Whispers (Argent Springs) (24 page)

“No problem. Make sure to lock up after we leave,”
the woman said, and both deputies headed out her door.

Erin did as she suggested, locking the door and
securing the bolt like Rick used to do every night before bed. She turned and
faced the house, expecting a rush of lavender-scented air.

Nothing.

“I know you did that,” she called into the ether.
“It had to be you.”

She actually waited for a response even though she
knew doing so was ludicrous.

Then the lavender came.

It only took Rick a few minutes to walk to Janice’s
house. Melinda answered the door wearing a brilliant smile. He was certain she
wouldn’t have the same expression when he said what he needed to say.

“Put on your coat, and let’s take a walk.” He
tilted his head to the frosty night behind him. He figured talking on neutral
ground would be much preferable than having it out, knowing Janice could jump
in at any minute.

She gave him a quizzical look but left for a
moment to retrieve her coat. “What’s up?” She linked her arm through his as
they stepped off the porch and headed toward the sidewalk.

“I thought maybe we could go to Krog’s and get a
beer.”

“Sounds like fun.”

Silence accompanied them as they headed into town,
the warmth and noise of the local tavern greeting them as they walked inside.

Rick nodded hello to Penny, signaling they’d take
their usual and then steered Melinda toward an empty table near the rear of the
building. He was still a little pissed at Penny for how she’d treated Erin, but
he figured now that she’d been caught red-handed, she wouldn’t do it again.

Melinda shrugged off her coat. The white sweater
she wore beneath it hugged her curves, and that along with her light blond hair
made her seem like an angel. Quite the illusion.

“I’m glad you decided to take me out. I always
loved it when we’d come here. Do you remember the time Kellan made us play
quarters, and then he hit on that out-of-town ski bunny, practically begging
her to go home with him?”

Rick chuckled. “We were all so young and stupid
back then.”

“We’re not so old now,” she said with a smile.

“But smarter, I hope,” he added.

She narrowed her eyes, but nodded.

The waitress arrived with their beers, and Rick
gave her enough to cover the cost plus a generous tip. It was his way of
spreading Annabelle’s money to those who could appreciate it.

Melinda took a drink and then licked the suds off
her top lip. “That’s good. I’ve really missed this place. They have the best
beer. It will be hard to leave it behind when we move to Los Angeles.”

The time had come. “I’m not moving with you,
Melinda. What we had was good, but my heart’s no longer in it.”

She frowned, a wrinkle appearing between her
brows. “How can you say that? We’re meant to be together.”

He shook his head. “No. Despite her underhanded
tactics, Annabelle was right. We’re not meant for each other.”

“No.
This
is right. We’re right. I’ve made
all my plans around us being together.” The expression in her eyes was so cold,
so calculating. In contrast, Erin had started crying immediately when she
thought he was leaving her.

“What plans? We’ve never talked about moving or
really anything about our futures. I expected we’d always stay in Argent
Springs. I like it here.”

She took another sip of beer, and he could almost
hear the wheels in her brain working, trying to think of a way to spin things
her way. “It’s because of that woman, isn’t it? Annabelle’s niece. Nothing
would have made Annabelle happier than to find a replacement for me. She made
that perfectly clear.”

Rick snorted. “She did at that.”

“So, it is Annabelle’s niece. Erin, is it?”

He didn’t like the look in Melinda’s eye, and a
fierce protectiveness came over him. “She has nothing to do with us. That’s all
me and you and our inability to form something that could last forever.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You promised you’d
wait for me.”

“And did you wait for me? Or did you have someone
keeping your bed warm until you felt safe to come home?” The more he thought
about it, the more he couldn’t deny that she’d cheated on him first chance
she’d had.

She took a deep breath, and he was sure she was
about to lay into him. Instead, she released it with a smile. “Fine. We’ll stay
here.”

“You won’t be happy here. You never have been.”

She shrugged. “Things change. I’ve changed.”

He narrowed his gaze, trying to figure out where
she was taking this game of hers. “Not that much.”

“You might be surprised. Do you know one of the
reasons I’ve hated it here? Because I never felt like I belonged.”

That made no sense. “You’ve lived here your whole
life.”

“Yes, but I was always the poor girl, the one with
nothing, meant to watch from the sidelines.”

Wow. Her perception of their childhood shocked
him. “You had far more than I did.”

“But it wasn’t enough, was it? I know damn well
you felt like I do. You used to tell me about your mother and how she checked
out on you. How you had to fight for everything. That will change. For both of
us.”

