Stranger At My Door (A Murder In Texas) (8 page)

He studied Dinah’s dazed expression and resisted a
loco
desire to scoop her up and carry her upstairs.

“Thanks for the interesting afternoon, Miss Dinah,” he said loud enough so Hollyn would hear. “I’ll see you this evening.”

Chapter Twelve

Hollyn was in the kitchen scrubbing carrots and green peppers. A pot of water was simmering on the stove. She smiled at Dinah. “I hope you’re fond of pasta salad.”

“I’m sure it will be delicious.” She appreciated Hollyn’s help around the house, and that girl sure could cook up a storm, but this arrangement was short-term. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do after the baby comes?”

Hollyn turned around. Her eyes were hard and angry. “This house looks a damn sight better than it did when I came. And you’re eating good, aren’t you?”

“I didn’t say otherwise.” Was Hollyn upset about witnessing Rafe’s kiss? When his hands had closed around Dinah’s shoulders, the heat of his body had drawn her closer, and a terrible hunger to taste him had overcome her common sense. Had the kiss looked as sizzling as it felt?

Hollyn stamped her foot. “So why are you throwing me out?”

“I’m not throwing you out. I’m just reminding you I’ll be selling this place and moving on. I don’t want to leave you high and dry when I do.”

A muscle flinched at the corner of Hollyn’s eye. “How long?”

“How long?”

“Before someone else moves in?”

“I don’t know exactly.”

“But not before the baby comes.”

The baby was due in a week or two. “Certainly not before then.”

“Okay, then.” Hollyn turned back to the cutting board.

“We still need to find a place for you to go.”

“I have, uh, my, uh, uncle. He said I could stay with him after the baby comes.”

A strong sense of relief washed over Dinah. And yet… “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know it mattered.” She mumbled the words at the carrots she was chopping.

“Of course it—”

“Miss Dinah, can we talk another time? I got to finish fixing supper.”

“Certainly. I’ll just go on out and get the wash.”

While Hollyn chopped vegetables, Dinah went out back to take the wash off the line and sort through her feelings about Rafe. Was it just six days ago he had come out here, hat in hand, to invite her to the barbecue? What was he up to anyway? That kiss had curled her toes and just about everything else she could lay name to. He’d felt it too. She’d seen it in his eyes. But still, a niggling doubt in the back of her head said he was trying to prove she didn’t hate cops. Maybe she didn’t. But she wasn’t falling for one either. Especially an El Royo cop. Wouldn’t that be the irony of all ironies?

“Miss Dinah?”

Dinah set the last towel in the clothesbasket and looked up. Hollyn stood at the door looking extremely put out. “There’s a lady here to see you. I told her it was supper time, but she said she’d wait.”

Hopefully it was another client. She could sure use the fifty bucks.

It was Esme. A burst of pure pleasure warmed Dinah’s body.

Esme may have been to hell and back, but she looked as beautiful and untouched as Dinah remembered. She wore a pink T-shirt, jeans, and sturdy boots. Her delicate hands clutched a leather medical bag. Heavy, dark hair was tied back with a bright green scarf, and her face was scrubbed clean. She didn’t need makeup. Her honey-colored skin was flawless, her cheekbones high, and her dark lashes thick.

Esme held out her arms, and Dinah embraced her. “I’ve missed you so much, Esme.”

“Me, too.”

Hollyn called out from the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready, Miss Dinah.”

Esme looked apologetic. “I didn’t mean to disturb your supper, Di. I had to check on a patient with swollen hocks west of town, so I decided to stop by on my way home. I can come back another time.”

“Absolutely not. There’s enough for one more.”

“Oh, Di, I couldn’t. Rafe said you’re having trouble making ends meet. I can’t take the food off your table.”

“Rafe is going to get a piece of my mind the next time I see him. Now you come on and join us. Besides, you haven’t been officially introduced to the very best housekeeper and cook in the world.”

Esme smiled, and the Morales dimples appeared. “I’ll stay.” She dropped the medical bag beside the door and followed Dinah.

Hollyn was sullen as she set another place at the table, spooned the pasta onto plates, and plopped down at the table.

“Am I interrupting your supper?” Jamey’s gold-rimmed glasses glinted in the evening sun as he peered through the screen door.

“Shit.” Hollyn muttered the word under her breath. “Don’t people know enough to stay home at supper time?”

