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“Nope. Maybe you can take that big ol’ dog of hers a treat. A peace offering, say some leftovers from our barbecue tonight? I’ll wrap up some cobbler or potato salad or something for Mrs. Hathaway, as well.”
“How about a dose of arsenic. For her, not the dog.”
“Chris, that’s not funny.”
“Why not? Everyone thinks I’m a mass murderer anyway.”
“Don’t you think you’re blowing things out of proportion?”
“Mom, someone painted leave on our garage. Hell-o.”
“Well, you know they’re wrong about us, and I know they’re wrong. Now let’s show them.”
“Fine.”
They reached the house, and as soon as Darci pulled up in front, she spotted the paint can—and immediately noticed Jordan had already taken care of the garage door for her.
“How about that,” Chris smirked. “Guess I don’t have to paint the garage after all.”
Darci knew Jordan had meant well—still, his actions riled her, especially in her present mood. Didn’t he realize she’d wanted Chris to help?
“Go finish writing your report,” she said.
“Thrills-ville.” Chris strode to the house.
While it was nice of Jordan to loan her the supplies, Darci wished he’d simply left the stuff. And to make matters worse, he’d forgotten the can of paint he’d brought over. Now she’d have to face him when she was annoyed with him.
Or was she more annoyed with herself for finding him hot?
The imp in her head was back.
Darci picked up the gallon can and strolled down the walkway, her palms growing damp at the thought of seeing Jordan again, which only irritated her further.
Michaela answered when she rang the bell. She peered at Darci from behind the partially opened door, safety chain in place.
“Hi, sweetie. Is your dad here?”
“Just a minute.” Michaela closed the door in her face, and Darci heard the distinct sound of a dead bolt sliding into place.
What the heck?
She could understand safety precautions, especially having lived in the Denver area, but here in River’s End? Had things changed that much in recent years with the town’s growth? Or had Michaela not recognized her? No, she’d just seen Darci a short time ago.
The door opened again, this time without the safety chain, and Jordan stood framed in the entryway. “Hi there. What’s up?”
“You forgot your paint,” she said, holding out the can.
“No, I didn’t. I meant for you to keep it, in case you need it for further touch-ups.”
“Are you insinuating someone might graffiti my garage again?” Darci knew she was being crabby.
“I hope not,” Jordan said. “I only meant you might need it sometime down the road. Scrapes and dings, peeling paint…” He shrugged. “I don’t need it. Like I said, I got it for Mimi when she lived in your house.”
“Fine. Thank you.” Darci tried not to notice how good he looked in his boots and faded jeans. “However, I wish you hadn’t done the paint job for me. I’d intended to make Christopher do it as punishment.”
“Oh?” He looked curiously at her. “Sorry about that. I just wanted to help.”
Suddenly Darci felt contrite for being short with him. It hit her that he had no way of knowing that Christopher’s actions were behind the graffiti.
“Okay. Well, thanks again for the paint.” Darci could see Michaela hovering behind her father, listening to their every word. Remembering how the kid had bolted the door so abruptly, Darci wanted to put the little girl at ease.
“How are you, Michaela? You know, you don’t have to lock the door next time I come over,” she teased. “I’m not planning to rob you of your silverware or anything.”
Michaela gasped loud enough for Darci to hear. Then she covered her mouth and turned to hurry up the stairs with her cane, clinging to the railing for support.
“Mac!” Jordan called, turning to watch his daughter. When he faced Darci again, his dark eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and irritation.
What had she said?
“I—I’m sorry.” Darci was truly perplexed. “I didn’t mean to upset her. It’s just that she closed and chained the door while she went to get you.” She shrugged. “This neighborhood’s pretty safe, isn’t it? River’s End isn’t exactly the center of crime.”
Jordan’s features tensed. “It’s not as safe as you think,” he said. “See you later, Darci.” With that, he closed the door.
Darci stood there, her mouth literally hanging open.
