Mississippi Blues (3 page)

The Chief looked away first. “Go then. But if there's any sign of Hill, you radio me instantly.” He ordered Jody, “Don't try to bring in the prisoner until I can get you some backup. Be on the lookout for Lindy, too. She needs to stick close to home with Hill running loose. I wouldn't put it past him to hurt her for some kind of twisted revenge plot.”

“Understood, Chief.” Jody glanced at Trey. “Let's go, buddy.”

Trey followed Jody out to the patrol car, his thoughts jumping around everything that happened to MiLann, Jace, but mostly Summer.

Turning his unmarked car into the driving rain, Jody said, “You should listen to your old man. Who knows what Hill will do? Now I gotta look out for your butt as well as my own.”

“I can look out for myself. I've been in tight spots in Afghanistan that would make your skin crawl.” Trey drew a deep breath. “What happened to MiLann Hill is partly my fault, too. They have every reason in the world to hate me. But I'm not afraid of Jace.”

“That's crazy talk and you know it.” Jody's dark eyes met his. “Jace sent himself to Angola by what he did to Soloman. You're holding on to guilt that isn't yours to own and it's tearing you up inside. You can't keep it up, or guilt will eat you alive. You gotta let it rest.”

“Yeah, I know.” Trey stared out into the rain-drenched night. The twisting road seemed endless. There wasn't anything out here but copperheads, cotton, and cornfields. If it was only so easy to forgive himself. If Summer hadn't been hurt in the process, he might find it simpler to find some peace.

Summer
. He'd been in love with her since before he knew exactly how strongly a man could feel about a woman. From the seventh grade on, he fantasized about making love to her. No other woman would do. Summer Hill was the only one for him.

As if Jody could read his mind he asked, “You feeling that old feeling again?”

“What do you mean?”

Jody quirked an eyebrow at him. “Come on, man. No matter how many honeys threw themselves at you, you were too hung up on Summer to notice. Too bad she didn't know you were alive.”

Jody's words rang true. Trey spent most of his life consumed by Summer Hill, much to the dismay of girls who couldn't catch his interest, and to the delight of his friends who loved ridiculing him. He'd never told anyone the doors of heaven swung open for one brief moment before they slammed shut in his face.

• • •

LeFleur had looked like a movie set with the five acre yard mowed golfing green short, white tents billowing in the evening breeze, and flickering candles softly lighting it all. A live band played everything from Nat King Cole to Springsteen. Trey wandered among friends and family, accepting congratulations with a smile. Trying not to be obvious, he scanned the crowd, looking for Summer. She would be here. He didn't doubt it, but he hadn't seen her yet.

Finally he spotted Jace and his mama at the buffet table. They chatted with his mother as they filled their plates. Trey kissed MiLann's cheek, then sidled up to Jace and nudged him. “It's about time you showed up.”

Jace grinned and elbowed him back. “Summer took forever getting ready.”

“Where is she?” Trey hoped he sounded nonchalant.

With a knowing grin, Jace pointed toward the house. “She went inside for something.”

“I'm going to say hi,” Trey said. “I'll see you around.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jace waved him off, already moving off to talk to Mavis Annette Brewer.

Trey couldn't find Summer anywhere in the house and disappointment coursed through him. Maybe she'd gone back outside to mingle with the crowd. He went out the back door, and just as he was about to turn the corner, something caught his eye. Turning, he saw her. In a flowing, white dress, she stood with her back to him looking into the pool.

Trey walked up behind her and stopped. “What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

She shrugged. “Waiting for you.”

Someone played Etta James's “At Last” on a record while the band took a break. His heart jumped. “I like this one,” he said, fighting for calm. She'd never sought him out before. “Care to dance?” Without waiting for an answer, he took her in his arms and they swayed slowly. Summer tucked her head into his shoulder and the soft vanilla scent of her shampoo tickled his senses.