Dinah shot her a quelling look and rose from her chair. “Of course not. Come in.” Esme stood too. Hollyn hunched over her plate and shoveled spoonfuls of pasta into her mouth.

Jamey’s eyes widened. “Esme Morales. How are you?”

Esme took a step back. “You remember me?”

“I haven’t b-b-been around much since high school, but now that I’ve moved back to El Royo for g-g-good, memories are flooding back.” He smiled his sweet smile at Esme. “Rafe said you’d g-g-gone off and become a horse doctor.”

Esme nodded. “I’m a vet.” She swung her gaze toward Dinah. “I should go.”

Jamey’s scared her out of her wits.

Jamey frowned. “I’ve interrupted your supper.”

“I should go,” Esme repeated.

Jamey pushed open the back door. “Please sit down. I’ll c-c-come back later. I wanted to talk to Dinah about the roof repairs.” He backed away. “Dinah, you don’t mind if I throw a ladder up and take a look at the roof again, d-d-do you? I need to get a count on the shingles for the roof repair. My crew will be here tomorrow morning.”

“Of course not. Come back in for sweet tea before you go home.” She hadn’t even considered he’d have to buy shingles. It was bad enough he’d have to pay his men. As soon as she sold the house, she was going to pay him back every penny he’d spent, plus extra for
his
time.

Jamey pushed his glasses up his nose and nodded. “Thanks, Dinah. Nice t-t-to see you again, Esme.”

Esme’s face was ashen.

Dinah slid her arm around her friend’s shoulder. “You look a little shaky. Come sit down.”

Dinah guided her back to her chair.

Hollyn scraped up the last spoonful of pasta on her plate, then looked up at Dinah. “Miss Dinah, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have the night off. I met a girl when I was at the free clinic yesterday, and she invited me to come on by for a visit.”

Dinah frowned. “Does this girl have a name?”

“Not that I remember,” Hollyn mumbled. She leapt up from her chair and dropped her plate in the sink. “Now you just leave these dishes for me. I’ll clean everything up when I get back.” She bolted from the kitchen.

“I hope she hasn’t fallen into bad company,” said Dinah. “Seems like she’s already had her share of troubles.”

“Her pregnancy?”

“She told me her folks kicked her out, and her boyfriend abandoned her. But it’s not just that. Every time Rafe comes around, she gets all jumpy. I think she may have had some trouble with the law.”

“That sounds sad.” Esme gazed down at her untouched plate.

“Why are you afraid of Jamey?”

Esme’s head snapped up. Her eyes filled with sorrow. “I told you. I don’t trust the men in this town, or at least the ones who went to high school with me.”

“But you must run into them with your work and all.”

“Mostly I deal with ranchers and farmers. They’re older or grew up in other towns. If they even heard the rumors, it didn’t mean anything to them.” She picked up her fork and pushed a pea across her plate. “At least none of them have ever said anything or treated me with disrespect.”

Dinah shivered. “Are you saying the guys who raped you have said or done things to you embarrass you in public?”

“I don’t remember who I was with. A bunch of the guys said it happened. But no one ever came forward and said who.

“Didn’t the cops get DNA?”

“I told you. I didn’t remember what had happened. It was a day-and-a-half before the rumors flew high enough to reach the hacienda. By that time, the evidence had been compromised. Besides, I didn’t want to drag my family through an investigation and trial. I didn’t want to drag myself either.”

“But the guys around here remember,” said Dinah.

“Some still whistle at me in town. So I don’t come into El Royo. Brooke goes to school over in Bridle Creek, and that’s where all her friends live.”

“You don’t think Jamey was involved in the assault, do you?”

“He was there a lot that summer.”

“I can’t believe he’d treat a woman that way. He helped me, Esme. When I took my dive, he helped me out of the water and gave me a blanket and took me home. No one else raised a finger.”

“It’s probably not him. But I have nightmares that I’m alone with someone, in a car usually, and he touches me and says he was one of the boys and I begged him t-to do it.”

“Begged? That’s male fantasyland. Women don’t beg.”

“I know. But that’s what they said.” Esme set down her fork. “I didn’t mean to dump on you, Dinah.”

“You haven’t. I’m so glad you came.”

“Peppie and Brooke will be sending out a posse if I don’t get back to the hacienda soon.”

“Stay a little longer. Please.” She grinned. “You have to eat, and Hollyn makes a mean pasta salad. Besides I have a question about your brother.”