He shook his head. “Melinda, that changed for both
of us a long time ago. Neither of us are those poor little kids we used to be.”

She snorted and then continued as though he hadn’t
challenged her. “You might want to think twice about shacking up with
Annabelle’s niece. Before long, she will be the one out on the street. With any
luck, she’ll crawl back to wherever she came from and leave me with what’s
mine.”

Livia had told him about Melinda’s devious tactics,
but to hear the way she talked of her plans shocked him.
He’d waited for
this woman?
This shallow shell of a person?

“What happened to you, Melinda?”

She widened her eyes, taken aback. “What do you
mean?”

“When did you become so materialistic?”

“Me? You’re just as bad as I am.” She rolled her
eyes and took another drink of beer. “That’s why we belong together.”

They didn’t belong together any more than a bikini
belonged on a ski slope. “You want the money, too.”

She opened her mouth as though he’d completely
insulted her, but he’d seen the look of truth that had flashed in her eyes.
“What money?”

“You know I have half of Annabelle’s money. And I
know you’re going after Erin’s house. You just want it all, don’t you?”

“That house isn’t Erin’s. It rightfully belongs to
me. Henderson was my grandfather. I’m his only living heir. Everyone in town
knows he was a crazy old bastard, and if that old whore Annabelle hadn’t taken
advantage of his senility, that house would be mine.” She glared at him, daring
him to challenge her. “It should be mine.”

He shook his head. “You know, when Livia first
told me what you were trying to do, I was pissed. Now? I just feel sorry for
you, Melinda. You’ll never be happy until you stop wanting what others have.
You’re a beautiful woman with the brains to back it up until you get all crazy
like this. Give it up. Go back to L.A. where you’ll be happy and try to have a
decent life.”

A breath of silence hovered between them as her
expression switched from disbelief to anger.

“Fuck you,” she whispered. “If you didn’t have her
waiting in the wings, you’d come crawling back to me.”

He studied her, the reality of her depth, or lack
thereof, becoming very clear. He needed to bring this conversation to an end
before it escalated further. “No, I wouldn’t.” Not in a million years.

“You’re a fucking idiot. I’ll walk out that door,
and it will be your loss.”

He shrugged. “That may be.” He’d obviously been a
fool to think he’d find anything better than Erin. If Annabelle’s antics hadn’t
thrown him for a loop, he wouldn’t be sitting where he was right now.

“You’ll regret this. When I’m gone and you realize
what you’re left with, you’ll hate yourself. No amount of money in the world will
make you forget me.”

“I guess you’d better get to proving me wrong,
then.”

The bottoms of her chair legs scraped on the
wooden floor as she suddenly stood. “Jackass,” she hissed before she turned and
stomped out of the tavern.

He watched her go, a mixture of relief for himself
and a need to protect Erin from Melinda mingling in his veins.

His thoughts were derailed as someone started
clapping. Then another person and another. He looked around to find most of the
bar looking at him, all of the locals expressing their approval.

He hadn’t realized they’d been loud enough for
others to hear. He smiled awkwardly in appreciation and waved away their
applause. He wasn’t one to air his difficulties in public. At least they
approved of his choice.

He’d made it to the front of the bar, when the
idea struck and he turned around.

“Thank you for your support. I’m proud to call
Argent Springs home,” he said loud enough to be heard over the music. Several
people responded by lifting their beer glasses. Penny turned down the music,
and those who hadn’t been paying attention turned in his direction. “Truth be
told, I’m hoping you all might help me with a little problem.”

Relief filled Erin when Monday morning finally
rolled around. Turmoil still ruled her life, but she had an appointment with
Livia at ten. Her friend, acting as her attorney, would lay out their plan of
attack against Melinda’s outrageous claims, and doing something trumped doing
nothing. Erin had been trying her hardest to believe Livia’s counsel when she
said Melinda didn’t have a chance.

Hopefully, by the time Erin returned home, she’d
have some answers. Even more, she hoped those answers would soothe the restless
spirit or spirits roaming her house. Rosa’s antics were out of hand. At least
now she knew the cause of the chaos, and she wouldn’t be calling the police again.

She’d originally believed she’d been left all
alone since Rick moved out.

That was a lie.

Rosa and, she’d swear, Annabelle had become her
constant companions. They behaved for the most part when guests were on the
premises, but when no one was about, the smell of lavender could become
overwhelming. The doors to Rick’s and Annabelle’s former rooms closed with no
explanation. Lights turned on and off without a human touch. The worst part was
the voices she’d hear in the middle of the night.

