A place to hide, p.16
A Place to Hide, page 16
Grace ended the call.
The reporter stared at her as she reached up and closed the window shutters. The phone in her hand rang again.
Grace realized this was the way it would be. The phone would ring constantly. She turned off the handset and returned it to its cradle. Then she walked around the downstairs area and closed the shutters on all the windows. She turned off the ringer on the other two handsets.
The back door opened and she froze, hoping it wouldn’t be a reporter who had sneaked past the deputies serving as security.
She saw Rob and sighed with relief.
Thank goodness.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked, searching her face as if he noted the discomfort she felt.
“Fine.” She produced what she hoped passed for a smile. “We’re packed and ready to go whenever you are.”
“We checked in with the Wilborns. They both officially have the flu, but they’re doing pretty well and hope to be back to work sometime next week.”
“That’s a relief.” At this point, Grace was worried about everyone close to her.
“Deputy Reynolds will be in charge of things here. He’ll keep me posted at regular intervals, so you don’t have to worry about anything once we’re gone.”
“Thank you. I worry about Diane and Cara being here, but I really do appreciate not having to shut down the inn entirely.”
“They’ll be in good hands and so will you and Liam.”
Her smile was real this time. “Thank you.”
Grace didn’t see any reason to tell him about the reporter’s call. She should have known they would start calling the inn’s official phone number. If they had her cell number, it would be blowing up.
“We’re moving back the reporters to the other end of the lane. As soon as they are blocked in, we’ll go. I don’t want to risk one following us. So be prepared. When Reynolds gives the word, we’re out of here.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Grace hurried back to her quarters. “We’ll be leaving soon,” she told Diane. Then to her little boy she said, “Liam, we should be prepared to go. Deputy Rob will be ready to take us on our adventure soon.”
“I ready!” He executed an air punch for emphasis.
Grace loved that he was excited. She went to her room and found her favorite hiking boots and tugged them on. She found Liam’s and helped him into them.
“We’ll put on our coats when we’re ready to go, okay?”
Liam nodded at her, his little smile melting her heart.
“I’ll call you if anything comes up,” Diane promised. “I don’t want you to worry. Cara and I will take care of everything the same way you would.”
“I know you will. Just stay inside and stay safe. If anything at all feels wrong, get Deputy Reynolds on it ASAP. Don’t hesitate.”
Diane gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
The door opened and Rob poked his head in. “Time to go.”
Grace picked up Liam and said goodbye to her friend.
She told herself again that this was the right thing to do.
The only thing to do.
Chapter Fourteen
Chestnut Bridge Hollow, 2:30 p.m.
Rob’s getaway was only twenty miles from the inn, but it seemed much farther considering the place was so far off the beaten path. This was where he spent his off time, he’d explained. The historic log cabin had been in his family for four generations. The part he hadn’t mentioned was that the cabin sat on hundreds of acres that flowed right up to the Tennessee River. The driveway from the main road wound more than a mile into the woods before reaching the clearing where the cabin, a big old white barn and several sheds spread across acres of grass and enormous old trees. Beyond that were the majestic woods that went on seemingly forever, rising up the mountains all around.
It was perfect...incredibly picturesque.
The memory of all those reporters rushing toward his SUV had her even more grateful for this getaway. It would have been only a matter of time before one or more would have figured out a way to get into the inn. She so appreciated Rob bringing them here and was grateful that he’d made double sure they weren’t followed.
“No wonder you love coming here,” Grace said, the view taking her breath away. As much as she loved the mountaintop views from the inn, this was truly magnificent in its own right. But more important, it wasn’t easy to find.
Rob was right. She and Liam would be safe here.
Grace relaxed for the first time in days.
Rob parked his SUV and shut off the engine. “This is the first time I’ve brought anyone here with me since...last year.”
She understood. “I’m sorry it had to be under current circumstances.” She hoped it wasn’t a terrible inconvenience. She hated the idea of being such a bother. She’d brought him nothing but trouble lately.
“I’m glad you’re here no matter the circumstances.” He smiled and she relaxed again.
“Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary.” He climbed out and opened the back door. “Come on, buddy.” Rob released Liam from his car seat. “There’s something I want to show you.”
He set Liam on the ground and grabbed their bags.
Grace followed the two toward the cabin. Liam, who insisted on carrying his backpack, kept pointing at different things—like the barn—and asking what was inside. She suspected he hoped for horses or cows. Maybe pigs.
“There are two horses,” Rob explained. “They’re in the pasture, so they may be down at the stream right now. We’ll track them down later and maybe your mom will let me take you for a ride sometime.”
Liam jumped up and down and shouted, “Please! Please! Please!”
Rob paused at the front door of the gorgeous cabin to unlock it. “Sorry, Grace. I should have asked you first.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” she said, letting him off the hook. To her son, she offered, “How about we see how the weather is tomorrow? We should get settled now and rest up. How about it?”