Esme picked up her fork and smiled until the dimples on her cheeks were deep wells. “I thought you two were just friends.” She scooped some pasta into her mouth.

Dinah’s face got a little warm. “We are.” She hesitated. Maybe she didn’t want to know that answer.

“Is something wrong?”

“No! Nothing like that.” Dinah hesitated as she considered how to ask this question without giving Rafe away. “I was just wondering about his, uh, career.”

Esme rolled her eyes. “You mean old girlfriends.”

“Honest, Esme. We’re just friends.”

But Esme was studying her with a knowing look.

“Forget it.”

“Tell me, Dinah. I promise not to say anything to Rafe.”

“Okay. I was wondering about his career on the force. Has it been, uh, uneventful or has there been some…drama?”

Esme set down her fork and stared at Dinah. “Why would you think that? Did something happen to Rafe?”

That was all the answer Dinah needed. Something had gone down and caused Rafe to lose his nerve. “Nothing happened to Rafe. Just one of those feelings I get sometimes.” She raised her brows. “And I just got the feeling you said yes to drama.”

Esme blushed. “I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings. I worry about my brother. But—” Her eyes met Dinah’s. “If you want to know what happened to Rafe, you should ask him. It’s his story to tell. If he wants to tell it.”

Dinah had been the subject of enough gossip to know how much it hurt. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to pry.”
I am just worried is all.
But she couldn’t say that without telling Esme about Rafe’s gun phobia.

Esme pushed her chair back and stood. “I must go, but I was hoping you’d visit me at Osito sometime. I could always talk to you. I miss that.”

Dinah hugged her. “I’d love to.”

…

Relief flowed through Esme’s body as she stepped outside. It had been a long time since she’d strayed this far from her daily routine: work in the hacienda clinic, make sick calls to the local ranches, volunteer at the shelter, take Brooke to day camp or school and pick her up.

She’d nearly run for her truck when that red-haired girl had snapped at her about visiting during suppertime. It had taken every ounce of determination to stay put and wait for Dinah.

But she’d done it. Faced her fear of rejection and conquered it. She listened to the hum of traffic out on the highway and felt connected to the world.

“Ouch!” She rubbed the top of her head.

“Dang it!” Jamey Brenner’s voice dropped from the roof above her. “That shingle slipped right out of my hand.”

His feet scrambled down a ladder propped against the bungalow, and he peered into her face. “Are you okay?”

Panic squeezed so tight she could barely breathe. She had to get away from him, but he was standing between her and her pickup. She shot him her coldest, don’t-mess-with-me look. “Get out of my way.”

His tall, lanky body jumped aside like a string yanked by an invisible hand. If she weren’t so petrified, she’d have laughed. Instead she headed for her truck on the longest strides her legs could manage. She refused to run. He’d read it as victory. That’s the way men thought.

“You have d-d-dirt in your hair.” His footsteps came closer.

He was following her! She spun on him. “What are you doing?”

“I wanted to ask you something.” Behind thick glasses, his blue eyes blinked nervously at her.

“As I said, I’m in a hurry.”

“Please. It will j-j-just take a minute.”

“What?” She spat out the word.

He blushed to the roots of his dark hair. “I’m b-b-bothering you.”

She hadn’t meant to hurt him, just make him go away and leave her alone. “I’ve gotta go, that’s all.”

She began walking again, but his voice stopped her. “I wasn’t there, you know. Afterwards I wanted to help, but your momma and daddy wouldn’t let me see you.”

Her fear ebbed. “What’s your question, Jamey?”

“Since you’re a vet, I wanted your advice on d-d-dogs.”

She looked over her shoulder at him. He was studying her, but not wolfishly like the others still did sometimes. “On dogs?”

His mouth curled into a boyish smile, and he combed his hand through his thick hair. “I just moved into my first house, and I wanted to get a d-d-dog.” His cheeks reddened again. “I stutter sometimes. Especially when I’m nervous.”

Jamey Brenner had been the high school straight arrow, super smart but modest and quiet with a sometimes stutter. As class valedictorian, he’d delivered a memorable address about the importance of treating others with respect. An address none of his classmates took to heart—if they were even listening. Nothing that happened to her was his fault. Still, a man was a man.

“I’d really like to help, but I work mostly with horses and cattle.”

His face crumpled.

She forced a smile to her lips. “And the occasional
sus scrofa domestica
.”

“What is a
sus
— What did you call it?”