If Henderson had truly gone crazy, the ghosts that
haunted this house had caused it. They were active enough to drive a person
insane.

Her ancestors were disappointed in her, no doubt.
And the closer her meeting with Livia came, the more active they’d become. They
were warning her to do what she had to do to keep the house in the family and
quite possibly encouraging her to fix her relationship with Rick. Even if it
meant parting as friends. Annabelle had loved him dearly, and time had been gracious
and given Erin the clarity to see things from Rick’s point of view. Anyone
who’d been side-swiped like he had might need a little time. She’d wanted him
to proclaim to the world that he loved her above all else, but that had been a
selfish move on her part during a time of confusion for him.

Not that she didn’t deserve it. She did want to be
the most important thing in her man’s life, whoever he ended up being.

But to add Annabelle’s deception to her death
compounded by Melinda’s return and expect Rick to behave in a completely
logical manner… She and Rick had both had a shock, and maybe things between
them weren’t as damaged as they’d first seemed. When she’d learned that Rick
had been living with Kellan instead of Melinda, a wisp of hope had buried
itself in her heart.

All she could do was hope.

A few minutes before ten, Erin donned her coat and
proceeded out the front door, locking it behind her. The house had been eerily
quiet all morning, as though every being had been holding her breath, waiting
for today’s outcome.

She met Livia at the town hall instead of Livia’s
shop because, as her friend put it, they needed professional surroundings to
discuss a matter this serious, not to mention room to spread out various
documents. As a show of support, Allen had offered his office.

Livia was already there when Erin walked into the wood-paneled
room. Allen had cleared his things off the desk, and Livia now sat in his
leather chair.

“Good morning,” she said, looking up at Erin from
behind dark-rimmed glasses. Her long hair had been pulled back into a sleek
ponytail, and she’d dressed in a pantsuit becoming a trial lawyer.

“You’re looking pretty sophisticated today. I’ve
never seen you so serious before.”

A hint of a smile cracked her stern lips. “This is
my lawyer costume. I find that I think with more of a logical, justice-based
mind this way.”

“I see.” She sat across from her. “I’m good with
whatever works.”

It took them more than thirty minutes for Livia to
explain the process of the lawsuit to Erin and to discuss the documents that
Melinda’s attorney had filed.

“Normally, it’s very difficult for someone to
contest a will.” Livia slid her lowered glasses farther up her nose. “The only
way a judge will entertain it is if it’s from a legitimate heir, which Melinda
is, and if there’s something to suggest a person was coerced or not in his or
her right mind and capable of making such a choice. Which, unfortunately,
Melinda’s attorney has raised enough suspicion to warrant a look at the case.”

“That’s what scares me the most.”

“Fear not,” her friend said with determination,
pulling out several more documents and fanning them on the desk in front of
Erin. “As promised, I’ve had Henderson’s doctor and several of his friends sign
affidavits stating that his capacity was not diminished in any way when he
changed his will and left the house to Annabelle. They are all more than
willing to testify in court if it gets that far.”

That news should make her feel better, but
something still weighed on her. “This sounds crazy, Livia, but I feel guilty.
Like I’m this newcomer who’s waltzed into town and has had everything handed to
me while Melinda gets nothing. Henderson was
her
grandfather. I
sometimes wonder if the house should have gone to her.” Rosa and Annabelle
would screech down the halls if they knew what she’d just admitted.

Livia wagged a finger at her. “No, no and no.
First off, Henderson did leave Melinda a tidy sum. I’m not sure what she did
with it, but he didn’t totally ignore her even though she was a selfish bitch
for the most part who wouldn’t give the sweet old man the time of day unless
she wanted something. Annabelle was the best thing that ever happened to him.
Secondly, that house belongs to your family, Erin. It feels right, and you know
that’s the way it should be. I’m a firm believer that karma eventually makes
things right in the world, and this is a perfect case in point.”

Erin nodded in agreement as emotion churned inside
her. “I feel that, too. I’m just so grateful.”

“Of course you are.” Livia smiled and then picked
up her phone and dialed. “Besides, I have one more ace in the hole. Hang on a
second.”

“Hi there,” she said into her phone. “Do you have
it?”

She paused for a moment, and Erin was dying to
know what Livia had found.

“Come on in when you’re ready.” She clicked off
her phone and stuck it in her bag.

“Who was that?”

