

“Right.”

They’d exchanged more meaningless comments, made plans for a lunch date they’d never keep, and then Jennifer had drifted into the crowd leaving Greer rattled and distracted.

Greer now searched the Web on her phone for the dress shop Elegance. The Web site popped up and Greer learned the shop was located in an exclusive section of Austin. She hit the Web site’s ABOUT button and Jennifer’s picture popped up. She stood in front of her store, dressed in a richly tailored blue suit, heels, and diamond earrings. Arms folded over her chest, her smile was casual and full of life, as if she had the world by the tail.

And maybe she did. Maybe Jennifer was doing really well. Maybe it was possible to let the past go and move on to a happy life.

She wondered if Jennifer remembered their chance meeting two years ago. She wondered if she’d heard about Rory or Sara.

Instead of getting on the interstate, Greer tucked the puppy close to her and wove through town toward Jennifer’s dress shop.

Greer parked in front of the store and watched as ladies went in empty-handed and came out with bags bulging. She shut off the engine and glanced at Dog. “Too hot to leave you here. How about I tuck you close under my shirt and pay a quick visit?”

The dog licked her hand. Grabbing her purse, she slid out the driver’s-side door and hurried into the shop. Greeted by the scents of lavender and expensive perfume, she was aware of her jeans, T-shirt, and dusty boots. A saleslady smiled at her but didn’t approach. Hedging her bets, she thought. There was a lot of money in Texas that was covered in dust and this gal didn’t want to take the chance of offending money. But she also didn’t approach, a clear sign she really didn’t want to deal with Greer.

Tough. Greer moved toward the woman, Dog tucked under her arm as if he were the fanciest purebred in Texas. If Greer’s mother had taught her any lesson, it was to grab the upper hand. “I’m a friend of Jennifer’s.”

The saleslady glanced at Dog and then took a step back. “She’s in her office.”

“Tell her Elizabeth Templeton is here. We went to camp together as kids.”

The woman cocked her head.

“We saw each other at the wine festival in Fredericksburg a couple of years ago. I run the Bonneville Vineyards. We promised to get together but, well, life has been crazy and I don’t get to town often. But I’m here now.”

The salesclerk’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t convinced.

Greer leveled her gaze as her mother had always done with the hired help. She reached for the phone in her back pocket. “I can text her and let her know I’m here.”

The clerk straightened. “I’ll let her know.”

Greer and Dog waited by the front counter aware several ladies stared at her. This might have been her world at one time, but it wasn’t any longer. She’d sensed it at the party the other night, and knew it for certain now. Her world revolved around the earth, the sky, water, and most importantly the grapes. Here she was the fly in the ointment, capable of driving away customers.

Jennifer emerged from the office dressed in a sleek black sleeveless dress grazing her calves. A large silver Concho necklace dipped below her breasts and matched a thick manacle bracelet and dangling earrings. Perfect make-up. Heels for fashion not for function.

She glanced around the store at her customers and smiled as if welcoming an old friend. “Elizabeth. I mean, Greer, right? What a surprise. Please, come back in my office.”

Sensing fear behind the smile, she followed Jennifer behind the counter and into the back office. Jennifer closed the door behind her and the friendly drunk from two years ago had transformed into a stone-sober, annoyed, and angry woman.

Jennifer faced her and glanced at Dog. She smiled. “What is that?”

Greer held Dog a little closer. “A puppy.”

“A dog?” She laughed. “It’s missing some pieces.”

“Aren’t we all?” Greer glanced at the little guy and smiled so he wouldn’t be worried about the chill in Jennifer’s tone.

Jennifer drew in a slow, steady breath, as if her nerves had suddenly frayed. “What are you doing here, Elizabeth?”

The sweet scents of lavender and perfume reminded Greer she smelled of dirt, dog, and sweat. “I came to ask you about Shady Grove.”

“Shady Grove?” She dropped her voice a notch. “Why would you want to talk about that?”

Her stomach clenched. “Believe me, it wasn’t on my wish list this morning when I woke up.”

“Then why are you here?” She shook her head, her eyes dark and turbulent. “I don’t want to talk about that place. I don’t want to think about it.”

A bitter smile tweaked the edge of Greer’s lips. “Join the club. Did you hear about Rory and Sara? We knew her as Joan.”

Jennifer flexed ringed fingers. “I’m all about my shop and my customers. I’m dating a great guy. I have so much now, and I don’t want to lose it.”

“I’m not here to take. I want to know if you’ve had any contact with Rory and Sara.”

She folded her arms. “God, no.”

“Not any?”

“No.”

The dog nestled closer to Greer. “Anyone else from camp?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“You and Sara work in the same town.”