“’Kay!” Excitement danced across his little face.
Inside was every bit as breathtaking as outside. When Rob had called the place a cabin, she’d anticipated three or four rooms. Rustic. It was a log cabin, all right, but this was huge. When they entered, what had likely once been the main room had been turned into a massive foyer with views straight through to a wall of windows that looked out over the river. Grace walked in that direction. A large addition had been built onto the back of the original cabin that included soaring vaulted ceilings cloaked in natural wood and windows that extended from the floor to that peak and provided incredible views all around.
“Wow.”
“I added this part when my mom insisted on turning the place over to me. She said she wasn’t interested in spending much time out here once Dad was gone. My sister is too busy with her career in Nashville to get out this way often. She preferred the beach house in Florida my parents thought they couldn’t live without when they retired. Turned out my sister was the only one who really liked it.”
Grace stood at the window staring at the river. It was so close, almost overpowering and at the same time alluring. “I don’t know how you ever leave this place.”
“Work.” He grinned, ruffled Liam’s curly hair. Her son too was enthralled with the river view. “A man’s gotta earn his keep.”
Grace surveyed the room again. “I can just imagine how beautiful this place is at Christmas.”
“Last year was the first time I’d put up a tree since my dad died. It didn’t feel right, and then the renovation was going on. But this last time I went all out. It was great.” He shrugged. “A little much for just me, but I enjoyed it. I invited a couple of my friends and their families over. It was fun.”
How on earth was this man still single? Then she remembered him telling her about his former fiancée. Grace was certain the woman was a fool. But then, the heart knew what the heart wanted. Sometimes it made no sense to anyone else. Grace understood this better than most. No one could understand how she’d fallen in love with a monster. A killer. A liar. But she hadn’t seen that side of him. Emotion had blinded her, she supposed.
“Let me show you around.” Rob turned back to the older part of the house. “The kitchen is this way.”
The newly remodeled kitchen took up most of the right side of the house. Whatever had been upstairs had been removed to make room for another soaring ceiling. It was modern and at the same time very country. Grace was impressed with his remodeling decisions.
“You did a great job.” The dining area had a huge bay window facing that river view.
“My mother was impressed, but I can’t claim all the credit. Most of the design decisions were based on input from my sister. She also wrangled me some killer discounts.”
Grace was glad for that. She’d been certain he was going to say the decisions had been made by his former fiancée, which left whoever he was involved with in the future to live in her design.
Though, admittedly, it was a really good one either way.
Back at the other end of the original part of the house was a powder room, an owner’s suite and the staircase that led to the three bedrooms upstairs. All had been updated. All were impressively well done. If the place was hers, Grace wouldn’t change a thing.
When the tour was over, Rob carried Grace’s bag to the owner’s suite. “You and Liam can have this room. I’ll take the sofa where I can keep an eye on all the access points.”
Grace started to argue but his reasoning was sound. He needed to be able to keep eyes on the doors. She was grateful for his vigilance.
Liam followed Rob back into the main room. The boy adored having Rob around. Grace had noticed this a couple of months ago. Every time Rob would drop by the inn for a meal or just to check on them, Liam was drawn to him. He was otherwise fairly shy with anyone outside their close circle. But not with Rob.
Grace had wrestled with the urge to make more of Rob’s interest than there was. But then a part of her had given in and started looking forward to his calls and occasional visits.
She sighed and opened her bag. Probably not smart to make too much of this either. He was trying to protect them. This was not a romantic getaway.
A chill made her shiver. Was it just her or was this room colder than the others? She walked around the room, checked the windows. All secure. Then she moved on to the attached bath and saw the problem. The window over the claw-foot tub was open just a couple of inches. It was a large window, so even that little gap allowed the crisp winter air to slip in. She glanced around the room and over the ceiling and didn’t spot an exhaust fan, which likely explained the window being open a bit. Although the claw-foot tub and the pedestal-style vanity were original looking, she’d wager the large shower was not. She imagined some seriously steamy air would come from the shower.
Before she could stop it, her mind conjured the image of Rob in that shower, the water slipping over his naked body. Steam rising around him.
“And that’s about enough of that,” she grumbled as she climbed into the tub and closed the window.
When she made her way back to the main room, Rob and Liam were on the deck, seated in two of the rocking chairs. Her heart squeezed. She so much wanted a happy life for her son. She wondered if she would ever be able to make that happen. She had thought she’d been mostly successful until Sunday night.
How had she ever believed for one minute she would be free of that monster as long as he was still breathing?
Even now that Adam was dead she had to worry about this partner or followers. Until now she hadn’t allowed herself to consider what this person—the person who’d killed Adam and Pierce—wanted. Certainly he wasn’t there to protect her and Liam.