“You’ll see.” She barely finished her sentence
when the door to the mayor’s office opened, and Rick walked in. His gaze
immediately went to her, sending a silent yet powerful current through her.

He looked good. Too good, and she wished she could
ignore how much she wanted him. She wasn’t aware of the possibility that he’d
chosen Melinda over her, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened.

He’d let his whiskers grow a little longer,
emphasizing the chiseled look of his jaw. She wanted to believe the dark
shadows beneath his eyes were from having as many sleepless nights as she’d
experienced since he’d moved out.

“Hey,” he said to both of them.

Her doubts bested her, and she wondered if his
presence harmed her interests. She locked down her feelings for him, bracing
for the worst. “What are you doing here?”

“I asked him to come.” Livia waved him in. “Rick
has produced another important document relevant to this case.”

He walked forward, but instead of giving the
manila envelope to Livia, he handed it to her. “This is for you.”

Uncertainty and curiosity mingled in her as she
reached out to take the envelope. He retained his grasp on it for a few seconds
after she grabbed hold, his gaze trapping hers. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” He
nodded and then turned and left.

She swallowed as she switched her gaze from the
envelope to Livia, trying to decipher what had happened. Rick had said he was
sorry. Was that because of what the enveloped contained? Because he’d left her
for Melinda? Or what? “What’s in here?”

A cryptic smile tilted Livia’s red lips. “Open it
and see.”

Erin slid the contents from the envelope as she
quickly scanned the first page. “Signatures of people who will testify to
Henderson Morgan’s sound state of mind?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Yep.” Livia beamed. “My intention was to get
several key signatures, but, after Rick learned what Melinda was up to, he took
it upon himself to get the rest.”

She flipped through the papers. “There are five
pages here. Must be at least a hundred signatures.” Her pulse increased as she
scanned the names of people she’d come to know and a bunch that she hadn’t met
yet. “Oh my god. Even Penny is on here.”

“Melinda and her attorney don’t have a chance in
hell, Erin. After we finish here, I’m headed to Sage to file our response to
Melinda’s claim. A judge will take one look at everything we’re presenting and
toss this out. You can rest easy now.”

Erin jumped from her seat and hurried around the edge
of the desk. Livia stood just in time for Erin to hug her. “How will I ever be
able to thank you?”

“No need. I’m just protecting the interests of my
clients, Henderson, Annabelle and you.” She tilted her head. “You might,
however, consider thanking Rick and maybe even give him a second chance. He
still loves you, you know?”

“Yes, I think I do.” The truth blossomed before
her eyes and quickly flipped into an urgent need to hold Rick close and tell
him how much she cared. “I have to go. Thank you again, so much. I’ll call
you.”

She grabbed her coat and shrugged into it as she
raced for the doors leading outside. She’d held him to some unfair standards
because of her fears of being left, when really, she’d known for quite a while
that he loved her.

Brilliant winter sun glinted off the snow, glaring
into her eyes. She scanned down Main Street and found the object of her desire.
Rick walked down the middle of the snow-packed street, apparently heading
toward his garage.

She hurried down the steps and out into the open.
“Rick Hartigan,” she yelled, and he stopped and turned around as though facing
her in an old-fashioned shootout. But she wasn’t firing bullets. Although if
she could pierce his heart with her love, she wouldn’t mind.

“Wait!” She rushed toward him, her boots sliding
on the compacted snow. Just as she reached him, she slipped, and he caught her
in his arms. Seconds passed, and he didn’t release her, giving her courage to
say what was in her heart. “Where do you think you’re going?”

He searched her expression as though looking for a
sign of her intentions. “To work. Why?”

She grasped for reasons to detain him. “Do you
think you could help me with something?”

A hint of a smile caught in his eyes as he looked
down at her. “What would that be?”

“I have two unruly ghosts in my house, and I need
a big, strong man to set them straight.”

He gave her an entertained look that stole her
heart. “
Two ghosts
now?”

“Annabelle’s there, too, and she won’t be happy
until you come home.”

He nodded, his gaze growing serious. “What about
you?”

“You belong there. With me. That’s the only thing
that feels right. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough to give you the time you
needed. I was scared of losing you, and I ended up pushing you away.” Livia was
correct. Sometimes a person knew to the very depths of her soul what’s right.
“Will you come home?”

“I’m sorry, too. I never want you to doubt how
much I love you.” A wide grin parted his lips, and he ran a thumb down her
cheek. “You couldn’t keep me away.”