In all the years he'd wanted her, Trey never risked their friendship. Having part of her was better than nothing at all. But being her kid brother's friend wasn't enough anymore. Dancing her behind a pillar, he cupped her face and looked into her surprised eyes. Then he kissed her. Expecting a slap or at least an angry withdrawal, he couldn't believe it when she opened her mouth to his. Instead of pushing away, she clung to him. When neither of them could breathe, he broke the kiss. He smoothed a tendril of hair out of her face. “I want you.”

She lowered her eyes and a rosy blush climbed her cheeks. “I know.”

“Make love to me.”

She nodded shyly. “Yes.”

For a moment, Trey stood frozen. Then reality hit. Taking her hand, he led her toward the guesthouse.

• • •

Jody spoke, breaking the memory. “You might give it another shot. Summer hasn't hooked up with anybody I've heard of.”

Trey ignored the jolt of joy that ripped through him. She hadn't married. Did she still care for him? Could she? He turned off those dangerous thoughts. “It's better I don't cause her any more pain.”

“What happened wasn't your fault, man. She has to know deep down inside Jace is responsible for what he did to Soloman. You did what you had to do.” Jody's tone was somber as an undertaker's. Jace had been his friend, too.

“Yeah. I've never had a second's doubt Jace killed Soloman for what he did to MiLann.” Trey's resolve held fast. Why did he feel so crappy? He'd ‘done the right thing' and destroyed the person's life he cared most about in the process. When he'd left Mississippi, there'd been no chance to fix what happened between him and Summer. After he testified at Jace's trial, none of the Hills wanted anything to do with him. He didn't blame them. But the cost had been high.

“You'd do it again,” Jody said, conviction in his voice.

Yeah, but nothing could prepare him for the asking price. If he had to do it all over, knowing the fee, would he stand up in court and testify? Or would he turn a blind eye to the obvious? Although he knew telling the truth at the trial would be the hardest thing he had ever done, he faced it head on like a man. He learned at a young age things were rarely black and white. That sometimes the choices weren't clear-cut and you made a decision and stuck with it.

Since that fateful night, Trey hadn't spoken to any member of the Hill family. God knew he tried, but the door had been repeatedly slammed in face. Within days after Jace's arrest, the Chief had packed up Trey, taken him to a Marine recruiter, and forced him sign on the dotted line. Nobody told the old man no.

Trey hadn't been able to stand up to him back then, giving up Summer, football at Ole Miss, and everything else in the blink of his father's eye. Six months later, after the trial, he'd gone overseas and hadn't been back on U.S. soil until today.

Jody turned into the driveway leading to the Hill home and parked. Trey's gaze took in the deserted Nichols' farm. He couldn't believe anyone lived here. The steps were crooked, falling down. A few boards at the side of the house had ripped loose and no one had nailed them back. When a burst of lightning lit up the sky, he noticed a new porch along the side of the house. The Hills used to live near his family's place down by the river. He expected them to move away from there, but he hadn't anticipated them to be living in poverty. Familiar guilt grabbed Trey's gut and twisted it.

Before her illness, his mother had written him about MiLann Hill going crazy after Jace's trial. She wouldn't leave her house, became a recluse. Regret lay just under his skin like an itch he couldn't reach.

Jody pounded on the front door while the storm beat at their backs. Finally, a light came on and a woman opened the door a crack. “Who's there?”

Trey's heart stopped, then jump-started, racing furiously.

Summer.

The girl he'd dreamed about for years. The girl he'd worshiped his entire life. The girl he'd lost his virginity with. His blood thickened, raced low. Would he ever quit wanting her? Would he ever stop regretting losing her?

“It's Jody Marvell. I need to speak to you on official business.” Jody pulled a notepad from his pocket and tapped it with his fingers.

Trey held back a groan. Jody sounded like Sergeant Malloy, one of the tough interrogators in his unit. Jody would never get anywhere with Summer starting off like a hard-ass.

“Jody. What on earth are you doing out in this kind of weather?” She opened the door another inch. She sounded warm and friendly. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you being so formal? I've known you since grammar school for crying out loud. And who's there with you?”

Trey stepped under the bright overhead light. “It's me.”