The thing that terrified her more than any other thought was the idea that he wanted Liam—not just Grace or maybe not even Grace. Every instinct she possessed was screaming that this killer wanted Liam above all else. Either to hurt him or simply to have him. It was feasible this person who was clearly obsessed with Adam would be obsessed with this child. Maybe Adam had seen this too and attempted to be rid of him, and that person killed Adam.
Grace rolled her eyes. She refused to give Adam any benefit of the doubt. Whatever he had done or said that caused his death—assuming that was the case—it was not some heroic deed.
Her cell phone rang and Grace jumped. She pressed a hand to her chest and took a breath. Just thinking about Adam made her jumpy. She dug the phone from her pocket and smiled at the name on the screen.
Cara.
“Hey, was your grandmother okay?”
“She is,” Cara said in her trademark perky tone. “I’m just calling to make sure you and Liam made it and to tell you that Diane and I have everything under control.”
“We do!” Diane called out. The call was on speaker.
“Dinner is in the works, and surprisingly,” Cara went on, “a good many of the reporters have peeled off. We’re hoping they haven’t tried to follow you to your secret destination.”
Grace hoped not. “Several deputies blocked the end of the lane where they’d been pushed back to, so they couldn’t get out until we were well on our way.”
“Excellent,” Diane said. “That Deputy Vaughn is pretty smart.”
Grace wasn’t getting into that conversation, even though her gaze was on the man at that very moment. She loved watching him with Liam.
“Any news from Detective Gibbons?”
“He and those CSI guys have been crawling all over the inn,” Cara answered. “Mr. Brower has returned from his conference, but we haven’t seen Mr. Ames since he left this morning. He may show up later. We’re preparing for dinner as if he’ll be here.”
“Be sure to make plates for the deputies as well,” Grace reminded her.
“Will do,” Diane promised. “I’ll even see that Detective Gibbons gets what he deserves.”
“Oh, no,” Grace said with a laugh. “That sounds ominous.”
“Just kidding,” Diane joked.
“What about the news?” Grace hadn’t checked any headlines on her phone, and they hadn’t turned on a television since their arrival here. She doubted she would be happy about the details already discovered about hers and Liam’s lives.
“We shut the televisions off,” Cara said. “We’re living it. We don’t need to see it.”
Which meant it was bad. “Thanks, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“Told you,” Diane muttered to Cara.
“Fine. If you must know, they’re speculating you killed him—Locke, I mean,” Cara said. “Pierce too.”
Grace closed her eyes and waited a moment for the frustration to pass. She shouldn’t be surprised. Of course they would say she was the killer. She had the most to gain with the bastard’s death. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know Pierce. The media would make what they would of it all.
“The people who know and care about you won’t believe what they suggest,” Diane insisted. “You know they won’t.”
What Grace knew was that people believed what was shown to them over and over by the media. It had happened to her before, and it wouldn’t be any different this time no matter how this played out.
“I appreciate the support,” she said. “And I truly appreciate the two of you taking care of the inn until we’re back. Watch out for each other.”
“We always do,” Diane said. “Be careful, Grace.”
“Ditto,” Cara chimed in.
Grace ended the call and decided to go to the kitchen to see what sort of supplies they had. Making dinner was the least she could do after all that Rob was doing for them.
The pantry was quite large. She wandered through, noted a good supply of dry and canned goods. Then she moved on to the refrigerator.
She checked the date on the carton of milk. It still had several days before expiring. There was a surprising array of fresh items. She could definitely work with this. She started to close the door, but something snagged her attention. She opened the door wider once more.
A thirty-two-ounce bottle of one of those sports drinks sat behind the milk and the orange juice. She reached toward it, noted that it was only half-full. So what? Lots of people drank sports drinks. No big deal.
Except this one had been Adam’s favorite. This brand and this flavor. It was all he’d drunk besides the occasional beer or a glass of wine—both of which were rare. He’d insisted his body was a temple. He consumed very little sugar and never ever failed to have this sports drink in the refrigerator.
It was just a coincidence. It had to be.
Grace slammed the door shut.
It couldn’t be anything else.
Except her instincts were screaming otherwise.
* * *
ROB STOOD, STRETCHED. “Little man, we should get inside and see what your mom is up to.”
“Can we see the horses?”
“We’ll go out to the barn and have a look around in a little while. Maybe your mom will come with us.”
“’Kay.”
Rob opened the French door that led inside. Grace stood at the windows. She’d been watching them.
“I think Liam likes it here,” Rob offered. Her expression was hard to read, but he suspected she was feeling unsettled. With all that was going on, she had every right.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s a very peaceful place.”
Liam tugged at his hand. “See the horses now?”
Rob smiled. “If it’s okay with your mom, we’ll go to the barn and call them in for a special treat.”
Liam tugged at his mom now, repeating, “Please, please, please!”