She wasn’t sure what rattled her more. The fact that she’d somehow upset Michaela, or that Jordan had practically slammed the door in her face. What had she said?
Darci plunked the can of paint down on the porch, turned and headed home.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE LINGERING AROMA of barbecue smoke drifted pleasantly around the patio as Darci sat with Stella at a small folding table, enjoying one last hamburger. At the back of the garage, her uncle Leon shot hoops with Chris, having coaxed the boy into a game of horse after Christopher had wolfed down two hamburgers and three hot dogs.
“You’ve got paint on your nose,” Stella said. “Right there.” She indicated the bridge of Darci’s nose. “What were you painting?”
Darci used a paper napkin to wipe the spot away. It must have gotten there when she put away the paint. “The garage door.” She sighed. She hadn’t wanted to bring up the incident in front of Chris. She’d hoped to enjoy the barbecue and forget that someone didn’t want them here in River’s End. “Somebody sprayed graffiti on it.”
“Taggers?” Stella asked. “In River’s End?” She shook her head. “What’s this world coming to?”
“Not taggers,” Darci said. “Someone painted leave on my garage in big, red letters. Why would they do that, unless they know what Christopher did. And how could they? His name was never on the news.”
Stella squirmed uncomfortably. “Well—um—I might’ve said something about what happened.”
Darci’s jaw dropped. “Who did you tell?”
“Just Lucy Long, down at Trail’s Inn Pizza.”
“Oh, Aunt Stella. You know Lucy talks to Suzanne.” The owner of the local beauty shop was a renowned gossip. “And if you tell Suzanne, you might as well broadcast it over the local news.” That explained how Eileen Hathaway had heard about Chris.
Stella pressed her hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Darci. I wasn’t thinking. But I only spoke in Christopher’s defense, which is exactly what I told Lucy—those kids were cyberbullying him.”
Her aunt had a point, but it didn’t excuse Chris’s actions. With his love of horses and Southern-country rock, he hadn’t fit in with the kids at school, not even the other skaters. He’d been teased for the way he dressed, for the music he listened to and for hanging out at the boarding stables with Darci. And the teasing had escalated.
“It’ll blow over,” Stella said. “You’ll see.”
“But what’s next? What if someone damages my car, or breaks one of our windows? Maybe I should get a guard dog.”
“Now, don’t go borrowing trouble.” Stella’s gaze softened as she leaned in close. “I’m sure this was a onetime thing.”
“Yeah, well, I wish I felt the same.” Darci plunked her half-eaten burger down on her plate, no longer hungry. She had gone through hell in Northglenn. She didn’t think she could take another round.
“Everything will work out—you’ll see,” her aunt assured her.
Darci had her doubts. Especially if Chris kept being such a little shit. She watched him hook a shot using fancy wrist work. A grin spread across his face as he shouted playful abuse at Leon.
He was still her little boy.
“You’re worrying too much.” Stella reached out and took both of Darci’s hands in hers.
The familiar scent of lavender drifted over Darci, taking her right back to her childhood, when her aunt Stella could fix anything with a word of encouragement and some chocolate-chip cookies. If only life were so simple now.
“You know what you need?” Stella said. “To do something fun. There’s a horse auction next weekend. Why don’t you plan on going with me and Leon? I’m looking for a few more lesson horses, now that I’ve got you as my partner. You can help me pick ’em out.” She gave a wink, and Darci managed a smile.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Okay. It’s a date. Chris will have a great time.”
“I just wish I could help him settle in here and get adjusted.”
“Adjusted my tail.” Stella waved the thought away like a fly at their cookout. “He’s a big boy. Let him adjust on his own.”
“Aunt Stella.” Darci could hardly believe her aunt would be so callous. “He’s been through a lot.”
“And so have you. Chris is playing you as sure as he’s playing your uncle in that game of horse.”
Darci’s jaw dropped.