For an instant their gazes met and held.

Her eyes widened with shock, then darkened with fury.

• • •

Summer recognized Trey at once. No one else sounded like him. God gave him a voice that sounded like it had to crawl across gravel to get out of his throat. She blinked the rain out of her eyes. Maybe she was seeing things. What was he doing on her doorstep in the middle of a rainy night? Of all the places she'd expected him to reappear, this wasn't it. All the days and months she'd waited for him to show up and explain why he'd turned his back on Jace–
and her
–and he'd never bothered. Then she heard through the grapevine he joined the marines and took off for parts unknown.

Now he was here? Five years too late? Her ears rang and her knees threatened to buckle. She grabbed the door for support and held on until her knuckles turned white. When Trey reached for her she shook her head. “Don't you dare touch me.”

Jody's lips moved, but no sound came out. She forced herself to focus on him.

“Summer? May we come in? You look a little shaky.”

“I can't let Mama see … him.” Glancing over her shoulder she was relieved to see Mama still intent on her TV program. Apparently, she hadn't heard the knock on the door or the subsequent conversation.

The stairs didn't seem big enough for all of them. Jody Marvell was enormous — well over six feet tall and weighing more than two hundred pounds. He was famous in Juliet, but he seemed to disappear next to Trey. Although not as heavy, and a bit taller than Jody, Trey seemed to suck up all of her air.

Her breath rushed out of her lungs, making it hard to focus. Every cell in her body tingled with awareness of him. Telling herself he was nothing more than a memory, she tried to calm down.

He'd changed, but yet not at all. He'd always seemed so unaware of his effect on her. As a child and a teen, he'd been beautiful, but even she had no idea how stunning he would become as an adult. Wherever he'd been it had sculpted his face into defined, angular planes. His short haircut showed off dark eyes that seared her soul and a full-lipped mouth that could kiss like sin itself. And what he could do with his hands …

Summer mentally shook herself. Was she drooling? She resisted the urge to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. “What brings you out here?” she finally rasped. Her voice sounded as rough as his.

The clouds opened up and rain poured out of them but no one moved.

“It's about your brother,” Jody responded. “He … ”

“Something's happened to Jace?” Her breaths came in short, fast gasps. Had someone harmed him? Angola was one of the worst prisons in the country. The warden held the men's lives in his hands like he was God. He hadn't approved her for visitation because she complained about the conditions in which her brother was housed. She shot Trey a venomous look. The last person she wished to discuss this with was him.

“The Chief sent me out here to tell you your brother escaped from Angola today. A bus overturned carrying prisoners — Jace among them. He and another man are still on the run.” Jody wore a cop expression. Serious, subdued. He wiped his rain soaked face with one big hand. “Have you heard from him?”

She couldn't focus on him. “No, I didn't know. We haven't heard … I don't understand.”

Lightning cracked again, lighting up the three of them like scarecrows. Drenched by the downpour, Trey looked like some kind of sex god. Clothes molding to his body, outlining every impressive muscle. Even though heat shot through her like a body slam, she refused to be moved.

“Has Jace come here?” Jody pressed.

She glared at him, willing herself to stand up to his questions. “You mean my brother, the boy you both went to school with, the one you both played football with for longer than I can remember? No, I haven't seen Jace since the day he was taken away in handcuffs.”

Trey looked at her with something like guilt or remorse flickering in his eyes. “We think Jace is probably headed this way. The Chief wanted us to check and see if Jace has come home.”

“Why should I care what the Chief wants?” She folded her arms over her chest and stared him down. “Your father doesn't give a tinker's damn about us. No one ought to know better than you.”

She had the satisfaction of seeing him flinch. Good. Score. Trey Bouché and his incompetent father were the reason her baby brother spent the last five years behind barbed wire and brick walls with no way out but in the back of a coroner's wagon.

“The Chief does care.” Trey looked as sick as she felt. “He's also worried Jace may do something stupid. If you think that might happen … ”

“It won't.” She cut him off. “I'm going inside.”