She shoved out a breath. “Okay, I saw Sara at a business-to-business function last year. I’m not sure if she saw me, but I didn’t approach her. In fact, I left shortly after I spotted her.” Her voice sharpened. “And I heard Rory was a mess. Drugs. Again.”

“Did you know Rory died?”

Anxiety moved through her body, straightening her back. “Like I said, I don’t keep up.”

Greer couldn’t let this go. Two of the five kids in the pod were dead. “He hung himself. The cops think it’s murder.”

Jennifer’s face paled. She shook her head and took a step back as if she needed distance. “I’ve not seen Rory since camp. Heard rumors about the drugs. He never got his act together. Why are we doing this? Can’t we let the past go? I know we both made terrible mistakes but when do we stop suffering and move on?”

“I work at it every day.”

“I do, too.”

Greer sighed. She’d liked Jennifer when they’d been in camp. The girl had been frightened and skittish but she’d been nice to Greer. “Sara is also dead, Jennifer. She froze to death.”

Her mouth dropped before she snapped it closed. “She committed suicide?”

“Cops don’t know for sure.”

“You think she and Rory are somehow connected? I know she really had a crush on him at camp.”

“Who knows? He might have remembered she liked him and hit her up for money. That would be classic Rory. He could have made promises he couldn’t keep. She had a bad temper.”

“You think she could have killed him and then herself ?”

“I don’t know. I’m trying to understand what happened.”

Jennifer raked her hand through her hair. “Leave it up to the cops. Just leave it alone.”

“I can’t. Rory’s body was found near my vineyard and he had a picture of us taken at camp on him when he died.”

She paled. “A picture of all of us?”

“Just Rory and me.”

Relieved, Jennifer shook her head. “I don’t know about them, and honestly I don’t want to know. I want all that past junk to stay buried. I don’t want to lose what I have. I met a guy who is so great there are days I wonder how I got lucky.”

A heavy silence hung between them and clearly Jennifer wanted her to leave. But Greer couldn’t let it go yet. “You never think about that time?” She’d not meant to ask the question but it had been a long time since she’d spoken to someone who’d been in as bad a place as she.

Jennifer shook her head. “No, I don’t. I don’t. I have forgiven myself.”

Greer leaned toward her a fraction, genuine curiosity pulsing through her body. “How did you manage forgiveness?”

She frowned and took the question as a challenge. “What do you mean how? I just did.”

Greer shook her head. “I still struggle with it.”

Jennifer shrugged. “I can’t help you. I just know I manage it. The past is the past. End of story. Please.”

Greer searched Jennifer’s eyes for a flicker or a waver that signaled a lie or doubt. But there was none and she was both glad for her friend and a little jealous. “Maybe one day I will find peace as well.”

For a moment Jennifer’s face softened as if she wanted to say more. “Greer . . .”

And then beyond the office door the voices of customers drifted toward them. The front shop-door opened and closed.

Jennifer straightened and the emotional guards slipped into place. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’ve work. My customers expect personal attention.”

The moment, the near connection they’d shared closed with the shop door. “Yeah, I have to get back to the vineyard.” The next moments were awkward. A dozen years ago they’d have hugged. Now it didn’t feel right, whereas walking away bordered on cold. She managed a smile and then turned toward the door.

“Elizabeth,” Jennifer said.

“Yes?” She turned, a little hopeful.

“Please don’t come by here again. I’d fix both our pasts if I could. I’d wish it all back, if possible. But I can’t. Now, I’ve a good thing going and I’m going to be married in eight months. My fiancé and his family don’t know about Shady Grove, and I want to keep it that way. Let the dead bury the dead.”

Greer hugged Dog a little closer. “Sure.”

 

 

Mitch didn’t much like the black horse, Beauty. Turn your back on her for a second, and she’d find a way to nip at your shoulder. He had a couple of healthy bruises on his shoulder and a couple of times she made him yelp. But not anymore. He might not know all the rules yet, but he was a fast learner. She kept him on his toes. If his mind wandered back to the darkness, she was there to bite and remind she would not be ignored.

As he tossed the hay in her feed bin, he kept one eye on the job and one on her.

The day was hotter than hell, but not as blistering as Iraq. The air in Texas was clean and clear and in the Hill Country free of the Middle East sand lurking in the air ready to clog his throat and nose or burrow under his clothes and irritate his skin.

The first time he’d gotten off the plane the air had been so hot he’d thought the heat had come from the jet’s engines. Sweat-soaked clothes became a matter of course and a good night’s sleep was impossible in the oppressive heat.

Yeah, Texas could get hotter than hell, but it was home and would always beat Iraq.

If only Iraq would stay on the other side of the world. But it had followed him here. Stalked him. If he closed his eyes he could hear the grinding noise of vehicles, the shouts of soldiers, the drone of low-flying planes and gunfire.