“You heard me. ‘Poor me. Poor Chris. Everybody hates Christopher.’ The boy made a dumb mistake, but he’s done his time, and I’m here to tell you that the sooner you get past all that and let that kid deal with things on his own, the better it will be for both of you. Hell, he’ll land on two feet. Just toss him in the air and see if I’m not right.”
Darci knew Stella’s tough-love approach hid a heart that was as big as the Colorado sky, but still she felt edgy. “I was starting to second-guess my decision to put him back in public school. I wish I could afford to quit work and homeschool him.”
“He’ll be all right. Anything happens, they’ll call you at work. Just like they do any other parent. Let go, Darci. You’re going to start meeting people through your job and through the school. Not everyone will be against you. You’ll see. Getting out there will help you and Chris become part of the community a lot quicker than if you both hide out at home.” She nudged Darci. “Chin up.”
Darci nudged her back. “Okay, Aunt Bossy.”
“Moo,” Stella said, then laughed. “Say, why don’t you leave Chris with me and Leon for a couple of days, since it’s a long weekend? He can go riding tomorrow… help Leon putter around the place a bit. School’s out till Wednesday, right? We can even take him to the fair if he wants.”
The county fair was always held over the Labor Day weekend and ran until the middle of the week. Because so many of the local students were also 4-H members who showed livestock, the kids got an extra long holiday from school.
“That would be nice,” Darci said. Chris used to love the fair and the ranch…not just riding but mending fences with his great uncle. Would he still?
Stella smiled. “We’ll have fun, plus it’ll give you a chance to settle into your house.”
Could she do this? Darci thought. Start over with her new job, a whole new set of friends? She hoped her aunt was right, that she and Christopher would eventually feel welcome here.
“All right,” she said. “Maybe I can get some more unpacking done.”
“There you go. So stop frowning.”
“Sorry. I’m still a little worried. I just wish I knew who defaced our garage. What if a kid does something to Chris at school?”
Stella bopped Darci on the head with a half-full bag of barbecue chips before clipping the rolled top shut with a clothespin. “Like I said, don’t go borrowing trouble, ’cause Lord knows it finds its way to us quick enough.”
As if on cue, a red-and-white mottled dog darted out of nowhere into the backyard and snatched a leftover burger from the plate beside the barbecue grill.
“Hey!” Chris shouted. The basketball hit him smack in the face as Leon bounced it his way, realizing too late that Chris wasn’t paying attention. His nose started to bleed, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he raced off after the dog.
“Christopher!” Darci shouted. But if he heard her, he ignored her. Nothing new there.
She got up and ran down the block after him, calling his name again.
“She’s got puppies,” he said over his shoulder, as if that explained everything.
What on earth?
Feeling every one of her thirty-five years, Darci lagged behind as the mama dog scurried into a yard a few houses down.
Oh, boy.
Her pulse picked up speed.
It was Jordan’s yard, and the dog raced around to the back of the house.
Chris hesitated only a moment before turning up the front walk.
“Christopher Lee, you stop right now!”
Something in her voice must’ve told him she meant business, because Chris stopped and turned to face her, jogging impatiently in place. “Come on, Mom! She’s got pups.”
He’d been bugging her for a puppy when they lived in Northglenn, and she’d pacified him by saying they might be able to get a dog once they moved, if his behavior improved. And she’d told Stella she was considering getting a dog. But a guard dog, not a puppy.
As Darci stopped to catch her breath, Chris opened the chain-link gate and headed up the walk, clearing the porch steps then knocking on Jordan’s door.
JORDAN CHOPPED FRESH cilantro, whistling as the knife thumped against the cutting board. Tacos were his daughter’s second favorite behind pizza, and he enjoyed making them, complete with his own homemade salsa. He was glad Michaela had invited Jenny over for supper and to spend the night. It would take her mind off the earlier incident with Darci.
A knock sounded at the door and he figured it was Jenny. “Michaela!” he called, sliding the cilantro from the cutting board into a bowl.
“I know!” she hollered. She thumped down the steps to the front door and swung it open without the safety chain.
